and he might conceive himself obtaining on this occasion all that he wanted on the one hand, while, as to the rest of the arrangements, the absolute power of the management gave him full opportunity to indulge the town with novelties; which, however slighted by his partner, he had found in a commercial view highly profitable, and not too expensive. As to his avowed passion, therefore, Mr. Kemble was greatly indulged, but he did not entirely govern. Still, as may be supposed, considerable alarm was felt, by the old friends of the concern, at the coming in of a gentleman so inflexible in his taste; and the performers of the company had no few apprehensions that the future business of the stage might be more troublesome than the past had been, from the great zeal and critical accuracy of the new manager. The estimated value of Covent Garden Theatre, patent, house, wardrobe, scenery, machinery, and every description of stage properties, at the time Mr. Kemble came into the concern, was 138,000. The proprietors and their respective shares stand thus upon the deed, and I use the terms of that instrument to convey an exact knowledge of the distribution. Thos. Harris was possessed of six undivided twelfth parts, being 12-24ths. equal to a moiety 4-24ths of two undivided twelfth parts, the same as Geo. White J 3-24ths 2-24ths. 24 Total. Upon a comparison with that loveliest of all theatres, the Apollo Drury, the interior of Covent Garden was always considered heavy. It was therefore determined to lighten the general effect. The frontispiece of the Theatre was raised ten feet. The slips, instead of carrying the rudeness of the 'gallery all round the house, were now converted into boxes. The fronts of the boxes were painted chastely dead white and gold, and their insides party-coloured green, with suitable ornaments. To show, too, what were the expectations from the fashioanble world, on thus transferring the seat of tragedy, sixteen private boxes were built, and let at 300l. a year each, and among their 1 proprietors were found the Duchesses of Northumberland and Devonshire, the Marchioness of Abercorn, the Earl of Egremont, Lady Holland, Lady Milner, Mrs. Vaughan, Mrs. Morton, Pitt, &c. &c., the declared patrons and admirers of the Kemble family. A connexion was thus fixed to the house, at least as splendid as the talents by which it was attracted. The higher orders being accommodated, the gentry had an additional seat given to the boxes in their two tiers, and the note of_preparation sounded strongly through all the departments. The royal arms in the centre of the drop curtain had been used in the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre during the days of Cibber, Wilkes and Booth, and they seemed triumphantly to announce the return of theatric glory. - CHAPTER III. The author's explanation.-Notice of the change in the Covent Garden management.-Feelings of the comic writers. Dinner given by Mr. Kemble.-His first appearance at Covent Garden.-Revivals.-Pizarro transferred.-Raising the Wind.-The Caravan.-The Dog-English Fleet. ·Elliston and his benefit. His copious address.-Miss Duncan.-Blind Bargain.- Kemble's kindness to its author.-Tobin.-Peculiar fate of Mr. Kemble.-Master Betty.-Sketch of him.--Hough.--Belfast.-Edinburgh and Mr. Jackson.-Home, the author of Douglas.-Macready. -Roscius in Town.-Immense crowd.-How he appeared. Critically examined. His house the first season.--Decline of his influence.-Mania cured, and how. -- I HAVE now arrived at the opening of the winter season of 1803-4, and having thus brought the particular notice of the drama, with its authors and actors, down to a period within almost general recollection, the limits of my work may allowably restrict me to the leading events of the stage and the personal history of Mr. Kemble. I say the limits of my work, because I by no means feel, or affect to feel, any apprehension, where it may be necessary to treat of existing merits. It is surely possible, even in criticism, to catch that tone of urbanity, which qualifies rebuke by the obvious conviction, that the writer can have no spleen to gratify. Difference of opinion may be expected in the fluctuations of taste; but a smile of superior genius will easily dispose of inveterate prejudice in the critic, who cannot help his birth in another century, and may, perhaps, pride himself upon being taught in a different school. The change of the stage management was very properly noticed from the stage by Fawcett, who spoke and sang an occasional address, composed on the spur of the moment, probably by Dibdin. Its object was to let