on Mrs. Cowley's admiration, thus consecrates the subject of it: "The period of the last twenty-six years has yet preserved one illustrious character, named in this play, free from alteration: and at the present moment, her eulogium is heard in the midst of crowded theatres, with all that glow of veneration and love which heretofore it inspired ; and which now, more than ever, becomes due to those virtues, which time has proved to be stedfast."

We have nothing to add but the cast of the play, with Mrs. Inchbald in it, as it was performed, by command of their Majesties, on Monday, November 13, 1780:

Doricourt, Lewis; Sir G. Touchwood, Wroughton; Flutter, Lee Lewes; Saville, by F. Aickin; Villers, Whitfield; Courtall, Robson; Silvertongue, W. Bates; and Hardy, Quick. Lady Touchwood, Mrs. Inchbald; Mrs. Racket, Mrs. Mattocks; Miss Ogle, by Mrs. Morton; and Letitia, Miss Younge. To which, by command, was added Comus, the Lady by Mrs. Inchbald ; Euphrosyne by Miss Catley, who sang 'Sweet Echo,' and was sweetly echoed by Braham's master, Leoni.

Pilon now anticipated one of Mrs. Inchbald's subjects for a farce; it was called, after its godfather, the Rev. Mr. Madan; but the infant lived only a single day; we allude to Thelyphthora, or More Wives than One.'

Miss Younge took The Belles Stratagem' for her benefit on the 27th of March, 1781, and sought no novelty whatever. Henderson, who followed her on the Saturday, gave the town Jane Shore,' in which he for the first time acted Hastings; Miss Younge and Mrs. Yates were the Alicia and Shore. His farce was 'Poor Vulcan,' in which Quick was excessively amusing, which, indeed, he could not very easily avoid being. Mrs. Inchbald, for her friend Lewis's night, played Charles the First's Queen, and he figured as the parliamentary General Fairfax. Wroughton, though personally unlike the monarch, sustained the firmness and tenderness of his character with great effect. Henderson, who chose with exact judgment, acted his Sir Giles Overreach this season, and Mrs. Inchbald was his Lady Allworth. As might be expected, she played for every body in the house, and of course for her friend Wilson.

It may be as well to recall what sort of strength Drury-Lane theatre opposed at this time to Covent Garden. Their company had one great advantage, to have been fashioned under so great an artist as Garrick. We will look at them again by the distant glass of memory, as we personally beheld their performance in the season of 1780-81. In Shakspeare's tragedy of Macbeth,' Smith (whose Macbeth had been revised by his master) was well supported by Mrs. Crawford in Lady

Macbeth. But he and she were better suited to the march of Dryden's Muse in All for Love :' Antony and Cleopatra were very finely acted by them, and Palmer put sufficient stage-bustle and fire into Ventidius. Congreve perhaps never had more justice done to him; the cast of his Love for Love' will prove this: Tattle, King; Valentine, Farren; Sir Sampson, Moody; Scandal, Bensley; Foresight, Parsons; Jeremy, Baddeley; and Ben, Yates: Angelica, Miss Farren; Mrs. Frail, Miss Pope; Mrs. Foresight, Miss Sherry; Miss Prue, Mrs. Abington. Their singers were Vernon, Dubellamy, Bannister, Miss Prudom, Mrs. Wrighten, Sheridan, their great chief, though never inattentive to his fame, now did nothing to extend it. He wrote no more himself, though the Critic said he did; but he did not look after dramatic talent in others, when he could find nothing better than 'The Dissipation' of Miles Peter Andrews to occupy such fine actors as we have enumerated. Even his Prologue and Epilogue were spoken by King and Abington; and, we suppose in compliment to its weakness, the comedy was followed by that most interesting of pantomimes, Robinson Crusoe.' Andrews had merely wire-drawn 'Bon Ton' into five acts.

CHAPTER VII.

First appears in Bellario-Lewis and Mrs. Mattocks, the Philaster and Arethusa-Highly applauded in Angelina-Another suitor, Don Jerome of the Duenna-Letters from Wilson-Lodgings at 98. per week-Her intimates-Dr. Brodie-Mr. Francis Twissthe Booths-the Whitfields-Her low salary-How this can be called liberal-Harris and his friend-Alarming symptoms as to her health-Her farce on the subject of Polygamy-Walks for her bread in the Pantomime-Dr. Grey sends her into the country- The Ancient Law' sent to both Harris and Colman-Disagreeable business, too, on the stage-Seems not averse to a second marriage-Dr. Brodie rather particular-Goes in male attire to a masquerade-Marquis Carmarthen's calls upon her -Remembered in her "Simple Story "-In June visits Standingfield-Kemble's letter to her about Henderson and Sir Giles Overreach-Returns to town-Holcroft-his life contrasted with Gifford, another shoemaker-Reform, the "Ecce Homo"-Part of Mrs. Inchbald's letter to Mr. Harris.

HAVING announced her first appearance in Bellario at Covent Garden, in the year 1780, and shown something of the strength, to which she was at least a useful accession, we are to look at her reception in town, and the impression it made upon her. She confesses that she felt herself dull. Her kind friend Davis, who lodged in the

same house with her, brought her the newspapers in the morning following her début; and those cautious distributors of fame, that must annoy some established friends, did not entirely assure her doubting mind. But she had not been announced as a star of magnitude, and was content to twinkle in her humble sphere. A few of the features of this performance shall be preserved. Lewis and Mrs. Mattocks were the Philaster and Arethusa. Nothing could be more absurd. Mrs. Mattocks in comedy, however broad, was a striking and valuable actress; she was a counterpart of Lewis; but in tragedy, as he supplied the want of pathos by bustle and vehemence, so she expressed the passion of love with the most decided extravagance; and as she was never beautiful, it became disgusting. Mrs. Inchbald had but little freedom or grace in her action; she spoke, too, rather timidly than affectionately-rather emphatic than natural. Perhaps from embarrassment as to her hair, she kept her page's hat on, even when presented to the Princess; and all through, except in the wood-scene, where propriety might have let it remain, until forcibly thrown off. The remembrance of Mrs. Yates was too strong for her best effort; that lady was still on the stage, though the majesty of her figure disqualified her for the page. The play should not have been done at all, unless another Powell had started and brought genuine pathos along with him; then