STROLLING PLAYERS.

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At the advice apparently of Holcroft, with the encouragement of Cook the actor, and Godwin's full approval, Tom Cooper determined to devote himself to the stage, but his earlier efforts met with scant success. The following letters record his impressions of John Kemble and Mrs Siddons, and his endeavours to gain a permanent stage engagement. They are all the remaining documents. respecting him connected with our present period :—

Thomas Cooper to William Godwin.

"EDINBURGH, Thursday, July 27, 1792.

"I arrived here last night at nine, in high health and spirits, but my spirits were damped when upon my arrival I could get no bed nor lodging either at Edinburgh or Leith, on account of the races, which will end on Saturday. I went to Mr Kemble's this morning, at eleven, and he told me that at one he would hear me go through the character of Douglas. At one I went, but he left word (with his compliments) that he was obliged to go to Leith. To-morrow morning at twelve I am to rehearse with Mrs Siddons, and on Monday night am to make my first appearance in the character of Douglas. I am just returned to the inn from my second visit to Mr Kemble, to whom I went to know if I might not go to the play to-night. I am going, and Mrs Siddons plays Jane Shore. To-morrow the Road to Ruin is acted (not for the first time), to give some rest to Mrs S., who has acted several nights running. You will receive this Monday morning, and may expect another on Thursday or Friday, and so, hoping you will excuse bad writing on account of haste, I remain, yours everlastingly, T. COOPER.

"Friday, two o'clock.-'Sdeath, I'm sped! I have just rehearsed Douglas with the other actors before Mr Kemble. When I had done he walked aside with me, and told me he was sorry to say that he could not trust me with the character. He then made his individual objections. He said that in two descriptive speeches

I had a great deal too much passion, especially in the last; and that in the scene with Glenalvon the audience would laugh at me.

"I asked him if he did not think Douglas was very angry; he answered, Certainly, but that he was angry with good manners, and that he must not vex Mrs Siddons (she was not present); and, in short, he thought I was really too young to act a character of such importance, but that he would see about some other characters. Then, having parted, he said that if I would come to him next morning to breakfast, he would see if we could not manage Douglas by reading it together. Perhaps Mrs Siddons will be there, and I shall probably please her better, if she gives me a hearing, for I am certain I rehearsed as well as ever I did to Mr H. I have an infallible rule to judge by-the recollection of my own feelings. I should be glad to hear from you, if possible, by return of post. Direct to me at Mrs M'Lelland's, opposite the general entry, Potterrow St., Edinburgh. Nothing less will answer the purpose, for reasons which I have not room to explain."

The Same to the Same.

"August, 1792.

"My courage is as great as you could wish, considering that I stand upon a shaking foundation. Every time Mr Kemble sees me, I perceive, or think I perceive, a kind of discontent, arising from want of determination in his countenance. I do not keep company with any of the actors, except in the green room. "I wish when you have room in any letter that you would give me some news. I have not heard any of Mr Pavie and France's proceedings since I left London. Let me know of mother's health, &c., soon. Is A. Dyson gone to France? T. COOPER."

"Monday. The above was written on Saturday, since which something of importance has occurred. I went this morning into the pay-room to receive my money, and having got it, asked Mr Kemble's advice relative to my manner of travelling to London, whither we remove in the middle of this week. Why, really, Mr Cooper, I think the best thing you can do is to go back to Lon

7. KEMBLE AND MRS SIDDONS.

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don.' I told him that I believed if he would give me a hearing in Lothario I could please him. He said I was not at all fit to play it. Then he began to talk in a hesitating way about my being of no use on account of my being inexperienced in stage matters. I said that if that were true in every instance plays would live as long as, and no longer than actors at present existing should live. In short, I argued the case a little with him, told him that I had learned the characters in London. He then said that he had a great respect for Mr Holcroft, and must endeavour to bring me forward little by little.

"To-night I am one of Mrs Siddons's train (dumb as usual) in the Mourning Bride. On Wednesday I am to be the second witch in Macbeth. Mr Kemble told me that if he had thought of it in time, I should have played Malcolm, and desired me to learn it. On Thursday I believe I shall begin my march to Lancaster, arriving there Sunday night. I shall stay there a week, and then for Sheffield.”

The Same to the Same.

"NEWCASTLE, Aug. 11, 1792.

