not sometimes use their interest on such occasions to the advantage of an author? O, to do him justice, very readily took the hint and as readily promised to exert all the little influence he possessed, to serve the friend of his friend: : so that the finale of the business consisted in my seeing the Piece safely deposited in the Comedian's pocket, and in my own return to my abode with a less tiptoe step than that wherewith I quitted it.

Rejection the Fifth. This I had at least the consolation of receiving in most respectful form, and viva voce, from no less important a personage than the junior "Sub:" having, by the Comedian's advice, waited in person upon the great men, within ten days from the delivery of the Piece, resting my hopes of access to them upon the simple transmission of my card. Nothing of consequence to relate, beyond the rejection itself, occurred at this interview: and when I made my call upon the Actor from whose exertions I had at first hoped so much, to report my ill fate to him, he merely observed upon it, that I had been much better treated than himself; for that he had just had a Farce returned to him, after its having been accepted by the Management, solely owing to the caprice of an Actress who was to have sustained the principal character in it, but who had thought

proper to quarrel with and quit the House on the eve of her forth-coming in the character alluded to.

Possibly the reader may entertain some surprise, that, after such repeated failures, I should again subject a dramatic effort of mine to the censure of either House: and, indeed, accident alone occasioned the succeeding application for managerial favour. A relative of my own, who had some slight intimacy with the late celebrated statesman and patriot, Mr. Whitbread, conceived he could procure for me the patronage of that great man, whose influence at one of the theatres was at that time supposed to be paramount. At his suggestion, I addressed myself by letter to the Statesman; and accompanying my letter by the piece, committed both to the care of the friendly prompter to a step, by myself considered as too enterprising, although I was repeatedly assured that measures of this kind were frequently resorted to by dramatists, from a well-grounded conviction that "interest, interest, was every thing." In about a week afterwards, my relative brought me the agreeable information, that he had placed. the packet in the hands of Mr. Whitbread himself; and that Mr. W., having opened it, and read my letter, in his presence, had expressed himself greatly pleased with the style

and tenour of what I had addressed to him. Once again, therefore, my hopes arose: and yet, before another week had passed, the whole romance of expectation was destroyed by

Rejection the Sixth; some circumstances attending which deserve to be recorded. The established form was as duly preserved in this rejection as in every preceding one: and for this reason, I scarcely troubled myself to look at the theatrical underling's brief epistle, every syllable of which was to me "familiar as household words." But I did consider it singular, that the Statesman's interest, had he exerted it, should have obtained for me no more important a return. When, as in melancholy musing I passed my fingers among the leaves of the production so often and so carefully restored to me, a LETTER fell from the midst, which I almost started from as it dropped upon the carpet. What!-could it be possible?--had the Piece been merely sent back for alteration, of which this letter (from some high official personage I presumed) informed me the just reasons and occasions? Was the underling's epistle "all a mistake?"-Or had the Statesman himself retired from his contemplations upon the national affairs, to an hour's enjoyment of a dramatic treat for his jaded faculties, of the merits of which he now most condescendingly

favoured me with an opinion? All these ideas rushed upon my mind, before I could collect myself to stoop and recover the letter still lying upon the ground before me; but which, upon actual examination of the envelope, (whose seal was already broken,) I discovered to be superscribed-" Samuel Whitbread, Esq." -and the contents as follow:

SIR,

"6 Having taken the liberty of addressing myself to you before, upon a similar occasion, (altho' not honoured "with any answer) I apprehend I may be deemed too presuming "in thus troubling you again, notwithstanding the warm recom"mendation of my friend, and your kind assurance, at the time, "that his request should be attended to. 1, however, can't but "believe, from the circumstances then stated, that if any thing "else, judged better entitled to your patronage, should be offered, "it would afford you pleasure to patronise it: and as such, Sir, "I have most respectfully to intreat your countenance for a "Farce, now at Drury Lane, and which is of great consequence 66 to me, and I trust will not be found unworthy of your notice.66 It is called "The Hoax," and was sent to the Theatre about "five weeks ago, in consequence of a very obliging letter from "the Secretary, and his assurance that it should be attended to: "but not having heard of it since, my anxiety, and a hope to "interest and engage your powerful protection for it, has induced me to take this liberty, for which I have to solicit your pardon. "I have the Honour to be, Sir,

66

There were three conclusions which I now

drew from Rejection the Sixth, accompanied, as

it was, by this extraordinary enclosure. 1st. That Mr. Whitbread, whatever pleasure he had derived from the perusal of my letter, had derived none from that of my Piece; and that he had consequently dispatched it, along with a score or two besides it might be, all of which he had read with equal care, for the verdict of the theatrical censors; making only the small mistake of putting a letter, to which I had no manner of claim, into "Act III. Scene 2." of my Play, instead of into his coat-pocket.* 2ndly. That the aforesaid theatrical censors had at length unwittingly hit upon a method of convincing me, by nothing less than demonstra tion itself, of the veracity of their claims to "much attention" in reading the pieces upon whose dramatic fitness they decided: for it was impossible to suppose otherwise, than that it was by a most uncommon accident they had overlooked the two pages of the Piece in question, from between which the Letter of S. S

* The original of this Letter is now in the Publisher's hands, in order that "S. S De" may re-possess himself of his rightful property, if he desires it, upon proof satisfactorily made of his title thereto. Or,-as the deceased Patriot was as liable to mistakes with regard to one author as another, and as it is clearly possible, therefore, that he might have placed my Letter in the leaves of "The Hoax", at the same time that he deposited this gentleman's within those of my Play,-perhaps an exchange, by which we might mutually recover our addresses to the said Patriot, would be agreeable to both parties.