region of Foote and the Colmans was shifted into that of Sadler's Wells, or Astley's, or the Circus.

But on the 16th Charles Kemble redeemed the credit of the theatre, by his very clever play called the Point of Honour, which was in the first place extremely interesting, and in the second, exceedingly well acted, by himself as well as others. It was a maiden production.

The manager of this theatre now assumed, I have no sort of doubt with the royal sanction, the names of Arthur Griffenhoofe, Jun. which, if my friend, Sir George Naylor, can examine for laughter, he may probably find duly enregistered in the College of Arms;-if he do not prefer seeing and enjoying the Review, or the Wags of Windsor; for. which he need not wait long, while Caleb Fawcett, I beg his pardon, Quotem, is in existence. For John Lump, it is with sincere regret that I announce, from alarming symptoms of late, my despair of the perfect recovery of that Yorkshire Bumpkin.

3 F

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CHAP. XIV.

Season of 1800-1801.-Kemble desirous to purchase, reas sumes the management.-Mrs. Montagu.-Kemble's remark. That lady's wisdom.-Dr. Money.—Marbles.Condescension.-Cato in Lybia.-The soldiers.-Blanchard.-Mrs. S. Kemble.-Virginia.-George Cooke at Covent Garden.-Characterised.-His Richard criticised. -Compared with Kemble.-Life, by Reynolds.—Antonio fails.-Cooke's Kitely.-Mr. Kemble's Lear-Letters.King John-Poor Gentleman.-Cymbeline.-Deaf and Dumb-La Perouse.--Cooke's Sir Giles.-Adelmorn.Cooke's conduct.

THE winter season of 1800-1801 commenced about the usual time; Drury Lane Theatre once more under the management of Mr. Kemble. He returned to this unthankful office with some idea of still closer connexion with that house. Sheridan had thrown out hints that upon a proper consideration, he should be willing to dispose of a part of the property, and Mr. Kemble conceived that if he were himself in possession of a FOURTH of the concern, and by the steady assertion of a right, could restrain Mr. Sheridan from his intromissions, or, perhaps, buy him out altogether, the theatre might flourish once more under him, as it had done under Mr. Garrick, and his career close, as he wished it to do, by his being patentee of Drury Lane play-house.

Should the reader feel astonishment at the improvidence of his entering into such a scene of pitiful disgraces and endless embarrassments, I then tell him from Mr. Kemble's own mouth, that the theatre, fairly treated was a profitable concern; this was a fact," he said, "about which he could not be mistaken, as all the accounts during his former management had in course been inspected by him, and were accurately known to him." But he was sensible of the necessity of a very entire reform; and as he was always an object of real or feigned dread to the whole generation of fattening reptiles about such a concern, so his return to the management was attended by the usual obsequiousness and the usual hy

pocrisy. But it was not new to him.

Horace touches the

state of things, within and without the walls of Drury, to the syllable.

Mr. Kemble, as well from prudence as taste, opened with Hamlet. The beginning of a season is rather thinly attended, but Shakspeare's attraction is always superior to any other; besides, it was cause and consequence closely united -in the management of your greatest actor you will enjoy your greatest poet.

Shakspeare had just lost his illustrious pupil, his most eloquent defender, Mrs. Montagu, at an advanced age. She died on the 25th of August, 1800. The preparation of her mind was excellent; and the great author of the Life of Cicero assisted in her education. Of her book upon Shakspeare, without expecting the praise of commentators, it may be fame enough to ask, where is there such another? Her house was the resort of the learned and the tasteful, and her charities were more ornamental to Portman Square than her abode, elegant as it was, and still remains. As Mr. Kemble passed the front of it with me, he pointed to the newly placed hatchment, and exclaimed in a subdued tone

"There's a GREAT SPIRIT gone!"

But the reader shall not take this upon even his word, and yet it was one that never pullered with the TRUTH. I will. place before him a part of her counsel to a learned, but eccentric physician of sixty-five, who talked to her of retirement from active life. Remark the dignity of tone-the mule power of expression.

"I much approve of the style and temper of your last letter, as far as it inclines to that decent share of retirement and meditation, which becomes the age of sixty-five. But, as in a gay and dissipated life, the faults and levities of YOUTH Would continue longest upon you, have a care those of AGE do not advance faster in your retreat. It is the great misfortune of man never to be without enemies. The pas sions in his own breast are the most dangerous he has. No bolt or bar can exclude them. In the silence of the night they

Dr. Conyers Middleton.

are heard; they invade every solitude, however deep. When the gay illusions of the world spread no longer their temptations to our fancy, there may arise spirits of great power and influence to haunt our dark retreats. Pride, discontent, suspicion, selfishness, and the whole train of unsocial passions, like the spectres of the night, stalk about us.

