1804-1807] Elliston s Acting 27 



All trade with the Continent was crippled owing to the war, 

 and the income from the Works had gone down ; the income- 

 tax also was then 2s. in the pound. They came back finally 

 toMaerin 1819. 



Sarah Wedgwood, the writer of the following letter, was 

 the youngest sister of Jos. She never married, although 

 she had many proposals. 



Sarah Wedgwood to Jessie Allen. 



DARLASTON [STAFFORDSHIRE], Sept. 5 

 [probably 1807]. 



MY DEAR JESSIE, 



It is a long time since I have written a letter from 

 feeling an inclination to do so. Since the humour is now 

 on me I will indulge it tho' it is late ; all the world is gone to 

 bed, and my writing tackle is miserable. . . . 



Your conjecture that Buxton might become a pet place 

 with me has not been realised. Nothing ever was much 

 duller; the company during the whole fortnight I was there 

 continued in the same insipid way they set out, neither 

 genteel, agreeable, sensible, nor anything but good- 

 humoured and civil; you cannot think how few exceptions 

 there were. We went out but once while I staid; that was 

 to the play on Saturday to see Elliston in the Honeymoon 

 and the Hunter of the Alps. I was very much entertained 

 more pleased (don't tell) than I was at any play in London. 

 All but Elliston were execrable actors, but the play itself 

 is amusing and he acts charmingly; but the farce, there 

 I was in my glory ! crying at a farce ! (the last time I had 

 cried before was at Astley's). Before I proceed, I must say 

 for my credit's sake what I know to be true, that the farce is 

 one of the poorest things that ever was seen that granted, 

 I proceed to say how delighted I was with it. There were 

 two of the dearest little children in the world acting in it. 

 In general I am quite of the opinion of the person whom 

 Baugh [Allen] quotes as admiring Herod on these occa- 

 sions, but I must rejoice that these two were spared; one 

 was not the least affected in the world, the other only the 



