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ther!" he made a pause-The daughter of Melpomene, who acted the Queen, gave him the sentence several times, to which he at last replied— "Mother! you are not my mother-give me my leather breeches, and let me go home."

PUFF DIRECT.

A FRENCH dramatist devised a singular method of alluring the public to the representation of his pieces. On the day on which any of them was announced, he set out in the morning, went through all the streets and squares of Paris, stopping at those places where the play-bills were usually posted; and when five or six persons had collected, he would cry at once, in a vehement tone-"Faith, the French will be treated with an excellent piece to-night, and I'll be there for one." This peregrination was then continued in the same manner, and its object became, in some measure, successful.

LETTER OF OLD YATES.

"To the Editor of the Public Advertiser. "SIR,

THOUGH it is not my profession to write, but to retail the writings of others, yet, I find the spirit

move me to hazard some observations on a very good humoured, sprightly, elegant paragraph, in your paper of yesterday. The facetious gentleman is pleased to say, that "Yates, and his wife, have retired from the stage, with 36,000. or 40,000l. and that they are remarkable for their comely appearance, though one is, from theatrical dates, 70; the other above 60 years of age." 'Tis wonderful so wise a man should be mistaken, but the facts are,

"They have not retired with 40,0nni.

They have not retired at all.”

"Theatrical dates do not prove them to be, the one 70, the other more than 60 years of age. "In respect to myself, that I am remarkable for my comely appearance; that I can, though not worth quite 40,000l. eat my mutton without an engagement, and yet owe no man any thing, are offences to which I am ready to plead guilty; if comeliness is a sin, heaven help me! I say; and as to owing no man any thing, in these days, when it is the genteelest thing in the world to pay no man any thing, I must e'en stand trial before a jury of honest tradesmen, who, I dare

say, will acquit me from the singularity of the

case.

"In respect to theatrical dates, I have, to be sure, told the chimes at midnight, some five and thirty years ago; which, as I find myself just as healthy and alert as in those delightful days, I do not think at all disqualifies me for my general cast of characters, in which I have pleased as good judges as your correspondent, nor is it absolutely necessary that the Miser, Fondlewife, Gomez, Don Manuel, Sir Wilful Witwould, &c. &c. should have the first down of a beard on their chins; but I will whisper something in the gentleman's ear, that whilst such writers, as he, are allowed to assassinate honest people in the dark, by abusive anonymous paragraphs, nobody that has mutton to eat will look out for theatrical engagements, but quietly let the stage fall into that happy state,

"When one Egyptian darkness covers all.”

"So much for myself, and now for Mrs. Yates. "That she is a pretty enough actress, as times go, and by no means uncomely, I willingly allow; but that she is more than 60, or will be these dozen years, at least, may bear something of a doubt.

"As her first appearance was on Drury Lane stage, and in the full meridian of its glory, the date is easily ascertained; but to save the gentleman's trouble, as he seems a bad calculator, I will inform him, it was in Mr. Crisp's " Virginia," in the year 1754, (29 years ago) and that she was then as pretty a plump rosy Hebe as one shall see on a summer's day.

"She had the honour, (an honour never conferred on any other person) of being introduced as a young beginner by a prologue written and spoken by Mr. Garrick, in which the following lines are to the present purpose.

"If novelties can please to night, we've two;
Tho' English both, yet spare 'em, as they're new.
To one, at least, your usual favor show;
A female asks it-can a man say-no?
Should you indulge our novice yet unseen,
And crown her, with your hands, a tragic Queen;
Should you, with smiles, a confidence impart
To calm those fears which speak a feeling heart,
Assist each struggle of ingenuous shame
Which curbs a genius in its road to fame:
With one wish more, her whole ambition ends,
She hopes some merit to deserve some friends."

"And now give me leave, sir, to tell your correspondent a story on the first coming to England, of Signor Trebbi.

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ແ A worthy gentleman, the editor of a newspaper, paid him a morning visit, and informed him he was a public writer, and had characters of all prices. I understand you, sir,' said Trebbi, and have heard of you; I have no guineas to throw away so ill; but I am a writer too, et voila ma plume! this is my pen;' showing him a good English oaken towel. Signor Trebbi was so good as to leave me his

pen,

the

only one I shall make use of against malevolence in future, when the writer does me the honour of making himself known to me.

"I am. Sir,

"Your obedient humble servant,

"Saturday, October 18, 1783."

"RICHARD YATES."

SHAKSPEARE AND QUEEN ELIZABETH.

It is well known that Queen Elizabeth was a great admirer of the immortal Shakspeare, and used frequently (as was the custom with persons of great rank in those days) to appear upon the stage before the audience, or to sit delighted behind the scenes, when the plays of our bard were performed. One evening, when Shakspeare himseif was personating the part of a King, the au

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