= = = Liberal Jones: Old Liberal Blanchard: Ephraim Fawcett John Grouse Emery: Miss Liberal = Mrs. Davenport: Fanny Liberal Miss S. Booth, 1st time. 11. No play on account of the Illuminationseemingly none on the 9th. 13. This evening will be produced, in compliment to our Illustrious Visitors, an allegorical Festival called the Grand Alliance-the Illustrious Visitors were the Emperour of Russia, the King of Prussia, &c. = 15. For bt. of Mr. and Mrs. Liston. A new comic Extravaganza, called Broad but not Long, or How to Damn a New Piece. Nat Nisi Prius= Blanchard Timothy Addle = Liston: Sportly Hamerton :-characters in the Melo-drama called the Black Princess-Jettiana - Miss Leserve, &c. :—after which, Who wants a Guinea? Barford (1st time and for that night only) = Young: Solomon Gundy = Liston, 1st time: Torrent = Terry, 1st time: Sir Larry Jones: Andrew Bang= Emery. = 17. Hamlet. Hamlet Young-with Grand Alliance, &c.In consequence of the intended visit of the Illustrious Strangers this evening, Taylor's bt. is postponed to the 20th. 21. Farley's bt.-by desire of the Hetman of the Cossacks, Count Platoff-Our Way in France, or Fontainbleau-in 2 acts. Lackland-Jones: Squire Tally-ho Mathews, 1st time: Lapoche (for that night only) Liston -with Mother Goose-and Bluebeard, with Horses. 22. By desire of Prince, Marshal Blucher-Our Way in France-Grand Alliance, &c. 24. Miss S. Booth acted Juliet for her bt. July 1. Mrs. Mac Gibbon acted Lady Macbeth, and Lady Elizabeth Freelove, for her bt. = = 5. For bt. of Mrs. Sterling, Mrs. Faucit, and Vining. Foundling of the Forest. Florian Vining : Unknown Female Mrs. Faucit: Geraldine Mrs. Vining, from D. L. late Miss Bew: Rosabelle Mrs. Sterling :- with Rival Soldiers. Nipperkin Mathews. = = 8. Henry 4th pt. 1st. Prince of Wales Conway, 1st time. 13. By desire of the Duke of Wellington. Farmer's Wife. 15. (Last night) Stranger. 100 nights were devoted to Operas. Mrs. Jordan did not act after this season-a person, who had married one of her daughters, involved her in a debt for £2000-the manner in which he did this preyed on her spirits, and shortened her days-she found it convenient to leave England-settled at St. Cloud near Paris in Nov. 1815-and called herself Mrs. James-On her death, an English Gentleman at Paris, who was intimate with her and with myself, wrote to me, and requested that I would send him a Latin Epitaph— with the assistance of a friend, who is a much better scholar than myself, but unacquainted with the stage, the following lines were written-they were engraved on her tombstone. M. S. Dorothea Jordan, Londini, inque aliis Vocis suavitate, Moribus, habitu, imitandis, Ad exercendam eam, Quá tam feliciter Ut res egenorum E vitâ exiit Tertio Nonas Julii 1816, Annos nata 50. Mementote. Lugete.* All mention of her fine ladies was purposely omitted-as Wilkinson says of Mrs. Cibber's-they are better forgotten. * Sacred to the memory of Dorothea Jordan, who for many years at London, and in the other cities of Britain, was the peculiar ornament of the stage-in comic humour, in sweetness of voice, in acting sprightly girls, and characters of the other sex, she was second to no one-she was always ready to exert her happy talents for the relief of distress-She died July 5th, 1816, aged 50 years-Remember her-Mourn for her. That part of the Church yard of St. Cloud where she was buried, was very low, and as it was intended some time or other to level it, a mound to the height of 6 feet was raised over her grave-she was buried under an Acacia tree, and at the proper time of the year Cypress-trees were planted round the mound-. this was executed with taste-but it was afterwards suffered to go to ruin for the want of a small sum of money. The effects which Mrs. Jordan left at St. Cloud were (for some reason or other) taken possession of by the officers of the police, and after a certain time put up to auction-even her body linen was sold amidst the coarse remarks of low Frenchwomenthe gentleman who applied to me for the epitaph, was present at the sale. Mrs. Jordan must have acquired a great deal of money by her profession-she was not a woman of much expense, but she had a large family of children, and she was a very kind mother. As an actress she never had a superiour in her proper line-Mrs. Clive no doubt played Nell as well as Mrs. Jordan, it was hardly possible for her to have played the part better-Mrs. Jordan's Country Girl, Romp, Miss Hoyden and all characters of that description were exquisite-in breeches parts no actress can be put in competition with her but Mrs. Woffington-and to Mrs. Woffington she was as superiour in point of voice, as Mrs. Woffington was su periour to her in beauty-Mrs. Jordan's voice was not only sweet, but distinct, she articulated particularly well-tho' she was not a professed singer, yet the little songs, which she frequently introduced, were much admired-she was sometimes called on to sing a song the 3d time-she was never handsome, but she was peculiarly pleasing, and as Wilkinson says, she sported the best leg ever seen on the stage --she latterly grew too fat and large for the breeches characters-this was her misfortune, not her fault but when, on Miss Farren's retirement, she threw herself into genteel comedy, she betrayed a lamentable want of judgment-she was so consummate an actress, that she could do nothing badly-nay she was even well received in such characters-but she certainly did herself no credit-when in any particular point, she wished to be spirited and comic, she was obliged, in spite of herself, to resume her natural manner, which was any thing but elegant-the worst of all was, that she persevered in playing Violante, Belinda, &c., when her personal appearance (if there had been no other objection) disqualified her for such parts-at one time in order to dress like a young woman, she was so injudicious as to expose more of her person to view, than was proper at her time of life-before she left the stage, some of her real friends wished her to take up the elderly characters-such as Mrs. Malaprop, &c.-but she was offended even at the mention of this-on her last visit to Bath, Charlton, the stage manager, asked her to play the Old Maid-" No, she had played it "as a frolic for her benefit, but did not mean to play "such parts in a common way" — on being requested to play Bridget in the Chapter of Accidents, she said, it was a vulgar part and out of her line. Her Hypolita will never be excelled-Rosalind |
