1831.] Affairs m Geiieral. 435 



lection. As to the money's being seized by the reverend gentleman, 

 ■whether it were lodged in the bank, or in liis own bureau, we desire 

 the clerical magistrate to shew us his law for either. It was the fair 

 gain of his labours, and no one else had a right to touch a penny of it. 

 As to the tremendous fact of it being stuck in the fingers of old gloves, 

 we can only interpret it as a sign that Sinclair did not choose that it 

 should bejingered by any one but the owner. Still there are some 

 points about the story which make us pause. The seven pounds of 

 wheaten bread to the small quantity of oatmeal, might show the fellow's 

 good taste, but how could he obtain the bread in the northern regions 

 of the isle. The sum of money too is staggering. Two hundred and 

 eighteen pounds and odd shillings, collected in Scotland in the course 

 of a life, however long, travels however extensive, and begging however 

 indefatigable, are a phenomenon severely trying to our belief. The 

 whole story will probably turn out to be a puff of the Scotch bankers, to 

 shew the internal resources of their country. 



The theatrical world is prodigiously on the qui vive at the approach of 

 the season. At Drury-lane the old fashion of our going to see the lions 

 is to be revived with delightful reality, a whole forest of them being to 

 be let loose on the stage, and to devour M. Martin, their proprietor and 

 principal prey every night. The greatest precautions are in progress 

 for the security of the audience. The stage is to be palisadoed round 

 with bars ten feet thick, and forty feet high. In addition, the first three 

 ranks of the pit are to be furnished with pikes eighteen feet long, to de- 

 fend themselves in case any of the dramatis personae should break 

 through, or in their enthusiasm scale the parapet. To prevent the 

 chance of flying leaps, the remainder of the pit are to be furnished with 

 rifles double-loaded, from Mr. Eggs', the celebrated gunsmith, now sell- 

 ing off" his stock, and a regiment of the Guards is to be planted in the 

 two-shilling gallery. The master-general of the ordnance also, with 

 that attention to the public convenience, which characterises the whole 

 policy of ministers, has voluntarily promised to keep a brigade of field- 

 pieces in readiness on the nights of performance, which, in case of any 

 thing like serious disturbance among the performers, will be in town in 

 half an hour from the throwing up of the first rocket from the roof of 

 the theatre. Tlie lives of the biped actors are also to be insured at 

 " double hazardous !" Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Huinby, and the other more 

 attractive portions of the female establishment, are to be cased in cuirasses, 

 furnished in the kindest manner by several cornets of the Life Guards, 

 and wliich fit their shapes as if they were made for them. The engage- 

 ment of these pre-eminent artistes is due to the diplomatic talents of Mr. 

 Bunn, who has out-manoeuvred Matthews and Yates, in a style which 

 will probably terminate those two gentlemen in a felo de se. 



The fate of Covent-garden distracts us still. Whether Charles Kemble 

 and his daughter are to play here or in Kamschatka, to retire from the 

 stage, or to bear once more the burthen of the establishment on their 

 own heads, are matters whicli still perj)lex the world. Tlie i'act is, that 

 there is nothing certain under the sun, and we fear that theatres and 

 their calculations must be reckoned among the number. One thing we 

 hear of whicli we do not like ; a vast number of expensive engagements 

 of actors who, without good ])lays and new ones too, arc absolutely worth 

 nothing, let their abilities be what they may. Another is, that we do 



