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THE

EUROPEAN MAGAZINE,

AND

LONDON REVIEW,
For JANUARY, 1788.

For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

An Account of the LIFE and WRITINGS of MRS. ELIZABETH INCHBALD. (With a PORTRAIT of HER.)

THE HE Dramatic Muse has been particularly favourable to the ladies. Of the feveral fpecies of literature in which they have effayed to rival their male competitors, this feems to be a favourite, and more than ordinary fuccefsful purfuit. To the numerous female writers for the ftage who have already acquired fanie by the exercife of their talents, the prefent times have added fome whose works promife to afford en. tertainment to generations yet unborn. With the vivacity, fpirit, wit, and invention which have diftinguished former female writers, the prefent times have feen what have fometimes heretofore been wanting, fentiment and delicacy. The Behns, the Manleys, and the Centlivres of the laft, and early in the prefent century, will obtain no advantage by a comparison with fome prefent ladies in the chief qualities of dramatic compofition In decency and propriety they muft incur no fmall portion of disgrace.

MRS. ELIZABETH INCHBALD, the lady whole portrait adorns the prefent Magazine, is the daughter of Mr. Simplon, a farmer in the neighbourhood of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. In her infancy her father died, and the early difcovered a tafle for dramatic performances, and a propensity to the stage. Her firft application to be received on a theatre, we have been informed, was to Mr. Griffith, formerly Manager of the Norwich Company of Comedians: but this gentleman apprehending, from an impedi ment in her speech, that her fuccefs would be very hazardous, used his influ. ence to diffuade her from her purpose. Her paffion, however, for the stage was

too powerful to fubmit to the prudential admonitions of the Manager, and the fhortly afterwards went to Edinburgh, where the performed with fonie degree of reputation.

This

fhe united herfelf in marriage with Mr. After being fome time on the ftage, Inchbald, who had performed one season, at least that of 1770, 1771, at DruryLane, but with to little reputation, that at the expiration of his engagement he did not obtain a renewal of it. occafioned his returning to the country, where he performed at various theatres, and in one of them met with Mil's Simpfon. The union between them was productive of that degree of harmony which did equal credit to both parties, and feemed to enfure a continuance of that happiness, which is the refult of a conduct directed by prudence and affection. They performed together at different theatres both in England and Scotland ; of Mrs. Inchbald lately published, at one and if credit is to be given to an account time made a trip to France for the reestablishment of her health. After a few years Mr. Inchbald died in 1779, at York, where he was buried. The following infcription to his memory, writTheatre, is placed on his tomb, and is ten by Mr. Kemble, of Drury Lane here inferted as no unfavourable character

of him.

Sifte, Viator!

Hic fepulta jacent offa
JOSEPHI INCHBALD, HISTRIONIŞ
Qui æqualium fuorum
Vir:utifque in veris vitæ claruit exemplar.
In fictis scenarum facile princeps evasit,
Procul ifte, in illi fuperftitio,

Et

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Otii gaudium, nec non feriorum orna-
mentum,
Expectans

De clementia numinis immortalis,
Eterna fini felicitate
Requiefcit,

JOS. INCHBALD, Annum agens quadragefimum quartum Octavo Idaum Junii Mortem Obiit Anno MDCCLXXIX. The next year Mrs. Inchbaid was en'gaged at Covent Garden Theatre, and appeared for the first time on 3d October, 1780, in Bellario in Philafter, and was immediately appointed to a round of cha. racters, which the filled much to the fatisfaction of the public. An inclination to dramatic compofition at this period thewed itself, and he wrote, as we are informed, a farce on the fubject of Mr. Madau's Thelyphthora; which, when of. fered to the Manager of Covent Garden Theatre, was rejected. She continued to perform for two feafons, when, on a disagreement with the Manager, fhe went for the feafon of 1782 to Dublin She, however, the next year returned to Covent Garden, where, and at the HayMarket in the fummner, fhe has continued ever fince.

Though unfuccefsful in her effort to obtain a reprefentation for her firit performance, the appears not to have been difcouraged. She continued to write, and in the year 1784 produced a

farce which had for its fubject the then fashionable rage for ballooning. It was called "A Mogul Tale," and was performed with fuccefs at the Hay-Market. The applaufe this piece met with induced Mr. Colman to read a comedy which had been put into his hands fome time before; and the refult of his perufal of it was fo much in its favour, that he immediately accepted it. It was called, "I'll Tell You What," and was acted for the first time at the Hay-Market, 4th August 1785. The reception of this piece by the public fixed Mrs. Inchbald's reputation as a dramatic writer. It was acted that seafon twenty nights to very crowded and brilliant audiences.

The great and deferved fuccefs of this piece feems to have awakened the attention of the Winter Manager to Mrs Inchbaid's merit as a writer. We accordingly find, that early in the feafon of 1785, a farce by her was acted at Covent Gar den, called, " den, called, Appearance Is Against Them;" and this was followed by an. other at the Hay. Market in 1786, intitled, "The Widow's Vow." Both were applanded. In 1787, "Such

Things Are" was produced at Covent Garder, and acted with a degree of ap. plaufe equal to any piece (if we except The School for Scandal) of the pretent time. The "Midnight Hour" fucceeded at the fame theatre; and, though a tranf lation, derives fome of its merit from the judicious improvements of this Lady's pen. Her laft performance is noticed in our Magazine for December, where both her motives for permitting its reprefentation, and her apology for its defects, are inferted,

Mrs. Inchbald, we learn, is preparing another piece for Covent Garden Theatre, which in due time will be noticed in this Magazine.

An ACCOUNT of GWALIOR, in the EAST-INDIES. [Embellished with a View of it.]

HE ancient and celebrated fortrefs of T Gwalior (or Gowalier) is fituated in the very heart of Hindostan Proper, being about eighty miles to the fouth of Agra, the ancient capital of the empire, and one hundred and thirty from the nearest part of the Ganges. From Calcutta it is, by the nearest route, upwards of eight hundred miles, and nine hundred and ten by the ordinary one; and about two hundred and eighty from the British frontiers. its latitude is 26 deg 14

fec. and long. 78 deg. 26 fec. from Greenwich.

In the ancient division of the empire, it is claffed in the Soubah of Agra, and is often mentioned in Hiftory. In the year 1008, and during the two following centuries, it was thrice reduced by famine. It is probable, that it mult in all ages have been deemed a military poft of the utmost confequence; both from its fituation in respect to the capital, and from the peculiarity of its feite,

which

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A View of the FORT of GWALIOR from the NW

Published by flowell, Comhill.

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