CHAPTER VIII.

1790.-American Company go to Philadelphia-Widow of Malabar -Col. Humphreys-John Martin-Season of 1791-2 in NewYork, the last in which the old Company remained the sole possessors of the United States-Ashton-Final separation of Wignell from Hallam and Henry-Henry and Wignell go to EnglandHenry brings out Mr. and Mrs. Hodgkinson, and others-Wignell returns with a great Company, and finds the Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, where the Chestnut Street Theatre had been built for him and Reinagle-Hodgkinson, Mrs. Hodgkinson, King, Prigmore, West.

THE Company, with the addition to the stock pieces mentioned in the last chapter, and of a female performer, Mrs. Hamilton, who afterwards played the old women of comedy, proceeded to Philadelphia, opened their theatre in January, 1790, and continued playing until spring, when they went to Baltimore, and again returned to Philadelphia, re-opening the theatre in Southwark on the 27th of November, 1790.

During their second visit, the managers brought out a tragedy, translated from the French by Col. David Humphreys, called The Widow of Malabar; it was ushered in by a prologue from an abler hand than that of the translator, Judge Trumbull, the author of McFingall. This was not a national drama, according to the author above quoted, though given to us by an American.. The prologue had a portion of the wit for which McFingall

is deservedly celebrated. One line approaches to temerity, alluding to the Indian custom of sacrificing widows to the manes of their husbands 291

'Tis better, far, to marry than to burn.

Col. Humphreys and Judge Trumbull belonged to one of those bands of literary pioneers which, with pen instead of pickaxe, let light into the wilderness, and showed to Americans that all knowledge or wit did not reside on the eastern side of the Atlantic. President Dwight, Joel Barlow, Judge Trumbull, Doctor Hopkins, and Col. Humphreys, were fellow-labourers in this work of utility.

David Humphreys was born at Derby, in the state of Connecticut, about the time the first company of players came to Virginia, 1752, and graduated at Yale College in 1767. President Dwight and Judge Trumbull preceded him in the labour of verse-making; and Barlow likewise owed his courage to the success of these gentlemen, and submitted his works to them. Humphreys entered the army of his country at an early period, and continued to serve honourably to the end of the contest for freedom. In 1778, he was aid to Gen. Putnam, whose life he afterwards published, and in 1780, he made one of Washington's aids-decamp. He was intrusted by his illustrious friend with the standards taken under the capitulation of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and was presented by Congress with a sword. This memorable event, his presenting the standards, was painted by a

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Danish artist, when the poet and soldier was in Europe, between 1784 and 1786, as secretary of legation to Mr. Jefferson. On his return, he, with Judge Trumbull, Mr. Barlow, and Doctor Hopkins, published The Anarchiad. He resided at Mount Vernon for some time previous to the adoption of the Federal Constitution, and then came with the first president to New-York. To Humphreys has been ascribed some of that anti-republican etiquette which attended the president's levees, and we know that the colonel was attached to other pomp besides that of "glorious war.” The president and Senate appointed him ambassador to Madrid, and he fulfilled his honourable duties in Europe until 1802. He resided in Boston some years, and endeavoured to persuade Bernard to bring out a comedy he had laboured on until he thought it worthy of the public-it was extremely unlike those comedies Bernard owed his fame to, but the wary comedian heard the poet read, drank his Madeira, said "very well" now and then-but never brought out the play. Col Humphreys owes his poetical fame principally to his Address to the Armies, a poem of merit. We owe to him the introduction of the merino breed of sheep into this country. He resided for some years near New-Haven, and died honoured and regretted. About the year 1806, Malbone painted a miniature of him, in his best style, which is, to those who know his style, the highest praise; this is the only true portrait of this amiable man.

In the course of this winter, 1790-1, we find nothing further worth recording but the first appearance of the first person of the male sex born in America, who adopted the stage as a profession. Two females of the name of Tuke had been successively, the one after the death of the other, brought out by Mr. Hallam, but in the present instance a youth, induced by habits of idleness, and the applause bestowed upon his recitations by his idle companions, abandoned the profession chosen for him, and, leaving his native place, NewYork, made his debut as Young Norval, on the stage of Philadelphia. He was favourably received, and his destiny sealed. This was John Martin. His friends had intended him for the profession of the law, but what he thought a life of pleasure had allurements which caused their disappointment. He was of fair complexion, middle height, light figure, and played the youthful characters of many tragedies and comedies in a style called respectable, but mere respectability in any of the fine arts is ever associated with mediocrity. Mr. Martin will be hereafter mentioned, as he continued for some years a useful, though not a brilliant, actor. He laboured hard, lived poor, and died young. Such is the lot of hundreds, who see only pleasure in the profession of a player; a profession requiring splendid talents and assiduous application; and, if adopted by one who cannot attain distinction, he is doomed to labour and privations, too often ending in low dissipation,

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disease, neglect, and early death. Labour and privation is the lot of the player who possesses distinguished talents and public favour, but the portion of the drudges of a theatre, the pawns of the chess-board, is little short of a sealed doom to a life of poverty, and, if not redeemed by private virtues, of degradation.

Hallam and Henry opened their theatre in John Street, New-York, on the 10th of Oct. 1791. The company now consisted of Hallam, Henry, Wignell, Morris, and Wools, sharers; Harper, Martin, Hammond, Heard, Ryan, Robinson, Durang, Bisset, Biddle, and Macpherson, salaried actors. The females were Mrs. Henry, Mrs. Morris, sharers; Mrs. Hamilton, Mrs. Rankin, Mrs. Gray, Mrs. Harper, and Miss Tuke, were salaried.

This was the last season that this sharing scheme, first projected in 1752, remained in operation. A person of the name of Ashton made his debut in Hotspur, without any powers except those of voice. He is remembered in the soliloquy when reading the letter, screaming out,

For the love ee bears hour ouse!

Ee shows by this ee loves iz hone barn better
Than ee loves hour ouse.

Of Hammond, Bisset, Macpherson, Mrs. Rankin, Mrs. Gray, and Mrs. Sewell, nothing is remembered.

At the close of this theatrical season, Mr. Thomas Wignell seceded from the old American