April 2. Ryan's bt. Cleone.

Ryan.

Beaufort Sen. =

Hastings=

5. Miss Nossiter's bt. Jane Shore.

Smith Dumont Ryan: Gloster

=

Sparks: Jane

Shore Mrs. Bellamy: Alicia Miss Nossiter, 1st time.

7. Humorous Lieutenant.

=

Demetrius Smith,

1st time Celia Miss Nossiter, 1st time :-rest as before.

20. For the bt. of the author of the Farce. Earl of Essex, with the Lady's Choice. Lord Epigram Strainwit Dyer: Dr. Matho Shuter: Capt. Broadside=Dunstall: Sir Frankly Debonair = Clarke : Lady Protea = Mrs. Green: Mrs. Counsel (her friend) = Miss Furguson: all the male characters are suitors to Lady Protea - she has had a dream, that unless she should resolve on matrimony within 24 hours, she must die a maid-at the conclusion, she gives her hand to Sir Frankly-this Farce, or rather Comedy in 2 acts, is well written, but it is badly calculated for the stage, as there is a total want of incident --it was acted at D. L. April 24 1756 as the Maiden Whim-Dr. Hiffernan seems, on the revival of it, to have made some alteration in the character of Capt. Broadside.

=

21. Douglas. Norval = Ross, 1st time: Lady Randolph Mrs. Bellamy :-rest as originally-with Honest Yorkshireman. Combrush Mrs. Green. 23. For bt. of Mrs. Barrington and Mrs. Lampe. Rival Queens. Roxana Mrs. Hamilton :- with What dy'e call it. Thomas Filbert Shuter, 1st time: Timothy Peascod Barrington: Kitty Carrot Mrs. = Vincent.

=

25. Henry 5th. Fluellin Shuter.

May 1. For bt. of Mattocks, Mrs. Pitt, and another. Henry 4th, with Contrivances. Rovewell = Mattocks, 1st time.

2. For bt. of Collins and Mrs. Green. Busy Body. Miranda = Mrs. Vincent: Patch = Mrs. Green -with Florizel and Perdita.

=

3. Dunstall's bt. Merchant of Venice. Shylock = Shuter, 1st time: Antonio Sparks: Bassanio= Ryan: Portia Mrs. Hamilton: Nerissa Mrs. Vincent Jessica Mrs. Baker:-with Don Quixote in England-Shuter, Dunstall, Mattocks, and Mrs. Baker :-repeated on the 10th.

=

7. Love makes a Man. Don Lewis Shuter, 1st time-with Mock Doctor by Dunstall.

=

=

8. Oronooko Ross: Aboan Sparks: Imoinda = Mrs. Bellamy : Widow = Mrs. Pitt: Charlot Weldon Mrs. Hamilton.

11. For bt. of 3 persons. Richard 3d Shuter: = -with Devil to Pay. Jobson = Dunstall: Sir John Loverule - Lowe: Nell Mrs. Green: Lady Loverule Mrs. Pitt.

=

12. Siege of Damascus, with Cheats of Scapin. Scapin Shuter with an Epilogue on an Ass. 18. Smith acted Sir Harry Wildair.

23. Love for Love, with Bullock's Cobler of Preston. Cobler Shuter: Dame Hacket Mrs. Pitt: Dorcas Mrs. Baker.

=

24. Careless Husband. Edging Mrs. Gree).

29. Country Lasses-last bill. (Bills from E M.)

HAY. 1759.

Sept. 28. For bt. of Mrs. Charke. Busy Body. Marplot Mrs. Charke: Sir Francis Gripe Weston, 1st time: Miranda Young Gentlewoman, being her 1st attempt.

As I am entirely dependent on chance for a subsistence, and desirous of settling into business, I humbly hope the town will favour me on the occasion, which added to the rest of their indulgencies will be ever gratefully acknowledged by their truly obliged and obedient Servant

Charlotte Charke. (B.M.) Mrs. Charke was an extraordinary woman-in March and April 1755 she published an account of her Life in 8 numbers, which in the course of that year were reprinted in a pocket volume-for the conclusion of her life, which had been one continued course of folly and consequent misery, see the B. D. -she died in April 1760.

Mrs. Charke joined the seceders to the Hay. in 1733-1734-she returned with them to D. L., but had soon after a quarrel with Fleetwood, at whom she was so much provoked, that she wrote a Farce called the Art of Management, in which she took no small pains to set him in a ridiculous lightthe Art of Management, or Tragedy Expelled, consists of one long act-the scene lies in the Theatre -Mrs. Tragic (Mrs. Charke) is very indignant at being discharged-Headpiece (Theophilus Cibber) desires her to moderate her rage-Squire Brainless

(Fleetwood) associates Bloodbolt with himself in the Management of the Theatre-Bloodbolt is the head of a Bear-Garden troop-Brainless and Bloodbolt engage two Merry Andrews-Brainless proposes to introduce an elephant in Bloodbolt's new Entertainment-Brainless complains to Headpiece that Management is a troublesome business-Headpiece replies" As to that, Sir, I don't see any business 66 you had to undertake what you did not understand; "all who are bred and born in it, must necessarily "know more of it than a man of fortune, who never "appear'd but in a side box, or behind the scenes— " in my opinion, Sir, your best and wisest way is to "sell"-Diction observes to Headpiece-" Our wise "Managers won't be able to stand long *

you

"know that we are pretty much out at elbows, and

66

truly no wonder, considering how much we are apt "to shake them"-Squire Brainless is arrested—a Lawyer gets possession of the Patent, and deputes Headpiece to manage the Theatre-Mrs. Charke published her piece in 1735, with a dedication to Fleetwood-Fleetwood endeavoured to buy up the impression-my copy was purchased for £1 14s. at Mr. Field's sale in 1827-the Art of Management should have been reprinted, if it had been worth reprinting.

The Editor of the B. D. says-" the Battle of the "Poets, was acted at the Hay. in 1730-in this piece there was an abusive character aimed at

66

66

Colley Cibber-Mrs. Charke herself voluntarily "acted the part in a fit of resentment, thus throw"ing an insuperable bar in the way of any reconci"liation with her father"--see the Battle of the

Poets, and Mrs. Charke's Life in the B. D.-—If the Editor of that work be correct, Fielding must have revived the Battle of the Poets in 1736 or 1737, when Mrs. Charke acted under his management at the Hay.-she certainly did not act in that piece in 1730-she was then only just come on the stage, and she continued for some years on good terms with her father-even in 1735, after she had published the Art of Management, he reconciled Fleetwood to her--the Editor of the B. D. says the Battle of the Poets contains much scurrility with very little wit-it seems odd that Fielding should have revived such a piece, when the jokes in it must have been stale-and if he did not revive it after Mrs. Charke was at the Hay., she could not have been guilty of the unpardonable insult on her father, with which she is charged.

SOPHOCLES.

Dr. Franklin published his translation of Sophocles in 1759-Ainsworth says that Sophocles wrote 120 plays, of which only 7 remain.

1. Ajax-the Greeks had adjudged the arms of Achilles to Ulysses, in preference to Ajax-Ajax was so much disturbed at this decision, that he partly lost his senses-in a fit of frenzy, he kills and