Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-02-26
Samuel Foote's Offer Of a Dish al
Chocolate.

Macklin was n teacher OF his art, and,
with slight sprinkling of regulars, his
company was made up Of amateurs and
pupils. Among the latter was young
fellow about town, well known I'll tho
Bedford Coffee House for his wit. named
Samuel Foote. who here made his first
appearance upon any stage "a Othello
10 his tutors lago. The future famous
comedian was short and stout. with q
round, full, fiat face, and his appear
ance in tragedy must have been rs fun
ny as modern matinee debut. New
ertheless, he obtained an engagement
ut Drury Lane for comedy parts. Here
he made such success us mimic in
the character of Bayes, in 1.-THE Re-
hearsal," that, finding himself over
Swallowed by the genius OF Garrick, he
determined to turn manager on his own
account. Failing to procure license,
he took leaf out of Mr.. Cibber's book,
and on April %, 1747, announced that
concert of music would on that day
be performed at the theatre in the Hay
market, after which would be given
gratis n new entertainment called
1.-The Diversions of the Morning." and
farce taken from 1.-The Old Bachelor"
called the "Credulous Husband
Fondlewifc, Mr.. Foote-and an epilogue
by the Bid (Bedford) Coffee House.
The diversion and the cpilogue consist
ell in mimicry of the bcst-known men
of the day-actors, doctors, lawyers,
statesmen. Had he contented himself
with this he might not have been inter-
fered with; but the managers of the
patent houses could not tolerate such
an infringement of their rights rs
performance of one of the most popular
comedies of the time. They appealed
to the Westminster magistrates, and on
the second night the constablcs entered
the theatre and dispersed the audience.
But toote was not so easily to be put
down. The very next morning he pub
lshed the following announcement in
the General Advertiser: "On Saturday
afternoon, exactly at II o'clock, at tho
new theatre in the Haymarket. Mr..
Foote begs the favor of his friends to
come and drink dish of chocolate
with him, and It's hoped there will be
a great deal of company and some joy
Gus spirits. He will endeavor to make
the morning as diverting as possible.
Tickets to be had for this entertain
ment Mt Georges Coffee House, Temple
Bar, without which no one will be adj
mitted. n. B.-Sir Dilbury Diddle will
be there, and Lady Betty Frisk has alb
solutely promised No one knew
what this advertisement meant, and a
crowded house was the inevitable con-
sequence. When the curtain rose,
Foote came forward and informed the
audience that las he was training some
young performers for the stage, he
would, with their permission, while the
chocolate was getting ready, proceed
with his instructions before them"
Then some young people, engaged for
the purpose, were brought upon the
stage, and under the pretense of in
structing them in the art of acting he
introduced his limitations. The author
tiles did not again interfere with him,
so he altered the time Of his entertain
ment from morning to evening, and the
title to Tea" and TO drink a dish of
tea with Mr.. Foote, as going to his
theatre came to be styled, was the rage
of the season. Next year he called his
performance IAN Auction of Pictures. 4"
Here is one of his advertisements: "At
the forty-ninth days sale at his auction
room in the Haymarket, Mr.. Foote will
exhibit a choice collection of pictures
some entirely new lots, consisting OF
poet, beau, Frenchman, miscr, a
Taylor, sot, two young gentlemen,
and ghost, two of which are originals,
the rest copies from the best masters
In this he MINI cked the pecuiarities of
Justice Deyeil, Cock, the auctioneer,
and Orator Henley.-BeigrdUia.