WHEN a man has received boundless obligations from the public, when the labours of his life have been at their de­votion, and they have favoured him in return with the ample recompence of profit and re­putation, he ought to view his own intentions with the nicest circumspection, and to be convinced he can safely determine to keep truth in constant view, before he officiously calls on the world to judge of his private concerns.

[Page 2]Upon this ground I am willing to stand. I have presented the public at different pe­riods with nearly sixty pieces ^* of which I am author and composer; beside the music of eight or ten others, and out of all those only three have been unsuccessful. Thus, the flattering applause with which my efforts have been indulgently favoured, would stamp me unworthy of future notice, if in the present relation I dared to obtrude any thing false or futile. The candid public has ever had a pride in taking up the cause of an injured in­dividual; no man can more truly answer that description than myself. I am inhumanly and causelessly persecuted; hunted from my li­berty, and suspended from holding a legal right, for no other fault than having relied upon the supposed honour of a set of men who were strangers to that word. I am now irritated, by calumny and oppression, to that appeal which it is peculiarly my province to make. The laws will realize the truth of my claim, but it is the public I proudly ask to decide upon the integrity of my intentions.

[Page 3]The necessity of adverting to every circum­stance which may positively or presumtively tend to substantiate the facts in the following narrative, makes it impossible to avoid giving a brief history of the Circus and its origin. This, however, as it has long been a subject of public conversation, may not prove un­entertaining, no place having been more in­ternally convulsed, or struggled through more distraction; nor is it wonderful. It was begot at Newmarket, born in St. George's Fields, and nursed in Bridewell, till falling into bad company at the Opera House, it despised the advice of its tutor, aped all the fashionable absurdities, and at last eman­cipated from the puling childishness of rea­son and plunged into the full maturity of folly at the Cockpit Royal.

In the month of February, 1782, having previously imparted my intention to Mr. Hughes, I applied to Mr. Davis, of Bury-street, St. James's, to build a place which I intended to call the Royal Circus; offer­ing him a fourth of the profits which should accrue from the amusements there intended [Page 4] to be exhibited. He took but four and twenty hours to determine, for in that time he had communicated the business to Mr. James Grant, late of Coleman-street, Mr. George Grant, of America-square, and Mr. Harborne, then of Amen-corner, but since of John-street, Adelphi; who having the highest opinion of the plan I had given them, agreed, in conjunction with Mr. Davis, to subscribe sufficient money to erect the build­ing, and that I should be its superintendant and uncontroulable manager; that they would receive the fourth I had offered as a compensation for laying out their money; that Mr. Hughes should have one-third for his performance and breaking horses; and that I should have the remaining five-twelfths, the one-twelfth more than Mr. Hughes's proportion being adjudged me for my trouble as manager.

Mr. Hughes was to provide horses at his own expence, and I was to prepare the scenes at mine; all other out-goings of every de­nomination the proprietors were to pay.

[Page 5]The leases of the Magdalen Coffee-house and the two houses adjoining were immediate­ly purchased with a view to erect the build­ing in their stead; but finding the place in­convenient, an application was made to Temple West, Esq. (since dead) of Charlotte-street, Rathbone-place, who owned the re­version of an opposite piece of ground, and who, upon the condition of being received as a proprietor, consented to purchase the life right of the then possessor, and let the ground to the four gentlemen above mentioned, him­self also being a party.

The dimensions of the building being de­termined on, and the heartiest concurrence given to every measure, I suggested all par­ties to set earnestly to work. Mr. Hughes sought out for performers, I did the same. Upwards of twenty children were bound ap­prentices to Mr. Grimaldi, who I employed as ballet master, and who, by a memorandum of an agreement with me for the term of five years (in which we mutually covenanted to enter into a special article) promised that the apprentices, then about to be bound to him, should not be employed at any other place [Page 6] than the Royal Circus, and not there unless for my emolument, and by my order and direction.

In like manner I entered into an article under the penalty of £.300 with the father of Master Russell, for three years, and two or three others at shorter periods.

It was now thought a proper time to finally arrange our own articles, for which purpose a meeting was had of the proprietors, Mr. Hughes and myself, where the scheme being upon considerably a larger scale than the original intention, and the expence in conse­quence likely to be much higher, a fresh agreement was proposed to be entered into, by virtue of which the proprietors were to re­ceive a third of the profit, Mr. Hughes the same, (standing all his own expences) and I the remaining third, and to be allowed an annuity of £.150 for managing, and to stand at no expence whatever.

An article was ordered to be drawn up by Mr. Harborne, in which the parties were to agree, over and above the afore-metioned [Page 7] covenants, that a committee, consisting of Mr. Harman, secretary and treasurer, on the part of the proprietors, Mr. Hughes and myself, should adjust and decide upon the cur­rent business, Mr. Harman having the cast­ing vote if any dispute should arise between Mr. Hughes and me.

A licence, through the medium of Colonel West, was now applied for to the Duke of Manchester, which after an interval of some months was refused, it appearing very doubt­ful whether a sufficient power was vested in the Lord Chamberlain to permit a public entertainment beyond the precincts of the court, and his grace being young in office, was very tenacious of treading upon unprece­dented ground.

