............. Correction of Gifford's Massinger. "...... And the scenery entirely new painted, by a great Master, with New Habits proper to the caracters. The whole ending with the Great Chorus in the Opera of Porus, accompanied with Hautboys, Trumpets and Kettle-drums. N. B. Mr. Fielding entertains the audience before the Opera begins, with a variety of postures, the most surprising ever seen, by the inimitable Mr. Phillips. Beginning every day exactly at 1 o'clock. CORRECTION OF GIFFORD'S MASSINGER. The perusal of Mr. Gifforr's valuable edition has suggested the following remarks upon two passages. In " The Maid of Honour," Act II. Scene 2, the Page says to Sylli Hold my cloak While I take a leap at her lips; do it and neatly, Sylli. Tamerlane in little! Am I turn'd Turk! What an office am I put to! The Editor's note upon having turn'd Turk, is, " Is my situation or occupation changed!" But it is a manifest allusion to the historical anecdote, that Tamerlane, after making a captive of the Turkish emperor Bajazet, set his foot upon his back while he mounted his horse. In "The Picture," Act III. Scene 6, on the passage- To Alba Regalis. A note says, " Mr. Mason reads Aula Regalis. Why this change should be thought necessary 1 cannot tell. Alba Regalis was no uncommon expression at that time, and indeed is used by more than one writer for the English court." It would have been gratifying to the curious reader, if Mr. G. had adduced his instances; but, in fact, Alba Regalis is the name of the ancient capital of Hungary, in which country the scene of this play is laid. Dog's Salary-Billy Brown-Mrs. Siddons in Dublin. THE DOG'S SALARY. In the season of 1813, a dog was introduced upon Drury Lane stage as a pantomine actor, and at a considerable salary. Nowas performers, receiving upwards of 151. a week are entitled to cards, and those who have ten, are allowed free admissions, called bones, it became a question in the greenroom, which the dog, as a perfermer, was entitled to -" Why," said a noted comedian, I do not pretend to say what his salary is, but I know that he has bones." BILLY BROWN AND THE COUNSELLOR. NSELLOR At the time when Mr. Sheridan so ably in court pleaded his own cause, and that of the Drury Lane Theatre, an Irish labourer, commonly known amongst the actors by the name of Billy Brown, was called upon to give his evidence. Previous to his going into court, the counsellor began to instruct him as to his replies; but, being shocked at the shabby dress of the witness, began to remonstrate with him on this point" You should have put on your Sunday clothes, and not think of coming into court covered with lime and brick-dust-it detracts from the credit of your evidence." "Be cool, Mr. Counsellor," said Billy, "only be cool, you're in your working-dress, and Iam in mine; and that's that." Mrs. SIDDONS... The following whimsical account of this lady's first appearance in Dublin, is taken from an old Irish newspaper: when it was first published, her friends were outrageous against the author, who, however, kept himself concealed. "On Saturday, Mrs. S, about whom all the world has been talking, exposed her beautiful, adamantine, soft, and lovely person for the first time at Smock Alley Theatre, in the bewitching, melting, and all-tearful character of Isabella. From the repeated panegyrics in the impartial London newspapers, we were taught to expect the sight of a heavenly angel, but how were we supernaturally surprised into the most awful joy, at beholding a mortal gooddess. "The house was crowded with hundreds more than it could hold! with thousands of admiring spectators that went away without a sight! This extraordinary phenomenon of tragic excellence!--this star of Melpomene !-this comet of the stage! -this sun of the firmament of the muses! - this moon of blank verse!-this queen and princess of tears! - this Donnellan of the poisoned bowl! this empres of the pistol and dager!-this chaos of Shakspeare! - this world of weeping clouds! - this Juno of commanding aspects!-this Terpsichore of the curtains and scenes! this Proserpine of fire and earthquake! -this Katterfelto of wonders! exceeded expectation, went beyond belief, and soared above all powers of description! She was Nature itself! She was the most exquisite work of art; she was the very daisy, primrose, tuberose, sweetbriar, furze-blossom, gilliflower, wall-flower, cauliflower, auricula, and rosemary, in short she was the bouquet of Parnassus. "Where expectation was raised so high, it was thought she would be injured by her appearance, but it was the audience who were injured; several fainted even before the curtain drew up ! but, when she came to the scene of parting with her weddingring, ah! what a sight was there! the very fiddlers in the orchestra, albeit unused to the melting mood,' blubbered like hungry children crying for their bread and butter; and when the bell rang for music between the acts, the tears ran from the bassoonplayer's eyes in such plentiful showers, that they choaked the finger-stops, and