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1941 General John Burgoyne as an Author. Gus Orr Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
1 1 9- a
GENERAL JOHN BUBGOYNE AS AH AUTHOR
A Dissertation
Submitted to th® Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in
The Department of Hnglish
% Guss Orr, A* B*, Louisiana State Normal Collage; A* M«, Louisiana State University
June, 1941 UMI Number: DP69225
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ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 To Dr* John Earle flhler* X sincerely acknowledge a y Indebtedness
for his suggestions end guidance In the writing of this dissertation*
To Mrs* Buby Banks o f th e In te r-L ib ra ry Loan Department* H ill
Memorial Library* X wish to express ay profound appreciation for her
untiring efforts In assuring books and manuscripts for ay use in
making this study*
d . a TABLE OF CONTENTS
Bagc iilostsayioks ...... * It
ABSTRACT ...... t
m t m w m m ...... v i i i
i. m BMunn ...... i th . Kalfl of tho Oaka ...... 1 TS and Tha BlcotaA, of Boston . . . . 22 The Lord of the Manor 38 *6 Niahard Goeur do Mon 70 Aa You LikeiyT.T7TT...... 78
II* THS POST ...... 86 Vers do Soclete ...... 85 Satirical Poetry ...... 89 Epilogues end Prologues 97 Songs from th e Play® ...... 104
I I I . THE PROSE HSXYE1 ...... 107 L e tte rs ...... 107 O ffic ia l Records and Documents I l l P refaces 182 C r itic a l O bservations tt9a. a 128 Speeebes ...... 152
nr. CGset£sxo5 ...... 157
APPENDICES I* A RECORD OF THE PERFORMANCES OF BORGOYNE’S PUTS IK EHGUKB AND AMERICA...... 148
I I . SYNOPSES OF THE PUTS ...... 162
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...... 178
BIOGRAPHY...... 186 ILUJSTRATI OSS
Pag# I* Am Inside View of the Supper Room and P a rt of the Ballroom in the Pavilion at the Pfefre Champgtre In Surrey, where Burgoyne Staged His FirVt l5raffietie ¥atertalament #•**•». 3
XX* Am Inside View of the Ballroom in the Pavilion at the Fgte Ghaapgtre in Surrey ...... 5
111* A Plan o f the P a v ilio n Erected fo r the Fgfee ChampStre in Surrey and Later Reproduced at Drury tan© theatre for the Presentation of Burgoyne’s The Maid of the Oaks *«»* 10
It An A b stract
Zn making this study of General John Burgoyne as an author, the writer has endeavored to analyse and evaluate the various writings of
Burgoyne la an effort to estimate his importance sad place in English
literature*
This work divides itself logically into three major parts i drams, poetry* end non-dramatie literature* In each case* whenever possible, attention has been gives to every aspect of the writing—the purpose in writing, the course, popularity* type, and significance of each piece of work*
There are three different studies that have given some account of
Burgoynets literary works* Edward Barrington B© Fohblanque’s Political and M ilitary Episodes in the Latter Half of the Eighteenth Century*
Derived from the Life and Correspondence of the Sight Hon* John Bur*.
goync, General* Statesman, Dramatist (187S)$ F* J# Hudleston*s Gentle man Johnny Burgoyne (1927) | and Bans Graf’s The Dramatic Works of Gen eral John Burgoyne (1916)* Be Fonblanque and Rudies ten each includes a chapter on Burgoyne as a dramatists Be Fonblanque’s study, however, is more complete, general as it is, in that it takes into account some of the poetry* Hans Graf*s dissertation is little more than a collection
of facts* with synopses of the plays and brief analyses of other plays upon which Burgoyne may have based his*
So far as is known, no one has made a detailed study of any aspect
of Burgoyne*s works* More has been said about the drama, specially the
four plays in the collected works, than about his other writings*
v 8* Fonblanque dee* net mention the Blockade of Boateng neither doe* draf* A* far the peetiy* what 1 m boon stated hero and there about it* particularly about the satiric peetxy* Is net always correct* Host erroneous are So Fonblanque sad The Dictionary of Motional Biography*
For the purpose of this study* the periodicals of the last quarter
of the eighteenth and the early part of the nineteenth centuries have been examined for criticism s of the works* records of the performances of the plays* and other data relative to Burgoyne* Likewise* histories
of the stage* drama* and literature in general* memoirs* letters* menu*
scripts* and general histories of England and America have been used in as effort to establish the significance* Influence* end popularity of i Burgeyse's works in the two countries *
General Burgoyne occupies an unusual place la the hiatoiy of English
and American literature* Bis sis dramas* only four of which were pub*
lis te d * a re o f various types# eomio opera* s a ti r i c a l fares* comedy of manners* historical romance of melodramatic nature* and English serious
opera* Three of the plays were written* it seems* according to his
theory of opera* which he set forth in the prefaces to his plays * In
some of hie plays* the influence of the French dramatists is discernible*
definitely so in instances of plot* In the latter part of the eighteenth
century end even In the early nineteenth* his four published plays were
popular* The Heiress was pronounced the best comedy since Sheridan's
The School fo r Scandal* and The Maid o f the Oaks was recognised a s one
of the most spectacular performances ever given on the stage*
Burgoyne* s Importance as & dramatist seems to lie in the stimulus whloh he gave to the development of the English comic opera and the
v i melodrama in the latter part of the eighteenth oantuiy* In Ajaerice he helped to keep alive the spirit ef dream In the British colonies daring the Revolution* not only toy writing 'what may be called the third drama written In America and performed on the stage* but also by taking the leading role In establishing a makeshift theater In Boston and producing plays there*
Sis peetiy may be divided into four groups* vers fle s ooletef con-*
slating of three complimentary poems i satirical poems--contributions to the Probationary Odes for the Laureateshlp and the Westminster Guides epilogues and prologues* comprising those to his mm plays and to others; and song* in the plays* As a whole* his poetry is toe limited and per** smtal to be of great consequence.
the non-dramatic prose works-*among 'which are letters* official records and documents* prefaces to the plays* and speeohes—give us an
insight into Burgoyn»rs literary* political* and military life* It is evident that these works were not intended as literary masterpieces*
Their style* while appropriate to the occasions for which they were written* is not remarkable in itself*
As a writer* General Burgoyne*s ability lay more in conception than
is execution* Is mazy respects he shows evidence of purpose and design beyond that of many ef his professional contemporaries * That his secern-* plishments la literature were not greater may be charged to the fact that he was a men of diverse interests and of more than one profession* General Burgeyae*o principal literary works belong to the last
quarter of the eighteenth century* Of these* his drama is the most
important* reflecting as It does the tendencies and developments in
the drama ef the last half of the eighteenth century* The anti-senti mental movement was reaching its height by the time his first play ms
produced} the eo&de opera had already beams a favorite stage enter
tainment! and toward the end of the centuxy melodrama m s becoming
firmly rooted in English soil*
In the last half ef the century* too* dramatists were looking
book to Engl ish and foreign models* Shakespeare and his success era*
actably Jons on* Beaumont and Fletcher* Shirley, and those dramatists * of th e R estoration* became the c h ie f source of in sp ira tio n # From
English models* the playwrights turned to France, where dramatists
"from Mali ere to the authors of contemporaiy Paris * were eagerly ran- g sacked and provided many a theme end suggestion*
The national and political affairs of Burgoyne* s time also are
refleeted in hie works* Perhaps the greatest national event was the
war with the American colonies* In which controversy Burgoyne was
intimately involved* The colonial revolution gave rise to many ®f
his press works—letters* documents, defenses* and speeches* He was
caught in the clash of Tory and Whig controversies* His alignment
with the Whig faction was responsible for some of his poetry*
Ibid.. 117.
Till Scfleoted, morsewar, in the General*# series are the fashions and customs of the tine* travel abroad for young men and fashionable amusements like the opera, reading, dancing, chess, hunting, and gam bling, are portrayed in the plays* By the time Burgoyne began to write drsmas, the Saglish theatrical audience had changed* The playgoer# had not retained the same spirit % of rowdyism that the audience of 1730 expressed} they cere more con servative, less uproarious during and after the performances * Gener ally speaking, they believed ttln morality and sensibility** and cere 8full of patriotic sentiment and eager to welcome flamboyant expres sions of that patriotism in the dramas put upon the stage***
Setae changes were evident at the theaters, not necessarily in the
structure of the bull dings—though some were r®built«*~but in the scenery
and the lighting of the stage* Skilled painters and designers were em
ployed to give * fresh landscapes and architectural designs” of romantic 5 and realistic nature* Garrick had introduced a new principle of light
ing whereby direct side lighting was substituted for the circular chandeliers*^
In this changing era of the drama and the stage, Burgoyne* s plays were popular* This deduction can be made for two reasonst first, the
periodicals of the time carried favorable criticisms $ secondly, the
plays were performed a large number of times*
Many references relative to the dates of performances in both Eng
land and America have been made throughout this study* The authority
is often not cited, inasmuch as the evidence rests upon the material gathered sad found in the appendix to this work* CHAPTER I
THE DRAMATIST
U The Maid of th e OaR»
H n til th e p u b licatio n o f The Maid of th e Oaks, in November* 1774,
General John Burgoyne, who has been called the most remarkable play-* 1 w ight of the 1780® s, was known, not as a writer, but as a military man and a member of Parliam ent# The o rig in of hie c a re e r a s a drama tist may be traced to his desire to pay tribute to a member of the noble family with who® he was connected by marriage, the same family whose influence was instrumental in starting him on the road to success
in both his military and his political career*
While Burgoyne was attending Westminster, where he was educated, he
formed a close friendship with Lord Strange, the eldest son of the elev
enth Earl of DerbyThis friendship was destined to have a remarkable
influence upon the soldier-dramatist’s entire subsequent life* After
leaving Westminster, he frequently visited his friend at Knowslsy, where
he met and fell in love with the young lord’s sister. Lady Charlotte
Stanley* They were married in 174-3,® much against the wishes of the bride’s father, the Bari of Derby, who was so resentful over the mar
riage that he gave his daughter but a meager sum of money and said that
^1* W* Ward and A* H* Waller (edd*), The Cambridge History of English Literature (New York, G* F« Putnam’s Sons, 1914J, XI, 304* *E* B* Be Ponblanque, Political and M ilitary Episodes in the Latter Half cf the Eighteenth Century? derived from the Life and tforrespondenoc ef the BjjE&t Hon* John feurgoyne. General. StatesmanVfcramatlBt (London, iKmiTlanTTeW, 3* % bld*
1 2 be never wanted to see her again though Lord Strange ms pleased m*th th e m arriage, th e u ltim ate r e s u lt of th e union was Burgoyne* s retirem en t with his wife to France in 1747« There he spent seven years mastering the French language end becoming conversant with the literature of the
French* S When he returned to England, his father-in-law became recon ciled to him* It ms through the Earl of Deity’s influence that Burgoyne g was elevated to important military and political positions*
That Burgoyne had a lifelong love for the theater is evidenced by the faet that he wme at a play in the little theatre at the Kaymarkct, the night previous to that on which he died suddenly in the summer of
1792* It was his connection with Lord Strange’s family, however, that first led him to attcnpt a dramatic performance* During his stay in
France, he had presumably 1 ©arsed something of the f&to ohampetreWhen it became known that Lord Stanley, the son of Lord Strange and later the £$ twelfth Earl of Derby, ms to marry Lady Betty Hamilton in June, 1774,
Burgoyne began to prepare a fete champetre, wth© first of the kind given in England,"^ for the occasion* The rural festival was held at the
Oaks, near Epsom, is Surrey, 11 and It was for this festival that he wrote 12 his first dramatis piece*
Stephens, "John Burgoyne," The Dictionary of National Bio- pby, 711, 540* 5Ib ld * Burgoyne obtained a captaincy in the army in 1756 and m s e le c te d a member of Parliam ent in 1768* TMrs* IE* S*] Inchbald, "Bemarks,” The Heiress. The British Theatre (London, Longman, H urst, 1909), m i , 6 . ®Ih» fete ahamr>3tre m s known in France long before 1774* See Grand Dlotlm m lrstniTsraortu XIX? SUaU. T ill. 220. .’stsphena, S£* c lt., iU**An Account of the F9te Chamnetre at the Oaks.1' The Gentleman’s Mftgaslas, XLIV (June, 1774), 263* y "R u p ™ . Sketch of the Life of Lieutenant-General John Burgoyn©,’5 The Dramatic^a^ l a r k g ^ fl^ the -L.imt«-G©n» i.* Burgoyne. (London, ft-fcTshaTiSfca Chamnttr® in Surrey. where Burgoyne Staged His First Uramatlo Entertainment# [Picture from Bolton’s The Arohiteotur® of Robert and James A&aa# I I ) $
Ail Ineide View of the Supper Hoorn and Part of the Ballroom in th© Pavilion at the fgfea Champgtre in Surrey, where Burgoyne Staged His First Dramatic Bnterfcainmerit» (Picture from Bolton* s The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, I I ) — ------An exo el lent description of the affair is given in The Gentlemans
Magazine for June, 1774* The article states that ”the company began to make their appearance about half past six o’clock, and continued until past nin©**^ The guests were first entertained with a masque, the com*" position of Mr* Barthelemons 14 then they amused themselves by dancing minuets and cotillions until supper was served* Later they went into the ballroom, where Burgoyne* s dramatic entertainment was performed*
The ceremony of arranging the company took p lace, and was executed by the General, who having placed Lady Betty Hamilton in the center, formed the rest of the company into a circular group* This done, a Druid of the Oaks, represented by Captain Piggott, came foward from the octagon hall, with © few compli mentary lin e s , su ita b le to the occasion, summoning the Fawns and Wood-nymphs to attend the ceremony within* A grand chorus was then sung by the Nymphs, Fawns, and Sy Ivans 9 led on by Cupids* After this another speech by the Druid* Mrs* Bar- thelem on, in the c h a ra c te r of a Wood-nymph, sung a p leasin g air, the words in praise of conjugal felicity* This produced, at the conclusion, e_ chacorme, which was executed by eight principal dancers with great'ease and agility* The Druid mad® another speech, and having finished, Mr* Vernon sung an air in praise erf* the Oak* Next was an allemande, by sixteen principal dancers, and afterwards a speech^relative to the Oaks, by the Druid* Mrs* Barth ©lemon and Mr* Vernon then sung a duet, which was likewise in praise of the Oak, its prosperity and advantage, finished with a few complimentary linos to Lady Betty by the Druid, and a grand chorus of vocal and instrumental musio* during which a device in transparency ms introduced with two Hymeneal torches lighted in the top, and a shield representing the Hamilton crest (an oak with a sew through it, and a ducal coronet)* After a chorus, the Druid, Fawns, and Wood-nymphs, went to the altars and two Cupids, the Cupid of love, and th© Hymenean Cupid, ascending th© steps, orowned the shield with th e wreath of Love and Hymen* Thus ended the second p arts of which, by thi3 description, th© reader will judge of th© ele gance and grandeur*’*®
Some months before the celebrated fflte champ&tre, David Garrick,
“^The Gentleman’s Magazine. XLIV (June, 1774), 263* Another account of the fete cKampevre iT nvaa in Arthur T# Bolton’s The Architecture of Robert and James Adam (London, Country Life Press, 19227, II, 72 ff* l^Franoois H* B&rthelemon (1741-1808) was a French violinist who earn® to England in 1765* See The Dictionary of National Biography, III, 529* ^The Gentleman’s Magazine, XLIV (June, 1774), 264-265* An Inal da Vi ew of the Ballroom in the Pavilion at the Fite Chaaoitre* (Picture from Bolton's The Arohiteoture of Robert and James Adam, IT; 0
An Inside View of the Ballroom in the Pavilion at th© Fftfefl Ch©m^|fcr©» (Picture from Bolton's The Arohiteoture of Robert end James Adam, IT; then manager of the Drury Lane Theatre, "had pat on,n Hudleston says,
"what a contemporary critic called fa chaos of absurdities* called
Sethona*81** He *was looking about him for something to succead this1^ wham Burgoyne approached him with a dramatic entertainment* **which ho called The Maid of the Oaks*”18 In a letter dated October 3, 1774,
Burgoyne wrote to Garrick*
From Lt* General Burgoyne to Mr* Garrick with the "Maid of the Oaksj or a Fete-ChaiapetrG »tr The author of this little piece sent with this letter begs Mr* Garrick would take the trouble of looking over it, and if he finds it worth presenting, makes no doubt he will give it the first vacant opportunity this season to the public* He will see that It is taken in some degree from the French* Mr* Garrick* s determin&tion will be sent for to his house the latter end of the w e e k . 2*®
He do not know that Garrick knew Burgoyne personally before receiv ing this letter* In any event, the theatrical manager was probably de lighted to consider the possibilities of the General’s play* At this time Burgoyne was well established in the fashionable circles of London8® and was, m oreover, a member of Parliam ent*
The original entertainment, described in The Gentleman’s klaga&ine and quoted above, consisted apparently of songs, dances, and speeches*
In adapting it for the stage, therefore, the author thought it advisable to connect these scenes by means of a simple stoiy* He states*
F* J • Hudlestan, Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne (Hew York, Garden City P ublishing Co*, 1927), 324* ^Hudleston has considered Sctbona more important than it was* Alexander Bow’s play was acted but nine times during that season (1773- 1774)* See Peugeid MacMillan, Drury Lane Calendar (Oxford, Clarendon P re ss, 1938), 332* l&Hudleaton, on* o lt*. 324* ^Quoted from Arthur T* Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and Jftmaa Adam (London, Country L ife P re ss, 1922), I I , 74* S t e p h e n s , op * o lt* , 340* 7
The F ab le, by th e means of -which they were to be in tro duced 9 being only the secondary object, and the intention then te confine the representation to two sets, & plot of the utmost simplicity was judged the most proper? and In that deeision th© author rests upon the example of Hellers**.*3&
submitted te Garriek, then, it was nothing more than a pleas ant little afterpiece in two act Burgoyne expected it probably to remain so, but Garrick saw something more promising in it* He felt that
Burgoyne had some talent "for the higher species of comedy and encouraged SS him to extend his plan*" In ecosaenting on the play, particularly the passage containing the following lines,
lady Bab* I know you are veiy loving—of yourselves; jm # ha, hat You are a sort of birds that flock but never pair — A.11 in ■».t James Boadcn remarks* "*.*The scene, as Garrick saw from the firs t, had »«i genuine comedy in every lin e e f i t *
Before Burgoyne undertook the task of revising the play, he had Gar- risk's premise to assist hia*2^ Burgoyne says that "Garrick’s judgment pervaded the vfeole,*®^ which might imply that the Drury Dane manager did none ef the actual writing, but made suggestions as to how the work might be revised and amplified• Whether or not the promised assistance went further than this, we do net knew* As a theatrical writer and producer,
Garrick was accustomed to revising plays, but his collaboration was not
Ajehn, Burgoyne, "Preface,” The Maid of the Oaks. First edition (London, ?• Beckett, 1774), 5* ^®A* S* Tuberville, Johnson’s England (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1933), II. 169* See also John Genest, Some Aocount of the English Stage from the Restoration in 1660 to 1830) ( l^rrtngtonT i& SlTJ'—* ^Burgoyne, J2E* o lt.* 5* 24John Burgoyne, The Maid of th© Oaks, Th© Dram&ti© and Poetical Works (London, 8 o l t e £ ^ a H T C O T e » ^ ------®®Jeaes Boa den, Memoirs of Mrs* Siddons (London, Henry Colburn, 1827), I , 265. SoBurgoyne, "Preface," 5* ^ I b l d *
2$Bndleetcm, o p * e lt*. 325, states* Garriok took the play, "touched her up here and there, overhauled th© dialogue, and staged it at Drury Lane* Tuberville, o p * cit *. 169, states* But, by dint of padding it with extraneous entertainment, Garriok spun It out Into five" acts* Neither was fam iliar, it appears, with the preface to the first edition* 8
29 gttB rtlly acknowledged*
There was* several corrections that sou Id be made in tbs play, as
Burgoyne realised ahem and if Garrick pointed them out to him* Soma** ingly the alterations end additions wore limited* "the scenery ..*fWhioh in the first sketches premised a brilliant effeetj the compos!tic® of the music, and the names ef the d&noers who were engaged, e ll seemed to req uire more distinction than could be given them In an afterpiece*"50
This inference, that the expansion ef the play had te do with the scenery and saaaie, suggests a comparison of the play, as Garrick first SI saw it, with the existing two-act afterpiece that appeared in 1782*
When finally the five-act play was completed, Garrick wrote the epilogue and begem to prepare for Its presentation* He supplied every thing te enhance its success;
The attention which Mr* Garrick has shown to the decora tions of this piece, is a convincing proof that he never spares either labour or expense, where there is a likelihood of pro moting the pleasure of the public* It Is said, that the scenery only, which has been painted on the purpose for THE MAID OF THE OAKS, cost lSOQfc* This is a prodigious sums yet it w ill not appear in the least extravagant to anybody who sees It* The landscapes ef Claud are scarcely equal to some of the views ex hibited; and if nothing beyond the bare merit of the paintings was held forth to attract the town, we should mot be surprised at Ite bringing twenty crowded audiences* Mr* Garrick*s oar© however has not been confined to the soenexy; it has extended to the minutest object that could increase either the beauty or the magnifloanee of the entertainment* The number of sing ers and dancers who are pastorally habited on the occasion, is ineredible, and the engagement of Slingsby and Hidou, the two greatest performers is their stile perhaps on i® ® cir- etnstanee that deserves the highest approbation• *
Among those employed to assist in arranging for the initial perform-
^Tuberville, op* cit** 169* ®®B«rgcyne, "Preface," 5* 3*tbe Maid of th e Oaks, The London Stage (London, Sherwood and Co*, 1824), TTT* ggTbe London Magasine. XLIII (Mov., 1774), 518-519. anoe were Mr* Barthelemon, the musician, and Philip James Be Louthsr- bourg*®® th e renowned German p a in te r and d e sig n e r, whom G arriok had brought to Drury Base about a year before he undertook to produce The
Maid o f th e Qaks*^ French, Royer, and John Thomas Greenwood painted 35 the scenes after Be Loutherbeurg had designed them* Garrick evidently had inquired about the ffrfce ehampStre at Bpsom, where Robert Adam nhad designed a spectacular pavilion,^ which m s erected on the grounds9 there* for he had Adam's pavilion reproduced at Brury Bern as a requi site for The Maid of the Oaks* It “contained a ball-room, a supper- _«7 n « , and tee small tea-rooms*
With these preparations completed, Garrick staged the play on
Hcvsnfeer 5, 1774* The Gentleman* s Bagaslne for that date carried the following notices
Saturday S A new coned?, called the Maid of the Oaks, was performed at the Theatre-Soyal in Brury Lane, to a orcoded audience, and was well received* It is said to be the production of Mrs* Griffiths* 38 For the first perfoxmanee* the following actors composed the oasts
SSlbld*, 517. ®*Lieoael Cust, "Philip James Be Loutherbourg," The Dictionary of R ational Biography, XXXI7, 154. ^Bougald MacMillan, Drury Lane Calendar (Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1938), 181* $&See the reproduction of the plan on the following page. ^MacMillan, op* cit*, m -n tx i, n« 3* The sise of the rooms is as followst "The Vestibule* 80 feet Diameter. The Ball-room* by 35 feet within the columns, and 86 by 56 feet within the Walls* The Supper-rotaas 200 feet from one end to the other, taken in the Middle e f th e room and 20 f e e t in width* The Tea-rooms * 20 fe e t square each*" Quoted from P la te 20 in The Works in A rch itectu re of Rober t & Jesses Adam (London, Priestly and W«a 1 e, T&&2)7~Part tiri — — — _ ...... ^The London Magazine, XUII (Sbv*, 1774), 518-519, The dramatis personae as given %’uenest, op* c it., V, 442, are sot oompleteT J
1L BALL ROOM 5UPPER K^°M SUPPER
TEA ROOM TEA ROOM
VESTI • SCALE OF FEET
3l AN•OF• A • PAVILION • ERECTED • FOR* A' FETE • CHAM PE.TRE • • LREC.TLD • IN The.-GARDEN • O F ‘ THE* EARL* OF - DERBY* AT-THE CA\5 • EPSOM • SURREY • THE-9* • JUNE-1774-fVADAM'A82* 30 11
Sir Harry Groveby•»*.•••#•••«••«• .•*.Mr* Breretos Mr* Groveby, h is uncle****. . . •*.***<* .Mr* King Oldworth...*.* ...., ...... ,«Slr« Aiekan Dupely, & Macaroni*.Dodd Hurry* ...... * ...... - #Mr* Western. O’D&ub, a p a in te r* *Kr» Moody Druid*.***•*•*•.••...... M r* Bannister Cymon-*•• * ...... •*.*«•• . «J£r# Dairies Felly***,...... • •Mr* Vernon V is ite r s ...... « • .• .» • • • .» • • ♦ • » .Mr* LaMash, & others lady Bab Lardoen» •* •* « ...... D.*..Mrs* Abington Shepherdess...... Mrs* Smith Acetea*.• ***** ...... • «•*•...... M rs* Wrighten Acetea*s Mother•*..♦•* ...... Mrs« Bradshaw M aria, th e Maid o f th e Oaks#**rs* Baddeley
Garrick was so pleased with the performance that he wrote Burgoyne a letter, to which the General replied*
Wednesday, November 9, 1774* From Lt* General Burgoyne to Mr# Garrick Tour obliging and most friendly letter was delivered to me yeeterday at the moment Z was sitting down to dinner with Company, or I should have endeavoured on th e moment to re tu rn ny acknowledgements, with a warmth of expression due to that with which you have honoured me* [The author then declines the preferred freedom of the house, but mould like an ooea* sianal admittance to the Green Room*] Where 1 promise neither to sritieise Tour men i 1 l«*naturedly, nor lead astray Your L ad ies.— I think I may without vanity congratulate you upon the pieee having laid hold of the audience last night* A general relish was very discernible‘►♦•.Lord Stanley is coming to tom , and veiy earnest to see "The Maid of the Oaks*n I send to Jebnston for a box for Lacy Betty tomorrow, that she may do him the honours, and I hope X shall succeed**.* Believe me, with the truest sense of the value of Tour friendship, Dear S ir, Tour faithful and obedient etc*, J • Burgoyne®9
The recep tio n of The Maid of the Oaks a t Drury Lane cm November 5 ,
1774, was favorable, as is evidenced by the fact that it was acted twenty- 40 five times during the remainder of the season* The Gentlemans
^Quoted from Bolton, o p * o i t *. I I , 74* *®See Appendix X, P art I i a lso G enest, o p * o i t *. V, 445* 12
*e we have seen,^ states that it was ##11 received? and Eopkln’ a Diary state* that i t ®w#«t off with uncommon Applause*"^® It is surprising to learn from The London Magaslne, m the other hand, that the perform ance wee *rat&er but ooolly received," giving as a reason “tee much shew*** in the last two acts* and suggesting that the play should have been divided into three sets for effectiveness In view of the same writer* e enthusiasm over the scenery provided at such great expense by
Garrick,*^ this verdict is difficult t© understand*
As a whole, the early criticism of the play and of the perform ances at Drury Lane were complimentary* A critic In The Louden Magasine for Bcvesber, 1774, writes*
The author with great propriety calls his piece a dra matic entertaiment, and if we receive it as such, instead of receiving it fear what it never was intended to bo* we must candidly declare it* one of the most elegant exhibitions that has hitherto appeared on the English theatre*
For the same month end year* a writer in The Critical Beview says*
This piece is well contrived for affording a theatrical representation of a “Fete Champttrc" j end the author has greatly heightened the entertainment by contracting the manner of the beau aonde* with the innocence and simplicity of rural life* The characters in general are agreeable, either from the naivete with which some of them are drawn, or the address with which the affectation Is supported in others* The songs arc likewise properly enough adapted to the occasion? and the whole is such a production as w ill give pleasure to the audi ence*
Geneet comments briefly? “The language is neat* The character of
Lady Bab la ewe client? it was admirably well acted by Mrs* Abington*"^
A dissenter was found in Horace Walpole, vdios© dislike for Burgoyne
*^8upra, 9* *%Ls quoted from MacMillan, op* o it*, 161* 49thm London Maga&ine, XLXII (Mov*, 1774), 518* ^Supra, 8-9* *®Genect, op* o it*, V, 448* 13 dated t© e time sons twenty years earlier, when Burgoyne* then a colo n e l, had refu sed to recommend Walpole’s nephew fo r promotion in th© ig aray* On November 12, 1774, th© captious Walpole wrote in a letter to Hob * H* S* Conway* n The re is a new puppet-show at Drury Lanes as fin© a s seen© ean make i t , c a lle d ’Th© Maid of th© Oaks,1 and as d u ll as the author could not help making it***7
That Walpole could not appreciate good comedy or was prejudiced i s suggested by his failure to be amused by two incidents in Burgoyne* s play that include mistaken identity* In Act III, Old Grcweby has booted and splashed his way to the ffete chaap&tre, vowing to disinherit his nephew, Sir Harry* if the latter aaarries without his consent* In his search for Sir Harry he encounters Maria, the bride-to-b©, whom he thinks to be a ©harming bridesmaid* He diseuftses with her the marriage of his nephew;
Grove* *.*B© you know the bride, young lady? Karla* Pretty well, sirs my near acquaintance with her makes me attend here to-day* (Confused*) Grove* Might 1, without being impertinent, beg to know something"*about her* but you are partial to her, and won’t speak your mind* Maria* I am, indeed, partial to heri everybody Is too partial to hers her fortune is much above her deserts* Grove* Ay, ay, 1 thought so* sweet lady, your sincerity is as lovely as your person—you really think, then, she doss not deserve sc good a match? Marla* Deserve it, sir! sc far from deserving it, that 2 don^t know that human creature that can deserve Sir Haray Gr cveby* Grove* What a sensible, sweet creature this is? (Aside*) Young lady* your understanding Is very extraordinary for your age; you sincerely think, then that this Is a very unequal match? Marla* Indeed I do, very sincerely* Grove* And that It ought not to be? Maria* Ought net to be, sirl (Hesitating*) Upon my word, s i r , I scarce know how to answer your question* (Con fused*)
4%udleston, op* o it*. 27 • The Letters of Horace Walpole (London, Richard Bentley, 1840), Y, 389* 14
Grove* Tour delioacy to your friend won’t let you speak out j but I understand your objections * say, X feel the® so much, that I am ©«b© m purpose to break the match* Maria* (Astonished-) Indeed, sir I G^roye* Ay, indeed, m, I t a silly young puppy % without acquainting me with it, to go so far* I suppose some inter ested efeature, with a little beauty and more cunning, has laid hold of this precious fool of a nephew of mine* Maria* Your nephew, sir? £rove* Yes, yes, my nephews but he mast give up his g irl, or renounce the relationship* Maria* But consider, sir, what the poor young woman mast suffer! Grove* She ought to suffer, a designing baggage! Had the young blockhead but half an eye be would have fallen in love with youi and if he had, there had been some excuse for his folly*3®
Burgoyne has been accused of having no sense of humor*3® In view of the above passage and others, the criticism would seem somewhat unjust*—unless, indeed, the scenes were written by Garrick* there is, for instance, a similar incident, also based on mistaken identity, where
Dupely is asking love to Lady Bab ierdocm, idiom he believes to be an
innocent rustic bridesmaid named Fhilly Hettletop* Lady Bab, with the skill acquired from long experience, leads her admirer on until the conversation reaches the following points
lady B» You* 11 forget all this prittle-prattle gib- berlsT T to me m m , as soon as you see the fine strange ladies, by-and-by; there’s Lady Bab Lardcon, 1 think they call her, from London* Dupe* Lady Bab Lardoon, indeed! 1 should as soon be in love with the figure of the Great Mogul at the back of a peek of eards; if she has anything to do with hearts, it must be when they are trumps, and she pulls them out of her pockets no, sweet Phillyj thank heaven, that gave me ineight into the sex, and reserved me for a woman in her native charms j here alone she is to be found, and paradise is on her lips* to kiss her*) E nter HURHf*
irgoyne, The Maid of the Oaks, The Dramatic and Poetical Works, I, Act III, sc* iT T — — 3% u d leato n , op* o it *, SIB* 15
Snwy* OhV Siad^r Bab, I come to ©oil your ladyship— Lord I I thought they never kissed a t a 'wedding t i l l a f te r the eereaoay* (Goings Dupely stares; Lady B« laughs*) Stay, Hurry i^how e re you looking for? Hurry♦ IShy, I came w ith a laessage fo r Lady Bab L arder, and w olahave carried her answer, but you stopped her mouth* ft*pe» Mhe—edict—whe? This is Philly Hettletop* Isriy* Philly Fiddlestick^ *fis Lady Bah Larder, I tell yeas do you think X don’t know her heeause she has got a new d ress? ( B r it*) * Lady Bah Lardooni B* Ho, so* Philly Hettletop* J * Here’s a d—«*d scrape* (Aside*) Lady B« In every capacity, sir, a rural innocent, Mr* 01dWrth’s~si stress , or the Great Mogul, equal Xjr rr a t eful fear your favourable opinion* (With _e low courtesy*) ^
***** of the Oaks was enjoying a steady run at Drury Lane, netting receipts far above the average on several o c c a sio n sit was 5S being read by the general public* It ran into many editions* Basket,
a well-known publisher of the time, printed it and sold it for Is* 6d*® finally, it was translated into Go man as Das Madehen in Biohth&Ie by d#Cm Beek*®^
A fte r the season of 1776-1776 at Drury Lane, during which time eight
performances were given, the Maid ef tha Oaks drifted into obscurity*
Garrick’s management ef the theater ended with the close of the season,55
a fact which in all probability explains the sudden dismissal ef th© play
from the stage* As a five-act entertainment it was never performed at
Covent Garden or the Haymarket, one reason being perhaps the difficulty
and expense it weald incur*
i -&£ ifee. £b&u lie. P-amato.ssd. footiosi Snxkt
than ®®Allardyee Hiooll, A History of Late Eighteenth Century Drama __ bridge, University Press JpL&ztJ, SDX7 I iirst edition, one of’“t¥e™\fren collection,. ifl owned by the University of Texas* Manuscripts dated 1774 end 1782 (?) are owned by the Huntington Library* Be® Bougald MacMillan’s CatalanJrfth*, bb Library (Has Merino, Cali- *nC rltla»l Harlan* XHVIII (Soy., 1774;,’ 861. JtxaaA is P. L. Sohrodar’a HambnrelBohea Theater (1776), III. See H io o ll, jQ£t* JEiil*# 201* 5%aeMillen, BSSJESL k M CfilsMaE* *vi. 16
For a period of four years nothing was hoard of Burgoyne*s first drama* Drury Lane had passed into the hand® of Hi chard Brinsley
Sheridan,**® ldi© may haws looked with disfavor upon the spectacular en tertain m en t* There w as, moreover, a war raging in the Am©rican colo nies, in ufeiek Burgoyne was actively engaged and t© which Sheridan* a®
• m 6, was strongly opposed*®7 Following hi® defeat at Saratoga in
1777, Burgoyne lo s t much of M s p o p u la rity a t homej hens©, when he re turned to England early in 1778, he was "received very coldly hy the eourt and the people*”®8
On February 28, 1780, The Maid of the Oak® was revived at Drury
Lane* Two days later it was performed a second time, the last perform ance ©f the play, it appears, as a five-act entertainment• The revival may have been due to the fast that Burgoyne was slowly re-establishing himself in public favor* Whigs like Fox and Sheridan had come to his support, and early in 1780 he had vindicated himself in The State of 59 the Expedition from Canada* Be reason, however, has been advanced for » the play’s abrupt dismissal from the stage after the two performances*
It can only be assumed that it was net so successful as expected•
The presentation of the play in 1780, as mentioned above, lacked perhaps the spectacular scenic effects that were a part of the early performances at Drury Lane* There is reason to believe also that the play as aeted in 1780 was not the seme as Garrick had known it* The evidence rests upon the exact date of a manuso ript, given as 1782 with
*®Fraser Bee, "Richard Brinsley Sheridan/ The Dictionary of na tional Biography, LII, 80* 57Xbid. 88James Grant Wilson and John Flake, Appleton^ Cyclopaedia of American Biography (Hew York, D# Appleton, 188#] , I, 452* ^ S te p h e n s, op* o it* . 342* 17 ft question marie, in the larpent collection of plays is the Huntington Library*®*5
As far as ess bo determined, Burgoyne* s first play, the five-act
was sot staged later than March 2, 1780* Only one revival seams to hare ta k es place* If this is true, then the manuscript owned by the Huntington Library, dated 1782?, is in all probability th® version e f th e p lay a s anted i s 1780*
this later manuscript shows some revision, whether made by Burgoyne or someone else* A see prologue and epilogue, and additional songs and oharaetera are among the enlargements of the original five-act piece*
Here attention has bean given to dialogue Is the last two aoto, made pos sible by several new oharaetera* In the last act, for instance, Tom,
Sir Harry’s servants Frissle, Dapely’s servants and a maid in the service of Gldworth are engaged in a lengthy conversation* The two male servants tiy to seduce the maids they belittle the country and laud their travels and fashions* In tbs course of their talk, the maid rejects their de scription ef her master* saying.
There is not a more sensibler, learneder, and more hon- ester, religious gentleman, In a ll Christendom* *
There was something about Burgoyne’s The Maid of the Oaks, however, that could not be forgotten* The latter part of 1780, the General ms again in the limeli^it of theatrical activities, for his second play.
