THE

MONTHLY MIRROR,

FOR

DECEMBER, 1802.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF

MR. THOMAS DIBDIN.

With a Portrait.

MR. THOMAS DIBDIN, (son of Mr. Charles Dibdin, of Sans Souci, and brother to Mr. Charles Dibdin, Junr. of Sadler's Wells) was born in London, on the 21st of March, 1771. After having received a liberal education, at the expence of his mother, (whose kindness he is now happy in endeavouring to return) he was, by a maternal uncle (the late Cecil Pitt, Esq. of Dalston) articled an apprentice to Sir Wm. Rawlins, our last year's sheriff, who at that time was in business as an auctioneer and upholsterer.

While in his earliest school days, young Dibdin was remarkable for his attachment to reading and drawing, in the one or other of which he generally employed the hours allotted to play; or when he joined in any recreation, it was frequently in planning theatrical representations: and at the age of thirteen, he produced a farce, in one act, which was performed by his school-fellows. It is not surprising that these dramatic propensities should follow him in his apprenticeship, during which he dedicated all the time he could call his own in the day, (and was often a "borrower of the night,") to the prosecution of his favourite pursuits, and particularly to the completion of the model of a theatre, in which he copied all the favourite scenery then exhibiting at Covent Garden, Drury Lane, and the Royalty.

At the end of four years, these growing inclinations for whateve related to the stage, became too strong for resistance; and at the age of eighteen he left his business, assumed the name of Merchant, and made his appearance as an actor, at East Bourne, in Sussex, where he also made his first essay as a scene painter. He remained only with this company till it left East Bourne, when he accepted a better engagement from Mrs. Baker, proprietress of the Canterbury, Rochester, and several other theatres in Kent, with whom he still keeps up a friendly correspondence. In the following year he played

at Beverly and Harrowgate; after which he joined Messrs. Banks and Ward at Liverpool, and continued with them three years, performing alternately at Manchester, Chester, and Liverpool. At the two first theatres he was principally employed as prompter and painter; and at Manchester he made his first public attempt as a dramatic writer, by the production of a farce called Sunshine after Rain, which was well received, and was performed three years ago, for Mr. Munden's benefit, at Covent Garden. In the last year of his engagement at Manchester, (1793) he married Miss HILLIAR, of the same theatre, formerly of the Edinburgh and Newcastle company, and who now performs at Covent Garden; a lady, who, beside her merit as an actress, fulfils the duties of a private station with the greatest degree of propriety.

The year following his marriage, he brought out a piece at Sadler's Wells, called The Rival Loyalists, or Shebah's Choice, the success of which induced him to re-assume his real name, and led the way to an engagement for himself and his wife, which lasted four years; in which time he produced fifteen or sixteen favourite burlettas, pantomimes, &c. In one of these his song of The tight little Island was first introduced to the public.

As the Sadler's Wells engagement did not extend to the winter, Mr. and Mrs. Dibdin returned to the country, and remained with Mrs. Baker at Canterbury &c. till circumstances made way for their engagement in town. Mr. Dibdin, by writing local comic songs, obtained great favour in the sight of his Kentish friends, which of course procured him great benefits. He also added much to the amount of his pecuniary receipts, by indefatigably cultivating his talent as a scene painter: and, as Mrs. Dibdin was a favourite in the circuit, and very much patronised, their circumstances became greatly superior to what most country theatres might be supposed to produce, when an unexpected occurrence removed them both to a soil, where the minutest claim to merit is certain of encouragement and support.

Mr. Dowton, of Drury Lane theatre, was very desirous of ap pearing in the character of a comic Jew, and at his entreaty Mr. Dibdin undertook to write the farce of the Jew and the Doctor, which was begun and completed in a very few days. But, when our author supposed the height of his ambition was about to be attained, by the representation of one of his productions at a London theatre royal, he was obliged to withdraw his farce in favour of a piece written by Mr. O'Keeffe, which Mr. Dowton's partners in the benefit had accepted before they knew of the farce in question.

*A Nosegay of Weeds.

The Jew and the Doctor was then laid by, with several other pieces, which Mr. D. had at different times presented to the theatre, without obtaining a trial, and several of which have since been acted with success, till, on Mr. Dowton's return to Maidstone, in the summer vacation, he advised Mr. Dibdin to perform it at that theatre for his own benefit, which took place July 12th, 1798; and its reception was so favourable, that, on the kind report of it to Mr. Harris by Mr. C. Bicknell, of Norfolk Street, (who, as Solicitor to the Admiralty, was attending the Maidstone quarter sessions) immediate application was made to Mr. H. and an agree→ ment followed, to produce the piece the ensuing winter at Covent Garden.

The remainder of the summer was passed by Mr. Dibdin at the Tunbridge Wells theatre, where he was publicly patronized by the late Duke of Leeds, whose attention to professional desert, wherever he found it, will long endear his memory to all who had the bonour and pleasure of knowing his truly noble and liberal way of thinking.

