Southern, the author of this tragedy, was born in Dublin, in the year of the restoration, and received his education in the university there.² He then came to England, and entered himself in the Middle Temple, as student of the law: but he neglected this study for the fame of writing plays, and soon after, wholly relinquished it for the adventures of the army.³ He was patronized by James the Second, when Duke of York, and served under that monarch, as captain, against the Duke of Monmouth.⁴

Dryden being asked, whose genius, as a poet Southern resembled, compared him to Otway.⁵ Every reader will own the comparison just, for they have both unbounded force in the description of poignant grief.

The present drama, independent of its own worth, will be ever memorable for having introduced to the admiration of a London audience,—Mrs. Siddons.⁶

Who will allege, that mental powers have no charm in the female sex? Mrs. Siddons performed on the London stage, in the prime of youth and bloom of beauty, yet was totally neglected: She came a few years after, with judgment for her aid, and was enthusiastically worshipped.⁷

Woe, bitterest woe, must be gracefully imitated in the just performance of Isabella: but of such imitation, and of all those delightful sensations, which ariseb 2[Page 4]from beholding fictitious sorrow, the audience of the metropolis had been for many years deprived, by the want of skilful tragedians, when she appeared,—she enchanted all the town by her "well painted passion,"⁸ and established in the dramatic world, the long lost prerogative of sighs and tears.

The characters which surround Isabella, are merely placed there by the author, to give effect to all she says and does. Insignificant as those personages are in themselves, they produce with her so happy a combination, that a most powerful tragedy is the result of their joint services.

Beyond the deepest pain, felt by an audience for Isabella’s grief, there is a pang almost insupportable, which proceeds from her gratitude. The author has in no part of the tragedy more effectually wrung the hearts of those, who possess nice sensibility, than where this poor widow is overcome by kindness, to render herself additionally wretched, rather than be ungrateful.

"This generosity will ruin me."⁹ —"I am contented to be miserable, but not this way."¹⁰ These are sentences more pathetic to those, who feel acutely the weight of obligations, than any she pronounces.

Those very auditors are equally vivid in their sensations towards her faults, as her virtues; and shrink from the unjustifiable manner with which she treats men who come to demand their right; calling them "rav'ning bloodhounds."¹¹ A character, only half as amiable as the author meant her to appear, could not conduct herself towards her creditors, but with the most profound respect. Indeed was Isabella[Page 5] largely indebted to any one amongst these men, and had not the means of payment,—moral argument, perhaps, could prove, she was bound as much in honour to marry him for value received, as to marry Villeroy.¹²

This play is censured by some critics for its comic scenes;—the tragic are much superior, they want more of the last, and none of the first. But, more of Isabella, exquisite as she is, might cause satiety. The author in his work has given variety, and that variegated scene which nature gives.

Southern wrote no less than ten plays; of which, only this tragedy, and his Oroonoko, are remembered to the author's reputation.

He lived to the age of eighty-eight,¹³ and passed his latter days in retired serenity, having acquired, by his industry and strict economy, a considerable fortune.¹⁴ He was the first who increased the advantage of dramatic authors, by obtaining, in addition to the first, a second and third night for their emolument.¹⁵ He also raised the price of prologues, having given seven guineas to Dryden, on his demand of that sum, for a prologue, which, till then, had only been rated at five¹⁶ . These occurrences gave occasion to the following lines of Pope: ——Southern, born to raiseThe price of prologues and of plays.¹⁷ space between stanzas