making a spout of the instrumeut, poured in such torrents on the first fiddler's book, that not seeing the over. ture was in two sharps, the leader of the band actually played in one flat. "But the sobs and sighs of the groaning audience, and the noise of corks drawn from the smelling-bottles, prevented this mistake between the flats and the sharps being discovered. "One hundred and nine ladies fainted, forty-six went into fits, and ninety five had strong hysterics: the world will scarcely credit the truth when they are told, that fourteen children, five old women, one hundred tailors, and six common councilmen, were actually drowned in the inundation of tears that flowed from the galleries, lattices, and boxes, to increase the briny flood in the pit. The water was three feet deep, and the people that were obliged to stand upon tho benches, were, in that position, up to their ancles in tears. ..... Mrs. Siddons in Dublin. "An act of parliament against her playing any more will certainly pass, for she has infected all the volunteers, and they sit reading The Fatal Marriage,' crying and roaring the whole morning, at the expectation of seeing this Giant's Causeway, this Salmon leap of wonders, at night. An address has been presented to the good Earl of Charlemont, by the principal volunteers, and backed by Dr. Quin and the faculty of Dublin, praying him to stay at home the evening of her appearance, else they are convinced she'll tear his infirm frame in pieces with her terrific screams, when she's dragged from the corpse of Biron, and they'll lose the greatest general that ever headed an army. Nature most assuredly, in one of her bountiful moments, in one of her charitable and humane leisure hours, in one of her smilling days, in one of her all-sorrowing gladsome years, made this human lump of clayey perfection. "Oh, happy Hibernia! blessed Ierne! sanctified land of saint! what a hearse load, what a coffin-full, what a church-yard tree of the brightest excellence of excellencies now stands on the turf of thy fruitful earth ! "From Cork, from Killarney, from Galway, from Ballinasloe, from Eyrecourt, from the east, from the west, from the north, from the south, from Island Bridge, from Lazor's Hill from the banks of the canal to the new road at the back of Drumcondra, shall millions come to Smock Alley, to see this astonishing woman. "The streets round the theatre shall be crowded, and the very gabbards that carry coals to Island Bridge shall stop at the Blind Quay, and land their unpolished watermen to spend thirteenpence for a seat in the upper gallery when Isabella is performed. "O thou universal genius! what pity it is that thy talents are so confined to tragedy alone. No age, nay, the Roman theatre-the stage at Constantinople-Nero himself never performed the scene of sadness, of grief, of joy, of woe, of distress, of sorrow, and of pity, so well as Mrs. S " May the curses of an insulted nation pursue the gentlemen of the college, the gentlemen of the bar, and the peers and peeresses whose wisdom and discernment have been so highly .... ... Original Titles of Shakspeare's Plays. extolled, that hissed her on the second night. True it is, Mr. Garrick never could make any thing of her, and pronounced her below mediocrity; true it is, the London audience once did not like her; but what of that? Rise up, bright goddess of the sock and buskin, and soar to unknown regions of immortal praise, for "Envy wilt Merit as its shade pursue." : ESQUIRE AND VAGABOND. Macklin, going to insure some property, was asked by the clerk how he would please to have his name entered. "Entered," replied Macklin; "Why, I am only plain Charles Macklin, a vagavond, by act of parliament; but in compliment to the times, you may set me down Charles Macklin, Esquire, as, they are now synonymous terms. ORIGINAL TITLES OF SHAKSPEARE'S PLAYS The Hystorie of Henrie the Fourthe, wythe the Battayle of Shrewsburie, betweene the Kynge and the Lorde Henrie.. Hotspurre, of the Northe, wythe the merrie-con ceyted Veyne of Syr Johnne Falstaffe. 1592, 1599, 1602, 1622. An excellente conceyted Tragedie of Romeo and Julielte, wythe the wranglynge of the two famouse Houses of Mountague and Capulette. 1593, 1597, 1599, The moste lamentable Tragedie of Titus Andronicus, wythe the Death of wicked Aaron, the Black Moore. 1595, 1603, 1611. The Seconde Parte of Kynge Henrie the Fourthe, contaynynge unto his Deathe, and Coronatione of Henrie the 5th, wythe the Humours of Syr Johnne Falstaffe aud the Swaggeryng Pistol. 1595, 1597, 16 0. A moste pleasaunte Comedie, called A Midsummer Night's Dreame, wythe the Freakes of the Fayries. 1595, 1600, 1610. A moste pleasaunte, excellente-conceyted Comedie of Syr Johnne Falstaffe, the fat Knight, wythe the quainte Conceits of the Merrie Wives of Windsor, intermix'd wythe sundrie Humours of Syr Hugh, the Welsh Parson, Justice Shallow, and his wise Cousin Mr. Abraham Stender, wythe the swaggeryng Vaine of Ancient Pistol and Corporal Nym: wythe Dr. Caius, his Frenche Figaries. 1596, 1598. |