MRS. SIDDONS, The British Melpomene, was born on the 14th of July, 1755, at a low public-house, called The Shoulder of Mutton, in High-street, Brecknock. MR. BRAHAM. The Margravine of Anspach, when requested to see this gentleman's Orlando, declined, saying his voice always reminded her of "old clothes." Very likely it might,' cried Reynolds, "but he has left off his bad habits now." THE PRESENT LICENSER. The present licenser, G. Colman, author of Broad Grins, and other chaste productions, in his official capacity, struck out all the "damme's" that occurred in a character in Married and Single, "because such language was immoral." On receiving the licence, Mr. Elliston wrote the doting courtier the following epistle : "Dear Colman, "D-n me, if it isn't the brazier.'- -"Damn the traveller do I see coming to the Red Cow.'*- 'Damn this fellow.'+-'Sooner be d-d than dig.'‡-&c. &c. &c. R. W. ELLISTON." 66 Yours, STAGE FEELING. King has recorded of Garrick, that whilst that great actor was drowning the house in tears, in the fourth act of Lear, he put his tongue in his cheek, and said to him, during the applause, “D-―n me, Tom, it will do, it will do." *These words occur in Colman's Comedy of John Bull. + These in The Review. And these in Ways and Means. OXBERRY'S DRAMATIC BIOGRAPHY. SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 1825. MEMOIR OF MR. LISTON. Dulce est desipere in loco. Let those that play your clowns, speak no more than is set down for them. THE early life of the subject of the present memoir is involved in considerable obscurity, and Mr. LISTON himself has never been willing to remove the veil that covers the period of his boyhood. We are informed that he was born in the spring of 1777, in the parish of St. Ann, Soho, and we know that he is indebted to Soho School for his education. We are also aware that a few years since some angry epistles passed between the subject of this memoir and a person who claimed him as his son. The ephemeral nature of a newspaper has long since consigned that circumstance to oblivion, but we, whose ears and eyes are eter nally in active service, have not forgotten it. Mr. L. s father was a Mr. JOHN LISTON, once well known in the sporting world. He was a man of eccentric habits, and more eccentric sayings; but, from his devotion to the gaming-table, became reduced, and, at the time he claimed cur hero, was in a very mean capacity in the customhouse; we believe he some years ago paid the debt of nature. The earliest circumstance we remember, connected with Mr. LISTON himself, is his scholarship at Soho School, where Dr. Barrow used to laugh at his singularities; from which time we lost sight of him until about 1799 or 1800, when we found him in the capacity of master of the Grammar School of St. Martin's. in Castle-street, Leicester-square, where, we are told, he astounded his scholars by quotations from Shakespeare, Rowe, and Otway. Mr. LISTON's first regular theatrical situation was at the Dublin Theatre, where the characters he assumed were unimportant, and where he was quite unnoticed. From this situation he emerged to the brighter prospect of an engagement with the scenic Falstaff, Stephen Kemble. Mr. LISTON's early efforts had been in the train of the Tragic Muse, but Mr. Kemble soon found that our hero's forte did not lie exactly in that line, and he persuaded him to attempt the second old men; a cast of characters for which, however, his figure and style of acting did not eminently qualify him. At Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Mr. LISTON made his first step to popularity; and here, too, he got a portion of the country boys, in which he became a decided favourite. The happy negativeness of his face greatly aided his delineations of obtuse intellect, and his benefits became convincing proofs of the townfolks' estimation of their come |