tempting and beautiful effect from Portfmouth ramparts. The Bath company were there at that time, with them I had nearly engaged myfelf on the late trip to Bath, had not Mrs. Strode's lucky thought intervened, and put a stop to the business, and a fortunate preventative it was. That, and another efcape of the fame kind fome years after, makes it always recur to my mind as the peculiar care of Providence. Indeed the Portsmouth engagement was a lucky golden drop of Madam Fortune's in every respect.

The Bath comedians were induced to the Isle of Wight by the felf fame bait, that at one time or the other feduces all mankind, that is the love of lucre; and which great minifters, as well as great players ever have in view. The Bath company hearing from the clatter and the din of arms throughout the kingdom, that an encampment of confequence was to be established for the fummer, and the ladies of that theatre, fhort legged and thick legged, having a prediliction in favour of the knapsack, all voted to pack up their tatters and follow the drum to the Isle of Wight. Nor are theatrical ladies fingular in that particular; indeed there needs no ghost to inform the world that females of all degrees, to use a common expreffion, fet their caps at a red coat.

Their theatrical Bath majesties therefore ordered

my.

a baggage waggon, well loaded with armour, foils, truncheons, fpears, daggers, and all the implements of war were carefully packed up in case of danger, to repel the French in their flat-bottomed boats, as well as to prove to the regiments, how ably the female warriors were prepared to face the eneThe waggon was intrufted not only with all the theatrical wardrobe, but with all their own private geer, and that seriously speaking was a property of real value, confifting of linen, clothes, jewels, regalia, &c. to reprefent kings and queens of France and England, Spain, Portugal, &c, alfo emperours and empreffes, that never were or ever will be; all these treasures and neceffaries were fafely ftowed, not forgetting the bones appertaining to Hamlet, Calista, &c. Their all was intrusted to the protection of a rude boorish Wiltshire waggoner, thunder and lightning not omitted, but left to the care of the ftage-keeper, who undertook, and faid, "He was perfectly competent from conftant practice, to conduct and guide fuch troublefome and dangerous elements."

Thunder and lightning, attended by a wonderful eclipfe, feldom pleafes even on the ftage, except in the Duke of Buckingham's Rehearfal, where it always raifes a laugh instead of a form. But lo! the whole was deftroyed by fire the firft night of the waggon's journey on Salisbury plain; this is.

not more strange than true, Mr. Keafberry, now manager of the Bath theatre, can testify the fact. It was not occafioned by the elements above, nor yet by the stage thunder and lightning, but by the waggoner's inattention, and not endeavouring to save any part of the goods, when the machine had taken fire; and confequently as no water or any affistance was to be had, all the property, to a confiderable amount, was confumed.

The diftreffed and harraffed troops mustered at Newport, where Queen Ibbot verified her favourite Shakspeare's words

They prepared as well as they poffibly could to open their small theatre, in the little town of Newport; for, then the players argument was too mournful to admit much talk.

There were four or five regiments, if not more, encamped there; the gentlemen of the army are in general theatrical and generous, and these qualities never were more neceffary than after that unfortunate fire. The gentlemen expreffed an univerfal defire to make a compensation for their diftrefs, and indeed it might be reckoned incumbent on them fo to have promifed and acted, as due to a debt of honour, to make good their loffes,

which happened in confequence of their defire to give thefe gentlemen entertainment, who were fo cooped up from their ufual round of diverfions; and certainly so established a company as those of the Bath theatre, to undertake fo hazardous and fo long a journey, had a right to expect support and respect. I went to pay my devoirs to them, by taking a boat with only one man to row me across the arm of the fea which feperates Hampshire from that charming romantic spot, the Isle of Wight. The afternoon was fine and ferene; I stayed with them two days, and was highly fatisfied with its rural beauties, but on my return the fea ran very high, and the wind blew a hurricane, which alarmed me so much, that I was really rejoiced when I got into Portsmouth; and was greatly furprised when several gentlemen of the navy told me, it was a very dangerous expedition, and what not one of them would have attempted, except on neceffity and duty, but not on any means by way of a frolick.

"As one woe treads upon another's heels," as Shakspeare obferves, fo did another misfortune happen to my good friends Mr. Keasberry and Mr. Griffith; for they had fecarcely got their neceffary repairs after the dreadful conflagration, when as Mrs. Inchbald's epilogue expreffes, "Down came an order to fufpend the ball;" or in plain English,

they had been there but a very short time, when
orders came for the whole camp to break up and
march for Cowes, and immediately embark on
board the shipping prepared for them at St. Helens,
and fail on a secret expedition against the French;
and as the town of Newport could not without
the affiftance of the army, provide for, or by any
means support the Bath company; fo the players
packed up their little all and failed for Southamp-
ton, and from thence repaired to Reading in
Berkshire, where they continued till the feafon for
the ufual opening of the Bath theatre.

My benefit at Portsmouth, was on Monday the
24th of July, the Provoked Husband, with Tea,
and the part of Cadwallader; nothing under full
price, and by defire the gallery and pit all made
one price. A great houfe was of courfe expected.
Indeed that season, I do not remember there was
a bad one; therefore no need of the traveller's ta-
lent to make it a wonder, that mine was a great

one. -

But will not the reader ftare at fuch a piece
of uncommon luck to happen, and to come
on a fudden burft? for the command of the
army was conducted fo well, and fo fecretly,
that we had not a notion or even a whisper of the
kind of any such expectations on the Wednesday;