Early American Plays Part 4

SERTORIUS; OR, THE ROMAN PATRIOT. A Tragedy. Philadelphia, 1830.

8vo, pp. 87.

BRYCE, JAMES F.

DEMOCEDES, AN INTERLUDE. In one Act. Second edition, revised with the addition of a Third Scene. Performed with unbounded applause in Annapolis, Md., August 16, 1827, by Messrs. Mestayer & Co.

Annapolis: 1827. 8vo, pp. 8.

BURK, JOHN DALY

JOHN DALY BURK, born in Ireland about 1776, died in 1808, became, while at Trinity College, Dublin, an ardent politician, and involved himself in difficulties with the authorities. It is said he belonged to a secret political society which tried to rescue a rebel on his way to execution. Burk took shelter in a bookseller's shop, while his wolf-dog kept the police at bay. Escaping in woman's apparel, given him by a Miss Daly, whose name he afterwards added to his own, he came to America, settled in Boston, and became editor of a newspaper called _The Polar Star and Boston Daily Advertiser_. He afterwards settled in New York, and published a paper called _The Time-Piece_.

Arrested on a charge of publis.h.i.+ng a libel contrary to the provisions of the Sedition Law of 1798, he left New York and settled at Petersburg, Va. In 1804 he published a _History of Virginia_, in 4 vols., the fourth being issued after his death. He also wrote a _History of the Late War in Ireland, with an Account of the United Irish a.s.sociation, from the First Meeting in Belfast, to the Landing of the French at Killala_, published in Philadelphia, 1799. Also _An Historical Essay on the Character and Antiquity of Irish Songs_, published in _The Richmond Enquirer_, May, 1808. He was killed in a duel with a French man named Coquebert.

BUNKER HILL; OR, THE DEATH OF GEN. WARREN. An Historic Tragedy, in Five Acts. By John Burk, Late of Trinity College, Dublin, as played at the Theatres in America, for fourteen nights, with unbounded applause. Copyright secured according to law. New York: Printed by T. Greenleaf, MDCCXCVII. 12mo, pp. 55.

Another edition, Baltimore, 1808. 16mo, pp. 39.

Same: New York, 1817. 12mo, pp. 44.

Reprinted by the Dunlap Society.

This play was first played at the Haymarket in Boston, February 17, 1798. It was also played a number of times in New York.

FEMALE PATRIOTISM; OR, THE DEATH OF JOAN D'ARC. An Historic Play in Five Acts. New York, 1798. 12mo, pp. 40.

Played at the New Park Theatre, New York, 1798.

BETHLEM GABOR, LORD OF TRANSYLVANIA: OR, THE MAN-HATING PALATINE. An Historical Drama, in Three Acts. Petersburg, 1807. 16mo, pp. 49.

CARR, MRS.

THE FAIR AMERICAN. Philadelphia, 1815. 12mo.

Played at the John Street Theatre, New York, November 9, 1789.

CHAPMAN, SAMUEL H.

SAMUEL HENRY CHAPMAN, born in London, May 10, 1799; died in Philadelphia, May 16, 1830, was an actor as well as dramatist. He made his first appearance on the stage at Covent Garden Theatre, London, as _Agib_, in _Timour, the Tartar_. He was brought to the United States in 1827 by Mr. Francis Courtney Wemyss, manager of the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, in company with Mr. and Mrs.

Sloman, Mrs. Austin, and Miss Emery, for the stock company of that theatre. His debut was made October 31, 1827, as _Pierre_ in _Venice Preserved_. He became a favorite immediately, and of him it is said he had no equal in heroic roles in his time. In May, 1829, he became joint manager of the Walnut Street Theatre. He married Elizabeth Jefferson, daughter of the elder and aunt of the now living Joseph Jefferson, in the same year. While riding, to ill.u.s.trate to an artist the scene of the robbery in Turner's Lane in his own play of _The Mail Coach_, he was thrown from his horse, and so injured that he died within a week. It is said his hurt was aggravated greatly by the fact that he continued to play every night, and having a piece of bra.s.s armor next his skin, blood-poisoning was caused in his wounded shoulder.

THE RED ROVER. A Drama founded on J. F. Cooper's novel of that name.

Philadelphia, n. d. 18mo, pp. 52.

Played at Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, 1828.

c.o.c.kINGS, GEORGE

GEORGE c.o.c.kINGS, born in Devons.h.i.+re, England, died February 6, 1802, lived a great part of his time in Dartmouth, England, and from there went first to Newfoundland, where he pa.s.sed several years, then to Boston, where he held some small position under the English Government. For thirty years in England he held the place of Register of the Society of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce in the Adelphi. He wrote _War, An Heroic Poem_, Boston, 1764; _The American War_, a _Poem_, and other works.

