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The comedy, moft evidently not having a fair trial, was given out for the next night; and though ftrong oppofition was made to this by the avowed enemies of the Author, the uninfluenced part of the audience infifted upon their right, and it was accordingly brought forward, with an intent to be fupported by all thefe who were attached to the real freedom of the prefs.

The oppofition, however, rallied with redoubled forces. They had not only a formidable phalanx in the pit and galleries, but their caufe was infinuated into the boxes; and when the play commenced, they fhewed fuch determination to act as well as bifs, that, after a conflict of feveral hours, during which moft of the peaceable part of the audience left the house, the comedy, by the Author's defire, was withdrawn, and a new piece given out for the enfuing night.

Of the many manoeuvres practifed in the damnation of this piece, two appeared fo truly novel, and at the fame time fo effective, as to deferve notice. The one was a fet of Laughers, a body compofed of about a dozen perfons planted near the Orchestra, who, upon a fignal given by their leader, burst out into a horfe-laugh of contempt. The other was a fet of Yawners in the middle of the pit, who were about the fame number, and under the fame difcipline. Between thefe two corps the main enemy was not only much galled, but a number of neutrals drawn in, as it was difficult for fuch to reftrain their rifible faculties on fo ridiculous and whimsical an occafion.

"All for the beft," however, was a proverb which our Author felt the benefit of by the timely retractation of his comedy. If we may judge from what could reach our car the firft and fecond night of its performance, it had little or no dramatic felection or character, and fo abounded with commonplace fentiment, that, in all probability, he would not have been much'a gainer had it been left to its own fate; but, printing it by fubfcription, he drew the hu manity of the public to his fide-every uninfluenced perfon faw the injuftice of driving an Author from the Stage, and wantonly robbing him and his family of the fair produce of his talents. Subferiptions, on this account, becaine proportionally liberal and extenfive, and he cleared no lefs, on the whole, than the fum of eight hundred pounds, besides

the profits of the fale after the general fubfcription was full.

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The fate of "The Word to the Wife" operated as a hint to Kelly on his next dramatic attempt, which was a tragedy, called "Clementina." He knew, by late experience, that if he introduced it to the Stage under his own name, the fame party who so unjustly damned his "Word to the Wife," would have as little fcruple on the prefent occafion;-he therefore kept it a profound fecret, and got it introduced into the Green Room of Covent Gar den as the first production of a young American Clergyman, who had not as yet arrived in England.

His patron, Colman, and a few confi. dential friends, perhaps knew the contrary, but this was the general report previous to the reprefentation, and under this report "Clementina" canie out on the boards of Covent Garden, in the fpring of 1771.

From a patient hearing of this piece, we were enabled fully to decide on its merits, which, confidering it (as was then fuppofed the first effort of a young pen) might have fome promife of greater perfection, but by no means had any fublime pretenfions to "purge the paffions by terror and com, paffion." Mrs. Yates performed the principal character, but though the fupported it with her ufual talents, and that the reft of the play was as ftrongly caft as the houfe would admit, it lingered out its nine nights, and then was heard no more.

Kelly, it is faid, got two hundred pounds for the copy money of this tragedy previous to the publication, on no other ftipulation than that of its running nine nights. How he contrived to do this it is difficult to affert, except that he privately confeffed himself to the purchafer as the author, and that the former rifqued fuch a fum on the credit of Falfe Delicacy."

Having managed this bufinefs la adroitly, our Author feemed determined to keep his name out of view in any picce he should hereafter write for the Stage. When he, therefore, produced his next play, which was the comedy of "The School for Wives," he prevailed upon his friend the prefent Juftice Addington to stand father, which he did in an open and avowed manner.

This comedy, which came out in the year 1774, met with very confider able fuccefs, infomuch that Mr. Ad

dington

dington, after the ninth night, finding
that the real Author had nothing to
fear from the malice of his enemies,
wrote him a letter, which appeared in
the public papers of that day, recapitu-
lating his reafons for his affuined Au-
thorship, and restoring to his friend
the well-earned laurels of his labours.
This was turning the tables with
fome dexterity on his enemies, and
'tis probable they felt it. They vented
their spleen a little on the veracity of
Mr. A's conduct, but at the fame
time they did not confider, it was their
original unfair treatment that firft fug-
gefted this manoeuvre, which, though
in other cafes it might break in
upon the inviolability of truth, in this
inftance was an act of friendly defence
and interpofition.

