Painted by Cha Robertson. Engraved by Freeman. Mr. Jones. Published by Vernor, Hood & Sharpe, Poultry, Sep.1.1809 MONTHLY MIRROR, FOR AUGUST, 1809. MEMOIRS OF MR. JONES, COMEDIAN. (With a Portrait.) THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS FROM MR. RICHARD JONES TO THE EDITOR, AND IT DOES CREDIT TO HIS GOOD SENSE. SIR, THE MEMOIRS OF PERFORMERS and of most PUBLIC CHARACTERS,* when written by good-natured friends, are generally so overloaded with encomiums on their merits, whether real or imaginary, that they defeat the purpose for which they were designed, and in the opinion of the judicious reader gain the subjects of them a reputation for vanity, (as they are always supposed to be themselves the authors) which may not properly belong to them, and which I should most particularly wish to avoid the stigma of;therefore as you express a desire to give some account of me in the Monthly Mirror, I will myself endeavour to furnish you with an outline of the trifling occurrences of my life, which will contain nothing worth reading, unless you undertake the trouble of altering, correcting, and filling it up, according to your own judgment. I have only to request you will speak of my theatrical abilities exactly as you think, and whatever your sentiments may be, I shall feel perfectly satisfied that they are just. I was educated for the profession of an architect; my father, who resided in Birmingham, was a builder and surveyor of some eminence. My early partiality for the stage was imbibed from This remark shews that Mr. Jones is a man of reading and penetration. the applause I received for reciting passages from the most celebrated authors when at school, and I soon became acquainted with some young gentlemen, who had established a private theatre, where most of my leisure hours were spent, and where I performed several characters with considerable éclat. I had just arrived at my eighteenth year, when an unfortunate speculation of my father's, caused so much embarrassment in his affairs, that I was soon induced to indulge my favourite propensity of enrolling myself among the children of Thespis, rather than continuing a disciple of Palladio. Like most other actors, I commenced my career in tragedy; and after performing Romeo, Douglas, Hamlet, &c. in Litchfield, Newcastle, and Bolton, remaining only a few weeks in each town, I acted one season in Birmingham, which led to an engagement in Manchester, where a circumstance occurred, which laid the foundation of my theatrical prosperity. Mr. REYNOLDS'S comedy of Laugh when you can, was announced for the first time. Mr. Ward, who was to have personated the part of Gossamer, being taken ill the night preceding the representation; sooner than disappoint the town, as a dernier resort, I was entreated to study the part. Although certainly an arduous undertaking, I complied, and after having performed Laertes to Mr. Young's Hamlet, I sat up the remainder of the night, and perfected myself in Gossamer, in which character, on the following night, the audience were pleased to honour me with the most flattering marks of approbation, This proved a fortunate event; the fame of my success occasioned Mr. Jones, the proprietor of the Dublin theatre, to offer me a lucrative engagement, and' I made my debut in Dublin on the 20th of November, 1799. The encouragement I met with on my first night, was repeated on every succeeding one, and, for nearly eight years, I had the happiness of enjoying both the public and pri vate favour of the inhabitants of Dublin, Cork, and Limerick, and most of the principal towns in Ireland. It would be impossible for me to dwell too much upon the gratitude I owe for their support and friendship. I shall always feel a pride in reflecting that the same respectable names remained in my box plan, from year to year, and were not erased at my last benefit. During my stay there I had frequent overtures from the London managers, but found myself so happily situated, that I resisted them all, till one more tempting than the rest, together with the advice of my friends, and the consideration that the London stamp was necessary, to rank me at the top of my profession, brought me to Covent-Garden. Of my success there, and at the Haymarket, this summer, you are most competent to judge, and into your hands I consign the task of shewing me to the world, in any light you may deem me worthy of. I WILL be obliged to you to insert this in your very entertaining and instructive publication. The family of Medici had been well known to the English monarchs before the accession of the royal house of Tudor to the crown, as may be learnt from Edward IV. on May 30, 1745, giving to Prospero Camilla de Medici, collector in the papal revenue for Pope Sixtus IV, one hundred marcs; and June 6th following, the same king granted to Lorenzo de Medici, and Juliano de Medici, with others, merchants of Florence, some peculiar privileges. All these tokens of royal regard were expressive of the desire his majesty had of keeping up a friendly intercourse with the house of Medici, who then ruled, by their influence, the Florentine republic, and from whence the most po tent and puissant monarchs often stood in want of their pecuniary assistance, to raise loans, for the purpose of carrying on their wars. These grants may be seen in Rymer's Fadera. How is Italy fallen since the fifteenth century! She lies prostrate at the feet of Gallic usurpation. Barming Parsonage, 1809. I am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, |