MR. MATHEWS'S "AT HOMES."

In his At Homes, although they were partially derived from his own observations, yet not only the links to the characters, but certain matters supplied by his authors from their own fancy, required much study. But, during the sixteen years that he presented himself in successive seasons at that table, he never had a prompter, nor ever once took with him to the theatre a single memorandum or note of the night's entertainment. Even while acting in the regular drama he could never bear to be prompted, and any attempt to do so would have increased his embarrassment had he been imperfect. Early in his London engagement at the Haymarket, he had to perform Caleb Quotem in the Wags of Windsor. On his first appearance on the stage, instead of the usual address, he bowed to Mr. Farley, who performed Captain Beaugard, and, after a minute's pause, said to him, "My name, sir, is Lingo." Mr. Farley, quite thrown off his guard by this extraordinary lapse in the actor's memory, exclaimed quickly, "The devil it is!" The audience laughed, and Mr. Mathews was in his turn puzzled. The prompter and the performers endeavoured to convey the right speech; but they tried in vain to 66 give him the word," as it is called. He could not profit by their efforts, and was altogether at a loss. At length his own recollection returned, and he proceeded with his usual volubility and correctness. As Mr. Mathews never was in the most trifling degree addicted to the poisoned cup, this was remarkable. He could never account for it, for he was not at all in a nervous state, and this was the only occasion upon which such an accident occurred during his professional life.

He never performed his At Homes so well when Mrs. Mathews was present, from the fact of her being acquainted in a general way with the matter he was delivering. It made him nervous to see anybody listening to him who had the power to correct a mistake.

Amongst the extraordinary effects of the popularity of Mathews's At Homes, were the applications made, under every kind of pretext, letters being sent to him from all sorts of professions and trades about town. One man offered him snuff for himself and friends if he would only mention the name and shop of the manufacturer. Another promised him a perpetual polish for his boots upon the same terms. He

was solicited to mention every sort of exhibition, and to puff all the new quack medicines; and patents, from surgeons' instruments to mangles, called for his public approval. There was no limit to these requisitions. Lozenges were to be tasted, razors to be used, razor-strops to be tried. The wines sent for him to taste, though said to be "of the finest quality," nevertheless, required a "bush," which was expected to be hung out nightly at his "house of entertainment," for "value received." Patent filters, the price of which was to be liquidated by his praise; wigs, waistcoats, boots and boot-hooks, "ventilating hats," and "bosom friends!"—all gratis! And an advertising dentist one day presented himself, offering to teethe a whole family if Mr. Mathews would draw his metallic teeth into notice. In fact, he was inundated with presents and petitions, so that his cottage sometimes looked like a bazaar.

Amongst the most amusing of these varieties, was a petition from Mrs. Johnson, who yearned to hear her "American Soothing Syrup" commended and re-commended by Mr. Mathews; and she one night held forth the tempting bribe, that she and a party of friends would appear in the boxes, in the fond hope of hearing "this real blessing to mothers" pointed out by Mr. Mathews to the paternal part of the audience. At length, Mathews's gallantry (and for the joke's sake) devised the mention of it in the "Dilbery Family," where he made Mr. D. boast that he had, in the course of his domestic duties, found it right to supply his family with this inestimable balm.

But these were minor evils of his popularity compared to others, arising from his use of names. The commonest upon which he could fix for his characters (Smith excepted), laid him open to the "hope" of its possessor, "that Mr. Mathews would adopt one less known for his purpose;" and if, in escaping from this difficulty, he made his peace with one person, by adopting a different name he fell under the censure of another, who requested that he would choose one more common than the writer's. Some were "informed that their names and titles were held up to ridicule," when such names and titles had never before been heard of by the accused. In fact there was no doubt but that this was often the trick of the mischievous to annoy the ridiculously vain, to fret them with a feigned account of the manner in which

their name, person, or peculiarities, were "shown up" by Mr. Mathews in his At Homes.

"LOVE, LAW, AND PHYSIC IMITATED."

