In the first Scene of this Tragedy a Gentleman who has been abroad,
during the Wars, requests his Friend to acquaint him with what has past
at Court in the time of his Absence. We were equally surprized and
delighted with this new Method of informing the Spectators of the
Transactions prior to the Commencement of the Play; nothing can be more
natural, for we imagine the Art of conveying Letters by Post was at that
time undiscovered. We must indeed acknowledge, that during the time of
the Roman Empire Letters were transmitted with the utmost Celerity from
one Part to another of those immense Dominions; but we also know, that
after the Subversion of that State by the Incursions of the _Goths_ and
_Vandals_, the first Act of Cruelty committed by these Barbarians was
murdering all the Post-Boys in cold Blood: In like manner as our inhuman
_Edward_ upon his compleating the Conquest of _Wales_ ordered all the
Bards to be put to Death, amongst the Number of which had Mr. _Malloch_
been included we had not now been tortured with his execrable Tragedy.
Novelty of the same kind with this we have mentioned runs thro' the
whole Play, almost every Scene being an Interview and a _tête a tête_.
The King wants to see his Son, the Queen wants to see _Elvira_, _Elvira_
wants to see the King, and so on thro' the Five Acts.

No new Thoughts or Sentiments are to be found in this Performance, we
meet only with old ones absurdly expressed. _Dryden_ said that _Ben
Johnson_ was every where to be traced in the Snow of the Ancients. We
may say that _Malloch_ is every where to be traced in the Puddle of the
Moderns. Instead of selecting the Beauties, he has pick'd out whatever
is despicable in _Shakespeare_, _Otway_, _Dryden_, and _Rowe_, like a
Pick-Pocket who dives for Handkerchiefs, not for Gold; and contents
himself with what he finds in our Great Coat Pocket, without attempting
our Watch or your Purse. Tho' Mr. _Malloch_ may only mean to borrow, yet
as he possesses no Fund of Original Genius from whence he can pay his