516 SHERIDAN. address, or spoke to the passions with such propriety. Tears gushed from the eyes of several of his male auditors. After the apology was over, and his pardon had been signed by the loudest acclamation, he had begun to retire; he advanced again, and with broken, faltering accents, spoke as follows:– “Your goodness to me, at this import ant crisis, has so deeply affected me, that I want powers to express myself: my future actions shall shew my gratitude.” He appeared a few nights after in the cha racter of Hamlet, to a crowded audience, and received the utmost applause. The same success attended most of his principal characters; but, though he brought the celebrated dancers from the opera in London, Bugiani and Marenesi, to perform that season, at a great price, yet the audiences began to slacken for want of a capital female actress. Having been disappointed in the abilities of a young lady new to the stage, whom he had engaged in London, and also of the assistance he hoped to have found in Mr. Lee, he was obliged to call in every auxiliary that offered, to help a failing season. Atthe end ofitMr. Foote came to Dublin, and contributed in some measure, to conclude the year in a better manner than was looked for, though still unprosperously. During Mr. Barry's residence in Dublin, he had been prevailed upon to under take the erecting and managing a new theatre on a larger and more extensive scale, in the execution of which scheme he had prevailed on Mr. Woodward, then a per former of great reputation at Drury-lane, to unite with him. Mr. Sheridan made overtures to Mr. Barry to part with his theatrical interest to him; but Barry had engaged too far to recede. Sheridan then applied to Parliament to stop his opponents, by granting him a monopoly; he recommended a wild idea of grafting his plan of education upon the management of the theatre; and he proposed to give up his interest to the public upon certain terms— that it might be conducted for the public advantage, some thing like the French stage. These proposals, though enforced with warmth, and not without argument, made
