Mr. Love-Mr. Twiss.

short duration. An assembly of rats were playing their gambols in his apartment, one of whom, in his way to the caxon, which was placed beneath the pillow, thither allured by the scent of the grease it contained, traversed the visage of the sleeping Thespian. The cold pats of the Norwegian immediately loosened the bands of Morpheus, and, in the utmost trepidation, he started up in the bed-in a few minutes he recollected himself, and guessed by the squeaking what his visitants were, set his wits to work how to get rid of them. Stealing with all imaginable caution, to that corner of the room which seemed most thronged, he discharged the contents of the jordan upon the convocation-but this manœuvre had not the desired effect; the quadrupeds, in less than ten minutes, returned to the charge with a large reinforcement; he now sent the pillows and bolster among them with all the force and good will he was master of this was of no more effect than the former, the rats recovered their ranks as if in contempt of his indignation; however, he at last thought of an expedient which answered his purpose-he was an excellent mimic, and thought he would make bold with the organs of madam puss: the imitation was most successful-he mewed three times; on the first they pricked up their ears, their tails stood erect, and the symptoms of retreat were visible; the second they began to file off, and the third left not a rat behind.wl of sestra

MR LOVE

When Mr. Love appeared at Drury-lane in the character of Falstaff, being a man of some genius, he used to puff constantly in the newspapers, upon his excellency in the part; all which, however, availed but little, as he never could bring a full house. One Bignell, sitting with a few of the players at the Black Lion, had taken up and filled a pipe, the funnel of which was stopped, a and after several attempts to light it, he threw it down in a passion, saying, " Egad, gentlemen, I am like your new Falstaff; I have been puffing, and puffing, this long while past, but all to no purpose, for I am not able to draw."

Mr. Twist, the celebrated tour writer, was sked by a lady, on bis return from Ireland, what sort of dramatic exhibitions he Wha-wha Actor-Royal Criticism.

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had seen in that kingdom? Those in Dublin, he said, came nearer to the representations in London, than what he had seen in any other city there; the people of that city, madam, said he, have more money and less pride, and consequently better manners. When I was in Limerick, that sink of the kingdom for pride and beggary, for insolence and ignorance, I attended the representation of two of Shakspeare's best tragedies, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet; when, to my astonishment, the instant the funeral of Juliet appeared, and the band of ringers began the dirge, the major part of the audience set up the Irish howl, taking it for a funeral. And when the grave-digger in Hamlet began the first stave of his song, a number of fellows from the gallery pelted him with apples, pronouncing him the most unfeeling rascal in the world, nor would they suffer him to proceed, but called out for another grave-digger; whom their spokesman questioned thus: Can you sing, Mr. Whatcho cum?" "Not 1, faith and troth," said the fellow; " don't you remember hissing me, my jewel, in old Jenkios, last night?" "Very true," replied the gallery hero, "then you may dig away as fast as you cans, laser s

FALDA VIND PLMHA-WHA ACTOR.

Cumberland, was one evening behind the scenes of Drurylane theatre, during the performance of his own "West Indian," in which Mr. Elliston played Belcour, and was introduced, as the representative of that character, to Mr. C. who lavished the most extravagant encomiums upon his performance. When he had left the Green Room, to pursue his duties, Mr. Cumberland turned round to a gentleman, who stood at his elbow, and with a sarcastic grin, "Pray, sir," said this candid dramatist, who is that wha-wha actor ?"

ROYAL CRITICISM.

In a second folio edition of Shakspeare's plays, formerly in the possession of Mr. Steevens, and once belonging to King Charles the First, his majesty has made a verbal correction in the third part of "King Henry VI." Act 5, Sc. 7, by assigning this speech from Clarence to King Edward: dig

Thanks, noble Clarence; worthy brother, thanks."

Garrick-Hissing-The Village Lawyer.

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In the year 1755, Garrick expended large sums of money in preparing a grand spectacle, called The Chinese Festival," on a most magnificent scale. It was represented for three nights, to the most tumultuous disapprobation, on the last of which, the benches were ton up, the actors driven from the stage, and the scenery was destroyed. Thus far Davies and Murphy have noticed the subject, but the following anecdote has not been related Some nights after this transaction, Garrick appeared in the part of Archer, and was imperiously called upon to ber pardon of the audience. His indignation was aroused by this injustice; he had suffered a pecuniary loss to an immense amount, and undergone the heaviest inflictions of outrage for an act of tasteful splendour. Smartin," therefore, with his wound's, being gal'd to be so pester'd," he came reso'ntely forward, and having stated the injury his fortune had sustained, assured them he was above want, superior to insult, and unless permitted to discharge his duty to the best of his abilities, would never never appear upon the stage again. The audience was struck with the firmness and propriety of his appeal, and by an instantaneous burst of applause, bore a strong testimony against the riotors in favour of this spirited managerodion

HISSING

In 1772, the king of Denmark prohibited hissing in the Copenhagen, theatres, or any equivalent marks of disapprobation. This despotic order was occasioned by a riot at one of the houses, which arose from an author having exposed a criticupon the stage, who had treated his works with uncommon severity.

