with a feverity the meanest in the Mufes' train fcarcely merits. A fentimental gentleman, or unk-maker, as he calls himfelf, who makes more noife than work, in the Public Advertiser, protefts there is not one good line in the Grecian Daughter! while another, this morning, infults the understanding of the million, by loudly affirming the comedy of All in the Wrong, to be one of the most wretched plays that difgrace the English Stage.

As to the dirt flung at Mrs. Abington and her tinfel wardrobe, it cannot foil either; Mrs. Abington is in poffeffion of what no diftinguished actress in this kingdom can boat of, (which fhe has on a thoufand occafions convinced the feeling world of) a heart "tremblingly alive" to the most diftant calamity, and furely her perfecutor cannot fay as much for his dear, bewitching, charming Mifs Younge! Mrs. Abington needs not the fword of Rinaldo to vanquish her enemies, for they are very few, and forry am I to affirm it for a truth, these are confined within the narrow limits of the theatrical world; a place where there is very little reputation to lole, and where many of the fons of gemius are employed to affaffinate the worthy. Candid criticifm is eftimable, and metits all praife, but why wantonly defcend to illiberal abuse? If Mrs. Abington is in pollefion of thofe attractions, perfonages in fuperior life think worthy their imitation: Is the fault hers-for a fault it certainly is with her calumniators? Is a work of genius lefs eftimable, because it has admirers of the firft rank in life? Should Shakespeare be lefs read because a fovereign adinires him?

Real errors, or public infult requires correction, fo that I fhall make ufe of no apology in addreffing a few lines to

GEORGE COLMAN, Efq;
SIR,

When the Hay-market Theatre fell

into your hands, the admirers of the ftage were led to fuppofe you intended it for a theatre, in which the Comic Mufe was to appear with all her beautiful attractions about her; but how have they been difappointed in beholding it turned into a booth, lefs refpectable than that of your neighbour, Mr. Lawrence, whole puppets are a much more refpectable company than thofe you fuffered to appear in your theatre last night. As to the infult offered the public, by announcing the appearance of demireps of the high ton, who never fhowed their lovely faces, except in a metamorphole, of reptiles from Hedgelane, or the regions of uglinefs, whom d-1 Davis the caterer, protefted (with one in each hand) were the identical Mifs Watfons! This, Sir, you might have been a ftranger to; but you could not be a ftranger to the tricks of the execrable wretch who furnished out the entertainment for the evening; who, after the hodge-podge concluded, fent that infamous woman, Mifs H-t, to infult a deluded audience, by thrusting her face through the flit of the curtain, laughing and fhaking her hand at the exasperated affembly.

A lady of fashion, who was deceived by the bills, took her feat in the flage box, and in ten minutes after in jumps a journeyman fhoemaker with a dirty apron and arrayed in his working apparel! It was fome pleasure to find the audience refent this indignity, by having the fellow turned out.

As you mean, Sir, to prevent abufes of this nature in future, and as I underftand you have now a fcore washers and fcrubbers cleanfing your theatre from the dirt and noifome effluvia left behind by draggle-tail fervants, who were emboxed for the first time in their lives, I fhall reft fatisfied with this fhort admonition.

HE Emperor of Germany, in his day he arrived at Rome, went to fee the Princefs Santacroce, a young lady of fingalar beauty, who keeps a grand converzatione. This vifit, efpecially as his imperial majefty had before this time betrayed a penchant for the faid lady, gave birth to the following pafquinade, which appeared the next morning: Pafquin afked Mar

forio, "What is the Emperor Jofeph "A braciar la Santa Croce"-To kifs the Holy Crofs.

Anecdote of Quin and King Derrick.During the reign of King Derrick, like many other monarchs, his civil lift was often in arrears, and he was obliged to have recourfe to a vote of credit to raise the neceflary fupplies. One day being

precifely

precifely in this predicament, and greatly importuned by his taylor, to pay a bill of long ftanding, he applied to his old acquaintance James Quin. The ex-comedian received him with great politenefs (confidering the natural rufticity of his manners), and having learnt Derrick's errand, told him, "he was greatly mortified not to have it in his power to accommodate fo great a man, as he had that very morning paid away all his cash ; but that he expected a bill from London, to wards the end of the week, when he might reft affured, he fhould command any fum he wanted." After this declaration, he waited on the king to the bottom of the flairs; but before the fervant had fhut the street door, the diftreffed prince heard Quin vociferate," John, that fellow comes to borrow money-whenever he calls again, you may be fure I am not at home."

The Emperor Sigifmund was reproached for rewarding inftead of deftroying his enemies, and by that means giving them the power again to injure him. What,' faid the noble-minded monarch, do not I. defroy my enemies when I make them my friends?

Bon Mot of Henry IV of France.---Tho' this prince had conformed to the Catholic religion, in order to obtain the crown, yet, as the fincerity of his converfion was much doubted, many plots were formed againft his life; and one John Chaftel, a difciple of the Jefuits, having attempted to affaffinate him, but only wounded him in the mouth, being queftioned what could infligate him to the commiffion of fuch a crime, frankly owned that he was urged to it by the pious fathers of the above fociety. "Well (faid the king, who was prefent at his examination) I have often heard from the mouths of others, that the Jefuits were my enemies; but am now convinced of it by my own."

A foldier in the garrifon of a fmall town of Pruffian Silefia being fufpected of making free with the ex voto, or offerings, made by the pious Roman Catholics, to the celebrated image of a wonderworking virgin; he was watched, and upon his being fearched, two filver hearts were found upon him. He was dragged before the magiftrate, imprifoned, tried, and doomed to death, as a facrilegious robber. In the courfe of his trial he con

- ftantly denied his having committed a theft, but that the virgin herfelf, in pity to his poverty, had ordered him to take the above offerings. The fentence, with the

prifoner's defence, was, as ufual, laid before the king. His majefty conversed with feveral of the Popish divines, afking them whether fuch a miracle was pollible, according to the tenets of their religion. They unanimously answered, that the cale was very extraordinary, but not ablolutely impoffible; upon which the king wrote in his own hand the following words:

"The culprit cannot be put to death, because he pofitively denies the charge, and that the divines of his religion declare that the miracle wrought in his favor is not impoffible; but we ftrictly forbid him, under pain of death, to receive any prefent from the Virgin Mary, or any faint whatsoever.

Signed FREDERIC."

Bon Mot.---Mr. Macklin the comedian, going the other day to one of the Fire Offices to infure fome property, was asked by the clerk, how he would please to have his name entered: "Entered," replied the veteran of the Sock; " why, I am only plain Charles Macklin, a Vagabond by act of parliament; but in compliment to the times, you may fet me down, Charles Macklin, Efquire, as they are now fynonimous terms !"

Anecdote of a late celebrated Wit.---As this gentleman one morning very early was walking through one of the streets near Grofvenor-fquare, he was accofled by a fhabby looking man, who afked him the way to Tyburn, to which the gentleman (who was remarkably fond of jefting on every occafion) replied, why friend, you need only rob the first perfon you meet, and you'll find your way thither very cafily. The fellow returned him thanks for his advice, and prefenting a pistol, or dered him to deliver, under pain of having his brains blown out if he refused, with which fevere injunction our wit was obliged to comply (feeing no alternative) to his very great mortification, as he thereby loft his jeft and his money at the fame time.

EPIGRAM ME.

LE Roi Chretien penfe qu'il a le droit,
A toute la nature de donner la loi,
Le balon s'envole malgre de par

le Roi.