We suppose she complied; at least as far as possible. In Woffington, she had beautiful authority for doing so. But on the 2nd of December they returned to Edinburgh, where she found her brother and sister, and her usual friends, to welcome her. Amid her daily performances we find the notice of her Catholic attention to the great festival. The 24th was a Sunday: she was three times at prayers, besides praying and reading at home, and had an interview moreover with Mr. Hay, the priest. On the 30th she acted Violante, in "The Wonder;' but at rehearsal she had received from Mr. Digges the present of a beautiful pair of ear-rings and necklace. On the following day she drank tea at Mrs. Montgomery's, and met Lady Jane Gordon there. We hope the presents of her friend Digges were displayed on the oc casion. The year 1776 commenced unluckily. On the 1st of January she acted Imogen, and her husband Iachimo, not Posthumus. He took the bracelet from her arm, and was welcome to it; but she found a serious loss indeed in her wedding ring, which had somehow slipped from her finger at the house, probably in washing her hands, for it was found by Mrs. Waterson. Her cough still troubling her, on the 2nd of January her sister acted Juliet instead of her. There had been, unfortunately, for some time a gathering dissatisfaction on the part of Mrs. Simpson her mother. On the 9th day of this year of disasters, she received from the good lady her last letter back again in a blank cover. Now this last letter, before it was sent off, had been shown to Mr. Inchbald and her brother, who both highly approved of it. Occasional disputes with Mr. Inchbald are mentioned, which usually reduce her to tears, and are soon made up after the dust is laid: he appears, with a few foibles, to have been a remarkably attentive and domestic husband. She occasionally was complimented with a seat in Mr. Digges the manager's boxthat enviable distinction in the profession; though the intimacy between the families had for some time rather languished. She began, on the 25th of January, to take lessons in French, of a master; and on the 28th of February paid him for twenty lessons the humble sum of one guinea. These lessons she subsequently continued. Her application never failed her; all that she wanted was to pronounce well, and get rid of the English accent while speaking to her friend Mrs. Mills, with whom she used to converse in that language for practice. Mr. Inchbald was not only an assiduous actor, master of a great range of parts, which, with new study occasionally, was quite sufficient to employ him; but he followed very keenly his love of paint ing, which sometimes decorated the processions of the stage with flags that waved to his honour; and at others stooped to the more patient toil of executing such likeness as he could give to miniature portrait. We do not recommend this sedentary relaxation, nor indeed any secondary employment to an actor; it by degrees engrosses too much attention for the interest of the principal, and is apt to insinuate itself as a resource in case the original occupation should fail him: this slowly begets a feeling of inconveniences, (and all pursuits have them,) which would never have been felt but for this high-minded accessory-the man becomes pettish and uncomplying; offence is given to those, who will not be offended with impunity; and the disgraced actor is left to his resource, and finds it nothing. On the 12th of June, Mr. Inchbald had a great dispute with the audience. On the 15th his gentle wife played Shore, and, as they expected, there was a riot on Mr. Inchbald's account. She does not register the particular cause of it; but it was decisive, and the Inchbalds quitted Edinburgh, and closed their engagement with Digges. They felt, it is true, no pressing want: happily too, he had a resource; he had two strings to his bow; and therefore, without hesitation, they determined to pay their long meditated visit to France. Sterne had rendered sentimental journies delightful; the feeling had only to enter this new field, to be secure of universal sympathy. alas ! The trembling feet his guiding steps pursue In vain ;-such bliss to one alone, Of all the sons of soul, was known; Or curtain'd close such scenes from ev'ry future view. But, CHAPTER IV. St. Valleri-Abbeville-Arrive at Paris 28th of July, 1776-Objects of both husband and wife-French declamation-Corneille, Racine - Mrs. Inchbald's abstracts - Suddenly quit Paris - In September back to Brighton-Bad circumstances-London-Wilson, Digges-The Inchbalds arrive at Liverpool-Engage with Younger She is well received Commences a friendship with Mrs. Siddons and Miss Farren-Their reverse of fortune-Steam improvement-Baggage by sea in old times-Studies at Liverpool -Manchester-First sees Mr. Kemble-Much unsettled-Northwick—Mode of living at that time — A Catholic doubt—Mr. and Mrs. Siddons at York They go to Birmingham and live en famille Separation-London, Canterbury. On the 2nd of July, 1776, at two o'clock in the morning, after writing a note to her mother to inform her of what just then she perhaps hardly considered a misfortune, her husband and she quitted Edinburgh, and travelled by land to Shields. There they took shipping on the 7th; and, after a passage of a fortnight, landed at St. Valleri on the 23rd. On the day following they visited Abbeville and all its convents and churches. On the 25th they attended mass, and heard a sermon at the Great Church: there was now no diffi |