As the opinion upon the comparative value of the two characters need not be left entirely to my own credit with the reader, I apprehend it will not be very difficult for him to pronounce the following exclamation of Jane Shore, before Glo'ster, superior in value to all the "frantic hair," and "waving floods of bluish fire" that sound like meaning in the mouth of Alicia.

"J. Shore. O, that my tongue had every grace of speech Great and commanding as the breath of kings;

That I had art and eloquence divine,

To pay my duty to my master's ashes,

And plead till death, the cause of innocence."

Kelly has been already noticed on his appearance in Liouel. He had, what I at least thought, a better opportunity in Young Meadows, soon after, of displaying his science and musical expression. The graceful melody of Arne, "O how shall I in language weak," proved Kelly's feeling and taste to be greatly beyond all existing competition. The Rosetta of Mrs. Crouch was, at that time, inferior only to the Rosetta of Mrs. Billington; whose voice, be it observed, was not equally rich, nor her shake equally true: but I have already dilated upon her accomplished and perfect style. She was the greatest of all English singers.

On the 14th of May, one of those irregular humourists, who are the fiddles of male societies, and are allowed to exceed all ordinary decorum, for the pleasantry expected, William Hewerdine, acted, for a benefit, Young Philpot in the Citizen, at Covent Garden Theatre; but it was a misnomer ; all his convivial spirit died away before the large and unaccustomed party, and he was to the last degree flat and unprofitable.

"Where be your gibes now, your jests, your songs? Your flashes of mer riment that were wont to set the table in a roar? Not one now!"

I have heard poor Hewerdine firing away from his sawcy cock-boat, upon that first rate, Porson; and laughed at the opposition of the modern to the ancient GREEK. Learning had an irreparable loss in the one, and conviviality in the other. The duller sons of either fashion or business may easily avoid their errors; but up to a certain point, human nature could not be more instructive than Porson, nor entertaining than Hewerdine.

This incidental mention of Porson reminds me of a curious circumstance, as to his prodigious memory. I was dining Сс

with him at the house of a mutual friend, when, over wine, a very dull man became outrageous in the praise of Pope's Eloisa to Abelard. The professor began upon the poem, and recited it, with some occasional accompaniments, of imitations by two moderns, in Ovidian Latin; and, as a perpetual or running commentary, he repeated the Macaronic version, called Eloisa in dishabille, which has stolen into print, and been attributed to Porson, as he assured me, erroneously. Our wise friend lost all forbearance at this outrage. would not endure such a profanation of the work of an exalted genius. He would have satisfaction for the buffoon travesty of his favourite poem." The man's head was wrong: but, taking him aside, I did at last hit upon an argument, that charmed away his anger. I asked him, "how he could think it possible for the professor to undervalue the poem ? and what proof HE could give of his own veneration for it, equivalent to the committing it so accurately to memory, together with three rival versions of such different complexions?" Goodman Dull then really laughed away his folly, . and returned to table quite reconciled to his master.

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CHAPTER XIV.

Summer of 1787.—The Royalty Theatre.-The question stat ed.-Palmer before the Magistrates.—Whimsical conduct.—Colman's novelties.-Inkle and Yarico.-The Village Law yer-Winter Season of 1787-8.-Kemble alters the Pil grim.-Dryden's Spleen. Mrs. Jordan.—Marriage of Mr. Kemble to Mr. Brereton's widow.-Excellence of that choice. Bannister.-Mrs. Inchbald again.King and no King.-King Lear by Mr. Kemble.-Fate of Sparta.—Criticism.-Mrs. Cowley and Mr. Merry.-Smith's last benefit.-Greathead's Regent.-Mrs. Piozzi's happy Epilogue.Grimaldi.-Lady Wallace.-The Ton.- Mrs. Abington.Beatrice. Animal magnetism.—Singular anecdote.-Pal mer returns from the East.-Mrs. Jordan in Sir Harry Wildair.-Mrs. Siddons in Cleopatra.--Palmer amusing in Falstaff.-Leoni, Master Braham.-Mr. Smith's Farewells -Garrick's more Judicious.--Old Sheridan.—Colman's Ways and Means.-Mr. Kemble's father acts in London. The School for Scandal in the Hay-Market.