The Lord of the Manor, was acted in December of that year and maintained e steady popularity* The success of the latter perhaps suggested a new version of hie first play, for on Januaiy 21, 1782, it appeared in a new form at Druiy Lane, a two-act piece* Now it was reduced to the
" ®*Sco Bougald Hftd&illan (compiler)«, Catalogue of Larpent Plays in (San Marino, CalifT, Print^dnFy'ntna Tas’quilTres s, ®*Manus©ript (1782?)> The Maid of the Oaks, V, i* 18 original length, in which form, Genest says, it was considered ”a par- tieularly good little Comedy**62 It ms acted first as an afterpiece t© his The lord of the Manor* Of th© in itial performance, James Boaden says*
The Maid of th e Oaks, reduced to a fa rc e , now m s acted at &rwy teas fEeatr©# end Lady Bab Lardoon’s pleasantries from. the lips of Mrs* AMngton, were no vulgar en^oyraent* I remember the salt with which she seasoned her fine gentleman’s claim to be as loving as sparrows*#»« The wey in which, as Philly gettlotop* she mystified Dupely, was in truth perfection*63
Th© two-act faroe differs essentially from the five-set play in that the principal scenes of th e regular length entertainment have been brought to g eth er s© a s to exclude the ef foots and dialogue pertaining to the pag eantry and a ll the songs except two*The f i r s t a c t , for example* of the sfterpieec comprises the two principal scenes of Acts I and II of the o r ig in a l* The scene o f th© workmen busy preparing a transparency has bmm em itted* Almost all the dialogue* therefore* relating to the plot or fable proper has h em retained*
From the time of its appearance in January* 1782, to the close of the season* th© two-act farce was performed sixteen times at Drury lane*6*1 Set until 1790 did it appear again at this theater*66 Be Fon- blanque remarks th a t it continued into the nineteenth century as a stock p ie c e e f the London and provincial theaters*66 however* it does not appear to have been acted l a t e r than May, 1804,67 in London*
In July, 1788* it was acted three times at the Hayraarket* and from
^Genest* gp* oit** 7# 448* ^Boaden* op* clt*. I, 265* ®*Se© Appendix I , F a rt I* ® Ib ld . ^Be Fonblanqae, op* pit*, 898* 67See Appendix I, Part I* 19
178$ to 1796 it became a frequent presentation at Cevent Garden, th® only £®o of Burgoyne*® plays to be given great consideration there*
As an afterpiece, The Maid of the Oaks ms first perfomed in
America in August, 1779* by the American Company in Jamaica*®® I t mas gft an added performance to the Orphan of China* "The motive for th© product ion •••,’* says Seilhamer, "was, of course* found in the presence of so many soldiers at Kingston, mho might bo supposed to have an inter est Sn a dramatis work from the pen of General John Burgoyne*w7®
The play m s acted but nine times In America, so far as records shew* The last performance me given in May, 1814, at the Anthony
Street Theatre in Hew York*7*
Burgoyne called his play a "dramatic entertainment," for want, perhaps, of a better tern* It belongs to that species of drama, the comic opera, which had developed in the last half of the eighteenth century* This type of musical play ms first acted in France in August,
1752, when the famous La Serve Padrone, m s performed at the Opera in
Paris,72 Burgoyne, it is true, had been preceded in the writing of the comic opera in England, for Isaac Bjekerst&ffe*g Love in a Village
(C. G« 1762) and The Maid of th e M ill (C# G« 1765) had already made th e comic opera a popular stage entertainment*
The Maid of th e Oaks is a new kind of comic opera* Burgoyne know the English type as Biekerstaffe had written it, and knew, too, the
fi^Georgo 0* Sfeilhamer, A History of the Am®rican Theatre (Phila delphia, Pennsylvania, Globe*~Printing TTous©, Iftw jT lT , Y62V- The action taken by the first Continental Congress, October 20, 1774, forced the company to forego its theatrical activities in the colonies* See Arthur H* Quinn, A History of American Drama from the Beginning; to the Civil War (Hew York,"Harper, 1925), 82. ' ®®Seilhaa»r, op* c it*. II, 152.
7ls®e Appendix I, Part 1* T^icoll, op* oit*, 192* 20 principles ef that species in France His purpose in writing th© plsy w® to add the *art, regularity, elegance, delicacy, touches of sentiment, adapted only to the most polished manners of the French to th# J&iglish comic opera *7^ The strong^ of the English, blended with the refinement of the French, would produce, according to his belief, a new type of entertainment in England*7**
The union ©f two continental types of condo opera, Burgoyne at* tempted in Th# Maid of the Oaks, and he succeeded to some extent*
Fastoral simplicity and fashionable life, the latter represented largely by Lady Bah lardoon sad Bupely, are brought together in spec tacular sessile effects, unknown heretofore in the English comic opera*
Something ef the attention to manners and tastes, resulting from fashion- able life, is reflected la the following:
Lady B» Bear Maria, I as happy to be the first of your company \o~congratulate you* Well, Hr* Oldworth, I am de lighted with the idea of your ftteg it ie so novel, so French, so expressive of what everybody understands, and nobody can explain! then there is something so spirited in an undertaking of expense where a shower of rain would spoil it all* Old* I did net expect to escape from so fine a lady, but you and the world have free leave to comment upon all you see here* Laugh where you must, be candid where you can* 1 only hope that to celebrate & ^oy^l event upon any plan, that neither hurts the morale or politeness of the company, and, at the same time, sets thousands of the industrious to work, cannot be thought blameworthy* Lady B* Oh! quite the contrary 5 and I am sure it will have a rtmi a force upon the seasons and the manners is the test of a refined teste, and it holds good from a cucumber at Christmas to on Italian opera*7®
Lady Bab had had h er name in tha papers as a re s u lt o f lo sin g a t
^^Bargoyne, "Preface,* The Lord of the Manor. The Dramatic and ffo~ etical Works. I, 137* '^Burgoyne, "Preface,” The Maid of the Oaks. First ©d*, 2-3» 7 6 ^ . , 3 . burgoyne, The Maid of the Oaks. The Dramatic and Poetical Works» I , Act II, sc* i* gambling, ana of tha vices of fashionable U fa* She commente upon how appropriate the f$te champStrc subject would be for tha paperss
Lagg. Be Oht but you w ill have i t ? th© fS te ohamp&tre w ill ba a delightful subjectV To be complimented on© day, laughed at the next, and abused th e th ird s you omn’t imagine how amusing it ist—"W© hear a certain lady, not a hundred miles from Hanover-square, lo st, a t on© sitting, some night® age, two thousand guineas ♦ 0 temporal 0 mores W »«# Old* Ball, but really, I don’t see such a great matter in t h is i why should you suppose anybody applied this para graph to you? lady B* Hone bat my intimates did, for it ms applica ble to half St# George’s parish! but about a week after they honoured so with initials and italics: "It is said, Lady B* L*s ill success still continues: i t was observed, th a same lady appeared at court, in a riband collier, having la id a sid e her diamond necklace*" {i&ambndin i£alics*} At last, to my in flirt te amusement, out 1 cam© a t f u ll length * "lady Bab Lardocn has tumbled down th re e nights successively! a certain colonel has dene the same, end we hear that both parties keep house w ith sprained ancles*”1^
There are a few autobiographical notes to be found in The Maid o f the Oaks# The marriage of Sir Harry Greveby to Maria a t a fSto champStre is , of course, the dramatised version of Lord Stanley’s marriage to lady
Betty Hamilton on dune 9, 1774* But the, secret love affair and the ir a te guardian are reminiscent of episodes in Burgoyne*© own lif e #
The playw right, lik e S ir Harry Groveby, had a clandestine love affair*
Lady Charlotte* s fa th e r opposed her marriage quite as forcefully as old
Groveby objected to S ir Barry* a# The re c o n c ilia tio n between uncle and nephew, effected at last, parallels the Earl of Derby’s reconciliation te his daughters end i t could be that, by having Maria turn out to be an heiress, Burgoyne was gently implying tothe Earl that he had a better bargain in a ece-lxwlam than he had expected# 22
2* The Boston Thespians and Tha Blockade of JBoston
Burgoyne arrived in Boston in May, 1775, on© of three major—generals
sent to aid General Gage,^ "the royal governor of Massachusetts and com mander of the British forces in Boston,in subduing th © rebel colonists*
In those days Boston was more or less an Island, and because o f th © bib- neuverings of the Americans, the British army of some six or seven thou-
sand was blockaded there* By closing th® isthmus between Boston and the m ainland. General Gage prevented any d ire c t a s sa u lts from th© enemy; and
for further protection he and his soldiers occupied Dorchester Heights, located to the east and south of the mainland, and Charlestown hills on the opposite side of the Charles river and to the west and north of
Boston**
"The prestige of the British forbade an early retirement," and for 5 almost a year, the soldiery was inactive* Hence, when Burgoyne arrived
2n Boston, he was chafed by his forced inaction and bitterly complained
"that, owing to the number of generals and brigadiers, he had nothing to
d e .’ 6
Like Burgoyne, the army was ready for action* Since gloom and evi dences of disloyalty, brought about by idleness, must have prevailed among the soldiers, it seems certain that the entire aray looked forward to some iHnd of diversion to relieve the stern discipline maintained toward them* 7
^Margaret Wheeler Willard (ed.k Letters of tho American .Revolution (Boston, Houghton M ifflin, 1925j, 127. ^lirs* [Elizabeth] Ellet, Domestic Hist S£X sL Affigrifiaa JfesXa&saL (Hew York, Baker and Scribner, 1860J, 29* ^Edward Channing, A Mfftpja i jet Jafcft JM t ed S ta te s (How York, Maomil" lan, 1908), III, 164. * Ib ld .
^Stephens, op . clt.« 341. %eoree Otto Trevelyan* The American ^evolution (London and New Turk. Longmans, Green, 1906;, 1, “ ““ ~ m
Burgoyne may have realised the ill«*©ffeot of this inactivity and sug gested that the army turn to the stage for entertainment* But there were other reasons why the British would be interested, as Justin Winsor has intimated i
In Hew York, and possibly in Boston, the expenses of living were so excess ive that the inferior officers of th© British army endeavored by the performance of plays to add to their incomes, while the general officers encouraged dramatic performances as a means ef relaxation for themselves and as a measure to secure contentment among their subordinates*
The poverty existing in the city in the summer of 1775, following the blockade, may be cited also as a reason for the army’s theatrical interest * Many of the Englishmen became destitute because they were 9 unable to procure food and olothing from the colonies j so they made an
effort to relieve the destitution by giving benefit performances^ of plays while they awaited aid from Halifax and England
While he was in Boston, Burgoyne a s s u m e d the role of Master of the
B evelsbut at this time the city had no theater*^ Burgoyne and the 14 other officers turned bo Faneuil Hall, the well-known market place, and
it Into a makeshift playhouse* Here, it seems, theatrical activity 15 began as early as September, 1775, and continued until the evacuation
ef Boston in March, 1776.16
Bjuatin Winsor (ed*). The Memorial History of Boston (BostonD James B. Osgood and C o., 1881), f “ ------^Trevelvan> o p * c l t *. I l l , 329* *°Infra. 24. **Channing, o p * c i t * , I I I , 178* ^Arthur Homblow, A J. B. Lippincott, 1919), j Theatre in the Eighteenth 1918), 183. ^The efforts put forth to obtain a theater in Boston and the reaction thereto are discussed fully in William E* Clapp's A Record of the Boston Stare (Boston, James Munroe and Co*, 1853), 4 ff* The Boston Theatre opened February 3, 1794* ^ " F a n e u il H a ll.” Encyclopaedia Americana. 1937 e d itio n , XI, 10* J^H udleston, np-* jGlU**, 89} a lso He Fonblanque, .np.* o it ■», 188* ^SailhRBier. op* c lt., II, 17. 24
That tha soldiers began to give plays early is supported by th® foot that Burgoyne, mho seems to have taken the chief rol© ,^ returned 18 to England in November, 1775* It is known that he wot® the prologue and epilogue to Zara, whioh was performed in September, X775,*9 a faet which does net verify the previous assumption that the plays were per- or) formed only in the winter to relieve destitution brought on by the war*
The newspapers of the time, unfortunately, made no mention of th® plays performed in Boston by the British soldiers, other than Burgoyne's
The Blockade of Boston* But three others were acted, we knowj for ac cording to the handbills preserved, Aaron H ill's Zara, Mrs* Centlivre’s 81 The Busy Body, and Bone's Tamerlane were acted by the British*
Of these four plays, we are certain of the dates of but two of the «* *« performances: Zara and The Blockade of Boston* For the former, the handbills read thus*
17 Somblosr, op* oit*, I, 151* ^Stephens, J9J>* oit*, VII, 541* Da Fonblanqne, op* o i t . , 186* ^ W ilia m Dunlap, History of the American Theatre (London, Bichard Bentley, n* d*), 1, 96, states t'^It is not to be forgotten that the profits, arising from the amusements of these lovers of drama, were ap plied to the relief of sufferers in that inclement season, which pre vented the operation of war*" Also 97s "They had, as observed, the further inducement for preferring this amusement to others $ that the result relieved the miseries which war and winter inflicted on th® poor*” ^Homblow, op* oit*, I, 151# 22Be Fcnblanque, ©£• o it*, 188* 2SS® ilh«tter, jp^e IT y 20* A BOSTON HANB-BILL
m SATURDAY EXT *111 Be SBrfbimed
By a Society of Ladies end Gentlemen at Fanenil Hell THE TRAGEDY OP ZARAs
The expenses of the House Being paid, the overplus w ill Be apply* d t© the Benefit of th® Widows and Children of the Soldier® • We Honey w ill Be taken a t th e Door* But Ticket® w ill Be delivered To-day and To- morrow Between the Hours of Bight and Two, at Doctor Morris*s in School Street.
FIT, One Dollar, Gallery, Quarter ef a Dollar.
The Boors w ill be Open at FIVE* and Begin p re c ise ly a t SIX o 'clock* Tickets for Friday will Be taken. Vlvant Rex e t R e g a ..8*
Burgoyr*©* 8 prologue was spoken by Lord Rewdon, end th e epilogue "by 2g a young lady ef t m years* Boston was a Puritan stronghold at the
time end had no theater, and Burgoyne took the opportunity of ridiculing
th e devout sect* The f i r s t p a rt of the prologue is addressed to them*
In Britain cnee (it strains the historic page). Freedom was vital-etruok by party rage? Cromwell the fever watch*d, the knife supplied, She madden*d, and by suicide she died* Amidst the groans sunk every liberal art That polish'd life, or humanized the heart Then fell the stage, quell'd by the Bigot's roar, 2g Truth fell with sense, and Shakespeare charg'd no more.
One performance of the play brought in more than one hundred pounds, 26 sterling*27
Some of the people in Boston (perhaps the loyalists whose Puri tanical environment m s not in accord with the stage) cerisured the soldiers fear set log* and believed the officers might have found some— thing more worthwhile to do* But the military men saw no ham "in a profession ifcich the world had chosen to honour,15 in their associating 29 together as actors, or in their imitating players* General Eow him-
•elf believed in gaiety and amusement*
Another reason for objecting to the plays there lay in the fact SI that the young girls ef the tom took part in the acting* This objec tion say have had some effect if it applied to the girls in the city of
Boston, for it appears that the feminine roles thereafter were generally taken by am , *the younger, 3mooth-faoed subalterns*”
Zara was perhaps performed acre than onoe*^
Burgoyne wrote his second play, The Blockade of Boston, soon after his arrival in America "to relieve the tedium of head quarters” and to inspire "his m l with due contempt for the enemy* The first account th a t we have r e la tiv e to i t s being acted is given in The flew
Chronicle for December 21, 1775* It reads We are informed that there is now getting up at the th e a tr e , and 'id 11 be performed in the course of a fortnight
‘27’ Ebid« ? Dunlap, o p * c l t * . I , 97* 3°Sailfeamer» op * c l t *. I I , 19* ^Ibld*g alee Winsor, o p * o i t * . I l l , SB* ^L om blow , jffig.* e i$ *« I , 161® S35£eilham er, jaa* © it*, I I , 19| W insor» op * oit*. Ill, 93, says that the play was repeated several times* 64ciapp, op * p i t * * 3* ^Quoted from Seilhesasr, op * oit*. II, 20* 27
St® pley was not performed u n til th a night of January 8 , 1776, and the feet that tha performance was interrupted br©ugiit another report by
^ ^ England Chreplole, dated Janu&iy 25, 1776*
He bear that the enemy, the evening on which our troops burnt the houses at Charlestown, were entertaining themselves at the esdiibitim of a play which they called th© Blockade of Beaton in the midst of which a person appeared before the audience sad with great earnestness declared that the Yankees were attacking Bunker*s Hill* The deluded wretches at first book th is to be merely fereleal, and intended as a part of their diversion* But soon convinced that th© actor meant t© represent a solemn reality the whole assembly left the house in confusion and scampered off with great precipitation***5
A more vivid account of the interruption of the play is given in a le t t e r published in the Gaseteer and Hew Daily Advertiser (London) on
February 27, 1776* It had been written by an officer In Boston*
But what is most extraordinary, a new fa roe was that zxighh to bave been acted in Boston, called the Blockade of Boston? the play was just ended, and the curtain going to be dram up for th© f e m e , when the actors heard from without th a t an attack m s made on the heights of Chari© s-Town, upon which ooe ©f them came in, dressed in the character of a Yankee desired silence, and than inf ©mod the audience that the alarm guns were fired; that the rebels had attacked the tom ; and that they were at it tooth and nail over at Charles* Teen© The audience thinking this was the opening of the new p ie c e , clapped prodigiously; but soon finding their mistake, a general scene of confusion ensued, they iirmsdietely hurried out o f th e house te their alarm posts; some skipping over the orchestra, tram pling on fid d le s $ and in short, everyone making his most speedy retreat, the actors (who were all officers) calling cut for water to get the paint and smut off their fa c e s; women fa in tin g , &
Seilhamer gives a similar account, but differs as to the stage of the
performance at the moment when th e in te rru p tio n occurred* The main fea
tu re of the even in g, Mrs* C e a tliv re ’s The Busy Body, was over and Bur-
from 20*
258-259; Winsor, o p * oit»» III, 98, states* wfh© Patriot ladies, who had refused to go to the play, mad© merry over the misadventures ef their lees squeamish sisters, who had to come heme frightened, without their gallant escorts*w 23 geyne's faro* had already ccamieneed*58 Tha opening soeaa®, which rep resented Wellington "as an uncouth figure, awfcmrd in gait, wearing a large wig wad a rusty sword,” and his "country servant carrying a gun," had scarcely begua—the actors personating Washington and his squire being «B the stage-*-when the sergeant entered and shouted, "The Yankees IQ are attacking our works on Bunker’s Bill*" General Howe m s present, and whan he realised the seriousness of the sergeant, he ordered th® officers te report to their posts *^®
After the night of January 8, 1776, The Blockade of Bee ton m s 41 acted seaae time later as an afterpiece to Tamerlane and "as probably repeated a number of times* t*42 4 3 Burgoyne*s farce satirizing the American army m s never printed*
If the manuscript is still in existence, it has not been located in spite ef considerable effort to find it* "After the British and the loyalists evacuated Boston, the Colonists destroyed everything they could find of British flavor, and this would have included such a «44 manuscript as Burgoyne * s* The oitisens there were averse to stage performances, and aatiurally if they found copies of the play, they did net value them* The historians of the American drama and stage mention
^®Seilhamer, OP* c it*. II, 20* ^Ib id * The attack was not cm Bunker's Hill but on Charleston* "ISaoarfS [jwlton's attack cm the Charlestown guards took place while the g|*y m s In progress, on the night of Jan* 8* See Willard, or>» oit« „ Winsor, jgp* cit.*, Ill, 93, refutes the statement that Hews was present "as an exaggerated tradition*" **Seilhemer, cm* oit*, II, 21* ~Ibi&* Also Clapp, o p * o it * , 4* ^A rthur Hob sen Quinn, A History of the American Drama from the to the Civil Way (Hew York, Harper, 1928),46* ^^Quoted from a letter received from James Bruce, Clerk, Bostonian Society* Boston, Mass. 29
*torgeyiiefs play* bat not one of them has had a great deal to say about the play itself#
It Is evident fraa the letter published in the London Oaseteer and 45 Sew Bail? Advertiser that the Thespians had an orchestra and that they gave sane attention to make-up* Nothing definite ean be said of the seenery and stage settings, but Coad remarks that in general the scenery was wretched end that the soldiers* eoe tomes wore sumptuousAs a c to rs , the officers at Faneuil Hall, which was considered a very elegant play- 47 house, are said to have been performers of merit# Although the adver- 48 tisemsnts for the performances in Boston mention no names of the actors, 49 Burgoyne may have taken part in the acting* Lord R&mdem and Captain
Thomas Stanley, the second sen of the Bari of Deity, are named by Sell- 50 hemsr as having taken part in a performance of Zara*
After the British evacuated Boston in March, 1776, they vent to New SI York, where the soldiers began to give plays la January of 1777# Dunlap has mentioned a masher of officers she were engaged in the theatrical activities there, and Seilhemer states that "apparently the moving spirits is the earlier Vew York performances include sob ® of those who had taken _ c g part is the Bootes productions*" From Dunlap’s discussion of the officer- asters in New York, we may consider as possible actors at Faneuil Hall
Beater Beaumont, a surgeon in the a rays Colonel Frenchs Lieutenant Penne-
era, 27* *®Oral S* Coad, "Stage Players in Eighteenth Century America," Journal of English and Germanic Philology, XIX (1920) , 206# D i l l a r d , on* c l t * , 255* *®Seilfaamer# pp. c lt*. II, 21. 4% om blow , op * a it*. I, 151, mentions him as an amateur actori ale© SsiXhamer, op * oit*# Yl, 21. ^Seilhamer, op* o it*, II, 21* 51Ib id # , 22* 5ZIb ld * feather, who took feminine roles j Major Williams, of the Artillery;
Captain O liv er D elaney, of th e 17th Dragoons) Captain Michael, 22d
Foot; Captain William L oftus, Guards; C aptain Edward Bradden, 15th Poofe! Captain Phippaj ond Major Andra.BS
Dunlap states that Burgoyne's play was, '‘as far as Is known, the
seoond drama written in America, and the first so written, that was *54 performed* In this conclusion, he i s mistaken, for Thomas Godfrey1 s ttg P rince e f Partfain had appeared on the stage on A pril 24, 1757® As early as 1690, a group ef Harvard students had acted Gustavua Vasa by
Benjamin Colmsn, a n a tiv e of America*56 Students, likewise, had per*
farmed a native piece called The Military Glory of Great Britain in S7 1762, hut these academic plays are not to be considered as regular
stage plays * Following Godfrey’ e play* The Conquest o f Canada, some
times referred to as the second American drama, was performed in th e
Southwark Theatre in Philadelphia on February 17, 1772
During the Devolution, Congress forbade theatrical performances, 5 9 although this action did not interfere with the writing of drama* The
circumstances were such as to give r is e to political satires, two of
which antedate Burgoyne1 a play® Mrs® Mercy Warren’s Adulator had been
published in 1 7 7 2 end her nThe Group was probably written in the first
months e f 1 7 7 5 , but these were not acted* In view of these facts
^tolap# cp* e it *. 16® S*£bid*, 86. ®®Qutnn# o p * clt®, 16® 5%omblow, op® c lt ®. I, 149® 57Ib ld * 58W® P. Trent, jgt a l . (eds*), £ History jffieglogfiLj*gas$SEft. York, Putnam's Son®, 1918) , I* 217s Hornblow, jed* o it* , I , 149, gives th® d ate 1706® BDQtiinn, Qp» P i t ®, 52* BOxbld** 84* gl ibid® , 89* 31
regarding the regular drama, therefore* The Blockade has the distinction
of being th© third drama written in America that was performed on the stage*
Th© immediate effeet of Burgoyne*s play In America was th© inspira
tion it gave an anonymous writer*62 who published The Blockheads, or The
Affrighted Officers in 1776* This three-act prose farce* which is writ
ten in coarse but rigorous language* ridicules the destitution* the
cowardice, and the grievances of the British in Boston before evacuating
the city in March* 1776* General Howe was attempting to recover Bor- 65 ohester Heights* but the strong winds drove the British back —all of
which events are reflected in th© play* The alarmed Englishmen retreat
in haste to make preparations'for departing for Halifax*
Seme lines in the play refer to Burgoyne and the dramatic perform
ances given in Boston* Dupe, one of the characters* who is disgusted with
the situation there remarks t "Now B-—e, here is more matter for humor,
you may now give us a second edition of your farce*
At the barracks, after the retreat, the soldiers discuss their
plight* One is concerned with the future effect of their action*
S o l* —A pretty story this in th© British annals—an ever lasting disgrace w ill attend the transactions in America*—Our best generals, with a force of artillery, sufficient one would think to storm the regions of Belzebub—the most experienced troops his Majesty has? a capital navy? yet with all force, our generals dare not peep over the entrenchments—are confin’d within three miles of garrison, writing and acting comedies— dismantling meeting houses to exercise their horses, to prevent their having aeurvy***.
g^M d*. 46# Quinn states that the coarseness of the language nindi cates that the play is not by Mrs# Warren, to whom it has been attributed* 65lbid#, 47* S4jfae Bloc]gheadB. or The Affrighted Officers (Boston, 1776), Act III, sc„ i, IS# The "h— e" referred to may not have been Burgoyne* See Quinn, op, pit*, 47, where he gives th© key to the characters in the play* ^Ibld*. Act III* sc* H i , 18, "Dismantling meeting houses,M etc*, refers to the action taken at the Old South Church in Boston, where accom modations were made for Burgoyne*s light horse# See Mrs* Bllet* o p * o it 37* 52
ef the characters in the play refer® to Burgoyne and his faro© vfeen he describes the confusion end tumult that followed at the barraefcss
Sol* —Orders are given for blocking up the streets* that the veSele may break their shins *if£ta8y pursue us—*w© have also a pareel of stuff* d images* looking like devils behind the pope* to be fix*d up as senteries j a fit emblem of ourselves— Burgoyne oould not have oontrivTd a prettier satyr—
If the literary value of BurgoyneTs fares is to be judged by that of
The Blockheads A very little ©an be ©aid in its favor* The purpose of the play was to ridicule the Yankees primarily* 67 and it is improbable that much attention m s given to literary form or dramatic technique* That
Burgoyne succeeded in hie purpose is indicated by the appearance of The
Blockheads and by the attitude assumed by the British themselves* who finally erne to realize* in the course of events* that the caricature €8 of Washington as a comic figure was unjust •
66Ib id * , 10* 67Dunlap. pp» c lt*. I * 87• 68frev©lyan* op * o i t *„ I , 556* s s
Bord o f th e Manor
After Burgoyne*e return to England in 1775, the state ©f affairs in America had become so alarming that the British cabinet began to determine some means ef establishing royal authority *^ Members of th© cabinet consulted with Burgoyne as to his view ©onoeraing the course to take for the f©lloeing year* "These he set forth in a lengthy paper en titled 'Befleeticns m the War in America** Is February, 1776, he ms appointed as Second is Commend to General Carleton is Canada, and in
March he sailed for Quebec, with some Brunswick troops as reinforce* S 4 meats* Se returned to England in November, 1776, and soon after sub mitted to tha Xing hie Thoughts for Conducting the War from the Side of 5 Canada, upon which the extensive plan ef the campaign of 1777 ms based*
By Jane, 1777, he had been chosen to lead th© expedition from Canada and m e ready to begin hie advance upon the rebels*** However, determined as he was in carrying out the campaign, Burgoyne waged a losing battle, for he received no support from the British ministry* On October 16, 1777, therefore, he was defeated at the Battle of Saratoga and forced to sur render*^
A paroled prisoner of war vfeo was forced to shoulder the entire blame for his failure, Burgoyne returned to England, where in 1779, he resigned all his offices and joined the Whig party* Bis action is im portant in that it left him free to return to the writing of drama*
lp® Fonblanque, op* o it*, 208. f o l d . ~ Sudleston, op* oit ». 105*106* 4 lb ld *> 1 1 0 . * Ib id . %ilson and Flake, op* c lt»* I, 453 1 T lb id . 8Ibid* m
Ik th e cummer ef 1780, he was in th e country and wrote nfo r mere
nt—to relax a mind which had been engaged in more intense appli cation— a condo opera, The Lord of the Manor. Ha explains his pur pose in bringing this play to the stage as follows*
And the only view in bringing them (the scenes of the play) upon the stage was a continuation of amusement, encouraged and enhanced by the reflection, that if they were defective in many parts, they were harmless in all; that although they might not correct the fellies, they would not offend the morals of the spectators.10
When the play was first produced, the name of the author was concealed*
The anonymity of the work led to much speculation, as Burgoyne has described in the preface*
Thus while the real Author, on one hand, has enjoyed the compliment of hawing the Lord of the Manor escribed to several men, for whom it is great literary credit to be mistaken; so, cm the other, he has had the pain to see criticism extended from poetical principles, and made a vehicle for party reflections upon persons i&e never saw a line of his writing* Mot only have the erroneous guesses shifted from man to man, they have fallen also upon men in a bodjy; different pens; and sometimes these supposed writers have multiplied upon the imagination till they almost as numerous as the personages of the drama*11
Burgoyne had seme purpose in mind for concealing his identity* It is likely that Sheridan, the manager of Drury Lane, who was familiar with his persecutions and who had considered him an ill-used thought it best to keep the public guessing* Such a supposition seems even more probable
If we take Into account that might be called the unsuccessful revival of
The Meld ef the Oaks earlier in the year* The play was acted at Drury
Lane an. February 28, 1780, the first time since 1776; and only one other
vBurgoyne, "Preface,” The Lord of the Manor,. I, 127* Burgoyne had been busy writing The Statjfg (published early in 1780) in order te vindicate himself or the defeat at Saratoga, 1777* Be also had been busy making an appeal for a court-martial. See de Fon- blsnque, OP* o it*, m 7 and 881*
"H Ii b m i d * 12ct«nliiStephens, op * c l t *, 842* 85 performance of the five-act play was ever held In London—thac. being tro days later, March 2, 1780* Ho details of these performances aro avail* able; but if the expense incurred in preparation for them was at all comparable to that of the early performances * we may conclude that the management mas very much disappointed in the outcome of its undertaking#
It mould be that the failure of the play to attract more favorable notice mas duo primarily to Burgoyne*a unpopularity with certain factions at th© IS time# If this ie true, then it ie only logical to suppose that Burgoyne mould have published his second play, written in 1780, anonymously and that the manager of Drury Lane mould have been interested in keeping the playwright * e identity concealed*
There is some doubt as to the commotion created with regard to th© authorship* as Burgoyne describes in the pref&oej for on December £7,
1780, the date of the first performance, The Gentleman^ Magazine carried an azmeunoemest of the play, stating that it mas "supposed to be written by a celebrated general officer." It appears, however, to have been _ 14 essribed to Sheridan at one time*
Ho one w on to know who first assigned th© play to Burgoyne* ETicoll s a y s, "As f a r as ©an be made out the a s c rip tio n to Burgoyne was made by th© editors of the Biographic Drama tic a*" ^ Hiooll, it seams, was too hasty iju stskdjsg his ©onelusion# The ooly edition of the Biographia
Dramatics that he could have bad in mind mas that of 1812, for the 16 editors of the 1782 edition do not mention any author# Before 1812,
replies to his State of the Expedition from Canada show that he had sot completely vindicated himself in the’’eyes of the Tory Party# See The C ritical Review. L (Ncv* and Dec#, 1780), 590 and 467* ^ H u d lesto n , op* o i t *. 529# *% i«cll, on# c lt#* 201, n» 2* ^Devid Brsklne Baker, ^legraphia Pramatloa (London, Riving tons, ©t a l • , 1782), II# 198# $6
&eatehard and Lotters&a, publishers, had already printed the two-volum© ®«b of Burgey®©* & dramatic and poetical works and included in it The
Lord ef the Manor* Apparently there has never been any controversy as to its authorship and its assignment to Burgoyne • It -was written by someone who knew French literature, who was familiar with th® faults of th e re c ru itin g s e rv ic e , and by someone who had been engaged in w ritin g it primarily “to relax a mind which had been engaged in more intense ap p licatio n * -—al l of which show d e fin ite ly th a t Burgoyne was th© author*
When the Lord of the Manor case before the herd Chamberlain, part# of the last act were censored, “probably as bringing His Majesty’s « 18 m ilitary service into contempt s
R ental* By your drees you should belong to the army? pray, sir, shat is year real business? Trepan* I am a manufacturer of honour and glory—vul~ garly "call*d a recruiting dealer—© f , more vulgarly still, a sk in merchant* I corns to a country wake as a good m arket— a little patience, and you shall see my practice—come, paste up more b ills—and the devices—they are not half thick enough"”eihere’s the lion rampant, with a grenadier’s cap upon h is head? First Workman* Here, sir, here* TrepsnT UST"the marine device? Second Workman* Here it is—done to the life—the prise beardedi the docks' running with arrack punch, end dammed up with geld dost* Trepan* Right, lad, place that next the lion* I don’t see the London tailor with his foot upon the neck of the Fra&eh king* Third Workman* Here he is in all his glory * trepan* Faste him up on the other flank of the li on ce, so, pretty well—what have you left for the corner? Fourth Workman* The East-Indies, Captain, a nabob in triumph, throwing rough diamonds to the young fixers bo play at marbles * Trepan* (To Rental) Very well, very w ell-sir, how do you like my shop? Bental* Faith, sir, the construct ion seems to be as curious as your employment— I think you call’d yourself a skin merchant*
fS«e Jfee Dramatic and Poetical .forks of the Late Lieut»~Gen» Burgovna (London, Saaretmers and Eebt©rman, TWolSJy TV IBibid*, 889* ST
52E5E* ^ S9» &ir# is a now trade, bat a necessary a happy ene, far it flourishes in proportion to the spirit of the nation ■-end if ear rulers will hat employ it properly— Captain Trepea shall furnish then for next year with twenty thousand new Alexanders at fire pence a day* JS&sfc&l* ^ell, Captain, as you have callfd your1 s a trade# w ill you oblige no so much as to explain hew It Is serried ent Trepan* Oh, with pleasure, sir! Suppose new regiments are to he raised—! an applied to—Captain Trepan—that * s sy m m , s ir—Bow are skins new?—How many may you want?—Five hundred—Why, year honour, answers I, those that are fit for all use, that bear fire, and wear well in all climates, cannot be afforded for less than ten pounds e-piece—we have an in ferior sort that we sell by the hundred—1*11 take half and h alf, says ay employer t—Your place of delivery?—Plymouth!— Agreed!—and they are on shipboard in a month* Cental* But, Captain, sure this business is subject to frau d s? Trepan* Yes, there are rogues in all trades—but my word i s known* I never ran th e seme re c ru it through more than th re e regiments in ay life —and that only when we have bean hard pressed for a review*1®
It is interesting te note in this connection that, during the last half of the eighteenth century, active censorship of plays was not main tained* Bicoll mentions that *the few dramas stopped by the Lord Cham berlain* e command would seem te have been mainly satirical in a personal way*MXU *®0
Of his intention in satirising the recruiting service, Burgoyne says a
It could not but be matter of surprise and pain, to a w rite r***to find himself accused of having introduced the eharaeter of Captain Trepan, for the purpose of impeding the recruiting service of the a ray* To be thought a bad poet. Is but a common misfortune, and it may be born© with temper and in silences but tbs imputation of being an ill-intentioned citizen requires as answer, though in this case it is trusted, a short one will suffice**** They who think the fallacies and frauds of recruiting dealers about this town necessary evils, which ought to bo connived at, as contributory to the military strength of the nation, are ignorant of facts, or blind to consequences* So little is the writer of that opinion, that h© has thought it incumbent upon him to restore in print the passages which
*®B«rgoyne, The Lord of the Manor. The Drama tic and Poetical Works, l 9 Act III* sc* il, 209-211* ^H iooll, Op* o it*. 19* S3
from apprehension of sudden misconstructions, and from bo other apprehension* were emitted in the representation® An abler hdnd might 1»T0 carried the eat ire on this subject infinitely farther, not only with a consciousness of doing no ham, but also with a confidence of doing good*2*
Be Fonblanque considers the suppressed part of the play harmless?
The &zmy# however, is so conservative an institution that the ridicule thrown upon the recruiting system a century ago la equally applicable in the present day, and were Captain Trepan, Sergeant Crisp and Corporal Snap, introduced upon our stage, they would not be considered gross caricatures*”
IhA almost a century had gone by when Be Fonblanque made that statement*
The satire in Burgoyne’s play came from the pen of a disillusioned man* It is evident that he had no thought of disloyalty in writing as he did} yet he must have been embittered* He had stood high in the mili tary profession and had returned home defeated and disgraced in the eyes of his own party* Considered a prisoner of war, on parole, he was at *>* first refused any opportunity of explanation by the ministry* At one time he was ordered by the Sing (who later rescinded his action) to rejoin 24 the captive forces in America*
The theatergoing public received the play with much applause* It 2g ran for twenty-one nights that season (1780-1761) at Drury Lane. The following year it was acted six times, and until 1786, scarcely a season went by in which it was not included in the theatrical calendar* The success of The Heiress and Richard Coeur dc Lion in 1786 may have had seas bearing upon its disappearance from the theater, for it was not staged again until 1789* In 1823 it was revived at Drury Lane and the 26 Haymarket, perhaps the last performances given In London.
