I had received; and the impossibility, as it appeared to me, of a Manager's being so lost to every principle of rectitude, as to refuse the performance of a piece while in manuscript, and when for liberty to perform it he must make his terms with the author, and yet, the moment it appeared in print, to seize on it as his rightful property, without a thought of compensation to the injured being, from the labour of whose inventive faculties he is deriving a nightly emolument. "Besides," added I," what reason have I to imagine, that a Manager who has perused my piece in manuscript, and has condemned it as unfit for representation, would entertain a more favourable opinion from its after-perusal in print?" My friend here burst. into a laugh, at the expence, as I soon discovered, of my simplicity. "And do you really suppose," said he, "because your Piece has been four times rejected, that it has ever been actually read?"" Read!" repeated I in astonishment, not altogether unmingled with warmth,

can it be conceived that a Manager would reject a piece without reading it?" At this, my friend (who was greatly given to merriment, and who, if there be truth in the adage "laugh and grow fat," had become excessively corpulent through the indulgence of his risible inclinations) renewed his mirth, and indeed

K

became so immoderate in his enjoyment of it, that I began to feel myself seriously offended.

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My dear fellow," said he, as soon as he could at all recover himself, "don't mind my laughing at you-ha! ha! ha!-upon my soul I can't help it but, so you actually imagined-ha! ha! ha!-excuse me, pray-it's too comic!"

I here took up my hat, and intimated a design of quitting my so amazingly delighted companion, until the return of an interval of composure. But, becoming grave in an instant, and seizing my arm, he cried, " my good friend, you will pardon me, I know; and especially when I tell you that I should have been as simple as yourself, had not O, Comedian, of, whọ is my particular acquaintance, let me into a secret. Depend upon it, pieces are never read now, at either House, unless introduced to the higher powers through the medium of a favourite actor. But I can command O. his interest is good at: and if you will only entrust your Play with me, I will place it in his hands, and you need entertain no doubt of his procuring it a reading." My transitory resentment was now changed into the most grateful feelings: I squeezed the hand of my friend, and assured him I would call with the piece upon the following day. "Do so," returned he, with the happiest of

smiles upon his broad rosy countenance, "and if you can dine with me so much the better; -mind, four precisely;-for I expect O. and will introduce you both." I very readily closed with this proposal, and departed occupied with the most agreeable anticipations.

The mystery of the seeming care with which my dramatic first-born had been handled, and of the tenderness with which it had been restored to me without even the slightest disorder of its outward habiliments, was now explained. Is it necessary to say, that I was punctual the next day to the hour of my friend's appointment? O had not arrived; but he speedily followed; and, surely, never was there a more facetious table-companion than he! He laughed, joked, praised his fare, filled his glass, "d-d the expence," (which was not his own, thou will remember, reader,) re-filled, and, above all, played off his quiddities upon the person, house, furniture, &c. of miné host himself, in such extreme good humour with his own jests, and with such an utter disregard for the kind of humour they might create in their object, that I was in considerable pain for the consequences. However, my friend heard, and himself laughed, at all, with a very tolerable grace: indeed, I soon began to suspect, that he would have been content to

bear with much more of this rude and offensive behaviour (as my acuter feelings would have led me to consider it) than he actually received, for the sake of the honour and pleasure of entertaining so popular a performer at his table, But, highly as I valued the proper dignity of my friend in his own house, I must acknowledge that I felt yet more upon another account, and that more nearly relating to myself: for I could not but surmise, that the excessive hilarity of the theatrical gentleman would prevent all calm and sober converse upon the topic I was most anxious to have introduced. In fact, whenever my friend edged in a word that promised to conduct us to this topic, and I had prepared myself to follow his lead, O. dexterously slurred over all consideration of the matter by expressions of his "hate of business when enjoying himself with his friends:" and were my own dramatic pursuits but ever so slightly hinted at, the performer seemed to shrink from me with an instinctive feeling, that extremely resembled the antipathy some persons have felt so unconquerable in themselves to the presence of certain harmless and even useful domestic animals. "Some men there are that cannot bear a cat," I could scarcely forbear muttering to myself; and here appears to be a gentleman, who cannot endure to find

himself in danger of contact with a dramatic author. Now this was not a little mortifying to me, who had expected to enjoy nothing less than an opportunity of reading my production, or parts of it at least, under the correction of an experienced judge; from whose strictures, mingled as I trusted, with commendation, I looked for the highest gratification and improvement. At last, my Piece was actually forced upon the attention of Oby my good friend, who seemed a little chagrined, as well as myself, at the backwardness of his guest to entertain the subject. O. was goodnatured, it then appeared, at bottom; for the play once fairly launched upon the stream of discourse, he put some questions relative to the plot, characters, &c. with apparent interest; said, in reply to the information I afforded him on these points, he thought the thing might do ; and, in conclusion, urged me to lay it before the "Subs" of his Theatre without delay; observing that they were greatly in want of good pieces, and offering me withal his fairest wishes for my success. Not a word in all this, it will be noticed, of his own intervention with "the higher powers" in my favour: whereat my friend looked somewhat blank; and at length gravely proposed the question to him, whether performers of a certain rank in the House did