UC-NRLF 
 
BEHKELEY^ 
 
 LIBRARY I 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF I 
 CALIFORNIA J 
 
'^"i^ 
 
yPUBLIC AND PRIVATE 
 
 LIFE 
 
 OF THAT CELEBRATED ACTRESS, 
 
 MISS BLAND, OTHERWISE MRS. FORD, OR, 
 
 MRS. JORDAN; 
 
 fate iltstrcss of i.g.f. % g. of Clarence; 
 
 NOW 
 
 KING WILLIAM IV., 
 
 FOUNDER OF TH,E FITZCLARENCE FAMILY: 
 
 DELINEATING 
 
 The Vicissitudes attendant on her Early Life; 
 
 The Splendour of her Noon-tide Blaze, as Mistress of the Royal Duke; 
 
 and her untimely Dissolution at St. Cloud, near Paris, — 
 
 resulting from a Broken Heart. 
 
 ACCOMPANIED BY NUMEROUS REMARKS AND ANECDOTES OF 
 ILLUSTRIOUS AND FASHIONABLE CHARACTERS. 
 
 BY A CONFIDENTIAL FRIEND OF THE DEPARTED. 
 
 PUBLISHED BY J. DUNCOMBE, 19, LITTLE QUEEN STREET, 
 HOLBORN. 
 

 J 6 
 
 THE 
 
 LIFE OF MRS. JORDSN. 
 
 There is no walk of literature so essentially calculated to 
 instil salutary instruction, as that which results from the study 
 of biograpliical sketches of public characters. The great mass of 
 society propelled by one undeviating course, affords no materials 
 of a prominent nature worthy the attention of a reflecting writer. 
 It is the being schooled in active scenes of life, which displays 
 materials calculated to awaken the energies of the mind : it is 
 then we contemplate the changes and vicissitudes to which the 
 march of human nature is subjected, and thence we are led to 
 reason on causes and eSects ; in the progress of which research, 
 we frequently discover that circumstances of the greatest moment 
 owe their birth to events apparently inconsequential. 
 
 In sketching the present biography, it is our task to arouse 
 feelings diametrically opposed to each other : we shall touch, as 
 it were, the several chords of the human heart, and awaken 
 every thrill — its vibrations alternately sounding to pleasure and 
 to pain, 
 
 Miss Phillips, the mother of the heroine of our pages, was one 
 of three sisters, and the ofispring of a Welsh dignitary of the 
 church, possessed of a good living ; independent of which, his 
 circumstances were affluent, and his character as a divine, in 
 every respect moral and unimpeachable. 
 
 At an early period of life, Miss Grace Phillips eloped with 
 one Captain Bland, a gentleman whose parents bore a high rank 
 in society, from fortune as well as family connections ; while 
 in his own person he displayed great accomplishments. She 
 was united to the Captain in Ireland by the rites of the Catholic 
 church, of which country he was a native — being both at the 
 time under the age of twenty : after which, they lived together 
 for several years, and during the period in question, she bore 
 her husband nine children, of whom, Mrs. Jordan was born at 
 Waterford in 1762 or 1764. 
 
 698 
 
4 Life of Mus. Jordan. 
 
 At tlie time wliou the clo^^enieiit took place, Captain Illancl 
 was on duty with his regiment in Wales, and having incensed his 
 parents with the step thus clandestinely taken, they refused him 
 pecuniary supplies, when the youthful couple, in order to pro- 
 cure a subsistence, had recourse to the stage. In consequence of 
 this step, ]\Irs. Jordan may be said to have inhaled the earliest 
 breath of life among a Thespian corps, of which profession she 
 was ultimately doomed to figure as the Comic Queen. The family 
 of the Captain inheriting all the pride of Irish Ijirth, on finding 
 that he had embraced the theatrical calling, became more exas- 
 perated ; and the breach was in consetjuence .so widened, that for 
 a length of time all correspondence ceased between himself and 
 his relatives. — Doctor Bland, however, the Captain's father, still 
 anxious to see his son in prosperity', at length had recourse to 
 legal advice ; when having never consented to the union, and 
 taking advantage of the ceremony being performed during his 
 minoi'ity, he commenced legal measures in order to invalidate the 
 marriage, in which he ultimately succeeded, when the unfox*- 
 tunate wife was left with a numerous progeny to struggle against 
 every difficulty. At the period to which we allude. Captain 
 Bland had attained the rank of Colonel ; when finding himself 
 freed from the mati-imonial bond — unmindful of the duties of 
 a father, and the line of conduct honour sliould have prescribed 
 — he wholly abandoned his former partner, and in a short time 
 led to the hymeneal altar another lady, possessed of an ample 
 revenue ; allowing his former wife a very mediocre stipend for 
 the maintenance of herself and the numerous progeny she had 
 borne him. Fortune, however, cannot control happiness, and the 
 wealth obtained by Colonel Bland proved no panacea to the 
 stings of a goading conscience : his former serenity soon vanished, 
 and he died after a short lapse of time the victim of his own 
 heartless conduct. — As the fortune of the second INIrs. Bland had 
 been settled upon herself prior to marriage, in the event of the 
 Colonel's death, his children by the former union were left totally 
 destitute ; until actuated by sentiments of common humanity, 
 his relatives afforded some relief to the offspring, but totally 
 abandoned the wretched mother to her cruel fate. 
 
 It was at the trying period alluded to, that the humane heroine 
 of our pages, then under sixteen years of age, Avith that noble 
 spirit which uniformly actuated her conduct, determined on 
 attempting the stage in order to pi'ocure the means of sub- 
 sistence for herself and her suffering mother. 
 
 Having made application to Mr. Ryder, the manager of the 
 Dublin Theatre, her first appearance was in the character of 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 5 
 
 Phoebe, in As You Like It — she having assumed the name of 
 Francis, in order to avoid giving umbrage to the haughty rela- 
 tions of her deceased father. Little did Mrs. Jordan, at that 
 time, imagine she was destined at a future period to fascinate 
 the overflowing audiences of a London playhouse, when sus- 
 taining the part of Rosalind in the same beautiful drama— 
 and that the song of the Cuckoo would never be heard without 
 commanding a rapturous encore. 
 
 In this opening attempt, Miss Francis experienced very little 
 encouragement, yet was not depressed, but pursued her studies 
 with indefatigable industry — applying herself to the acquirement 
 of the various accomplishments so requisite for those who tread 
 the theatrical boards. 
 
 Not long after the above essay, she procured an engagement 
 with Mr. Daly, of the Crow Street Theatre, Dublin, when her 
 favour with the public rapidly increased, particularly in her 
 performance of the character of Adelaide, in the " Count of 
 Narbonne ;" at which period, she is supposed to have just 
 attained her sixteenth year. 
 
 Soon after the above engagement, the theatrical company being 
 at Waterford, the fascinating manners of Miss Francis arrested 
 the attention of Lieut. Charles Doyne, of the third regiment of 
 heavy horse (greens), then quartered in that city, who became 
 sei'iously and honourably attached to her. This aspirant to our 
 heroine's affections, though not possessing personal attractions, 
 was a gentleman in manners and education, and in every sense of 
 the word an honest man. Whatsoever might be the feelings of 
 the daughter on this occasion, the mother was averse to the 
 union ; as in the event of her changing her name, the family 
 would be deprived of their only means of support : in addition 
 to which. Lieutenant Doyne having but a very circumscribed 
 income, coupled with his pay, such slender resources were very 
 inadequate to meet the wants of a growing family. The latter 
 obstacle, therefore, proved insurmountable, added to which, Mrs. 
 Bland, probably anticipating the future celebrity of her child, 
 so powerfully woi'ked upon her feelings, that the Lieutenant's 
 offer was ultimately rejected. 
 
 Subsequent to this occurrence, an event took place that 
 entailed infinite affliction on our youthful aspirant for fame. 
 The manners and person of our heroine having attracted Mr. 
 Daly's attention, he followed the glorious precedent of many 
 individuals holding similar managerial stations : conceiving him- 
 self entitled to command the favours of every lady in his service, 
 under pain of displeasure. Poor Miss Francis proved too virtuous 
 
6 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 to submit, and for a period the unprincipled desires of her employer 
 received a salutary check fi-om the stern dictates of innate virtue. 
 Finding himself foiled, the unprincipled manager caused his victim 
 to be seduced to the residence of a dei^endent, where she was 
 forcibly detained, and every unfair advantage takeii of her help- 
 less condition ; wherefore, as soon as released, accompanied by 
 her mother, brother, and sister, she clandestinely left Dublin, and 
 arrived in safety at the town of Leeds, in Yorkshire ; which event 
 occurred in the month of July, 1782. 
 
 The tirst step taken by our actress was to apply to 'Slv. Tate 
 Wilkinson, then manager of the York Company ; who on meeting 
 her and her family at the inn, found them in a very miserable 
 pliglit. The parent of our actress, liowever, talked so highly of 
 her daughter's merits, as neax-ly to disgust Mr. Wilkinson, who 
 was, tlierefore, on the point of giving a flat denial to our aspirant. 
 In this state of mind he quitted the family, but returned to the 
 inn, being forcibly struck by the dejected and melancholy appear- 
 ance of Miss Francis, which strongly pleaded in her behalf with 
 the kind-hearted Mr. Wilkinson, who then requested her to give 
 him a specimen of her talent, when she repeated a speech from 
 the part of Calista, in Rowe's Fair Penitent, whereby he acquired 
 some idea of her abilities ; and it was in consequence determined, 
 that on the Thursday following, being the 11th of July, she 
 should make her opening essay under the name of Miss Francis. 
 Her success, which was pai'ticulai'ly due to the plaintive sweet- 
 ness of her voice, proved complete ; and on the termination of 
 the tragedy, what Mr. Wilkinson feared would have proved 
 detrimental to her interest, tended still more to ingratiate her 
 with the audience ; for no sooner had she closed the tragedy by 
 her supposed death, when putting on a frock and mob cap, she 
 ran upon the stage and warbled the Greenvood Laddie with such 
 an eftect, as completely fascinated the auditors. — The result of 
 this essaj^ was an engagement at a salary of fifteen shillings per 
 week, one guinea being the higliest sum given to any performer 
 of that Thespian band. 
 
 Fi'om Leeds the company proceeded to York, in order to per- 
 form during the race week ; where our heroine again personated 
 Calista to the Lotliario of Mr. Knight, who then made his debut, 
 but was not well received in that character. 
 
 On the fifth of August our heroine took her benefit at Leeds, 
 when she again selected the part of Calista ; but preparatory 
 to the performance, it was requested by the mother of our actress 
 that her daughter's name, which had of course been announced 
 as Miss Francis, might be altered to that of Jordan. Mr. 
 
Llfe of Mrs. Jordan. 7 
 
 Wilkinson being desirous to ascertain the cause of this change of 
 appellation, "waited upon Mrs. Bland ; when he was given to 
 understand, that her daughter's aunt, a Miss Phillips, was then 
 at York upon her death bed — and the lady in question greatly 
 priding herself on family honours, and having figured on the 
 stage, in which line she deemed herself pre-eminent, it was 
 thought most prudent, under all circumstances, to pursue this 
 line of conduct. The lady in question having had an inter\'iew 
 with Mrs. Bland and her niece, expired the following week, after 
 having pronounced Dorothy an honour to the blood of the Ap- 
 Phillips's. 
 
 During the race week at York, our heroine performed Rutland 
 and the Romp, ttc; upon which occasion Gentleman Smith, as he 
 was denominated, being present, felt so much pleased with our 
 actress, as to repeat his visits every night Mrs. Jordan trod the 
 boards. On this occasion, the latter gentleman assured Mr. 
 Wilkinson, he was singularly struck with our actress's talents, 
 which made the manager secretly rejoice in having executed 
 articles with her ; and in the course of the race week she had an 
 extraordinary benefit on accovmt of her services, which Mr. 
 Wilkinson found truly beneficial to his interest. 
 
 Speaking of our heroine's success at York, Mr. Wilkinson, in 
 his work entitled " The Wandering Patentee," remarks : — " She 
 (Mrs. Jordan) was much admired in Arionelli. A Mr. Tyler 
 had performed that character, and with a degree of deserved 
 credit — but Mrs. Jordan was not only new, but an object to the 
 public and to me, as she gi'eatly helped my coffers." 
 
 Prom York, early in September, she proceeded with the 
 company of theatricals to Wakefield, then to Doncaster, and 
 subsequently Sheffield, where her benefit though well patronised 
 did not prove very productive. While at the latter town, our 
 actress played the part of a chambei'-maid in the opera of the 
 "Pair American," on the 28th of October, 1782; in the per- 
 sonification of which character, she displayed infinite talent. In 
 the last mentioned piece, during a scene that occurred, she and 
 Mr. Knight, who personated a footman being on the stage, a 
 certain scene and roller of an immense weight gave way, and was 
 precipitated from the top of the theatre close at the feet of the 
 performers, which, had it fallen on the head of either must have 
 caused immediate death. While at Sheffield, his Grace the late 
 Duke of Xorfolk predicted the future fame of our heroine, that 
 nobleman ha-^ang from the period alluded to uniformly continued 
 the friend of the subject of our memoirs. 
 
 The next remove of Mr. Wilkinson's theatricals, was to Hull, 
 
8 Life op Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 where on Thursday, December 26th, Mrs. Jordan performed 
 Galista, and sang the GreenAvood Laddie, which was hissed, 
 although executed with her accustomed sweetness. The fact is, 
 a party had been raised against her, and it was some time ere 
 the prejudices, under which she laboured from the tongue of 
 malevolence, were subdued. 
 
 It is here necessary to state that when Mrs. Jordan's engage- 
 ment with Mr. Tate Wilkinson had continued for a period, she 
 was doomed to experience the effects of persecution, from one 
 who, of all others, should have pursued a different line of conduct. 
 Sometime previous to her seduction by Mr. Daly the Dublin 
 manager, the mother of our heroine having been attacked by a 
 dangerous fit of illness, physical aid was resorted to, when the 
 feeling daughter having exhausted all the pecuniary means her 
 slender salary afforded, had been compelled under existing 
 exigencies to procure a loan from the managei', who immediately 
 complied, not actuated from feelings of commisseration for the 
 afflicted mother and her child ; but under the dastardly idea of 
 thereby placing within his power the object of his base desires. 
 Having thus become a debtor fx'om the most noble of impulses : 
 the salvation of a parent's life, efforts were set on foot by the 
 manager to intimidate our actress into a compliance with his 
 wishes, by legally proceeding to enforce payment, and we believe 
 the issue of a writ, for the arrest of her person, actually took 
 place ; which reminds us of the fiend-like Colonel Ket, recorded 
 in English history, who offered to spare the life of a brother in 
 case the sister yielded to his infamous wishes. Having refused 
 to act according to his, Mr. Daly's will, the lady disdaining to 
 make her chastity the price of such demoniac forbearance, braved 
 the hori'ors of a gaol to maintain her character unsullied ; when 
 the manager was instigated to adopt the treacherous mode pre- 
 viously described, and ultimately triumphed over his devoted 
 victim. 
 
 Mr. Daly having at length ascertained the residence of our 
 heroine, who by her precipitate flight from Dublin had broken the 
 engagement entered into with the manager, determined to pursue 
 his victim for damages as well as the sum lent during her parent's 
 illness, and proceedings had actually commenced. 
 
 Notwithstanding the change of name, Mr. Daly at length 
 discovered the retreat of his victim ; who, on account of her 
 talents, had had her salary doubled ; his resentment, therefore, 
 increased ; wherefore, as she had forfeited her articles in conse- 
 quence of the precipitate flight from Dublin, added to which, the 
 sum advanced during her mother's illness, still remained out. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordax. 9 
 
 standing against her, as previously observed, she was a second 
 time threatened with arrest unless an immediate return to the 
 Irish capital for the completion of her engagement took place. 
 Thus cruelly circumstanced, a Mr. Swan, having investigated the 
 whole case and taking pity on her forlorn situation, humanely 
 paid down two Jnindred and fifty pounds, the sum stipulated 
 in case she forfeited her articles, together with the amouiit of the 
 small debt incurred. By this means, Mi^s. Jordan was released 
 from the dread of incarceration, liaving ever after found a sincere 
 and disinterested friend in the gentleman whose name stands thus 
 honourably recorded. 
 
 We shall now with pleasure dismiss from our pages the name 
 of such a fiend as Mr. Daly, having only to add that when our 
 heroine subsequently acquired that notoriety and fame in London, 
 which her brilliant talents commanded, the Dublin manager in 
 more instances than one, visited the metropolis of England, and 
 used every endeavour to procure an interview with the lady 
 whose annals we record, and obtain a sight of the offspring she 
 had borne him ; but in vain, her stern resolve proved inexorable, 
 for as she had sworn so she acted, neither suffering her sight to 
 be blasted by the betrayer of her honour or yielding the fruit of 
 her disgrace to the arms of an inhuman and profligate parent. 
 Such is the unvarnished tale respecting the first dereliction from 
 the path of rectitude, of which Mrs. Jordan was guilty; if so 
 harsh a term can be attachable to the act under all its bearings, 
 as for ourselves, casting aside all prejudice of a favourable nature 
 as the biographer of the lady in question, we must conscientiously 
 declare that under similar circumstances, a daughter would not 
 appear contaminated in our eyes; we should execrate her despoiler, 
 commisserate her sufferings, and shed tears for her disgrace — but 
 never brand her with an opprobius epithet or attach a thought of 
 culpability to her name. 
 
 In reference to the Dublin manager, above adverted to, we give 
 the following appropriate extract from a late writer : 
 
 " Our heroine (Mrs. Jordan) encouraged by maternal example, 
 of course, looked to the stage as her future profession ; and, about 
 the year 1778, made her first appearance at Ryder's theatre, in 
 Dublin, in the unimportant jDart of Phoebe, in 'As You Like It.' 
 From prudential motives, and fearful of offending her father's 
 family, to whom she still looked with hope, — for the child thinks 
 not her fatlier a villain, tliough all the world beside know him to 
 be one ; — she played under tlie name of Francis, and ran the 
 round of maudlin young ladies, and third-rate sentimentalists, 
 until she attracted the notice of Mr. Daly, a weak-minded villain, 
 an unjust manager, and an unprincipled libertine. 
 
lU Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 " It was the practice of this liollow sensualist, to advance money 
 to those ladies lie had a design upon, and then second his attempts, 
 not only with bi'utal violence, but a threat of arrest for debt. 
 Those amiable peculiarities he displayed towards our heroine ; 
 and to relieve the exigences of her family, she borrowed of the 
 brute a small sum. She was daily rising in estimation in Dublin, 
 and her juvenile tragedy was particulaily admired. Mr. Daly 
 made a proposition to her, which our heroine repelled with 
 disgust, and we can readily conceive how hateful must that 
 rei^tile have appeared, who made her distresses the plea for his 
 insolence, and tempted her with gold on the one hand, whilst 
 he threatened her with a prison on the other. Certainly, we 
 of the irritable genus must be particularly irritable on this score ; 
 for even now, when that weak villain's bones have returned to 
 the corruption that best befitted them, we could find it in our 
 hearts to call them from the grave, to be burnt as a sacrifice to 
 offended decency ; and in saying this, we arrogate no peculiar 
 virtue to ourselves ; we do not mean to condemn, in one sweeping 
 clause, the race called (falsely called) men of pleasure ; but let 
 them fight their battles fairly, at all events, and not win by 
 meanness, that which should be gained by favour." 
 
 Mr. Boaden in his illustrations to the life of Mrs. Jordan, vol. 1, 
 p. 360, after quoting as above, from Oxberry's memoirs, with great 
 justice, adds as follows : 
 
 "We might have alluded to the actual perpetration of violence 
 the most brutal, in one particular instance, the scene of Avhich 
 (like the Field of the Forty Footsteps), is still pointed out with 
 strong shudders near Limerick ; as having sullied a spirit every 
 way amiable, and fixed its fate in life, far, far indeed, below the 
 level of either its genius or its virtues. 
 
 "It will here be asked, why were not the violated laws appealed 
 to, and the ruffian gibbetted for his atrocity ? The answer must 
 be, that the Irish gentleman of 1782 considered himself beyond 
 their reach. His victim was young and poor, and embarrassed 
 with the parents, who should have protected Aer. Who would 
 have believed in the virtuous resistance of an actress 1 I will 
 proceed no further." 
 
 "In 1783, we find our heroine returned to York ; she was the 
 great supporter of the opera of Rosina, particularly in the cele- 
 brated air, " Let Jionour with desert be crowned." From York, 
 she proceeded, as during the preceding year, to Leeds, Wakefield, 
 Doncaster, and Hull. 
 
 It was at this period, Mrs. Jordan experienced the effect of 
 intrinsic merit ; she was scandalised by her rivals, and frequently 
 
Life of Mes. Jordax. 11 
 
 annoyed during her nightly performances, by the enemies who 
 occupied the wings and stage doors of the theatre, where, by 
 persevering malignity they laboured to destroy her. She was, 
 however, fortunate enough in having such a manager as Mr. Tate 
 Wilkinson, where love of justice was stretched beyond personal 
 interest, and he therefore struggled to secure for our actress 
 fair play. She was sometimes indolent, and at others refractory, 
 capricious, and imprudent. 
 
 The permanent and unrivalled distinction of our heroine was 
 not then her only characteristic. The Romj), it is true, was pur- 
 posely curtailed for her in Ireland, and Priscilla Tomhoy she had 
 fi'equently personated with infinite effect ; notwithstanding which 
 however, she inclined to tragedy and pai-ts in sentimental comedy. 
 The Country Girl had not as then attracted her notice, until she 
 witnessed its performance by Mrs. Brown, of the same company, 
 after which she studied it with great attention, and thus became 
 aware of the various opportunities it presented for the display of 
 the wildness, laughing vivacity, rich and abundant humour, that 
 ultimately combined to make it her own, far beyond all com- 
 petition. It was owing to those circumstances that when the 
 object of our memoirs began to be firmly established in the 
 metropolis ; she reminded of Mrs. Brown, as having made known 
 to her the secrets of the character, as the rival manager conceived 
 it worth while to ti-y whether the reputed mistress could not 
 outrival the pupil. There was, however, no ground to detract 
 from the merits of JMrs. Jordan, and the charms of youth secured 
 her from a rival's vivacity, which was rather ungenerously ob- 
 truded in a lady, who had passed the season of life in which the 
 hoyden can alone look natural and prove attractive. 
 
 During the Spring of 1784, when the Poor Soldier was got up 
 at Sheffield, our actress was principally instrumental in supporting 
 the piece, which proved very lucrative for her employer, both in 
 that and the other towns of Yorkshire. 
 
 She had now attained considerable celebrity at York as a settled 
 performer; but when subsequently engaged for the London boards, 
 she no doubt trembled for her success, and little dreamed of 
 equipage and splendour. Among the characters in which our 
 actress particularly figured, were Ummeline, Lady Packet, Lady 
 Pell, Lady Teazle, Lady Alton, Lndiana, &c. 
 
 It was towards the close of the above year that the feelings of 
 Mrs. Jordan were sensibly awakened by the calls of a young lady 
 about fifteen years of age, who made application to Mr. Tate 
 Wilkinson for an engagement. She, as had previously been our 
 actress, was accompanied by her necessitous parents, who solely 
 
12 LiFK OF Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 depended on her efforts for assistance. The young lady alluded 
 to possessed a lovely figure and beautiful face, in short, every 
 captivating attraction, which must be allowed by all such as 
 remember her fascinations, when I state, that she ultimately 
 became the universally admired Mrs. Mountain of Covent Garden 
 theatre. Mr. Wilkinson's company being then complete, how- 
 ever, unwillingly was compelled to decline the engagement, but 
 made her the offer of a benefit ; when she acted in the Maid of 
 the Mill, and afterwards delivered with considerable ability, 
 George Alexander Stephens' Lecture on Heads. So great was 
 the satisfaction given, that Mr. Inchbald, son-in-law of the 
 celebrated female dramatist of the same name, made her an offer 
 to personate Rosetta, in Love in a Village, on his benefit night, 
 which took place Dec. 3rd, 1784. The effect produced on that 
 occasion was decisive with the manager, by whom she was 
 immediately engaged, from which period her fame progressively 
 increased. She subsequently appeared as Clarissa, when Lionel 
 was personified by Mrs. Jordan, who volunteered her services 
 with all that commisserative feeling which was the inherent 
 charactei'istic of her lieart. In short, she beheld a sister of the 
 mimic band, struggling to support her indigent parents, a senti- 
 ment in itself sufficient to awaken every genuine impulse of her 
 soul — an appeal, in short, that was in her estimation irresistible ! 
 
 Early in the year 1785, Mrs. Jordan witnessed the acting of 
 the celebrated Mrs. Yates, in her favourite character of Margaret 
 of Anjoti, ill the Uarl of Warwick, being her last appearance but 
 one upon the boards ; after which the final display of her talents 
 was for the benefit of poor Mrs. Bellamy, another rival of no less 
 a personage than Mrs. Gibber. In the farce Mrs. Jordan per- 
 sonated Fatima, in Cymon ; when Mr. Richard Yates being 
 present, notwithstanding his acknowledged taste and judgment 
 as to everything connected with the stage, pronounced that our 
 actress was 'a mere piece o/ theatrical mediocrity.' This jDerhaps 
 originated in a want of exertion on her part, as she was then 
 far from gaining celebrity in her profession, being careless and 
 inattentive, and often either in reality or fictitiously seized with 
 indisposition, an instance of which occurred on the 1 5th of March, 
 when she appeared for the benefit of Mrs. Mills, being announced 
 to sing an air at the termination of the third act of Ci/mbeline, 
 and perform in the afterpiece of the Poor Soldier; but she alleged 
 indisposition, and no persuasions could urge her to warble the 
 song in question. 
 
 Having mentioned Cymbeline, we cannot refrain from remark- 
 ing that Mrs. Jordan had frequently to personate the character 
 
Live op Mrs. Jordan. 13 
 
 of Imogen, a part however completely out of her element, par- 
 ticularly in the scene where lachimo attempts her honour, in 
 which she proved deficient in delineating the conflicting senti- 
 ments of wonder, indignation, grief, reconcilement, and virtuous 
 dignity. 
 
 On the 2nd of April, Mrs. Jordan, for the first time, witnessed 
 Mrs. Brooks' performance of the Country Girl, a comedy then 
 obsolete, and which had completely escaped her attention. This 
 part, subsequently the most celebrated eflbrt of our actress, so 
 forcibly struck her that she determined on studying the author 
 in order to sustain it the ensuing winter in London : indeed it 
 seems almost certain that the witnessing Mrs. Brown's per- 
 formance of Peggy, and other gii'lish characters, was the fortunate 
 moment that prompted her to attempt the jaersonification of the 
 same. 
 
 Nothing of any material consequence occurred to our actress 
 previous to her departure for the metropolis, except her becoming 
 so careless, that her fame obviously decreased during the summer 
 of this year, and on Monday, the 25th of July, when she took her 
 benefit, and performed Imogen in the play, and Rachel, in the 
 afterpiece of the Fair Amp,rican, the house was very thinly 
 attended ; this circumstance we notice, as, the following year. 
 Fate so awarded, that London audiences should bow obedient to 
 her nod. 
 
 We have, on a former occasion, remarked that Gentleman 
 Smith, of the Druiy Lane company, had been particularly struck 
 with the talents of Mrs. Jordan, when attending the performances, 
 during a race week at York. This impression proved lasting in 
 his mind, and a favourable opportunity presenting itself, he spoke 
 of her talents in such exalted terms to the managers of Drury 
 Lane theatre, that an engagement was proposed and agreed to, at 
 a salary of four pounds weekly; our actress having to perform 
 second-rate characters to Mrs. Siddons, in the walk of tragedy. 
 
 It is singular to observe that those very persons in the country, 
 who began to slacken in the estimation of the powers of Mrs. 
 Jordan, prior to her departure for the metropolis, on her re-visitino- 
 the north, after the applause she acquired at Drury Lane, literally 
 crammed the provincial theatres to suftbcation. The fact is, no 
 change had taken place in our actress as regarded abilities ; but 
 her circumstances were widely different, and thence originated 
 this vacillation in public sentiment. 
 
 Previous to her journey to the metropolis, a variety of com- 
 ments were hazarded, among which, one of her opponents, in 
 the assumption of male characters, remarked to the manager, 
 
14 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 tliat : " When he had lost liis great treasure (a term uniformly 
 applied to Mrs. Jordan) it would soon be thrown back upon his 
 hands, and it would be glad to come if he would accept it ! " 
 This sarcasm was answered by the mother of our actress, wiio 
 being seated at the stage-door while Mrs. Robinson was on the 
 stage, addressing the manager, begged as an act of kindness, that 
 he would inform her when that fright had done speaking and 
 acting, for it was so horrid she could not look at it. The fright 
 alluded to, however, was a remarkably handsome woman, of 
 refined manners, good delivery, and so uniformly tasty and neat 
 in her dress, that it was a general observation, that the Graces 
 attended the toilet of Mrs. Robinson. 
 
 In the month of August, 1785, when Mrs. Siddons witnessed 
 the performance of our actress at York, her remark was : " She 
 had better remain there than venture on the London hoards I " 
 Little did the tragedian conjecture how soon they would jostle 
 each other in their carriages at the stage-door of a London play- 
 house. 
 
 The last performance of Mrs. Jordan, prior to her essay in the 
 capital, was on the 9th of September, 1785, when she sustained 
 her part in the Poor Soldier, at Wakefield ; after which she took 
 her leave of Mr. Wilkinson, in whose company she had exerted 
 herself for three years. The reputation of Mrs. Siddons had 
 attained such a pitch of celebrity, tliat on the arrival of Mrs. 
 Jordan in London, she entertained little hope of ever becoming 
 her rival, and therefore resolved that her debut should be in 
 comedy. 
 
 On the 18th of October, 1785, Mrs. Jordan made her first essay 
 before a London audience ; when she personated Peggy in the 
 Country Girl: no favourable reports had been disseminated 
 respecting her, and the house was by no means crowded ; but the 
 heart she displayed, and the witchery of nature, were so com- 
 pletely manifested, that the company were rapturous in their 
 applause, and the unanimous opinion was, that no actress ever 
 displayed greater power in drawing from her auditors incessant 
 peals of laughter. 
 
 Notwithstanding this favourable reception, opinions differed in 
 regard to the talents of our actress : one critic judged her ratlier 
 vulgar, another conceived she could personate Filch, in the 
 Beggar'' s Opera, with eclat ; but denied her being gifted with 
 stei'ling comic powers. She however pursued her course, and at 
 the close of the first season commanded such a train of fashion- 
 ables on her nights, as had never been known to assemble, except 
 when ]\lrs. Siddons trod the boards. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 15 
 
 Peggy was unquestionably the chef d'ceuvj'e of Mrs. Jordan's 
 comic powers, and we despair of ever again witnessing the stei'ling 
 naivete with which she sustained that arduous personilication 
 throughout ; every scene possessed its characteristic excellencies ; 
 but in that where she pens the letter in presence of, and after 
 the exit of her guardian, the powers of comic delineation had 
 attained the highest pitch of excellence ; in short, the mimic art 
 could extend the witchery of its influence no further. After 
 the celebrity acquired in sustaining the part of Peggy, Mrs. 
 Jordan's salary was augmented to twelve pounds a week, two 
 benefits during the season, being also allowed her, while among 
 various other valuable presents, she received a purse from the 
 club at Brooks's enclosing three hundred pounds. 
 
 A short time subsequent to her debut in London, Mrs. Jordan 
 varied the style of her attraction, and in supporting the character 
 of Viola, in Ttvel/th Night, displayed her tendei'ness and grace, as 
 well as the lovely symmetry of her figure in male costume. It 
 would be superfluous to dwell upon a part which she stamped 
 peculiarly her own. The charms of her enunciation in the above 
 character found the happiest expressions of the mighty poet, 
 and the harmony of her tone afi'ected the hearts even of the 
 most insensible of her auditors. It may with truth be said, that 
 the wild mellifluence of our heroine, according to the remark of a 
 modern writer, caught a grace beyond the reach of art, and never 
 failed to fascinate all hearers ; but when accompanied by the 
 orchestra, it seemed as if her wings were clipped, her liberty fled, 
 and we might almost say, — the sweet bird sang no more. In the 
 air to Constancy, which she introduced in the fourth act of the 
 Belles Stratagem, some years after, namely on the 22nd of 
 December, 1807, she gave the musicians such a specimen of 
 ^^ unjoyous constancy'^ as kept them all alive. Those singers who 
 religiously adhere to Swift's Canon, should be left to themselves. 
 
 In the month of January, 1786, our heroine appeared as the 
 Hoyden, in the Trij) to Scarborough, a piece altered from Sir 
 John Vanbrugh's comedy of the Relapse; when she gave ad 
 ditional proofs of her inimitable talent, in representing the 
 complete Tom-boy. The magic efiect of her laugh was never 
 displayed to greater advantage, while the sparkling hilarity of her 
 countenance completely fascinated an overflowing audience. 
 
 It was in the progress of the present season that the Covent 
 Gai'den manager, aware of the success attendant on Mrs. Jordan's 
 performance of the above cast of characters, made application to 
 Mrs. Brown, the lady who had originally given our heroine the 
 idea of personating that character at York. The latter in con 
 
16 Life of Mhs. Jordan. 
 
 sequence essayed to become her rival, but the attempt proved a 
 complete failure, and in consequence the reputation of our heroine 
 was so permanently established as to defy the attempts of any 
 aspirant in that walk of the drama. Shortly after this decided 
 victory, Mrs. Jordan undertook the personification of Hipollita, 
 in the comedy of Site Would and iSlie Would JVof, which only 
 tended to enhance her in the estimation of the public, and it may 
 with truth be affirmed that when Drury Lane closed, no public 
 character ever enjoyed in a more ample manner, the smiles and 
 sincere good wishes of every lover of the legitimate drama. 
 
