His person,
and his dress also, were too handsome for the character.
The character of Amelia was performed by an actress, who made her
first appearance on the stage, and from a timidity natural on such
an occasion, and not unbecoming, spoke rather low, so that she could
not everywhere be heard; "Speak louder! speak louder!" cried out
some rude fellow from the upper-gallery, and she immediately, with
infinite condescension, did all she could, and not unsuccessfully,
to please even an upper gallery critic.
The persons near me, in the pit, were often extravagantly lavish of
their applause. They sometimes clapped a single solitary sentiment,
that was almost as unmeaning as it was short, if it happened to be
pronounced only with some little emphasis, or to contain some little
point, some popular doctrine, a singularly pathetic stroke, or turn
of wit.
"The Agreeable Surprise" was repeated, and I saw it a second time
with unabated pleasure. It is become a favourite piece, and always
announced with the addition of the favourite musical farce. The
theatre appeared to me somewhat larger than the one at Hamburg, and
the house was both times very full. Thus much for English plays,
play-houses, and players.
English Customs and Education.
A few words more respecting pedantry. I have seen the regulation of
one seminary of learning, here called an academy. Of these places
of education, there is a prodigious number in London, though,
notwithstanding their pompous names, they are in reality nothing
more than small schools set up by private persons, for children and
young people.
One of the Englishmen who were my travelling companions, made me
acquainted with a Dr. G - who lives near P - , and keeps an academy
for the education of twelve young people, which number is here, as
well as at our Mr. Kumpe's, never exceeded, and the same plan has
been adopted and followed by many others, both here and elsewhere.
At the entrance I perceived over the door of the house a large
board, and written on it, Dr. G - 's Academy. Dr. G - received me
with great courtesy as a foreigner, and shewed me his school-room,
which was furnished just in the same manner as the classes in our
public schools are, with benches and a professor's chair or pulpit.
The usher at Dr. G - 's is a young clergyman, who, seated also in a
chair or desk, instructs the boys in the Greek and Latin grammars.
Such an under-teacher is called an usher, and by what I can learn,
is commonly a tormented being, exactly answering the exquisite
description given of him in the "Vicar of Wakefield." We went in
during the hours of attendance, and he was just hearing the boys
decline their Latin, which he did in the old jog-trot way; and I own
it had an odd sound to my ears, when instead of pronouncing, for
example viri veeree I heard them say viri, of the man, exactly
according to the English pronunciation, and viro, to the man.
