ced it at his own benefit on Wednesday the
18th of April. The scenery, dresses, and preparations being very
expensive, he could not demonstrate his respect for the city, and his
anxiety to provide for their amusement more unequivocally, than by
hazarding an immense expenditure of money, upon the issue of a solitary
benefit, when there were plays already in stock (the Foundling of the
Forest, for instance) that without a cent of additional expense would
have been sufficiently productive. Much is owing, therefore, to the
manager for presenting us with the Africans.

Among the dramatists of the day Mr. Colman stands in our opinion, very
high--if not highest. Some of his plays are noble productions, but by
that of which we are now speaking, his fame will not be greatly
augmented. Of the fable it is sufficient to say, that it is taken from
FLORIAN, who, as a pastoral writer, equals Cervantes himself. Like every
thing of Florian's the tale is divinely beautiful; but the selection of
it for the stage evinces a want of judgment, of which Mr. Colman is
rarely liable to be accused. The main ground work is the distress, or
rather the agonies of an African family, by which the warmest sympathy
is awakened in the bosom: too simple, however, in itself for a
stage-plot, though impressive and interesting as a narrative, Mr. Colman
has jumbled up with it metal of a lower kind, and so rudely alloyed the
gold of Florian, that the value of it is rather injured. Such a mass of
incongruous beauties we do not recollect to have seen. A tale of the
most pathetic kind is interwoven with low comedy--the most lofty
sentiments, the most exalted virtues, and heroism and magnanimity
strained almost beyond the limits of probability, are checkered by
uncouth pleasantries, and the most pathetic incidents intruded upon and
interrupted by the farcical conundrums of MUG, a low cockney, who has
become secretary of state to the king of the Mandingoes. Thus,
oscillating between Kotesbue and O'Keefe, giving now a layer of exalted
sentiment, and then a layer of mere farce, has Mr. C. raised a long
three act piece.

Nor are these the only imperfections of the piece. The language and
sentiments of the serious parts are at such variance with the personages
to whom they are assigned, not only according to received opinions, but
to obvious matter of fact, that no stretch of the imagination can
reconcile them. When we witness actions in which the tenderest charities