 In the year 1786, our heroine having resolved upon a pro- 
 fessional excursion to Edinburgh, set out accordingly ; and in her 
 progress to the north, arrived at Leeds just at the peiiod when 
 her former opponent, Mrs. Robinson, was to take her benefit in 
 that town. We have before adverted to this lady's prognostic to 
 Mr. Tate Wilkinson in regard to his " great treasure ! ^cho 
 would be glad to return, if lie (the manager) would accept it." 
 This actress had since inspected the London papers, and to her 
 mortitication heard of her raised salary, two benefits, brilliant 
 presents, kc: when her pride was doomed to experience a greater 
 shock at her benefit, announced for the 16th of June, when she 
 had selected Horatia, in the Roman Father, and Widotv Brady in 
 the Farce, such having been the character selected by our actress 
 on her benefit night in London. It was on the very morning of 
 the above day, that Mrs. Jordan, accompanied by her mother and 
 her sister, entered Leeds, who after dinner made their appearance 
 in an upper box of the theatre. — Our heroine was soon recognised 
 by the audience, for if she had endeavoured to conceal herself, she 
 failed of success. In the course of the farce she went behind the 
 scenes, and with her accustomed sweetness of temper, renewed 
 acquaintance with her former associate. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan during her stay at the above place, was solicited 
 by the manager to play one night, which she agreed to, stipulating 
 that they were to share the receipts after deducting fifteen 
 pounds. He acquiesced reluctantly, under an impression that no 
 profit would result to him ; remembering, that the people of 
 Leeds had, for three seasons previous to Mrs. Jordan's departure 
 for the metropolis, very much neglected her performances. In 
 this suggestion, however, he found himself agreeably mistaken — 
 the plaudits of a London audience had entirely changed the scene, 
 and the eagerness evinced to see the once-neglected Thalia, was 
 inci'eased in a tenfold degi-ee, the theatre being crowded to an 
 overflow to witness her representation of the Country Girl and 
 the Eoinp. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 17 
 
 In her progress to the capital of Scotland, the same eclat accom- 
 panied her journey ; and when she took her benefit at Edinburgh 
 on the 6th of August, she delivered the following address to the 
 audience, after having personated Letitia Hardy, in Mrs. Cowley's 
 Belle's Stratagem, in a manner that excited applause bordering 
 upon enthusiasm. 
 
 ADDRESS: 
 
 Delivered by Mrs, Jordan to the Audience of Edinburgh. 
 
 " Presumption 'tia in learning's seat, 
 For me the Muses to entreat ; 
 Yet, bold as the attempt may be, 
 I'll mount the steed of poesy ; 
 And as my Pegasus is small. 
 If stumbling, I've not far to fall. 
 
 Hear then, ye Nine ! the boon I ask, 
 While (throwing off the comic mask) 
 With gratitude I now confess. 
 How much you've heighten' d my success. 
 
 By stealing thus my sentence now, 
 You've heap'd your laurels on my brow ; 
 Nor is the Northern sprig less green 
 Than that which in the South was seen, 
 For though your sun may colder be, 
 Your hearts I've found as warm for me. 
 
 One wreath I only gain'd before, 
 Bat your kind candour gives me more ; 
 And, like your union, both combine. 
 To make the garland brighter shine. 
 
 'Tis true such planets sparkle here. 
 
 As made me tremble to appear ; 
 
 A twinkling star, just come in sight. 
 
 Which, tow'rds the Pole, might give no light ! 
 
 Melpomene had made such work, 
 Eeigning despotic like the Turk, 
 I feared Thalia had no chance 
 Her laughing standard to advance ; 
 Bat yet, her youngest ensign I 
 Took courage, was resolv'd to try, 
 And stand the hazard of the die. 
 
 Since then the vent'rous game I've tried. 
 With Nature only for my guide. 
 The bets, if fairly won, I'll take. 
 Nor wish to make it my last stake." 
 
 From the capital of Caledonia, Mrs. Joi'dan departed to display 
 her fascinations at Glasgow, where her abilities entitled her to a 
 
18 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 gold medal, bearing a very appropriate inscription, which was 
 transmitted with the following laconic note : — 
 
 TO MRS. JORDAN. 
 " MBdatn, 
 
 Accept this trifle from the Glasgow audience, who are as great 
 admirers of genius as the critics of Edinburgh." 
 
 The Medal represented on one side the armorial bearings of 
 the city of Glasgow — A Tree ; and on the reverse, A Feather, 
 with the annexed happy inscription : 
 
 " Bays irom our Tree yon could not gather, 
 
 No branch of it deserves that name ; 
 So take it all — call it & feather. 
 
 And place it in your cap of Fame." 
 
 On the return of our actress to London, she found that General 
 Burgoyne, calculating on the success of his comedy, entitled IVie 
 Heiress, had undertaken to adapt for the London Stage the 
 popular French piece of Sedaine, entitled Richard Cctur de Lion ; 
 which, aided by the superlative compositions of Gretry, had 
 created a complete theatrical mania in Paris. This charming 
 production was seized with avidity by the theatres of Covent 
 Garden and Drury Lane, but the genius of Burgoyne happily 
 conceived that making Matilda, the monarch's wife, instead of 
 Blondel, the discoverer of the place of Bichard's incarceration, 
 would enhance the scenic effect ; that circumstances gave the 
 complete preponderance to the representation at Drury Lane, on 
 which occasion Mrs. Jordan sustained the part of Matilda, with 
 an effect approximating upon magic. The success was complete 
 — the piece commanded crowded benches, and the coffers of the 
 playhouse well repaid the efforts of the translator, and all parties 
 connected with that establishment. 
 
 In Love for Love our actress next acquired considex'able fame, 
 in sustaining the part of Miss Prue — a cast of character in every 
 way adapted to her peculiar line of acting — which completely 
 enchained the feelings of all frequenters and sound judges of 
 theatrical perfection. 
 
 On the 15th of February, 1787, Thalia added fresh laurels to 
 the blooming wreath she had acquired, by the performance of 
 Roxalana, in The Sultan. Never shall we forget the fascinations 
 of her manner while sustaining the part in question ; which were 
 of such a winning nature, that we have seen Barrymore, who 
 personated the Grand Turk, unable to keep his countenance, 
 when it was requisite for him to have looked the stern Bashaw. 
 In one instance, on quitting the boards, he ran into the green- 
 room, threw himself on a sofa, and after indulging in a laugh 
 
Life op Mrs. Jordan. 19 
 
 that was nearly suffocating, turned to our heroine, exclaiming : — 
 " By the Holy Prophet, madam, if you continue to play after 
 this fashion, you will dispatch me in an agony of laughter, to 
 the seventh heaven, there to enjoy my houiis everlastingly." 
 
 In 1787, we find our actress most successfully figuring in the 
 part of Juletta, in the piece of The Pilgrim, by Fletcher, which 
 was calculated to afiford every scope for the powers of the lady 
 whose talents we commemorate. 
 
 At the commencement of the ensuing season of 1788, the lovers 
 of sterling comedy were enchanted on witnessing the character of 
 Rosalind, in Shakspeare's As You Like It ; no part having been 
 sustained with more archness of manner — while in the Cuckoo 
 song, the naivete was beyond all praise. 
 
 For her benefit, which took place in May, Mrs. Jordan per- 
 formed the part of Sir Harry Wildair, in the Constant Couple, 
 in Avhich Mrs. Woffington had acquired a celebiity that had been 
 conceived unapproachable : the result proved the contrary, as the 
 thorough conception of the character, manners, and essence of the 
 writei', were so completely developed by our performer, that she 
 bore away the palm of competitorship. 
 
 Unlike those filling the highest stations in the theatrical band, 
 Mrs. Jordan never seceded from her duty, after enjoying the 
 fruits of a benefit ; on the contrary, she remained uniformly at 
 her post, continuing to act even in play and farce to the end of 
 the terra, a fact which occurred on the 1 3th of June in the above 
 year, being the final night of her performance for that season. 
 
 We must now, for a short pei'iod, digress from the theatric 
 annals of our heroine, to speak of the connection she formed 
 with Mr. Ford, son of Sir Richard Ford, who then held the 
 lucrative situation of chief sitting magistrate at Bow Street. 
 Although every endeavour had been made to ascertain the precise 
 time when their friendship commenced, we have not been able to 
 succeed ; however, from circumstances connected with the ofl- 
 springs which were the fruits of this intercourse, we rather 
 imagine that she sought the protection of Mr. Ford, about the 
 period of her life to which we now refer. 
 
 It appears most probable, that the pre-eminent talents of the 
 lady, in the first instance, wrought upon the affections of Mr. 
 Ford, who being intimate with most of the first-rate performers, 
 easily obtained an introduction to the acquaintance of Mrs. 
 Jordan, soon after which he made a formal declaration of his 
 passion ; this we know was accompanied by a solemn promise of 
 marriage, which the gentleman said must be deferred, under the 
 dread of giving oflfence to his father, on whom he was dependant ; 
 
20 Life of Mrs. Jokdan. 
 
 when confiding in the honour .and promises of lier suitor, Mrs. 
 Jordan at length consented to place herself under his protection. 
 
 With Mr. Ford she cohabited for many years as his wife, in 
 full expectation that Sir Richard would become reconciled to the 
 union at no very distant period, and the fruits of that connection 
 were several children, who derived their entire support from the 
 exertion of the mother, her fidelity to the gentleman she regarded 
 as her husband, having never been called in question, as the 
 uniform conduct she pursued was so exemplary as to render her 
 even a pattern of matronly excellence for every married woman. 
 
 So invariably correct indeed was the conduct of the lady 
 whose annals we record, that no suspicion was ever entertained 
 respecting her not being legally the wife of Mr. Ford. Many 
 instances illustrative of this fact might be adduced, but as one 
 will speak for the rest, we beg to instance the names of Sir 
 Francis Lumm, Bart., and his Lady, who resided in Argyle 
 Street. They were in the habit of giving splendid routs, at 
 which Mrs. Ford was constantly received as the wife of that 
 gentleman, who uniformly attended such parties with his itrotegee; 
 being by him introduced in the character of a married woman. 
 
 The Baronet and his lady, as before observed, kept a great deal 
 of evening company, but their dinner parties proved exti'emely 
 select, there being never more than four persons, independent of 
 themselves, who sat down to table ; of the latter, as constant 
 attendants, were the late Captain B — yly, neai'ly allied to the 
 present Ma — s of Ang — • — a, and his lady, with Captain Hill and 
 his wife, a daughter of Lord Molesworth. The clotli being with- 
 drawn on those occasions when Mrs. Ford was expected to join 
 the evening party, the conversation generally turned to the 
 subject of the advances made by her illustrious suitor, Avhen 
 Lady Lumm's uniform observation was : " I shall again this 
 evening instil into her mind the absolute necessity of sticking 
 to Mr. Ford, for I am well convinced no good will accrue from 
 the princely association." This advice her ladyship never failed 
 to inculcate — making our actress take her seat beside her at the 
 card-table, Avhen she would at intervals in a half whisper, repeat 
 the counsel alluded to. 
 
 There was much play at the Soirees in question ; but Mrs. 
 Jordan never touched a card ; and among the visitants, were 
 the Miss Dalrymples, Lady C — 11 — r, famed for pilfering card- 
 money, ikc. 
 
 On more occasions than one, the writer was present at the 
 parties alluded to, when our heroine's afiability of manners and 
 sweetness of deportment were the general themes of admiration, 
 
LiFK OF Mrs. Jordan. 21 
 
 a sentiment still more enhanced, when she electrified the auditors 
 by warbling one of her ballads wild, 
 
 That flowed like softest music, 
 
 O'er the placid surface of the deep. 
 
 The earliest introduction of the writer to a knowledge of Mrs. 
 Jordan, was at the time she resided in Henrietta Street, Covent 
 Garden, at which period her biographer was a mere stripling. 
 Nothing was then heard of but the crowded houses she uniformly 
 bi'ought, as our actress rarely aj^peared bvit to overflowing 
 benches ; indeed it seemed as if fortune delighted to scatter her 
 path with flowers, and that it was next to impossible, adverse fate 
 should ever embitter the days of Mrs. Jordan with its frowns. 
 
 So eager was the public desire to catch a glance of our Syren 
 off the boards, that we have actually known persons take their 
 stations near the stage-door to witness her stepping from the 
 carriage or entering the same, on pi'oceeding to, or returning 
 from, rehearsals. In short, she then ranked unquestionably one 
 of the most envied daughters of the mimic art that ever appeared 
 to fascinate a London audience. 
 
 Independently of the characters before-mentioned, Mrs. Jordan, 
 during the season of 1788, figured in a farce, called Tike Pmiet, cut 
 down by Mr. Kemble from Bickerstaff's ^Tis Well it^s no Worse. 
 She also played Corinna, in the Confederacy ; while her Nell, in 
 the Devil to Pay, which she personated after the character of 
 Rosalind, needs only to be mentioned to excite to action the 
 risible muscles. 
 
 It had long been the wish of Mr. Kemble that some piece 
 written expressly for Mrs. Jordan should appear, and at length 
 Mr. Cumberland produced a comedy called the Imj^ostor, wherein 
 she performed the prominent part, and during the first four acts 
 the piece met with well merited applause, but the concluding act 
 pi'oving tedious, the comedy had but a short run. 
 
 During the summer of this year (1788), his late Majesty George 
 III. accompanied by the Royal Family, visited Cheltenham, when 
 in order that her attractions might not pall upon the lovers of the 
 drama in London, by a too frequent repetition of her parts, our 
 heroine determined on a professional excui'sion to the above 
 watering-place, where she w^as welcomed with enthusiasm. During 
 her continuance at this town, the nobility and gentiy presented 
 Mrs. Jordan with a very elegant gold medal, accompanied by a 
 written document so truly gratifying to her feelings, as to confer 
 tenfold value on the token by which it was accompanied. 
 
 It now appears that the brilliant success and increase of salary 
 awarded to our heroine, excited great uneasiness in the Kemble 
 
22 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 family. Mrs. Sidclons in particular, the Melpomene of the day, 
 whose idol was Cra^sus, could not restrain her internal dissatis- 
 faction, which became so intrusively disagreeable to the subject 
 of this memoir, that overtures were made to her from the manager 
 of Covent Garden and a Carte Blanche tendered, in order that she 
 might stipulate her own terms. Alarmed at the idea of losing 
 one of the main props of his house, Mr. Sheridan had an interview 
 with Mrs. Jordan, who having stated her grievances respecting 
 the Kemble coterie, he at once closed with our heroine at a salary 
 of thirty pounds per week, then esteemed a very enormous stipend. 
 In reference to the dissatisfaction of Mrs. Siddons, a caricature 
 was issued, we believe from a design of Bunbury, i*epresenting the 
 tragic queen with pockets overgorged Avitli gold and bank paper ; 
 while hanging to the prong of a pitch-fork thrust up from the in- 
 fernal regions, was a bag of gold, to obtain which the hungry 
 Melpomene was stretching forth her hand in a fine tragedy atti- 
 tude, accompanied by a look of greedy supplication. 
 
 If such was a leading trait in the conduct of Melpomene, Thalia 
 was the very opposite : charity being the prominent characteristic 
 of her mind. No deserving object ever applied for relief in vain, 
 and even prior to her connection in a certain quarter, the follow- 
 ing fact may be relied upon. Bearing in mind the cruel conduct 
 exerted towards herself by Mr. Dayly, and the difficulties expe- 
 rienced during her pregnancy, she always entertained the most 
 humane and lively feelings for destitute females similarly circum- 
 stanced. Actuated by that praise-worthy sentiment, Mrs. Jordan 
 provided herself with several complete sets of linen necessary for 
 lying-in women ; which, upon application and a knowledge that 
 the objects were deserving, she was accustomed to lend out for 
 the use of females under such circumstances. Being better enabled 
 to indulge her philanthropic disposition after joining an exalted 
 personage, her charitable exertions increased for a time in pro- 
 portion to her Dieans, and numerous were the objects who showered 
 blessings upon one whose benevolence was as unostentatious as it 
 proved liberal and extended in its varied ramifications. 
 
 The winter of 1789 was spent by our heroine in personating, 
 during the season, most of those characters in which she had so 
 uniformly obtained the plaudits of her hearers. In the summer 
 of the present year she made another trip to Edinburgh, where 
 the same success crowned her endeavours until towards the close 
 of her theatrical exertions, when the manager sought to cast an 
 odium upon her for not completing her agreement, which she was 
 prevented from doing on account of the death of her revered 
 mother. No female ever felt more unbounded love for a parent 
 
Life of Mes. Jordax. 23 
 
 than did Mrs. Jordan, who experienced the most acute anguish 
 for the loss she had sustained ; it was indeed, an affliction so 
 deeply rooted that it required every effort of reason and pliilosophy 
 to counteract its poignant effects. Grief, perhaps, found some 
 alle%"iation from the efforts of the poetic muse, as at the period 
 alluded to we find that the accompanying lines were written by 
 our actress, the same having found insertion in the Edinburgh 
 Herald. 
 
 TO THE MEMORY OF A EETERED MOTHER. 
 
 " Be ready, reader, if thoa hast a tear, 
 
 Nor blush if sympathy bestows it here ; 
 
 For a lost mother hear a daughter moan — 
 
 Catch the last sounds, and learn like her to groan I 
 
 Yet e'en those groans (sad echo's all to mine) 
 
 Must prove faint offerings at so dear a shrine : 
 
 If feeble these, how feebler far must bo 
 
 The tribute to be paid by poesy ! 
 
 The bleeding heart that's whelm'd with real woe. 
 
 Affects no flow'rs near Helicon that grow ; 
 
 Sobs and swoln sighs ill suit sweet numbered lays: 
 
 The tear that waters cypress, drowns the bays. 
 
 Hard then must be the task in mournful verse, 
 
 The praise of a lost parent to rehearse. 
 
 Mild sufFring saint ! exemplary throngh life, 
 
 A tendfer mother and a patient wife ; 
 
 Whose firm fidelity no wrongs could shake. 
 
 While curbed resentment was forbid to speak. 
 
 Thus silent anguish marked her for her own, 
 
 And comfort coming late was barely known ; 
 
 It, like a shadow, smil'd and slipp'd away — 
 
 For churlish Death refused to let it stay : 
 
 A two-fold dart he levell'd to destroy. 
 
 At once a mother's and a daughter's joy ; 
 
 Better a double summons had been given. 
 
 To wipe our sorrows score, and make all ev^r 
 
 By kindly calling both at once to Heaven.' 
 
 It is not a little singular that while our heroine fulfilled this 
 engagement at the Edinburgh theatre, her uncle, the elder brother 
 of her father, Colonel Bland officiated as treasurer of that estab- 
 lishment. In the early part of his life, this gentleman had served 
 in the army, but being at length reduced in circumstances, was 
 under the necessity of having recourse to the theatrical profession 
 in order to procure subsistence. 
 
 The first appearance of our actress at Drury Lane after her 
 return to London from the north, was as late as the 8th of Feb- 
 ruary, 1790, at which period Mr. Kemble gave a situation in the 
 theatre to Mr. Bland, ]Mrs. Jordan's brother, who performed 
 
 ev'n, > 
 
24 Life of Mks. Jordan. 
 
 Sebastian in Ttveljth Night, to his sister's Viola. Tlie gentleman 
 in question bore a personal reseinl)lance to our actress, and as his 
 figure "was diminutive, not even towering above that of his dis- 
 guised relative, the mistaking one for the other was rendered 
 more agreeable to the eye of the observer. In person, however, 
 consisted the only resemblance between the niale and female of 
 this family, Mr. Bland never having displayed talents above 
 mediocrity. 
 
 Mr. Kemble, on the 8th of INIarch, brought forward Mrs. Behn's 
 comedy of The Hover, under the title of Love in many Masks ; 
 it had not been peformed for thirty years, at which period it came 
 out at Covent Garden theatre, the cliaracters of Whihnore, Blunt, 
 and Helena, having been sustained by Messrs. Smith and Shuter, 
 and Mrs. Woffington, the latter lady being replaced by Mrs. 
 Jordan. Although the title adopted by Mr. Kemble, on the re- 
 vival of this piece, was by no means striking, he had nevertheless 
 the powers of our actress to support the attempt, which she did 
 to the universal satisfaction of her auditors. 
 
 On the benefit night of our heroine, the 22nd of the same month, 
 after playing in 2'he Belle's Stratagem with her accustomed excel- 
 lence, she brought forward the fai'ce of Tlie Spoiled Child, wlien 
 her Little Pickle was hailed with rapturous enthusiasm. This 
 piece, ascribed to Mr. Ford, was frequently performed, and to 
 those Avho recollect her execution of the ballad commencing "Since 
 then I'm doom'd," it would be superfluous to panegyrise, as her 
 personification of the mischievous hero of the piece far outstripped 
 all attempts at praise. 
 
 We next find our actress inducted to the part formerly sustained 
 by Mr. Clive, in Fielding's Intrigxiing Cliamhermaid, and on the 
 17th of November, Miles Peter Andrews in conjunction with 
 Messrs. Reynolds and Topham, brought forward Better Late than 
 Never, wherein Mrs. Jordan had to personate the heroine under 
 a series of disguises. This piece possessed so little merit that not- 
 withstanding the efibrts of our actress, it speedily became a dead 
 letter. Our heroine, for her benefit, revived Tlie Humorous 
 Lieutenant of Beaumont and Fletcher, under the title of The 
 Greek Slave, or School for Cotcards, a comedy in which she played 
 Celia, the part formerly filled by Mrs. Woffington. After the 
 play, our actress delivered an epilogue, written expressly for the 
 occasion by Harry Bunbury ; the opening lines, though applicable 
 to the piece, seem as if in allusion to an event then, perhaps, on 
 the tapis. 
 
 " How str.vnge ! methinkB I hear the critic say, 
 What she, tlie serious heroine of a play ! 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 25 
 
 The manager his want of sense evinces, 
 To pitch on Hoydens for the love of Princes ! 
 To trick out Chamhermaids in awkward pomp, — 
 Horrid ! to make a Princess of a Romp. 
 
 At the close of the season, incessant attendance on her theatrical 
 duties had so far impaired the health of Mrs. Jordan, that she 
 became seriously indisposed, and a spitting of blood that took 
 place, seemed indicatory of an approaching decline. As her medi- 
 cal adviser thought change of air essential, and being partial to 
 the north of England, Mrs. Jordan determined to visit York, 
 where she had not been for some years. Thither she repaired, 
 accompanied by Mr. Ford, and performed during the race week 
 in several of her first rate parts. A dislike, however, to the luke- 
 warm conduct displayed by the York audience, led her to refuse 
 the fulfilment of stipulations previously entered into, wherefore 
 she chose to forfeit the sum named in case of failure, rather than 
 play ; and being then at Castle Howard for the benefit of the 
 country air, she forwarded a letter, of which the annexed were 
 the contents. 
 
 " Sir. — I agree with pleasure to your proposal of giving you 
 thirty pounds rather than ever perform in York. I shall return 
 to-morrow, and settle the balance of the account. 
 
 J am. Sir, 
 Your obliged humble Servt. — D. Ford." 
 
 After continuing her tour to Newcastle, and other towns of the 
 north, Mrs. Jordan returned to the London boards, being how- 
 ever, compelled at intervals to absent herself, owing to the increase 
 of her family by Mr. Ford. In this state of affairs she continued 
 until the summer of 1791, when following her professional avoca- 
 tions at York, she was on many occasions subjected to gross insults 
 while on the stage, fi'om the interference of some rigid moralists, 
 in consequence of her cohabiting with Mr. Ford in the character 
 of his mistress ; and it was then our actress for the first time 
 began seriously to contemplate a separation, unless he consented 
 to ratify his promise by making her his wife. 
 
 On resuming her engagement in London, immediately after the 
 occurence above referred to, it was the adverse fate of the heroine 
 of our tale, to arrest the attention of an exalted individual, who 
 became particularly fascinated by her personification of Little 
 Pickle in The Spoiled Child. The exquisite symmetry of Mrs. 
 Jordan's form in male attire, and more particularly her unmatched 
 talents m delineating the character of Little Pickle, combined to 
 subdue the affections of the personage in question ; and in con- 
 sequence ovea'tures were made, when the lady, with that delicacy 
 
26 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 of feeling so invariably characteristic of her actions, rejected the 
 offer, situated as she still was Avith Mr. Ford. Thus for a time 
 matters continued ; tlie lover's importunities increasing, while 
 pecuniary offers were tendered in the way of a settlement to the 
 amount of one thousand pounds per annum, which ultimately led 
 our heroine to conceive that it became a bounden duty, on account 
 of her offspring, to reflect seriously on the subject. The ultimatum 
 of this painful scrutiny was a proposal on the part of ]\Ers. Jordan, 
 that as she had for so many years cohabited with, and borne him 
 (Mr. Ford) a family of children ; in consideration also of her having 
 been uniformly introduced into society as his wife, she conceived 
 herself justly entitled to his hand ; and in consequence stipulated 
 that Mr. Ford should at once name a day to ratify the promise so 
 incessantly made, or in the event of a refusal she conceived her- 
 self at liberty to act as the dictates of prudence should prescribe. 
 INIr. Ford, however, thought tit to evade the question, when our 
 heroine conceived herself at liberty to embrace the protection 
 offered by the Duke of Clarence ; as in that case, she conceived 
 ample means would be placed at her disposal to provide for her 
 offspring, in whose behalf no legal plea on Mr. Ford could be set 
 forth. 
 
 This state of affairs was soon bruited abroad, when a party 
 sprung up in vindication of Mr. Ford, by whom he was represented 
 as an abandoned and injured man, to which were added aspei'sions 
 on her conduct in a professional point of view. Mrs. Jordan, 
 however, who, when roused, was as capable as any woman to vin- 
 dicate her own wrongs, determined by a bold step to effect that 
 end, and in consequence the following letter appeared in all the 
 public, prints, dated from the treasury of Drury Lane theati'e, the 
 30th of November, 1790. 
 
 " Sir, — I have submitted in silence to the unprovoked and un- 
 manly abuse which, for some time past, has been directed against 
 me, — because it has related to subjects about which the public 
 could not be interested ; but to an attack upon my conduct in my 
 profession, and the charge of want of respect and gratitude to the 
 public, I think it my duty to reply. 
 
 Nothing can be more cruel and unfounded than the insinuation 
 that I absented myself from the theatre, on Saturday last, from 
 any other cause than real inability, from illness, to sustain my 
 part in the entertainment. 
 
 I have ever been ready and proud to exert myself to the utmost 
 of my sti-ength, to fultil my engagements with the theatre, and to 
 manifest my respect for tlie audience : and no person can be more 
 grateful for the indulgence and applause with which I have been 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 27 
 
 constantly honoured. I would not obtrude upon the public at- 
 tention to anything that does not relate to my profession, in 
 which alone I may, without presumption, say, I am accountable 
 to them ; but thus called on, in the present instance, there can be 
 no impropriety in my answering those who have so ungenerously 
 attacked me, — that if they could drive me from that profession, 
 they would take from me the only income I have, or mean to 
 possess, the whole earnings of which, upon the past, and one half 
 for the future, I have settled upon my Children. Unjustly and 
 cruelly traduced as I have been, upon this subject, I trust that 
 this short declaration will not be deemed impertinent ; and for 
 the rest, I appeal with confidence to the justice and generosity of 
 the public. I am. Sir, 
 
 Your Obedient Servant, — Dor. Jordan." 
 
 A variety of ill-natured paragraphs appeared in the daily prints 
 notwithstanding this unvarnished explanation of facts, until the 
 10th of December, when Mrs. Jordan performed the part of 
 Roxalana in The Sultan, on which occasion the public displeasure 
 was openly manifested, but conscious of the rectitude of her own 
 sentiments, she advanced boldly to the front of the stage, and 
 alluding only to circumstances connected with her theatrical 
 calling, addi'essed the audience in the following terms. 
 
 " Ladies and Gentlemen, — I should conceive myself utterly 
 unworthy of your favour if the slightest mark of public disappro- 
 bation did not affect me very sensibly. 
 
 Since I have had the honour and the happiness to strive here 
 to please you, it has been my constant endeavour by unremitting 
 assiduity, to merit your approbation. I beg leave to assure you, 
 upon my honour, that I have never absented myself one minute 
 from the duties of my profession, but from real indisposition. 
 Thus having invariably acted, I do consider myself under the 
 public protection." 
 
 The separation of Mrs. Jordan from Mr. Ford was at length 
 made public, when she immediately became the protegee of her 
 royal admii-er ; it should, however, be explicitly understood that 
 no improper intimacy took place between the parties anterior to 
 the candid proposal made upon her part to Mr. Ford, as previously 
 explained, and his non-acquiescence with the same. When the 
 proposal of his Royal Highness became the theme of public 
 discussion, Sir Francis and Lady Lumm, whose names we have 
 previously had occasion to introduce, most strenuously advised 
 Mrs. Jordan never to accede to the terms of his Royal Highness, 
 as in such case, however painful to their feelings, they could no 
 longer tolerate her as a visitor to their mansion. 
 
28 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 Immediately after Mrs. Jordan's separation from Mr. Ford, the 
 latter gentleman conceived it necessary, on many accounts, to quit 
 the shores of England for a period until the publicity of the 
 affair should have subsided. We have previously remarked that 
 the individual in question had for a series of years introduced our 
 actress into the best societies, in the character of his lawful wife, 
 and it was no very improbable conjecture upon his part, that 
 some fathers of families, or brothers, tenacious in regard to the 
 characters of their wives, daughters, or sisters, might conceive 
 tliemselves called upon to demand that explanation which Mr. 
 Ford was not able to give in a satisfactory manner, and must 
 have brought things to extremities. To this may be added the 
 vacillating conduct of the gentleman, after the assurances so 
 often and so solemnly reiterated, that he would give his j^fotegee 
 a legal claim to his affections ; being thus placed in no very en- 
 viable 23oint of view with men of honourable feeling, — for those 
 reasons he determined on absenting himself from England. 
 
 It is singular that the writer, then a youth, accompanied by his 
 father, was in the packet boat that conveyed Mr. Ford to France, 
 and as far as we are enabled to call circumstances to our mind, 
 the gentleman alluded to, whose only intercourse during the pas- 
 sage was with our parent, — seemed to enjoy no very enviable state 
 of mind, a fact that in some measure redounds to his credit, as 
 an apathetic sentiment under similar circumstances, must have 
 stamped him altogether divested of the best feelings of humanity. 
 
 The opposition to our actress, which had previously manifested 
 itself, became more formidable after her open cohabitation with 
 the Duke of Clarence, several attempts being set on foot to drive 
 her from the stage ; but these ebullitions gradually subsided, and 
 her talents and sweetness of disposition ultimately reinstated 
 her completely in public favour. 
 
 Among the numerous anecdotes circulated in consequence of 
 this splendid connection, we insert the following : — 
 
 The late illustrious parent of Thalia's new protector is reported 
 to have said to his son, "Hey, hey; — what's this — what's this? 
 you keep an actress, keep an actress, they say." — "Yes, sir." — 
 "Ah, well, well; how much do you give her, eh?" — " One thousand 
 a year, sir." — ^" A thousand ! a thousand ! too much, too much ! 
 five liundred quite enough — quite enough ! " It is added that the 
 son wrote to our actress, expressing the opinion of his parent, 
 and as it was then customary at the bottom of the play bills, to 
 annex these words : "No money returned after the rising of the 
 curtain ! " that our actress tore the same ofi', and enclosed it in a 
 blank cover, to her protector. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordax. 29 
 
 The well-known parsimony and illiberal sentiments of the in- 
 dividual alluded to in the first of the above statements, tend to 
 confer some appearance of validity as to this anecdote ; the latter 
 statement we have merely inserted in order to give it an unquali- 
 fied denial, as any person possessing a tithe of our knowledge of 
 Mrs. Jordan's delicacy of sentiment, would pronounce her wliolly 
 incapable of having made the indecent allusion referred to. 
 
 We have previously spoken of an annuity of one thousand 
 pounds a year, said to have been settled on our acti'ess by her new 
 protector. Now when she ultimately became reduced in circum- 
 stances, we should like, in the first place, to enquire what had 
 become of the lai'ge sums obtained during her long and brilliant 
 theatrical career, placed in the funds, and intended after death, 
 for the suppoi't of her offspring by Mr. Ford ; and secondly, where 
 were the proceeds and bi'illiant results expected to accrue from 
 this princely boon ? 
 
 We do not pretend to infer that such settlement did not take 
 place,— that is to say, as far as the signing a legal instrument was 
 concerned : but what avail sheets of parchment, with their seals 
 annexed, and barren autographs ? — the technicalities of the law 
 can neither create gold, or stamp Bank paper ! The only question, 
 therefore, resolves itself to this : — Was the annuity ever paid f 
 Prudent motives deter us from answering ; but from what will 
 be stated hereafter, we leave its solution to the cool judgment of 
 every dispassionate reader. 
 
 A remarkable addition to the foi'tune of our actress, occurred 
 in the year 1791, by the death of a near relative of her mother's, 
 which, coupled ■svith the emoluments derived from her professional 
 avocations, sv\'elled her income to three thousands pounds per 
 annum. 
 
 This ample fortune, and the high patronage obtained by Thalia, 
 would, of course, have empowered her to liquidate such pecuniary 
 obligations as might have oppressed her, had any such existed, or 
 in the event of a want of principle on her part (than which nothing 
 was so foreign to her sentiments), the laws were open to have 
 compelled her acquiescence with the calls of justice : yet no such 
 means ever were resorted to. We make these observations for 
 reasons that will become manifest in the progress of our recital. 
 
 Our actress was now the inmate of a mansion-house of poten- 
 tates'; carriages and servants attended her bidding, and she 
 seemed to bask in the full splendour of fortune ; while to crown 
 her felicity, she proved in that situation which is uniformly grati- 
 fying to those who feel anxious to present a progeny to their 
 protectors. 
 
^ Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 So unostentatious and truly domestic were the habits of Mrs. 
 Jordan, after her new and exalted connection, that we have fre- 
 quently witnessed her arrival, in a plain yellow chariot, at Miss 
 Tuting's, a milliner in St. James's Street, when she would alight 
 with an infant in her arms ; and during her stay, frequently 
 change the linen of the little one in the shop, while freely con- 
 versing with the person in attendance to wait upon customers. 
 
 Among the personages of note who took delight in the manners 
 of Mrs. Jordan, were the great Burke, and more particularly, 
 Sir Joshua Reynolds, who conceived her histrionic talents far 
 superior to those of M rs. Abington ; and on one occasion, arguing 
 with a friend upon this topic, who maintained that the latter per- 
 former had a more extended range of playing. Sir Joshua remarked, 
 " I do not know that you can make out your point ; for opposed 
 to the fashionable ladies of Mrs. Abington, you have the fashion- 
 able men of Mrs. Jordan; and the women who would pass for 
 men, whether Wildcdrs or Hypolitas, in comedy, and the tender 
 and exquisite Viola of Shakspeare, where she combines feeling 
 with sportive effect, and does as much by the music of her melan- 
 choly, as the music of her laugh." 
 
