A CLUE to the COMEDY OF THE NON-JUROR, With ſome Hints of Conſequence relating to that PLAY.

I Entirely agree with you, That there has not of late appear'd in Publick, a more exquiſite Piece of Sa⯑tire, than the Come⯑dy call'd the Non-juror; or that better deſerv'd the [6] Diſtinction that was ſhown it, not only by your Self, as His Majeſty's Laureat, but by all the Loyal Party in general. I alſo agree with you, that perhaps there never was a Piece of fine Drama-Theological Satire, the true Scope of which has been leſs underſtood. I am at a Loſs which to admire moſt, the noble, free Spirit of our Friend the Author; the inſenſibility of thoſe whom the Satire is really Aim'd at, or the igno⯑rant Rage of thoſe diſſaffected Jacobite Wretches who cry out when they are not hurt. You were pleas'd to deſire me, when we met laſt, to put upon Paper the few Hints I dropt to you in Con⯑verſation upon this Subject, and which, I doubt not, are ſufficient to make any unprejudic'd Rēader of your and my Opinion; namely,

That Diſſaffection to the Govern⯑ment is the ſmalleſt Immorality which is pointed at by this Play; and which indeed is only introduced to hide a far deeper Deſign, and far more uſeful Satire.

[7] In order to ſet this in it's true Light, I will but barely point at the ſeveral Fi⯑gures of the Comedy, and make ſome ſhort Remarks upon their Attitudes, without the Ill-manners of naming any particular Perſon, but leaving the free and impartial Reader to draw his own Inferences. Two general Obſervations only, are neceſſary to be premiſed, be⯑cauſe every common Judge is not ſo ſenſible of them, as we who have been Writers all our Lives.

The Firſt is, That when we Rebuke our Superiours, the Fable ought to be ſo coucn'd, as to make the Criminal give Judgment againſt himſelf before he is aware: (an Art as ancient at leaſt as the Days of Nathan) But if the Scene of Action be laid in a Subject not only quite foreign, but ſeemingly oppoſite to the principal Aim of the Satire, the Addreſs will be ſtill the more refined; becauſe by this Method the Author in⯑troduceth Facts and Perſonages which the guilty will be ſure to Condemn; not only from natural Equity, but natural [8] Averſion. Thus, for Example, To en⯑gage a Tory to condemn a Piece of Ini⯑quity in the Abſtract, one need only lay the Scene among Whigs, and ſo on the contrary. And Secondly, I would put the Reader in mind that in Fables of this Nature, it is uſual to repreſent whole Parties of Men by ſingle Perſonages.

This premiſed, let us obſerve the principal Figure thar preſents it ſelf to our View; I mean Dr. Wolf; whoſe Character anſwers to Moliere's Tartuffe, who is known to have repreſented a certain puritanical Biſhop in France.

We next are to take Notice, That Wolf in the Stile of Eccleſiaſtical Allegory conſtantly ſignifies the Presbyterian Party: You know it is thus in the Hind and Panther, and moſt other Pieces of Con⯑troverſial Divinity or Poetry. So Dr. Wolf is a Presbyterian.

Dr. Wolf expects for his Services in Betraying the Church, great Eccleſiaſti⯑cal [9] Preferment, (as Sir John ex⯑preſſeth it) Nonju⯑ror, pag. 18. an Office for Life, which, on whatſoever Pretence of Misbehaviour, no Civil Government can deprive him of. This is Ironi⯑cally repreſented afterwards by the See of Thetford. So, in ſhort, Dr. Wolf is a Biſhop.

This Presbyterian Biſhop has wrote ſomething about the Caſe of Schiſm; and the Colonel tells his Father, That he pag. 3. has read enough of him in the Daily Courant. What Biſhop has publiſh'd in the Daily Courant, is lippis et tonſoribus notum.

This Biſhop proteſts great Zeal for the Church, at the ſame Time that he is betraying it: On which the Colonel tells Sir John, Tho' pag. 3. I have always honour'd your Concern [10] for the Church, I little thought it was for a Church that is Eſtabliſh'd no where. (i. e.) No viſible Church.

This Biſhop is mark'd with another ſtrong Characteriſtick, managing a Diſpute with Heartly about the Nature of Prayer. That it ought not to be Tedious; pag. 13. outward Expreſſion not ſo abſolutely neceſſary, ſince Heaven knew the true Intention of the Heart. pag. 12. And then he talks of his own Manual of Devotions.

This Biſhop alſo pretends a mighty Regard to tender Conſcien⯑ces. He tell's Heartly, That we pag. 13. ought to allure them to what is Good by the gentleſt, eaſieſt Means we can, nor give the leaſt colour of Offence to tender Conſciences.

