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King's Theatre, 29th Mag, 1818. ·

Mr LORD, Having seen your name to a requisition for a meeting relative to the King's Theatre, I take the liberty of addressing this letter to you, to assure your Lordship, that if there be any thing to correct in the establishment, there is no man more desirous than myself of knowing the defect and adopting the remedy. But no personal application has been made to me, and I can scarcely be ex pected to have cured the inconvenience with which I have hitherto been unaequainted. The rumours that may have reached me, are not of an order to be formally noticed, but I feel satisfied that whatever stronger exceptions may have been taken, require only to be examined into to be cleared away. If your Lordship will condescend to appoint any time to come to the Theatre, I will feel it my duty to attend to any suggestions which your Lordship may find it expedient to make.

I have the honour to be,
Your Lordship's

Obedient and humble Servant,

To

Earl of Aylesbury,

E. WATERS.

Earl of Aboyne,

Earl Plymouth,

Earl of Scarborough,

Earl Verulam,

Earl Whitworth,

Earl Sefton,

Sir Thomas Liddle.

The Committee did not condescend to notice this letter; the meeting was forthwith held on the 30th of May, and the resolutions proposed which have since been published. The consequences which I had foreseen, immediately resulted. Anonymous letters, containing every species of offence, were poured into the King's Theatre; others were sent to the solicitors, bankers, insurance offices, and the performers, expressly intended to destroy the pecuniary credit of the establishment. Those letters were, in general, met with the feeling due to such attempts; but their impression on the foreigners composing the pecu liar company of the King's Theatre, was such as might be naturally expected, from their unacquaintance with the spirit of the transaction. This result was, of course, not among the contemplations of the noble committee; but let any man of business conceive the vexation and actual injury of a run thus carelessly created upon his house."

Subjoined are copies of the anonymous letters. It appears also from MR. WATERS's pamphlet, that at a subsequent meeting MR. KELLY, the stage manager, and other persons employed in the theatre, were examined. MR. KELLY declared, that upon the whole "he never knew so good a company as the present," and he entered into some detail of the difficulties that had attended MR. WATERS'S efforts in the engagement of performers. But that gentleman has in his pamphlet given such curious specimens of such correspondence, that we think the whole highly worth preservation.

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Mille. Mpresents her compliments to Mons. Guillet, and in answer states, that the sum* mentioned between them yesterday morning for the remainder of the season is too little to answer her purpose.

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Mademoiselle G

desires to have for three months' absence which

she will employ in the Ballet at London, 1,000l. a clear benefit, two guineas a day, her travelling expenses and her support.+

(Literal translation.)

Mademoiselle M

-e to Mr. Waters.

SIR,

I have had the honour to write to you, to inquire whether the engagement you had the kindness to propose to me for the year 1817, could be realized for 1818, with the condition of 1,000 louis and a night, or 1,200 without a night, the voyage to be paid by you.

I have the honour,

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After the communication which has been made to me by Mr. P. the British secretary of legation at of a letter which you have written to him, relative to the terms on which I should be willing to engage at the King's Theatre, at London, I lose no time in forwarding to you my demand for one whole season:

1. 1,5007. salary.

2. My lodging paid.

3. My expenses of travelling repaid.

4. A free benefit with a new Ballet.

5. That I shall provide myself with ornaments only.

Upon these terms I am ready to sign an engagement, and to conform to the customs of your Theatre.

Turin, 1817.

I have the honour, &c.

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Having quitted Petersburg, after being two years at Vienna, I have arrived in Naples, where I am at this time with my wife, as first dancer, and where

* The offer made to Mademoiselle Mby M. Guiflet, was for three months, and 50%. more than her engagement in 1816 for a whole season. + According to the pretensions the lady makes for three months, they would be equal to 2,8701. 1-8s. 3d. for a season. K k

we have the honour to dance in the presence of her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, who has condescended to give me hopes of letters for London, when my contract at Naples is finished, viz. at the end of the carnival; for I have not engaged for a longer period, having a design of visiting England. I should then be able to arrive there in the course of next March, and to remain during April, May, June, and July.-Engaging me as ballet master and first dancer, and my wife as first dancer and pantomime, we are willing to dance six times per month.

1st. Six hundred guineas secured for every month, at a banker's, as usual. 2dly. A benefit free of all expenses, with a new ballet.

3dly. An apartment in the theatre, and a table of three courses!!!

Write per return of post, and have the goodness to address me three copies of your answer, the first to Naples, second to Vienna in Austria, at M. Le Comte, Imperial Palace, the third at Paris at M. Lefevre's, musician at the opera, Rue Helvétius, No. 58.

I have the honour to be,

With respect,

Your

very

humble servant,

J. D.

SIR,

(Literal translation.)

Mons. V

to Mr. Waters.

I had some time since the honor of communicating to you the terms on which I was willing to engage as first dancer to your theatre.

My demand now, would be, 1st. to have a salary of 1,500l. 2dly. a benefit in the prime of the season entirely free of expense; 3dly. to be re-imbursed the expense of my voyage. I think, Sir, this is hardly too much, considering that every thing is at London much dearer than ever it was before.

The rest I leave to your justice; I know not how to haggle and bargain, It would be beneath you and myself. In waiting for your answer,

I have the honour to be,

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It may not be uninteresting now to observe the absurd and intolerable charges which singers can make.