 In the year 1792, our actress found herself compelled to retire 
 for a short period from professional duties, in consequence of a 
 miscarriage at Petersham, being far advanced in her pregnancy, 
 when she gave birth to a daughter. This event occurred early in 
 August, and being recovered in the September following, she 
 visited the Richmond Theatre, to witness Mrs. Litchfield, then a 
 young actress, personate Julia in the Surrender of Calais. The 
 powers of the lady in question, particulai'ly pleased our actress, 
 who was unbounded in her applause ; indeed, so violent was her 
 action, that she literally severed the links of a gold chain, whereto 
 was appeiided the miniature of a Royal Personage, which dropped 
 upon the stage, over which was the box occupied by Mrs. Jordan. 
 In the season of 1782-83, she did not appear until the close of 
 February, when in defiance of Mr. Kemble, the acting manager, 
 she brought out a new comedy, entitled Anna, said to be the pro- 
 duction of a Miss Cuthbertson, aided by Mrs. Jordan. Respecting 
 this composition, disputes ran very high, our heroine maintaining 
 that novelty was essentially requisite, while Mr. Kemble con- 
 tended that nothing was required beyond the sterling drama, 
 whereby she, as well as himself and Mrs. Siddons, had so per- 
 manently established their reputations. There was, indeed, little 
 to recommend this comedy, the leading features of which were 
 the disguise of our actress, and an appeal to her vocal powers 
 — being, as usual, very effective \ but the production proving too 
 
Life of Mrs. Jorda:!^. 
 
 31 
 
 vapid to command success, was condemned accordingly. For her 
 benefit this season, our heroine selected Murphy's comedy of All 
 in the Wrong, personating Lady Restless ; and Kelt, in the farce 
 of The Devil to Pay. 
 
 On the 29th of Novembei', 1794, was represented a two-act 
 comedy, from the pen of Mrs. Robinson, entitled Nobody, wherein 
 Mrs. Jordan sustained a character; but the production was of a 
 nature by no means suited to the public taste, and the piece was, 
 in consequence, laid upon the shelf. On this occasion it became 
 obvious that however kind and sympathising the heart of OT^r 
 actress might be, she was by no means formed to combat this fury 
 of opposition, which was manifested in the representation of the 
 present piece, in no very measured terms. The comedy w^as tried 
 a second time, but as might be expected, Nobody came to nothing. 
 At the same juncture, Mrs. Inchbald wrote a farce for Mrs. 
 Jordan, called Tlte Wedding Day, wherein she warbled that most 
 effective of ballads. In the dead of the Night, which in itself 
 possessed sufficient charms to ensure the success that attended 
 this little production. 
 
 Under the continued management of Mr. Kemble, Ave next find 
 Miss Mellon, afterwards Mrs. Coutts, and now Duchess of St. 
 Albans, treading the boards of Drury Lane, on the 31st of Jan- 
 uary, 1795, when she personated the character of Lydia Lang^iish 
 in The Rivals. This essay proved so satisfactory to the leader of 
 the dramatic corps, that the lady secured an engagement for the 
 line of characters sustained by Mrs. Jordan. It is but justice to 
 add that Miss Mellon possessed a very considerable share of 
 theatric talent, and when we add — after speaking of our heroine 
 — that in sustaining the parts of Rosalind and the Romj), the 
 lady in question maintained a very respectable footing, even be- 
 fore a London audience, we conceive no further panegyric requisite. 
 It may not be improper to remark, that Miss Mellon's features 
 at that period possessed a considerable share of naivete, and her 
 figure was slim, elastic, and elegant. 
 
 On the 12th of May, was produced the comedy of First Lov% 
 by Mr. Cumberland, wherein Mrs. Jordan was empowered to 
 display her talents in the pathetic,-— having to sustain the character 
 of Sahina Rosny, whose parents were supposed to have perished 
 during the French revolution : when alone and unprotected, she 
 had effected her escape to Italy, where an English nobleman be- 
 trayed her by means of a false marriage. Some of the scenes 
 introduced were painfully afiecting, particularly one between 
 Miss Farren and our actress, concerning which the author himself 
 remarked: "When two such exquisite actresses conspired to 
 
32 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 support me, I will not be so vain as to presume I could have stood 
 without their help."— J/em. Vol. II. j). 281. 
 
 In 1796, Mrs. Jordan experienced a miscarriage, and was in 
 consequence detained for a few months from her duties. This 
 circumstance led the writers for the public press to renew their 
 virulent attacks, in the course of which, it was infamously asserted 
 that her non-attendance was the effect of caprice ; whereas her 
 pliysician. Dr. Warren, was tlie sole regulator of her conduct, on 
 that, as well as other occasions. 
 
 In February, Mr. Kemble revived the comedy of Tlie Plain 
 Dealer, by Wyclierly, wherein he personated Manly to the Fidelia 
 of Mrs. Jordan, on which occasion, according to the statement of 
 Mr. Boaden, " She quite subdued him." The writei- above alluded 
 to, then proceeds to state as follows: — "He (Mr. Kemble) told 
 me that she was absolutely irresistible, and I am sure he thought 
 what he said ; there had been a good deal of contest, occasionally, 
 between them, and he was sometimes accused of not sufficiently 
 studying, or pi'omoting her interest. Miss Fai-ren often disputed 
 points of management with him ; and he had great difficulty to 
 keep the steady course which his own judgment had settled. I 
 freely admit that he had done more for Mrs. Joi'dan in the way 
 of revival and alteration, than for any other actress, if you even 
 name his sister, Mrs. Siddons." 
 
 In a note, Mr. Boaden further adds, in reference to this topic : 
 " What he (Mr. Kemble) said to me upon this occasion, will be 
 rightly understood. He used the language of Yorick, when he 
 was no jester : — ' It may seem I'idiculous enough to a torpid heart: 
 I could have taken her into my arms, and cherished her, though 
 it was in the open street, without blusliing.' " Such an expression 
 from the frigid lips of Mr. Kemble, was a compliment conferred 
 upon the pathos of Mrs. Jordan's style of acting, that speaks 
 volumes in her praise. 
 
 From the above period, we have little of consequence to record, 
 until the ever memorable night of the 2nd of April, 1796, on 
 which occasion our heroine personated a character in the pseudo 
 drama of Shakspeare, the production of a youthful impostor under 
 eighteen years of age ; in whose work, entitled his Confessions, 
 when speaking of our actress, he thus expresses himself : — 
 
 " As the native sweetness of her (Mrs. Jordan's) voice had so 
 invariably excited public approbation, I conceived that by writing 
 a ditty expressly for that lady, I should, in a gi'eat measure, 
 benefft the piece when represented. In consequence of this sup- 
 position, I composed the annexed verses, which were very suitably 
 set to music by William Lindley, Esqr., and received with un- 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 33 
 
 bounded plaudits when sung by the inimitable actress alluded to, 
 on the night of the representation of the play. 
 
 " I should here acquaint the reader, in order to account for the 
 statement above (that the ditty was expressly composed for that 
 personage), that every leading character introduced, was positively 
 written for some cei"tain performer ; and it was for the same 
 reason I caused the lady in question to assume the masculine 
 attire, as she was so universally allowed to become the male 
 costume." 
 
 The Shakspearian fabricator, therefore, feeling conscious from 
 the applause our actress uniformly received in the execution of 
 ballads (witness "The Cuckoo " song in As you Like it, — "Since 
 then I'm doomed," in the Spoiled Child, — " In the dead of the 
 night," sung in the Wedding Day, &c.), that nothing would tend 
 so much to render his production palatable, as a strain from the 
 lips of our Syren — was prompted to compose the following lines, 
 which were sung by Thalia with her wonted pathos. 
 
 BALLAD. 
 
 She sung, while from her eye ran down 
 
 The silv'ry drop of sorrow ; 
 From Grief she stole away the crown, 
 Sweet Patience, too, did borrow : — 
 Pensive she sat, 
 While Fortune frown'd. 
 And smiling, woo'd sad Melancholy. 
 
 Keen Anguish fain would rive her heart, 
 
 And sour her gentle mind ; 
 But Charity still play'd her part, 
 And Meekness to her soul did bind ; 
 She bowed content, 
 Heav'd forth one sigh,' 
 Sang, wept, then turned to Melancholy. 
 
 Careless, her locks around her hung. 
 
 And strove to catch the dewy tear ; 
 The plaintive bird in pity sung, 
 
 And breath'd his sorrow in her ear. 
 Amaz'd she look'd, 
 And thank'd his care, 
 Then sunk once more to Melancholy. 
 
 The same writer, on another occasion, speaking of our actress, 
 thus expresses himself : — 
 
 " I think it but justice in this place to offer my sincere thanks 
 to that lady, for her kind endeavours on a subsequent occasion, 
 when she had to sustain one of the principal characters in the 
 drama. I also beg to state that I shall ever be mindful of her 
 
34 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 particular kindness and aftability during the visit made to lier ; 
 as also for her complacency and condescension during ray long 
 continuance in the green-room of the theatre, on the representation 
 of my play ; when not only her transcendant abilities as an 
 actress were exerted in my behalf before the curtain, but reani- 
 mating expressions while in the green-room continually flowed 
 from her lips, in order to rouse me from the mental depression 
 under which I so obviously laboured on that eventful occasion." 
 
 In reference to his forgeries, young Ireland further informs us, 
 at page 222 of his Confessions, as follows : — 
 
 "In consequence of the general astonishment and curiosity 
 excited by the manuscripts, his Royal Highness the Duke of 
 Clarence became desirous of inspecting the papers, which being 
 intimated to Mr. Ireland, a time was fixed upon, when I was 
 made of the party, and with Mr. Samuel Ireland i-epaired to the 
 apartments occupied by his Royal Highness, in St. James's 
 Palace. 
 
 " Having carefully inspected all the documents produced, the 
 usual questions were put to me respecting the original discovery 
 of the manuscripts, in which Mrs. Jordan also joined — when 
 my former statements were, as usual, adhered to. His Royal 
 Highness, I perfectly remember, made numerous objections, and 
 particularly to the redundancy of letters, apparent throughout 
 the papers. To every question, however, the answers were made 
 as usual, and thus the doubts which arose in his Royal Highness's 
 mind, were obviated by Mr. Ireland." 
 
 Now, without wishing to offer an intentional affront to Mr. 
 Ireland, we cannot conceive him so iinbued with the attributes of 
 folly, as seriously to have told us that his Royal Highness of 
 Clarence was aware of the mode of spelling in the days of our 
 great poet. The simple fact is. Master Ireland, you were 
 desirous of hoaxing anew, by giving perspicuity to a brain where- 
 with you felt fully aware it was not imbued. All this, however 
 was pardonable ; you deceived his Royal Highness, you subse- 
 quently confessed the fraud, and therefore tendered the best salve 
 in your power to heal the wound inflicted. 
 
 In the month of October, 1797, a new comedy was rehearsed 
 at Drury Lane theatre, from the pen of Frederick Reynolds, Esqr. 
 called Cheap Living, in which piece Mrs. Jordan had to sustain 
 the character of Sir Edicard Bloomly, a boy of fifteen, who pre- 
 tended to ape all the airs and manners of an adult. She at this 
 period began to feel repugnance at assuming the male costume, 
 and was particularly dissatisfied with the youthful chax'acter above 
 mentioned ; a circumstance that gave great umbrage to Mr 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 35 
 
 Wrougbton, the acting manager, who, during one of the rehearsals 
 of this piece, said to her in his accustomed frank manner : 
 
 " Why, Mrs. Jordan, you are grand — quite the Duchess again 
 this morning." 
 
 " Yery likely," was the reply, "for you are not the first person 
 who has this very day condescended to honour me, ironically, 
 with the same title." 
 
 Assuming her wonted smile, and without the slightest pique 
 being apparent in her gesture, Mrs. Jordan, with all that charac- 
 teristic humour wherewith she had been gifted by nature, pro- 
 ceeded to make the following statement. That during the morning, 
 having been necessitated to discharge her Irish cook for imper- 
 tinence : having paid the wages, the indignant purveyor of the 
 palate, taking up a shilling and vehemently banging it upon the 
 table, exclaimed : 
 
 "Arrah, now, honey, with this thirteener, won't I sit in the 
 gallery, and won't your Royal Grace give me a courtesy, and 
 ■won't I give your Royal Highness a howl, and a hiss into the 
 bargain ! " 
 
 It was at this period ]Miss Farren retired from the boards of 
 Drury Lane theatre, preparatory to her union with the Earl of 
 Derby, when Mrs. Jordan undertook to personate many of the 
 characters that had been sustained by that justly esteemed per- 
 former. We particularly recollect seeing our heroine, on more 
 occasions than one, support the part of Lady Teazle in the School 
 for Scandal, which, although not stamped with that air of fashion 
 and ton assumed by her pi'edecessor, was nevertheless marked by 
 a peculiar naivete that compensated for any lack of the excel- 
 lencies elicited by Miss Farren. 
 
 The following complimentary lines on the diversified talents of 
 !Mrs. Jordan, are extracted from a work entitled Memoirs of th»i 
 Green Room, being thus headed : — 
 
 A POETICAL CHAEACTER. 
 
 To make us feel ev'n Garrick's loss no more, 
 
 And be what he and Pritchard were before, — • 
 
 Like them, an equal share of praise to gain, 
 
 In mirth's gay sallies or the tragic strain. 
 
 This to perform, at last did Jordan come, 
 
 And rais'd their buried graces from the tomb. 
 
 When Viola, to hopeless flames a prey, 
 
 Pines with her smother' d love, and fades away. 
 
 Each sentence moves «s, more from lips like those. 
 
 And ev'ry line with added beauty glows ! 
 
 When wandering wild, to seek what climes afford 
 
 Some certain tidings of her captive lord — 
 
36 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 Matilda roams ; — the melancholy strain, 
 
 Wakes in each breast a gently pleasing pain : 
 
 At that sad voice, the nerves responsive beat : 
 
 " It lends a very echo to the seat 
 
 Where love is tliron'd,"-So soft it sounds that hence, 
 
 The tuneful nothings steal the charms of sense. 
 
 Again behold the Country Qirl appears, 
 
 With arch simplicity. — The Queen of Tears 
 
 Flies far away : — Mirth rules the sportive night, 
 
 And all is rapture, laughter, and delight ! 
 
 'Tis not the actress speaks — 'tis Nature all : 
 
 No tinsel tricks the -wandering sense recall. 
 
 Th' illusion lasts throughout, — in ev'ry tone, 
 
 Unfetter'd genius stamps her for its own. 
 
 Who that had only seen her in some part, 
 
 Where, as in Viola, she charms the heart : 
 
 Where ev'ry step is elegance ; — and trrace 
 
 Informs each feature of that lovely face I 
 
 Who that had seen her thus could e'er presume. 
 
 To think those speaking eyes could still assume 
 
 The rolling vacancy and senseless si-are. 
 
 That mark the gawkiiiess of hoyden's air ? — 
 
 Or who that only had Matilda seen, 
 
 And the soft tenderness of Richard's Queen, 
 
 Would e'er conceive that the same form might show, 
 
 The rakish freedom of a rattling beau ? 
 
 Such are thy pow'rs, so vast and unconfin'd, 
 
 Quick as a thought, and shifting as the wind ! 
 
 May wealth and fortune all thy steps attend, 
 
 And private worth retain the private friend ; 
 
 For, if report speaks true, that face imparts 
 
 An honest copy from the best of hearts — 
 
 The gen'rous feelings of a lib'ral mind, 
 
 And solid sense with gay good humour join'd. 
 
 The next character in which we find Mrs. Jordan figure was a 
 melo-dramatic cast, namely, Angela, in the Castle Spectre, a pro- 
 duction from the pen of Matthew George Lewis, Esqr., otherwise 
 Monk Lewis, son of the Deputy Secretary at war. This piece 
 was produced on the 14th of December, and continued such a 
 favourite as completely to recruit the exhausted treasury of Drury 
 Lane theatre. The peculiar effect of the phantom scene, when 
 Mrs. Powel, as the mother, issued in ghostly guise from the chapel, 
 to administer the benediction on her persecuted daughter, Angela 
 (Mrs. Jordan), was productive of an efiect upon the audience no 
 tongue can describe ; the whole being accompanied by a species 
 of cathedral chaunt from the pen of Jomelli, the composer, that 
 rendered the scene next to superhuman. 
 
 After the successful run cf this melo-dramatic entertainment, 
 Mrs. Jordan's talents were uniformly called into action to pourtray 
 the Country Girl, or figure in the Confederacy, the Will, &c., 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 37 
 
 until the representation of Kotzebue's Stranger, on the 24th of 
 March, 1798, afforded her a respite from the unvarying nightly 
 toil to which she had been so long subjected. 
 
 The fruits of our heroine's brilliant intercourse, were a quick 
 succession of progeny, which, it will subsequently appear", ter- 
 minated in a family of ten children, — five males, and an equal 
 number of the opposite sex ; who, with the offspring formerly 
 brought to Mr. Ford, and the child supposed to have been the 
 fruit of the infamous Mr. Daly's criminal proceeding,— placed our 
 actress among the rank of those who are termed prolific females. 
 
 On the 22nd of March, 1799, appeared a comedy from the pen 
 of Mr. Morris, the Barrister, entitled the Secret, wherein our 
 heroine sustained the part of Rosa, when it was a general remark 
 that she seemed to have become more than usually partial to the 
 expi'ession of sentimental and affecting passions. The fact is, she 
 sustained the character with such peculiar effect, that the melan- 
 choly of her demeanour seemed the result of some hidden circum- 
 stances more intimately connected with mind, than the bare 
 mimickry of care and sorrow. The epilogue by Mr. Coleman, was 
 delivered by our heroine with such peculiar effect as to command 
 an encore, a very unusual theatrical incident. At the pei'iod to 
 which we refer, we glean the following anecdote from Mr. Boaden's 
 Life of Mrs. Jordan, vol. 2. p. 12. 
 
 " It was about this piece (Tlie Secret) I remember we had been 
 speaking, when she told me she had another East Indian offered 
 at her shrine, which she would trouble me to read. I did so, and 
 we talked the piece over at her town residence in Somerset-street, 
 Portman-square. She had not told me Avho was the author of the 
 play, but there was that in it which merited consideration. I 
 gave Iier my opinion frankly, and pointed out the indecorum of 
 the interest ; however, though not a moral play, it was written 
 evidently, I said, by a man of talent, and as a benefit piece, pre- 
 ferable to an old one. Mrs. Jordan here, in confidence, informed 
 me that the Duke had taken the trouble to read it at her desire, 
 also ; and that we agreed most decisively in our opinions. She 
 was in charming spirits, I remember, that morning, and occa- 
 sionally ran over the strings of her guitar. Her young family 
 were playing about us, and the present Colonel Geox'ge Fitzclarence 
 (now Earl of Munster), then a child, amused me much with his 
 spirit and strength ; he attacked me, as his mother told me, his 
 fine tempered father was accustomed to permit him to do himself. 
 He was certainly an infant Hercules. The reader will judge of 
 the pleasure with which I have since viewed his career, as a 
 soldier ; and I owe him my best thanks for his instructive and 
 
38 Life op Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 amusing Journey across India, througli Egypt to England, in the 
 winter of 1817-18, "whicli he dedicated to his late Majesty George 
 the Fourth, when Prince Regent. I shall here merely say that 
 his fourth chapter in this work is written with great skill, and 
 possesses that interest whicli arises from actual facts at critical 
 periods ; from difficulties surmounted by patience and exertion ; 
 abounding in the terrible and destructive, unexaggerated and 
 minutely detailed. As a moving picture, this division of the 
 work may, with advantage, stand a comparison with the best 
 passages of those who travel to seek eflects." 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, on the 22nd of April, appeared in the East Indian, 
 for her benefit. This comedy was the production of Mr. Lewis, 
 as well as a farce called the Twins, which he also presented to 
 Bannister, who adopted it for his benefit night. 
 
 Late in this year (1799), Miss Biggs personified Zorayda, in 
 the place of our actress, who candidly confessed her predilection 
 for the pathetic, alleging that had she been blessed early in life 
 by an intercourse with refined company, she felt convinced that 
 she might have attained eminence as a tragedian. 
 
 Early in the year 1800, our heroine resumed her dramatic 
 career, and on the 10th of May performed in a comedy written 
 by Prince Hoare, called Indiscretion. On the 15th of the same 
 month, their Majesties, accompanied by the Princesses, Sec, visited 
 Drury Lane theatre, to see She would and She zvould not, and the 
 Humourist of Mr. Cobb, a farce that had been recommended by 
 Edmund Burke to Sheridan, in the year 1785. His Majesty had 
 j*ust entered the box, when a man starting up from the front of the 
 pit, levelled a horse pistol at the King, which he discharged. 
 The monarch, advancing to the front of the box, waved his hand 
 to the Queen in order to deter her from entering, and then, to 
 dispel all apprehension among the audience respecting liis safety, 
 laying his right hand upon his breast, bowed in acknowledgment 
 for the extreme anxiety manifested by the crowds assembled. 
 
 Hatfield was secured, but so great was the general horror 
 evinced, that Mrs. Jordan was obliged to present herself, who gave 
 assurance to the audience "that he was perfectly secured, and 
 properly attended," when the play was ordered to proceed. 
 
 The Drury Lane company, and more particularly our heroine, 
 had long lamented that the political sentiments of Mr. Sheridan 
 should prove a bar to the visits of their Majesties to that theatre; 
 however, from speeches that had been delivered in parliament, 
 and the patriotic sentiments put into the mouth of Holla by the 
 manager, it began to be inferred that the King would be led to 
 repeat his visits. Thia supposition was strengthened by a know- 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 39 
 
 ledge that the Princesses were particularly anxious to witness the 
 performances of the lady who had so completely captivated their 
 royal brother. Such had been the feeling entertained prior to 
 the above incident, which it Avas apprehended, would at once put 
 a stop to any further attendance on the part of George the Third 
 and the Royal Family. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, on the 18th of January, 1800, was delivered of a 
 daughter, at Busby Park, which circumstance acted as a bar to 
 her appearance in public, until the 12th of March, when she per- 
 sonated the Country Girl, with all the fascinations attending its 
 representation in younger days. 
 
 In the above month appeared Cumberland's piece, entitled 
 Lovers' Resolutioiis, in which Mrs. Jordan personified Racket, a 
 very appropriate name for the busy character assigned to her in 
 this piece. On the 24:th of ^Nlay, our heroine appeared as Lady 
 Teazle, for the benefit of that sterling master of his art, the late 
 Mr. King, who on the night in qnestion, retired from the stage, 
 accompanied by the rapturous plaudits of his admiring auditors. 
 As we conceive the ciitique of Mr. Boaden sterling on this occa- 
 sion, we will quote his words from p. 96 of his Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 "She (Mrs. Jordan) differed essentially from her predecessors 
 in this— that as to tliem, the six inanths of fashionable life had 
 totally divested them of their original habits— they did not act 
 the fine lady ; they seemed never to have occupied any other 
 station than the one present. Mrs. Jordan thought the rather 
 coarse pleasantries which her Ladyship lavished upon Sir Peter, 
 were more in the tone of her /ormer than the present condition, 
 and she therefore returned to its frank and abrupt discontent ; 
 she quarrelled with her old rustic petulance, and showed her 
 natural complexion; — her rouge, and her finesse she reserved for 
 artificial life. She wanted the recovering dignity of Abington, 
 to advance before the prostrate screen ; but her voice aided her 
 very natural emotion, and though she was not superior in the 
 part, she merited consideration, and to be compared with the 
 printed play, rather than the manner in which it had been acted." 
 
 During the summer of this year, Mrs. Jordan occasionally 
 performed at the Richmond theatre, and subsequently at Margate, 
 upon the accustomed terms of £180 for six nights, and a clear 
 benefit. It was on this occasion, that while personating the 
 Country Girl, our heroine's drapery became ignited, but the 
 flames were so speedily extinguished, that she sustained no injury; 
 when in her accustomed playful manner, she returned her heart- 
 felt thanks to the audience for the sympathy they had evinced in 
 regard to the dangerous situation in which she had been placed. 
 
4U LlKi: UK -Mus. J GUI) AN. 
 
 On the 1 Gth of September, under tlu- direction of Mr. Bannister, 
 Mrs. Jordan opened the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, in the char- 
 acter of liisiirri', in the comedy of the Inconstant ; soon after whioli, 
 Mr. Cherry being engaged, resolved to nuike our actress liis friend; 
 for which purpose he undertook to produce a play, exhiljiting our 
 heroine to the greatest advantage, of which we shall shortly have 
 occasion to speak. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, on the 29th of January, 1803, sustained a part 
 in Holcroft's new comedy of Hear Both Sides, and on that occasion 
 used every effort to support the piece, which, nothwithst.inding, 
 proved a dead letter. 
 
 On the 16th of April, a five-act comedy was performed, from 
 the pen of Mr. Allingham t a clever production, wherein Mrs. 
 Jordan, as Emma Harvey, gave univer.sal satisfaction. 
 
 We have previously had occasion to remark, that the philan- 
 thropy of the heroine of our tale was unbounded, and that her 
 conduct to the necessitated, in her own profession, was proverbial. 
 An opportunity of this description presented itself in the case of 
 Charles Lee Lewis, a performer of forty years" standing, who, 
 being reduced in circumstances, had a benefit awarded him, when 
 he, for the last time, performed Lissardo in the Wonder, and Mrs, 
 Jordan, Viola. As a part of the entertainment, Mrs. Litchfisld 
 undertook the recitation of Dry den's Alexanders Feast, when, 
 being ready dressed for the occasion, our heroine complained of 
 the nervous state of her feelings, — in proof of this, seizing Mrs. 
 Litchfield's hand, she placed it upon her heart, exclaiming, '* You 
 are a good, kind, creature, will you take the book to the wing, 
 and prompt me in case I am at a loss?" To this Mrs. Litchfield 
 assented, and regularly accompanied her through the part. 
 
 We had thus far proceeded in correcting the press for our 
 memoir, when we were permitted to inspect one of the most volumi- 
 nous collections of manuscript and printed documents on the 
 subject of theatricals, we have ever yet inspected. On referring 
 to the documents respecting Mrs. Jordan, such a multiplicity of 
 genuine articles appertaining to our actress appeared, that we 
 deemed it expedient to profit by the permission accorded, and 
 have in consequence, to introduce a series of statements refei-ring 
 to years of her life already printed off, that we deem it expedient 
 to annex them, until the date atjwhich we closed the last page, 
 viz. 180.3 ; on the attainment of which epoch we shall arrange the 
 fresh information acquired from the above source, in the chrono- 
 logical order of each succeeding year. 
 
 One of the earliest efforts of our actress that tended to bring 
 her into repute, was the ballad entitled "To the Green Wood 
 gang wi' me," the first stanza of which runs as follows : — 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 41 
 
 " To speir my love vci' glances fair, 
 
 The woodland laddie came ; 
 He vow'd lie would be ay sincere, 
 
 And thus he spake his flame : 
 
 "The morn is blith my bonny fair. 
 
 As blith as blith can be ; 
 To the green wood gang, my lassie dear, 
 
 To the green wood gang wi' ine," &c. 
 
 We now refer to the date of 1785, when the following paragraph 
 on the subject of our Thalia appeared in one of the London daily 
 prints. 
 
 " The lame, and the halt, and the leprous, were last Tuesday 
 night invited to bathe in the streams of Jordan humour, and to 
 go away happy. What were the salutary effects, they best can 
 tell who stood most in need of them; but if we may be allowed to 
 hazard an opinion, without detracting from the other properties 
 the Jordan may possess, we conceive its astringent and emulgent 
 properties to have most powerful influence on the blind.'" 
 
 At the same period, another paragraph emanated from the 
 public press, in the following words : — 
 
 " The great powers of JNlrs. Jordan, cannot be better displayed 
 than in the wonderful contrast in her Country Girl and Viola. 
 In one, all archness and vivacity; — in another, serious, gentle, 
 and sentimental. We understand, in addition to such diversity 
 of excellence, she is equally happy in opera. There may be greater 
 actresses in some one line, but where shall we find any so deserving 
 of applause in all?" 
 
 Speaking of the Duke of Clarence's early predilection for Mrs. 
 Jordan, we find the circumstance thus adverted to at the same 
 period : — 
 
 "We have reason to believe the desire of the Twelfth Night, 
 and the Ronxf at Drury-lane, this ev-ening, proceeded from a 
 certain personage, who, as Shakspeare says, 
 
 " Might put his witihes, more into commands." 
 
 " Certainly the early attention which his Royal Highness was 
 observed to pay to the performances of Mrs. Jordan, reflects the 
 greatest honour on his critical discernment." 
 
 Mrs. Jordan's performance of the Eovip>, was unquestionably 
 one of the most complete pieces of comic acting, that was ever exhi- 
 bited before the public. For a female to assume the masculine attire 
 with propriety, requires a symmetry of person, and perfection 
 of shape, ill suited to the costume worn at the time our heroine 
 flourished. Mrs. Jordan, however, very fortunately proved an 
 exception to this remark ; as, to a careless, easy manner of de- 
 
42 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 portnient, she added the most perfect elegance of form ; — so that 
 while the actress excited our admiration, we were no less captiv- 
 ated by the woman. 
 
 Speaking of our actress in male attire, a paragraph to the 
 following effect appeared : — 
 
 "As Mrs. Jordan so often chooses a breeches part, we cannot, 
 as men, but applaud her penetration. Females sliould envy her ; 
 for she has the fortunate i)rivilege to be above censure, and there- 
 fore heedless of what may fall from the tongue of malice ; but if 
 othar ladies were as openly to avow their partiality, as their 
 wishes or ideas might dictate, the world would not only smile, 
 but recriminate." 
 
 Tlie following criti(jue on Mrs. Jordan's performances, appeared 
 in the " Morning Herald," of the 2Gth of October, of the vear 
 1785:— 
 
 " Witli respect to Mrs. Jordan, the reports of the different 
 editors, though short, were full and discriminating ; yet in no 
 point wei^ they inconsistent. All were equally favourable to 
 her, — none fulsome. Slie is universally allowed to possess a 
 figure, small perhaps, but neat and elegant, as was remarkably 
 conspicuous where she was dressed as a boy, in the third act. Her 
 face, if not beautiful, is said by some to be pretty, and by some, 
 pleasing, intelligent, or impressive. Her voice, if not peculiai'ly 
 sweet, is not harsh ; — if not strong, is clear and equal to the ex- 
 tent of the theatre. She has much archness, and gave every 
 point of the dialogue witli the best comic effect. She is a perfect 
 mistress of the Jen de Theatre, and improved to the uttermost all 
 the ludicrous situations with which the Country Girl abounds ; 
 from such premises there is, and can be but one conclusion that 
 she is a inost valuable acquisition to the public stock of innocent 
 entertainment." 
 
 A correspondent on the 1st of March, 178G, sent the following 
 letter to the " Morning Herald," addressed to Mrs. Jordan : — 
 
 " Madam, — You will permit me to reduce into this epistolary 
 form, the general sentiments of this city, with regard to you, and 
 thus to convey to you the very flattering testimony which every 
 private circle, and every public assembly bears to your dramatic 
 excellence. My only motives herein, are these : — first, to give 
 vent to expressions of that admiration which your playing never 
 fails to create : — secondly, to give to merit that commendation 
 which is its due ; for though conscious abilities in a considerable 
 degree do reward themselves, yet one who, like you, is honourably 
 emulous of public approbation, derives a powerful addition of 
 atisf action from an express and formal declaration of it ; and 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 43 
 
 though I am not specially appointed secretary to the public, yet 
 it is an office that lies open to anyone, and I have, in the present 
 instance, sufficient credentials, wliich may be found in any com- 
 pany within the metropolis : — lastly, the delight you afford, 
 naturally creates an interest in your success ; and I have a pleasure 
 in thinking that this letter may possibly procure you in the 
 reading, a momentary flush of that satisfaction and honest pride, 
 which I presume you are susceptible of, in common with sensible 
 and ingenuous hearts. 
 
 "You perceive that you are a great favourite amongst us. 
 There is no company where Mrs. Jordan is not named with 
 uncommon applause. But that you may the better know what 
 particular qualities you possess to charm so extensive an audience, 
 give me leave to inform you, that they are principally your re- 
 markable skill in apprehending nature, and your extreme good 
 humour. Wherever you exert the former talent, I am inclined 
 to think that you will allow the best criterion of good acting, to 
 be the favourable sentiments of an audience, delivered from the 
 first impressions of nature, and not entirely a system of profes- 
 sional rules, which, in every line usurp a strange authority, and 
 I fear, have too much weight in the dramatic line with some, who, 
 in the representation of natural characters, are not content to 
 make natui'e only their model, nor to observe her only with their 
 own eyes ; but the case is very different with you : your action 
 proceeds so exactly and nicely from your characters which you 
 have the art of seizing, of representing to yourself, and of adopt- 
 ing, with such wonderful justness and precision, that you rather 
 seem to realise the circumstances of the drama, with regard to 
 yourself, than merely to accommodate your action to a character 
 you assume. I am sensible my language will immediately betray 
 my ignorance of the dramatic art ; but your nice judgment and 
 observation will turn this very circumstance to advantage, when 
 you see how you are understood and tasted by those who possess 
 no other standard by which to try your real merit, than ordinary 
 life. 
 
 "Your other quality is that of good humour; — after all, the 
 best recommendation from the stage, and which best secures the 
 friendship of the public. "VVe conceive you without those airs, 
 and that caprice which in almost every instance, produce in the 
 end a lasting rupture between the performer and his audience. 
 You appear without them, and possess a fund of good humour, 
 which displays itself in the lively repetition of several fatiguing 
 parts, which require an extraordinary exertion of the mind and 
 spirits. 
 
44 Life op Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 " Your sentence, cas I convey it to you, is not to be despised, 
 for it is pronounced by a jury of your peers ; so far, I mean, as 
 they are acquainted witli pure and genuine nature, and think her 
 the best interpreter of herself. 
 
 " In conclusion of this long letter, which nevertheless, I hope 
 will not appear quite unreasonable, — let me entreat you, from 
 the most unselfish motives, to persevere, and cultivate these ad- 
 mirable qualities ; and that you and the public may remain ever 
 on the most cordial terms, is the earnest wish of one of your 
 greatest Admirers." 
 
 The folloAving is a copy of Mrs. Jordan's address to the audience 
 of Edinburgh, after the play of the Beliefs Stratagem, in 1786. 
 
 WEITTEN AND SPOKEN BY HERSELF. 
 
 Presumption 'tis, in learning's seat, 
 For me the muses to entreat; — 
 Yet, bold as the attempt may be, 
 I'll mount the steed of poesy ; 
 And, as my Pegasus is small, 
 If stumbling — I've not far to fall. 
 
 Hear then, ye Nine, the boon I ask, 
 While (throwing off the comic mask), 
 With gratitude, I here confess, 
 How much you've heighten'd my success. 
 
 By seeking thus, my sentence now, 
 You've heap'd new laurels on my brow ; 
 Nor is the northern sprig less green, 
 Than that which in the south was seen ; 
 For though your sun may colder be. 
 Your hearts I've found as warm for me. 
 
 On one of Mrs. Jordan's last night's performances, at the Edin- 
 burgh theatre, she was presented with a gold medal, bearing the 
 following engraved inscription : — 
 
 " A small Tribute from the Admirers of Genius to the 
 Child of Natttrey 
 
 We are told that in 1786, Mrs. Jordan had brought into the 
 theatre, since her engagement which took place the preceding year, 
 no less a sum than £5,000, a circumstance that furnished sanguine 
 hopes of future entertainment to the public, as well as emolument 
 to the proprietors of that establishment. 
 
