deed, I do not think him a beast, and perhaps I may let him know as much."

The prompter's benefit took place soon after. It was formerly the case for each principal performer to acknowledge the attentions of such officer (who has no sinecure place of it) by a pecuniary compliment for a ticket on his benefit night; and Mr. Spring was sent by Miss Mellon to Mr. with the following billet, enclosing a bank-of-England note for 251.

66

DEAR SIR,-Have the goodness to give Spring a gallery ticket for me; and keep me a place for one. I enclose the price of it.

66

Yours, very truly, H. MELLON."

Another anecdote, highly illustrative of Miss Mellon's characteristic gaiety and whimsical

*Mr. Samuel Spring, who was for many yeare box-bookkeeper at Drury Lane theatre, acquired some celebrity in the "sporting" circles, principally derived from a horse-racing transaction with the Prince of Wales, which gave some employment to the legal profession. While these sheets were going through the press an announcement of his death appeared in the newspapers.

To non-theatrical readers the professional jest may not be apparent in her ordering a place to be kept in the gallery, which would be impossible, or that she should want one there when the private boxes of so many friends were at her service.

good-nature, has reached us from the hands of Mr. Dibdin, and which he thus relates:

During the period of Mr. Stephen Kemble's engagement at Drury Lane,* a rehearsal had been announced for a following morning at ten o'clock; and this hour had been chosen at Mr. Kemble's request, in order that he might fulfil a city engagement at or before twelve.

Miss Mellon, who, on account of the distance of Holly Lodge, could not, or did not, ever make her appearance at the theatre before noon, applied successfully to the manager to alter the appointed hour to suit her convenience. This change justly offended the jolly representative of Falstaff, who entreated the prompter to remonstrate on an alteration which, as many of the performers had gone home, would (in addition to being unpleasant to him) occasion much nonattendance.

The prompter went to the manager's room, where he found Miss Mellon, and, having expressed his own opinion that it looked rather

* This was a short engagement made with Stephen Kemble, and for the plays in which he performed he was stage-manager. The anecdote does not relate to the time when he was for an entire season the actual manager.

like trifling with the business to permit such unnecessary change of arrangements, he added, that it was besides a poor compliment to a "visitor," as Stephen Kemble might be termed.

The manager hesitated; then the lady merrily exclaimed, "Stephen Kemble may go to Old Scratch, and you with him! Or, if you don't like that, take old Fatty home with you, give him a supper, (which I will pay for,) and send to my place for half-a-dozen of my best champagne."

66 Thank you, Madam!" exclaimed the great Newcastle manager, who popped his head in at the door, behind which he had stood to hear the success of the prompter's intervention! "Thank you, Madam; I accept your hospitality; and you may alter the stated hour of every rehearsal, while I stay, at the same price!"

During the rest of this season Miss Mellon appeared in many of her best characters; but her Muslin, in "The Way to Keep Him;" her Mrs. Candour, in "The School for Scandal;" and Audrey, in "As You like It," were triumphantly successful.

CHAPTER III.

Commencement of season in 1814-List of companyEdmund Kean-His poverty-Miss Mellon his secret benefactor-His first appearance-Advises him about his engagements-The two bonds-Kean's Othello - Mrs. Siddons and the imperfect Young Norval-Kean's Richard III.-Present from Mr. Coutts.

THE season commencing in 1814 opened with one of the most brilliant companies ever perhaps assembled within the walls of Drury Lane Theatre. We subjoin a list of the performers: