"All  this  is  vexatious  enough,  and  seems  a  sort
of  dramatic  Calvinism  —  predestined  damnation,
without  a  sinner's  own  fault.  I  took  all  the  pains
poor  mortal  could  to  prevent  this  inevitable  catas-
trophe— ^partly  by  appeals  of  all  kinds  up  to  the
Lord  Chamberlain,  and  partly  to  the  fellows  them
selves.  But.  as  remonstrance  was  vain,  complaint
is  useless.  I  do  not  understand  it — ^for  Murray's
letter  of  the  24th,  and  all  his  preceding  ones,  gave
me  the  strongest  hopes  that  there  would  be  no  re
presentation.  As  yet,  I  know  nothing  but  the  fact,
which  I  presume  to  be  true,  as  the  date  is  Paris,  ano
the  80th.  They  must  have  been  in  a  hell  of  a  huzfy
for  this  damnation,  since  I  did  not  even  know  thai
it  was  published ;  and,  without  its  being  first  pub-
lished, the  histrions  could  not  have  got  nold  of  it.
Any  one  might  have  seen,  at  a  glance,  that  it  was
utterly  impracticable  for  the  stage ;  and  this  little
accident  will  by  no  means  enhance  its  merit  in  the
closet.