"We had better entertain idle affections than MALIGNANT PASSIONS. If you retire, from an opinion that mankind are insincere, ungrateful, and malignant, you will grow PROUD, by reflecting, that you are not like these Pharisees. We should retire, from a sense of our own faults, with a desire to correct them, and have leisure for self-examination. This is the spirit of Christian philosophy. By frequently considering our own errors, we lose the bitterness we should perhaps express when we perceive the vices of others. If you find you grow more indulgent to your fellow-creatures in your retirement, be assured you have spent your time VERY PROFITABLY. I should have a higher opinion of the uses of retirement, if I saw it produce the fruits-of BENEVOLENCE, of HUMILITY, of CHARITY.

"In your retired hours, think much of your own state in respect to God and the world; as little as you can of the conduct of others towards YOU. Do not harden your heart against mankind by too intense meditation on their vices and follies. Consider them as you do your patients; administer to their infirmities: give to some advice, and to ALL a good example."

The letter, from which the above is extracted, was written in the year 1762, to Dr. Moncey, of Chelsea. Her portrait, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, was not long since exhibited in Pall Mall. I regarded it with veneration, for it was absolute identity. An exquisite profile of her, when young, shows that she was then as beautiful as she was wise.

From Portman Square, Mr. Kemble and I continued our walk, till we came to Park Lane, where he saw some chimney-sweeps playing at marbles. "Poor fellows," said he, "they have lost their patroness!" then going up to them—“Do you know, Boaden, that I think TAW the best thing I play?” I laughed, I believe at the fancy; but he suddenly called out, as he had done when a boy," Fain dribbling," and taking up a marble that lay at the greatest distance from the ring, he knuckled down, and in the real and true style struck out of it the marble he aimed at He rose in the greatest glee to find he had lost no skill in this early accomplishment, and dropping a shilling into the ring, in the name of Mrs. Montagu, passed on.

They who love the light parts of a SOLID CHARACTER, will not disdain this whim of my great friend. They who are obliged to keep a rigid stateliness in their own movements, will think this condescension of Cato ought to have been spared.

This peculiarity of doing a whimsical thing with the most Cervantic gravity, displayed itself on another occasion in the lobby of the theatre while he was manager. I had been dining with him and Mrs. Kemble, and in the evening we walked down to the house, as was his custom, to give his ultimate instructions for the night. As we entered the hall of the theatre, about a dozen soldiers were standing on each side of the fireplace, who had, perhaps, carried him off the stage, as Alexander, upon their shields. Upon seeing their leader, they all took off their hats to him, and stood firmly as a soldier is taught to do. Kemble turned himself suddenly round to me, and said, "If you have a guinea about you, give it to me." but seldom, I think, took much money out with him, and NEVER carried it long. I gave him what he wanted, and then, with a wink, that led me to observe him, he gravely advanced to the soldiers, and thus addressed them:

"Soldiers! when Cato led his army across the burning deserts of Lybia, he found himself parched up with drowth; in plainer words he was very dry. One of the soldiers stepped out on this, unperceived, and brought him presently some water in his steel cap. What do you think Cato said to the soldier? I'll tell you. Comrade,' said he, drink first YOUR SELF.' Now, I dare say, Cato never in his life led braver men than I at present see before me; therefore, to follow so great an example, do you drink that for ME." And he put the guinea into the hands of a non-commissioned officer. The manly troop sent after him a "God bless your honour!" and we went on to his dressing-room. "Boaden," said he, "I doubt I am not quite right in my story, but the BEER will help our friends to swallow it." He repaid me the loan very pleasantly, for he added to it, I remember, ONE HUNDRED pounds, that, some how or other, he had gotten for me from the treasurer. To resume the regular course of my narrative.

On the 27th of September, Mrs. Siddons opened her season, with the character of Isabella, and Mr. Kemble acted Biron in his usual interesting manner. A long tried and very useful servant of the public, Mr. Blanchard, on the 1st of October, made his debut in town, at Covent Garden, in Acres, in Sheridan's Rivals. and Crack, in Knight's Turnpike Gate. He was then, and is still, fitter for the latter style of character than the former. I was going to say with