qualification (we might almost venture, in these days of puff and paste, to call it accomplishment) was her chief attraction. Of talent she had very little; but of tact a large cargo. "But," as the father of a celebrated American comic actor has said, "give me de pretty voman for de actrice, and d-n de talent. I shall bring much more argent to my theatre wis de bootiful female who vill not say von single vord, than you shall wis de best actrice in de vorld, if she is not bootiful-bigar !” 66 Nancy Dawson was a true English beauty, and a spoiled one to boot. She was rather over than under the middle size; her form lusciously full and round, without any inclination to embonpoint; her eyes large, liquid, and laughing, and blue withal; her complexion, without the aid of cosmetics, was naturally what too many beauties strive to attain by the aid of art,-namely, pure red and white," as we Americans say, and running so softly and so gently into one another, that the red, which predominated where it should be uppermost, on her cheek, faded away into alabaster whiteness about the forehead, neck, and bosom. Her bust was altogether faultless; and, though strictly feminine, her chest was broad at the shoulders, but tapering to a most delicately slender waist, which partook almost of ethereality. And such a heavenly swelling bosom ! "Hide, oh hide those hills of snow SHAKSPEARE. "And did Will Shakspeare write and indite that verse ?" "He did. But Johnson and Steevens, in their last corrected edition,' have taken the liberty to cut it. It has, very properly, been restored in a little volume of 'The Beauties of Shakspeare." " "Then, I say, Will Shakspeare must have seen Nancy Dawson at her toilet." "Pshaw! Listen to my description-will you?” "I have listened till my mouth waters! But pray go on-what sort of drumsticks had she?" "Drumsticks!-oh-ah!-trotters, you mean. Beautiful, sir, beautiful!-especially when she donned the male attire: fine ample hips, small knee, tapering calf, delicate ankle, and a foot almost Chinese! She was a speaking beauty-a very Venus de Medicis in every limb and feature. Ah, sir! those bare arms of Apollo Belviderean roundness--and that lady's hand of lily whiteness and chiselled perfection! But her nose.and mouth were the prettiest things in the world; and her teeth--fine, large, white pegs of ivory, regular as a regiment at evening parade; and not any of your baby` teeth, sir! She could sing, and dance, and captivate a stoic in a trice. Take her by-and-large, she looked for all the world like-" "No matter whom she looked like, sir; I have her already pictured in my mind's eye, Horatio;' and, you may be sure, I have raised up an image there that you will spoil outright if you attempt to give it a 'local habitation and a name.' Better leave it to the imagination, sir!" But the play--ay," the play's the thing." The eventful evening came at last, when Jethro and Seth's adventures were to be shown up at the theatre. The house was crowded from gallery to pit; so much excitement had the doings of the Grampus created in the minds of the London multitude. The stage-box had been reserved--not for the critics, gentle reader-but for Jethro Coffin, and Seth Macy, and the crew of the Grampus! It was an ill-advised location for the comfort of Jethro and his party, who were of course novices in theatricals; for much of the illusion of the scene is destroyed by the position of the spectator in the stage-box, who, from necessity, is thus made the unwilling witness of many of the preparatory measures of actors and scene-shifters, which it were better not to see. But the place had been chosen by the manager because he thought it the best box in the house; and, like all other managers, he therefore believed that all the world must be of the same opinion with himself. It was so far the best upon this occasion, that the powerful blaze of the foot lights enabled the audience to get a full and a better view of the Jonathan-looking boys, who had performed the bold action which was about being commemorated in mimic display on the stage, than if they had been placed in the front of the theatre. Jethro and Seth were slowly pacing the quarter-deck of the Grampus in the London dock, when the (to them) strange message of the Drury Lane manager, couched, however, in becoming terms, and directed to "Jethro Coffin, esquire," was handed to them. The messenger rather doubtingly gave the epistle to the man in the Quaker hat who answered to the name and superscription of "Jethro Coffin," but who peremptorily denied the 