well, and now you want him to be at his tricks again on Wednesday next? Well now, really, Auftin I will have no more to do with these d-d exotics-But you fay he really trimmed Foote well! ha ha! ha!" In the midst of this cheerful scene came a letter from the Lord Chamberlain, couched in severe terms for Mr. Wilkinson's taking the liberty on Monday night to restore and act a scene from the Author, which had been pro-hibited; it had given great offence to Mr. and Mrs. Aprice, and therefore it was expected no fuch rude infringement fhould be again repeated. Mr. Garrick was now really angry at being called to an account for my breach of his theatric laws, but I had thought it vastly clever, as it supplied that part where my imitations of the performers were ufually given. Mr. Austin brought me the intelligence, but it chagrined me much; for as I had executed that part fo well, it was taking a princi- pal feather from my gaudy newly-acquired plume: however, high authority had laid its weighty commands, and I was obliged, though much against my will, to fubmit.

The farce was nevertheless acted, but with the Lord Chamberlain's cruel lopping off a principal limb; it went off vaftly well, but not with fuch acclamations as on my own night; for indeed, not having had time to prepare a substitute to supply

the vacancy, was a fevere ftroke on my perform

ance.

On my benefit I was favoured with many prefents, which made my profit ftill more lucrative.Ten guineas from the Hon. Mifs Foley, (Lord Foley's fifter) was prefented me by Mrs. Wardle, and a genteel douceur from herfelf, who had an upper box and filled it. Flushed with this good fortune we were as happy a mother and son as the kingdom could boast.

The theatre closed in about fourteen days after my benefit, and I began to prepare for my fummer campaign, which was once more destined for Portsmouth, the war ftill continuing.

But in confequence of fome pique which had happened on my playing all the principal parts the year before, feveral had taken it fo much in dudgeon that a great defertion enfued. The hero, Mr. Cook (alias Gentleman) who, though very lame and in years, had been the stock Romeo, Mr. Gates, Mrs. Price, (who was afterwards married to Mr. Parfons) Mrs. Mozeen, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzmaurice, all had invited themselves on a jolly party for Scotland, where they had removed the winter before, and were fixed for fome time in the Edinburgh company of comedians, and were there when Mr. Foote paid his first vi

fit; as I believe was Mr. James Aikin, for I heard Mr. Foote, on his return from that place, speak very highly of that gentleman; and I think it was that year.

This desertion of the Portsmouth troops made recruits quite neceffary, for which supply old Mr. Kennedy, the commander, wrote to me and appointed me agent; for my acquaintance and friends were so powerful at Portsmouth as to make my affiftance abfolutely neceffary to their taking the field with fafety, or any hopes of fuccefs. Inftead of engaging one tragedy queen, I enlifted two, which did not turn out to my fatisfaction, as a Mrs. Daly was there, whom I had created empress the fummer before, which rendered it next impoffible for me to please all the three. From Bath I got my good friend Mifs Morrison; from London a Mifs Kitty White: Mifs Kitty married a young man of the name of Burden the feafon I am mentioning; fo the got bleffed with a hufband by my means.

Mrs. White, the mother, was a most extraordinary character, and worthy of record; far from wanting fenfe and obfervation, fhe was quick, lively, cunning, and fagacious, but had paffions that outstripped the wind, yet good-natured at times: All this variety, as differently tuned for

good or ill temper, was aided by the finest slipflop collection of words imaginable, that made her in truth, not only to myself, but to many others, an inexhaustible fund of entertainment, and she was to me beyond compare the most diverting old lady I ever met with. Whenever Burden, her fon-inlaw, gave offence, which was almost perpetually, she used thus to harangue her daughter, " Ma'am, you have married a feller beneath you-you played Lucy last night in the Minor better than Mrs. Cibber could have done upon my fould, and yet this fcoundrol would hurt fuch a devine cretur!" "True, mama,” replied her daughter," but fuppose he should in defpair and rage cut his throat?" "Cut his throat! let him cut his throat and go to the devil; but he won't cut his throat, no fuch good luck. But I'll tell you what ma'am, if you contradict me I'll fell you at my feet, and trample over your corfe ma'am, for you are a limb, ma'am; your father on his death-bed told me you were a limb. You are pure as ermind, ma'am, except with Sir Francis Dolval, and you shan't live with your husband, ma'am ; you have no business, ma'am to live with your husband; the first women of quality, ma'am, don't live with their husbands, ma'am.-Does Mrs. Elmy live with her husband? No, ma'am.-Does Mrs. Clive

live with her husband? No, ma'am.-Does Mrs. Cibber live with her husband? No, ma'am.So now, ma'am, you see the best women of fafhion'd upon yearth don't live with their husbands, ma'am.". -And thus concluded one of this good lady's harangues. Another I muft infert from Mrs. Bellamy's life, but which being my own, I may without any injuftice claim, and put it in its proper place.

Mifs K. White was a pupil of Mr. Rich's, and, during her initiation, Mr. O'Brien, of DruryLane theatre, gave her fome inftructions how to perform with propriety the character of Sylvia in the Recruiting Officer. One day, as he was thus employed, obferving that the lady misconceived his directions, and repeated a paffage very improperly, he told her the ought to confider that the part fhe was speaking was a parenthesis, and required a different tone of voice, and a greater degree of volubility, than the rest of the fentence. "A parenthefis!" faid Mifs White, "what's that?"-Mrs. White, who happened to be prefent, hearing this question of her daughter's, and blufhing that the fhould thus betray her ignorance, inftantly broke out into the following polite and fenfible exclamation :- "O! what an infernal limb of an actress will you make! What,