It was now July, and no article drawn up, for which a variety of reasons were given. Mr. Harborne was represented as a man of such extensive business, that a failure in point of time on his part, ought to be con­sidered as an admissible excuse; Mr. Davis repeatedly assured me, that on this account he was obliged to put up with the neglect of [Page 8] private business of much greater magnitude; that nothing could exceed the fairness of their intentions, and I might be perfectly at ease. These very excuses also were held out to Col. West, whose lease and private agreement as proprietor were not executed. As I carried my good opinion of Mr. Davis to a pitch of enthusiasm, and for the short time I knew him, I had the highest sentiments of Col. West's honour and integrity, this satisfied me. Indeed every lover of truth must re­vere his memory; for if a man of sound and uncorruptible principles ever existed, that man was Colonel West. He was besides wonderfully calculated to take a part in a public concern; he had judgment to discover genius, and spirit to encourage it; but it seems as if a fatality marked the wayward steps of this unfortunate place; and because there happened to be one man belonging to it who had taste and liberality enough to rescue it from the barbarism of arithmetic, the craft of chicane, or the designing nicety of a gambling calculation, he must be snatch­ed away, and the building be deprived of its strongest prop and fairest ornament.

[Page 9]Mr. Hughes, however, was less at ease than me; he apprehended, and very strongly, some improper design on the part of the pro­prietors, nor did he scruple to aver that the business of the lease was held out as a false light to deceive us both; indeed, so freely did he broach these sentiments, and in such invidious terms, that being of an opinion totally opposite to his, I refused to speak to him, except about mere business, for several months.

The mode of making decisions in the com­mittee was now totally altered, Mr. Harman not having for some time had a voice, but some one or other of the proprietors in his stead; for as the building advanced, it became a subject of amusement to them, and they were as proud of owning themselves parties con­cerned, as they were before shy of being known to have any thing to do with it; none of this I ever checked, but made it my study to please and satisfy them, little thinking I was teaching them the art of governing only to dethrone me.

[Page 10]In this, however, they have been a little premature; the theatical scepter, like a witch's spell, or a sorcerer's talisman, contains many figurative charms, which, if ill preserved, or improperly used, only brings down confusion on their heads, who have the temerity to tam­per with them.

A licence having been refused by the Lord Chamberlain, the proprietors advised with Mr. Mingay how they could best apply to the Magistrates of the county for their permission. They were informed by that gentleman, that the only time at which the bench could grant leave, was at the Michaelmas sessions; he fur­ther cautioned them not to open the Circus, till such consent was obtained. This advice, however, I ventured to oppose the moment I heard it. Mr. Mingay, as a counsel, was right. To fly in the face of the law, did not certainly appear the likeliest means of obtain­ing its protection; but if he had had any eventual judgment concerning the probable fate of a new public place, his sentiments must have been the reverse; so much did I [Page 11] feel the force of this, that I made no scruple to declare we ought immediately to open without a licence.

To support this opinion, I gave the fol­lowing reasons: the interest that had been exerted to procure the licence from the Lord Chamberlain, together with the many pre­parations going forward, had not only exited universal curiosity, but raised some envy; the seeds of an opposition to the application at michaelmas were already sown; these the world's ignorance of the scheme would be sure to nourish, till they got to such a head as to choke up all our hopes; proof of this came to us from some quarter or other every day; some reported that the place was built for tumbling and rope-dancing, and the intro­duction of drinking. Upon this ground I was sure the magistracy would make a point of setting their faces against it, lest it should encourage idleness; others, who had heard Sir John Lade and Mr. Davis took a part in it, availed themselves of the general opi­nion of those gentlemen, by propagating that [Page 12] it was to be a receptacle for gambling. ^* The theatres naturally opposed it, thinking a place prepared at such an expence might in the end rival them very formidably; all these difficulties I contended would be obviated by opening as soon as possible. I argued, that let whoever would espouse our cause, the town was at last our best protection and firmest dependance. There if we found friends, we might laugh at private malignity, nay, that the very reports which were so industriously spread, would recoil upon those who had the temerity to level them at us. What had we to do with fear? we were ourselves conscious that nothing was intended but harmless amusements represented by children, which could not encourage dissipation; and which, so far from militating against the interest of the threatres, would be found to be a nursery for them, as the schools of Oudinot and Ni­cholet are for those in Paris.

[Page 13]I was answered, if we had so many enemies, they would certainly take advantage of our opening without a licence, and inform against the place. I found no difficulty in pronoun­cing it would be the very best thing that could happen to us, we should then see our danger, and know how to guard against it. That hav­ing confirmed ourselves in the public good opinion, it would become a public cause. That the eligibility of the scheme, and the re­gularity with which it was intended to be con­ducted, would confound the tongue of scan­dal. The consideration that so many children and their families were maintained by it, and other favourable appearances, would send the application to the sessions upon such fair ground, as could not fail to insure it success.

This advice operating contrary to my wishes, the work was slackened, and the place ordered to be got ready for October, instead of the following month.

For the first time, I began to discover a sort of positiveness in most of the proprietors, to which I had hitherto been unaccustomed. I did not like to thwart it, and yet I feared their persisting in error would terminate [Page 14] in that very wilfulness which has been the de­struction of almost every reasonable measure hitherto proposed. Contenting myself, how­ever, with representing the folly of their so strenously contending for a point, of which they had not experience enough to see the probable consequences, and warning them that they would see my words verified, I gave up the matter, not without advising them to neglect no opportunity of gathering the sense of the magistrates, previous to the sessions.

The first step they took towards this, was to give a public dinner, to which many of the gentlemen in the commission of the peace were invited; none however attended; and this confirmed me stronger than ever, that my apprehensions were but too well founded.

I now conceived it absolutely necessary, that a memorial should be drawn up, and presented to the magistrates, by some one or other of the proprietors. The idea met their concurrence, and it was to be done immedi­ately; but Mr. Davis and Mr. Harborne being continually in the country, neither of the Mr. Grant's attended for a long while, [Page 15] and Col. West, most unfortunately for the concern, being taken ill, this necessary pre­liminary was neglected, and the licence when applied for lost by eighteen against fifteen affirmative voices, the greatest part of which majority declared themselves influenced against the application, by a letter which was read in court, written by order of the Secre­tary of State, to the Lord Lieutenant of the county of Surry, advising the bench to licence no new places of public entertainment; and this letter was actually procured, by a repre­sentation that the Circus was intended for E O tables, and every species of debauchery.

