more learning than their whole college. At Louvain, the Vice-Chancellor addressed Mrs. Carter, in a prepared Greek oration; and she, without the slightest hesitation, replied to him in the same language. Here were two Elizabeths to add to the great Queen. To talk of the equality of human conditions indeed! Mrs. Montagu had been educated by Conyers Middleton, and was almost worshipped by the good Lord Lyttelton. She had been happily married to the grandson of an Earl, who left her, at his decease, in most affluent circumstances; and, when she died herself, she could devise estates to her nephew, valued at 10,000l. per annum. And in addition to all this, her memory will be revered alike for her genius and her benevolence. With Gibbon, she might gratefully say, "she had drawn a rich prize in the lottery of life." To return within the walls of the theatre. The genius of Drury Lane being fast asleep while awaiting a change in the property, we must look at its restless rival, which had got out another five-act comedy, by Reynolds, called Life, attended with his usual success; that is, about twenty 500/ houses. The Marchmont interest is certainly impro bable the man does not know his own wife when he : sees her and she is employed as a governess to teach her own daughter. The Lackbrains excite hearty laughter, and Sir Harry Torpid perfect astonishment, being represented by William Lewis. Tom Dibdin, another clever and stirring spirit, worked up Il Bondocani, out of the new Arabian Tales, and diverted the town with the immortal Haroun Alraschid. The month of August, 1800, saw Mr. Holcroft united to the very amiable daughter of M. Mercier, the author of a periodical called Tableau de Paris. And this union undoubtedly facilitated his access to the novelties of the French stage. This enabled him to be beforehand with others in the preparation of M. Bouilly's Abbé de l'Epée; called by the translator Deaf and Dumb; which, although not produced on the stage till the 24th of February, 1801, had been long in the manager's possession, who had been teazing Peake for many months to let him have fifty pounds for the author, whose slight go-cart could not wait for the wheels of the ponderous waggon of Drury. At the end of No vember, Kemble had not been able to get it for him, though faithfully promised a fortnight before. On the 18th of January Mrs. Jordan was delivered of a daughter, at Bushy, and her confinement seems to have quickened the deaf and dumb of the Cabinet council; and the play was therefore produced to the public with vast applause on the day already named. Kemble himself acted the benevolent Abbé. Horne Tooke calls abbreviations in language the wings of Mercury, by which an effort at least is made to keep up with the demands of thought. Kemble seemed to telegraph his interesting scholar Miss Decamp, who acted the part of Julio: the set of signs between them were something in the taste of Prospero's wand, and she was at least as observant, as obedient, and quite as spiritual, as Ariel himself. I think my accomplished friend and heroine carried in Julio the art of pantomime farther than I have ever seen it extend: there was a pathos in the helpless condition of the character, which adhered to it, act it who might; but she had an eager joy and nod of assent when comprehended, that seemed to spring from her own nature: it took away the weariness from continued silence, and startled while it satisfied. Wroughton, in Darlemont was extremely good indeed. Kemble must at least have equalled Monvel, who performed the Abbé at Paris. In my Life of Mr. Kemble, I have spoken fully of his revivals of King John and Cymbeline; they were good, permanent valuables in a house, but they cost money, and there was a pantomime to be brought out at Christmas, which was called Harlequin Amulet, the grand feature of which, was a dragon and certain rattle-snakes, of which Johnston, the machinist, was the maker: the latter flew about the stage in a rather alarming manner, and sometimes stuck in the grooves; on such occasions it was the spectators who hissed. The Country Girl came again" to the play," on the 12th of March. It is true that she was as delightful as ever in the part; but she often complained that, if her friends were not tired of the repetition, she was almost ashamed of it. Colman might have written for her; but the money for the Poor Gentleman could only be got from Mr. Harris. 84 CHAPTER XVIII. Decided hostilities of 1801-2-Kemble now challenges comparison-No coals from Newcastle-Lewis's apology-The faculty bulletins-Cooke's marriage annulled-Next month he really arrives, and triumphs-Prevalence of drunkenness -Mrs. Billington sings for both houses-Siddons, Henry, and his Integrity-As an actor-Marries Miss MurrayIsabella's own son-Mrs. Billington's accident-Quick, the cunning Isaac, at Drury-Difficult music-Nasolini-Kemble's Zanga, and Fifth Henry-Reynolds at the other house -Nothing written for Mrs. Jordan-Poaching at Strawberry Hill-The Fashionable Friends-Seduction and Sentiment-Lady Selina, Miss de Camp-Sketch of that character-Cobbett would not illuminate on the Peace-Applies for a guard-Answer of the Minister-M. Otto's house, and Mr. Bull's mistake-CONCORD declared an insult by acclamation-M. Otto found the schoolmaster not abroadAMITY versus Concord, adopted-The G. R. of the illumination without a Crown-One ordered by the sailors-Cooke and the Yankees-Mrs. Jordan in Lady Teazle-King's honourable retirement-His address-One word for the actor, two for the poet-Cumberland, C. Kemble-Mrs. Jordan leads Mr. King off the stage-Reception in the |