OF

MISS SUSANNAH PATON, (of the Theatres-royal Covent-garden and Haymarket.)

Some day perhaps thou'lt waken
From pleasure's dream, to know

The grief of hearts forsaken.---MooRE.

And she did wed with one who did not love her better.--- BYRON. Say, are they married ?---Sir Giles Overreach.

SUSANNAH PATON, is the eldest daughter of Mr. Paton, who, in the year 1802, the period of our heroine's birth, was the conductor of a mathematical seminary at Edinburgh. From her very cradle, Miss PATON gave indications of musical genius; and, in the year 1806, when little more than four years old, she performed on the piano and harp in a style of such excellence, that, says our informant, I expected never to hear the like again; but the infant Lyra certainly equalled the precocious efforts of this astonishing creature." In 1807, some fantasias, &c., were published as her composition. We merely notice this. fact; but with the memory of Mozart's juvenile efforts> before us, we still say, the genuineness of these fantasias must rest between Mrs. Paton's "heart and the long day." That lady was always esteemed a tasteful singer and an exquisite musician. The infant talents of our heroine obtained the fostering patronage of the Duchess of Buccleugh, with whom, one of her biographers gravely asserts, VOL. V.-66.

C

"she, at the age of five years, held a correspondence respecting the publication of some of her (Miss Paton's) musical productions." Ohe jam satis! But to return to our detail:-In the year 1810, Miss PATON appeared at several concerts in Edina, where she sang, played the harp and piano, and recited Collins's Ode on the Passions, Alexander's Feast, &c. Some of these concerts were patronised by the Duchess of Buccleugh, the Duchess of Gordon, and other distinguished ladies. It is but justice to Mr. and Mrs. Paton to say, that the excellences their daughter displayed, were attained through their instruction solely, and that they were the result of incessant and elaborate attention on their parts, and unwearied exertion on hers.

Mr. Paton quitted Edinburgh for London, and about 1812, 1813, and the early part of 1814, we occasionally caught a glimpse of this young lady at the most fashionable concerts of the metropolis; but the exercise of these duties, we have heard, militated much against her health, and her mental powers not having expanded themselves in a ratio proportioned to her musical ones, her friends were induced to withdraw her awhile from the view of the public.

Though removed from the busy gaze of the many, Miss PATON still delighted the few, and was occasionally heard in private parties. In 1820, too, she appeared at the Bath concerts, and made a very decided hit. After that she appeared at Huntingdon, at two concerts given by the organist of that dull town; and she there "won golden opinions from all sorts of people."

When the Haymarket opened for season 1822, our heroine was spoken of as a musical phenomenon intended to appear; as a complete bonne bouche in reserve for the

idolators of Cecilia; and expectation stood on tiptoe, on the 3d of August, 1822, as our heroine curtseyed in the character of Susannah, in The Marriage of Figaro. Never was success more decided or more deserved. She then performed Rosina (Barber of Seville;) Lydia, in an opera (now no more) called Morning, Noon, and Night, in which she introduced the Scotch ballad of Mary of Castle Carey, a ballad for which she had been celebrated for some years; and Polly, in The Beggar's Opera.

The two months that Miss PATON was thus before the public, obtained her an engagement at Covent-garden, and a notice in the farewell speech of the Haymarket manager, who made this observation in his valedictory address "Among the new candidates who have adventured upon these boards, a young lady, whom your discriminate award has raised to the highest rank of musical pretension, will ever have to recollect, that her first efforts were encouraged by the friends and patrons of the Haymarket theatre."

On the 19th October following, our heroine appeared at Covent-garden theatre, as Polly; and, after repeating that character two or three times, she was, it was said, seriously indisposed, and her name withdrawn from the bills, until the 7th December, when she appeared as Mandane, which she had hardly performed before the truth peeped forth. Miss M. Tree, it seemed, had absolutely refused to perform with Miss PATON. Now, though we approve of her fear, as it showed a just estimation of her own and that lady's talent, what must our readers think when we add, that she would only perform with her, on condition of Miss PATON's playing second to her; a thing that the quality of their voices, as well as the nature of their pretensions, rendered equally absurd. The conduct of Miss Tree, and of her friends, on that occasion, was offensive in the

extreme. We subjoin Mr. Paton's letter upon the subject, and believe his statement to have been literally correct.

"To the Editor of The Morning Post.

"SIR,-If the performance of The Marriage of Figaro had now ceased at Covent-garden theatre, it was the intention of Miss PATON, my daughter, to have passed unnoticed the allusions to her conduct in that concern, which have issued from the press, under the confusing and muddling terms of jealousies, contentions, differences, &c. But as the piece is brought forward again, it is thought advisable by her friends, that a correct statement of the case should be published. Miss PATON was engaged expressly to perform the first characters only, in Miss Stephens's place. When it was strongly suggested by her, on that occasion, that obstacles were likely to occur, she was assured that no one whosoever would be allowed to oppose or thwart her employment in the first line; that even if the managers were disposed to alter that arrangement, they could not accomplish it, for that a certain extent of -voice was indispensible to their first singer, in order to do justice to the established operas, and other unrestrained compositions which might be produced. After some time, the part of Susanna was assigned to Miss PATON, and announced in the bills accordingly; the managers informed her, that Miss Tree had refused to play the Countess. They requested that she would take those parts alternately, that the piece might be brought forward, and the other lady saved from the incurrence of a heavy penalty. To which arrangement Miss PATON assented, in this case only. She was afterwards informed by the managers, that the same difficulties remained, unless she conceded the part of Susanna the first night. That they could not directly ask

her to make this second coucession, it being so much beyond what they had a right to expect. She however assented; and there a transaction closed, in which Miss PATON'S conduct showed every thing the contrary of jealousy, contention, or any illiberal feeling whatsoever. To establish this point, by a statement of unquestionable facts, is the object of this communication, for which I have to crave your indulgence and that of the public.

"I am, sir, your obedient humble servant,

"G. PATON. "P.S. The above arrangement was made."

On her benefit night, this season, her sister, Miss I. Paton, (now of Drury,) made her appearance as Letitia Hardy.

Of her theatrical career from this period, we have little to record. By the interference of her father, she broke her engagement at the Haymarket, and some legal proceedings were the consequence. She has been at all the first-rate provincial theatres, at all the great music meetings, and was engaged at the English opera-house to execute the Der Freischütz music, when Miss Stephens's engagement concluded.

As we are now about to touch upon matter to which our motto applies, we shall first, in a very few words, put our readers in possession of our notions respecting the tender part of our task; and though, in our view of this subject, we differ essentially from that of the late Editor of this work, we beg to state, that we by no means wish to convey any censure upon him, in this our development of ourselves; for, in our range of literary acquaintance, we know no one person for whose talents, judgment, and independence, we have a more exalted respect. To our