on the stage in England, without the previous license of the
Lord Chamberlain, it is not by any means equally well known to what
cause this regulation owes its origin. Henry Fielding composed a
theatrical representation to which he gave the name of Pasquin, the
object of which was to satirize some of the most conspicuous characters
in England, and among the number were the minister and many of his
friends. This satirical performance became very popular, and was
exhibited to crowded audiences for fifty successive nights. The
exasperated minister, Robert Walpole, was determined to repress the
licentiousness of the stage, and accordingly had a bill brought into
parliament to prohibit the representation of any dramatic performance
whatever, unless it had received the permission of the Lord chamberlain.
This act, which was carried in spite of the utmost opposition, took
from the crown the power of licensing any more theatres, and inflicted
considerable penalties on those who should violate its restrictions.[E]

_Mrs. Centlivre. The Busy Body._

The theatrical history affords numberless instances of the fallacy and
folly of dogmatic decisions, and premature judgments. It were endless to
relate the cases of dramatic performances, which, previous to their
being acted, were regarded by managers and actors as execrable, and
certain of condemnation--and yet have lived a century beyond the
existence of their judges. And the instances are at least as numerous of
managers forming the most flattering anticipations of the success, and
the consequent emoluments of performances which were, to use the
technical term of the theatre, damned by the unanimous consent of the
audience.

The Busy Body, by Mrs. Centlivre, is a very remarkable case in point. It
was decried before its appearance by all the players--Mr. Wilkes, the
Garrick of his day, for a time absolutely refused to take a part in
it--And the audience went to the theatre, so far prejudiced against it,
as to contemplate its condemnation. Yet it was so favourably received,
that it had a run of thirteen nights; and, after a lapse of an entire
century, for it was first represented in 1709, it is still received with
applause, and ranks deservedly high among the stock plays.

_Gay.----Beggar's opera._

There is a still more striking illustration of the position I laid down
in the preceding paragraph, than that afforded by the Busy Body. The
Beggar's opera was offered to Cibber