same.

as previously explained, and his non-acquiescence with the When the proposal of his Royal Highness became the theme of public discussion, Sir Francis and Lady Lumm, most strenously advised Mrs. Jordan never to accede to the terms of his Royal Highness, as in such case, however painful to their feelings, they could no longer tolerate her as a visitor at their mansion.

Immediately after Mrs. Jordan's separation from Mr. Ford, the latter gentleman conceived it necessary, on many accounts, to quit the shores of England for a period until the publicity of the affair should have subsided. We have previously remarked that the individual in question had for a series of years introduced Mrs. Jordan into the best societies, in the character of his lawful wife, and it was no very improbable conjecture upon his part, that some fathers of families, or brothers, tenacious in regard to the characters of their wives, daughters, or sisters, might conceive themselves called upon to demand that explanation, which Mr. Ford was not able to give in a satisfactory manner, and must have brought things to extremities. To this may be added, the vaccillating conduct of the gentleman, after the assurances so often and so solemnly reiterated, that he would give his protegee a legal claim to his affections; being thus placed in no very enviable point of view with men of honourable feelings,-for those reasons he determined on absenting himself from England.

The opposition to Mrs. Jordan, which had previously manifested itself, became more formidable after her open cohabitation with the Duke of Clarence, several attempts being set on foot to drive her from the stage; but these ebullitions gradually subsided, and her talents and sweetness of disposition, ultimately reinstated her completely in public favour.

Among the numerous anecdotes circulated in consequence of this splendid connection, we insert the following:

The late illustrious parent of Thalia's new protector is reported to have said to his son, "Hey, hey ;-what's thiswhat's this; you keep an actress, keep an actress, they say."

"Yes, sir." "Ah, well, well; how much do you give her, eh ?"—"One thousand a year, sir."-" A thousand, a thousand; too much, too much! five hundred quite enough,-quite enough!" It is added, that the Duke wrote to Mrs. Jordan expressing this opinion of his parent, and as it was then customary at the bottom of the play bills, to annex these words; "No money returned after the rising of the curtain!" that she tore the same off, and enclosed it in a blank cover, to her protector.

The well-known parsimony, and illiberal sentiments of the individual alluded to in the first of the above statements, tend to confer some appearance of validity as to this anecdote; the latter statement, we have merely inserted, in order to give it an unqualified denial, as any person possessing a tithe of our knowledge of Mrs. Jordan's delicacy of sentiment, would pronounce her wholly incapable of having made the indecent allusion referred to.

We have previously spoken of an annuity of one thousand pounds a year, said to have been settled on Mrs. Jordan by her new protector Now when she ultimately became reduced in circumstances, we should like, in the first place, to enquire what had become of the large sums obtained during her long and brilliant theatrical career, placed in the funds, and intended after her death, for the support of her offspring by Mr. Ford? and secondly, where were the proceeds and brilliant results expected to accrue from this princely boon?

--

We do not pretend to infer that such settlement did not take place, that is to say, as far as the signing a legal instrument was concerned:-but what avail sheets of parchment, with their seals annexed, and barren autographs ?— the technicalities of the law can neither create gold, nor stamp Bank paper! The only question, therefore, resolves itself to this:-Was the annuity ever paid? Prudential motives deter us from answering, but from what will be stated hereafter, we leave its solution to the cool judgment of every dispassionate reader.

Mrs. Jordan was now the inmate of a mansion-house of

potentates; carriages and servants attended her bidding, and she seemed to bask in the full splendour of fortune, while to crown her felicity, she proved in that situation which is uniformly gratifying to those, who feel anxious to present a progeny to their protectors.

In the year 1792, Mrs. Jordan found herself compelled to retire, for a short period, from professional duties, in consequence of a miscarriage, at Petersham, being far advanced in her pregnancy, when she gave birth to a daughter.

In 1796, Mrs. Jordan experienced a miscarriage, and was in consequence detained for a few months from her duties. This circumstance led the writers for the public press to renew their virulent attacks, in the course of which, it was infamously asserted that her non-attendance was the effect of caprice-whereas her physician, Dr. Warren, was the sole regulator of her conduct, on that, as well as on other occasions.

