fenfible of what paffes here, than the most pompous obfequies, or richly sculptured

monument.

Thomfon, during the latter part of his life, had altered Shakspeare's tragedy of "Coriolanus;" the copy of which Mr. Quin had then in his poffeffion. And the reprefentation of this they thought would not a little conduce to the benevolent purpose. It was accordingly ordered to be got up at the theatre, and put immediately into rehearsal. Mrs. Woffington and myself were to play the parts of the mother and daughter. The death of Thomson put a ftop for fome time to our parties at Mr. Quin's, in Henrietta-ftreet, which gave us more time to expedite the performance. Lord Lyttelton wrote the following prologue to it.

PRO

PROLOGUE

THOMSON'S

то

CORIOLANUS.

I

SPOKEN BY MR. QUIN.
COME not here your candour to implore
For fcenes whofe author is, alas! no more;
He wants no advocate his caufe to plead ;
You will yourfelves be patrons of the dead,
No party his benevolence confin'd,
No fect alike it flow'd to all mankind.
He lov'd his friends, (forgive this gufhing tear
Alas! I feel I am no actor here ;)

He lov'd his friends with fuch a warmth of heart,
So clear of int❜reft, fo devoid of art,

Such gen'rous friendship, fuch unshaken zeal,
No words can fpeak it, but our tears may tell.-
O candid truth! O faith without a stain!
O manners gently firm and nobly plain!
O fympathizing love of others bliss!

Where will you find another breast like his ?
Such was the man-The poet well you know;
Oft has he touch'd your hearts with tender woe;
Oft in this crouded house with just applaufe
You heard him teach fair virtue's pureft laws;
For his chafte mufe employ'd her heav'n-taught lyre
None but the nobleft paffions to inspire;
Not one immoral, one corrupted thought,
One line which dying he could wish to blot.
Oh may to-night your favourable doom
Another laurel add to grace his tomb.
Whilst he, fuperior now to praife or blame,
Hears not the feeble voice of human fame.
Yet if to those whom moft on earth he lov'd,
From whom his pious care is now remov'd,
With whom his lib'ral hand and bounteous heart
Shar'd all his little fortune could impart,
If to those friends your kind regard shall give
What they no longer can from him receive,
That, that ev'n now, above yon ftarry pole,
May touch with pleasure his immortal foul.

As

As foon as the piece was perfect, an evening rehearsal was called, upon a night when there happened to be no performance. Mr. Quin's pronounciation was of the old fchool. In this Mr. Garrick had made an alteration. The one pronounced the letter a open; the other founded it like an e; which occafioned the following laughable mistake. In the piece, when the Roman ladies come in proceffion to folicit Coriolanus to return to Rome, they are attended by the tribunes. And the centurions of the Volfcian army bearing fafces, their enfigns of authority, they are ordered by the hero (the part of which was played by Mr. Quin) to lower them as a token of refpect. But the men who perfonated the centurions, imagining, through Mr. Quin's mode of pronunciation, that he faid their faces, inftead of their fafces, all bowed their heads together.

Not being able to withstand fo ridiculous a miftake, I could not restrain my rifible faculties; and though tragedians ought to have an entire command of the countenance, I burst into a fit of laughter. This, for a moment, offended Mr. Quin, and drew the attention of the literati that were prefent, who, with many others, followed my example. The men, however, were at length fet right, and thus the affair ended.

Had fuch a ludicrous miftake happened on the night of its reprefentation, it would

pro

probably have excited the fame emotions in the audience we had experienced, and might have proved fatal to the piece, or at leaft have interrupted the capital fcene. The play, however, was at length reprefented with fuccefs, and Mr. Quin really fhed tears. From the cynical manner that gentleman had adopted, and the fternnefs of his countenance, he was not fuppofed to poffefs fo much of the milk of human kindness as he actually did. The circumftance was therefore confidered as doubly forcible, and did not fail to operate on the fenfibility of the whole houfe; who likewife teftified, by their fympathetic tears, the refpect they bore his friend.

The feafon of Lent now coming on, I had more leisure time on my hands than ufual, and confequently had more frequent opportunities of feeing and hearing from Mr. Metham. He attended at Comte Haflang's chapel every Wednesday and Friday evining, where I generally met him. And fo confident was I of his honour and affection, that if he happened to be indifpofed, I made no fcruple to go to his lodgings. Nor had I ever any reafon to repent of my condefcenfion; as he never attempted even to falute me. So much refpect, mingled with tenderness, confirmed the partiality I before entertained for him; and what may be called at firft only a preference, was now mellowed into ef teem,

teem, friendship, and affection. This, perhaps, is the happieft æra of the human life.An innocent familiarity takes place, unimbittered by thofe apprehenfions that experience gives birth to; and unalloyed by that fatiety which too furely attends the enjoyment of our wishes.-Youth, chearfulness, and pleafing expectations, unite to brighten the fcene, and afford the happy pair an unclouded profpect.

Lord Tyrawley continued his vifits; and the better to enable me to entertain him in the file which duty and refpect dictated, he generally divided the contents of his purfe with me whenever he came. Being, therefore, through his Lordship's generofity, and the advantages the reaped from the disposal of her linen, in no want of money, my mother had not as yet fent to the theatre for any part of my falary; which fhe had concluded to have been fettled at ten pounds a week. But having now an occafion to make a remittánce to Ireland, fhe wrote to the treasurer to defire he would let her have what was due. Inftead, however, of fending the fum she had calculated to be owing to me, the received only half as much.

Enraged at this duplicity, fhe laid her commands upon me not to play any more. Indeed, fhe was not difpleafed at the excufe that now prefented itself of breaking off my theatrical engagements. On the contrary,

fhe