I would have taken it; but, Heaven be praised!, ced to the captain, who was our witness on the he didn't, and he continued, occasion, and on Sunday evening I joined the ship at Gravesend.

"There's an eternal fine ship, called the T'ames, sails from London on the first of September, and another, called the Albion, on the same day from Liverpool, in which I shall sail. The only dif'rence in the thing is, you get to sea a d-deal quicker by going to Liverpool."

I gave the London ship the preference, as more convenient on account of baggage, and that I might once more visit my old cruisingground the British Channel, and perhaps forever bid farewell to the scenes of my boyhood.

It was a dark, drizzly, melancholy night-a fair specimen of Gravesend weather and the parts adjacent-no "star that's westward from the pole" to point my destined path, and furnish food for speculative thought; and, after sliding five or six times up and down some twenty feet of wet deck, I groped my way to the cabin. The captain was not on board, and I found myself a stranger among men, for there were four besides myself, or, rather, three, for one was asleep, I suppose, for he was snoring very loud, in a berth next to my state-room. Such stopped-headed gentlemen are an abominable nuisance, near, or in your dormitory on shore, in harbour, or 'caught in a calm;" but under way on the Atlantic, he may breathe as loud and in any way he thinks proper, without inconvenience to anybody but himself. Of all gregarious animals, man is the most tardy in getting acquainted: meet them for the first time in a jury-box, a stage-coach, or the cabin of a ship, and they always remind me of a little lot of specimen sheep from different flocks, put together for the first time in the same pen; they walk about, and round and round, with all their heads and tails in different directions, and not a baa! escapes them; but in half an hour some crooked-pated bell-wether, perhaps, gives a South-down a little dig in the ribs, and this example is followed by a Merino, and, before the ending of the fair, their heads are all one way, and you'll find them bleating together in full chorus.

The terms of benefits, and other important items of the engagement, were pointed out and specified in a plain, honest, business-like manner. He was to see Captain Charles H. Marshall, and secure the passages, and have the articles prepared for signature, during the little week that was to elapse before my departure. We had a long and extremely pleasant conversation, chiefly descriptive of the country I was about to adopt. His style was peculiarly suited to minute detail, and information in that shape, then so interesting to me, was highly entertaining; and, to his honour be it said, I did not detect by experience the most remote exaggeration in any of the matters he named, always excepting the talent of his dramatic corps, and even there "his failing leaned to virtue's side." And upon acquaintance, I found he made it a rule to speak of all, while in his employ, in the most exalted terms of praise, but, the moment they left him, they were "d-impostors and b- scoundrels." The coarse and highly objectionable epithets with which he unsparingly larded his conversa- Now, in the case of man, a snuff-box, or a tion were delivered, apparently, so unconscious- mull, instead of the sheep's horn, is an admiraly, and, from long habit, were mixed up so mi- ble introduction; for, if he refuses to take a nutely with his discourse, that by those familiar pinch, he'll generally give you a sufficient reason with him the peculiarity would pass unnoticed. why he does not, and that's an excellent chance My lamented friend Rodwell met my case to form, perhaps, a lasting friendship-but to with the feeling of a brother, but Jones was out "scrape an acquaintance" to a certainty; and of town, and, without his concurrence, the neces- if he takes it, perhaps he'll sneeze, and you can sary form of release from my obligation could come in with your "God bless you!" and so on, not be effected; but, as "the affair cried haste," to a conversation about the plague in '66, or the he undertook to write to him. As Price very yellow fever on some other occasion, and can justly said, "Anybody could play Gil Blas as "bury your friends by dozens," and "escape well as I did;" the part itself was little better yourself by miracle," very pleasantly for half an than a walking gentleman, and the jackass sus- hour. But in this instance it was a total failure: tained that part of the character; and though one said, "I don't use it;" another shook his the author intended we should divide the ap-head, and the third emptied his mouth of half a plause, I quietly resigned my share in his favour. pint of spittle, and said "he thought it bad I felt, therefore, confident that Astley would be enough to chaw." Well, as I couldn't with delighted to save my useless and large salary for propriety ask why he "didn't use snuff," and the next four weeks, but, to my great astonish- the mandarin-man might be dumb for anything ment-for I put the cause of my wishing to re- I knew to the contrary, and expect me to talk sign on that footing-he declared himself more with my fingers; and if I had contradicted the than satisfied with my engagement, and refused, last I might, from his appearance and manner, in the most positive manner, to give up my arti- have got into a fight instead of a chat, I quietly cles. To him, of course, I said nothing of my took a seat at the table, snuffed two tallow-canintention of sailing to America. On Friday dles, and took a synopsis of the floating apartevening Willis Jones sent for me to the stage ment. There were two horse-hair sofas on door, presented me with a letter, full of kind either side a table, twelve berths with red curwishes, from Rodwell, and the documents of our tains and sea-sick-yellow fringe, and, properly, agreement, and we parted-as warm friends al- four state-rooms forward of the mizen-mast, one ways part. I complained of indisposition, and of which Price had engaged for myself and Mrs. Astley, who, unlike his father, was a most gen- Cowell, and the one next to it was used as a pantlemanly creature-in manner and appearance try. I was speculating as to what kind of humore like an eminent physician or a clergyman man beings were shut up in the other two, when than the manager of a circus-insisted that I my curiosity was half removed by a female shouldn't play; and some young man, who had leading out a beautiful little boy from one of been instructed, in case of an accident, to under- them. No matter what I may be with men and study the character, took the jackass ride for me, women, I am always a great favourite with and I packed up my baggage. The next morn-dogs, and cats, and infants of a certain age, and ing I signed and sealed with Price, was introdu- we generally get acquainted in an instant. He

