A moral tract in two parts was read from the
stage of CoventGarden on Thursday. Its purpose is to demonstrate the extraordinary truth, that a dandy is not of necessity either a milksop or a scoundrel. The Country Squire is an impersonation, in FARREN'S best manner, of " The fine old English gentleman," whose virtues have been sung in every family-party throughout the kingdom. Old, wealthy, and a bachelor, he wants an heir to his name and estate, and sends for his two nephews from London to choose between them. George Sel- wood—an ominous name, by the way, for a successor to Squire Broad- lands—is a thriving merchant, and his brother Horace a spendthrift exquisite. The puppyism of Horace of course prejudices his uncle
against him : but, finding that the fop can ride, drive, and shoot, and that his fashionable affectation is as easily got rid of as his mustachios and imperial, while his drawling tones and listless manner disguise a rational understanding and a generous spirit, the old squire takes a liking to him, and adopts him as his successor in the " good old trade" of the " fine old English gentleman." The country squire inherits the traditional qualities of his race, stupidity and obstinacy, as well as wealth and benevolence ; and he is toadied by a housekeeper named Temperance—a paragon of propriety, in a drab gown—who has lived thirty years on the hope of one day becoming his wife. Suddenly her cherished anticipations seem on the point of being realized ; but the proposal, that she interprets very naturally into an offer of marriage, turns out to be nothing more than a scheme of the old squire to pre- tend he is going to be married, in order to see how his nephew will take the disappointment of his expectations. This is the solitary equivoque in the piece ; whose only merit is that of being a literal description, in the style of the spelling-book stories, of the virtues and happiness of a " country squire." The exquisite is made to fall in love with a caricature of Diana Vernon, whom he proposes to and is accepted by in the space of two minutes; and who becomes metamorphosed from her masculine man- ners and riding habits, as quickly as he is converted from a dandy into a lecturer on decorum. It is proper that ladies should know that archery as well as pistol-shooting is deemed an unfeminine amusement by this Prince Prettyman.
The good intention of the author of this namby-pamby stuff saved the piece, aided as it was by a strong party of friends, and the hearty cooperation of FARREN. This is the converse of Mr. BELWER'S play: it sickens with its morality: the goodness of all the characters is as mawkish as the viciousness of those in The Durchess de /a Val. here. As a specimen of the Dutch-painter-like minutiae of this picture of country life, the squire washes his hands and face in front of the stage. This is holding the dressing-glass up to nature.
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