I LLINO I S
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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The Great Illegitimates
PUBLIC AND PRIVT

LIFE
OF THAT CELEBRATED ACTRESS

MISS BLAND, OTHERWISE MRS. FORD, OR

MRS.
RLtte

ti tr;

JORDAN;

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NOW

WILLIAMX IV*

KING

FOUNDER OF THE FITZCLARENCE FAMILY;
Being Mother of the Earl'of Munster-Col. ,Lord Frederic FitzclarenceFitzclarenoe, R.N
Lord Augustus Fitzclarence-Lord Adolphus
Lady-Sophia Sydney-Lady Mary Fox-Countess of
Lady
Erskine, and Lady Falkland.

Errol-

Kennedy

DELINEATING

The Vicissitudes attendant on her Early Life;
The Splendor of her Noon-tide Blaze, as Mistress of the Royal Duke;
and her untimely. Dissolution at St. Cloud, near Paris,resulting from, a Broken Heart.
Accompanied hy numerous Remarks and
ANECDOTES
OF

3El~u trions aty ,.-iatonabIe ta~rtlr0.
BY A CONFIDENTIAL FRIEND OF THE DEPARTED.
EMBELLISHED

PORTRAITS

BY

OF THE FITZCLARENOE

FAMILY.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED BY

J. DUNCOMBE, 19, LITTLE QUEEN
STREET, HOLBORN;

And Sold by all Booksellers in the Kingdom.

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3
THE

LIFE OF, MRS. JORDAN.
THERE is no walk of literature

so essentially calcu

culated to instil salutary instruction, as that which results

from the study of biographical sketches of public characterm. The great mass of society propelled by one
viating course, affords no materials ofa prominent nature
worthy the attention of a reflecting writer. It is the being
schooled in active scenes of life, who displays materials
it is then
calculated to awaken the energies of the
we contemplate the changes and vicissitudes to which the
thence we are
march of human nature is subjected,
in the progress of
led to reason on causes and effects;
which research, we frequently discoverthat circumstalns
of the greatest moment owe their birth to events apparently
inconsequential.
In sketching the present biography, it is our task to

unde-

mind:

and

,diametrically opposed to each other : we
touch, as it were, the several chords of the human
vibrations alternately
heart,"and awaken every

arouse
-shod feelings
l

thrill-its

sounding to pleasure and to pain.

Mrs.' Phillips, the mother of the heroine of our pages,
=
one of thrree, sisters, and the offspring of a Welch digthe church, 'possessed -of a good living ; innitary

~was

'°dependant

-of

of which,

his circumstances

were

affluent,

and

Shis. character as a divine, in every respect moral and unY'ipechable.-

aAt pan- early

period

of life, Miss Grace Phil lips eloped

Swith 'one Captain Bland, a gentleman whose parents bore
ea high ,rank in society, :from fortune as well as family con-

,neetions;" while in his own person he displayed great ac-

!4complishments. She was united to the Captain in Ireland
B

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

tir the rites.of the Catholic church, of which country he
was a natie-being both at the time under the age of
wenty after which, they lived together for several years,
during the period in question, she bore her husband
nine children, of whom, Mrs. Jordan was born at Waterford
in 1762 or 1764.
At the time when the elopement took place, Captain
Bland was on duty with his regiment in Wales, and having incensed his parents with the step thus clandestinely
taken, they refused him pecuniary supplies, when the
youthful couple, in order to procure a subsistence, had
recourse to the stage. In consequence of this step, Mrs.
Jordan may be said to have inhaled the earliest breath of
life among a Thespian corps, of which profession she was
ultimately.doomed to figure as the Comic Queen. The
.family of the Captain inheriting all the pride of Irish
birth, on finding that he had embraced the theatric calling, became more exasperated'; and the breach was in
consequence so widened, that for a length of time all cor.respondence ceased between himself and his relati res.1Doctor Bland, however, the Captain's father, still anxious
to see his son inprosperity, at length had recourse to legal
advice; when having never consented to the union,
taking advantage ol the ceremony being performed during
his minority, he commenced legal measures in order to invalidate the marriage, in which he ultimately succeeded,
~hen the unfortunate: wife was left with a numerous pro'
ge nt to struggle against every difficulty.
the lPeriod to
which we allude, Captain Bland had attained the rank cof

and

and

At

Colonel; when finding himself freed

from the matrimonial

boncb-ummindful of the duties of a father, and the .line of
c9 idtuct honour should have prescribed---lie wholly abandoned his former partner, and in a short
led to the hymeima[ altar another lady-, possessed of an ample revenue ;
allowing his former wife a very mediocre stipend. for--,the

time

,herself'

m~aintenance of
horne. hirr. Fortune,

and the numerous progeny she had
however, cannot control happiness,

anid the, wealth. ob tainued by Colonel Bland proved' no.
p nacea to the stmns of a goad ing conscience : his forir~ sereiiity soon vanished, and he died alter a, short
lapse o f time the victim of his own heartless conduct.--

As .the fortune of. the .sccond Mrs. Bland had been set-

LIRE :-F MRS. JORDANI
.prior to. marriage..in the event of, the
Colonel's -death, hiis children by the former union were
left: totally destitute; :until actuated by sentiments of
common humanity.,
relatives afforded some relief to
the :offsprinb, but totally abandoned the wretched mother
tn-heer cruel fate.
It :was at the trying period alludedIto,:that the humane
heroine of oar;pages, then under sixteen years
with that noble spirit which uniformly actuated
duCt, determined on attempting the stage in order t procure the 'means .of subsistence for herself.and her suffering mother.
a~ing made application to Mr. Ryder,
manager
in the
of the >DibliS Theatre, her first appearance
character rof-Phe-be., in ;As You Like It-she having assumed the.name; of Francis, inorder to avoidgiving umbrage tothe h-au hty relations.:of her' decleasedfather.
Little did -Mrs. Jordan, at that -time, imagine she was
destined at _a future period to fascinate the overflowing
audiences.of a London playhouse, when sustaining the
part. of Rosalind in the same beautiful drama-and that
the ,song of the Cuckoo would never be heard without
Commanding a rapturous encore.
In this opening attempt, Miss Francis'experienced
very little encouragement, yet wasnot depressed, but
pursued her.studies with indefatigable iadustry-apply

tied upon herself

his

of.age,
hercon-

the

was

ing herself to the
ments so requisite

the

acquirement of
;various :accomplish-s
for those who tread the theatric -bards.

Not long aftetr the above essay, she procu red :an en-

gagement

with

Mr. Daly,

of the

Crow -Street Theatre

Duhin,:when her favor with the public. rapidly~enc reased,
particularly .ini performance of the :charL ~cti of :adeher

herat-whicf

laide, in the 'Count of Narbonne ;'
is-'supposed-to have just attained

period,
siixteenthiyear.

.Soon,after the :above engagemenrt,- the thetri~lcA.
pany-being

at Waterford,

she
-

om-

the fnsinatingnnners of' Miss

Francis arrested the attention of :Lieut. Charles. Doyne,
of thc :third regiment of heavy horse, (greens) then quartered in- that city, who became

aspirant

seriously

and honorably

ther. This
to ;our heroine's affectios, though not possessing personal. attractions, was a
gentl-eman in manners and education, and in every "sense

attached. to

8
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN,
of the word an honest man. Whatsoever might be the
feelings of the daughter on this occasion, the mother was
averse o the union; as in the event of her changing her
name, tlhe family would be deprived of their only means
of suppdrt: in addition to which, Lieutenant Doyne having but a very circumscribed income, coupled with his
pay, such slender resources were very inadequate to meet
the wants of a growing family.
The latter obstacle,
therefore, proved insurmountable, added to which, Mrs.
Bland, probably anticipating the future celebrity of her
child, so powerfully worked upon her feelings, that the
Lieutenant's offer was ultimately rejected.
Subsequent to this occurrence, an event took place
that entailed infinite affliction on our youthful aspirant for
fame. The manners and person of our heroine having
attracted Mr. Daly's attention, he followed the glorious
precedent of many individuals holding similar managerial
stations: conceiving himself entitled to command the
favors of every lady in his service, under pain of his displeasure. Poor Miss Francis proved too virtuous to subiiti, and for a period the unprincipled desires of her emiloyer received a salutary check from he stern dictates
of innate virtue. Finding hiniself foiled, the unprincipled
maiager caused his victim to be seduced to the residence
of a dependant, where she was forcibly detained, and
every unfair advantage taken of her helpless condition;
wherefore, as soon as released, accompanied by her mothter;: brother, and. sister, she clandestinely left Dublin,
and arrived in safety at the town of Leeds, in Yorkshire;
which event occurred in the month of July 1782.
The first step taken by our actress was to apply to
Mr. Tate Wilkinson, then manager of the York company;
who on meeting her and her family at the inn, found them
in a very miserable plight. The parent of our actress,
however, talked so highly of her daugeter's merits, as
nearly to disgust Mr. Wilkinson, who was, therefore, on
the point of giving a flat denial to our aspirant. In this
state of mind he quitted the family, but returned to the
inn, being forcibly struck by the dejected and melancholy
appearance of Miss Francis, which strongly pleaded in
her behalf with the kind-hearted Mr. Wilkinson, who
then requested her to give him a specimen of her talent,

