Pressed by hunger, the horse neighed, pawed with his feet, and perfectly answered the end designed. By this stratagem, the piece had a great run, for every body was eager to visit this famed quadrupedal Roscius.

SHUTER'S RECKONING.

It is well known that this celebrated comedian, in the earlier part of his life, was tapster at a public house, in the neighbourhood of Covent Garden. A gentleman, one day, ordered him to call a hackney coach, which he did accordingly. It so happened, that the gentleman left his gold headed cane, and missing it, the next morning, went immediately to the public house, to inquire of the boy, Ned, (who called the coach,) whether he could tell the number. Shuter, who was then no great adept in figures, except in his own way of scoring up a reckoning, immediately replied, "It was two pots of porter, a shilling's worth of punch, and a paper of tobacco." The gentleman, upon this, was as much at a loss as ever; till Ned took out his chalk, and thus scored down his reckoning :-4, 4, for two pots of porter, 0, for a shilling's worth of punch; and a line, across the two pots of porter, for a paper of tobacco, which

formed the number 440. The gentleman, in consequence, recovered his cane; and thinking it a pity that such acuteness of genius should be hidden, like a diamond in the mine, he very generously gave him an education, and thus enabled Shuter to shine in the profession which he afterwards adopted.

DUFRESNY, AND THE ABBE PELLEGRIN.

DUFRESNY, a French author, having written “L'Amant Masqué,” in three acts, had it reduced to one act by the performers; and his comedies of five acts were generally reduced to three. "What!" said he, excessively piqued; "shall I never get a five-act piece on the stage?"-"Oh, yes," answered the Abbé, "you have only to write a comedy in eleven acts; six of which will be retrenched by the comedians." In France, the comedians are their own managers; except so far as government interferes.

MADEMOISELLE DUMESNIL.

THIS lady, who was an actress at Paris, about the middle of the last century, was one evening performing the part of Cleopatra, where, in the 5th

act, her imprecations are almost too horrible; among others, she exclaims, in the excess of rage,

"Je maudrais les Dieux, s'ils me rendoient le jour." "I'd curse the gods were they to give me life."

"Get to the d-1, vile hussey !" exclaimed an old officer, sitting on the front seat of the stage-box, and, at the same time, giving her a push on the back. For a while, this act of undue interference interrupted the performance. When the noise ceased, Mademoiselle turned, and thanked the officer for having bestowed on her the most flattering mark of applause she had ever received.

A SCOTCH BULL.

A PARTY of actors played "Douglas" at the Trades' Hall, in Glasgow. The bills said, that "his histrionic powers had procured him the appellation of the Third Roscius;"" but, nevertheless, added, " that this was his first appearance on any stage."

TRAGEDY IN EARNEST.

DURING a representation, at the Théatre de l'Impératrice, at Paris, one of the principal characters, a young nobleman, distrusting the fidelity of his confidant, draws his sword, and is about to plunge it in his bosom, when the sub

missive attitude of the man, with the remembrance of his former services, darts across his mind, and disarms his anger. The play had gone on smoothly to this scene; in the progress of it, the nobleman's wrath is raised, he draws his sword, but his confidant, being deficient in his part, neglected to draw back, or fall upon his knees; and before the other could command his weapon, the point had inflicted a deadly wound. Assistance was afforded on the instant, but the unfortunate man expired before he could be removed from the stage. The result of this accident made so deep an impression on the survivor, that, after an illness of four days, during which he incessantly bewailed the deed, he died, bequeathing the greater part of his proprety to the family of him he had so unconsciously slain.

THREE AND THE DEUCE.

ONE night, in Dec. 1823, the audience of the Liverpool Theatre were roused from their apathy by the performance of two gentlemen, presumed to be their first appearance on any stage. The play-bill announced that, after "Damon and Pythias," a gentleman of Liverpool would be found At Home, in imitation of Mr. Mathews. Accord

ingly, the amateur imitator came forward, and, at the same moment, a second gentleman jumped from the stage-box, in the person of his indignant, but respected father, armed with a huge ash-plant, which he so vigorously plied on the person of the young aspirant to dramatic fame, that he made a very hasty sortie. The manager, unfortunately for himself, interposing, made up the trio, and had the honour of receiving from the injured parent a quantum-sufficit of castigation, in the presence of the audience then assembled.

EPILOGUE TO A CONDEMNED FARCE.

By the following slight detail, our readers will learn, that the would-be Charioteers of 1779 were thought as fit subjects for dramatic ridicule, as those who sported "the Buxton Bit, Bridoon so trim,-three Chesnuts and a Grey," but a few short years ago.

On February 20th, 1779, a new farce, entitled "Jehu," was attempted to be performed at Drury Lane Theatre, but it was received with such unwelcome sounds, and such unequivocal marks of disapprobation, that the manager ordered the curtain to be dropped in the middle of the second