terminated in the breaking of a blood-vessel. She retired to the green-room, and expired a very short time after. Mr. Jefferson was on board the ship in which Theophilus Cibber, Maddox, the wire dancer, and others, were lost, on the passage to Ireland. Mr. Jefferson, Arthur, the comedian, and his family, Mrs. Chambers, and some others, leaped into a small boat, and were saved. Mr. J. performed many seasons on the same stage with Garrick, and as an actor was more than respectable. In conjunction with Arthur and another, he built a theatre at Plymouth, and was a long time the manager and favourite actor there. In 1796 he sold the property for a clear annual benefit, which was always productive, and on these occasions, he appeared on the stage in parts which would permit him to be seated, the gout having deprived him for many years of the use of his feet. He was about 76 at the time of his death, which occurred two or three months ago. He has left several children, all on the stage, except one, who is in the navy. The eldest daughter is the wife of Mr. Butler, the manager of the Harrowgate theatre.

Mrs. WHITE, the wife of an actor, died lately i Ireland. She was one of the infant pupils of Garrick; and her father (a Mr. Simpson, of Aberdeen, in Scotland,) was Mr. G's assistant and particular friend. Garrick brought her out in the character of Violante in "The Wonder, a Woman keeps a Secret," at the age of 14, with his Don Felix, in which she proved very successful; having in her infant years performed all the principal children's characters with that great man. She continued but a short time in the profession, when she was married to Charles Fleetwood, Esq. a son of the old patentee of that name, of Drury Lane theatre, who soon after died at Bengal, in the East Indies; where on his arrival, he was informed of the decease of his wife's brother a short time before at Madras, a Captain John Simpson in the army.-Mrs. White, being defrauded of all the property left her (which was considerable) both by her brother and husband, was necessitated to return again to the stage.

Mrs. SARAH KEMBLE.—This venerable lady, the mother of John, Stephen, and Charles Kemble; Mrs. Whitlock; Mrs. Twiss; Mrs. Mason, and Mrs. Siddons, expired on the 25th of April. She was the daughter of Mr. Ward, an actor in the time of Betterton, but who

quitted the London boards to undertake the management of a strolling company. Mr. Roger Kemble was engaged as one of the actors, and a mutual attachment taking place between him and Miss Ward, the lovers eloped, and were married. Mr. Ward, though he disapproved of the match, became at length reconciled to the young couple, and when he died, the theatrical crown and sceptre fell into the hands of his son-in-law. The following is one of his play-bills, in which the names of Mr. and Mrs. R. Kemble, Mr. Siddons, the present Mr. John Kemble, Mrs. Twiss, and Mrs. Siddons, appear among the dramatis persona.

WORCESTER, February 12, 1767.

Mr. Kemble's Company of Comedians.

At the Theatre at the King's Head, this evening, will be performed a Concert of music, to begin exactly at six o'clock.

Tickets to be bad at the usual Places.

Between the Parts of the Concert will be presented, gratis, A celebrated Historical Play (never performed here) called

CHARLES THE FIRST.

The Characters to be dressed in Antient Habits, according to the fashion of those times.

The part of King Charles, Mr. Jones;
Duke of Richmond, Mr. Siddons *

Marquis of Lindsay, Mr. Salisbury;

Bishop Juxon, Mr. Fowler;
General Fairfax, Mr. Kemble;
Colonel Ireton, Mr. Crump;
Colonel Tomlinson, Mr. Hughes;

The part of Oliver Cromwell, Mr. Vaughan;
Servant, Mr. Butler;

James Duke of York (afterwards King of England)

Master J. Kemble.

The Duke of Gloucester (King Charles's younger Son)
Miss Fanny Kemble;

Serjeant Bradshaw (Judge of the pretended High Court of
Justice) Mr. Burton;

The Young Princess Elizabeth, Miss Kemble;
Lady Fairfax, Mrs. Kemble;

The Part of the Queen, Mrs. Vaughan.

Singing between the Acts by Mrs Fowler and Miss Kemble.

*The husband of Mrs. Siddons, who followed her mother's example, and married a performer in her parents' company, without their sanction.

To which will be added a Comedy, called

THE MINOR,

And on Saturday next, the 14th inst. will be again presented the above Tragedy, with a Farce that will be expressed in the Bille for the day.

The days of Performance are Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Mrs. Kemble had a very commanding figure, and it is said, possessed great merit as an actress both in tragedy and comedy.

POETRY.

CANZONET.

WHEN Sickness, scourge of sorrow's race,
Has sped its fate-wing'd dart,
When health, at most, of trivial space,
Sinks in the sallow fiend's embrace,
Nor leaves behind one blooming trace,
Then throbs the heart!

