From the moment when the proceedings of the Committee of the House of Commons, appointed to investigate the conduct of His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, began to be published, they engrossed my whole attention. As these proceedings advanced, and developed that happy assemblage and striking contrast of characters, which were exhibited in the sly inuendos of the useful and friendly Dr. Thynne; the brilliant sallies and arch repartees of that celebrated courtezan Mrs. Clarke; the solemn importance of the gratuitous barrister Mr. Adam; the cautious reserve of his humble prototype, the equally gratuitous lawyer, Mr. Rowland Maltby; the mechanical precision of the military secretary Colonel Gordon; the sensitive mentory of Mr. Donovan, which only moved when touched by the finger of recollection; the courtly officiousness of General Clavering, who came forward to mar the veracity of Mrs. Clarke, but unfortunately marred his own; the unsuspecting confidence of Mr. Reed, who, for the honour of his hotel, believed the lady, who passed a night there with one of his lodgers, to be the wife of the gentleman with whom she slept; the convenient forgetfulness of Mrs. Favery, who forgot not only the name of the street, in which she lived for years, but even every circumstance about her own father and mother; the confidential talents of Mr. Greenwood, who had the merit of inditing the farewell epistle from His Royal Highness to his mistress, and of conducting the negociations with her, through the Ambassador of Morocco; the interesting timidity of Mrs. Corri, who, as a pattern for all good wives, dreads the anger of her husband; the distressing sensibility of Miss Taylor," whose tale of poverty, distress, and illegitimacy, was wrung from her agonised bosom ;-when all these personages, I say, passed in review before me, I could not help exclaiming, "Heavens! what an incomparable group for the formation of my Dramatis Personæ !

་

Again, when I contemplated that succession of interesting events, and unexpected discoveries, which marked the progress of this investigation-the apprehension of a Conspirator, who was proved by Mr. Lowten to be only a mad parson, and therefore sent by the House of Commons to continue his edifying labours at one of the fashionable chapels of this metropolis; the miraculous préserva-tion of a whole packet of letters, long since doomed to the flames, but providentially saved by the prying curiosity of a landlord; the solemn communication made to the House, by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, of a forged note purporting to be the hand-writing of the Commander-in-Chief, being in the possession of Captain Huxley Sanden; the Captain's denial of the existence of this note; the declaration of Colonel Hamilton, that the Captain had acknowledged to him his having destroyed this note; the subsequent production of this note, and the awful pause that ensued when it was proved to be a true note; the commitment of Captain Sanden for prevarication respecting this note; the dignified air with which Mr. › Speaker resumed his awful chair of state, and with his hat on his head, and his arms a-kimbow, received the unhappy prisoner; while with the energy of his manner the powder flew out of his wig, and all St. Stephen's trembled as he shook his head, as once Olympus trembled

at the nod of Jove.-But the sublimity of my theme is betraying me into a style too lofty for epistolary correspondence. I shall therefore only say, that, on reviewing these striking incidents, I congratulated myself on the unparallelled interest and stage effect which they could not fail to produce; and triumphed by anticipation in the bursts of applause my intended Drama would hereafter receive from brilliant and overflowing audiences!

When I adverted to the examinations and cross-examinations of the different witnesses, to the sapient queries said to be put to them by some of the honourable members; queries which would have dumbfounded Solomon himself, for "true, no.meaning puzzles more than wit;" to the archness and flippancy with which Mrs. Clarke quizzed the lawyers; to the blunders of the Irish barrister, who asked her, whether she signed that anonymous letter with her own name, or that of any other person; with what delight did I survey this inexhaustible fund of rich, witty, and humorous dialogue!

These invaluable materials suggested to me, as you will easily conceive, the design of dramatising this investigation. I was at first under great apprehensions lest the same idea should occur to Mr. Sheridan: but as he absented himself from the house, after having surprised it one evening by catechising Mr. Dowler on the score of morality, with all the pious gravity of a bishop, my fears of his interference subsided, and I set to work with all my might.

