of bringing them to Dublin would have been great. Finding lodgings to be inconvenient, I took a ready-furnished houfe in Frederick-street. And as the theatre did not open for fome time after my arrival, I had an opportunity of feeing many ladies, who favoured me with their recollection and intimacy. My old acquaintance, Mr. Crump, with whom I had always dealt for Irish linens, after my mother had declined that article, came to pay his refpects to me. And as he was

an univerfal merchant, I ordered of him wine, and what other things I wanted. He had entered into a connection in trade with a perfon, whose name was Hofea Coates. This man was of a rude, turbulent difpofition, and greatly attached to Crow-ftreet theatre, in which he had feveral fhares; he confequently dreaded my fuccefs.

Upon the opening of the theatres, the ladies of Dublin divided themselves into different parties, making a point to fupport, with their utmost intereft, the house they attached themselves to. Ladies Kildare, Brandon, Leinster, Powerscourt, the Honourable Mifs Caufield, Lady Lumm, with many other refpectable perfonages, profeffed themfelves the patroneffes of Moffop and myself. And, indeed, I must attribute a great part of the fuccefs we met with to their partiality; the company in Crow-ftreet being infinitely ftronger than ours. B 6

That

That confifted of Barry, Woodward, Abington, and Fitzhenry, besides fome good feconds. Among thefe I include Mrs. Dancer, who was by no means looked upon as capital then.

As for our troop, it always put me in mind of Sir John Falstaff's ragged regiment, a part of which he had robbed the gibbets of. We were, however, joined, fome fhort time after, by Mr. Brown, who had merit in comedy; and by Mr. Digges, who was a great favourite in Dublin, particularly among the ladies. As the latter will make a principal figure in the fubfequent part of my hiftory, it will be neceffary to give a fhort defcription of him. He is bleft with talents, is a fine figure, his face is handfome; and he has the art of perfuading those with whom he converfes, that he is the beft of men. Through my intimacy in the Delawar family, I learned that he had been ill-treated by his uncle, and pitied hinr much; but, as his character was universally known to be that of a man of gallantry, I declined admitting him as a vifitor.

This was the ftate of our company, and likewife of the parties of the ladies, who carried their partiality to the most extravagant lengths. J appeared in Belvidera; but was by no means fo well received in it as I had formerly been. This hurt me greatly, as I did not give myself

time to confider, that I then had no competitor; and now I was left to ftand alone against the united force of a company, which would have · done credit to a London theatre. We, however, more than fhared the public favour.

Mr. Moffop revived "The Orphan of China,” which had fucceeded at Drury-Lane the winter before. The dreffes, in which he and myfelf were to perform, came from London. But how to manage, with regard to thofe of the rest of the characters, was a difficulty hardly to be got over. As the manager had quarrelled with Tracey the taylor, credit was no more to be had than money. And if the piece could not be got up fo as to anticipate the other house, we had very little chance of rivalling them in it; all their decorations, cloaths, &c. being expected from London, and having been already puffed away in all the pa pers, in the most oftentatious manner.

At length I prevailed upon Tracey, not only to make and expedite the dreffes, but likewife to find the materials. We rehearfed three times a day, and, after having taken the most indefatigable pains, got the piece ready for reprefentation in lefs than a week. We accordingly were able to perform it before the proprietors of Crow-street, and got eight great audiences ere the finery they fo much boafted of arrived. This manœuvre

proved a fore disappointment to the expectations of the gentry of the other house, who were thereby prevented from reimburfing their expences, which, I was informed, were very confiderable.

Mr. Digges, who had marked me for a conqueft, fighed at a distance, and covered his vanity with fuch awful respect, that I imagined the character I had heard of him was not a just one. He, at length, through the introduction of a female acquaintance of mine, got admittance to my house as a vifitor. And as he was really the accomplished gentleman, and an entertaining companion, it was impoffible to refift being pleased with his company. For a while he affected to fmother his paffion. But in a fhort time after, being really ill, or pretending to be fo, he wrote to me, and declared that love for me was the cause of it. Impelled by an irresistible fatality, I read his letters. And a circumftance foon after happened, which helped to forward the attainment of his wishes.

G. A. B.

LETTER LXXIV.

July 31, 17

My bill, for wine and other articles, had of Mr. Crump, amounted to four hundred pounds,

two

two of which I had paid; and intended fettling the whole at my benefit, which I thought would be in good time. For though I received fifty guineas a week, yet through the extravagance of my fervants, and my own thoughtleffness, I had not a guinea before-hand. But, to my great furprife, I heard that Mr. Crump had failed; and that Coates had taken poffeffion of his effects, books, &c.

"Coriolanus" was bespoke; and Mr. Moffop had the agreeable prospect of a subscription for fix plays, which would enable him to pay the performers. For not one of them was regularly paid but myself, though by what means he expended his money I could not imagine. As I went one day as ufual to the rehearsal, I observed a meanlooking fellow run by the fide of my chair. I called, in my way, upon a lady. Still the fame man was my attendant. Having no fufpicion of any danger from him, I attributed it to the beauty of my fedan; which, indeed, attracted every eye.

I had fome company at dinner, which made it rather later than ufual when I fet out for the theatre. As my chairmen entered Damask-street, the man who had followed me in the morning knocked at the front window of my chair, and, when I had let it down, showed me a bit of paper. Upon my enquiring what it was, he told me it

was