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Sneak, in the " Mayor of Garratt," as he was much celebrated in the character song of "Oh! Poor Robinson Crusoe!" In this song, he had as many "encores" as he pleased; and on a certain evening, having sang it three or four times, the curtain drew up for another part of the night's entertainment, when, to the astonishment, but still greater delight, of the Sadler's Wells' auditory, Cussans started up from the very centre of the shilling gallery, vigorously singing "Oh! poor Robinson Crusoe !" nor would the Wellsites suffer the drama to proceed till he had again sang it twice from the same spot.

Poor Cussans! brandy was his death, and water his grave; for he died on his voyage to a softer climate, and was buried in the deep.

Such were the "clubs"-such the "Court of Comus!"-ex uno, &c., and such was the place (we confess it with a blush) where Robert William, oblivious of dear Mrs. Collins, "when the playhouse doors were shut," satisfied his young curiosity. Shaking his plumes from the encumbrance of rule, and unbuckling the heavy breastplate of decorum— here, amongst the "free and easy," we track the footsteps of our adventurous hero, but (as the "bills" express it) "for this night only"-at least, we hope so-and will therefore leave him to all the gratification the adventure can afford.

CHAPTER V.

An unexpected meeting-Elliston a critic-Widow Collins. again-Elliston a public lecturer-" The Artichoke"-Earl of Harcourt-His Lordship's letter to Mrs. Elliston-Observations on Elliston's "Charles Surface"- Sheridan's note the Duchess of Devonshire-Two letters of Lord Harcourt-Elliston plays before the King-A royal fête at Frogmore-A curious adventure with Davis, the pugilist― Remarkable anecdote of George III.

By one of those fortuities which render truth sometimes stranger than fiction, the unhappy parents of our hero, between whom, it will be remembered, a separation had taken place many months before, were now brought, face to face, tout à coup, in the small back parlour of a chemist's shop, in Somers Town.

A crowd had collected before the glazed door, owing to a person having been carried within who had a few minutes before fallen down in a fit. The good mother, passing at the time, being well known to the compounder of drugs, gained ready admittance; and prompted by something better than

AN UNEXPECTED MEETING.

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curiosity, approached the unfortunate sufferer just as he was "coming to." No sooner had she fixed her eyes on the object in question, than the epileptic shock seemed instantaneously conveyed by contact with the patient, and clasping her hands, she faintly exclaimed, "Robert!" and sank on a chair beside him. The one was the horloger, Elliston himself, and the good Samaritan no other than his faithful helpmate, whose affection for her husband neglect had never weakened nor separation estranged.

But this rencontre was destiny rather than chance, or "chance, direction, which they could not see;" for being thus brought together, a renewal of conjugal rights was the result; and a cottage, in the neighbourhood of Bath, was taken and furnished for the aged couple-the expenses of which, young Elliston, with some assistance from the Doctor, cheerfully engaged to defray. The old lady, however, did not long enjoy the comfort thus provided -she died in November, 1798.

On Elliston's return to Bath, in 1799, he found his father in a very alarming state, who was therefore immediately removed from the cottage to his son's house, where he lingered till the June of the following year, and then expired. The fact was, both mother and son had gone through much vexation and painful trouble on the watchmaker's account. Drink had sadly disordered Nature's works;

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ELLISTON A CRITIC.

and the time-piece, man, was no more. If his amiable mate had ever found him a blessing, he was, beyond all question, a blessing in disguise, for he was seldom sober. So, in his age, like the old eagle, he lived only on suction-it was both his malady and his medicine.

"Si nocturna tibi noceat potatio vini,

Hanc tu mane bibas iterum, et fuerit medicina."

As a proof of Elliston's sincere and attentive devotion to his art, at this period of his career, it should be noticed that he was in the habit of drawing up an analysis of each part previous to his first appearance therein. For a brief example, we give an extract of his view of the character of Panglos.

"It is no uncommon thing to find men of letters courting the hand of power or fortune, by descending to meannesses which an independent mind would shudder at. Knowledge, it would be supposed, should fortify the mind to bear disappointments and meet the casualties of life with firmness, but no sooner does the gripe of poverty bind us, than we frequently forget the theorems which have convinced us in books, and altogether discard our philosophy in practice. In this state is the subject of our present contemplation. He continues with few or no attempts to release himself from the caprice and insults of his employers, and his conscience is presently reconciled to his interest. His

HIS REMARKS, ETC.

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quotations are not unnatural and irresistibly laughable, and we forgive his vanity for the sake of the mirth it causes. We are not elated at his success, because he has not deserved it. His reverse of fortune we behold with indifference, because his nature is not deeply vitiated.

"Comic characters are seldom analyzed in their moral features; we laugh at singularities, without regarding their tendency, which may possibly be bad. The oddity of Panglos, his pedantry and cringing, all combine to make him ridiculous; but the author has done good dramatic justice; for, while we find the Doctor amusing, to answer the cause of theatrical entertainment, he is left contemptible, as a lesson to take home with us."

Happy should we have been to leave undisturbed the good impression which no doubt our hero has made on our readers, by this example of professional diligence; but, as faithful historians, we are compelled now to present them with a letter, which may possibly raise more than a suspicion of his fallibility, and call to mind those sundry airy securities for good behaviour which in 1792 he showered on his confiding uncle, and made us tremble, at the time, for his liabilities. The epistle is from the conservative Mrs. Collins, who, from the storehouse of her affection, supplies the following admonition-the exigency of which occasion will be explained by the tenour of her words.

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