managers, as they have cast her into the back ground while she stays. Miss Simpson, I think, succeeds her in the graces of the manager both off as well as on the stage-she is a lovely fine-figured pretty little thing to be sure, but then old friends should not be thrown away for new faces. Russell sings a funny song well, as does also Lancaster, and they invariably sing every night after the play. Mrs. Darley is a most useful actress, and a deserving woman. Miss Macauley is an actress of superior merit. Mrs. Wallis pretends to sing well, but in general hurts the sense from her squall. Wallis, fit for nothing but to be set in a box to be looked at, when dressed. Flowerdew is a favourite, and rather deservingly so on the stage, but off not quite so good. Thompson is chaste and humorous. Mrs. Thompson, an automaton, though pretty. Adcock, a bustler; Holmes, a rauter. The Elliotts, Bland, Wright, Darley, and Gilchrist, below mediocrity. By next season we understand we are to have nearly a new set, if to be had, as the following are reported to be on the leaving list-Mr. W. and Mrs. Elliot, Mr. and Mrs. Wallis, Mrs. Pitt, Mr. Gilchrist, and Miss Campion; so that there is a good opening for old women, young girls and sentimentals. June 20, 1809. PRIVADO. CHARACTERS IN TRAGEDY, COMEDY, AND FARCE, Performed by Mr. Lewis, at the late Covent-Garden Theatre. Posthumus, in Cymbeline. Jaffier, Venice Preserved. Biron, Isabella. Warwick, Earl of Warwick. TRAGEDY. Pharnaces, Cleonice. Philotas, Grecian Daughter. 2. Edward, Edward and Eleonora. Theodosius, Force of Love. Romeo, and Mercutio, Romeo and Marcus, Cato. Antonio, Don Sebastian. Lord Dudley, Lady Jane Grey. Terebazus, Zenobia. Etan, Orphan of China. Aribert, Royal Convert. Lord Fairfax, King Charles. Jeig H-VOL. VI. Archer, and Aimwell, Beaux Stra- Faulkland, Rivals. tagem. Jupiter, Amphitryon. Lord G. Brilliant, Lady's last Duretette, Inconstant. Valentine, and Tattle, Love for Captain Trueman, The Twin Rivals. Love. Beverly, School for Wives. Woodville, Chapter of Accidents. Ranger, and Frankly, Suspicious Beauchamp, Which is the Man. Phormio, Widow of Delphi. Courtall, Woman's a Riddle. Sir Harry Flutter, The Discovery. of Malta, Capricious Lady. Col. Lambert, Hypocrite. Tyrrel, and Lord Aberville, shionable Lover. Harry Hamden, Columbus. Pave, How to grow rich. Muscadel, Painter's Daughter. Lord Arthur, Life's Vagaries. blame. Sir Francis Delroy, Widow's Pro mise. Charles, School for Scandal. Captain Clermont, Jealous Hus- Gosamer, Laugh when you band. Wildlove, All on a Summer's-Day. Vapid, Dramatist. be Sedley, Force of Fashion. Nominal, Notoriety. Droply, Vetary of Wealth. can. George Fervid, Five Thousand a Tim Period, The Sisters. Cheverel, Deserted Daughter. East. Frank Liberal, Liberal Opinions. Fred. Bramble, Poor Gentleman. Count Villars, School of Arro- Tom Tick, Folly as it flies. Harry Hairbrain, Will for the Deed. Sir Larry M Murrough, Who Jack Doric, Delinquent. FARCE. Petruchio, Catharine and Petru- Lord Duke, High Life below chio. Apprentice, Apprentice. Stairs. Marquis, Midnight Hour. Ho Sir Charles Racket, Three Weeks Glib, Peep behind the Curtain. after Marriage. Young Wilding, Liar. Squire Groom, Love à-la-Mode. Fine Gentleman, Lethe. Dupely, Maid of the Oaks. Trapolin, Duke and no Duke. Count Almaviva, Follies of a Day. 134 Principally the first parts in comedy. 194 In the same theatre. ENDYMION THE EXILE.* A LETTER XVIII. You are right, Ambrose. Example is rather better than precept, but it is also rather more difficult. There is a certain lanthorn-jawed lecturer, who has lately illuminated the cities of London and Westminster, with a dissertation on KEMBLE's defects. So far was well; but when he descended from the doctor's chair into the amphitheatre, and shewed by example, how Macbeth should address the imaginary dagger, he stuck that weapon up to the hilt in the body of his own reputation. One man makes a shoe, and another an epigram. A critic of common feeling can tell that the former pinches, and that the latter does not. But place an awl or a pen into his right hand, and 'tis ten to one he can go but a little way towards mending either. Captain Gregory Higgins, has a very pretty house in Berkeley-Square, and is celebrated in private parties, for his skill in imitating KEMBLE. You saw that celebrated English tragedian a few years ago on his visit to Paris, and I can assure you if you were present at one of Captain Higgins's exhibitions, and *A miscalculation has made us misplace, rather than delay the lucubrations of our witty and ingenious friend Endymion. Edit. were to shut your eyes, (and your ears,) you might by dint of a creative imagination, suppose that Kemble himself was in the room! Ambition is progressive. If Captain Gregory Higgins gained so much applause by a single speech, what portion of glory would he acquire, by rivalling KEMBLE through a whole play? He did not wait to work this question by the rule of three, but forthwith hired the private theatre in Tottenham Street, and by promising the fashionables a subsequent supper, embellished with champagne, procured a numerous and splendid audience. Gregory has a good leg, and gives good dinners: qualities which have procured him the admiration of the women, and the endurance of the men. I obtained a pit ticket from my friend Trelawny, and repaired to the temple of Thespis at eight o'clock. A numerous audience had already assembled. Lady Bridget Sidebottom, and her three slim brothers occupied one stage box: Sir Sam. Weazle, and his imperious spouse nodded approbation from the other. Old Squeez'em, and his meagre wife, from St. Mary Axe; the Misses Penelope, and Georgiana Snarl, daughters of a deceased banker: Sir Daniel Discount himself a banker: young men of fashion from Albany, and their shadows from the city, and a countless host of ladies, loungers, and literati, contributed to swell the note of welcome to the dilettanti Roscius. scene lay in Peru, and Gregory was, you may be sure, even more plentifully bedaubed with gold, than when cased in his own dress coat as a captain in the guards. Nay the family jewels were pressed into the service, his great aunt, Lady Macpledgit, the widow of a Scots nobleman, having redeemed her diamond necklace from pawn, for that night only, by particular desire, to decorate the brow of her victorious nephew. Thus bedizoned, he made his entré with a bird of Paradise upon his head, whose long tail might have tempted Eve herself, and was greeted · with three distinct rounds of applause, to which he, though kinsman to the King of Peru, was condescending enough to return suitable acknowledgments. The Nothing occurred worthy of commemoration, till his speech to the soldiers, advising them to spend their last shilling, and shed the last drop of their blood in defence of social order and their holy religion, which you may well imagine charmed all hearts. Mr. Caustic who writes for one of the papers, said, it was really not so bad considering: and two slender young ensigns, whose long legs were united at the knee like great A, while their swaggering gait resembled bouncing B, withdrew their opera glasses from their half shut eyes, for the express purpose of declaring that it was damned fair. To speak my private opinion to thee, Ambrose, in confidence, it was execrably bad. At one time the captain spoke so low, that he might be supposed to be ventriloquizing with ■ privy counsellor, and at another roared as though he were desirous that his own domestics in Berkeley Square should benefit by his rheto |