The fair penitent, a tragedy.

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Upon his death his widow received a pension from George I in 1719 in recognition of her husband's translation of Lucan. This verse translation, or rather paraphrase of the Pharsalia, was called by Samuel Johnson one of the greatest productions in English poetry, and was widely read, running through eight editions between 1718 and 1807. [2] Family [ edit ]

The original Lincoln's Inn Fields cast included John Bowman as Sciolto, John Verbruggen as Altamont, Thomas Betterton as Horatio, George Powell as Lothario and Elizabeth Barry as Calista. [5] The production also included incidental music and arias written by German-born Baroque composer Jakob Greber for his mistress, operatic soprano Margherita de L'Épine. [6] Mr. SHERIDAN whose voice and person, as we have before observed, rather speak against him, especially in points of importance; nevertheless made a more masterly figure in this part than any person we have seen; he broke with chaste judg|ment the lines into good sense, without violating just harmony; he sustained the sedateness of the charac|ter, and the spirit of it, with equal propriety, and had the merit of much greater uniformity, than any competitor we shall, or can mention; cool without sameness, firm without brutality.Mrs. WOFFINGTON, through an unaccountable turn of public caprice, was very well received in Calista, though all her merit was comprehended in elegance of figure; she was a Lady Townly in heroics, and barked out the penitent with as disso|nant notes of voice as ever offended a critical ear; we allow she was very pleasing to the eye, but high|ly offensive to cultivated taste. Mrs. CIBBER, beyond every point of dispute, surpassed not only contemporary merit, but what has succeeded even to this day; the idea of haugh|tiness she rather failed in, yet her pungent and un|equalled distress made ample amends: in the first scene of the fifth act her countenance so aptly paint|ed horror and despair, her thrilling voice so pene|trated the heart, that we may say from experience, the height of critical pleasure strained nature into a degree of mental pain. Daniel Lysons and Samuel Lysons, " General history: Families removed since 1620". In Magna Britannia: Volume 6, Devonshire (London, 1822), pp. clxxiii–ccxxv. Returning to the pleasure her infant years gave him, and his forgiveness of her, are circumstances thoroughly pathetic; his parting carries the climax of tenderness as high as it can well go; the succeed|ing scene between Altamont and Calista is extreme|ly languid, and seems to have little else in view, than giving a fresh instance of that amorous weak|ness which so entirely rules the injured husband. Maecenas. Verses occasion'd by the honours conferr'd on the Right Honourable Earl of Halifax (1714)

I have wronged thee much," and Lavi|nia's carrying on the allusion with which it con|cludes, is an unpardonable trespass upon serious feelings. THIS dramatic composition was wrote at a time when genius received nourishment from the beams of royal favour, ere the muses of this isle were germanized into stone; and stands to this day in estimation at least equal to any except those of Shakespeare. It opens with Horatio and Alta|mont, two persons of rank in Genoa, from whom we learn, that it is the latter's bridal day; there appears to be strong links of friendship between these two characters, and that Sciolto, a nobleman, father to Altamont's bride, has shewn particular marks of favour to Horatio, on account of being Altamont's brother-in-law and friend; his attach|ment to Altamont arose from a peculiar mark of filial duty shewn by him to a dead father, in yield|ing himself to prison, that his father's corpse, which had been arrested by rigid creditors, might obtain the usual rites of burial.Lothario now comes forward acquainting Ros|sano with his loss of the letter, which villain-like he does not regret, as it may be the means of infamy and wretchedness to the unhappy woman he has ruined, but as he wants to make it an instrument of his antipathy against Altamont. The following scene between the friends takes a turn which may be expected; the prejudiced bride|groom, Altamont's tears touch Horatio with sympathy, and it is to be wished, that they alone had wrought the desirable effect of tenderness; as the panto|mimical stroke of falling down is utterly contempti|ble; and the two speeches occasioned by it, rather laughable: this whole scene is very inadequate to the rest of the play, and the characters are carried off with a jingling tag spoken by Lavinia, which has more sound than meaning.

The genius of ROWE seemed to consist in rich|ness of fancy, purity of language, justness of images, and harmony of numbers; but was undoubtedly too poetical for the drama, of which every piece he wrote, as well as this, is an evident proof; indeed, the absurd manner of theatrical speaking in his time might lead him to monotony in composition, and jingling rhimes at the end of acts; the only The Tragedy of Lady Jane Grey followed in 1715, and as this play was not successful, it was his last foray into the medium. [2]Lavinia is a mere make-shift to eke out the piece; amiable; and what she says is pretty enough; we don't remember to have ever seen her rendered more agreeable than by Mrs. STEPHENS; who, in this, as well as all other medium parts, marks the author's meaning with very just and agreeable sensibility.