At

Rising for a moment, and then reseating himself firmly in the regal looking chair with a determined pressure of his elbows and hands upon its arms, as if quite prepared for the eventualities, he seemed to say to the dominant powers" your command will not be obeyed—I remain here in spite of you!" this intelligible, pantomimic expression, a redoubled cry of "off, off!" assailed him-but Sowerby still sat unmoved, either in person or temper by the violence of his clamorous assailants. But suddenly, a tremendous voice broke through the popular tumult, and bellowed forth a scornful "No!"—and a dead silence ensued-which Sowerby also broke through with a second "No!" adding, "you shall never have the gratification of saying that you drove me from your stage! when I go, I will be carried off!" At which novel address the recent feeling of anger was converted into a burst of general amusement, and the more liberal portion of the audience favoured the actor with several rounds of applause at this effusion of personal independence, and cries of "go on with your character!" were audible from several parts of the house, the which were answered by Sowerby in his characteristic way, who, still seated with front erect, upon the velvet chair, thus resumed in his most deliberate and tragic accents-accompanied by appropriate action, and a preliminary reiteration of "No! no!-You have inflicted a wound you shall never have the honour to

heal you have checked my youthful ardour, blightheal—you

ed my ambition, destroyed my reputation, and in return take my execrations!" then calling to the side scenes in an imperious and dignified tone

Scene-Shifters!-bear me away from these people! I shall now go home and read the story of the Roman and the Pig!" and he was borne off the stage by two men,-seated in his chair of state, and, as it seemed,

more like a conqueror than a martyr - but amidst the laughter and hisses of the spectators, whom he treated, at his exit, with a bitter smile and a disdainful movement of his hand, more malethan valedictory.

Mr. Sowerby was, almost always, equally unlucky in his dramatic attempts. It was peculiarly hard upon him, as he pursued the art, not for "base lucre "-for he was a man of a sufficient fortune-but con amore, and his total failure rendered him, long after, extremely unhappy, and in his disappointment he felt, like Roderigo, that he was, in fact, a "very ill-used gentleman." He idolized the Kemble family, whose peculiar intonations and manner he obviously affected; and in his residence at Bath were to be seen, encompassed by frames of regal splendour, - suspended by golden cords and tassels, the best engravings of these his honoured models, each portrait surmounted by a graceful wreath of gilded bays.

On Mr. Sowerby's final retirement from his struggles for dramatic fame and favour, he was able to jest very pleasantly upon his past mortifica

tions, and in commemoration of his well-known failures, and the general issue (or as a cockney might more aptly pronounce it, the Hiss-ue) of his performances, he gave his abode the discriminating title of

Hist Hall!

This domiciliary distinction will be found (copied from his own hand), recorded in the following characteristic letter:

"If thou likest not the produce of my farm, mayest thou never again visit Hist Hall.

"WM. SOWERBY,

"21, Devonshire-buildings, Bath.

"To Charles Mathews, Esq."

Mr. Sowerby was much liked by those who knew him best, and his eccentricities were sources of vast entertainment, especially to actors.

During the period of his London performances alluded to, Mr. Thelwall was delivering Lectures upon Acting and the Drama. On one occasion Mr. Sowerby and Mr. Mathews were present. In the course of his subject, the lecturer, very indelicately and unnecessarily, quoted-in illustration of one of his own positions-the public style of one of his auditors, of whose presence, it may be inferred, he was totally unconscious,-and whom Mr. Thelwall intemperately distinguished as "A wretch of the name of Sowerby," &c.

F

This allusion my Husband hoped, and indeed believed, had escaped the ear of his companion, who sat unmoved by it, and the remarks that succeeded. But Mr. Mathews was mistaken, for waiting only till Mr. Thelwall came to a pause at the end of his theme, the eccentric and good-humoured subject of it, walked slowly up close in front of the lecturer, and making him a very low, respectful bow, said, with profound gravity, in a loud voice-" Sir! the Wretch, Sowerby,' has the honor of wishing you a very good morning;" and left the room without the slightest emotion of any kind.

DIGNUM.

'Betty, Betty, you're a good girl, but you'll never set the Thames on fire!

'No, Marm; I hope I shall never do any thing so wicked!" WHETHER the above invidious remark of a sapient mistress, and tart rejoinder of her single-minded maid-servant really took place, it matters not to inquire; the said colloquy being placed before the reader, simply for the purpose of reminding him of a popular observation, apt to be applied disparagingly to some of the most meritorious, praiseworthy members of society, of whom, individually, it is sometimes said," Mr.- is a very good sort of

man, but he'll never set the Thames on fire!" The origin of this dogma we (to assume the regal attribute, as more befitting, than the poor personal pronoun, the elevated, and withal grave character of the present theme)—we are by no means curious to learn, being little prone to "old saws," inclining more to modern "instances ;" but we confess ourselves desirous of knowing how the phrase in question can be applied, as it invariably is, in the sense of a reproach to a man, that he is by nature or principle unfitted or adverse to the commission of an act, atrocious in itself, and so wide-spreading and calamitous in its consequences! Every body knows, or should know, that incendiarism in the dry matter of a hay-stack is by law accounted rank felony, and rigorously punished accordingly; and if this be viewed as a burning shame in perpetration, how, it may be asked, can an extension of the crime fail to be proportionately flagrant, and conflagrant, in the impartial eyes of Justice-which, by the way, is feigned to be blind.-N'importe. In the roll of political expediency there exists a canon which has established that the destroyer of one man is, not only actually, but penally, a murderer, while the slayer of thousands (in the field of battle) is morally and lawfully a hero! By a parity of reasoning-But what have we to do with reason ?— let us return to the post from whence we started, and proceed direct to the goal of our intent.

Of the many worthy people, then, who have by