him without a sign of effort. Our drama does not afford many specimens of the kind I mean. It was not sturdy or unceremonious virtue that Cooke excelled in the sarcasm must be malignant to suit him perfectly. He was an Apemantus, not a Kent. I remember a trait of him in private life, which shews the distinction I have pointed out in Cooke himself.

When Kemble, whom his polite adversary had designated through life by the appellation of Black Jack, had bought into the property of Covent Garden theatre, among other discordant things about that concern, he found George Cooke, and studiously tried to propitiate his sturdy rival. He gave him a dinner, I remember, in Great Russelstreet. Cooke came in good time, well dressed, and in the library we chatted very agreeably till dinner was served-he appeared to me to have read with care, and to speak with the politeness of a gentleman. When we were seated at table, he had a chair opposite to mine; and I was attentive to him, with the expectation that the moderation he shewed would pass away with the hours, and that, as we warmed with wine, I should see something of the character which the world attributed to him.

We had some mimicry that evening, and the mime made him, among others, act Harlequin. He appeared very much entertained. Munden got up a sham quarrel, and very hard words, and something beyond words, flew about. Cooke was still unmoved he seemed to wait upon Kemble; and to say, like Macduff, when he longed for the combat, -but with the tyrant only

"Either thou, Macbeth,

Or else my sword, with an unbatter'd edge

I sheathe again undeeded."

Fol. 1623, p. 150.

Whether Kemble had kept a guard upon him

self expressly, I can only conjecture; but they agreed like brothers. "Mr. Kemble," and

66

my dear George,"

perfume them both.

It was

and one nosegay seemed to

There is a time when men,

who are modest in general, become the heroes of their own tale, and this at length happened to King John-" for wine," says Johnson, "exerts its natural power upon kings." He told the story of his progress as an actor; and, among other accompaniments mentioned the little aid that he had derived from the newspapers. This seemed to

startle the company, who had not quite forgotten the even fulsome jargon in his praise, by which, more than one critic had poisoned the peace of the profession. Cooke's eye quickened, but he did not speak. At length, something like difference of opinion was manifested as to the fact, and a few stubborn particulars were gone into, which it seemed difficult to controvert. A very slight pause intervened; when Cooke, summoning up a look of the most sarcastic bitterness, fixed his eyes upon Kemble, and pronounced aloud the following lines from the great painter of man.

'O'tis a common proof,

That lowliness is young AMBITION's ladder,
Whereto the climber upward turns his face :
But when he once attains the topmost round,
He then unto the ladder turns his back,
Looks in the CLOUDS, scorning the base degrees
By which he did ascend."

Such a quotation operated like an extinguisher upon poor human vanity, and the subject was dropt. The MONITOR, I believe, soon after called for brandy, surely without necessity; and school

broke up without further mischief. Such was his mood occasionally, while on this side excess; on the other, he became so utterly and mischievously ungovernable, as even to threaten his audiences; and, patting his sword with his right hand, "wish himself among them."

In a work that looks to the passing ornaments of the drama, I must not omit to notice the death of Mrs. Montagu, which occurred on the 25th of August, 1800, at her house in Portman-square : nor forget the expressive look of Kemble, soon after, at the hatchment in front of the beautiful building, nor his happy application of Antony's exclamation when he learns the death of Fulvia:

"There's a GREAT SPIRIT gone!"

Who can forget her Essay on the Writings and Genius of Shakspeare?" or the smart reproof to Voltaire? or the general ignorance of that poet and his works, that distinguished his countrymen ? A ludicrous instance occurs to me. Guernier had been employed to make designs for Pope's small edition in twelves-now, to do this, some reading of his works seems to be necessary. Accordingly

this artist condescended to read our barbarian, and he selected, in Macbeth, the following stage-direction for the subject of his illustration.

· Eight Kings appear and pass over in order-the last with a glass in his hand."

And accordingly he read, or might have read, in the play, at eight lines distance from the stagedirection

"I'll see no more—

And yet the eighth appears, who bears a glass,
Which shews me many more."

The eighth phantom in Guernier's design absolutely holds a common wine-glass in his hand. Nor are some of Voltaire's own blunders much less. risible.

The great woman above apostrophized, was some years since at Spa, with her friend Mrs. Carter, and the late Earl of Bath, after making the tour of Germany. At Liege, the whole college of Jesuits came out to meet our two learned countrywomen; and, after an interview, confessed that fame had not exaggerated their mental powers, for they had