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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."

CHAPTER VII.

T

CONTENTS.

Mrs. Siddons's own Account of her being affronted in
the Theatre-Public Opinion is disabused, and she
recovers her popularity-Appears as Margaret of
Anjou, in Franklin's "Earl of Warwick"-Character
of the Piece-Her next new Part is Zara, in the Tra-
gedy translated by Aaron Hill, from Voltaire's
"Zaire❞—Napoleon's Opinion of Voltaire as a dra-
matic Poet-Mrs. Siddons plays the Lady of St. Val-
lori, in Cumberland's "Carmelite"-Comparison of
that Tragedy with Home's "Douglas”—John Kemble
adapts Massinger's "Maid of Honour," for the
modern Stage, and Mrs. Siddons acts Camiola-
Remarks on the "Maid of Honour."

CHAPTER VII.

THE falsehoods that were now in circulation respecting our great actress, she seems herself to attribute to the enmity of the Dublin Manager; but the plot, that was evidently forming against her, must have had several partakers, and the rumour of the day said, that it included some members of her own profession, whose envy sickened in the shade that her superior merit threw over them. It would be unfair, at this distance of time, to quote names on mere suspicion. The only person who was clearly convicted of calumny was the wife of Digges; but she was a poor, insignificant creature, who could not be supposed capable of envying Mrs. Siddons. Brereton the actor was but too justly condemned for having seen Mrs.

Siddons publicly insulted on his account, before he published his testimony "that she had been in no respect the occasion of his having missed a benefit in Ireland; but, on the contrary, that he owed her the highest obligations of friendship." The calamitous alienation of Brereton's mind, that took place not long subsequent, inclines me to judge of his actions at this period with some allowance. That there was, however, a regular conspiracy, got up to insult her, in London, was made but too plain by the sequel; and it is only to be regretted that its unknown agents had not been branded with shame in the flagrancy of their guilt. It must be owned that the artificers of calumny had a difficult object of attack in Mrs. Siddons. Against her character, as a wife and mother, scandal itself could not whisper a surmise; and it was equally hopeless to impugn her genius as an actress. But they spread abroad that she was avaricious, uncharitable, and slow to lend her professional aid to unfortunate fellow-players. Two specific

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