Physical volume held at University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Special Collections and Archives
This piece can never be intereʃting on the ʃtage; notwith-
ʃtanding many paʃʃages which reliʃh highly of its great
author; one excellent piece of inʃtruction it undoubtedly
affords, the miʃerable effects of prodigal benevolence,
ʃcattered among ʃervile intereʃted followers; the pic-
ture of Timon himʃelf is highly finiʃhed; and Ape-
mantus is a well conceived, well draw contraʃt; but
moʃt of the other characters are inʃipid or trifling, many
of the ʃcenes flimzy, and the cataʃrophe not ʃo ʃtriking,
as it might be; we give the piece to peruʃal, greatly and
properly reduced from the original.
We have ʃeen three alterations of this play; the laʃt,
Mr. Cumberland’s, is much the beʃt, but we think
Shakeʃpeare, properly pared, better than any of them;
though, if the merit of this dramatic genius had reʃted
upon Timon for fame, it muʃt have fallen very ʃhort
of what it is; yet as the moral, ʃhowing how miʃap-
plied bounty may become a deʃtructive vice, muʃt be
conʃidered as a very uʃeful leʃʃon, we could with this
piece to be oftner in public view; but lighter matters
than inʃtruC*tion, ʃeem to be too much the prevalent taʃte.
SCENE, Athens; and the woods not far from it.