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AN ALPHABETICAL ACCOUNT, AND CHRONOLOGICAL LISTS, OF THEIR WORKS,
212 THE DATES WHEN PRINTED, AND OBSERVATIONS ON THEIR MERITS:

TOGETHER WITH

AN INTRODUCTORY VIEW OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS

OF THE

BRITISH STAGE.

ORIGINALLY COMPILED, TO THE YEAR
DAVID ERSKINE BAKER

CONTINUED THENCE TO 1782, BY,
ISAAC REED, E. A. S..

And brought down to the End of November 1811, with very sinsidérable
Additions and Improvements throughout, by

STEPHEN JONES.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. I.-PART II.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,

T. PAYNE, G. AND W. NICOL, NICHOLS AND SON, SCATCHERD
AND LETTERMAN, J. BARKER, W. MILLER, R. H. EVANS,

J. HARDING, J. FAULDER, AND GALE AND CURTIS,

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tification, told that her relation had retired from business, and was settled in Wales. -Her alarm at these unexpected tidings, and her evident distress (it being near ten o'clock at night), moved the compassion of the people of the house where she inquired, who, at her request, generously accommodated her with a lodging. This civility, however, awakened suspicion : she had read in novels the various modes of seduction which were practised in London, and apprehended that she was in a dangerous house, this suspicion seemed confirmed by the entrance of a corpulent old lady, whose appearance exactly corresponded with the description she had read of a procuress. While, therefore, they were whispering their pity for her youth, and extolling her beauty, she suddenly snatched up her bandbox, and, without saying a word, rushed out of the house, leaving the people to stare at each other, and repent of their compassion. Mach fatigued and alarmed, she knocked as a house, where she saw a bill announcing "lodgings

INCHBALD, MRS. ELIZABETH,
is the daughter of Mr. Simpson,
a reputable farmer at Staningfield,
near Bury St. Edmund's, in Suf-
folk, who had a numerous family.
Having lost her father during her
infancy, she was onder the care
of her mother, who, on her be-
coming a widow, continued to
occupy the farm, and brought up
her children with all due atten-
tion. Miss Simpson had an im-
pedument in her speech, which
prevented her from being much in
company; for she was scarcely in-
telligible to any one who was not
well acquainted with her. During
her solitary hours, she applied her
self to books; and, anxious to be
come acquainted with the customs
and manners of the world, of which
she had read so much, she formed
the resolution of visiting the me-
tropolis; and, finding that her in-
tention was contrary to the wishes
of her friends, she seized an op-
portunity, early one morning in
February 1772% of elaphsg from
her family. She had previously
packed up a few necessaries in a
bandbox; and, with these, ran
about two miles across some fields,. ́*•
and there waited with imparence
for the stage, which conveyed her
to London. At this time she was
about 16 years of age, and re-
markable for beauty of features,
and elegance of figure. Having
often heard her family speak of a,
distant relation who lived opposite
Northumberland House, in the
Strand, on her arrival, in London
she took a hackney-coach, and
sought this asylum; but, on reach-
ing the place, was, to her great mor-

VOL. I.

to belet," pretending that she was a milliner's apprentice, whose mistress had unexpectedly a number of visitors from the country that occupied all her beds, and had therefore desired her to seek a temporary accommodation. The veracity of her story was naturally doubted; but she persisted in her tale, till, on turning about, to her great surprise and confusion, she perceived the identical tradesman, whose house she had so precipitately left, listening attentively

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MAR 5 1912

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to her solemn assertion. Impelled by curiosity, and determined on, knowing who and what she was, this man, had followed her to the present house.-Confounded at this detection, she attempted another escape; but the door was locked, and she was detained as an impostor. Sincerity was all that she had now left; and, with a flood of tears, she confessed her real situation. But even now her truth was doubted, and the woman of the house desired a constable to be sent for; but her son, a boy of twelve years of age, more humane than his mother, joined his tears with those of the poor stranger, and by hi- intercession she was dismissed, and left to wander the streets of London again.

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absolutely paid for a journey which she did not intend to take.

She now turned her thoughts on a theatrical life, and to Mr. Inchbald, of Drury Lane theatre, whose name she remembered in the playbills at Bury St. Edmund's, she resolved to apply for advice respecting an engagement. This gentle man, with whom she had been hitherto unacquainted, but had free quently seen him in her own neigh, 1 bourhood, introduced. her to ano ther performer of Drury Lane, who had purchased a share in a country theatre, and who, struck with her beauty, gave her an immediate engagement, without any trial. He became also her instructor, and she imagined that in him she had found a friend; but one evens'! ing, while she was reciting a part, t an altercation arose, when her master coolly intimated, that he meant to be repaid for the engage-c ment be had given her with other services than those required for a theatre, and which if not rendered, the engagement should be void. Indignant at his proposal, she availed herself of the tea-equi pre hiely day on the table; dis charged the contents of a basin of scalding water in his face; and, before he recovered from his sur 2 prise, had vanished down stairs.

