The fair penitent, a tragedy.

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The word fond in the last line is not of very ob|vious meaning, unless to those who know, that in Yorkshire and some other parts of England, it im|plies silly; even in this sense, we think, either the epithet of foul or base tales would have suited pre|meditate scandal much better. In making his adaptation, Rowe eliminated characters and simplified the action "to create a more focused play than the original." He pursued "neoclassical simplicity" but in the process sacrificed the "underlying moral principles" of the original. Rowe shifted the setting from Dijon to Genoa, and changed the main characters' names. Mrs. WOFFINGTON, through an unaccountable turn of public caprice, was very well received in Calista, though all her merit was comprehended in elegance of figure; she was a Lady Townly in heroics, and barked out the penitent with as disso|nant notes of voice as ever offended a critical ear; we allow she was very pleasing to the eye, but high|ly offensive to cultivated taste.

The Ambitious Stepmother, Rowe's first play, produced in 1700 at Lincoln's Inn Fields by Thomas Betterton and set in Persepolis, was well received. [7] This was followed in 1701 by Tamerlane. In this play the conqueror Timur represented William III, and Louis XIV is denounced as Bajazet. It was for many years regularly acted on the anniversary of William's landing at Torbay. [2] In Dublin in 1712, at a time when political passions were running high, the performance provoked a serious riot. [8] who thinks the object of his wishes free from every criminal imputation, charges Horatio with ill behaviour, who to exculpate himself is be|trayed into an explanation respecting Calista, rather blameable; yet from a person in his agitation of spi|rits probable enough. Fired by the charge of guilt, levelled at her he loves, a charge merely supported by assertion; Altamont indulges violent resentment, even so far as to throw off all traces of friendship; we have another blow given in this scene; as such a cir|cumstance generally creates laughter, and is at any rate disgraceful to persons of rank, we wonder an author of Mr. ROWE's delicacy, could repeatedly introduce it. Mr. BARRY was never more mistaken than in this character, which in his representation wanted as much as a fine figure and a pleansig voice would admit; he could not be disagreeable, but was—what must he be now?—most egregiously faint and in|sipid. I have wronged thee much," and Lavi|nia's carrying on the allusion with which it con|cludes, is an unpardonable trespass upon serious feelings.On his father's death, when he was nineteen, he became the master of an independent fortune. [2] He was left to his own direction, and from that time ignored law to try his hand first at poetry, and then later at writing plays. [4] Ball, F. Elrington (1926). The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921. Vol.2. London: John Murray. p.42. ISBN 9781584774280. Calista's dislike of Altamont is a very sufficient reason why she should hold his most intimate friend Lothario, a young lord of dissolute principles, with his confidante Rossano, appear next; from the expressions at first dropped by Lothario we find, there is a rooted enmity subsisting between him and Sciolto's connections, chiefly on account of Calista, of whose unfortunate credulity, and his own triumph over her virtue, he gives a most fan|ciful, but highly censurable description; vice is here adorned with irresistable charms to an un|guarded mind, and therefore presented to public view in her most dangerous garb: reason and judg|ment commiserating the betrayed, must condemn the betrayer; yet we fear the luxuriance of fancy here works a quite contrary effect; less merit in the writing would have lessened the danger, either in perusal or representation; gross licentiousness disgusts, but the refined sort, like palatable poison, introduces destruction unperceived.