^Burgoyne, "Preface,” The Lord of thq Manor. I, 127-128* 22l>e Fonblanque, op* c i t *, 899*
» vf the Life of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne," op* cit 9 ^See Appendix I, Part I. 39
In O ctober, 1812, The lo rd cf th e Manor was acted fo r th© f i r s t tiise at Cerent Garden and with such success that fifteen performances 27 9ft followed* It wee revived there in 1816 during the carnival season*
Almost forty years elapsed before the play was acted in America*
There seems to be no reason for the delay, for th® dramatist*s other plays were performed on the American stage soon after their publication in England* One thing noticeable is that The lord of the Manor ms the only one of Burgoyne* s plays acted in America from 1818 to 1856*
The play m s considered a work of some merit* Tfiihen the first edition appeared, i t was given favorable comment by The C r itic a l Reviews
Though this Comic Opera is not upon the level with the Duenna, Love in a Tillage, and two or three others which we could name, it is by no means void of merit; and, if well per formed, w ill always hold a respectable place in that species of the drama* The story is interesting, the dialogue easy and agreeable,, and the characters well supported, and the songs, in general, well-written* though we cannot, as the anonymous author informs us, attribute them to Mr* Sheridan*
The editors of Burgoyne*s works in 1808 write that "it is a light, but lively and well-conducted little piece, far superior in merit to many later favourites of the same kind,*^® and Genest states that "this piece
is superiour to the generality of Operas*
Burgoyne admits in the preface to the play that the leading incident
of the story was taken from Mannontel* s Silvaln, corneal® mi un act®, and that he altered and enlarged upon the plan of the story by adding scenes
»nrf substituting characters under new circumstances« MX know not a fea ture of character," he says, "preserved from Marmontol, except the sens!-
~ ^Saurt, C£. oit.. VIII, 370-SI1. 2%bid., VIII, 555. ^%he C r itic a l Review* LI (A p ril, 1781), 518• ^®"A Sketch of the Life of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne," op* o it*, X 32 0 ^Genest, op* oit*, VI, 179* 40
M litgr end artless innocence of the young woman
Marmontelf s Silvain is a musical comedy, the story of an elder
son, Si 1 vain, who is die inherited by his father, Dolmen, because pf his marriage to Helene* S11 vain and his wife sacrifice much in their pursuit
of happiness* The husband's solilcqty is not without some pathos»
Jrai fait os que 3**1 Tu ms tiens lieu de tout, & j© n’ai riea perdu* Je te donnai me foi sans I’aveu de mon pores ^oila ma seule faute* 11 m*en a trop punij I I m*a d e a h e rite , baatsi, Laisee tomber dans la mi seres Mais eut-il et& plus severe, D*Indiasolubles nouds avee toi m!ont unis St saon^coeur les oherit mutant les revere# Quant a ce starlage entre nous resolu, Je suis loin d*en rougiri Bt que fait la naissence? A-t-elle un plus beau tit re, un droit plus absclu, Que le t i t r e & les droits do la reeennoi ssance f Je dels tout a ces bonnes genes Quoad mas mains au travail n'Jleisnt pas endureios, Leurs genereuses mains ant labour© nos champss Je »*al vu que par eux nos peine s adoueies* Son, me* ©nfsns, toi-mSae, ineonxms, delaisses, Avamt d’avoit appris a travailler pour vivre, Nous perissione; leurs soins, leurs secours empresses Dess net re solitude ont bien voulu none suivres Jfai trouve ohes eux la pit I©, Mais la pitle anna honte, & si noble, h si tendr©, Bt s i aemblable a 1T ami ti e , Que sen eoeur a pu s*y meprendr©.35
Salmon buys the manor on which his son is a tenant* When Sllv&ia
is brought before his father for violating the game laws, the repentant
eld man, ^io already has been touched by the plight, of the wife and two
daughters, forgives his sen and is made happy*
An a n aly sis of th e treatm ent of Burgoyne ’ s source shows th a t he made
many changes and th a t The Lord o f the Manor is f a r from a mere tra n sla tio n *
Us note first the list ©f characters from each plays
^Burgoyne, "Preface,” The Lord of the Manor, I, 188* Marmontel, SHvaln (Paris, Chet Merlin, 1770), 4-5* SHthIp The Lord of th# Itoor Mtmsm, Joisa Gmtr&st Mason* Fils alas* sous le m b do Silva In..fotshly Fils eadet***...••.Contrast Basils* 3«un* Villageols*.*.. romore E d s s t i F«sb» da (only mentioned) ftosUae*** *•*«**••**•••**•••**••*•*•*.**• ••Sophia Laestte* Julias da Sllvaixt at d'Helens*. • . .Annsts (Additions) R ental Xa Mipp® Faggy Captain Trepan Serjeant Crimp HUifftaniaTt Corporal Snap Moll Flogsa
inns* Hastily* s wife* is merely mentioned in Burgcyne's plsys whereas
1b Mermomtel’s ToraioB Helen© is a leading ©hamster* For th© sub-plot, oompletely leaking in Silva la. Burgoyne added eh* rasters for the sola purpose of «SBfise»ont* The milltaxy scone also in the last sot is an ad d itio n *
If we soapare Bargsyne*® play with Moment©!* s# wo observe further that Burgoyne has preserved more than ’’the sensibility sad artless Inna- eenea of lisa young women*—thst of Pauline* Ha might hare added that Sir
John Contrast’s relenting nature, his sympathy for th© two daughters and their mother* and his retribution are oharaater traits preserved from
Silvaln* Bttigngae portrays Sir John, however, as more determined in what ho undertakes to do than does Memento!*
Totz&g Dolmen appears but coo© In M arao»tel*s comedy~-when he oorce® with soldiers to arrest Siivaln for hunting. But something of hi® nature, as portrayed by Burgcyne, is given In the originals 42
Mon frore an stm possesseur* Je ne l*ai vu qu*en sen bas ftgcj Mais dsa bontes d’un pare indigne ravissour* Vt fais&nt de sm dens le plus nontoux usage, Le a de see vieux ana eorrumpu la douceur* Et par son arrogance il e a t, dans le Village, Annono© comrne un oppresseur * II arrive aveo fasts, 11 command©, 11 menaces On d i t mfime qu 1 il veut interdir© la ehasse*
SllvaiB and Rashly ere very iauoh the seme* Beth believed In the freedom ef the cou n try ; bo-th had learned to love I ts peoples both under stood them* neither would go to his father willingly and ask forgiveness*
I t was the poser of love that made each saerifioe his relationship with his father in the f i r s t p la c e • IShen the fa th e r buys th© manor on which th e sen liv e s , S ilv ain would move awayi
Von, il vaut mieux nous eloigner; Icl tout ms feroit oonnottre; Je serois deeouvertj & je veux mfe] La honte la douleur de l*etre
Similarly, Rashly in The Lord of the Manor would leaves
Sophia, ay affairs w ill probably compel me to seek another and a distant homo* Prepare yourself to set out with me at an hour's notice*®®
Rashly has inherited Si 1 vain*a attitude toward hunting* When asked about his authority to cany a gan for hunting, he says s
Mature gave th© birds of the air in common to us alls and I think it no crime to pursue them, ldisn sy heart tells me I am ready, if called upon, to exercise the same gun against the enemies of my king and country*®7
The incident parallels that of Young Eolmon when he questions Silvain about his right to hunts
^Burgoyne. The Lord of the Manor, I, Act II, so* i, 187* 37Ibid*, Act I, so* i, 167* 43
Bu droit do la nature Qui no Tout pas quo nos moissons * Cea fruits d’xrne lento culture, Solent impunlment la pSbur© Dee aniaaux quo nous ©hassons *
unrequited lore of Trumore (Bazil®) for Sophia (Paulino) and
Ms loyalty to Rashly are evident in both plays*
General Burgoyne mads one •worthwhile addition to the original play-
He did not believe that a drama should be a series of "uninterrupted see&es of tenderness and sensibility** For that reason, he added comedy, with eueh original ereations as Peggy, Moll Flagon* Crimp* and
La Hippo taking the leading roles* In one scene, Peggy enjoys some
•vengeance* She leads Captain Trepan* s soldiers* who are looking for a d e se r te r * te arrest Young Contrast* a man of fashion who has molested her azsd Sophia* and te leave him in the care of Moll Flagon>
Crimp* With a ll ay heart* honest Moll 1—and see what you can matas of him* Hell* Perer fear* I* 11 make a soldier and a husband of him—here* first of all--let’s see--whet a damn’d hat he has get—here, change with him, Jack—(Puts eap upon his head*) Contrast* Hhy, only hear me—I’m a"*man of fashion— Holl * Sal Hat Hal I ’ll fashion you presently* (Puts a knapgaok apom him*) There, now you lock something like—and new le t's see what cash you hare about you* Contrast* Very little —but you shall have it every farth ing, if you’ll let me go* Moll* Go, you jolly dog—ay, that you shall, through the world; you and Ijfcogetfasr—I’ll stick to you through life , my — of sulphur*
The Lord of the Manor follows closely the principles of the comic opera which Burgoyne advocated In the preface to the play* Silvain is an example of the French conic opera, wherein recitative, or musical dialogue. Is employed to express action, the music forming a principal part of the drama* Hhila such a piece could be acted on the French
^H arm ontel, op* o i t *. so* v i , 24* ^Burgoyne, "Prefaed,1* The Lord of the Manor. I, 140* *°Burffpynef the Lord of the Manor, I, Aet III, sc* il* 44 stage, Burgoyne felt that it m ild he out of place on the English st»g«*^ X& the firet place» the English language would not admit the we* of recitative in this type of drama; and in the second, the expres sion of action In song was not in keeping with the realism and the 4.2 tastes of sc English audience* He explains as follows *
It appeared to the newspaper critics, that X had been guilty of & great error in not introducing a scene in the Sil-v&in, 'herein the Gardes Chases of the Seigneur attack the sportsman with guns in ^eir' hanSs, threatening to shoot him unless he surrenders his gun, which he persists in preserving* By the by, this sort of authority is more natural in France than 1 hoped it would yet be thought to be in England t bu t that was not ay principal objection* This scene upon the French stage is a ll in song; and wen at Paris, where license of throwing action into song is so such more in use then it is here, and where X have often seen it excellently performed, idie idea of five or six fallows with fusils presented at a gentleman*s head, and their fingers upon the triggers, threat ening hie life in base notes, he resisting in tenor, and a wife or daughter throwing herself between them in treble, while the spectator is kept in suspense, from, what in reality must be a momentary event, till the composer has run his air through all its different branches, and to a great length, always gave me disgust to a great degree*4®
In adapting Silva in te the English stage, Burgoyne found it neces sary to make many changes—15to alter and enlarge upon the plan and con duct of the original, to substitute characters, and to add new scenes and oircmstanees •*44 The Lord of the Manor appears as an example of the English comic opera in contrast to that of th© French* The play wright did not offer it, however, as a model, but rather as a type in bringing about “excitement to improve that species of the drsm©*”4^
I f we compare The Lord of the Manor w ith The Beggar*s Opera, w©
^Burgoyne, wPrefaoo.lf The Lord of the Manora X, IS? f* 4febld*. 152 f * 4®Ibld*. 141-142. ^bld*. 138. 4SIb id . , 144* m note is. particular cate main difference* The mueio for Gay’s play ms
set original, for the songs sere written "to fit certain more or less
tr a d itio n a l aire*f^® "whereas the music fo r Burgoyne’s p lay had been * AT composed by William Jackson of Exeter- In this respect. The Lord of
tbs Manor is like The Duenna, but it cannot be said that the General*®
pises has the same lyric brilliance and sparkling dialogue- His play
tends too smch toward the sentimental drama, introducing, as it doss,
“a generous and tender-hearted steward who reminds us of the Trusty of
Steele9 s imagination, a certain amount of moralized patriotic f err our
and a contrast between the fashionable follies of society and country *48 innocence*
It is interesting to note that here again, as in The Faid of the
Oaks and in Burgoyne* s am life, we find the theme of the stem old
gentleman, the young perse® disinherited c e l account o f his marriage,
and the ultimate reconciliation*
* 5 £ o n . ep« c i t *. 192* ^ B e Fonblftnqne, jgg* o i t *. 201* 48H ic o ll, OP* o i t - . 201 • m
4* The Heiress
Borgeyne srota his fourth play during the smokers of 1784 and
1785** Four years had elapsed since The heard of the Manor had been w ritten, end in the interim Burgoyne had concerned himself with poll- tleal affairs* The Whigs had oome into power under herd Rockingham, and the ganeral-playwright had plaoed himself In a position where he could expect flavors** On June 7, 1782, he was made coDssander-ln-ehief of the British forces in Ireland, where he alee held the of flee and rank of pricy councillor and colonel of the fourth regiment** The Coalition ministry failed in December, 1788, and Burgoyne went out of powerFor some time afterwards he wrote satires which derided P itt's administra tio n *
Haturelly enough, Burgcyne had had little time to think of the drama.
He had triumphed over his enemies, and later he had fallen* As a result e of his political downfall he drifted more and more away from politics*
Daring this time his health had become bad,® and there was little in centive to continue warring against the opposing political faction*
Burgoyne w rote hie g re a te st drama, The H eiress, when he was v i s i t - ing at Knows ley. Lord Derby’s seat*4 The play was Justly dedicated to his friend, the Sari of Berbys
*James Beaded, Memoirs of the Life of John Philip Keable (Hew York, Wilder and Campbell, 1825), I, 178* ^Stephens, op* o lt>, 342* f o l d * * Ib id * gIb id « ®De Fonblanque, op» o it*, 423 end 426* 7JphnBurggjrn 8 ."D 5 d l 8 ation,M JJa Heiresg. The grametiq Works (London, Soetoherd and Letterman, 180877 iTTvT* 47
It also 8SBS® to year Lordship* s hand with a secondary claim to your acceptance* as owing its existence to the lei- sore and tr a n q u ility I enjoyed during the l a s t two summers a t Knowsley*8
Is the beginning Burgoyne thought of publishing th© play anony mously,® $ast as he had The Lord of the Manor—perh&ps more for curi osity's sake than for any personal or political reason* The immediate success of the play on the stage* however* was sufficient reason for 10 altering his plans*
Ob January 14* 1786* The Heiress was produced at Drury Lane for the firet tine* Among those oeraprising the oast was the celebrated Miss
Farrell* who acted the part of Lady Emily* the leading feminine role* and o f whoa Boaden w rites t
Kiss Farren sesned te have absolutely identified herself with this elegant model of fashionable excellences and when she really in private life* assumed the dignity of her present rank* the elevation was deemed neither abrupt* nor surprising, but rather as if Lady Kaily Gayville had obtained the superior title of Countess of Detfby***
The sweep with which Kies Farren west on to captivate her audience is interestingly narrated by D© Fonblanques
Hiss Farren9s personation of this character (Lady Stnily) was considered the most finished of all performances} and on her first appearasoe in it she so completely fascinated Lord Derby that he remained under th© spell for eleven years* and married her a few weeks after his wife1© death in 9 97
The popularity of the play and its reception at the time are attested
te by the continued performances at Drury Lane that season* It m s per formed daily that month from January 14 on* with the exception of the eighteenth*^® Mrs* Xnehbald* commenting on the attention it received
»lbid*. vi-vii* 10Xbid*. vii» ^Beedea* Memoirs of Kemble. I* 179* 120© Fonblanque * o p * offr*. 402* * op* c i t m» VI* 881* m from the public, says that wib a ttra c te d v a st auras of money from th e east# as well as the east part of the metropolis#***
&se critic* of the time took notice# Horace Walpole had censured
The Maid of the Oak*# but his opinion of the playwright now changed* "I went through *The H eiress/9 he says* "twice In one day end like it better than any comedy 1 haw# aeon sin ce *The Provoked Husband,’**® the play he 18 always craw te have used as a basis of comparison* Be approved the 17 pl^T thoroughly* called i t "the g e n te e le st comedy in the %gllsh language, and b eliev ed Burgoyne* s accomplishment was due te the fact that he lived in the beat company and knew the fashions of the time**® His "battles and
speeches w ill be forgotten,” Walpole declared, "but h is d e lig h tfu l comedy
’The Heiress’ s t i l l continues the d e lig h t of the stags and one of the most pleasing compositions* *19 9
I t was no wonder th a t Home fooke, in a footnote found in his Diver~
sions of Pur ley. was farced to add a critical statement about the play*
"One little morsel of false moral excepted," he say s, i t i s "th e most
perfect amd meritorious ocacdy* without exception, of any on our stage *w®°
From the beginning this comedy began to establish a place for itself*
It was compared to The School for Scandal and even preferred to it by 21 some* Genest states that i t m i the b e s t new C* since the School fo r
**Mrs* Inehbald, op* o it*, XXII, 4* Hudlestcm, op* oit*# SS2, says* "By th is she means th a t the o itiz e r e living Bast of the Tempi© Bar as well as Ifee fashionable world of St* dames flocked to see it* *^Quctod from He Fonblanque, ££♦ c lt*. 401* *%adleston, so* c lt*, 583* 1TIbid* *®3>e Fonblanque, on* c lt*. 402* *®Quoted from ib id *. 401* ^PHimac Tootoe- D iversions o f P urley (London, William Tegg, 1860), 2*Mrs* Inehbald, op* o it * , XXII, 4# Scandal,”^® and Jamas Boadan remarks th a t na purer or more in te restin g comedy cannot be found," adding that "it does not, to ho sure, like th e
School fo r Scandal, lay olaim t e the whole empire of wit» but it never wants It where necessary*"22
U k i th e Maid o f th e Oaks, The Heiress gained recognition. outside of higkid* It was translated into four foreign langua gss —Ge man, ^ flfi 9S French* Italian, and Spanish—aad ms acted in Paris and Stuttgart*
"She sale of tom editions in one year bore ample testimony to its m e r its B e Fonblanque states referring to the English sales*28
In reviewing the publication, one critic writes*
I f th e end of comedy be to represent, with fidelity, th e Banners of the world, and n o t only to catch the reigning folly of the day, but t e delineate the minuter features which d is tinguish the period of th® author, the Heiress has consider able claims to « r applause, and we can Join in the general acclamations of the croud ed theatre* The c he rectors of this play arc properly varied, and often contrasted with peculiar s k ill* the situations are perplexing, without too studied intricoeys and the language is lively, elegant, and polished* In short, if we try cur author on one part only of the statute, he will sot he equally successful* Novelty of character, pe culiar and striking situations, and a suspense, which stands on tiptoe, eager fo r the denouement, we in vain look fort but perhaps it say he fastidious t e expect too much; and, i f we are gratified both w ith th e progress of the story and event, we ought not to complain of the source from which our grati fications are derived."
^Benest, OP* e lt*, VI, 381* ^^Boadan, Memoirs of Kseible* I , 178* »w . Schenk translated the play in to German as Pie S rb ln * The play I s found in Deutsche Sohaubuhne (1768), III* See fticoll, op* c lt*, 152* *®A* F* Villemain translate^ the play into French as L*Herltiers* £•« Chefs-d-oauvre des Theatres estrangers (1822), III* £©© also Mooli, o p * c i t * , i 5 Z . ZSmA Skethh of the Life of Lieutenant-General Burgoyne," op* o it*,, I , 38* 97 De Fonblanque, op. c lt*. 401* ^Debrett, the publisher, gave Burgoyne L200 for the play* See H ie e ll, SSL* «!£•* 47* ^Ths Critical Review. LXI (Feb., 1786), 164* so
*he S»im », though, with all the favorable criticism accorded it,
*w not to go without censure* Soon after the first edition appeared, the daily papers charged Burgoyne with plagiarism*80 His characters were looked upon as lacking originality,81 *by which/’ Braden says,
*could only be meant that they were not nonet ere**88 It appears from what Beadea has said and from what Burgoyne has discussed in the preface to the play, that the charge was the result of a parallel found between
Burgoyne# e description of Miss Alton, as gives by Lord Gayville—
He cannot mistake her, for when she was formed Nature broke th e mould88 and a passage from Rousseau's work—
Si la mtura a bien ou mal fait de briser le raoule d>ag iequel slle wTa jets7~ateT8*
Te answer these attacks, Burgoyne wrote a preface to the play, is -which be dieeueeee the question of borrowing and gives his idea of character and thought originality. Of the latter, he writes<
Original thought—It has been observed that there is an image, in a speech of Lord Sayville, copied closely from Rousseau* Very possibly it «ay be so* The author of the Heiress certainly has read that elegant writer} and to show how easily Invention say be deceived, he will quote another writer (in his estimation still more elegant) who thus ac counts, and apologises for, unconscious plagiarism—* Faded ideas,* says Hr* Sheridan, * float in the fancy like half forgotten dreams* end imagination, in its fullest enjoy ments, beooaes suspicious ef its offspring, end doubts whether it has created or adopted*'88
The charge of plagiarism arose again In 1823, when The Morning
Herald published set September 25 an article attacking Burgoyne for not mmmmmm*—"""■ESP- ®%am» Graf. The Dramatic Works of General John Burgoyn® (Berne. Buohdrucfcerei J. JT so h e^S m T T S ^ '3TC ------81Boadeaa, Memoirs of Kemble. I , 178 * ” lM 4 * ^^Burgoyne, The Heiress. The Dramatic and Poetical Works. II, Act I, ^B oaden, Memoir s. £f_ Kgmbla. I, 176. *®Burgoyne, "Prof.o.," tim Heiress - The Dramatic and Poetical Worka. I I , xi* 51 having aekmewledged Mrs* Lennox’* The S ister as his sour 09 fo r The
Heiress As late as the middle of th© nineteenth century, Jelm
Forster in his The Lifb of Oliver Goldsmith writes of Mrs* Lennox’s play and of Burgoyne’s indebtedness*
And the Strawberry Hill critics who abused it* and afterw ard s prenounced Burgoyne*s H eiress nth© f in e s t comedy in the English language*” might have had the justice to discover that three of the oharasters of the fashionable general were stolen from this very Slater of Mrs* Lennox.®7
Other writers have mentioned a aeoond source* Genest comments on the la ck ef originality of the play# stating that the plot was "chiefly borrowed from the Sister and from Biderot’s Fere de Famine*"3® Al« l&rdyoe Kiooll lists Fere de Famille as providing ”greater or less material***for Burgoyne*a The Heiress*”^ Still a third source has been glvem by Miss Hbafburten, whose mother was a sister of Lady Char lotte Bargeyae* In writing to Mrs* Parker# Burgoyne1 s Illegitim ate daughter by Sue am Canfield,40 Kiss Hharburton says In answer to the eharge sf plaglarima that had appeared in The Morning Herald?
1 happen to know that your father took the idea of The Heiress from Mrs* Lennox's novel of Henrietta# which he reckoned see ef the cleverest works of its class that had appeared*
An examination of the three sources cited reveals , in the first place* that Burgoyne probably did not use Mrs* Lennox’s play as the main source of h is drama* The S is te r appeared in 1769* as the t i t l e
57John Forster# The Life of Oliver Goldsmith (New York# Frederick A* Stokes *C©*, 190$) # 1S2Z* ®®Genest# © i t * , V I| 581* ® % ie o ll, op * oit*. 120. ^A fter the death of Lady Charlotte Burgoyne# General Burgoyne became attached to an opera singer# Susan Caufiela, who bore four chil dren for him* Burgoyne never married her* Be© Stephens# op* o it*# 542* Fonblanque, op. cit*, 406. 52 peg* to the first edition indicates eight years after th® publica tion ef Henrietta* In reality The Sister is nothing more than a drama tised version of the last part of Henrietta* The three ©haracters ■which to* Forster says mere "stolen11 by Burgoyne from The Sister ar© found in th e novel*
In toe* Lennoxfs play, lord Clairville, the son of th© Bari of
Belmont, visits Windsor with hie governor, Mr* Courtney, in order to view the le a n whom his father has arranged for him to marry* He changes his same te Mr* Belmsur , in order te carry out his plans he sees the bride and ia immediately dissatisfied* However, while at Windsor, ha and Mr*
Courtney, who also has an assumed name, become frequent visitors at the home of Zety Autoun, who has two beautiful girls living with her, one her
step-daughter and the other, Mies D*Aroy, an obscure person, who has run away from h e r aunt*
Mr* Courtney does not approve of Lord C lairvilie’s interest in Miss
D’Arcy because he realism that Lord Clairville *s father would never con
sent te his son’s marriage with a poor girl*
During the course ef events, Mr* Courtney discovers that Miss D*Aroy
is his Sister, whom he has not seen for years* She promises him, though,
that she will not reveal her identity and that she will also discourage
Lord Clairvil le * s attentions to her* However, a servant sees Mr* Courtney
talking te his sister, and the news spreads that Mr* Freeman (Mr* Courtney)
is in love with Miss D*Arey* This gossip makes Miss Autumn jealous and
finally leads Lord Clairville to challenge Mr* Courtney to a duel* Mean
while, tl» Earl of Belmont arrives, believing that Iedy Autumn has encouraged
^Hrs* Charlotte Lennox, The Sister. First edition (London, J* Bods ley and T* Davies, 1789)* the affair between llisa D'Ayey and his son and that Mr* Courtney has batr&yed him* However, everything la cleared up satisfactorily a f te r the duel, which results in no ham* The B&rl of Belmont relen ts and approves his sea*a marriage te Miss Courtney (Miss D'Aroy) , and then .
Hr* Courtney, whoa Lady Autumn had believed all along to he in love with fear* claims the hand ef Hiss Autumn*
Diderat's play i s th e ataxy o f one family end i t s a ffairs* * 25 M* D'Or- beessB , la para da femUlo, is distressed baeausa Ms son Saint^&Xbin is in lava with a strange g irl* Living in th e heme i s M* La Comraandeur
D*Aivile, a brother-in-law of M* D'Orbeason, who plans to w ill his fo r- t » to La Para's children, Saint-Albin and C seile* Le Commandeur la a e ra esBcarnsd with the affairs o f Le Para's ©hi Id ran than with the fa th er him self*
Saint-Albin sees une jeuna inconnue at church and falls in love with her* In order to meet her he takas an apartm ent near Sophie and
Mbs* Hebart, her bene factor* He changes his name and poses as an ordi nary parson* He becomes intimately associated with Sophie and Mm©*
Bsbert and even helps them when they are without work* Sophia decides to rstont to fear widowed mother* who lives some distance from Paris* for riia feels that she eannct go on accepting help from Saint-Arbis* Her resolution to leave, therefore, drives Saint-Albin to confess everything to fear and to his father* La Fare Interviews Sophia and Mme* H ebert in his home* He is im pressed with Sophia's charm, modesty, end sweetness* however, he re a lise s that if his son marries h e r, La Cemmandeur w ill disinherit Saint-Albin*
^^Denis Diderot, La Pars da Famllla. Oeuvres da Denis Diderot (Paris, Ches «X • L* J * B riars, 1821) * 54
He then promise* to return Sophie safely to her mother cm th© condition that sh© w ill give op Saint-Albin*
’Wheat Le Ccumumdeur hears of Saint-Albin* s affair* he tells him frankly that he w ill not approve the marriage* Nevertheless * Saint-
Albin resolves to marry 4&e girl*
In o rd e r to a v e rt th e m arriage, Le Cemmandeur engages the serv ices of Geraeuil, Ceclie’s lover and Saint-Albin’s friend* to aid him in dis posing of Sophie* Germeuil brings Sophie to Ceoile’s room, ’where sh© is kept in hiding until he oan carry her to a convent, the place designated by Le Commandeur* Hntil this time, Germeuil pretends he is friendly to both Le Commandeor end S ain t-A lb in , but n e ith e r knows where Sophie is
staying*
In the meantime Saint-Albin suspects that Germeuil knows of Sophie's whereabouts* When he wants to fight Germeuil, the latter shows him the lettre de cachet, which shows that Sophie is still free and discloses th a t Germeuil is a t r a i t o r to Le Commandeer*
Before long, Le CcBsoandeur and S aint-A lbin le a rn th a t Sophie Is in the house* Kme* Hebert and Deschampe, a servant of Germeuil * s, gain entrance to the D'Orbesscn house and reveal that Sophie is the nice© of
Le Cfissoandeur* This d isc lo su re im presses Le Ccnamandeur, and he f in a lly consents te Saint-Albin* s marriage on condition that Germeuil, whom he had previously encouraged to marry Cecil©, leave the house* When all plead with him, he becomes angry and leaves the house forever* There-* upon, Le Per© welcomes Sophie as his daughter and tells Mme* Hebert that ha will take dare ef her too* Germeuil and Cecil© are made happy also*
Even closer to The Heiress in plot and character similarity is Mrs* 44 M Lennox's Henrietta* The story concerns the adventures of a young girl
" ^Urs* Charlotte Lennox, Henrietta. Second edition (London, Printed for A* M iller, 1761). m
h a s m away t r m h e r aunt to esoape going to a convent. Though h©r r e a l naao 1* H enrietta Courtney* sh® i s known to most ©f h e r new ao^uei&tanees os Miss Benson* Her closest living relative is a brother*
^ * « ^«a traveling abroad w ith a young nobleman* acting m his tutor.
Sh* appears first salting on the roadside for a stag© coach t©
Leaden* Though th© eoash is loaded to capacity when it stops* th e d riv er le se depressed with the young g irl's beauty that he finally arranges a place far her* Henrietta meets a young woman on the coach* a Miss w©©dby* site beeanee veiy friendly with her* Miss ^eodby directs h er to th e home ef a veiy good woman in London* where she may stay* However* Henrietta goes by nlatek© te the hen© of a Mrs* Sacles* a mil liner* and decides to r—stn with her* Miss Woodby visits Henrietta at the m illiner's horns sev eral tia e a and learn s th e ocug&et© sto ry of Henrietta's life* She had lived in the boa© ef lady Manning for a long tine after th® death of her nether* but after accidentally meeting her aunt at Bath she had gone te live with her* Mhen sh© could no longer endure the cruelties of her cant and a chaplain* she had run e«sy*
A young gentleman* a certain Lord &-«-* csss H enrietta a t Mrs*
Eeolea* s hone* takes up lodging there* and begins te press his attentions upon her* On© day he hides in her looker* frightening Henrietta* and as a re s u lt sh© leaves Use next morning.
On the recsBwtendatlcn of a friend she goes te the home o f Mrs. W illis* where she remains free time to time vtbm not working* There she discover* that Miss %edby bee been insincere and that Lord B<™ has tried t e find bar* A© tine gee© by* Henrietta serves as a nefd to wealthy women® At last she accepts a position in the home of Miss Cordwaia* whom she finds l a t e r to be engaged to Lord B~— * On one occasion Lord B—.« confesses t© Henrietta he levee her* thereupon, she receives to leave Mise Cordmin*
Lord B— *b mother is fond ef Henrietta and helps her to find employment elsew here*
Finally, Henrietta is employed by Hiss Belmour, whose unpleasant lore affair offers an occasion for a trip to Frame* %il© the two girls are traveling in that country, two men are attracted to them*
One is a nobleman* the other, Mr* Freeman, his tutor, whose real name is Courtesy* Before long, Henrietta finds that she is in lev© with the nobleman and that Mr* Freeman is her brother, whom she has not seen for many years* Circumstances become more complex, for Mr* Freeman (Courtney) does mot want his slater to heed the attentions of the marquis, his pupil, because he Is certain that the marquis’s father will never agree to the union*
In the outcome, Henrietta is reconciled to her aunt , thereby in heriting a large svn of money, and becomes the bride of the marquis*
Lord B— marries Kiss Cordwain, but he lives unhappily*
There arc, teen, incidents of plot and character likenesses to be found in all teres possible sources* To show the extent of Burgoyne*s
Indebtedness to eaeh, we may note the foHewing parallels, which include perhaps all the sim ilarities that could be drawn relating The Heiress to the other works in question*
1* Lord Gayville has traveled abroad with Clifford, apparently Ms tutor, whom he considers a close friend (Act I, so* li) «
In Henrietta, Mrs* Lennox*a novel, a young noblemen and his tutor, whom fee likewise considers his friend, are traveling in France under assumed names, Mr* Melvil and Mr* Freeman respectively*^® A stellar parallel is found In The Sister^®
45lbid*> II, 185 f*
4% rs* Learn o k , The Sister, Act I, sc* i. 57
2* Sir Clement Flint is gravely upset because his son is in levs with a strange woman (Act 17, so* i)« M* D'Orbeason worries about bis sen's staying stay true hero* At last, shea he gets to talk to him, he learns that his son has fallen in love with a strange g irl, who is very poor*
3* A b e a u tif u l, unknown g i r l , a stra n g e r in London, who c a lls herself Miss Alton, is lodged in the home of a milliner (Aet I, so* il)* In London, Henrietta is a stranger* By mistake she castes te lodge in the hone of a milliner* She is a beautiful g irl, reserved and lonely*4® In Peris, Sophie stays at the home of fffiate* Hebert, a peer but respectable woman* Sophie, like Henrietta, is a beautiful girl*
4* Lord Saytille hides in a closet in Hiss Alton1 e room, while she is staying in the m illiner's home (Aet I, sc* ii)* Lard in Mrs* Lennox*s novel, conceals himself in a eloset In Henrietta's apartment, causing her much alara and embarrassment *
5* Miss Alton leaves the m illiner's home the morning following the incident (Aet I, ee* 11)* Henrietta resolves never to spend another night in the m illiner's home**
8* Mies Alton knows Lord Oayville as Mr* Eeartly (Act 1, sc* ii)* Sophie knows S aint-A lbin a s Sergi*®®n Lord B-— poses as an ordinary man* 53 Henrietta believes the marquis to be 9 a a Mr* Mr* Melvil.®4M elvil.64 Miss D'Arey knows Lord C la ir v ille by the name ef Belmour* 55
4^Diderot, op* oit*, 17, Act I, so* v ii* s* Lennox, Henrietta, 1, 24 f* 4®Diderofe, op* c l t * , 17, Act I , sc* v ii* ®*Vlrs* Lennox» Henrietta. I, 200 f* 51m d., 203 f. ®^Diderot, op* o it*, IV, Aet I, so* vii* 5SMt«* Lennox, Henrietta, I, 190 f. 64Ibid *, II, 185 f. the Sister, Act I, so* 1* 58
?• Mies Alton continues to us* her assumed name while she is staying with Kars* Sagely and with Miss A1scrip (Aet I, so* iiil Aet II, so* ill)* A* Henrietta gees from place to place, accepting posi tio n s a* a maid to w ealthy women, she uses th e name Mice Benson* H iss Courtney I s known as Miss B*Arey in The S iste r* 57
8* Hiss Alton has musical talents and sings (Act I, sc* ii| Act II, so* ill)• Henrietta reveals her knowledge of and talent for music when sheadings for Lady B™ , by whom she has been ployed-58
9* Mrs* Sagely, Miss Alton*s new frie n d , recommends h e r to Miss Alserip* an heiress, by letter (Aet I, so* H i). The C ountess, herd B - - * s m other, recommends H e n rie tta te her sister, Lady E“ * by letter* 5
10* Miss Alscrip, an heiress, recognizes Miss Alton as a lady ef quality, offering her a chair with the utmost courtesy (Act II, sc* iii)* Hiss Cerdwain, an heiress, "rose up at Henrietta*s graceful entrance, and, receiving her with & low courtesy, offered her an arm-chair at the upper end of th e room*
11* Miss Alton discovers that she is staying in the home of the g irl who Is engaged to Lord Gayville, the nobleman who has made advances toward her (Act III, sc* ii)* When Henrietta gees with Mies Cerdwain and her father te v isit a certain nobleman concerning Miss Cerdwain*s engagement, she realizes that she has been staying in the home of Lord B—-*e intended wife*
12* Curiosity, even subtle jealousy, arises in Lady Emily when she hears Hiss Alton mention Clifford*s name (Act III, sc- ii) . When Miss Autumn hears from h e r serv an t th a t Mr* Freeman, who is discovered to be the brother of Miss D*Arcy, is talking to Miss D*Anoy, she becomes jealous*
s* Lsxmeoc, H en rietta . I I , 95, 105, and 228* 67Len»Gx, The Sister. Aet I, so* I i# B8Unnra:, Eacrlcfcta. II, p. 107. s *It>HU. 104. * S £ . , » . Ik M » . s i . . Tha S la te r . A -t III, sc. 1. 59
15* Lord Gayville explains to Mias Alton that his interest in her Is altogether one of love (Aet III, so* ii)« Lord B— sees Henrietta in the garden at his home, where she has ©one along with Miss Cordwain, and goes to her to confess his extreme lore for her**®
It* Sir Clement offers Miss Alton money to forget Lord Gayville (Chignon, however, tricks him by presenting Miss Tiffany, a maid) (Aet II, so* iv)• X* D’Orbesson, Saint-Albin*s father, proposes to see Sophie, the strange girl his son is in love with, safely in the arms of her mother if she will forget hie son*®^
15* % means of a letter, Miss Alton discovers that Clifford, her brother, is in town (Aet IV, so. i end ii)* Xhsn Mr* freeman hears Miss Belmour ask Henrietta if "Courtney” is her real_aame, he realises that Miss Benson is his sister* The same in cid en t is p a ra lle le d in The S is te r t Miss D»Arey asks Mr* Freeman to deliver a letter to her brother, a Mr* Courtney, who is abroad* Mr* Freeman then makes himself known to his sister, whom he had not seen for years*
16* Lord Gayville1 s jealousy of Clifford, caused by Clifford’s sudden interest in Hiss Alton, becomes strong (Act IV, sc* i i ) * Mr* Belmour, who is in reality Lord C lairville, becomes jealous of Mr* Freeman, his tutor*®’
17* Miss Alton is carried by her brother to his room in Sir Closest*8 house* She Is guarded by Lady Bally, the girl whom Clifford lores (Act III, sc* i and ii)* Germeuil, Saint-Albin’8 friend, arranges to bring Sophie into ?aint-Albin’s home, where she is guarded by Ceail®, Saint-Albin’s sister and the girl Germeuil loves.
18* Lord Gayville challenges Clifford to a duel* the meeting results in no harm, but reveals to Lord Gayville that Miss Alton is Clifford’s sister (Act V, ec* ii).
B^Lemwx, Henrietta,. II, p* 62 f* ®*Didercfc , op* o it*. IV, Aet II, so* iv* Lennox, Henrietta. II, p* 226 f* ®®Lennex, The S is te r . Aet I I , sc* i . 67Ibid*. Act III, ec* i* ®®Hideret, op * clt*. Aet 111, so* 1 and ii* 60
Lord Clairville challenges Mr* Freeman te a duel, the outcome producing no ham but revealing that Mias D'Arcy is Mr* Freem an's sister*®® Saint-Albin calls Germeuil a traitor and tries to fight him* because he thinks Germeuil has separated him from Sophist* It Is possible that there is no jealous motive here*
19* Clifford advises Lord Gayville not to see his sister again unless Sir Clement consents (Act V, so. ii). In Henrietta. Mr* freeman tells the marquis that Miss Benson is hits sister and that he must net see her again* believing that the Luke would net consent.