"The School for Wives," though it might be fuppofed to be taken from a piece under this title in the French, was the unborrowed production of Kelly's pen. He did not understand the French language well enough to avail himself of it by a fpirited tranflation, and if he did, we believe had too good an opinion of his talents and his facility in writing to try. As it is, we think it a comedy of fome merit, both in morals and character;-it poffeffes none of the deep and nice requifites of the human mind, but it exhibits common foibles in a pleafing, dramatic manner, fuch as the generality of an audience are induced to understand and feel, and from fuch as they may be fuppofed to receive both pleasure and improvement. The fame year he brought out an afterpiece, called "The Romance of an Hour," wherein he likewife, for a time, concealed his name, and might for ever without the leaft injury to his reputation, it being upon the whole a very flimfy performance. It, however, worked its way tolerably well, as by tacking it to good firft-pieces, and opportune nights, it brought fome money both to the Author and the Theatre.

In 1776 his comedy of "The Man of Reafon" came out at Covent Garden Theatre; but notwithstanding the fuccefs of our Author in two previous comedies, it received its final damnation on the first night. Various caufes have been affigned for this. The Author and his friends gave out it was Woodward's mifconception of his part that principally promoted it, aided by the malice of thofe enemies who formerly made head against his dramatic

productions ;-but the fact was, it was carried down by its own lead. Party malice had a good deal fubfided by this time, and as far as it appeared by the complexion and conduct of the audience, they gave it a fair and equitable trial.

The plot of this play, as far as we can remember (for it was never printed), turned upon a man who, attempt ing to do every thing by the rigid rules of reafon and abftraction, felt most of his plans counteracted by the customs and habits of the world. How far this may be dramatized in skilful hands, is another question; but it was far above Kelly's grafp;-such a subject required ftrong views and nice difcriminations of character; it likewife required fuch a felection of incidents as were proper to elucidate that character:-but in all thofe our Author was deficient; he had but one forte in dramatic writing, and that was fentimental dialogue-deprive him of that, and you left him very little pretenfions indeed.

The difappointment of this comedy ftuck fo clofe to our Author's heart, both in point of intereft as well as fame, that he determined never to write for the Stage again. He had been called to the bar about two years before this, and though he had at that time qualified himself very little for the practice of the profeffion, he refolved now to advert to it as the great object of his purfuit; for this purpose he gave up all his literary engagements (which were very profitable to him), and referving only to himself the character of Barrifter, he had now, in a great degree,to begin the world again-to exchange light congenial reading for the feverer ftudies of the law; and what was much more ferious to him, to give up what was little fhort of a certainty, for all the precarioufnefs of a new profeffion.

Our Author's ufual prudence here forfook him, and his error should be a warning to others in fimilar circumftances. Kelly from his Editorship, the Theatre, and holding in a variety of "the pen of a ready other refpects writer," could make little lefs than one thoufand pounds per year (at least in fuch years as he brought out a new play). Here was a kind of certainty for himself, his wife, and a family of five or fix children, and this he altogether relinquished for a profeffion in which neither his natural inclination,

hia

his education, or even occafional ftudies, had fitted him. He did not weigh fufficiently in his own mind the difficulty of beginning any learned profeflion with fuccefs between thirty and forty years of age; nor the many examples which were before his eyes of Barritters properly educated for their profeffion, with confiderable talents and connexions, who were obliged to wait four, five, fix, nay fometimes ten years, before any accident drew them forward to any thing like a profitable practice. He thould have likewife confidered the peculiarity of his own fituation, which, in point of fortune, age, and connexions, could not brook fuch a delay, and thar, by this total change, he likewife gave up the established fame of an Author of fome celebrity, to mingle in the train of the juvenile ambulators of Weftminster-hail.

His die, however, was caft, and our Barrister now appeared in all the honours of the long-robe at the Old Bailey. This was a Court he very properly chofe for his debut, being, in The first place, principally confined to the knowledge of the Crown Law, and in the fecond, as it procured him the patronage of his old friend Mr. Richard Akerman, the late Keeper of Newgate, one who (tho'

feldom when

The fteeled jailor is the friend of men,")

reverfed this character through life, by every act of humanity in his office, and of kindnets and good-will to his numerous friends and acquaintances; one to whofe memory we are happy to pay this juft tribute of applaufe; one who preferved his integrity in the midft of vice, and his manners from the daily conragion of bad example.

Kelly entered on his new profeffion with fome diffidence: what he wanted in law he made up in language; and as he delivered himself with fluency, and had a good voice, he was heard with fome attention. He drew fome notice too from another fource :-Whether ho had obferved and reprobated the brow-beating, and forctimes very rude method practifed by fome Counter in the examination of witnelles, or whether he did not feel himself confident enough in knowledge for fuch a prac tice, he took up the line of foftnets and perfuafion, and interrogated his withdifes almoft with as much good

manners as are generally practifed in converfation. This was reprobated by forme of his friends, as not the ufage of the Courts;-but Kelly defended his own manner, as being more agreeable to the laws of reafon and civility.