Thus, according to my prediction, the li­cence was lost by false and scandalous reports against the place, and clearly shews, corro­borated by what really happened when the Circus was actually opened without any per­mission whatever, that had my advice been taken, we must have been successful.

Col. West continuing extreemly ill, the advantage of his advice was lost, and the other proprietors a good deal soured by their disappointment, were some time before they came to any resolution; at length my origi­nal [Page 16] idea was adopted, and the place opened without a licence.

The world well recollects what encourage­ment the amusements received, some of the first characters in the kingdom resorted to the Circus, and it was considered as one of the most pleasant and fashionable places about town. The continual cry of the proprietors was, that I had done wonders, and that let what would be the fate of the concern, there was no degree of liberality that should not be shewn me for such uncommon and successful exertions.

In all this time no article was prepared; and though I was unceasingly teazed by Mr. Hughes, who went very great lengths indeed, and took most unwarrantable liberties with the proprietors names, to support his asser­tions, though he even assured me, that they had consulted together to dismiss me, though he called in Mr. Grimaldi to witness it, who declared, he had heard the proprietors say, they would never sign an agreement with either me, or Mr. Hughes; this, and ten times more had not power to shake my opi­nion. I certainly was anxious that the matter [Page 17] should be finished. I expostulated with Mr. Davis, and with Col. West, on the subject; the first of whom seemed, and the other was as uneasy as myself. Mr. Davis declared, that were the intentions of the other proprie­tors such as Mr. Hughes and Mr. Grimaldi represented, yet his connections with them were of such a kind, and his power over them so great, that he ‘"could and would," (these were his words,) "command for me their majority upon all occasions; but the fact was the very reverse, the pro­prietors having the best intentions towards me."’ That the preparation of the article was only delayed by the negligence of Mr. Har­borne, he laughed at my fears, and won­dered how I could entertain them: must not he be void of honour, and merit the reproach of every honest man, if he could be capable of deluding me upon a subject so serious, so material to me?

I could not bear so many appeals to my feelings. I blushed that I had for a moment entertained an ill opinion of a man, than whom Lucifer or Iago would not have bet­ter acted the part of a friend. I consider­ed Mr. Hughes and Mr. Grimaldi as [Page 18] two incendiaries, who, for selfish ends, were endeavouring to set me at variance with the proprietors, and I became more careless about the article than ever.

An information was laid against the Circus, and we were open only nine nights. My prophecy began now to be verified; all who had been our enemies became our warmest advocates; very distinguished persons con­sulted with us about opening again, and in­telligence was given us from very powerful authority, that another application to the Lord Chamberlain would be successful.

The general expences, however, being all incurred, and the performers engaged, we thought it adviseable to open, if possible, upon some plan within the law, which we could extend, if we had the good fortune to succeed with the Lord Chamberlain, or con­tinue (if the application failed) till the follow­ing October.

For this purpose, I devised a mode of amusement unlike any thing we had done be­fore; which, sanctioned by counsels opinion, was brought out with success; but at the end [Page 19] of the fifth night, a new information being laid, Mr. Hughes was taken up and sent to Bridewell.

In proportion as we were persecuted, so we gained friends. At the sessions, Mr. Hughes was honourably released, and the entertain­ment pronounced not to have been illegal. The application to the Lord Chamberlain went on rapidly, who being solicited in a very powerful manner, declared he would give a licence, if the Attorney-General would pro­nounce him competent to do it.

This business kept us on in anxious expec­tation till the latter end of February, when Mr. Hughes absolutely insisted on an article, without which, he declared, he would with­draw himself from the scheme.

I now began to find that this matter has been procrastinated only to beat us down in point of terms; for upon requiring so serious an explanation, it aukwardly came out that they had a good deal considered of it, and that in a different way than formerly. They now began to talk of the vast sums of money that had been laid out, of the loss the [Page 20] place had sustained in throwing away so much time, that if no licence should be obtained, or the concern involved in any future embar­rassment, they must bear all the burden. In short, the new proposal was, that Mr. Hughes and I should receive each a fourth of the pro­fits, after paying all common expences, allow­ing them interest for their money, and a hun­dred a year ground-rent.

How did Mr. Davis come off here? I am ashamed to say with flying colours. He made it appear as plain to me, that I should clear two thousand a year for my life, as ever Bres­law did one of his auditors, that he had con­jured a shilling into his pocket, when the fact was, he had picked it of two, which were paid coming in at the door.

I did, however, muster up so much clear-sightedness, as to be a little uneasy, not for fear the article should not be signed, but lest they should pare away its value till it was not worth signing; and joining issue with Mr. Hughes, never ceased importuning Mr. Davis, till, with the approbation of the proprietors, he signed a memorandum of an agreement, [Page 21] in behalf of himself and the rest, in the terms before mentioned, with the addition of tying up Mr. Hughes and myself from engaging at any other place of amusement, and a promise of entering into a special agreement, as soon as it should be found convenient to lay a pro­per deed before counsel. This memorandum was also signed by Mr. Hughes and myself, and witnessed by Mr. Harman.

Whether the Attorney-General's opinion was never obtained, whether he was prevented from giving it, whether the interest used to get at the Lord Chamberlain was overturned by opposite influence, or whatever was the cause, I will not venture to pronounce my opinion; certain it is, we got no licence. The matter has been so variously represented to me, that in relating what I have been told, I might very likely take a liberty with high and distinguished characters, who, for ought I can with certain­ty advance, never heard of the Royal Circus but in common with the rest of the world. Great names are very often used to serve little purposes; here they were used to no purpose at all.

