University of Virginia Library

To such of my readers as have the misfortune not to belong to Daly's, or be in habits of eating with the bon vivants of Dublin, it may be necessary to say, that Mr. J---s understands the regulation of a table at least as well as that of a Theatre; which is not surprising, when we consider how much more the former has employed his thoughts and his time.

Our old English authors however despised at home, are in high request abroad, and afford indeed a very ample fund to the French and German plagaries.

Without having any great respect for Kotzebue's moral character, it is but justice to declare, that it is only in his dramatic capacity that I compare him with the worst man of this, or perhaps of any age.

Far be it from me to put those respectable gentlemen, in the same rank with the apostate Talleyrand, or the Septembriser Fouché, in any other than a metaphorical sense; they are the ministers of a revolutionized stage; as such I dislike and oppose their administration: But very unlike other oppositionists, I may be brought over by a change of measures, without a change of men.—If Mr. Windham reads this note, he will pronounce me an egregious blockhead.

Divini ingegni, i quali coi lor belissimi pensieri e noblissimi opere la patria ed età loro adornavano. Tolom: Oraz.

Joseph Atk---on, Esq. M. R. I. A. &c. &c. Author of “Love in a Blaze,” an operatical drama, a strange collection of stupid, and sometimes indecent vulgarisms, upon which Sir John Stevenson threw away some very good music, which it had cost him much trouble to compile.

Some even went further, and were even rude enough to hiss; nor had poor Atk---on the satisfaction of adding to the “populus me sibilat”the “nummus contemplor in arcâ” his piece was damned, and most unprofitably damned, tho' he himself attended the representation, and encouraged it with extraordinary efforts of personal applause.

L---ess, the author of “Trial's All,” a Comedy, produced not long since at Crow-street. If I remember rightly, the plot was, that a young man, accused of a conspiracy, is brought to trial and acquitted; what could have turned Mr. L---ess's cogitations to such Green-street subjects?

J---b P---le, our late Lord M---r, a citizen of pretorian activity and critical acumen.

I am told that this noble Peer is a scholar and a man of parts; shall I venture to own, I never could discover in him any resemblance to either. He would make a good Lord of the bed-chamber, but for any thing else—!!!

Can these mean play-house plots and unities?—Mr. L---ess, I am told, has consulted Counsel, with a view of prosecuting my Printer for a libel. Is this then the stuff of which patriots are made? Are those the men who profess themselves friends to the liberty of the press? The very word Press conjures up odd recollections, and they are not recollections of consistency and candour.

This person from being a brazier, metamorphosed himself into a very middling painter, and finally became an indifferent actor, under the title of Mr. Herbert.—He fathered L---ess's play, which before representation was extolled as a miracle of genius, but alas! “Trial's All”—the piece was not so fortunate as its hero. I do not forget to Mr. D---ing, the play he chose for his benefit in a time of sedition and Jacobinism, when even those who in general were incredulous of proverbs, began to fear that ‘Vis unita fortior’ was but too true. I hope Mr. Dowling's error was not intentional, or if it was, that he has come to a sounder way of thinking.

Had these gentlemen not been often publicly assured that they were not beauties, I should not have presumed to have made them the au pis aller, of a painter's aversion.

Had these gentlemen not been often publicly assured that they were not beauties, I should not have presumed to have made them the au pis aller, of a painter's aversion.

Holman is now in London, soliciting the acceptation of a piece, written during his stay in Ireland— The play it appears has been damned, but this does not affect my argument: had it been brought out here, it would have been doubly damned, once for its own sake, and again for that of the players.

Tommy M---e. In Ireland we used to shew our admiration of his poetic talents, by asking him to supper; in England they reward him with a commercial, and in some degree legal office—this shows the difference of the national taste;—with us, abilities are dissipated in conviviality, and with them, fettered by the ties of interest and business. Between us, I fancy poor Tom is not likely to be much improved, or even enriched. And I am truly sorry for it; for with about as many faults as other people have, he possesses twice as much genius and agreeability as any body else. I cannot say much for his morality.—

In such hands, if any person were mad enough to write for the Irish stage, I fancy we might say with the French Vaudeville:

The Reader will observe, that this line bears the mark of my original design of publishing by livraisons—let me add, that I have reason to hope Mr. Jones does not take my freedom ill. He is too much a man of the world, to be vexed at a little good humoured raillery on his scientia edendi—I dare say had I even told the story of the ham slewed in Madeira he would have forgiven me.