in his exultation and honest prejudice said, "that the woman might be
known to be Irish from her warm gratitude, her quick discernment, and
her elegant extemporaneous compliment." In fact, if Edmund Burke
himself, who exceeded all mankind in the quickness and elegance of
complimentary replies, had been considering the matter a whole hour, he
could not have uttered anything to surpass it.

Of Master Payne's person we cannot speak (nor do we hope) so favourably
as of his face. And we much fear that he will not undergo the pain of
mending it by abstinence from indulgence. Early hours, active or even
hard exercise, particularly of the gymnastic kind, and diligent
unremitting study are as indispensable to his fame, if he means to be a
player, as food or drink are to his support. In general his action is
elegant--his attitudes bold and striking; but of the former he sometimes
uses too much, and in his appropriation of the latter he is not always
sufficiently discriminating. This was particularly observable in his
performance of Frederick in Lover's Vows--a character in which we shall
have occasion to speak of him, and with great praise in a future number.
His walk too, which in his own unaffected natural gait is not
exceptionable, he frequently spoils by a kind of pushing step, at open
war with dignity of deportment. It would be well for this young
gentleman if he had never seen Mr. Cooper. Perhaps he will be startled
at this; and flatters himself that he never imitates that gentleman. We
can readily conceive him to think so even at the moment he is doing it.
To imitate another, it is not necessary to intend to do so. Every day of
their lives men imitate without the intervention of the will. The
manners of an admired, or much-observed individual, insensibly root
themselves in a young person's habits--he draws them into his system, as
he does the atmosphere which surrounds him. We doubt very much whether
Mr. Cooper himself would not be surprised if he knew how much he
imitates Kemble. Though seemingly a paradox, we firmly rely upon it--Mr.
Cooper _may_ be aiming at Cooke, when he is by old habitual taint really
hitting Kemble.[1] On this subject of imitation much is to be said.
Kemble rose when every bright luminary of the stage had set. Being the
best of his day, in the metropolis, he has become the standard of acting
to the young and inexperienced; more from pride than want of judgment he
goes wrong; his system of acting is