fhew his regard for me, and the fincerity of his intentions, he had brought articles with him for three years, at five, fix, and feven hundred pounds annually. He produced the agreement, which he had got drawn up the preceding day, having then abfolutely refused to enter into any engagement whatsoever with Mrs. Cibber. "And now," continued he, "muft I be obliged to give her any terms she shall "demand."

Upon this explanation,, I was equally diftreffed with Mr. Rich; and fincerely wished I could recal what I had done, not only because the agreement 1 had entered into with Mr. Lacy was but for three hundred pounds, but on account of Mr. Barry's excellence in performing the characters of lovers, which was the line of acting fuited to my figure, youth and powers.

Though Mr. Lacy's conduct in this tranfaction is not be justified, yet I must take some share of blame to myself, from the precipitation with which I engaged with him.-Precipitation, as I have before observed, is the grand bane of happiness.—Had I adhered to the refolution I had formerly made, of confulting my friend, Mr. Quin, upon every step of confequence I was about to take, all then would have been well. I fhould have discovered the fallacy of my temper, and have been upon my guard against any

impofition that might have been defigned. Inflead of which, by giving way to the first transports of my resentment, without knowing whether it was well founded or not, I precipitately committed an error fo much to my own difadvantage, and Mr. Rich's vexation.

G. A. B.

LETTER XLIII.

September 27, 17—,

UPON my arrival in town from Richmond, I

found that the ambaffadors ftill continued in their resolution of setting up a Pharoah bank. As I was determined that every thing should be conducted in an elegant ftyle, I engaged Goundu, the moft eminent cook of his time; and O'Bryen happening to be in a bad ftate of health, I hired his wife alfo to attend upon me as my French woman.

Having borrowed fome money to make up my quota of a thousand pounds, we set off in a very fplendid manner. The Marquis de Verneuil or myself always dealt. We were fuccefsful, as the bank was rich. But notwithstanding we always won, I -only obferved one perfon that seemed to regret their ill fuccefs; and that was the Marquis of Granby.

It could not be fuppofed that this diffatisfaction arofe from his want of money. He never knew the love of that, any more than myself. It was rather an impatience in his temper, which threw him off his guard, and added to his ill luck.

Mr. Metham writing me word that he should not be in town till Christmas, I was enabled to carry on our scheme fo much the longer. Our petit foupers, aud convivial parties, drew all the gay, flutter. ing, unthinking young people of fashion to us.They procured me the happiness of being introduced to the Honourable Mifs Moftyns, with whom Gen.. Wall was very intimate. The eldest of those ladies poffeffed an understanding fuperior to most of her fex. And without youth or beauty, the company of all of them was eagerly folicited by every one that had a tafte for genteel fociability. They were named, out of pleasantry, as they were formed rather in a spiral than a direct line, Crimp, Crump, and Crumpling

In a fhort time I had been such a gainer by our bank, that I was not only enabled to redeem my jewels, but to pay my debts, and put fome hundreds into my pocket, notwithstanding the great expence I was at. The General and Comte frequently made me prefents of wine, chocolate, &c. &c. and had not my theatrical avocations called me from this lu

crative

crative one, it is a doubt with me, whether I fhould not have made my fortune.

memory

At this time I loft my faithful O'Bryen, whofe will be ever dear to me. In her I loft not only a good fervant, but a real friend. For though at times fhe would give into my innocent whims, yet whenever she thought me wrong, she took the libcrty to represent the impropriety of my conduct to me with fuch mildness and good sense, that her reproof always carried conviction with it, and generally had the defired effect. So that O'Bryen ufually fucceeded, when my mother's violence of temper failed, and, I am concerned to add, made me more obfti

nate.

The Marquis de Vernueil now returned to Paris ; and as Mr. Garrick was come to London, I was obliged to attend to the duties of my profeffion.The most intense application was neceffary for those who fought under his banners. As he was unremitting himself in his attention to business, he expected those he employed to be the fame. The last feafon he had engaged Mrs. Ward; a poor fubftitute for the incomparable Cibber. But, though neceffity compelled him to play with her, he took a great diftaste to her, on account of her want of feeling. Of this fhe gave him, one night, the ftrongeft proof, by being employed in adjufting her glove-knot, which happened

VOL. II.

G

happened to come untied, during one of the most pathetic and interefting fcenes in the "Fair Peni"tent."

Both the theatres opened this feafon with "Romeo "and Juliet." Garrick and myself appeared in the characters at Drury-Lane; Barry and Cibber at Covent-Garden. But, to add to the weight of the latter, Mr. Rich had introduced a grand funeral proceffion. That gentleman was particularly fond of displaying his tafle upon fuch occafions; as in epithalamiums, ovations, triumphal entries, and funeral obfequies. He had an opportunity, at this time, of laying out nearly as much money as the play brought him. The contest was long; and it was univerfally allowed, that except in the fcene with the friar, Mr. Barry excelled in Romeo. The piece was performed fo many nights, that the public, as well as the performers, were tired and disgusted with it. We, however, got the advantage of fome nights. But this was not done without a good deal of paper, which was bestowed upon the occafion.

During the run of this piece, I was informed, in the green-room, that an old lady and gentleman requested to fee me. Upon my giving directions that they should be admitted, a gentleman about fixty, and a lady of nearly the fame age, were introduced into my dreffing-room. The gentleman then told

me,