He purfued this line for a year or two with unremitted attention; but his profits as a B rrifter, compared with thofe of an Author, fell confiderably short, whilft his expences remained the fame-hence he became in debt, and hence he lost that peace of mind which is unattainable without independence.

Kelly's income from his profeffion the laft year of his life has been computed by the late Mr. Akerman, who knew it almoft to exactness, to be from two to three hundred pounds per year, This, with two hundred per year penfion, which it is faid he enjoyed, ought to have kept him out of debt, particu larly as his original habits could not lead him to any extravagance; but he had imprudently, a few years before, fet out upon a certain fcale of expence, on the accidental profits of fome lucky hits, and vanity (though neceffity afterwards enjoined it) would not let him retrench.

Unreafonable as this conduct muft appear to every man in his cooler moments, it is, however, not fo unufual. He must know little of the world who does not calculate for the

general force of habits;-but when those habits are the refult of vanity and selfindulgence, they ftick with incredible adhetion. Some dream on to the laft, without withing to be diverted from the flattering delufion; others fee their danger, but hope, in the chapter of accidents, to find relief; whilft others, balancing for fome time between the fhime of indirectly telling the world they are no longer able to afford living as they did, and the dread of ruin, prefer the former as lefs painful to their feelings, and thus await the flow but certain minings of poverty and difgrace.

This decreate in our Author's fortune, though concealed from the world, was not concealed from himself. He felt the facrifice he made to vanity, but was now too much effeminated by the habits of indulgence and felf-importance to recover; he, therefore, in fome relpe applied to Bacchus, as the latt refource of defponding minds; that officious deceitful friend, who offers his alliance in time of difficulty, for no other purpose but to turn his arms, in

the

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The effects of this, a natural corpulency, and a fedentary life, early brought on by habits of bufinefs, induced an abfcefs in his fide about the latter end of January 1777, which he rather neglected in the beginning, till becoming more painful, his phyficians, amo gft other things, advifed the hot bath, as apprehenfive of a mortification, As they were bringing him in a fedan from Newgate-ftreet Bagnio after this operation, the writer of this account had the laft nod from him, which he gave with his ufual complacency and friendship, though he had evidently the hand of death on nim at the time. Soon after he arrived at his houfe in Gough-fquare he became fpeechiefs, and next morning, on the 3d day of February, he died, in the thirty-eighth year of his age.

His death having openly declared the derangement of his affairs, his numerous friends exerted themselves very Landably for his family. The Right Hon. Alderman Harley, very much to his honour, loft not a moment in fecuring a comfortable annuity for his widow; and Dr. Johnfon (whofe charity kept pace with his extenfive genius) being folicited to write a prologue to our Author's comedy of the "Word to the Wife," which his friends thought proper to revive on this occafion, cheerfully undertook it. Thefe, with the publication of his works by fubfcription, raised fome foundation for the fupport of the widow and five children. But, alas! how vain and perishable are often the wifeft and friendlieft precautions in human affairs! The widow and four children are long fince more amply provided for in anether world, whilst the remaining fon (if he yet remain, no accounts having been received from him for feveral years) is now an Officer in the EaftIndics.

Thus ends the little hiftory of a man who, though deftitute of fortune, friends, and profeffion, carly connexions or a regular education.rofe to a refpectable fituation in life by the mere cfforts

of his genius, and a well-regulated conduct; and had he lived long enough, and could have altered his late habits (which by the advice of his friends he was exerting himself to accomplish), there was a great probability of his attaining the first legal honours of the City, having many capital friends there, and poffefling an attention and complacency of manners that would have always fecured their attachment.

J

In his perfon Kelly was below the middle fize, fair complexion, round' face, and though naturally inclined to corpulency, had a paffion for dress not altogether fo confiftent with his figure, fituation, or understanding. In converfation he was pleasing and facetious, never dogmatizing or contradicting, bur evidently difpoted to conciliate the good opinion of every one around him.' He had the art, too, of adininiftering to his vanity and fulf-importance by various little ways, which though fuperior minds muft defpile, perhaps fhould not be altogether overlooked by men rifing in the world. He did this with fuch dexterity, and under fuch an air of humility, as feldom failed of what he fought for. For whether he meant to give the impreflion of a man of great business, high acquaintance, or great profits in his line of authorship, the company generally caught the tone, and founded the very note he wished for.