 The following just tribute of praise to Mrs. Jordan's private 
 charactei", appeared in a daily paper, in the month of October : — 
 
 " Mrs. Jordan's merit has been to the managers of Drury-lane. 
 a perfect magnet of attraction, and like a magnet, has suffered 
 no sensible diminution in its attracting powers. We have heard 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 45 
 
 much, at times, of the various private virtues of different per- 
 formers ; let it be remembered, therefore, that this lady likewise 
 does not rest all her pretentions to public favour, on her abilities 
 as an actress, but on those to which as a woman and as a member 
 of society, she is so highly entitled. A person who has known 
 her for some years, delineates her character as possessed of the 
 greatest sincerity, humanity, and good nature ; and as he early 
 saw, so he early foretold, that her merit would one day raise her 
 to the situation which she now tills so much to the public satis- 
 faction, as well as to her own advantage." 
 
 Many ill-natured aspersions having been disseminated by those 
 who envied the celebi'ity our actress had acquired, the following 
 letter appeared in the diurnal undermentioned : — 
 
 To the " Morning Herald." 
 
 " Mr. Editor, — A variety of paragraphs having lately appeared 
 in the newspapers, tending to convey an insinuation that I have 
 declined performing again at Drury-lane theatre, until I am an- 
 nounced in a manner different from what I have been ; — I beg 
 the favour of you to insert this letter, as a positive denial of such 
 charge, and of the supposed circumstances on which it is founded. 
 A long continuance of severe illness, has alone been the cause of 
 my absenting myself from my duty to the proprietors and the 
 public. I am, Sir, «fec., 
 
 Gower-st., Dorothea Jordan." 
 
 Feb. 4, 1788. 
 
 The following complimentary stanzas, addressed to Mrs. Jordan, 
 were first handed about in MS., and appeared in print on the 
 11th of August, 1788. 
 
 Embosom'd oft the sullied gem, 
 
 Earth's dull recess conceals, 
 Till the sun's penetrating beam, 
 
 The brilliant spark reveals. 
 
 The innate beauties of the mind, 
 
 Thus spurious powers control, 
 Till happily, some ray refin'd 
 
 Illuminates the soul. 
 
 How long the fashionable choice, 
 
 Tom-boy and Hoyden reign'd ; 
 How long thy wiles, the public voice, 
 
 Hypolita sustain' d ! 
 
 Till Viola beautified the scene 
 
 And Rosalind, the bower; 
 Thy blossoms, Jordan, had we seen, 
 
 But not thy fairest flower. 
 
46 LiFK OF MitS. JOUDAN. 
 
 In the Romp's Hippnnt, wanton dress, 
 
 The counterfeit is shown ; 
 Whilst the sweet churnis of tenderness, 
 And love — are all thy own. 
 Cheltenham, G. J. 
 
 Auf,'. 8th, 1788. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, during the residence of tlieir Majesties and the 
 Princesses at Cheltenham, in the above year, liad the good fortune 
 to secure the Royal favour so successfully, that it was expected 
 their presence at Drury-lane would be fretjuent in the course of 
 the following season. 
 
 In the month of September following, our actress was waited 
 upon by Boles Watson, Es(jr., manager of the Cheltenham theatre, 
 who presented her with an elegant medallion locket, richly set 
 on one side with line pearls, in the centre of which was a beautiful 
 painting of the comic muse, from tiie original picture executed by 
 Sir Joshua Reynolds. On the reverse was placed, in blue enamel, 
 an oval of fine brilliants, and in the centre, the following inscrip- 
 tion in gold letters on white enamel : — 
 
 "Presented to Mrs. Jordan, Thalia's Sweetest Child, 
 September 10th, 1788." 
 
 The design and workmanship gave general satisfaction to the 
 noblemen and gentlemen who were subscribers to the above token, 
 of the very exalted estimation in which they held the unrivalled 
 talents of our enchanting actress. 
 
 In 1789, a misunderstanding took place between our heroine 
 and Mr. Jackson, manager of the Edinbui'gh theatre, at which 
 period she penned a letter, dated from Chester, wherein she men- 
 tions not having seen the above gentleman's public statement of 
 the cause of their disagreement, which originated in the height of 
 illiberality on his part. In the communication alluded to, she 
 denies most of the assertions published by Mr. Jackson, — relates 
 the great difficulty she encountered in procuring from him any 
 pecuniary remuneration, — that in consequence she found herself 
 compelled to lurroiv money, in order to discharge her Edinburgh 
 engagements, and that the very identical bill he was compelled to 
 give her at Glasgow, for £100, was protested in London, though 
 the manager made a boast of his unvarying punctuality in all 
 pecuniary transactions. Mrs. Jordan concludes in the following 
 manner, whence it may be inferred, that her equanimity of tem- 
 per had experienced a violent shock, as she was not accustomed 
 to use acrimonious terms. 
 
 " I have now entirely done with this subject, and, thank God, 
 with Mr. Jackson, Avho I hope, by his punctuality, to pay his at 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordaw. 47 
 
 present protested note, will not compel me to resume any acquain- 
 tance with him, by the methods the law points out ! 
 
 "P. S. — As to Mr. Jackson's comparative statement of the 
 receipts, I am no judge ; — T can only say that the houses were 
 apparently very good, when I performed. Perliaps it would not 
 have been amiss, but rather fairer, if he had said that in the year 
 1785, from whence he drew Mrs. Siddon's account, that lady per- 
 formed at the advanced London prices." 
 
 The following poetical bagatelle has been ascribed to Murphy, 
 but whether correctly or not, we are ui:able to substantiate. 
 
 AX ACROSTIC. 
 
 J-ust emblem of all lovely nature, 
 0-rdaiu'd to charm by ev'ry feature, 
 B-eigning unrivall'd in thy art, 
 D-elight of ev'ry feeling heart ; 
 A-pplause await and crown thy wishes, 
 N-ations accord, "She all possesses!" 
 
 During this year was issued a pamphlet, now of extreme rarity, 
 under the title of — '■'■ JordavUs Elixir of Life, and Cure for the 
 Spleen ; or a Collectio7i of all the Songs sung by Mrs, Jordan, 
 since her first appearance in London. — Published by William 
 Holland, No. 50, Oxford-street, 1789." This production contains 
 forty-one ballads, duets, itc, and is illustrated by a whole length 
 engraving of our actress, in the character of Sir Harry Wildair, 
 to which is prefixed a very laconic biographical sketch of the lady. 
 While adverting to the subject of engi-aved portraits that exist 
 of Mrs. Jordan, in the superb collection whence our latter infor- 
 mation has been derived, we have enumerated thirty-one prints 
 of the subject of our biography, some of which are now very scarce. 
 
 The following song, introduced by Mrs. Jordan in the part of 
 Folly Honeycomb, in 1790, was said to be the production of her 
 own muse, and we consequently deem it admissible in the present 
 memoir. 
 
 SONG. 
 
 When late the wretched youth 
 Breath' d vows of endless truth, 
 
 All on the bare boards kneeling ; — 
 Protesting, sobbing, sighing, 
 'Mid flames and torment dying ; 
 Sure it was wond'rous feeling — 
 ♦ Ah ! pity the wretched youth. 
 
 O, had you heard him swear, 
 And call me " cruel fair," 
 So adverse to his loving ; — 
 
48 Life of Mrs. Jordax. 
 
 nia eyes with madness glaring, 
 His hair all fnintic tearing, 
 
 You'd swear 'twas wond'rous moving; 
 
 And pity the wretched youth. 
 
 But when a knife he drew, 
 To pierce his heart so true, 
 
 In wild disorder raving ; — 
 His face with tears all rtowing, 
 His nose all red with blowing; 
 
 Could I refrain from saving, 
 
 In pity, the poor yonth ? 
 
 On the 20tli of October, appeared in the Morning Herald, the 
 following composition, entitled, 
 
 SEPULCHRAL ANTICIPATION. 
 
 "Near a monument to Mrs. Clive, is a superb and richly 
 decorated urn, entwined with a wreath of fading flowers, and 
 embossed with a figure of Death trampling on the mask and 
 emblems of Comedy. On the tomb is the subsequent 
 
 INSCRIPTION. 
 
 Sacred to tbe /IDemor^ 
 
 OF 
 
 MRS. DOROTHY JORDAN, 
 
 Late of Drury Lane Theatre. 
 
 Poor injured mortality ! 
 
 Snatched 
 
 From the fostering embrace of 
 
 Public admii-ation, 
 
 In the full vigour of her attraction 
 
 That raised it ; — 
 
 Stop, gazer, 
 
 And behold the little tyrant of hearts. 
 
 The favoured nymph of Euphrosyne; 
 
 Thus mournfully entombed ! 
 
 Disdaining 
 
 To wear the trammels of science, which too often 
 
 Prevent the intention, and restrain 
 
 The effect of the Drama ; 
 
 Her exertions were 
 
 The dictates of nature, 
 
 Whos3 steps it was her profession to follow : 
 
 Like the " Child of Fancy, 
 
 In wood notes wild," 
 
 She inspired the hearts of her hearers, 
 
 With the warmth of sensibility, 
 
 And the transports of mirth : 
 
 The stem speculation of the pedantic Critic, (that too often blasts 
 
 the Oenius of the Stage, to maintain a consequence and 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 49 
 
 authority, equally base and unwarrantable) 
 
 Lost in the magic of her talents, 
 
 Would smooth its wrinkled front, 
 
 And, like honest Laughter, 
 
 Shake its bursting sides : 
 
 The jovial heart 
 
 That gave lustre to her scenic charms. 
 
 Cherished a sweetness of disposition, 
 
 Which rendered her amiable in private life ; 
 
 Her gaiety was decent, 
 
 As the heart that prompted it was sincere ; 
 
 And the frolic humour of the characters 
 
 It was her province to represent, 
 
 As an Actress, 
 
 She scorned to degrade the dignity 
 
 That belonged to her own, as a Woman. 
 
 In all her rosy train, 
 
 Thalia had not such a Nymph. 
 
 Tho' traveller, thou badst not witnessed 
 
 The powers of which thou read'st, 
 
 Eefuse not the tribute of a sigh 
 
 To her whose voice was 
 
 Public joy : 
 
 Nor quit these hallowed mansions. 
 
 Till in the ardour of a Sterne, 
 
 And the language of a Shakspeare, 
 
 Thou hast exclaim' d, 
 
 " Alas ! poor Jordan ! " 
 
 This monument is the tribute of 
 
 An impartial admirer. 
 
 Unconnected with the theatre. 
 
 Whose only design was to join in that 
 
 Approbation of Mrs. Jordan, 
 
 Which the public so unanimously testified, 
 
 And which her exertions 
 
 So justly merited. 
 
 We cannot help remarking, that the writer of the above in- 
 scription, in the year 1790, little dreamed how appropriate the 
 conclusive line, " Alas ! poor Jordan ! " would subsequently 
 prove to her melancholy end, and how fitting would be the ejacu- 
 lation, if engraved upon her tomb at St. Cloud. 
 
 In the above year, on the 20th of March, was first performed, 
 for our actress's benefit, the amusing piece of the Spoilt Child, 
 attributed to Mr. Ford, but which the daily prints declared Mrs. 
 Jordan had avowed, as being her own production, when, it is 
 added, she received the congratulations of her Brethren and Sister- 
 hood of the sock and buskin. 
 
50 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 As a proof tliat Mrs. Jordan was uniformly received as the 
 lawful wife of Mr. Ford, several paragraphs appeared in the sum- 
 mer of 1791, of which we give the annexed by way of sample: — 
 
 " Mrs. Jordan has withstood the unbounded offers of a certain 
 personage ; so much to her own credit, and to the satisfaction of 
 a certain gentleman, to whom she has for some years afforded her 
 smiles, that the latter has, from motives of gratitude and love, 
 introduced her as his wife, and in that character she has been 
 received in the most fashionable circles." 
 
 Among the innumerable tirades that appeared in the news- 
 papers, on the subject of Mrs. Jordan's connection with the Duke 
 of Clarence, we give the following specimens : — 
 
 ''^ A favourite comic actress, if old Goody Rumour is to be trusted, 
 has thought proper to put herself under the protection of a dis- 
 tinguished Sailor, who dropped anchor before her last summer, at 
 Richmond. As she resolutely held out however, at that time, 
 though the assault was vigorously pushed, perhaps this is only 
 a flying report ; and the lady thinks there is more security in a 
 private ybr^, than in the open sea." 
 
 "Little Pickle^s assumed character of the Tar, was a prelude 
 only to her future nautical fame ; for, though pressed into the 
 service, she has consented, we find, to be close moored under the 
 guns of the Royal Commodore." 
 
 "A correspondent observes, that what was only FoRDaJ^e some 
 time ago, is now capable of bearing a, first rate I" 
 
 "The part of Mrs. Ford has been supported with so much 
 decorum at Richmond, by Mrs. Jordan, that many respectable 
 families there are disposed to consider her as quite the character." 
 
 In reference to the above topic, we now beg leave to give some 
 interesting documents which were ushered into publicity with the 
 prefatory matter annexed. 
 
 " As a very considerable part of the public always take an in- 
 terest in the private characters of those who live by contributing 
 to the public amusement, such persons have a right to expect 
 that no part of their private conduct should be represented in a 
 more unfavourable point of view than it deserves. 
 
 " Mrs, Jordan's family affairs having been lately the subject of 
 much conversation, it is but justice to her to show that whatever 
 opinion may be entertained of her discretion, she has never been 
 deficient in the duties of a mother. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 51 
 
 " The following letter from the gentleman who has the best 
 means of knowledge, will clear up this part of the business to the 
 satisfaction of the most scrupulous : — 
 
 MR. FORD'S LETTER TO MRS. JORDAN. 
 
 "Lest any insinuations should be circulated to the prejudice of 
 Mrs. Jordan, in respect to her having behaved improperly towards 
 her children, in regard to pecuniary matters, I hereby declare 
 that her conduct has, in that particular, been as laudable, generous, 
 and as like a fond mother, as in her present situation it was pos- 
 sible to be. She has indeed given up for their use, every sixpence 
 she has been able to save from her theatrical profits ; she has also 
 engaged herself to allow them £550 per annum ; and at the same 
 time settled £50 a year upon her sister. It is but bare justice to 
 her for me to assert this, as the father of those children. 
 
 Octr. 14, 1791. (Signed) Richard Ford." 
 
 To Mrs. Jordan : — 
 
 " In gratitude for the care Mrs. Jordan has ever bestowed upon 
 my children, it is my consent and wish that she should, whenever 
 she pleases, see and be with them, provided her visits are not at- 
 tended by any circumstances which may be improper to them, or 
 unpleasant to me. Richard Ford." 
 
 On the 3rd of November, the following paragraph appeared in 
 one of the morning prints, which subsequently performed the 
 round of all the other diurnals. 
 
 " The connection between Little Pickle and her new Friend 
 has been paragraphed in every public shape, and unless something 
 extraordinary should occur, may now be dropped. — We have only 
 to add, that as Banker to her Highness, he actually received her 
 weeKs salary from the Treasurer, on Saturday last ! ! ! " 
 
 On the 13th of the above month, the annexed impromptu, &c., 
 were published on the same subject. 
 
 ON A CERTAIN PERSON'S RECEIVING A THEATRICAL 
 SALARY. 
 
 As Jordan's high and mighty squire, 
 Her play-honse profits deign to skim ; 
 
 Some folks audaciously enquire, 
 If he keeps her, or she keeps him ! 
 
 Pindar Junb. 
 
 " It is said positively to be a fact, that the actress whose elevated 
 connection has lately engrossed so much newspaper comment, has 
 
52 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 not touched, and is in little likelihood of obtaining any pecuniary 
 aid from her new protector ; and that besides her domestic sup- 
 port, to which her own salary contributes, she has only procured 
 an annuity for her eldest child, for wliom she is supposed to be 
 indebted to an Irish manager of well-known gallantry." 
 
 As some palliative for the scurrility with which the daily 
 prints abounded in regard to Mrs. Jordan, some admirers were 
 found to espouse her cause, and among such paragraphic matter, 
 we beg to insert the following : — 
 
 "Among the ungenerous attempts which have been used to 
 lower Mrs. Jordan in the public estimation, may be ranked the 
 insinuation that she has made a mercenary agreement with her 
 present protector — admitting that the public had anything to do 
 with the business ; her calumniators, however, if they have erred 
 through ignorance, must be covered Avitli shame when they know 
 that although she has settled half her fiUure income from her 
 profession, and all that she has saved in it, wpon her children \ — 
 she has absolutely rejected every idea of settlement, or pecuniary 
 aid for herself. Her independence is in her talents, the unrivalled 
 excellence of which is undoubtedly the real cause of so much un- 
 manly scurrility having lately appeared against her." 
 
 At the close of a biographical sketch of Mrs. Jordan, speaking 
 of her private character in reference to j;he Duke of Clarence, we 
 find the following statement :— 
 
 " Jn private life, Mrs. Jordan has the best opinion of the best 
 characters : — towards the Duke she conducts herself in the most 
 faithful and endearing manner — neither superfluous in expendi- 
 ture, nor extravagant in expectation, she lives as the nature of 
 her connection will allow ; and it may be said of her, what of 
 many ladies legally connected cannot be said — 
 
 ' Tlio' she boasts not the name, she's the truth of a wife.' 
 
 " Unfriendly to the parade of high life, she is contented to 
 forego the wretched ostentation of less exalted minds, for the more 
 tranquil pleasures of domestic retirement. She is a fond and 
 tender mother, and with her children she loves to pass away those 
 hours, which might be less pleasureably expended in the splendid 
 delusions of fashionable life." 
 
 " In addition to these commendable dispositions, she has the 
 credit of being liberal to the necessitous, and of uniting to the 
 proper dignity of conscious talent, the engaging condescension of 
 lady-like )nanners" 
 
 "It is by the ignorant, that worth most usually is injured. Hu- 
 manity has a natural bias to calumniate, and if the report of a 
 
Life of ]\[rs. Jordan. 53 
 
 public cliai'acter is balanced between praise and censure, opinion 
 turns the scale, and fixes the opprobrium. It is by those who 
 know her not that Mrs. Jordan is discredited ; — those who do 
 know her, never can know enough of her good qualities, her con- 
 ciliatory temper, her engaging manners, her i*eadiness to oblige, 
 and her willingness to assist, the open generosity of her hand, 
 the superior liberality of her mind." 
 
 The season after Mrs. Jordan had accepted the protection of 
 his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, she did not perform, 
 and it was reported that it was her intention to relinquish the 
 stage, as the Duke had provided for her. In consequence of 
 this report, Mrs. Jordan soon after published the following letter, 
 dii'ected to Mr. Sheridan, wherein she explains the occasion of 
 her non-appearance on the boards. 
 
 " Sir, — From the very handsome manner in which you acceded 
 to my proposals, and as I conceived, concluded my engagement, 
 I flattered myself I should have no difficulty to encounter in im- 
 mediately entering into my agreement with you ; — an event I 
 have waited for with increased anxiety, from the circumstance of 
 having, through your liberality, been for some time in the receipt 
 of a very large salary, without being permitted to perform. 
 
 " I am totally at a loss to account for the conduct of the mana- 
 ger, in any other way than his continued disinclination to let me 
 appear in any new character whatever, — a complaint I have often 
 been constrained to make to you, and you have as often acknow- 
 ledged the justice of it ; and, in our last negociation, endeavoured 
 effectually to remove, but without success. 
 
 " As a duty I owe myself and the public, I mean to publish 
 a copy of this letter, to serve as a simple, hxitfair contradiction to 
 some malicious reports that are circulated, insinuating that I have 
 withdi'awn myself from their protection, a circumstance I have 
 had every reason to be proud, of which I shall ever retain the 
 most grateful remembrance, accompanied by the sincerest regret 
 at being def)rived of the happiness of manifesting, in the duties 
 of my profession, the truth of this assertion. You, sir, I make 
 no doubt, will candidly confess, that I have already been too much 
 tormented with regard to this engagement, and also that from 
 this unnecessary delay in bringing forwaixl the comedy, that it is 
 now void ; and when I assure you that my situation in the theatre 
 has, for a considerable time, been made very irksome to me, and 
 that should I attempt to continue in it, out of respect to you, I 
 should subject myself to still greater perplexities, which it is not 
 in your power to prevent ; I am therefore confident, that you will 
 
54 Life of Mks. Jordan. 
 
 release me from that kind of embarrassment, which the liberality 
 of your conduct towards me, makes me suffer in the justice of my 
 wisli to quit the Haymarket theatre. 
 
 " In complying with tlie above request, you will greatly add to 
 tlie favours already conferred on, 
 
 Somerset-street, Sir, 
 
 Jan. 29, 1793. Yours, Arc, — Dora Jordan." 
 
 On the 13th of December, 1791, the following paragraph ap- 
 peared in one of the morning papers : — 
 
 "A FACT." 
 " The Naval Officer, who too often infests the scenes of the 
 Haymarket theatre, to the annoyance of everyone that belongs to 
 the house, hut one, had the modesty the other day, to desire Mr, 
 
 S to forbid Mr. Ford the privilege of appearing behind the 
 
 iscenes. Mr. S very properly told the naval officer, that 
 
 Mr. Ford's behaviour, as & gentleman, precluded such a prohibition; 
 and that in point of rigid, Mr. F. had as much pretention as 
 (Mr. S ) himself." 
 
 It appears that there was some idea of introducing Mrs. Jordan 
 to the public in the character of an oi'atorio singer, as the follow- 
 ing statement will manifest : — 
 
 "Amidst the many contradictory reports which have been 
 circulated respecting Mrs. Jordan's performance at the ensuing 
 oratorios, we have been able to asoei'tain the following, as being 
 the exact state of the business as it at present stands. Some 
 time since, Dr. Arnold and Mr. Linley applied to Mrs. Jordan, 
 requesting her assistance as a principal singer for the oratorios at 
 Drury-lane ; after repeated refusals on her part, from a sense of 
 her inexperience in that line, it was pi'oposed that Dr. Parsons, 
 whose reputation stands so high in the musical world, should hear 
 her sing, and that his judgment respecting her voice should be 
 conclusive. The trial was accordingly made, and every assurance 
 of sviccess given ; Dr. Parsons himself undertaking to give her the 
 necessary instructions ; at the same time the Doctor and her 
 friends have advised her not to throw away the attractions of her 
 first appearance, unless she can be supported by a proper band, 
 and vocal performers of reputation and consequence, — if such can 
 be engaged so late in the season, and Dr. Parsons approves of 
 them as proper assistance to his new scholar, Mrs. Jordan will 
 certainly perform this season, otherwise the curiosity of the public 
 will remain ungratified until next year." 
 
 In reference to the Royal friend of our actress, we annex a 
 ludicrous skit that appeared on the 1st of May, 1792. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 55 
 
 ^^ Little Pickups carriage is to be immediately decorated with 
 something like heraldic bearings : — a crest is already fixed upon, 
 and what can be more appropriate than a sea gxill ! " 
 
 The annexed well-turned letter appeared in a morning print, 
 on the 19th of March, 1794, two days subsequent to the date it 
 bore, being written from the Thatched-house tavern. 
 
 "TO MRS. JORDAN." 
 
 " Madam, — As you and your friends may possibly be at a loss 
 to account for the abuse that has been for some time thrown out 
 against you, I will endeavour to explain the mystery, and how 
 you may avoid it in future. Among the various admonishers 
 jou have had, not one of them has possessed courage or candour 
 enough to lay before you your o'eal and numberless offences. It 
 is fairly said, if we do not know our faults, hoiv are we to mend 
 them ? This ignorance shall no longer be your plea ; and I flatter 
 myself, that in the execution of the task I have undertaken, every 
 friend to you and truth will acknowledge the justice of the accusa- 
 tions I am about to bring against you. Without further preface, 
 then, give me leave to ask you, hotv dare you possess such brilliant 
 talents, and exert them with the success you usually do ? How 
 dare you deserve, and consequently receive the largest salary given 
 at either theatre ? These are two capital offences to which even 
 your friends will acknowledge you must plead guilty. The next 
 is that you never think it necessary to pay for the panegyric of 
 any single jyerson, but have the insolence to remain perfectly 
 happy with the approbation of the audience. 
 
 "So much for your public misdeiaeanors, your private ones are 
 still more extraordinary and aggravating, for have you not had 
 the presumption, all your life, to conduct yourself most affection- 
 ately and tenderly towards your relatives, — liberally and benevo- 
 lently towards the distressed ? Your impertinent conduct, 
 moreover, in the theatre is monstrous. How dare you presume to 
 depart from an established rule in your high station, by being 
 mild and civil to the lowest performer in it 1 You can no longer 
 be at a loss to account for the abuse, or its origin ; — you must 
 disj^ossess yourself of all these /aidts, and of the public parti-ality, 
 before you can hope to be popular ; and if you had been fortunate 
 enough to have attempted a high conquest, and failed in tlie 
 attempt, it would have rendered you (with the above set) the most 
 amiable of women, established your moral character, however 
 glaring any other connection might be, provided, like the gipsies, 
 it was confined within the pale of your own profession. 
 
 Yeritas." 
 
56 Life of Mrs. Jordan, 
 
 The annexed epigranij said to have been from the pen of Peter 
 Pindar (Dr. Walcott), appeared on the 6th of November, 1794, 
 soon after Mrs. Jordan's appeai'ance in the character referred to : 
 
 EPIGRAM, 
 
 On seeing Mrs. Jordan in the character of Rosalind, at Drury 
 Lane Theatre. 
 
 Had Shakspeare's self at Drury beeu, 
 While Jordan play'd each varied scene, 
 He would have started from his seat, 
 And cried — ' That's Rosalind complete ! ' 
 
 Soon after the above, appeared these lines, under the following 
 head : — 
 
 On Mrs. Jordan's exquisite recital of the Ejnlogue to the Rivals, 
 
 To comic Jordan's laughing eye, 
 
 The tear of pity stole ; 
 But in revenge she drew a sigh, 
 
 From each spectator's soul. 
 
 In reference to the procrastinated warfare that existed between 
 Mr. Kemble, then acting manager of Drury Lane Theatre, and 
 Mrs. Jordan, as well as the conduct of the former in regard to 
 the di'ama of Vortigern, performed on the 2nd of April, 1796, we 
 deem it expedient to insert the following letter. 
 
 " Keiiible can never stand in the first rank of favourites till he 
 evinces greater abilities, and less self-conceit. Before that period 
 arrives, he will constantly meet with mortifications whenever he 
 contends with a performer of Mrs. Jordan's merits, who is singly 
 capable of supporting the interests of a theati'e, as he has himself 
 most injudiciously proved by placing her perpetually in situations 
 whei"e all around her were drawbacks, instead of assistants. If 
 any dispute between actors be brought before the public, their 
 motto must of course be, — '■ Spectemur agendo^ — 'Let our per- 
 formances be the test,' — and upon this ground, the question has 
 long been completely divided between the contending pai^ties. 
 
 " Next to professional talents, professional humility, and a 
 zeal for the gratification of those to whom they owe their very 
 existence — will always be the greatest recommendation of persons 
 in such a situation. In this particular, as well as in many others, 
 Mrs. Jordan appears to me to exceed almost all her contemporaries; 
 while Mr. Kemble is as notoriously blameable for the reverse. 
 When I instance (the most recent of numerous examples) the night 
 on which the famous Kyyige Vortigerne was announced for general 
 condemnation ; I would, by no means, be understood to be an 
 advocate for its authenticity ; on the contrary, my own private 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 57 
 
 opinion perfectly coincides with the fiat of the audience, — but the 
 play having once been accepted, no matter for what reason — by 
 the proprietors, and eagerly expected by the woi'ld, what could be 
 more indecorous, to say nothing worse (considering from whom, 
 and for what he receives a large salary) than tlie behaviour of 
 Mr. Kemble throughout ?— ISTor could a more striking contrast to 
 his overweening fastidiousness possibly be exhibited, than in the 
 deportment of Mrs. Powell and the inimitable actress, his jealousy 
 of whom has occasioned the present stricture : — 
 
 ' Though I wish thy death, 
 
 I will not be thy executioner.' 
 
 While nothing short of downright murder would satiate Mr. 
 Kemble's thirst of vengeance. To every liberal spectator, whether 
 credulous or incredulous as to the old trunk and its contents, such 
 conduct could not fail of being most disgustingly offensive. The 
 audience, in order to form their judgment, had no need to take 
 their cue from his 'wreathed smiles,' or even from Mr. Maloxe's 
 octavo : — 
 
 ' Non obtusa adeo gestamus pectora pcenni, 
 Nectnm aversus equos Tyria, sol jnngit ab urbe ! * 
 
 " I cannot quit this subject without remarking that I have 
 scai'cely ever observed a more glaring instance of clumsy misre- 
 presentation, than in a statement made of the loss likely to be 
 sustained by the lovers of the drama, in conseqiience, forsooth, of 
 this fracas. A long list of performers is pompously held forth, as 
 following Mr. Kemble into retirement upon this, his threatened 
 secession, — whereas, most unfortunately, not only all those who 
 frequent the theatre, but all who cast their eye upon a newspaper, 
 have repeatedly been informed that every individual of that list 
 has, for some time past, resolved upon quitting the stage, at the 
 conclusion of the present season, and that too, before Hamlet 
 (which it seems, was the bone of contention) was even put into 
 rehearsal. Miso Puff." 
 
 In regard to the dispute respecting Hamlet, we beg leave to 
 insert the ensuing paragraph :- - 
 
 "There have lately been very high and violent disputes between 
 Mr. Kemble and Mi's. Jordan, on the subject of Hamlet. The 
 former, it seems, started some objections to the latter announcing 
 it for her benefit, he having already advertised it for his night. 
 The arguments on both sides proceeded to such a length, that the 
 question became quite confused ; and the only equitable decision 
 the managers could pronounce petween the contending parties, 
 was that neither of them have the disputed piece. In consequence 
 
58 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 of the verdict, the Deputy is said to be so much offended, as to 
 talk of resigning his important /u7ictions." 
 
 This affair terminated by Mrs. Jordan choosing the tragedy of 
 Borneo and Juliet, in which she, for the first time, sustained the 
 latter character, concerning which we find the following statement 
 published at the time, viz.: the SOth of April, 1796, five days 
 subsequent to the representation : — 
 
 " The assuming any new part or piece for a benefit, is scarcely 
 even worth any observation ; — but when the house adopts either, 
 it becomes a fair subject of criticism. Mrs. Jordan, in every 
 delicate touch of sensibility in her performances, has been so 
 accustomed to approbation, tliat it was natural enough she should 
 attempt the most delicate of all characters — that of Juliet ; but 
 beautiful and unequalled as she is on such occasions, the brilliancy 
 is heightened only by the shade that surrounds it ; in Juliet, all 
 is elegant refinement, while her forte is mere simplicity not rude 
 but untaught. Her figure and her features are not those of the 
 ' great Capulet's daughter,' — still she showed us much to admire." 
 
 We have pi'eviously remarked that our actress was at all times 
 ready to step forward in behalf of the distressed, an instance of 
 this kind occurred in the month of May, 1799, respecting which 
 we insert the following comment : — 
 
 "Great as is her theatrical merit, Mrs. Jordan deserves more 
 of public applause for the natural display of her professional 
 humanity, than for the superiority of her powers in the mimic 
 art. Who that sees her transferring those powers to Covent 
 Garden Theatre in aid of the widow and orphans of the late Mr. 
 Follet, but must admire her active benevolence, and lament that 
 so forcible an example is so unfrequently imitated." 
 
 In the month of June, 1800, we again find our actress enlisted 
 in the cause of humanity, as the ensuing paragraph will demon- 
 strate : — 
 
 " For all benevolent purposes, Mrs. Jordan is ever ready and 
 gratuitous ; notwithstanding her previous exertions this week, 
 which have been devoted to objects of the same character, she 
 comes cheerfully forth at Covent Garden Theatre in aid of that 
 very useful establishment, the Lying-in Hospital, at Bayswater. 
 Of this lady may be repeated what Dr. Johnson has said of Levet, 
 that — 
 
 In misery's darkest caverns known, 
 
 Her useful aid is ever nip^h, 
 Where hopeless anguish proves its groan, 
 And lonely want retires to die." 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordax. 59 
 
 After a long absence from her theatrical avocations, — Mrs. 
 Jordan, on the 11th of March, 1801, appeared as Peggy, m the 
 comedy of the Country Girl, when so irresistible proved the 
 attraction, that at a very early hour the house was crowded to 
 an overflow. 
 
 On her appearance she was greeted by the splendid crowd with 
 reiterated testimonials of admiration and respect ; and throughout 
 the entire performance, was warmly and universally applauded. 
 She looked extremely well, and exhibited with the most fascinating 
 effect that irresistible playfulness of manner, those winning ges- 
 tures, and incomparable diversity of sweet and silvery tones for 
 which she stood so eminently unrivalled, and proclaimed her the 
 favourite offspi-ing of Thalia. 
 
 In the month of August, 1802, while performing at Margate, 
 in the Country Girl, Mrs. Jordan met with an accident which 
 had nearly terminated in a fatal manner. In the scene near the 
 conclusion of the piece, where she spoke from a window, the flame 
 from one of the lamps behind the scenes caught the train of her 
 dress, and she was instantly in a blaze.— The one side was totally 
 consumed before it could be quite extinguished. Happily she 
 sustained no other injury than what arose from terror. The 
 audience testified their extreme interest for her safety, and 
 throughout the whole house there was a general expression of 
 alarm. Notwithstanding the accident, Mrs. Jordan sustained the 
 part, though evidently labouring under considerable depression of 
 spirits. 
 
 Towards the close of November, in the above year, Mrs. Jor- 
 dan, for the first time, appeared in the character of il/rs. Sullen 
 in the Beaux Stratagem. It was only an expectation of pleasui'e 
 beyond all bounds, founded on her well known unrivalled per- 
 formances that could have occasioned disappointment, if any was 
 experienced. Had the essay in question been her original entree, 
 the audience would have been enraptured, and the night would 
 have been pi'onounced the most memorable in the annals of the 
 stage that had occurred for a series of years. The character in 
 question had not appeared of so much importance since the 
 secession of Miss Farren. 
 