9
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
when she repeated a speech from the part of Calista, in
Rowe's Fair Penitent, whereby he acquired some idea of
her abilities ; and it was in consequence determined, that
on the Thursday following, being the 11th of July, she
should make her opening, essay under the name of Miss
Francis. Her success, which was particularly due to
the plaintive sweetness of her voice, proved complete;
and on the termination of the tragedy, what Mr. Wilkinson feared would have proved detrimental to her interest,
tended still more to ingratiate her with the audience; for
no sooner had she closed the trigedy by her supposed
death, when putting on a frock and mob cap, she ran
upon the stage and warbled the Greenwood Laddie with
such an effect, as completely fascinated the auditors.The result of this essay was an engagement at a salary
of fifteen shillings per week, one guinea being the high.
est sum given to any performer of that Thespian hand.
From Leeds the company proceeded to York, in order
to perform during the race week ; where our heroine
again personated Calista to the Lothario of Mr. Knight,
who then made his debut, but was not well received in
that character.
On the fifth of August our heroine took her benefit at
Leeds, when she again selected the part of Calista; but
preparatory to the performance, it was requested by the
mother of our actress, that her daughter's name, which
had of course been announced as Miss Francis, might be
altered to that of Jordan. Mr. Wilkinson being desirous
to ascertain the cause of this change of appellation, waited
upon Mrs. Bland; when he was given to understand,
that:her daughter's aunt, a Miss Philips, was then at
York. upon her death bed-and the lady in question
greatly priding herself on family honours, and having
figured on the stage, in which line she deemed herself
pre-eminent, it was thought most prudent, under all cir.
cumstances, to pursue this line of conduct. The lady in
question having had an interview with Mrs. Bland and
her niece, expired the following week, after having pronounced Dorothy an honour to the blood of the ApPhillips's.
During the race week at York, our heroine performed
Rutland and the Romp, &c.; upon which occasion, Gen-

LIF

F
. MRS. JORDAN.
tleman Smith, as he wasdenominated, being present, felt
mdch pleased "with our actress, as to repeat his visits
On this ocJordan trod the boards.
every night
casion, the latter gentlemnan assured Mr. Wilkinson, he
was singularly struck. with our actress's talents, which
made the manager secretly rejoice in having executed
articles
her; and in the course of the race week
she had an extraordinary benefit on account of her services, which Mr. Wilkinson found truly beneficial to his
interest .
Spealing of our heroine's success at York, Mr.XWilkinson, in his work entitled ' The Wandering Patentee,' remarks :-' She .(Mrs. Jordan) was much admired in
Arionelli. A Mr. Tyler had performed that character,
and with a degre of deserved credit-but Mrs. Jordan
was not only new, but an object to the public and to me,
1
as she greatly helped my coffers.
From York, early in September, she proceeded with
the company of theatricals to Wakefield, then to Doncaster, and subsequently Shefeld, where her benefit
Shough_ well patronized did not prove very productive.
While at the latter town, our actress played the part of
a chamber-maid in the opera of the 'Fair.American,' on
the 28th of October, 1782; in the:personification of
which character, she displayed infinate.talent. In the
last mentioned piece, during -a scene that occurred, she

10

Mrs.

9

with

Mr.

personated

a footman being on the
Knight, who
stage, a certain sLene and roller of an immense weight
gave way, and was precipitated from the tap of: the the.
and

tre close at the feet of the two performers, which, had it
fallen on the head of either must have caused
death, While at Sheffield, .his Grace the late Duke-of
Norfolk predicted the future fame of our heroine, that nobleman having from the period alluded to uniformly continued the friend of the subject of our memoirs.

immediate

The next remove

of Mr.

Wilkinson's

theatricals, was

to Hull, where on Thursday, Dec. 26th, Mrs. Jordan
performed Calista, and sang the Greenwood,
which was hissed, although executed with her accusto-,
med sweetness. Tfhe fact is, a party had been raised
against, her, and it. was some tine crc the prejudices,
under; which she laboured, from the tongue of malevolence
were subdued.

Laddie,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
11
It is here necessary to state that when Mrs. Jordan's engagement with Mr. Tate Wilkinson, had continued for a
period, she was doomed to experience the effects of persecution, from one who, of all others, should have pursued
a different line of conduct. Sometime previous to her
seduction by Mr. Daly the Dublin manager, the mother
of our heroine having been attacked by a dangerons fit of
illness, physical aid was resorted to, when the feeling
daughter having exhausted all the pecuniary means her
slender salary afforded, had been compelled under existing exigencies to procure a loan from the manager, who
immediately complied, not actuated from feelings of commisseration for the afflicted mother and her child; but
under the dastardly idea of thereby placing within his
power the object of his base desires. Having thus become
a debtor from the most noble of impulses; the salvation
of a parent's life, efforts were set on toot by the manager
to intimidate our actress into a compliance with his wishes,
by legally proceeding to enforce payment, and we believe
the issue of a writ, for the arrest of her person, actually
took place; which reminds us of the fiend-like Colonel
Ket, recorded in English history, who offered to spare
the life of a brother in case the sister yielded to his infamous wishes. Having refused to act according to his,
Mr. Daly's will, the lady disdaining to make her chastity
the price of such demoniac forbearance, braved the horrors of a jail to maintain her character unsullied; when
the manager was instigated to adopt the treacherous mode
previously described, and ultimately triumphed over his
devoted victim.
Mr. Dayly having at length ascertained the residence
of our heroine, who by her precipitate flight from Dublin
had broken the engagement entered into with that manager, determined to pursue his victim for damages as
well as tne sum lent during her parent's ilness, and proceedings had actually commenced.
Notwithstanding the change of name, Mr. Daly at
length discovered the retreat of his victim; who, on account of her talents, had had her salary doubled; his resentment, therefore, increased ; wherefore, as she had
forfeited her articles in consequence of the precipitate
flight from Dublin, added to which, the sum advanced

LIFF OF MRS. JORDAN.
during her mother's illness, still remained outstanding
against her, as previously observed, she was a second
time threatened with arrest unless an immediate return to
the Irish capital for the completion of her engagement
took place. Thus cruelly circumstanced, a Mr. Swan,
having investigated the whole case and taking pity on her
forlorn situation, humanely paid down two hundred and
fifty pounds, the sum stipulated in case she forfeited her
articles, together with the amount of the small debt incurred. By this means Mrs. Jordan was released from
the dread of incarceratiou, having ever after found a sincere
and disinterested friend in the gentleman whose name
stands thus honourably recorded.
We shall now with pleasure dismiss from our pages the
name of such a fiend as Mr. Daly, having only to add
that when our heroine subsequently acquired that notoriety and fame in London, which her brilliant talents
commanded, the Dublin manager in more instances than
one, visited the metropolis of England, and used every
endeavour to procure an interview with the lady whose
asnals we record, and obtain a sight of the offspring she
had borne him; but in vain, her stern resolve proved inexorable, for as she had sw orn so she acted, neither suffering her sight to be blasted by the betrayer of her honour
or yielding the fruit of her disgrace to the arms of an inhuman and profligate parent. Such is the unvarnished
tale respecting the first dereliction from the path of rectitude, of which Mrs. Jordan was guilty ; if so harsh a
term can be attachable to the act under all its bearings,
as for ourselves, casting aside all prejudice of a favourable
nature as the biographer of the lady in question, we must
conscientiously declare that under similar circumstances,
a daughter would not appear contaminated in our eyes;
we should execrate her despoiler, commisserate her suffer
ings, and shed tears for her disgrace-but never brandher
with an opprobrius epithet or attach a thought of culpability to her name.
In reference to the Dublin manager, above adverted
to, we give the following appropriate extract from a late
writer :
'Our heroine (Mrs. Jordan) encouraged by maternal
example, of course, looked to the stage as her future
12

LIFEl OF MRS. JORDAN.
13
profession; and, abouf the year 1778, made her first appearance at Ryder's theatre, in Dublin, in the unimportant part of Phoebe, in ' As You Like It.' From prudential motives, and fearful of offending her father's family,
to whom she still looked. with hope ,-for the ehild thinks
not her father a villain, though all the world beside know
him to be one ;-she played under the nameof FIIANOIS,
and ran the round of maudlin young ladies, 'and third-rate
sentimentalists, until she attracted the notice of. Daly, a
weak-minded villain, an unjust manager, and an unprincipled libertine.
It was the practice of this hollow sensualist, to advance
money to those ladies he hled a design upon, and then second his attempts, not only with brutal violence, but a.
threat of arrest for debt. These amiable peculiarities he
displayed towards our heroine; and to relieve the exigences of her family, she borrowed of the brute a small sum.
She was daily rising in estimation in Dublin, and her
juvenile tragedy was particularly admired. Mr. Daly now
made a proposition to her, which our heroine repelled
with disgust, and we can readily conceive how hateful
must that reptile have appeared, who made her distresses
the plea for his insolence, and tempted her with gold on
the one hand, whilst he threatened her with a prison on
the other. Certainly, we of the irritable genus must be
peculiarly irritable on this score; for even now, when that
weak villain's bones hsve returned to the corruption that
best befitted them, we could find it in our hearts to call
them from the grave, to be burnt as a sacrifice tooffended
decency; and in saying this, we arrogate no peculiar
virtue to ourselves; we do not mean to condemn, in one
sweeping clause, the race called (falsely called) men of
pleasure ; but let them fight their battles fairly, at all
events; and not win by meanness, that which should be
gained by favour.'
Mr. Boaden in his illustrations to the life of Mrs. Jor,
dan, vol. l,p. 360, after quoting as above, from Oxberry's
memoirs, with greatjustice, adds as follows
'We might have alluded to the actual perpetration of
violence the most brutal, in one particularinstance, the
seene of which, (like the Field of the Forty steps) is
still pointed out with strong shudders near Limerick; as

14

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

having sullied a spirit every way amiable, and fixed its fate
in life, far, far indeed, below the level of either its GENI.US or its VIRTUES.