20* Miss Alton is disc eve rod to be an heiress (Act V* sc* i i i ) . Sophie ie found to be the niece of Le Cemmandeur D'Aivil®, a wealthy old man* *
Pres these parallels of plot and character relations* it is obvious that Miss lharburten mas quite correct in stating that the main source of
The Heiress is Mrs* Lennox* s Henrietta* Since her play* The Sister* is evidently based act the novel* it might be excluded altogether mere It not for the fact that she has intro due ed the motive of jealousy which leads finally to a duel* However* duels are not uncommon in eighteenth century drama* The part ef Sir Clement Flint is not found in Henriettas it is depleted vaguely in The Sister* but it conforms more closely to the role played by M* D'Orbesson in Diderot's play* Lord Gayville is his nephew* corresponding to Lord C lairville in The Sister* Lord B-— and the marquis in Henrietta* and Saint-Albin in Le Pore de Pastille.
Lika Lord Gayville* Clifford is represented in all three possible sources* although in Le Pare de Famille be is not a governor or a tutor to a nobleman* His relations to Lord Gayville and the circumstances
®®Lanncgc. The S is te r , Act IV* sc* i j Act V, bc. 1. ^Diderot* op* clt*. IV* Act III* sc* v , and v ij Act IV* s c . i i i * "^Lennox, Henrietta* II* 245 f* 72Dld.rot * op* oit** Act V* sc* ix* 62 leading to the duel meet closely parallel those found in The Sisters yet the incident of denying hie eieter to Lord Gayville*s home finds a par- all el in Diderot's play* As for Lady Emily, she might be likened to
Miss Belmour in Henrietta, to Miss Autumn in The Sister, and to Cecil© in la Per© d© Fcsailllc* Her relationship to Lord Gayvill© and her love for his close friend are nor© comparable to that of Cecile to Saint-
Alhin end Germeuil, but hsr disposition and her station in life seem to be more like those of Miss Autumn in The Sister* Miss Alscrip is defi nitely the Miss Cordesin of HenriettaA In all three of the sources men- tim ed, there is a character similar to Miss Alton* In only one, however,
Mrs* Lennox's novel, is she depicted with the virtues of Burgoyne's hero ine* Her reflective temperament, sentimental disposition, and endurance ef persecutions seem without question those of Henrietta*
Although Mrs* Sagely may compare to Mme* Hebert of L© Per© de Famllle in that she is a benefactor of Miss Alton, she represents a combination of characters from Henriettai Mrs* M inis, the Ocuntess, and Mrs* Cary* Mrs*
W illis was Henrietta's friend with whom she lived while not working* The
Countess and Mrs* Cary helped her to find positions, comparable to the one she held with Miss Alscrip*
Burgcyne was probably familiar with all three works* Henrietta, as
Mrs* Wharburten said, is his main source* The Sister is apparently the sourea ef least importance* Mrs* Lennox may have used Le Fere de F&mille as the immediate source for her novel, for Diderot's play had been pub- 78 lished about three years before the appearance of Henrietta* Burgcyne's indebtedness to Henrietta can be seen very olearly in the scene where Henrietta m s recognised as a lady of quality when she was
* The title page to the second edition of Henrietta 62 applying to Miss Cordwain fa* a p o sitio n * Mrs* Lennox w r ite s t A few minutes brought her [Henrietta] to the houses and the servant* ef whoa she enquired if Miss Cordmin was at home, having shewn her Into a parlour, bowed and withdrew* Kiss Cordwain being informed that a lady enquired for her, ordered her admittance * and the same servant returning, conducted Henrietta to her drees ing-room * Miss Cerdwein, who was s till lingering over her tea- table with a female aequaintanoe, rose up at Henrietta’s graceful exit ranee, and receiving her with a low courtesy, offered her an arm-chair at the upper end of the room* Henrietta, eenselous of the error she had committed in not making use of the mantua-maker *a name before, blushed a little at this reception, which was not suitable to the ehareoter rt*e was to appear in, and, declining the chairs *tea* Gary* madam,” sa id she* She could not u tte r no more than those two words; but they were sufficient to give Miss Gcrdwatn to understand her business* The haughty citizen waee excessively shocked to find she bad been betrayed by the figure of Henrietta into so improper an instance of respect} and that the person she took for a la * ef distinction was the young woman who had been recom mended to her service**.* "Mhet, you are a gentlewoman, I suppose,1* interrupted Miss Cerdwein, drawling out the word gentlewoman; ttand now X remember &*ry told me you had never been in service* *»• For, tc say the truth," said she, addressing herself to her companion, "those sort ef poor gentlewomen when they are reduced, as they eall it, to wait upon us, who could buy their whole generation, often know their distance better, ewd are mere humble than such as have been bred to service* Burgoyns had dramatized the seen© as follows t
Enter Chignon* Chignon* Madams, a young lady beg to know i f you be v isib le * Miss Alscrip* A young lady! It is not Ledy Emily Gay- v ille ? Chignon* Hon, madams: but if you were absents, and I bed the adjustment of her head, she would be the most charm- ante persosne I did ever see* Miss Alscrip* Introduce her* (Exit Chignon*) Mrs* Blandish* Some woman of taste to enquire your cor respond en tat Paris—or—
^*Mre* Lennox, Henrietta, II, 35-86* 65
lbsfcer Miss Alton—Miss Alscrip court ©sying respectfully ^nfeMMMWW* II' I ■ l Hl^W WMMNM* rntimmwim ■ ■ .*~i. m lift ■, inn i Miss Alton retiring disconcerted* Miss Alscrip* Of taste indeed by her appearance! 'Who's in the anti -chamber ? Mhy did they not open the folding doors? •—Chignon, approach a fanteuil for the lady. M iss A lto n * Madam, I oome— kiss Alscrip* Madam, pray be seated— g » n W Excuse me, madam— Mi88 Alscrip* Madam, I must beg— ms Madam, this letter will inform you how little pretensions ^ have to the honours you are offering* Mies Alsorip. (Baade*) *M±ss Alton, the bearer of this, is the person 1 recommenced as worthy the honour of attending yen as a companion* (Eyes her scornfully*) She is bom a gentlewoman* I dare say her talents and good qualities will speak more in her favour, than any words X can use—I am, madam, your most obedient—um—um— i Blandish, was there ever such a m istake! Blandish* Oh! you dear, giddy, absent oreature, what could you be thinking eft Mies Alscrip* Absent indeed* Chignon, give me the fanteuil. (throw s h e r s e lf in to it* ) Young woman, where were you educated? Alton* Chiefly, madam, with my pa rent s * Miss Alscrip» But finish'd, 1 take it for granted, at a country boarding-schoolj for we have, ’young ladies,* you know, Blandish, ’boarded end educated,* upon blue beards in gold let ters in every village* with a strolling player for a dancing- master, and a deserted schoolmaster from Dunkirk to teach the Freneh grammar.
The additions which Burgoyne made to the incidents of plot already
referred to are many* The introduction of new characters, like Chignon,
the Blandishes, Mr* Rightly, and Also rip, formulates new episodes and in
volves the sain characters in serious and comic situations entirely dif
ferent from those in any previous work he had written*
If Hudlesten can be relied upon, Sheridan helped Burgoyne in the
-writing ef The Heiress, which fact, he states, ’’explains why this is the
best ef Burgoyne*s play*.”7® It is true that Burgoyne regarded Sheridan
highly,77 and it Ss net improbable that Sheridan helped him* There is a
^Burgoyne, The Heiress - The Dramatic and Poetical Works. II, Act II, sc* i i i * 7% u d le sto n , op* c it* , 329* 77Supra. BO* 64 question, however, whether Burgoyne needed or actually received any sueh assistance* In the first place, he had written three plays already, two of which we know to have been successful; and secondly,
Burgoyne was net in London while writing the play, as he states in the preface* He knew fashionable life ;78 he was acquainted with the drama ef his time in both France and England; and he knew how to write a play*
Therefore, in spite of what Hudleston has stated, it is entirely possible that Burgoyne wrote this pley without any assistance*
Bane Graf has indicated an interesting parallel between Sheridan’s
^he School for Scandal end The Heiress, stating that wthe resemblance of scne situations in the two pieces may show us, that Burgoyne know very well the play of Sheridan* Burgoyne probably had not only read the play but had alee seen it produced at the theater* In each drama there are a discussion ef fashions, a challenge to a duel, and a hiding of characters* In The School for Scandal, Sir Oliver Surface resolves to discover Charles Surface’s merits* The same situation occurs in The
Heiress when Sir Clement Flint gees to find out about Miss Alton*
Sueh incidente of plot, however, are oonenon in drama, and therefore, are not sufficiently convincing te show that Burgoyne was very greatly influenced by Sheridan* The only parallel which tends to show the in fluence of The School for Scandal upon Burgoyne is the one of Joseph
Surface and Marla, who are interrupted by Lady Teazle— Joseph Surface* Hay, but, Maria, do not leave me with a frown* oy all tfiat’s honest I swear— (Kneels * Enter Lady Teazle* Aside*) Gad’s l i f e , h e re ’s Lady Teazle* jz r z r must not—no, you shall not—for though I have the greatest regard to Lady Teazle—®0
TSsSj&en. , OP* clt*. 642* 7 9 g raf, on* c i t * , 59* 80Thc School fo r Scandal , Act IV, sc • i i i • 65 sad Lord Gayville and Hiss A-ltca* who are interrupted by Mss Alscrip—
Infamous and f a ta l q u a litie s ! What means
Mas Alton* That to steal or stab is death in common life* but Vbenone of your lordship* s degree sets his heart upon th e destruction o f a woman, how g lo rio u s is h is success! Hew consummate his triumph! then he can follow the theft of her affections by the murder of her honour* Mies Alscrip Miters softly behind.81
In spite of the oritieissns Burgoyne had reoeived, he had contrived an unusual plot for The Heiress» The Alscrip and flin t households* about which the plat revolves, offer material for a study In fashionable so ciety* By groupingthe characters in two opposing parties, he devised a trohnwo for c o n tra st* Lord G ayville is to marry Miss Alscrip for her money* % e» he meets a strange g irl, with whom he falls in love at fir st sig h t* events follow in each a way th a t the obscure g i r l is brought into the Alscrip home* from this time on the scene shifts f m one group to the ether* Complications arise* Discoveries are made in the Alscrip hone that inflict disgrace upon Miss Alscrip end her father and at the same time bring about complete happiness in the
Gayville home*
The play Is a fusion ef the sentimental type of comedy and the comedy of manners* As in The Conscious Levers the pathos canters about a person of obscure birth* Miss Alton is an Indiana who feels that she
is being persecuted by the advances of Lord Gayville, a Belcour in many
respects* She sons up her sad plight in talking to Lady %iily*
®^Burgoyne, The Heiress, The Dramatic and Poetical Works, II, Act III ce* ii* Graf, op. c it*.' gfiL statess wIn the very moment when G ayville kneels before M ss Alton end directs his love-protestations to Miss Alton, Miss Alscrip enters*” Lord Gayville dees not kneel* 60
Madam, wy humiliation (If sueh it be) le Just. Perhaps I have bees t e e proud, and ay heart required this self~eorree~ tio x u A l i f e of retired industry might have been more pleas ing t o me; but an orphan— e stranger—iterant and diffident, I preferred my present situation, as one le ss exposed to m is- rep reaentations
Aside from the pathetle eiroumstanoes surrounding Miss Alton, there are occasional notes e f sentimentalism bursting fortht
Lady It mill not do* My eyes run over a thousand subjects, but my thoughts ©enter in one* Ahi that eight that si^ i frisa the fair sufferer this morning—X have found it echo in my heart aver since.
The comedy ef maimers Is refleeted in Burgoyne *s play, since the fashionable wear Id is ef muoh concern to some ef the characters. Mrs*
Blandish, like her brother, is a hanger-on of society, ingratiating her self late different factions by her obvious flattery* She tells Mr*
Blandish about bar inquiry of th e ladies lying-im
These are the attentions that establish valuable frie n d ship* in female life* By adapting myself to the whims of one, eubmlttiag to the Jest of another, assisting the lit t le p lo ts ef a third, and taking part against the husbands with all, I am beceme an absolute essential in the polite worlds the very seal ef evezy fashionable party in town or country.
Mias Alserip follows French drees and customs of the time very care fully* She has employed Chignon as her valet de ehambre to assist her in her toilet* Her profound interest is exemplified while she is talking to
Mrs* Blandish* Miss Alserip* And so . Blandish, you really think that the introduction of Otah e ite feathers in my trimming succeeded? Mrs* Blandish* Oh, with the mixture of those charming Italian flowers, and the knot a of peal that gather'd up the fes toons, never any thing had so happy an effect—It put the whole ballroom out of humour, and that's the surest test of good taste— Monsieur Chiton, that pin a little more to the front.
82 Burgcyne, The Heiress, The Dramatic and Poetical Iiprkg., II, Aet III, sc* i i * 88Ibld** Act III, sc* iii. ^Ibid., Aet 1, so* I* 67
Miss Alscrip* And what did they say? Mrs* Blandish* You know it is the first solicitude of ay life to see the friend ef ny heart treated with justice* So when yon stood up to deuce, I got into the thick of the 8ircit-M &asi««r» don’t you think thi* large diamond would ho wall placed just in the middle? Chi ga m * Eh! non, madam©**** figs Alsorjp* Chignon is right in point of taste, though not quite so happy in his allusions as he is sometimes* Chignon* Ah! m&dame, you have done von grande injure to ■y oountreet you go for von months, and bring avay all the good taste—At Paris—a ll von side—de diamond—de cap—de glance— do boa aet asuto—All von side, nothing direct a Paris *
Swan lady $tily observes the manners and tastes of the times
I went hcxse directly from the Operas projected the revival ef a ceps read a page in the trials of Temper {went to bed, and I was Belinda in the Pape of the Lock*®®
Bar correction of Miss Also rip as to the position of the lip is certainly lu d ic ro u ss lady Emily* My dear Miss Alserip, what are you doing? I must correct you as X love you* Sure you must have observed the drop of underlip is exploded since Lady Simpermode broke a tooth! (Sets her mouth affectedly*) I am preparing the oast of the lips for the ensuing" winter—thus —it is to be called the Paphian mimp* Miss Alscrip* (Imitating*) I swear I think it pretty—I must tiy to get it* lady Sally* Eothing so easy* It is done by one oabalis- tieal word, like a metamorphosis in the fairy tales* You have only, when before your glass, to keep pronouncing to yourself nimini-primini—the lips cannot fail of taking their pile* 7
Burgoyne*s portrayal of the fashions of the time and the affecta tions of the rich is so humorously presented that it resolves itself into s a ti r e in some in stan ces* Miss A lse rip , as shown above, prepares h e rs e lf for the pelite world, interested always in knowing what the French would esy or de* On the other hand, her father is made to suffer the incon veniences of fashions s
SSjbid*. Act II, se* iii* % i d . S7lbld** Act III, sc* ii* Hudleston, op* o it*. 535-336, says that **nimini-primini* became a eatch-word which lasted well into the nine te e n th eerrfcury* I n y se lf have re c o lle c tio n s of i t as being used****” 68
% it « change have I made t© please ay unple&seable daughter? Xnatead ©f my regular meals at Furaiwal's Inn, here an X transported t© Berkeley-Square, to fast at Alserip Bouse, t i l l my fine company ©erne from their morning H ie tw© hour* after daxfe—Hsy, it'e worse, if X am carriei among my great neighbors in Mias Alserip1 a suite* as she ©alls it* % lady looks ever me* mgr lord walks ever met and sate m in a littla tattering oano ©hair, at the cold comer of the tabla—^Though X have a mortgage upon the house and furniture* end arrears due ©f the whole interest* It’s a pleasure though to be wall dressed# J^y daughter maintains all fashions are founded cm sense*—Icod the tightness of mgr wig, end the stiff ness of my ©ape* glee me the sense ef the pilory—Plaguy scanty abswt the hips too—And the breast something of a merrythought reve rsed—But there is acme sens* In that* for if erne sex pares away in proportion where the ether smells,me shall take up no mere room in th e world than m did before*8®
Besides representing a fusion ©f two types ©f comedy, The Heiress assumes an important plaee in the history ef late eighteenth century drama* Toward the end of the century, melodrama was developing as a new species; and if we compare Burgoyne*s play to Sheridan's masterpiece, we net# that The Heiress mas by far the more influential*
There were certain characteristic* 1m this pley that perhaps had some influence an subsequent writers ef drama* Among these was the legal at mosphere, which had then, it seem** established itself as as important aspect is drasa far the first time* Legal document a, like w ills, became
▼cry e s s e n tia l to melodrama*
Is addition to the legal chicanery, The Heiress shews ether melo- dswaatlo tendencies, though they were sot unoonanon in the drama before the appearance of Burgoyne * s play* Miss Alton is the distressed but virtuous heroine; Lord Gayville appears to be a type ©f villain, trying to seduce her; Chignon is the servant ready to play pranks; Clifford likens himself to the guarding, alert here; and the mystery surrounding Miss Alton and the
8®Burgoyne, The Heiress* The Dramatic and Poetical Forks, II, Act II, sc* i i * 69 intentions of Rightly to right wrong link themselves -with the elements of mystery and justice found usually in the melodrama*89
The play ms very popular, and it appeared frequently on the stage u n t i l near the end of th e century* Unlike Burgoyne* s o th er p lay s, i t i s 90 the only one that was given as a main performance at the other theaters*
Three years after its publication, it ran for one night at Covent Cardens and soon after the season ms over at Drury Lane in 1786, it appeared at the Haymarket, -where, however, i t m s not performed again u n til 1791, when 91 the Drury lane Company began its performances there*
The Heiress, too, is the only play by Burgoyne to roach the Merican stage seen after its publication* Only two years had elapsed whoa, it ms acted in Sew York* in far as can be determined^ ten performances were given in America, nine of th ese frcas. 1788 to 1795
The Heiress is unquestionably Burgoyne * s masterpiece* It distin guishes itself in technique by showing the effect of grouping characters into opposing parties* Old Alscrip and the Blandishes are new types of 95 snobs $ they serve in revealing the differences In breeding and caste, and help to refleet the attitude of the eighteenth century people toward taste end fashions* And it Is important to note also that The Heiress m s one of the last productions of the oentury to reflect new light on 94 btimaw nature without losing the precis ion of genuine comedy*
®%ieoll# dp* c it.* 98* ®°See Appendix I , P art I . 91ib ia * ^Ibld.* Part II. 9% ard and W aller, op* X I, 505* 94Ib id ., 504* 70
5* Richard Coeur de Licm
Sot long after the publication of The Heiress, Burgoyne set to w rit on Richard Coeur de Lion* Considered as dramatic lit e r a tu r e , i t m e merely am afterpiece to his greatest work} and it ms his last
effort* so far as m know, in the field of dram*
The play is a close adaptation of Sedaine’ s historical drama by the
earn n o s, which was brought out in Paris in 1784^ "It had excited a
perfect delirium of loyalty in Paris*” Boa den says* and "an observer of
the surface only would have pronounced the revolution of 1789 an impos-
• i b i l i t y. " 8
Burgoyne felt so hesitancy in turning to the French drama* as we
have already observed* "We must turn to France*” he explains* 11 to find
the graces of Apollo* Art* regularity, elegance* delicacy, touches of
sentiment * adapted only to the most polished manners, distinguished their
theatre*"'* Whatever he took from the French* he altered to meet his own
needs* As we shall note* however* in this instance he made few changes *
In making the translation* Burgoyne took the liberty of transform
ing Sedaine's Blondel into Matilda* a clever woman who Is In love with
Richard* This modification added much to his version* as Boaden states:
By throwing the interest of Blondel into the character of Matilda* the translator made a provision for the gratification of the ladies* which the original author had neglected} or imagined too strong a deviation from M illot's narrative of Diehard* s oaptivltL 4
Burgoyne* however, did not do away with Blondel as a character in the
play* He has a minor part* and is* like Matilda* a follower of Richard*
iBoadsn* Memoirs of Kemble* 1* 191*
_ yne, "Preface,” The Maid of the Oaks* First edition* 25* %esden* Memoirs of Kemble* I * 191* 71
The W illi* » 8 of Sedain® * s p lay has become S ir Owen in Burgoyne * s with essentially the seme characteristics* Like Blondel, Williams has been retained in a minor role* Gharasters from the French, like Beatrix,
Collette, and Marguerite, have undergone some change, but the alterations are without great significance.
In addition to these changes, Burgoyne made some variations in fol lowing the plan of the original. He modified Act 1 by using the first B scene of the original Aet II* Frequently ho omitted songs, but the
greatest alteration he made appears in Aet III, where he limited the number of characters* That he did not always translate literally from
the French is shewn here*
{Sir Owen has just heard Fl©restate letter to his daughter read)
WILLIAMS• Ahi damnation! goddam! BLONDEL* God dam I E st-ce cue ves 8 tes an g lais? WILLIAMS* Ah, oui, je le suie* BLONDEL* Vigoureuee n a tio n I Et o oairtent © s t-il possible ju e ne m brave anglais , vous soyet vsou vous etablir dans le fond de l f Alletnagne et dans un pays aussl sauvage qu*on mfa Bit qu’il etait? Will,IMS. Ah, e*est trep long a vous raeonter* Ist-c© que sons dependons de nous? II ne faut qui une ciroonstanoe pour nous envoyer Men loin. BLONDEL. Feus eves raison; ear mol, je suis de 1*11© de Prance, et me voila id s et de quelle province de Angleterre Stes*^rous? WILLIAMS* Du pays de G alles* BLONDEL* Feus Btes du pays de Gal lost AhV si J'avis la jeu lssan ee de mss yeuac, que j #a u ra is de g la is ir a vous v o ir* I t comment aves-vous q u itte ce ben pays?^ WILLIAiS * J*ai etc a la erolsade, 'a la Palestine* BLCNBEL. A la Palestine? et moi aussi* WIILIAKS* Avee n o tre Hoi R ichard. BLONDEL* Avee v o tre Hoi, e t mol de m$me» WILLIAMS* Quand je suie revenu dans men pays, n’ai-j© pas trouv5 men pare mert* BLONDEL* II etait peut-Str© bien vieux*
Of* Act XI ef each play. 72
WILLUHS* Ah, c© n’est pas de vieillesse* 11 avait e te tu 5 per un Gentilhomm© des environs , pear us lapim qu* il avait tu© sur ses terras* J’apprends eela en arrivanfc* 5® oours trouvor oe Gentilhomme et j T ai venge la mort de mon per© par la sienna. BLONDEL* Ainsi voile, deox hommes tues pour un lapin* WILLIAMS. Cela n'est qu© trop wrai • BLONDEL. Enfin Vous vous Stee enfui? williams * Oui, avao ma fille^ et ma femme qui est mort© d ep u is, e t me v o ile * La ju s tic e a mange mon chateau et mon fief, et je n’ai plus rien le has qu’une sentence de mort? maia ici j© n© orains rien* BLOBDLL* J© vous demand© b ien pardon de to u te s mes ques tio n s* WILLIAMS* Ahl il ne me deplait pas de parler de tout cela* BLONDEL* Et a 1& oroisade vous awes done connu le brave Rei Richard, ce her os, ee grand homme? WILLIAMS* Qui, puisque J*ai serwt sous lui* BLONDE L* I t sans doute vous aves*.** WILLIAMS. Mais J*ai a fairs, et j© crois que voila oette voyageuse qui va arriver*
Burgoyno, s v ersio n of the same seen© follows*
(Sir Owen has just heard Florest&n* s letter to his daughter read) SIR OWEN* Here* s a d——d Governor for you--Oh I if I had him is England os the top of Paxsnasmawr* MATILDA# Wbatt Are you a Briton then? SIR OWES# Tee, I am, s ir, end an enemy to slaves of course? in love, or out* MATILDA# Glorious n a tio n ! But how comes i t , s i r , th a t you are settled so far from your native country? SIR OWEN* Ohi That’s too long a story to te ll you, but it would not have happen’d if I hadn’t gone to the Crusades at Palestine* MATILDA* What, under the brave Richard? SIR OWEN* BRAVE! Aye! I would follow him to the world’s end--my ruin was no fault of his* Well, you must know, that when I returned from Palestine, I found my father was dead— MATILDA* He was very old perhaps* SIR OWEN* 5of but he was slain by a neighbor of his in single combat? on my return, I revenged Ms death* MATILDA* Of course—you fled—
^R ichel Jean Sedalne, Richard Coeur de Lion (P a ris, M&rqueri© F re ro s, n* d»), Act I, sc* iv* 73
SIR OSEEU Tes, with my daughter and wife, who is sins® dead—my castl© and my lands were forfeited— and after fighting her battles* I was sentenced by say ungrateful country—- MATILDA* A hard and ill return, indeed— SIR ORES* Re sueh thing* sir* ’Twas jus ties, though sever©; a Briton suffers no man to abuse Ms country* but him self* MATILDA* Heaven forbid I should traduce it—But, sir* one request* SIR OTO* (Looking out*) It must be they—stay* good youth— I see some friends whom I expect * If you with re freshment—the poor and friendless are never driven from my my door door*'from (Byeunt*)
Rhile Burgoyne was busy with his translation of Richard Coeur de Lion*
Leonard KacHalley was engaged likewise, setting himself up as a rival to the General*6 Bemee, when Richard Coeur de Lion was acted at Drury Lone for the first time, October 24, 1786, MaoNalley’s version® had already been performed five tiros at Cevent Carden* Until this rivalry at the two theaters occurred that season (1786-1787), nothing remarkable seems
But such competition was not to last long, for Mae-
B a ile y 's work was soon recogoized as an inferior play and accordingly
A ceteris on of the two plays shows definitely Burgoyne*s superi o r i t y * Instead of following the original French play, Sodaino*s Richard
% io o n , op • cit*, 102} also 44* *It appeared on October 16, 1786, at Cevent Garden and m s acted »fiM» times that month* October 16, 18, 19, 20, 28, 85, 26, 28, and 30* In Sovembar it was performed on the 18 and 20* Se© the "Theatrical Register, The Gentleman's Magazine (1786) for these months*
.* Bans Graf., c©* c it* . 43-44. quotes the London Theatre (Lon , NalleyIT*. 1 1 succeeded as M A to time, 'Lh IK. but net’at all "in point of affect; and though 'the Covant Garden Richard* was played a few nights contemporary with the rival play at Drury-Lane, the latter maintained its ground, and Mr* MaoBolley's was eventually with drawn, although It possessed much more of probability and historical fact*" 74
Coeur de Lion, MaoHailey attempted additions which obscure the main
characters, introduced subordinate characters, and enlarged upon the
B$*er roles* Lauretta, for example, has two suitors* Seda in©1 s Wil-
liftta has become Morgan, an ill-natured husband who is always quarreling
with his wife, Margeiy (an addition; • The wife is interested in her
daughter's affair with Floreaten, the Governor, and sees in him a suit
able husband for Lauretta, but Morgan does not agree*
The relationship of Blondel and Margery follows th© originals Bur-
goyne altered the situation, making Blondel a disguised woman in love
with Richard* MacHally* s version fails also in the dialogue, which is
o fte n commonplace and too much concerned w ith t r i v i a l i t i e s }
Enter Margery
o, little Antonio tells me here has been a fine ecabustic©—Berghen shall newer marry my daughter, that's flat* ~ ’ -curse me but lie shall—and that4 s
Laur* Because father, he’s a clod of earth, a log of wood, a se&re erew, with a nose like a half ripe blackberry, and a face tawny and dirty as a new plushed carrot* Marg* 'Bright girl you shall chuse for yourself* ttorg* This Baby chuse for herself? taur* Mot sueh a baby father but I know what’s fitting
There's the spirit of her Mother* There's the spirit of the—but no matter for that
Marg* And I can take ay call; I am her Mother—-she's a beauty— Laur* X think I have something about me that can please some folks, and for which 1 think some folks should please mo* Marg* I 'll leave our dispute to the priest of the parish* ftorg* The Priest—no—X am not for appealing to the church, there a man pays double costs, he pays for law end Gospel* Laur* Don't vep yourself father— tor£. I will vep myself daughter—but no matter for that* Marg* The Governor, husband— Morg* Mould ru in the g i r l — Laur* Ho matter for that—Exit » Morg* Oht you minx* " ——
l^Leonard MeoNelley, Riehard Coeur de Lion, Act I, 13-14, of the manuscript, found in the Larpent collection, huntington Library* It is little wonder than that ttasMal ley* s play failed to produce
«»y effect et the theater* The modifications he mad© do not retain the spirit of the original! neither do they shoe any enlargement upon the development of the ma^or characters*
Burgeyne** play had triumphed in competition* It m s a great suc cess at Drury lane, for the pieee ms acted no less than forty-one times
'tint season (1786-1787)* Boaden writes;
General Burgcyne1 s taste and skill rendered the after piece at Drury Lena a permanent property of the theatre* **♦ The whole piece m s carefully and perfectly acted* The hap piest exertion of vocal poser m s unquestionably with Mrs* Bland; a s in g e r of so much sw eetness, t a s t e , end tr u th , how ever confined as to her range* or peculiar as to her style* that I hold her* in music * to be like Lafontaine in fable* unique* and unapproachable***
Shortly after the first performance at Drury Lane, Debrett published the play* In November of the seme year an unfavorable review appeared *
Richard m s an able mrrieur* and a keen politician; a sagacious legislator* end an elegant poet; to see him then sunk into the hero of an opera* to reflect that his praises are sung almost in the words of a rival nation; of a nation which he might have subdued* If he had not sought nobler triumphs from the defeat of the gallant Saladin, dims the splendour of the scene* and readers the harmony discordant* It may be from this cause* or from the defects of the per formance* that we have received little pleasure from the opera before us* as e dramatic or poetical piece* it seems to have little merits its splendour probably drew spec tat ore, and its being fashionable* admirers* The story relates to the diseevexy of Richard* s prison* and his delivery; and they give somewhat that which resembles propriety to the design of relating the tale partly in measure* The means of his de liverance are* however* poetical* and the parts which are thrown into song are so ill-chosen, as to render this piece* in many places* ridiculous**4
We do not know how successful it was in the closet* but from the review ^ust cited* It appears to have attracted little notice* In many
^Boaden * Memoirs of Kemble, I* 191. I*The C ritic a l Review* LXII (Nov., 1766)* 391* 76 raspeots, Bit possesses no store literary merit then an ordinary libretto 16 ef ft modern Italian opera done in English.** We do know, however * that it maintained an almost steady run at Drury Lane until the close of the 16 eefltuiy* In the fall of 1804 it ms revived with great success, twenty- 17 fsamr performances being given that season* While the Drury Lane Cam- easy m s at the Heymarket (1791-1792) , it m s frequently acted there . 18
Xn Kay, 1814* it m s performed at Cevent Garden, where MacNalley’s play had failed.1® This ms in all probability the last performance given an the stage in London in the nineteenth century* Thou^i Richard Coeur de Lion ms Burgoyne*s least original work, it ms* nevertheless, his most popular* It met with greater success upon the stage than did The Heiress-—if one is to judge its popularity by the number of performances given* A record of the presentations of the two plays for a ten-year period shows the followings Ho. of Sms on Flay Performances 1786-1787 The H eiress IS Richard Coeur de Lion 2 0 41 1787-1788 The Heiress 9 Richard Coeur de Lion 15 1788-1789 The Heiress 8 Richard Coeur de Lion 14 1789-1790 The Heiress 7 Richard Coeur de Lion 4 1790-1791 The H eiress 8 Richard Coeur de Lion 0 1791-1792 The Heiress 6 Richard Coeur de Lion 2 1 1792-1795 The H eiress S Richard Coeur de Lion 9 1794-179521 The H eiress S Richard Coeur de Lion 0 1795-1798 The Heiress 1 Richard Coeur de Lion 0 1796-1797 The H eiress s Richard Coeur de Lion 15 1786-1797 The H eiress Richard Coeur de Lion 124
15&C Fonblanque, o p * c i t . . 400. ^See Appendix I, Part I*
SOglohard Coeur de Lion was first acted this season on October 24, 2 7 8 0 1 The B efrees appeared on January 14, 1786* 2 ^S«e Appendix I * Part I • 77
Th© popularity of the play m the stag# from the time of its appear ance in 1786 to 1805 may be ascribed to its melodramatic ton© and atmos phere* Curing this time melodramatic features, evidences of whioh were current in English drama from 1770 until the close of the century,^ were pitying an important role In the English and French dramas* In both the
English mad french versions we have the gloomy castles, the towers, the m oats, and the free utilization of $»sie, which are characteristics of g t th e melodrama* Burgoyne transformed, as wo have seen, the role of
Blondel in the French play to that of a heroine, which alteration pro* vided h is play with the neeessaiy stock characters of the meledrama—the ©4 hero, the virtuous heroine, and the villain, represented respectively by Biehard, Matilda, and Florestas*
Riohtrd Coe tar de Lion was the least popular of all of Burgoyfee* s p lay s in Ameriaa* It was acted in this ©ountry only five times, the last time being in 18S6.®
^% ieoIl, op* cit * a 98* ^®Allardyee Nieoll, A. History of Early Nineteenth Century Pram {Cambridge, University Press, T9»5)7'i7l0i-i52; ------% U « , 101. ^See Appendix I, Part II* 78
6* Burgoyme's A* Yota Like I t
Some time a f t e r th e p u b lic a tio n of The Lord of th e Manor, Burgeyn® attested an ambitious adaptation of Shakespeare*s As You Like I t* That he had considered the possibilities of an operatic version early le evi dent fro® h is e la b o ra te d iscu ssio n of th e comic opera and m usical comedy in the preface to The Lord ef the Manor» Convinced that music was appli cable to the higher composition of the stage, he remarked that it could
"add energy to Shakespeare himself*”^ The success with which Garrick had inbre&eed snsie into the ilnal Lear-Cordelia scene of Shakespeare's tragedy was an incentive for Burgoyne*a experiment* He, too, was aware ef the effectiveness of musical additions *
Indignant as an English audience would be to hear King Lear deliver himself in recitative, I believe no person, who had a heart er taste, ever contemplated the mute group of Cordelia with the aged parent asleep in her lap, and the physician watching by, without an increase of sensibility from the soft music which Mr* Garrick introduced into that scene* The same observation w ill hold good w ith respect to the additional horror excited in Macbeth, and delight in the Tempest, from the judicious use of both song end instruments-2
Burgoyne*s perception end appreciation of Shakespeare's genius had been acknowledged perhaps long before he wrote his first play* His estimate of the great dramatist with reference to characters and the
English stage is indeed interesting) ”He stands single and inimitable} his excellencies cannot be weighed, because it is impossible to counter- t»S balance the Male* After considering the significance of music in Shakespeare's plays,
Burgoyne recommended that some courageous poet should turn As You Like It
^•urgcyne, “Preface,” The Lord of the Manor. 1, 134* 2 lb ld . ^Burgoyne, "PrefaceThe Maid of the Onto. P int edition, S. 79
a musical comedy* Of a ll the plays ha knew, none seemed batter fitted for sueh an adaptation* la fast* ha believed Shakespeare him- aalf had retails ad the importance ef music when he included songs in
erigtect** To sake a success of so groat a task, the poet charged with the undertaking -would fo llo w these suggestions *
To m u ltip ly the songs, excellent materials might be taken from the piece itse lf, without injtiry to the eloquent and bril liant passages which are better adapted to the energy of elo cution and action* And where materials failed in the original, what true votaiy of the Susa would not fin d animation and assist ance in his inventive faculties, from the prospect of being ad mitted before the p u b lic a companion of Shakespeare***
Hhen Burgoyne decided f in a lly t o make the adaptation himself, he worked out a d e f in ite plan fo r the work* Eis scheme was to have an a c t ing and op eratic v ersio n of the play in three acts, interspersed with additional songs* Some parts e f the o r ig in a l dialogue were “to be left o u t, b e t none altered* The thoughts of the songs and phrase as much as possible {were] to be c o lle c te d from Shakespeare***®
Be Fehbl&nqus, who had access to Burgoyne* s papers , has given ex cerp ts from th e p la y , a number sufficient to show the p lay w rig h t's method of handling the material z7
Rosalind* Fortune reigns in the gifts of the world, not in the lineaments cf feature* Song* The face th a t enchants, too commonly wants The merits th a t spring from the mind, AM if we are plain, those merits vain, *hy nature so herd to our kind? To be honest end fair is too much for our share, Impartially nature replies, Era that Phoenix I make, let me see for Ms sake A man’that*s deserving the prize!
^Burgoyne, “P reface," The Lord of the Manor. 1 , 144* 8m a » ®De Ponblanque, op* c it*, 393* 7Ibid*. 393-396* 80
C e lia « 1*11 put myself in poor and moan a t t i r e ; ThT like do you so shall we pass along, knd B fw -ittr th* assailants*
B ust* Bosalind* In manly vast i«hen I 9m arrayed ~~ %■ air shall hida the timid maid, With martial am ray spear 1*11 wield And innooense shall fom joy shield.
Celia* 1*11 plead our tender tale to charm The robber’s heart# the ruffian’s am, And if in wain my prayer I spend We* 11 share the blow we can’t defend*
Rosalind. Thus paired like Juno’s dares we’ll rove Bourn in one fats of like and love*
Celia* (lively air)* If ray friend were away 'twould be exile to stay, fcogetSer a ll dangers w e'll meet* The fortune that strives to serve our lives, Is the hardest ire have to defeat*
This part of Burgoyne*s work is an alteration of Act I, scene ill, of
Shakespeare's* The italicized lines spoken by Celia above follow the original closely:
Celia* Xrll pat nyself in poor and mean attire And with a kind of umber smirch my faces The like you do* So shall we pass along And never stir assailants.8
The banting song in As You Like I t—
For* What shall we have that kill'd the deer? His leather skin and horns to wear* Then sing him homes (the rest shall bear this burden*) Take thou no scorn to war the horns It was a erest ere thou wast bornj And they father bore it* The home, the horn, the lusty horn Is not & thing to laugh to scorn* Exe unt * was amplified by Burgoyne thus*
®As You Like I t, Act 1, so* iii• 9Ibid., Act IV, sc. iii. 81
Slagle tdw *
Who « s the isen that struck the deer, The hedge of triumph l e t him w a r , Hound the haunch of the noble pray, Beil him, hell him, lord of the day* (Kqpeated in chorus*)
Amiens (effettuoso) *
Ah P eer h e re e f the lawn Whet e change since yastor dawnl When his forty pride he reared, Sovereign of the mighty herd! (Bunting symphony, eon molto spirito») Harki the hunters’ piercing cry, See the shafts unerring flyi AhV the dappled fool is stricken, See him trsmble--see him sicken, All his worldly comrades flying, See him bleeding, panting, dying» From h is e y e lid s wan and hollow . How the big tears follow—follow Down his face in piteous ebaoe, Hew they fellow, follow, fellow, Without stop, drop by drop, How they fellow drop by drop! (Temur voices in chorus, t© the first air but in slower time*) hound the haunoh ef the noble prey Lend an oar to pity's lay, Hear it, tyrant of the wood, Hear it, hear it, man of bloodI
Bass voice* (Vivace)* He -was destined to yield to the fete of the field. And 'tie folly to grieve at his fall, Are not we who pursue also followed in view, By death the great sportsman of a llt Chorus* Who was the man that struck the deer, The badge of triumph let him wear. Hound the haunch of the noble prey. Hall him, bail him, lord of the day!
