well pleased with the event: In confequence of this, Capt. S, the night before a stranger, continued an intimacy and friendship with me for fome years.

March foon made its yearly vifit, and, on the approach of April, it hinted to me it was high time to make the neceffary appearance before my Master Garrick, and humbly to inquire, with all fubmiffive duty and awful refpect, when my benefit was to be fixed? (A matter that yearly makes wonderful uneafinefs in many male and female breasts on their annual expectations, as the event of benefit caufes the paffions alternately of hope, fear, envy, joy, distress, exultation, despondency, &c. &c. to take place, and raise whirlwinds in their brain.) My article this year, to a certainty, gave me the power and right to ask such a question; but Mr. Garrick as usual answered, "Why now, that is, why!-Hey, Crofs, and be dd to you!Hey, why now, that is—and I really do not fee, how that you, young Wilkinfon, can be able, that is to fay, or for you to prefume to pay the expences of a benefit?—It now really is, and fo does Mrs. Garrick think, an enormous expence; and I do not fee :-But indeed - with a partner I will confent to it--but not otherwife on any account."-However my former fears (like Mrs. Cowley's first feelings) were gone

fong ago, and I, like an audacious rebel, perfifted in my right of article to fuch claim, and faid I would abide by the teft of that article; and if he perfevered in a refufal, I would get the Crown and Anchor, or fome other large public room, and try to make a benefit for myself. He said he was truly aftonished at my behaviour, it was fo ftrange, fo rude!-But really, if I would continue in error, why he did not fee, &c.-and at laft, with as many delays, as is too often experienced by dependence upon independence, he with affected regard and pity, and a threat of confequences from his future anger, confented to fix it; but it was not to be till Monday, May the 14th, 1759.-I took Othello.

OTHELLO, by Mr. WILKINSON.

WITH

THE DIVERSIONS OF THE MORNING.

At the fame time affuring him, that Mr. Foote would play for me. As to Mr. Foote's acting for me, I really thought it a duty, as well as a debt of honour.

Mr. Foote came to town in a few days; and inmy bills and advertisements were published both play and farce, but luckily (as it proved) I had not inferted Mr. Foote's name. I called to fee him,

and had reafon to believe he was denied: I called a fecond time, and was then admitted; I congratulated him on his return, and informed him of my reliance on his fulfilling his promise by performing for my benefit, which was to be on the 14th of May; and on that full dependence I had advertised the Diverfions of the Morning, and had the pleasure to inform him my boxes were all taken. Foote, after coughing and taking a quantity of fnuff, and plucking his chin with tweezers, a conftant habit of his in private life; at length coolly replied, "That as a young man he wished me fuccefs in the world; but was hurt to obferve, the publishing his farce was an unwarrantable freedom. His health was very indifferent, and would not permit his affifting me at my benefit. The infinite fervices and favours. he had conferred on me, by introducing me to the public notice of the London and Dublin audiences, were a full or more than an equal compenfation, for fuch trifling, immaterial affiftance as I had given him, or that my vanity might have fuppofed to have added to the fuccefs of his piece, by performing in it." Then again added, "He was not well, and befides he had letters of confequence to despatch, and no time to trifle away, therefore muft with me a good-morning." I was truly astonished, as may be easily fuppofed, at fuch an

unexpected, mean, defpicable behaviour! It was ingratitude in every fenfe of the word.

The reader will recollect what a winter of confufion and turbulence I had undergone.-The money I had certainly drawn by the fweat of iny brow. He had feasted on my labour, and had lived in clover, while I was merely buffetted from pillar to poft. I defired he would not by any means neglect his health or his letters of confequence, for that I not only took my leave of him for that day, but was determined never more to trouble him with a fecond vifit: However, to try him further, I faid, as the farce was advertised, my loss would be irreparable if not performed, and hoped he would not add additional cruelty by inflicting a punishment unmerited, by the refusal of the copy of his farce. He fternly replied, indeed he fhould; he had a reputation to lofe, and would not hazard the representation of any piece of his not printed, to be mutilated, spoiled, and condemned by my ignorant bungling. Here the vifit ended, and I left him most truly with an honeft contempt, and faid to him, when at the door, "Farewell Mr. Foote !" and determined never more to renew our acquaintance.

In this dilemma fome management was neceffary how to cook up my bill-of- fare, as the 14th of May required ftrength to make the night

fashionable; my best and only resource seemed to be the waiting on Mr. Garrick, and entreating the favour of his hearing the relation of my wrongs, as I could not think of any expedient for relief, unless he would for once advise and affift me: This intention I put into instant practice; and Mr. Garrick received my tale of illtreatment with more attention and good nature than I could poffibly have expected from our long distance and quarrels. In fact he inwardly rejoiced at the deftroying my connection with Foote, as he thought that, together, we were two mifchievous devils, and capable of giving him great uneafinefs. He stepped forward and faid, "Well, Tate, (O, thought I, if it is well, Tate, all will be right) you will now be convinced of your error in offending me; and you will learn in future, I hope, to diftinguish between your real friends and your profeffional ones." I thanked him, and urged my wifh for the continuance of the farce, (and which I had long in fecret secured, it was correctly wrote out for me by Mr. Brownfmith, under prompter to Mr. Crofs, of that theatre.) "Why now," fays Garrick, "that is, if you have a true copy; why, but what would you do with it for want of Foote's characters being fupplied." "O," fays I, "do not fear that, Sir, for I mean to do them myself; and in those cha