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greater hall, by the comedians of Drury-Lane Theatre.

FORCE OF CONSCIENCE.

AMONG the numerous instances of this nature, adduced by Thomas Heywood, in his excellent "Apology for Actors," published in 1612, the following is, perhaps, the most striking.

"The comedians, belonging to the Earl of Sussex, acted a play called "Friar Francis," at Lynn Regis, in Norfolk, in which the story of a woman was represented, who, to enjoy unmolested the company of a young fellow, had murdered her husband, and she is brought on the stage as haunted by his ghost.-During the exhibition of their play, a woman, who was an inhabitant of Lynn, was struck with what she saw upon the stage, and cried out, "Oh! my husband! my husband!" On the people's enquiring the reason for this exclamation, she confessed, that, several years before that time, to secure the love of a certain gentleman, she had poisoned her husband, whose fearful image seemed to appear before her in the shape of the ghost in the play. The woman was afterwards tried and condemned for the fact."

For the truth of this singular story, Heywood

refers his readers to the records of Lynn, and to many living witnesses. It is thus referred to in "A Warning for Fair Women," published in 1599.

A woman that had made away her husband,
And sitting to behold a tragedy,

At Lynn, a towne, in Norfolk,

Acted by players travelling that way,
Wherein a woman that had murder'd her's

Was ever haunted by her husband's ghost;
The passion written by a feeling pen,
And acted by a good tragedian,

She was so moved with the sight thereof,

As she cried out, the play was made by (of) her,
And openly confess'd her husband's murder.

SPRANGER BARRY'S POWERS OF PERSUASION.

THIS gentleman, besides the splendour of his dramatic talents, possessed, in a very eminent degree, the fascinating powers of polite address and persuasive insinuation. At no period of its history, could the Dublin stage boast so powerful a combination of talents, as when under the direction of Mr. Barry; and, although the sala-, ries of the very best actors in that day bore no sort of comparison to that of very inferior talents in this, yet his receipts were frequently inadequate to his expenditures: and he was, in conse

VOL. III.

M

quence of that, and his style of living, constantly embarrassed. He had, of course, a crowded levy of importunate claimants, but no man ever possessed, more eminently, the power of soothing that "horrible monster, hated of gods and men," -a DUN! for though most of them were sent empty away, none departed with an aching heart, for he adorned his impunctualities with such witching politeness, and so many satisfactory reasons, and cherished hopes with such encouraging prospects, as reconciled disappointments and silenced the most rude and determined importunacy. Numberless are the instances related of his management in this respect: one or two specimens may serve to illustrate his talents.

His stage tailor, at Dublin, had agreed, in order to secure to himself all the profits of his contract, to furnish materials as well as workmanship; but the manager, in process of time, had got so deeply into his books, as to expose him to much embarrassment from his own creditors: unwilling to offend so good a customer, the man had worn out all patience in the humilities of civil request and pressing remonstrances: at last, he was determined to put

on a bold face, and become quite gruff and sturdy in his demands; but the moment he came into the manager's presence, his resolution failed him, for he was assailed by such a power of bows and smiles, and kind inquiries after his family, such pressing invitation to sit in the handsomest chair, take a glass of wine, partake a family dinner, or spend a Sunday at the manager's Villa, and all that he intended to say, in urging his claim, was so completely anticipated by apologies and feasible excuses for non-payment, that he could not find courage to pronounce the object of his visit; and if he betrayed any symptoms of a disposition to reply or remonstrate, the discourse was so agreeably turned in an instant, that he could not venture to urge so disagreeable a topic, and he retired under an escort of the manager in person to the stairs' head, descended to the hall under a shower of kind expressions, and was ushered to the door by a brace of liveried footmen, rung up for the very purpose.

On his return home from these visits, his wife, who was of the Xantippean school, failed not to lecture him severely, as a ninny, who

had not the courage to demand and insist upon his right as a man, asseverating that "if she had the management of the affair, she would soon have the money in spite of the manager's fine ways:" the husband acknowledged his weakness, and said he should cheerfully resign the business to her care, but predicted that, with all her fierceness, she would be conquered also.

The good lady chose a morning for her purpose, advanced against the manager, attired in all her finery; and, armed with all her ferocity and eloquence, reached Barry's hall door, where her presence was announced by a thundering sonata on the knocker. The footman, guessing the nature of her errand, and anticipating a storm, from the fury of her countenance, said his master was not at home; just at this moment, however, the voice of Mr. Barry was heard on the staircase, calling to one of his servants, and betrayed the official fib of the lacquey. She immediately ran up stairs. Mr. Barry, who had seen her before, knew, at a glance, the object of her mission, and met her at the stairs' head, with a smile of ineffable kindness, welcomed her to his house, took her politely by both hands,

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