While Bosalind and Celia are in the Forest of Arden, they find verses frwwg on trees* Later when they ocane upon Orlando and Jacques, Orlando admits that he has bang the verses on the trees, hie reason being that he is in love* Sosalind, who ie in disguise, tells him that he is not in 82 love, citing for bin the character!stio a of a real lover J*-0 Burgoyne altered the prose passage as follows;
Rosalind* But you, are no such men; you are rather point-devioe in year accoutrements » as loving yourself than seeming the ¥ t « p of any otjier*'
S onf; * Cion a lower—where’s the sign? In all that tidy trim of thine, I cannot one <3 iso over; Hot a gesture, not a look That hears a mark in Cupid’s book Of what should be a lover»
A wandering step* a vacant eye, A pallid cheek, a broken sigh, A tear he cannot cover, A life made up of fond extremes, Of fantasies and making dreams, Sueh, such should be a lovert
While a ll the sorrows you rehearse, Are only found in frippery verse* She held you but a rover* Bring but the proof before her eyes, By faith upon *t, she* 11 sympathise When you are such a lover I
An excellent example of Burgoyne* s method of alteration is shown in the following passage* Th© original readss
Phebe* 1 would not by thy executioner* I fly thee, for 1 would net injure thee* Thou te ll1 sb m© there is murder in mine eyes * ♦Tis pretty, sure, and very probable, That eyes, that are the frail*st and softest things, Who shut their coward gates mi atomies, Should be call’d tyrants, butchers, murderers1 Bow I do frown on thee with all ray hearts And if' mine eyes wound, now let them k ill thee* Bow counterfeit to swoons why now fa ll downs Or If thou oanst not, 0 , for sham©, for shame, Lie not, to say mine eyes are murderers! Bow show the wound mine eye hath made in thee* Scratch thee but with a pine, and there remains Soma sear ef itj lean upon a rush, Tee cicatrice and capable impressure Thy palm some moment keepsf but now mine ©yes, Bhich I. have darted at thee, hurt thee nek, ™"
^Ibld*, Aet III, sc* ii* 85
He, I am sure, there is no force in eyes m a m m w mmam ■— im w m m m i w w—wmm m ia “ .* 1*1— "h at can do h u rt* ** and his adaptation becomes t
Phebe* But now mine eyes jjhioh 1 have darted at thee, hurt thee not, ¥©r,—on I sure there~Ts no force in eyes fS t oan do hurt*
How often we’re told there is death in our eyes, But where shall we see the example? Behold how I frown on the wreteh X despise, Kind Sir, w ill you give us a sample? The fetters of passion In which you are bound, Appear to be all a delusion* So I leave to itself an invisible wound, Without fear of a fatal conclusion.
From all indications it appears that Burgoyne wrote his As You Like
It in fulfillment of his desire to show what an English opera should be like* just as he had written The Lord of the Manor apparently for the purpose of carrying out his idea of the English comic opera* In the preface to The Lord of the Manor, he discussed freely his theory of the
English opera* At the time he wrote the preface he was in doubt as to whether it was possible to invent a recitative or musical dialogue that 12* could he used effectively is the English language*1 "If any specimens oan yet be produced of its having been effected,” he wrote, "they w ill be found to consist only of a few lines of introduotive of the air which is to fellow, and as such will be received by the ear just as symphony would be*"1** Vocal music, he contended, should be employed only to express the euitions of the passions. 14
HlM is# Act III, sc* v* ^Burgoyne, "Preface.1* The Lord of the Manor, I, 132. 18Ibid*. 132-155* 14Ibid*. 141* 84
If thes# principles are applied to that part of the play given above, it seems certain that Burgoyne endeavored to carry out his theory in altering Shakespeare's play* His attempt to "gild refined gold/* ’J C however, was a failure, for the adaptation was never published or acted*
It seems little more than an exercise, poorly done *
In altering As You Like I t, Burgoyne had not undertaken something entirely new* Adaptations of ShakespeareJs plays were not uncommon in his tine* J • P* Kemble had reworked The Comedy of Errors (1780) and had had a hand in an altered version of Two Gentlemen of Verona* In 1776,
Adam Smith had adapted As You Like It into the Kobler Foresters, and the two formed the basis of Holoroft'e The Noble Peasant (1784), which con tained songs and music• Garrick had retained the musical tendencies of the earlier adaptations of Macbeth and The Tempest? then to show his own skill, he introduced music into the last scene of King Lear*^
According to Kudlsston, when Boswell put Burgoyne up for Club* in 1790, he was blackballed, the two members who objected being Sir
Joseph Banks, the scientist, and George Steevens, the Shakespeare com mentator; "the letter," he says, "may have objected to Gentleman Johnny's mauling of As You Like It*"“^ If this be true (which is dubious; there is as evidence that Steerrens ever saw Burgoyne*s manuscript), the Shake spearean scholar se em to have been unduly harsh* After all, if the
General's effort was not more successful than those of the other Shake- speare-adapters, it is not likely to have been much worse*
,Jift De Fonblanque, op. c it* , 396* *%icoll, op* cit*, HI* ^ H u d le sto n , op* o i t », 312* CHAPTER I I
THE POET
1* Vers d» Soolite
We cannot accurately call John Burgoyne a poet; still if the tern can he applied to innumerable eighteenth century rhymesters, many of ebon are now forgotten, we should feel no hesitancy in adding Burgoyne* s name to the list of the unrenowned* Burgoyne probably has been neglected
in this respect because he neither dedicated hie life to writing nor en
deavored to win literary recognition in hie own tiro©* Although he has
not written apy poetical masterpiece, there are considerable evidences
ef talent in his work* In comparison with the work of the second-rate
poets of the century, such as William Hayley, William Whitehead, and John
Anstey, Burgoyne*s work perhaps would not be as highly dextrous*
Be Fonblanqua implies that Burgoyne wrote much vers de 3oolite, but v ery l i t t l e o f i t has eorae down to us* What has been preserved i s su f
ficient to show the versatile qualities of a man who surely can be called
a litterateur*
Among th e e a rly poems o f the G eneral, th e re is one to h is w ife, w rit
ten about 1761, when Burgoyne joined the expedition against Belle Island
as a volunteer*^ lady Charlotte must have protested his leaving, for it g seems that the poem was written to appease her ill-w ill s
*B* B* Be Fonblanque, Political and M ilitary Episodes in the hatter Half of the Eighteenth Century: Ike rived from the Life and Correapondero e o f th e Right Hon* John Burgoyne, G eneral. Statesm an. DramaFist {Condon - m — ------2Ib id * 65 86
StUH does my obstinate repine, And reason's voice reproves S till think him cold who would combine Philosophy with love. Try then from yet a nobler souro© to draw thy wished relief * Faith adds to reason double force, And mocks the assaults of grief* By her, fair hope's enlivening ray, Patienoe, end peace are given) Attend her calls) resign, obey. And leave the rest to Heaven! The power that formed my Charlotte's heart Thus te n d e r, thus sin c e re , Shall bless each wish that love can start, Or absence foster there* Safe in the shadow of the Power, 1*11 tre a d the h o s tile ground) And fiery deaths in tempest shower, And thousands fa ll around* And when the happy hour shall come, (Chi speedy may it bei) That brings thy faithful soldier home To love, content, and thee) Pure may our gratitude ascend Te Him whe guides our days. And whilst He gives with bounteous hand, Accepts our bliss for praise!^
This poem represents merely a thoughtful gesture on the part of its author* It was net written, it scans, with publication in view, nor does
it purport to be anything great* In nature and tone, it may be compared to the personal poems of the seventeenth century, though it lacks the in tellectual insight of the metaphysical* It is a simple manifestation of love, apparently written in haste, without profundity of thought or con
sequence of poetie predilection*
Another poem of the same type is one written as a wedding gift to
Lord Palmerston (the Second ViscountJ , Tdiose marriage to Frances Poole
took place in 1767*4 It reads*
SI b id ., 24 87
While, Palmerston, the public voice D isplays in comments on thy choice, Prais®, censure, sad surprise Blames thy disinterested pert. Or interest finds in worth of heart Where Fanny’s treasure lies,
Fein would my muse, though rude, sincere, One artless wreath prepare To deck her lovely brow* With thee would hall th* auspicious morn Attend the bride she oan*t adorn, And bless the nuptial vow*
Let the dull claims of due esteem To lukewarm crowds be elein supreme, I found pretensions higher; For, know, this heart now taught to beat With frie n d s h ip 's sacred temp* r a te h e a t, Had one® been tried by fire*
'Teas mine to see each opening charm. Hew beauties rise—new graces charms 'Teas nine to feel their power; Mature and morals just and pure, For th a t has made the f r u i t mature Since I adore the flower*
After hard conflict passion cool'd; Discretion, reason, honor ruled O’er iiie subsiding flame; Till Charlotte to my vacant breast With kindred charms and virtues blest, A sweet successor came*
Long years erf love we’ve numbered o’er, And ohV to many, many more May Hasten the term extend; To try with thee the pleasing strife Who boasts the most deserving wife, Who proves th© tr u e s t frie n d t
Of course this poem does not have any real litersxy merit, since it lacks the smoothness and subtlety of phraseology which are so apparent in any outstanding verse* However, this was obviously written by jforgoyne as a mark of affect ion and an expression of greeting to his friend*
In Burgoyne*s collected works, "To Mrs* Robinson" is the only poem
^Quoted from Ibid*. 389-890* that could be classed with the two already mentioned* It ms written in 1791® end Indicates that Burgoyn© hardly improved in his poetry as the years went by. The beginning stanza* though of mediocre quality, is perhaps the best part of the poems
Laura, when from thy beauteous eyes The tear of tender anguish flows, Sueh magic in thy sorrow lies. That every bosom shares thy woes.7
Frsm here ess, the poem becomes too charged with emotion, so laudatoiy in nature that it approaches the ridiculous *
For who can gaze upon thy lip , That coral lip of brightest hue, Kor wish its honied balm to sip. More fresh, more sweet than morning dew?®
The Mary Robinson to whom the poem is addressed is unquestionably
Mary Bob ins on (1758-1800), actress and poet, of th© latter part of the
A eighteenth century* She m s a beautiful woman and many of her poems 10 had beast published under various names* Burgeyne probably knew her as
Laura long before she used the pseudonym 11 Laura MariaHer v erse
seems to have affooted Burgeyne strangely s
But when the sweet poetic lays Pierce to the heart*s remotest cell. He feel the conscious innate praise .. Which feeb le language f a i l s to t e l l *
Them three personal poems are the only examples we have of his vers
^John Rurzovne* The Dramatic and Poetical Works (London. Soatcherd and Letterman,1808 J ,TT,~255^ ------7Ibid., 282.
®Josepby Knight, "Mary Robinson," The Dictionary of Rational Bio graphy, XUX, 80-55. 10Ibid*. 32. ^ Ib ld * Mary Robinson had published her "The M istletoe," a Christmas tale in verse, under the name Laura Maria in 1800. Burgeyne, The Dramatic and Poetical P'orks. II, 232. 89 fa today* Like mueh of the poetry of the Restoration wits end
Mathew P rio r of th e e a rly eig h teen th e e n tu ry , Burgoyne* s poems voice polite gallantry and compliment* However, they lack any depth of thought or adroitness of lyricism*
2* Satirical Poetry
After Rurgoyne’s ill-fated venture in America.,*'* which had forced him in to th e o pposition camp, he became & follower of Fox, who was a staunch Whig* During the short reign of the Whig party, Burgeyne held important offices in Ireland* When the Coalition ministry, composed of
For Whigs and Worth ex-Tories, fell in 1783 as the result of George 111*8 t a c t i c s , Burgeyne retu rn ed to London* He found King George again in 14 power, with young P itt as his chief spokesman*
the defeat of the Whigs m s overwhelming} they became sc angered as *S jB a result that they sought vengeance by ridiculing P itt1® administration*
Their wzwth finally gave birth to The Polliad and a series of similar IS publications, "which appeared in the course of 1784 and 1785*” The
Solllad takas its name from John Rolle, M. P. for Devonshire, who ms the chief individual lampooned by the periodical*^ This publication not only ridiculed P itt’s ministry, but also derided personalities and offered barbed gossip**® Burgoyn© joined his friends and contributed to two of the s e rie a t The Proba tio n a ry Odee fo r the Laureate ship and The
Westminster Guide*
^Supra, 3M4* ^Benjamin Terry, A History of England (Chicago, Scott, Foreman, 1901), 941 f* ~ W . Previte-Ortcn, Pol it leal Satire In English Poetry (Cambridge, University Press, 1910), 139* Ib id * *^A* W# bard and A* R# Waller (odd*), Th© Cambridge History of Erie- lis h L ite ra tu re (Hear York, G# P* Putnam* s £ o n e 1913'J , 7 " ®f* *® Ibid» / 90
Be Fonblanque makes th® following statement relative to Burgoyne 1 s part in the writing of th® political satires s "After the accession of the P itt ministry , Burgoyne became , with Fox, Sheridan, and others of
his party, a contributor to the Criticisms on the Rolliad 9 and the Pro* 19 bationary Odes#* The Dictionary of National Biography makes a similar 20 statement with reference to Burgeyne, but both have erred* Burgeyne
did not contribute to The Criticisms on the Boll lad* Moreover Be Fon-
blanque Is mistaken about Fax end Sheridan, whom he likewise mentions
as contributors*
In July, 1850, Lord Braybroofce published In Notes and Queries a
list of the contributors to The Criticisms on the Roll lad, giving as an
introduction the following*
The subjoined list of the authors of The Rolliad, though less complete than I have wished it, is, I believe, substan tially correct, and may, therefore, be acceptable to your read ers* The names were transcribed by ms from a copy of the ninth edition of Hie Rolliad (1791), still in the library at Sunning- h ill Park, in which they had been recorded on th© first page of the respective papers*
The list which he published is given here*
Dedication to Kenyon. - ...... Dr* Laurence Family of th® Polios »Tiokell, &o * Extract from Dedication. .General Fits pat rlok
^ I b i d . ^Be Fanblanque, op* c it*. 407. IS* Stephens, "John Burgoyne," The Dictionary of Natlonal Bio graphy, VII, 342* It is interesting to note that the publishers of fcr» goyne* e works (1808), in a brief biographical sketch of th© General make no mention th a t Burgoyne con trib u ted to The R o lliad* Hans G raf, The Pm M ttla Works o f General John Burgoyne "(Bern©, Suchdruckerei J • T isbhe- 191S), 13, states' that he did, but Graf's brief life has added nothing* ^"Authors of 'The Rolliad/" Notes and Queries, II, series I (July, 1850), 114. 91
Criticisms from th® Rolliad 1. George Kills 2 * George Rills 5* Dr* Laurence 4* Richardson 5* General Fitspatrick 6 * Dr* Laurence T* Dr* Laurence 8 * Dr* Laurence 9* General Fitzpatrick 1 0 * Richardson XI* Richardson 12* General Fitzpatrick
Criticisms not in the original, hut probably written by^ IS* Dr* Laurence 14* Dr* Laurence
Criticisms, Ac* Fart II 1* George E llis 2* George E llis S* Richardson 4* Richardson 5* General Fitzpatrick
Criticisms not in the original
f • W * UtUI OUUV
Lord Braybrooke ’ s lis t is supported by W* C* Trevelyan, 'who owned a copy of the twenty-second edition (1812) of the work, which included 24 the subsequent additions to the ninth edition of 1791* Dr* Laurence 2S (also spelled Lawrence)* editor and contributor to the volume, had certified the MS notes in Mr* Trevelyan’s copy* The contributors as he lists them are identical with those given by Lord Braybrooke*
^ T c * Trevelyan. Rotes end Queries. lit, series I (February, 1851)* 129-151* does not verify the probability, but makes a d e f i n i t e statem ent* ^% otea a n d Queries. II* s e r i e s I (Ju ly , I860), 114* 24#, c» Trevelyan, o p * c i t » , 129* ^%otes and Queries. II* series I (November, 1850), 575* 2%* C* Trevelyan, on* c it*. 129* 92
tba Bclliftd rua its course, other satires appeared, among them The Probationary Odes for the Laureat©ship» W illiam W hitehead, 27 the poet laureate, had died in 1786. It was expected, of course. that some Tory would be appointed, and the Whigs made capital of th© affair* The moek-satires burlesqued politicians, divines, and poets «a of lesser rank.
To this series, Burgoyne contributed one poem* It is Ho* 17 in
Lord Braybrooke*a list of contributors, and it is included in his collected works, Entitled "irregular Ode for Music," it Is divided into three parts, documented with copious footnotes as ludicrous as those in
Fielding* s Tan Thumb* It begins *
Hail to the Lyari* whose all persuasive strain Waked by the maeter-toueh of art. And prompted by th* inventive brain, Winds i t s s ly way in to th e easy h eart*
The word Lyar was occasion for a lengthy footnote, #iioh states i
♦Hail to the Igrar) It was suggested to me, that my friend the Doctor®^ had here followed the example of Voltaire, in devia ting from common orthography♦—Lyar instead of lyre, he conceives to be a reading of peculiar elegance in the present instance, as it puts he reader in suspense between an inanimate and a living instrument* However, for my own part, I am rather of the opinion, that this seeming mis-spelling arose from the Doctor1s following the same well-knom circumspection which he exercised in the case of Mr* Wedgewood, and declining to give his Ode under his hands preferring to repeat It to »r* uelpinl’s amanuensis, who very probablj^nay have committed that, and similar errors in ortho
The poem deals with the life of a liar, a lover of Untruth, ■who
^Werd and Waller, o p * c it*. XI, 24*
and Queries. II, series I (July, 1850), 114-115* ^Burgoyne, "Irregular Ode for Music," The Dramatic and Poetical Works, II, 209. 51The poem w as, as i t appeared, "By th© Rev• Dr* p***#***, Th® Hi (except those wherein Latin is concerned) by John Robinson, Esq." See ibid*, 209. ^Burgeyne, "Irregular Ode for Music," II, 209* 98 represents perhaps George XII* The Semi-Chorus sings s
By thee inspired* ere yet the tongue was glib, The cradled infant lisp'd the nurs'ry fib* Thy v o t'r y in m aturer youth* Pleas*d he renounced th e name of tr u th ; And often dar'd the specious to defy* Proud of th* expansive* bold* uncovered Xi©«
The attack becomes more personal and direct as the course of the lia r progresses *
Ihlle the proud se-maker spoke The anvil miss'd the wonted stroke; In a i r suspended hammers hung* I h ll e P i t t 's own frauds came mended from that tongue®
In Part III of the ode Burgoyne brings in the laureates
But* loi what throngs of rival bards I Here lefty themes & mere bright rewards! See Sal * sbury* a new Appollo slht Pattern and arbiter of wit 1 The Laureate wreath hangs graceful from his wand; Begin! he cries * and waves hie whiter hand* •Tie George's natal day— Parnassian Pegasus away— Grant me the more glorious steed Of Boyal Brunswick breed* I kneel* I kneel; And a t h is snowy h eel P in d aric homage vow;— He neighs* he bounds; I mount* X fly* The visionary mitre on my brew— Spirit of hierarchy exalt thy rhyme, And dedicate to George the lie sublime*
As insignificant as the theme may be today* the ode illustrates Bur
geyne's achievement in burlesque* It is reminiscent in both poetic imagery ftwri metrical skill of Dryden's Alexander's Feast* and it does indicate a polemical ferocity equal to that of Churchill*
Among the less important sequels to The Kolllafl was The Westminster
^Tbid*, 211. S^Xbid.* 211. SSjbid., 217-218. 94 guide, Tdiieh was written by Burgoyne.^® The occasion for the satire appears to be the same as for The Rolliad* Fox had been unseated at
Wsstainster "in consequence of a vindictive petition,"®^ and the eleo- to tion of 1784, "which brought the King again into favor, had definitely defied the Whigs*
We can readily ascertain tbs reason for the title from the first part of the woik, addressed to Mr* Anstey* Christopher Anstey (1724*
1805), had w ritten in 1766 The Mew Bath Guide, -which had become most so popular* It mas a series of rhymed letters, ridiculing fashions at
Bath* Burgoyne evidently saw an occasion for sueh a guide for West m insters
Post to town, my friend Ansty, or if you refuse A v isit in person, yet spare us your Muses Give her wing, ere too late for this cityf s election, Which such waits her comment, and more her correction. What novels to laugh at* what fellies to chidet Ohl how we a ll long for a Westminster Guide I
Burgeyne depicts the High B ailiff as having done away with the old
symbols of Justice—-"the scales and the sword*" He is one of the candi dates in the political campaign*
Turning next to the other candidates, the poet points out their vices and virtues, becoming personal in his attack*
For the third, if at court we his character scan, A demon incarnate is poor Carlo Khan; Catch his when afloat on convivial bumpers. Or sent up to the skies by processions of plumpers 5
^Trevelyan’s article in Motes and Queries, op® c it*. 150, assigns th e authorship to Burgoyne® ^Prervit e-Orton, op* c it*, 141 • ^®The question settled by the election was* "Bid the ultimate decision in a dispute between th© branches of the legislature lie with the consti tuencies, or did they give full powers to their representatives without appeal?" Ibid*, 159. ^Austin Dobson, "Christopher Anstey," The Dictionary of National Bio- grephgj, IT, 38-59- ^Burgoyne, "Westminster Guide," The Dramatic and Poetical jiprks, II, 222* 96
He is Freedom's defender, by the champion of Eight, The Men of the people, the nation's delight
He ridicules the manner in which the elections are conducted*
But, hark! proclamation and silence intreated; Bo inspectors arrang’d—the polling clerks seated. With bibles in hand, to purge milling and loth. With a catholic test, and the bribery oatha In clamour and tumult mobs thicken around, And for one voice to vote there are ten to confounds St* Giles with Wapping unites garreteers , Hood and Wray and P ero g ativ e, P i t t and th re e cheers i fTis the day for the court—the grand treasury push! And the pack of that kennel mail train’d to the brush, Dash noisy and fearless through thick and through thin, The huntsman unseen, but his friends idiippors-in *
Concluding Part I of the satire, Burgoyne portrays the persecution of the Whigs with some invectives
With invisible step let us steal on the quorum, Where Kainwaring sits in the chair of decorum* And WUmet harangues to the brethem elect, On hie master’s commands—"Carry law to effect* "The tru e reading, my frie n d s , in the .jus bacculinura, "Whoa the Foxitss are drubbed, then imprison or fine ’em; "And let him who could construe th’ effective still further, "Knock out a friend’s brains to accuse them of murther.*4®
Part IX of The Westminster Guide is addressed to Mr* Hayley, without doubt William Eayley {1746*1820), who in his time had w ritten any number 44 of odes to men of rank* His Triumph of Temper in 1781 had been so suc cessful that the publishers had brought out twelve editions of the book*4®
Hay ley was apparently an influential Tory since he was able to procure a 46 pension for Cowper from the Younger Pitt*
Burgoyne calls upon Hayley to compose a poem in frolicsome meter to
4 *Ibid., 223-224* 4 2 Ibid*, 223-224* 4 ® lbid.» 225—226* 445T* 1>* F* Pierce, "William Hayley," The Dictionary of National Bio graphy, XXV, 296* *S lb id » 4 6 Ibid*. 296. 96 hail the conqueror* evidently the winner in the election at Westminster*
He app aren tly re fe rs t© Hayley*s Triumph of Temper also in the first few lin e s t
T© thy candour new, Hayley, I offer the line, Which after thy model I fain would refine, Thy skill, in each trial of melody sweeter. Can to elegant themes adapt frolicsome metre; And at w ill, with a comic or tender control, How speak to the humour, and now to the soul ♦ He* 1 1 turn from the objects of satire and spleen, That late, uneontrested, disfigured the scene; To Wray leave the rage the defeated a tte n d s, And the conqueror hail in the arms of his friends; Count with emulous seal and selected and true, Bnroll in the list, and the triumph pursue«
The s a ti r i c a l sig n ific a n c e of the poems has been lo s t through th e years, and we are not certain today what Burgoyne really wanted to say#
Burgeyne Is more subtle, more good-natured here than in his address to
Anstey* This was undoubtedly due to the admiration and friendship which 48 he felt for Hayley* He merely asks him to 3 0 in in the p ra ise of th e winner; then questions such fidelity;
But whence this fidelity, new to the age? Can parts, though sublime, such attachments engage? U©4 the dazzle of parts may the passions allure, ♦Tis the heart of the friend makes affections endure*
Ha refers to Fox and his alliance, it appears, with the ex-North Tories,
«a alliance which had hastened the downfall of the Whig rei^is
These are honours» ay Fox, what are due to thy deeds; But, lol yet a brighter alliance succeeds; The alliance of beauty in lustre of youth, g 0 T2mt shines on thy cause with the radiance of tru th *
Some allusion seemingly is made to John Roll© of Devonshire, the butt of
attack in The Rolliad *
^B urgoyne, "W estminster G uide,” IT , 228* ^Igfra, 128. Burgoyne, *’Westminster Guide,” II, 2R9* 5 0 lbld» 97
Avaunt, y© profan© I the fa ir pagent jy moves* An entry of Venus, led on by th© Loves % Behold hour the urobins round Devonshire press! For order, submissive, her eyes they addresss She assumes her command with a diffident smile, and leads, thus attended, the pride of the Isle*
Burgoyne* s satire follows the vein of The Rolliad in that it goes beyond the ethioal indignation of Drydan and Pope* The vices attacked are not national, but limited to individuals in an opposing political SB f a c tio n . Though Burgeyne*© s ty le is vivacious and w itty , i t lacks th e fine deeorum of Drydan and Pope* Too much attention is given to pettiness of detail• The "lower tone has been ascribed to the absence of principle and unsorupulsusness of the time*”**®
As a satirist, Burgeyne sms "too deeply imbued with tolerance and good nature, and too incapable of rancour, to wield the satirist* s pen with effect in the bitter personalities of political warfare*”®^ His part in the attacks, moreover, was obscured by those contributors of greater Importance in the ffaig party*
3* Epilogues and Prologues
Bts’geyne’s epilogues and prologues may be considered as good as any verse he wrote, and, of course, he appears more prolifio in this particular field* Of these "several have been found in a more or less incomplete state among his papers, and references to many more such nec compositions in his correspondence• Periodicals of the last half of the eighteenth century mention him "as having [sponsored}*..new plays on
5l Xbid* S^HT* J* Courthope. A. History of English Poetry (London, Macmillan, 1919). 7 , 237 « jPrevite-Orton, op* clt *, 140* ^D© Fonblanque, op* o it.. 407* 56Ibid*, 391. 98 their first produotion on the London or provincial etag©,w by writing the epilogues and prologues for them#
Only star of his epilogues and prologues appear in his go llso te d works, two of which wore written for his own plays* The first of these is the prologue to The held of the Oaks, in which Burgoyne summarises his position in the literary world in the opening lines*
Unlike to ancient Fame, all eyes, tongues, ears, See modern ^amo,"dress’d eap-a-pee, appears, In k^&gers, Chronicles, Ge&ettes, and Gazetteers* Hy soaring wings arefine Election speeches, And paffti of Candidates supply ny breeches* % Cap la Satire, Criticism, Wit; Is there a Head that w&nke it in the Pit? (Offering it*) He flowing robe and trumpet me adornl 2 veer a jacket, and I wind a horn*
Be hints that previously he has written ether types of literature, but that his play is far greater *
Pipe, song, and Pastoral, for five months pa at, Puff’d well by me, have been the gen’ral taste# How IS&rybond shines forth to gaping crowds! How Highgate glitters frcm her h ill of oloudel®8
Comparing the play to a newly-born baby, he says that lie left it at the door of a home# Finally it was taken in by the master, who is obviously
Garrick, and dressed# The question of authorship denotes probably that more then one person had a hand in tbs writing*
Bhose is this piece?” ’ tis all surmise—suggestion— IaTt his?-—or her* s—or your 1 b , s ir ? t h a t ’s th© questions The parent, bashful, whimsical, or poor, Left it a pulling infant at the door: *Twas laid on flowers, and wrapt in fancied cloaks, Anfl on th e b re a st was w ritte n —MAID 0* TR’ OAKS# The actors crowded round; the girls caress’d it, ’Lord! the sweet pretty babel ’—they prais’d and bless’d it, The Master peep’d—smil’d—took it in and dress’d lt*®9
5glbld„ ®^Burgoyne, The Dramatic and Poetical Works, I, 39# ^ jtb id # 5 9 Ib id », 40* 99
The epilogue to The Heiress, spoken hy Miss Farren, is an appeal to the sages, clerics, and lovers of truth to accept the author’s plea
Toy approval* The comic muse has sent the speaker, saying that an. Eng lish audience*s 3udgaent w ill be her pride* Asking whether the world would bear truth in th® extreme, she says*
What, not one Blandish left behind & not one! Poets are mute, and Painters all undone* Where are those charms that Nature’s term survive. The maiden bloom that grows at forty-five? Truth takes the pencil —wrinklea —freckleg—squint, The whole’s transform* d—the very devil* s"inrts Dimples turn soars, the smile becomes a growl! The hair the ivy-bush, th© face th e own* 61 While Burgoyne was in Boston in 1775, he wrote the prologue to
Zara* In it he compares the situation in Boston to that of the time of Crcmell* Boston, like England from 1642-1660, was in th® hand® of the Puritans* Burgoyne gives the reason for opening the theater in
Best mis
To soothe the times too much resembling those, And lull the care-tired thought, this stage eroses Proud if you hoar, rewarded if you 1 re pleased, We ease to minister to minds diseased*
Be closes the prologie with an address to the citizens of Boston* It is not without seme satires
Bow say, ye Boston pmdes, (if prudes there are) Is this a task unworthy of the fair? Will fame, decorum, piety refuse A call on beauty to conduct the Muse? Perish the narrow thought, the si and* rous tongue! When the heart’s right, the action can1t be wrong* Behold the test, mark at the curtain’s risa How Malice shrinks abash'd at Zara’s eyes*6®
6 0 Ibid., II, 148-149* SlS upra, 27 * ^Burgoyne, The Dramatic and Poetical Works, II, 234» 6 5 I b id ., 235* 100
When Kemble brought out hie altered version of Shakespeare’s The
Tempest, Burgoyne wrote the epilogue* It was delivered by Miss
Farren, who states her purpose in appearing on the stages
Ladies, 1 come, by Prospero’ s command, And vested with this fragment of his wand, To help your searches for that two - 1 egg;J d creature* Which late Miranda felt the search for nature*
Miranda had found but two men, and the question arises as to whether men abound at larges
Arm’d with this pew'r we'll scrutinize the kind; It is not form which makes the man, but mind* That even here perhaps the dearth prevails;** We may lack men, though overrun with males*
The two sen Miranda found are characterized* Then turning from these, the
speaker eulogises a native sent
Bet now to shift the soene from men bewitch'd To one with Britain’s genuine sons enrich'd; In laws, in arms, their country's strength and pride, And chosen patterns for the world beside* Hi^a o’er the crowd, inform’d with patriot fire, Pure as the virtues that endear his siret See one Who leads—as mutual tria ls prove— A band of brothers to a people’s lcvet One, who on station scorns to found control. But gains pre-eminence by worth of soul* These are the honours t h a t , on reason's p lan . Adorn the Prince, end vindicate the man, While gayer passions, warm’d at nature's breast Play o'er his youth—the feathers of his crest*
In A pril, 1789, General Conway brought his comedy, False Appearance,
before the public* Burgoyne wrote the epilogue, which was much admired
when the play was performed*®** Miss Farren also delivered this epilogue.^®
P* Kemble's The Tempest, an alteration, was produced at Bruiy Lane in October, 1789*See Nicoll. op. c it*. 278* ^Burgoyne, The Dramatic and Poetical Works, II, 236. 6 ^ Ib id * 6 7 I b id « 6 **Ibid*. 237-238* 6 %be gentleman’s Magazine» LIX. Part I (April, 1789), 6 6 * 7 0 Ibld*. 052. 101
She carried a looking glass hanging from her w ist while she spoke*7 1
The opening lines—
Soldiers turn’d FootsI—that’s no mighty wonder? But, ’stead of tragic battle, death, and thunder, Our Bard takas False Appearances in hand A subject ho could never understand• * allude to the two generals as poets* The purpose of the speaker is statedi
1 gods to try the world in masquerade? From ovary borrow’d dress to strip the mind, And ’midst distortions, Nature’s image find* 6
Then the speaker produces the mirror, one that has an interesting historys
This wend* reus mirror—look at it with awe— Is that ^iioh Addis cm in vision saw, Bhen, beaming o’er eaeh sex in age and youth, The land of Justice held the glass of Truth, Where it had lain, none knows—by interest hid, In cities dreaded, end in courts forbid? But with this wreath of fadeless laurel found it, Drept in the Muse* s walk, our poet found it •
Such a mirror could detect culprits when it was held over the audience*
Once ifcen it was waved over the house, a 11 fond pair, caught in the tender oath" is discovered* Two critics also are founds
0 Lord! how near ay eye the glass has brought ?oms Two critics, with whole pocket-books of hints For False Appearance in to-morrow's prints? For b a rd , and a c to r s , comments fa ls e and tru e . To mix with m inisters, and buff and blue*
Turning again to the mirror, the speaker invites everyone to test himself, to ascertain his false appearance by looking into the mirror*
Come crowds, and after-crowds, nor dare denial, On pain of being deem'd afraid of trial* Corns with true pride, with open boldness oome, You’ll find me almost eveiy night at heme *7 6
7 burgoyne, The foasatlfe .iSSl JtoSi&ftl H , 289 r a ib ld * 76Ibid* 7 *Tbid» 7 SIbid*. 241* 7 6 Ibld* 102
This epilogue la one of Burgoyne * s longest, and it is perhaps hie most dramati©.
Mrs* Berner spoke Burgoyne*s epilogue to The Way to Keep Him, vshieh mas performed a t Riohaond Bouse* There the Duke of Siohmond had " f itte d up a large theatre in his house in Privy Gardens *w 77 Burgoyne enumerates the eharaeteristiee that are ideal in a wife as follows*
F irst taBper—gentle, uniform, obedient— Yes, mi git sirs—we know your grand ingredient* I hare it in that face— (Writes) th* examples down— That seldom wears, and newer meets a frown* Vivacity and wit (looks around) I * 11 take from you— And sentim ent from Lady, 1 know who* Truth and disereticm—there—how they adorn her, And delicacy peeping from that corner • For sensibility, where smiles and sighs In pain or hoy with blended softness rise, I see it breaking through yon lovely bloom** For a desire to please 1 * 1 1 look a t home*
When the King and Queen attended a performance of The Way to Keep Him at
Richmond Bouse, Burgoyne altered the last part of the epilogue in order to pay tribute to the Royal pairs
Sueh are the gifts th* attentive loves should bring A hoop of gems to guard the bridal ring* Heed I , h e re , p o int to v irtu e s more sub lira© I Unchanged by fashion, unimpaired by time, To higher duties of connubial tie si The mutual blessings that from duties rise! Your looks—your hearts—th© bright assemblage own Which Heaven to em ulative l i f e has shorn,, tod placed in double lustre on a throne*
General Burgeyne also wrote the prologue to The Liar when it ms 81 performed at Lord Sandwich’s. It was so successful that Major Arab in, one of the actors, wrote Burgoyne the following letter*
7 7 P© Fonblanque , op. cit», 891. 78Burgoyne, The Dramatic and Poetics^. Works. I I , 242*248* 79Ibid., 248* BOxbld*, 248-244. Blpe Fonblanque, op * oit*. 592* 10$
Hinohingbrook, October SO, 1787* Bear S ir , The prologue last night was received with the greatest and jus test applause, and many solicitations for a copy of ’the Major’s own prologue5 r so you see, I shone in borrowed plumes* If X am permitted by you, I shall favour Mr® Topham with a copy for insertion in the World, which I know would oblige him, and that it is whet h© will expect from rm upon hearing the enoomiuBS th a t i t met with* And i f you s t i l l persist in not acknowledging yourself as th© author, you name need not be mentioned® Thus Peter Pindar, or any other cele brated writer may attain the praise your productions so justly merit* I hope you are convinced that _I speak truth though from my great success last night in The Liar, I have met with encouragement ©nought to alter my system and profit by the credulity of mankind, which can only be expected from a good lia r, who has, nevertheless, the honour to be with great t r u th , Bear S ir , Your most obedient and most humble Servant,
Will* Arabin *8 2
Be Fo&blanque states that "private theatrical entertainments ^af forded Burgoyne better scope for the exercise of his courtier-like pen than the public stage**^® He appears to have written innumerable ccen- 84 positions of this kind, none of which, however, are available today*
As poetic literature, Burgoyne*s prologues and epilogues, like
Drydan’s axad Pope's, are ne longer amusing* Representing a type of w rit- 85 ing which was often done for theatrical advertisement, they serve to show the interest of the man in literature § rather than to exhibit poetic ability* Compared to others, the epilogues and prologues hold about the
;> rank* Only th© prologue to Zara contains any satire worthy of note*
The others show nothing of any special interest, except th© on® eulogising the and Queen, which is amusing in that Burgeyne belonged to an op posing political fact!on *
^^Quoted from ib id *. 292* e 5 Ibid#, 591* ^ I b l d * 8 5 Ibld* 4» Sengs fro® th® Plays
Three of th® ploys to Burgeyne* s collected works contain numerous songs• Although th«y are, for th© most part, light and l i t t l e more than j ingling rhymes, th®y are well adapted to their purpose* the Maid of the
Oaks contains Burgoyne*s most original and apparently his poorest songs#
They reveal his ability in varying stansa forms for effect* The follow in g .
