514 SHERIDAN. they insisted on his being sent for, and added, they would wait patiently an hour, as he was known to live at some distance; and accordingly they sat down quietly to amuse themselves. Messengers were dispatched to the manager to acquaint him with the resolution of the house, but no arguments could prevail on him to return back : and when the hour was expired they renewed their call, and after continuing it some time, two of their leaders (persons of gravity and condition) rose from the pit and went off over the boxes; that was the agreed signal. A youth in the pit then stood up, and cried out, “God bless his Majesty King George, with three huzzas ;” and at the end of the last huzza they began to demolish the house, and the audience part was all in pieces in five minutes. After this execution, some moved to fire the house, others to attack the wardrobe, Accordingly a party leaped upon the stage, and with their swords and other instru ments cut and slashed the curtain, which was finely painted, and cost a great sum of money; broke and cut to pieces a l l the scenes within their reach; and some attempts were made towards the wardrobe, but finding that place well defended, they retired; several who went off through the box-room dragged the grate full o f burning coals into the middle o f the room, laid some o f the broken doors o f the boxes upon i t , and left them there. I n this condition they were found, and time enough t o prevent the intended mischief. Thus ended this memorable riot, which operated very fatally towards the fortune o f Mr. Sheridan. Disgusted with the public behaviour, and not much satisfied with his theatrical situation, h e published his case, and after letting his theatre for two years, h e embarked for England. Here h e immediately entered into a negotiation with Mr. Rich, and (being desirous o f compelling Mr. Barry t o g o over t o Dublin) hastily made a n engagement with him for a share o f the profits o n such nights a s h e should perform, without having weighed circumstances, o r properly guarded against events. His first appearance was i n the character of Hamlet, October 24. He also produced a n alteration, b y himself, o f “Coriolanus,” formed out o f the plays o f Shakspeare and Thomson, i n which h e introduced a mag nificent spectacle o f a Roman ovation. He performed also Cato, CEdipus, Richard III. Shylock, (Portia, Mrs. Wof fington, October 30,) Othello, (Iago, Mr. Ryan,) Macbeth, (Lady Macbeth, Mrs. Woffington, November 16,) Romeo, (Juliet, Miss Bellamy, November 20,) and several other characters; but his gains, i t i s imagined, fell short o f what h e hoped for. A s the successor o f Barry, and the rival o f
