Mr. URBAN, E. July 27. gether, which they call Cattamarans*, men and wild beasts pass by this nearly resembling in their outlines means over marshes otherwise impracthe letter V, about 6 feet long; on ticable. them they sit on their knees, and with the assistance of paddles proceed to sea in very tempestuous weather. An intelligent gentleman, who had seen many of them, and gave me this description, was of opinion that the great bamboes were very fit for forming these Cattamarans, or Floats. Now from the simple description which Ptolemy has given of the formation of the ferries of the antient Sinæ, they would appear to be the same with the modern Cattamarans, on which the antient inhabitants might have ferried themselves over these lakes. But whether the floats mentioned by Ptolemy were Cattamarans or not, it sufficiently appears from the spirit of the text, that they were some simple mechanical contrivance that answered a similar purpose, and that were joined, and must have been tied to one another, before they [the inhabitants] ventured upon them. The Critick, however, (says Mr. C.) has reduced the inhabitants to the necessity of marching over the lakes upon the tops of these great and lofty bamboes [40 feet high], as they stood in their perpendicular state." Now, Mr. Urban, I will produce a very intelligent Friend of mine, who resided some years in India, to prove that Ptolemy was correct in what he wrote, but that neither of these Gentle men understood him, not having been themselves in the country. My Friend says, that he has frequently crossed these marshes (for so they should be called rather than lakes) on the very reeds or bamboes described by Ptolemy, but not by walking on the tops of them, or in Cattamarans formed out of them. In the province of Sylhet, in the Eastern part of Bengal, towards Thibet,are marshes,swamps, or morasses, in which grow what they call Ground Canes, lying horizontally, of great length; the leaves shooting out at the joints, stand upright, and give the appearance of a green field. So close do these bamboes or canes lie, and so matted and interwoven, that *A few years ago we heard much of Cattamarans sent to Boulogne to discharge loads of stones in the Harbour, so as to block it up; few know from whence the name was derived. may, perhaps, divert some of your One ray of his bright genius now infuse; its name, And crown some weathy Wits — with deathless fame!" In justice, however, to my honest feelings, and sense of real kindness, I must request you, Sir, to permit me, through your pages, to present my best and warmest acknowledgments, &c. to about two-thirds of my. (truly respectable) Subscribers, many of whom spared me the mortifications; and some, with all that sweet tion of asking for their subscripdelicacy, characteristic of true generosity which giveth liberally and upbraideth not-presented me with considerably more than the nominal price of my book. To those kind patrons, in particular, and to all in. general, from whom I have received payment for their respective Copies1 once more repeat my respectful acknowledgments, assuring them, 'My Muse with gratitude records their aid, [tions paid." And writes on Memory's page-SubscripYours, &c. ANNE CLARKE. OF THE LONDON THEATRES-No. VII. DORSET Gardens Theatre. Since We see the Wells have stoln the Vizard the account of this Theatre appeared in vol. LXXXIII. ii. p. 221, I have met with The Young Gallant's Academy, or, Directions how he should behave in all Places and Company, &c. By Sam. Overcome, 1674; again reprinted as by S. . 1696. This little octavo volume was a slight alteration of Decker's Gull's Horn-book (a circumstance the Editor of the late valuable edition of that amusing work does not appear to have been acquainted with), and the characters and places re-adapted to the times. The scene of the Theatre is therefore altered from the Globe; and Chap. 5. concludes, "Some are gone to one theatre, some to the other. Let us take a pair of oars for Dorset-stairs, and so into the Theatre after them as fast as we can." With other alterations of the original, the following is given as instructions: "The play-house is free for entertainment, allowing room as well to the Farmer's son as to a Templer; yet it is not fit that be whom the most Taylor's bills make room for when he comes, should be basely, like a viol, cased up in a corner: therefore, I say, let our gallant (having paid his half crown, and given the door-keeper his ticket) presently advance himself into the middle of the pit, where hauing made his honour to the rest of the Company, but especially to the Vizardmasks, let him pull out his comb, and manage his flaxen wig with all the grace he can. Hauing so done, the next step is to give a hum to the China orange-wench, and give her her own rate for her oranges (for 'tis below a gentleman to stand haggling like a Citizen's wife) and then to present the fairest to the next Vizardmask. And that I may incourage our Gallant not like Tradesman to save a shilling, and so sit but in the middle gallery, let him but consider what large comings-in are pursed up sitting in the pit. First, A conspicuous emipence is gotten, by which means the best and most essential parts of a gentleman, as bis fine cloaths and perruke are perfectly revealed.