MACKLIN. 407 abridgment; and Macklin shut up his lecture for that evening in great dudgeon. Another night, being at sup per with Foote and some others, at the Bedford, one of the company was praising Macklin on the great regularity of his ordinary, and in particular his manner of directing his waiters by signals.-‘Aye, Sir,” says Macklin,” I knew it would do. And where do you think I picked up this hint? Well, Sir, I'll tell you. I picked it up from no less a man than James Duke of York, who, you know, Sir, first invented signals for the fleet.” “Very a-propos, indeed,” says Foote,” and good poetical justice, as from the Fleet they were taken—so to the Fleet both master and signals are likely to return.” —All this, though galling to Macklin, was fun for the public; and had it ended here, would perhaps, have served Macklin in a pecuniary way, as much as it hurt his feelings in another:—but Foote did not know when he had enough of a good thing: he intro duced him into his theatre at the Haymarket, where neither cut so good a figure as they did in the British In quisition; and Macklin, in return, retorted in a l l kinds o f abuse and calumny. The public a t last grew tired o f the controversy, from being taken out o f i t s proper place; and the British Inquisition soon after this began t o feel a gradual decay i n a l l i t s departments. Most people, except the projector, saw the seeds o f a speedy dissolu tion i n the first principles o f this scheme. I n the first place, i t was upon a large and expensive scale, and quite novel i n this country; i t , therefore, not only required a greater capital than Macklin was master o f , but much greater talents, a s h e had neither learning, reading, figure, o r elocution, for the oratorical part; nor assiduity, know ledge, o r temper, for keeping a coffee-house and tavern. Whilst h e amused himself with drilling his waiters, o r fitting himself for the rostrum, b y poring over the Athe nian Oracle o r Parliamentary Debates, his waiters, i n return, were robbing him i n a l l directions; his cook gene rally went t o market for him, and his principal waiter was his principal butler: i n short, Macklin had left himself
