faited to his powers, he almost reached perfection on the very first night of his appearance,as, through the whole courfe of the play, he met with the most unbounded and merited applaufe. The public faw in him a genius for the stage, which, matured by fcience, promifed every thing which the profeffion could beftow. He did not difappoint their hopes. His fubfequent characters, though not fo highly relifhed, or congenial to his natural abilities as Zanga, yet all partook of excellence-the town followed him with a kind of rage the whole of the feafon; and as he was regularly fupported by the young Gentlemen of the College, this was one of the most profitable feafons to the Manager he ever experienced, being two thousand pounds more than any of the preceding years.

Though Moffop had established his reputation as a first-rate actor, had his choice of parts, with a falary proportioned to his merit, yet, on fome trifling difpute with the Manager, he left him on the close of the season, and coming over to England, got an engagement at Drury Lane Theatre on very advantageous terms.

He chofe Richard III. for his debût ; and though it often happens that the fame of an Actor on the other fide the water does not bear an equal va lue here, yet Moffop's excellence was of that sterling merit, as to pass current in any country. He had, however, to ftruggle in the comparison with Garrick's Richard, reckoned one of the chef-d'œuvres of that incomparable actor; but notwithstanding thefe difficulties, he was received with univerfal applaufe-his ftrong and harmonious voice, which he could found from the lowest note to the higheft key, gave great energy and dignity to the dialogue; and though he did not fhew all that verfatility which Garrick exhibited in this character, yet his level speaking and declamatory fpeeches poffeffed a confiderable fhare of merit.

His next reprefentation was Zanga; and in this he was allowed through life, and by the best critics, to be unequalled. There was a pride-a turbulence and jealousy in the natural character of the man, that feemed to correfpond with the feelings of the actor; and from the moment he opened the play to its laft fcene, he never loft fight of the part;

it was (fays Davies, in his Life of Garrick) a mafter-piece, and his wild

burft of perfidy, acknowledged and juftified in the fifth act, ftruck every auditor with a degree of aftonishment."

To Zanga followed Pierre, in Venice Preferved, where, by his full-toned voice and ftrong expreffion of fentiment, he gave uncommon spirit to the warmth and paffion of the character; and in the interview with the confpirators in the third act, threw a gallantry into his action, as striking as it was unexpected. By-the-bye, this fcene, which not only developes great part of the main business of the play, but is otherwife a fine picture of the different characters of the confpirators, was formerly much difgraced by Pierre's addreffing one of the confpirators in the following words:

"Or thou! with that lean, withered face!"

On this challenge, an Actor (who was felected for the purpose) of a most unfortunate figure, with a pale countenance, ftood up with a half-drawn fword, and prefenting himself to the audience,, turned this fine fcene into a burst of ridicule. The famous Tony Afton, the well-known itinerant Comedian, was the last performer of this abfurd part.

Moffop's reputation being fully establifhed in thefe parts, Garrick, with his ufual judgment, felected others for him, which would equally add to the Actor's fame and the Manager's treasury-such as Caled in the Siege of Damafcus, the Duke in Measure for Measure, Memnon in the Ambitious Stepmother, &c. &c. But notwithstanding his allowed excellence in all thefe parts, he was not fatisfied in the niche he filled at this Theatre. Whether it was that he envied Barry his fuccefs in the Lover and the Hero, or that his ambition led him to afpire to general excellence; he would make the experiment, and that experiment failed his tones were totally unfit for tenderness or joy, gaiety or vivacity-nor did his folemn tread and formal figure correfpond with fuch characters.

But although the Town and the Manager knew his unfitnefs for thefe parts, he either did not, or affected not to know it himfelf-he was ever too much the dupe of his own flattery, but in this inftance he had the affittance of an injudicious acquaintance.

Mr. Fitzpatrick, a Gentleman of independent fortune, and a critic of fome note in his time, having had fome tri

fing

fling difpute with Garrick at a club they belonged to, was mean enough to carry his refentments to the Actor, and, like all men poffeffed of the spirit of malice, fought his revenge at the expence of his judgment-hence he expofed himself, by almost daily criticifms on the action and elocution of Garrick-the town laughed at these impotent attempts, but, fed by his own vanity and refentment, he went on, and Moffop imagining himself injured by Garrick, Fitzpatrick took him up as an engine to fight his quarrels, and a new vehicle for his invective.

With this malicious view, he not only magnified Meflop's talents for the more imperial parts of tragedy, but in the fofter fcenes of love and tendernefs; and that it was to referve the character of an univerfal actor exclufively to himfelf, which induced Garrick to shut him out from a fuperior claim.

What could induce Fitzpatrick to carry his refentments againit Garrick even at the expence of duping the man whom he called his friend and protegee, will be best explained by the following

anecdote.

