200 Mr. URBAN, Abundance of Agricultural Produce no Loss. March 5. I am one of those who hold, that there is (as has been well observed) "no sophistication in the Divine promises." What holy and inspired men of old prayed for as a blessing, and God himself promised as a blessing, that I believe to be a blessing now, as it was in the days of old, however incompetent I may be fully to appreciate, or accurately to explain it. What was the prayer of the prophetic Isaac for his son, when he blessed him? "God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine." Gen. xxvii. 28. What says God himself by the wisest of men whom he inspired? "Be not wise in thine own eyes. Honour the Lordso shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Prov. iii. 7-10. [March, suppose the price to be 5s. per bushel ; EQUUS, p. 7, says, "Plenty is the total amount will of course be 107. a heavy loss to the farmer;" per acre. On inferior land, or in a and "Season is a father, whose child- less favourable year, suppose the crop to ren thrive best when he does the least be only half, and the price double; for them." These positions are, to that is, 20 bushels per acre, and 10s. me, strange and incredible; and, I per bushel. Here the return to the conceive, whether I can satisfactorily occupier is the same as before, 101. prove them so or not, palpably false. per acre; but the double crop is far more beneficial, for several reasons sufficiently obvious, and for many others equally certain, but less apparent. When the grain is double in quantity, the straw (not noticed by " Equus") will also, I presume, be nearly double, which is a material advantage, whether it be at once converted into money, or used as fodder, to create manure, or for other purposes. Again, when bread is cheap, the price of labour and of other necessaries will be lower, and consequently the expence of cultivation will be less. Where the crop also is abundant, it is a proof that the land is clean, and in good heart and affords a prospect of another good crop, with, comparatively, little trouble in clearing and preparing the soil. If at one period of time, and under certain circumstances, 10s. will purchase as much bread, or other necessary food, as 20s. used to do, I have 10s. remaining in my pocket, some of which may go, and infallibly will go, to procure luxuries or comforts, from some of those numberless artists and mechanics, who sustain the state of the world, and without whom a city cannot be inhabited. The operations of Him who is wonderful in counsel, far exceeds man's understanding; and that machine which God himself has made, which is daily before our eyes, and therefore, like other daily blessings, too little regarded -that machine, Civil Society, one of the most beneficent, is not one of the least wonderful works of God. I am not going, Mr. Urban, to enter upon a boundless field of speculation. I shall only beg leave to offer one remark, and put a single case, as my friend" EQUUS" has set me the example. We all feel the truth of what one well-informed (in full accordance with the heathen sages) has said of the human body, in order to illustrate the beauty and symmetry of the body politic: "God hath so tempered the body together, that if one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; if one member be honoured" and prosperous, "all the members rejoice with it," and partake in the common benefit. Now I will suppose, what I know to be fact, that where the land is good, and the season favourable, an acre produces 40 bushels of wheat. Let us In this letter, p. 7. b. l. 11. (by an error of the press,) for two, read ten bushels. ; That very curious and authentic book of Fleetwood, which your Correspondent quotes, shews that there was a much greater fluctuation formerly in the price of commodities than there has been in later times. It proves also, that, whatever may be the effect of paper, or of metal currency, of cornlaws made or abrogated, quantity ever was and ever will be the great regulator of the market. In particular instances during the transition from one extreme to another, one inconvenience will be felt, and where many suffer, some will complain. But the balance will not for ever vibrate; it I will find its level. I accede therefore to the maxim of your Correspondent, that "Season has the reins of Corn Prices in his hands"-save only, that some allowance must be made for laudable industry, or culpable sloth. Yours, &c. R. C. 1822.] London Theatres-Haymarket. 201 Theatre over against the Opera House in the Haymarket, this present Thursday, being the 29th day of December, will be presented for the first time a new Comedy, called La Fille à la mode; ou le Badeaut the Opera House in the Hay- de Paris. The Pit and Boxes to be put The Haymarket Theatre. The foundation of the original Theatre thus named, was commenced on the sole speculation of one Potter, a builder or carpenter, and the whole fabric was completed in 1720. The proprietor did not possess a patent, nor appears to have expected the grant of a licence, or been in any way engaged with a company of young amateur performers, that about the time of building the House acted with some applause at a tavern in St. Alban'sstreet. The ground of speculation (if any) upon which Potter might have depended, was the chance of letting the House to "The French Players. Parisian dancers, or an Italian singer, was an exhibition partially patronized by the audience from the earliest establishment of the English drama. During the 17th century dancing and singing formed a distinguished portion of the bill of fare, and served to eke out an evening's entertainment instead of a regular after-piece. Indeed so ingratiated were these exotics with the public, that any capricious refusal (like sudden illness) upon the part of a performer, to go through with the announced dance, or sing a song, most frequently created (in theatrical technicality) a riot. On some occasions we find a French play tolerated at the Patent Theatres, and generally once in a season a benefit for "The French Players;" but we believe the opening of this Theatre was the first attempt to form a permanent company for acting regularly pieces in that language, and which afterwards met with a signal and absolute defeat within the same walls. The announcement of the opening of the House appeared in a daily paper of the 15th Dec. 1720, as follows: "At the New Theatre in the Haymarket (between Little Suffolk-street and Jamesstreet), which is now completely finished, will be acted French Comedies, as soon as the rest of the actors arrive from Paris, who are daily expected.". The first performance was thus ad vertised: "Never acted before. By the Company of French Comedians. At the New GENT. MAG. March, 1822. together; and no person to be admitted without Tickets, which will be delivered out this day at Mr. Slaughter's Coffee-house in St. Martin's-lane, and at the above Theatre, at 5s. each. With a new Prologue, and several Entertainments of Dancing.