-Second, By sitting in the pit, if you be a knight, you may happily get you a mistress; which, if you would, I advise you never to be absent when Epsome Wells is plaid: for, GENT. MAG. July, 1814. masks away." There may also be added the following further particulars of the final destruction of this Theatre. In the Spring of 1703, a general repair of the building for the purpose of re-opening having commenced, the Grand Jury of London, at the July Sessions held at the Old Bailey, by their presentment stated there was something yet wanting towards carrying on the new reformation of manners; and therefore they humbly proposed the following matter for the consideration of the Court, which may be given in their own words: viz. "The having some effectual course taken (if possible) to prevent the youth of this city from resorting to the play-houses, which we rather mention because the play-house bills are again posted up throughout the city, in contempt of a former presentment and a positive order of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to the contrary*; as also because we are informed that a play-house within the liberties of this city, which has been of late disused and neglected, is at this time refitting in order to be used as formerly. We do not presume to prescribe to this honourable Court, but we cannot question, but that, if they shall think fit, humbly to address, her Majesty in this case, she will be graciously pleased to prevent it.” This measure was echoed by the fastidious canting author of the Ob servator, as a “very good presentment against the play-houses, particularly against one of them now fitting up in Dorset Gardens” †. Citizens, or, perhaps, some order from The expected opposition of the the Master of the Revels, occasioned the plan for re-opening this Theatre to be abandoned; and I have not yet discovered that any diversion was * In June 1700, there was an order made by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, forbidding to affix in any part of the city or the liberties thereof the sentment of the Grand Jury at the last Play-house bills, according to the presessions at the Old Bailey. Postman, June 25, 1700. and the consistent reply to same in He + See Observator, July 14-17, 1703, raclitus Ridens, No. 1. August 1, 1703. afterwards afterwards exhibited. In 1709 it was razed to the ground; as appears by the following extract from a periodical paper, called The Gazette à-lamode: or Tom Brown's Ghost, No. 3. Thursday, May 26, 1709. "I wonder (says the Writer) that a man whose wits run so much a wool gathering as my Coz. Bickerstaff's should not all this time have pick'd up some Epigram, Elegy, or other doleful ditty, on such a lamentable occasion as the pulling down the Theatre in DorsetGarden; upon which melancholy subject, an old acquaintance of my friend Isaac's, a water-poet, has been so kind as to oblige me with the following lines, composed and dated on board the Folly, now lying opposite to the ruined Play house. "Ye Muses weep, weep all ye Nine, /scene Adorn'd with exquisite machine, No longer please our wand'ring eyes, doom Whether perform'd in Greece or Rome. Here full of grief as he 's of years; As it in Babylon cou'd fly, * Now made a Wood yard. Shall burlesque Theatres arise, The site was used as a timber-yard for several years. It is described as such in some lines "On a Lady's favourite Cat," inserted in "Count Piper's Packet, being a choice and curious Collection of Manuscript papers in prose and verse. 1732." "Near that fam'd place, where in old A Theatre; but now huge piles of wood: And rioters met their untimely fate: A South view of the Dorset Gardens Theatre is given in the present Number (See Plate).-Some alteration was. made in the exterior of the building after the view was taken that is given in Settle's Empress of Morocco, unless that represents, as probable, the North front. At the time of the re-. pairing above noticed, the arms and ornaments might be altered, as the view from which the present engraving is copied is supposed to have been made after the repairs were com pleted. Other views, in the same direction, may be found in the large sheet maps of a Prospect of London and Westminster, taken at several stations to the Southward thereof, by William Morgan; and also in Henry Overton's New Prospect of London of the South side, &c. dedicated to Gideon Harvey by the publisher Jas. Walker. It stood near the mouth of Fleet ditch, which had on the opposite side a handsome structure, with a balcony, belonging to a noted empiric,. Dr. Salmon; a part of which is shewn in the annexed View. In Buck's Views (1749) the site is represented as a Timber-yard. China-hall, Rotherhithe. This suburbian Theatre is supposed to have been opened in the summer of 1777. It was formed from the warehouse of a paper-manufacturer; and novelty crowning the first season with sufficient encouragement, the proprietors ventured to embellish and materially improve the premises: the advertisement for the commencement of the following season, stating the Proprietors" have spared no expence in enlarging and beautifying the Theatre; and as they are determined to preserve the exactest punctuality in the time of beginning, and to make regularity and decorum their chief study, hope they shall render themselves deserving of that favourable encouragement they have before experienced." The prices of admission were,boxes 33. pit 28. gallery 1s. and time of commencing varied by the season from half past six to seven o'clock. The Wonder and Lying Valet; Love in a Village with Comical Courtship (a new piece) were among the pieces performed; and in the season of 1778 one of the performers was the late celebrated George Frederick Cooke. Some time in the winter of 1778-9 the whole building was destroyed by fire. Ruckholl-house, Leyton, Essex.