8

To doubt the success of this undertaking, Sir, is impossible: for during the original exhibition at St. Stephen's chapel, the benches were stuck over with tickets, bearing the names of the members who had secured their seats by attending at prayers, just as the walls of an empty house are stuck over with hand-bills. I should have premised, that by the courtesy of the house, the members who attend at prayers are entitled to keep their seats during the debates of the evening; and, in virtue of this rule, Mrs. Clarke has contributed more to promote devotion among our representatives, than any woman living, or than probably she ever dreamt of being entitled to take credit for. As to the gallery, it was crowded every morning at an early hour; the sacrifice of a tedious day being thought amply compensated by the entertainments of the evening; and disappointed thousands envied the happy few who gained admit

tance.

I am aware of no valid objection that can be offered to the plan I have undertaken; unless that you may think it impossible to comprise all the voluminous evidence, and protracted debates, respecting this investigation, within the compass of a Drama. But if you read them with attention, you will soon be satisfied, that if nine questions out of ten that were put to the witness had never been asked, and if nine speeches out of ten that were made by the members had never been delivered, the investigation would have been just as complete in all its parts as it now is, and therefore this objection is at once removed.

At the same time, I frankly acknowledge, that my mind is embarrassed and perplexed with very serious difficulties and it

f

is from a sense of them, that I am induced to address myself to you, of whose literary talents. I entertain the highest opinion, in order that I may obtain the benefit of your advice and assist

ance.

In the first place, I had been much at a loss what title to give my play; for much depends upon a good title. Indeed, a good title is as important to a play, as a good name to an individual. My original intention was, to call it the Commander-in-Chief; as Shakspeare has called several of his plays, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and others, after the principal personages whose actions they rela'e; but I relinquished this intention, on considering, that in this case, the Commander-in-Chief, though certainly the principal personage, never comes forward in his own proper person. The Investigation is applicable enough as a title; but wants strength and signification. I therefore propose calling it The Conspiracy; a name which, while it is sufficiently impressive to arrest the attention of the public, can give offence to neither party, as each may construe it in his own sense. The Ex-secretary at War may suppose it to countenance his idea of a Jacobin conspiracy against the House of Brunswick, set on foot by the machinations of lowlived republican incendiaries, enemies to monarchical government and social order: and Mr. Whitbread may apply the term to that species of conspiracy against monarchical government, which he says is hatching, not in cottages, but in palaces; not in the seditious principles of the vulgar, but in the prodigal debaucheries of princes. I mean, therefore, to call my play The Conspirator, unless your ingenuity can suggest a more appropriate title.

In the next place, I was long undecided whether to make it a tragedy or comedy. In the opinion of the critics, "the subject best fitted for tragedy, is where a man has himself been the cause of his misfortunes, not so as to be deeply guilty, nor altogether innocent: the misfortune must be occasioned by a fault incident to human nature, and therefore in some degree venial. Such misfortunes call forth the social affections, and warmly interest the spectator." The history I have to narrate, completely accords with this description; and partakes of the nature of modern tragedy in another respect, that while the actors were grave, the audience was laughing. But then, on the other side of the question, it bears the strongest resemblance to comedy, because the incidents are much more of a comic than a serious nature. Most of our modern comedies, in the style of the French Comédie larmoyante, are so interlarded with pathetic sentiment, and our tragedies are so enlivened with sprightly buffoonery, that, generally speaking, no man can possibly guess, whether what he is listening to be tragedy or comedy, till he comes to the last scene of the last act; when it is denominated the one or the other, according as it pleases, the author, to make the conclusion fortunate or unfortunate." Now, the conclusion of this story was not left to my discretion, and is of the most indeterminate description imaginable; for though a retreat has hitherto been considered as an unfortunate event, yet recent authorities have declared it to be fortunate, and even tantamount to a victory. Buonaparte foolishly imagined that he had the best of

the late campaign, after he had driven us out of Spain, with the loss of our baggage, ammunition, military chest, and magazines; but His Majesty's Ministers expatiated on the advantages we had gained by this useful diversion, as they termed it, and Parliament voted their thanks to such of our general officers as had the good fortune to get home safe to receive them. If a retreat was so glorious in this afluir, why may it not be equally so in that of His Royal Highness? and indeed the cases seem to run parallel throughout. We lost the place for which we were contending, and our money, in the one; and His Royal Highness lost his place, and emoluments, in the other. We saved our honour; and His Royal Highness, having been acquitted of corrupt participation and criminal connivance, has saved his honour too; and may fairly sing Te Deum. In order to put an end to all my perplexities on this point, I have decided to call my piece a Drama, a term which I hope will meet with your approbation.

