Star.
London, England, 1827-09-14 00:00:00

LETTER FROM HASTINGS, Sm. 12.

" I don't know whether you ever had the pleasure of
visiting the Hastings theatre, Mr. Editor, but such a
theatre is not to be met with every night, and I'll tell
trots how I found it out. I met with an old friend the
other morning, in Powell's library ; and, after we had
discussed the state of the weather and the Ministry.
quoth he, " Have ypn been to the theatre ?' " No,
said I; " is there anything there mirth seeing ?" " Why
Jones is perforating there!" said he. " What Jones?"
asked I. " Why. the great Jones of Covent-garden,"
said hr. " Well, but I thought he had taken his leave
of the stage altogether!" said I. "So did I," said he,
1" but I met him this morning on the parade, and he
Mils me that was a mistake of the newspapers—for that
'be had only taken his leave of Covent-garden."—
" Good," said I ; " then I'll go and see him to-night;"so
4 did, and I went, and having poked my way through
divers dark streets-..for Hastings can't afford to light
its streets till after Michaelmas•--I found the theatre;
and with a little more poking about—tor the managers
of the Hastings' theatre don't illuminate externally—l
found an open door, and just within this open door I
found A very dignified-looking personage, wrapped up
in a scarlet and blue military cloak, and seated inside
of a sort of pigeonhole.—in fact, at the receipt of cos-
tom. '44 Is this the box entrance?" said h " No, Sir,"
said be." this is the gallery ; the box entrance is round
*the corner." Round the corner I went, and who should
I see sitting there but the very same dignified person
in the scarlet and blue military cloak—still within a
pigeon.hole. " Is this the box entrance r said I. " No,
Sir," said he, " this is the pit; the box entrance is round
the other corner." Well, I went round the other corner ;
and there. to my utter astonishment, was the self-same
dignified personage in the scarlet and blue military
cloak, and still seated in his pigeon-hole as before I I
irks puzzled. Like Sir Boyle Roche, I could not un-
tierstand bow a man could be in three places at once—
barring he wasn't a bird or a fish. But, after all, the
thing was very simple; he sat on a sort of music-stool,
in the middleof a three•sided box, with a pigeon-hole
on each side, and so turned himself about, to box, gal-
lery, or pit, as he happened to be wanted. A very in-
genious and economic contrivance, I think ; and well
worthy of imitation in all theatres--more especially in
the provincial ones.
" Within the house, I found everything upon the
same ingenious and economic. principle. The orange
peel, sandwich-wrapFers, imperial pop corks, and other
litter of the preceding nights, instead of having been
swept out, were swept into the corners of the boxes, rim;
only one lamp in three was lighted—but with very
powerfully scented whale oil ; the scenery was painted
in a fine, free, slapdash style—unincumbered by any
of the old stupid rules of light, shade, and perspective;
the orchestra was filled by two fiddles, a bass viol, and
a flute with one key; and on the stage, sum enough,
there was Mr. Jones playing Goldfinch- in the Road to
Ruin to " a numerous, fashionable, and delighted
audience"—vin. seven elderly visitors and their appen-
dages; thirty or forty resident tradesmen and their
wives and" darters ;" ten or twelve master fishermen
—and their apprentices; a portly butcher, with his steel
by his side; thirteen footmen, and Mr. Farley, of
Covent Garden Theatre,—which latter Gentleman
leaned to be quite lost in admiration o what he saw,
smelt, and heard. Mr. Jones absolutely went beyond
himself—or at all events, he went far beyond the restsif
the dram. per:. except in "splitting the ears of the
groundlings." His delights were dolphin-like—and
show'd his back above the element he lived in. How
he got into that element is best known to himself—
perhaps it was "a truant disposition;" for certainly
he could have no great expectation of profit in such an
extremely small and economically managed concern.
The house, when filled, will scarcely contain enough to
pay a night's salary to a couple of London stars, and
here has Mr. Jones been starring it these five or six
nights to a very " beggarly account of empty boxes;"
a score or two of shillings in the pit, and one row and
a half in the gallery. lam told his bargain was one
third of the receipts and a clear benefit. Blessed is he
who expecteth nothing—for he shall never be disap-
pointed. The benefit was on Monday night last—the
play the Sob& jar Scandal—CliarksSurface. Mr. Jones;
Sir Peter'Jenne by Mr. Dawkins (brother of Mr. Daw-
kins, late M.P. tor Hastings), announced in the bills as
" a highly distinguished amateur." Here was a star
and a cornet in conjunction!--and yet, such is the
stupidity of the Hastings visitors, that not more than
one half of the seats were remain, Mr. Editor,

your most obedient. " P. P."
" P.S. Dowton, of Old Drury, is announced for ae
neat star; but, like his sprightly predeceasor, he will
find that there-aie very few star gazers along shore."

The Sale of the Theological end Classical Library of
the tate RPV. Dr. Gasaow, SOO of Baron Gaasow, took place
on Friday last, at the Rectory House, East Barnet.
The Club-room, at the Boer', Head, in East Cheap,
where the FELTON portrait of SHAIMILARIL is supposed
to have been hung, after the -house was rebuilt, was
likewise decorated with some rude paintings of tie
Gadshill robbery, and resemblances of contemporary
poets and players.