imidity. Courage
is a whimsical virtue. It acts upon one man so as to make him expose
his whole body to danger, whilst he dares not venture into the
slightest peril one sentiment of his mind. Such is often the soldier's
valour.--Another trembles to expose his person either to a wound or to
the eye of criticism, and yet will dare to publish every thought that
ever found entrance into his imagination. Such is often the valour of a
poet.

Farquhar, abashed on exhibiting his person upon the stage, sent boldly
thither his most indecorous thoughts, and was rewarded for his audacity.

In the year 1700 he brought out this comedy of "The Constant Couple; or,
A Trip to the Jubilee." It was then the Jubilee year at Rome, and the
author took advantage of that occurrence to render the title of his
drama popular; for which cause alone it must be supposed he made any
thing in his play refer to that festival, as no one material point is in
any shape connected with it.

At the time Farquhar was a performer, a sincere friendship was formed
between him and Wilks, the celebrated fine gentleman of the stage--for
him, Farquhar wrote the character of Sir Harry Wildair; and Wilks, by
the very admirable manner in which he supported the part, divided with
the author those honours which the first appearance of the work obtained
him.

As a proof that this famed actor's abilities, in the representation of
the fine gentlemen of his day, were not over-rated, no actor, since he
quitted the stage, has been wholly successful in the performance of this
character; and, from Wilks down to the present time, the part has only
been supported, with celebrity, by women.

The noted Mrs. Woffington was highly extolled in Sir Harry; and Mrs.
Jordan has been no less admired and attractive.

But it must be considered as a disgrace to the memory of the men of
fashion, of the period in which Wildair was brought on the stage, that
he has ever since been justly personated, by no other than the female
sex. In this particular, at least, the present race of fashionable
beaux cannot be said to have degenerated; for, happily, they can be
represented by men.

The love story of Standard and Lurewell, in this play, is interesting to
the reader, though, in action, an audience scarcely think of either of
them; or of any one in the drama, with whom the hero is not positively
concerned. Yet these two lovers, it would seem, love with all the
usual ardour and constancy of ga