CHRONICLE. 



119 



feeling ; and that he would do any 

 thing for the house, if they but 

 ceased to destroy the proprietors' 

 property." Cheering as loud as 

 thunder followed, but a thousand 

 voices again vociferated, " Jones ! 

 Jones ! Nothing but Jones !" — 

 " Well, then. Gentlemen," said 

 the Lord Mayor, " I will again 

 wait on Mr. Jones." Bravo ! 

 Bravo.' thundered forth from all 

 quarters of the house. 



The Lord Mayor again retired, 

 but he had scarcely departed, when 

 an accident, which had very nearly 

 proved fatal to many individuals, 

 created a great uproar, and called 

 him back. It was the bursting of 

 the pannel of the right-hand stage 

 box, and the precipitation, head- 

 foremost, into the orchestra, of at 

 least twenty people who pressed 

 against it. As soon as it was as- 

 certained that no material accident 

 had occurred, and after arrange- 

 ments had been made to induce a 

 crowd, that rushed upon the stage, 

 to withdraw, the Lord Mayor and 

 Sheriffs proceeded on their embassy 

 to Mr. Jones. 



A considerable interval elapsed 

 before they returned, and it was 

 employed in a most horrible scene 

 of devastation. All the lights were 

 put out, and even the brass work 

 that was employed in suspending 

 them was broken to atoms. The 

 pannels of the lower tier of boxes, 

 which were ornamented by various 

 historical paintings, were next 

 assailed. In less than 5 minutes the 

 entire of them were torn out and 

 thrown into the pit. The pannels 

 of the second tier shared the same 

 fate, and the pit was literally filled 

 with the wreck before the Lord 

 Mayor and Sheriffs could return.— 

 When they made their appearance 



there was the usual cheer. " Gen- 

 tlemen," said the Lord Mayor, " I 

 can only tell you, that nothing 

 more can be done to-night, and 

 that I propose to wait on the Lord 

 Lieutenant to-morrow. Gentle- 

 men, I have to entreat that you 

 will instantly withdraw from the 

 theatre." Yes ! yes ! bravo ! 

 bravo ! was the general cry, and 

 all prepared to depart. The house, 

 however, was not cleared until 

 there was a tremendous addition 

 made to the universal ruin. Even 

 the galleries, which were hitherto 

 neutral, now lent their exertions. 

 So perfect a picture of wreck was 

 never perhaps witnessed. 



Mr. Jones at length thought fit 

 to announce his resignation, rather 

 than submit to make a personal 

 apology on the stage (which was 

 required), for an offence to the 

 pubUc not intended by him ; in so 

 doing, he observes, that he has not 

 forfeited his character as a gentle- 

 man. The management was then 

 confided to a Committee of the per- 

 formers, and the theatre re-opened 

 on the 28th. 



At the I'ise of the curtain Mr. 

 Rock obtained permission to read 

 documents respecting the resigna- 

 tion of Mr. Jones. To the address 

 of Mr. Jones he showed a signa- 

 ture, and testified it was Mr. 

 Jones's hand-writing. A decla- 

 ration was distributed, which he 

 also read, to the following effect : 



" Mr. Jones having positively 

 and unequivocally withdrawn from 

 the management of the Theatre, 

 the other proprietors think it ne- 

 cessary to state, that all prosecu- 

 tions shall cease; they pledge them- 

 selves that as they had no part ia 

 the late transactions, so shall it be 

 their study to remove every rea- 