 The author appeared to have had her alone in his thoughts, and 
 to have invented the fable and introduced the other persons of the 
 drama, only for the purpose of displaying her wit, her frankness, 
 her gaiety, her happy talent for raillery, her powerful love of 
 pleasure, and her yielding sense of propriety. At the same time 
 we must confess that her delineation of the character did not, in 
 our eyes, attain perfection. Mrs. Sullen is a woman of fashion ; 
 
 - ILILJ.,]-. -- 
 
60 LiFH OF Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 • — she had been buried fourteen months ; — but supposing that she 
 did not often, in that lapse of time, dance and chat, and flirt with 
 the Frencli officers, she had previously moved in the first circles 
 about London, and acquired all the elegant ease of high-life. We 
 by no means say that she should confine herself to parts of broad 
 liumour, or deep pathos ; — but certainly on that occasion, the toss 
 of our actress's head, and the flirt of her fan, did not remind us 
 of the court ; she did not manage her eyes with all the skilful 
 freedom of a modern lady of ton, and at times too, she did not 
 appear altogether free from embarrassment to find proper employ- 
 ment for her hands. If, indeed, there was any of this awkwardness 
 discoverable, it was in considerable degree owing to the situation 
 in which Mrs. Sullen is placed, and the speeches put into her 
 mouth not being at all times consistent with delicacy, but calcu- 
 lated to distress the female who performs the part, and her who 
 witnesses its performance. In fact, the Beaux Stratagem is 
 throughout the most licentious piece tolerated on the stage, and 
 we know not if its dramatic excellence ought to be considered as 
 a sufficient apology for its immoi^al tendency. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan appeared in no new character during this year, 
 when Frances, her eldest daughter, came of age, for whom she 
 took a handsome mansion in Golden-square, that lady having 
 subsequently become the wife of Mr. Alsop. With Frances, her 
 sisters, Lucy and Dora, resided when absent from their mother, 
 w^hom they usually attended at Bushy Park. It is said that an 
 elderly gentleman, named Bettsworth, at this juncture, tendered 
 Mrs. Jordan a very ample fortune, in the event of her taking his 
 name, and becoming his representative. 
 
 Having mentioned Mrs, Alsop, it may not be irrelevant here 
 to remark, that at a subsequent period of life, she attempted th^ 
 stage, assuming the cast of characters so inimitably personated by 
 her parent, in reference to which, we shall content ourselves by 
 quoting Mr. Hazlitt, who, in his View of the English Stage, (one 
 volume, 8vo. published in 1818), speaking of this lady's delineation 
 of the character of Jiosalind, observes as follows, at p. 168 : — 
 
 "October 22nd, 1815. A lady of the name of Alsop, a daughter 
 of Mrs. Jordan (by a former husband), has appeared at Covent 
 Garden theatre, in the character of Jiosalind. Not only the 
 circumstances of her relationship to that excellent actress, but 
 the accounts in the papers raised our curiosity and expectations 
 very high. We Avei'e unwillingly disappointed. The truth is, 
 Mrs. Alsop is a very nice little woman, who acts her part very 
 sensibly and cleverly, and with a certain degree of arch huuiour, 
 but no more like her mother, 'than I to Hercules.' When we say 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 61 
 
 this, we mean no disparagement to this lady's talents, who is a 
 real acquisition to the stage in correct and chaste acting, — but 
 simply to prevent comparisons, which can only end in disappoint- 
 ment. Mrs. Alsop would make a better Celia than Rosalind. — 
 Mrs. Jordan's excellencies were all natural to her ; it was not as 
 an actress, but as herself, that she charmed every one. Nature 
 had formed her most prodigal humour, and when nature is in this 
 humour to make a woman all that is delightful, she does it most 
 effectually. Mrs. Jordan was the same in all her characters, and 
 inimitable in all of them, because there was no one else like her. 
 " Her face, her tears, her manners were irresistible. Her 
 smile had the effect of sunshine, and her laugh did one good to 
 hear it. Her voice was eloquence itself : it seemed as if her heart 
 was always at her mouth. She was all gaiety, openness, and good 
 nature. She rioted in her fine animal spirits, and gave more 
 pleasure than any other actress, because slie had the greatest 
 
 spirit of enjoyment in herself. Her Nell but we will not 
 
 tantalise ourselves, or our readers. Mrs. Alsop has nothing 
 luxurious about her, and Mrs. Jordan was nothing else. Her voice 
 is clear and articulate, but not rich or flowing. In pei'son she is 
 small, and her face is not prepossessing. Her delivery of the 
 speeches was correct and excellent, as far as it went, but without 
 much richness, or power ; — lively good sense is what she really 
 possesses. She also sung the Cuckoo song very pleasingly." 
 
 On the 7th of February, 1804, Mr. Cherry, to whom we have 
 previously alluded, produced his piece, entitled The Soldier's 
 Daughter, in which Mrs. Jordan personated Widotv Cheerly, with 
 the most happy effect. This character was alike removed from 
 that of the Rom]), or the lady of high ton, resting its claim to 
 favour in the sprightliness, and genuine goodness of heart. At 
 the close of the piece, which commanded particular success, our 
 actress spoke an epilogue, terminating with an appeal to the 
 indulgence of her auditors towards the writer of the comedy, 
 which entreaty, however, was by no means required, as the play 
 continued a favourite during the entire season, in the course of 
 which, however, Mr. Cumberland brought forward his Sailor's 
 Daughter, a representation that was unattended by success. 
 
 Our heroine, for her benefit this year, made choice of the 
 Hyj)ocrite, with a new farce, from the pen of a Mr. Oulton, of 
 Dublin, in which she personated an Irish servant. The dialogue 
 was interspersed with flashes of considerable humour, but upon 
 the whole, the attempt was not calculated to make a favourable 
 impression, — and after the first performance, no repetition took 
 place. 
 
 ISH 
 
62 Life of Mrs. Jordax. 
 
 The Di'ury Lane company, in 1804-5, commenced operations 
 on the 15th of September, Mrs. Jordan performing the part of 
 WidoivClieefly, whose entree was greeted with reiterated applauses. 
 During this season, she had frequently to repeat the same charac- 
 ter, as well as those in which she was so well known to the public. 
 No theatrical novelty, however, was produced, until the 20th of 
 November, on which night our actress appeared in the popular 
 farce of Matrimony, adapted to our theatre, from the French, by 
 Mr. Kenny. 
 
 In order to show the favourable light in which Mrs. Jordan 
 was regarded at this period, and the countenance she received 
 from the most dignified personages in the realm, we beg leave to 
 quote the following ai-ticle, originally published in 1806. We 
 further hope to stand excused for inserting the comments of Mr. 
 Cobbett, the correctness of which cannot be denied, however they 
 may, in some measure, militate against the heroine of our pages. 
 This article was reprinted in the " Political Register," of Saturday, 
 the 9th of June, 1832, the present year, when its insertion caused 
 such a rapid sale, that the edition was soon exhausted, and in 
 consequence, a premium was tendered at the office, for any of the 
 numbers that might be presented there for disposal. 
 
 THE FITZJORDANS. 
 
 The following article, which will give rise to striking reflections, 
 is taken from the " Register," of September 6th, 1806. Twenty- 
 six years ago, then, and when these people were babies, I foresaw 
 the consequences that might arise from their existence. 
 
 "What a base and foolish thing it is for any consolidated body 
 of authority to say, or to act as if it said, — I will put my trust, 
 not in mine own virtues, but in your patience ; — I will indulge 
 in effeminacy, in indolence, and corruption ; — I will give way to 
 all my perverse and vicious humours, because you cannot punish 
 me without the hazard of ruining yourselves ! " 
 
 Burke's Works, Vol. VII., p. 364. 
 
 "The large grants of public money, made by the Wliig ministry, 
 just at the close of the last session of parliament, were, by many 
 persons, and by myself among others, regarded as being totally 
 unnecessary, seeing that the allowances to the several branches 
 were already so ample. Colonel Wood has the merit (a merit that 
 will ere long, be distinguished) of having opposed these grants ; 
 and, though his opposition proved ineffectual for the time, it 
 encourages us to hope, that when the House shall again be full, 
 there will be some few members, at least, found to endeavour to 
 
LiFK OF Mrs. Jordan. 63 
 
 cause a revision of this measure, Avhich, I will venture to say, has 
 given a greater shock to men's feelings, than any one that has been 
 adopted for many years. But at any rate since the money has 
 been granted, it must be the wish of every good subject to see it 
 judiciously expended ; — to see it, agreeably to the declarations of 
 ministers, employed in, and 'supporting the dignity^ of the several 
 persons on whom it has been bestowed ; and under the influence 
 of this wish, what must have been the public feeling at reading 
 the following account, ostentatiously published in all the London 
 newspapers, of the 23rd of April, 1806, under the title of : — 
 
 " DUKE OF clarence's BIRTHDAY." 
 
 [To be precise, however, I shall, previous to my inserting the 
 account, just state, that I copy it from the Courier newspaper of 
 the day here mentioned.] 
 
 " The Duke of Clarence's birthday was celebrated with much 
 splendour in Bushy Park, on Thursday. The giand hall was 
 entirely new fitted up with bronze pilasters, and various marble 
 imitations ; — the ceiling was correctly clouded, and the whole 
 illuminated with some brilliant patent lamps, suspended from a 
 beautiful eagle. The dining-room, in the right wing, was fitted 
 up in a modern style, with new elegant lamps at the different en- 
 trances. The pleasure ground was disposed for the occasion, and 
 the servants had new liveries. In the morning, the Dukes of 
 York^s and Rentes Bands arrived in caravans; — after dressing 
 'themselves, and dining, they went into the pleasure grounds, and 
 played alternately some charming pieces. The Duke of Kent's 
 played some of the choruses and movements from Haydn's Oratorio 
 of the Creation, arranged hy command of his Royal Highness, 
 for a band of wind instruments. About five o'clock the Prince of 
 Wales, the Dukes of York, Kent, Sussex, and Cambridge, Colonel 
 Paget, tfec, arrived from reviewing The German Legion. After 
 they had dressed for dinner, they walked in the pleasure grounds, 
 accompanied by the Lord Chancellor, Earl and Countess of Athlone 
 and Daughter, Lord Leicester, Baron Hotham and Lady, Baron 
 Eden, the Attorney General, Colonels Paget and Mc.Millon, Ser- 
 jeant Marshall, and a number of other persons. At seven o'clock, 
 the second bell announced the dinner, when the Prince took 
 Mrs. Jordan hy the hand, led her into the dining-room, and seated 
 her at the top of the table. The Prince took his seat at her right 
 hand, and the Duke of York at her left ; the Duke of Cambridge 
 sat next to the Prince, the Duke of Kent next to the Duke of 
 York, and the Lord Chancellor next to his Royal Highness. The 
 Duke of Clarence sat at the foot oj the table. 
 
64 LiFK OF Mrs. Joudan. 
 
 " It is hardly necessary to state the table was sumptuously 
 covered with every thing the season could afford. The bands 
 played on the lawn, close to the dining-room window. The popu- 
 lace were permitted to enter the pleasure grounds, to behold the 
 royal banquet, while the presence of Messrs. Townsend, Sayers, 
 and Macmanu preserved the most correct decorum. 
 
 " The Duke's numerous Family were introduced, and admired 
 by the Pi'ince, the Royal Dukes, and the whole company ; an infant 
 in arms, with a most beautiful white head of haii", was brought 
 into the dining-room by the nursery maid. After dinner, the 
 Prince gave ' the Duke of Clarence,' which was drunk with thi-ee 
 times thx'ee; the Duke then gave 'the King,' which was drunk in 
 a solemn manner. A discharge of cannon from the lawn followed. 
 'The Queen and Princesses,' — 'The Duke of York and the Army!' 
 His Royal Highness's band then struck up his celebrated march ! 
 
 "Now, first observing that I do not mean to give this paragraph 
 as a narrative of real facts, but merely as a publication that I 
 have found in the newspaper above named, and as a statement 
 which I wish to see contradicted by order of His Royal Highness 
 the Prince of Wales, or some of his brothers; thus observing, and 
 explicitly stating that my object is to remove the evil impression 
 which such a publication must necessarily tend to produce upon 
 the minds of a people, who, h]j the express command of his Majesty, 
 have read to them from the pulpit, four times a day, a long ex- 
 hortation against vice and immorality, and who have fresh in their 
 minds the huge gi^ants of money recently made for the declared 
 purpose of enabling the several brandies of the Royal Family ' to 
 support the dignity of their station,' thus previously observing, I 
 would beg leave, as a beginning of my comments upon the publi- 
 cation before me, to ask the writer of it what march he Tneans, 
 when he talks of the ' celebrated march of the Duke of York ? ' — 
 and I would farther ask him, what necessity there was in a 
 publication of this sort, to remind the people of England of the 
 Duke of York's marches? — and why he could not have so far got 
 the better of his too obvious disposition, as to suffer those ' cele- 
 brated ' marches to rest quiet, and unalluded to 1 
 
 " The representing of the oratorio of the Creation, and arranged 
 by the Duke of Kent too, applied to the purpose of ushering in 
 the ' manerous /a7nily ' of tlie Duke of Clarence ; — the thus repre- 
 senting the Duke of Kent as employed in an act whereby the 
 procreation of a brood of illegitimate children is put in comparison 
 with the great works of the Almighty, is in this writer, an act of 
 the most indiscreet disloyalty, and of blasphemy the most dai'ing. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 65 
 
 " We all know that the Duke of Clarence is not married, and 
 that therefoi-e if he had children, those children must be bastards, 
 and that the father must be guilty of a crime in the eye of the 
 law, as well as of religion, — and that he would exhibit a striking 
 example of that vice and immorality which his Royal father's 
 proclamation, so regularly read to us by our pastors, commands 
 us to shun and to abhor, and enjoins upon the magistrates to 
 mark out and to punish whenever they shall find them existing 
 among us. 
 
 "While we hear this command so often repeated to us, and 
 know that from the form in which it is conveyed, it comes imme- 
 diately from his Majesty's mind and conscience, can we possibly 
 suppose that he would wink at acts in his own family, such as are 
 described by this writer? And when to this consideration we 
 add the many others that present themselves upon the subject, 
 can we hesitate in declaring that to represent the Duke of Clarence 
 as having a 'numerous family of children,' is foully to slander his 
 Royal Highness, and that further to represent him as ostenta- 
 tiously exhibiting this ' numerous family ' in public, and in the 
 immediate presence of all his Royal brothers, and of the Lord 
 Chancellor of England and others of the nobles, is to accuse him 
 of a gratuitous and wanton insult against the laws, manners, and 
 morals of the country. 
 
 " This representation and accusation I must and I do, therefore, 
 consider as false, and I am confirmed in my opinion when I hear 
 the same writer assert that the Prince of Wales took Mother 
 Jordan by the hand, and in the presence of a Countess, a Coun- 
 tess's Daugliter, and a Baroness, — seated her at the head of the 
 table, taking his place upon her right hand, his Royal brothers 
 arranging themselves according to their rank, on both sides of 
 the table, the 2^0^^ of honour being nearest Mother Jordan, who, 
 the last time I saw her, cost me eighteen pence in her character 
 of Nell Jobson. This part of the account proves the falsehood of 
 the whole. But, though amongst persons who are at all acquainted 
 with the character of the illustrious personages who are by this 
 writer represented as having been actors in the scene, there can 
 be no doubt that the whole of the representation is false, mox-e 
 especially when we take into view the pious and strenuously en- 
 forced precepts of their Royal father's proclamation ; yet, amongst 
 that part of his Majesty's subjects who know nothing of the 
 manners of the great, except what they learn through the channel 
 of the newspapers, doubts upon the subject may prevail, nay — 
 such persons may believe the representation of the Courier, par- 
 ticularly as it had been given in nearly the same words, too, by all 
 
64 Lu'i or Mrs. Jokdax. 
 
 thf other liewsi^wijx'i-w ; and thert'fore beinj; fully owinncfd that 
 the n'pn*w»ntation luust pnxluce iu wluitever cJejfroe it w b<;lu-ved, 
 aji iiuprciibion rxtrvinely injurious t<i the chnmcter of the parties 
 lULUiivl: not letvs iiijuriouK to the manners and moraliiof the }><Hip]e; 
 and eventually greatly danp>rou8 to the htability of tlw throne, 
 for this plain reason,- that the most virtuouK part of the jxtiple, 
 that jMirl of tli«'ni in wIiom; uiiiiiU truth Jind ju8tic-e are pre- 
 dominant, that juirt of theui on whom alone reliance could safely 
 U' plared, would iiifallihly Iw the most disj;ust«-d, and the most 
 alienated, liy the U'lief of such a repntientat.i<»n. li^-ing fully 
 convincetl of these im^Kirtant truths, I venture to lx"seeih the 
 royal parties whose names hav»- l»e«-n so unwarrantably brought 
 before the public in the alxtve cited publication, to cause a ffirmal 
 contradiction ther«»of to be }>ublicly made. I venture to b<'seech 
 them to reflect on the fatal consevjuences wiiich have uniforndy 
 ensued, and esjicvially in recent instjuices, from proceedinp< mch 
 a£ are here descnb«'d in this publication, and to nMiK-mber that 
 to be blameless, as they doubtless an-, is not enough, uiili-ss they 
 are thought to Ix* blamelt«s. 
 
 "I venture to l)csee<h them well to weigh the words of my 
 motto, and to consider whether, thou<_'h the altove cited publiiiition 
 is a tissue of falsc'lioods, thus f)ermitting it to remain uii<-ontr»- 
 dicted may not expose them among the uninfonned part of the 
 people to the imputation of acting upon a principle such as that 
 in my motto described. 
 
 •' I venture to Wseech them above all things to reflect on what 
 must be the natural and inevitable eflect produced in the minds 
 of the jieople, if tln-y were once to believe tliat any portion of the 
 grants made out of taxes, in times like the presi-nt, was expended 
 upon objects such as those descrilied in this poisonous publication; 
 and lastly, as I have, in proportion to my menus nnd my cnjiacity, 
 done as much as any private individual ever did in support of the 
 throne, and the rej)utation of the Royal Family, I hof)e it will 
 not l)e thought presumptuous that I now make them a tender of 
 my pages and my f»en, for the purpose of making and promulgating 
 that contradiction whicli evj-ry truly loy.il subject is so desirous 
 to see." 
 
 Notwithstanding the large profits derive<l by ^Mi-s. Jord&ii 
 from her inimitable talents, it has l)een shrewdly surmised they 
 were not always appropriated to hei- own benefit, there is, how- 
 ever, nothing wond«'rful in this, as numerous instances might be 
 recorded of the 7ui»« to which b<Mngs under the human shape, and 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 67 
 
 calling themselves gentlemen, have converted their mistresses : nay, 
 we have been given to understand that in numerous instances, 
 the salaries derived from professional avocations have not unfre- 
 quently been applied to the use of such protectors. 
 
 We have also heard that in some instances an embargo has been 
 laid on public performances, unless the nightly salary was paid 
 over prior to a lady's appearance on the boards; — of course nothing 
 of such a nature bears reference to our story : — 
 
 -Let the gall'd jade go wince, 
 
 Our withers are anwrnng I 
 
 It may be very glorious to rank a potentate in this world, but 
 it is a more honourable thing to deserve the name of gentleman, 
 — for title, though veiling a multitude of sins, will not engraft 
 honour in a polluted soil. 
 
 We live in an age of improvement, and sounding names can no 
 longer curtain flagrant depravity ; the march of intellect may be 
 impeded, but never stopped, — it may halt, but cannot retrograde; 
 mind has received the grand impetus ; reason has been inspired 
 by the magic wand of truth, and the drayman is now as well 
 aware that potentates are but fragile clay, and subject to be de- 
 graded by every vice, — as the mighty Bacon, or the reasoning 
 Locke. 
 
 Little digressions are pardonable in a writer, and the foregoing 
 remarks are only intended as trimmings to the subject matter of 
 our theme. 
 
 In the progress of the trial of the late unfortunate Queen 
 Caroline, it was currently reported that a certain illustrious char- 
 acter insinuated in the committee, that an occurrence had taken 
 place between two parties, which if true, would have branded the 
 individuals alluded to with an incestuous intercourse, which to 
 contemplate only in imagination, makes us shudder. 
 
 Whether there was any truth in the statement adverted to, we 
 will not pretend to decide, but we can assert that so prevalent 
 was it at the period in question, and so fully credited by one of 
 the counsel for the accused, that Mr. Denman adverting to the 
 subject, made use of the following energetic ejaculation which ran 
 from one end of the kingdom to the other : — 
 
 " Come forward, tho^i foul slanderer, and let me see thy face. 
 If you refuse, you are not so respectable as the. Italian tvitness who 
 comes to face the court, — you are worse tlian the Italian assassin, 
 — you are plunging a dagger unseen, and converting your stiletto 
 to a sword of justice ! " 
 
68 Life of Mas. Jokimk. 
 
 Tlie editor of the Trial then proceeds to comment as follows: — 
 
 '* I sliould have thought it impossible for any man with the 
 heart of a sian, and the honour of a peer, to present such a case. 
 If it can be one of the Blood lloyal, I would say he had done 
 more to degrade himself, and forfeit his right to the crown, than 
 my Royal mistress would have done, had every charge been proved 
 against her." 
 
 See the " Trial of Queen Caroline" published by Wright, Fleet' 
 street, 8vo, vol. 2, ;j. Ji.37. 
 
 "Amongst the voters against the Queen are exquisite judges of 
 morality, and excellent observers of the commandment, — " Thou 
 shalt not commit adultery." The Dukes of York and Clarence ! 
 It is enough to \itiate the whole proceedings, that on such an 
 occasion, two such men should dare to present themselves in the 
 House of Lords. 
 
 "What, is the age so lost to decency, that avowed guilt can sit 
 in judgment upon persecuted innocence? — We would the spectre 
 of the unfortunate Jordan should push one of them from his stool; 
 though we must confess we cannot expect anything could abash the 
 other ; when he could leave the funeral of his wife, to assume the 
 seat of judgment, in the face of his convicted adulteries with Mrs. 
 Clark. These things are so monstrous, that we can hardly per- 
 suade ourselves they occur in England. Are we not at Rome in 
 the time of Nero ? — Or to what other barbarous but licentious 
 times, have we reverted 1 " 
 
 After an absence of two seasons, Mrs. Jordan was engaged for 
 Drury-lane, by Mr. Wroughton, who then officiated as actiiag 
 manager of the establishment, and on the 17th of September, 
 1808, she appeared in the character of Peggy, in the Country 
 Girl, which was supported with all her accustomed archness. 
 
 On this occasion it may be requisite to remark that her absence 
 had been much felt by the public ; if any inference may be drawn 
 from the reception she experienced, which was enthusiastic in the 
 exti'eme. 
 
 Nothing of a novel character transpired at the theatre as re- 
 garded Mrs. Jordan, until the 5th of January, when INlr. S. J. 
 Arnold, whose talents had been before exclusively confined to 
 opera and farce, brought forward a comedy under the title of Man 
 and Wife, which commanded much applause. In this piece, our 
 heroine supported a leading character, and spoke the epilogue 
 with an effect that pi'oved highly advantageous to the author, 
 whose piece was given out for a second representation, with uni- 
 versal satisfaction. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 69 
 
 On the night of Friday, the 24th of February, 1809, Drury- 
 lane theatre was consumed by fire, on which occasion our heroine 
 was one of the greatest sufferers among the company, for as she 
 generally resided at Bushy Park, the major part of her wardrobe, 
 and decorations of every description, were left at the play-house. 
 With this melancholy catastrophe, the retii'ement also of Mrs. 
 Jordan from any further permanent theatrical engagement took 
 place ; however, according to custom, when it became requisite 
 to show a charitable feeling, she was never found deficient, so on 
 the present occasion was her philanthropy manifested. 
 
 Mr. Taylor, of the Opera House, having accorded permission 
 for the use of that establishment dui'ing three nights, in order to 
 assist those performers of humble rank who had been sufferers by 
 the conflagration, our heroine on the 23rd of March, performed 
 gratuitously in the Country Gii'l. 
 
 As we conceive an interesting anecdote, tending further to 
 illustrate the inherent goodness of our heroine's heart, will not 
 prove devoid of interest, we shall proceed to narrate it, vouching at 
 the same time for the correctness of the statement. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, as frequently before remarked, was gifted with a 
 mind susceptible of every tender emotion that confers honour 
 upon the female sex, and such sentiments never failed to be called 
 into action on the appearance of misery or distress. 
 
 During one of the visits paid to Chester, her washerwoman, a 
 poor widow burthened with three small children, was, by an in- 
 human creditor, cast into prison for a trifling debt of forty shillings 
 originally, but which had been augmented in a short time by the 
 rapacity of a lawyer, to eight pounds. No sooner had our heroine 
 ascertained the circumstance, than she sent for the attorney, paid 
 the full demand, and then with all the severity she was capable 
 of displaying, accompanied by a look, the very i-everse of her 
 accustomed good-natured smile, observed: — "You lawyers are 
 assuredly infernal spirits, allowed as sojourners on this earth, to 
 make the unfortunate more miserable." The man of law did not 
 think fit to hazard a reply, but making an obsequious bow, retired, 
 well satisfied in having pocketed his expenses. 
 
 The same evening, the poor woman received her unexpected 
 discharge, just at the period when our actress was indulging in 
 an accustomed walk, with her waiting woman ; when the widow, 
 accompanied by her children, having ascertained the route she 
 had taken, followed her steps and overtook Thalia just as a sud- 
 den shower of rain had obliged her to seek shelter under a porch, 
 — at which moment the grateful widow dropping on her knees, 
 with the utmost emotion exclaimed, " God for ever bless you, 
 madam, you have saved me and my helpless infants from ruin." 
 
70 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 The children seeing their mother in tears, joined their piteous 
 cries to the affecting scene, which could not fail to awaken all 
 the impulses of a sensitive mind to sympathy. The uniform 
 hilarity of our heroine's temper was not easily subdued by scenes 
 of sorrow ; — yet although endeavouring to conceal it, the tears 
 coursed down her cheeks, when stooping to kiss the little ones, 
 she slipped a pound note into the parent's hand, and in her 
 accustomed playful manner replied, " There, there — all is over ; 
 — go, my good woman, God bless you ; — I charge you, say not 
 another word." 
 
 The grateful widow would fain have replied, but her silence 
 was insisted on, and she departed. 
 
 It so chanced that another individual had sought shelter under 
 the same porch, who was witness to the whole of this interesting 
 scene, and as soon as Mrs. Jordan had observed him, stepped 
 forward and tendering his hand, with a deep sigh exclaimed : — 
 
 " Lady ! forgive the freedom of a total stranger ; but would to 
 the Lord, all the world were like thee ! " 
 
 The figure and costume of the last speaker pronounced his 
 calling; his visage was pale, and a black suit, grown rather rusty, 
 arrayed his thin tall figure. Our actress soon appreciated his 
 character and calling, and good humouredly replied, retreating a 
 few paces : — 
 
 " No, I will not shake hands with you." 
 
 " Why 1 " 
 
 '' Because you are a methodist preacher, and when you have 
 ascertained who I am, you will send me to the devil." 
 
 " The Lord forbid ! I am, as you judge, a preacher of the gospel 
 of Jesus Christ, who tells us to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, 
 and x'elieve the distressed ; and do you think I can behold a sister 
 fulfil the commands of my great master, Avithout feeling that 
 spiritual attachment which leads me to break through woi-ldly 
 customs, and offer you the hand of friendship and brotherly love." 
 
 " Well, well ; you are a good old soul, I dare say- — but — I — I 
 don't like fanatics ; and you'll not like me, when I tell you who 
 I am." 
 
 " I hope I shall." 
 
 *' Well then I'll tell you ; — I am a player." [The preacher 
 sighed.] " Yes, I am a player, and you must have heard of me ; 
 — Mrs. Jordan is my name." 
 
 After a short pause, he once more extended his hand, and with 
 a complaisant countenance, he replied : — 
 
 " The Lord bless thee, whoever thou art ;— his goodness is un- 
 limited ; He has bestowed upon thee a large portion of his spirit ; 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordax. 71 
 
 and as to thy calling, if thy soul upbraid thee not, the Lord forbid 
 that I should." 
 
 A reconciliation having been thus effected, and the shower 
 being ended, they issued from the sheltering porch together ; the 
 offer of the preacher's arm was accepted, and the comic muse, 
 with the disciple of John Wesley, trudged arm-in-arm to the door 
 of our heroine's residence, and at parting, the latter shook hands 
 with her, exclaiming : — 
 
 " Fare thee well, sister ! I know not what the principles of 
 persons of thy calling may be, — thou art the first with whom I 
 ever yet held converse ; but if their practices of benevolence go 
 hand-in-hand with thine, I hope and trust at the great judgment day 
 the Almighty Father will say to each '■Thy sins are forgiven thee.'" 
 
 Mi-s. Jordan on one occasion when performing at the Margate 
 theatre, with a new actor of Irish birth, the latter on proceeding 
 to kiss her, such being a featui'e in the representation, she turned 
 her head so as to present little more than her ear. 
 
 " Och, by Jasus, then," cried the Hibernian, — " I'll be d d 
 
 if I kiss you at all at all ; — if you won't let me play my part as 
 a man should, you may do it all yourself." 
 
 Upon which Paddy very deliberately walked off the stage, 
 accompanied, as may be supposed, by a loud roar of laughter. 
 
 In reference to the subject of our theme, the following delinea- 
 tion by a modern writer, is particularly applicable. 
 
 " It was not by a cursory acquaintance she could be known ; 
 unreserved confidence alone could develope her qualities, and none 
 of them escaped my observation. I have known her when in the 
 busy bustling exercise of her profession, — I have known her when 
 in the tranquil lap of ease, of luxury, and of magnificence, — I 
 have seen her in a theatre, surrounded by a crowd of adulating 
 dramatists, — I have seen her in a palace, surrounded by a numer- 
 ous, interesting, and beloved offspring, I have seen her happy — I 
 have seen her, alas, miserable; and I could not help participating 
 in all her feelings. 
 
 " At the point of time when I first saw the lady, she could not 
 be much more, I think, than sixteen years of age, and was making 
 her debut as Miss Francis, at the Dublin theatre. It is worthy 
 of observation that her early appearances in Dublin, were not in 
 any of those characters (save one) wherein she afterwards so 
 eminently excelled ; but such as being more girlish, were better 
 suited to her spirits and her age. 
 
 "I was then, of coui"se, less competent than now to exercise the 
 critical art, yet could not but observe that in those parts, she was 
 perfect even on her first appearance ; she had no art, in fact, to 
 
72 Life op Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 study ; — nature was her sole instructress. Youthful, joyous, ani- 
 mated, and droll, her laugh bubbled up fi'om her heart, and her 
 tears swelled out ingenuously from the deep spring of feeling. 
 Her countenance was all expression, without being all beauty ; 
 her form, then light and elastic, — her flexible limbs, — the juvenile 
 but indescribable grace of her every movement, — impressed them- 
 selves, as I perceived, indellibly upon all who attended even her 
 earliest performances. 
 
 " Her expressive features and eloquent action, at all periods, 
 harmonised blandly with each other— not by artifice, however 
 skilful, but by intellectual sympathy ; and when her figure was 
 adapted to the part she assumed, she had onl}' to speak the words 
 of an author, to become the very person he delineated. Her voice 
 was clear and distinct, modulating itself with natural and winning 
 ease; and when exerted in song, its gentle flute-like melody formed 
 the most captivating contrast to the convulsed and thundering 
 bravura. She was, throughout, the untutored child of nature ; 
 she sang without effort, and generally without the accompaniment 
 of instruments, and whoever heard her 'In the dead of the night,' 
 and her 'Sweet bird,' either in public or private, if they had any 
 soul, must have surrendered at discretion." 
 
 Those Avho knew Thalia only half as well as we did, could bear 
 testimony to her worth, and echo forth her praises ; never were 
 manners more open and undisguised ; beneficence characterised 
 her look, honey flowed from her tongue, nor could we ever trace 
 in her conduct an approximation to any of those little failings 
 that are too prevalent in the female sex. We have observed her 
 in the green-room, where an aspirant in her OAvn walk of acting 
 has sought for fame — exert her ineffable sweetness to inspire 
 courage, and ensure success. If wayward fortune oppressed any 
 of the theatric company, she was the first to advocate a subscrip- 
 tion, — and profuse in forwarding the charitable intent, thereby 
 exemplifying the grand chasm that existed between the liberality 
 of her spirit, and that whereby the great Melpomene of the day 
 was warmed. 
 
 We knew Thalia at York, when her means had become scanty, 
 compared with what she had formerly enjoyed, at which period 
 application was made by a theatric character, whose name, from 
 motives of delicacy, we refrain from inserting ; — wlien the letter 
 sent in reply, containing a five pound note, ran as follows :— 
 
 " Sir, — I have received your distressing letter, for to a mind 
 ill at ease, any discordant theme becomes oppressive. The trijle I 
 remit, I beg you will accept as such, and not conceive it the tri- 
 bute that would have been paid to your talents in happier days, by 
 Sir, Your obedt. Servt. il-c, — D. Jordan." 
 
Life of ]Mrs. Jordax. 73 
 
 At tlie commencement of the year 1809, oui- lieroine presented 
 herself at intervals before the public, and in such cases for the 
 sole purpose of contributing as much as possible to ensure a hand- 
 some establishment for her daughters by Mr. Ford ; this retire- 
 ment from theatrical duties, appears to have been the result of a 
 wish manifested by her illustrious friend, that she should no longer 
 continue a constant member of any dramatic corps. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan had now become corpulent, yet such was the ex- 
 traordinary pre-eminence of mind over matter, that no sooner did 
 she open her lips to utter the music of her voice, than her corpu- 
 lency was forgotten ; everything was absorbed in the brilliancy 
 of her talents, — the mortal encumbrance was wholly obliterated ; 
 in short, intellectual refinement cancelled the remembrance of her 
 altered person, which had then become nearly as broad as it was 
 long. 
 
 We have now attained the most momentous epoch of our 
 lieroine's life., and to prove the candour we wish to adopt towards 
 any other party concerned, we shall now give a series of documents 
 from genuine autograph papers, adduced by Mr. Boaden in his 
 life of this unfortunate lady, with a view to obliterate painful im- 
 pressions entertained in another quarter, assuming, however, to 
 ourselves the privilege of making those comments we deem re- 
 quisite, after which we shall adduce such statements as we can 
 avouch for facts, and then leave the reader to draw his own 
 conclusions. 
 
 During this year our actress was sedulously occupied in making 
 preparations for the marriage and establishment of her three 
 daughters. Frances, the eldest, espoused Mr. Alsop, a gentleman 
 holding a situation in the Ordnance Office, who resided at No. 11, 
 Park-place, with whom Miss Dora and Miss Lucy Jordan lived 
 until the ensuing year, when the former espoused Frederick 
 Edward March, Esqr., a natural son of Lord Henry Fitzgerald, 
 also a clerk in the Ordnance Office, and in 1810, the latter (Miss 
 Lucy), became the wife of General, then Colonel Hawker, of the 
 14th Light Dragoons. 
 
 To those ladies our heroine devoted part of her fortune, as well 
 as a portion of what she acquired by her theatrical talents, na- 
 turally conceiving that any progeny resulting from the elevated 
 connection she had formed, would be amply provided for by the 
 father. 
 
