Peg Woffington

use that phrase because it is a fine generic o

ble compound; but respect, enthusiasm,

of thing-the head of his table, his left hand when he drove in the Park, etc. To this he proposed to promote Mrs. Woffington. She

he scandal of possessing her was a burning temptation. Wom

"is a famous man; What wil

to answer t

than we. They would embrace with more rapture a famous orang-outang than we an i

have been on the hero, or the heroine? Why, on Mrs. Macbeth! To her would th

; but the grand stream of sexual admiration would have set Mariaw

ceremoniously polite. She was almost constantly on the stage, and in a hurry when off it; and, when there was a word to be got with her the ready, glib Sir Charles was sure to get it. Vane could not help thinking it hard that a m

his friend. He called on Mr. Vane and after a short preface, containing the words "our friend

as she will with you, if she thinks it worth her while. But I see you have a heart, and she wi

was about to interrupt th

knows her history, you will find she has had scores of

such vi

nty men don't ill-use one good woman;

s; and, more than that, his conscience told him that if his heart should be made a football of it would be only a just and probable p

to stay at home altogether. Accordingly, at five o'clock, the astounded box-keeper wore a visage of dismay-t

of moths in their gradual approach to what is not good for them, he strolled into the green-room, Covent Garden, and sat down. When there h

ice of the simile. He was therefore surprised, as well as thrilled, when Mrs. Woffington, so cool, ceremonious and distant hitherto, walked up to

fington-what, y

t not be angry; here are some stones that have fallen somehow among the flowers. I am going to give you them back, because I value flowers, so I cannot have them

his on a romantic dispo

s amid the crowd of her admirers; he confessed he had been mortifi

terrup

s deceitful, besides he is a wicked man. There, to be plain with you, he was watching me all that night, the firs

s if you had neve

had made up my mind to,"

tnight, so, if he is the only obstacle

e no flowers yes

will to

again; good-by. Won't you see me in the

box, and so the actress secured o

verdant bower. The next night, after the usual compliments

into the country to

Vane, scarcely bel

re so unkind

you? what a br

l an actress she has no heart-that is always understood. Well,

did

n never tells the truth; and sinc

glad o

e you awakened

ry the sweetest, when a sweet creatur

ng seduction, and as his advances were respectful, but ardent and incessant,

went to church together in the morning, and spent the aft

ty well fathomed this extraordinary woman's characte

to sleep in church as I do. And she is breaking me of swearing-by degrees. She says that no fashion can justi

xactly tenpence (a favorite sum of hers), she was particularly pleased, and these shilling presents were received with a flush of pleasure and brightening eyes. But when one day he appeared

diet, and a scorner of dress off the stage. To redeem this she was charitable, and her chari

e made him

worse than I am, and I don't want

tre

and I will promise to tell you my whole story,

I be entit

m sure yo

doubt th

ou love me, but

ve known you much longer

N

we ever spoke I lived

r box at me upon the stage, and did

oked at the pit, and

little, the next day I noticed you a little more; I saw you fancie

ry again, and poor Vane b

both these. As Sir Charles observed, it is a wonderful poin

et molded and twisted out of ugly forms into p

tic writers; but since there was often great point in any sentences spoken on important occasions by this lady, I will j

and the ladies were saying things which the men of this generation only think; at last Mrs. Woffington finding herself roughly, a

was a de

as three pounds per week even, that

until Mrs. Clive perked up, and said she had

Kitty Clive is the hook without the bait," said she; and the

erest had at present nothing to do with them; indeed it was made clear that even were she to surrender her

she came radiant from her dressing-room, to watch her from her rear as she stood like some power about to descend on the stage, to see her falcon-like stoop upon the said stage, and hear the burst of applause that followed, as the report does the flash; to compare this with the

o her of love and calm delights, alternate with still greater triumphs; for he was to turn dramatic writer, for her sake, was to w

s was h

h, and fire, and bravado,

rga

nes

d you really cry because that Mis

ot seem ve

tell me;

said

Cib

d f

but di

I w

ry

inx's dresses

. But did

on't care about gilt rags

me,

you

u cry o

out whether I am a f

For hitherto I have seen no weakness

s it not a weakn

weakness, or you would

lain, intelligible English

in one word, di

me no more then, a

romi

n't des

you! of c

n-I don't

by the side of the canal in the Park, when a littl

templated it with c

said she. "Now you are a ra

, innocently; "

ng did not frighten me, and the name did. Depend upon it, it's true what they say-that off the stage, I am the greatest fool there is. I'll never be so

daggers askant at the place the

contrast is so charming! This same fool was bri

eat up everybody, King Fear included; and then, after her brilliant sally upon the public, Sir Harry Wildair came and stood beside Mr. Vane. Her bright skin, contrasted with her powdered periwig, became dazzling. She used little rouge,

placed her foot upon the ground, as she might put a hand upon her

ch satin breeches, velvet coat, ruffles, pictcae vestis et auri; and as she bent her long eye-fringe

"my admiration of you broke out to Mr.

me, for me to he

e of such

t I should have done, had I

met many ingenuous s

ne, my

se she often ap

hear what I said, too; and I

ue

uess

re so quick to hear praise, to tell you the truth, I

shall never know what you see

d I will tell you; but nobody else shall le

e of praise I was paying you, w

ature, and my movements were free and beautiful, while the others w

ort, I believe," cr

ips the music of Athens, that quelled mad mobs and princes drunk with victory.-Silly fellow!-Praise was never so sweet to me," murmured she, inclining like a goddess of love toward him; and h

nt home in a state of mental intoxication. His poetic enthusiasm, his love, his vanity, were al

nd she had promised, if her confidence and esteem remained unimpaired at the close of that period-which was not to be an unhappy

ful? Was it the letter from Pomander announcing his return, and sneeringly inquiring whether he was still the dupe of Peg Woffington? o

tain her at his own house; and, to do her honor, he had

d written three or four letters, full of respectful admiration, to Mrs. Woffington

mpey did not love his mistress. He was a little enamored of her, as small boys are apt to b

ot witho

ek she would cry for two hours; and after this class of fit she generally went abroad, and

er size, and looking daggers at the universe in general, the world in particular; and

ving that this sort of thing did his mistress good. What he felt was, that his mistress, who did everything well, whipped him wi

not one grain of it. When she was not in her tantrums, the mischievous imp was as sacred from check

he way we have hinted, and it

e hand that plied the obnoxious whip; and when he died, she alone withheld her consent from his burial, and this gave him a chance black boys never get, and he came to again; but still these tarnation lickings "

Charles had been quietly in London some hours be

this march upon an actress, and took h