"I did leave such directions at Edinburgh as answered the purpose of bringing your letter immediately to hand, which I think it was most probable I should do, as I had begged you to write by return of post. I think your observation relative to my being too loud in rehearsal was the true cause of Mr Kemble's rejection of my Douglas: but as you say, that belief is of little consequence (except, indeed, that it will be a warning to my future conduct), since I have had no second hearing, and I am afraid shall not have, for Mrs Siddons, on account of her health, is unwilling to play any characters that require her greatest exertion. She has already played Jane Shore, Desdemona, to-night Mrs Beverley, for the last time but two, one of the two is to be Zara, of the other I am ignorant: so that you perceive there is very little chance for me. I have learned since that it is to be Lady Macbeth.

"I am, as you say, at a loss for a subject, the strangeness of

which will vanish when you consider that I am deprived of the characters in which I expected to shine: that I am obliged to sit down with a black gown over my shoulders as a dumb senator (which I have done twice in the plays of Shylock and Othello !!) and hear Mr Kemble hold forth with the most impetuous rant, with sudden, ill-timed, unmeaning risings and fallings of voice, to astonish the vulgar, and confound the wise by not articulating a single syllable; and to hear Mr Woods repeat his words in one dull, heavy, monotonous sound. This circumstance is so remarkable in Woods, that having repeated a part of Lord Hastings' speech with tolerable propriety, and having made a pause introducing a totally different feeling and passion, and by his pause, and the length of it, rousing every individual to the highest pitch of eagerness and expectation, he begins to speak, and on the instant destroys all pleasure by the repetition of the very same sound. I uttered, at the very first syllable, an involuntary groan (this was at the first time of my seeing him), and a dirty scene-shifter, cursing him, expressed his dissatisfaction in a very characteristically awkward manner. Woods speaks with a remarkably graceful action and easy deportment. Then to perceive a number of dull fools who scarcely even pretend to know their right hands from their left, fill up the other characters, without my being considered worthy to utter a syllable; your astonishment, I say, must vanish when you consider these things, for it is natural that a mind reflecting on them should withdraw itself to talk of the height of steeples, the length of streets, the nature of the soil, &c., &c.

"Mr Woods was to have played Glenalvon, but was obliged to undertake Douglas, which he had never played before; in consequence of which a Mr Sparkes took his Glenalvon. My reception was such as I could wish: the actors are all very civil, and the higher are not distant and proud. Mr Bell, and others of some consequence, give me advice, in general insignificant enough, but tolerably good of its kind. You need be under no apprehension concerning money, for I get a guinea every Monday."

TOM COOPER AS MALCOLM.

The Same to the Same.

"NEWCASTLE, Aug. 16, 1792.

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"The die is cast, and when, having tottered some time, I thought myself firm, at that instant the fate was reversed, and I fell headlong without hopes of recovery. I will now explain my meaning, and I am afraid that the explanation will be more serious than you may expect from this introduction. I told you in my last of the doubtful manner of talking of Mr Kemble, and at last of his saying that he would keep me, and endeavour to bring me forward, on account of his respect for Mr Holcroft. Irresolute blockhead! he has again altered his mind. Now he has got the shadow of a reason for his final determination, to which, although one of the most irresolute, I believe he will adhere; but observe, although I call it the shadow of a reason, I do not mean to say that I was without blame. He desired me to study Malcolm against the next time it was acted. But the next morning I told him that I would undertake it for that time, as I had two before me: he consented. I went through the part very well, and tolerably perfectly, till I came within two lines of the end of the play (I speak the last speech), and there I wanted the word. The noise behind scenes, the play being nearly over, prevented my hearing the prompter, and in an instant some people at the back of the gallery, as I guessed, began to hiss, and immediately everybody else began to clap, which lasted for a minute, and as we were so near the end it was not advisable to wait the conclusion of the bustle to say the few words that remained. The trumpets sounded, and the curtain fell. My blame consisted in want of courage, or recollection, in not skipping to the next line the very instant they began to hiss, and it was impossible to catch the word. Mr Kemble made this his handle, declared I was totally unfit for the profession, and that I had not one single requisite for an actor, and in fine, he said, 'As a friend, I advise you to return to London. I cannot keep you.' I told him that I would undertake anything, however low, if I was not qualified for higher, and in proportion to my little utility would be willing to receive little.