would have occafioned additionally to her mind, to have had the new play, on her manager's night*, thrown into confufion; however the bolts and bars being secured, and her coming privately into the Theatre to dress, and all the doors barricaded and no egrefs or regress to strange face or faces, all went smoothly on. I kept her to fup with me, and detained her till past 12 o'clock, and on the Sunday morning, under the fafe-guard, of two fturdy Yorkshire fervants, appertaining to the theatre, had her fafely conveyed to her lodgings; fhe then was fecure, and at freedom to relate all. the particulars, and proved indisputably, according to the laws of the land, that the bailiff had no right to arrest her, not only producing her certificate of marriage, but also alleging that Mr. Aickin, of the London Theatre, gave her away in marriage to Captain Sweeny, then living, though he had abfconded from her. I wrote to Mr. James Aickin, of Drury-Lane Theatre, on the subject, who did not lose a post to relieve the diftreffed wife, and give me full information, that himself, or his brother (of Covent-Garden Theatre 1792) I believe the latter, had been her papa at the marriage ceremony, and given her hand at the holy altar in Ireland: This stopped any further law proceedings on that fuit, against that * Writs are generally served on performers when their fervices are materially wanted by the manager. unfortunate, il fated woman. The last part fhe acted with me (I believe on any ftage) was Mrs. Heidlebergh, in the Clandeftine Marriage, on Saturday, April 11, 1772. I was the Lord Ogleby, and that was my laft appearance that feafon, as I was preparing in a day or two, for a trip to Ireland, truly in character as the Wandering Patentee. Her benefit was but indifferently attended; for fhe was not fufficiently known or confidered, to make her misfortunes a matter of moment or attention, otherwise no place, be it with truth fpoken, is more ready than the city of York, to help the unfortunate and feeble ;-they have on fuch occafions, hands as open as day for melting charity. When Mrs. Sweeny, with empty purse, departed from York city, he had no refource but that of producing herself in propria perfona in the Green-Room in London, who, when the left that capital, was rich in gowns and fatins well befringed, yet was fo altered in every reípect by old Father Time and a train of misfortunes, that her feelings, on entering the gay metropolis and the theatre could not be of the most exquifitely pleasing, but the most poignant, kind: Not that fhe made her public entry into the Covent-Garden palace without a fervant; for though her stage rich livery-pages had rcfigned, she was accompanied with the conftant friend and fervant at her heels; for pale 2 faced poverty was her unchanging and attentive lacquey from that time to the end of her difconfolate and weary days. She was fo reduced in pride and pocket, and looked fo meagre, wan, and changed, that folicitation was inftantly neceffary at the Green-Room of each Theatre for her immediate fupport: Such application was no fooner made, but with united heart and hand she was fuccoured and relieved, particularly from her former head quarters at Covent-Garden Theatre, where several of the performers, once her comrades, were exifting, and anxious for her future welfare. But we all know that donations, however freely given at first, by too frequent applications become tiresome; and the once feeling heart at length grows callous, and the object at firft, where distress fets the heart in alarm, the eye in a flood, and the hand in a tremble, all cease their sensibility, and what was nervous becomes eftranged, ftrong fibred, and of another complexion: Such was the lot of this once firft-rate actress. She ever preferved cleanliness to a degree that might have been a leffon to thofe of higher order, who feldom appear the goddess but when decked in falfe colours. Mr. and Mrs. Hull, her conftant friends, were ever glad to let her partake of their friendly board. The laft refource (after her various misfortunes, almost the whole of which difafters, were occafioned by falfe pride and confequence) was, by the interest of Mr. Hull to be wardrobe-keeper and dreffer at Mr. Love's little new theatre at Richmond; her weekly ftipend of courfe was but fmall it may eafily be conjectured, in a theatre of so narrow a fcale, and of a feason not more than three months in the year; yet with that pittance, the kindneffes from occafional friends, and the goodness of the affluent in that paradife of a neighbourhood, not only enabled her to exift, but to live and die comfortably, and like a Christian: Experience had made the fool wife, and the had sense enough not to murmur, but be content with her strange and unexpected lot-From the full meridian "Of her glory, she hasted to her setting, "She fell like a bright exhalation in the èvening, I must record for her honour, that I never heard of or knew her guilty of the smallest dishoneft, or mean action. She had gratitude in the extreme; and though I mean not to boast of acts of goodness from myself to that lady, I cannot help recurring to a trifle on my part to help a little. Seeing her at Mr. Hull's a year or two before her happy death, I fhook her by the hand and preffing it, made her feel the mighty sum of halfa-guinea; her expreffion in gefture was fuch as I shall never forget, fhe spoke not, but eagerly grasped my hand, kiffed it, and wept upon it, and inarticulately faid-" God bless you!" She would have bowed lower, but her feeblenefs and weight, and my shrinking from such a homage for "fomething, nothing," made me fhudder to have fuffered fuch a leffening to my infignificant self. But it certainly is a leffon for every felf, and fshews us "what we may be, as well as what we are or have been." I must intrude a few words more on the fubject, which is, to inform the public, or at least that part of the public who have not heard the true reason of the Theatrical Fund being eftablished, was owing chiefly to the misfortunes of the late Mrs. Sweeny here recorded, which the frequent applications, as before hinted, made it inconvenient and impoffible to comply with; and every one fhuddered at what might be his or her fate from illness, old age, or "the thousand ills that flesh is heir to." Mr. Hull was the first proposer of that noble institution, which will be engraven not only on his tomb, but what is better, in the hearts of every brother and fifter performer for ages yet to come. The inftitution is now made permanent for both the companies of comedians, of Drury-Lane and Covent-Garden, and will be a lasting monument for the credit of the stage and its profeffors. The Theatrical Fund was put into practice during the life of the |