cing scene with Laertes, as he performed that character, and there 'twas vifible Mr. Garrick's pupil was the mafter. After the play was finished I paid my respects to the young gentleman, returned back to my company, and gave them an exact description of the new adventurer's good fortune, which I did with true p'easure.

Mr. Baker was feldom in London, but came to fupply the lofs of the York heroine Mrs. Dancer, after that Mrs. Barry, now Mrs. Crawford, who had eloped with Mr. Dancer to Barry's new Dublin theatre, by a repair of coarse plaifter, in engaging the goblin Miss Roach, a horrid spectre, as a fubftitute for Mrs. Dancer with her merit, and then in her prime of life. Mifs Roach however undertook to be the York Lady Townly, &c. But when the made her appearance, was fo indifferently received, that in confequence of it, I do not believe the acted three nights the whole feafon. She had a good benefit, and that extorted by really good acting, as the attended mafs conflantly and fo devoutly, that he was thought a faint, though little nun's flesh in her compofition; for fhe would have debauched a whole convent. She had much art, a cunning understanding, and a flow of fpirits, yet affectation that would have been furfeiting in a beauty; but she flattered well, and to flatter well requires ftudy and caution-if well done there is no doubt of its being glibly

fwallowed. She however wheedled Mr. Baker into a belief the poffeffed great abilities, and the public, that the was a good woman-but it must have been without her head.

Before the middle of October, Mr. Foote had fettled preliminaries with Mr. Garrick for his two exotics (as he called Mr. Foote and myself) to appear in the fame piece. Mr. Foote then requested me to do Bounce, as a pupil to Mr. Puzzle, in the Diverfions of the Morning, a part I had refused when in Dublin; but now as an old ftager, from my practice at Portsmouth, and being in health and vigour, I had not the fame excufe or objection, though it was a fatiguing fcene. It was advertised in the following manner : DIVERSIONS OF THE MORNING. Principal Characters,

Mr. FOOTE,

Mr. HOLLAND,

Mr. PACKER,

with others,

And Mr. WILKINSON.

Without my first appearance, which certainly was unkind and unprecedented, as it did not introduce me to the candour of the public, which they ever grant to a young performer and novice on the stage. However this is an after thought; for I was at

that time highly gratified with the large letters in which my name was printed, a foible natural to every candidate. Soon after this farce was known by the town to be in rehearsal, fome Mrs. Candour gave my friend Mrs. Woffington the alarm, who still lived and existed on the flattering hopes of once more captivating the public by her remaining rays of beauty (born to bloom and fade); and who declared she was astonished on hearing I had furvived my prefumption in Ireland, in daring (to be the devil in her likeness there) to take her off. Colonel Cæfar of the guards, who it was whispered at that time was fecretly married to Mrs. Woffington, had been, as mentioned, at Portsmouth the night of my benefit, when the Duke of York and most of the principal gentlemen of the army in the kingdom were at that time affembled, and were moft forcibly struck with the sudden and high entertainment they received by feeing their favourite Woffington where she was so little expected; and indeed the exactness of manner rendered it certainly as a performance of that kind, far beyond mediocrity.

She was fo alarmed on Mrs. Candour's intelligence, and not without foundation of truth, of my being engaged, and worse than all to make my first appearance conjunctively with Foote at Drury-Lane; that the thought it highly prudent

for her fame and peace, from what materials of intelligence she had collected as to the imitation of herself in Dublin, to endeavour by every means of fubtlety and force to counteract, prevent, and by authority put an effectual stop to such a procedure, which fhe judged would hurt her mind: All this was natural-moft perfons would do the fame for the most trivial caufe, and this in fact was no more than trifling-Not any perfon likes to be a fubject of ridicule. When fhe was first made acquainted with my appearance in Queen Dollallolla, fhe declared by the living God, the was amazed "the fellow was not ftoned to death in Dublin!" But her own treatment of me might have fully convinced her, that ill-nature is too apt to find countenance, particularly if exciting contemptuous merriment.

On deliberation Mrs. Woffington deputed Col. Cæfar to wait on Mr. Garrick; he related his objections in point of delicacy and honour concerning any affront, however flight, reflectedly thrown on that lady. He faid to Mr. Garrick, he should not be surprised if young Wilkinson had fuccefs. on fuch an attempt; for, without the fanction of a London audience to render it fafhionable, he knew it was poffible, having been a witness to his faid imitation at Portsmouth; and as the fame performance might render her, as an actress, ridicu,

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lous, and as she was at that time under his protection, his intention as a vifitor to Mr. Garrick was to inform him, if he permitted fuch procedure or achievement from Mr. Wilkinson on his stage, he must expect from him (Col. Cæfar) to be seriously called upon as a gentleman to answer it. Mr. Garrick immediately not only acquiefced, but expreffed a deteftation of any fuch performance, (bless his good nature), and I actually believe would not have been displeased with receiving an order from the Lord Chamberlain, for a prohibition of the whole of Mr. Foote's or my exhibition, had it not proved at that juncture very con. venient to make every fhew of novelty to attract the town to his grand London principal booth of the fair. My appearing at all, and the being attended to, was neither Mr. Garrick's with nor intention, if to my advantage; he therefore willingly obeyed the Colonel's mandate in behalf of his once lovely and admired Peggy. Indeed he could have done no lefs to fave appearances, for where he had formerly fo profeffedly avowed a tender paffion. Mr. Garrick coincided in opinion, that fuch an attempt on the merits of Mrs. Woffington's acting would be illiberal and unwarrantable in the highest degree.

The day before the piece was to be acted he ummoned Foote and me, and related the above