honourable
mark of distinction, and a signal testimony of the respect in which his
talents were held by those gentlemen. He continued to be a member of it,
and conducted himself in a manner which every day increased their
respect for him, till he left England.

While he belonged to the Bath and Bristol theatres he received an
invitation to play at Brighton during the summer residence of the Prince
of Wales there, with which invitation he complied. He had been
advantageously mentioned to the prince, and his royal highness was
desirous to see him perform. Upon this visit an incident occurred which
we should think it unpardonable to omit mentioning, not only on account
of its importance as it relates to our subject, but as it serves to
throw a ray of light on the character of one of the most illustrious
personages lining.

The day after his arrival at Brighton, Hodgkinson took a walk, by
himself, down the Stein side, and was studiously employed in conning
over the part of Belcour in the West Indian, in which character he was
that night to make his debut, when his attention was called off by loud
words of men high in quarrel. He cast his eyes towards the place from
which the noise issued, and perceived at a little distance a crowd
apparently engaged in a tumultuous scuffle, he ran up, under the impulse
of curiosity to see what the matter might be. Upon reaching the place,
he found a well-dressed young man surrounded by a number of persons who
looked like gentlemen and who struck at him together, while he, having
got his back to a tree, gallantly defended himself, and returned their
blows with much energy and good will. Foul play of that kind is rarely
attempted in England, and when attempted, seldom fails to bring down
just chastisement from the standers by. In fact it is a thing never
permitted by the people, who make it a universal rule to show fair play
in all cases of quarrel, be the parties who they may; so that if a
battle takes place between an Englishman, and even a Frenchman, the
latter is as secure of justice, and of his second, and of his
bottleholder too, if necessary, as if he were a true-born Englishman.
"Fair play, fair play! a ring, a ring! d--n my eyes why should not poor
frog-eater have as fair play as any other?" The writer has heard this
_John Bullish_ effusion before now, and what was better, seen it
generously and justly acted upon.

Hodgkinson was too much a man of that kidney to stand by, a tame