APPENDIX C.
(Correspondence of M. le Texier).
No. 1.
DEAR SIR,
Having had nothing material to communicate to you since your departure from hence, I would not trouble you with my letters till I did hear from you, in consequence of our agreement, and now I find myself honoured with your's of the 22nd November and 5th December; both which, for reason of the early frost, and constant easterly wind, I did not receive but lately, and at a short distance from one another. I congratulate you very heartily upon the shortness of your passage, and happy arrival in London, and beg you'll accept of my sincere thanks for the friendly expressions of your letters, and the intelligence you are so obliging to impart to me. I make not the least doubt but you'll be able to employ your time a great deal better, and enjoy quite other pleasures in that great world, where you must almost be lost in, than you did in our little trading town of Hambro'. The inclosed letters which you transmitted to me, have been deliver'd according to your direction. You'll certainly hear from Mr. Holland directly. Mr. and Mrs. Matthiessen and their family, have often enquired for you, are verry glad of the intelligence I gave them from you, and that they may expect to see you, perhaps, in a short time, back again in those quarters, and do return their best compliments to you. I am glad to hear that Garrick approves of the new play that is intended to be performed; but cannot help wondering at the same time of his backwardness of concurring more effectually in its execution; but this may perhaps comme in time, when he has more particularly digested the plan, and seen the first actors in motion. You don't tell me of having seen him yourself: this is, however, what I could have wished, as you are by far better able than Woodward to give him a clear idea of the whole, and remove such objection as he could have to it. I have not yet heard from Beard, tho' I suppose, he must be in correspondence with Holland. As to Foote, I had no letters from him, and none did I expect; as we agreed, before his departure, that he should not write, but when circumstances did absolutely require it. Do you think that Shutter will have orders to advance the performance of this play on the stage he is at this time engaged on, or that Garrick will, perhaps, chose somebody else for having the management of it there. I cannot tell you anything more on this subject till things are come to maturity. Meanwhile, if you hear of something which you think will be worth transmitting, I'll be obliged to you for the communication of it. Our German plays are interrupted till the beginning of February, and the Cristmass vacancies won't allow the balls at the Boselhoff till the latter end of this month. Last week I heard at a verry grand concert the famous violin player, Lolly, who is, perhaps, the greatest virtuoso on that instrument at present in Europe. It is said he'll visit Engeland, where, I dare say, he'll be as much admired as in the other places he has been. You don't tell me how you deal with pleasures and amusements; for my part, my dear friend, I catch as much of the sweets of life as time and circumstances will alow. You must take up with this dish of broken English as it is, and excuse the inaccuracies of it, provided only you are able to understand it. Let me hear from you, and believe me, at all events, your devoted humble servant and friend.
From Mons. T——r, written from Hamburgh,
about the beginning of January, 1775.
No. 2.
MY DEAR FRIEND,
I have received consecutively, and very safely, four of your letters. The first from Z——, the second from Rotterdam, and the two last ones, from yᵉ 14th and 21st instant, from London, which give me a circumstantial account of your journey, and your transactions after your arrival at the last mention'd place. I should have answer'd them by the post of last Friday, if it had not been for the absence of Holland, who having been down to his estates for about 12 days, and beeing only return'd yesterday, it was only this morning I could communicate to him the contents of your last two letters. He is extremely satisfied; as, indeed, he ought to be, of the activity, the zeal, skil, and affection, with which you embrac'd and acted in the cause of Mrs. Yates, and pitty's only that all the trouble you have taken, and our endeavours, cannot prevail on Garrick's obstinacy to act his part in the manner the other actors desire it, in the new intended play, which may possibly be deficient in succes, in case he should persist in his refusal. As we have no intelligence as yet from Woodward or Beard (which we expect, however, every moment), we can form no judgment about his intentions, and therefore we are as little able to give you a cathegorical answer upon your question, whether we can make any further use of your services, or not? and, besides having no true account of the state of affairs from the stage where the play is to be acted. If the comedians have not been interrupted, if they know their parts, if the stage is adapted, if the machinery's are readdy, &c., of which I doubt very much. You must remember that at your departure things did not look very bright, and that we were in apprehension of some disagreable news. Tho' we don't know the circumstances of what has happened there, and tho' the pot is not entirely crack'd, or has not boil'd over, as a certain person express'd itself, something must, however, have been the matter, and discomposed for the present the arrangements that were made, as Mr. Reddish, and two others of the first actors, have left the playhouse, and undertook a journey during this summer to the south of Germany, till the suspicions that probably have been raised are dissipated, and the difficulty's they met with have been removed, which we hope will be towards the winter, when they will all meet again on the stage to make a fresh rehearsal, of which the success may be less doubtfull, if Garrick will second them as he ought. But be the case what it will, we expect every day, and certainly in the course of next weak, ours and your good friend, Mr. Foote, who will certainly relieve us of our anxiety, clear our doubts, and lead us in the way to give you a clear and positive decision. Till then, my dear, good friend, you must be quiet, and remain where you are without taking any resolution (exept on Garrick's immediate orders). This is what Holland entreats you to mind till he has explained himself with Foote, which, as you see, will be very soon, assuring you upon his honour, that his first business will be to settle with him in what manner to employ you, and then to give you immediate and positive resolution if you are to continue in the same station, and send you a draught at the same time; or in case you were at present of no use for to bring the play on the stage, to entreat Mrs. Yates (who is already acquainted with your ability's), in the strongest terms to recommand you to her friend, Mr. Garrick. This, my dear friend, is all I can, and am commissioned to say to you upon this account. I hope my next will be more satisfactory to you; meanwhile be assured that Holland, as well as myself, we have the highest and best grounded esteem for your noble and disinterested way of thinking, and whatever be the event, we shall always congratulate ourself of having made your acquaintance, and cemented your friendship.