THE summer of 1787 witnessed an attempt of the elder Palmer to give to the inhabitants of the eastern part of the metropolis that essential luxury, a theatre. The appearance of Garrick among us in that quarter of the town had left a sort of dramatic longing, which was at length too powerful to be resisted, and, under the approbation of the Lord Lieutenant Governor of the Tower, the first stone of the building was laid on the 26th of December, 1785. The theatre stood very near Well-close Square; and the usual accompaniments of a play-house, taverns and public-houses, crowded soon about the site of expected gaiety and profit

They who think that the play-house, under proper restric tions, may, from the associations it suggests, become not only an amusement but a lesson, saw a degree of oppression in refusing such a school of morals to that great division of the metropolis, or taxing it with such a personal toil or heavy coach-fare as must be inflicted upon the visitors of the patent theatres.

In examining the matter of a contest, it saves a world of time if we set aside the false pretences of the parties. Pal

mer thought that the Royalty Theatre, situated in the district of a palace and fortress of the crown. might bid defiance to the monopolizers of the west. He tried to lull the apprehensions of the winter managers by what seemed a summer theatre; and Colman had been assured by him that he intended his opposition against the winter houses.

The fear of this new star appearing in the east, suddenly seized upon Messieurs Linley, Harris, and Colman and strengthened by sundry acts of parliament, they determined to support their monopolies, quite deaf to the obvious principle, that their RIGHT was but a trust for others; and that the demands of a growing population could never be comprised in the original intention of their patents. AGAIN, that the reason assigned by Charles the Second, for so benefiting Killegrew and Davenant, was, that a suitable entertainment under their regulation might be provided for his people-such a one in a word as, while it relaxed them from the toils of life, tended sensibly to their improvement in virtue. Whether the king or his advisers reasoned well or ill, is not here the question. Such was the plea on which the exclusive privilege was bestowed; and the patentees could have no other foundation to rest on. Yet they never supposed it beyond the competence of the magistrates of the Tower Hamlets, to grant a license for some minor amusements of a theatre; they might have tumblers and dancing-dogs, every thing that vitiated taste and debased society. "All that is contemptible or dangerous shall be yours; but if you once dare to become moral and enlightened, you infringe our exclusive rights, and we, with certain magistrates in our interest, will commit you as rogues and vagabonds."

Absurdity seldom went greater lengths than on the business of the Royalty. The patentee of Covent Garden wrote to the public. Colman addressed the public; and little Quick, too, in the columns of a newspaper marched in double quick time to the support of Mr. Harris. The latter gentleman, whose advice had been asked by Ryder as to his engaging with Palmer in the summer, replied, "It is impossible that I, or indeed any friend of yours, can approve of your engaging in a theatre that has no legal authority for opening; any magistrate for the county of Middlesex could inform you better." Linley, I believe, did not write any thing upon the subject. He could not be expected to compose the existing difference. All the former discords of the western proprietors were resolved into harmony upon the present occasion.'"

But the players themselves, who, in the way of their profession, thought more of the shadow than the reality, took fire

at the insult implied in the musty acts of parliaments so alarmingly quoted in their teeth. They who, in wandering into the haunts of the "king's servants," were wont to be considered as "gentlemen of the shade, minions of the moon," now found that, by extending their stroll, they had lost their gentility, and become obnoxious to the treatment, which the sage councils of better times empowered a magistracy, who could not read, to inflict upon sundry rogues and vagabonds who could. Place produced all this mighty difference in the same character. The great moral satirist illustrates the change in question.

"See the same man, in vigour, in the gout;
Alone, in company; in place, or out;

Drunk at a borough, civil at a ball;

Friendly at Hackney, faithless at Whitehall."

The theatre itself was remarkably well constructed for the quarter wherein it stood. Its boxes were few; its pit commodious, though small; but its galleries were unusually deep and ample. If the gods were ever turbulent in their blest abodes, the want of room was seldom likely to cause their displeasure.

The motto chosen by Palmer had a reference to himself, rather than the purpose of playing, and was therefore faulty. Vincit qui patitur; "He conquers who endures." Unless it might be supposed to turn over its application, from the manager, to a presumed hardy class of visitors, who, to be sure, constantly ENDURE much, and CONQUER every thing. He opened his theatre on Wednesday, the 20th of June; the play-bill is now before me. As You Like it, followed by Miss in her Teens. Palmer was the Jaques of the play, and the Captain Flash of the farce. His brother William sang the songs of Amiens, and performed Garrick's character of Fribble. The other names have left nothing whatever upon my mind. I suffered greatly, I remember, by the pressure in entering the house; and my wishes were sincerely with Palmer during his struggle; his address through the whole night was admirable:

"Young maidens wav'd

Their kerchiefs, and old women wept for joy."

But I must not forget to record, that Mr. Braham, then a mere boy, sang between the first and second acts of the comedy. Much as he was admired, perhaps even his pillow.