The American dramatist, who steals the whole or part of an English play, cannot escape detection, and can only, like Mr. Prigmore, hope for a harvest from the benefit nights. English dramatists have for ages translated from the Continental languages, and given no credit to the original authors. At the time Kotzebue brought the German school into fashion, the playwrights employed to measure out dialogue and pantomime by the yard for the London theatres were superseded by the honest, homely translators of German plays, the Thomsons and Plumtres. They took the alarm, and all joined in crying down the German drama; the hired journalists followed in the hue and cry, and John Bull was convinced that nothing could be so absurd as the exhibitions he had been weeping over, or had received with shouts of applause and peals of laughter. This done, the cunning manufacturers for the theatres had the poor Germans at their mercy; and for years whole scenes and whole plots were given to admiring audiences as English every inch, and filled with true British patriotism, although they were stolen from those very calumniated Germans whom the plagiarists had decried by sound of trumpet.

At an after-period appeared some playful strictures upon plays, managers, actors, and audiences, under the names of Jonathan Oldstyle and Andrew Quoz, which we shall hereafter quote largely from. They are from the pen of Washington Irving, and

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first published in the Morning Chronicle, then edited by his brother, Doctor Peter Irving, a gentleman of the first talents, and of feelings as purely honourable as ever resided in the breast of man.

CHAPTER XVII.

Agreement between John Hodgkinson and William Dunlap, on the one part, and the Committee empowered by the Proprietors of the Park Theatre, on the other-Re-appearance of Mrs. Hallam on the Stage, June, 1797-Agreement with the Proprietors of the Haymarket Theatre, Boston-Hodgkinson and Company in Boston, July, 1797.

We will continue the history of the old American or New-York Company, to the conclusion of the season of 1796-7, and of the formation of a new company for the Park theatre.

On the 25th of May, 1797, after various tedious preliminary negociations, which had iddenae expressed wish that William Dunlap and John Hodgkinson should become joint lessees of the New or Park theatre, and make such arrangement with Lewis Hallam as should be satisfactory, a meeting took place between William Henderson, the acting agent for the committee of proprietors, and Messrs. Dunlap and Hodgkinson, and the following terms were agreed upon for three years and a half, or four playing seasons, to commence the ensuing autumn, as soon as the house could be made ready for exhibitions. The lessees agreed to pay on the gross receipts of the house nightly, thus: on any sum from 450 to 500 dollars, 5 per cent.; from

LEASE OF THE PARK THEATRE.

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5 to 600 dollars, 10 per cent.; from 6 to 700 dollars, 12 per cent.; from 7 to 800 dollars, 15 per cent.; from 8 to 1200 dollars and upwards, 20 per per cent. On benefit nights the rent was to be 10 per cent. on the receipt. Thus for a receipt under 450 dollars no house-rent was to be paid; but the night which gave a receipt of 1200 dollars paid 240 dollars rent. The managers were to proceed to the organization of the company, and the proprietors to the finishing that part of the building necessary to the commencement of theatrical performances, and such scenery and machinery as might be sufficient to begin with.

By the agreement of the managers, they were jointly to direct the theatre. The actor was to receive, as such, 20 dollars a week, 5 dollars a week for his wardrobe, and 30 dollars a week for superintending the stage, rehearsals, &c., making 55 dollars per week. His partner was to have, as treasurer and joint director, 24 dollars per week.

The managers offered to Lewis Hallam to become purchasers of his theatrical property, and, in addition, to give him one-fourth of any profits they might make during the time of their lease of the new theatre.

Early in June, a formal meeting took place between the managers attended by Dr. E. H. Smith, and Mr. Hallam attended by Philip Brasher, Esq., in which Mr. Hallam agreed to sell his share in wardrobe, &c., and to accept the offer of one-fourth of the profits of the new theatre, and the mana

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gers agreed to engage him and his wife as actors in the company at the first salaries.

Mrs. Hallam reappeared on the John Street stage, playing Lady Teazle, and spoke the following prologue, written by Mr. Milne. It was printed in the papers of the day, and the words marked as here in italics.

These flattering plaudits cannot fail to raise
A wish to merit such transcendent praise;
It can but be a wish, for Ah!—my heart
Knows merit could not claim a thousandth part :
But like the lavish hand of Heaven, you
Give largely e'en though nothing should be due.
O'ercome with joy, my anxious throbbing heart,
Disdaining all the little tricks of art,

Conceals those feelings in a greatful breast
Which may be felt, but cannot be express'd.
Time has now swept ten rolling years away,
Since flattering plaudits graced my first essay*;
Young, giddy, rash, ambitious, and untaught,
You still caress'd, excusing many a fault;
With friendly hand safe led me through the way
Where lurking error watches to betray:
And shall I such advantages forego
With my consent? I frankly answer, No:
I may through inadvertency have stray'd,
But who by folly never was betray'd?
If e'er my judgment played the foolish part,
I acted not in concert with my heart.
I boldly can defy the world to say
From my first entrée to the present day,
Whate'er my errors, numerous or few,
I never wanted gratitude to you.

On your indulgence still I'll rest my cause;

Will you support me with your kind applause?

You verify the truth of Pope's fine line

'To err is human; to forgive, divine."

* She made her first appearance in the after-piece of The Guardian, Hallam playing the guardian, she the ward.