It will here be asked, why were not the violated laws
appealed to, and the ruffian gibbetted for his atrocity I
The answer must be, that the Irish gentleman of 1782
considered himself beyond their reach. His victim was
young and poor, and embarrassed with the parents, who
should have protected her. Who would have believed in
the virtuous resistance of an actress ? I will proceed no
further.'
In 1783, we find our heroine returned to York; who
was the great supporter of the opera of Rosina, particularly in the celebrated air, ' Let honour with desert be
crowned.' From York, she proceeded, as during the
preceding year, to Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster, and
Hull.
It was at this period, Mrs. Jordan experienced the effect of intrinsic merit; she was scandalized by her rivals
and frequently annoyed during her nightly performances,
by the enemies who occupied the wings and stage doors
of the theatre, where, by persevering malignity they laboured to destroy her. She was, however, fortunate
enough in having such a manager as Mr. Tate Wilkinson
where love of justice was stretched beyond personal interest, and he therefore struggled to secure for our actress fair play. She wvas sometimes indolent, and at
others refractory, capricious, and imprudent.
The permanent and unrivalled distinction of our heroine
was not then her only characteristic. The Romp, it is
true, was purposely curtailed for her in Ireland, and
Priscilla Tomboy she had frequently personated with infinate effect; notwithstanding which however, she inclined to tragedy and parts in sentimental comedy. The
Country Girl had not as then attracted her notice, until
she witnessed its performance by Mrs. Brown, of the
same company, after which she studied it with great attention, and thus became aware of the various opportunities it presented for the display of the wildness, laughing
vivacity, rich and abundant humour, that ultimately
combined to make it her own, far beyond all competition
It was owing to those circumstances that when the objec

LIFE (), MRS. JORDAN.
f

15

of our memoirs began to be firmly established in the metropolis; she was reminded of Mrs. Brown, as having
made known to her the secrets of the character, as the
rival manager conceived it worth while to try whether
the reputed mistress could not outrival the pupil. There
was however no ground to detract from the merits of Mrs.
Jordan, and the charms of youth secured her from a rival's
vivacity, which was rather ungenerously obtruded in a
lady, who had passed the season of life, in which the
hoyden can alone look natural and prove attractive.
During the Spring of 1784, when the Poor Soldier
was got up at Sheffield, our actress was priicipally instrumental in supporting the piece, which proved very
lucrative to her employer, both in that and the other
towns of Yorkshire.
She had now attained considerable celebrity at York as
a settled performer; but when subsequently engaged for
the London boards, she no doubt trembled for her success
and little dreamed of equipage and splendour. Among
the characters in which our actress particularly figured,
were Emmeline, Lady Racket, Lady Bell, Lady Teazle,
Lady Alton, Indiana, &c.
It was towards the close of the above year that the
feelings of Mrs. Jordan were sensibly awakened by the
calls of a young lady about fifteen years of age, who made
application to Mr. Tate Wilkinson for an engagement.
She, as had previously been our actress, was accompanied
by her necessitous parents, who solely depended on her
efforts for assistance. The young lady alluded to possessed a lovely figure and beautiful face, in short, every
captivating attraction, which must be allowed by all
such as remember her fascinations, when I state, that
she ultimately became the universally admired Mrs. Mountain of Covent Garden theatre. Mr. Wilkinson's company
being then complete, however, unwillingly was compelled to decline the engagement, but made her the offer
of a benefit; when she acted in the Mlaid of the Mill,
and afterwards delivered with considerable ability, George
Alexander Stevens's lecture on heads. So great was the
satisfaction given, that Mr. Inchbald, son-in-law of the
celebrated female dramatist of the same name, made her
C

16
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
an offer to personate Rosetta, in Love in a Pillage, on
his benefit night, which took place Dec. 3d, 1784. The
effect produced on that occasion was decisive with the
manager, by whom she was immediately engaged, from
which period her fame progressively increased. She subsequently appeared as Clarissa, when Lionel was personified by Mrs. Jordan, who volunteered her services
with all that commisserative feeling which was the inherent characteristic of her heart. In short, she beheld a
sister of the mimic band, struggling to support her indigent parents, a sentiment in itself sufficient to awaken
every genuine impulse of her soul-an appeal, in short,
that was in her estimation irresistible
Early in the year 1785, Mrs. Jordan witnessed the
acting of the celebrated Mrs. Yates, in her favourite character of Margaret of Anjou, in the Earl of Warwick,
being her last appearance but one upon the board ; after
which the final display of her talents was for the benefit of
poor Mrs. Bellamy, another rival of no less a personagp
than Mrs. Cibber. In the farce Mrs. Jordan personated
Fatima, in Cymon; when Mr. Richard Yates being present, notwithstanding his acknowledged taste and judgment as to every thing connected with the stage, pronounced that our actress was ' a mere piece of theatrical
mediocrity.' This perhaps originated in a want of exertion
upon her part, as she was then far from gaining celebrity
in her profession, being careless and inattentive, and
often either in reality or fictitiously seized with indisposition, an instance of which occurred on the 15th of March,
when she appeared for the benefit of Mrs. Mills, being
announced to sing an air at the termination of the third
act of Cymbeline, and perform in the afterpiece of the
Poor Soldier; but she alledged indisposition, and no
persuasions could urge her to warble the song in question.
Having mentioned Cymbeline, we cannot refrain from
remarking that Mrs. Jordan had frequently to personate
the character of Imogen, a part however completely out
of her element, particularly in the scene where lachimo
attempts her honour, in which she proved deficient in delinbati.g the conflicting sentiments of wonder, indigna-

tion, grief, reconcilement, and virtuous dignity.

17
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Jordan, for the first time,
On the 2nd of April, Mrs.
witnessed Mrs. Brooks' performance of the Country Girl,
a comedy then obselote, and which had completely escaped her attention. This part, subsequently the most
celebrated effort of our actress, so forcibly struck her
that she determined on studying the author in order to
sustain it the ensuing winter in London : indeed it seems
almost certain that the witnessing Mrs. Brown's performance of Peggy, and other girlish characters, was the
fortunate moment that prompted her to attempt the personification of the same.
Nothing of any material consequence occurred to out
actress previous to her departure for the metropolis, except her becoming so careless, that her fame obviously
decreased during the summer of this year, and on Monday the 25th of July, when she took her benefit, and
performned Imogen in the play, and Rachael, in the afterpiece of the Fair American, the house was very thinly
attended: this circumstance we notice, as, the following
year, Fate so awarded, that London audiences should
bow obedient to her nod.
We have, on a former occasion, remarked that Gentleman Smith, of the Drury Lane company, had been particularly struck with the talents of Mrs. Jordan, when
attending the performances, during a race week at York.
This impression proved lasting in his mind, and a fa..
vourable opportunity presenting itself, he spoke of her
talents in such exalted terms to the managers of Drury
Lane theatre, that an engagement was proposed and
agreed to, at a salary of four pounds w.eekly; our actress
having to perform second-rate characters to Mrs. Siddons,
in the walk of tragedy.
It is singular to observe that those very persons in the
country, who began to slacken in their estimation of the
powers of Mrs. Jordan, prior to her departure for the
metropolis, on her revisiting the north, after the applause
she acquired at Drury Lane, literally crammed the provincial theatres to suffocation. The fact is, no change had
taken place in our actress as regarded abilities; but her
circumstances were widely different, and thence originated this vacillation in public sentiment.

18

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

Previous to her journey to the metropolis, a variety of
comments were hazarded, among which, one of her opponents, in the assumption of male characters, remarked to
the manager, that: ' When he had lost his great treasure
(a term uniformly applied to Mrs. Jordan) it would soon
be thrown back upon his hands, and it would be glad to
come if he would accept it !' This sarcasm was answered
by the mother of our actress, who being seated at the
stage-door while Mrs. Robinson was on the stage, addressing the manager, begged as an act of kindness, that
he would inform her when that fright had done speaking
and acting, for it was so horrid she could not look at it.
The fright alluded to, however, was a remarkably handsome woman, of refined manners, good delivery, and so
uniformly tasty and neat in her dress, that it was a general observation, that the Graces attended the toilet of
Mrs. Robinson.
In the month of August, 1785, when Mrs. Siddons
witnessed the performance of our actress at York, her re*
mark was: 'She had better remain there than venture
on the London boards !' Little did the tragedian conjecture how soon they would jostle each other in their
carriages at the stage-door of a London play-house.
The last performance of Mrs. Jordan, prior to her essay
in the capital, was on the 9th of September, 1785, where
she sustained her part in the Poor Soldier, at Wakefield;
after which she took her leave of Mr. Wilkinson, in
whose company she had exerted herself for three years.
The reputation of Mrs. Siddons had attained such a pitch
of celebrity, that on the arrival of Mrs. Jordan in London,
she entertained little hope of ever becoming her rival,
and therefore resolved that her debut should be in comedy.
On the 18th of October, 1785, Mrs. Jordan made her
first essay before a London audience; when she personated
Peggy in the Country Girl: no favourable reports had
been disseminated respecting her, and the house was by
no means crowded ; but the art she displayed, and the
witchery of nature, were so completely manifested, that
the company were rapturous in their applauses, and the
unanimous opinion was, that no actress ever displayed

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN

19

greater power in drawing front her auditors incessant
peals of laughter.
Notwithstanding this favourable reception, opinions
differed in regard to the talents of our actress: one critic
judged her rather vulgar, another conceived she could
personate Filch, in the Beggar's Opera, with eclat; but
denied herbeing gifted with sterling comic powers. She
however pursued her course, and at the close of the first
season commanded such a train of fashionables on he.
nights, as had never before been known to assemble, ex
cept when Mrs. Siddons trod the boards.
Peggy was unquestionably the chef d'oeuvre of Mrs
Jordan's comic powers, and we despair of ever again
witnessing the sterling naivete with which she sustained
that arduous personification throughout, every scene posscssed its characteristic excellencies; but in that where
she pens the letters in presence of, and after the exit or
her guardian, the powers of comic delineation had attained the highest pitch of excellence; in short, the mimic art could extend the witchery of its influence no further. After the celebrity acquired in sustaining the part
of Peggy, Mrs. Jordan's salary was augmented to twelve
pounds a week, two benefits during the season, being also
allowed her, while among various other valuable presents,
she received a purse from the club at Brooks's, enclosing
three hundred pounds.
A short time subsequent to her debut in London, Mrs.
Jordan varied the style of her attraction, and in supporting the character of Viola, in Twelfth Night, displayed
her tenderness, and grace as well as the lovely symmetry
of her figure in male costume.

It would be superfluous

to dwell upon a part which she stamped peculiarly her
own. The charms of her enunciation in the above character found the happiest expressions of the mighty poet,
and the harmony of her tone affected the hearts even of
the most insensible among her auditors. It may with
truth be said, that the wild mellifluence of our heroine,
according to the remark of a modern writer, caught a
grace beyond the reach of art, and never failed to fascinate all hearers; but when accompanied by the orchestra,
it seemed as if her wings were clipped, her liberty fled
and we might almost say,-the swveet br -sang no mo

20

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

'In the air to 'Constancy, which she introduced in the fourth
act of the Belle Stratagem, some years after, namely on
"the 22nd of December, 1507, she gave the musicians
such a specimen of ' unjoyous constancy' as kept them
allalive. Those singers who religiously adhere to Swift's
Caiion, should be left to themselves.
In the month of January, 1786, our heroine appeared
as the Hoyden, in the Trip to Scarborough, a piece al.
tered from Sir John Vanburgh's comedy of the Relapse;
when she gave additional proofs of her inimitable talents,
in representing the complete Tom-boy. The magic effect
of her laugh was never displayed to greater advantage,
while the sparkling hilarity of her countenance completely
fascinated an overflowing audience.
It was in the progress of the present season that the
Covent Garden manager, aware of the success attendant
on Mrs. Jordan's performance of the above cast of characters, made application to Mrs. Brown, the lady who had
originally given our heroine the idea of personating that
character at York. The latter in consequence essayed to
become her rival, but the attempt proved a complete failure, and in consequence the reputation of our heroine
was so permanently established as to defy the attempts
of any aspirant in that walk of the drama. Shortly after
this decided victory, Mrs. Jordan undertook the personification of Hipollita, in the comedy of She Would and
She Would Not, which only tended to enhance her in the
estimation of the public, and it may with truth be affirmed
that when Drury Lane closed, no public character ever enjoyed in a more ample manner, the smiles and sincere
good wishes of every lover of the legitimate drama.
In the year 1786, our heroine having resolved upon a
professional excursion to Edinburgh, set out accordingly;
and in her progress to the north, arrived at Leeds just at
the period when her former opponent, Mrs. Robinson,
was to take her benefit in that town. We have before
adverted to this lady's prognostic to Mr. Tate Wilkinson
in regard to his "GREAT

TREASURE! who would be

glad to return, if he (the manager) would accept IT."
This actress had since inspected the London papers, and
to her mortification heard of her raised salary, two benefits, brilliant presents, &c.: when her pride was doomed

21
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
greater shock at her benefit,,announced
she had selected Horatia, in
for the 16th of June,

when

to experience -a

the Roman Father, and Widow Brady in the Farce, such
having been the character selected by our actress on her
benefit night in London, It was on the very morning of
the above day, ,that Mrs. Jordan, accompanied by her
mother and her sister, entered Leeds, who after dinner
made their appearance in an upper box of the theatre.Our heroine was soon recognized by the audience, for if
she had endeavoured to conceal herself, she failed of sueces. In the course of the farce she went behind the
scenes, and with her accustomed sweetness of temper,
renewed acquaintance with her former associates.
Mrs. Jordan during her stay at the above place, was
solicited by the manager to play one night, which she
agreed to, stipulating that they were to share the receipts
He acquiesced relucafter deducting fifteen pounds.
tantly, under an impression that no profit would result to
him ; remembering, that the people of Leeds had, for
three seasons previous to Mrs. Jordan's departure for the
metropolis, very, much neglected her performances. In
this suggestion, however, he found himself agreeably mistaken---the plaudits of a London audience had entirely
changed the scene, and the eagerness evinced to see the
once-neglected Thalia, was increased in a tenfold degree,
the theatre being crowded to ar overflow to witness her
rejpresentations of the Country Girl and the Romp.
In her progress to the capital of Scotland, the same
eclat accompanied her journey ; and when she took her
benefit at Edinburgh on the 6th of' August, she delivered
the following address to the audience, after having personated Letitia

Hardy, in

Mrs. Cowley's Belle Strata-

gem, in a manner that excited applause
enth usiasm.

bordering upon

A DDRESS:
Jordan, to the Audience of Edinburgha.
Presumption 'tis in learning's seat,
For me the Muses to entr eat;
Yet, bold as the attempt may be,
Pi't mount the steed of Poesy;
Pegasus is small;
And as may
If stumbling, I've not far to fall,

Delivered by

files.

r

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Hear then, ye Nine! the boon I ask,
While (throwing off the comic mask)
With gratitude I now confess,
How much you've heighten'd my success
By sealing itus my sentence now,
You've heap'd new laurels on my brow;
Nor is the Northern sprig less green,
Than that which in the South was seen,
For though your sun may colder be,
Your hearts I've found as warm for me.
One wreath I only gain'd before,
But your kind candour gives me more
And, like your union, both combine,
To make the garland brighter shine.
'Tis true such planets sparkle here,
As made MEr.
trem'ble to appear
A twinkling star, just come in sight,
Which, tow'rds the Pole, might give no

light!

Melpomene had made such work,
Reigning despotic like the Turk,
I feared Thalia had no chance
Her laughing standard to advance;
But yet. her youngest ensign I
Took courage, was resolv'd to try,
And ssand the hazard of the die.
Since then the vent'rous game I've tried,
With Nature only for my guide,
The bets, if fairly won, I'll take,
Nor wish to make it my last stake.'

From the capital of Caledonia, Mrs. Jordan departed

to display her fascinations

at Glasgow, where

her

abilities

entitled her to a gold medal, bearing a very appropriate
inscription, which was transmitted with the following
laconic note.
TO MRS. JORDAN.
"

Madam,
Accept this

trifle from

the Glasgow audience,

are as great admirers of genius as the critics of Edinburgh."

who

The Medal represented on one side the armorial bears
ings of the city of Glasgow--A TREE; and on the re-.

verse,,A

FEATHER,

with the annexed happy inscription :

LIFE

OF MRS

JORDAN.

23

" Bays from our Tree you could not gather,
No branch of it deserves that name;
So take it all-call it a feather,
And place it in your cap of Fame."

On the return of our actress to London, she found that
General Burgoyne, calculating on the success of his comedy, entitled The Heiress, had undertaken to adapt for
the London Stage the popnlar French piece of Sedaine,
entitled Richard Cceur de Lion ; which, aided by the superlative compositions of Gretry, had created a complete
theatrical mania in Paris.
This charming production
was seized with avidity by the theatres of Covent Garden
and Drury Lane, but the genius of Burgoyne happily
conceiving that making Matilda, the monarch's wife, instead of Blondel, the discoverer of the place of Richard's
incarceration, would enhance the scenic effect; that circumstance gave the complete preponderance to the representation at Drury Lane, on which occasion Mrs.
Jordan sustained the part of Matilda, with an effect approximating upon magic. The success was completethe piece commanded crowded benchees, and the coffers
of the playhouse well repaid the efforts of the translator,
and all parties connected with that establishment.
In Love for Love our actress next acquired considerable fame, in sustaining the part of Miss Prue-a cast
of character in every way adapted to her peculiar line of
acting-which completely enchained the feelings of all
frequenters and sound judges of theatrical perfection.
On the 15th of February, 1787, Thalia added fresh
laurels to the blooming wreath she had acquired, by the
performance of Roxalana, in The Sultan. Never shall
we forget the fascinations of her manner while sustaining the part in question; which were of such a winning
nature, that we have seen Barrymore, who personated the
Grand Turk, unable to keep his countenance, when it

was requisite for him to have looked the stern Bashaw.
In one instance, on quitting the boards, hlie ran into the

green-room, threw himself on a sofa, and after indulging
in a laugh that was nearly suffocating, turned to our
heroine, exclaiming :-'

By the Holy Prophet, madam,

if you continue to play after this fashion, you will dispatch

24

LIFE OF MRS. JOKDAN.

me in an agony of laughter, to the seventh heaven, there
to enjoy my houri's everlastingly.'
In 1787, we find our actress most successfnlly figuring
in the part of Juletta, in the piece of The Pilgrim, by
Fletcher, which was calculated to afford every scope for
the powers of the lady whose talents we commemorate.
At the commencement of the ensuing season of 1788,
the lovers of sterling comedy were enchanted on witnessing the character 'of Rosalind, in Shakspeare's As You
Like it ; no part having ever been sustained with more
archness of manner--while in the Cuckoo song, her
naiveth was beyond all praise.
For her benefit, which took place in May, Mrs. Jordan
performed the part of Sir Harry Wildair, in the Constant Couple, in which Mrs. Woffington had acquired a
celebrity that had been conceived unapproachable: the
result proved the contrary, as the thorough conception
of the character, manners, and essence of the writer,
were so completely developed by our performer, that she
bore away the palm of competitorship.
Unlike those filling the highest stations in the theatrical band, Mrs. Jordan never seceeded from her duty, after
enjoying the fruits of a benefit; on the contrary, she remained uniformly at her post, continuing to act even in
play and farce to the end of the term, a fact which oc.
cured on the 13th of June in the above year, being the
final night of ner performance for that season.
We must now, for a short period, digress from the
theatric annals of our heroine, to speak of the connection
she formed with Mr. Ford, son of Sir Richard Ford, who
then held the lucrative situation of chief sitting magistrate at Bow-street.
Although every endeavour had
been made to ascertain the precise time when their friendship commenced, we have not been able to succeed ; however, from circumstances connected with the offsprings
which were the fruits of this intercourse, we rather imagine that she sought the protection of Mr. Ford, about
the period of her life to which we now refer.
It,
appears most probable, that the pre-eminent talents of the lady, in the first instance, wrought upon the
affections of Mr. Ford, who being intimate with most of

