The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-06-13 00:00:00

PUILICOFFICT, BOWSTREET.

MRS SIDDONS.
For these two months past this fascinating Aarecs
has been persecuted by the addresses of a love., whose
passion appears to be as bOundless and imprudent as
the Lady's virtue has proved itself unassailable.
It first commenced with some soft and tender &jets
deux. Love, timid and bashful, made his appr,•acb.rs
under the feigued name of Romro, haJ io, 7«.creer,
and Vela/lei. These the favourite daughter of the
Tragic,Aluse tested with virgin coyness. lan.;
used to the admiration of the public, they passed
away without making any impression, like the fl it-
tering nonsense of sonic one who sought to make a
jest of the most serious of passions. At 'enrol;
however, these kiletr Jour accumulated to such a
magnitude as to burst the two-penny post letter ben,
and threaten to overwhelm the letter carrier. These
were followed up by a dashing, elegant youth of
about 2,2, who, by his repeated inquiries at her
house in Great Marlborough-street, and his eager
and impassioned manner, was sisspeeted to be the
writer of these l,ve-sick epistles. 01 course the
servants were ordered by their mistress to refuse him
admittance, and the lover's person WAS treated with
the same cold negledt as his letters. Finding this
sort of siege ineffeausl, the enamoured youth was
compelled to change his mode o.' attack. Instead,
therefore, of the common artillery of oaths, promises,
anal declarations of the most impassioned love and
admiratisn, he informed her, by letter, that he
had a secret of the utmost importance to comninni-
cate to her, and requested, in the most earnest
terms, that she would grant him an interview, after
which he promised he should for ever cease to trou-
ble her more. Mrs. Siddons now, for the first time,
broke silence, and answered, that if be had any
thing to communicate,' her brothers, Messrs. John
and Charles Kembk, or her son, Mr. H. Siddons,
would give him a meeting for the purpose. His
subsequent conduft sheered that his business could
not be settled by any of these gentlemen. He be-
came more troublesome than ever, as well in his
'pistols' y attacks, as his personal applications at the
lady's house. The servants, grown tired of his
persecution, would not answer the door when lie
knocked. But his address overcame all their
vigilance; as he frequently lay in wait, watch-
ing until the door was opened fur others, and
then slipped into the hall, where he remained im-
ploring in vain a sight of the mistress, until the
servants, with great difficulty, turned him out by
force into the street. Thus persecuted, and appre.
heading some dangerous consequence Item the
violence of his expressions, and the ungovernable
fury of his passion, Mrs. Siddons sent for I.er bro-
ther, John Nernble, to whom she communicated her
fears, and asked his advice, as to the manner in
which she should sa.

The following extract may afford a specimen of
his opistclAry talents :

Lovatitsr or women,
" In Bduid.r.s, halrelle, Joliet, and Callen, I have
admired you until my fancy threatenel to burst, and
the strings of my imagination were reidy to crack
to pieces; but, as Mrs. Siddons, I love you to 113‘.1
ness, and until my heart and soil are over whelmcd
with fondness and desire—say not that time has
placed any difference in years between you and me.
The youths of her day saw no wrinkles upon the
brow of Ninon D'Enclos. It is for vulgar forms
and vulgar souls alone to grow old ; but you shall
flourish in eternal youth, amidst the war of elements
and the crush of worlds.
`• May 2, Barley Mow, Salisbury-square."

Mr. Kemble accordingly applied to Mr. Gra-
ham, the Magistrate; and, after weighing well the
business, it was determined, in conformity with the
advice of Mr. Graham, to flatter the folly of die
young man, in order to afford an opportunity to take
him into custody. Accordingly when the enamoured
youth called on Monday evening with his usual
errand at Marlborough-street, the countenance of
the servant, which used to frown defiance, relaxed
into a most gracious smile, and he informed him
that his mistress would give him a meeting yester-
day morning, at ten o'clock. Hot with the Tuscan
grape, and high in blood, the haughty, gallant,
gay Lothar* did not fly with more ardour to the
chamber of the fond, believing, love-sick Cefiste,
than this enamoured youth flew to Great Marl-
borough-street, at the appoir.ted hour. He was in-
stantly :hewed into a room; but instead of beholding
the °Well of his adoration, he encountered the rude
embrace of Adkins, the Bow-street Officer, who was
there in waiting with Mr. Kemble. We read of a
mode formerly in use of executing men who had been
guilty of violation of the fair sex, by a machine
dressed up in the form of a beautiful woman, which
squeezed the criminal to death in its arms. The
amorous intruder probably experienced a similar
sensation when he found himself in the iron grasp
of the How-street Officer. He was immediately car-
ried to How-street, accompanied by Mr. Kemble, and
underwent a long examination before Mr. BOND and
Sir W. PARSUNS. I'he Magistrates urged, in very
strong terms, the folly and the impropriety of his
coodua, in making love to a married woman of
Mrs. Sidion's highly repeSable charadter and time
of life; and their arguments were enforced by a
very impressive lelure from Mr. Kemble. This
process seemed to cool his love considerably ; and
he was dismissed, atter having given a solemn pro-
mise that he would not be troublesome any more to
Mrs SidJoils. He is a fine looking young man, a
native of Ireland, a student of Lincoln's-inn, and
lives in Salisbury-square.

A very dangerous combination has lately taken
place between the Journeymen Boot and Shoe-
makers, by which the Masters and the trade in ge-
neral, are put to the greatest inconvenience ; many
industrious men being prevented frnm supporting
their families; the rules adopted by the;;Committees
of Journeymen, not suffering the men to work, but
on certain conditions, and for certain Masters. Yes-
terday the matter came before Mr. Bust; and Sir
Wn. PA ftsoris. at this Office, when Mr. Cosgr and
Mr. Guat.r.v attended as Counsel for t!ie different
parties, and warrants were issued against a number
of the men.

On Friday last, died, at his house in Lewes, Sir
Flutist/taxon Poist.a, Bart. He is succeeded in
his tide and Lundy est Ate, by the Rev. Haute
Nowt, of the Hooke, near Lewes.