THE BEE. No. L-Saturday, October 6, 1759. HERE is not, perhaps, a more whimsically ismal figure in nature than a man of real 1odesty, who assumes an air of impudence -who, while his heart beats with anxiety, tubes ease, and affects good-humour. In his situation, however, a periodical writer a finds himself upon his first attempt address the public in form. All his over of pleasing is damped by solicitude, his cheerfulness dashed with appresion. Impressed with the terrors of tribunal before which he is going to ear, his natural humour turns to pertand for real wit he is obliged to stitute vivacity. His first publication sa crowd; they part dissatisfied; and uthor, never more to be indulged with vourable hearing, is left to condemn adelicacy of his own address or their rt of discernment. For my part, as I was never distinhed for address, and have often even dered in making my bow, such bodings ese had like to have totally repressed mbition. I was at a loss whether to the public specious promises, or give ; whether to be merry or sad on this enn occasion. If I should decline all it was too probable the hasty reader have taken me at my word. If, on ther hand, like labourers in the magatrade, I had, with modest impudence, ly presumed to promise an epitome the good things that ever were said atten, this might have disgusted those ers I most desire to please. Had I merry, I might have been censured stly low; and had I been sorrowful, ht have been left to mourn in solitude silence; in short, whichever way I ed, nothing presented but prospects ror, despair, chandlers' shops, and paper. In this debate between fear and ambition my publisher happening to arrive, interrupted for a while my anxiety. Perceiving my embarrassment about making my first appearance, he instantly offered his assistance and advice. "You must know, sir," says he, "that the republic of letters is at present divided into three classes. One writer, for instance, excels at a plan or a title-page, another works away the body of the book, and a third is a dab at an index. Thus a magazine is not the result of any single man's industry, but goes through as many hands as a new pin, before it is fit for the public. I fancy, sir,' continues he, "I can provide an eminent hand, and upon moderate terms, to draw up a promising plan to smooth up our readers a little, and pay them as Colonel Charteris paid his seraglio, at the rate of three halfpence in hand, and three shillings more in promises." He was proceeding in his advice, which however I thought proper to decline, by assuring him, that as I intended to pursue no fixed method, so it was impossible to form any regular plan; determined never to be tedious in order to be logical, wherever pleasure presented, I was resolved to follow. Like the Bee, which I had taken for the title of my paper, I would rove from flower to flower, with seeming inattention, but concealed choice, expatiate over all the beauties of the season, and make my industry my amusement. This reply may also serve as an apology to the reader, who expects, before he sits down, a bill of his future entertainment. It would be improper to pall his curiosity by lessening his surprise, or anticipate any pleasure I am able to procure him by saying what shall come next. Thus much, however, he may be assured of, that neither war nor scandal shall make any part of it. ΑΛ Homer finely imagines his deity turning away with horror from the prospect of a field of battle, and seeking tranquillity among a nation noted for peace and simplicity. Happy could any effort of mine, but for a moment, repress that savage pleasure some men find in the daily accounts of human misery! How gladly would I lead them from scenes of blood and altercation to prospects of innocence and ease, where every breeze breathes health, and every sound is but the echo of tranquillity. But whatever the merit of his intentions may be, every writer is now convinced, that he must be chiefly indebted to good fortune for finding readers willing to allow him any degree of reputation. It has been remarked, that almost every character which has excited either attention or praise has owed part of its success to merit, and part to an happy concurrence of circumstances in its favour. Had Cæsar or Cromwell exchanged countries, the one might have been a sergeant, and the other an exciseman. So it is with wit, which generally succeeds more from being happily addressed, than from its native poignancy. A bon mot, for instance, that might be relished at White's may lose all its flavour when delivered at the Cat and Bagpipes in St. Giles's. A jest calculated to spread at a gaming table may be received with a perfect neutrality of face should it happen to drop in a mackerel boat. We have all seen dunces triumph in such companies, when men of real humour were disregarded, by a general combination in favour of stupidity. To drive the observation as far as it will go, should the labours of a writer who designs his performances for readers of a more refined appetite fall into the hands of a devourer of compilations, what can he expect but contempt and confusion? If his merits are to be determined by judges who estimate the value of a book from its bulk or its frontispiece, every rival must acquire an easy superiority who, with persuasive eloquence, promises four extraordinary pages of letter-press or three beautiful prints, curiously coloured from nature. But to proceed: though I cannot promise as much entertainment, or as much elegance, as others have done, yet reader may be assured, he shall have t much of both as I can. He shall, at lest find me alive while I study