THE CONQUEST OF CANADA; OR, THE SIEGE OF QUEBEC. An Historical Tragedy of Five Acts. London: Printed for the Author, 1766. 8vo, pp. v.-76.

Another edition, 12mo, Philadelphia, 1772.

CRAFTS, WILLIAM

WILLIAM CRAFTS, born in Charleston, S. C., January 24, 1787; died in Lebanon Springs, N. Y., September 23, 1826. He was educated at Harvard and was especially noted there for his proficiency in the cla.s.sic languages. He returned to Charleston, where he was admitted to the bar, and became a leading lawyer and legislator. He was always a ready and convincing speaker. In 1817 he delivered the Phi Beta Kappa address at Harvard. He was a constant contributor to the _Charleston Courier_. His works were published in Charleston in 1828.

He wrote a few volumes of poetry, viz.: _The Raciad, Sullivan's Island_, and _A Monody on the Death of Decatur_.

THE SEA SERPENT; OR, GLOUCESTER HOAX. A Dramatic Jeu d'Esprit, in Three Acts. Charleston: A. E. Miller, 1819. 12mo, pp. [5], 6-34.

CROSWELL, JOSEPH

A NEW WORLD PLANTED; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF THE FOREFATHERS OF NEW ENGLAND WHO LANDED IN PLYMOUTH, DECEMBER 22, 1620. An Historical Drama. Boston, 1802. 8vo, pp. 45.

CUSTIS, GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON PARKE

GEORGE WAs.h.i.+NGTON PARKE CUSTIS, born in Mount Airy, Md., April 30, 1786; died at Arlington, Fairfax Co., Va., October 10, 1857. His father was the son of Mrs. Was.h.i.+ngton by her former husband. His early home was at Mount Vernon, and he was educated at Princeton. He married, early in life, Mary Lee Fitzhugh, and their daughter married Robert E. Lee. Arlington House, built by Mr. Custis, thus came into the Lee family. This beautiful estate, which was confiscated during the war between the States, and used as a place of burial for the Federal dead, was purchased from General Lee's heirs at the close of the war and remains dedicated to the uses of a National Cemetery. Mr.

Custis wrote _Recollections of General Was.h.i.+ngton_, published first in the _National Intelligencer_, and in book form in New York, in 1860.

THE INDIAN PROPHECY. A National Drama in Two Acts, founded on a most interesting and romantic occurrence in the life of General Was.h.i.+ngton. Georgetown, 1828. 16mo, pp. 35.

POCAHONTAS; OR, THE SETTLERS OF VIRGINIA. A National Drama in Three Acts. Philadelphia, 1830. 12mo, pp. 47.

Another edition. 12mo, pp. 45. Philadelphia, 1839.

This play was first acted at the Park Theatre, New York, December 28, 1830, was well received, and was played in different cities of the United States.

DA CENEDA, LORENZO DA PONTE

(_Called DA PONTE_)

LORENZO DA PONTE DA CENEDA; born in Venice, Italy, in 1748; died in New York, August 17, 1838, was an ardent poet and dramatist, and was attached to the Court Theatre at Vienna in 1784, where several of his librettos were produced with success. He came to New York about 1809, and established himself as a teacher of languages, finally becoming Professor of Italian Literature in Columbia College. He was a very popular figure in New York society, and dearly loved by his compatriots, to whom he gave an affectionate welcome upon their coming to his new home. He was an intimate a.s.sociate of Mozart, Metastasio, and Joseph II. of Austria. Upon the arrival of the first Italian opera of Signor Garcia and his ill.u.s.trious daughter in New York, they found that Da Ponte had made their way to triumph easy. He was, in fact, the foster-father of Italian opera in America.

SCENA QUARTA DELL ATTO QUINTO DI ADAD, Poema Dramatico, del Signor Giacoma A. Hillhouse. Tradatto in Verso Italiano da L. Da Ponte, N. Y. Gray e Bunce, 1825.

This is an Italian translation of the last act of Hillhouse's _Hadad_.

a.s.sUR RE D'ORMUS. Dramma. New York: Stampatori Giovanni Gray e Cia, 1826. 18mo, pp. 47.

IL DON GIOVANNI. Dramma Eroicomica. Nova-Jorca: Stampatori Giovanni Gray e Cia, 1826. 18mo, pp. 51.