[Page 22]This refusal determined us once more to open the Circus, merely to feel the pulse of the town, and to try whether all the pompous reports of our success among the great would not so far awe our enemies as to make them desist from any further persecution.

We did so, and it answered our end beyond expectation. The Circus was opened on the 15th of March, and it continued so without interruption till the middle of the following September; during all which time the sense of the memorandum was literally conformed to by the payment of a fourth of the profits to Mr. Hughes and myself every Saturday.

Soon after the Circus opened, Mr. Sewell, my Attorney and Solicitor, drew up a special deed, which was read by the proprietors, and (except the preamble and the mode of tying me to the Circus) approved of.

In Mr. Sewell's article, conformable to the memorandum, I was the acknowledged ma­nager of the stage department for my life; my current conduct was to be decided upon by a [Page 23] weekly committee, which, so far from having a power to dismiss me from the Circus, was obliged to support and uphold me in it.

I should here mention, that just before this period, Mr. James Grant had sold his share to Sir John Lade, and Mr. Harborne had erect­ed himself into the joint characters of trea­surer, solicitor, and proprietor.

This circumstance did not create a little jealousy among the other proprietors, nor was it by any means a pleasant thing to either Mr. Hughes or myself, a proprietor being a very improper treasurer to a concern. This was re­presented at Sir John Lade's house, the Sun­day before the place opened; Mr. Davis, Sir John Lade, Mr. Grant, Mr. Hughes, and myself present; and Mr Davis taking up the matter extremely warm, proposed the place for Mr. Savage, a gentleman we all knew, and of whose integrity we had the highest opinion. This met the wishes of every one present, and I expected to see him in his of­fice the following Saturday; instead of whom, however, Mr. Harborne singly nomi­nated [Page 24] Mr. Grosmith, his brother-in-law; who has ever since acted as a treasurer for him, and lately with the additional title of Secre­tary.

I only mention this circumstance, to shew how completely the proprietors were ruled by the brilliant Mr. Harborne; nor can it be wondered at. I have already instanced his alacrity in the dispatch of business, and when I come, in its place, to give a specimen of the elegance of his taste, the winning sprightliness of his manner, and the captivating charms of his oratorical eloquence, the most lively hopes may be entertained, that before the Circus shall finish its career, the world will see him making out latitats upon three horses, taking instructions for a brief in a pantomime, or imitating the serjeants when they make their bows at Westminster Hall in a Minuet de la Cour.

This same Mr. Harborne, with infinite la­bour and pains (I think I see him wiping his forehead) from the draft made out by Mr. Sewell, formed another, in which were intro­duced [Page 25] many particulars totally foreign to the original intention. Neither Mr. Hughes nor myself was to have the liberty, without the consent of a committee, to publish any book; that sixty pounds a week were to be deposited in his hands as a fund to pay all contingent expences. He nominated himself also perpe­tual treasurer. The Committee was to have such an absolute power, that were they in­clined to make vexatious and frivolous reso­utions, the concern must have been so har­rassed and perplexed, that no business of either Mr. Hughes's deparment or mine could possibly have gone on.

I not only saw all this, but that the prohi­bition of publications struck particularly hard at me. It was represented to me, however, that no advantage should be taken of me; that the article was so worded, lest any non­sense of Mr. Hughes (I use the words of Mr. Davis and Mr. Harborne) should be publish­ed to the disgrace of the concern; that he was a man so troublesome and unprincipled, and his conduct had been so reprehensible, they were determined to have every possible curb on him, and particularly that the words and [Page 26] music of all my pieces were not implied in the clause.

At this time another agreement was entered into by the Proprietors themselves, to enforce the observance of their own private engage­ments. This deed is very material to my claim. It was executed by Colonel West, Mr. Davis, Mr. Harborne, Mr. George Grant, and Sir John Lade, and provided, among many other things, for the security of the proceedings of a committee, by a clause to the following effect: That should any of the Proprietors be inclined to sell a share, it should be offered at a stipulated price to the rest, and that upon their refusal of the bar­gain, the buyer should be obliged to pur­chase, subject to all covenants and agreement whatsoever; and particularly that the present, as well as all future Proprietors, should be bound to keep, in the strictest sense, all en­gagements entered into with Mr. Hughes and myself. The memorandum recited above, which Mr. Davis entered into with the con­currence of the rest of the Proprietors, was signed previous to the execution of the agree­ment some months. Will the sagacious Mr. [Page 27] Harborne after this say he knew any thing of law when he signed my discharge from the Circus?

From the month of October, 1781, to this hour, (for it should be understood that I had long such a scheme in idea, though till Fe­bruary I could not find a person to take it in hand in any eligible way) I have received no emolument from any other place than the Circus. It will not therefore appear astonish­ing, that in such a length of time I should find it necessary, for my private purposes, to re­ceive money on account from the Proprietors. I did so, previous to the 15th of March, to the amount of 261l. which sum, together with every other expended or advanced for any purpose whatever, was agreed in the draft of the special article to go into a mass, estimated at 12,000l. for which the concern was to pay ten per cent. interest.

I was in debt about 600l. at the commence­ment of the scheme, some of which demands it would be very tedious and unpleasant to explain; they were the dregs of former law­suits, penalties of engagements for a valuable and unfortunate relation, and some the con­sequences [Page 28] of follies committed twenty years ago; these debts, by the 15th of March, grew to 800l. simply by the addition of law expences. The Circus now began to yield me very handsomely, and I had paid, by the month of July, near 400l.

About this time the remainder of my cre­ditors began to persecute me in a most rigor­ous and extraordinary manner; this appeared very singular, as they had received from me so much money, and more especially as the loading me with law expences would only diminish my ability to satisfy them.