[11] The Colonel here urges the Con⯑ſtitution againſt him, and the force of the Laws; and deſires him to explain himſelf; to which this Biſhop Anſwers pag. 13 Sir, I ſhall not explain my Self: But make your beſt of what I've ſaid—But Power perhaps may change it's Hands, and you e're long as little dare to ſpeak your mind, as I do; viz. That there may come a Time when this Conſti⯑tution you talk ſo much of, may be overturned.

Sir John is fully ſatisfy'd that the Doctor is all this while apag. 18. true ſtanch Member of the Engliſh Catholick Church; mark, that is, ſuch a Church as comprehends all Sects and Parties whatſoever.

[12] But leſt theſe Lines ſhou'd not be ſtrong enough, the Author gives the finiſhing Stroke.

This Biſhop is at laſt diſco⯑ver'd to be a Jeſuit in Diſguiſe, By whom? By one of his School-Boys in whom he had diſtilled. ſome of his Jeſuitical Principles And moſt remarkable it is what the Colonel ſays on this Occaſion. Thatpag. 47. Charles begs he will not inſiſt upon the Diſcovery, 'till his Circumſtances will allow it: Almoſt in the very Stile of ſome Letters that paſſed, upon a parallel Oc⯑caſion, between a Maſter of a School, and a Reverend Doctor.

At laſt Subſtantial Affadavits are produced, to prove Dr. Wolf to have been Educated a Jeſuit; by which (as it is uſual in Alle⯑gorical Writers) the cloſe Conjun⯑ction [13] of a Reverend Prelate and a certain Jeſuit, is moſt injuriouſly and ſcandalouſly inſinuated.

So here is a Prelate and a Jeſuit and his Gang, got into the Family of Sir John! Let us next ſee what they are to do there. Why, they contrive the Ruin of his Fa⯑mily, and the diſinheriting and expulſion of his Children with ſo great an Aſſurance of Succeſs, that the Doctor talks of Sir John in this manner:pag. 68. Poor Man! he knows not his own Weakneſs; he is moulded into any Shape, if you but gently ſtroke his Humour. I intend to Morrow, to perſwade him 'tis for the Intereſt of our Cauſe it ſhould be ſo; and then I have him ſure. Poor Sir John indeed!

[14] I muſt here put you in mind of my ſecond Obſervation, that by the ſingle Perſon of Dr. Wolf, without any forced Conſtruction, may be underſtood a whole Sett or Party of Men. To proceed then,

The Play Opens with a Diſ⯑pute between Sir John and his Daughter, about the Formality of Chriſtening, and Sir John is at it again, (pag 63) being extremely rejoyced that Heartly is Chriſt'ned according to the Right Form. There is alſo mention made of Searching the Regiſter, &c.

Next we ſee Dr. Wolf inſulting Sir John's Son and Daughter; he breaks into the Daughter's Bed⯑chamber before ſhe is quite Up; and when ſhe reſents it, he tell's her pag. 15. Compoſe your Tranſport, [15] Madam: I came by your Father's Deſire; for what I have done, Madam, I had your Father's Au⯑thority, and ſhall leave him to an⯑ſwer you. The Daughter replies, Ibid.It is falſe, he gave you no Authority to inſult me: What is it you preſume upon? your Function! does that exempt you from the Man⯑ners of a Gentleman?

At laſt his foul Behaviour pro⯑vokes the Son to that degree, that he call's himpag. 14. Villain, and Raſcal.

Sir John is nettled at this; he tells his Son and Daughter,pag. 44. I ſee your Aim: Your Malice on your own vile Head: To me it but the more endears him: Either ſubmit and ask his Pardon for this Wrong,—or this Inſtant leave [16] my Sight, my Houſe, my Family for ever.

The Son anſwers, pag. 45. Tho' I would hazard Life to ſave you from the Ruin he miſleads you to, could Die to Reconcile my Duty to your Favour; yet on the Terms that Vil⯑lain offers, 'tis Merit to refuſe it. I Glory in the Diſgrace your Errors give me.

In ſhort, Sir John's Attachment to Dr. Wolf was ſo great, that there appear'd but ſmall Hopes of ever opening Sir John's Eyes: And remarkable is the Lamenta⯑tion of the Son upon that Occa⯑ſion;pag. 16. What horrid Hands is this poor Family fall'n into? How little is my Father like himſelf, by Nature Open, Juſt, and Generous? but this vile Hypocrite drives his weak Paſſions like the Wind; and I [17] foreſee, at laſt, will daſh him on his Ruin.

