Mel. You feem thoughtful, Cynthia.

Cyn. I am thinking, tho' marriage makes man and wife one flesh, it leaves them fill two fools, and they become more confpicuous by fetting off one another.

Mel. That's only when two fools meet, and their follies are oppofed.

Cyn. Nay, I have known two wits meet, and by the oppofition of their wit, render themselves as ridiculous as fools. 'Tis an odd game we are going to play at; what think you of drawing flakes, and giving over in time?

Mel. No, bang it, that's not endeavouring to win, because it is poffible we may lofe&c. &c.

This fcene, which proceeds throughout in the fame ftrain, feems to confirm Dr. Johnson's remark, that Congreve formed a peculiar idea of comic excellence, which he fuppofed to confift in gay remarks and unexpected anfiers-that his fcenes exhibit not much of humour, imagery or passion; his perfonages are a kind of intellectual gladiators; every fentence is to ward or strike; the contest of fmartness is never intermitted; and his wit is a meteor playing to and fro with alternate corufcations.

There is but one more interview between Cynthia and Mellafont, which is the opening of the fourth act, and this is of fo flat and infipid a fort, as to be with reafon omitted in reprefentation: I think therefore it may be justly obVOL. III. E ferved,

ferved, that this match, for the prevention of which artifices of fo virulent and diabolical a nature are practifed by Lady Touchwood and The Double Dealer, is not preffed upon the feelings of the fpectators in fo interesting a manner, as it should and might have been.

Having remarked upon the object of the plot, I fhall next confider the intrigue; and for this purpose we must methodically trace the conduct of Lady Touchwood, who is the poet's chief engine, and that of her under-agent Maskwell.

The fcene lies in Lord Touchwood's house, but whether in town or country does not appear. Sir Paul Pliant, his lady and daughter, are naturally brought thither, upon the day preceding Cynthia's marriage, to adjust the settlement: Lord and Lady Froth, Careless and Brisk, are vifiters on the occafion; Mellafont and Maskwell are inmates: This difpofition is as happy as can be devised. The incident related by Mellafont to Careless, of the attempt upon him made by Lady Touchwood, artfully prepares us to expect every thing that revenge and paffion can fuggeft for fruftrating his happiness; and it is judicious to reprefent Mellafont incredulous as to the criminality of Maskwell's intercourse with Lady Touchwood; for if he had believed it upon Careless's fuggeftion, it would have made his

blindnefs

blindness to the character of Mafkwell not only weak, (which in fact it is) but unnatural and even guilty.

Mafkwell in the first act makes general promifes to Lady Touchwood that he will defeat Mellafont's match-You shall possess and ruin him too. The lady preffes him to explain particulars; he opens no other resource but that of poffeffing Lady Pliant with an idea that Mellafont is fond of her-She must be thoroughly perfuaded that Mellafont loves her.-So fhallow a contrivance as this cannot escape the lady's penetration, and she naturally answers-I don't fee what you can propofe from fo trifling a defign; for her first converfing with Mellafont will convince her of the contrary.-In fact, the author's good fenfe was well aware how weak this expedient is, and it feems applied to no other purpose than as an incident to help on the underplot, by bringing forward the comic effect of Lady Pliant's character, and that of Sir Paul: Mafkwell himself is fo fairly gravelled by the obfervation, that he confeffes he does not depend upon it; but he obferves that it will prepare fomething else, and gain him leifure to lay a stronger plot; if I gain a little time, fays he, I shall not want contrivance.

In the second act this defign upon Lady Pliant is played off, and Maskwell in an interview with Mellafont avows the plot, and fays-to tell you the truth, I encouraged it for your diverfion. He proceeds to fay, that in order to gain the confidence of Lady Touchwood, he had pretended to have been long fecretly in love with Cynthia; that thereby he had drawn forth the fecrets of her heart, and that if he accomplished her designs, she had engaged to put Cynthia with all her fortune into his power: He then discloses by foliloquy that his motive for double dealing was founded in his paffion for Cynthia, and observes that the name of rival cuts all ties afunder and is a general acquittance. This proceeding is in nature and is good comedy.

The third act opens with a scene between Lord and Lady Touchwood, which is admirably conceived and executed with great spirit; I question if there is any thing of the author fuperior to this dialogue. The defign of alarming the jealoufy and refentment of Lord Touchwood now appears to have originated with the lady, although Maskwell was privy to it, and ready for a cue to come in and confirm all, had there been occafion; he proposes to her to say that he was privy to Mellafont's defign, but that he used his utmost endeavours to diffuade him from it; and on the credit, he thinks to establish

establish by this proof of his honour and honefty, he grounds another plot, which he keeps as his ultimate and moft fecret refource, that of cheating her [Lady Touchwood] as well as the rest. He now reveals to Mellafont a criminal affignation with Lady Touchwood in her chamber at eight, and proposes to him to come and furprize them together, and then, fays he, it will be hard if you cannot bring her to any conditions.

This appears to me to be a very dangerous experiment, and fearce within the bounds of nature and probability. If Maskwell, under cover of the proposal, had in view nothing more than the introduction of Mellafont into Lady Touchwood's bedchamber, there to put them together, and then to bring Lord Touchwood fecretly upon them in the moment of their interview, his contrivance could not have been better laid for the purpose of confirming the impreffion, which that lord had received againft his nephew; in which Mafkwell had nothing more to do than to apprife the lady of his defign, and fhe of courfe could have managed the interview to the purposes of the plot, and effectually have compleated the ruin of Mellafont: This, it fhould feem, would have answered his object compleatly, for he would have rifen upon the ruin of Mellafont, poffeffed himself of Lord Touchwood's