THE VILLAGE LAWYER.

This excellent afterpiece is spuriously printed, and assigned, without foundation, to the pen of Mr. Macready, who wrote The Irishman in London." It is a translation from the French, by Mr. Charles Lyons the conductor of a school in the vicinity of Dublin here he takes an annual benefit, at the Crow-street Theatre, and produces a manuscript comedy. called Templars : Tricks," with an annunciation of the fuct we have just recorded.

Portrait of Garrick-Fielding-Madame Mara-Ridicule.

In Jone. 1771, Mr. Fisher, superintendant of the Empress Catharine's Theatre, at St. Petersburgh, offered Mr. Garrick two thousand guineas for four performances at that place, which, of course, were refused. - About the same time, a full-length picture of this great actor was painted in London, by order of the King of Denmark, to be placed in his palace at Copenhagen.

HENRY FIELDING.

One of this author's farces having been hissed from the stage, when published, instead of the usual annunciation, " As it was performed," &c. he substituted a more correct reading, " As it was damned at the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane." This Jaudable species of candour has not since been copied by any of those writers whose productions have experienced the same fate, but we earnestly recommend it to their imitation.

MADAME MARA.

At the Salisbury Music Meeting, in 1793, while this distin. guished singer was executing a very complicated embellishment in the song of " He was despised," a Quaker-lady, well-known in that city, entered the middle aisle of the cathedral, in the heart of these vocal evolutions, and lifting up her eyes and hands, very loudly ejaculated, " It is all idolatry, and vain profanation." The effect of this serio-comic interference was too lu. dicrous to be conveyed by description.

RIDICULE.

It is an old and true maxim, that ridicule is by no means a test of truth, and yet it is an equally ancient remark, that many a serious truth has been put out of countenance by ridicule, and that ridicule not supported by wit or humour. In a song of Garrick's, sung by Mrs. Cibber, there was this line

"The roses will bloom when there's peace in the breast," of the justice of which no man can entertain a doubt. Foote, however, parodied the line thus:

"The turtles will coo when there's peas in the craw," and actually destroyed the popularity of the song.

Q.

4

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Macklin-French Stage.

• MACKLIN,

Sitting one night at the back of the front boxes with a friend, before the alterations at Covent Garden took place, alobby lounger stood up immediately before them, and his person being ra ther large, prevented a sight of the stage. Macklin took fire at this, but managing his passion with more temper than usual, patted the intruder on the shoulder with his cane, and gently requested him, "when any thing entertaining occurred upon the stage, to let him and his friend be apprized of it; for you see, my dear sir," said the veteran, * that at present we must totally depend upon your kindness." This had the desired effect, and the nuisance was removed.

DYING UPON THE ERENCH STAGE.

The French have such an aversion to any of their Dramatis Personæ dying on the stage, that in the opera of "Artaxerxes," when Artabanes falls lifeless in the arms of the attendants, he generally gives a little kick with his foot, as the curtain drops, to shew that he has not violated the rules, by dying upon the stage.

BY-PLAY ON THE FRENCH STAGE..

There is no by-play on the French stage. No Othello there becomes the victim of a passion, artfully awakened in an unsuspecting heart. Its first indication could not there be made perceptible, dawning in faint shadows on the tremulous form, and quivering nether lip, struggling with contending evidences in the heaving breast-sickening, agitating the entire frame, glooming on the curved brow, distorting the altered feature, flashing from the rolling eye, and wound up by all the frightful indications of doubt, fear, hope, conviction, rage, and confirmed despair. This wondrous composition, which, in combining the highest powers of dramatic genius, in the author, demands the fullest exercise of histrionic ability, in the actor, could have no parallel on the French Theatre. A French Othello would hear an account ofhis wife's perfidy, perhaps, in a neat and appropriate speech of a hundred and fifty lines; and no countenance, however flexible and mobile, could shift and change its expression, during a space of a quarter of an hour. The French Othello, therefore, would