Upon searching into this business, I easily found they were set on; the Proprietors were of the same opinion, and made no scruple to pronounce Mr. Hughes the incendiary instru­ment; so much did Mr. Davis appear irritated at it, that he gave a promise to the officer, who was always upon these occasions employ­ed to arrest me, that he would answer for every thing in future against me, that my person might be safe, and I might pursue my business in tranquility.

[Page 29]Why Mr. Davis refused to keep his word, the very next time I was arrested, he best knows.

The Circus about this time began to be one of the compleatest scenes of confusion that folly, ignorance, and interested art could plunge it into. The parents of the appren­tices were eternally presenting me with peti­tions against Mr. Grimaldi; criminal accusa­tions were preferred, addressed to religious lords; the magistrates interfered, and a com­pleat investigation into the morals and con­duct of the place was ordered; some consci­entious gentlemen in the commission, who had resolved right or wrong to vote against it the following October, were for its annihilation; and one in particular declared, he was so shocked at the idea of bringing up a number of children to the stage, that he should be afraid to meet them in the other world lest they should reproach him. The gentleman, I believe, did not consider that there would be no such danger, if that meeting happened to be in Heaven.

[Page 30]Three very respectable gentlemen were ap­pointed inquisitors upon this occasion, whose great humanity, high honour, and unim­peachable integrity, are universally acknow­ledged. They found nothing that could in­duce them to take part against the place, and not only the accusation fell to the ground, but the attempt to injure the scheme turned out materially to its advantage.

We were however the best judges of our internal commotions. Mr. Grimaldi's know­ledge of the foibles of the Proprietors, his accommodating temper, and above all the secret manner in which he wormed himself into their favour to my prejudice, glossed over with them a number of most unpardon­able faults; and it was in vain for me to order him upon any duty, when by a tale told to Mr. Harborne he could get himself excused.

As to the rest, Mr. Hughes was evidently trying to get the place into his own hands, by harrassing the Proprietors with accounts, in which they made no scruple to say they [Page 31] were imposed on, ordering dresses they disap­proved of, and using their names with most licentious and unwarrantable freedom. All this, together with his canvassing the county in his name for the licence, and much other indirect conduct, so alarmed the Proprietors, that they were now the most anxious for the articles; several meetings were had on it, and at last Mr. Hughes, upon being paid all his demands, agreed that the licence should be made out in his name and mine; and that proper alterations being made in the mode and manner of the article by Mr. Davis and Mr. Pardon, the spirit of it, which had al­ways been complied with, should remain, and then it should be executed.

Thus matters continued in tolerable tran­quility (except, as usual, fresh law-suits being conjured up against me; some legal, others not so) till October.

The day came when we must apply for the licence; and Mr. Hughes, after all that had passed, insisted upon having it made out in his name, or not at all. Nothing could [Page 32] equal the astonishment of the Proprietors at this demand; they fairly declared it should have my name to it, as a check upon Mr. Hughes, or they would give up every concern with the place; that they had the highest opinion of my abilities; that my conduct had been fair, honest, and in every respect unex­ceptionable; whereas they believed Mr. Hughes to be guilty, in many instances, of proceedings directly the reverse.

For my own part, I saw very plainly that the least appearance of dispute amongst our­selves would infallibly overturn our whole scheme; besides, it was the clearest thing in the world that Mr. Hughes wrangled for no more than an additional feather to his eques­trian helmet, which I was very well con­tented he should wear. I argued, that while they were in contention for a mere name, the shadow of the business, they would lose the licence, which was the substance; and that the place, and not the person, was the object of permission. In this opinion Mr. Mingay joined me; the licence was asked for in the name of Mr. Hughes, and granted.

[Page 33]During the meeting at Kingston, our fu­ture operations were a subject of consultation. As the place could now open by authority, as the entertainments would be entirely changed, by the introduction of burlettas and pantomimes, the orchestra thrown open, to­gether with several other desirable advan­tages, of which we might now avail ourselves, I advised a recommencement of the amuse­ments. I nevertheless warned them how impossible it would be to keep open the whole winter; but in order to make it up to the performers, to take expence off the shoulders of the concern, and to provide novelty for the ensuing summer season, I fur­ther advised an excursion to Liverpool, Nor­wich, or some other capital place; there to wear out the old pieces, to be in the conti­nual practice of new ones, and so come back at Easter with a fund of fresh dramatic mate­rials, which would be so much variety ready prepared with little trouble, and no ex­pence.

Nothing could be more eagerly catched at than this advice; it was so feasible; such a self-evident advantage; so like generalship: [Page 34] Why, then, was not it adopted? The Pro­prietors of the Circus would not be consistent, if they were once in the right. They have a most tender affection for their own opinion; and as to obstinacy, no drove of pigs, in their journey from Berkshire to Smithfield, ever had such an aversion to a direct road.

Had my advice been taken, the Public would not now be nauseated at the Royal Circus (that place which once vied with the Opera-house; which, under the title of the Fairy World, enchanted its audience with all the magic of its name;) with the leavings of a barrel organ, the dregs of a porter club, or the refuse of Sadler's Wells.

Three or four days before we applied for the licence, the Circus and the world had the misfortune to lose Col. West, after having endured for near a twelvemonth all the tor­ture and languor of a slow consuming wound, with a resignation and fortitude which, like all other of his actions, evinced his great mind. He dying, bequeathed wretchedness to his family, sorrow to all his connections, and regret to the memory of every man who [Page 35] who had the happiness and advantage of his acquaintance.

