never live to look so high as the two-penny room again," says Ben Jonson, in the prologue to

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Every Man out of his Humour," acted for the first time at the Globe, on Bankside, in 1599. The price of the "best rooms," or boxes, was a shilling; of the lower places twopence; and, in some places, only a penny. The two-penny room, mentioned above, was the gallery. Thus Decker: "Pay your twopence to a player, and you may sit in the gallery."—Belman's Night Walk. And Middleton: "One of them is a nip; I took him once in the two-penny gallery, at the Fortune." The place, however, seems to have been very discreditable, for it is commonly described as the resort of pick-pockets and prostitutes. In "Every Man out of his Humour," we have also mention of" the lords' room over the stage." The lords' rooms answered to the present stage boxes. The price of admission to them appears to have been originally a shilling. Thus Decker, in his Gul's Hornbook, 1609; "At a new play you take up the twelve-penny room, next the stage, because the lords and you may seem to be hail, fellow, well mét."

LINES TO O'keefe.

(Said to be written by Peter Pindar.)

THEY say, O'Keefe,

That thou'rt a thief;

That half thy works are stol'n, or more;
I say, O'Keefe,

Thou art no thief;

Such stuff was never writ before.

THE BEGGARS' OPERA.

It was Dean Swift who first suggested to Gay the idea of the "Beggars' Opera," by observing what an odd pretty sort of a thing a Newgate pastoral might make." Gay," says Mr. Pope, "was inclined to try at such a thing for some time; but afterwards thought it would be better to write a comedy on the same plan. This was what gave rise to the "Beggars' Opera." He began on it; and when first he mentioned it to Swift, the doctor did not like the project. As he carried it on, he showed what he wrote to both of us; and we, now and then, gave a correction, or a word or two of advice; but it was wholly of his own writing. When it was done, neither of us thought it would succeed. We showed it to

Congreve, who, after reading it over, said, 'It would either take greatly, or be damned confoundedly.' We were all, at the first night of it, in great uncertainty of the event, till we were very much encouraged by our hearing the Duke of Argyle, who sat in the next box to us, say, ' It will do, it must do—I see it in the eyes of them.' This was a good while before the first act was over; and so gave us ease soon, for that Duke, (beside his own good taste) has as particular a knack as any one now living, in discovering the taste of the public. He was quite right in this, as usual; the good nature of the audience appeared stronger and stronger in every act, and ended in a clamour of applause."

During Mr. Colman's management of Covent Garden Theatre, the Magistrates of Bow Street, with wonderful regard for the public morals, wished to suppress the "Beggars' Opera," which was then, as now, a great favourite. The following is the correspondence that passed on the subject:

"From the Magistrates in Bow Street. "The Magistrates now sitting in Bow Street present their compliments to Mr. Colman, and acquaint him, that on the "Beggars' Opera" being

given out to be played some time ago, at Drury Lane Theatre, they requested the managers of that theatre not to exhibit the Opera, deeming it productive of mischief to society, as, in their opinion, it most undoubtedly increased the number of thieves; and that the managers obligingly returned for answer, that for that night it was too late to stop it, but that for the future they would not play it, if the other house did not. Under these circumstances, from a sense of duty and the principles of humanity, the Magistrates make the same request to Mr. Colman, and the rest of the managers of his Majesty's Theatre Royal Covent Garden, the same Opera being advertised to be played before this night.

"Bow Street, October 27, 1773.”

Answer.

"Mr. Colman presents his best respects to the Magistrates, with whose note he has been just honoured. He has not yet had an opportunity of submitting it to the other managers; but, for his own part, cannot help differing in opinion with the Magistrates, thinking that the theatre is one of the very few houses in the neighbourhood, that does not contribute to increase the number of thieves.

"Covent Garden, Wednesday Morning."

JOHN KEMBLE AND EARL PERCY.

WHEN at the York Theatre, Mr. Kemble was in need of a few soldiers, to enrich certain processions, and he therefore applied to an officer of a regiment, stationed in that city, for permission to engage some of his men. The officer rudely refused; observing, that his men had better things to learn, than the duties of a theatre. Mr. Kemble repulsed, but not vanquished, renewed his application to the then Earl Percy, who had higher authority; and his Lordship granted the permission required, and indeed directed that the men should assist Mr. Kemble in any way, in which he could render them serviceable. Several years passed, the York days were over, and Mr. Kemble had become the I proud favourite of London, when, one morning, Dr. Raine, the head master of the Charter House, was commissioned to request, on the behalf of a nobleman, Mr. Kemble's assistance in the education of his son. Mr. Kemble replied that he was compelled, from want of leisure, and on other accounts, to decline all such occupations; and, therefore, much as he regretted it, he was under the necessity of refusing the application of his friend. Dr. Raine observed, as he was leaving