unt. This
is surely too remote and indirect a motive, to urge a female to so
horrid a crime. There is also something vilely cold-hearted, in her
attempt to turn the guilt and consequences of her own crime upon
Bertran, who, whatever faults he might have to others, was to the
queen no otherwise obnoxious, than because the victim of her own
inconstancy. The gallant, virtuous, and enthusiastic character of
Torrismond, must be allowed, in some measure, to counterbalance that
of his mistress, however unhappily he has placed his affections. But
the real excellence of these scenes consists less in peculiarity of
character, than in the vivacity and power of the language, which,
seldom sinking into vulgarity, or rising into bombast, maintains the
mixture of force and dignity, best adapted to the expression of tragic
passion. Upon the whole, as the comic part of this play is our
author's master-piece in comedy, the tragic plot may be ranked with
his very best efforts of that kind, whether in "Don Sebastian," or
"All for Love."

The "Spanish Friar" appears to have been brought out shortly after Mr
Thynne's murder, which is alluded to in the Prologue, probably early
in 1681-2. The whimsical caricature, which it presented to the public,
in Father Dominic, was received with rapture by the prejudiced
spectators, who thought nothing could be exaggerated in the character
of a Roman Catholic priest. Yet, the satire was still more severe in
the first edition, and afterwards considerably softened[6]. It was, as
Dryden himself calls it, a Protestant play; and certainly, as Jeremy
Collier somewhere says, was rare Protestant diversion, and much for
the credit of the Reformation. Accordingly, the "Spanish Friar" was
the only play prohibited by James II. after his accession; an
interdict, which may be easily believed no way disagreeable to the
author, now a convert to the Roman church. It is very remarkable,
that, after the Revolution, it was the first play represented by order
of queen Mary, and honoured with her presence; a choice, of which she
had abundant reason to repent, as the serious part of the piece gave
as much scope for malicious application against herself, as the comic
against the religion of her father[7].

Footnotes:
1. Collier remarks the injustice of punishing the agent of Lorenzo's
vice, while he was himself brought off with flying colours. He
observes, "'Tis not the fault which is corrected, but the priest.
Th