Another point to be considered is, whether the representation should or should not have the adventitious aids of music, singing, and dancing. These are the great support of modern compositions; and may be introduced without any violation of the unities of time, place, or action. I have ready to my hand, Mr. and Mrs. Corri, and the boys whom he was in the habit of bringing to sing to Mrs. Clarke, in Gloucester-place. Mrs. Clarke may perform an ac companiment on the beautiful harp presented to her by Captain Huxley Sanden; and a dance may follow with the greatest propriety. If you think this Italian music should be diversified with a few convivial songs, to please the galleries, I can give the Twelfth Night Supper-scene in Gloucester-place, so humorously described by Mr. Corri; when the gentlemen sat drinking to a very late hour, and laughed at him for being such a fool, as to give the 2001. note to Mr. Cockayne the lawyer, who put it in his pocket very quietly, saying in the Italianised version of the dialogue, "It is one act of very good generosity on your part, Mr. Corri."

tre.

These, Sir, are the principal points ou which I wish to consult you, as to the composition of the piece: but now I have to advert to a most unfortunate obstacle to my views of fame and profit, that has lately presented itself in the conflagration of Drury-lane theaIt was a leading feature in my plan, as Mrs. Clarke appears to have no engagement upon her hands at present; and I acquiesce from the bottom of my heart, in the sentiment of Mr. Donovan, that she would be "a treasure in every way," to have engaged her myself as soon as my Drama was ready for the stage. I should not have paid her so ill a compliment as to tell her, that "if she was clever, she would never apply to me for money;" but have relied in full confidence on her talents for maintaining such an establishment, as that to which she has been accustomed in Gloucester-place. My scheme would have been infallible, as you will admit, when you recollect the attractive graces which this inimitable actress displayed at the bar of the House of Commons: for I meant to advertise in the play-bills announcing the representation of my Drama, the part of Mrs. Clarke to be performed by herself. But alas, Sir, all my dreams of affluence, all my fond hopes of bliss, or to use Mr. Whitbread's

expressive metaphor," of laying my head in the lap of this Delilah, and being shorn of my strength," are now blasted : for how can I expect Mrs. Clarke will so far condescend as to -tread the boards of any of the minor theatres; or where can I now find room to accommodate the numerous audiences that would have flocked to the representation of my Drama? And if I wait till Drury-lane or Covent-garden theatres are rebuilt, some new faux-pas in high life will probably intervene, to engross the public attention, and the Duke and his Darling both be for gotten.

In this dilemma, I am strongly inclined to publish my play, while the impression of the subject is still strong upon the public mind; but am unfortunately rather embarrassed about the means of so doing, at the present moment. I cannot publish it by subscription, because my friends are already very impatient for the appearance of another work, the subscriptions for which I received about two years ago; and I cannot publish it in any other way, because I am entangled with a churlish ignorant bookseller, who has no other way of judging of the merits of his authors, than by looking at the debtor and creditor side of their accounts. I have therefore to propose to you, Sir, that if you will give my piece a few finishing touches and corrections, and make the necessary advances for printing and publishing, we will divide the profits between us. If this proposal meets your approbation, the manuscript shall be immediately sent for your perusal, your concern in the undertaking shall remain a secret, and you will, of course, announce in your next number, that such a Drama is in great forwardness, speaking of it as a production that has excited the highest expectations in the literary world, as well from the uncommon interest of the subject, as from the established reputation of its reputed

author.

Grub-Street, March 25, 1809.

I am,

Sir,

Your great admirer
and faithful servant,
MARGITES.

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. LEVER requests us to state, that his work on Seamanship, noticed in our last, is sold for 31. 3s.

Colonel's Letters; Theologus; and the excellent Essay of Mr., J— B—, with several other favours, shall appear in our next.

A letter will be forwarded to Mr. G.

The indisposition of the Theological Reviewer has occasioned the omission of the important subject of "Divinity" this month, which it is hoped will be speedily resumed.