ous and splendid audience. The theatre was made in the wood behind Benham-House, the trees formed a canopy, and the darkness and stillness of the night were favourable to the lights and dresses, which were Spanish, and very magnificent. The play was Moliere's "Statue Feast," which she had altered and cut into two acts, having rendered Don Juan's character less villainous, and the catastrophe more agreeable. After this she left England, and to contradict reports which had been spread during her absence, published her "

Journey through the Crimea to Constantinople, in a series of Letters, written in the year 1786." The motive of this long and extraordinary Journey, she declared, "was to let the world see where Lady Craven has been, and where she is to be found-it having been a practice for some years past for a Birmingham coin of myself to pass in most of the inns in France, Switzerland, and England, for the wife of my husband-my arms and coronet sometimes supporting in some measure this insolent deception; by which probably I may have been seen to behave very improperly." This desire to rescue her name and person from the ill effects of misrepresentation, was addressed to her adopted brother and correspondent, his serene highness the Margrave of Brandenburgh, Anspach and Bereith, with whom her ladyship seemed to have formed one of those delightful attachments distinguished by the name of Platonic Love: and "if I had possessed," added she, "the invaluable blessing of having him for my real brother, this

curious and unheard-of treason to my birth and character, would long since have been punished in the person who could only countenance the deceit." Though in this work she displayed an enviable share of animal spirits, and mental vivacity, it was greatly destitute. of that vivida vis unimi which alone inspires the bosom of real genius; and though professedly published to prove where she was to be found," yet in her journey she flew like another Camilla, from place to place, with steps so nimble, light, and unimpressive, that it was difficult for the reader to fix her locality. Lord Craven died Sept. 27, 1791, and his serene highness having abdicated his dominions in favour of the King of Prussia, and receiving from that monarch a princely revenue, married Elizabeth Dowager Lady Craven, and purchased the seat of the late Lord Melcombe for 8,5001. which is now Brandenburgh-House, where the Margravine still indulges her passion for private theatricals, and for that purpose occasionally employs her pen. The "Prince of Georgia," originally performed here, was acted for Mr. Fawcett's benefit, 1799; "Nicodemus in Despair," a farce most extravagantly applauded here, was played one night at the Haymarket, 1803, and received the fate it deserved. (See Abington.)

ARCHER, (Mr.) actor, is a native of Edinburgh, and made his first appearance on the stage in Dublin, 1786, in Shylock, (Merchant of Venice); in the course of which season he performed Iago, Richard, Stukely, &c.: such was his success, that he resolved on following the profession,

fesson, and having played at the theatres at Edinburgh, York, Liverpool, Exeter, &c. he made his debut in London on the Drury Lane boards, 1797, in Shakespeare's Jew. By the chicanery of the then acting manager, who was subservient to the will of Mr. K―, he was kept six weeks dangling before he could obtain his appearance, and though his reception was flattering, particularly as it was one of Mr. Kemble's characters, three weeks after his performance he received a note signed by Messrs. Grubb

the opening of Drury Lane, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 1800, a letter from the prompter, or rather, a share of a letter, (for it was addressed to Mr. Wewitzer, with especial directions to apprize Mr. Archer of the contents, and to make him pay half the postage!) informing him of the day fixed by the proprietors for the commencement of the theatrical campaign; but making no mention (probably, because that was a point as yet unsettled, the arrangements relative to the management not heing finally ad

prietors, saying, that in consequence of their present arrangements they could not avail themselves of his services that season, but promising, when an opportunity offered, he should hear from them. In six months after, he was engaged, and Mr. J. Aicken, then acting manager, acceded to his appearing in the character of Dumont, (Jane Shore); but a few days after, the book of the "Merchant of Venice" was sent him, with instructions to prepare himself in the part of Antonio. On enquiring of Mr. Aicken the cause of this change, he was told, that Mrs. Siddons had refused to perform the part of Jane Shore with his Dumont, though that lady had played Portia with his Shylock the preceding season, when it was his first appearance in London; and though Mr. Archer had, some years previous, performed many principal characters with her at Edinburgh, Worcester, &c. On Mr. Kemble's resuming the management of this theatre, Mr. Archer (then ma nager of the Brighton Theatre) received on a Friday, preceding

was intended to open. Mr. Archer arrived in town on Monday evening, and was not a little surprised to find his name announced in the bills for Laertes, (Hamlet) a part in which he had never appeared before, and of which, therefore, by the standing rules of the theatre he ought to have received official notice: no performer being bound to undertake a new part, without previous notice, for this obvious reason, that he may have time to study the character. In this dilemma Mr. Archer applied directly to the prompter, and stated his incapacity to perform the part.— The only step that could now be taken was to provide a substitute. Unwilling to lose a moment's time, Mr. Archer hired a hackney-coach, and posted to the Haymarket Theatre, then open for the benefit of Mr. Waldron, Here he met Mr. J. Palmer, who had frequently sustained the character of Laertes on the Haymarket stage, and who readily consented, at his request, to undertake the part on the Drury Lane boards. Immediate infor

mation was given to the prompter,

and

and Mr. Archer suggested the expediency of calling on the manager; but Mr. Kemble having left the theatre, and the evening being far advanced, the prompter did not think it necessary. Having thus, as he considered, in every respect, discharged his duty to the theatre, early the following morning he set off for Brighton, where he played Biron, the same evening, to Mrs. Siddons's Isabella, (Fatal Marriage). Scarcely, however, had he surmounted the difficulty with respect to Laertes, before a fresh snare was laid to entrap him. No sooner was it known to the manager that Mr. Archer had procured a substitute for that part, than he put his name in the bills of the next evening for Bernardo. The manager, by so doing, again trespassed on the laws of the theatre, and rendered himself or his agent, which is tantamount (for the deed of the agent involves the principal), a second time guilty of an act of remissness, by a second time casting Mr. Archer for a part he had never played before, without giving him previous notice. The day following (Wednesday) Mr. Archer teturned to town, and that self-same day, a letter, containing a formal discharge, was dispatched to him at Brighton, from which place it was forwarded back to him in London. The receipt of this naturally filled his mind with trepidation and alarm. He took the earliest opportunity of waiting upon the manager, who assured him, that it was not his act and deed, but proceeded entirely from the proprietors-that he hoped Mr. Archer would not attribute it to him-and he even

promised Mr. Archer, that he would exert his interest and good offices with the proprietors, to accommodate the business. In a state of painful suspence, balanced between hopes and fears, Mr. Archer continued till Tuesday, September 23. In the course of that day he went behind the scenes of Drury Lane Theatre, to watch an opportunity of speaking with Mr. Kemble. The manager caught his eye, but eluded his vigilance among the windings and intricacies of the place, and repairing to prompter, dictated a letter which was sent to him, informing him that his situation in the theatre was filled. Thus vanished all Mr. Archer's hopes of redress. After this sudden dismissal, Mr. Archer performed at the theatres in Birmingham and Worcester; at which latter place Mr. Col

man

the

saw him play the character of "The Stranger," and immediately inlisted him in his new company for the season 1803, having liberally granted him 11. per week more than he asked.

ARNE, (Dr. THOMAS AUGUSTINE) composer and dramatist, was the son of Mr. Thomas Arne, an upholsterer, in King-street, Covent Garden, whom Addison is supposed to have characterized in No. 155 and 160 of the Tatler, and brother to Mrs. Cibber the actress. He was designed for the law, but soon quitted the study intended for him by the father, for one more congenial to his taste and disposition. He procured himself à violin, and unaided by any tutor, made, in a short time, so considerable a progress on that instrument, that he was qualified

to