V-n, that they will rather forego the bewitching blandifhments of fecret tranfport, than any longer obtain them by the odious means of fecret influence! The female cognofcenti are at prefent not a little embarralled upon a quellion of much delicacy, refpecting the propriety or impropriety of paying their compliments to the Prince of Wales on the celebration of his birth-day, which is expected to take place in April. Les filles precieufes have politively fet their faces against it; but the more reasonable part of the fex are of opinion, that if the Prince were to give a general ball previous to the great day, all difficulties are fairly furmounted, and that after fuch an initiation, even the moft fcrupulous may venture to falute his Highnels fans blefer les mœurs upon all occafions. The grand queftion is to be debated again in a few days. We hear that the Perdita's vis-a-vis was feized in execution a few days ago, for five hundred pounds; and that a certain Ex-fecretary generoufly advanced the money; in confequence of which it was determined by the grateful fair one, that the lion couchant should be erased from the pannels, and a Fox rampant placed in his ftead. The Bench of Bishops always vote according to their confcience. They take their text from the Book of Kings, and though they preach up to the spirit of it, they have itill an eye on the chapter of Numbers! W, Lady Augufta C-11, Mifs It is recommended to Lady Horatia K-1, and numbers befide, who move within the frozen sphere of maidenhood, not to throw away the gudgeons and fmall-fry, who are difpofed to bite, in confidence that whales and large fish are at all times to be caught in the feas of Lapland! The extreme cold, a few days ago, was not a fufficient reftraint on the Countess of Chatham:-in defiance of a biting west wind the quitted her vis-a-vis, and walked for fome time in St. James's-ftreet and its avenues. She had on, it is true, a hat of a fun-beam colour, but it is fuppofed all its warmth was derived from her ladyship's fuperior charms! EXHIBITION OF THEATRICAL PORTRAITS, The play-going world pays very little regard to the paft fervices of an actor or actress, and would prefer the flightest memoir of a new face on the ftage, to the fublimeft piece of writing on the merit, beauty, and fupereminent perfections of a Crawford, an Abington, a King, or an Henderson. Such is the difference between a fpeaker and a writer, that every trait of the first fhall be forgot, while the Right ft memorial of the latter, as a man and a writer, will be handed to pofterity with the highest veneration. The one hat ceased to charm; the other captivates to the ball recollection is loft of the ment of che in the course of a century, 4 while the other lives and fpeaks in a fingle page of his writings, till the diffolution of literature. Mifs Younge, we are told, is descended from reputable parents, and was thrown very early into the world to feek her for tune. She had ftored her mind very early with reading, and acquitted herself wherever he visited in fuch a manner, that the found many admirers among the men: But being poffeffed of cool paffions, and a heart devoted to parfi mony, fhe liftened to the devoirs of the wealthieft of her admirers. This gentleman, who we find was originally an apothecary, but then of the long robe, enticed her to his embraces, and lived in perfect cordiality with her for fome time, till variety placed " metal more attractive" before him. It was then fhe turned her thoughts to the flage, and after a pleafing reception from Mr. Garrick, the appeared in the character of Imogen, in the tragedy of Cymbeline. This happened in the winter of 1768. Her fuc cefs was beyond her moft fanguine expectations, and that of her friends. She gave a colouring to the character critically beautiful, beautiful, and to this hour merits and receives the warmest plaudits of the best judges of good acting. Her performance of Ovifa in the tragedy of Zingis, was the next character the acquired fame in. This excellent, neglected tragedy, abounds with beauties, and thofe that fell to the fhare of Mifs Younge fhe did ample juftice to. Her delivery of the following beautiful paffage will be long remembered. If e'er the fpirit of a warrior flain, Journey'd in forms acrofs the troubled fky: Laft night my brother Zangon paffed this, place, And call'd Ovifa hence. The voice was deep, As when high Arol, fhaking all his woods, Speaks to the paffing thunder.-Thro' my foul Thro' her long flumbers in the peaceful grave. We have taken more notice of Mifs Younge in this character than any other fhe has appeared in, thinking with the million, the appeared furrounded with greater excellencies than any other lady who has appeared in it fince. In the year 1771, fhe was engaged by the managers of Smock-alley Theatre, in Dublin, where fhe acquitted herself fo well, that he is ranked to this hour fecond to none but Mrs. Crawford, whofe unbounded merit, Mrs. Siddons, with all the fools of fashion in that capital at her head, can never crafe from the minds of the judicious there, who have an opinion of their own-not borrowed from the news-papers. The following year Mifs Younge rcturned to her old mafter, Mr. Garrick, with whom the continued many years, fecuring a confiderable fhare of applause in every character fhe filled. The last time he was in Ireland, about three years ago, fhe, however it may altonifh the Siddonian party, brought more money to the theatres of Dublin and Corke, during the season, than Mrs. Siddons herself. fhe has appeared in a number of new Since the engaged with Mr. Harris, character fhe has fupported, particularly pieces, and has acquired celebrity in every the Countess of Narbonne, Lady Bell Bloomer, Letitia Hardy, and Donna Olivia, &c. &c. Her dying scene in the Count of Narbonne is fupereminently beautiful, and leaves an indelible impreffion on the mind of every feeling auditor. Should pofterity with for a picture of her external attractions, they are only friking in her perfon, which is very pleafing. In the attire of tragedy, fhe appears with dignity, and her action is perfectly graceful. As to her private life, we are told of her fwallowing a bank-note, in Liverpool, in a great paffion; prefented by an humble admirer, who thought it would plead more powerfully with the tragic fair one in his behalf