what appeared at a distance like the waggon, which I was resolved to overtake; but when I came up with it, found it to be a ftrolling company's cart, that was carrying their scenes and other theatrical furniture to the next village, where they were to exhibit. The cart was attended only by the person who drove it, and one of the company, as the rest of the players were to follow the enfuing day. Good company upon the road, fays the proverb, is always the shortest cut, I therefore entered into conversation with the poor player; and as I once had some theatrical powers myself, I differted on such topics with my ufual freedom: but as I was pretty much unacquainted with the present ftate of the stage, I demanded who were the present theatrical writers in vogue, who the Drydens and Otways of the day. "I I fancy, Sir," cried the player, "few of

our modern dramatifts would think them"felves much honoured by being com

pared to the writers you mention. Dry"den and Row's manner, Sir, are quite "out of fashion; our tafte has gone back a

"whole

"whole century, Fletcher, Ben Johnson, " and all the plays of Shakespear, are the

only things that go down."" How," cried I, "is it poffible the prefent age can "be pleased with that antiquated dialect, "that obfolete humour, thofe over-charged "characters, which abound in the works 66 you mention ?" "Sir," returned my companion, "the public think no"thing about dialect, or humour, or cha"racter; for that is none of their bufi

nefs, they only go to be amufed, and "find themselves happy when they can enjoy a pantomime, under the fanction of Johnson's or Shakespear's name."-" So then, I fuppofe" cried I, "that our mo"dern dramatifts are rather imitators of Shakespear than of nature."-"To fay the truth," returned my companion, "I don't know that they imitate any thing at all; nor indeed does the public require it of them: it is not the compofition of the piece, but the number of starts and attitudes that may be "introduced into it that elicits applause. I

"have known a piece, with not one jest in "the whole, shrugged into popularity, and "another faved by the poet's throwing in

“much wit in them for the present taste ; "our modern dialogue is much more na"tural."

By this time the equipage of the strolling company was arrived at the village, which, it seems, had been apprifed of our approach, and was come out to gaze at us; for my companion obferved, that ftrollers always have more fpectators without doors than within. I did not confider the impropriety of my being in fuch company till I faw a mob gathered about me. I therefore took fhelter, as fast as poffible, in the first ale-house that offered, and being fhewn into the common room, was accofted by a very welldreft gentleman, who demanded whether I was the real chaplain of the company, or whether it was only to be my masquerade character in the play. Upon informing him

of

of the truth, and that I did not belong to the company, he was condefcending enough to desire me and the player to partake in a bowl of punch, over which he difcuffed modern politics with great earnestness and seeming intereft. I fet him down in my own mind for nothing less than a parliament-man at least; but was almost confirmed in my conjectures, when upon my asking what there was in the house for fupper, he infifted that the player and I should sup with him at his house, with which request, after some entreaties, I was prevailed on to comply.