refusal and yet, what an artful and fiend-like use was made of it! As will appear. The messenger had not been long gone, when it struck her that it would be more humane to assist this old unfortunate; and immediately she dispatched a person to Drumcondra, where Digges then was, to say that Mrs. Siddons had reconsidered the matter, and would be glad to perform for him. He was thankful, and the night and play were fixed. There was a good house. The next day, while preparing for her journey for Cork, she received a note from Digges, expressing his gratitude. It will be proper to inform my reader, that while she was at Dublin there was a little sparring between her and the Manager. At Cork the misunderstanding was renewed, and I there made my own observations. These little bickerings brought down many paragraphs upon her from the party; and, directly after, a paper war ensued. She was accused of having charged Digges fifty pounds for playing at his benefit. A very artful letter, written by a Mr. F-y, upon that subject, appeared in a Morning print; and, as it was inserted with a more mischievous intent than any of the rest, so it had a greater effect. It was now predicted, that she was to be driven from the London stage whenever she should appear on it: and, among the rest, appeared a paragraph, calling on any of her profession to come forth, and say if she had ever done a kind action. This was rather an unlucky challenge; for, a few weeks before, even in the city of York, it was a fact, that she had performed three times without any emolument to herself: once for my benefit; once for that of Mr. Aickin, of Covent Garden; and once for the benefit of a poor-house. I should have thought myself base indeed to have remained neutral at such a time; and I immediately published this circumstance in several of the Morning prints. Should not Mr. Digges have done the same? But, though called upon, and urged by many of Mrs. Siddons's friends, he, for reasons best known to himself, kept an obstinate silence, and even suffered a rumour to prevail that she had taken money from him. But, at last, being closely pressed, he sent a letter, in which he owned that she had played for him gratis. He died soon after and peace be to his manes! Mrs. Siddons appeared on the London boards; and, though this confession of her having performed gratis was made public, there were persons determined not to believe it, and who absolutely insulted her: but, as I have said before, they were but few in comparison of her powerful and numerous friends, and the vipers were soon crushed." CONTENTS. Mrs. Siddons's own Account of her being affronted in |