expectations ?

Alas ?-Difappointment, anxiety and vexation. The teazings of an old woman, instead of the reluctantly acknowledged tenderness of a young one. And to add to all, a torturing difcovery of the frolickföme deception. MSM c

I own this treatment favoured fomewhat of cruelty. But women, throughout every age, have not fcrupled to indulge themselves in thefe little playfome tefts of their lovers' truth and conftancy. At this time, to make ufe of a home-spun expreffion, “The black ox had not trodden on my foot."-Innocent humour was my delight.-Euphrösyne herself was not more blithe and debonair.

ABOUT this period, that much admired poet, Thomson, was called by the great difpofer of events, to enjoy that felicity in a happier 'region, he had in Vain ftrove to deferve in this buffling world. His death feemed to throw an univerfal gloom over every fufceptible mind. Whilft fome lamented the lofs of his great poetical talents, all' wept for the removal of fo great a man. The foftnefs of his manners, his unbounded philanthropy, and indeed the poffeffion

of

of every valuable' quality that can adorn" a human being, endeared him to every one who had the hap pinefs to be acquainted with him." That it was my fortunate lot to be upon terms of intimacy with him, is one of the most pleafing circumstances of my life that recollection can revive: Accept, departed fhade, this tender 'tear! a votive tribute to that friendfhip 1 with which I was honoured by thee. Po

Lord Lyttelton and Mr. Quin, from the intimacy which had fubfifted between Thomfon and them, were the most affected by this fad event. After the firft effufions of their forrow were abated, they con. sulted in what manner to pay the most efficacious respect to the memory of their deceafed friend. As his liberal difpofition had prevented him from making any provifion for his two fifters, they thought they could do nothing more confonant to his laft wishes, than provide a decent fupport for them. A token of affection far more acceptable, I dare fay, to their lost friend, if departed spirits be fenfible of what passes here, than the most pompous obfequies, or richly fculptured monument.

Thomfon, during the latter part of his life, had altertered 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 stop for some 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.

PROLOGUE

TO

THOMSON'S CORIOLANUS.

SPOKEN BY MR. QUIN.

I COME not here your candour to implore
For scenes whose author is, alas! no more;
He wants no advocate his cause to plead ;
You will yourselves 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 gushing tear:
Alas! I feel I am no actor here;)

He lov'd his friends with fuch a warmth of heart,

So clear of interest, so devoid of art,

Such generous friendship, fuch unshaken zeal,
No words can speak 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 blifs!
Where will you find another breast like his ?

Such

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 applause
You heard him teach fair virtue's pureft laws;
For his chaste muse 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.
Whilft he, fuperior now to praise or blame,
Hears not the feeble voice of human fame.
Yet if to thofe whom most 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 starry pole,
May touch with pleasure his immortal foul.

As foon as the piece was perfect, an evening re hearsal was called, upon a night when there happened to be no performance. Mr. Quin's pronunciation 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 at tended by the tribunes. And the centurions of the

Volfcian

Volfcian army bearing fafces, their enfigns of autho rity, they are ordered by the hero (the part of which was played by Mr. Quin) to lower them as a token of respect. But the men who perfonated the centurions, imagining, through Mr. Quin's mode of pronunciation, that he said their faces, instead of their fafces, all bowed their heads together.

Not being able to withstand fo ridiculous a/miftake, I could not reftrain 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 might of its representation, it would probably have excited the fame emotions in the audience we had experienced, and might have proved fatal to the piece, or at least have. interrupted the capital fcene.. The play, however, was lat length reprefented with fuccefs, and Mr. Quin really fhed tears. From the cynical manner that gentleman had adopted, and the fternness of his countenance, he was not fuppofed to poffefs fo much of the milk of human kindness as he actually did. The circumstance was therefore con

fidered