Star.
London, England, 1830-12-06 00:00:00

MY FIRST TRAGEDY.

There exists a mysterious sympathy between body and mind. So
delicate and subtle is this sympathy as to render abortive all attempts to
discover its cause ; but its existence is proved by the evidence of un-
impeachable facts. Inquire of the mere schoolboy, and be will tell
you that when the mind is refractory, and rejects the lesson addressed
directly to itself, it will readily receive it on applying (with • certain
degree of velocity and force) a few slender twigs to that part of tb
human frame which philosophers do not consider to be the mind's own
peculiar seat. This is a fact notorious to all the world. I will instance
one other, which, although less generally known, is more strictly appli-
cable to my present purpose; inasmuch as it corroborates the theory
1 have always held as explanatory of my early and still-enduring desire
to distinguish myself as a Tragic Dramatist—else were this in roduc.
tion altogether useless. When he was a mere child, a friend of mine
was frequently taken by his father, into the pit of Drury lane Theatre,
to see Garrick. Although bonnets as large as the hood of a cabriolet
were not, at that time, in fashion; or, if they were, ladies (as they are
at present) were too well-bred, and too considerate of the comfort and
convenience of those who might be placed behind them, to wear those
pa ra-sentar during the time of performance; it was, nevertheless, im-
possible for a little boy to see over the head of a much taller person
before him. In order, therefore, to place his son on an equality with
the " children of a larger growth," the old gentleman always took with
him a thick quarto volume, which served there, as it did at the dinner
table, to give little master his fair and just degree of elevation. Now,
from these frequent visits to the theatre, it might be inferred that the
bias of my friend was to the stage: no such thing ; it was strong
towards the church ; and be is, at this very time, on the high road to a
bishopric*, for the book on which he used to sit—was a volume of ser-
mons. To this same principle of juxtaposition, then, do I;:nainly at.
tribute that fondness for tragic composition which manifested itself so
early as the fifth year of my age, and which,with undiminished ardour,
I still cherish t.—the medium to which I was indebted for a somewhat
mote elevated station than, as a child, I could naturally command,
beteg a folio Shakespeare.
It is not to be supposed that, at so tender an age, I ventured upon
giving to my compositions the complete dramatic form. I did, indeed,
occasionally essay a dialogue between two persons—assassins, midnight
robbers, churchyard goblins, banditti of the Black Forest, and such
like ; but the far greater numbs of my productions, at that time, were
monodies, elegies, and epitaphs, with sometimes a song, in a serious
strain, commemorative of some recent accident or calamity. Of my
poetical precocity I will afford the reader an opportunity of judging, by
presenting him with a few stanzas, which were inspired by a paragraph
in the " lifortairsg Herald" of the 7th of August, 1812;6 I being at
that time but seven years of age ! I select this particular poem, first,
because it is no unfair specimen of the melancholy, or elegise, turn of
my mind; secondly because many inaccurate copies of it have been
handed about; thirdly, because the authorship has been claimed by
many other popular poets ; lastly, and chiefly, because to it I am in.
debted for my first introduction to an eminent man whose power.
ful recommendation secured the acceptance and performance of my First
Tragedy.
SONG.
An I SIDI YOUR NOM t
Mark me, Scans I when hones dressing,
Ah I hide your nose!
If you count your nose a blessing,
Ah I hide your nose !
Take, oh ! take a timely warning,
From the fate of poor Jack Morning,
He who lost his nose one morning,
Ah ! bide your nose I
Rubbing down a frisky filly—
Ah ! hide your nose I
In his mouth Jack reed—how silly
Ah ! hide your nose !
" Sounds I " thinks Fill, " soon dispose of
Jack's tit-bit—l'll bite his nose off! "
Quick as thought, -he snipp'd it close off!
Ah hide your nose
When you look a horse i'tb' face, Sir,
Ab! bide your nose !
Coach-hone, dray-horse, hack, or mar—.
Ah ! bide your nose !
For since horses care for no man,
Where's the nose that may not go, man—
Grecian, bottle, snub, or Roman
Ah ! hide your nose I
Hence a moral I let me teach it :--,
Ah ! hide your nose !
No divine need blush to preach its
Ah ! hide your nose !
He that pokes his busy snout
In things he's DM concern'd about,
Like Jack, too late may wish it out
Ah hide your nose I

Numerous and various were my compositions at about this period;
and let my vanity be pardoned,if I boast that they were all sanctioned by
the unqualified approbation of two critics, both equally competent and
impartial—my mother and my nurse. With what pride and delight
would the latter exclaim, on my producing a new poem, " Well, I de-
clare, if Master Peregrine hasn't hatched another bit of poetry !" There
was something in the phrase which, though not agreeable to my sensi-
tive organs, might have been taken as illustrative of my theory ; but it
was, in fact, nothing more than a sort of professional jargon of the
old woman, who had the charge of the poultry as well of me. But I
will pass on from this time to that memorable epoch in my life (A.D.
1825, I then being about to enter my twentieth year), when, having
completed " Sanguine), or the Blood.stained- Murderer," a tragedy, in
five acts, I soot It up to Drury-lane Theatre. [lt is proper I should
state that I was then residing, as I still am, and ever have been, in my
native town, Weepingford.] Together with my play, I forwarded a
note to the manager, requesting " his most immediate attention and
very earliest reply.' In less than six weeks I received a packet per
coach, With palpitating heart, I broke the seal, the Impress on which
was a flourishing T. R. D. L. "My tragedy is accepted," thought I ;