The Circus opened, and considering the expences of the recess, the stock required to bring out the new things, and other incidental and unavoidable out-goings, did tolerably well. After a few weeks, however, it was decidedly clear that it would not do in the winter; this induced me to think in earnest of the country scheme. I pressed Mr. Hughes about it, who promised to write to Norwich, and proposed it afresh to the Pro­prietors, from whom I was astonished to re­ceive a cool answer.

I had now paid near 600l. to my creditors; and yet, so great a part of this sum was for law expences, that I was still in debt 450l. It is incredible, upon the failure of the suc­cess of the Circus, how I was persecuted, and all for trifles; which, by the management of bailiffs, evidently at the instance of Mr. Hughes, were magnified into things of conse­quence. If I was to sign a warrant of attor­ney, it was in his house; if I was arrested, it was in his house. In short, the most scan­dalous [Page 36] and illegal measures were taken pur­posely to expose me; and every illicit and vul­gar manoeuvre put in practice to injure my peace of mind, and render me incapable of doing my business.

So much did this appear the opinion of the Proprietors, that, to relieve my inconveniences at that time, they deposited their draft of a hundred pounds in the hands of Mr. Sewell, and impowered him to inform my creditors, that they would be answerable for the pay­ment of the rest of my debts in a twelve-month.

Mr. Davis promised to be present at the meeting of my creditors, instead of which, however, he wrote the following letter:

This letter being read, and Mr. Sewell ex­plaining the sentiments of Mr. Davis to be a determination to enter into the above agree­ment, the creditors were very well satisfied, and another meeting was proposed, when Mr. Davis was to be present, and finish the busi­ness.

On the day of this meeting, however, Mr. Sewell received the following letter:

Notwithstanding this shuffling, another gentleman of the law, as well as Mr. Sewell, advised the creditors to rest contented, assuring them that the promise made by the Proprie­tors was binding in the strictest manner, even though not formally entered into, they having empowered Mr. Sewell to make it in their name. The creditors were satisfied with this, and went away, after being witness for one another that they would think no more of me, but seek their remedy against the Pro­prietors, at the end of the twelvemonth.

Mr. Davis has lately had the kindness to say, that as soon as Mr. Sewell, (who is con­tending for my right) shall have done me a ser­vice, [Page 39] I shall write a pamphlet against him by way of thanks. I would ask Mr. Davis, if he himself ever did me a service, how comes it I am now in the King's Bench? and if Mr. Sewell is serving me, does not Mr. Davis con­fess his own consciousness of my re-establish­ment? The malignity of this caution to Mr. Sewell is too apparent. Mr. Davis knows how much it is his interest to preju­dice my solicitor against me; fortunately, however, Mr. Sewell has too good an opini­on of me to be wrought on by any such insi­nuations; and if he had not, his inveterate in­tegrity in the discharge of his conduct to his clients, will ever induce him to take care of his honour and his character, than to suffer any craft or cunning to turn him aside from an honest discharge of his duty.

Mr. Sewell has suffered from Mr. Hughes almost as many indignities as I have, and wholly on my account. 'Tis a shame that Mr. Davis is not content with his treatment of me, without conniving at any dirty work of a man, whose name he has, in my hearing, a hundred times execrated.

[Page 40]Three of these creditors had actions against me, upon which I had been a long time held to bail; one of whom dropped all proceed­ings, but the other two went on at the com­mencement of the Term; being therefore in­capable of paying the money: on the 21st of January, I was obliged to surrender myself to prison, to exonerate my bail.

It will appear very curious in this place, that when the Proprietors refused to fulfil their promise of paying my debts, they ad­vised me to throw myself into the King's-Bench, offering to be security for the rules, and to give me apartments in the Circus; will it be credited then, after I had surren­dered myself, they not only refused to be my security, but first voted me out of the Circus, and then used a secret influence to prevent my getting the rules at all. It is however very true; and though I hug myself at the good consequences that must result to me from their shallow, miserable policy, I can­not help feeling the malice and rancour of such a scandalous business, with that indigna­tion in which I am sure every honest man must join me.

[Page 41]But, as Macheath says, ‘"It is a plain proof the world's all alike, and that even our gang can no more trust one another, than other people."’ Sorry I am that I have to re­proach myself with belonging to that gang.

To clear my ground I must go back to about six weeks after the Circus opened, at which time a resolution was formed to shut it up, to open at Christmas, and then continue the entertainments if they should succeed. This I strongly opposed, recommending the country scheme; the Proprietors, however, confident of success, over-ruled me.

When the place came to be opened, mat­ters turned out as I had represented them, even the first week did not bring its ex­pences.

This caused such universal dissatisfaction, that every Saturday was expected to be the last of the season. Sir John Lade came to the Committee-room, and constantly blamed me for suffering the music to go ill, exhibiting such a curious and scientific system of criti­cism, [Page 42] as I sincerely believe, were it reduced to rule, would procure a sweepstakes to be run for in all the regularity of a pas de quatre—As well as edified by it, I should have been ex­tremely amused, if it had not been embellished with some hints of properer managers, and the names of Grimaldi, Slingsby, Novoscielski, and others, occasionally dropped, ‘"who were capable of bringing the whole world to the Circus."’