 The settlements intended for the daughters are clearly designated 
 in the quotation from a letter given by Mr. Boaden, which runs 
 as follows : — 
 
74 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 " I am sure you will be pleased to hear that your young friend 
 Lucy is about to be married, much to my satisfaction, to Colonel 
 Hawker, of the 14th Dragoons; he is a most excellent man, and 
 has a very good private property ; she will make the best of wives, 
 — a better girl never lived ; it makes me quite happy, and I intend 
 to give her the value of ten thousand pounds." 
 
 To this she is said to have added £200 a year, while she was 
 enabled by her theatrical avocations to make such disbursements. 
 
 In reference to the above statement, we have to offer a string 
 of observations which we conceive it would be i-ather difficult to 
 I'econcile with reason or common sense, without the intervention 
 of some secret mode, not hitherto explained, in which thousands 
 were disposed of ; now to the point. — 
 
 When Mrs. Jordan was first connected with Mr. Ford, slie was 
 living in affluence, kept a carriage, and all the necessary auxilaries; 
 in short, her income was estimated as amounting to two thousand 
 pounds a year, being the interest of a capital of £40,000. Miss 
 Frances Jordan, her eldest daughter, was then, of course, an infant, 
 from which time to her marriage with Mr. Alsop, a lapse of 
 twenty-five years took place, during which, as previously shown 
 in the progress of our memoirs, Mrs. Jordan was indefatigable in 
 pursuing her professional career, both in the metropolis and 
 vai'ious parts of England. 
 
 Sir Jonah Barrington whom we shall have occasion to quote in 
 the sequel, asserts that at the close of our actress's theatrical 
 career, when age, corpulency, and other circumstances combined 
 to diminish her former attractions, she nevertlieless netted in one 
 year, seven thousand pounds, a calculation we certainly conceive, 
 over-rated. Without wishing, therefore, to make our estimate on 
 such an exaggerated scale, suppose we average her gains at four 
 thousand pounds per annum, which is certainly speaking within 
 compass, when all the fascinations and novelty of the zenith of 
 her powers be taken into consideration. — the result at the end of 
 twenty-five years, would be a gross amount of one hundred 
 thousand pounds, which added to her previous fortune, made a 
 total of one hundred and forty thousand pounds. 
 
 During our heroine's long continuance with an illustrious 
 individual, it is but natural to conjecture that house-rent, the 
 expenditure of the table, &g., were not at her charge, consequently 
 she had only to find her private wardrobe and theatrical dresses, 
 which taken at the most extravagant rate could make a very 
 trifling inroad upon an annual income of seven thousand pounds, 
 the interest of the capital above mentioned. 
 
LiFK OF Mrs. Jord.vx. 75 
 
 However, we now find Mrs. Jordan anxious to make a pro- 
 vision for her three daughters, to efiect which she settles upon 
 each ten thousand pounds, being a reduction of tliirty thousand 
 pounds from the fortune she had acquired, when there still re- 
 mained one hundred and ten thousand pounds, — a statement, I 
 believe, not to be refuted by the ablest calculator existing. We 
 shall, in the sequel, have occasion to speak of a bond executed in 
 favour of a valued relative, together with acceptances given in 
 blank to the same party, for Avhich she was in dread of legal 
 pursuit; but to what amount were those claims? — why two 
 thousand povnds, which would have been a very trifling diminu- 
 tion from the £110,000, of which by right she ought to have been 
 possessed ; yet notwithstanding this, we tind her compelled to 
 sacrifice property of every description, and fly for refuge to the 
 continent, for the comparative trifling amount of two thousand 
 pounds. 
 
 " There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, 
 Then are dreamt of in our philosophy." 
 
 At the period when Mrs. Jordan's daughters were disposed of 
 in nxarriage, it was currently reported that a quarrel had taken 
 place between that lady and her illustrious protector, for which 
 various causes were assigned ; and at the same juncture another 
 exposure took place in regard to an elevated personage and his 
 notorious mistress, Mary Ann Clarke. 
 
 Had we any desire to interlard our pages with anecdotic matter 
 relating to the last mentioned transaction, we might insert ma- 
 terials as multifarious and diversified as they would prove in 
 opposition to correct morals and common decency. These were 
 derived from an intimacy with Colonel "Wardle, M.P., of so much 
 celebrity at the time, by whom we were informed that the royal 
 inamorato now deceased, used to relate to his mistress, all the 
 secrets of an exalted progeny, not forgetting those of papa and 
 mamma, the whole condensing a body of materials calculated to 
 form a record of iniquities, crimes, and fooleries, that might aflford 
 an excellent scope for a modern Gay to found a new opera, under 
 the title of Royal Knaveries. 
 
 Refinements in pleasure were never formed for the slaves of 
 debauchery, who are neither possessed of delicacy or judgment, 
 since being all corporeal, they are incapable of appreciating the 
 refinements of real passion. O ! divine love, how few there are 
 enabled to estimate thy blessings and enjoy the rapture thou art 
 calculated to afford ; those possessing only the grosser passions — 
 who regard the qualities of the heart as of no account, are un- 
 worthy to be ranked among thy votaries, or participate m thy 
 blessings. 
 
76 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 Ill reference to the alleged misunderstanding between our 
 actress and her royal friend, Ave quote the following letter, as it 
 refers to the subject ; having only to observe, that whatsoever dis- 
 agreement might have existed, we feel thoroughly convinced that 
 tlie lady in question would have tacitly submitted to any suffering 
 rather than allow the fact. With this comment, we leave the 
 reader to form his own estimate of the assertions contained in the 
 annexed document. 
 
 " Bushy House, Sunday, 
 " Dear Sir, — I should be very ungrateful indeed if I could for 
 a moment consider as an enemy, one from whom I have received 
 very decided proofs of kindness and attention. I love candour 
 and truth on all occasions, and the frankness with which you 
 speak of my professional merit, stamps a value on your opinion 
 of them, and which {entre nous) I really believe is quite as much 
 as they deserve ; but we do not feel inclined to quarrel with the 
 world for thinking better of us then we deserve. 
 
 "I do not know how to thank you for the humanity with which 
 you seem to enter into my feelings ; they are, indeed, very acute, 
 and did you know the three incomparable and truly amiable 
 objects of my anxiety, you would not be inclined to withdraw 
 your sympathy. 
 
 "With regard to the report of my quarrel with the Duke, every 
 day of our past and px-esent lives must give the lie to it. He is 
 an example for half the fathers and husbands in the world, the 
 best of masters and the most firm and generous of friends. I will, 
 in a day or two, avail myself of your kind offer to contradict 
 those odious and truly wicked reports. I am so ill that I can do 
 nothing myself, but must wait for the assistance of a good and 
 clever friend, who is at present out of the way, and who (if truth 
 is not quite scared out of the world) will endeavour to do away 
 the ill impression those reports were meant to make. In the 
 meantime accept my thanks, and believe me. 
 
 Yours truly, 
 
 Dora Jordan." 
 
 As the daily prints continued their attacks upon the conduct 
 of the Royal personage alluded to, our actress was at length 
 prompted to seek the advice referred to in the above communi- 
 cation ; after which we find from the same authority, a second 
 epistle, containing the result of the conference, and the ultimatum 
 of the Duke's wishes as regarded the future proceedings of our 
 heroine in her professional career. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 77 
 
 " Bushy House, March 27th, 1809. 
 
 " Dear Sir, — When I last did myself the pleasure of writmg 
 to you, I mentioned that T waited for the assistance of a friend 
 who was not just then in the way, to contradict the cruel and 
 infamous reports that were then in circulation ; but on my appli- 
 cation to him, (perhaps he was right) he said that what had been 
 done had every good effect that could possibly be expected or 
 wished for ; and that a reneival of the subject might do more 
 harm than good. 
 
 " Of this I should like to have your opiriion, when you have 
 read the enclosed. — I need not add that you will set the author 
 down for a very partial friend indeed. In obedience to the 
 Duke's wishes I have withdrawn myself, for the present, or at 
 least till there is a theatre royal for me to appear in. Mr. March, 
 and Mr. Alsop, the two gentlemen to whom my daughters are 
 married, will do themselves the pleasure of leaving their cards at 
 your door, next week. I ever am. Sir, 
 
 Your obliged humble Servt. 
 
 Dora Jordax. 
 
 " I am to play to-morrow week at the Opera House, and as it 
 is likely to be my last night, it would not be amiss to have it 
 insinuated into the boxes." 
 
 "Whether there existed any real ground for the reports circulated 
 in regard to a quarrel between our heroine and her friend, we do 
 not take upon ourselves to decide ; it however appears evident 
 that not only herself, but her family were also rendered subser- 
 vient to the scurrility of the public press, as we find from an 
 undated letter, written in 1809, the following statement relative 
 to her three daughters. 
 
 Without date, written in 1809. 
 
 " Dear Sir, — Having frequently experienced your kindness in 
 assisting to do away any unfair impression, your candour, believe 
 me, cannot be better employed than in the defence of three as 
 good and virtuous girls as ever existed. 
 
 "It would be painful to me, and unnecessary to you to mention 
 the cruel and infamous reports for some time in circulation, and 
 to the extent of which I was really a stranger till last week. To 
 say it has made me sick at heart, is saying little. 
 
 I remain. Your obliged humble Servt., 
 
 Dora Jordan." 
 
 In a postscript to the letter preceding the above, mention is 
 made of Mrs. Jordan's ha\'ing to perform at the Opera House, 
 which she did gratuitously, for the benefit of the necessitated 
 
78 Life op Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 members of the Drury Lane company, after which she quitted 
 London to perform at Bath, being accompanied on that occasion, 
 by one of lier daughters. Our heroine, soon after her arrival, 
 discovered that the tales, so industriously circulated in the metro- 
 polis respecting a separation from the Duke, had found their way 
 to the gay circles of that celebrated resort of fashion, as in a 
 communication to a friend, we find the ensuing curious statements 
 respecting herself and the subject adverted to. 
 
 "Bath, Sunday, 22nd April, 1809. 
 
 " Dear Sir, — I sliould be more insensible than my heart tells 
 me I am, if I did not expei'ience much gratification from your 
 very kind and friendly letteA's :—/riendly tliey must be, for though 
 I am ever asking favours of you, I feel it impossible that I can 
 ever return them. 
 
 " My professional success through life, has indeed been most 
 extraordinary, and consequently attended with great emoluments ; 
 but from my first starting in life, at the early age of fourteen, I 
 have always had a large family to support. My mother was a 
 duty ; but on brothers and sisters I have lavished more money 
 than can be supposed ; and more, I am sorry to say, than I can 
 well justify to those wlio have a stronger and prior claim on my 
 exertions. 
 
 " With regard to myself (as much depends upon our ideas of 
 riches), I have certainly enough ; but this is too selfish a con- 
 sideration to weigh one moment against what I consider to be a 
 duty. I am quite tired of the profession. I have lost those great 
 excitements vanity and emulation ; the first has been amply 
 gratified, and the last I see no occasion for ; but still without 
 these, it is a mere money getting drudgery. 
 
 " The enthusiasm of the good people here, is really ridiculous, 
 but it brings ' grist to the mill,' and I shall, notwithstanding tlie 
 great drawback of unsettled weather, clear between this place and 
 Bristol, from £800 to £900. 
 
 " Though I very seldom go out when from liome, I was, tempted 
 by my dear girl to go to a fashionable library, to read the papers, 
 and not being known, was entertained by some ladies with a most 
 pathetic description of the parting between me and the Duke ! — 
 My very dress was described, and the whole conversation accurately 
 repeated I — unfortunately for the party, a lady came in who im- 
 mediately addressed me by name, which threw them into the 
 most ridiculous and (I conceive) embarrassing situation imagin- 
 able. In pity to them, I left the place immediately, and flatter 
 myself I did not show any disgust or ill nature on the occasion. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 79 
 
 " The last favour I asked of you, was not to gratify my own 
 vanity, but my best friends ; — who in spite of the world, are I 
 can with truth assure you as much interested about me as they 
 were seventeen years ago. 
 
 Believe me ever, your truly obliged, 
 
 Dora Jordan. 
 " P.S. — I fear I have tired you with my scrawl." 
 
 Having terminated her engagement at Bath, which proved very 
 lucrative, our actress next repaired to Dublin, and from that place 
 shortly after her arrival, she penned tlie following letter, which 
 is interesting, as it contains an expression of her maternal feelings 
 in regard to one of her sons, then serving in the army on the 
 Peninsula. 
 
 "Dublin, Sunday, June 18th, 1809. 
 
 "Dear Sir, — I had left Bushy for this place, before the arrival 
 of your letter. That you would enter into my feelings respecting 
 my dear boy, I was convinced when T sent you tlie exti'act, aiid 
 as you very rightly supposed, only meant for your perusal ; — for 
 however gratifying it might be to my feelings to see any testimonial 
 of his good conduct before the world, I iiave reason to believe 
 that he would be very angry with me if he thought I had made it 
 public. I only mention this to show you that he is an unassuming 
 modest boy ; — so much so, that we never could get him to speak 
 of the business at Corunna, where he was himself concerned, but 
 the accounts of him from every other quarter, were indeed most 
 gratifying. 
 
 "With regard to myself, I have not much to say: the audience 
 are of course very kind, and my reception was most brilliant,— 
 but entre nous, I do not think I shall make as much money as I 
 expected. With every good wish, I remain. 
 
 Dear Sir, Your most obliged Humble Servant, 
 
 Dora Jordan." 
 
 The visit of our heroine to Dublin proved in one point of view, 
 most gratifying to her feelings, being particularly noticed by many 
 of the leading personages of that city; but as regarded her profes- 
 sional avocations, she was not quite so fortunate, as the dramatic 
 corps engaged by Mr. Jones, then manager of the theatre, proved 
 the very refuse of the mimic tribe. Not only were they of vulgar 
 habits, and addicted to liquor, but so neglectful of the duties of 
 their profession as not even to attend to the business of the stage, 
 so that after one or two attempts, our actress at length found 
 herself under the painful necessity of refusing to play. 
 
80 LiFK OF Mrs. Johdan. 
 
 It is by no means improbable that the disgust manifested by 
 Mrs. Jordan, tended to heap upon her the injuries slie had to 
 sustain from those unwortliy members of her own profession, more 
 particularly a performer named Corri, who pertinaciously continued 
 his abuse against our actress, and all those who stood forward to 
 befriend her. 
 
 Among the advocates of our heroine, was in particular Sir 
 Jonah Barrington, who for reiterated attacks that appeared in 
 the daily papers, commenced an action against the printer. Upon 
 the trial, the counsel employed for the defendent delivered a 
 speech by no means credital)Ie to him as a man of feeling, or a 
 gentleman, in reference to which, as well as the contrarieties she 
 was subjected to while at Dublin, — Mrs. Jordan thus expi-esses 
 herself : — 
 
 "To Sir Jonah Bai-rington. 
 
 " Bushy House, Wednesday. 
 
 "My Dear Sir, — Not having the least suspicion of the business 
 in Dublin, it shocked and grieved me very much ; — not only on 
 tny own account, but I regret that I should have been the invol- 
 untary cause of anything painful to you, or to your amiable 
 family. But of Mr. Jones T can think anything, and I beg you 
 will do me the justice to believe that my feelings are not selfish. 
 — Why indeed should I expect to escape their infamous calumnies? 
 Truth, however, will force its way, and justice exterminate that 
 nest of vipers. I wanted nothing from Mr. Crompton's generosity, 
 but I had a claim on his justice — his honour. 
 
 " During the two representations of the Inconstant, I repre- 
 sented to him the state Mr. Dwyer was in, and implored him out 
 of respect to the audience, if not in pity to my terrors, to change 
 the play. As to the libel on Mr. Dwyer, charged to me by Mr. 
 Gold, I never directly or indirectly, by words or by writing, 
 demeaned myself l)y interfering in the most remote degree Avith 
 so wretched a concern. 
 
 " I knew no Editor, — -I read no newspapers while in Dublin. 
 The charge is false and libellous on me, — published I presume, 
 tln'ough Mr. Gold's assistance. Under that view of the case, he 
 will feel himself rather unpleasantly circumstanced should I call 
 upon him either to prove or disavow his assertions. To be intro- 
 duced any way into such a business, shocks and grieves me ; he 
 might have pleaded for his companions without calumniating me; 
 — but for the present, I shall drop an irksome subject, which has 
 already given me more than ordinary uneasiness. 
 
 Yours, etc. — Dora Jordan." 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 81 
 
 It may be imagined to what an extent the scurrility and abuse 
 levelled at Mrs. Jordan, was carried, when her quiescent spirit 
 was at length so wrought upon, that she came to the determination 
 of applying legally for redress, a proceeding that would in all 
 probability have been put in force but for the timely and salutary 
 advice of some confidential friend. 
 
 Shortly after the termination of this disagreeable business, the 
 battle of Talavera was fought, when her son displayed his gallantry, 
 on which subject the annexed document is suflSciently indicatory 
 of the agitated state of her feelings. 
 
 "Bushy, Thursday, August 17, 1809. 
 
 " I am very vain, but still I have judgment enough not to be 
 fond of doing that which I know I do very ill. Still I feel pleasure 
 in writing to you who so kindly enter into all my feelings. You 
 may easily guess what they were last Monday night, when 1 heard 
 the account of the battle of Talavera. Five thousand killed ! — • 
 the Duke at Brighton ! — I went to bed, but not to sleep. 
 
 " The Duke set out at five o'clock on the Tuesday, to be the first 
 to relieve me from my misery. I am mentally reKeved ; but it has 
 torn my nerves to pieces. I have five boys, and must look forward 
 to a life of constant anxiety and suspense. I am at present very 
 ill — excuse this hasty scrawl, and believe me. 
 
 Your ever obliged. — Dora Jordan." 
 
 The coolness on the part of our actress's protector which had 
 been so long talked of, seemed at length confirmed by her removal 
 from Bushy Park, when she took up her abode at Hammersmith, 
 not far from the late villa of the deceased Margravine of Anspach, 
 which also became the partial residence of her illustrious friend. 
 The sensitive feelings of our heroine were ill attuned to witness 
 this neglect with stoicism, and in order, therefore, to recruit her 
 finances and separate herself from scenes that goaded her mind 
 to agony, she undertook some professional excursions. 
 
 Notwithstanding our actress's removal to Hammersmith, as 
 above mentioned, we nevertheless find that there were short in- 
 tervals during which she was either at Bushy, or St. James's, as 
 two or three subsequent correspondences tend to prove, of which 
 we shall speedily have proofs to demonstrate. 
 
 At the above mentioned residence, it was currently reported 
 that very unpleasant bickerings frequently occurred ; that the 
 children of our actress were estranged from her, and as j)&cuniary 
 resources failed, a palpable coldness and total neglect became ap- 
 parent in a certain quarter. We do not pretend to deny that a 
 
82 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 ■want of money might be experienced by one individual, but we 
 are by no means enabled to account for any such deficiency in 
 another party. 
 
 From all the foregoing statements in this volume, containing 
 every event on record relative to our actress, we cannot trace one 
 feasible reason for her being reduced in circumstances ; yet that 
 she did begin to feel pecuniary embarrassment is a notorious fact, 
 the solution of which some persons, perhaps, may shrewdly sur- 
 mise, notwithstanding all varnish used to gloss over and mystify 
 the fact. 
 
 Although we cannot, for a certainty, point out the precise 
 period when the final interview took place between the heroine of 
 our tale, and her soidisant friend, yet tlie effects produced upon 
 our feelings will not easily be erased from our memory. 
 
 She happened to be on the point of sustaining a character at 
 the Cheltenham Theatre, when a letter was received from the 
 individual alluded to, appointing a meeting at Maidenhead, for 
 the purpose of exchanging an eternal farewell. Thalia, at the 
 . time referred to, had actually terminated her engagement for a 
 few nights, having only to continue one evening longer, in order 
 to appear in the character of Nell, in The Devil to Pay, for the 
 benefit of Mr. Watson, then manager of the Cheltenham company. 
 
 It was during the afternoon of the last mentioned day, that 
 the fatal letter came to hand, notwithstanding which, with that 
 generous kindness that uniformly characterised her conduct, she 
 refused to withdraw her name from the play bills, though lier 
 mental agitation at the time was such, that on her arrival at the 
 play-house, from having sufi'ered continued hysterics, it might be 
 said she was saturated from excess of grief. 
 
 The following circumstance, however, having occurred during 
 the performance, we deem it necessary to record the incident. 
 
 In the scene with Jobson, the Conjuror having seen her, Nell 
 laughs immoderately, upon which the former is made to exclaim : — 
 
 "Why, Nell, the conjuror has not only made you drunk, but 
 he has made you laughing drunk ! " 
 
 On this occasion, when the suffering creature attempted to 
 laugh, she burst into a flood of tears, upon which the personifier 
 of Jobson, with great presence of mind changed the text, saying: — 
 
 "Why, Nell, the conjuror has not only made thee drunk, he 
 has made thee crying drunk ! " 
 
 By which means the scene passed off with the accustomed eclat. 
 At the conclusion of the performance, our actress more dead than 
 
LiFF, OF Mrs. Jordan. 83 
 
 alive, was placed in a travelling chariot, without having time to 
 throw off her dress as Nell, and in that state set off to keep the 
 final appointment with her foraier protector. 
 
 It may in this place be requisite to insert a list of Mrs. Jordan's 
 progeny by this illustrious connection thus terminated, which runs 
 as follows : — 
 
 •George Fitzclarence, Viscount Fitzclarence, Baron Tewkesbury, 
 Earl of Munster, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ; — 
 born on the 29th of January, 1794, married Mary, daughter 
 of George, Earl of Egremont, the 18th of October, 1819, by 
 whom he has issue : — 
 
 William George Viscount Fitzclarence; — born the 19th 
 
 of May, 1824. 
 Frederick Charles Geoi'ge; — born the 1st of February, 1826. 
 Adelaide Georgina; — born the 28th of October, 1820. 
 Augusta Margaret ; — born on the 31st of July, 1822. 
 Colonel Fitzclarence was raised to the peerage in the above 
 dignities, by Letters Patent, dated May 1831, with special re- 
 mainder, in default of his own male issue, to his lordship's brothers, 
 Lords Frederick Adolphus and Augustus Fitzclarence, primo- 
 geniturely, and their male descendants. The Earl of Munster 
 is a Colonel in the Army, Aide-de-camp to his Majesty, and 
 Lieutenant of the Tower. 
 
 The Earl of Munster has the following surviving brothers and 
 sisters : — 
 
 2. Frederick Fitzclarence, a Colonel in the Army, and Aide- 
 de-camp to the King ; — he married Lady Augusta Boyle, 
 daughter of George, Earl of Glasgow, and has one daughter. 
 
 3. Adolphus Fitzclarence, Captain in the Royal Navy, Com- 
 mander of the Royal Sovereign Yacht. 
 
 4. Augustus Fitzclarence, in Holy Orders, Rector of Maple 
 Durham, Oxfordshire. 
 
 5. Sophia Fitzclarence, married to Sir Philip Sidney, eldest son 
 of Sir John Sidney, Bart., of Penshurst Place, Kent. 
 
 6. Mary Fitzclarence, wife of Lieutenant Colonel Fox, of the 
 Grenadier Guards. 
 
 7. Elizabeth Fitzclarence, married to William George, Earl of 
 Errol, hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland, Avho has 
 issue. 
 
 8. Augusta Fitzclarence, married to the Honourable John 
 Kennedy Erskine, second son of the present Marquis of 
 Ailsa (who died the 16th of March, 1832), by whom her 
 ladyship has issue. 
 
 9. Amelia Fitzclai-ence, married 27th of December, 1830, to 
 Lucius, Viscount Falkland, and has issue. 
 
84 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 His Majesty, William the Fourth, was pleased on the 24th of 
 May, 1831, to grant to all the above mentioned ladies and 
 gentlemen, with the exception of the Countess of Errol, and 
 Viscountess Falkland (who, through their marriages had ah-eady 
 attained higher rank), the title and 2^ii'€'Cedency of the younger 
 issue of a Marquess. 
 
 The next document we have to offer, is a letter from the pen of 
 Mrs. Jordan to a confidential friend, on the subject of the recent 
 separation, which runs as follows : — 
 
 THE SEPARATION. 
 
 Bushy, Saturday. 
 
 "My Dear Sir, — I received yours and its inclosure safe this 
 morning. My mind is beginning to feel somewhat reconciled to 
 the sliock and surprise it has lately received ; for could you or the 
 world believe that we never had, for twenty years, tlie semblance 
 of a Quarrel. But this is so well known in our domestic circle, 
 that the astonishment is the greater ! Money, money, my good 
 friend, or the xvant of it, has, I am convinced, made him at this 
 moment, the most wretched of men ; but having done wrong, he 
 does not like to retract. But with all his excellent qualities, his 
 domestic virtues, his love for his lovely children, what must he 
 not at this moment suffer .? His distresses should have been re- 
 lieved before ; — but this is entre nous. 
 
 " All his letters are full of the most unqualified praise of my 
 conduct ; and it is the most heartfelt blessing to know that to the 
 best of my power, I have endeavoured to deserve it. I have 
 received the greatest kindness and attention from the R****t, 
 and every branch of the Royal Family, who, in the most unre- 
 served terms, deplore this melancholy business. The whole cor- 
 respondence is before the R****t, and I am proud to add that 
 my 2^o.st and j^'i'eseyit conduct has secured me a friend, who declares 
 he never will forsake me. 
 
 "My forbearance, he says, is beyond wliat he could have 
 imagined ; — but what will not a Avoman do, who is firmly and 
 sincerely attached ? Had he left me to starve, I never would have 
 uttered a word to his disadvantage. I enclose you two other 
 letters, and in a day or two you shall see more, the rest being in 
 
 the hands of R 1. And now, my dear friend, do not hear the 
 
 Duke of C. unfairly abused. He has done wi'ong, and he is 
 suffering for it ; but as far as he has left it in his own j^ower, he 
 is doing everything kind and noble, even to the distressing him- 
 
Life op Mrs. Jordan. 85 
 
 SELF. — I thank you sincerely for the friendly caution at the end 
 of your letter, though I trust there will be no occasion for it ; 
 but it was kind and friendly, and as such I shall ever esteem it. 
 I remain, Dear Sir, 
 
 Yours sincerely, 
 
 Dora Jordan. 
 " These letters are for your eye alone."* 
 
 Let it be observed that notwithstanding the praise lavished 
 
 upon the D of C , which sprang from the writer's 
 
 goodness of heart, she nevertheless cannot refrain at the close of 
 her epistle, from allowing that he had done wrong and ^y&s suj^ering 
 for it. The first assertion no one can deny ; but in regard to the 
 second, we can only judge of persons by their actions ; and for 
 our parts, we very much doubt whether an individual, having so 
 conducted himself, could be susceptible of a compunctious yearn- 
 ing towards tlie being who was withering under the blight of his 
 unkindness. 
 
 " My dear Sir, — I should be sorry the letters I have enclosed 
 to you were the only vouchers I could produce to the world, i£ 
 necessary. But, good God ! what will not the world say ? I 
 received two letters this day, telling me I was accused of intri' 
 gueing with the Duke of Cumberland ! 
 
 "I am heart sick and almost worn out with this cruel business, 
 but I am, very gratefully yours, 
 
 Dora Jordan." 
 
 Well, indeed, might the wretched lady exclaim, that she teas 
 heart sick at such a monstrous idea, as that referred to in the 
 above note. It is true, tastes may be depraved, but there is one 
 EXTEME in DEPRAVITY, which SO rarely occurs, as to rank almost 
 impossible ; and of that description, would have been all inter- 
 course between Mrs. Jordan and the being above adverted to. De 
 gustibus non est disjjutancluin, says the Latin adage, and certainly 
 had such a taste been manifested by our actress, it would have 
 ranked her ; not on a level — but far more degraded than the 
 lowest trull at Wapping ; as there are certain associations, which 
 even the most dissolute of the female race would shun enhorrored, 
 and of such a nature is the supposition to which we allude. This 
 preposterous and nauseating idea, brings to our recollection the 
 disgraceful trial of the late unfortunate Queen Caroline, when 
 the revolting charge was made of her having submitted to the 
 embraces of her father-in-law, King George the Third, which 
 
 * The two letters enclosed by Mrs. Jordan, returned faithfully to her- 
 self, the condition attached to their communication. 
 
86 LiFK OF Mrs. Jokdan. 
 
 aljominablc allpfjatioii jiroduced the celeljrated words of Mr. 
 Demiian, comk kohtii Tiior slandehkd ! levelled at the exalted 
 individual who had ventured to hint at such a crime. 
 
 From the ensuing' letter, as well as the next but one, it seems 
 that although tlie separation had taken place, Mrs. Jordan con- 
 tinued undertlie roof of her late protector, as these communications 
 are dated from Bushy and St. James's ; however, they are the last 
 bearing such supersci-iption ; whence it may be inferred, that she 
 was preparing to quit those royal residences for ever. 
 
 " Bushy, Tiiursday. 
 "My dear Sir, — Allow me to thank you for your kind attention 
 to my request. We really live so much in the country, and so 
 entirely within ourselves, that we might be dead and buried, 
 without our friends knowing even that we had been ill. I have 
 the heartfelt happiness of informing you, that the Duke is con- 
 siderably better, though far from being as we could wish ; however, 
 his physicians have given his Royal Highness permission to go to 
 town to-morrow. 1 have been confined ever since my return, 
 owing to the fatigues and anxiety I have gone through. I hear 
 it will l)e some time before I recover the very great sliock I 
 received. I hear there are to be two Drury Lanes ; I believe 
 just as likely as one. 
 
 Yours, ever, — Doha Jordan." 
 
 " Cadogan Place, Thursday. 
 " My dear Sir, — I fear I must have appeared unmindful of 
 your many kindnesses, in having been such a length of time without 
 writing to you ; but really, till very lately, my spirits have been 
 so depressed, that I am sure you will understand my feelings, when 
 I say, it cost me more pain to write to those interested about nie, 
 than to a common acquaintance. But the constant kindness and 
 attention, I meet with from the Duke, in every respect, but per- 
 sonal intercourse, (and which depends as much on my feelings as 
 his) has in a great measure restored me to my former health and 
 spirits. Among many noble traits of goodness, he has lately added 
 one more, that of exonerating me from my promise of not returning 
 to my profession. This he has done, under the idea of its benefiting 
 my health, and adding to my pleasures and comforts ; and though 
 it is very uncertain, whether I shall ever avail myself of this 
 kindness, yet you, if you choose, are at liberty to make it known, 
 w^hether publicly or privately. 
 
 Yours, ever, — Dora Jordan. 
 - *' P.S. — I wish I could see you, but it is such a long way for 
 you to come." 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 87 
 
 It appears from the above letter, that all personal association 
 between the Duke and Mrs. Jordan, had terminated, while she 
 eulogises his bounty in permitting her to resume her theatrical 
 avocation, should she be desirous of so doing. Truly, a mighty 
 condescension this, to permit a repudiated mistress, after twenty 
 years cohabitation, to betake herself to a profession, after growing 
 grey in the service, for the purpose of contributing to her jileasures 
 and comforts. Pleasures forsooth ! a mighty accession of delight 
 she had to contemplate from toiling on the theatrical boards, of 
 which she had long been sick ; as to comforts, indeed, the labour 
 was seasonably recommended, as the good things of this life can 
 only be procured through the medium of money, whereof she was 
 then disburthened ; consequently, the profits accruing became a 
 very requisite desideratum. 
 
 We are such rooted admirers of the divine Shakspeare, that we 
 never fail to bear him in our remembrance ; and therefore, as 
 Polonius observes, speaking of Hamlet harping on his daughter. 
 We must still continue to harp upon the old string, and enquire, 
 what in the name of heaven had become of the hundred and ten 
 thousand pounds % 
 
 "My dear Sir, — I lose not a moment in letting you know that 
 the Duke of Clarence has concluded and settled on me and his 
 children, the most liberal and generous provisions ; and I trust 
 everything will sink into oblivion. 
 
 Yours, ever, — Dora Jordan." 
 
 What was to sink into oblivion ? The remembrance of an in- 
 tercourse of twenty years standing % the having borne a numerous 
 progeny % or the hie presto disappearance of a hundred and ten 
 thousand pounds 1 These are events in a person's life not easily 
 to be erased from the memory; and however forgiving the generous 
 creature might be, we have a shrewd surmise that she did not 
 FORGET ! 
 
 At the period of the separation, an intended union between 
 the Duke of Clarence and the late ill-fated Miss Tylney Long 
 was Ipublicly talked of, and report went so far as to state tliat the 
 Prince Regent contemplated the bringing a bill into parliament, 
 in order to sanction such union. In reference to this topic, Mr. 
 Boaden observes: — "In fact twenty years of sympathy and truth 
 leave always sti'ong impressions upon the mind ; and I have no 
 doubt full justice has always been done to the attachment of Mrs. 
 Jordan, by the royal personage to whom it was borne." 
 
 If this be not ofFei'ing undeserved adulation, we never heard 
 of flattery before ; however, upon second thoughts, we conceive 
 
88 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 that ^Ir. Boaden may not merit reprehension, as the daubing is 
 so truly preposterous, as to verify the famous line of Pope : — 
 
 Praise undeserved is satire in disgaise. 
 
 Mr. Boaden observes — " The letter from Mrs. Jordan upon the 
 subject of the disagreement, mentions lier forbearance, and that 
 it was highly applauded by a great personage." We take it for 
 granted, the then Prince Regent, "nor is it unlikely that she might 
 have placed some part of her fortune at the temporary disposition 
 of her noble friend. Everything of a pecuniary nature, however, 
 it will be shown by adequate proof, was settled, with interest, up 
 to the veiy hour of adjustment, and Mrs. Jordan's receipt in full 
 taken by the gentleman commissioned to make the arrangement." 
 
 Here then we have something like an admission, that the poor 
 lady had forbearance, and that a portion of her fortune might 
 have been placed at the disposal of her j^rotector. We now wish 
 to enquire the motive of this forbearance, that gave such delight 
 to an exalted personage. Was it her concealment of tlic nature 
 of those pecuniary transactions ; their amount ; non-restitution, 
 or failure in the payment of the annual allowance of a thousand 
 pounds which had been secured by a bond 1 Forbearance ! a 
 great personage to applaud the lenity of an actress towards no less 
 an individual than his own brother ; it must indoed have been a 
 circumstance of no very trifling nature, that could wring such 
 plaudit on a vagabond actress, from one of the haughtiest men 
 in existence ! 
 
 Although we have on former occasions commented on the lai'ge 
 sums realised by our actress during her professional career ; we 
 cannot refrain from recurrinsc to the theme. We once more beg 
 leave to advert to the ample settlement of £1000 a year, and a 
 sum bequeathed her by a deceased relative of her mother's ; 
 making with her professional gains, an annual rental of no less 
 than .£8000, including the £1000 annuity. Now suppose we 
 deduct the latter amount as never having been ^mid, £7000 per 
 annum still remained, being the interest of a capital of £140,000. 
 We next find it stated that our heroine settled £30,000 on her 
 three daughters, and ultimately, that she was necessitated to 
 abandon England on account of numerous demands on a bond 
 and bills she had accepted ; now if such be the fact, she had not 
 liquidated them; then how were the £110,000 that remained 
 disposed of ? The advocates for certain illustrious and fashionable 
 individuals, may turn round upon us with brazen impudence (for 
 assurance dwells with tlie great) and say, — "Ah ! but the bills 
 and bond concerns were only in part cancelled." What ? £110,000 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordax. 89 
 
 a mere wiping oif of those incumbrances ; p.altry evasion — wicked 
 subterfuge ! Then we again demand, What became of the capital ? 
 Our actress was no gambler, her habits were uniformly frugal, and 
 for a sei'ies of years her house rent ; expenditure for the table, etc., 
 had or ought to have been defrayed by another • the advocates of 
 greatness will never solve this problem — not so the abbettors of 
 truth ; they see through the flimsy veil : sponges Avill suck up, 
 and sinks engulph the largest torrents. 
 
 Now the pecuniary embarrassments under which our heroine 
 suffered, did certainly result from a bond and bill involvements, 
 the amount of which is stated at £2000, a sum she could not 
 liquidate, although it seems more than probable, her claims upon 
 others were of such magnitude, and this was coupled with other 
 circumstances, that completely annihilated her peace, and com- 
 pelled her to abandon her native land. 
 
 In regard to the thousand pound settlement, such things have 
 been heard of as procuring the loan of a bond under specious 
 pretences, and never returning the same. Transactions of this 
 nature will sometimes occur in families, as a lady of the name of 
 Robinson could testify was she still i»n existence. 
 
 We now come to the authentic statement respecting the unfor- 
 tunate business transactions in which our heroine became involved 
 for the sole purpose of relieving an esteemed, though worthless 
 friend. 
 
 " Authentic Statement. 
 
 "In the autumn of 1813, Mrs. Jordan was called upon very 
 unexpectedly, to redeem some securities given by her, for money 
 raised to assist a near relative. The cause of this aid was the 
 pressure of matters, purely of a domestic nature. The call upon 
 her was suddeai and certainly unexpected ; and not finding herself 
 in a situation to advance the £2000 claimed, she withdrew herself 
 to France, deputing a friend in England, to make every necessary 
 arrangement for paying all the creditors as soon as possible. At 
 the time of Mrs. Jordan's quitting England, she was in the receipt 
 of an annual income of upwards of £2000 paid with the greatest 
 punctuality quarterly, without demur, drawback, or impediment, 
 and so continued to the hour of her death. Up to April, 1816, 
 Mrs. Jordan's drafts on Messrs. Coutts and Co. wei-e duly paid ; 
 never for a moment could she have felt the griping hand of poverty. 
 
 " I can positively assert, that never during her life time was 
 one shilling paid towards liqiddating the securities in question ; 
 nor was it urgent that it should be done : because the creditors, 
 for the most part personal friends, well knew the upright princi- 
 ples they had to depend upon ; nor were they ignorant, that the 
 
90 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 transcendant talents of this gifted being were always sure to 
 receive a munificent reward from the hands of the public, when- 
 ever she should again seek their assistance ; and in the fruits of 
 this, THEY were sure of participating. Her protracted stay 
 abroad was occasioned by untoward circumstances, over which 
 the PRINCIPALS had no control. 
 
 " Up to the hour of Mrs. Jordan's lea\dng England, she had 
 been living under the same roof, with the relative with whom she 
 was concerned in the securities alluded to. Reciprocal acts of 
 kindness, mutual confidence, in all domestic matters, and many 
 points of private aflTairs tended to create in Mrs. Jordan's mind a 
 reliance upon this person. Never for a moment during the six 
 years that her daughter had been married, had Mrs. Jordan reason 
 to doubt his sincere aflfection or his vei'acity ; nor did she doubt 
 them when she left England. 
 
 " Immediately upon the derangement of Mrs. Jordan's affairs, 
 and before she left England, a statement of all the claims to 
 which she was liable, was made out together with a list of the 
 PERSONS holding her bonds and bills of acceptance ; the result of 
 which convinced Mrs. Jordan that her liabilities did not much 
 exceed £2000, and that the claimants wei'e one and all the 
 personal friends of the parties. 
 
 " In August, 1815, Mrs. Jordan left England for France, with 
 the intention of remaining away some ten days, the time computed 
 necessary to place matters in that state, as to render her person 
 legally secure from arrest. Her affairs were placed in the hands 
 of pereons well informed in every particular thereof, as of all other 
 matters connected with her life. Mrs. Jordan was well aware 
 that the creditors were only anxious to have their claims placed 
 in a secure state, and that they were willing to give every accom- 
 modation required. She was also aware that her fellow sufferer 
 had given up a considerable portion of his income ; and she felt 
 that her represetitative in England could in one hour's time settle 
 any doubtful point that might arise during the arrangement. In 
 short, she knew that no impedime7it existed. Consequently, when 
 she found that month after month elapsed, without anything 
 being finally settled, her mind became troubled. 
 
 "Mrs. Jordan left England ; she took with her as a companion, 
 a lady who had for some years previously been employed in 
 superintending the education of Mrs. Jordan's younger children, 
 and who had for the last twelve months, been Mrs. Jordan's con- 
 stant attendant. This person came to England in January 1816, 
 to receive and take Mrs. Jordan her quarter's income, then in 
 Messrs. Coutts' house. From the moment of her arrival in Eng- 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 91 
 
 land, until she quitted it, she pursued a line of conduct towards 
 the daughters of Mrs. Jordan, (then residing in Mrs. Jordan's 
 house) tliat was offensive beyond measure ; she peremptorily and 
 in a most insulting manner, called upon the person concerned 
 with Mrs. Jordan in the affairs of the bills and bonds, to make 
 oath that Mrs. Jordan was not liable to any claims beyond those 
 of which she already knew. The demand was accompanied by 
 base insinuations. Justly doubting this to be really the wish of 
 Mrs. Jordan, and irritated at the circumstances at ending the 
 demand, it was refused ; and on the same day this lady returned 
 to France, and there is little doubt, but then for the first time, 
 Mrs. Jordan did become apprehensive." 
 
 During her stay in England, the lady alluded to informed two 
 of Mrs. Jordan's daughters, that Mrs. Jordan's future place of 
 residence in France, was to be kept a profound secret from them, 
 and that all letters from them to their mother, must be sent 
 through a third person, and be directed to Mrs. James, instead of 
 Mrs. Jordan ; thus, from that tiiiie, all such communications first 
 passed through the hands of a person who might withdraw Mrs. 
 Jordan's confidence and affection, from those most interested in 
 getting her back to England. It is necessary to revert to the 
 verbal refusal given to take the oath demanded, because it has 
 been made a point of much importance as connected with Mrs. 
 Jordan's state of feeling in consequence of the publication made 
 in the Morning Chronicle of 26th January 1824, of a letter of 
 Mrs. Jordan's, bearing date 16th January 1816. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan's letter must have been written immediately after 
 the return of the above-mentioned lady to France, and there is 
 great reason to think that then only for the first time, did a feeling 
 of apprehension of furthur demands awake in Mrs. Jordan's mind, 
 and the fatal step of cutting off the source of communications 
 prevented altogether, or perhaps only delayed the receipt of a 
 letter written by the person refusing to take the oath on the very 
 same day ; to say that he was truly willing to do whatever ^rs. 
 Jordan should herself require, and that the oath should be taken 
 whenever she wrote to say it was her tvish. 
 
 There can be no question that the mind of this great woman 
 had been long and grievously oppressed. Nor will this be any 
 matter of wonder when a retrospect is taken of her eventful life. 
 Who can deny, that in the flow of her prosperity, she had many 
 bitter memorials that good and ill will mingle in every human 
 condition. The greatest pleasure that acquiring could bestow 
 upon Mrs. Jordan, was its affoi'ding her the power of shedding 
 greater happiness around her. Can there be a severer censure 
 
92 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 on Ikt memory tlmii to think that pkcun'IARY DIFFICULTIES, even 
 iiri(/hty, (wliicli hor's never were) could for Jiny length of time 
 have depressed a mind such as her's in its perfect st^ite ? 
 
 I have tlirown this statement together, in the hope tliat you 
 will deem it satisfactory. 
 
 And remain, my dear Sir, 
 
 Most sincerely your's, 
 
 This document we take it for granted, is given as a most satisfac- 
 tory and conclusive elucidation of all that may be reijuired by the 
 reader on tlie suljject of Mrs. Jordan's pecuniary embarrassments. 
 Now, so far from conceding to such opinion, we regard tiiis 
 authentic stateinent as one of the most unsatisfactory and incon- 
 clusive papers we ever perused. Tiie unfortunate lady it seems 
 was very unexpectedly called upon to pay two thousand pounds, 
 and not having assets so to do, she, in order to secure her personal 
 safety, fled to France. At the period alluded to, she was in the 
 enjoyment of upwards of <£2000 a year, yet no security could be 
 given, nor any composition entered into with the claimants; 
 finally, nothing short of expatriation could ensure her safety. 
 So mucii for the first paragraph. We are next told that during 
 the lady's life time, not one shillinrj was ever paid in liqiiidnfinn 
 of the bonds and bills, whereon the £2000 were claimed ; and 
 why 1 because the creditors were personal friends of the debtor 
 who felt so perfectly satisfied with her honourable conduct, that 
 nothing could be further from their minds, tlian having recoui*se 
 to any unpleasant measures. Then why in the name of common 
 sense, did she absent herself from England ? and what is the 
 meaning of the conclusive lines of the second paragraph, tJiat her 
 protracted stay abroad ivas occasioned by imtotcard circnvistnnces 
 orer ichich the principals liad no control. Who are the persons 
 alluded to under the term principals ? were they the creditors ; 
 her own family ; or the individual with whom she had last co- 
 habited ? We confess there is something so enigmatical in this 
 sentence, that we are not ashamed to own our inability to solve 
 its meaning. 
 
 The following anecdote, never recorded, is one of the last 
 occurrences that took place previous to Mrs. Jordan's bidding a 
 final adieu to the land she had so prominently embellished — to the 
 soil that gave her birth. 
 
 Mr. Charles Wigley, who possessed the spacious apartments 
 formerly existing in Spring Gardens, and appropriated to the 
 display of public exhibitions, was applied to by Mrs. Jordan, of 
 whom he had some previous knowledge, in order that he might 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 93 
 
 become the purchaser of her furniture, &c. The above-mentioned, 
 gentleman who was well acquainted with Mr. Fisher, the auc- 
 tioneer, father of the celebrated Clara Fisher, of histrionic fame — 
 called upon the latter, and requested he would accompany him to 
 estimate the household goods, pictures, &c., at a dwelling in 
 Sloane-square, without intimating the name of the individual to 
 whom the property belonged. 
 
 Mr. Fisher accordingly accompanied Mr. Wigley through the 
 apartments, and as had been previously agreed, without proceeding 
 to make an inventory, gave his estimate from the cursory glance, 
 being from habit perfectly conversant with the value of furniture. 
 Having completed the survey, they adjourned to a coffee house, 
 when Mr. Fisher informed his fi'iend that supposing an individual 
 wanted the articles as they stood, the carpets, &c., being fitted to 
 the rooms, they wei'e well worth three hundred pounds ; but if 
 to be removed, he conceived one hundred less would be a fair 
 estimate, though he might go as far as £220. 
 
 Mr. Fisher then accompanied Mr. Wigley back to Sloane-square, 
 when the former gentleman, to his no small astonishment, was 
 introduced to Mrs. Jordan, who he then found to be the pi'oprie- 
 tress of the articles he had been requested to appraise. After 
 some conversation upon the subject, Mr. Fisher retired, leaving 
 Mr. Wigley to close the bargain with our actress alone, which 
 was done for the reduced sum of one hundred guineas, notwith- 
 standing Mr. Fisher had stated that the property was worth 
 £220 — added to which, the lease of the premises was thrown into 
 the bargain, which the last mentioned gentlemen assured the 
 writer, was in his estimation worth £500, yielding to Mr. Wigley, 
 the purchaser, a very snug profit, if he could reconcile the tran- 
 saction to his conscience. 
 
 This melancholy fact tends to prove two things : first, the 
 unsuspecting and easy mind of Mrs. Jordan, and lastly, her 
 anxiety to conclude the sale without the least delay, in order that 
 she might quit the country with all the expedition possible, so 
 much had her feelings been wrought upon, and her apprehension of 
 legal proceeding, excited in the event of a protracted continuance 
 in London. 
 
 Our actress retired from her native soil with all the secrecy 
 possible, when the first spot she selected for her residence, was a 
 cottage at Marquetra, about a quarter of a mile from the town of 
 Boulogne-sur-Mer. The habitation was small but neat, and the 
 general appearance extremely cheerful. To this residence we find 
 a single, solitary letter, forwarded by one of her ten children, 
 which runs as follows : — 
 
54 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 Colonel Fitzclarence to Mrs. Jordan. 
 [Copy.] 
 "My Dear Mother, — My dear Sophia* has been very low 
 spirited since she received my ever dear Dora's letter ; and she 
 took the earliest opportunity to speak to Mrs. Arburtlniot, who 
 would speak to her husband about it. I am afraid avc shall not 
 come home for this long time. I long to see dear Lucy. The 
 Arburthnots are very kind to me.- — I have got a room in Paris. 
 Hall is better behaved. I have had a horse shot. Tell all about 
 
 the 's If you want money for them, don't ask me for it, 
 
 but take my allowance for them : because with a little cai*e, I 
 could live on my father's till theAr business. Now, do as I ask you, 
 — mind you do, for they have always been so kind to us all ; — 
 and if I can make any return, I should be a devil if I did not ; 
 so take my next quarter, — and as you may want to give thera 
 some, do that for my sake. — I am very well. 
 God bless you ! 
 
 (Signed) Fred. Fitzclarence. 
 " P. S. — Sophia will write to you on Thursday." 
 
 Addressed — ' To Mrs. James, Post Office, Boulogne, France.' 
 
 At this residence, however, INIrs. Jordan did not long remain, 
 for the mind ill at ease, becomes naturally restless, and that 
 which affords delight one day, becomes irksome the next. From 
 that tranquil residence, her care-worn mind was next directed to 
 decide upon Versailles, whither .she repaired to sojourn but for a 
 transient period, when under the idea of living in greater seclusion, 
 she made choice of St. Cloud, and adopting the name of James, 
 thei'e established herself. 
 
 Previously to her arrival at the latter place, she was rendered 
 miserable by receiving no communications whatever from any of 
 her children, or the last individual with whom she had cohabited 
 for such a series of years, — though every member of her family 
 had been repeatedly addressed in the most urgent manner. She 
 therefore still continued to await letters, under a depression of 
 spirits not to be described. Independent of her anxiety to acquire 
 information respecting her ofispring, the situation of her finances 
 was much reduced ; and on that account, advices from England 
 were absolutely necessary to determine the future line of conduct 
 she ought to pursue. 
 
 Day succeeded day, yet no letter came to hand, when the senti- 
 ment of indignation that pervaded her mind, was succeeded by 
 
 * His sister, no doubt attracted to Paris by the extraordinary events of 
 1815. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan, 95 
 
 disgust at the base ingratitude and inhumanity displayed towards 
 her, by the father of her ofispring, on the one hand, — and the 
 cruelty and undutifulness of her children on the other : — in short, 
 the mask which had so long veiled the truth from her eyes, was 
 withdrawn, and she perceived with horror that the fixed deter- 
 mination was to abandon her to her wayward destiny. 
 
 It appears obvious that Mrs. Jordan, who had naturally been 
 imbued with no small portion of nervous irritability, even during 
 her prosperous days, was not framed in the decline of life, when 
 fortune frowned upon her, to rally her feelings and become as it 
 were by supernatural agency, gifted with powers to stem the 
 torrent of adversity. She entertained dreadful apprehensions as 
 to her personal safety, and the thought of incarceration shook her 
 mind to its centre. This terror, far from being lepelled through 
 the medium of any wholesome advice, was rather fomented by 
 persons who under the specious pretence of friendship, used every 
 effort to urge an abandonment of her native land. It was this 
 manoeuvre that prompted the almost instantaneous resolution 
 previously detailed, of quitting Sloane-square, and sacrificing her 
 property as she did upon that occasion. We have traced our 
 heroine to her several residences in France, and we have now to 
 record circumstances never before published to the world. In the 
 days of her prosperity, and when basking in the sunshine of 
 princely protection, the subject of our memoir had been in the 
 habit of visiting with her infant offspring, the residence of a con- 
 fectioner to his late Majesty George the Third, where she used to 
 meet former acquaintances, whom she could not with propriety 
 tolerate in the Stable-yard, St. James's. On such occasions the 
 party to whom we refer used to gambol with the thriving progeny 
 of the princely father, and, as may be supposed, the choicest of 
 sweetmeats used to be spread to regale them ; in short, during 
 such visits (and we are not exactly certain that the Royal parent 
 himself was not in some instances present) all reserve was laid 
 aside, and our actress enjoyed that unrestrained intei'course which 
 was so consonant with the unsophisticated effusions of her heart. 
 
 Thus far we have to state as regards the season of prospeiity : 
 we must now suffer the revolution of years and events previously 
 developed in these pages, to transpire, when not only our actress 
 experienced the sad reverse already pourtrayed, but the individual 
 to whom we allude, from enjoying affluence acquired as a confec- 
 tioner of George the Third, became in some degree reduced, and 
 repaired to Paris ; in which city, with the residue of his means, 
 he established himself in his former business. Aware that his 
 old munificent visitor was at St. Cloud, he proceeded thither, 
 
96 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 under the hope of obtaining an interview, but to his no small 
 astonishment found our heroine subjected to a positive state of 
 esjnonage. A variety of questions were asked, and in reply to his 
 anxious desire to be introduced to the unfortunate lady, evasive 
 answers were given, so that he was ultimately compelled to re- 
 linquish the attempt, and thus retired without seeing the object 
 of his enquiry. 
 
 Shortly after this occurrence, a letter came to his hands penned 
 by Mrs. Jordan, entreating he would attend after midnight under 
 a certain window designated, of the dwelling she inhabited at St. 
 Cloud, when it may be naturally supposed he proved punctual to 
 the appointment given. From the casement in question, he as- 
 certained that our wretched actress was in a complete state of 
 captivity ; that she tvas environed by spies ; and stood in need of 
 the necessaries of life — being reduced to a state of great indigence. 
 This interview continued for two hours, and such were the imme- 
 diate wants of the poor supplicant, that she literally received the 
 eighteen or twenty fi-ancs her visitant had about him, with a 
 promise that he would return the following day ; an appointment 
 being made when she might communicate with him unmolested ; 
 he having further promised to provide himself with twenty pounds, 
 the loan required at his hands, in order to make the necessary 
 arrangements preparatory to her escape to England. 
 
 True to his word, he met the suffering creature, and gave into 
 her hands twenty-four Napoleons, when it was agreed that in ten 
 days after they should meet — the requisite plans being entered 
 into — and that, under his protection, she would return to her 
 native land. Strict to his promise, he attended at the time 
 stipulated, when, to his infinite mortification and sorrow, he was 
 given to understand she had expired the day pi'eceding. 
 
 A few years elapsed, when circumstances not becoming more 
 prosperous with our informant, he returned to England ; and, 
 pressed by the exigency to which he was reduced, made application 
 in a certain quarter for repayment of the twenty pounds, advanced 
 as above-mentioned ; but the demand was resisted, under the plea 
 that he possessed no receipt from the borrowei' — though letters 
 were produced supplicating the loan in question — and thus the 
 matter terminated \ at least when we last saw the creditor (a year 
 ago), who at the period in question produced a bundle of docu- 
 ments, which he stated his determination to make public, in 
 consequence of the non-liquidation of the advance so philanthropi- 
 cally made upon his part. He farther added, that in the course 
 of his application — being much changed in appearance and dress, 
 and not being recognised by them — he nevertheless saw two or 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 97 
 
 three individuals enjoying posts in a great establishment who he 
 recollected as having lield the situations of spies, or keepers, over 
 Mrs. Joi'dan. We may be asked the name of the individual of 
 whom this information was acquired — which we certainly could 
 communicate — but as twelve months have elapsed, and since that 
 period he may have obtained the twenty pounds, we forbear to 
 implicate him further. We know the last lodging in which he 
 resided, where a sum for rental has been left unpaid, but we have 
 not been able down to the present moment to trace him further, 
 otherwise a moi'e detailed account of this mysterious and black 
 afi'air should have been given to the public, as we have very little 
 idea that his applications were attended to subsequent to our final 
 meeting. 
 
 To return to our wretched actress. Left to feed upon the 
 anguish of her mind, she gradually became enfeebled in body, and 
 a bilious attack was the result, which slowly increased, but its 
 growth did not create uneasiness, so completely dejected and lost 
 was the wretched lady to everything connected with herself, or 
 that took place around her. Thus circumstanced life became so 
 burthensome that she was led to contemplate the approach of 
 dissolution with calmness, being resolved to welcome the final 
 struggle with placidity. 
 
 The chambers occupied by our sufierer were in a hotel in the 
 square adjoining the palace ; the mansion was spacious, gloomy, 
 cold, and inconvenient — similar to those habitations so frequently 
 pictured in the romances of thirty years back. A long flagged 
 corridor stretched from one extremity of the building to the other, 
 the chambers were lofty and comfortless, and the toiit ensemble 
 demonstrated that the edifice had once been the habitation of a 
 French nobleman. The apartments of the poor sufferer were 
 most shabbily decorated ; not one of those domestic comforts, so 
 common in her native land, having saluted her regard during the 
 last scene of existence ! A small tarnished sofa was the most 
 respectable article of furniture that adorned what might be termed 
 the drawing-room, whereon she incessantly reclined, and upon 
 which she yielded up her tortured spirit into the hands of her 
 Maker. 
 
 We shall now proceed to delineate the closing scene of our un- 
 fortunate heroine, as described by the owner of the dwelling ; and 
 we venture to say a more afiecting finale never stood recorded in 
 the page of biogi'aphy. 
 
 The individual in question, denominated as Mr. C , con- 
 ceived she was poor and tendered her the loan of money, which 
 
98 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 was declined ; notwitlistanding this he uniformly regai'ded her 
 apparent poverty and the wearing upon her finger a diamond ring 
 an enigma not to be unravelled. The gem in question, from some 
 secret motive, she never would relinquish — added to this, she is 
 stated to have been possessed of some other valuable articles of 
 jewellery. 
 
 From the moment of lier arrival at St. Cloud, as previously 
 observed, Mrs. Jordan manifested the most restless anxiety for 
 intelligence from England. That feeling gradually increased, and 
 became so intense that the skin actually became discoloured ; she 
 continued from morning till night sighing deeply, and in a dejected 
 posture on the sofa. Several posts arrived, yet no tidings reached 
 her, so that the intensity of he-r anguish became at length too 
 oppressive for mortal strength to endure. When the morning of 
 her death arrived, this torture of suspense had attained its acme ; 
 her agitation was dreadful ; her regard, now restless, would then 
 become rivetted to one spot ; the motion of her limbs assumed a 
 rapid and unmeaning movement, and her whole demeanour seemed 
 to indicate that a convulsive jaaroxysm was on the point of taking 
 possession of her frame. In this situation she eagerly requested 
 Mr. C , prior to the accustomed hour for the delivery of let- 
 ters, to go to the post-office, and on his return, starting up, she 
 stretched forth her hand, as if impatient to grasp the ex^^ected 
 communication from England. She was informed no letters for 
 her had arrived : — for a moment she continued motionless, 
 
 regarding Mr. C with a wild and vacant stare ; and again 
 
 held forth her haiid, as if by an involuntary motion not to be 
 controlled ; she then as quickly withdrew it, and fell back upon 
 the sofa from which she had so recently arisen. 
 
 Alarmed, Mr. C- hastily left the apartment to summon her 
 
 attendant, who had, however, stepped out on an errand. He 
 then returned, and, adyancing to the sufferer, remarked an 
 alteration in her countenance that appalled him. She uttered 
 not a word — she breathed not, but gazed steadfastly upon him. 
 She wept not — no tear bedewed her cheek, which was one instant 
 flushed, and then assumed the livid hue of death. Deep drawn 
 sighs were heard at intervals — it seemed the convulsive struggle 
 of a heart on the point of bursting. 
 
 Mr. C continued irresolute, not knowing how to act. In 
 
 a minute he heard the breath drawn with increased difficulty, 
 accompanied, as it were, by an internal sobbing ; at which 
 moment the stupified observer became thoroughly terrified. He 
 hastily advanced to the sofa, and stretching over the unfortunate 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 99 
 
 ci^eature, found that the last deep drawn sob had been the im- 
 mediate precursor of her untimely dissolution. She was a corpse! 
 
 Alas ! our actress breathed no more I 
 
 ****** 
 
 Let the vivid pencil of Fancy conjure up this harrowing scene; 
 let the form, once animated by the soul of hilarity, be pourtrayed 
 to the mind's eye struggling in an agony of insupportable sus- 
 pense ; the bosom alternately heaving and motionless, and the 
 overswollen heart's irregular palpitations proclaiming the unutter- 
 able anguish reigning within, and as it were beating heavy time 
 to the quickly approaching march of death. We stand aghast 
 as the linal convulsive throb burst open the storehouse of life, 
 and leaves the late crucitied sufferer a breathless and inanimate 
 corpse. Who, T repeat, can contemplate in imagination such an 
 innocent and unoffending victim of cruelty and neglect without 
 vending the groan of bitterness and draining the x'ivulet of the 
 eye ? who, in fine, can stifle the execration, " deep not loud," 
 that springs from an indignant feeling, or refuse the prayer of 
 pity that uniformly awaits the suffering of the gentle and the 
 good ? — if such there be, let them go herd with sj)irits great in 
 name and heartless as those by whom she was abandoned. 
 
 " Illud amicitiae sanctum ac venerabile nomen 
 Nunc tibi pro vili, sub pedibusq, jacot." 
 
 Ovid. 
 
 As an illustration of the manner in which Mrs. Jordan's death 
 was announced in the public newspapers, we insert the following 
 paragraghs, not one of which contains anything like a correct 
 delineation of the events attending that unfortunate lady's un- 
 timely dissolution. 
 
 On the 1st of July, 1816, appeared as follows : — " It is but too 
 true we hear that this excellent actress (Mrs. Jordan) is no more. 
 She died on Monday last at Saint Clou.d, in the vicinity of Paris. 
 About nine months ago she went to France, but her health did 
 not improve by the change — it gradually declined. ]n her letters 
 to her fi'iends in England, written early in the present year, she 
 expresses in the strongest terms a presentiment that she should 
 never see them moi'e. The disease, howevei', which closed her 
 eyes, and fixed in death those playful smiles which so long 
 charmed the admiring world, was not connected with decline of 
 spirits. She was seized with a violent inflammation in the chest, 
 under which she suffered several days. The rupture of a blood- 
 vessel in that region took place and closed the scene." 
 
 On the 2d of July, 1816, appeared the following paragraj)li in 
 one of the London diurnal prints : — " Hopes are entertained that 
 
100 Life of ]\[rs. Jordan. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan still lives. The letter which announced her death 
 last week was received on Thursday. Letters of a subsequent 
 date received in town yesterday, from a lady wlio accompanies 
 Mrs. Jordan, states, that her life had been despaired of, but that 
 severe blisters had been applied, and hopes were entertained of 
 her recovery. None of her family have received any account of 
 her death. The letter in which it was mentioned last week was 
 received by a gentleman in town as law agent with the family." 
 
 " The Paris papers, received yesterday morning, mention the 
 death of Mrs. Jordan. This charming actress lingered in a state 
 of insensibility until Friday last, when she exjDired at two o'clock 
 in the morning, at her apartment at St. Cloud. The former re- 
 port of her death was therefore premature." 
 
 Oh, where were the yearnings of filial affection, — where the 
 manly sympathy of the dutiful son, — where the tender com- 
 miseration of the sensitive daughter ? At such a season even the 
 paternal command should have been spurned with indignation, 
 and the base thirst of lucre resulting from exalted patronage 
 been rendered subservient to a mother's wants and anguish. 
 Well, indeed, might Thalia have exclaimed in the emphatic 
 language of the heart-broken Lear, — 
 
 " How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is, 
 To have a thankless child," 
 
 Go, and adorn yourselves in the tinsel gew-gaws of fashion, — 
 go, and indulge your pampered appetites at the ample board, and 
 wallow on the couch of luxury, — we envy not your glittering 
 guise, we covet not your splendid banquetings, or seek to share 
 your down beds of voluptuousness ; poverty with a light heart 
 and approving conscience is to us more acceptable than splendour 
 purchased at such a price. 
 
 We cannot tefrain from remarking on this occasion, that any 
 father ranks a despicable being who only controls the affections 
 of his offspring in proportion to the necessity they experience of 
 ensuring his support and patronage ; a parent should be respected 
 on account of his virtues, and rendered estimable in the eyes of 
 his children by the goodness and rectitude of his heart. 
 
 It is impossible that we can stand acquitted of the obligations 
 due to a mother, and it is one of the greater reproaches where- 
 with human nature is burthened, that in respect to tenderness the 
 maternal instinct far surpasses that wherewith the child is 
 imbued. Benefits received are less powerful incentives to grati- 
 tude and love than those accorded, and the care bestowed renders 
 the child dearer to the mother than the parent to her offspring. 
 
Life op Mrs. Jordax. 101 
 
 In reference to Sir Jonah Barrington's account of Mrs. Jordan's 
 last moments, Mr. Boaden observes :— " Nothing is said of the 
 attendant — how soon or how late she returned. Nothing is said 
 of any resort to the faculty — as is common in such cases — that 
 after trying the usual resources of their art in convulsive spasms, 
 they might ultimately pronounce the actual extinction of life. 
 
 Mr. C was satisfied that she was no more ; and, after all, 
 
 Mrs. Jordan, it seems, was really not dead. Towards the latter 
 end of June a letter was received, written by Mrs. Jordan's com- 
 panion to one of her daughters, informing her that ' after a few 
 days illness the lady had died at St. Cloud ! ' At the same time 
 the death was announced in some of the morning journals, Mr. 
 Barton himself in his letter — shortly to follow in this work — 
 says, that she died in the month of June. Her daughter was 
 dreadfully shocked, as may be supposed, at the intelligence ; 
 at the time it arrived a month had not elapsed since her own 
 accouchement. Three days after the first tidings, a second letter 
 was received, from the same writer, saying, that ' she had been 
 deceived hy Mrs. JordarCs apiiearance ; that she was alive, but 
 very ill.' 
 
 " Immediate preparations were now made for this daughter's 
 going to her mother ; but before they could be completed, a third 
 letter came to hand announcing that ' Mrs. Jordan was really 
 dead.' General Hawker himself then went to Paris to ascertain 
 the fact, and I believe arrived there about three days after the 
 interment had taken place." 
 
 Mr. Boaden then proceeds to detail the following very singular 
 circumstances : — "Indeed, about the period in question there was 
 a notion that, so far from her being dead, Mrs. Jordan had been 
 met by various persons in London, and I myself was very strongly 
 impressed with a notion that I had seen her. Tli^ dear lady was 
 not an every day sort of woman. Not that there were not per- 
 sons who resembled her — for some such I knew, who had more 
 than a sliyht resemblance in features, and who, to enhance their 
 own attractions, copied her smile and a peculiar action of the 
 mouth, which was full of effect, and pointed an ironical sentence. 
 But there is physiognomy so minute, if we tvill observe, as to 
 decide the almost indifferent actions of the human character. 
 She was near sighted, and wore a glass attached to a gold chain 
 about her neck. Her manner of using this to assist her sight was 
 extremely peculiar. I was taking a very usual walk before dinner, 
 and I stopped at a bookseller's window on the left side of Picca- 
 dilly to look at an embellishment to some new publication that 
 struck my eye. On a sudden a lady stood by my side, who had 
 
102 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 stopped with a similai' impulse — to my conviction it was Mrs. 
 Jordan. As she did not speak, but di'opped a long white veil 
 immediately over her face, I concluded that she did not wish to 
 be recognised, and therefore, however I should have wished an ex- 
 planation of what so surprised me, I yielded to her pleasure upon 
 the occasion — gi'ounded, I had no doubt, upon sufficient reasons. 
 
 "When I returned to my own home, at dinner time I mentioned 
 the circumstance at table, and the way in which it struck me is 
 still remembered in the family. I used on the occasion the strong 
 language of Macbeth, ' If I stand here, I saw her.' It was but 
 very recently I heard, for the first time, that one of her daughters 
 (Mrs. Alsop) had, to her entire conviction, met her mother in the 
 Strand, after the report of her death : that the I'eality, or the 
 fancy, threw her into fits at the time, and that, to her own death, 
 she believed that she had not been deceived. With her, indeed, 
 it was deemed a vision — a sepulchral appeai'ance at noon-day — 
 which I need not say was not my impression in the rencontre 
 with myself. I have had, it is true, some ghostly intercourse, as 
 a dramatic author ; but Voltaire — no mean authority as a poet — 
 has never rendered by his Semiramis a noon-day spectre either 
 terrible or credible. 
 
 " AVhatever becomes of the above, I cannot doubt that every 
 care has been taken to ascertain the facts attendant upon her 
 illness — her medical friend — her spasmodic suffering — her death 
 and burial ! " 
 
 The only memento left to point out the spot where moulder the 
 ashes of our heroine, is a flat stone, a little raised, bearing the 
 annexed inscription. It was erected at the expense of Henry 
 Woodgate, Esq., of Dedham, Essex: who, accompanied by his lady, 
 was with Mrs. Jordan a short period prior to her dissolution. 
 • 
 
 Memorise Sacram 
 
 DOROTHY JORDAN, 
 
 Qua? per multos annos Londini 
 
 Juque aliis Britannias urbibus 
 
 Scenam egregie ornavit, 
 
 Lepore Comico 
 
 Voces suavitate, 
 
 PuellaruM Hilarium alteriusque sexus 
 
 Moribus Habitu Imitandia nulla secunda : 
 
 Ad Exercendam eamque 
 
 Dnm feliciter versata est artem 
 
 Ut res egenorum adversas snblevarit 
 
 Nemo Promptior ; 
 
 Evitu exiit 3d novas Julii, 1816, 
 
 Annos Nata 50 : 
 
 Memextote, Lugate ! ! 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 103 
 
 [ Thus Anglicised.'] 
 
 Sacred to the Memory of 
 
 DOROTHY JORDAN, 
 
 Who, for a series of years, in London 
 
 As well as other cities of Britain, 
 
 Pre-eminently adorned the Stage. 
 
