CASTLE OF ANDALUSIA
PEDRILLO—OH! YOU MOST BEAUTIFUL GODDESS.
ACT II SCENE I
PAINTED BY SINGLETON. PUBLISH'D BY LONGMAN & CO. ENGRAVED BY C. WARREN.
1807.
THE
CASTLE OF ANDALUSIA;
A COMIC OPERA,
IN THREE ACTS;
By JOHN O'KEEFFE, Esq.
AS PERFORMED AT THE
THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN.
PRINTED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MANAGERS
FROM THE PROMPT BOOK.
WITH REMARKS
BY MRS. INCHBALD.
LONDON:
PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,
PATERNOSTER-ROW.
Edinburgh:
Printed by James Ballantyne & Co.
REMARKS.
A reader must be acquainted with O'Keeffe on the stage to admire him inthe closet. Yet he is entitled to more praise, in being the originalauthor of a certain species of drama, made up of whim and frolic thannumberless retailers of wit and sentiment with whom that class ofreaders are charmed, who are not in the habit of detecting plagiarism.
From Operas, since the Beggar's Opera, little has been required by thetown except music and broad humour. The first delights the elegant, thesecond the inelegant part of an audience; by which means all partiesare gratified.
Had O'Keeffe written less, his reputation would have stood higher withthe public; and so would that of many an author beside himself: butwhen a man makes writing his only profession—industry, and prudentforecast for the morrow, will often stimulate him to produce, withheavy heart, that composition which his own judgment condemns. Yetis he compelled to bear the critic's censure, as one whom vanity hasincited to send forth crude thoughts with his entire good[4] will, andperfect security as to the high value they will have with the world.
Let it be known to the world, that more than half the authors who comebefore them thus apparently bold and self-approved, are perhaps sinkingunder the shame of their puerile works, and discerning in them morefaults, from closer attention and laudable timidity, than the mostsevere of their censurers can point out.
These observations might be some apology for this Opera, if it requiredany. But it has pleased so well in representation, that its deserts asan exhibition are acknowledged; and if in reading there should appearsomething of too much intricacy in the plot, or of improbability in theevents, the author must be supposed