meet me—I will not meet the taylor, for it is impossible to confine his tongue.

Lord Mansfield. Mr. Macklin, see whether I cannot make peace between you. Now, suppose he undertakes to be bound by a rule of court to stand committed if he ever so much as, by look or word, puts you in a passion. The proposal, then, is to pay him his costs, and to take 300l. worth of tickets in the way that he has mentioned. Let it be so. Mr. Macklin, the house will receive so much benefit from it, perhaps they will pay you the arrears.

Mr. Macklin. My lord, I never did quarrel with a manager for money yet: I never made a bargain with a man; whatever they offer me, I take.

Lord Mansfield. You have met with great applause to-day. You never acted better.

In 1773, the Covent Garden management determined to revive "The Beggar's Opera," to the consternation of the magistrates at Bow Street. It is curious to think that these worthies should have believed that this play gave encouragement to the thieves and malefactors, and addressed an appeal to the managers. They urged that, when it was played some time ago, "it most undoubtedly increased the number of thieves, and that the managers of Drury Lane had obligingly returned for answer, that for that night it was too late to stop it, but that for the future they would not play it, if the other house did not. Under these circumstances, from a sense of duty and the principles of humanity, the magistrates make the same request to Mr. Colman and the rest of the managers of His Majesty's Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, the same opera being advertised to be played before this night."

Colman, however, met them in quite a suitable spirit.

Mr. Colman presents his best respects to the magistrates, with whose note he has been just honoured. He has not yet had an opportunity of submitting it to the other managers, but, for his own part, cannot help differing in opinion with

the magistrates, thinking that the theatre is one of the very few houses in the neighbourhood that does not contribute to increase the number of thieves.

This suggests the ready device of one who demurely proposed to submit all objections to the Archbishop of Canterbury' offering to remove what he objected to; on which the lively prelate declined, he good-naturedly saying to his friends that he had no notion of having the piece published "with the approbation of the Archbishop of Canterbury."

Another odd proceeding which marked the same year is worth mentioning, as showing the conscientious anxiety of the good old school of actors not to be thought failing in their duty. Reddish, a useful performer, was announced in the part of Alonzo, but through some absence of mind or misapprehension, very natural in those days when the play was changed every night, did not go to the theatre. He recalled it when too late, went, in great agitation, to Bow Street, and made the following affidavit before Sir Sampson Wright:

Samuel Reddish, of Drury Lane Theatre, maketh oath, and declares, that the only reason of his not being at the theatre this night, to perform his part in the tragedy of "Alonzo," was entirely owing to his thinking it was an oratorio night; and, that the unhappy mistake may not be misconstrued into a wilful neglect of his duty, he most humbly begs pardon of the public for the disappointment.

SAMUEL REDDISH.

This scrupulousness contrasts with the carelessness and disorder which set in when Garrick resigned the management.

CHAPTER VIII.

COLMAN AND THE HAYMARKET.

GEORGE COLMAN the elder having disposed of his share in Covent Garden Theatre in 1774, remained without management for three years; when finding that the unfortunate Foote was about to retire, he determined to take his place. Knowing with whom he had to deal, he employed an agent to conduct the negotiations, and kept his name concealed.*

The patent was only for Foote's life, so that, it would appear, was all he had to dispose of. For this he was to receive the handsome annuity of 1600l. For the theatre he, as well as Colman, had to pay rent to the landlord. He was to be also re-engaged, for his services as an actor, although, as it happened, he only performed three times; and Colman purchased the copyright of his unpublished dramatic pieces for 500l. It was mentioned that this patent

* They often met at dinner, when Foote, enlarging, as was his wont, on all topics, would say: “Now here's Colman, an experienced manager; he can tell you there's nobody can conduct such a peculiar business as mine but myself; but there's a fat-headed fellow of an agent who has been boring me every morning at breakfast with terms for some blockhead who knows nothing about the stage, but whose money burns in his pocket." "Playhouse mad," said the other. 66 Right," replied Foote ; "and if bleeding will bring him to his senses, he'll find me a devilish good doctor." "When the principals met to sign and seal, it might be conceived that Foote looked a little foolish, but it was said he never blushed in his life."

enabled the holder of it to open his house, annually, for the acting of all English dramatic performances from the 15th of May to the 15th of September, inclusive. As it proved, but a single half-year's payment was made when Foote died, so the bargain turned out an excellent one for Colman. The new manager, as well as his son, was a clever as well as a successful man. He gathered a large and excellent company for so small a house, one that included Charles Bannister, Blissett, Digges, Edwin, Miss Barsanti, later, Daly, the Dublin manager's wife, Mr. and Mrs. Davies, Miss Farren, Mrs. Jewell, Mrs. Love, Henderson, the two Palmers, Parsons, and Foote himself nearly fifty performers. Mr. Winston has added some notes on the list of performers:

The theatre opened with the comedy of "The English Merchant," and "Lilliput," on the 15th of May; closed till the 28th, and then performed three nights a week, till the 11th of June. June 9th, Miss Farren first appeared in London in the character of Miss Hardcastle, in the comedy of "She Stoops to Conquer." June 11th, Mr. Henderson (from Bath) first appeared in London in the character of Shylock. Mr. Foote acted July 11th, 25th, and 30th only, was to perform again, but was prevented by illness. Mr. Digges made his first appearance in London in the character of Cato on August 14th.

This Mr. Winston, who later had a share in the direction, deserves mention as one of the most diligent and omnivorous collectors of all matters appertaining to dramatic art. He had collected methodically, and from every source, newspapers, bills, memoirs, MSS., every detail that bore on the life and adventures of the English performers. These were written out in the neatest of hands, and, with paragraphs cut from newspapers, arranged under suitable headings. This mass of information thus collected was extraordinary, and though much was valueless, it was intended to be carefully

winnowed to form materials for a complete history of the stage. I have heard there were vast quantities of this matter. At his death all were dispersed, and even now some of these curious documents are to be found occasionally at the book and waste-paper shops of Clare Market. I myself recovered a good many fragments.

The criticism, however, of the town was, that the company was meagre in first-rate talent. "Among the men, indeed, there were two excellent comedians and established favourites -John Palmer and Parsons; the elder Bannister, also, was then in full voice, and very popular as a singer; after these we must descend to Aickin, commonly called 'Belly Aickin' (to distinguish him from his brother Tyrant Aickin'); nobody could be better in his secondary, or perhaps thirdly, line of characters. R. Palmer was then a rising young actor, who was afterwards unique in a few sketches of dramatic character, but he never attained the highest walks. Du Dellamy, too, was remarkable while singing and speaking, for the cocking up of his thumbs. This person was originally a shoemaker."

It should be remembered that this was what was called a summer theatre, and had to close at the season when the other houses began. This was a fair compromise, and kept the little theatre from being a rival to the patent houses. Later, however, the term was extended to eight months, and Colman tried the experiment of engaging country actors of eminence, such as Mathews, but without much success.

But the manager had drawn prizes in the three new performers-Henderson, Farren, and Edwin; "all coming together, these stars produced a constellation." Henderson was no doubt what might be called a "fine" actor. Garrick, indeed, had pronounced, a couple of years before, “that he might be made to figure in any of the puppets of his time,"