THE BRITISH STAGE. Τα αμφι των θεατρω, και τοις τοιέτοις χωρίοις. Marc. Antonin. lib. vi. § xlvi. Nil nodum, nihil quod non semel spectâsse sufficiat. De Circensibus Plin. 1. ix. ep. I COMEDIANS. * Qui doit connoître mieux qu'un comédien ?” MR. EDITOR, GAVE you about a year ago D'ALEMBERT'S defence of comedians against the attack of RouSSEAU, and I now add that of P. A. LAVAL, himself a comedian, on the same subject. June 8. C. HERBERT. " TRANSLATION OF AN EXTRACT FROM P: A. LAVAL'S LETTER TO J. J. ROUSSEAU. If I were to reply to all the infamous assertions, which you have thought fit to make against comedians, it would be neces sary either to renounce the language of a gentleman, or to put on the armour of Job. How is it possible to contain one'sself within the bounds of moderation, in regard to a man, who without provocation, wantonly delights in the execrable pleasure of tearing you to pieces with unexampled malice? The wisest way would, perhaps, be to treat your calumny with contemptuous neglect, and that would undoubtedly be the conduct I should pursue, if your work was likely to fall into none but reasonable hands. There are, however, certain little wits, as well as prejudiced persons, who will read it, and through the artful exposition of your sentiments, feel confirmed in their own erroneous opinions. It is right, therefore, to make one generous ef fort to undeceive them. This is the sole end which I propose to obtain by these pages; for as to Fanatics and Bigots, I hold them in too great contempt to take the trouble of addressing myself to their common sense, even if they had any. 2 I pass silently over all your invectives, and.I come to that passage in your book, where you say "That even in Paris, where comedians are in the greatest estimation, and conduct themselves with most propriety, a citizen would be afraid, and ashamed to visit these comedians, who are daily seen at the tables of the great." Do you imagine, sir, that I can for a moment suppose you to be so senseless as to be willing to draw, from this reasoning, any consequence disadvantageous to us? This conduct of the citizen arises from the prejudice, which he disapproves perhaps, but which he has not the courage entirely to shake off. The injustice of this prejudice, with respect to players, is sufficiently proved, by shewing that it originated in the drunkenness of low buffoons, or Merry Andrews. The higher rank, who are formed to give the ton to every thing, are not ignorant of this truth, and are desirous of destroying, by their example, the popular error-they will without doubt succeed, and the citizen will rejoice at it. Might we not also say, that if the comedian is not in the habits of intimacy with the citizen, it is because the former does not court his acquaintance? Accustomed to enjoy, in higher circles, those marks of attention which talents deserve, they are fearful of meeting with some mortification in houses where the masters, although very polite, might introduce them to persons of very different manners. At Paris, however, there are a thousand instances of their intimacy. [To be continued.] LAWYERS. The lawyers of the four inns of court, performed a masque or opera, before Charles the First, and his queen, at Whitehall, in the year 1634. MARTIN. ACCORDING to the preface, p. xxxvi. to Beaumont and Fletcher's works, a masque written by Beaumont alone, and printed 1711, was presented before the king and queen, in the banquettinghouse, Whitehall, at the marriage of the illustrious Frederick and Elizabeth, Prince and Princess Palatine of the Rhine. The actors were the gentlemen of Gray's-Inn and the Inner Temple. E-VOL. VI.* Among the letters of Lord Bacon in the reign of Elizabeth, we, find this to a noble lord-" It may please your good lordship. I am sorry the joint masque from the four inns of court faileth; wherein I conceive there is no other ground of that, even but impossibility. Nevertheless, because it falleth out that at this time Gray's-Inn is well furnished of gallant young gentlemen, your lordship may be pleased to know that, rather than this occasion shall pass without some demonstration of affection from. the inns of court, there are a dozen gentlemen of Gray's Inn, that out of the honour which they bear to your lordship, and my Lord Chamberlain, to whom at their last masque they were so much bounden, will be ready to furnish a masque; wishing it were in their power to perform it according to their mind." See Harl. MSS. Vol. 7042. No. 2. JAQUES. THE THEATRICAL WIT. EDWIN, PARSONS, and old BANNISTER, are dead, and the younger BANNISTER being burnt out, the office of Wit at our theatres seemed like to fall into the same neglect as that of fool at court. Mr. MATHEWS, however, on the 7th, in Three Weeks after Marriage, presented himself as a candidate, and made this probationary essay. "Mr. Jones's slipper was too large, and in the violence of his gesture (in Sir Charles) it flew from his foot into one of the boxes, from which it was shortly returned, when Mr. MATHEWS, who performed Drugget, took it up, observing- this was in the wrong box. The impromptu was followed by peals of applause." British Press, July 8. DANGLE. PETRARCH AND SHAKSPEARE. HAVE you ever been struck with the coincidence between the nineteenth sonnet of Petrarch, "Sio credessi per morte esser searco— and the celebrated soliloquy in HAMLET? C. L For pounds, four thousand, I engage TAYLOR. Nay, plight again with me your truth, He, amorous Sampson, soon I dread, CATALANI. Tho' you are but a slippery wight, Looks and behaves quite prettily→→ J. MARY ANN CLARKE. MR. EDITOR, In spite of the neatness with which your friend, Horace in London, always imitates his poet, allow me to have the impudence to attempt to rival him in the ode that follows. BOOK III. ODE XXVI. Vixi puellis nuper idoneus, &c. THO' late in the haram I sought for relief, So my sword and cock'd hat you may hang by the wall! My sword and cock'd hat on that wall shall be seen, |