From the above period, we have little of consequence to record, until the ever memorable night of the 2d of April, 1796, on which occasion our heroine personated a character in the pseudo drama of Shakspeare, the production of a youthful impostor, under eighteen years of age, in whose work, entitled his Confessions, when speaking of our actress and the Duke of Clarence, he thus expresses himself:—

"I think it but justice in this place to offer my sincere thanks to that lady, for her kind endeavours, on a subsequent occasion, when she had to sustain one of the principal characters in the drama. I also beg to state that I shall be ever mindful of her particular kindness and affability during the visit made to her; as also for her complacency and condescension, during my long continuance in the green-room of the theatre, on the representation of my play; when not only her transcendent abilities as an actress, were exerted in my behalf, before the curtain, but reanimating expressions while in the green-room, continually flowed from her lips, in order to arouse me from the mental depression under which I so obviously laboured on that eventful occasion."

14.

2 U

3

In reference to his forgeries, young Ireland further informs us, at page 222, of his Confessions, as follows:

"In consequence of the general astonishment and curiosity excited by the manuscripts, his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence became desirous of inspecting the papers, which being intimated to Mr. Ireland, a time was fixed upon, when I was made of the party, and with Mr. Samuel Ireland, repaired to the apartments occupied by his Royal Highness, in St. James' Palace."

66

Having carefully inspected all the documents produced, the usual questions were put to me respecting the original discovery of the manuscripts, in which Mrs. Jordan also joined when my former statements were, as usual, adhered to. His Royal Highness, I perfectly remember, made numerous objections, and particularly to the redundancy of letters, apparent throughout the papers. To every question, however, the answers were made as usual, and thus the doubts which arose in his Royal Highness' mind, were obviated by Mr. Ireland."

From our personal knowledge of Mr. Ireland, we cannot conceive him so imbued with the attribute of folly, as seriously to have told us that his Royal Highness of Clarence was aware of the mode of spelling in the days of our great poet. The simple fact was, that he was desirous of hoaxing anew, by giving perspicuity to a brain. wherewith he felt fully aware it was not imbued. All this, however, was pardonable; he deceived his Royal Highness, he subsequently confessed the fraud, and therefore tendered the best salve in his power to heal the wound inflicted.

In the month of October, 1797, a new comedy was rehearsed at Drury Lane theatre, from the pen of Frederick Reynolds, Esq. called Cheup Living, in which piece Mrs. Jordan had to sustain the character of Sir Edward Bloomly, a boy of fifteen, who pretended to ape all the airs and manners of an adult. She at this period, began to feel repugnance at assuming the male costume, and was particularly dissatisfied with the youthful character above mentioned; a circumstance

that gave great umbrage to Mr. Wroughton, then acting manager, who, during one of the rehearsals of this piece, said to her in his accustomed frank manner

66

Why, Mrs. Jordan, you are grand-quite the Duchess again, this morning."

66

Very likely," was the reply, "for you are not the first person who has this very day condescended to honour me, ironically, with the same title."

Assuming her wonted smile, and without the slightest pique being apparent in her gesture, Mrs. Jordan, with all that characteristic humour wherewith she had been gifted by nature, proceeded to make the following statement. That during the morning, having been necessitated to discharge her Irish cook, for impertinence; having paid the wages, the indignant purveyor for the palate, taking up a shilling and vehemently banging it upon the table, exclaimed

“Arrah, now, honey, with this thirteener, won't I sit in the gallery, and won't your Royal Grace give me a courtesy, and won't I give your Royal Highness a howl, and a hiss into the bargain!"

The fruits of our heroine's brilliant intercourse, were a quick succession of progeny, which, it will subsequently appear terminated in a family of ten children, five males, and an equal number of the opposite sex; who, with the offspring formerly brought to Mr. Ford, and the child supposed to have been the fruit of the infamous Mr. Daly's criminal proceeding,—placed our actress among the rank of those who are termed prolific females.

Late in the year 1799, Miss Biggs personified Zorayda, in the place of Mrs. Jordan, who candidly confessed her predilection for the pathetic, alleging that had she been blessed, early in life, by an intercourse with refined company, she felt convinced that she might have attained eminence as a tragedian.

Early in the year 1800, Mrs. Jordan resumed her dramatic career, and on the 10th of May, performed in a comedy written by Prince Hoare, called Indiscretion. On the 15th of the