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

25

the first-rate performers easily obtained an introduction
to the acquaintance of Mrs Jordan, soon after which he
made a formal declaration ,f his passion; this we know
was accompanied by a solemn promise of marriage, which
the gentleman said must be deferred, under the dread of
giving offence to his father, on whom he was dependant;
when confiding in the honour and promises of her suitor,
Mrs. Jordan at length consented to place herself under
his protection.
With Mr. Ford, she cohabited for many years as his
wife in full expection that Sir Richard would become reconciled to the union at no very distant period, and the
fruits of that connection were several children, who derived their entire support from the exertion of the mother,
her fidelity to the gentleman she regarded as her husband, having never been called in question, as the uniform conduct she pursued was so exemplary as to render
her even a pattern of matronly excellence for every married woman.
So invariably correct indeed was the conduct of the
lady, whose annals we record, that no suspicion was ever
entertained respecting her not being legally the wife of
Mr. Ford. Many instances illustrative of this fact might
be adduced, but as one will speak for the rest, we beg to
instance the names of Sir Francis Lumm, Bart., and his
Lady, who resided in Argyle Street. They were in the
habit of giving splendid routs, at which Mrs. Ford was
constantly received as the wife of that gentleman, who
uniformly attended such parties with his protogee; being
by him introduced in the character of a married woman.
The Baronet and his lady, as before observed, kept a
great deal of evening company, but their dinner parties
proved extremely select, there being never more than
four persons, independant of themselves, who sat down
to table; of the latter, as constant attendants, were the
late Captain B-yly, nearly allied to the present Ma-s
of Ang---a, and his lady, with Captain Hill and his
wife, a daughter of Lord Molesworth. The cloth being
withdrawn on those occasions when Mrs. Ford was expected to join the evening party, the conversation generally turned to the subject of the advances made by her

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
illustrious suitor, when Lady Lumm's uniform ooserva.
tion was: ' I shall again this evening instil into her mind
the absolute necessity of sticking to Mr. Ford, for I am
well convinced no good will accrue from the princely
association.'
This advice her ladyship never failed to inculcate-making our actress take her seat beside her at
the card-table, when she would at intervals in a halt
whisper, -repeat the counsel alluded to.
There was much play at the Soirees in question; but
Mrs. Jordan never touched a card; and among the visitants, were the Miss Dalrymples, Lady C-ll-r,
famed
for pilfering card-money, &c.
On more occasions than one, the writer was present
at the parties alluded to, when our heroine's affabiitty of
manners and sweetness of deportment were the general
themes of admiration, a sentiment still more enhanced,
when she electrified the auditors by warbling one of her
ballads wild.
bad -w
That flowed like softest music,
O'er the placid surface of the deep.

Y6

The earliest introduction of the writer to a knowledge
of Mrs. Jordan, was at the time she resided in Henrietta
Street, Covent Garden, at which period her biographer
was a mere stripling. Nothing was then heard of but the
crowded houses she uniformly brought, as our actress
rarely appeared but to overflowing benches; indeed it
seemed as if fortune delighted to scatter her path with
flowers, and that it was next to impossible, adverse fate
should ever embitter the days of Mrs. Jordan with its
frowns.
So eager was the public desire to catch a glance of our
Syren off the boards, that we have actually known persons take their stations near the stage-door to witness her
stepping from the carriage or entering the same, on proceeding to, or returning from rehearsals. In short, she
then ranked unquestionably one of the most envied daughters of the mimic art that ever appeared to fascinate a
London audience.
Independently of the characters before-mentioned, Mrs.
Jordan, during the season of 1788, figured in a farce,
called the Panel, cut down by Mr Kemble from Bicker-

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LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
27
staff's 'Tis Well it's no Worse.- She also played Corinna,
in the Confederacy ; while her Nell, in the ,Devil to Pay,
which she personated after the character of Rosalind,
needs only to be mentioned to excite to action the risible
muscles
it had long been the wish of Mr. Kemble that some
piece written expressly for Mrs. Jordan should appear,
and at length Mr. Cumberland produced a comedy called
the Impostor, wherein she performed the prominent part,
and during the first four acts the piece met with well merited applause, but the concluding act proving tedious,
the comedy had but a short run.
During the summer of this year (1788) his late Majesty George III. accompanied by the Royal Family,
visited Cheltenham, when in order that her attractions
might not pall upon the lovers of the drama in London,
by a too frequent repetition of her parts, our heroine determined on a professional excursion to the above watering place--where she was welcomed with enthusiasm.
During her continuance at this town, the nobility and
gentry presented Mrs. Jordan with a very elegant gold
medal, accompanied by a written document so truly gratifying to her feelings as to confer tenfold value on the
token by which it was accompanied.
It now appears that the brilliant success and increase
of salary awarded to our heroine, excited great uneasiness
in the Kemble family. Mrs. Siddons in particular, the
Melpomene of the day, whose idol was Croesus, could not
restrain her internal dissatisfaction, which became so intrusively disagreeable to the subject of this memoir, that
overtures were made to her from the manager of Covent
Garden and a Carte Blanche tendered, in order that she
might stipulate her own terms. Alarmed at the idea of
losing one of the main props of his house, Mr. Sheridan
had an interview with Mrs. Jordan, who having stated
her grievances respecting the Kemble coterie, he at once
closed with our heroine at a salary of thirty pounds per
week, then esteemed a very enormous stipend. In reference to the dissatisfaction of Mrs. Siddons, a caricature
was issued, we believe, from a design of Bunbury, representing the Tragic queen with pockets overgorged with
No. 2.

D.

28

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

gold and bank paper, while hanging to the prong of a
pitch-fork thrust up from the infernal regions, was a bag
of gold, to obtain which the hungry Melpomene was
stretching forth her hand in a fine tragedy attitude, accompanied by a look of greedy supplication.
If such was a leading trait in the conduct of Melpomene, Thalia was the very opposite; charity being the prominent characteristic of her mind. No deserving object
ever applied for relief in vain, and even prior to her connection in a certain quarter, the following fact may be
relied upon. Bearing in mind the cruel conduct exerted
towards herself by Mr. Dayly, and the difficulties experienced during her pregnancy; she always entertained the
most humane and lively feelings for destitute females similarly circumstanced. Actuated by that praise-worthy
sentiment, Mrs. Jordan provided herself with several
complete sets of the linen necessary for lying-in women,
which, upon application arid a knowledge that the objects
were deserving, she was accustomed to lend out for
the use of females under such circumstances. Being better enabled to indulge her philanthropic disposition after
joining an exalted personage, her charitable exertions encreased for a time in proportion to her means, and numerous were the objects who showered blessings upon one
whose benevolence was as unostentatious as it proved liberal and extended in its varied ramifications.
The winter of 1789 was spent by our heroine in personating, during the season, most of those characters in
which she had so uniformly obtained the plaudits of her
hearers. In the summer of the present year she made
another trip to Edinburgh, where the same success crowned her endeavours until towards the close of her theatrical exertions, when the manager sought to cast an odium
upon her for not completing her agreement which she was
prevented from doing on account of the death of her revered mother. No female ever felt more unbounded love
for a parent than did Mrs. Jordan, who experienced the
most acute anguish for the loss she had sustained; it was
indeed, an affliction so deeply rooted that it required every
effort of reason and philosophy to counteract its poignant
effects, Grief, perhaps, found some alleviation from the

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
29
efforts of the poetic muse, as at the period alluded to we
find that the accompanying lines were written by our actress, the same having found insertion in the Edinburgh
Herald.
TO THE MEMORY OF A REVERED MOTHER.
" Be ready. reader, if thou hast a tear,
Nor blush if sympathy bestows it here;
For a lost mother hear a daughter moanCatch the last sounds, and learn like her to groan !
Yet e'en those groans (sad echo's all to mine,)
Must prove faint off'rings at so dear a shrine:
If feeble these, how feebler far must be
The tribute to be paid by poesy !
The bleeding heart that's whelm'd with real woe,
Affects no flow'rs near Helicon that grow;
Sobs and swoln sighs ill suit sweet number'd lays
The tear that waters cypress, drowns the bays;
Hard then must be the task in mournful verse
The praise of a lost parent to rehearse.
Mild suff'ring saint! exemplary through life,
A tender mother and a patient wife;
Whose firm fidelity no wrongs could shake,
While curb'd resentment was forbid to speak.
Thus silent anguish mark'd her for her own,
And comfort coming late, was barely known;
It, like a shadow, smil'd and slipp'd awayFor churlish Death refused to let it stay :
A two-fold dart he levell'd to destroy
At once a mother's and a daughter's joy;
Better a double summons had been given,
To wipe our sorrow's score, and make all ev'n
By kindly calling both at once to Heaven."
It is not a little singular that while our heroine fulfilled this engagement at the Edinburgh theatre, her uncle,
the elder brother of her father, colonel Bland, officiated
as treasurer of that establishment. In the early part of
his life this gentleman had served in the army, but being
at length reduced in cir cumnstances, was under the
necessity of having recourse to the theatrical profession

in order to procure subsistence.
The first appearance of our actress at Drury Lane after
her return to London from the north, was as late as the
8th of February, 1790, at which period Mr. Kemble

30

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

gave a situation in the theatre to Mr. Bland, Mrs. Jordan's brother, who performed Sebastian, in Twefth
Night, to his sister's Viola. The gentleman in question
bore a personal resemblance to our actress, and as his figure was diminutive, not even towering above that of his
disguised relative, the mistaking one for the other was
rendered more agreeable to the eye of the observer.
In
person, however, consisted the only resemblance between
the male and female of this family,-Mr. Bland never
having displayed talents above mediocrity.
Mr. Kemble, on the 8th of March, brought forward
Mrs. Behn's comedy of The Rover, under the title of
Love in many Masks; it had not been performed for
thirty years, at which period it came out at Covent Garden theatre, the characters of Whilmore, Blunt,, and
Helena, having there been sustained by Messrs. Smith
and Shuter, and Mrs. Woffington, the latter lady being
replaced by Mrs. Jordan. Although the title adopted by
Mr. Kemble on the revival of this piece, was by no means
striking, he had nevertheless the powers of our actress to
support the attempt, which she did to the universal satisfaction of her auditors.
On the benefit night of our heroine, the 22nd of the
same month, after playing in The Belles Stratagem with
her accustomed excellence, she brought forward the farce
of The Spoiled Child, when her Little Pickle was hailed
with rapturous enthusiasm. This piece, ascribed to Mr.
Ford, was frequently performed, and to those who recollect her execution of the ballad commencing " Since then
I'm doom'd," it would be superfluous to panegyrize, Jas
her personification of the mischievous hero of the piece.
far outstripped all attempts at praise.
We next find our actress inducted to the part formerly
sustained by Mrs. Clive in Fielding's Intriguing Chambermaid, and on the 17th of November, Miles Peter
Andrews in conjunction with Messrs. Reynolds and
Topham, brought forward Better Late than Never,--wherein Mrs. Jordan had to personate the heroine under
a series of disguises. This piece possessed so little merit
that notwithstanding the efforts of our actress, it speedily became a dead letter. Our heroine, for her benefit,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

31

revived The Humorous Lieutenant of Beaumont and Fletcher, under the title of The Greek Slave, or School for
Cowards, a comedy in which she played Celia, the part
formerly filled by Mrs. Woffington. After the play, our
actress delivered an epilogue written expressly for the
occasion by Harry Bunbury; the opening lines though
applicable to the piece, seem as if in allusion to an event
then, perhaps, on the tapis.
' How strange! methinks I hear the critic say;
What she, the serious heroine of a play !
The manager his want of sense evinces,
To pitch on Hoydens for the love of PRINCES !
To trick out Chambermaids in aukward pomp,Horrid ! to make a Princess of a Romp.

