duty of a public speaker to be audible and intelligible. Her deportment is not so easily described; more womanly than Farren; fuller, yet not heavy, like Younge, and far beyond even the conception of modern fine ladies, Mrs. Abington remains in memory as a thing for chance to restore to us, rather than design; and revive our polite comedy at the same time. Miss Francis, with her natural good sense could not fail to discover that she had undertaken no slight enterprise. The speaking voice, it is true, soon makes its way, and the possessor of nature's music perceives the spell that it has breathed around. To be listened to without a sign of weariness-to dress by a few words of slight importance every countenance in smiles-to see even habitual cunning desert the worldly, and gravity the thoughtful—such are the tributes uniformly paid to a melodious utterance. The young actress would be aware also of the perfect symmetry of her form, and though below the majestic and above the common, might consider herself seated as it were about the centre of humanity, and reaching far indeed into the rival realms of feeling and humour. Miss Francis never effused herself much in talk, she had no ambition after the voluble and the witty. I know not that she would have been much distinguished, had chance diverted her from the stage; yet I think I know that she could not have been happy, without the exercise of her theatric talent; and that she was seeking the only medium that could display the unbounded humour, the whim, the sportiveness of her own nature on the one hand, or the persuasive reason and unaffected sensibility that gave a sterling value to the lighter parts of her composition on the other. She never gave herself the credit of much study, and the truth was that, except as to mere words, her studies lay little in books; with her eye and ear she would become insensibly learned :—all the peculiarities of action and the whole gamut of tone were speedily acquired; the general notion of a character once settled, she called upon nature, within her own bosom, to fill up the outline, and the mighty parent stored it with richer materials than ever fancy could devise; except it was the fancy that embodied Falstaff, a part so made out, that every speech is a lesson as to the mode of its de livery, and to understand whose language thoroughly, is to be himself. I have named these two great women together, though they had not the slightest resemblance, even when viewed in the same characters. When Mrs. Abington changed her higher range of characters for the cast of Mrs. Jordan in comedy, she always reminded you of the sphere she dropped from; there was no little high life below stairs. Mrs. Jordan was the genuine thing itself-and that she imitated at all, never obtruded itself for a moment upon her audience. There was a heartiness in her enjoyment, a sincerity in her laugh, that sunk the actress in the woman; she seemed only to exhibit herself, and her own wild fancies, and utter the impromptus of the moment. The reader will perhaps ask here, whether this was at all borne out by the fact; and whether Mrs. Jordan's natural character any way resembled this stage impression of her? The answer, as far as I had means to estimate her, is-NOT IN THE She needed to touch the boards of the theatre, to draw from her what delighted equally all ranks and ages of either sex-about whose pre LEAST. eminence there never was the slightest dispute, and if this charm of hers yielded to TRAGEDY the first place, it was only because the miseries of life take deeper hold of the mind than its enjoyments; and history, epic poetry, tragedy, the romance of real life, and romance itself, confirm us in our gloomy preference. We neglect our best teacher, Gratiano, and say, like his companions in the play, that he speaks "an infinite deal of nothing." It is much easier to say this, than to answer the following queries. Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, At all events, such a man looks only at what is real in misfortune-his temper keeps him from all anticipation before it arrives, and exaggeration after; he removes melancholy from his mind as speedily as he can; and places it, for ever, beyond the reach of a darker but kindred spirit, misanthropy. livery, and to understand whose lan roughly, is to be himself. I have named these two great woni though they had not the slightest 1 even when viewed in the same charac Mrs. Abington changed her higher r racters for the cast of Mrs. Jordan ir always reminded you of the spho ̈· from; there was no little high Mrs. Jordan was the genuine t that she imitated at all, never obi" moment upon her audience. T ness in her enjoyment, a sincerit sunk the actress in the woma to exhibit herself, and her ow utter the impromptus of the n The reader will perhaps a was at all borne out by tl.Mrs. Jordan's natural charact this stage impression of her as I had means to estimat She needed to t theatre, to draw from her LEAST. all ranks and ages of either J |