When Dr. Wolf had wrought up the Paſſion of Sir John to this degree, as to turn his Children out of Doors; then he interpoſeth his good Offices, and propoſeth a Reconciliation.

I beg the Reader to obſerve the Terms of it. That his Child ſhould be at the ſole Diſpoſal of Dr. Wolf, and do nothing without his Conſent.

It muſt here be obſerv'd that the Daughter had a Fortune of her own, independent on the Father, upon which ſhe ſeems to value her Self. pag. 5. Have not I 5000l. in my own hands? have not I had the full Swing of my own Airs and humours theſe four years? Mark the preciſe time But ſhe is put in mind by [18] the Son, that tho' the Father could not deprive her of her Fortune, he might abridge her Equipage; in theſe wordsIbid. however a Father's Conſent might have clapt a pair of horſes more to your Coach.

But at laſt he applauds her re⯑ſolution, and tells her ſhe ſpeaks with the Spirit of a free-born Engliſh⯑man.

Mark now the modeſty of Dr. Wolf; he propoſes, as the Loweſt and laſt condition, that ſhe ſhould reſign the half of this indepen⯑dent fortune pag. 54. Is not two thouſand pounds worth two Thouſand pounds? Is not half better than nothing?

[19] Obſerve next, (good Mr. Rowe) how Dr. Wolf endea⯑vours to debauch Lady Woodvill, and make her Subſervient to his Villainous deſigns: This Lady is deſcribed as having a great Aſ⯑cendant over Sir John's Spirit that She keeps no Aſſemblys; that ſhe had been Poor and Beautiful, while Sir John was Rich and Amourous. This Lady proves honeſt and truſty; and contributes, in the concluſion, to the diſcovery of the wicked purpoſes of Dr. Wolf.

Pray take notice too of a very odd Epiſode that ſeem to contri⯑bute very little to the main Action. That is Dr. Wolf's en⯑deavouring to Bring Sir John in⯑to a Scheme of Church Comprehenſi⯑on; Referring again to his Caſe of Schiſm, he tells Sir John thatpag. 25 [20] differences are not ſo material as ſome would repreſent them. Ah! could we be brought to a Temper, a great many ſeeming Contradictions might be reconciled. I allow this is a Comprehenſion of a different kind; but I beg leave to remind you and my Readers of my firſt obſer⯑vation, that the Circumſtances of a Fable do not determine the Satire. But you, Sir, who are intimate with Mr. Cibber may examine and know the Truth of this.

Nothing is ſo plain as the Cataſtrophe; when Dr. Wolf thought himſelf ſure of his Blow, and had brought Sir John to be⯑lieve that hispag. 24. hot brain'd Son (as he calls him) had a Deſign to get his Eſtate; he inſtantly makes Sir John reſolve to repay it in kind by diſinheriting him.

[21] But at laſt, there ariſes a misfortune from a Corner where the Doctor leaſt ſuſpected it. Some of his own Party, whom he thought inviolably attach'd to his intereſts, diſcover his wicked purpoſes. This Sett of Men is repreſented by Charles an ingeni⯑ous Gentleman, a Servant of Sir John's, a man of Buſineſs, a good Greek and Latin Scholar &c. This Charles (it ſeems) highly obliged by the Generous treat⯑ment of the Son and enamour'd of the good Qualities of the Daughter, both reveals, and pre⯑vents the whole myſtery of Iniquity: Upon which Dr. Wolf ſeeing his project diſſappointed vents his Rage upon this honeſt Gentleman; and attempts his Life.

[22] Laſtly, Mr. Cibber (to obviate all poſſibility of miſtaking his meaning) upon the winding up of the whole deſign, breaks on a ſudden into an open diſcourſe of Politicks; talks of embroiling the Nation, and ending Publick diſputes and calls upon King George, with abundance more good Morality very well worth obſerving.

Thus, Sir, according to your deſire, I have given a ſhort Sketch of the Fable and Characters of this Play; juſt enough to enable ſome perſon of greater Sagacity to find out who are meant by every par⯑ticular Perſonage of the Drama. I am ſure I would not preſume ſo much as to gueſs.

[23] But one Thing I muſt obſerve, which I remember we both took particular notice of: It is, that the Author tho' queſtionleſs a great maſter of Stile puts bad Engliſh into the mouths of moſt of his Per⯑ſonages: So that indeed ſcarce any of e'm talk at all like Engliſh Folks; but perpetually make uſe of an uncorrect, Foreign, Jargon. What his drift is in this I cannot ima⯑gine; but the Inſtances of it are obvious to every Reader; and numerous in every Page.

I am, Dear Mr. Rowe, Your, &c.