At the close of the season, incessant attendance on her
theatrical duties had so far impaired the health of Mrs.
Jordan, that she became seriously indisposed, and a spitting of blood that took place seemed indicatory of an
approaching decline. As tier medical adviser thought
change of air essential, and being partial to the north of
England, Mrs. Jordan determined to visit York, where
she had not been for some years. Thither she repaired,
accompanied by Mr. Ford, and performed dur7ng the race
week in several of her first rate parts. A dislike, however, to the luke-warm conduct displayed by the York
audience, led her to refuse the fulfilment of stipulations
previously entered into, wherefore she chose to forfeit the
sum named in case of failure, rather than play, and being
than at Castle Howard for the benefit of the country air,
she forwarded a letter, of which the annexed were the
contents.
" R.----I agree with pleasure to your proposal
'of giving you thirty pounds rather than ever perform
'in York. I shall return to-morrow, and settle the ba'lance of the account.
I am, Sir,
Your obliged humble Servt.
D. FORD."

After continuing her tour to Newcastle, and other

~

52
t

LIFE OP

MIIS. JORDAN.

owtns of'the north, Mrs- Jordan returned to the London
boards, being however, compelled at intervals to absent
herself, owing to the increase of her family by Mr. Ford.
In this state -affairs continued until the summer of
when following her professional avocations at York, she
was on many occasions subjected to gross insults while
on the stage, from the interference of some rigid moralists, in consequence of her cohabiting with Mr. Ford in
the character of his mistress, and it was then our actress
separafor the first time began seriously to contemplate
lion, unless he consented to ratify his promise by making
her his wife.
On resuming her engagement in London, immediately
was the adverse
after the occurence above referred to,
attention of
fate of the heroine of our tale to arrest
an exalted individual, who became particularly.fascinated
1)y her personification of Little Pickle, in The Spoiled
Child. The exquisite symmetry of Mrs. Jordan's form
male attire, and more particularly her unmatchedtalents
in delineating the character of Little.Picle, combined
to subdue the affections of the personage in question,
and in consequence overtures were made, when the lady,
with that delicacy of feeling so invariably characteristic
of her actions, rejected the offer, situated as she still was
Ford. Thus for a time matters continued
wit's Mfir.

1791,

a

it

the

in

the-lover's

fers. were

importunities

tenderedl

ercreasing, while

pecuniary

of-

in the way of a settlement, to the

amount of one thousand pounds per' annum, which ultinately led our heroine to conceive that it became a bonnden duty, on account of her offspring, to reflect seriously
on the

subject.

The- ultimatum

of,

this painful scrutiny,

was a proposal on the part of Mrs. Jordan, that as she
had for so many ye'ars cohabited with, and borne him
(Mr. Ford,)

a

family

of children ; in consideration also

of her having been uniformly introduced into society as
his

wife,

she conceived herself justly entitled to

his hand,

and in consequence stipulated that Mr. Ford should at
once name adcay to ratify the promise so incessantly made,
or in the event of refusal she conceived herself at liberty

to act as the dictates of prudence should

prescrhbe.

Ford, however, thought lit to evade

question,

the

Mr.

when

LIFE OF

MRS.JORDAN

33

our heroine conceived herself at liberty to embrace the
protection offered by the Puke of Clarence, as in that

case, she conceived ample means would be placed. at he
provide for her offsprinng, in whose behalf no
legal plea on Mr. Ford could be set forth.
This state of affairs was soon bruited abroad, when a
party sprung up in vindication of Mr. Ford, by whom he
was represented as an abandoned and injured man, to
which were added aspersions on her conduct in a professional point of view..
Jordan, however, who, when
roused, was as capable as any woman to vindicate her
own wrongs, determined by a bold step to effect that end,
and in consequence the following letter appeared in all
the public
dated from the treasury of Drury Lane
theatre, the 30th of November, 1790.

,disposal to

Mrs.

prints,

"'SIR,'I have submitted in silence to the unprovo.
'ked and unmanly abuse which, for some time past,
has been directed against me, because it has related
'to subjects about which the public could not be
'ested; but to an attack upon my conduct in my profes'sion, and the charge of want of respect
gratitude
'to the public, I think it my duty to reply.
'Nothing can be more cruel and unfounded than

inter-

and

'the insinuation, that I absented myself from

last,

the

the-

'atre, on Saturday
from any other cause than real
' inability, from illness, to sustain my part in the enter'tainment.
'I have ever been ready and proud to exert myself
' to the utmost of my strength, to fulfil, my engageinents with

the

the theatre, and to manifest my

respect

' for
audience ; and no person can be more grateful
'for the indulgence and applause with which. I have
'been constantly honoured. I would not obtrude uupon
the public attention to anything that does not relate
' to my profession, in which alone I may, without presay, I am accountable to them ; but thus
'called on, in the- present instance, there can be no im-

sumption,

propriety in my
6nerously

Answering
attacked

those who

me,-that

have so ungeif they could drive me

34

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

'from that profession, they would take from me the
'ONLY INCOME I have, or mean to possess, the whole
'earnings of which, upon the past, and one half for
'the future, I have already settled upon my CHILDREN.

'Unjustly and cruelly traduced as I have been, upon
'this subject, I trust that this short declaration will
'not be deemed impertinent; and for the rest, I ap'peal with confidence to the justice and generosity of
'the public.
'I am, Sir,
'Your Obedient Servant,
DOR. JORDAN."

A variety of ill-natured paragraphs appeared in the
daily prints notwithstanding this unvarnished explanation
of facts, until the 10th of December, when Mrs. Jordan
performed the part of Roxalana, in The Sultan, on
which occasion the public displeasure was openly manitested, but conscious of the rectitude of her own sentiments, she advanced boldly to the front of the stage, and
alluding only to'circumstances connected with her theatrical calling, addressed the audience in the following terms.
" Ladies and Gentlemen,
'I should conceive myself utterly unworthy of
'your favor if the slightest mark of public disappro'bation did not affect me very sensibly.
'Since I have had the honor and the happiness to
'strive here to please you, it has been my constant en' deavour by unremitting assiduity, to merit your
' approbation. I beg leave to assure you, upon my
honour, that I have never absented myself one minute
from the duties of my profession, but from real indis'position. Thus having invariably acted, I do consi'der myself under the public protection."
The separation of Mrs. Jordan from Mr. Ford was at
length made public, when she immediately became the
protegee of her royal admirer; it should, however, be
explicitly understood that no improper intimacy took
place between the parties anterior to the candid proposal

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

35

made upon her part to Mr. Ford, as previously explained,
and his non-acquiescence with the same. When the proposal of his Royal Highness became the theme of public
discussion, Sir'Francis and Lady Lumm, whose names
we have previously had occasion to introduce, most strenuously advised Mrs. Jordan never to accede to the terms
of his Royal Highness, as in such case, however painful
to their feelings, they could no longer tolerate her as a
visitor at their mansion
Immediately after Mrs. Jordan's separation from Mr.
Ford, the latter gentleman conceived it necessary, on
many accounts, to quit the shores of England for a period
until the publicity of the affair should have subsided.
We have previously remarked that the individual in question had for a series of years introduced our actress into
the best societies, in the character of his lawful wife, and
it was no very improbable conjecture upon his part, that
some fathers of families, or brothers, tenacious in regard
to the characters of their wives, daughters, or sisters,
might conceive themselves called upon to demand that
explanation which Mr. Ford was not able to give in a
satisfactory manner, and must have brought things to extremities. To this may-be added the vaccilating conduct
of the gentleman, after the assurances so often and so
solemnly reiterated, that he would give his protegee a legal claim to his affections; being thus placed in no very
enviable point of view with men of honorable feelings,--,
for those reasons he determined on absenting himself
from England.
It is singular that the writer, then a youth, accompanied by his father, was in the pacquet boat that conveyed
Mr. Ford to France, and as far as we are enabled to call
circumstances to our mind, the gentleman alluded to,
whose only intercourse during the passage was with out
parent,-seemed to enjoy no very enviable state of mind,
a fact that in some measure redounds to his credit, as an
apathetic sentiment under similar circumstances, must
have stamped him altogether divested of the best feelings
of humanity.
The opposition to our actress, which had previously
manifested itself, became more formidable after her open

36

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

cohabitation with the Duke of Clarence, several attempts
being set on foot to drive her from the stage; but these
ebullitions gradually subsided, and her talents and sweetness of disposition, ultimately reinstated her completely
in public favour.
Among the numerous anecdotes circulated in consequence of this splendid connection, we insert the following:-

