MONTHLY MIRROR, FOR DECEMBER, 1808. Embellished with A PORTRAIT OF MRS. ST. LEGER, ENGRAVED BY FREEMAN, FROM AN PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, By Harding and Wright, No. 38, St. John's Square, Clerkenwell; J. Murray, Fleet-Street; A. Constable and Co. in the United Kingdom. 1 Before we publish our First Number for the New Year, we take this opportunity of giving a Notice, which we hope it will be unnecessary for us to repeat. We have in various ways been pestered by persons, who seem to have no apprehension of the "censure in disguise," so that they can obtain the “praise undeserved.” At present we shall divulge no names, but if we have any further visits from ACTORS, or any more impertinent letters from their idle and ill-judging friends, or reviews of works by their authors, directly or indirectly, we shall certainly not extend the same degree of lenity to their weakness. The “rash, intruding fools” will find, that" to be too busy is some danger." The Inder has prevented the insertion of several excellent articles; amongst others, Play-Writing, Detector's Plagiarism, J.'s Carr versus Hood, H. to Sheridan, and Gent to Southey, The elegant and witty author of ENDYMION will in our next commence a Commentary on Shakespeare, on a new principle. It will vie with Mr. Malone's in importance, and surpass it in amusement. To Calvin's query" How do you know Mr. Dignum to be a Catholic?. we reply, Who can doubt it, that knows what a benefit it is to him! 4 Scotchman on the Edinborough Theatre; S. Y. on Trotter's Com pany at Town Malling; and A. B. on "We fail," shall appear next month. A School for Authors," The sensible strictures of W. H. E. on were anticipated. Is it not a pity that the free admissions should be taken away at this moment ? Three valuable papers, (on the Regalia of England; on the Family of Doddridge; and on The Adventures of Robert Drury ;) have been received from the Rev. M. Noble, F. A. S. The last, with a short P. S. to his curious Article on Shakespeare, in our next. Louisa's remarks on what she calls "The Siege of Squinting," are too direct in their view. C. G.'s" Die Old Maids," C. H. On Friendship; Mr. R. Hatty and Mrs. may be true, J. W.'s anecdote of Mr. but the point is old, and we cannot insert the names of private individuals. It was Lord Chesterfield who said of the marriage of an indigent man and a rich widow, that the lady wanted a cloak and the gentleman a coat. ERRATA. In our last, p. S17, 1. 3. after "crisis" insert the author; and at p. 328, 1. 30. for "like" read likes. Painted by W Haines. Engraved by Freeman. Mr. S.Leger. of the Theatre Royal", "Covent Garden · Published by Vernor. Hood & Sharpe, Poultry, Jan. 2.1809. MONTHLY MIRROR, FOR DECEMBER, 1808. MEMOIRS OF MRS. ST. LEGER, WITH A PORTRAIT. 24 In the selection of portraits given in this work, particular regard has been paid to the theatrical profession, and to omit any, who have often figured respectably before the public, would be to leave the gallery incomplete. He, who collects butterflies, would seek in vain to fill his glasses with emperors, and, were he to suc ceed, would be thought to have made a very imperfect collection. We say this without any reflection on the subject of these Memoirs, beyond that which truth demands. We cannot always give a Mrs. Siddons, we must sometimes give a Mrs. St. Leger.Excellence is rare, mediocrity is common, but not to be contemned. The particulars, which we have been able to bring together, will occupy a very small space. Mrs. St. Leger was born in Ireland, and is the daughter of an actor, whose name is Williams. At an early age, under Mr. Daly, she made her first appearance on the Dublin stage, and her person and accomplishments then recommended her to particular favour. A former biographer has observed, that she has “a mind," and we may now add, a body, "extremely strong and enlarged*.” Her voice at that period was remarkably fine, but some indisposition, the cause of which we do not know, though the effect is no secret, has se verely injured it. Iler entrée on the London boards, was at Covent-Garden Theatre, in the year 1799, when she performed Alicia in Jane Shore, and was received with considerable applause. After playing two or three other parts with equal success, she fell, for reasons not now to be ascertained, into a degree of neglect, from which she has of late emerged, and exerted her -powers in a very creditable manner. In the Queen in Hamlet, and in Queen Elizabeth in Mary Queen of Scots, she has displayed a portion of merit, of which she may justly be proud. Her Darina in the Africans, and Empress in the Exile, are amongst her Dramatic Mirror, Vol.ü. |