The manager brought out a translation from the French by himself, called The Wife of Two Husbands, and the English comedies of The Will, (in which Mrs. Darley gave great delight,) and Guilty or Not, but all to no purpose, as it respected profit.

On the 14th of November, 1804, Mr. Thomas A. Cooper arrived, and his playing for twelve nights was immediately arranged; after which he was to go to Philadelphia, or Boston, or both, and then return to finish the season on salary. An attempt was made to induce Fennell to play with Cooper, but he refused.

As a record, we state the plays and the receipts during this engagement of Mr. Cooper's :-Macbeth, 950 dollars; Jane Shore, 690; Hamlet, 1080; Wheel of Fortune, 676; Richard the Third, 925; Lovers' Vows, 532; Merchant of Venice, 643; Hamlet, (2d time,) 681; First part of Henry Fourth, (supported by a new pantomime called, Black Beard,) 819; Macbeth, (2d time,)487; Pizarro, 770; Henry Fifth, (the tragedian's benefit,) 883. Two additional performances were agreed to, and yielded, the first, Romeo and Juliet, 440, and the second, Othello, 558.

La Bottier, a dancer, was engaged to get up ballets-but after the departure of Mr. Cooper, the theatre sunk irretrievably. The apparent success during his short engagement, and real receipts, made creditors pressing and impatient. After a struggle of years against the effects of the yellow fever, and all those curses belonging to the interior of an establishment, badly organized when he found it, the manager's health yielded to disappointment and incessant

exertion, and his struggles became proportionably fainter.

On the 1st of January, 1805, he writes, "Oppressed with disease and debt, I commence another year of my life with sentiments of gloom and self-disapprobation. After the present week I must close the theatre for two weeks, to wait the return of Mr. Cooper, who is now playing in Philadelphia.”

On the 4th of January, the theatre was closed, and re-opened on the 1st of February. Mr. Cooper played a few nights, but the attraction of novelty was gone, and on the 22d February, the theatre was finally closed, and the management of the man who had sacrificed his health and property in the pursuit of that which eluded his grasp ceased. He gave up his property of every kind. kind. He had found the theatre unfinished outside and in-he left the interior finished and beautified-it was almost void of scenery, and totally so of wardrobe, and all other property-he left it amply furnished; and the performers, under the direction of Messrs. Johnson and Tyler, opened it in the following March, with the use of his property, and all the manuscripts of the retreating author.

Fortunately, the late manager had the house of his mother in the place of his nativity to shelter him and his family; and, though utterly destitute, he had the friendship of all those who had, previous to this voyage and wreck, been his associates. Being no longer connected with the theatre, he is no longer a subject for this work for the present.

CHAPTER XXX.

Mr. Twaits-Twaits and Cooper-Captain Smith-Boston Theatre - Boston-Death of Mr. Hodgkinson-Philadelphia Company-Mr. Cain - Lessons on Intemperance - New-York Theatre under Johnson and Tyler-Miss Ross-Mrs. WheatleyMrs. Jones—Mr. and Mrs. Young-Mr. Fennell a star-Play of the Wanderer-Tars from Tripoli - Manhattan Stage - NewYork Theatre leased to Mr. Cooper-Mr. Robinson-Mr. Jones--Mr. and Mrs. Johnson's return to Europe.

THE theatre of New-York was now under the direction of Messrs. Johnson and Tyler, who demanded for their services as managers fifty dollars per week, in addition to their salaries as players. The republic of actors, for such it now was, agreed to give them ten. Mr. Ciceri was in fact their principal man of business.

Mr. Cooper went on to Boston, and was opposed by the company, then about to take benefits. The citizens wished his performances; there was considerable discontent in the theatre, but he played his usual round of characters.

At Baltimore, a tragedy was printed this year, called Blow for Blow.

On the 21st of June, Mr. Cooper having arrived

in New-York, and Mr. Twaits, of the Philadelphia theatre, being in the city, the late manager took a benefit night, they playing for him, the first Zanga, the second Caleb Quotem. Nothing but Mr. Cooper's offer of performing on the occasion, which he made by letter from Boston, could have justified trying a night after the benefits of the actors, and in the heat of summer; the receipt was six hundred dollars. Mrs. Villiers, late Miss E. A. Westray, played, on this occasion, Leonora, in The Revenge.

As this was the first appearance of Mr. Twaits on the stage of New-York, we will briefly notice his person, his peculiarities, and the characters in which he excelled, among which Caleb Quotem stood very prominent.

Mr. William Twaits was born on the 25th of April, 1781. His father died when he was very young, and he obtained admittance behind the scenes of Drury-lane, through the influence of a playmate, the son of Phillemore, one of the performers. Having determined to be an actor, he stuck to the point, as Colman says, "like a rusty weather-cock," and we suppose, like most of our heroes, ran away. He commenced acting at a place called Waltham Abbey.

We have mentioned that he was brought out to this country by Mr. Wood, for the company of Philadelphia. That gentleman found him, in "old Macready's company at Birmingham," where, and at Sheffield, he was a favourite, "particularly," says Mr. Wood, "being considered one of the best burletta singers in England. He came out on a salary of four guineas a week for

three years, but soon after his arrival it was advanced to six. He was an admirable opposite to Jefferson, their styles being so very different." The same may be said of him and Harwood afterwards. Indeed, neither his style of playing, nor his face or person, was like any other individual on or off the stage. Short and thin, yet appearing broad; muscular, yet meagre; a large head, with stiff, stubborn, carroty hair; long colourless face, prominent hooked nose, projecting large hazel eyes, thin lips, and large mouth, which could be twisted into a variety of expression, and which, combining with his other features, eminently served the purposes of the comic muse-such was the physiognomy of William Twaits. Yet Twaits seriously thought that his features were fitted for tragedy, and that he only wanted height to be like John Kemble. Did Mr. Twaits want common sense? Far, far from it. He had good natural mental powers, which he cultivated occasionally by reading; but he was quite young, and his early education, none. His passions were strong, and had never been disciplined or controlled. He had probably been his own master and adviser from childhood, and was at this time a very young man. Besides, he was encouraged in thinking himself a tragedian, as he had been the Richard and Romeo of many a barn, when he had the promise of the highest salary in the company, nine shillings per week, and was obliged to be content with two-and-sixpence; when he feasted upon a hog's heart and vegetables (cost ninepence, baking a penny) for a week; when he was the best dressed