 For Comic Wit, 
 
 Sweetness of Voice, 
 
 And imitating the Manners and Customs 
 
 Of Laughing Maidens, 
 
 As well as the opposite sex, 
 
 She ranked second to none 
 
 In the display of that Art, 
 
 Wherein she was so pre-eminently skilled, 
 
 Neither was anyone more prompt 
 
 In relieving the necessitous. 
 
 She departed this Life, 
 
 The 3d of July, 1816, 
 
 Aged Fifty. 
 
 Remember and weep for her ! 
 
 "We cannot dismiss the subject of the lamented lady's grave 
 without expressing our astonishment that among the countless 
 English visitants of Paris and its environs no independent gen- 
 tleman of feeling should have been found to set on foot, and head 
 a subscription for erecting a cenotaph, commemorative of the 
 talents of the departed. Such a mausoleum would stand a signal 
 record to eternize the shame of beings now existing ; who by of- 
 fering such a tribute would have tendered some atonement to the 
 dead for the scandalous neglect they had displayed in regard to her 
 sufferings and privations during the latter period of her existence. 
 
 In consequence of the anathemas thundered against stage- 
 players by the members of the Catholic church the remains of 
 Mrs. Jordan were in the first instance denied Christian burial, 
 until, through the strenuous interference of an English gentleman 
 of some weight, she was ultimately interred in the cemetery of St. 
 Cloud, being followed to the grave by nine of her countrymen, 
 when the funeral service was performed by the Rev. Mr. Foster, 
 officiating clergyman of the British Embassy at Paris. 
 
 Thus terminated the mortal career of Britain's matchless 
 representative of comedy, — the darling favourite of the public — 
 the mistress of a prince — and the universally acknowledged best 
 actress that perhaps ever figured on a London stage. 
 
 In order to prove how little credit ought to be placed on 
 newspaper reports, we find that on the 8th of September, 1816, 
 the following paragraph, which has anything but veracity to 
 recommend it, appeared in one of the daily papers. 
 
104 Life of Mhs. Jordan. 
 
 " The funeral of the late Mrs. Jordan was not conducted in 
 the manner which has been described ; it was attended by the 
 Mayor of Saint Cloud, in liis full dress robes, accompanied by up- 
 wards of two hundred of the most respectable of his parishioners. 
 The Protestant service was read over her in the cliurch, and 
 afterwards a French minister pronounced an oration upon her — 
 enumerating her talents, and many amiable (jualities. She had, 
 for a short time before her death, assumed the name of Jones." 
 
 Penny subscriptions having frequently been set on foot to 
 pay wliat were deemed cruel and arbitrary fines, or to relieve 
 individuals persecuted for their political creeds, we tliink a similar 
 plan adopted, to raise a monument to the memory of our departed 
 Thalia, would redound to the credit of society at large, and more 
 particularly that portion of the community who are partial to 
 theatrical amusements. Should such an idea be seconded by any 
 of our readers, we should feel happy to forward their views by 
 entering into a systematic plan to effect the design ; for which 
 purpose any written communications, addressed to the publisher 
 of these Memoirs will be immediately attended to. 
 
 In order again to show how far the statements of newspaper 
 informants may be relied upon, we extract the ensuing pai'agraph 
 from a London newspaper, in reference to the individuals stated 
 as constituting the only £n(/liiihm^7i v>'ho witnessed the ceremonial 
 en passant, instead of having formed a portion of the actual 
 assistants on that melancholy occasion. 
 
 " Mrs. Jordan was buried in the cemetery of Saint Cloud. 
 She had resided in the village for some time with great privacy, 
 under the name of Mrs. James. She was buried in a thin shell, 
 stained black, but uncovered with cloth or ornament of any kind. 
 Mr. .John Greatorex, an hotel-keeper in Paris, and Mr. William 
 Henshall, statuary, of Mortimer Street, Cavendish Square, were 
 by accident passing and saw lier interred. They were the only 
 Englishmen present." 
 
 The following correct announcement first appeared in the 
 English print published by Galignani, in Paris, entitled The 
 Messenger, whence it was quoted by several English diurnals — 
 the copy from which we derived our extract being under date of 
 the 4th of July, 1819. 
 
 " We some days since inserted a letter on the subject of an 
 unliquidated debt of sixty francs, due to the municipality of St. 
 Cloud, for the space of ground appropriated as the last resting 
 place of the late ]\Irs, Jordan. We feel called upon to state, that 
 immediately after the publication of the above-mentioned letter. 
 
Life op Mrs. Jordan. 105 
 
 we received repeated applications, both personally and in writing, 
 from various liritish residents, all expressing an anxious desire to 
 be permitted to take the debt upon themselves, both from a 
 national feeling of what was due to the character of our country, 
 and an individual sentiment of respect for the amiable deceased ; 
 and although, as we have authority to mention, the sum in 
 question has been paid by a particularly active competitor in the 
 honourable race of generosity, we nevertheless continue each day 
 to receive letters of the same import, and to the same purpose, 
 from the departments. 
 
 "To those who knew the fine domestic and benevolent qualities 
 of this veiy eminent and gifted actress, whose very frailties were 
 excused by almost every mitigating fact whereby female frailty 
 can be excused, and still more, to those who were residents some 
 years ago in the neighbourhood of Bushy Park, (our own case) 
 the foregoing statement will afford a melancholy proof of worldly 
 vicissitude, and of the peculiar fragile nature of the most natural 
 links in a certain atmosphere. Speaking of Bushy Park, we 
 recollect that in August, 1806, a grand dinner was given there, 
 in honour of the Duke of Clarence's birthday, which dinner was 
 attended by a brilliant assembly of Royalty and FasJiion of both 
 sexes, and of the first distinction, including even Dignitaries of 
 the Law. At dinner, Mrs. Jordan took the head of the table, 
 supported by the Dukes of York and Kent, while the Duke of 
 Clarence officiated at the bottom. After dinner the youyig family 
 was introduced, even to a white-headed infant in the nurse's arms. 
 Drums, trumpets, healths, congratulations, and festivity were the 
 order of the day. — See file of the Courier, 1806, 22, 23, 24, 
 August. 
 
 "About the same time of the year, ten years after (1816) Mrs. 
 Jordan dies at St. Cloud, near Paris, in a state of foverty and 
 obscurity, and is buried in a deal coffin paijited black, her funeral 
 being conducted and attended by strangers : and now in 1819, we 
 learn that an appeal to the public is necessary, to pay a part of 
 the expense, sixty francs — ttvo p)ounds, tivelve shillitigs, and six- 
 pence. 
 
 " That numbers of Englishmen should be eager to discharge 
 that for the honour of their country, whiclt other people have so 
 grossly neglected to the dishonour of themselves, is not to be v/on- 
 dered at, particularly when in addition to the above facts, the 
 peculiar generosity and benevolence of Mrs. Jordan's character 
 are understood, as also that she did not become poor by folly or 
 extravagance ; and that lastly, if unconnected, she might have 
 died mistress of a very respectable fortune. Taking all these 
 
106 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 circuiiistancos into consideration, the Paris advertisement forms 
 one of the severest libels upon inniuj jn'rsons in higJi life, to whom 
 hei talents were once rendered conrenient, that ever was furnished. 
 We Ijcliexe the present Lieutenant-Colonel Fitzclarence and the 
 Misses Fitzclarence formed a part of the young family mentioned 
 in the above reminiscences from the Courier of 1806." 
 
 Were any further proofs necessary to render valid the assertions 
 so repeatedly made in the progress of the foregoing pages, we 
 certainly conceive the above pretty conclusive evidence. The 
 commemoration of the Duke of Clarence's l)irthday, as reported 
 by the Courier in 180G, we have previously given at full-length, 
 with ]Mr. Cobbett's very caustic observations, and certainly such 
 a striking instance of the strange vicissitudes of fortune is very 
 unconnnon, as that of the Uolidaij Feast and the BURIAL 
 SOLEMNITY above recorded ! 
 
 Gracious Heaven ! the mediocre sum of two pounds, twelve 
 shillings, and sixpence was not forthcoming to pay for the break- 
 ing of the burial ground of St. Cloud, without seeking it through 
 the medium of chanty ; — -let us hear no more respecting Mrs. 
 Jordan's having died in easy circumstances, if not in affluence. 
 
 The above statement is conclusive, as regards the extreme 
 indigence which attended her latest moments, and we blush when 
 the recollection comes across us of those who were enabled, yet 
 did not come forward to tender the aid required. What becomes 
 of the laboured statements of Mi". Carton, the Ducal agent, which 
 we shall ere long present to our readers ; with all the trumped up 
 tales concocted by the friends of the Great, to cast a veil over 
 their ingratitude and uncharitableness. The whole vanishes like 
 mist, and leaves the naked truth developed ; — our actress expired 
 as reduced in circumstances as blighted at the soul, — she closed 
 her eyes heartbroken, neglected, and forgotten ! 
 
 After the death of Mrs. Jordan, when most of the daily prints 
 were pointedly acrimonious in their comments upon a certain 
 exalted personage, while they commiserated the penury which 
 had characterised the final stage of our heroine's career ; reports 
 were industriously circulated in another quarter, attributing all 
 her necessities to the bond and bills signed for a valued friend, 
 which had compelled her to abandon England under the dread of 
 legal pursuit and ultimate imprisonment. As on previous occa- 
 sions, we beg acrain to ask what had become of the hundred and 
 ten thousand pounds she had accumulated, and why did the 
 holders of such bond and bills await until the hour of poverty had. 
 arrived, to pounce upon their unfortunate victim ; this bond 
 and bill transaction liad been of considerable standing, and while 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 107 
 
 Mrs. Jordan was in the enjoyment of every comfort this life 
 could afford, then surely such would have been the season for 
 bond and bill holders to commence operations. Is it reasonable to 
 suppose they would let slip such a golden opportunity, and sleep 
 during the season of affluence — only rousing to action when 
 penury and affliction were the attendants on the object of their 
 pursuit ! The bare supposition is too ridiculous to require further 
 comment. For what purpose then was this bill and bond affair 
 brought in evidence, but to conceal facts that would have proved 
 disgraceful to the living ? It is our firm conviction that the timid 
 mind of the heroine was thus wrought upon for the express pur- 
 pose of urging her to quit the country, it having been pre-arranged 
 she should never return. Has it not appeared in evidence none 
 will dare dispute that her mind had been impressed with an idea 
 that the absence would be for ten days or a fortnight at most, 
 during which her pecuniary affairs would be finally adjusted, so 
 as to admit of her coming back in safety ; yet what was the 
 result ? — The communications from home were at the commence- 
 ment of her absence very vinfrequent, and after the lapse of a 
 short period never attended to at all, which was productive of a state 
 of unceasing anxiety that tended to hasten the final catastrophe. 
 Let us enquire further, has it ever been proved that Mrs. Jordan 
 was actually sued by the holders of the bond and bills ? — ^in all 
 we have read upon the subject, no such inference can be drawn, 
 and it therefore appears to us that the whole was produced by a 
 side-wind influence, for the sole purpose of expatriating this ill 
 used lady. The worm when trampled on will turn, and there is 
 little doubt but she was in possession of secrets worth knowing, 
 and might have blown a mine calculated to set St. James's in an 
 uproar. 
 
 The year subsequent to the death of Mrs. Jordan, on the 13th 
 of the month of June appeared the following announcement, 
 which, howevei', was not productive of the expected publication. 
 Whether any such manuscript did exist we cannot undertake to 
 say, though we conceive such to have been the case, and that the 
 work was suppressed. 
 
 "Thirteenth of June, 1817, will be published in one Vol. octavo, 
 with original letters. Authentic Memoirs of Mrs. Jordan. This 
 favourite retired to the continent, where she closed an existence 
 insupportable to her feelings as a mother. By Colburn, Conduit 
 Street, Bond Street." 
 
 On the subject of Mrs. Jordan's consummate talents in her 
 profession, little need be said, as they were of such a description 
 
108 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 as to outstrip all oui' attempts at praise. She unquestionably 
 was not intended by nature to personate the woman of quality, 
 for when put in competition with Miss Farren, her Lady Teazle 
 wanted energy of manner, and her genteel comedy always savoured 
 too much of the Hoyden to rank as a legitimate personification of 
 high life. In the cast of sentimental comedy she was very efi"ective, 
 and for this reason, because not being required to bend, she never 
 forfeited her dignity. In the Rosalind of '■'■As You Like It" she 
 was beyond all panegyric ; her Homp, Nelly, Little Pickle, and 
 Miss Biddy, so far surpassed the efforts of any other performer, 
 that tliey might be pronounced unequalled without any fear of a 
 dissentient voice. In the walk of tragedy, though not so naturally 
 pathetic as Fanny Kelly, she was far more correct, and in accord- 
 ance with nature, as she would appear in reality, and though not 
 endowed with the violence of feeling assumed by Miss Kelly, her 
 delivery was more true. As to our actress's smile and laugh, 
 they were bewitching, — nothing in nature could be so enlivening; 
 in short they wex'e as much beyond the pale of description, as 
 above all praise. Her laugh in particular gradually increased, 
 and as imperceptibly diminished, so that the faintest sigh of its 
 existence was as natural, and pregnant with effect as when it had 
 attained the loudest swell ; — this was as naturally resorted to by 
 our heroine, as the best tutored and most mellifluent singer has 
 recourse to a shake or cadence, and she was capable of managing 
 all its modulations with equal skill. 
 
 Mrs. Jordan was of the middle stature, her face oval, not 
 strictly handsome, but possessing great fascination, while her 
 figure always inclining to the en hon point, for some years pi'e- 
 vious to her death had assumed a corpulency which did not 
 assimilate with her theatrical avocations. 
 
 One of the earliest miniatures of our actress was delineated by 
 Mr. Bai'ber (now Barber Beaumont, Esqr.), while he followed 
 the profession of a miniature painter in Southampton Street. It 
 was done expressly for a theatrical publication of great elegance 
 and popularity in its day, entitled TIte Monthly Mirror, conducted 
 by a gentleman well known in the fashionable world, who is as 
 young and as gay as at the period alluded to — in fine, a complete 
 evergreen. 
 
 In the Theatrical Examiner of the 7th of Jany., 1815, under the 
 head "Sketches of the Performers," No. 187, we find as follows : 
 
 " Of all the actresses whom we were in the habit of seeing 
 before we came to prison,* and who still keep possession of the 
 
 * Written by Leigh Hunt, then in confinenaent for a political libel. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 109 
 
 stage, the truest and most native is unquestionably Mrs. Jordan. 
 Her talent lies in the expression of a warm, unsophisticated 
 heart, full of kindly impulses, and quick as a child to everything 
 new and pleasui'able. Her range, in consequence, is not extensive. 
 In sentimental comedy, she is particvilarly poor ; and she is all 
 deficient in the Lady, though as everybody must have their blind- 
 ness of some kind, she does not appear conscious of it, and is 
 sometimes injudiciously praised for the I'everse by those who 
 confound gentility with flirts of the fan, and a fine dashing 
 manner. In fact, the principal secret of gentility is certain 
 graceful orderliness — an habitual subjugation, more or less, of 
 impulse to manner ; and Mrs. Jordan is deficient in this respect, 
 not because she is impudent or vulgar-minded, for apparently as 
 well as by all account, she possesses those generous and aflfectionate 
 qualities upon which the truest good breeding is founded : — but 
 because from circumstances perhaps not to be found out, she 
 seems never to be in the habit of controlling her impressions 
 externally. We do not believe, with tlie world in genei'al, that 
 great powers of a diflferent nature may not unite in the same 
 person ; but some, we believe, are less likely to do so than others, 
 particularly if they depend on every day habits, and of these 
 kinds is the talent possessed by Mrs. Jordan, and that which 
 Miss Farren is said to have exliibited. If Mrs. Jordan were 
 what she ought to be in the lady, we more than doubt whether 
 she could be what she is in the boarding school girl, or the buxom 
 woman. 
 
 " But then, how true to the life is she in charactei's of that 
 description ! In the girl, what hey-day veracity, what bounding 
 eagerness, what tip-toe spirits and expectations, what exquisite 
 ignorance of received habits ! — In the woman, what generous 
 confidence, what a flush of mirth and tenderness, what a breath 
 suspended, and the blurting kind of pleasantry, relieved from 
 coarseness by a delicious voice ! 
 
 " There are some primitive expressions of feeling, to excel in 
 which implies at once a taste for nature. Miss O'Neil, we are 
 told, is pre-eminent in what is elegantly termed 'a cry,' and Mrs. 
 Jordan always appeared to us unrivalled in a laugh. A sta^e 
 laugh generally follows the speech which it should accompany, 
 and is as good a set 'ha! ha! ha!' as the author has put down in 
 his book ; — but the laughter of Mrs. Jordan, in all its branches, 
 from the giggle to the full burst, is social and genuine ; it clips, 
 as it were, and tickles the dialogue ; it breaks in and about her 
 words, like sparkles of bubbling water ; and when the whole 
 stream comes out, nothing can be fuller of heart and soul." 
 
110 Life of Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 The last time we saw this charming actress, she was of a size, 
 however convenient for the widow, certainly obstructed a little 
 the dancing vivacity of the hoyden ; but such is the effect of 
 native feeling, vivacity, and a tone of generous temper that even 
 in a portly young girl of forty hardly appeared an extravagance ; 
 and we had scarcely to shut our eyes in order to fancy ourselves 
 in the middle of a school room when the governess had gone out 
 of the way. 
 
 "Mrs. Jordan is not only the first living actress in comedy, but 
 we fear that when our readers consider the matter nicely, she will 
 be found to be the only actress since the retii-ement of Miss Pope, 
 who can any way be reckoned great and oi'iginal. There are 
 some other clever actresses no doubt, but they fix upon one's mind 
 no idea of themselves which we may not connect Avith that of 
 another. — We shall therefore be very brief with the remainder." 
 
 The observations contained in the foregoing comment, are in 
 general very correct, and conveyed in appropriate language ; we 
 cannot, however, coincide in opinion with all that the writer has 
 thought fit to advance. There was not a character in which Mrs. 
 Jordan appeared, that we did not witness frequently, and from 
 critical observation beg to dissent from the foregoing decision as 
 regards the representation of sentimental comedy by the lady 
 under review. So far from observing any paucity in her personi- 
 fication of such characters, our actress on the contrary uniformly 
 excited sentiments of the most lively sympathy ; the tones of 
 her voice on such occasions were plaintive beyond expression, 
 accompanied by acting that evinced a perfect knowledge — from 
 inherent feeling of what was requisite in jDorsonifying the suppli- 
 catory and the pathetic. In the beautiful melo-dramatic piece of 
 ^'■Richard Camr de Lion,^' for instance, what could be a stronger 
 appeal to the heart than her representation of the disguised 
 Matilda, and in the scene where she discovers Lauretta's (repre- 
 sented by Mrs. Crouch) love for Florestin, the jailor of her own 
 captured king and husband, there were blended in her speech and 
 acting such mingled pity for her friend, with exultation at the 
 discovery of her lord, that a finer struggle between the passions 
 of friendship, gratitude, and fervent love could not be developed. 
 In regard to the fine lady of Mrs. Jordan, we cannot advance 
 thus much, though from the first time she appeared in Lady Teazle, 
 which we witnessed, equally with other characters of the haul 
 ton, we cannot find so much to reprehend as the writer of the 
 foregoing article, whose comments, as previously observed, we in 
 every other respect regard as strictly correct, and a most faithful 
 personification of the comic powers of a lady who we never saw 
 
LiFR OF Mrs Jordan. Ill 
 
 equalled, and may confidently venture to assert will never be 
 surpassed. 
 
 TJie last time she appeared before a London audience, her 
 powers were evidently on the decline, and her corpulency had so 
 much increased as to deteriorate greatly from the fascinations of 
 her acting. With a very trifling compass of voice, she possessed 
 the art of singing every species of air in a manner to command 
 attention and ensure applause ; and in many instances she ex- 
 ecuted very difficult compositions with success; — added to this, her 
 ear was remai'kably acute, and Jier recollection of an air retentive 
 in the extreme. That our heroine was a most extraordinary 
 genius and talented woman, cannot be denied, and that she 
 possessed more natural attributes for the walk of life in which 
 she figured, than any actress upon record, is a fact so universally 
 allowed by the ablest judges, that we do no more than justice 
 when we accord her the blooming wreath of Fame, and hail her 
 as : — - 
 
 " The unmatched Thalia of the British Stasre." 
 
 In reference to our heroine having changed her name from 
 Francis to that of Jordan, in order to elude the pursuit of the 
 profligate Irish manager through whose infamous practices her 
 first seduction was effected, we have learned the ensuing anecdote. 
 
 After her engagement with Mr. Tate Wilkinson, at Leeds, took 
 place, having on one occasion described the misfortunes and 
 dreadful treatment she had undergone in Ireland, the subject of 
 our Memoir at length exclaimed : — 
 
 "/« short, I am certain that I shed tears enough to overflow the 
 river Jordan ! " 
 
 W^hen not having decided upon the designation she should 
 assume, that of Jordan which had been so emphatically dwelt 
 upon, was selected by a friend as the most appropriate apellation 
 she could adopt, and was accordingly resorted to. Another ver- 
 sion of this story is that after passing the Irish channel, she 
 likened herself to the Children of Israel, who having traversed 
 the Jordan, escaped from persecution and bondage, and on that 
 account she assumed the name of the river in question. 
 
 During Mrs. Jordan's earliest engagement, with Mr. Wilkinson, 
 at York, her personal attractions and histrionic talents so power- 
 fully interested Mr. George Inchbald, then a member of the same 
 theatrical company, that he made her honourable proposals. 
 The gentleman alluded to was son-in-law to Mrs. Inchbald, and 
 his assiduities were by no means displeasing to our heroine, but 
 the visit of Gentleman Smith, the actor, to York, where he 
 
112 Life op Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 became so struck with Mrs. Jordan's talents as to procure for 
 her an engagement with the managers of Drury Lane, put a stop 
 to this matrimonial speculation, as her immediate removal from 
 the North to London proved the consequence. 
 
 It has been justly remarked by an anonymous writer, that 
 when at York, " Mrs. Jordan uniformly distinguished herself by 
 propriety in her domestic conduct, and the untaxed modesty of 
 her manners ; thus rendering herself the more amiable and dis- 
 tinguished by supporting and firmly protecting a breach which 
 had been so lately assaulted and violated." 
 
 "Mrs. Jordan, therefore, in the view of a. /ashio7iable Cyprian, 
 claims a fair and honourable distinction. Though always a 
 tnistress, still she has invariably acted up to the rigid principles 
 and economy of the wife. She has never been lavish in her 
 favours, but uniformly true and constant to the man she has 
 lived with. 
 
 " To Mr. Ford she bore four children, one of whom died, and 
 she ever comported herself as a constant wife, an affectionate 
 mother, and a sincere friend ; ever solicitous, and on the watch 
 for their united comforts and happiness. This tender conduct so 
 far and justly gained on the esteem and affection of Mr. Ford, 
 that he promised to make her Ids wife." 
 
 "Mrs. Jordan," says the same writer, "has seven children living ; 
 at the period in question (1798) she has only three children by the 
 Duke of Clarence. The eldest, who is a tine accomplished girl, 
 about fourteen, is the offspring of Mr. Daly, the late Irish man- 
 ager. — She passes by the name of Miss Jordan. She has three 
 by Mr. Ford, who also pass by the same name, and three more, 
 a boy and two girls by the Duke, who were christened by the name 
 of Fitzclai-ence* They are all under the care and education 
 (together with Miss Jordan, a sister of our heroine's) of the Rev. 
 M. Lloyd, at Ewell, chaplain to His Grace, who receives from 
 Mrs. Jordan the yearly sum of £400 for their maintenance and 
 instruction. 
 
 " And now to follow up the above little soliloquy. — As a 
 mother, Mrs. Jordan will behold her children anxiously and 
 attentively watching over her declining powers, blessing herself 
 as she surveys their fondness and affection, that fortune and her 
 prudence have rendered them thus cheerful, happy, and indepen- 
 dent. The noble sentiments flowing from a liberal education, will 
 teach them to reverence the mother, without sprinkling the tender 
 
 * Fitz signifies Bastard. — I do not see what absolute necessity there was 
 of attaching this word to the children's names. 
 
Life of Mrs, Jokdax. 113 
 
 nomination with any unworthy reflections on the father. And 
 the base ungenerous tongue that ignorantly reflects upon their 
 own bii'th, that education will teach them to despise ; whilst if 
 necessary, it will also teach them to resent and chastise. The sense 
 ingrafted in their youthful minds by the liberal and Christian 
 principals of a Lloyd, will likewise teach them that one Being is 
 the Great and Universal Parent of Mankind, and that Being 
 will instruct them that next to him, they owe all their love and 
 homage to a fond, a tender, and ever anxious mother." 
 
 So much for the generous comments and affectionate anticipa- 
 tions of an unknown writer, whose wishes were anything but 
 realised by the lapse of years, as we have amply demonstrated in 
 the progress of the foi-egoing pages. Had we not on previous 
 occasions expressed our sentiments on this head, we would further 
 dilate upon the topic of the ingratitude of children to their parents ; 
 we cannot, however, close the subject without alluding to the titled 
 Fitzclarence, who not content with the honours and wealth already 
 heaped upon him by his father, is said to have disagreed with him 
 because further importunities on his part have not been complied 
 with. Alas ! poor Jordan, couldst thou rise from the grave, and 
 behold the upstart pretensions of thy progeny, so diametrically 
 opposed to those sentiments which it was thy constant practice to 
 infuse into their minds, thou wouldst have a fresh pang inflicted 
 on thy sensitive nature, and more bitterly lament the hour when 
 fate decreed that thou shouldst rank the mother of such a race. 
 
 Anxious to render these memoirs of the utmost importance to 
 the public, the editor having been credibly informed that a chan- 
 nel existed at Paris, through which some curious information 
 might be gleaned respecting our heroine, the requisite steps were 
 pursued. Through the medium of a gentleman, therefore, who 
 had occasion to visit the French capital on business, the annexed 
 statements were acquii'ed, which we feel infinite pleasure in laying 
 before the public, as containing many facts hitherto unpublished, 
 and correcting erroneous statements that have hitherto passed 
 current with the world. 
 
 Much misrepresentation and a variety of false reports having 
 been disseminated through the medium of the diurnal press, as 
 well as pretended memoirs, respecting the state of seclusion and 
 retirement of Mrs. Dorothea Jordan from the land of her birth ; 
 of the causes which conduced to her adoption of that mode of 
 proceeding, together with her premature decease, we think it 
 requisite to annex the ensuing details, for the strict veracity of 
 which we can conscientiously avouch. 
 
 n 
 
114 LiFK OF Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 NARRATIVE OF THE LAST DAYS, 
 DEATH, AND FUNERAL OF MRS. JORDAN. 
 
 BY A GENTLEMAX STILL LIVING IN PARIS ; WHO 
 ATTENDED THE FUNERAL, ETC., ETC. 
 
 " It is most probable that the real motive of our late actress's 
 expatriation was confined to lierself and some branches of Iior 
 family, to whom might be added a confidential and most faithful 
 attendant ; one Miss Sketchley, wlio appears to have uniformly 
 acted the most devoted part towards the lady who honoured her 
 with unreserved confidence. The retired and humble mode of life 
 pursued by Mrs. Jordan at Saint Cloud, under a fictitious name, 
 contrasted with the affluence and splendour of her former station, 
 most probably conduced to render valid the variety of reports 
 afterwards disseminated respecting the treatment and neglect 
 which she is stated to have experienced from a certain very ex- 
 alted personage. The inference thence deducted was to the effect 
 that Mrs. Jordan was subjected to a state of the most abject 
 poverty and destitution, resulting from a cruel, dishonourable, and 
 cold blooded abandonment, on the part of her former munificent 
 protector. These assertions, however, were not correct to the 
 extent reported, but whether true or false, being based on no 
 other authority than surmise ; the positive fact is, that the 
 unfortunate lady was no more in a state of absolute destitution 
 or positive starvation than she was in the enjoyment of that 
 affluence, luxury, and splendour which had been the attendants 
 of her former years. 
 
 " Among the very limited number of individuals who were 
 accustomed to visit Mrs. Jordan during the period of her exile, 
 it has been ascertained that she in no one instance made the 
 slightest communication respecting the source of her mental 
 anguish, or ever uttered a syllable in the shape of complaint or 
 reproach, that tended to attach blame in the remotest degree to 
 the exalted personage above alluded to. We do not thence pre- 
 tend to infer that no blame was attachable in that quarter, as it 
 was evident to every person possessing a knowledge of the patient 
 sufferer, that she was gifted with a temperament so truly refined, 
 as rather to pine and waste in silence than breathe her wrongs 
 and sufferings to the world. Be the source of her sorrows what 
 it might, it was nevertheless evident that the depression of her 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 115 
 
 spirits as far sui'passed the limits of what might liave been the 
 result of pecuniary distress, as relief of a pecuniary nature must 
 have proved inadequate in affecting a removal of the dreadful 
 weight under which her afflicted spirit succumbed and was ulti- 
 mately bowed down. The real fact is, that the internal disease 
 under which Mrs. Jordan laboured, was the canker-worm, that 
 never abandoned its devoted victim until the fore-doomed prey 
 had ceased to exist and was numbered with the dead. 
 
 "Whatever might have been the cause that determined the 
 wretched lady to bury herself in obscurity, there can be little doubt 
 but the incitement was of no very ordinary character ; no trivial 
 disappointments, or temporary chagrin could have tended to 
 su.bdue the hilarity, the buoyant energies and playful vivacity of 
 her superior and well regulated mind, or compelled her to renounce 
 her name, her friends, and a country so dear to her, a land where 
 she had been next to idolised ; — no ; there must have been some 
 hidden, some potent cause that could have impelled her to have 
 recourse to such an unlooked-for line of proceeding, and there can 
 be little doubt her family, if they thought fit, could develope the 
 grand mystery. 
 
 " Mrs. Jordan had been visibly upon the decline for a long 
 period pi'ior to her dissolution ; the acuteness of her malady, 
 however, was considerably alleviated by the unvarying assiduities 
 and watchful attention of Miss Sketchley, who had been her 
 companion for a long series of years, and to whom several peers 
 and peeresses of the present day stand indebted for the peculiar 
 interest she took in the superintendence of their comforts and 
 happiness during the period of their juvenile days. At the time 
 of Mrs. Jordan's retirement one Mr. John Greatorex kept a highly 
 respectable hotel in the Rue Pelletier, Pai'is, who was in the habit 
 of supplying many English families with wine, spirits, and other 
 commodities — he was in the frequent practice of repairing to St. 
 Cloud, being one among the few individuals who was aware that 
 the supposed Mrs. James was no other than the once highly- 
 favoured and celebrated Mrs. Jordan. She uniformly received 
 Mr. Greatorex with all that amiability of manner and unaffected 
 condescension that were universally allowed to be peculiarly her 
 own ; the last visit he paid having been only two days' previous 
 to her decease. On the occasion alluded to she ordered refresh- 
 ments to be brought, whereof he partook — observing at the time 
 that she was labouring under bodily indisposition, though she 
 certainly did not appear on the eve of dissolution. After the lapse 
 of two days, on Mr. Greatorex again presenting himself to enquire 
 after the state of Mrs. Jordan's health, he found she had ceased 
 
116 LlFli OF Mus. JOUUAN. 
 
 to be an iiih;iljit;int of this world, ;ind in coiifoniiity with the 
 revolting custom pursued in France, though not in strict accord- 
 ance with the law — that preparations for the funeral had already 
 commenced. 
 
 "The arrival of Mr. Greatorex, at the period adverted to, 
 proved opportune in the extreme, and of the greatest service to 
 Miss Sketchley — who, in addition to the extreme affliction whereby 
 she was overwhelmed, had to superintend the arrangements for 
 the funeral, surrounded by strangers, and unassisted l)y any friend 
 or compatriot, in whom she could place confidence. But for the 
 arrival of Mr. Greatorex, therefore, there cannot be a doubt l)ut 
 the remains of Mrs. Jordan would have been conveyed to their 
 final home unattended by any one of her countrymen ; and, from 
 the intolerant operation of superstitious prejudice and bigotry, 
 would have been committed to the earth without the rites of 
 Christian sepulture. * 
 
 "In this painful dilemma Mr. Greatorex hurried back to Paris, 
 where his primary object was to obtain the assistance of a Pro- 
 testant clergyman. Unfortunately, the Rev. Mr. Foster, resident 
 Chaplain to the British Embassy, chanced either to be unwell, or 
 unable to attend on this melancholy occasion, when after much 
 enquiry, trouble, and research, he ultimately succeeded in finding 
 the Rev. ISlr. Marron, officiating pastor at the French Protestant 
 Church of the Oratoire. Mr. Greatorex having fortunately 
 obtained the assistance of the gentleman in question, they were 
 joined by Mr. William Henshaw, Statuary, of Mortimer Street, 
 Cavendish Square, London, Mr. Keith, and other English residents 
 — who hastily collected for the occasion, to the number of eight — 
 and repaired to St. Cloud, when the funeral took place ; on which 
 occasion the mayor of the town assisted, accoutred in his official 
 costume. 
 
 " The funeral service was then performed by Mr. Marron, with 
 every appropriate solemnity, and in the most impressive manner. 
 
 * For the information of snch persons as may not be conversant with the 
 nsap;es of our Gallic neighbours, it may be requisite to observe that the law 
 of France on such occasions is, " that no one be interred until after the 
 expiration of twenty-four hours from the period of dissolution," this being 
 enacted to guard against the danger of premature interments ; which owing 
 to the aversion entertained by the French as regards tristosse, or anything 
 of a melancholy description, not unfrequently occurs, owing to the departed 
 being hurried ofE to the grave in such a brief space of time. It must, how- 
 ever, lie remarked, that the burial of any person may, and ought to bo 
 resisted, notwithstanding the authoritative blusterings of the Comniissaire 
 de Police, until unequivocal signs of decomposition .shall be mauifest — thua 
 proving that the principle of vitality has become extinct. 
 
Life of Mrs. Jordan. 117 
 
 The ceremony attending Mrs. Jordan's interment, althougli plain, 
 was in every respect decorous — the coffin being covered with light 
 blue cloth, lined and embellished witli whfte furniture. After 
 the office had been performed, a cold collation, consisting of fruits 
 and different wines, was prepared by order of Miss Sketchley, for 
 the pastor and gentlemen who had officiated. 
 
 " Thus terminated the earthly cai'eer of the being, who havin"- 
 for"such a series of years participated in the smiles and sunshine 
 of Royalty, became an additional instance of that melancholy 
 versatility of fortune so frequently experienced by those whose 
 confidence has been placed in the insidious and faithless promises 
 of Princes." 
 
 FINIS. 
 
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