Charles Mathews made himself rather too much "at home" on the first representation of Love, Law, and Physic, when, after personating Garrow as a pleader in admirable style, he must needs take off the Chief Justice Ellenborough's judicial manner, and imitate his nasal twang; surely he must have inward misgivings and instinctive dread as he did it! "Some good-natured friend or other," are his fretful sayings, was not long in communicating the liberties nightly taken with his lordship's peculiarities or defects in the comedian's tête-à-tête with his laughing audience. Lord Ellenborough was anything but thin-skinned, and he knew and felt what was due to his office, and he was determined to assert it. He was right and wrong. It is said that a pretty significant message was conveyed, suggestive of his lordship's opinion and resolution upon the subject, to the shining histrion and it need scarcely be added that it was instantly as readily deferred to, less from fear than from a sense of fitness and propriety. The omission of the favourite imitation was no sooner perceived by a crowded audience, attracted to witness and enjoy it, than a fearful shout arose from the many-headed monster for its repetition. Mathews, however, declined it, in most respectful terms; but his majesty, the mob, was in one of his obstinate and exigent humours, with nothing of the pliability or weakness of the volunteer battalion in his composition at the moment; he insisted, and not content with imitation, chose to indulge in no little of contumely and somewhat of malice. It was then that, in the frank and manly manner for which Mathews had ever been distinguished, he declared that when he had charged himself with the part in the first instance, he had been far from supposing offence might have been taken from any quarter; but the contrary having been suggested to him, he would be the last man to evince disrespect, or to attach ridicule to the constituted authorities of his country, and he must beg to decline compliance with the public wish. No, it would not do; John Bull was in one of his Thurlow moods; he would have it all his own way; he would not be pacified, and roared out as lustily as a lion at the sight of the manner

of refection; so that it seemed with Mathews, like HardyKanute, in the Wood Demon, that if he could not provide a victim for his master at the appointed season, he must just consent to be devoured himself. Yet he was not the man to wince; so, when John's lungs really could do no more, when his breath began to fail him and his vocabulary to be exhausted-when looks and gesture were feebly substituted for words, Mathews as energetically and emphatically observed, "That no power on earth should compel him to the performance." John was now content, perforce. After grumbling, there is nothing the animal likes so much as contradiction -all his sympathies apparently lie that way-the growl of anger was changed to a grumble of applause, Mathews was "at home," and Lord Ellenborough spared.

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The most remarkable result of Mr. Mathews's imitation cf Lord Ellenborough in Love, Law, and Physic, was his receiving a request" that he would go to Carlton House on a certain evening. On his arrival, he was immediately ushered into the presence of the prince, who was surrounded by a very small circle. After a most gracious reception, the general conversation was resumed, as it appeared, and he was for some time at a loss to guess the immediate cause of his invitation. At length, the prince began to speak of the extraordinary sensation Mr. Mathews's recent imitation had caused, adding that he had the greatest desire in the world to hear it, and concluded by saying that it would be considered as a favour if Mr. Mathews would then give the "charge to the jury," as he had given it on the first night of the new farce. "My husband," says Mrs. Mathews, "felt distressingly embarrassed. He glanced at the party, and his eye for a moment fell upon the nobleman with whom he had the interview on the second night of the piece, and who was looking very grave. Mr. Mathews obviously hesitated, which the prince observing, said, 'Oh, don't be afraid, Mr. Mathews, we're all tiled here. Come, pray oblige me: I'm longing to hear it. I'm something of a mimic myself. My brother here' (turning to the Duke of York) 6 can tell you that I give a very fair imitation of Lord Eldon. With respect to yours of Lord Ellenborough, it was not so well when you found it so taken up to continue it in public, and I am very glad your own good taste and feeling prompted you to refuse a repetition of it; but here you need have no scruples.'

"Mr. Mathews felt very reluctant to obey the prince's

wishes, though so gently and kindly enforced, for although there were not altogether twenty persons present, yet he could not help feeling that amongst them there might be some personal friend of the Lord Chief Justice. However, he was commanded, and malgré lui, he obeyed.

"The prince was in raptures, and declared himself astonished at the closeness of the imitation, shutting his eyes while he listened to it with excessive enjoyment, and many exclamations of wonder and delight, such as Excellent! Perfect! It is he himself!' The Duke of York manifested his approval in peals of laughter, and the prince afterwards conversed most kindly and agreeably upon the subject with Mr. Mathews and the high personages present for some time."

MONS. MALLET.

The picture of a French emigrant, a Monsieur Mallet, was a powerful piece of Mathews' acting. We never beheld anything more complete, masterly, and affecting. Poor Mallet anxiously expected a letter at the Boston post-office from his family; and though it was there all the time of his numerous inquiries, he did not receive it for weeks, owing to the French pronunciation of his name, Mallay. "Had you said Mallet," coolly replied the republican, "I should have known." The varied emotions of the Frenchman-joy at having received the letter, and rage against the office-keeper for detaining it, during the expression of which he unconsciously tears the unread letter to tatters-were vigorously portrayed. The whole of this episode was, perhaps, the ablest piece of acting in the production.

An Irish critic observed upon this episode that "if Sterne had written it, he would have selected Mathews to represent it," adding that "it was intensely affecting, and the more affecting from the glare of humour, and joke, and merriment, with which this deep shade of tragedy was surrounded."

"MAIL COACH ADVENTURES," AND "YOUTHFUL DAYS."

Mr. Mathews, by request of the Prince Regent, went to Carlton House, and entertained the court, the Queen Charlotte having long felt an earnest desire to witness Mathews's Mail Coach Adventures. The prince was not only extremely attentive himself, but would not suffer a sound from any of his visitors