Since however the place was so indiffer­ently conducted, either it should not continue open, or the expences should be considerably lowered; he asked me first of all what part of the band I could spare? I said I could very ill spare any, but if it must be curtailed, I should begin with the trumpets. No, with a look of most ineffable contempt at my ig­norance, he insisted on the trumpets being kept, even though they should play by them­selves, for that they had a monstrous effect in recitative. As I knew I might as well have explained myself to one of his grey horses, and as I had more whims than his to please, I contented myself with tacitly strik­ing [Page 43] out the trumpets, and the names of a few useless performers, who had been only en­gaged in compliment to Mr. Hughes. Eve­ry preparation for novelty which happened to be in hand was next ordered to be stopped; painters, carpenters, and others, were to be discharged by wholesale; and as we had low receipts, so we were to have low expences. It was in vain to represent that I could not produce new things without materials; I might use the old ones; that is to say, Tom Thumb might appear as an Alderman, Dolla-lolla as a witch, and the queen of the giants squeeze herself into the fly-jacket of a fairy. They however, at this moment, have recourse to more miserable expedients; for instead of those dresses which induced the world to call the Circus the temple of taste, the performers are stuck out in all the draggle-tail finery of a masquerade at St. Giles's. Perhaps the Cyprian queen of that equestrian Adonis, Sir John, condescends to inspire the wardrobe-keeper with the sublimity of her taste.

Nay, more impossibilities than these were exacted from me; I was to discharge the per­formers [Page 44] (purposely engaged for the new pieces) and then bring out the new pieces without them.

Expostulating with Mr. Davis upon the ab­surdity of all this, he told me not to regard any thing Sir John Lade said, for that he was a man who would set every body of people together by the ears he had any thing to do with.

On the other hand, my good ally, Mr. Hughes, was continually in consultation with his bosom friend and secretary, Mr. Stratford, (the bailiff who always arrested me) how to make a finish at once of me and my affairs: He made a violent entry into my house, and possessed himself forcibly in his rage, not only of all my property, but of the landlord's, with­out authority of any kind whatever, unless his having, against my consent, undertook to pay money for me (evidently with a view of get­ting me into his power) can be so called.

The Circus was now in a state of the most complete distraction; the very servants saw I was not properly supported by the proprietors, [Page 45] and therefore lost all respect for me. In short, all subordination was at an end; nor could the eloquence of the accomplished Mr. Har­borne restore it, as will appear by the recep­tion of the following oration, which well de­serves a title by itself.

A universal tittering immediately prevail­ed; the confusion recommenced, and in five minutes the great Mr. Harborne was heard la­menting that his authority had not been able to awe one of the rebels, whom he detected, like Guy Faux, bearing a light to set off the fire-works before their time.

[Page 46]Within a day or two of this memorable event, I came to the King's Bench; Mr. Davis gave his name as one of my securities for the rules, and suffered Mr. Sewell to make the usual enquiries; but being asked when he would sign the bond, answered not at all, be­cause the rest of the proprietors had refused to join him.

I began to see the world now in a new light. I feared what Mr. Hughes and many others had told me of Mr. Davis (that he had not really been my friend, but appeared so by the consent of the other proprietors, the bet­ter to carry their measures) was but too true, the more especially as he had recently sold half his share to Mr. Grimaldi. To investi­gate this at once, I sent him the following letter and resolutions:

These were intended to be delivered at the Cockpit while the proprietors were sitting there in a committee; but apprehending, I suppose, something of that sort from me, the waiters had orders to say that there were not any proprietors there.

The letters, however, and resolutions, were delivered to Mr. Davis, at his house, by Mr. Wilde, whom he told I had been the day before voted out of the Circus; that it was [Page 51] a disagreeable business; that he had no hand in it; owned to signing the memorandum, having given me his honour he would see me situated in the Circus to my wish; and, in short, every tittle I had charged him with in the letter. He said he supposed the matter would cost me a law suit, and heartily wished he could be of any service to me.

Thunderstruck with the intelligence of the vote, and very unsatisfied with the vague manner in which he seemed to get rid of my importunity, I wrote to him as follows:

The day after this, the following letter and resolutions were delivered to me from the Treasurer:

I was taught to expect this; therefore it brought me with it no surprise, not even the finding it such a master-piece of elegant com­position. [Page 59] The other proprietors, it was plain, had given me up. I could not, however, bring myself entirely to think the same of Mr. Davis: impatient for his answer to my last letter, I wrote to him once more.

[Page 60]At length I received from him the follow­ing letter:

So much evasion opened my eyes; I felt myself duped, and what was worse, I felt I deserved it: comforting myself, however, with the reflection, that being was something more [Page 63] honourable than having deceived, I wrote him the following letter:

The next news I heard was, that Mr. Grimaldi had the appointment of Manager in my stead; and that Mr. Davis took by the hand that very Mr. Grimaldi, who he himself [Page 71] told me had endeavoured to poison the minds of the Proprietors against me; who he knew to have been guilty of very improper conduct; who he pretended he had the worst opinion of, and who he detested, on account of his underhand treatment of me. As to Mr. Gri­maldi himself, he had made a parade of de­claring, that he conceived himself under the highest obligations to me; that I had given him his bread at the Circus, and he would ra­ther die, than do any thing that could militate against my interest; he, too, had a particular fancy to being called rascal, whenever he de­ceived me; but he need not be uneasy for me, he shall peculate in peace, and safely carry his crazy bones to that grave which yawns for them, where the highest compliment mankind can pay his ashes, will be to throw on his memory the veil of oblivion.

I shall detain the reader no longer than while I examine whether it appears that I neglected my duty at the Circus; whether, had that been the case, the Proprietors were competent to dismiss me; and whether, by having voted me out, they have advantaged themselves?

[Page 72]To the charge of neglect I answer, that I have given an industry so indefatigable, an attention so unremitted, that till last Christ­mas the Proprietors expressed an astonish­ment at my perseverance. I can safely say, I devoted six hours in every day, upon an average, for near two years and a half, to sup­plying the Circus with materials; for I have not neglected to do so even to this moment. I actually brought out there twenty-eight performances, twenty-one of which were en­tirely new. I wrote all advertisements, drew up several memorials and petitions, and gave directions in every department, except relative to the horses, for two years; nor out of the whole number of nights the Circus was open­ed, did I absent myself more than about fifteen times, the major part of which omissions was owing to the broken promises of Mr. Davis, in the name of the Proprietors, to my creditors.