-Gallery 2s. To begin at Six o'Clock. On Jan. 2, 1721, the prices were fixed-Boxes, 4s. Pit, 2s. 6s. Gall. 1s. 6d. During part of the following season, 1721-2, the bills announced: "By his Grace the Duke of Montague's Company of French Comedians.". This Theatre was not occupied by an English Company until near three years after it was built, and a new play then was introduced to the public, on the night of the first opening for the season, by a still greater novelty, an. entire new company. "On Thursday, Dec. 12, 1723, (says the Universal Journal) a new Play-house was opened in the Haymarket. The Company, we are informed, consists of persons who never appeared in public before. The first play they entertained the Town with was a Comedy, intituled, The Female Fop, or the false one fitted." In the Preface to that play the author states, "That it was to be play'd by a new Company, unknown to and unheard of in Town;" adding, "it might have afforded a strong argument against us, but that it was to be formed by persons who never appeared on the stage before, and their first play too." Who was the manager to this per young Company," does not appear, nor how long they continued acting; probably their season was a very short one. At first the bills were printed without the names of the actors, but they were afterwards inserted. 66 In 1724 we find the French Comedians there, who announced, no son to be admitted into the perbut by printed tickets, which will be delivered at the door." 1725. Several Concerts performed there. On April 11, 1726, "The Company of Italian Comedians just arrived," commenced performing by subscription; and, as the season advanced, Signora Violante with rope dancers and 202 London Theatres-Haymarket. and tumblers also performed and continued there during the following season. The popularity of the latter entertainment is shown by the following verses from a "Raree Show" ballad, introduced in the Rape of Proserpine*, and sung by Mr. Salway. "Here be de Hay-market, vere de Italien Datt costa de brave gentry no more as A very pretty fancy, a brave gallante show, Dat make a de poor English veepe, "De toder place be Mademoiselle Violante Shee jump upon de rope ten storie high, During the season of 1730-1, this Theatre was opened" by the Company of Comedians," as their adver [March, tisements announced §, and probably collected by Henry Fielding. "On the 3d Dec. 1731, a prize was fought (says a public Journal) at the French Theatre in the Haymarket, between Mr. Figg and Mr. Sparks, at which performance his Serene Highness the Duke of Lorrain, his Excellency Count Kinski, and several persons of distinction, were present; when the beauty and judgment of the sword was delineated in a very extraordinary manner by those two champions, and with very little blood-shed. His Serene Highness was extremely pleased, and expressed his intire satisfaction, and ordered them an handsome gratuity." In April 1732 the English Opera of Amelia, by Henry Carey, was performed after the Italian manner," with additional songs by Miss Arne Pit and boxes laid together, at 5s. Gallery, 2s. 6d. And tickets and places "had at Mr. Fribourg's, maker of rappee snuff at the door of the Theatre." Signora Violante, having in a trip to Dublin 1, collected a new Company, commenced here in September 1732. *The Rape of Proserpine was first acted, Monday, Feb. 13. 1727, after the Cheats of Scapin, at Lincoln's Inn Fields. Receipt of the first night was 216l. 12s. 6d.; second night, 2031. 19s.; third night, for benefit of John Rich, 205l. 2s. It was probably the joint production of Theobald and Rich. + This had long been an accusation against these birds of passage. The Epilogue to the Comedy of the French Conjurer, acted at Dorset Gardens Theatre in 1677, as spoken by Monsieur, has the following lines: "Here dull comedian spend ten tousand pound, } We presume it was either husband or relative of this lady, and one of her company, that performed the following feat:-"Last Thursday evening [June 1, 1727], about 8, M. Violante, an Italian, descended head foremost, by a rope, his legs and arms extended, from the top of the steeple of St. Martin's Church, over the houses in St. Martin's-lane, to the farthest side of the Meuse opposite thereunto, in the space of half a minute's time. 'Tis computed to be about 300 yards. There were present a great number of spectators: the young Princesses, and several persons of quality were in the Meuse; where a featherbed was laid at the bottom of the rope to receive him, but he leaped from off the rope within a few yards of it." British Journal, 3 June, 1727. "By the Company of Comedians, at the New Theatre in the Haymarket, to-morrow being Wednesday the 23d of December, will be presented, The Author's Farce; in which will be introduced an operatical puppet-show, called, The Pleasures of the Town. The part of Luckless the Author, by Mr. Mullart; Whitmore, Mr. Lacy; Marplay, Mr. Reynolds; Sparkish, Mr. Furnivall; Bookweight, Mr. Jones; Scarecrow, Mr. Wathen; Harriott, Mrs. Lacy; Goddess of Nonsense, Mrs. Mullart; Don Tragedio, Mr. Ayres; Sir Farsical, Mr. Davenport; Signora Opera, Mrs. Nokes; Dr. Orator, Mr. Jones; Somebody, Mr. Wathen; Nobody, Mr. Cross; Punch, Mr. Reynolds; Joan, Mr. Hicks. To which will be added, the comical Tragedy of Tom Thumb; in which will be introduced a new act, called, The Battle of the Poets; or, The Contention for the Laurel; between Coment Profound, Sulky Bathos, Fopling Fribble, Noctifer, &c. With the songs proper to the The part of Fopling Fribble by Mr. Woodward. Printed books of the poets will be sold at the Theatre." &c, &c. same. Sister to Dr. Arne, and in 1734 married Theophilus Cibber. The |