Fitzpatrick was a confiderable member of what was then humourously called "the fourth Eftate of the Conftitution," viz. "The Shakfpeare Club," which confifted of a number of critics, who occafionally reforted to the Bedford Arms, and who being amateurs of our immortal Bard, under this title, added to their convivialities the pleatures of the drama, and dramatic criticifm. Garrick was likewife a leading member; when one evening it being propofed to contrive fome peculiar marks of honour from their Society to the memory of Shakipeare, a Gentleman moved, "That as Mr. Garrick, who was allowed to be a great admirer, and the bet fpeaking commentator of the poet, was abfent, a bufinefs of that kind thould be poftponed till another opportunity."

This fired Fitzpatrick, who feeling too warmly the comparative merit between a liberal and, what he might think, a mercenary Critic, replied, "that he wondered any Gentleman should propofe deferring the bufinefs of the Club, on account of a member's abfence, who was certainly the most infignificant perfon that belonged to their Society." Garrick was told this, and called for an explanation, and feveral conferences were held, but to no pur

pofe. Fitzpatrick attacked him in newspapers and pamphlets, and finally obtained a victory over Garrick, by raining a party for preventing full price being taken on the night of a revived play, and Garrick had his revenge, firit by the publication of a poem of his, called, "The Fribbleriad," in which, with confiderable humour and vivacity, he plays with the character of Fitzgigg, the hero; and next, by the poetical interference of his friend Churchill, who, in his rough, broad, fatiric manner, depicted Fitzgerald as one of the very worms of the creation.

Under fuch a feducer, Moilop's plain, unfufpicious, yet proud temper, could not long be at reit-he constantly demanded fuch characters as were totally unfit for him, whilft Garrick as conftantly remonstrated on the impropriety of them, and brought the receipts of the treasury on thofe nights he played fuch characters as the belt vouchers for what he afferted. This, however, brought no conviction to Moffop's mind-'twas "all for Love, or the

world well loft"-he quitted Drury Lane with difguft, and went to Ireland, where for one or two feafons he played with confiderable fuccefs.

On his return to London about the year 1759, Garrick, forgetting all rival jealoufies, again fought him, and again reinstated him in his former parts; but the dæmon of diffatisfaction ftill purfued him, and in 1761, he quitted Drury Lane and the English Theatre for ever in fearch of Irish adventures.

Barry and Woodward at this time were joint Managers of Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, and knowing Moffop's abilities, and that they would clath lefs with Barry's powers than with Garrick's, were glad to engage him at a confiderable falary-the arrangement of their plan was well laid, and Moffop's abilities being directed to a right point, their lift of Tragedies were strengthened in fuch a manner, as to afford the highest entertainment to the amateurs of the drama: as an exemplification take the following caft of parts-Ventidius to Barry's Marc Antony, Pierre to his Jaffer, Chamont to his Caftalio, Bajazet to his Tamerlane, Horatio to his Lothario, Caled to his Phocyas, &c. &c.-in fhort, Imperial Tragedy, for fuch parts, perhaps was never better fuftained.

The stage thus ably fupported, Mof. fop's fortune and reputation were at full tide, till his unhappy genius again

croiled

croffed him in the idea of becoming a rival Manager. Barry and Woodward were the first who faw this, and faw in it confequences that would be fatal to both Theatres. To prevent this, they offered Moffop the tempting offer of a thousand pounds per annum, with the restriction of only playing twice a week, to relinquith his fcheme —but in vain-" aut Cæfar, aut nullus" -There fhould be but one Theatre in Ireland, and he should be at the head of it. This was not only the language of his own vanity, but of a number of fathionable females, who protected him, and who, without either judgment or difcretion, would take him from almoft a finecure fituation, to place him at the head of Smock Alley Theatre, under all the refponfibilities of fuch an undertaking, and with a rival and established Theatre in oppofition.

The fcandalous chronicle of the day gave likewife other reafons for Moffop being prevailed on to become Manager. Several of thefe females were deep gamblers; and as they had a certain degree of influence from their fashion, and intereft amongst their tradefinen, to favour the receipts of his houfe, he would be the better enabled to become their dupe in another way. A well-known Countefs (long fince called to a reckoning, for this and other loofe accounts) was at the head of this party, and is faid to have played the part of a rook with great rapacity. Thus, though Moffop's firft feafon (from novelty, variety, and the influence of his friends) nominally filled his treasury, he might have parodied the words of Macheath, by faying, "the ftage has done me juftice-but the gaming-table has been my ruin."

A paper war likewife enfued about this time between Barry and Moffop, relative to the abrupt manner of the latter's quitting his engagements at Crow Street Theatre, in which the loweft and moft fcurrilous abufe took place of all reafon and argument. The rival newspapers became fo difgufting on this account, that the public at large took it up, and either laughed at, or reprobated the conduct of thele foi difant potentates. The last couplet of an epigram written on this occafion we remember, and which had a confiderable thare in filencing the difpute, was as follows: "Then as to the public, it is but a

tofs-up, "Whether Moffop kick Barry-or Barry kick Moffop."

