Gout; then the Town-Major and I went in Pursuit of both the High-fheriffs to their Houses, and from thence to the Taverns, where we heard they were, but we could find no Magiftrate, till One o' Clock in the Morning, above a Deputy Conftable. A deplorable Cuftom! which, I hope, will be soon abolished in that great City, where that useful Officer, the Constable, is by Deputation, put into the Hands of a low, mean, forry Scoundrel, who officiates for the Housekeeper for two Guineas; and thus a thousand Enormities and Rogueries are committed by the very Officer who fhould defend the Public from them. These were the only civil Officers the Town-Major and I could find; and the Captain of the Guard very juftly refused to march under the Direction of fuch a Man, and without a Magiftrate or Conftable

I 3

ftable the Guard could be of no Manner of Ufe. But I muft obferve, that on the Report of the intended Riot at the Theatre that Night, and knowing also that it was to be on a Party-occafion, the Magiftrates were fuppofed to conceal themfelves defignedly.

From this Account of the Behaviour of the Magiftrates, my Reader will conclude, that the Manager had, in this Difpute, quite loft the Favour and Protection of the Public; his Situation of Affairs, in this Difpute, was vaftly altered from the first Riot, where all the Advantages were on his Side. Here he was given up by the Grave and Judicious, nay even by the Courtiers, who all agreed he should have ftroaked the growling Lion, and not have gored him.

This

This univerfal Opinion in his Disfavour foon inclined him to give up the Management of the Theatre, and to determine to fet his Foot there no more; and accordingly he took his Leave in a very pathetic, affecting Addrefs to the Public, which was published about a Month after. And now, with my Reader's Leave, we will look back to the Caufe of all this Mifchief.

Mr. Digges was called upon, by a determined Set of Men in the Pit, to repeat a favourite Speech that pleafed them, and fuited their Purpofe; and he indulged them by repeating that Speech; and then the Play ended quietly. Very well. Just before the fecond Night of Performance, the Manager thought it his Duty to give

upon that notorious Abufe of the Profeffion of an Actor. And when Digges

This Speech was printed some Time after, in a fhort Vindication of the Conduct of the Manager; in which, amongst many juft Obfervations, was the following:

"I do not pretend to dictate to you in your pri"vate Capacities; every Man born under our happy "Conftitution has a Right to think as he pleases, and

"

fpeak his Sentiments, provided they are not re"pugnant to the Laws of the Land, and the Rules of "civil Society; but in your theatrical Character, I have "an undoubted Right at least to advise you. I lay it "down then as a Maxim, that the Bufinefs of an Actor is to divest himself as much as poffible of his private Sentiments, and to enter, with all the Spirit he is Mafter of, into the Character he reprefents; and this is an indisputable Claim, which the "Public in general have upon him. But if an Actor,

in order to please Part of that Public, fhould, by "any unusual Emphafis, Geflure, or fignificant Lock, "mark out a Paffage in his Part (which at another Juncture he would pafs by lightly) as a Party-firoke! he, in that Inftance, steps out of his feigned Cha"racter into his natural one, than which nothing can "be more disgusting or infolent to any Auditor, who "came with no other Intent but that of seeing the "Play, &c. &c."

(who

(who plainly found the Severity of the Discourse was levelled at him) asked if he fhould To-morrow Night be reduced to the fame Situation, and fhould oblige the Audience with repeating the Speech, what was to be the Consequence? if his complying was to incur his Displeasure? When he was answered, No; he might do as he pleased. Surely, when the Audience called on him to repeat it, and with the fame, or greater Violence than before, he should not have thrown out that Infinuation, as if the Manager had enjoined him not to comply with their Request; and his faying he had private Reasons, and that his Compliance would be greatly injurious to him, was pointing their Refentment fully at the Head of the Manager; and though (as I have obferved) Digges did go on, and acquit Mr. Sheridan from lay