"on the
morning of his rehearsal, and introduced to him. At night the house was
too crowded to afford me a place in front, and seeing me behind the
scenes, he asked me, knowing I acted Belcour, to prompt him if he should
be 'out,' which he very much feared. The audience were in convulsions at
his absurdities, and in the scene with Miss Rusport, being really 'out,'
I gave him a line which Belcour has to speak, 'I never looked so like a
fool in all my life,' which, as he delivered it, was greeted with a roar
of laughter. He was 'out' again, and I gave him again the same line,
which, again being repeated, was acquiesced in with a louder roar. Being
'out' again, I administered him the third time the same truth for him to
utter, but he seemed alive to its application, rejoining in some
dudgeon, 'I have said that twice already.' His exhibition was a complete
burlesque of the comedy and a reflection on the character of a
management that could profit by such discreditable expedients." Poor
"Romeo" Coates lived to get over his theatrical weakness, and died (in
1848), in his seventy-sixth year, from the results of a street accident.

[Illustration:
_Published March, 1816, by S. W. FORES, 50, Piccadilly._

LEAP YEAR, OR JOHN BULL'S PEACE ESTABLISHMENT.

"When two ride upon a horse, one must ride behind."

_Face p. 50._]

1816. MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS CHARLOTTE.

The Princess Charlotte of Wales, having successfully thrown over her
royal Dutch suitor, was married at Carlton House to Prince Leopold of
Saxe-Coburg, afterwards King of the Belgians, on the 2nd of May, 1816.
Prior to the marriage, Parliament had voted a provision for an
establishment for the pair of L60,000, while in the event of the
princess's death, L50,000 was settled on the prince during his life.
_Leap Year, or John Bull's Establishment_ (S. W. Fores, March, 1816)
shows us John Bull with a bit in his mouth, driven by Her Royal
Highness, who lashes him unmercifully with a tremendous horse-whip.
Miserable John is saddled with a pair of panniers, one of which carries
the prince and his money bags, the other being filled with heavy
packages labelled with different impositions or items of expenditure of
which John is the victim. "Plans for thatched cottages," "Plan for
pulling down and rebuilding," "Assessed taxes," "Increase of salaries,"
"Army for peace establishment," and so on. Says Leopold to the princess,
"You drive so fast, I shall be off!!!" "