In fhort, ruin, at laft, was the end of this theatrical experiment; for after fruggling in vain for feven or eight years, and endeavouring to allure the town by all manner of exotic entertainment, Moffop found himself reduced to an abfolute state of bankruptcy, and in this fituation arrived in London, from which place he had fo wantonly turned his back, broken down in fpirits and conftitution, and at the mercy of an affronted Manager for a livelihood.

In this state of his fortune, his friends advised him to apply to Mr. Garrick for an engagement, urging that his talents muft recommend him to any Manager, and that, with economy, and the experience of paft misfortunes, he had yet time enough to extend his reputation, and fecure a competency for old age; but his fpirit was too high for this application; he replied to his friends, with fome confcious dignity," that Garrick knew very well that he was in London;" infinuating by this, that the propofal of an engagement should first come from him. The Manager, however, if he knew Moffop was in London (which he certainly did), would not know it, without an official notice; and the feafon paffed off without his making any engagement.

In the fummer of the fame year, Moffop accepted an invitation from a friend (Mr. Smith, a Gentleman of confiderable fortune, and much attached to him) to take a tour through several parts of Europe. He returned in about a year afterwards, greatly altered in fpirits and appearance. Inftead of the fmart eagle-eyed character of his youth, he appeared emaciated, thoughtful, and dejected, thunning the company of his former friends and affociates, and nurfing by himself the gloomy melancholy of his mind..

His friends now made another effort to get an engagement for him at Drury Lane-but he would make no application himself, though ready to receive

of an uniform width at top, fwells out in the middle, and tapers towards the end. It costs from forty to fifty guilders; and the whole peal of bells, including the thongs, will fometimes be worth between 140 and 150 guilders, while the whole apparel of the Senn himself, when beft attired, does not amount to the price of 20 guilders. The finest black cow is adorned with the largest bell, and those next in appearance have two smaller.

These ornaments, however, are not worn every day, but only on folemn occafions, viz. when, in the fpring, they are driven up the Alps, or removed from one pafturage to another; or when they defcend in the autumn, or travel in the winter to the different farms where their owner has contracted for hay. On fuch days the Senn, even in the depth of winter, appears dreft in a fine white shirt, the fleeves of which are rolled up above the elbow; neatly embroidered red braces keep up his yellow linen trowfers, which reach down to his fhoes; a fmall leathern cap or hat covers his head; and a new milk bowl, of wood, fkilfully carved, hangs across his fhoulder. Thus arrayed, the Senn precedes, finging the ranz des vaches, and followed by three or four fine goats; next comes the handsomest cow with the great bell; then the two other cows with fmaller bells; and thefe are fucceeded by the reft of the cattle, walking one after another, and having in their rear the

bull, with a one-legged milking-ftool hanging on his horns; the proceffion is clofed by a traineau, or fledge, on which are placed the implements for the dairy. It is furprifing to fee how proud and pleafed the cows ftalk forth when ornamented with their bells. Who would imagine that even these animals are fenfible of their rank, nay touched with vanity and jealoufy? If the leading cow, who hitherto bore the largest beli, be deprived of her honours, the manifefts her grief at the difgrace by lowing inceffantly, abstaining from food, and growing lean. The happy rival, on whom the diftinguishing badge of fuperiority has devolved, experiences her marked vengeance, and is butted, wounded, and perfecuted by her in the moft furious manner, until the former either recovers her bell, or is entirely removed from the herd. However fingular this phoenomenon may appear, it is placed beyond all doubt, by the concurring teftimony of centuries.

The cows, when difperfed on the Alps, are brought together by the voice of the Senn, who is then faid to allure them (lecken). How well the cattle diftinguish the note of their keeper, appears from the circumstance of their haftening to him, though at a great diftance, whenever he begins to hum the ranz des vaches. He furnishes that cow which is wont to ftray fartheft with a small bell, and knows by her arrival that the reft are affembled.

THE

HE first thing that ftrikes your attention, after emerging from the woods, is a small building, either of logs, or a frame, weather-boarded, and without walls. The whole houfe commonly confifts of but one room, and the whole furniture, in that room, of fome benches, a miferable bed, and a large pine cheft, which has a lock and key, and contains the clothing and victuals of the family. You may always know an ordinary, at ever fuch a distance, by the pipe of the chimney not being carried above the roof. Juft before the front door (and indeed the only door in the house) ftands an oven compofed of clay, under and about which are commonly feen a parcel of black hogs indulging themVOL. XXXIX. JAN, 1801.

felves in the fun. Oats in these parts is the rareft thing in nature; if you can procure fome Indian corn and blades for the animal that carries you, you may fet yourfelf down in your journal as one of fortune's favourites. If you be under a neceffity of putting up for the night, you may think yourself happy to procure a blanket; and as to a pillow, the faddle must be a substitute, for a pillow in thefe places would be deemed a dangerous luxury. If it be winter, you lay yourfelf down by the fire; if fummer, the best way is to lie out of doors with the blanket ftretched over you, on four finali itakes, to cover you from the dews, and avoid the perfecution of the fleas. Whether you call

D

for