Mr. Lewis down comfortably from his command to that private station in the company, which, as he filled it, was distinction enough for any man. The feeling of this address, whoever wrote it, partook more of affection to the old course than triumph in the new. "In fame's gazette, perhaps our mimic band And our new captain we salute with pride, To speak of him who lately rul'd so well; The writer then goes on to enumerate the coming claims of comedy and opera-and the accession of the two greatest tragedians in the world is hinted only in the phrase that, in laughter's interval, at times the audience will hear "Melpomene petition for a tear." Surely the situation of Leontes is here evinced among the company "I have tremor cordis on me-my heart dances; WINTER'S TALE. Melpomene too was in no very mendicant condition, maintaining, as she did, five members of the Kemble family in her suite at this theatre-Mr. Kemble himself, Mr. Charles Kemble, Mr. H. Siddons, Mrs. Siddons, and her daughter-in-law, Mrs. H. Siddons. The comic writers for that theatre were by no means pleasant under the change; they had found the field open long, and were alarmed at any invasion. Mr. Harris said what he could to still their apprehensions, but they bore their dismay in legible characters about with them. One of Thalia's chief supporters, upon this serious advent, was advised to fall in gratitude to his knees, that Heaven had blessed him with only two children." He did the only proper thing on the occasion-he imparted the advice received to Mr. Kemble himself, who told me of it, almost suffocated with laughter. In England every thing is settled by a dinner, and the new allies invited Sheridan to witness their mutual felicity. When the wine had circulated freely, the proprietors of Covent Garden began to express their sentiments in a vein of the greatest cordiality-upon which Sheridan, with very bitter pleasantry, reproached them with their facility or their bypocrisy." Two fellows," said he, "that have absolutely hated each other deadly all their lives."-" False," said Mr. Harris, (very whimsically,) we have not hated each other these six weeks-have we, Kemble ?" The truth is, that there is nothing in liberal competition, for either fame or fortune, that should unfit men for union. Cicero has long since told us, that the most effectual cement is the familiarization to each other of minds marked by their integrity." Sed omnium societatum nulla præstantior est, nulla firmior, quam cum VIRI BONI moribus similes familiaritate conjuncti sunt."-De Officiis, lib. i. Before Mr. Kemble entered upon his allotted management, he entertained the leading actors of Covent Garden at his house, in Great Russel street; and his great rival, Cooke, attended the invitation, as it appeared to me, with very sincere pleasure. Mr. Const, Mr. Reynolds, and myself, were invited, although he had never trod the boards, and a very peculiar and not unentertaining day we had of it. Before dinner was served up, I fell into conversation with Cooke in the library, and, if I had not acquired too decisive evidences of his indiscretion to doubt the charges against him, from any thing done or said by him on that day I should never have suspected his firmness, but have left him, thoroughly a convert to his well-informed mind and gentlemanly man ners. I shall by no means remove the veil, which in decent life should always be thrown between the convivial and the calm observer. One pleasantry we had, late of course in the sittings, which burst from the prolific fancy of H. Johnston. He chose to imagine, in the Christmas preparation of a pantomime, the sudden and alarming indisposition of the Harlequin; and he made Mr. Harris himself announce the event to the company, and call upon their zeal for the property, to show with what success they could supply the place of that knight with the wooden sword. The course he prescribed to himself for each person was a remonstrance in their tone of voice their perfect action in rising to make the attempt, in the circular run, in the rolling of the head, and the usual attitudes; concluding with a leap at the door, to imitate the agile escape of that hero. He spared neither the absent nor the present members of the fraternity, and no man in the room more enjoyed the harlequin of Mr. Cooke, than he did himself. Mr. Johnston, however, was then no longer a member of the Covent Garden company, having concluded an engagement at the other theatre; and Mr. Charles Kemble filled his line of business under the new management. Incledon obliged us with some of his finest airs, given with a power of |