indeed, of the advantages, which he at greater length states, are to be derived to the public from the hiftrionic efforts of a good actor; and we this month embellish our Magazine with the Portrait of a Gentleman who certainly deferves that appellation.

A theatrical life, of any eminence, must neceffarily involve part of the history of the stage, and ought to comprehend a series of obfervations upon the taste of the public, because it has been truly faid, that from the theatrical amufements of every nation, may be learned the paffions, the propenfities, the virtues, or the vices of its inhabitants: but fuch a history, we are not in this flight memoir, or memorandum, had we the power, called upon to give; we fhall therefore merely ftate, that the Gentleman, whofe Portrait we are now contemplating, has rendered himself confpicuous by the fuccefsful performance of many of the higher range of dramatic characters; a circumftance which, while it indicates the happy verfatility of his genius, alfo exhibits that thorough, that pervading know. ledge of his authors, which it is the lot

of but few to attain.

Reflecting on that ductility of mind, which formed fo prominent a feature in the performances of Garrick, and which enabled him fo correctly to delineate characters fo diffimilar, as thofe of KING LEAR and ABEL DRUGGER, we conceive it also to be predominant in thofe of Mr. Cocke. We can perhaps easily imagine, that the performer of Richard III. might fuccelsfully reprefent lago, or even Shy. lock, but it certainly hows great verfatility of talent, the emanation of real genius, to be equally fuccesful in FALSTAFF and Sir ARCHY M'SARCASM, or Sir PERTINAX MSYCO. PHANT; or to be able, with the fame accuracy, to di'criminate those two widely different, but equally trong drawn, and highly finished characters, KITELY, and Sir GILES OVER REACH. But, to purfus the subject more immediately before ns, Charles Frederick Cooke, whofe Portrait has elicited thete obfervations, was, we find, born in the barracks of Dublin in the year 1756: his father, who was an officer in the army, being at that time qua tered there; and who, in con equence of military changes, brought him with him to England, at the early age of three years.

Mr. C. acquired the firft part of his education in London, and afterwards finished his ftudies at a fchool in the north of England, where he remained eight years. From his fit theatrical attempt, which was the part of HoRATIO, in a private performance of HAMLET, he is faid to have imbibed a paflion for the stage.

This paffion he muft, however, for a time have reprefled, for he engaged first in the marine profeffion; and, it is reported, ferved in the British navy, and alfo on board me chantmen.

There are flight hints; but it is impoffible for us to go further than our materials will allow, therefore we are glad to arrive at incidents that reft upon a firmer batis.

Mr. Cooke made his first appearance on a public ftage in CASTALIO, (Or phar,) at the theatre in the Haymarket, for the benefit of Mrs. Massey, 1778 3 when the applaufe with which he was received, induced him to ourlue that profeffion in which his tale.*** *e now fo eminently confpicuous.

He accordingly joined a provincial company; and having, in this fchool of adverfity, acquired a competent knowledge of ttage bufinefs, became the hero at York, Newcastle, Man chefter, Liverpool, &c.

In 1794 he was engaged by Mr, Daly, the then manager of the theatre at Dublin, where he performed a feafon with fuch apolaule, and confequent fuccefs, that he was induced to repeat his vifit in 1797. Having remained three years with the new manager, Mr. Jones, he was engaged by Mr. Harris, and made his frit appearance at Covent-garden theatre,

Sober 31, 1800, in the character of RICHARD III. The applaufe that attended this effort, is still by every one remembered. Repeated audiences hailed him as the rettorer of the true dramatic file. The manager, in confequence, increated his falary, and indulged him with an early benefit. In the courfe of that, and the fubfequent feafons, Mr. Cooke has performed those characters which we have enumerated, and many more, which have all tended to increase his profeffional cebrity.

To fay that he has not fometimes ful fered from that mal gnity, which is too frequently the concomitant of the hil trionic mind, when contemplating fupe

rior talents, would almost be to infer that he is devoid of genius.

Envy will merit, as its fhade, pursue ; “And, like the fhadow, proves the fubftance true."'

Thofe petty cavils,which we have heard urged against fome of his performances, while the general merit of most of them is acknowledged, we fhall fuffer quietly to fink into oblivion, by the weight of their own dulnefs: but we fhould, if we were inclined to the task of combating them, perhaps find it till harder to defend him from the charge of being fometimes too fond of "Letting the CANIKIN clink, clank, clink.”

Yet, if he confiders, that the existence of a dramatic character is infinitely thorter than the perilous life of a foldier, and that thofe who urge him to quaff "POTATIONS pottle deep," with a view to hinder him from #trutting "his hour upon the stage," are as great enemies to him as IAGO was to CASSIO, we are perfuaded he will avoid them in future.

Having made these observations, it gives us pleasure that we can clofe this article with a letter relative to the fubje&t of them, which we conceive has a double value; as, in the first instance, it is the characteristic effusion of that excellent man, and refpectable ftage.. veteran, Mr. Moody; and, in the fecond, as it includes a circumilance highly honourable to Mr. Cooke.

M.

"Barnes, Dec. 15, 1806.

"MY DEAR SIR, "I was from home when your obliging request reached this place, or fhould have answered fooner.

