The Sun.
London, England, 1817-02-24 00:00:00

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We-Subjoin the aecountis vrt ieh have appeared
relative to .the declilarions oI .Vlsr BioTa, between
Covent Garden aad IjrurifLany. Not attachilig
so milith importance'his. flintier as the Parties
cOnceitied, we might leave fare play-going Ivorld to
its own oi,loiods do the subject, were it not that
Such contests alwaYs ten'l to interrupt die quiet
whirl) ought to prevail in placeS Of amusement.,
and annoy those 3vho'seek entertainment regard-
lessi of the squabbles of rival CoMPanits, and- the
unisy ellawars Of their•partitanS., It is certainly
to he regretted ..on the young Actor's account,
that he did riot deal more
`ingenuously in the hit-
%Hess-, then the'diarTlid-cut-dianiOnd effort;
of !lie Osai4gYrs'of hot hTheatres Would at least
blot free From ongitr'e; As for these
lime 1: ft
Nianagers,rwtthdtte itnpartiality, we may say,
that neither of then' have Made out a good case—
the pretenee Ht.-Drury-Lade, That they did not
know Mr. lioo+ll wai at the other Hoiise
last season, is. incredible ; and the eXertion
of
Coreut•Gartien to redeem from their rikotients,
at a large price:the persdn whom it Suffered to
go at a -stria!l offer, i 3 neither very comniendable
tiOr In short, it can only be justified
on the score of resentment.
'Willi regard' 16 Mr. Bowen himself; it Might
certainly be gathered front our criticism on his
/ago, that we. thought him a little jesuitically
treated after all the niagnanimrini puffs a the
generoilty of the Theatre, and the liberality of
KaAN. We do not mean to question the as-
surances they have given us that these virtues
exist in an emioent degree ; but we confess, that in
the fii t example they chose toaffird us of them
(and first impressions are very last in;!) we could
not help thinking that it was calculated to throw
the protege into the shade, and exalt the Patron:
Mr. Iloo•rn seems to have felt this, anti as he
states the sante line of parts Was all the prospect
he had, it must be confessed' that he stoma no
Chance of rising to reputation under Mr. KEAN,
at Drury Lane. Therefore, if he could decently
break off with.that Theatre, it was evidently his
interest to do so.
%Ire have only to express a hope tilat this fracas
will not be permitted to disturb the representa-
tions at either House : •
Mr. lioom who was announced to play logo
to,Mr. KEates Othello, at Drury-Lane Theatre,
on Saturday night, did not make his appearance.
Shortly heroic the curtain rose, Mr. BAIL appear-
ed, and read the following

S;ittireay, Feb. 22, 1817,

Mr. Morn presents his compliments to Mr: Bac, and is
Sorry to iktform him that lie finds himself sco extreinely ii
from tike agitatiop he I►as suffered during this last week, that
it is tut:My out ►►f his pciwer to perform this evening, and that
he is-lobialittle way out of town to endeavour to testore his
health.

Mr. RAP. added, that he did not receive the'
note till between three and four o'clock tipit af-
ternoon, add he lost no time in proceeding to-
wards Mr. liooTtei hoitse, to endeavour to leant
mote particulars, 'On his way he met a friend,
who told him illy he had lett Mr. Bool'H well
at one o'clock. (hi arriving I,xt the house, Mrs.
Boom informed him that her I:ushand had corn.
plained of being (16%4:11, and had gone nut—if he
was. gone out of town it w.ts mate than she knew.
Lind. r 'these t ireuttystances Mr. F. lAN had-kindly►
agreed to pertorm logo, tend hv, Mr. RAE, would
peiforto Othello. This arrangement, with some
slight opposition, was carried into. excent ion. The
Duke awl Duchess of Gt.oucy.sTEß. Lord GROS.
VE_NOR, acrd several other persons of rank, were
preseut.
In the eonrse of the evening Mr. Boorn sent to
the Committee the following letter, explanatory
of his reasons tor returning to Covcnt• Garden
•
Theatre :4--

GENTLE)InN,—In an unguarded moment I quitted CO-
vent- Garden :Theatre (where the most cligiole situ:atm) fur
the eaertion of my professional talents wit's open to me) to go
over to Drury-lace Theatre, where I hare st MCC found, and
felt to my cost, that every character which I was either de-
sirous or capable of playii4 was already in pussess.un, and
that th,ero las no chance of,my apmring in the same; what
occasion, therefore, could you have for me, unless to crush
any talent I may possess in its ipfaney.. I l'Oro now seen
through toy error, and have therefore renewed thti ttegocia-
tion which was so unfortunately interrqpted with the Pro-
prietors of Covent-garden Theatre, and hate just signed a
regular article with then for three years ; consequently 1
have nu longet the power of appearing again at Drury. lane'
Theatre, and ytiu will have the goodness to take My name en-
tirely out of your hills.
I have heard', Gentlemen, that your treasury has benefited'
considerably front my appearance on Thmsday last. I ask no
pecuniary recompense fur it I only request that you will not
seek to persecute or molest a young. luau, just entering into
life, and who cannot afford either to be shelved (accordiaoo
the theatrical plirase)' at Drtity-lane Theatre, or to .he put
into such charm:4ls as mustintallihly mar ail his future pro-
spects. I (este the honour tune, (;entlemen,
Your very ohedieut humble seri-unt,
.1. BOOTH.

Itnpwer to the above the following statement
was last night Isstted from the Theatre. Royal,
Drury •latte
In esauettuence of the disappointment which the public ex-
perienced 011 Saturday night at I)rury-latie Theatre, by the
Ilan-appearance of Mr. emery ii) the character ot la.zo, and
hand-bills having' beta iittoed yestt rday sSttuday) it) all parts
of the to‘% staling that Mr. BouTtl had matted into ao en-_
saumuca,ith the proprittfirs of Covent-gat den Theatre for
three yeats, the Si wager of Di ury lane Theatre thinks it due
fro, ton, to-the ntlitie to state, that on Monday last, the 17th
inst. Mr:44)4441 signetint written engagertient to Drury-lane
Thealreforl yeallont tents 1,101)0%1:J4 ltho!t.telf ; haring pr,,,
viouslystattl that he had no engagement with the Covent.:
garden Proprietors—that all Treaty wit It that nye wits at
an rout---anti +hat be bad requested his name to he taken tort
of their hills, which..had accordingly been /lone, -us appeared
hs. the hilts of that day. In pursekusee of 'which engitga nirut,
he priforined the part of fa:4o on Thursday night, and was
tuttionticcd to repeat the character no ',tattled ty the Red, Mon-
day the with, and Tnestlai the e4flt instants that about half.
past three o'clock 1)11111e afternoon of Saturday the fallowing
nolo was received fettin Mr. llna•rn
Vlore follows the letter first twined.)
After reccising this note the Mill111,;er Wat not prepared for
'Anottwr imiimanication, which was liy Mr. Booth late
on the saute &lights hi a letter to SoliCominittee of
Sla-
nagement, stating the fact of his baring entered into a new
etigageitiWntrwith the proprietors of Covelit-g trden 'clieio re;
ih pursuance of which the _announcement Made of 511.
Booth's oppearaace at that Theatre f‘tc to-morrow eeeniak,
,'rho Mastager does nut presume to irake arty ettoinirtlt
upon o's 11 ost eXtraorilmary yiroceeding, but leaves it to the
public to draw their oWII coitctuswu, .its to the condoet of
Mr; Bonin, as well as that of the Proprietors of Gorebt-
,artieu, to whom his engagetuent at this Theatre hat been
uotised, sad Aim call kill: tie 'legal claim to his stArices.