The London Courant and Westminster Chronicle (February 26, 1781): 3

THEATRICAL INTELLIGENCE.

COVENT-GARDEN.

Saturday evening a new comedy, called The World as it Goes, or A Party at Montpelier, was performed for the first time at this theatre.

Mrs. Cowley, for some reasons peculiar to herself, takes care to ascertain her right to her productions, by avowing them, in all advertisements, previous and even subsequent to their exhibition. It was owing to this peculiarity, that the author of this article had the information that Mrs. Cowley is the author of The World as it Goes.

The events of the comedy are supposed to have happened at Montpelier, but evidently by a person who was never at the place, and who has moved in a sphere very different from that which she attempts to describe.

The principal characters are Sir John1 [sic] and Lady Danvers, an unhappy couple, for a reason which seems too improbable even for the stage; for Sir John, even while his affection is unabated, affects the most determined and cruel indifference to her; drives her into a convent, where an indecent attempt on her virtue by a Friar [sic], is interrupted by Sir John, who had been driven by love to force her away. The author's attempt to give effect to their meeting, rendered it ridiculous; for Sir John drew his sword and run [sic] it into the Friar's thigh; a circumstance sufficient to denominate the piece a tragedy, according to modern apprehensions. The other persons are Mr. Grub, a city broker, and his two daughters; one too vulgar for a camp-follower, and the other an accomplished fine lady. A Mr. Fairfax, in love with the accomplished Miss Grub, but out of favour in the family, for having affronted Miss Molly, the father's favourite, follows the family to Montpelier, which he finds full of impostors, whose business it is to impose on Englishmen.

As Miss Molly is inexorable on the subject of her sister's marriage, but very intent on her own, and likely to be the dupe of some of those pretended Barons and Marquises to be found at such places, he determines to enlist himself among Miss Molly's lovers, in order to obtain her consent to her sister's marriage, on the day appointed for her own. This is but an indifferent contrivance, and the incidents arising from it were not relished.