p. 292

87.
in a certain round of parts which he had well
digested and acted at Drury Lane but further
he never went in the profession and the pro-
fession is like all other things it does not stand
still. With his Irish recklessness Dwyer leaned
on his pillar of fame till the base crumbled from
under it and toppled with its illusions into the
dust and rubbish of obscurity. It has been said
of Dwyer that he was above all vulgar preju-
dices that his diffidence never stood in the way
of his success and that "he was much better
suited for the aristocracy of Europe than the
plebian society of America." We knew him
sometime and did not find him so inclined. He
had truw Hibernian pride ; he had errors he
had certain propensities incident to humanity.
He took his wine as a gentleman but was not
a sot. He loved the sex. "But I am an Irish-
man mark you me" as Kilmallock says. Yet
with all that has been alleged his heart and
deeds were an honor to the Emerald Isle. His
talent may not be deemed of the first order nor
was his education regular. But he possessed a
mind that cultivation would have made superior.

Master Henry Whale who was denomnated
"The Infant Vestris" made his first appearance
on any stage on the 27th of November 1809 in
Madame Pariset's celebrated hornpipe.

Cooper as usual played two engagements
with success. He added to his list of charac-
ters at this time Michael Ducas in "Adelge-
tha" and Hotspur.

The following English pieces were produced
for the first time this season : "Ella Rosen-
berg" a melo-drama by James Kenny ; "The
Blind Boy ;" "Is he a Prince ?" a farce ; "Kil-
ling no Murder" by Hook ; "Mother Goose" a
pantomime ; "Who Wins or the Widow's
Choice" "Man and Wife or More Secrets Than
One" by James Arnold ; "Wicklow Mountains
or the Lads of the Hills" by O'Keefe ; "Ru-
gantino or the Bravo of Venice" "The Found-
ling of the Forest" "The Caravan or the
dri-
ver and his Dog" by Frederick Reynolds ;
"Half an Hour after Supper" "Lodoiska"
"The Africans." There was no original Ame-
rican drama played this season.

The theatre closed April 27th, 1810 Dwyer's
last night when he played Young Rapid and
Sir Charles Racket. The company opened in
Baltimore in May and spent the summer in the
District of Columbia.

In April 1810 Cooper returned from his
starring engagements and was engaged at the
Park for a limited number of nights--that is
he was engaged to himself he being manager of
the theatre with Price. This was the beginning
of humbug No. 2 in the category of theatrical
humbuggery which has been running a race of
absurdities ever since. If vast fortunes were
made by the system we should feel satisfied
with the excuse.

During this engagement Cooper and Dwyer
played two nights together at New York :
Cooper as Leon and Dwyer as the Copper Cap-
tain. On the next night the former performed
Horatio the latter the gay Lothario.

The New York theatre closed for a fortnight
in April to bring out "The Exile." When
ready it was re-opened and the Park closed for
the season after the benefit on 4th of July.

CHAPTER XLIV.
Death of Hugh Reinagle--Formation of the firm of War-
ren & Wood--The season of 1810-'11 at the Chesnut--
Mrs. Beaumont's engagement--The visit of Geo. Freder-
ick Cooke to America--Stock benefits in 1811--First ap-
pearance of Cooke in this city--Extraordinary excite-
ment--Great rush for seats--Contests to procure tickets--
Dr. B.'s snuff experiment--Cooke's first appearance as
"Richard III."--Tremendous receipts--Cooke and Cooper
act together--Cooke's "Iago"--Anecdotes of this performer
--Cooper's "Othello"--Splendid dramatic exhibition.

We have omitted to notice the death of Mr.
Hugh Reinagle who was with Mr. Wignell an
original lessee and founder of the Chesnut
street theatre. This event took place at Balti-
more Sept. 21, 1809. Mr. Reinagle had on the
2d of April 1793 opened the Chesnut street
theatre for the first time for the purpose of
giving a concert and it was his money and
credit which sustained Mr. Wignell in his de-
termination to enter upon the enterprize of es-
tablishing a new theatre in Philadelphia. Mr.
Reinagle thus having an original interest con-
tinued a partner during all the changes which
succeeded. At the death of Mr. Wignell he
became joint lessee with Mrs. Wignell formerly
Mrs. Merry. After the marriage of that lady
with Mr. Warren a new partnership was entered
upon between Mr. Warren and Mr. Reinagle.
This continued until the death of Mr. R. Mr.
Warren was then sole leesee but Mr. Wood
who had long been with Mr. Warren as stage
manager obtained an interest in the leeseeship
and at the commencement of the season of
1810-'11 the firm was Warren & Wood. This
partnership continued until 1820 as we shall
have occasion to show hereafter.

