The addreffes I had fome time backed received from Mr. Bullock, who had been ordered by his father, immediately on their discovery to return to college, not recurring to my mind, I concluded it was Mr. Metham his Lordship was thus exafperated againft. I was confequently thunderstruck. His Lordship continued in an ill humour during the remainder of his stay; and it was the first time I ever felt a pleasure at our feparation.

The next morning, I acquainted Mr. Metham, by letter, that I was very unhappy at fomething which had happened, but did not explain myself. This oppofition of his Lordship to the perfon I esteemed, (for to him I fuppofed it, by mistake, to be intended) endeared him to me a thousand times, if poffible, more than he had already been. And what was before only a tranfient quiet partiality, now became a violent impetuous affection. A heart engaged in fuch a fweet, fuch a bewitching entanglement as mine was, could not bear controul. Oppofition, I now perceived, but added fuel to the flame. And however great my refpect for Lord Tyrawley might have been, it was not to be fet in competition with claims of a tenderer

nature.

My benefit was now to take place in a few days; and the three preceding nights I was to perform for those of Mr. Quin, Mrs. Woffington, and Mr. Ryan. The former chofe

for

for his benefit, the very play in which I had been deprived, during my emigration to Ireland, as already mentioned, of my regalia. Here Mrs. Woffington was, as her right, adorned with it, and appeared moft characteriftically as the enchantrefs of all hearts. Her beauty (for I must give every one their due) beggared all defcription. I appeared again in white fatin; not indeed, as I had then improperly done, as Anthony's favourite miftrefs, but as his rejected wife.

The Dutchefs of Queensberry being at Mr. Quin's benefit, her partiality for me fhewed itfelf in a more flattering light than it had done on a former occafion. At the conclufion of the piece, the defired me to fecure her boxes for my own benefit. As I could not fuppofe that her Grace intended to interest herfelf fo ftrenuoufly in my behalf, as the had before; and as I was now, by experience, become acquainted with the whimficalness of her Grace's difpofition; I was at a lofs what number to fet down for her. I thought it, therefore, better to leave it to chance, than to run the risk of offending her.

Her Grace having expreffed a defire of being admitted into the green-room, which the had been informed was fuperior to a drawing-room, for the wit and politeness to be met with there, I begged leave to have the honour to attend her Grace to it, after the performance was over. This offer fhe D

VOL. II.

was

was pleafed to accept. Accordingly as foon as my part of Octavia was concluded, which was in the fourth act, without staying to undress, to fhew my readiness to obey her Grace's commands, I threw a cloak around me, and went into the ftage-box where her Grace was, and placed myself, as the directed, behind her.

My being feated in fo confpicuous a point of view, behind a lady who was looked up to as one of the first characters in the kingdom, as well for her extraordinary qualities, as for her title, attracted the attention of the whole houfe. Mr. Quin, as he afterwards informed me, notwithstanding he well knew her Grace's partiality for me, never expe-. rienced a more agreeable furprize than when he faw me thus fituated. It is neceffary you fhould know that her Grace was at this time lifgufted with the court, upon account of her favourite, Gay.

Upon her Grace's quitting the box, there was an univeral applaufe; which would have fent her home in great good humour (for fhe was ftill fond of thefe tokens of public approbation) had not the enfuing fcene, to which her curiofity led her, juftly given her Grace offence. Having ufhered the Dutchefs behind the fcenes, upon my opening the green-room door, fuch a fcene prefented itfelf as I had never been witnefs to before. As it was usual for many perfons of the first

4

rank

rank to meet. in the green-room after the play, and amufe themfelves with playing at Woman or Head, against the chimney-piece, at which thoufands were fometimes won and loft in an evening, I expected to find that the performers had retired, and that none but quality were there. Inftead of which the first thing that ftruck our view was the Fair Egyptian Queen, with a pot of porter in her hand, crying out, "Confufion to all “ order. Let Liberty thrive." The table was furrounded by fuitable company, and covered with mutton pies.

The Dutchefs had entered with the greateft good humour imprefied on her countenance, and all the dignity annexed to her high ftation. Judge then what her Grace's feelings must be at beholding fuch a contrast to what he had beeen taught to expect; fuch a fpecimen of green-room wit and politeneis, She ftood for fome moments in a state of amazement. Nor was her introductress in a lefs unpleasant fituation. At length reco vering herself a little, the exclaimed, "Is

hell broke loofe?" Then turning about, the hurrird to her chair, to appearance niore dead than alive. As her Grace left me, the gave me a strict injunction not to return-back to that room, and to be with her the next morning. Could any thing have happened more mal-a-propos; or have given her Grace

D 2

fo

1

fo difgufting an indea of the infide of a the

atre ?

The following day, the Dutchefs received me with civility, but at the fame time there was a fomething in her manner that was by no means pleafing.-Softnefs and delicacy ought to be the diftinguishing characteriftics of the female fex.-And these qualities. have been fometimes happily blended in minds with Roman fortitude and Amazonian courage-Without them, the most brilliant qualifications lofe their most attractive graces. Her Grace enquired whether, I lived with the actors? A queftion which feemed to imply, that the confidered actors and actreffes in no better light than gypfies; and that we were only feparated from each other in our most retired hours, by a blanket. I however endeavoured to convince her Grace, that those who trod the stage held the mirror of virtue, and whilft they entertained, furnished the mind with inftructions; being in every refpect very different from thofe impoftors who played upon the weaker part of mankind.

Her Grace fmiled at thefe diftinctions, and thus retorted on me: "Why really "by what I faw last night, I should ima

gine that if there is any difference, it lies "in favour of the Norwood Diviners." From, this decifion against us, I found that my af

sertions