THE JEALOUS WIFE; A COMEDY, IN FIVE ACTS; BY GEORGE COLMAN, Esq. AS PERFORMED AT THE THEATRES ROYAL, DRURY LANE AND COVENT GARDEN. PRINTED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MANAGERS FROM THE PROMPT BOOK. WITH REMARKS BY MRS. INCHBALD. LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND ORME, PATERNOSTER ROW. REMARKS. This comedy, by Colman the elder, was written in his youth; and, though he brought upon the stage no less than twenty-five dramas, including those he altered from Shakspeare and other writers, subsequent to this production, yet not one of them was ever so well received by the town, or appears to have deserved so well, as "The Jealous Wife." To this observation, "The Clandestine Marriage" may possibly be an exception; but, in that work, Mr. Garrick was declared his joint labourer. It therefore appears, that Mr. Colman's talents for dramatic writing declined, rather than improved, by experience or, at least, his ardour abated; and all works of imagination require, both in conception and execution, a degree of enthusiasm. The reader of this comedy will perceive, that its fable is taken from Fielding's celebrated novel of "Tom Jones;" commencing at the period, when Sophia takes refuge in Lady Bellaston's house. But those characters, which, in the novel, constitute the great interest of the book, are, in the comedy, made subservient to persons of more theatrical consequence; and Western, his daughter, and Tom Jones himself, (in the parts of Russet, Harriet, and Charles Oakly) give place to their dramatic superiors, Mr. Mrs. and Major Oakly. Though Mr. Colman has here made the creatures of his own fancy transcend those formed by the great novelist; yet, had Fielding dramatised his own romance, it is almost certain he would not have done those very characters the honour paid to them in "The Jealous Wife." With all his genius as a writer, Fielding was always unsuccessful in writing for the stage. Those of his dramas, which survived the perils of the first night, generally expired in the course of a week; and they would now be wholly forgotten, but for the importance of the author's name. Besides his acknowledgment to the author of "Tom Jones," Mr. Colman confessed himself obliged, for some incidents in this play, or ideas that formed them, to "The Spectator," "Connoisseur," and "The Adelphi" of Terence. He says also, in his advertisement prefixed to the original publication," It would be unjust to omit mentioning my obligations to Mr. Garrick." He proceeds to state, that Garrick, to whom he submitted the play for inspection in its first "rude state," gave him advice in many particulars, as to its fable and characters. From this simple admis |