Mr. Doublethrust, who had long occupied the honourable position of second cut-throat on the national boards, finding that the managers had taken to cutting each others' throats, and consequently left nothing for him to do, got together a select company for the purpose of performing Shakspeare in the provinces. Having arrived at a small village in the north, he became lessee of a barn, and advertised to open it "on the principle of the national theatres," the latter having been frequently conducted in a style worthy of the former, so that there was nothing really new in the combination. The season was announced to commence with
MACBETH,
From the Text of Shakspeare:
Followed by
A NAVAL HORNPIPE,
From the Text of T. P. Cooke:
Preceded by
AN ADDRESS,
Written expressly for the occasion, by the
PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL INSTITUTION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF