gether, which they call Cattamarans *, nearly resembling in their outlines the letter V, about 6 feet loug; on them they sit on their knees, and with the assistance of paddles proceed to sea in very tempestuous weather. An intelligent gentleman, who had seen many of them, and gave me this description, was of opinion that the great bamboes were very fit for forming these Cattamarans, or Floats. Now from the simple description which Pto-lemy has given of the formation of the ferries of the antient Sinæ, they would appear to be the same with the modera Cattamarans, on which the antient inhabitants might have ferried themselves over these lakes. But whether the floats mentioned by Ptolemy were Cattamarans or not, it sufficiently appears from the spirit of the text, that they were some simple mechanical contrivance that answered a similar purpose, and that were joined, and must have been tied to one another, before they [the inhabitants] ventured upon them. The Critick, however, (says Mr. C.) has reduced the inhabitants to the necessity of marching over the lakes upon the tops of these great and lofty bamboes [40 feet high], as they stood in their perpendicular state." Now, Mr. Urban, I will produce a very intelligent Friend of mine, who resided some years in India, to prove that Ptolemy was correct in what he wrote, but that neither of these Gentlemen understood him, not having been themselves in the country. My Friend says, that he has frequently crossed these marshes (for so they should be called rather than lakes) on the very reeds or bamboes described by Pto lemy, but not by walking on the tops of them, or in Cattamarans formed out of them. In the province of Sylhet, in the Eastern part of Bengal, towardsThibet,are marshes,swamps,or morasses, in which grow what they call Ground Canes, lying horizontally, of great length; the leaves shooting out at the joints, stand upright, and give the appearance of a green field. So close do these bamboes or canes lie, and so matted and interwoven, that * A few years ago we heard much of Cattamarans sent to Boulogne to discharge loads of stones in the Harbour, so as to block it up; few know from whence the name was derived. IT may, perhaps, divert some of your 66 Readers, if you will have the goodness to insert in your columns the following lines, dedicated (without permission) to one of my respectable" Subscribers resident at Shakspeare's native town; all of whom have long ago received a Copy of my little Book-but all have forgotten to pay for it! One, however, has (it is loudly reported) done me the honour of praising my work; and sold it to a Non-subscriber for 5s. pocketing the Author's, Printer's, and Bookseller's profits; which monopoly has extorted my (hasty) Dedication." "On Avon's Banks Subscription loiters long[her song. Commends my Muse-but pays not for Her price reduc'd-usurp'd Bookseller's trade; [grade. Unlicens'd sold-and prais'd but to deOh! would great Shakspeare aid my injur'd Muse One ray of his bright genius now infuse; A tale she'd paint Subscription' call -- its name, And crown some weathy Wits - - with deathless fame!" -- In justice, however, to my honest feelings, and sense of real kindness, I must request you, Sir, to permit me, through your pages, to present my best and warmest acknowledgments, &c. to about two-thirds of my (truly respectable) Subscribers, many of whom spared me the mortifications; and some, with all that sweet tion of asking for their subscripdelicacy, characteristic of true generosity-which giveth liberally and upbraideth no-presented me with considerably more than the nominal price of my book. To those kind patrons, in particular, and to all in general, from whom I have received payment for their respective Copies I once more repeat my respectful acknowledgments, assuring them, "My Muse with gratitude records their aid, [tions paid." And writes on Memory's page-SubscripYours, &c. ANNE CLARKE. This Theatre was built by Sir Christopher Wren, and first the 9th Nov 1671.. Betterton,/stage manager with Kynaston union of the Duke and the King's Companies in 1682, and April 1709 and the present offices of the New River Com OF THE LONDON THEATRES.-No. VII. DORSET Gardens Theatre. Since the account of this Theatre appeared in vol. LXXXIII. ii. p. 221, I have met with The Young Gallant's Academy, or, Directions how he should behave in all Places and Company, &c. By Sam. Overcome, 1674, again reprinted as by S. V. 1696. This little octavo volume was a slight alteration of Decker's Gull's Horn-book (a circumstance the Editor of the late valuable edition of that amusing work does not appear to have been acquainted with), and the characters and places re-adapted to the times. The scene of the Theatre is therefore altered from the Globe; and Chap. 5. concludes, "Some are gone to one theatre, some to the other. Let us take a pair of oars for Dorset-stairs, and so into the Theatre after them as fast as we can." With other alterations of the original, the following is given as instructions: "The play-house is free for entertainment, allowing room as well to the Farmer's son as to a Templer; yet it is not fit that he whom the most Taylor's bills make room for when he comes, should be basely, like a viol, cased up in a corner: therefore, I say, let our gallant (having paid his half crown, and given the door-keeper his ticket) presently advance himself into the middle of the pit, where bauing made his honour to the rest of the Company, but especially to the Vizardmasks, let him pull out his comb, and manage his flaxen wig with all the grace he can. Hauing so done, the next step is to give a hum to the China orange-wench, and give her her own rate for her oranges (for 'tis be low a gentleman to stand baggling like a Citizen's wife) and then to present the fairest to the next Vizard mask. And that I may incourage our Gallant not like Tradesman to save a shilling, and so sit but in the middle gallery, let him but consider what large comings-in are pursed up sitting in the pit.-First, A conspicuous eminence is gotten, by which means the best and most essential parts of a gentleman, as his fine cloaths and perruke are perfectly revealed. Second, By sitting in the pit, if you be a knight, you may happily get you a mistress; which, if you would, I advise you never to be absent when Epsome Wells is plaid: for, GENT. MAG. July, 1814. We see the Wells have stoln the Vizardmasks away.' There may also be added the following further particulars of the final de struction of this Theatre. In the Spring of 1703, a general repair of the building for the purpose of re-opening having commenced, the Grand Jury of London, at the July Sessions held at the Old Bailey, by their presentment stated there was something yet wanting towards carrying on the new reformation of manners; and therefore they humbly proconsideration of the Court, which may posed the following matter for the be given in their own words: viz. "The having some effectual course taken (if possible) to prevent the youth of this city from resorting to the play-houses, which we rather mention because the play-house bills are again posted up throughout the city, in contempt of a former presentment and a positive order of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen to the contrary*; as also because we are informed that a play-house within the liberties of this city, which has been of late disused and neglected, is at this time refitting in order to be used as formerly. We do not presume to prescribe to this honourable Court, but we cannot question, but that, if they shall think fit, humbly to address her Majesty in this case, she will be graciously pleased to prevent it." This measure was echoed by the fastidious canting author of the Observator, as a "very good presentment against the play-houses, particularly against one of them now fitting up in Dorset Gardens” t. Citizens, or, perhaps, some order from The expected opposition of the the Master of the Revels, occasioned to be abandoned; and I have not yet the plan for re-opening this Theatre discovered that any diversion was *In June 1700, there was an order made by the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, forbidding to affix in any part of the city or the liberties thereof the Play-house bills, according to the pre sessions at the Old Bailey. Postman, June 25, 1700. and the consistent reply to same in He+ See Observator, July 14-17, 1703, raclitus Hidens, No. 1. August 1, 1703. afterwards afterwards exhibited. In 1709 it was razed to the ground; as appears by the following extract from a periodical paper, called The Gazette à-lamode: or Tom Brown's Ghost, No. 3. Thursday, May 26, 1709. "I wonder (says the Writer) that a man whose wits run so much a wool gathering as my Coz. Bickerstaff's should not all this time have pick'd up some Epigram, Elegy, or other doleful ditty, on such a lamentable occasion as the pulling down the Theatre in DorsetGarden; upon which melancholy subject, an old acquaintance of my friend Isaac's, a water-poet, has been so kind as to oblige me with the following lines, composed and dated on board the Folly, now lying opposite to the ruined Playhouse. "Ye Muses weep, weep all ye Nine, The Poets vainly call Divine: See there that scene of Melancholy While yet here floats the sinking Folly; From whence that falling pile we view, Once sacred to the Gods and you, Which buskin'd Heroes use to tread, And represent the glorious dead. Now, now, alas, 'tis servile made, And is from pleasure turn'd to trade. The manag'd stage, and well-wrought scene Adorn'd with exquisite machine, No longer please our wand'ring eyes, Whether perform'd in Greece or Rome, Here full of grief as he 's of years; As it in Babylon cou'd fly, * Now made a Wood yard. Shall burlesque Theatres arise, The site was used as a timber-yard for several years. It is described as such in some lines "On a Lady's favourite Cat," inserted in "Count Piper's Packet, being a choice and curious Collection of Manuscript papers in prose and verse. 1732." "Near that fam'd place, where in old times there stood A Theatre; but now huge piles of wood: Where silver Thames runs gliding by the stairs, [fares; And Watermen stand bawling to their Where noble Dorset claims a royalty, And Bride's fair steeple towers to the sky; Where mug-house members kept their clubs of late, And rioters met their untimely fate: Close in a nook a little house you'll find," &c, A South view of the Dorset Gardens Theatre is given in the present Num ber (See Plate).-Some alteration was made in the exterior of the building, after the view was taken that is given in Settle's Empress of Morocco, uns less that represents, as probable, the North front. At the time of the repairing above noticed, the arms and ornaments might be altered, as the view from which the present engrav, ing is copied is supposed to have been made after the repairs were com pleted. Other views, in the same direction, may be found in the large sheet maps of a Prospect of London and Westminster, taken at several stations to the Southward thereof, by William Morgan; and also in Henry Overton's New Prospect of London of the South side, &c. dedicated to Gideon Harvey by the publisher Jas. Walker. It stood near the mouth of Fleet ditch, which had on the opposite side a handsome structure, with a balcony, belonging to a noted empiric, Dr. Salmon; a part of which is shewn in the annexed View. In Buck's Views (1749) the site is represented as a Timber-yard. China-hall, Rotherhithe. This suburbian Theatre is supposed to have |