Under the management of Warren & Wood
the company always enjoyed the highest re-
spectability in the community. The harmony
of its business relations was proverbial and
the social intercourse of its members was of the
most cheerful and delightful character. The
actors were the peculiar care of the managers
and they in their turn reciprocated the protec-
tion with a filial reverence. This halcyon scene
afterwards changed and all was chaos. In
lauding the singular position of this corps
throughout our sketches we may create a smile
as indulging in hyperbole. But we know the
truth of what we say and as we still honor the
profession and revere the memories of most of
those who we have endeavored faintly to por-
tray we feel that in possessing the right feel-
ing we may defy a world of ridicule in arms.

The season of 1810-'11 opened on the 26th of
November 1810 with "The Way to Get Mar-
ried" and "The Agreeable Surprise." On the
28th was played "Macbeth" in which Mrs.
Twaits made her first appearance before a Phi-
ladelphia audience as the Cruel Queen and Mr.
Allen afterwards known as "Andrew Jackson
Allen" and "Dummy Allen" made his profes-
sional bow as The Doctor. The company con-
sisted of nearly the same performers as at the
close of the last season. Warren & Wood were
managers and the stock company consisted of
Jefferson Fennell (who was now engaged)
Francis M'Kenzie Blissett Hardinge Robins
Wilmot Durang Seymour Geo. Barrett Jacobs
Taylor Drummond Downie Harris Cone Cal-
braith Briers Lindsey Allen F. Duranf West
(actor and scene painter) Jones Master Scriven-

er. Mr. Charles Charnock who was the prompt-
er was a very excellent one and a gentlemanly
man. He had been originally a very respecta-
ble ship master both in England and America.
The ladies were Mesdames Twaits Wood Fran-
cis Wilmot Barrett Seymour Jacobs Jeffer-
son Downie Melmoth Morris Durang Miss E.
White Miss Pettit &c.

On the 5th of December Mrs. Beaumont from
the London and Liverpool theatres made her
appearance being engaged for six nights. She
performed Isbella Euphrasia Madam Clermont
("Adrian and Orilla") Maria ("The Citizen")
Letitia Hardy Ella Rosenberg Juliet Jane Shore
and Albina Mandeville. Subsequently Mr. Beau-
mont appeared as Rolla Osmond The Stranger
Sir Charles Surface Pierre and other characters
supported on some occasions by Mrs. B. We
shall speak of thiscouple at length when we
come to notice the opening of "The Olympic."

Fennell went through a round of characters
as a star though he was at the time a member
of the stock company.

On the 1st of January 1811 "Columbus"
was revived with Calbraith as the hero. Fen-
nell appeared for the first time as Orestes in
"The Distressed Mother" for his benefit on the
4th of February. During this season Mr. Den-
nison made his debut as Gustavus Vasa. He
afterwards appeared as Osmond.

Before the close of the theatre the following
English pieces were produced for the first time :
"High Life in the City" by John Edmund Eyre ;
"Hit or Miss" a comic opera ; "The Stranger"
Benj. Thompson's translation ; "The Budget of
Blunders" "The Distressed Mother" from the
"Andromaque" of Racine translated by Am-
brose Phillips ; "The Doubtful Son or the Se-
crets of a Palace" by Dimond ; "De Montfort
or the Force of Hatred" by Joanna Baillie ;
"The Pilgrim or Love's Perils."

There were no American dramas brought out
at this time.

Mr. Cooper's arrival with Cooke in this coun-
try created quite a sensation in the public mind.
The low state of theatricals in New York made
it necessary for Cooper and Price to invoke some
tremendous novelty to arouse the dormant pa-
tronage and taste of the playing-going public.
The managers were men in every essential
point who from their influence energies and
fearless enterprize dared to attempt and had
the tact to accomplish successfully any ob-
ject that their minds determined upon. Price's
whole managerial life from the period he en-
tered into it in 1808 until he became lessee of
Drury Lane theatre resuscitating the wreck of
that noble property to the surprise of all the
assembled theatrical wisdom of London speaks
of his indomitable business spirit with an em-
phasis not ot be mistaken. He no doubt sus-
tained himself at London by exhausting the
treasury of the Park and evenually sunk it
yet he went down with his colors flying.

It has been said that Cooper resorted to many
unbecoming expedients to secure the untracta-
ble tragedian's consent to visit this country ;
that he was made drunk and in that oblivious
state abducted and safely secured on shipboard.