1823] 
of your correspondents, whether Pro- 
testant or Catholic, will favour me with 
astatement, which may shew that Cecil 
was the author of the gunpowder con- 
spiracy, I shall feel myself obliged ; as 
it will relieve me from the unplea- 
Santness of holding a conclusion, the 
reason for which I have forgotten. 
The Act of James I. which appoints 
a general thanksgiving on this day, 
contains expressions which seems to 
me unfitting, in the sincere acknow- 
ledgments of a deliverance so greatas 
is pretended. King James is “‘the 
niost great, learned, and religious, king 
that ever reigned” in this kingdom; 
“enriched with a most hopeful and 
plentiful progeny.” ‘‘Many malignant 
and devilish papists, jesuits, and 
seminary priests, much envied and 
feared him:” the laws enacted against 
them “they falsely and slanderously 
termed cruel laws.” All this is but the 
expected colouring of a court party. 
But, when we are told, that ‘it 
pleased Almighty God, by inspiring the 
king’s most excellent majesty with a 
divine spirit, to interpret some dark 
phrases of a letter shewed to his ma- 
jesty, above and beyond all ordinary 
construction; thereby miraculously 
discovering the hidden treason, not 
many hours before the appointed time 
for the execution thereof ;” I, for one, 
cannot refrain from suspicion of this 
marvellous coincidence of the time for 
execution, and the time for discovery ; 
or from incredulity as to the miracu- 
lous interpretation of some dark 
phrases, above and beyond all ordinary 
construction; or from laughter at the 
immodest and profane adulations 
which the statute contains. 
Our own times have illustrated to 
us the ceconomy of a state-plot. And 
I cannot help forming some link of 
association between the ideas of the 
gunpowder treason and the Cato-street 
conspiracy. A PROTESTANT. 
November 5, 1822. 
' — 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
SOME AccouNT of the PRECOCIOUS 
TALENTS of the DRAMATIC PHENOME- 
NON, MISS CLARA FISHER. 
Mwy Ciara FisHer was born in 
London on the 14th of July, 
1811, and is the youngest daughter of 
- Mr, Fisher, formerly proprietor of the 
Steyne Library, Brighton, but for many 
years a respectable auctioneer in 
Covent Garden, 
The first intimation of uncommon 
Biographical Account of Miss Clara Fisher. 
511 
perception which she evinced, was her 
knowledge in musical sounds, which, 
whilst an infant in arms, she shewed 
by various ways; expressing great 
delight when certain tunes were played 
which pleased her ear; whilst, on the 
other hand, she opposed the performing 
of those she had taken a dislike to, by 
every means in her power. Repeated 
experiments were made to ascertain 
whether it was a real knowledge of 
difference of sounds, or merely the 
effect of chance, or childish caprice ; 
but the results were ever invariably 
the same: the first bar of the tunes she 
disliked being played on the piano 
would set her crying; but, when 
changed to those she approved, she 
instantly laughed, and demonstrated 
the greatest pleasure. Dr. Williams 
(better known by the name of Antony 
Pasquin,) mentions the above circum- 
stance of little Clara in his Dramatic 
Censor, as an extraordinary instance 
of infantine perception. Mr. Fisher’s 
family being in private life, few oppor- 
tunities presented themselves of wit- 
nessing dramatic representations ; but 
the fame which Miss O’Neill acquired 
on her appearing in London, induced 
Mr. Fisher to visit Covent Garden 
theatre with his family, to witness the 
tragedy of Jane Shore; and, from the 
impression made that evening on the 
mind of little Clara, may be dated her 
passion for acting. 
On her return home the same even- 
ing, while the family were at supper, 
she left the table, (unobserved as she 
supposed,) and began to act, in dumb- 
show, what she had seen Miss O’ Neill 
perform in Jane Shore; but, infant 
like, blended with it the madness of 
Alicia. A few nights after she was 
taken to t2e Olympic theatre, where a 
comic dance was very well executed 
by the clown, and which the next day 
she repeated every step, with all the 
grimace and distortion of features used 
by the performer the night before, 
These early efforts, in a child of four 
years ofage, gave much pleasure to her 
parents; and, whenever they had a 
party of friends, by way of amuse- 
ment, they would send an elder sister 
of Clara’s to the piano vo play some of 
the plaintive airs'she was fond of, (as 
if by accident,) which, as soon as she 
heard, she would leave off every other 
pursuit, and instantly commence a 
pathetic story in dumb show, varying 
her action in the mgst graceful manner 
possible. Sometimes she would raise 
her 