So, Sciolto, a nobleman of Genoa promises daughter Calista to Altamont. Sciolto was fryiends with Altamont's parents. They died. Rowe's adaptation, premiered onstage in 1702 and first published in 1703, was a great popular success through much of the 18th century, and was praised by critics as demanding as Samuel Johnson ("There is scarcely any work of any poet so interesting by the fable and so delightful in the language"). The below data was compiled from various identification fields in the bibliographic record of this title. This data is provided as an additional tool in helping to insure edition identification:Nicholas Rowe was born in Little Barford, Bedfordshire, England, son of John Rowe (d. 1692), barrister and sergeant-at-law, and Elizabeth, daughter of Jasper Edwards, on 20 June 1674. [2] [3] His family possessed a considerable estate at Lamerton in Devonshire. His father practised law and published Benlow's and Dallison's Reports during the reign of King James II. [4] Western literary study flows out of eighteenth-century works by Alexander Pope, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding, Frances Burney, Denis Diderot, Johann Gottfried Herder, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and others. Experience the birth of the modern novel, or compare the development of language using dictionaries and grammar discourses. The Fair Penitent is Nicholas Rowe's stage adaptation of the tragedy The Fatal Dowry, the Philip Massinger and Nathan Field collaboration first published in 1632. Rowe's adaptation, premiered onstage in 1702 and first published in 1703, was a great popular success through much of the 18th century, and was praised by critics as demanding as Samuel Johnson ("There is scarcely any work of any poet so interesting by the fable and so delightful in the language"). [1] married her, forward to expose her fatal weakness, and his own inhuman triumph over her unsuspect|ing virtue. To the Memory of NICHOLAS ROWE Esq: who died in 1718 Aged 45, And of Charlotte his only daughter the wife of Henry Fane Esq; who, inheriting her Father’s Spirit, and Amiable in her own Innocence & Beauty, died in the 22nd year of her age 1739. Thy Reliques, Rowe, to this sad Shrine we trust, and near thy Shakespear place thy honour’d Bust, Oh next him skill’ed to draw the tender Tear, For never Heart felt Passion more sincere: To nobler sentiment to fire the Brave. For never Briton more disdain’d a Slave: Peace to the gentle Shade, and endless Rest, Blest in thy Genius, in thy love too blest; And blest, that timely from Our Scene remov’d Thy Soul enjoys that Liberty it lov’d. To these, so mourn’d in Death, so lov’d in Life! The childless Parent & the widow’d wife With tears inscribes this monument Stone, That holds their Ashes & expects her own. [3]

short of her distress; in this character, as well as some others, we are to lament, that the lady just mentioned, should indulge a masculine extravagance of Frenchified action; that she should saw the air with her arms, and labour for attitude where it is rather superfluous; this may please the million, but is no point of real merit, and can only be deem|ed a pitiful trap to catch prostituted applause.Ward, Adolphus William (1875). A History of English Dramatic Literature to the Death of Queen Anne. Vol.2. London: Macmillan and Co. p.560. Lavinia is a mere make-shift to eke out the piece; amiable; and what she says is pretty enough; we don't remember to have ever seen her rendered more agreeable than by Mrs. STEPHENS; who, in this, as well as all other medium parts, marks the author's meaning with very just and agreeable sensibility. A soliloquy begins the fourth act, wherein Al|tamont seems to stand self-convicted of folly in quar|relling with his friend for a woman, who repays his raptures with coldness and disdain; upon his exit Lothario and Calista appear; the gay gallant en|deavouring to sooth his deceived and enraged mis|tress, who shews a just resentment against the false|hood which has plunged her into misery; his up|braiding her with having married the man he hates, is an artful stroke of exculpation relative to himself, and stimulates her rage considerably: Altamont's appearance at this period is well contrived, and what Calista says previous to his coming in view brings him forward in a striking manner; Lotha|rio's fate is properly precipitated; his dying words suit the tenor of his past conduct, and he expires in the same character he has maintained through life. Rowe acted as under-secretary (1709–1711) to the Duke of Queensberry when he was principal secretary of state for Scotland. On the accession of George I, Rowe was made a surveyor of customs, and in 1715 he succeeded Nahum Tate as poet laureate. [2] Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference

Nicholas Rowe ( / r oʊ/; 20 June 1674 – 6 December 1718 [2]), English dramatist, poet and miscellaneous writer, was appointed Poet Laureate in 1715. His plays and poems were well-received during his lifetime, with one of his translations described as one of the greatest productions in English poetry. He was also considered the first editor of the works of William Shakespeare. sentiments and nature are again injured by simile and rhime; though had the latter been avoided, the former might have passed without objection, nay perhaps with some degree of praise.

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Mr. MOSSOP, with an excellent voice, and a very just idea of his author's meaning, was nevertheless un|couth; painfully sententious when calm, ungen|teely violent when warm, offensively consequential in deportment, abominably austere in feature, full of disagreeable consequence, and moved methodically by the affected rules of premeditate deportment; yet he too had his numerous admirers. See also: Lothar and Lothair Camilla threatens Lothario with a dagger. Illustration by Apeles Mestres, engraving by Francisco Fusté.