his enterta ment; for I solemnly assure him, I never yet possessed of the secret at of of writing and sleeping. During the course of this paper, the fore, all the wit and learning I have heartily at his service; which if, after candid a confession, he should, notwi standing, still find intolerably dull, lo or sad stuff, this, I protest, is more than know. I have a clear conscience, and entirely out of the secret. Yet I would not have him, upon t perusal of a single paper, pronounce incorrigible; he may try a second, whic as there is a studied difference in subje and style, may be more suited to his taste if this also fails, I must refer him to third, or even to a fourth, in case of extr mity. If he should still continue to b refractory, and find me dull to the las I must inform him, with Bayes, in th Rehearsal, that I think him a very od kind of a fellow, and desire no more his acquaintance. It is with such reflections as these endeavour to fortify myself against t future contempt or neglect of some rea ers, and am prepared for their dislike mutual recrimination. If such shou impute dealing neither in battles n scandal to me as a fault, instead of a quiescing in their censure, I must beg lea to tell them a story. "A traveller, in his way to Italy, ha pening to pass at the foot of the Alp found himself at last in a country whe the inhabitants had each a large excr cence depending from the chin, like t pouch of a monkey. This deformity, it was endemic, and the people little us to strangers, it had been the custom, tir immemorial, to look upon as the great ornament of the human visage. Lad grew toasts from the size of their chi and none were regarded as pretty fello but such whose faces were broadest at 1 bottom. It was Sunday; a coun church was at hand, and our traveller willing to perform the duties of the d Upon his first appearance at the chu or the eyes of all were naturally fixed on the stranger; but what was their nazement, when they found that he tually wanted that emblem of beauty, a arsed chin! This was a defect that not single creature had sufficient gravity hough they were noted for being grave) stand. Stifled bursts of laughter, inks, and whispers circulated from visage visage, and the prismatic figure of the ranger's face was a fund of infinite aiety; even the parson, equally remark. ble for his gravity and chin, could hardly efrain joining in the good humour. Our raveler could no longer patiently connce an object for deformity to point at. Gi folks, said he, I perceive that I the unfortunate cause of all this good our. It is true I may have faults in dance; but I shall never be induced reckon my want of a swelled face ing the number.'" A BEAUTIFUL YOUTH STRUCK RINE Acon dextro capta est Leonida sinistro, REMARKS ON OUR THEATRES. agers. and actors, without, on this trivial occasion, throwing my thoughts into the formality of method. There is something in the deportment of all our players infinitely more stiff and formal than among the actors of other nations. Their action sits uneasy upon them; for as the English use very little gesture in ordinary conversation, our English bred actors are obliged to supply stage gestures by their imagination alone. A French comedian finds proper models of action in every company and in every coffee-house he enters. An Englishman is obliged to take his models from the stage itself; he is obliged to imitate nature from an imitation of nature. I know of no set of men more likely to be improved by travelling than those of the theatrical profession. The inhabitants of the Continent are less reserved than here; they may be seen through upon a first acquaintance such are the proper models to draw from; they are at once striking, and are found in great abundance. Though it would be inexcusable in a comedian to add anything of his own to the poet's dialogue, yet, as to action, he is entirely at liberty. By this he may show the fertility of his genius, the poignancy of his humour, and the exactness of his judgment. We scarcely see a coxcomb or a fool in common life that has theatres are now opened, and all not some peculiar oddity in his action. Street is preparing its advice to the These peculiarities it is not in the power We shall undoubtedly hear of words to represent, and depend solely ed disquisitions on the structure of upon the actor. They give a relish to the actor's legs and another's eyebrows. humour of the poet, and make the appearWe shall be told much of enunciations, ance of nature more illusive. The Italians, and attitudes; and shall have our it is true, mask some characters, and enest pleasures commented upon by deavour to preserve the peculiar humour tic dulness. We shall, it is feared, by the make of the mask; but I have ld that Garrick is a fine actor, but seen others still preserve a great fund of as a manager, so avaricious! That humour in the face without a mask; one er is a most surprising genius, and actor, particularly, by a squint which he and likely to do well in a particular threw into some characters of low life, of character. We shall have them assumed a look of infinite solidity. This, Shuter instructions to amuse us by though upon reflection we might condemn, and deploring over the ruins of yet immediately upon representation we ated majesty at Covent Garden. As could not avoid being pleased with. To to be advising too-for advice is illustrate what I have been saying by the given, and bears a show of wisdom plays which I have of late gone to see: periority-I must be permitted to in the Miser, which was played a few a few observations upon our theatres nights ago at Covent Garden, Lovegold شا |