Our author was here also introduced to Mr. Cumberland, who advised him to seize the (at that time) floating rumour of Lord Nelson's memorable victory of the Nile, as a subject for an occasional spectacle for the stage; and which, from its being early presented to the manager, might stand a better chance of acceptance. Mr. D. immediately wrote to Mr. Harris upon the subject, not imagining, however, that the piece would be so soon wanted as Mr. H.'s answer implied; and in consequence of which, between the Friday on which the manager's letter was received, and the following Sunday, The Mouth of the Nile was written and transmitted to town. And when the truth of the victory was ascertained by the Gazette, the piece was immediately brought out, and performed thirty-two nights that season, and a few more the season following.

While Mr. D. was in town, attending the rehearsals of the Mouth of the Nile, Mr. Powell, late of Covent-Garden, was, one night, taken so suddenly ill,* as to be unable to perform his part in the farce, (Old Pickle, in the Spoil'd Child), and Mr. D. who accidentally came to the theatre as late as the fourth act of the play, undertook and performed it with so much success, as to obtain an immediate engagement at a salary of five pounds a week. His next part was his Irishman, in the Mouth of the Nile, and he twice played Abednego, in the Jew and the Doctor, when Mr. Fawcett was indisposed. The success of the last-named piece, induced the managers to retain Mr. D. as an author, and made it worth his while to quit

*He died the following day.

the stage as an actor. Mr. Harris, however, continued his salary, on condition that Mr. D. should furnish the theatre every Christmas with a Harlequin Pantomime, and be ready to produce, when called upon, any Prelude, Interlude, or Spectacle, which public events of interest or notoriety might render fit subjects for the theatre. This gave rise to a report that Mr. D. was to furnish a certain number of pieces every year, and this was so industriously propagated, censured, and attacked in many of the newspapers, that Mr. D. published a letter in most of them, expressly contradicting the existence of such an agreement. The falshood of this report has been exemplified by his never having produced that number of pieces in any subsequent season.

A liberal engagement for Mrs. Dibdin having been also agreed on by Mr. Harris, country theatricals were now given up. (at least for the winter), and Mr. Dibdin, by a whimsical coincidence, now resides in the house where his father composed his first musical production, the Padlock, and where Love in a Village, The Maid of the Mill, &c. were written.

In the second year of his engagement at Covent Garden, Mr. D. applied to his master, in the city, for his indentures, which he purchased for fifty guineas, and has also been enabled, (in conjunction with his brother Charles) to buy Mr. Siddons's quarter of Sadler's Wells.

His productions, in five years, at Covent Garden, including pantomimes and alterations, amount to above twenty,—seven of which came out in his first season,-and out of the whole number, whatever may be their intrinsic merits or demerits, but one has failed of success, viz. True Friends, which was only acted five nights. To avoid giving a mere list of these pieces, we shall conclude this Memoir with a less formal enumeration of their titles in the order in which they were produced, as follows:

We shall briefly observe that our hero made his entrée at the "Mouth of the Nile;" was encouraged to proceed by a "few and a Doctor;"—became suddenly owner of " Five Thousand a Year;”entertained many friends at his "Birth-Day;"-kept a "Horse and a Widow;"-put "Tag in Tribulation;"-erected a "Naval Pil. lar;"-brought out "Sunshine after Rain;"-was some time immersed in a 66 Volcano;"-disappointed in his "True Friends;"caused "St. David's Day" to last many nights;-retook " The Hermione ;"-sported “Liberal Opinions ;" and improved them in the "School for Prejudice;"-introduced his friend "Il Bondocani;” planned "Harlequin's Tour ;"'—succeeded in all the "Four Sea

sons;"-became head of the " Cabinet," (though without dipping into politics;)-produced "Harlequin's Habeas;"-and has been lately employed in making up " Family Quarrels,"-in which, after a vigorous perseverance in so laudable an object, he has fully succeeded, the hostile attempt to convert them into National Antipathies having been entirely frustrated.

The above, with the songs in " Brazen Mask," the "Magic Oak," and some alterations in “ Albert and Adelaide,” and in the "Escapes," and single Songs, Occasional Addresses, &c. &c. without number, constitute the whole of his productions.

Mr. and Mrs. Dibdin have buried their only two children, a circumstance which enables them to attend to the families of their relations. Both in and out of the theatre Mr. Dibdin is universally respected for his friendly qualities, his unaffected good humour, and the open honesty of his character. As an author, he is hardly to be classed with the " genus irritabile vatum :"-his temper, on the contrary, is rather too accommodating, and we believe he has frequently sacrificed his time and quiet, and sometimes his interest, in the vain hope of pleasing all the performers who have been principally concerned in the representation of his pieces.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

RELATING TO

THE NATIONAL DEBT.

Written in the Year 1775.

Qu. 1. SUPPOSING this debt to be only 130 millions of pounds sterling at present (although it is much more), and that it was all to be counted in shillings: that a man could count at the rate of 100 shillings per minute, for twelve hours each day, till he had counted the whole; how much time would he take doing it?

Answ. 98 years, 316 days, 14 hours, and 40 minutes.

Qu. 2. The whole of this sum being 2600 millions of shillings, and the coinage standard being 62 shillings in the Troy pound, what is the whole weight?

Answ. 41 million, 935 thousand, 484 Troy pounds.

Qu. 3. How many carts would carry this weight, supposing a ton in each ?

Answ. 20,968 carts.