Rhlle ’tie light you’ll see nothing, when darker, 0 then you’ll see. That the darker it is, the more light it will quickly be; The moon and the stars, they may twinkle and go to bed, h© ean make better sun-shin®, than snob as they ever made* Then away to ChampBtre, ire** laeke the eoq?lesity of structure of the following sportive measures
Make room ay good neighbors, of every degree, By same It is Folly, who does not know me? Of high once, and low ones, of great, end of small, I’ve been the companion, and friend of you alls Bharover I come I drive away care, And if there’s a crowd. I’m sure to be there* I’m here, and there. And everywhere; A ll know me—a l l know me— Where’er I come, Hobody’s dumb; Prating, prancing, Singing, dancing; Running over with mirth and glee*
The best songs by Burgeyne are found in The Lord of the Manor*
These are for the most part loftier in conception than those, for instance,
in The Bald of the Oaks* Eashly’ s song,
When first this humble roof I knew, Tflth various oareo I strove; By grain was scare®, my sheep were few, By all of wealth was love*
S^Burgoyne, I M E*M. £? && <&&£.# H& l&mfrig., M i Poetical Works, 1, Act I* sc* ii, 6 8 # 10®
Ho t&Ius has a splendid lot But as th e means to prove, That from the oaatle to the cot That all of life was loveJ is an advance ever many of the otherss yet it lacks th© d ig n ity and restraint of what mig^it be called Burgoyne 1 s best poem, reputed "to be the w riter's tribute to his last wife*1*®®
Encompass’d && an angel's frame. Am angel's virtues lay? Too soon did heav’n assert the claim, And c a ll i t s can away*
My Anna's worth, ray Anna's charms, Must never more returnt What now s h a ll f i l l these^widoir'd arms? ill, met my Anna's urnt
In Richard Cosur de Lion, the songs are translations from Sedaine's work, but they preserve the lyric qualities of the original* Apparently the best one ia—
0 R ichard! o men Roil L'univers t ' abandonnei Sur la t e r r a i l n 'e s t donna que Moi qui s 'in te r e s s e a ta per Mel seal dans 1 * uni vers Voudrais briser tee fers Bt tent le reste t 1 abandonnei9^- which Bis-gcyne has rendered thus *
Oh, Richard! Oh, my love! By faithless world forgot $ I alone In exile rove,
^Ibld., 159, &^Sedaine, Richard Coeur de Lion. Act I, sc* i i , 19* Leonard Mao- lalley translated the song as follows* Richard,isy liege, ay gallant king The universe abandons thee Thy friends and nobles disagree Hor can to thee assistance bring* To me the task remains To break th y o ru el chains To save thy far*rite fair Who sinks in deep despair* See the MB ot ttaeHalley's Richard Coeur da Lion, Act I, 10, found in the Lerpent collection, Huntington Library* 106
To lament thy hapless lot* X alone of all remain To unbind th y c ru e l ch ain , By a faithless world forgot*9*
Indicative as the songs are of poetic ability, it is easy to under stand that Burgoyne made no attempt to produce anything great* The best poetry does not lire necessarily in song* nor is it often written with
®xeh expectation* Here and there, Burgeyne reaches the level of genuine poetry, as in "Hncompass'd in an Angel's Frame,” and he strikes the superb lyrio note in his adaptation of As You Like It*
Earkt the hunters' piercing cry, See the shafts unerring fly I Ahl the dappled fool is stricken. See him tremble—see him sicken, All his wordly comrades flying, _ see him bleeding, panting, dying*
Burgoyne*s poetry, therefore, becomes a means to an end* It was written primarily for special occasions, and serving this purpose, It ceases to be of any outstanding literary value, although it does indicate that Burgoyne was talented in this direction* His work seems to deserve a higher place than the compositions of the mere eighteenth century rhymester who sought renown as a poet and failed, in that it served a particular need* Burgoyne was, apparently, a poet without literary purpose and, therefore, only in his own school would he find rank and
^ust consideration*
^Burgi^BS, The Dramatic and Poetical Works, I, 160* ^Quoted from be Fonblanque, op* p it♦, J594- CHAPTER I I I
THE PROSE WRITER
1 * L e tte rs
The nen-dramatic prose works of Gen ore I Burgeyne comprise the most voluminous body of his writings• In many respects they indicate
the versatile nature of the man and are of greater importance as a
reflection of the national history of the time than as any noteworthy
literary aehievesnnt* Considered as a whole , they represent Burgeyne* s three outward interests! military life, polities, end literature*
Lite ether eighteenth century w riters, Burgoyne ms fond of letter writing* Although his letters are important from a historical stand point, they have not been edited, and many of them have never hem pub
lish e d * Sam appear in Be Fonblanque*s Political and M ilitary Episodes and others in Bndlestcn's Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne* Additional letters Whom he was in America in 1775* Burgoyne c a rrie d on sot® correspond ence with General Charles Lee, who® he had known in Portugal,*’ and with General Washington*^ Among the innumerable letters available today, many can be found addressed to men like Lord Rochefort, Lard North, Lord George Germain, General Gates, Lord Barrington, and others of rank and position* The contests of the letters are varied* Most of them concern Bur- gcyne’s m ilitary interests and pertain to the various incidents that arose while he served in hie Majesty’s army* They also present his opinions of *F* J* Hudleston, Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne (New York, Garden City Publishing Co*, 1927), 76-77* 2IM d « . 8 7 . 107 108 m ilitary operations, comments on battles, accounts of the progress of the artsy and commanders in charge- Although the purpose of this dis cussion is net to present a detailed account of th© letters* still a few have been selected to illustrate Burgoyne *s ability and style and at the same time to portray his interests* In Boston in IT75, he wrote to his nephew by marriage, Lord Stanleys As to the astion of the 17th [Bunker H ill], you will see the general detail of it in public print* To consider it as a statesman, it is truly important, because it establishes the aseeaadeney of the Kingts troops, though opposed by mors than treble numbers, assisted by every oiroumstane© that nature and art could supply to make a situation strong* Were am aeeottnedation, by any strange turn of events, to take place without say other action, this would remain a most useful tes- timooy and reeerd in America • fo consider this action as a soldier, it compromised, though in a small compass, almost every branch of m ilitary duty and curiosity* Troops landed in the face of an enemy; a find disposition; a marsh sustained by powerful cannonade from mowing field artillery, fixed batteries, floating bat teries, and broadsides of ships at anchor, all operating separately and well disposed (i»e«, placed); a deployment from the marsh to form fen* the attack of the entrenchment s asd redoubt; a vigorous defence; a storm with bayonetsj a large and fine town set on fire by shells* Whole streets of homes, ships, upon stock, a number of ohurehes, all up volumes of smoke and flame, or falling together in ruin, ware capital objects* A prospect of the neighbor ing h ills, the steeples of Boston, and the masts of such ships as were unemployed in the harbour, all crowded with spectators, friends and foes, alike in anxious suspense* & background to the piece; and the whole together composed a representstion of war that I think the imagina tion. of he Brun never reached**-* The latter represents in some degree his keen power of perception and his ability to depict briefly, yet graphically, the incidents of battle* The "Battle of Bunker Hill appealed to him as a scene in a play, beginning with the old stage direction, ’Alarms and Excursions gI b id * , 75 109 W ithout. ’ *4 Jwat before Burgoyne sailed for America, April 18, 1775, h© wrote a letter to the King regarding Lady Charlotte Burgoyne, and left it with a friend to be delivered in th© ©rent of his death.® n!t begin©,** says Bodies ton, *veiy much like Mr. Tupmsn’ s historical letter to Mr* Pick wick, after dingle had bolted with Rachels"€ S ire , Whenever this letter shall be delivered to your Majesty, the writer of it will be no more* It may therefore be esteemed an address from beyond the grave, and voider that idea I am per suaded your Majesty w ill consider with indulgence both the natter and the expression. My purpose, Sire, is to recommend to your royal protection Lady Charlotte Burgoyne, who at my death w ill have to combat the severest calami ties of life,—a weak frame of body, veiy narrow circumstances, and a heart replete with those agonies which follow the lose of an object it has long held most dear. Mhet will be her consolation? Wretched state, when poverty is disregarded only because it is th© least poignant of our sensa tions, end the pains of distemper are alleviated by the hopes that they send to our dissolution.. Tour Majesty, acquainted with the value of female excel lence, w ill hear without impatience a husband1© praises* 1 protes t, with the sincerity of a man who meditates death while he writes, and calls God to witness to his testimony, that in th© g reat d u tie s of l i f e , I do not know th a t Lady C harlotte ever cossnitted a fault, except that, if a fault it can be called, of love and generosity which directed her choice of me without consulting her family—even that is new cancelled in their eyes—upon a review of our happiness during a course of twenty-four years, no moment of which has been embittered, except by sickness or separation* My heart tells me. Sire, that X am not presumptuous in this applieeti on. I received your Majesty’s commands for America with regret, the first sensation of that nature I ever experienced in a oall for service, but 1 have not less a sense of dutyt 1 have scorned to propose terns to my obedience, or to take advantage of the oriels of receiving your royal orders to prefer a petition for the prevision of my family* n o I rely on yourM ajesty 1 s heart to accept with indulgence t h is humble mark o f my respect* and I take confidence to assure your Majesty that, whatever may be my fate is my ensuing trials, 1 shall be found to the last moment Tour Majesty’s Jealous soldier And most faithful subject J * Burgeyne* A- Letter to His Constituents is representative of Burgoyne 1 e ability to set forth in a convincing manner arguments justifying his actions# He states here hie reasons for resigning his offices in 1779, when the poli tical tide mas against him* Since Burgeyne assumed that it m s his duty to inform his immediate constituents of his action, he summarised his political standing before entering the American service in 1775* His reason for taking an active part in the American controversy is stated as follows* It is known to those who employed me, and I have often deol&red it In public, that I ms involuntarily called to it* I m s not without professional reasons for wishing to decline i t 5 but X had many others, arising from such personal circum stances as most naturally end strongly affect the human mind— They are not unhnom to you* I stated these sentiments when the King’s intention of employing me was communicated, adding that powerful as they were, they should be made subservient to the principles X had ever held of a soldier’s duty; and if his Majesty thought me, thee th e last and humblest upon the list of his major- generals, to be necessary to the service of the state, I should forego any idea of my private circumstances * He reviews briefly the three tripe he made to America and the condi tions resulting from each, emphasising in particular the campaign of 1777, which he contends ”wae not one of private favor, court intrigue, or personal ambition* 0 He then proceeds to relate the treatment he ^Quoted from ibid*, 50-52« 8Jehn Burgoyne, A Letter from lAeat. Sen. Burgoyne to Hjg C onetitu- ante, u p b p his let# Reslgiatlqn, with the j ^ r agpmdonoealietwaen the Secretaries of War and Him. Relative to His Return to America (London, fo r J* Almon, 1779), 5—4# ^ Ib id *. 6 # I l l received by the court, stating that ha had not had a hearing before Parliament and mentioning the measures undertaken to bring about Ms ruin* This part of the latter has bean documented v&th correspondences from several persons to substantiate his arguments• In conclusion h© mentions that his resignation m s made upon the impulse of honors, and he laments his ova plight, not without profound pathos: My ambition is dead; my occupation is gone—the humble ar rangements of ay new state are made; and sy v&ole prospects or hopes en this side the grave, concenter in the preservation of friendships# and the tranquility of my conscience* Hudleston calls Burgoyne the complete letter w riter, 11 suggesting 1 2 that he would have made a fine war correspondent* IS Hie letters shew his diploma tie nature and illustrate the ess© with idtieh he could write, his power of description, his polite but pompous style, his subtlety of thought, and force of expression* 2* O ffic ia l Beeords and Documents Several official and documentary prose works by General Burgoyne, relating to his American expedition, have been preserved* Although they are not of great literary value, they are primarily interesting because of the historical significance they bear to the unsuccessful termination of his campaign in America* They reveal in some measure the sincerity of the man, his determination, and his ability as a general* Tim Thoughts fear Conducting the War from the Side of Canada, vjhich he had submitted to the King soon after his second return from America in *° I b id ». 2 0 . *%ttdlesten, op* c it*. 6 8 , devotee a chapter to Burgoyne*s letter writing, "The C o^W ISfcter Writer*" I 2 Ib ld «» 7 6 . 1 8 Ibld., 84* Burgoyne wrote "to Lord North that it might be possible to bribSTSe." 112 1776* is one of the early prose works of an official nature* In this paper* the Gene ral sets forth clearly the advantages the British arsy could gain by proceeding to attack the rebels from the Canadian side* Be recommends *he proper size and the needs of the arny and emphasizes the expectations* both favorable and unfavorable• He had studied care** fully* it seems* the obstacleg to be overcome* the possibilities of eneny maneuvering* and the geography of the country* The extent of country frcm Ticonderoga to the inhabited country upm that river* opposite to Charles Town* la about sixty niles* and thou^i to convey art 1 1 lory and provisions so far by land would be attended with difficulties* perhaps more than those above suggested* upon a progress to Skenesborough* should the object appear worthy, It la to be hoped resources Bight be found; in that ease it would be adviseable to fortify with one or two strong redoubts the heights opposite to Charles Town* and establish poets of savages upon the passage from Ticondoroga to those heigvbs* to preserve the communication* and at the seme tine prevent any attempt from the country above Charles fern, vhioh Is vexy populous* from molesting the rear or interrupting the convoys of supply* while the army proceeded dotm the Connecticut * * Another of Burgoyne* s official works is the Orderly Book of Lieut* San* John Burgoyne* The very nature of such a work is of a strictly prac tical and almost commonplace character* for it contains mainly the orders issued by the Sens ral to the a ray marching under his command from the time ef his entry Into the state of Hew Yolk until the Battle of Saratoga on October 16* 1777» As it is a record of his daily movements* it forms a graphic picture of the expedition* portraying rather vividly the details et events as the a ray moved from place to place* B* Be Fenblanque* Political and M ilitary Episodes In the Latter Half of the Eighteenth Century? Derived from the Life and/or res pondenoe of the Bight Hon* John Burgoyne* General. Statesman, Dramatist (London. Macmi 11 an * 1876) , 110* l®Jehn Burgoyne# "Thoughts for Conducting the War from the Side of Canada*11 A S tate o f thp Expedition from Canada (London* J • Almon, 1780) * Appendix* v-vii* 113 The first dated order is that of June 20, 1777# Written at Sandy Bluff* Hew York* it expresses in a clear but vigorous prose style the General*s appreciation of the responsibilities entrusted to his ears by the King* He cites specific regulations to W observed by the array* O fficers of a l l Banks commanding out Posts and Detach ments, are constantly to fortify in the best manner the cir cumstances of the place and the implements at hand will permit* F ellin g trees with their points outward, barricading Churches and Houses, Breastworks of Barth and Timber, are generally to be effected In a short Time, and the Science of Engineering is not necessary to find and apply such resources* The Practice of fortifying which is useful in all Services, Is particularly so in this, where the Enemy, infinitely inferior to the Kings’ Troops in open space end hardy Combat, is wall fitted by dis position and practice for the Stratagems and Enterprises of Little Thr*M*^ For the most part, the instructions and orders are brief, explicit, and concise* Every type possible, it seems, is representod—orders per- twining to the firing of guns, the discipline of the a my, food and sup p l i e s , s p ie s , t r a i t o r s , c are o f th e s ic k , designations of commanders fo r various regiments, ammunition, and so forth* One of the most interesting and unusual recommendations is as fol low* s The Lieut* General has observed with satisfaction, that some Corps have got the art of making Flour cakes without ovens, which are equally wholesome and relishing with the b eat Bread* He recommends i t stro n g ly to the Commanding Officers to bring their Corps into this useful Practice, as it may frequently happen that the movements of the Army will be too quick to admit a possibility of constructing ovens*3^ In soae instances, Burgoyne reflects his determination and his utmost perseverance* At Crown Point, June SO, 1777, he wrote on the day preceding his encounter with the enemy* 16e# B* 0 *Callaghan (ed*). Orderly Book of Lieut * Gen* John Burgoyne (Albany, H# Y*, J * Munsell, I860), 2-S. 17Ibid», 7* 114 the Army embarks tomorrow to approach the Bnoisy * are to contend for tho King and the Constitution of Great Britain, to vindicate the Law and to relieve the Oppressed** *« the Services required of this particular Expedition are critical and conspicuous* During our progress occasions may occur, in idiich nor difficulty nor labour nor life are to be regarded* THIS ABKY MUST EOT SETRR&T *1 8 Tbs final entry in the orderly book Is the shortest and yet the m et significant insofar as the history of our country is concerned* It readsi *17th October* Treaty of Convention signed *®*9 The most im portant of Burgoyne 1 s writings classed as official records and documents is his A State of the Expedition from Canada aa Laid before the House of Coainons, not only because of its importance in vindicating the conduct of the man or even its biographical significance, but also bee&use of its sore complete reflection of Burgoyne as a writer of prose* It appeared in 17S0, according to the title page, and is a complete defense of the Generalrs character and conduct during the period of his interest in the American Revolution* The work consists of every type of paper and document that could be used as evidence in his trial before a court-martial * It begins with a dedicatory epistle to Maj or-General Philips end the other officers who served under Burgoyne on the expedition* In the dedication, he states his gratitude for their faithful and gallant services, ’which had not been stated previously* Then he gives in a brief introduction his reason fcr writing the account of the campaigns Upon maturely weighing these and several circumstances, after X had been denied a professional examinetion of my con duct, disappointed of a perliamentary one, I determined to ley before the public a state of the expedition from Canada, 115 In 1777, la ay c n name* And ay first design ms to do It under the title , and with the latitude of Memoirs} as a mod® by which 1 mould host open the principles of my actions, and introduce, with most propriety, collateral characters, inci dents, and illustrate the main subject* * As a preface, he quotes the speech he made previously in the House o f Cowmens, a aummaiy of his conduct and actions from the time he was called inte the American controversy* Entering next Into the "narra tive* of the campaign, Burgoyne divides his story into three partes "The first," he states, "from ay appointment to the command, to the end o f w p n rsn it o f th e enemy from Yioonderogaj the second, from that time to the passage of the Hudson* s B lveri the third, to the signing of the convention*”^ Having l e f t London on Marsh 27, 1777, the General arrived finally in lo r York, and here he wrote to Sir Milliam Howe, stating the plan of the exp ed ition and the nature of his orders* By May 6 , he was in Quabeo, where he was given command of the expeditionary &rmy by Sir Guy Carleton, a man whom Burgoyne esteemed because of his indefatigable seal in comply in g w ith BurgeymeYs "requisitions and desires*” At Montreal, he met with dlsappoinbDon t , inasmuch as the expected re-enforoemsnte and supplies did not arrive* Added to this disappointment were the difficulties of bad weather, which made the roads impassable* The strength of the army by duly 1, the day on which the a my reached Tioonderoga, amounted to 5,724 British and 5,016 German regulars, exclusive of artillery mens 250 Cana dians and Provincials} and about 400 Indians* Since the number of troops was small, some of the artillery was left at Yieeaderoge* zlJohn Burgoyne, Jk State of the Expedition from Canada (London, J . Al&en, 1780), vi* 2 gI b id *. 6 . 116 The second phase ef the oampaigft, beginning with the pursuit of the enemy at Ticonderoga, narrates the slow progress of the any, which ms hindered because of the nature of the country* Burgoyne took the land route to Fort Edward, chiefly as a means to avert the difficulties that could he imposed by the enemy* dud in addition to this, the boats for meter traveling mere limited* When he reached his destination, the troops mere ae efficient in mod service, that they "dislodged the enemy later f m Fart George without a blow*" the circumstances arising from the hardships of transports from Fort deerge* the leek of feed, and the peril in which the army stood as a result of met being able to establish a magasine immediately led the ex- peditien to Bennington, -chore Burgoyne believed he and his men would find ample feed supplies* however, the trip had been in vain, for -when th^y reached their destination, they found that supplies were unobtainable * Burgoynefs reasons for crossing the Hudson Fiver are given in the third pert of the narrative* The ooamamioations were impossibles he mould not procure supplies at Bennington j "retreat was insecure" 3 and dangers were impending from the enemy* Burgoyne had not heard from Sir Willie® Heme* Various suggestions had come frcm different sources, and since the a nay was ready to advance, Burgoyne prepared to cross the river* Be objection to his action was raised by Generals Fraser and Phillips* By September 19, the valor of his any «*• proved in battle; yet the vlotozy offered no immediate advantage* The following day, he learned that the enemy was at a strongly fortified post, bat he could not discover the position of the rebels because of the dense undergrowth* When the British advanced upon the colonists, the rebels outnumbered them, but Burgoyne would not retreat, inasmuch as he expected Sir Henry Clinton to attack the enemy from another d ire c tio n * Then, h is sic k end wounded were improving 11? sad Mcuten&nt*«Colonel St* Lager’s corps was expected to join Mm by v*3T ©f Ticcaderoga* The lo s s o f the battle even without the awaited help was due to a fir* Arnold, tdio "advanced without consultation with Ms general* and gave instead of receiving battle ***®8 This defeat on October ? le d to th e army1 s retreat to Saratoga, where not many days later one of th e decisive battles of world history was fought* Following the narrative ef the expedition* Burgoyne appends a lengthy document entitled "Evidence*" It is in the form of a series of q u estion s and answers* which were the proceedings of a committee called to consider papers whieh had been presented to the House of Commons* Q uestions were directed by Burgoyne and members o f th e committee to S ir Guy C&rletcn, the Earl of Harrington, the Earl of Balcarras* and others who m ight t e s t if y to Burgoyne*s conduct during the campaign# Another section, of the work is devoted to a "Review of the Evi dence; its several Farts compered with the prefatory Speech end Narra t i v e ; amd additional Remarks and Explanations*" Here Burgoyne reviews the conduct of Lord Germain during the inquiry as one of indifference, for he contradicted nothing of his own or Burgoynef s conduct* Taking each phase of the expedition separately, Burgoyne enters into a detailed review o f each, restating major circumstances, incidents* and mistakes* and answering charges of misconduct during the campaign» Each argument is documented with references to letters and official proceedings wherever this Is necessary* The conclusion is a statem ent and explanation of Burgoyne*© treatm ent la England after his return from defeats Parliament*s denial to grant an inquiry; the continuance of his stay under conditional order in England; 25Ibid*. 1 7 * 118 Parliament’s denial of a oourb-marti&ls the charges of disobedience to the King and of lib e l* Be enumerates "the only facts and propositions respecting th e plan of the expedition from Canada” ^ that might be main tained against the secretary of sta te f o r the American department* In conclusion* he writesi X wish X could as easily apologise for all the other faults with ^ ie h th is undertaking abounds as a composition# At a time whan so many pens are employed* I must not expect to be spared * X shall treat with silent respect any comments that are fairly found and delivered with liberality} and with contempt, equally silent, the ocesnon invectives of the political press* This *pp«a is not to rest upon literary criticism, or party dispu tation, but upon the broad equity of my country* I know that prejudice and malice w ill vanish before the man who dares to submit his actions to that test—If acquited there, I feel 1 am not degraded! and X have not a sensation within my breast - which does not at the same time assure me, X cannot be unhappy* Tfas appendix to the work consists of innumerable letters, his "Thoughts fo r Conducting the War from the Side o f Canada,” the substance of his speech' to the Indians and their reply, a journal of the late prin c ip a l proceedings of the a ray, the in stru ction s issued by Burgoyne to the army, Colonel St* Leger* e "Account o f Occurrences at Fort Ftamix,® the minutes and proceedings of a council of war, Major-General Gates* s pro posals end Burgoyne*e answers, and several maps related to the campaign* Most of the correspondence included is that which Burgoyne carried on, including copies and extracts of letters he had written to Lord George Germain and &ir Guy Carleton* A State of the Expedition, from a literary standpoint, portreys several of Burgoyne*s characteristics* his dramatic inclination, his ability to tell a story, his prose style, and his scholarly attitude toward his work* ^Ibid . . 187-158* 140. 119 Hudleston says th a t in dividing the "Narrative'’ into three parts Burgoyne "really meant A cts, fo r the sense o f drama was always in h is mind*"^® The "method!oal, accurate, well-written performance"*^ leads to a clim ax, which m s the defeat of Burgoyne at Saratoga* Comparing it to a drama, Hudleston states: Act I covers tho period from h is appointment to the pur suit immediately after the capture of Tioonderoga; Act II d eals with the events from that date to the crossing of the Hudsonj and Aot III takes the drama up to the signing of the Convention* The tra g ic hero (with a touch of comedy) is John Burgoyne himself; the v i l l a i n of the piece, who is indicated early, is the Minister who would not allow him any "lati tude ** 2® As a n a rra tiv e , A State of the Expedition possesses a v iv id and vigorous literary style* Parts of it may compare favorable with the In teresting episodes of some novels, a type of liter a tu re in which Burgoyne might have well succeeded s At day-break the next morning the army had reached very advantageous ground, and took a position in which i t would have been very desirable to receive the enemy* A halt was necessary to refresh the troops, and to give time to tho bateaux, loaded with provisions, which had not been able to keep pace with the troops, to come a-breaet* A portion of provisions ms delivered a lso from the bateaux, not without apprehension th a t delivery might be the last; for there were parts of the river in which the boats might be attacked from the other sid e to great advantage, notwithstanding the correspondent movement of the array* The events of the story are sometimes interwoven with descriptive p assag es, so effectively done that i t makes the work seam more lik e a descriptive narrative than a mere account of a military expedition* Burgoyne realized that his subject m s one of a lite r a r y natures 2%udlestozi, op. cib*. 226. ^T he London Magazine. XLIX (Feb*, 1780), 83» ^Hudleston, .op* c it*. 226. ^Burgoyne, A State of the Expedition, 126* 120 Tbs Incessant cannonade during the solemnity? tho steady attitude and unaltered voice with which the chaplain offici ated* though frequently covered with dust* which the shot threw up cm all sides of him; tho expressive mixture of sen sib ility and indignation upon every countenance? those ob jects will remain to th© last of life upon the minds of every mam who was present * The growing duskiness added to th© scenery s and the whole marked a character of that juncture that would make erne of the finest subjects for th© peneil of a master that the field ever exhibited*50 One ether characteristio of the General’s style Is th© accuracy and order ©f presentation of details* he often became onphatio to strengthen h is argument or t© convince th© reader of h is sin cer ity ! Two errors, respecting this passage [across the Hudson]* though ©f opposite and incompatible natures, are supposed to have contributed to the ill success that ensued? the one, the error of delay, the ether that of precipitation* In defence against the first, I refer to my ef fort at Bennington to pro cure supplies, and to the impediments, I have just now stated, after that effort failed* Against the latter, 1 refer to the reasons laid down in my private letter to the secretary of stats, dated 20th of August* The state of things at this im portant crisis, and ny reasoning upon it, are expressed still more at large in my dispatch from Albany; 1 w ill now only touch them shortly* On the one hand, my communications were at an end; my retreat was insecure; the enemy was collected in force, and ware strongly posted; my army was conscious of having the superiority, and eager to advance; I expected co-operation; no letters from Sir William How© removed thet expectation? that to Sir Guy Carleton had never weighed upon my mind* The fact that General Burgoyne has documented h is work with various types of authentic material places him in the ranks of the scholar or the lawyer* Every detail of his campaign, it seems, is given, and a plausi ble explanation rendered for every phase of his conduct* The manner in which it is related reveals, also, his literary inclination, not only toward the drama, but also toward th® descriptive* narrative q u a lities of the novel* S °Ib ig . 81Ibid*. 15- 121 I t is evident fro® three papers which Burgoyne produced early in his political career that he was already experienced in making studies and doing research* They are indicative "of his extreme diligence end application in the study of different political subjects In 1765 he made a study of the la te scenes of war on the continent* Be summed up the result of his work in a paper entitled "Observations and Bef lections upon the Present Military State of Prussia, Austria, and France•** It is a lengthy document, well-written and factual, exemplify ing hie keenness of c&serVRtion and consideration of the most minute de tails • Of the Prtstsian military system, he writes: The first principle of the Prussian system is subordina tion, and the first maxim "not to reason, but to obey*" The effects of these ere attention, alertness, precision, and every executive quality in the officers, which assisted by the constant exercise of the soldiers upon the soundest prin c ip le s of t a c tic s , enable the troops to practise with wonder fu l ease and exactn ess, manoeuvers that others hardly admit in theoryj from these at the same time may in part be accounted for a striking observation, that the vigor of the army in th© subalterns and ncm-eommissioned officers, who are undoubtedly the best in the world: it seems to decline as the ranks ascend, a n d as other qualificati ons than those of mere execution become r e q u isite . Be reviews ereiy phase of the arny for each country* He points out the various tactics in different divisions, and discusses the strength and weaknesses, the military reforms of each, and concludes by showing the superiority of the English* Burgoyne became in terested in tho a ffa ir s of India early in h is parliamentary career* He issued a paper on the financial condition of the Bast India Company, exposing its difficulties owing: to a lack of sufficient funds. It seems that, because the company had no credit or money, the creditors stood in jeopardy. Burgoyne recommended a reduction ^D e Fonblanque, op. c lt *. 55* ^Quoted from ibid., 65-66. 122 the expenses and dividends of tho c o m p a n y , , and suggested "frugality in th© management o f ***af fa ir s both at homo and abroad. Soma time la te r he "wrote "A Short Account of th© P o litic a l Conduct of th© East India Company*s Servants*” In it* he points out th© liber ties grant ad by the o barters and the abuses which might be practiced by the company* Finally, he suggests th© need of a "constitutional check cm the action of the company* However, it was not until 1784, when William Pitt took up the matter, that Burgoyne’s principles were put into affect*®® 5* Prefaces The prefaces to General Burgoyne*a plays show very clea rly his a b ility to criticise objectively the field of literature itself# In this medium of prose he shows a very real talent to express himself so analytically said so provocatively that he appeals to the intellect* A good example of his ability as a eritie is found S.n the preface to The tea id of the Oaks, which mas appended to the f ir s t edition* He apologises here for his effort, although he contends that he is not ignorant of the principles of dramatic writing* He outlines the original plan of the play, comments briefly on Garrick’s assistance, and states that it was brought to the stage because it ms unusual and individual* Burgoyne defends th© use of a simple plot by citing Moliere, "who purposely avoided "those intricacies and combinations of incidents, which generally but perhaps falsely, are supposed essential to the ^Almost all the paper is quoted by De Fonblanque, op* ©it*, 94-96* ^Quoted from ibid*. 96-97* 3 6 I b id ., 98# 129 ..JW re g u la r Drama* He touches upon th® characters of the French and English stages* The properties of the English stage, he contends, are "in energy, spirit, sublim ity of force of character and of expression— like Heroules of Fames®, all in muscle and nerve”j “whereas "art, regularity, elegance, delicacy, touches of sentiment, adapted only to the most polished manners," distinguish th© French theater* For the attainment of perfection, the stren g th of the on© and th© refinement of the ether must be blended* Of h is own accomplishment, he sayss Ko candid reader w ill suppose the Author of this piece means to infer, that he has in any degree accomplished this union, in the part which has fallen to his share; but he will be bold to say it i s the only part which has been want ing to complete a species of efetertainmente new to this coun try* elegant in its principles, and innocent, if not benefi cial, in its tendency* Re w ill bo amply regarded, even in “tiie failure of his specimen, if it excites others who may be b e tte r qualified, to pursue the seme ideas* Burgoyne felt that an English audience as a whole could appreciate refined entertairsaent , although he was cognizant of the fact that there would be a certain element in th is group who would undoubtedly have more vulgar predilections • If a dramatic piece were based on nature, truth, and sense, the audience would be ready to applaud the performance of th e play* The longest prose work of a c r itic a l nature that Burgoyne has le f t us is his preface to The Lord of the Manor* In the beginning, he dis cus sec the speculation that arose as to who the author of the play really was (it was published anonymously)? and he mentions the criticism that had a ris e n with regard to the dialogue, the son^s, and the plot* He ^John Burroyne, "Preface,” The Maid of tlie Caks. First edition (London, T* Beckett, 1774), 2. ^ I b i d * 89Ibid*, 3* 124 d e c la re s that every word of tho play Is the production of a single person* A fte r ©oBeaenting upon h is reason for w riting th® ploy and bring** lag it to the stage, he answers the ©barge of having introduaad the ©haraeter Captain Trepan as a means of satirizing the recruiting 40 service* Bis main purpose in writing th© preface, he says, was to disavow the accusation* The *ve*y soul of Italian opera is music," Burgoyne says, "and pro vided it be cell maintained in composition and execution ©very Incon sistency in fable, conduct, or character, is not always pardoned, but -41 often applauded* Consequently , Burgoyne m aintains, opera nsod not conform te the laws of regular drama as, for example, the writings of Beei&e and Cornel 1 1 ® do* the French opera seemed mere absurd to Burgoyne than the Ita lia n in that It was even less probable* The French were accustomed to add te the effect of music by placing great emphasis on the visual as well a© an the auditory senses in such a way "that the judgment receives bo shock, when tyrants and lovers, heroes and peasants, gods and d e v ils, are singing and dancing in amicable chorus all together*"*^ Burgoyne1fl discussion of th© various types of opera reveals h is thorough knowledge of the subject* He divides operas into two general groups, the comic and the serio u s, or great, opera* He then subdivides tb» comie opera in to two distinct classes $ the lower branch, based on the Burletta of the Italians, and the higher branch, which he contends i s e f native origin* 4 0 Supra* 36-37« **Jchn Burgoyne, "Preface," The Lord of t&g Manpr^ Thg. Dramatic Poetical Works (London, Scateherd and Letterman, 1808;, I, 131* 4 2 lM d . 