She now walked whither chance directed her, and exposed to all those insults which unprotected females must encounter. At two o'clock in the morning she found herself at Holborn Bridge; and, seeing the stage set off for York, which she understood was full, she cutered the pretended to be a disappointed passenger, and. solicited a lodging. This scheme succeeded; though the Tandlady,.. runch suspecting her character, took the precaution of locking the door where she slept. i vam sheShe repaired to Mr. Inchbald, and rose at her usual hour; for Having no bell, she could not apprize the family that she was up. She was therefore obliged to wait till noon; when the landlady was pleased to liberate her, informing her that the York stage would set out again that evening. This intelligence having been delivered with an air of suspicion which was very cutting to Miss Simpson, she iminediately took out all the money she had, to the last half-crown, and

informed him of every circumstance. Affected by her sorrow, this gentleman endeavoured to soothe it; and recommended marriage as a security against insult., "But who would marry me ?*** cried she. "I would (he replied "with warmth), if you would "have me." Yes, Sir, and "would for ever think myself "obliged to you. In a few dayss they were married; and thus, an expectedly, she became both

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wife and an actress. Mr. Inchbald introduced her on the stage in Scotland, where they remained four seasons; and the two succeeding years they performed at York. Mrs. Inchbald's health being now much impaired, a tour to the south of France was recommended; and, after staying abroad about a year, she returned with her husband, with whom she lived in the most perfect harmony. Two years after their return, Mr. Inchbald died, at Leeds, where he was buried. The following inscription to his memory, written by Mr. Kemble, now of Covent Garden theatre, is placed on his tomb, and is here inserted as no unfayourable character of him:

Siste, Viator! Hic sepeliuntur ossa JOSEPHI INCHBALD, HISTRIONIS,

Qui æqualium suorum
In fictis scenarum facile princeps evasit,
Virtutisque in veris vitæ claruit exemplar.

Procul este, invida superstitio,
Et mala suadens religionis turbidus
amor!

Vestris enim ingratiis, hic lapis omnibus prædicabit

Quòd in his humi sacræ carceribus

Vir recti semper tenax, Sociis charus,in pauperes, pro re,benignus, Pater optimus, maritus fidelis, Societatis jurum in cunctis observantissi

mus,

Otii gaudium, nec non seriorum
ornamentum,
Expectans

De clementia Numinis immortalis,
Æterna frui felicitate
Requiescit.

JOS. INCHBALD,
Annum agens quadragesimum quartum

Octavo Iduum Junii
Mortem Obiit
Anno MDCCLXXIX.

Mrs. I. now visited London again, and obtained a situation in Covent Garden theatre, where she made her first appearance as Bellario, in Philaster, Oct. 3, 1780.-She vi

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sited Dublin in 1782, and per formed under Mr. Daly's management. On her return, she procured a reinstatement at Covent Garden. It was during her ab sence from this theatre, that, to divert a melancholy mind, she ap plied her attention to dramatic writing. Having produced a comedy, she read some of it to Mr. Harris, who disapproved of the piece; whereupon she sent it, anonymously, to Mr. Colman, then manager of the Haymarket, and it remained in that gentleman's possession near three years unnoticed. Notwithstanding this discouragement,[she persevered, and, availing herself of the then rage for balloons, sent him a farce, called A Mogul Tale; or, The Descent of the Balloon. The subject probably induced Mr. Colman to pay this more attention. He read, approved, and accepted it; and its success induced Mrs. Inchbald to remind him of her dormant comedy; whereupon he immediately replied, "I'll go home this mo

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ment, and read it." He did; and having approved of that also, gave it himself the title of I'll tell what, and brought it out in you 1785. Mrs. Inchbald afterwards produced several other dramatic pieces while she continued an ac tress; and in consequence of some difference of a literary nature with the manager of Covent Garden, at the close of the season of 1789, she retired from the stage. Her mother died in 1786; and her brother, having been left executor, took upon himself the conduct of the farm. He, however, was killed in a duel in 1795, aged fortytwo.

Besides her dramatic pieces, which we shall presently enumerate, Mrs. I. has produced two

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