the splendid, figurative,
and impressive combination of terms adapted to poetry, from those plain
and familiar expressions suited to the sobriety of prose; and finally,
to form a just estimate of a poet's pretensions to that delicacy in the
selection of words which constitutes what is called beauty in style. Nor
is this all, he should be perfectly competent to form a judgment of the
fable and its contrivance, to determine according to the canons of
criticism laid down by the greatest professors of the art, whether the
scheme of a piece be obscured by unnatural complexity or rendered jejune
and uninteresting by extreme simplicity, and familiarity of
design--whether description be bloated, or overcharged, or imagery
misplaced or extravagant; and lastly, whether the performance be on the
whole deficient in, or replete with moral institution.

The editors are free to confess that while they enumerate the requisites
necessary to a critic, they tremble for their own incompetency. Labour
however shall not be spared---and they cherish the most sanguine hopes
of supplying their general deficiency by candour and integrity; being
determined while they endeavour with encouragement and applause to
foster the rising genius and growing merit of the stage, to rescue it
from the encroachment of sturdy incapacity, and while they sit in
judgment for the security of the public taste, to be as far as the
canons of dramatic criticism will allow, the strenuous advocates of the
valuable man and unassuming actor--still keeping in sight that
impressive truth contained in the motto: "HE THAT APPLAUDS HIM WHO DOES
NOT DESERVE PRAISE, IS ENDEAVOURING TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC; HE THAT
HISSES IN MALICE OR IN SPORT IS AN OPPRESSOR AND A ROBBER."

The editors have said thus much merely to explain their motives, and to
smooth their way to the discharge of a task, in the performance of which
they will necessarily be exposed to many invidious remarks from the
misconceptions of presumptuous ignorance. Having done so they fearlessly
commit the subject to the public judgment, and proceed to the execution
of their duty.

DRAMATIC CENSOR.

_The Philadelphia Theatre opened on Monday the 20th of November, with_

"A CURE FOR THE HEART-ACH."

It has been said by a great moral philosopher that fashion supplies the
place of reason. On superficial consideration the assertion will appear
paradoxical; but there is much truth in it, and much biting satire too