126 All of tbs lower branch, as represented by Midaa and golden Pippin, bo considered as pieces of parody and burlesque* However, he fudged th® English usage of this type of opera as far superior to the I ta lia n type, which be decried as "insipidity, mixed with a buffoonery too low to be called farcical*° Of the higher branch of the comic opera, he says* I cannot easily bring myself to allow the higher branch of our Comic Opera to be of foreign extraction* From the time the Beggar’s Opera appeared, we find pieces in prose, with songs interspersed, so approaching to regular Comedy in plot, incident, and preservation of character, as to make them a distinct species from anything we find abroad—and is it too much to add that the sense, w it, and humour to be fourd in seas of them are ste r lin g Jhaglish marks by which we may claim the sp ecies as our own*® The development of the comic opera in Frame is outlined by the play wright# Wothing the French produced could compare with Love in a V illa g e, The Maid e f the H ill, or The Duenna, fo r the simple reason th a t, although they contained an abundance of vocal music, the French comic operas lacked sufficient incident and variety of character# As such, French comic opera would scarcely provide mors than an afterpiece for the English stage* Therefore, his The Lord cf the Manor, based on Marmontel’s one-act play, is an example of what the higher branch of the comic opera should be in England* In th is preface, lik ew ise, Burgoyne sta te s h is plan for the w riting of a correct musical comedy*^ It should hold "a mirror up to nature1* and "draw i t s c h ie f applause from reason*" The vocal music should express primarily the feelings of the passions} it should not be used to express action: A^Ib id * , 156* ^Sunra- 79* 126 te fight & duel, te cudgel a poltroon in cadence, may be borne in a Burletta, upon th© same principle that in the Serious Opera we see heroes fight lions and monster a, and sometimes utter their last struggles for life in song, and die in strict time and ttmet but these liberties would be tota|Jy inadmissible in the kind of drama I am recommend- For this reason, Burgoyne explains, he did not retain in song parts 46 of Silyain» Susie, in his opinion, could only be used to express notion in the dumb shoe and pantomime or to relate a story in dance. It could have no part in the action motivated by the passions, but it must become subordinate to the plot, and still remain so much a part of the -whole play that it could not be spared* The applicati on of music to the regular drama, if managed judiciously, would enrich and elevate it* In tragedy and comedy "the mind • . .would pe culiarly feel its powers11 and "establish by the most powerful impressions »47 upon the mind, maxim, admonition, sentiment, and virtue* Burgoyne was hopeful that some man of genius would undertake to carry out his plan for musical comedy, whether using an old or a new subject* Be leecBBnended that fheridan would be most capable of carrying out his principles* "His Muse, though without participation of my cause, will naturally end of necessity be the advocate of it, by verifying and exem- „AC plifying true Musical Cmedy* A short prose article, appended to The Heiress as a preface, elabo rates upon Burgoyne1 s idea of the rights of authors to borrow from others* Be had already mentioned briefly the same question in the preface to The Lord of the Manor,49 in shieh he hints that taking a plot from a foreign Burgoyne, "Preface.” The Lord of the Manor. I, 141* ^ S u p ra . 8* 47Burgoyne, "Preface," The Lord of the Manor, 1, 145* ^Ibid., 146. 138-169* 127 stag* could not be termed plagiarism so long as it was rewritten in the light of the easterns and characters of another country* She charge ©f plagiarism had been made by the "daily prints” soon gfj after the Heiress appeared* Burgoyne does not disavow that his play is "a species of plagiarism*” He argues that it Is legitimate for the dramatist to take the fable from sources not his own* end that in so doing he would follow ”tbe example of the beat dramatic Poets of every age*” As for the originality of oharaator, he writes* It ia humbly hoped this Comedy is not without it* But present instances apart. It is submitted to the judicious, whether such an exaction of novelty as would make a resem blance to any thing ever seen upon the stage before unac ceptable,, might not materially vitiate the public taste, carry the major part of writers beyond the scope of nature and probability, and deprive the spectator of that pleasing and Infinite diversity of shape and coloring that the lead ing passions, vices, and follies civilised life admit* Love, avarice, misanthropy, &c* Ac* if draw a thousand and a thou sand times with sew shades, and in different points of view, will do ae such credit te invention, and have as just an effect in exhibition, as if Moliere or Congreve had never touched the subjects* It is not ether there may be per sonages In the Heiress, in whom we may discover family fea tures, that is asked, bat whether they are not still indi viduals, with vfeom we have been hitherto unacquainted—a question, not for the author to determine• Ace or ding to Burgoyns, in mary instances, an author oould be easily deceived in the invention of whet be thinks to be his original thou^sts* He believes that once ideas obtained from reading become faded in the meneiy, a writer is reluctant to say whether those in his own work are adapted or created* The p refaces to Burgoynef s plays af© a compendium o f h is theoiy of English drama* As prose, they illustrate his argumentative and critical ®Jota Burgoyne, "Preface," Use. iifiim i. lb | Sam}iX9 PfifiiiEfll Works (London, Scat eh ©rd and Letteraan, 1808), II, ix* S1Ibld.. I. 128 atyle, t&ich "Was so analytical in many respect® that it approached Bryden, net only in knowledge of his subject, but also in point of clearness end sincerity of argument* 4* Critical Observations In addition to Burgoyne*s critical ability in writing prefaces to plays and in analysing drama in general, beginning dramatists seemed to rely ©a him for critic ism and advice* Just how extensive his help urns in criticising the dramatic pieces of others is not known, but it is evident from material gathered that he assisted William Hayley, whose first play, then entitled The Afflicted Father, had nob been accepted by Garrick in 1770*52 Many years after Garrick had looked over the play, Hayley undertook te revise it, changing the scene from Spain to Sicily and giving it a new SS title . Bud ora* Hayley did not know Burgoyne, but D* S* Stevenson, one of Hayley*e early friends, recommended It to the General's notice* In fact, Stevenson submitted the play to Burgoyne for a critical examine— tlen* 54 Later he received the following reply t To David Stevenson, Esq* Hartford Street, September 16, 1787 My dear Stevenson * I have always admired the writings of your friend, Mr* Bayl*?, but I have read none of hia productions with so pleasure as Eudcraj and the more I consider it, the greater repugnance I find in communicating the criticism I promised you; I bring myself to do it upon the presumption, that you w ill give both the text and the comment due thought, and not let a word of mine pass further, that has not the sanction of your ^dgment* ^*1111 Hayley, "Preface, Including Dramatic Observations of the Late Lieutenant-General Burgoyne," Three Plays (London, Printed by Wil liam Mason, 1811j, xi-xii* 5SIbid«, xiv* ^ I b id * , xv# 129 th* order I mean to follow is first to state my observa tions upon separate parts, which I wish the Author to revises they are Tory few te comparison of the beauties, which could not be retouched even by his own hand without injury 3 I shall in the next place consider the piece with a view to representation, and the present state of the English The- abret and shall venture to suggest th© idea of a considerable alteration in the plan* I need not detain you by any farther preface from th© task I have enjoined you of bee oming a sincere arbiter of all I have advanced* 1 am, my dear Sir, Ever truly yours, J * BUftGOYNB 5 6 Several pages of observations upon particular passages and three ether© of general nature concerning the representation of the play ac- eonpasled tee letter* As Hayley has remarked, the general observations may be temed *a little dramatic essay full of good sense, end good taste**®® Since Hayley 1 3 Bud or* is a tragedy, Burgoyne began hie essay by com paring it te Addison’s Cato and discussed the qualities of tragedy, the rules as laid dewa "by the Grecian school,* and a theatrical Tlsomethingw §7 which it lacked for popular acceptance in England at that time* Te begin with, Burgoyne felt that Shakespeare’s genius had carried hte beyond dramatic rules and was, in one sense, responsible for the mis takes of succeeding writers who were possessed of little genius and who imitated his freedom* As a result, imitators of Shakespeare continued to violate the unities of time end place, the final scenes of their tragedies becoming a subject of ridicule because of the "load of dead” that piled go upon the stage* 5 6 lbid*, xvi-xvii- Sglbid** xvii* ®^5 b|Lf[*, x v iii* 5 8 Ibid., xix* In France, according to Burgoyne, the reformation of such errors led te a delicacy that did away with all terror and pity, "the very essence ef tragedy**®9 Burgpyne believed another evil which resulted from upedantic p«rityH was that "cf throwing the most important, part of th© catas trophe into narration in plaee ef producing it in action**®® Some lati tude could be expected, he considered, as was true of some of the works e f the a&oients, but most of the translators of ihe time went beyond what might ordinarily be allowed* He stated that Horace had always pre ferred action to narration.®* Befeurning to hie subject of the modem stage in England, the Gen eral wrote* The taste in Bagland has not yet arrived to that true medium between the latitude of our former school, and the restriction ef that supposed by the French to be established upon the principles of the ancients * In fact, the approach towards & medium has e f la te y ears been made by our neighbors, Voltaire in particular has don more towards restoring tho use of ifee dagger and the change of scenes, than any of our writ ers, except mere translators, have endeavored to do towards the a b o litio n o f such lib e rtie s * A love of a c tio n , and th® sight of great events grows out of our national tempers w© leave narration to the epic its natural province, and call sot for the thing itself* However, Burgoyne did not generally condemn narration in tragedy. It became an essential when it referred to parts of the story antecedent te the action, he agreed* Oftentimes it oould be used effectively for character delineation, but he established a distinction as far as the catastrophe of the play was concerned* i n When m aterial, momentous incidents, upon which the great Interest of th© drama rests , are proper for representation* they ought to be represented! The best powers of language* sfcen employed in narrative, w ill fall very short in compara tive effect. 5 Burgoyne believed that an E&glish audiem© would agree with him in the conolusi oas he had reached* He pointed out that Bud ora was objec tionable because th© scenes which Hayley narrated in the last act should have been a c tu a lly represented* Compared w ith The D istressed Mother,. had a more drama tie incident to portray in the catastrophe, since in the catastrophe a dying prince forgives his unknown murderer-*^ Seen after Hayley received the critical comments, he wrote to Bur goyne as follows* Had I been fortunate enough to receive such remarks eighteen years age, when the play was written, X have the vanity to believe I could have rendered it what you wish in adopting your admirable hirrfc for the improvement of the catas trophe* Hhcfeher many a fflic tio n s * and ranch i l l h e alth may give me spirit encu^i to compose so bold and forcible a con clusion, as you justly require, I cannot presume to says but I feel that your animating praise inspires me with a wish to deserve it, and I will certainly make an atteenpt'* which I shall be happy to submit to your decision* After Hayley had revised his play according to Burgoynefs sugges tions, he returned it to the General for approval* The critic not only praised ihe improvement but endeavored to have it presented at Drury Lane* Engagements there, however, prevented an Immediate representa tion; so Hayley carried it to Covent Garden, where it was acted first in January, 1790*^ One scene in Eudora met with disapprobation, but the play was gen erally approved at the theater* Hhen Hayley encountered Burgoyne in a 3*Ibld», xxil-ocsiil* ^Ibid*, xxiii* ^% bid.. aorvii-xjeviii. 6^Ibid*. janriii-aoex* 152 breakfast room the morning following the production, th© General ex- claimed, "i gi^e yon Joy of your success *"® 7 "Bo you call such a reoepiion success, General?" Hayley asked* "It will not satisfy mas as an author of th© stage* I must have full, unequivocal applause or none at all; I have withdrawn the tragedy»" "Have you indeed*-! do not think that ■was necessary,n Burgoyne re plied* "for with & little improvement in the decoration, and acting of th e co m e , i t would have produced its proper effect—yet I applaud your s p i r i t . " 6 8 She o bservations made by Btargoyne fo r Hayley 5 s benefit are suffi cient to show that he ms a very good critic* Just how ho ranked as one, we cannot say* but it seems evident that he ms looked upon as one ldiose judgment could be trusted* He appears to have known the history of drama well* His observations also show that his knowledge of drama m s not limited to comedy alone, but rather to the various types as they had developed in both England and France* 5* Speeches There are several of burgoyne* s speeches s till in existence* They a re t e be found fo r the most p a rt in Be Fohblanqu©* s P o litic a l and M ili tary Episodes and A State of the Expedition* Only two—and these in substance only—were published in a single volume* She speeches comem the General *s political and military life* Hhen he m e elected to Parliament in 1766, he became interested in two 69 subjects s England s foreign policy and the war office *®17 His most suc cessful speeches in Parliament were probably those that had to do with A - 'j * . i * | gIb id ** Stephen*, "John Burgoyne,"the Dictionary of National Bio graphy. TO, 840. 135 the Falkland Isle* and the government of India *7 0 It appears that his speech concerning the Falkland Islands was the first to arouse any particular interest in Parliament. England had been late in seeking any adjustment with Spain relative to an a tta ck nade by a Spanish admiral on Fort Egmont in the summer of 71 1770* Burgoyne contended that the reparation made by Spain was in adequate and derogatory to national honor* Speaking against the govern ment, ha said3 Spain gave fifteen minutes to an officer to evacuate a garrison ! Great Britain slept four months after the Insult* It has been the fashion te maintain ( 1 have seen it in print, and I have heard It in conversation) that m ilitary men were prejudiced judges in questions of this nature* Sir, I dis dain the idea, and denounce It in the name of my profession* The man who would want only to promote bloodshed, who upon private views of advantage or ambition would involve Europe in war, would be a promoter of ferocity—a disgrace to his profession, to his country, and to human nature* Burgoyne* s independence in voting and speaking on the matters of the Falkland Islands gained seise prestige for him* Soon after this matter was settled, the malpractices of the East India Company came before Parliament, and because of Burgoyne 1 s reputation at the time, *the management of this great question seems to have been spontaneously conceded to him, as a member whose knowledge of tho subject, and whose 78 capacity and influence would enable him to deal with it successfully*” On April IS, 1772, he proposed that a select committee of thirty- one members should inquire into the affairs of the East India Company, to deteraise its nature, its constitution, the powers invested in it, 74 and its management and abuses* He believed the evils practiced by tl» company were the result of an ill-framed cornstltut ion, one which 7° I Md . 7^De Fonblanque, op « c l t *, 92* 7^Quoted from ibid. , 92-93• 7 3 Ib id .* 9 4 * 74ibld* 1 U gave play to th© "vioioue passions of men*" Th© purpose of the inquixy, he brought cut, was not an aot of hostility toward th© company? his ob jective was to sheer what measures would best enable it to fu lfill its obligation of trust end confidence to the people* Concluding his spirited speech* he said t I urge any further excitements ? The fete of a g r e a t portion of tho globe* the fate of groat States in which your rat is involved, the distresses of fifteen millions of p eo p le, th e rights of humanHy are involved in this question* Good God I ©hat a ©all! The native of Hindustan, bom a slave,— bis seek beat from, the very cradle to th© yoke,—by birth, by ©duoation, by climate, by religion, a patient, submissive, grill ing subject to Eastern despotism, first begins to feel, first shakes his chains, for the first time complains under the pre eminence of B ritish tyranny* In dune, 1777, Burgoyne spoke to th© Indiess at a camp upon the Bouquet Biver, expressing his interest in their welfare and bin apprecia t io n of their loyalty and support in th© campaign against the colonists* Sis diplomatic nature is evident, for he addresses them as subjects of th e King, praises their principles of affection toward Ms Majesty, calls than brothers of war, and lauds their superiority In perseverance to r e s i s t hanger, weariness, and pain* 76 Shortly after he returned to England in 1778, the House of Commons was gravely cone ©rued over the disaster in America, and arguments for against the conduct of Burgoyne in the colonies ensued* The General h i m s e l f appeared In th© House on May 2 6 , 1778* On tho motion of a Mr* Tyner, the House resolved itself into a committee for the purpose of considering "the transactions of th© northern army under Lieutenant Gart- erel Burgoyne, of the state and condition of the said araoy,^ including ^Quoted from ibid*. 104-105* 7 %h© speech is quoted in Burgcyne*s A State of the Appendix, xli-xiii* 135 the treaty with the Indians and the means by which Burgoyne was re leased and returned t© England *7 7 In the beginning of his speech, Burgoyne took up the question of the Indians end ”spoke nearly as follows*” Sir* I ewer esteemed the Indian allienees* at best a necessary evil* I ever believed their services to be over valued; sometimes insignificant, often barbarous, always capricious; and that the employment of them was only ju sti fiable, when by being united to a regular army, they could be kept-under control, and made subservient to a general system* Be pointed out that he had agreed with Sir Guy Carleton in that the Indians should not be employed separately, as was their wish* Bvery precaution was made, Burgoyne showed, to prevent any barbarity on their part* He else answered General Germain’s charge of misconduct on hie part, for discharging the Indians* He stated that the Indians had deserted St* Inc, their leader, and that St* Luc in turn, to gain minis terial favor, had Joined Lord Germain in censuring him* Much of the remainder of the speech is a continued explanation of hie personal position during the course of the campaign, recounting the status of the any and the amount of equipment in charge* His return on parole, be stated, was due to his ill health* Turning again to Lord Germain, he assailed him for having tried to prejudice the public against him, and asked his audience to grant him an inquirys As for myself , if I am guilty, I fear I am deeply guiltyt an army lost! the sanguine expectation of the kingdom disap pointed! a foreign ?>ar caused, or the commencement of it accel erated! an effusion of as brave blood as ever ran In British veins shed, end the severest family distresses combined with public calamity*—If this mass of miseries be indeed the con sequences of ny misconduct, vaih will be the extenuation I can 7?«fpte Burgoyne, The Suhgteoee o f General Burgoyne' gEpaetiheji. ju Mr* r* s M otion, on the Z 6 th of Hay; and upon Mr* Hartleyrs Motion« Z$tjfi pf lifey« ITfFTLcmdon, J . llmon, 17?$), 1-27 *Ibld«, 3* 188 plead of my personal sufferings, fatigue and hardship, labor ious days and sleepless nights, ill ho a 1 th and trying situa tions s poor and insufficient will be such atonement in the judgment of my country, or perhaps in the eyes of God—yet with this dreadful alternative in view, I provoke a trial— Give me an inquiry—I put the interests that hang most em- phatically by the heartstrings of man—«y fortune—say honour— ay head—I had almost said ray salvation, upon the test* Two days later, May 28, 1788, Burgoyne was again present in the House* Hhen he asked to speak, in order to deliver his sentiments, a cry rose up for him to "Go on I* He did not continue his argument for an inquiry, but confined his remarks to a discussion of the present state of the country* Be reproved those whose indifference would act allow them to consider the desperate circumstances of the country, the impending danger resulting f r a an enasy "prepared on the neighboring coast*" in his opinion Eng land* a salvation depended "upon the confidence of the people in some form of government*" Be showed than that the English nation was in a state of turmoil and that Parliament needed an inspiration in order to make England a greater cation* If it were so enlivened, different factions would cease to be; the result would be a constructive unification* Then the attempts "of the enemy would only tend to the glory and future stability of the state*"®** Although Burgoyne was e forceful speaker, he did net rank with hie contemporaries, Fooc and Pitt* His speeches show a dignity and eloquence of style; they are forceful because of their simple and direct language* 7 9 Ibid*, SO* 8 0 Ibid*, 34-42 CHAPTER IV CONCLUSION General Burgoyne*s three major Interests in public life were poli ties, military affairs, and literature# Each interest is closely asso ciated with the others* Bis literary work, however, has been obscured ty hie activity in the other two fields* He was not the literary genius of Ms tine| neither was he the greatest general or statesman; yet it ■set be greeted that the role he played in each field ranked him as an important figure* His literary work may be divided into three separate groups: drama, poetry, and non-drametie prose* Of these, it is obvious that his drama is his greatest contribution to literature* The desire to pay tribute te hie wife’s nephew, Lord Stanley, led him to attempt his first dramatic piece* It seems evident that the success of the entertainment at the ftte chanpetre encouraged him to revise it for the stage, the consequence of w hich brought him into contact with Garrick, who recognised him as a potential playwright and encouraged him. Nhen The Maid of the Oaks, a fiv e -a c t condo opera, was performed a t Drury lame, it m s recognized as on© of the most spectacular performances ever given there* Its success was due in part to Garrick, whose interest was two-folds be had supervised the writing of the play; he personally wasted the first play, it seems, of a popular man---well known in social, military, political circles—to be a success, so much so that he spared neither time nor money for its presentation* In a d d itio n to The Maid of the Oaks, Burgoyne wrote a second comic n r 138 opera* Beth «w« influenced by the French drama* In his letter to Garrlok# he says that The Maid of the Oaks was "taken in some degree from the French*" The "art, regularity, elegance, delicacy, touches ©f sentiment” of the French drama, he believed, when blended with the fore© and strength of the English, would produce a new type of comic ©per© la England. Burgoyne, however, went further in his borrowing frm the French* The plot for The Lord of the Manor he took from Mar- aentel's Silvain* Bichard Coear d© Lion is a translation ©f Sedaine*s work by the sea© name* Burgoyne ©alls the play a "Historical Romance," a name ap plied to one of the various types of drama which developed in the latter part ©f the eighteenth century and which were finally to culminate in forming a new type altogether—the melodrama* The s © Idle r-playwri ght wrote three other plays, each representa tive of a different type of dramas The Blockade of Boston, a farce satirising the stupidity of the rebel colonists; As You Like I t, an opera based on Shakespeare*s pastoral comedy; end The Heiress, a eorasdy of man ners* The first two mentioned were never published* Though the plot for The Heiress perhaps owes something to Diderot*s j?£ Famille» it was taken mainly from Mrs* Lennox* s Henrietta* This play by Burgoyne, as well as his As You Like It, shows that he was sot dependent solely upon the French for plots* The Blockade of Boston, though not extant, may be considered of some im portance: i t shows Burgoyne's aptness in s a tir e ; i t was the source of inspiration for The Blockheads, a fare© ridiculing the British; It was perhaps the third drama written in America and acted on the stage* On the other hand, his As You Like It was a failure as a dramatic piece; yet It calls to mind three items: the General * 6 varied interest in the opera; his attempt to carry out hi# theozy of op©raj his ability as a lyric poet. F«*r of Burgoyne*® plays reflect the ©banging tendencies in the drama o f the l a s t h a lf o f th e century* The Maid of the Oaks r e c a lls the eeaaedy as written by Congreve and revived in the General's own time by Gold smith and Sheridani *&©reae The Lord o f the Manor po in ts more toward the other extreme, the sentimental comedy of the time* There is present in The lord of the Manor, though, the genuine comedy that provokes lan& ter* specially in the soenes shore La Mlppe, Peggy, and Moll Flagon are speaking* Burgcyne did not approve a drama of "continued uninter rupted scene# of tenderness and sensibility*" For that reason, his plays which reflect the sentimental vein most, The Heiress and The Lord of the Manor* are interspersed with true comedy of the Goldsmith and Sheridan type* The Heiress shews specially that the dramatist had not neglected to represent with fidelity the manners of the world and the follies of th e day* A popular play on the stage. The Heiress goes a step further than representing merely a fusion of two types of drama—the comedy of manners and the sentimental play* It foreeasts the trend toward the melodrama near the close of the century and in all probability gave impetus to lbs growth and development* The same may be said of Richard Coeur de Liras, for its tone and atmosphere are decidedly melodramatic* Because he used plots from English and French sources, Burgoyne was called a plagiarist* To explain the chargee, he discussed the issues in the prefaces to his plays* He did not consider himself a plagiarist simply because he had borrowed a plot, for in doing so he had followed the greatest of dramatists* As for borrowed ideas, he admitted that those obtained from reading soon faded in one's memory so that a writer did net MO hfcow whether they were adapted or created as time went by* That he possessed sens o rig in a lity i s riiown in th e treatm ent of the source material• By adding characters, satirical scenes, new incidents e f p l o t , he made h ie work e n tire ly d iffe re n t—th e c h a ra c te rs, modes of fashions, end customs being adapted to an English environment* This sa n e tendency he follows in hia translation of Richard Coeur de Lion* Though some of th e ch a ra c te rs in th e plays c lo se ly resemble those i s th e sources fr o n which they were taken, this does not imply that Bur- geyne could net ereate characters* The best evidence of his skill is seen in suah original creations as Peggy, Moll Flagon, and the Blandishes* Burgoyne dees net seam to have considered himself a professional writer* Perhaps had he been forced to depend upon his literary work as a mease of livelihood, as did Brydea, he would have produced much more* Certainly he knew the principles of dramatic writing and was familiar with the drama of England, France, and Italy, as is shown in the pref aces* Be did n e t receive any literary help apparently from say one other than Garrick, even though Hudleston says Sheridan helped him to write th e H e ir e s s * On the other hand, he was perhaps called upon often to rea d er critical assistance* Yihat he wrote of drama was popular on the stage and in the eloset* His importance ae a playwright, it seems, lies in the stimulus which he gave to the development of the English comic opera and the melodrama in the latter part of the century and in the role he played in America as an actor and dramatist* the fact that Burgoyne wrote several types of verse with as much ease apparently in one instance as in another and without using his poetry as a means of establishing any sort of reputation as a poet for himself brings 0120 to the conclusion that he possessed some ability as a poet, but that he lacked on appreciation of the greater and more lofty aspects of poetry* u t Xa writing the pesms which have earn® tom to us, he appears always to have had a definite purpose in mind, one which was far from the gen eral objective of poetry as literature* The songs were essential to th e typo o f drama which he eeem* to have lik e d b e st % the occasional peswt were written to honor acne one, to caraaemcrate a friend or rela tive in a style more dignified than ordinary proses hie prologue® and epilogues advertised his own plays or those of others and gave him an opportunity to satirise or criticise as he saw fit} the satirical poetry was written primarily to ridicule his political enemies* As a poet, Burgeyna is of little literary significance* Like many of his other works, his poetry reflects the genial disposition of the nan* dram in his satirical poems, he does not become too bitter* There seam® alwajrs the presence of the genteel* Bargsyus*® prose writings are many* If we exclude the critical prose, they are the least significant when judged for their literary value* It is evident that his speeches, official records, and docu ments ware mot intended as literary masterpieces* Their style, while appropriate to the occasions for which they were written, is not remark able in itself* Thsre are mazy indications that Burgoyne m s gifted as a pros® writer* Although many of his letters show a verbose style, polished and flowery and weighted with exaggerated sentiments and expressions eOBtaon in his time, there is in muoh of the prose a methodical orderli ness which shows a directness of expression* There are evidences that he possessed a keen power of description and could narrate with ease, so a s to make h is most oommonplaoe work of some in te re st* Burgoyne*s ability as a soldier lay In oonooption rather than in execution.} in the planning of a campaign rather than in carrying it out* u z G enerally speaking, th e seme may be aaid of hi® l i t e r a r y aooompllsh** meats* Hi® work, not great in itself, i® important In that it shows evidence of purpose and design beyond that of many of his professional contemporaries. Talent unquesilmably he had? that It ms not; more strikingly developed may be charged to the fact that he ms a man of diverse interests and of more than one profession* The circumstances under which he lived, the sense of values which prevailed in the fashionable world In idiioh he moved, and the facility with which ho tamed from the sword to the pen and back again may have conspired to deprive English literature of one of its truly great figures* His influence upon the English drama m s perhaps greater than has been thoughti but it cannot be said that his actual accomplishment was of equal consequence* It is as a man who ms interested in literature** in some respect# in advance of his day* in others sharing its foibles and weaknesses, yet withal of a brilliant and remarkably balanced Intel* leet*—that he merits our consideration* Swift’s bitterness toward man*# stupidity m s not for him? neither m s Cervantes* amiable geniality toward man’s weaknesses; his m s, in literature as in life, the golden mean* afpindix i A RECORD OF TEE PERFORMANCES OF BURGCYMB9S FLATS m ENGLAND AND AMERICA This chronological lis t of ploys has been compiled from the follow* 1fig SOQFMtl John Gensst, Seme Account of the English Stage from the Barrington, 1852* the Gentleman 9 b Magagine, 1774-1806* Dougald MacMillan, Drury Lane Calendar: 1747-1776* Oxford* Clarendon Frees , 19$8» George Odell* Annals of the Sow York Stage* 4 vcls* Sew York, Columbia University Press* 1927-1928* George O* Seilhamer, A History of the American Theatre* 3 v ela* PhiladeTphla, Blob© Printing; House, '£§§§• Only the date on which one of Burgoyne 9 a plays was acted Is given in this appendix* The stain performance end the afterpiece, whether or not both were by Burgoyne* are indicated» In each instance, Burgoyne*s play is underlined* The recurrence of a play on following days In th e same month is ifidioated by D itto * 143 I* A m co m OF THE PERFORMANCES OF BHSGOyHE*S FLATS IN ENGLAND* 1774*1824 Brury Lane Theatre 1774 5 •The Maid of tiie Oaks* The M iller i 7 D itto . Yhe Register Office 8 D itto* The ly a r 1 0 D itto* The Deuse is In Him 1 2 D itto* The Mayor of G aratt 14 D itto* The Rote of Hand 16 Ditto* High Life below Stairs 17 D itto * The Author 16 D itto* The Lottery 2 2 D itto* The Guardian 28 D itto* The Mayer of G aratt 26 D itto* The Lottery 80* D itto* Catherine and Petruchio Doowribsr 5 pie Held of the Oaks* The Register Office 10 H tfc e . The I r i s h Widow 14 D itto* The Cobler 28 Ditto. Ditto 1778 Jsan ary 5 p» Maid of the Poke. The Register Office IS Ditto* The Guardian 19 Ditto* The lyar February 4 The Maid of the Oaks. Catherine and Petruchio 16 Ditto. High Life fcelcw Stairs 28 Ditto* The Deuce is in Him *Fir»t performance Hereh 16 Maid of the Oaks* The Xrieh VUidotr A p r il 2 T th e Maid of th e Oaks * The 2® The Maid of th e Oaks* The Lyar S e e o t s r 4 th e Maid of th e Oak a# Bon Ton 6 H ttoT^fite 15 S ltte « The S u ltan 1776 February 8 The Maid of the Oaks* The Jubilee March 26 th e Maid o f th e Qake# Ben Ton A p ril 9 pie Maid of the Oaks. The Spanish lady 80 fctto* The Waterman 1780 February ^ The Maidof th e Oaks* The C ritic Kerch 2 The Maid of th e Oaks* The C ritic December 27 »The lo rd o f th e Manor* The SB Bit to* f'ertunatoe 2 0 D itto* The C r itic 30 Ditto# Queen Mab 146 1TO January 1 The Lord o f th e Manor* The Ju b ile e 8 D itto* All the World 1 s 1 0 D itto* The Dlopwae&t 1 1 D itto * The ly a r IS D itto* All the World's a Stage 15 D itto* Bon Ton 16 D itto* The A pprentice U D itto* Bon Ton 2 0 D itto* The A pprentice February 1 The Lord c f th e Manor* Robinson Crusoe 7 D itto : D itto 9 D itto* D itto 14 D itto* D itto 28 D itto* D itto March & The Lord of th e Manor* A p ril 28 The Lord cf th e Manor* SO D itto* Bon Ten O ctober ® P 8 rf the Kan or* Ben ten l l D itto * Robinson Crusoe 1782 January 21 the Lord cf the Manor* the Maid of the Oaks (first appear- anee as an afterpiece) 2S C arnival of Venice* The Maid of th e Oaks 25 The F a ir C ircassian* " l i t t o 28 Carnival of Venice* Ditto February 1 Tie West Indian* Hie Maid of th e Oaks 4 The Lord of th e Manor* D itto 6 TEe Wiy’oT 'tbe WorT37 D itto 11 Carnival of Venice* Ditto 14 A Trip to Scarborough * Ditto 16 The Lord cf the Manor* The Apprentice 21 TEe SohooT”fo r Scandal* The Maid of the Oaks Karsh 7 V ariety* Th© Maid o f the Oaks The Sehool^^iSlTnD ltt^ A p ril 8 The Lord of th e Manor* Boo Ton 9 Clandestine Marriage* The Maid of the Oaks 19 Cymoa* D itto 28 The bonder* Ditto Kay 9 The Lord of th e Manor* The Divoroe IT for Soendal* The Maid of the Oaks 1789 Kawoebe? IB The Lord cf the Manor* Deaf Lovers 1784 »«y 7 *** o f th e Manor* The liopem eat 1789 dam axy 14 •The Heiress* The Quaker 19 D itto* The Kngiiafcman in F aria 17 D itto* All the farld'i a Stage 19 D itto* Hurly Burly 2 0 D itto* D itto 2 1 D itto* The Bes&p 29 D itto* Hurly Burly 24 D itto* The V irgin Unmask'd 25 Ditto* Ditto 28 D itto* Hurly Burly 27 D itto* D itto 28 D itto* The V irgin Unmask'd February 2 The H eiress* Hurly Burly 8 D itto* The V irgin Unmask'd 7 D itto* The Heap 1 0 D itto* The V irgin Unmask'd 14 D itto* D itto 16 D itto* The Romp 2 2 D itto* The V irgin Unmask'd 25 D itto* D itto 28 D itto* D itto 148 March 14 th e H eiress ♦ The Hemp 25 Ditt"cu She Gentle Shepherd 60 D itto * The Romp A p ril * life cf tfos Manor* the u » p 8 th e h e ire ss * th e Virs&n Unmask’d n D itto ^ DorH th e Manor* th e Romp 27 ?Ee l^w a*"n5itt^ May 4 th e H eiress * th e V irgin Unmask’d 1 2 Slfete* *Efee Sap 12 D itto * the Gentle Shepherd 21 th e herd o f th e Manor* She Humorist September 3 th e Hotness* The G entle ihepherd October 1 7 H e ire ss* The Heap 24 Ike Winter’s tale* ♦Riohard Coeur d# Lion 25 A Bold Stroke for a Husband* Ditto” 26 the Wonder* Ditto 27 The Chaoses* Ditto 28 Stale a Wife and Hare a Wife* Ditto 50 The Miser* D itto 51 A trip to Scarborough♦ Ditto lavcraber 14 The Confederacy* Rloha rd Coeur de Lion 16 Brery Man In H ie Humour* Dit"io 16 Clandestine Marriage* Ditto 2 0 the School for Scandal* Ditto 21 The H eiress * D itto 27 X School for Grey Beards* Ditto 28 A Trip to Scarborough* Ditto 80 The Heiress* Ditto December 4 The Wonder* Richard Coeur de Lion 11 Lore for Lore* Ditto 12 A School for Grey Beards* Ditto 14 Ditto* Ditto 16 Love for Lore* Ditto 20 Use Country G irl* D itto 28 th e Heiress* Ditto 29 The fecuntiy Girl* Ditto 149 178? 8 ?he ?*etKier* Richard Coeur do Lion 6 A Trip to Scarborough* Ditto 8 The H eiress* The Ju b ile e 10 M a o Wife and Hove a Wife* Richard Coeur de Lion 12 She Would end She Would Rot* D itto 18 Stratagem* Ditto 2 0 A Trip to Scarborough* Ditto 26 The Heiress* First Floor 27 The Country Girl* Riohard Coeur de Lion Februajy 2 Sole a Wife end Have a Wife* Riohard Coeur de Lion 8 Love for Lore* Ditto 2 Ditto* Ditto IS Stratagem* Ditto 14 Love for Lore* Ditto 2 0 The Heiress* Ditto 27 Hifte* Ditto Harsh 8 A School for Gray Beards* Riohard Coeur de Lion IS Seduction* Ditto 19 D itto* D itto 28 She Would end She Would Hot* D itto A p ril U The H eiress* H arlequin’s In v ita tio n 26 Seduction• Riohard Coeur de Lion 18 The H eiress* Double D isguise 26 The Bel rose* The Humorist June 5 The Heiress* Harlequin’s Invitation O ctober 20 Tbs H e ire ss* Cornua Hoveatber 7 The H eiress* The S ultan 8 TBS' Cour&Ty Girl* Richard Coeur de Lion 27 Hew Peerage* Ditto 22 The Pilgrim* Ditto 28 D itto* D itto 29 Double Dealer* Ditto December 1 The H eiress* Cornua 150 1786 25 The H eiress* H arlequin Ju n io r n ary * •^le Heiress* Comus ii 27 The Way t© Seep Him* Richard Coeur de Lion A pril 1 The Regent* Riohard Coeur de Lion 4 Clandestine Marriage • D itto 9 She la te* Hitt© 14 The Heiress* #Tis on 111 Wind That Bice* Nobody Cood 18 IKe Pilgrim* Richard Coeur de Li o s 84 She H eiress* The 6 rltl© 2 Constant Couple* Richard Coeur do Lion 8 The Heiress* She loierman 12 B itted Coobxs 15 King Lear* Riohard Coeur de Lion 7 A Trip to Scarborough* Riohard Coeur de Lion 9 The School fo r Scandal* D itto IS Constant Couple* Ditto September 2 $ A Trip to Sea thorough* Richard Coeur de Lion O ctober 8 A Trip to Scarborough* Richard Coeur de Lion 9 The Heiress* Arthur and 1 1 Love for Lore* Richard Coeur de Lion 18 Twelfth Bight* D itto 2S The H eiress * Comuc November S The Heiress* Doctor and the Apothecary 2 0 A Trip to Scarborough* Richard Coeur de Lion December S The Heiress * The Pannel 8 Love for Love* Richard Coeur de Lion 2 The Country Oirl* Hi chard Coeur do Lion 16 Ditto* Ditto 25 The Confederacy* Ditto March 26 The Confederacy* lichard Coeur de Lion A p ril 15 Loire fo r Lore* Riohard Coeur de Lion 14 The Lord of the Manor (Hot acted in three years)* ^ T S ^ i e e ------16 D e H eiress* The 22 iU s* Appearances • Richard Coeur de Lion **y 6 The Heiress» Doctor end Apothecary 15 Vittel fhe Critio IS The Confederacy- Riohard Coeur de Lion 2 2 Leeture S epteeber 26 The Heiress* C o b u s O ctober 6 The Heiress* The Jubilee 26 Henry the Fifth* Richard Coeur de Lion H crasher 2 Fing Henry the Fifth* Richard Coeur da Lion 6 Lore for Lore* Ditto 6 Ring Henry the Fifth. Ditto 1 1 The Heiress* The Follies of 0 Day December 29 The Heiress* The Quaker 1790 February 28 The Said of the Oaks* The C ritio A p ril 5 The Heiress* Island of St. Marguerite May 4 The Heiress* Doctor and the Apotheoaxy 25 D itto . The Quaker 252 Septem ber H eiress* The S p o i l t Child Wovember 11 fhe Heiress* He Song Ho Supper i m February 24 The Heiress* Ho Seng Ho Supper 25 bit to* island of St* Marguerite Cte June 4, 1791, the lest perforaane© was given in the old Drury Lane Theatre* While the theater m e being pulled down and a new one built* the Drury Lane Company performed at the Opera House, or the King*a Theatre in the Haym&rkeh (see the list of the performances of Burgeyne*s plays under Saymarket Theatre in this appendix for the 1791-1792 and 1792-1795 seasons}• Frwf*September, 1795* to March 1 2 , 1794* the date of the opening of the Hew Drury Lane Theatre, the Drury Lane Company appears to have been idle* See John Gene s t, Seme Account ©f the State from the Restoration in 1660 to 1350 "(Bath, H* "¥* Carrington* 185^), ^117^* 85, 141, and 149. Hew Drury Lane Theatre 1794 June 26 The Heireea* Lodoiska Sept e mbe r 20 The Heiress* My Grandmother 1795 February 5 The Heiress* Lodoiska Hay 4 The H eiress* My Grandmother 1796 A p ril 26 The Heiress * The Wedding Day O ctober 1 9 A Bold Stroke for a Wife* Riohard Coeur de Lion 2 5 The Belles* Stratagem* Ditto 2 7 The Beaux Stratagem* Ditto November 1 The Heiress* Scotch Ghost* The Prisoner B ^he ItKSiis* The Seotoh Ghost* Riohard Coeur de Lion 22 Provod’d Husband* Riohard Coeur de Lion X Riehard Coour do Lion* Child of Nature* The Seotoh Ghost ffcie ApprojttHee " 5 The Faroe of R h d ieu le* Riohard Coeur de Lion 1797 January ® Coeur do Lion* The Seotoh Ghost* Who’s the Dupe? SofelBsen' Crusoe 14 A Chapter ©f Accidents • Riohard Coeur de Lion IT The Ch&noes* Ditto SB Theodosias * Ditto February The Eeiress* No Seng No Supper Marsh 90 Measure for Measure* Riohard Coour do Lion A p ril 80 The M ill* R iehard Coeur de Lien m Ditto* Ditto May 25 Bealet* Richard Coeur de Lion June 16 The Heiress* Higi Life below Stairs November 8 Henry the Fourth* Part I* Riohard Coeur de Lion 25 Ditto* Ditto* December 1 0 A Bold Stroloe for a Wife* Riehard Coeur de Lion 1808 May 27 The High Road to Larriage* The Maid of the Oaks (It had not been acted in sixteen years* HSee C'eneet, op* p it* V II, 574.) 