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Venice, 1817. I acknowledge your two favours, dated 26th, 28th October, wherein you acknowledge mine. I observe, that in the first, you promise to continue your correspondence with me from London, which place you were on the point of setting out from, and where you would be anxious to hear respecting the singers, whom I proposed to you, but whom I am unable, this year, to engage. Prima Donna Seria, Siga. E. P. demands two thousand five hundred pounds sterling, a free benefit, travelling expenses paid, a table, and permission to make her debut in a man's character in an opera which she will take with her. Prima Donna Seria, Sig. A, demands 1,500l. sterling, six covers, a free benefit, travelling expences paid.

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, asks 1,000l. sterling,

Prima Donna Buffa, Siga, L

F

of this lady I will send you particulars the earliest opportunity, and will let you know whether she will accept your offer of 7001. sterling, and 50%. for travelling expenses. Primo Tenore Serio e Buffo, Sig, B.

Buffa e Seria, Sig3. C

B

-

C,and Prima Donna his wife, ask together 2,500 guineas, with the privilege to sing at concerts, a dressing-room, fourteen covers, the convenience of a coach to the theatre, and an advance of 250 guineas. Primo Musico Sig. Gio. B— V- He asks 2,500l. sterling, the pri

vilege to sing at concerts, a free benefit, and travelling expenses.

You will, no doubt, expect me to give you an early account of the demands of all those professors of music, who desire to come to London; I therefore think it a duty to communicate to you all the particulars I could collect, reserving farther accounts for my next, as I have not yet received answers from any of them. I must give you to understand that the terms of all of them are for a whole season, to begin from the time that they are called upon to set out for London, and to terminate at the period which shall be settled upon in their agreement. I have the honour to be,

&c. &c.
V. B.

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SIR,

Milan, 12th November. I received a letter of yours, to form with you a theatrical engagement for next year: I should not be against accepting it, if we could agree upon the conditions I propose, and my demands are as follow:

1. I intend, to be employed in your theatre, as first comic absolute singer, to sing only in comic and semi-serious operas.

2. The first opera I am to appear in, to be of my own choice, and the singers who are to perform in it, to be to my satisfaction.

3. You will give me for my salary for the said season, two thousand guineas in gold, to be paid in equal payments monthly from the day of my arrival in London, until the end of the said season.

4. A free benefit night, free of all expenses, and ensured to amount to five hundred guineas, with liberty to give a new opera.

5. An advance of two hundred guineas, to be paid here in Milan, the moment the engagement is signed.

6. That the management of the Royal Theatre are to furnish me in all the operas wherein I am to perform, the suitable greater or lesser dresses to my

satisfaction.

7. That I may be allowed the liberty to have any private concert, it being always understood after my first appearance.

8. The accommodation of a carriage to take me to and from the theatre at all times.

If Mr. Waters, the Manager, finds my proposals convenient, he may send me the engagement here in Milau; but I beg of him, which ever way he decides, to answer me by the return of post, for my guidance, for the other proposals I have from other towns.

Believe

me,

with the most perfect esteem,

Your most humble Servant,
(Signed) F. F.

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Naples. Your letter of the 13th July last has come to my hands only this morning, and I hasten to answer it. I have two things to observe, first, as to the terms of the engagement; and next, the time given me before I commence it. I regret much to be unable to acquiesce in either of them. I know that every first singer, such as Catalani, Grassini, &c. has had no less than 2,500l. and assuredly I will not take less nor will I ask more. As to the time, it is impossible that I should be permitted to quit my engagement here before the end of March; I cannot conceive how you could believe it possible for me to be with you so early as you mention, well knowing that every Prima Donna is engaged by the year. If my proposals should meet your views, I might, perhaps, be able to reach London by the beginning of March, by procuring a month to be struck off from my engagement here. It remains with you to decide; I merely entreat an early answer for my government. I have many engagements under consideration, on which I shall not decide before the end of December; and I hope by that time you will preclude the necessity of my making any other engagement. With the greatest esteem, &c.

P

I C,

Milan.

Signora Coffers to serve for two seasons certain at the Opera House, in London, under the following contract; in serious opera to be Soprano, or principal Buffa in comic opera; her expenses to be paid from Italy to London, and apartments to be provided for her free of expense in that city; to have a salary of two thousand five hundred pounds per season, with a clear benefit during the season; a sum of money to be paid her, previous to her quitting this country in advance, to pay her expenses to England: to have the naming of the opera in which she is to make her first appearance. The dresses for the stage to be found her.

The public has long been in the practice of condemning the enormous sums demanded by artists of this description, for the reward of their labours. What will that public be disposed to think of pretensions such as these-of fourteen covers and three courses!!! We are by no means prone to under-rate the time and labour and talent which must be presumed in a pre-eminent dancer or singer, We always recollect that the payment is for the studious, unrelaxing employment of a life. But even under this view of the acquisitions of art, we highly applaud Mr. WATERS' publication of these monstrous demands, and we trust they will open the eyes of the nation, and tend to the abridgment of such exorbitant impositionsimpositions to which, we may say, no other country can or does submit.

MR. WATERS concludes his temperate and manly appeal with the following paragraph :

"I have now stated, without reserve the circumstances on which the pub

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