of being a women of talents, and it was the business of her life to give dinners to all the wits of her day. It was observed by a French author, "it cost far more pains and trouble to gratify this species of ambition, than it did Cromwell to become Protector of England."

Dufresne quitted the stage in disgust, at rather an early period of life. Happening, one day, to commence his part in a low tone of voice, which was strictly suitable to the character he had assumed, the pit cried out several times, "louder! louder !" on which the actor, who was extremely piqued at this unseasonable intervention, replied: " and you, gentlemen, not quite so loud." He was sent to prison, and obliged to apologize: but he immediately withdrew, after this painful ceremony. He died 25 years after, in 1767.

DEATH OF A PERFORMER ON THE STAGE.

On the evening of the 20th of June, 1817, during the performance of the tragedy of " Jane Shore," in the Leeds Theatre, Mr. Cummins, who played the part of Dumont, had just repeated the benedictory words :

"Be witness for me, ye celestial hosts,

Such mercy, and such pardon, as my soul

Accords to thee, and begs of Heaven, to show thee,

May such befall me, at my latest hour"

when he fell down on the stage, and instantly expired. The shock inflicted upon the feelings of the audience soon spread through the town, and so general a tribute to departed worth, as was every where manifested, was seldom witnessed. The performance, of course, immediately closed. For some time Mr. Cummins, the circumstances of whose death so nearly resembled those of Mr. Palmer, had laboured under that alarming malady denominated an ossification of the heart; and to this circumstance, added to the strength of his feelings in the mimic scene, is to be attributed his death. Mr. Cummins held an elevated rank in the York company for nearly half a century.

MATHEWS.

THIS celebrated mimic once applied to the late Tate Wilkinson for an engagement, offering himself as a low comedian; Wilkinson, looking at his stature, replied, "low comedian ?"—" Aye, sir," answered he, "low comedian." Every one who has seen Mathews, must have observed the singular habit of his mouth, when he speaks.

Tate, who was ignorant of this, replied, "that will do; that will do, so, pray, spare your ludicrous faces."

THE CRADLE OF SECURITY," A MORALITY,

ACTED AT GLOUCESTER.

THE following extract from a book entitled, "Mount Tabor, or Private Exercises of a Penitent Sinner," by R. W. Esq. 1639, will give the reader a more accurate notion of the old moralities, than a long dissertation upon the subject.

"Upon a Stage-Play, which I saw when I was a Child.

:

"In the City of Gloucester, the manner is, (as I think it is in other like corporations,) that when players of interludes come to the town, they first attend the Mayor, to inform him what nobleman's servants they are, and so to get licence for their public playing and if the Mayor like the actors, or would shew respect to their Lord and master, he appoints them to play their first play before himself and the Aldermen and Common-Council of the City; and that is called the Mayor's Play, where every one that will, comes in without money, the Mayor giving the players a reward as he thinks fit to shew respect unto them. At such a play my father took me with him, and made me stand between his legs, as he sat upon one of the benches, where we saw and heard very well. The play was called "The Cradle of Security," wherein was personated a King, or some great prince, with his Courtiers, of several kinds, whereof three ladies were in special

grace with him; and they keeping him in delight, and pleasures, drew him from his graver counsellors hearing of sermons and listening to good counsel and admonition, that, in the end, they got him to lie down in a cradle upon the stage, where these three ladies, joining in a sweet song, rocked him asleep, that he snorted again, and, in the mean time, closely conveyed under the cloaths wherewithall he was covered, a vizard, like a swine's snout, upon his face, with three chains fastened thereunto, the other end whereof being holden severally by those three ladies, who fell to singing again, and then discovered his face, that the spectators might see how they had transformed him going on with their singing.

"While all this was acting, there came forth out of another door, at the further end of the stage, two old men; the one in blue, with a serjeant at arms his mace on his shoulder, the other in red, with a drawn sword in his hand, and leaning with the other hand upon the other's shoulder; and so they went along, with a soft pace, round about by the skirt of the stage, till, at last, they came to the cradle, when all the Court was in the greatest jollity; and then the foremost old man with his macé struck a fearful blow upon the cradle, wherewith all the Courtiers with the three ladies and the vizard all vanished, and the desolate prince starting up barefaced, and finding himself thus sent for to judgment, made a lamentable complaint of his miserable case, and so was carried away by wicked spirits.

"This Prince did personate in the Moral the wicked of the world; the three ladies, Pride, Covetousness, and Luxury; two old men, the end of the world and the last judgment. This sight took such impression in me, that when I came to man's estate, it was as fresh in my memory, as if I had seen it newly acted."

MRS. DIDIER'S

FAREWELL ADDRESS.

Spoken at the Bath Theatre, Feb. 7, 1807. CAN none remember, nay, I know all must, When the great Siddons gave her reasons just, For quitting those whose approbation drew Her wond'rous merits, first, to public view? Three reasons, only, could that prop unfix, Whilst dame Didier, alas! has sixty-six ; Look in my face, and there so plain appears Th' unerring mark of six-and-sixty years. My reasons are not little girls and boys,

Their doating parents' anxious cares and joys; But twelve long months (of good deeds or of crimes),

Repeated over six-and-sixty times!

Though I might boast, that many a comic bro

ther,

Had, of this theatre, long hail'd me-mother. Nay, whilst we've Garricks, infantile and raw, I may be termed this stage's-Grand-mamma.

Twice twenty years ago, my lot was cast― Here should my scenes of future life be past;

* This lady was daughter to a person of respectability, in Wales, and sister to Mr. Du Bellamy, of Covent Garden Theatre.