154 1304 May A Wife of Two Husbands • The Maid of th e Oaks October 6 The Beaux Stratagem* Richard Coeur de Idon 8 The School for Scandal« Ditto 8 The Beaux Stratagem* Ditto 11 The School fo r Scandal* D itto IS The Wonder* D itto 15 The School for Scandal* Ditto 16 The Wonder* D itto 18 As Ton Like It* Ditto SI The Beaux Stratagem* Ditto 24 As Ton Like I t . D itto 27 Provok’d Husband* Ditto 30 The Wonder* D itto Wovember 14 The Recruiting Officer* Richard Coeur de Lion 15 The Soldier’s Daughter* Ditto December 11 The Heiress* The Caravan 12 The Rivals* Richard Coeur de Lion 14 The Heim s* Matrimony 30 The Bean Stratagem* Richard Coeur de Lion 26 The B usy Body* Old Harlequin's Fireside* Richard Coeur da Lion SI She Stoops to Conquer* Old Harlequin's Fireside* Richard Coeur de Lion 1805 January 26 The Jew* Richard Coeur de Lion February 2 The Honeymoon* Richard Coeur de Lion A p ril 6 Barbarossa* Riohard Coour de Lion 17 The Honey-Moon* fcitt o 20 Ditto* Ditto 27 The W e s t Indian* Ditto 1828 May 27 The Lord of the Manor Haymarfeet Theatre 1782 August 15 Life and Death of Common Sense* Twelfth Night The Maid of the Oaks 1786 August 17 The H eiress 1788 J u ly 7 Seeing i s B elieving* Peeping Tom* The Maid of th e Oaks 11 Seeing is Believing* The Maid of the~5aks 22 flays and Mease* Ditto 1791 THE BEBRY LANE COMPANY AT THE BAYEARKET OTEMTRE November 5 The Heiress* Dos Juan 06 I S - Inconstant* Riohard Coeur de Lion 18 The Confederacy* Ditto 25 The School for Scandal • Ditto 26 The Heiress* Ditto 29 The Wonder* D itto December 1 Provok'd Husband* Riohard Coeur de Lion 5 The School fo r Scandal* D itto 6 The Careless Husband* Ditto 6 Provok'd Husband* Ditto 16 The Heiress* Ditto 19 Love for love* Ditto 21 The Country Girl* Ditto 22 The Heiress* The Sultan 25 Know tour Own Mind • Riohard Coeur de Lion 29 The Inconstant* Ditto SO The Heiress * The Devil to Pay 156 m s March 8 The Confederacy* Bichard Occur da Lion 28 The Country Girl* Ditto A p ril 9 As You Like It* Riohard Occur d© Lion 15 The Rivals* Ditto 19 Lore for Lore* The Festive Bard* Richard Coeur de Lion May 1 Twelfth Night* Riehard Coeur de Lion 2 # The Spoiled Child* Ditto June 16 The H e ire ss* The First Floor September 89 The Careless Husband* Riohard Coeur de Lion O ctober IS The Fugitive* Riohard Coeur de Lion IS The Heiress* 'Sue Cave of fropKonius November 5 Riohard the Third* Riohard Coeur de Lien 1 2 Ditto* Ditto December 6 The Inconstant* Richard Coe tar de Lion 1 0 The B e lle s’ Stratagem* D itto 11 The H eiress* The P riso n er 18 School for Scandal • Riohard Coeur de Lion 1798 January 18 The Heiress* No Song after Supper February 7 The Fugitive* Richard Coeur de Lion 28 The Country Girl* Ditto At the end of this season (1792-1798) the Drury Lane Company ended its engagement at the Haymarket* 1828 September 80 The Lord of th e Manta* 157 Cerent Garden Theatre 1788 A p ril 25 Much Ado about Nolfoing* The Maid of th e Oaks May 5 ttueh Ado about Nothing* The Maid of th e Oaks 22 A ll in the Wrong* D itto 1784 February 15 The C apricious La^y. The Maid of the Qafca 16 Ditto* Steal Knights* 'D itto 20 A ll in th e Wrong* D itto* D itto 24 Ditto* Ditto* Ditto Marsh 29 AH in th e Wrong* The Maid of the Oaks A p ril 16 A ll In the Wrong* The Maid of th e Oaks 1785 January 14 A ll in the Wrong* The Maid of th e Oaks February 2 A ll in the Wrong. The Maid of th e Oaks May 5 A ll in the Wrong • The Maid of th e Oaks O ctober 10 A ll in th e Wrong* The Maid of the Oaka 158 1788 February 4 The Conscious Lovers* The Meld of th e Oaks 11 D itto* D itto Hay 2 2 Marian* The Maid o f th e Oaks 26 Ditto* Ditto l" done 9 Marian* The Faraer* The Maid of th e Oaks 1789 Marsh 28 Sehool f o r Wives • The Maid of the Oaks A p ril 29 The Beggarra Opera* The Maid of th e Oaks May 14 The H e ire ss* The In trig u in g Chambermaid 1790 Februaiy 4 Buie a Wife And Have a Wife* The Maid of th e Oaks WevsBber 19 The Conscious Levers• The Maid of th e Oaks 1791 March 8 The Woodman* The Maid of th e Oaks 1792 October 18 The Bead to Ruin* The Maid of the Oaks IS9 m s November 11 Th© Castle of Andalusia * The Maid of the Oaks 1796 A p ril BO Svery On© Has His Fault* Arrived at Portsmouth * The Maid o f th e Oaks 1812 Octo b e r 27 The Lord of the Manor According to Genest* op* c it., VIII, 570371, the play ess acted sixteen times during the season# Ho epee if io dates ere gbrsm for the performances following October 27. 1814 24 Richard Coeur de Lion* The Devil to Pay 1816 June 7 The Lord of the Manor* Tom Thumb* Venetian Vagaries Liverpool Bills 1776 June 28 The Maid o f the Oaks 160 II* A RECORD OF TO PERFORMANCES OF BURGOTKE*B PLAYS IK AMERICAi 1779-1856 Plav Playhouse August 4 , 1779 The Maid o f th e Oake The T heatre, Ja m lea February 25, 1788 The H eiress John Street Theatre Hew Yolk August 27, 1788 The H eiress Philpot’s Hill Theatre Baltim ore A p ril 4 , 1789 The H eiress Southwark Theatre Philadelphia June 4, 1789 The H eiress John Street Theatre New York Decembe r 15, 1789 The Heiress John Street Theatre Hew York Feferoary 15, 1790 The Heiress Southwark Theatre Philadelphia June 2 0 , 1794 The H eiress John Street Theatre New York April 29, 1795 The H eiress Chestnut St* Theatre Philadelphia September SO, 1795 The H eiress Holiday St* Theatre Baltim ore May 16, 1796 The Maid o f th e Oaks Boston Theatre Boston May 23, 1796 The Maid of th e Oaks Chestnut St* Theatre Philadelphia August 15, 1796 The Maid of -the Oaks . Holiday St* Theatre Baltim ore October 5 , 1796 The Maid of the Oaks Boston Theatre Boston Jasuoxy23, 1797 Riohard Coeur de Lion Boston Theatre Boston January 25, 1797 Riohard Coeur de Lion Boston Theatre Boston February 15, 1797 Riohard Coeur de Lion Boston Theatre Boston September 26, 1797 The Maid of th e Oaks John Street Theatre New York June 11, 1798 The Maid of the Oaks Parifc Theatre New York Hay 20, 1799 The M&ld of the Oaks Park Theatre New York Hay 1, 1801 The H eiress Paik Theatre New York December 23, 1801 Riohard Coeur de Lion Pork Theatre New York 181 A p ril 21, 1806 The Maid of th e Oaks Park Theatre How York May 20, 1814 The Maid o f the Oaks Anthony St* Theatre Hew York February 2, 1818 The Lord of th e Manor Park the at r© Hew York ©•©ember 2 7 , 1826 The Lord of th e Manor Park Theatre Hew York January 11, 1828 The Lord of th e Manor Paife Theatre Hew York September 17, 1828 The Lord of th e Manor H«w Bowery Theatre Hew York October 4 , 1881 The Lord of th e Manor Park Theatre Hew York June 6, 1882 The Lord of the Manor Richmond H ill Theatre Richmond, Va* June 18, 1832 The Lord o f th e Manor Richmond H ill Theatre Richmond, Ya* July 15, 1855 The Lord o f th e Manor Park Theatre Hew York Doecsaber 11* 1855 The Lord o f th e Manor Chestnut St* Theatre Philadelphia April IS, 1886 Hi©hard Coeur de Lion Boweiy Theatre Hew York APPENDIX II SYHOPSES OF TEE PLAYS 102 163 THE 1SAIB OF THE OAKS A Synopsis Act Jt* S ir Harry Groveby meets h is friend Hupely, recently re turned from abroad, and t e l l s him about his approaching marriage to Marie* th e maid o f th e oaks and the orphan-ward of Mr* Oidworth. H® InTites Dupoly to a fSte ohampQtre, which has been arranged for the occasion by Mr* Oidworth* ^hen questioned, Sir Harry admits that his uncle Groveby knows nothing about the marriage* He presents his friend to Mr* Oidworth, who tells Hupely that a very attractive woman* lady Bab lardoon, is coming to the entertainment* Hurry, a restless, officious servant in charge of the preparations for the ffte ehampdtre, ad visee Hr* Oidworth to come down to the buildings* TRhert Hurry returns, Sir Harry instructs him to help Bupely dress* Korkmen of a ll sorts—gardeners, lamplighters, painters, and car penters—are busy preparing a transparency* An Ir ish p a in te r makes up a song to an Irish tune about the fete charapStre* The first act closes with the song* Act I I * While Maria is sitting under & great tree singing, waiting for her lover, Mr* Oidworth enters and wishes her the best of health, p ea ce, and love for the future* She questions him about her birth* Before the nigit is over, he promises her all mysteries will be cleared* She congratulates Maria and expresses her delight with the fete ohaiapStre* The three discuss town life, manners, etc* When Sir Harry is introduced to her, she rejoices in his happiness, sayings "Filer le parfit amour is the first happiness in life* but that you knew is totally out of the question in town* the matrimonial comforts in our way are absolutely reduced to twol to plague a man, and to bury him* the gloiy is to plague 164 first* sag bmy him afterwards#* The roup on, Sir Harry commends lady Bab fo r b rin g in g so smelt v iv a c ity to th e country* then Lady Bab tolls them of having had her mms in the papers* Hurry runs in to explain that lads and girls* shepherds and shepherdesses, with garlands in hand, have already appeared on the lava* As they arose the lawn, the rustics begin to sing and dance* Aet III* Old Groveby, booted and splashed, pushes Harry aside t e e s te r th e garden where the festival is taking place* He insists on seeing Id s nephew before the wedding, for he believes the girl Sir Barry is t e marry is without birth or fortune* He plans, therefore, to disin h erit him i f he f a ils to heed his warning* While Hurry has gone te find Sir Kerry, Groveby enters a grove, where he meets Maria* Thinking her a bridesmaid, he tells her who he i s and says th a t S ir Harry must give up the girl he is to marry* Groveby has become so fascinated with Maria that he says unknowingly, "Bad the blockhead but half an eye, he would have fallen in love with you) «d if hehad, there had been some excuse for his folly*” l$hen S ir B erry e n te r s, he is surprised to see his uncle* Marla departs, leavin g h er lo v e r to decide the course he will take* Old Groveby makes his decisions "Give up the lady, or give up me*" But he is more "bamboos led" when it beoomes known that Maria, the intended bride, is the girl to whom he has been talking* First, however, he must see her and be revenged* In a flower garden Lady Bab, dressed as a shepherdess, is talking te Oidworth, who suggests that she tease Bupely* A® Oidworth retires, Bupely enters looking for Sir Harry, but on meeting Lady Bab, whom he believes to be a rural maid, he at once beoomes interested* She tells him her name is Philly Nettletop* Mien the name of Lady Bab Lardoon is 16S mentioned, Pupely sayat "I should es soon b© in lov© with the figure of the Great Mogul at tho hook of a pack of cards*" Struggling to kiss her in return for her nosegay, ho is Interrupted by Hurry, who calls lady Bab by none, thus revealing her identity to Bepely* Oidworth and Sir Harry have overheard all and enter laughing* Bupely is dis tra c te d * Groveby approaches with Marla under his ana* At last he Is recon ciled te hie nephew 1 s choice* Hu paly continues to pay attention to lad y Bab* who has ccsae to look upon him w ith favor* Act IV* Hurry, the master of ceremonies , enters the grove in peat spirits, giving final orders for the fSte ohampGtre* Areadec of flowers appearj then follows the procession from the marriage* bells are ringing! the sound of musie fills the airs then all join in singing* After Oidworth thanks his friends and neighbors, they retire* He is greatly agitated, for he must tell Maria about her birth* She listens attentively as he relates how he became a widower at her birth and how he, to save her from the dangers of an heiress, did not disclose that she was his own child* Everyone attending the festival rejoices that Maria is Mr* Oidworth 1 s daughter* Aetaea, a cousin to ledy Bab, renders a hunting song, at the close of which the scene opens and discovers the garden Illuminated* Aetaea *nd her followers join the company* Hurry enters as ’'giddy as a goose" to urge the crowd to go to the Temple of Venice* Act V* The scene opens in a saloon /.here the wedding party con tinues to make merry* After a minuet, a shepherdess enters, drawing f o r w a r d a shepherd by the am* Then a number of songs and dances follow* The guests retire to the side of the saloon $ and when the curtains of 166 the saloon are dnin up, the ecwpeny Is dissevered at supper® A Druid enters and presents Maria with an oaken or own* Groveby is mad© happy» lady Bab la fas Oaks oan be distinguished again by his marriage to Lady Bab* She agrees, b u t she suggests a six months* probationary period as being proper for both* After a vaudeville by the shepherds and shepherdesses, the fete ohaapStre ends w ith a dance# 16? THE LORE OF THE MANOR A Synopsis Act lm Near tho park gates of a Gothic castle, where stands a small farmhous©, Sophie and Annette, daughters of the tenant Rashly, • r e seated on a turf working* Peggy* a servant to Sophia, enters to t e l l them that the new lord of the manor, Sir John Contrast, who is *ea rieh as M exico has arrived and that his son, Contrast, is expected to arrive at any moment* She tells Sophia, who is genteel, to forget Trnmore i n order to captivate the new landlord’s son* The steward o f th e manor is R en tal, who reproves Rashly as being th e only ten an t who has not congratulated the new landlord* In giving an explanation fo r his isdif ferenee. Rashly relates that he is the son of Sir John Contrast and that he was disinherited twenty years before because his father would not consent to his marriage* As a last recourse to happiness , he changed his name and settled on a small faim, where his wife died a few years later* La Hippo, affectedly dressed as a French valet do ehambre, enters in great spirits to announce the cCsing of his master, Contrast* Later, when his master arrives, with a gun in one hand and a silk parasol In the other, La Bippe rushes into Rashly* s house to avoid seeing him* Bo sooner has Contrast arrived than he begins to denounce the govern* most in Idie count iy* Rashly talks to him and looks upon his brother with disfavor because he i s a man of fashion* A fter La Bippe comes out of the house, taking Contrast aside to report th a t he has discovered a beautiful girl. Rental decides that La Bippe has some gm&e to p lay and t e l l s Rashly to ask Contrast to come inside for refreshment s * 168 Trumor** who la la love with Sophia, approaches singing and hopes to see Sophia, but Foggy finds him* She rebukes him for prowling like a fox about a hen-roost,” advising him to set his heart at rest, inasmuch as Sophia would soon be out of his reach * Trumore becomes jealous« Inside Rashly*s house, ha Nippe urges Contrast to pay attention to Sophia* X& order to accomplish her end, Foggy barings out a guitar and encourages Sophie to sing* After her song. La Nippe and Contrast leave* Act JEI* Sophia and Annette are discovered am in aim at a shrubbery, ifeere Sophia tells her sister that she hhd sooner die than oause Trumor© grief* Annette departs later* ** SAP!*. who has spied Sophia* beckons to Contrast to approach her* Seemingly by accident. Contrast meets her, whereupon he begins to make love* Sophia is so enraged that she bursts into tears* Trumor© arrives Just in time to save her* Then he and Contrast quarrel. Contrast deciding that "it would be as low to eeoept the challenge of a vulgar as to refuse it te an equal** Rashly enters and learns of Contrast's deceit* His affairs, he tells Sophia Trumore, will compel him to find another home* He, therefore, requests Sophia te be prepared to leave with him "at an hour's warning*” Infuriated, Contrast reports to La Nippe the result of his venture with Sophia, concluding that he will be revenged* He will place Rashly in jail for violating the game laws and the press act % and i f Sophia cannot be his, he will send Trumore to sea* At the farmhouse. Rashly tells Sophia that the absence of Trumore*a father, who might not approve her marriage to his son, makes the union impossible* Annette comes to them and reports that Rental and a strange gnaw are coming* To avoid seeing his father. Rashly sends Annette and Sophia to receive them* On meeting the two girls, Sir John is indifferent, 169 believing all his farm to be inhabited ”with evil-eyed wenches*; bat their innoc«*iee and simplicity win his favor* Before leaving he invites them and their father to come te the castle* He tells Rental that this family will be ”securedi protected* raisedI* A** HI* Nippe makes love to Peggy, but she tells him that she is a married woman* He proposes th a t she be his mistress and aid him in reconciling Sophia te Contrast* Peggy is angry* however, when he places fifty guineas in her hand, she relents, having seen a chance to play a tr ic k * She agrees t e meet him en hour before sunset at "the h ay -rick by the pool of the farmyard*” Recruits arc busy fitting up a large booth in the fom of a tent for the country make at the castle* Captain Trepan is hopeful that his booth, w ith its display of bills of military life, will induce some of the youths to e n lis t* Rental enters end ta lk s to Captain Trepan* During the course of their conversation, Trumore rushes in and asks the captain for ®a musquet In a regiment upon foreign service*” Rental steps forward to ask the meaning of his action* Te satisfy Rental*s curiosity, Trumore relates that Rashly is leering the count ly and that Rashly does not want him to marry Sophia* Deterained te help the youth, Rental leaves* Captain Trepan en lists Trumore, she demands first, that the officer advance him twenty guineas* Then Trumore asks for an absence of thirty mlmutee, promising to meet him at the castle at the end of that time* Peggy enters in good spirits with an empty keg* She has fooled La Nippe* Knowing h is weakness, she places a keg of poppy water and cherry brand$r a t the hayrick where she is to meet him* % ile waiting for her, Le Nippe drinks it* *HeT!l sleep some hours in a charming ditch where I have had him conveyed,” Peggy says later* 170 Sergeant Crimp and some soldiers ere looking for a young man whom they tem a deserter because he has not returned after obtaining a leave o f thirty minutes* They m et Peggy and make inquiries* About this time Peg&T sees Contrast coming, and thinking it an opportune time for venge- a so e , she points him out as the deserter* As a result Contrast is ar rested* Crimp oalls him a deserter, thief, rascal, and carders his men te bandouff him and ta k e him inside the castle * S e ll Flagon enters with a so ld ie r ’ s ©oat over her petticoat, a gin b o ttle by h e r s id e , and a short pipe in her mouth* She asks the Sergeant met t e be too severe with th e young man* C o n tra st, who pleads that he is a man of fashion, is humiliated f a rth e r when she places a cap upon h ie head* Trumore appears ou tsid e th e c a s t le , following Sophia and Annette, who are sad because their father had to go to jail* He promises them that Rashly w ill be sa fe* Before Trumore takes final leave. Rental comes te them* The girls are weeping* Be urges them to dry their tears, to go to S ir John C ontrast, and to ask him to release their father* On hearing this news, Trumore departs in haste* Rental endeavors to console Sophia and Annette* In a large Gothic hall where Sir John Contrast is talking to Captain Trepan, the Sergeant announces that he has apprehended a deserter* The Captain explains that the deserter is on© of the greatest swindlers in the eountry* Sir John would punish him severely, but cm seeing his own sen brought before him, he is amazed* While Captain Trepan begs Sir John’s pardon, Peggy enters and confesses her trickery* A moment later Trumore appears* He gives Sir John the twenty guineas he has received frcm the Captain and explains that he has com© to free Rashly. Rashly is ordered to ccooe before Sir John* In great alarm Sir John 171 recognizes his eldest son end forgives him* Young C o n trast Is bawl Ids rod* He says th a t hi® b ro th e r w ill fin d him neither envious nor mercenary, even though he is left penniless» He orders La Nippe, who has entered in the meantime covered with mud from the ditch, to prepare the horses immediately for town* In his happiness Rashly sanctions Trumore *b marriage to Sophia* Sir John agrees to the union, end orders the doors of the castle thrown open so that the tenants from the wake can enter and ^oin in the revelry• 172 THE it Synopsis Act I * Lord Gayville, the nephew of Sir Clement Flint, is In lor® with a beautiful woman of obscure Identity, known as Mies Alton# Although hie unole and guardian has arranged his marriage to Miss Also rip, an heir- eea and the daughter of an old attorney, Lord Gayville follows Miss Alton from plaee te place, pressing his attritions upon her# In the hope of avoiding further annoyance, Miss Alton goes to the home of Mrs* Sagely, an elderly woman, she proposes to write to Miss A1 scrip about employing Miss Alton as her companion* Mrs* Blandish and her brother are hangers-on of society# Khile Hr# Blandish keeps up with the affairs of Lord Gayville and his companion, Mrs# Blandish, his sister, busies herself by sending inquiries to ladles ly in g -in * Acts II and III# At the home of Sir Clement, Clifford and Lady Bmily, Lord Gayville* s sister, play chess* Sir Clement muses over a document axad questions Clifford about his relationship to the Charlton fam ily# In the meantime Kiss Alton arrives at the Also rip home to assume her duties as Miss AlseripTs companion* Here she suffers the snobbish ness of Miss A Iso rip and the advances of Old A la crip* Lord Gayville arrives to v isit Miss AX scrip, who knows nothing of his lave for Miss Alton# To annoy him, Miss Aiscrip has her companion act as her double# ^hen Lord Gayville sees Miss Alton, he begins making l o v e , while her mistress listens frtsa behind# He denounces Miss Also rip »th3 declare* his love fo r Miss Alton* Furious, alarmed, and stunned, Miss AIscrip turns upon her rival* m Upstairs Old Alscrip is last conference with Eightly, Sir Clement’s lawyer, vdio ha* oom© to inspect the Charlton title deeds* Also rip looks the door and tries to discourage Rightly* fe bring him to some agreement, Rightly tell* him that l Alscrip Insists on entering the room* By mistake Ala crip gives Rightly a paper showing that much of the Charlton estate, all of which ms to be Mi*a Alscrip**, rightfully belongs to another* Act IT* Sir Clement and Clifford come to the Alscrip home to interview Kie* Alton* Chignon, the French valet do chambre, dupes them by bringing Tiffany, a servant, instead of Miss Alton* Sir Clement and Clifford are so disgusted with Lord Gayville * s choice that they propose a cash settlement with Miss Alton, as they believe Tiffany to be* From the Alscrip home Sir Clement and Clifford return home to plead with Lord Gayville* Chignon enters with a letter from Miss Alton to Clifford, who on reading it leaves immediately* Then come® a second letter addressed to Clifford* Sir Clement opens It and reads it to Lord Gayville, who denounces Clifford as a tr a ito r * Lady Shily hears that Clifford ha® betrayed her brother’ s confidence t>r*A has looked Miss Alton in an apartment* At th at moment C liffo rd re turns and without explanation gives Lady Emily the ksy to his room and urge* her to go at once to take care o f th e one hhe fin ds in it* Lady Emily keeps Miss Alton in Clifford’s room.* Prompt reports to Pin Clement that he has seen Clifford bringing Miss Alton to the room* Sir Clement tries the door, finds it locked, and has Prompt stffiimons everyone concerned in order that the state of affairs might be cleared when he opens the door* m Act 7. Lord Gayville challenges Clifford to a dual* They are about to fight 'when Clifford drops his rapier and exposes his breast, asking Lord Gayville to take hie life* But Lord Gayville learns that Miss Alton is Clifford 1 a sister* They embrace and set out for Clement 1 s house* Share all the others interested have gathered to witness the opening of the door* When it is opened, Lady %iily comes out* She presents then her friend, Mias Harriet Clifford, known as Mis® Alton* Lord Gayville and Clifford enter just before Kightly exposes Alscrip and the terns of the Charlton w ill, which stakes Miss Clifford on heiress to a fortune that m s to have gone to Miss Alscrip* Arrangements are made for the marriage of Lord Gayville and Miss Clifford* Clifford is joined in love to Lady Bmily* ITS memm comm m him A Synopsis Aot I* German peasants, who era returning home from their day*® work, pass by an old enable* Chi one side of the castle stands a rustic mansion} on the other, a atone seat* Antonio, a shepherd who has com© to visit his grandparents and to eelebrate their wedding anniversary, has met on his way a blind boy, \diom he has led te a place near the east la* They reach the atone seat and atop* As Antonie leeks about, he sees the farm house* H© leaves the at rang© lad te find lodging for them that night* The blind youth, as Antonio believes him, is Matilda, a girl who loves Richard Coeur da Lien and who has disguised herself in an effort to effect Me freedom from the fortress there, where she believes him te be held prisoner* Matilda removes the bandage from her eyes as soon as Antonio has departed* She sees the fortress, the towers, the moats, and the battle- monte just as they had been reported to her* She resumes her disguise on hearing a noise* Sir Owen, a Briton, is reprimanding G u illo t, a servant, for bringing him a letter from Floreetan, the governor of the castle• The letter is directed to Lauretta, his daughter* Sir Own and Guillot discover Matilda, who begs them not to quarrel* Meanwhiles lanretta has entered, but her father orders her to go inside the house* Be asks Matilda to read him the letter* She refuses, saying th at she is blind—made so, she telle him, by the oruel Saracens, who took her prisoner while she served a captain in Sing Richard98 amy» At t h is time Antonio returns and reads the letter to Sir Owen* I t is a love letter in which Floreetan begs Lauretta to forgive his long absence from her* He explains that he cannot leave the castle because of a 176 prisoner he must guard* Matilda keeps silent, for she Is convinced that the prisoner must ho Richard* In a Gothic chamber at Sir Owen*a house, Matilda te lls Lauretta the contents of the letter and questions her about the captive* Before leaving, leurette confesses her love for Florestan* Sir Owen, Blend el, and some pilgrims in disguise enter to discus a Richard*s plight* Seeing Matilda, Blondel cautions h is friends to be silent, but Sir Owen removes all doubt* Blondel reports that the Seneehal, Matilda's father*s trusty friend, with a bend of troops, is looking for Matilda* Richard and Floreetan are talking la a chamber In th e c a s tle • When Floreetan leaves his, he laments his fate* Only the grave, he believes, can give M s freedom* Act II* This scene, representing the inner works of an old forti fication, opens with Richard on a terrace, enclosed by rails and a fosse* Be walks to the end of the terrace and remains in a posture of deep despair* On the other side of the fosse and rails, which prevent any one's seeing Riohard, Antonio leaves Matilda* As she plays and s in g s , Richard hears her and answers by singing a song she knew* Then they sing the song together* Richard is on one side of the wall* M atilda, on the other* But the soldiers seise Matilda and take her to the fro n t of the fortifications, where she pleads to see the Governor* In the mean time Florestan has commanded Riohard to retire in the castle« When the Governor hears Matilda asking to see him, he signals fo r the soldiers to retire* She confesses that she is Lauretta's friend, sent to tell him that Lauretta's father will give a fftte in th e evening and that he should ccme to join Lauretta* nTell her I w ill not f a il ," Florestan answers* 171 Apt III* At a great hall In S ir Owen’s house, Blondel and h is friend are about to leave* They have deoided that their search for Bio hard is in vain* Sir Owen, however, invites them to stay for the rural festival* A servant enters t© tell them that the Bene s e a l has coma with a few of his followers to speak with Sir Owen. While S ir Owcb is out, Matilda removes the bandage from her eyes and reports to Blondel that Richard is Imprisoned in the fortress. At th a t moment S ir Owen enters with the Spnesoal# who recognises Matilda* Rejoicing, she announces that Florestan will attend the wedding festival in the hope of seeing Lauretta* The Governor arrives later and is arrested* Matilda*s troops storm the castle to gain Richard's freedom. Blondel, who takes an active part In fighting, saves the unarmed king from an attack by three soldiers* The king embraces Blondel as a grand chorus shouts, "Long live the Ring’?* Matilda appears, sees Richard, and falls into his arms* BIBLIOGHAFHT Editions of the Flays ^ fieirose* London, Printed for d. Bebrett, 1786. B e British Theatre [ed* by] Mrs* [B* S*] Inchbald. & d«B f Wngman, Hurst, Sees, Orme, and Brown, 1808. 2X11* Die Hrbin, translated by W* Schenk* Deutsche Sohaubuhne. ------TOSTH®. ------:— ______Die translated by W* Schenk. Neueste Deutsche S^haffoShns* 1805. I* —_ — Drama tie and Poet leal Works of the Late Lleut*~0en. J* fergegrne* London, Seatoherd ancfTetteraan, 1808. Yl* ~ y S aiitiw ft traduit© do 1*anglais par A* F* Villeasin. fchefs-d'oeurre du theatre estrangeres. Paris, Ladrocat, 1822* Y ll* ______Manuscript (1788) in the Larpent Collection of plays, Huntington Library * The Lard o f the Maaort London, Brans, 1781 * Pyaetie and Poet leal % k s of the Late Lieut «-Gen» J* Bargqyne* London, keatoherd andHuetterman, 1808. Y. "" The London T h eatre, [e d .] by T. J. Dibdin. London, Whlt- tin^amTnd ArliVT 1814. XXI. Manuscript (1780) in the Larpent Collection of plays, Huntington Library* The Maid e f the Oaks* London, P rin ted fo r T . B eckett, 1774. A Collection of Faroes and Other Afterpieces, [ed* by] Mrs* Xs» 8 • j YnchbaldT London, P rin ted for Longman, H u rst, Pees, Ome, 1809* VI* Das Madohen im Blcht h a le , tra n sla te d by J* C. Brook* ^amburgisehee Theater, ed. by F« L. Schroder. Hamburg, Jf. J . C* Bode, 1776-1782* III. The Dramatic and Poetical Works of the Late Lieut »»Qen. J * Burgoyne. “^Tlondon, Scetcherd and~Xettermfi.n, 1808* I* 178 179 The London Stage* London, Sherwood and Co*. 1824-1827* ------1 S T . ------ ______The London Theatres ted*J by T* J# Bibdin* London, Whit- tingham and 'A rils , 1814* XXV. Hanusoript (1774) in the Xeable-Bevonshir© Collection of plays, Huntington Library® ______Manuscript (1782?) in the L&rpent Collection of plays, Huntington Library* Biff ©rent prologue and epilogue* Acts IT and V very different from the 1774 manuscript* Modem British Drama* London. Printed for William M iller. ------W a r n ------ Richard Coear do Lion* London, Printed for J* Bebrett, 1788* The Dramatic and Poetical Works of the Late Lieut .-Gen. J * ------T O 5 S 7 - London* Seatoherd and Letteraan, 18087 if. ” ______A Colleotion of Faroes and Other Afterpieces* ted* by] Mrs* Tfe. j Inchbald* London, Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Qnae* 1809* VI* The Load cm Stage* London, Sherwood and Co*, 1824-1827. III. The London Theatre, ted*] by T* J* Dfbdin# London, Whitting- haa end A rils, 1814* IV. Manuseript (1788) in the Larpent Collection of plays. Hunting- ten Library* ------mrrr:Modem British------Drama* London, Printed for William M iller, 180 General References Sust* Lionel, "Philip James BeLouthe rbourg,w The Dictionary of National Biography 3QQ&V, X54-16S. Dobson* Austin* "Christopher Ajastey4" The Dictionary of National Biography* II, 58-89* ~ "Fam uli Hell*® Buoyclopaedle Americana* 1987 ed** XI* 10 « *FSte Champetre*” Grand Bietloxmaire Universe! du XIX 19 S ie c le , VIII* 220* ------™ “*------ Knight* Josephy, "Mery Robinson,* The Dictionary of National Bio- grephy, XL1X, 30-53* ------ feitlasd, J* A* Fuller* "Francois H* Barthelemosa*" The Dictionary of National Biography* III* 829* ~ ------ Pie roe, S» B® F*, "William Heyloy,* The Dictionary of National Biography* XXV* 298-296. ------ Bae* Fraser* "Richard Brinsley Sheridan," The Dictionary of National Biography* UX* 78-85* ~ Tieat* W* ?** et al* (add#)* The Cambridge History of American Literature* 4 vols* Hew York* G* P* ^tnam 'sSons, 1917-1921* Steffens* H* M»* "John Burgoyne," The Bietionary of National Bio graphy, VII* 840-342* Ward* A* W., end W eller* A* H* (edd.) * The Cambridge H jstoiy of Bhgllsh Literature* 14 vole* New York, G, p . Putnam* s Sons * 1907-1917* Books Adam* Robert and James, The Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam* 3 parts* lemdonVTrinted for driestley and Weale,'''''!^^. Baker* David Erskine, Bjpgraphia Dramatioa, or A Companion to the Playhouse* 2 vols* London, Hivingtons, et al*, 178lf# The Bloekheedei or* The Affrighted Officers* Boston, Printed in Queen S treet, 17756. Boaden* James, Memoirs of the Life of John Philip Kemble * 2 vols* Hew York, Wilder end Campbell * 1825. * Memoirs of Mrs* Siddone. 2 vols* L ndon, Henry Colburn, 1827* 181 Belton, Arthur T*, lha Architecture of Hebert and James Adaa (1758-1794) * £ tala* WewYork, cfjhaaV^rJfenor'* i, John* the Dramatic and Poet leal Worts of the hate L ieut *—Gen* J * Burg ...... # — imwomr xtob. i*ioav»-uoB» curgoyne to his Constituent WPt* 8 * i^teH^sTgnstioia| with $&e Gorreapondeni^b^ween the I^'reT" imSEs* o ftE p and fiba, re la tiv e SJ^iBis ^ t u r a iso in erio a«‘" London, p iS m T mt jrBasr m s : ------» Orderly Book of Lieut*-Gan« John Burgoyne , from His Entry Into the State e fa ew Yor¥ until hie Surrender at Saratoga * leih cS¥*7 iw rsK w ^rsTimsns^a: -H^rra? ts sfy r BuaaeU, 1860. ______, A State of the ^cpeditioa from Canada as Laid before the House of Seamens, by LTeu^ex^nt-ieneral Surgoyne, anH Verified by M l€ iftt| witk a Collect ion of Authentic ^ooumen^s, end an~&ddition ef lu ff Circumstanee* which were Preventedfrora Appearing before the l o u se by the Prorogation ef £ a ri i ament* tondon, P rint ed fo r J . Almon. WMMMMS1780* <«WH 4M«MMMlSaMaMNHK * , The Substance of General Burgoyne* a Speeches, on Mr* r fs Ifotite, on the™&>tbef May? "and^pon fir* H ai^l^^a Moti on , on £j(fe of 8ay7T77&» X ^Jon, frinFe# for"'J• Almon, 177& * Chasmimg, Edward, A H istory of the United States* 6 role* Hew York, Macmillan, 19C5-X?2S7 ~ Clap, William W*f J r., A Record of the Boston Stage* Boston and Cambridge, James Monroe and ¥©“ T§£#7" Court hope, W* J*, A History of %gllsh Poetry* 8 vols* London, Macmillan, 1919-1926* ~ Be Femblanque, Edw&rd B#, The Political and Military Episodes in the latter Half of the Sixteenth Cerkurys Derived fromtheLife and S eretpm jeee of the Ri^it Hon* John lurgoyne, ¥'eneraT, Statesman, Dramatist* London, llaomUTan, 18717“ Diderot, Demis, **Le Pare de Famillc,” Oeuvres de Denis Diderot* 22 vole* P a ris , J* L* J* F rie re , 1821* Dunlap, William, A History of the American Theatre? and Anecdotes of the P rincipal A otors* 2 vols* in one^ I^ndon, ITTchard Bentley, a* d» E llet, Mrs* [Elisabeth], Domes tie History of the American Revolu tio n * Were York, Baker and SerifenerV 18&& • ' , The Women of the American Revolution* 2 vols* Philadel phia ,TRK7 ^grW TJM «^a¥dl5^i¥6b™------Sills# Rev. 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S*}# "Roarka# 11 fhe Heiress* The British Theatre# XXIX* London# Printed for Longman, Hurst# Rees, O rm , and Iroan# ‘ 1818* Ireland# Joseph W** Heeords of the Hew York Stage (1760-1860) * 2 vo ls* Hew York# Y. H* M ^rrel, TSgST* Lennar# HrS* Charlotte, Henrietta, Seoo&d edition* 2 vols* London, Printed for A. M illar, 1761. , The S iste r# F ir s t ed itio n * London# J* Dodsley and T* D avies, 1 7 6 9 . MacMillan, Dougald (ew piler) # Catalogue of tarpeat Plays in the Huntington Library. San Marine# California# Print ed bytLe rasguaT™* Press# Pasadena'. 1939. , Drury Lane Calendar* 1774-1776. Oxford# Clarendon Press# 1938* KecHalley, Leonard# Richard Coeur de Lion. MS* Ho* 745 in the Larpsarfc Colleetion# Huntington Library. Karmontel# Jean Francois, SilvaIn* Paris# Chez Merlin# 1770* Moore# Frank# Diary of the American Revolution from Newspapers and Origln«l Documents. 2 vols. 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BIOGBAPHT Cnss Orr m s bom on Mareh 16* 1810* in Hod River Parish* Louisiana* H« completed his high school training at the Martin High School in that parish in May* 1928* and enrolled during the summer of 1928 at the Louisiana State Sternal College, from which institution he m s graduated in the simmer of 1982* Before receiving the degree of Bachelor of A r ts, he taught for two years at the Methvin Hi$h School, beginning as a teach er of the fourth tad fifth grades* In th e f a l l o f 1952 he entered the Graduate School of the Louisi ana S ta te University# After receiving the degree of Master of Arts in June, 1988, he accepted a p o sitio n as teacher of English and Spanish in the Couchette Hlgi School, Ceushatta, Louisiana, which position ho held for four years* He returned to the Louisiana State University in September* 1957, as a teaching fellow In the Department of English to resume work on the doctorate, which he had begun in the summer of 1955# Far the session of 1959-1940* he was appointed Assistant of English at the Louisiana State University* At present he is an Associate .Professor of English at the Southeastern Louisiana College, Hammond, Louisiana# 185 EXAMINATION AND THESIS REPORT C a n d i d a t e : O ff M ajor Field: B egU ali Title of Thesis: aunsjua joiqt m m o m t , as ait asotok A p p r o v e d : ______Major Professor ancUChairman ( ? / \ 0 4 s4 ^ Dean of the Graduate School EXAMINING COMMITTEE: Date of Examination: v * * 7 * __