The late illustrious parent of Thalia's new protector is
reported to have said to his son, " Hey, hey;-what's
this--what's this; you keep an actress, keep an actress,
they say."-" Yes, sir."-" Ah, well, well; how much
do you give her, eh "--"One thousand a year, sir."" A thousand, a thousand; too much, too much ! five
hundred quite enough,--quite enough !"
It is added,
that the son wrote to our actress, expressing the opinion
of his parent, and as it was then customary at the bottom
of the play bills, to annex these words "No money returned after the rising of the curtain !" that our actress
tore the same off, and enclosed it in a blank cover, to her
protector.
The well-known parsimony, and illiberal sentiments of
the individual alluded to in the first of the above statements, tend to confer some appearance of validity as to this
anecdote; the latter statement, we have merely inserted
in order to give it an unqualified denial, as any person
possessing a tithe of our knowledge of Mrs. Jordan's delicacy of sentiment, would pronounce her wholly incapable of having made the indecent allusion referred to.
We have previously"spoken of an annuity of one thousand pounds a year, said to have been settled on our actress
by her new protector. Now when she ultimately became
reduced in circumstances, we should like, in the first
place, to enquire what had become of the large sums obtained during her long and brilliant theatrical career,
placed in the funds, and intended, after death, for the
support of her offspring by Mr. Ford; and secondly,
where were the proceeds and brilliant results expected to
accrue from this princely boon ?
We do not pretend to infer that such settlement did
not take place,-that is to say, as far as the signing a

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

37

legal instrument was concerned :-but what avail sheets
of parchment, with their seals annexed, and barren autographs ?--the technicalities of the law can neither create
gold, or stamp Bank paper ! The only question, therefore, resolves itself to this: - Was the annuity ever paid?
Prudential motives deter us from answering, but from
what will be stated hereafter, we leave its solution to the
cool judgment of every dispassionate reader.
A remarkable additioauto the fortune of our actress,
occurred in the year 1791, by the death of a near relative of her mother's, which, coupled with the emoluments derived from her professional avocations, swelled
her income to three thousand pounds per annum.
This ample income, and the high patronage obtained
by Thalia, would, of course, have empowered "her to
liquidate such pecuniary obligations as might have oppressed her, had any such existed, or in the event
of a
want of principle upon her part (than which nothing
was so foreign to her sentiments), the laws were open
to have compelled her acquiescence with the calls of justice: yet no such means ever were resorted to.
We
make these observations for reasons that will become manifest in the progress of our recital.
Our actress was now the inmate of a mansion-bouse
of potentates; carriages and servants attended her bidding, and she seemed to bask in the full splendour of
fortune, while to crown her felicity, she proved in
that
situation which is uniformly gratifying to those who
feel
anxious to present a progeny to their protectors.
So unostentatious and truly domestic were the habits
of Mrs. Jordan, after her new and exalted connection,
that we have frequently witnessed her arrival, in
a plain
yellow chariot, at Miss Tuting's, a milliner in St. James's
Street, when she would alight with an infant in her
arms,
and during her stay, frequently change the linen
of the
little one in the shop, while freely conversing with
the
person in attendance to wait upon customers.
Among the personages of note who took delight
in the
manners of Mrs. Jordan, were the great Burke,
and more
particularly, Sir Joshua Reynolds, who conceived
her
histrionic talents far superior to those of Mrs. Abington,

38
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

38

and on one occasion, ar3'ning with a friend upon this topic,
who maintained that the latter performer had a more extended range of playing, Sir Joshua remarked;,"I1do not
know that you can make out your point; for opposed
to the fashionable ladies of
Abington, you have the
fashionable men of Mrs. Jordan; and the women who
would pass for men, whether 1iidairs or Ilqpolitas, in
comedy, and the tender and exquisite Viola, of Shakspeare, w here she combines feeling with sportive
and does as much by the music of her melancholy, as
the music of her laugh."
In the year 1792, our actress found herself' compelled
to retire, for a short period, from professional duties, in
consequence of a miscarriage, at Petersham, being far
advanced in her pregnancy, when she gave birth to a
daughter.
This event occurred early in
being recovered in the September following', she visited
the Richmond Theatre, to witness Mrs. Litchfield, then
aIyoung actress, personate Julia,
the Surrender of
Calais. The powers of the lady in question, particulariy pleased our actress, who was unbounded in
ap"plause ; indeed-so violent was her action, that she iterally severed the links of a gold chain, whereto was
appended the nniature of a Royal personage, which
dropped upon the stage, over which was the box ccc-

Mrs.

effect,

August,and

her

pied by Mrs. Jordan.

In the season of 1782-3, she did not appear° until the
close of February, when

in

defiance of

Mr. K{emble,

the

acting manager, she. brought out a newv conmedly, entitled
production
to
this composition,
that
ran high, Respecting Mr. Kemible c~onvelty was essentiall~y requisite', while
tendled that nothing was required, beyond the sterling
drama, whereby she, as well as himself and Mrs. Siddons
had so permanently established their reputations There
the lead
to recommend
features of which, were the disguise of our actress, and
Anna, said

be the

of a Miss Cuthbertson,

aided by MIrs. Jordan.~
disputes

very

was, indeed, little

our heroine maintaining

this comedy,

no-

ing

an appeal to her vocal powers--being, a usnal, very effective; hut t he production proving too vapid to command
success, was condemned accordingly._. For her benefit,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

0

this season, our heroine selected Murphy's comedy of
All in the Wrong, personating Lady Restless, and Nell,
in the farce of The Devil to Pay.
On the 29th of November, 1794, was represented a
two act comedy, from the pen of Mrs. Robinson, entitled
Nobody, wherein Mrs. Jordan sustained a character, but
the production was of a nature by no means suited to the
public taste, and the piece was, in consequence, laid upon
the shelf. On this occasion it became obvious that however kind and sympathizinf the heart of our actress
might be, she was by no means formed to combat this
fury of opposition, which was manifested in the representation of the present piece, in no very measured terms.
The comedy was tried a second time, but as might be expected after its first reception, NOBODY came to NOTHING.

At the same juncture, Mrs. Inchbald wrote a farce for
Mrs. Jordan, called The WVedding Day, wherein she
warbled that most effective of ballads, In the dead of the
Night, which in itself possessed sufficient charms to ensure the success that attended this little production.
Under the continued management of Mr. Kemble, we
next find Miss Mellon, afterwards Mrs. Coutts, and now
Duchess of St. Albans, treading the boards of Drury
Lane, on the 31st of January, 1795, when she personated
the character of Lydia Languish, in The Rivals. This
essay proved so satisfactory to the leader of the dramatic
corps, that the lady secured an engagement for the line
of characters sustained by Mrs. Jordan. It is.but justice
to add that Miss Mellon possessed a very considerable
share of theatric talent, and when we add-after speaking of our heroine-that in sustaining the parts of Rosalind, and the Romp, the lady in question maintained a
very respectable footing, even before a London audience,
we conceive no further panegyric requisite.
It may not
be improper to remark, that Miss Mellon's features at
that period, possessed a considerable share of naivete,
and her figure was slim, elastic, and elegant.
On the 12th of May, was produced the comedy of
First Love, by Mr. Cumberland, wherein Mrs. Jordan
was empowered to display her talents in the pathetic,No. 2.
E

40

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

having to sustain the character of Sabina Rosny, whose
parents were supposed to have perished during the French
revolution: when alone and unprotected, she had effected
her escape to Italy, where an English nobleman betrayed
her, by means of a false marriage.
Some of the scenes
introduced were painfully affecting, particularly one between Miss Farren and our actress, concerning which,
the author himself remarked, " When two such exquisite actresses conspired to support me, I will not be so
vain as to presume I could have stood, without their
help."
llem. Vol. II. p. 281.
In 1796, Mrs. Jordan experienced a miscarriage, and
was in consequence detained for a few months from her
duties. This circumstance led the writers for the public
press to renew their virulent attacks, in the course of
which, it was infamously asserted that her non-attendance
was the effect of caprice,-whereas her physician, Dr.
Warren, was the sole regulator of her conduct, on that,
as well as other occasions.
In February, Mr. Kernble revived the comedy of The
Plain Dealer, by Wycherly, wherein he personated
Manly, to the Fidelia of Mrs. Jordan, on which occasion, according to the statement of Mr. Boaden, "She
quite subdued him." The writer above alluded to, then
proceeds to state as follows : "He (Mr. Kemble) told me
Sthat she was absolutely irresistable, and I am sure he
'thought what he said: there had been a good deal of
'contest, occasionally between them, and lie was some'times accused of not sufficiently studying, or promoting
' her interest. Miss Farren often disputed points of ma' nagement with him; and he had great difficulty to keep
'the steady course which his own judgment had settled.
' I freely admit that he had done more for Mrs. Jordan,
'in the way of revival and alteration, than for any other
actress, if you even name his sister, Mrs. Siddons."
In a note, Mr. Boaden further adds, in retference to
said to me
this topic; "What he (Mr. Kemble)
upon the occasion, will be rightly understood. He
'used the language of Yorick, when he was no jester.
"It may seem ridiculous enough to a torpid heart,-I
'could have taken her into my arms, and cherished her,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

41

though it was in the open street, without blushing."Such an expression from the frigid lips of Mr. Kemble,
was a compliment conferred upon the pathos of Mrs.
Jordan's style of acting, that speaks volumes in her
praise.
From the above eriod, we have little of consequence
to record, until the ever memorable night of the 2nd of
April, 1796, on which occasion our heroine personated a
character in the pseudo drama of Shakspeare, the production of a youthful impostor, under eighteen years of
age, in whose work, entitled his Confessions, when
speaking of our actress, he thus expresses himself.
'' As the native sweetness of her (Mrs. Jordan's) voice,
' had so invariably excited public approbation, I conceived
' that by writing a ditty expressly for that lady, I should,
'in a great measure, benefit the piece when represented.
'In consequence of this supposition, I composed the an'nexed verses, which were very ably set to music by Wil' liam Lindley Esqr. and received with unbounded plau'dits, when sung by the inimitable actress alluded to, on
' the night of the representation of the play."
" I should here acquaint the reader, in order to ac'count for the statement above, (that the ditty was
'expressly composed for that personage) that every lead'ing character introduced, was positively written for
'some certain performer; and it was for the same reason
' I caused the lady in question to assume the masculine
'attire, as she was so universally allowed to become the
' male costume."
The Shakspearian fabricator, therefore, feeling conscious from the applause our actress uniformly received
in the execution of ballads, (witness "The Cuckoo"
song, in As you Like it,-" Since then I'm doomed," in
the Spoiled Child,-" In the dead of the night," sung
in the Wedding Day, &c.) that nothing would tend so
much to render his production palatable, as a strain
from the lips of our Syren-was prompted to compose
the following lines, which were sung by Thalia with her
wonted pathos.