had just gained that delightful period when children think more than they have power to utter; and I love to translate their innocent thoughts. I had been obliged to leave my two dear boys to follow me; and this little fellow, by reminding me of them, seemed to have a claim to my affection; his mother was a simple, amiable creature in her deportment, and myself and wife were rejoiced at meeting companions for our voyage so suited to our feeling. She, with artless eloquence, told us that her husband, an English farmer in good circumstances, had sailed for America more than three years before, and that she had been prevented accompanying him in consequence of the sudden illness of her mother, "who is in heaven now," and, with her beautiful baby, whom his father had never seen, was journeying to her new home in the United States.

In the morning the captain arrived, and introduced me to the gentleman who didn't use snuff, as Mr. Scovell, a part-owner of the vessel; he was a resident of New-York, and in partnership with his brother, a merchant in South-street, but a native of Connecticut; and after the river in that state, which wanders "his silver winding way," the ship was named, and pronounced by him as spelled, the Thames; contrary to the usage of

"Full many a sprightly race,

Disporting on the margent green"

drowning marks upon him." The mate was a weather-beaten, humorous "sea-monster;" upon asking his name, he replied,

"If you're an Englishman, and I once tell you my name, you'll never forget it." "I don't know that," I replied; "I'm very unfortunate in remembering names."

"Oh, never mind!" said he, with a peculiarly sly, comical look: "if you're an Englishman you'll never forget mine.

"Then I certainly am," I replied.

"Well, then," said he, dryly, "my name's Bunker! and I'm d- if any Englishman will ever forget that name!"

"All in the Downs the fleet lay moored," as usual; perhaps twenty sail, bound to all sorts of places, and waiting for all sorts of winds, and we were obliged to follow the fashion of that abominable stopping-place; but the few days' detention gave our small party time to get acquainted e'er that

"The vessel spread her ample sail

From Albion's coast, obsequious to the gale."

My pet and playfellow and myself were sworn friends; and 'twas delicious, each night, to listen to him while, with his little hands towards heaven held, kneeling at his mother's feet, and gazing with childish earnestness on her face, made beautiful by the expression of pure piety, repeat in lisping tones, soft and sweet as music at a distance, prayers and blessings on a father he had never seen. On a Saturday night he went to bed apparently well, and the next morning he was a corpse! he had died of the croup.

of "father Thames;" whether "bound 'prentice
to a waterman," or "on earnest business bent,"
all there agree to call it "Tems." The gentle-
man who shook his head was a Presbyterian cler-
gyman, of the name of Arbuckle, of Pennsylva-
nia, a most amiable young man. The chaw
vidual had a sick wife on board, a sufficient
excuse for his being very disagreeable; and I
make it a rule never to remember the names of
persons I don't think it worth while to like or
like. My friend with the impediment in his
nose was Mr. John Kent, who claimed to be a
brother actor; he was engaged by Mr. Price,
but I had never been introduced to him before.
The captain was Charles H. Marshall, a very
good-looking, and very fine fellow, with "no | I'll here end the first volume.

A fair breeze had sprung up, and orders were necessarily given to unmoor. He was hurried to the burial-ground at Deal. The mother's agony was frightful; and when she saw him placed in "his narrow cell," "Oh! the cry did knock against my very heart!" and the last tear I shed upon my native land moistened

AN INFANT'S GRAVE.

"As one who, in his journey, hates at noon,
Though bent on speed,"

PASSED AMONG THE PLAYERS

IN

ENGLAND AND AMERICA:

INTERSPERSED WITH

ANECDOTES AND REMINISCENCES

OF A VARIETY OF PERSONS,

DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH THE DRAMA DURING THE

THEATRICAL LIFE OF

JOE COWELL, COMEDIAN.

WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.

IN TWO PARTS.

PART II-AMERICA.

"So many particulars may perhaps disgust a philosophical reader; but curiosity, that weakness so common to mankind, deserves a higher name when it is employed upon times and persons of which posterity has no other means of forming an opinion."-CHAMBAUD.

NEW-YORK:

HARPER & BROTHERS, 82 CLIFF-STREET.

1844.

THIRTY YEARS

PASSED AMONG THE PLAYERS.

My acquaintance with Price was too slight to return to him and explain my disappointment, I returned to the counting-room. Both the and accept his proffered dinner; and, indeed, merchants inquired if I had seen Mr. Price-how could I tell but that he had also repented of how I liked the city. "Wasn't it very superior his impulsive civility, and that I might receive