of Reynolds in his third comedy, called, with great propriety, How to grow Rich. The dreamers of the old school seem to have settled their notion of what they called legitimate comedy, somewhere about the Conscious Lovers; they were to be regulated by a receipt, and made like other stale and tiresome amusements, as they had ever been in the

days of yore. To "eye nature's walks, to shoot

folly as it flies," to present to the audience of the modern stage any thing seen in modern life, was somehow or other converted into a crime by these critical playwrights, and the most amusing, if not most instructive of modern authors, has literally been persecuted for painting accurately what he saw before him. The "Terence of England," forsooth! the "mender of hearts" was excessively illiberal through life; and affected to think my ingenious and pleasant friend a mere idler of the garden; who under the awful roof of Drury, would be hooted ignominiously from the stage. But in reference to the present play, where could a comic satirist find more legitimate prey (if that is the word) than the infamous Faro banks, that were now exciting the avarice and racking the nerves of what should

be the purest, as it is certainly the fairest part of the creation? What more morally in harmony, than the gibbeting a scoundrel bailiff to infamy, who opened his luxurious retirements to profligate gamblers, and taught the dishonest of high life how the defiance of injured creditors and splendid accommodation might be enjoyed together?

As to Mr. Lewis and his padded Epilogue, I can only say that I never heard such roars of laughter in a theatre; and the notion, though hazardous, was lucky but it was safe by what had prepared its way; the temper of the house had been worked up to it. Had it followed a dull comedy, Lewis must have kept the pad in his pocket-to have but named it, might have been fatal. It was encored like a favourite air, "Pray Goody," by Sinclair, or any other vocalist equally sweet and natural, if there be one. Aye, and a third time! but that exceeded Mr. Lewis's complaisance, and the pad carried him off, or he the pad, in measureless content. I really was almost as happy as the author.

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CHAPTER X.

History of Drury Lane Theatres-Their origin in the cockpit, a little before the retirement of Shakspeare-Destroyed by a mob in 1617-The Phoenix built in the same spot-Its preservation in the Great Rebellion-Rhodes, the bookseller, and his two apprentices, Betterton and Kynaston-Obtains a licence first for the Phoenix, and then joins D'Avenant in Lincoln's Inn Fields-A new theatre erected by Killigrew in Drury Lane-Opened in 1662; burnt nine years afterwards-A church brief granted on this calamity-Sir Christopher Wren builds once more upon the old spot-The advantages of his plan, displayed by Colley Cibber-Apology for its plainness in a prologue and epilogue by the great Dryden, spoken at its opening in 1674-Union of the two companies in Drury Lane Theatre-Christopher Rich patentee-Silenced by the Chamberlain-Patents dormantSir Richard Steele's licence to himself, Wilks, Booth, and Cibber-Mr. Highmore-Mr. Fleetwood-The illustrious Garrick becomes purchaser with Mr. Lacy-Twenty years' splendor of Old Drury-On the great actor's retirement, Sheridan succeeds him-At length the house is taken down— Author's regard for it, and personal acquaintance with its merits and its defects-Presages on its fall.

THE Drury Lane company acted under the management of Mr. Colman at the Little Theatre from the beginning of the season 1793-4 until their own

theatre was ready for them. It looked a mere continuation of a summer season, and merits no particular survey. Until therefore we have Mr. Holland's splendid palace to walk into, we shall fill what may be called the vacant space, by enquiring what theatres or playhouses ever stood upon or near the site of the late theatre of Drury Lane.

The reader will not be surprised to find a cockpit produce a playhouse—to cut off a segment of the circle, and apply a scaffolding of some depth as well as width provides easily in the day-time for both spectators and performers. The cock-pit was present to the mind of Shakspeare, when he opened the warlike play of Henry the Fifth.

"Can this cock-pit hold

The vasty fields of France?"

But Shakspeare's playhouses were the Globe, a summer, and the Blackfriars, a winter quarters. The cock-pit in Drury Lane dates somewhere about the period of his retirement from the scene, for in 1617 it was destroyed by the rabble though newly erected, and all its apparatus along with the building. The new edifice on the same spot was called

the Phoenix, which fabulous bird it bore in front for a sign, and thus pointed to a conflagration, as well as a renewal. It stood opposite the Castle tavern, and weathered the great rebellion as to its exterior, though the Saints were far too pure, to allow a representation within of the tragedies of any other age.

The actors there, while we had a stage, were called the Queen's servants in the reign of James the First until Queen Anne died in 1619. They then became the Lady Elizabeth's; and when Charles the First married Henrietta of France, they were styled the Queen's servants again. It is probable that Sir William D'Avenant some time before the Restoration, both at the Phoenix and within the city walls, invited those who had not totally been canted out of all rational enjoyment, to some mixed species of entertainment. But, with the actual return of the king, all restraint being removed, Rhodes, a bookseller, who had conducted the wardrobe of the Blackfriars during the long reign of Fletcher, and had kept his fondness alive through the dreary interval, fitted up the cock-pit once more, and got together a company, some of