The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 6, June 1810

In Short

This volume is a theatrical miscellany that functions as both a historical record and a contemporary observer of the stage. It blends scholarly essays on the origins of the Roman drama with personal biographies of notable actors like Le Kain and William Gifford. Interspersed with these reflections are reviews, anecdotes, and the complete text of a romantic, intrigue-heavy play titled The Free Knights. It remains a vital artifact because it preserves the intellectual energy, moral debates, and stylistic preferences of a world obsessed with the art of performance.

The Story

The volume opens with a scholarly exploration of the Roman stage, tracing its evolution from the crude, riotous revels of "balladines" to the development of the histrioni and the refinement of the Latin drama. This historical grounding provides a foundation for the later pieces, which shift focus to the intense, often brutal, professional life of actors. The biography of the French tragedian Le Kain illustrates the struggle against both physical disadvantages and the "intrigues of the green-room." His success, eventually validated by the discerning eye of Louis XV, highlights the period's belief in the transformative power of art.

Parallel to these artistic triumphs are the sobering realities of the literary life. The biography of William Gifford reveals a more desperate struggle: a life of poverty where poetry and mathematical study were pursued in secret, punctuated by the threat of a master's wrath. His failed attempt to translate Juvenal exposes the humility and financial peril faced by writers who overestimated their own attainments. These biographical arcs are woven together with lighter, more caustic content—anecdotes about the "gluttony" of a flint-digger, the perceived absurdity of Irish or Yorkshire juries, and moralistic essays on the domestic hazards of choosing a wife based on vanity.

The dramatic centerpiece is The Free Knights, a play set in Westphalia that depicts a struggle against a mysterious, subterranean tribunal. The plot follows the persecuted orphan Agnes Lindorf, who is summoned by the "Free Knights" on false charges of poisoning a prince. The drama unfolds through high-stakes confrontations between the benevolent Abbot of Corbey, who offers sanctuary, and the machinations of the corrupt Prince Palatine. As the mystery deepens, Baron Ravensburg’s son is torn between duty to his order and his love for Agnes. The narrative reaches a fever pitch as the Abbot defies the tribunal’s "sanguinary" authority. Ultimately, the Prince confesses his duplicity, the "dark superstition" of the secret society is unmasked, and the play concludes with a grand installation ceremony, celebrating the triumph of "enlightened truth" over clandestine tyranny. The volume ends with a flourish of critical commentary on the works of Otway and Southern, debating the morality and structure of their tragedies, and finally, a selection of poems that reflect the sentimental and "rustic" sensibilities of the era.

How It Unfolds

The classical foundation The text begins by detailing the slow, difficult transition of Rome from a society that prided itself on "roughness and ferocity" to one that embraced theatrical imitation. It carefully charts the century-long wait between the passing of strict laws against personal slander and the birth of regular, public performances.

The actor’s burden The narrative shifts to the lives of men like Le Kain, who overcame physical obstacles and professional envy through relentless art and design. It emphasizes that these figures were not merely performers, but self-taught experts who revolutionized stage costume and historical accuracy.

The struggle for letters A stark contrast is provided by the life of William Gifford, whose pursuit of knowledge was a dangerous, lonely affair. It documents his transition from a boy receiving sixpence for recitations to a scholar haunted by the realization that his translation of Juvenal was premature.

The trial of Agnes The drama The Free Knights initiates its conflict with a terrifying, nocturnal summons. The narrative follows Agnes as she is caught in a web of political intrigue, finding her only protection in the courageous, albeit defiant, Abbot of Corbey.

The resolution of power The climax arrives when the Prince, overcome by the moral weight of his own crimes and the sight of Agnes’s innocence, is forced to confess. The power of the secret tribunal is dismantled, and the order of the day is restored through a public, triumphant celebration of justice.

The People

Le Kain is the quintessential dedicated artist. Born with a "disadvantageous countenance" and a "rough voice," he transforms himself into a master of passion. His journey from an underestimated debutant to a king’s favorite reflects the era's reverence for talent that triumphs over "insurmountable obstacles."

William Gifford represents the scholar-poet shaped by extreme adversity. His desire to learn algebra and geometry in secret, while using poetry only to fund his survival, paints a portrait of a man driven by intellectual necessity rather than leisure. He ends his account with a profound admission of his own limitations, showing a commitment to truth over ego.

Agnes Lindorf is the innocent victim in The Free Knights. She possesses a "stiffled feeling" of despair as she is accused by the very people she trusted. Her growth from a helpless orphan to a woman who stands defiant against a "sanguinary band" marks the emotional core of the play.

The Abbot of Corbey stands as the moral anchor of the drama. He is the champion of "Christian cause" and "enlightened truth." He struggles with his own capacity for rage against the "villain" Prince, eventually choosing to use his sanctuary as a bulwark against the "cankering blight" of superstition.

The Prince Palatine is the figure of "mad ambition." Initially appearing as a powerful arbiter, he is revealed to be a hypocrite who uses the tribunal to settle personal vendettas. His final collapse into supplication for death marks his complete moral disintegration.

In Its Own Voice

"Le Kain had not only to conquer nature, but also the efforts of envy, the intrigues of the green-room, and of the fashionable world, and the precipitate opinions of bad judges."

This passage describes the immense professional and personal hurdles faced by the great French actor during his early career.

"The drama, it has been justly remarked, is made a mere slaughter-house."

This critique appears in a discussion about the excessive violence and horror present in the tragedies of Otway.

"Dark superstition, like the cankering blight, infects and withers every social hope!"

The Abbot speaks these words while confronting the agents of the Free Knights to protect the innocent Agnes.

What It's Really About

At its core, this work investigates the conflict between institutionalized secrecy and the light of public justice. Through its essays, plays, and biographies, it asks whether a society can truly be "enlightened" if it allows secret tribunals, inequitable social structures, and personal vanities to dictate the lives of the innocent. It is a meditation on the power of the stage to act as a moral mirror. By contrasting the "sanguinary" secrecy of the Free Knights with the "fair and open day" of the final scene, the volume argues for a world where knowledge, truth, and genuine merit—rather than intrigue—determine one's fate.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy a deep, immersive look into the nineteenth-century mindset will find this a fascinating, if sometimes challenging, experience. The writing is marked by a distinctive formal precision, yet it remains intensely human, oscillating between high-minded aesthetic critique and the raw, often messy realities of lives lived on the margins of fame or poverty. You will encounter a world that is deeply suspicious of "dark superstition" and fiercely protective of individual intellectual liberty.

The primary difficulty lies in the period-specific language and the occasional dense, moralistic tone of the criticism, which assumes a level of familiarity with historical dramas that a modern reader may lack. However, the reward is a genuine, unvarnished portrait of a time. The play The Free Knights is particularly resonant, as it captures the era’s penchant for melodrama while exploring themes of judicial corruption that remain relevant. You stay for the voices—the struggling actor, the defiant Abbot, and the determined, self-taught scholar—who emerge from these pages as distinct, recognizable figures. It is an honest, if occasionally uneven, archive of a society grappling with its own transition into modernity, and it leaves you with a profound sense of the precarious nature of both genius and justice.