and fixing the characters among the nobility, it was hardly possible to carry with me more than the idea”—­the traders whom Mrs. Cowley mentions, are both Knights, the one an Alderman, the other a Banker.’  Genest then compares various scenes and expressions from The Lucky Chance with Mrs. Cowley and concludes ’The other scenes though they may differ in the dialogue yet agree in essentials—­the scene in the 5th act between Alexis and Gasper bears the strongest resemblance to that between Sir Feeble and Sir Cautious in The Lucky Chance.  Mrs. Cowley was ashamed to advance a direct lie, but she was not ashamed to insinuate a falsehood—­A Naeuio uel sumpsisti multa, si fateris; uel, si negas surripuisti—­Cicero.’  The strictures of our stage historian are entirely apposite and correct.  Henry, Don Gasper and Antonia of the Georgian comedy are none other but Bellmour, Sir Feeble, and Leticia.  With regard to the reception of The School for Greybeards ’the audience took needless offence at a scene in the 4th act, and an unfortunate expression in Young Bannister’s part [Don Sebastian.  Bannister, jun., also spoke the prologue], revived the opposition in the last scene—­no more was heard till King [Don Alexis] advanced to speak the last speech—­some alteration was made on the 2nd night, and the play was acted 9 times or more in the course of the season, but never afterwards [It was played at Bath 28 October, 1813.  Chatterley acted Don Gasper; Miss Greville (from the Pantheon theatre), Donna Seraphina.  It had little success]—­it is a good Comedy and was very well acted.’

The audience must indeed have been qualmish prudes.  Of all plays it is the most harmless.  The scene in the fourth Act to which exception was taken seems to have been No.  II, after the marriage of Gasper and Antonia, a most trifling and inept business.  In Act V, IV, Alexis says to Viola:  ’As for you Madam bread and water, and a dark chamber shall be your lot—­’ but Sebastian (Bannister, jun.), who has married Viola, breaks in crying:  ’No, Sir,—­I am the arbiter of her lot;—­however, I confirm half your punishment; and a dark chamber she shall certainly have.’  To this speech in the 4to Mrs. Cowley appends the following note:  ’This is the expression, I am told, which had nearly prov’d fatal to the Comedy.  I should not have printed it, but from the resolution I have religiously kept, of restoring every thing that was objected to.’  Imagination and ingenuity fail to fathom the cryptic indecency. The School for Greybeards is, in fine, a modest and mediocre comedy of little value.

12 December, 1786, Walpole, writing from Berkeley Square to the Countess of Upper Ossary, says:  ’To-night ...  I am going to Mrs. Cowley’s new play, which I suppose is as instructive as the Marriage of Figaro, for I am told it approaches to those of Mrs. Behn in spartan delicacy; but I shall see Miss Farren, who, in my poor opinion, is the first of all actresses.’  Writing three days later to the same lady he has:  ’The Greybeards have certainly been chastised, for we did not find them at all gross.  The piece is farcical and improbable, but has some good things, and is admirably acted.’  Those ‘good things’ are entirely due to Mrs. Behn.