Robins of his day--is brought on the stage as Mr. Auctioneer Hen (a part
taken by Mrs. Charke). His wares, "collected by the indefatigable Pains
of that celebrated Virtuoso, _Peter Humdrum_, Esq.," include such
desirable items as "curious Remnants of Political Honesty," "delicate
Pieces of Patriotism," Modesty (which does not obtain a bid), Courage,
Wit, and "a very neat clear Conscience" of great capacity, "which has
been worn by a Judge, and a Bishop." The "Cardinal Virtues" are then put
up, and eighteen-pence is bid for them. But after they have been knocked
down at this extravagant sum, the buyer complains that he had understood
the auctioneer to say "a Cardinal's Virtues," and that the lot he has
purchased includes "Temperance and Chastity, and a Pack of Stuff that he
would not give three Farthings for." The whole of this scene is
"admirable fooling;" and it was afterwards impudently stolen by
Theophilus Cibber for his farce of the _Auction_. The _Historical
Register_ concludes with a dialogue between Quidam, in whom the audience
recognised Sir Robert Walpole, and four patriots, to whom he gives a
purse which has an instantaneous effect upon their opinions. All five
then go off dancing to Quidam's fiddle; and it is explained that they
have holes in their pockets through which the money will fall as they
dance, enabling the donor to pick it all up again, "and so not lose one
Half-penny by his Generosity."

The frank effrontery of satire like the foregoing had by this time begun
to attract the attention of the Ministry, whose withers had already been
sharply wrung by _Pasquin_; and it has been conjectured that the ballet
of Quidam and the Patriots played no small part in precipitating the
famous "Licensing Act," which was passed a few weeks afterwards. Like
the marriage which succeeded the funeral of Hamlet's father, it
certainly "followed hard upon." But the reformation of the stage had
already been contemplated by the Legislature; and two years before, Sir