"I faw Mr. Cooke fome time in the year 1794, at Buxton, act Shylock, which I thought he executed with great skill, and I lamented to fee fo much merit in fo much obfcurity. When I reached London, I made report of him, as I thought his ailiitance might be of great ufe; but, to be neglected, is fill the fate of talent in obfcurity, and the rough brike that theatrical ability has often gone through,

"I am not happy enough to be at all acquainted with Mr. Cooke, but I heard an anecdote of him from the widow of the late Mr. Charles Macklin, that does high honour to his feel ings.

"Mrs. Macklin is a lady of unblemished character, was an affectionate wife; and a long knowledge of her worth induced the managers of Covent Garden theatre to give her a night, to which Mr. Cooke made a tender of his popularity. Elated with her good fortune, the mentioned it to fome friends, when he was told he would deceive her; for, to their knowledge, he had a country engagement for that night. She waited on Mr. Cooke, who convinced her to the contrary; for he had put off that engagement for hers, for which he acted, and the night was very productive indeed. "Dear Sir, “Yours very truly, "T. MOODY."

Mr. Afperne.

To the Editor of the European Magazine.

SIR,

In addition to the information given

to the querift X, in your Magazine for October last, permit me to add the following, relative to the Grave Maurice (or Morris); that in the year 1612, upon St. Thomas's day, the Palf grave and Grave Maurice were elected Knights of the Garter; and on the 27th day of December following, the Palgrave was betrothed to the Lady Elizabeth, daughter of James It, (as Dr. Hugno, conectly obferves). On Sunday, the 7th of February, the Pallgrave, in perton, was in#alled Knight of the Garter; and, at the fame time, was Grave Maurice installed by his depury, Count Ludowick, of Naffan. The marriage of the Paligrave was folemnized at Whitehall on the 14th of February, being Shrove Sunday, and St. Valentine's day.

were

In turn, I inquire of the learned Doctor, or any other reader of your Magazine, whether the above father and fon, or brothers? for Baker, in his Chronicle, (who was a cotenporary writer,) fays, that the Princes Rupert and Maurice were the fecond and third fons of the King of Bohemia, and nephews to Charles the lit.

Rupert and Maurice defeated Colonel Sands at Worcester; took Cirencester, Litenfi-ld, and Bristol; beheged Latham-houte, and brought of the king from Oxford. At the battle of Nazeby,

rave Maurice commanded the right wing of the grand royal army. At the clote of the troubles of this reign, there two brave princes retired win their friends to Norton-house, four

teen

ren miles from Newark, where they requested, and obtained permiffion from the parliament, to retire from the kingdom.

We find little more account of either of them till the year 1652, when Prince, or Grave Rupert, with the Swallow, and a prize laden with tobacco, and some smaller veffels, and his brother Grave Maurice with him, endeavouring, in the West Indies, to give what annoyance they could to the enemies of Charles the IId, where the brave Prince, the Grave Maurice, loit his life in a hurricane, and was drowned. I muit now beg leave to inquire of any of your readers, if they can oblige me with any information more than what is generally known of Sir Chriftopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's cathedral? for though fo re. cently departed from the age of this hile, yet, comparatively, little is known; where any of his nanufcripts, drawings, models, &c. are to be found? for he made a confiderable quantity for king Charles the II's own ule; for the remarkable mocefty of this great man was not more gainst obtruding him. telf on the public notice, than were his great merits.

I am preparing for publication, a history of every thing relative to him, to accompany an illuftra,ion by exgravings of a large fize, of St. Paul's cathedral, from actual measurement, and therefore with not to omit any means of obtaining a greater portion of information than I have at present from the belt know n fources. ford, at Weltminfer, and in London, are fome, but 'tis from the more hidden tources I wish to extract (weets.

In Ox

Any gentleman favouring me with any information relative to the above, addrefled to me as under, thall not only have my hearty thanks and acknowdgment, but will feel the fatisfaction

peculiarly obnoxious when the restora tion was accomplished. To lave himfelf, therefore, from the fury of a Court which he had to highly incented, and the vigilance of which, from the emif faries employed, it was become fo difficult to elude, he connived with his friends in effecting the following innocent impolture. The report of his death was fo induftriously circulated, that the credulity of the public wal lowed the bait prepared for them. The coffin, the mourners, and other apparatus of his burial, were exhibited at his houfe, with the fame formality as if he had been really dead. A f gure of him, as large, and as heavy as the life, was actually formed, laid out, and put in a leaden coffin,and the whole funeral folemnity acted in all its parts. -It is faid, that when the truth was known, and he was found to be alive, notwithstanding the most incontestable evidence that he had been thus openly interred, the wits, about the Court of King Charles II. made themselves exceeding merry with the tratagem by which the poet had preferved his life. The lively and good natured Monarch himfelt too difcovered not a little fatiffaction, on finding that, by this in genious expedient, his reign had not been tarnished with the blood of a man already blind by application, infirmity, and age, and who, under all his dread. ful 'mistortunes, had written Paradife Loft.

SiR,

HYDROPHOBIA.

To the EDITOR.

a man from ob'curity.

of my papers, that I knew would furnih me with more accurate information than my memory could. Mr. Valentine K-ttering, a native of Germany, who, tor fifty years patt, has lived in Pennsylvania, communicated to the Senate of that State this fure cure for the bite of a mad dog; which he and his anceltors, for one hundred and twenty years, had ufed with unfailing fuccefs, and for which the Senate vored him their unanimous thanks.

Take