-Ruckbolt-house is said to have been once the mansion of Queen Elizabeth; and is now mentioned as forming, for a short period, an auxiliary place of amusement for the Summer to the established Theatres,and situate within the environs of London. It was open * The following votive ditty upon Hampstead, and the Wells, I have only discovered since the note in the last Volume, ii. p. 554, was printed; and which is not mentioned, I believe, by the intelligent Author of the recent valuable Volume upon The Topography and Natural History of Hampstead. It may be found in The Musical Entertainer, engraved by George Bickham, Jun. fol. vol. II. No. 15, entituled "The Beautys of Hampstead," and also as a broad-side, from which the present copy is taken. HAMPSTEAD. A Ballad, set by Mr. Abel WHICHello. Sung by Mr. JOHN Baker. "Summer's heat the town invades, All repair to cooling shades, How inviting, How delighting, Are the hills and flow'ry meads! Here, where lovely Hampstead stands, And the neighb'ring vale commands, Prospects rising, All around adorn the lands. Here ever woody mounts arise, There verdant lawns delights our eyes, In meanders, Lofty domes approach the skies. Here are grottos, purling streams, It is uncertain whether public amusements continued after the Summer of 1746. The House was pulled down about 1757. Lilliputian Theatre, Whitechapel. The premises had been altered from the Angel and Crown Tavern, and opened as a Theatre about the month of October, 1778, with the price of admission to the boxes 3s. pit 28. Among the pieces represented were Midas, Harlequin's Revels, Love in a Village, with new scenery, &c. Yours, &c. Mr. URBAN, E. Hoon. July 7. I main silent after the invective of Tis not proper that I should re Mr.Hawkins, because it involves some matters of fact, necessary to state in vindication of my own fidelity as a Literary Historian; and equally so, to shew what kind of an Historian Mr. Hawkins is likely to turn out. Among my researches, in the topic of "Literary Quarrels from personal motives," I had to record one, where the late Sir John stood in a dilemma as the Editor of Johnson's Works. Hawkins owed no good-will to Steevens for his caustic pleasantries; and be was not a magnanimous enemy. Averse to preserve Johnson's high commendation at the close of the Preface to Shakespeare, of Steevens, he pretended that he reprinted the Preface of 1765; which, having appeared before Johnson's-union with Steevens, was free from the teuder passage. On examination, however, it was discovered that all the collected Works were properly reprinted from the latest Editions. This fact was apt enough for the purpose of my illustrations; it is noticed as derived from “a periodical Critic," and marked as a quotation. This detection, of the mutilated Preface originating, as the Reviewer expresses it," from the spleen and the covered malice of the Editor" may be found in the Monthly Review, vol. LXXVII. p. 69. And here I would willingly have closed this literary quarrel, had I not considered it as my duty, not indeed to reply to the invective of so weak a temper; but to discover what sort of a genius it is Mr. Hawkins displays, in that narrative of absurdities which he has so clumsily wrought into a kind of Bibliographical Romance. His first " reason," for he counts it as one, is, that the Preface of 1765 should have been preferred, because "it was written on occasion of the is, that this Preface of 1765 was really publication of that Edition." That written for the Edition of 1765! but he can take nothing, as the Lawyers say, by this motion; 'tis granted that a Preface is a Preface! Secondly, that "this Preface of 1765 more particularly referred to that Edition" and therefore, being a Preface to the obsolete Edition of 1765, it should be republished in an Edition of 1787. This still is no "reason;" and of this the Bookseller, as we shall see, was fully aware. pre And now the Reader has his "reasons!" though with all his strainings he hardly reaches the plural number. But any one thing is, or are, “reasons" to him who from such untenable mises with the most provoking confidence infers, that "every intelligent man must see, that to have printed the Preface in its latter state, and not as originally written,would have been improper." It is then the result of this "Propriety," that the work touched by the finishing hand is not so proper for preservation, as the first state! a critical discovery! which adds one more to the celebrated "Canons of Criticism." If Sir John had really this odd taste, why did he not prefer reprinting the original Ramblers,which, the curious diligence of Mr. Alexander Chalmers has discovered, often scarce ly exhibit the same work. So much for the clear exposition of the "intention" of Sir John! Mr. Hawkins has added another confirmation to a valuable truism, that it seems impossible to know the intention of any man! But a greater difficulty remained to overcome, than assigning such shadowy and impalpable grounds, for the |