A further way to see if I have been negli­gent, is to examine my conduct and Mr. Hughes's together. Have not the Proprietors complained, from the first moment to the [Page 73] last, that nothing could induce Mr. Hughes to produce any single novelty? Did I not project several things for him? Are there not mate­rials for this use, prepared by my directions, as far back as July, 1782? And do not the Proprietors well know that one of my greatest difficulties was continually to torture words into a variety of meanings, differently to an­nounce old manoeuvres in new advertisements. Is this the case in relation to me?—so far from it, that, besides what I have already men­tioned, so much had I the interest of the place at heart, that when they were deter­mined to open at Christmas, and I felt it could never do, I offered (without any emo­lument whatever, notwithstanding I had long made a determination to the contrary, and thereby certainly given up many an advan­tageous situation) to write burlettas in a new stile, and perform in them myself. Nay, being well convinced of the impossibility of their providing proper novelty for the commence­ment of their season, I have repeatedly given them notice of many new performances that are actually now by me, and any three of which might have been performed on last [Page 74] Easter Monday; but they did not even deign to answer these notices.

It will easily be seen then that I did some­thing more than Mr. Hughes; however I will do him the justice to say, that if I did my utmost, so did he his.

Can this conduct then be called neglect, or is this a proper return to it? Is the existence of a man in good professional estimation thus to be sported with? Is he to throw away two years of his time in fabricating a scheme, sup­plying it with materials, watching the growth of its improvements, superintending and even teaching the performers, and giving it every advantage, perfectness, and conse­quence? Is he to lessen the reputation of his music by suffering children to perform it, in­stead of capital singers at the theatres? Is he to shut himself out from every other concern, to decline all applications that have been and are now made to him? Is he to take back ac­cepted pieces from the theatres, which were sure to yield him considerable profit? and is it reasonable that all this care and pains, loss, and retirement from his former consequence, [Page 75] should be rewarded by an expulsion from the very concern that but for him never would have had existence.

The Circus did not apply to me! I found no such place ready built to my hands! I projected it, fabricated it; it was the child of my own fancy; it was the harbour wherein I meant to moor my bark, as a haven against all the tempests of fortune. Who could have believed that the insidious pilot who steered me to it should be the first, after unlading my cargo, to set me adrift to the buffeting waves of adversity, and the merciless winds of oppression!

As to the competency of the Proprietors to vote me out of the Circus, unless contracts between man and man may be broken at will, the good faith and ingenuous reliance of one man upon the common honesty of another violated at pleasure, and mens names suffered to be affixed to paper merely as a mockery of justice, that competency I think will not be easily proved.

The Proprietors will not deny that it was a very common thing for one of them to un­dertake [Page 76] for the rest; they were collectively liable as in matter of partnership; Mr. Har­borne has often accepted drafts for the con­cern, so has Mr. Davis, exactly in the man­ner he wrote his name to the memorandum, which instrument, like the agreement of a lease, is efficient till the lease itself is drawn up; and as a proof that the memorandum was compulsory, a special deed was actually pre­pared, and but that it exacted more than the agreement which compelled it, would have been signed.

As to the remaining question, unless con­fusion is better than order, stale performances more attractive than novelty, and empty houses more profitable than full ones, the Circus is not at this moment benefited by my absence.

For the rest, it is well the Proprietors can boast of the independency of their fortunes, since they have such poverty of spirit. I can­not omit one caution, however: let it not be believed, because thousands are easily talked ^* [Page 77] of, such immense sums have been expended in the Circus as the world is taught to ima­gine; it cost enough, and it is pity they had not paid dearer for the folly of neglecting wolesome advice.

Neither will it I hope be credited, that I have received upwards of 2000l. from the Circus, or that I am 3000l. in debt. Upon the faith and honour of a man, previous to last August, I had received no more than about 1100l. and since that time only 50l. or 60l. at most; ^* out of all which I paid near 700l. and maintained myself and my family since the month of October eighty­one; and I should not at this moment owe more than 100l. had I not been embarrassed as I before described, whereas I am indebted near five.

Thus have I brought this narrative to a conclusion. I pledge myself for the truth of it, and call upon the Public (the neglect of my duty to whom is of consequence to me [Page 78] indeed, compared to the opinion of the Pro­prietors of the Circus) to brand me with in­gratitude to them, and point me out as an object undeserving their future support, if I am detected of having advanced a single fal­sity.

Much subordinate matter, I confess, re­mains behind, which I thought unworthy of public inspection; but if the Proprietors feel bold, I throw down my guantlet, and dare them to meet me upon that, or any other ground. Indeed I believe, at this hour, if it was not for shame, they would send for me to meet them at the Circus. They need not be un­happy; the law will do that for them, which they have not the resolution to do for them­selves; and whenever it happens, they may be assured I shall be most unmercifully re­venged of them; I will submit to no whim or caprice, but go on in the exercise of my own judgment. If I wish to expose the temple of chicane, lay open its rascally recesses, and rescue the innocent victims bound at its altars, I will not flinch from my design, even though Mr. Harborne happens to be an attorney. I'll not scruple to tell the world, that horse­racing [Page 79] is not a moral duty; Pharoah, a system of Philosophy, or Cock-fighting, a study of humanity; even though Sir John Lade and Mr. Davis are gentlemen of the Turf. In short, if instead of five I had five hundred Proprietors to deal with, all of different per­suasions, professions, and affections, I will boldly persevere in furnishing such materials as I shall conceive most condusive to amuse the town, and profit the concern; nor will I consider any neglect a crime, or bow to any correction, but that of the generous and can­did Public.