'esquire" at the end of it. He was about returning it as a misdirection; but the messenger was among the missing. The note ran as follows: 66 "To Jethro Coffin, esquire, and Captain Seth Macy, of the good ship Grampus, of America. "Gentlemen,―The manager of Drury Lane Theatre presents his compliments to Mr. Coffin and Captain Macy, and begs leave to inform them that the brilliant affair in which they were the principal actors, and wherein the brave crew of the Grampus have covered themselves with so much glory (at the expense of his majesty's inveterate enemies the French), having been dramatized and got up at great cost, will, this evening, as they may have observed by the bills of the day, be represented at the theatre for the first time. The manager, although he has not the honour of being personally known to the gentlemen whom he thus presumes to address, takes the opportunity to enclose a printed bill of the entertainments of the evening, and also an order for the admission of Mr. C. and Captain M., and all or any of the crew of the Grampus who may have leave of absence from the ship for this occasion. An entire box has been reserved for the reception of Mr. Coffin, Captain Macy, and their friends, which will accommodate about thirty persons; and it is at their service for the night. Permit the undersigned to add, that they will confer an honour upon him and the establishment which he controls, if they will deign to favour the place with their presence at the hour designated in the bill. "DAVID GARRICK." "What is the meaning of all this?" said Jethro to Seth, after a second perusal of the manager's epistle, and a most careful reading of the play-bill, both of which he handed over to the captain. 66 It passeth my understanding," replied the captain, who had never before probably heard of a play or a theatre. "Let us look into it more narrowly, however; perhaps it may be a letter of invitation from one of thy correspondents to spend the evening with him, and it may possibly make against thy fortunes if thou shouldst not embrace the opportunity of going." "I have no correspondent of the name of Garrick; though, as he speaks of himself in the light of 'manager,' he may, peradventure, be the principal clerk or agent of the house, and has forgotten to advise me of the name of the firm. The bill of parcels he speaks of is none of the clearest to my comprehension; and the items, whether on sale at his warehouse, or for shipment for America, do not appear to be arranged with that precision and brevity which betoken a well-instructed merchant. Let me again look over its con tents "Sea-beach-Moonlight-Clouds in the distance A heavy sea-' 66 Why, Seth," continued Jethro, "these must be some paintings or designs--such as I have seen in Boston, in the picture-gallery of friend Hutchinson, the colonial governor: but let us proceed with the invoice. "Flourish of drums-beating to quarters on board the French rover-signal gun-French ensign-longtom amidships-heaving-to-ship bearing down-Captain Shadbelly-' 66 "I cannot make out the import of this farrago," said Jethro to Seth; but, to be on the sure side of the question, it may be well to call up the crew at the hour spoken of, and take them to the place appointed. We shall be strong enough to look down the London cutpurses, who are numerous, if they should have planned the cunningly devised fable to despoil us of our property. It may, after all, be meant as a neighbourly civility to ourselves and the crew; so even let them have their beards shaven, Seth; and a clean shirt apiece will not be amiss in anticipation of Banian-day." Long before the drawing up of the curtain at Drury Lane, the house began to fill rapidly; and when Jethro, piloted by some good-natured citizen to the place, gained the entrance of the lobby, followed in good order by Seth and his crew of thirty men, the bystanders tittered outright; and the English tars, who were crowding the house to witness the nautical display, saluted each other with various exclamations, indicative of surprise at the sight of the Quakers. 66 My eyes, Bill, what chaps them be!" said one old sailor to his neighbour: "did you ever see sich queer toggery?" At this moment the ears of Jethro were assailed by the noise from the orchestra, where the musicians were tuning their instruments; and the catcalls of the gallery, answered by those of the crowded pit in not very gentle echoes, struck him all aback. He hesitated, and thus held communion with the captain : "I misdoubt much, Seth, but that we are in the house of the dragon!" |