than all his eloquence. All which may be true, but we will not be lieve any gentleman fo infane to be guilty of such an act. When we recollect the fair one yielded to the embraces of an admirer in the vale of years, at a period when youth gave a brilliancy to her attractions, this anecdote appears the coinage of her own brain, or one of thofe hireling fabri cators, who would make her beauties ex cel cel the fairest damfel in Circaffia, for a guinea! She has been attacked with uncommon feverity in many of the publie prints, about her difinclination to the natural joys of fociety, which Mrs. Cowley, in her Lift comedy, (More Ways than One) has in fome measure defended. Mrs. Cowley appeared in this a weak advocate, and it would have been much better if fhe had turned her thoughts to any other fubjectfor there were no laurels to be gathered in that field! Upon the whole, Mifs Younge is the counterpart, in her private life, of Mrs. Crawford, Mrs. Siddons, and the other imperial queens of the stage, (Mrs. Abing ton and one or two more excepted) parli monious, haughty, and inattentive to the voice of affliction, even among the fallen Empreffes of her own profeffion, and would as foon part with her eye teeth as with a guinea. Her friends may exclaim with uplifted hands and the voice of rage at this affertion, but it is an indifputable And though in the infancy of their career they fawning cringe, for wretched means of life, To madam may'refs, or his worship's wife→→ THE HIV E. A COLLECTION OF SCRAPS. -et in medium quæfita reponit. VIRG. Anecdote of the late Dr. Goldfmith, never published. Ο ingenious man was in the pay of Newbury, and lived in Green Arbour-court, he was a tolerable economist, and lived happily; NE great point in the Doctor's pride but when he emerged from obfcurity, and was to be liberal to his poor country enjoyed a great income, he had no prinmen, who applied to him in diftrefs. The ciple or idea of faving or any degree of expreffion pride is not improper, becaufe care; was dreadfully neceffitous ten months he did it with fome degree of oftentation of every year, and never at that period was one that was artful never failed to apply quiet and free from demands, he could to him as foon as he publifhed any new not pay. When the excess of the evil work, and while it was likely the Doctor roufed him, he retired at times into the would be in cash. He fucceeded twice, country to a farm-houfe in Hampshire, but very often found that all the copy where he lived for little or nothing, letmoney was gone before his works faw the ting nobody know where he was, and emlight. The Doctor, tired of his applica- ploying almoft the whole day in writing, tions, told him he fhould write himself, did not return to London till he was fo and ordered him to draw up a defcription well stocked with finished manufcripts, as of China, interfperfed with political re- to be able to clear himfelf. Thefe interflections, a work which a bookfeller had vals of labour and retirement, he has deapplied to Goldfmith for at a price he declared were among the happiest periods of fpifed, but had not rejected. The idle his life. Some years before his death, he careleffnefs of his temper may be collected was much embittered by disappointed exfrom this, that he never gave himself the pectation. Lord L had promifed trouble to read the manufcript, but fent to him a place; the expectation contributed the prefs an account which made the Em- to involve him, and he often fpoke with peror of China a Mahometan, and which great afperity of his dependance on what fuppofed India to be between China and he called moonfhine. He enjoyed bril Japan. Two fheets were cancelled at liant moments of wit, feftivity, and conGoldfimith's expence, who kicked his new verfation, but the bulk of all his latter ly created author down flairs. While this days were poifoned with want and anxiety. Hu Humourous Anecdote of a Baker.-One of this business was charged by a perfon in a different line, with purloining from the articles fent by the neighbours to his oven. He admitted the accufation to be wellfounded, and challenged his accufer to guard against his impofitions. For this purpofe he propofed a bet of one fhilling's worth of punch, that out of three he would take one rib of beef without difThe propofal was readily accepted, and the meat brought to the baker's fhop. He took off a rib, and with it the principal part of the flesh belonging to the In this ftate it was returnadjoining one. covery. ed to the owner. A meeting was held to decide the wager. The baker afked if he had not performed his engagement? His opponent answered in the negative, for that the theft was evident. Why, then, replied Burnt-cruft, I must pay my fhilling. Thus did he artfully turn the tables on his antagonist, and for twelve-pennyworth of punch, entitle himfelf to feven pounds of prime English roafting beef. Some days ago Lady Mary D, the patronefs of Signor Pacchierotti, being in company with feveral ladies of fashion, took occafion to defeant on the extraordinary vocal powers of her favourite, pretending that he was a perfect finger, when a young lady, remarkable for quick repartees, and prefence d'efprit, begged leave to differ from her ladyfhip's opinion, as it was pretty evident that Pacchierotti's voice difcovered one of the greatefl imperfections in human nature. Bon Mot.-A humourist asked a citizen the other day, whether he would fooner kifs a pretty girl, or partake of a good feaft? The citizen honeftly replied, that he fhould prefer the latter to which the wag archly rejoined, "I never thought you a man of the ton before, but I find now that you have more taste than feeling." Bon Mot of George Selwyn.-It being a received opinion, that Mr. Selwyn frequently attended executions through choice, he was afked by an acquaintance, if he propofed being prefent at the late execu tion of Fox and Burke on the new feaffold? to which he replied, that he was not fond of attending ichearsals. Anecdote.-Some years fince a certain Judge pulled out his watch in company, and prefently it was gone. His Lordship hinted a fearch among the company, and every gentleman but one agreed to it, who drew his fword, and fwore if any one at- Anecdote When Farinelli, the cele Anecdote of the Prince of Wales.-One Bon Mot of the late Sam. Foote.-Sam. THE |