As a husband and father his conduct was truly exemplary; for though he was in both duties very affectionate, he took a particular pleafure in giving exterior marks of it, as he was feldum or never feen in public places without his wife hanging on his arm, furrounded by three or four children. He had a vanity in this no doubt, but then it was a vanity produced from a good fourceit was of a very pardonable kind.

Nor was his attention and benevolence confined to his own family, but took a wider fpread for his friends and fociety. To the former his advice and intereft were never deficient,and to fuch of the latter as wanted his afftance, he was ever ready to relieve their difereffes, and this was fo much the natural refult of his own feelings, as often to exceed the proper bounds of his income. To poor Authors he was particularly liberal, conftantly promoting fubfcriptions in their favour, and, as he had a numerous and refpectable acquaintance, was in general very fuc cefsful. Hearing one day that a mản

who

who had abused him in the newspapers was in much diftrefs, and had a poem to publish by fubfcription, he fighed, and exclaimed, "God help him-I forgive him-but ftop-(then paufing) tell him to come and dine with me tomorrow, and I'll endeavour to do fomething for him." The man went, was received very cordially, when Kelly gave him a guinea for his own fubfcription, and difpofed of fix copies.

To his father, who was in indigent circumftances in Dublin (notwithstanding the largnefs of his own family), he allowed twenty pounds per year, which he regularly remitted to him every quarter, befides occafional prefents of ufeful things, and on his father's death continued the fame kindness to his mother. It is with revived emotion that we relate the remaining part of this anecdote. On the first account of his death his mother never fpoke afterwards. The lofs of fuch a fon, whofe fame was, no doubt, the honeft pride and folace of her life, with the fad, cheerless profpect of bewailing his lofs in poverty and mifery, ftruck at her vital powers fo powerfully, that the inftantly fell into convulfions, and died at the expiration of three days.

As a writer, Kelly's genius must be allowed to be extraordinary, confidering the fcanty fupport of his education, and under what preffure of fortune moft of his performances were written; and even under thefe difadvantages, his two comedies of Falfe Delicacy" and "The School for Wives" are well entitled to the merit of ftock pieces, and as fuch we wonder why they are not oftner reprefented.

His reputation as an Author was fo high after the fuccefs of "Falfe Delicacy," that he may be confidered as one of the firft who raised the copy-money of plays, which before stood at about fixty pounds, to one hundred, one hundred and twenty, and fometimes one hundred and fifty; nay, he himself is faid to have received two hundred pounds for the tragedy of "Clementina." His profe works were held in equal eftimation, of which the following inftance is a proof:

The late Alderman Beckford, when Lord Mayor, happened to fpeak of Kelly rather difrefpectfully in fome company, as a Poet and an Irishman: the touching upon either character at that time was fufficient to rouse our Author's feelings, who upon any opportune occafion had no difinclination to come before the public. He, therefore, inftantly fat down to write Beckford a letter, wherein, with fome point on the beinous charges exhibited against him, he rallied that Magistrate pretty freely. For the copy-money of this letter (though the whole did not make above a fheet, he refufed fix guineas; and because he could not get ten, publifhed it in the newfpapers gratis.

In short, Kelly had talents enough to keep his literary fame alive whilft he himfelf lived, and had his education been better, and fortune eafier, fo as to have enabled him to felect and polif his works, his genius was such as probably might have given his name a niche amongst the first dramatic poets of this country.

THEATRICAL

NOVEMBER 18.

A YOUNG lady whofe name is faid to

be Jones, and who comes to the Theatre ur.der the aufpices of the veteran Yates, appeared the first time at CoventGarden, in the character of Imogen, in Cymbeline. The difficulties attending a first appearance in fo arduous a character, will occur to every frequenter of the Theatre. The prefent candidate for the favour of the town fully anfwered the expectations of her friends. She poffeffes a good figure, an harmonious voice, confiderable natural feeling, and a very unembarraffed deportment. With thefe requifites, we think much may be hoped for hereafter.

JOURNAL.

EPILOGUE

TO THE

SIEGE OF BERWICK, Written by the AUTHOR, and Ypoken by Mrs. POPE.

AS now I come unarm'd, without a dart, I fear I can't presume to touch your heart; But your indulgence, here so often found, Has on my heart, at least, imprest a wound; A facred wound! which I am proud to feel,

Which, if I know myself, will never heal.
Methinks I hear you fay, "Dear Mrs.
POPE,
[grope,
Amidst what mould'ring anuals did you
And

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