this lady certainly claims pre-eminence, from her fplendid powers, joined to an unfpotted fame.

Mifs Kemble (for this was her maiden name,) was the eldest daughter of the manager of an itinerant company of comedians, and made her firft effay as a finger, but foon abandoned that line, and attempted tragedy. Early in life fhe conceived a paffion for Mr. Siddons, in which not being indulged by her parents, the quitted the ftage, and hired herself as lady's maid in the family of Mrs. Greathead, of Guy'scliff, near Warwick, where the remained about a year; and then refolving to unite herself with the man of her affections, fhe was married to Mr. Siddons, and foon after joined a strolling company, of no great reputation for talents.

Both fhe and her husband had, however, the good fortune to be at length engaged by Mr. Younger to perform at Liverpool, Birmingham, &c.; with him the remained a few years, and acquired both profit and reputation; the latter of which procured her an engagement at Drury-lane house, where the performed fuch parts as Mrs. Strickland, Mrs. Epicene, in the Silent Woman; and the Queen, in Richard the Third. She was, however, confidered merely as a second-rate actrefs; and being unfortunately placed in an after-piece, written by the editor of a newf paper, which had the ill luck to be damned, the fourrilous author left no opportunity of injuring her reputation; the then quitted the London boards for a time, to return to them afterward with increased luftre.

At

At Bath, whither fhe now repaired, he was obferved to improve rapidly, and is faid to have been affifted by the leffons of Mr. Pratt, author of "Sympathy," &c. then a bookseller in that city. There she attracted the notice of the audience, and had the good fortune to be patronifed by the Duchefs of Devonfaire, who procured her another engagement at Drury-lane. Before the quitted Bath, the spoke a farewel addrefs, which the herself had written, and which the delivered with her ufual excellence.

She made her second appearance at Drury-lane, on the 10th of October, 1782, in the character of " Ifabella," and aftonished the house with fuch a difplay of powers as they had feldom witneffed before. Her fame was foon spread abroad, and the theatre overflowed every night; the taste for tragedy returned; and the manager, whose farce of the "Critic" feems to have been exprefsly written to drive Melpomene from the ftage, received "golden favours" from her votaries. Far from proving ungrateful, he generously gave Mrs. Siddons an extra-benefit, and encreased her falary. Her good fuccefs was the means of introducing her fifter, Mifs F. Kemble, on the fame ftage; and the performed " Jane Shore," while her near relative played" Alicia," on her firft appearance. The latter, however, not altogether fulfilling the expecta-. tions of the public, honourably withdrew, in confequence of a marriage with Mr. Twifs, a literary gentleman, and a well-known traveller.

Mrs. Siddons's extra-benefit was given her before Christmas: the then appeared in " Belvidera," and

gained fresh laurels, and an enormous receipt. The two counsellors, Pigot and Fielding were fo highly delighted on this occafion, that they collected a fubfcription among the gentlemen of the bar, of one hundred guineas, and prefented them to her, accompanied with a polite letter, as a token of their esteem. This was an honour which, we believe, has not been conferred on any actor or actress fince the time when Booth gave fuch general fatisfaction in the character of Cato.

In the fummer, this great and amiable actress went to Dublin, the inabitants of which were equally aftonished at her powers. On her return for the winter (1783-4), the performed, for the first time," by command of their Majefties." During the fucceeding feason, she took a fecond trip to Ireland, and also vifited Edinburgh, in both of which places, the not only received great falaries, but very confiderable prefents from unknown hands, particularly a filver urn which was fent after her to London, on which were engraved thefe words, "A reward to merit."

Envy and malice, as ufual, pursued merit; and to thefe alone we can attribute the attack made on her in a newspaper, refpecting her treatment of an unhappy fifter, &c. Thefe reports had, however, fuch an effect on the town, that on her firft appearance on the stage, in 1784, fhe was faluted with a cry of off! off!" Her friends at length obtained her a hearing; and her husband and brother, by means of uncommon exertions, fucceeded in refuting the calumnics to which the had been expofed. She was

accordingly

accordingly restored to public favour. Although The had conducted herself during this conteft with great compofure, yet it made fuch an impreffion on her mind, that the determined to retire to Wales with the few thousands fhe had then faved, but the perfuafions of her friends, and a confideration for the welfare of her family, made her alter this resolution.

Their majefties about this time paid her much attention. Her talent in reciting dramatic works had been highly spoken of, which reaching the cars of the royal family, the was frequently invited to Buckingham-house, and Windfor, where the and her brother often read plays, and it is to be hoped received ample remuneration for their trouble.

As fome relaxation, on account of her health had now become neceffary, the quitted Drury-lane for a time, and performed at Weymouth, Plymouth, Liverpool, &c. with additional reputation. She also vifited several of her noble patrons, among whom Lord and Lady Harcourt flood confpicuous. By means of these friends and accomplishments the has acquired a very good fortune, had formerly a confiderable fhare, now converted in a mortgage, on Drury-land theatre, and is bleffed with a family that promises to be her comfort in old age.

We lament exceedingly the recent death of her beautiful and accomplished daughter; and moft fincerely condole with a mother, whofe exquifite fenfibility must have been agonized by fo unhappy an

event.

Nature bas beftowed on Mrs. Siddons a majestic

ΣΕ

perfon,

perfon, á ftriking countenance, and a fine voice; the judgment with which the modulates the last of these, has never been excelled, perhaps never rivalled, by any other actress. The flexibility of her features, the expreffion of her eyes, and the grace of her deportmént, have feldom been equalled. She poffeffes that art of fpeaking, for which the late Mrs. Yates was fo justly fained, combined with the impaffioned ftyle of playing, of Mrs. Crauford, while in her meridian.

She has lately had an engagement with the Drurylane managers, at a certain fum for each night's performance, by which means fhe avoids injuring her health by the confiant repetition of theatrical exertions.

Mrs. Siddons refides in Great Marlborough-fireet, and is upwards of fifty years of age. In private life The is regarded as an economist, but, at the fame time, as a truly amiable and exemplary wife and mother. : P.

LORD ELDON.

IT has been remarked, of late years, that in confequence of the mode now in vogue, of beftowing the favours of government, the bar is the only line in which a man can rife by merit alone to the first honours of his profeffion; but we believe even here fome grains of allowance must be made; for the subject of our prefent enquiries would never have reached the ftation he now occupies, without powerful patronage.