The livid lip, the hollow eye,

And drooping head of pain,

For those we love, excite a sigh,

Bid softest pity linger nigh,

And prompt a pray'r beyond the sky,
For health again.

Then holy Hope asserts her sway,
Man's latest friend below;
She pictures health's returning ray,
To cheer the gloom of sorrow's day.
And seems to point a speedy way,
To steal from wqe.

But should the damps of death appear,
Nor leave the pow'r to save;
Let holier Hope still stop the tear,
For, lo! to check each rising fear.
Religion whispers, heav'n is near,
The Good Man's grave.

Feb. 7, 1807.

J. M. L.

The Wood Damon.-This "grand romantic melo-drama is the production of Mr. M. G. Lewis, and is taken from one of his own tales of wonder. Count Hardyknute, (Mr. Decamp,) the hero of the piece, has stipulated to sacrifice a human victim to Sangrida, the Wood Dæmon, on a particular day in each year, before the clock strikes one. In return for this favour, the Dæmon makes him very rich and very handsome, who, before these articles of agreement, was poor and ugly. On failing to fulfil the conditions of this " merry bond," he is himself to become Sangrida's prey. The child whom he fixes upon for the tenth annual supper of his principal, is Leolyn, (Miss C. Bristow,) the rightful heir to the title and estates which Hardyknute has usurped. This child is dumb, and has been secretly brought up by Clotilda (Mrs. Harlowe,) as her own; but the barbarous Count recognizes him by the mark of a bloody arrow on his wrist, and therefore instantly resolves to offer him as a bonne bouche to the hungry Dæmon. The arts by which he endeavours to get the boy into his power are counteracted by the vigilance of Clotilda, and Una, (Mrs. H. Siddons,) a beautiful lady, to whom the Count pays his addresses, but who is selected by guardian spirit of Holstein (Miss Lacy,) to be the preserver of little Zeolyn, and the instrument of vengeance on the authors of this dia

the

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bolical compact. The time approaches for the fulfilment of the agreement. It is almost one o'clock, and the boy has eluded his search. Una is therefore to supply his place, but just as Hardyk qute is going to dispatch her, Leolyn climbs up the clock, and advances the hand. It strikes one; the Wood Damon immediately appears, and whipping up her friend the Count, down they both go to settle their differences in another apartment.

Monstrous and horrible as is this story, it is managed so as to have a powerful efect in the representation. There is, at times, considerable interest, particularly in the scene of the bed-chamber, and the concluding incident is very dramatic. It might be justly objected, that the useful purposes of the stage are frustrated and perverted by exhibitions of this kind; that they are calculated only for the eye of childhood, and to scare old women out of their wits, if they have any but as these facts are known and admitted by those who are pleased with, and run after them the most, we may spare ourselves the trouble of admonition. The scenery is upon a grand scale, and the decorations are very splendid. The dialogue provoked much disapprobation on the first night, and it is certainly not worthy of Mr. Lewis's pen; but he has shewn much ingenuity in the contrivance of the plot, and the conduct of the principal incidents. The Tale of Mystery, Deaf and Dumb, and other favourite productions, will supply the spectator with frequent resemblances, Leolyn is a mixture of Francisco and Julio. Clotilda is almost precisely Fiametta. Willikind and his old father, are Solomon and Peter in the Stranger.

Mrs. H. Siddons was extremely impressive in Una; and the acting of Mrs. Harlowe is entitled to more than ordinary praise. The little Bristow was full of fascination and interest. A Miss Feron was introduced to sing a song. She surprized us by her execution, but did some violence to our ears. Miss Lacy, who spoke some lines of which we could not catch a single word, is the young lady who performed Zamora in the Honeymoon, two seasons ago, at Covent Garden, for Mr. H. Johnston's benefit.

Kelly has not been very happy in his selection of the music, which seems to be chiefly taken from the Opera ballets. Much of it is but poorly adapted to the business of the scene. The overture, which

is excellent, is said to be the composition of Winter.

Of Douglas, which preceded the melo-drama, we must say, that it was never so badly acted, nor was the language of poetry ever more shamefully mutilated.

The Day in London is a comedy by Mr. Cherry, but as it died on the third night, we need not devote many lines to it. The dialogue of some of the scenes does him very great credit, and makes us regret that the piece was so short-lived. The writing certainly displayed considerable force, point, and elegance, but while the characters spoke, the business flagged; and language, unsupported by passion or incident, cannot keep long possession of the scene. The two leading characters, Sir Sampson Import and Lady Mary, followed, also, too closely the track of Sir Peter and Lady Teazle.

Mr. Lewis's tragedy of Adelgitha, or the Fruits of a single Error, is to be introduced on these boards for the benefit of Mrs. Powell.