hat time vie for actors in
number and quality with the best provincial company that ever played in
England. Hodgkinson, Cooper, Fennell, Jefferson, Harwood, Bernard, Mrs.
Morris, and Mrs. Hodgkinson, besides two or three admirable comedians.
Pierre is well adapted to Mr. Cooper's talents and style of acting, and
he evinced his judgment in selecting it for his first appearance.
Through the whole play the ball was well tossed to him by the other
actors; the consequence was that the impression he made has never been
erased. The opinion entertained of him was more substantially evinced
than by mere applause. There was a unanimous desire that he should leave
the Philadelphia theatre and engage at New-York; but to this it was
objected, that he was bound by his contract with the manager of the
former, to play for a certain time under a penalty of two thousand
dollars; this objection, however, was soon superseded by a subscription
raised among the gentlemen of New-York to pay off that sum if the
manager should be able to enforce it. Thus honourably was Mr. Cooper
planted in the city which he contrived to make his head-quarters till
the beginning of the year 1803, when he passed over to England. During
that period he paid a professional visit to Philadelphia, where he was
so justly appreciated that he had no further occasion for the aid of the
elephant.

It happened that Mr. John Kemble the chief actor, and once the acting
manager of Drury Lane theatre, had in the year 1802, a misunderstanding
with the proprietors, in consequence of which he left it, and visited
the continent, leaving the first line of character very inadequately
filled. Intelligence of this secession having reached America in the
latter end of 1802, Mr. Cooper, who was invited, as it is said, by the
proprietors of Drury Lane, to take Mr. Kemble's place, if his reception
by the town would warrant them in retaining him, crossed the Atlantic,
and once more appeared in London. His success was by no means equal to
the expectations of his New-York friends. Those however who were better
acquainted with the general subject and the state of the stage in
England, who were aware how much actors of the greatest talents profit
by constantly playing with men of equal standing with themselves, and
how much they lose by the want of great models either to emulate or
follow, were far from being so sanguine in their expectations. By the
London audience he was handsomely received,