▁in ▁his ▁pra ise ▁of ▁Sher idan ' s ▁com ed ies ▁in ▁general ▁(" every thing ▁in ▁them ▁tells ; ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁labour ▁in ▁vain ") ▁and ▁of ▁this ▁play ▁in ▁particular : ▁ ▁Edmund ▁G os se ▁called ▁the ▁play ▁" per haps ▁the ▁best ▁existing ▁English ▁comedy ▁of ▁intr igue ", ▁while ▁Charles ▁Lamb ▁wrote ▁that ▁" This ▁comedy ▁grew ▁out ▁of ▁Cong re ve ▁and ▁W ych er ley ", ▁but ▁critic ised ▁" sent iment al ▁in compat ib ilities " ▁even ▁while ▁adm itting ▁that ▁" the ▁g ai ety ▁upon ▁the ▁whole ▁is ▁bu oy ant ." ▁ ▁Samuel ▁Bar ber ▁composed ▁his ▁first ▁full ▁orch est ral ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁over t ure ▁program med ▁for ▁the ▁play . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁the ▁play ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁critic ised ▁for ▁some ▁hints ▁of ▁anti - S emit ism , ▁specifically ▁" the ▁dispar aging ▁remarks ▁made ▁about ▁m one yl enders , ▁who ▁were ▁often ▁Jewish ." ▁It ▁is ▁true ▁that ▁the ▁m one yl ender ▁Mos es ▁is ▁port rayed ▁in ▁a ▁compar atively ▁positive ▁light , ▁but ▁the ▁way ▁he ▁is ▁described ▁( as ▁a ▁" friend ly ▁Jew " ▁and ▁an ▁" hon est ▁Israel ite " ▁by ▁Row ley ▁in ▁III . 1 ) ▁suggest ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁in ▁some ▁way ▁to ▁be ▁considered ▁an ▁exception ▁to ▁Jews ▁in ▁general ; ▁also , ▁his ▁own ▁us ur ious ▁business ▁practices ▁as ▁stated ▁to ▁Sir ▁Peter ▁are ▁clearly