1829.] Theatrical Matters. 635 
our May Queen outlived the Christmas season, and our Rover induced so many 
to imitate him, and quit their homes; while you have, over and over again, 
enabled us’to pay the postage of My Daughter's Letter, which, since its receipt, 
has been any thing but a dead letter in our treasury. But, Ladies and Gen- 
tlemen, there is a time for all things. Our season is over; our Harthquake is 
silenced ; our May Queen must be put to bed; our Rover must be laid up in 
port; and our Daughter's Letter remain in the post-office unopened—till the 
magic touch of the Lord Chamberlain’s license, like Harlequin’s wand, shall 
again set them free.” 
The Covent Garden Theatrical Fund had a magnificent dinner on the 
10th inst., at which the Duke of Clarence was to have presided, but the 
death of the Prince of Hombourg prohibited this, and Lord Blessington 
was his substitute. Fawcett’s speech was manly and angry, and 
announced something like his resignation. He descanted fiercely on the 
negligence of the actors in contributing to the fund, from which he 
warned them, that many a revolter might be glad, at afuture day, to have 
a share of its donations. On the health of the stewards being drank, 
Mathews returned thanks with considerable pleasantry :— 
“ Gentlemen: I am deputed by my brethren—I really don’t know why—to 
return you their thanks for the honour just conferred upon them. Considerable 
difficulty in choosing a speaker, I conjecture, must have occurred before I 
as applied to. I certainly inquired why so serious a task should be imposed 
pon a comic actor [cheers], when there are so many persons who belong to 
e more dignified department of the drama, whose power would be more 
uited to the occasion. I was told they had all individually declined. One 
_ of the principal tragedians, to whom the noble Lord had referred, thought he 
was too Young for such an undertaking. Surely, I’ve a better right to this 
excuse, for every body knows I am but a minor [laughter]. Mr. Keeley, 
though so often seen to advantage, thought he should not be seen here 
[laughter_|—he was too short, he said ; I hope I shan’t be thought too long ; 
and Mr. Blanchard thought his voice too weak for the room, not having been 
used to speal-in a larger space than Covent Garden for the last twenty-five 
years ; and I feared that I should not be heard at all, having lately contracted 
my voice for the Adelphi; and having set up to be my own master, had some 
_ fear that it would be infra dignitatem to speak amongst his Majesty’s ser- 
vants.” 
But all this badinage had a lively effect on minds that had already 
dipped deep in the second bottle, and the collection amounted to 
upwards of 1,000/. 
We learn that a Miss Mordaunt is delighting all hearts—the old and 
the young, the grave and the gay—at Southampton. Her being a pretty 
girl, as well as a clever comic actress, is in her favour :—we hope soon 
to see her on the London boards. 
NOTES OF THE MONTH ON AFFAIRS IN GENERAL. 
We are sick of Irish affairs, and no sickness is more epidemical. We 
are perfectly certain that the sickness is at this hour universal, and that 
if a man want to have a disgust and contempt for every thing in the 
shape of public life—for its protestations and principles, for its speeches 
and performances—he has but to glance at the proceedings which have 
originated in Irish politics, at any hour for the last ten years. The 
Marquis of Anglesey’s conduct has at length forced itself before par- 
liament ; and the orale Marquis, after having swallowed his wrongs 
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