tted in the press. One of our modern writers, in a short satire
against keeping, concludes thus:

"Dryden, good man, thought keepers to reclaim,
Writ a kind satire, call'd it Limberham.
This all the herd of letchers straight alarms;
From Charing-Cross to Bow was up in arms:
They damn'd the play all at one fatal blow,
And broke the glass, that did their picture show."

Mr Malone mentions his having seen a MS. copy of this play, found by
Lord Bolingbroke among the sweepings of Pope's study, in which there
occur several indecent passages, not to be found in the printed copy.
These, doubtless, constituted the castrations, which, in obedience to
the public voice, our author expunged from his play, after its
condemnation. It is difficult to guess what could be the nature of the
indecencies struck out, when we consider those which the poet deemed
himself at liberty to retain.

The reader will probably easily excuse any remarks upon this comedy.
It is not absolutely without humour, but is so disgustingly coarse, as
entirely to destroy that merit. Langbaine, with his usual anxiety of
research, traces back a few of the incidents to the novels of Cinthio
Giraldi, and to those of some forgotten French authors.

Plays, even of this nature, being worth preservation, as containing
genuine traces of the manners of the age in which they appear, I
cannot but remark the promiscuous intercourse, which, in this comedy
and others, is represented as taking place betwixt women of character,
and those who made no pretensions to it. Bellamira in Sir Charles
Sedley's play, and Mrs Tricksy in the following pages, are admitted
into company with the modest female characters, without the least hint
of exception or impropriety. Such were actually the manners of Charles
the II.d's time, where we find the mistresses of the king, and his
brothers, familiar in the highest circles. It appears, from the
evidence in the case of the duchess of Norfolk for adultery, that Nell
Gwyn was living with her Grace in familiar habits; her society,
doubtless, paving the way for the intrigue, by which the unfortunate
lady lost her rank and reputation[2]. It is always symptomatic of a
total decay of morals, where female reputation neither confers
dignity, nor excites pride, in its possessor; but is consistent with
her mingling in the society of the libertine and the profligate.

Some of Dryden's libellers draw an invidious comparison betwixt his
own pri