CORRESPONDENCE.

Octavian has misconceived the purport of our letter.

Leopold's Fragment in our next.

We shall be happy to receive the paper of our ingenious correspondent at Edinburgh.

The Thunder Storm, a Poem, is perfectly in season as to the subject; but bolt and gold; willow and mildew; are beyond every limit of poetical licence. A PLURALIST should apply to the Archbishop of Canterbury for information on the subject of his epistle.

An ODE to the setting Sun is much too long for insertion in a periodical work.

The request of T. A. W. cannot be complied with.

We admire the wit, but lament the indecency which prevents our making use of SANGRADO's essay.

PAULLO's favour is just come to hand.

Accounts of several proviral theatres, from various hands, in our next.

The book enquired for by 9. M**** has been some years out of print, and is become exceedingly scarce.. We. thank this gentleman for his kind communi

cation.

BOBADIL's threat shall be retorted in the words of PISTOL, just such another swaggerer as himself: "Pish for thee, thou prick-ear'd cur of Iceland."

N5.

CLAUDIO's packet will be returned, agreeably to the alternative proposed to

The account of the battle between Sock and Buskin, by a BOTTLE HOLDER, might produce "bloody noses and crack'd crowns," and we would rather prevent than promote any further differences.

"Why should I strike the tuneful harp ?" Why indeed, if it produce no better harmony than is to be found in CORYDON'S

verses.

The parcel from Norwich will safely reach us through the proposed medium.

MONTHLY MIRROR,

FOR

JULY, 1805.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF

MR. TAYLOR.

(With a Portrait.)

THE biography of Mr. Charles Taylor does not abound with those scenes of strange and whimsical vicissitude, which often accompany the professors of the sock and buskin. The narrative, therefore, of our hero, will not give our readers that pleasure in perusal, which the diversified lives of some of our performers are apt to create, when recorded in the pages of dramatic history.

This gentleman is a native of Bath, and was born in the year 1777; his mother was a respectable inn-keeper, whose residence was known by the sign of the Cross-Keys. At a very early period of his life, he evinced a strong attachment to vocal and instrumental music, and frequently became a truant school-boy to enjoy a lesson of his favourite friend Mr. Charles Incledon, who encouraged his youthful pursuit, and afterwards introduced him to Miss Guest, now Mrs. Miles, much celebrated for her taste on the piano-forte. Charmed with the promising talents of young Taylor, the above lady took him under her roof, as an apprentice for seven years, when he received a regular musical education, and occasionally sung at the annual Bath concerts with considerable credit to himself and mistress.

The changeable disposition of youth, however, soon began to shew itself; for the science which he had once embraced with delight, and pursued with rapture, soon became irksome, and bore the feature of too much sameness for the wavering and warm fancy of a boy.

In one of these fickle moments, when his mind was in search of new pleasures, he formed a resolution of trying his talents on the stage, and immediately set off for Southampton, where he sung two songs in character for one night only.

After this little excursion he returned home, and, for a short time, continued his musical studies.

At the age of sixteen, and under the auspices of Mr. Charles Murray, now of Covent-Garden theatre, he made his entrée on the Bath stage, in the character of Captain Wilson, in the musical afterpiece of the Flitch of Bacon, and acquitted himself with every satisfaction to the public. This, with the performance of La Gloire in the Surrender of Calais, and several subsequent theatrical efforts, produced him an engagement at the enormous salary of fifteen shillings per week, till the death of Mr. Hutley, whose characters immediately came into his possession, with a considerable augmentation of his weekly income, which he retained with increased honors and reputation for several years, till Mr. Elliston (when appointed deputy-manager of the Hay-Market theatre in the year 1803,) recommended Mr. Taylor to Mr. Colman, not only as an excellent singer, but a performer of great versatility of talents.

The part which ushered him into the notice of a London audience, was Lubin, in the opera of the Quaker, and it will be almost unnecessary to observe, that he deservedly met with a very favourable reception. After passing through a regular routine of singing business, at the little theatre, to the great satisfaction of Mr. Colman and the public, Mr. Harris applied to and secured him, as a member of the Covent-Garden corps, where he has been found particularly useful on the indisposition of Mr. Incledon, and other performers.

During Mr. Taylor's engagement at the Hay-Market theatre, he performed the character of Paul in the musical after-piece of Paul and Virginia, at Drury-Lane house, which greatly added to his well-earned fame.

Before we take leave of this actor's merits, it will not be improper to notice the estimation with which his majesty has been pleased to hold Mr. Taylor's professional powers, both at Weymouth, Windsor, and in London. At these places our hero has been honoured with every mark of approbation the dignity of royalty could bestow.

At the conclusion of the present season, Mr. Taylor resigned his situation at Covent-Garden theatre, in consequence of some little difference between Mr. Harris and him. We trust, however, that the Drury-Lane managers will not suffer this gentleman, who has so many qualifications for public entertainment, to retire from the town, and

"Waste his sweetness in the desart air,"