42
LIFE

42

OF MRS. JORDAN.
BA

LAD.

She snug, while from her eye ran down,
The silv'ry drop of sorrow;
From Grief she stole away he crown,
Sweet Patience, too, did horrow
Pensive she sat,
while Fottune frowned,
And smiling, woo'd sad Melancholy.
Keen Angish fain would rie her heart,
And sonr her gentle mind
But Charity still play'd her part.
And Meekness to her soul did hind;
She bowed content,
Hieav'd forth one sil,
Sang, wept, then turned to Melancholy.
Careless, her locks around her hung,
And strove to catch the dewy tear;
The plaintive hird, in pity sung,
And breath'd his sorrow in her ear.
Amaz'd she look'd,
And thank'd his care,
Then sunk once more to Melancholy.

The same writer, on another occasion, speaking of our
actress, thus expresses himself,
my sincere
"1,Ithink it but justice it this place to
' thanks to that lady, for her kind endeavours, on a subsequent occasion, when she had to sustain otte of the

offer

principal characters in the drama.

I also beg to state

that I shall be ever mindful of her particular kindness
and affability during the visit made to her ; as also for
her complacency and condescension, during my long
continuance- in the green-room of the theatre, on the
representation of my play; when not only her transcendant abilities as an actress, were exerted in my
behalf; before the curtain, but reanimating expressions
'while in the green-room, continually flowed from her
lips, in order to rotise rae from the mental depression
under which 1 so obviously laboured ott that eventful
occasion."
In reference to his fotgeries, young Ireland

furthecr in-

forms us, at page '22 , of his Confessions, as follows:

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

43

" In consequence of the general astonishment and cu'riosity excited by the manuscripts, his Royal Highness
'the Duke of Clarence, became desirous of inspecting
' the papers, which being intimated to Mr. Ireland, a time
' was fixed upon, when I was made of the party, and with
'Mr. Samuel Ireland, repaired to the apartments occupied
' by his Royal Highness, in St. James's Palace."
"Having carefully inspected all the documents produ' ced, the usual questions were put to me respecting the
'original discovery of the manuscripts, in which Mrs. Jor'dan also joined--when my former statements were, as
'usual, adhered to. His Royal Highness, I perfectly re' member, made numerous objections, and particularly to
'the redundancy of letters, apparent throughout the
' papers. To every question, however, the answers were
'made as usual, and thus the doubts which arose in his
Royal Highness's mind, were obviated by Mr. IrelJand."
Now, without wishing to offer an intentional affront to
Mr. Ireland, we cannot conceive him so imbued with the
attributes of folly, as-seriously to have told us that his
Royal Highness of Clarence was aware of the mode of
spelling in the days of our great poet. The simple fact
is, MASTER1 IRELAND, you were desirous of hoaxing
anew, by giving perspicuity to a brain wherewith you
felit fully aware it was not imbued. All this, however,
was pardonable; you deceived his Royal Highness, you
subsequently confessed the fraud, and therefore tendered
the best salve in your power to heal the wound inflicted.
In the month of October, 1797, a new comedy was rehearsed at Drury Lane theatre, from the pen of Frederick
Reynolds, Esqr. called Cheap Living, in which piece
Mrs. Jordan had to sustain the character of Sir Edward
Bloomly, a boy of fifteen, who pretended to ape all the
airs and manners of an adult. She at this period, began
to feel repugnance at assuming the male costume, and was
particularly dissatisfied with the youthful character above
mentioned; a circumstance that gave great umbrage to
Mr. Wroughton, then acting manager, who, during one

LIFE. OF

44

MRS.

JORDAN.

of the rehearsals, of this; picee, said to her in his accustomed frank manner,
"cwhy, Mrs. Jordan, you are grand-quite the Duchess
again, this morning."
"Very likely," was the reply,
for you are not the
first person who has this very day condescend 3 to honor
me, ironically, with the same title."
Assuming her wonted smile,. and without the slightest
pique being apparent in her gesture, Mrs. Jordan, with
all that characteristic humour wherewith she had been
gift'ed by nature, proceeded to make the following statement. That during the morning, having been necessitated to discharge her Irish cook, for impertinence; having
paid the wages, the indignant purveyor for the palate,
taking up a shilling and vehemently banging it upon the
table, exclaimed,
"Arrab, now, honey, with this thirteener, wont I sit
the gallery, and won't your Royal Grace give me a courtesy, and won't I give your Royal Highness a howl, and
a hiss into the bargain !"
It was at this period Miss Farren retired from the
boards of Drury Lane theatre, preparatory to her union
with the Earl of Derby, when Mrs. Jordan undertook
personate many of the characters that had been sustained
by that justly esteemed performer.
We particularly re-

in

to

collect seeing our heroine, on more occasions than one,
support. the part of Lady Teazie, in the School for

which, although not stamped with that air of

Scandal,

fashion and

ton, assumed b-r her predecessor,

was never-

theless marked by a peculiar. naivete that compensated
for any lack of the' excellencies elicited by Miss Farren.
The fosllowingz complirmentary lines on the diversified
talents
Mrs. Jordan, are extracted from a_ work, entitled 7liemnoirs of the Green Room, being thus headed.

of

A POETICAL CHARACTEI?,
To make us feel ev'n GAaJUK's loss no more,
And be what he and PRITCHARD were before,Like them, an equal share of praise to gain,
In

mirth's gay sallies, or the tragic

strain.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
This to perform, at last did JORDAN come,
And rais'd their buried graces from the tomb.
Viola, to hopeless flames a prey,
Pines with her smnother'd love, and fades away,
Each sentence moves us, more from lips like those,
And ev'ry line with added beauty glows!
When wandering wild, to seek what climes afford,
Some certain tidings of her captive
Illatilda roams ;-the melancholy strain,
wakes in ,each breast a gently pleasing palt:
At that sad voice, the nerves responsive
"It lends a very echo o the seat
Where love is thron'd "--So soft it sounds, that hence,
'[he tuneful nothings, steal the charms of sense.
Again behold the Country Girl appears,
With arch simplicity.--,- Tuie Queen of Tears,
Plies far away :-Mirth rules the sportive night,
And all is rapture, laughter, and delight I
'Tis atot the actress speaks--'tis Nature
No tinsel tricks the wand'ring sense recall.
Tb' illusion lasts through out,--in ev'ry tone,
Unfetter'd genius stamls her for its own.
Who that had only seen her in some part,
Where, as in Viola, she clarms the heart,
Where ei'ry ste1 is elegance; -and grace,
informs each feature of that lovely

When

lord-

beat

all:

face!

Who that had seen her thus could eel'presume,
To think those speaking eyes could still assume
The rolling vacancy and senseless stare,
That mark the gawkiness of hoyden's air ?Or who tltat only had Matilda seen.
And the soft tenderness of Richard's Queen.
Would

'er conceive that the same form might

The rakish freedom of a rattling beau ?
Such are thy pow'rs, so vast attd nnconfin'd,
Quick as a thought, andi shiftintg as the wind'
May wealth and fortune, all tity steps attend,
And private worth retain the private friend ;
For, if report speaks true, that taco imparts
An honest copy from the best of heartsThe gent'romis feelings ofa lib'ral mind,
And solid sense with gay good humour join'd.

sltow',

The next character in which we land Mrs. Jordant

figure was of a melo-dramatic cast, namely, Angela, in
the Castle Spectre, a production from the pen of Matthew George Lewis, Esqr. otherwise Monk Lewis, son of
the Deputy Secretary at war This piece was produced
on the

l4lth

of'

Decemnber,

and continued such a favorite

46
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
as completely to recruit the exhausted treasury of Drury
scene,
Lane theatre. The peculiar effect of the
when Mrs. Powel, as the mother, issued in ghostly guise
from the chapel, to administer the benediction on her
persecuted daughter, Angela, (Mrs. Jordan), was
ductive of an effect upon the audience no tongue.can
describe; the whole being accompanied by a species of
cathedral chaunt from the pen of Jomelli, the composer,
that rendered the scene next to superhuman.
After the successful run of this melo-dramatic entertainment,, Mrs. Jordan's - talents were uniformly called
into action to pourtray tihe ountry Girl, or
in
the Confederacy, the Will, &c. until the representation
of Kozebue's Stranger, on the 24th of March, 1798,
afforded her a respite from the unvarying nightly toil to
which she had been so long siljected.
The fruits of our heroine's brilliant intercourse, were
a quick succession of progeny, w~hich, it will subsequentiy appear, terminated in a family of ten children, five
males, and an equal number of the opposite sex; who,
with the offspring formerly brought to
Ford, and
child supposed to have been the fruit of the infamous
Mr. Daly's criminal proceeding,-placed
our
actress
among the rank of those who are termed prolific females.

phantom

pro-

figure

Mr.

On the

2nd of

March, 1799,

the

appeared a comedy from

the pen of Mr. Morris, the Barrister, entitled the Secret,
wherein our heroine sustained the part of Rosa, when it
was a general remark that she seemed to have become
more than usually partial to the expression of sentimental and affecting passions. The fact is, she sustained the

effect,

character with such peculiar

that the melancholy

of her demeanour seemed the result of some hidden circumstances, more. intimately connected with MIND, than
the bare mimickry of care and, sorrow.

by

The,

epilogue

Mr. Coleman, was delivered by our heroine with such

peculiar effect as to command

an

encore, a very

unusual-

theatrical incident. At the period to which We refer, we
glean the following anecdote from Mr. Boaden's .Life of

Mrs. Jordan, vol.

2.

p. 12.

"<Itwas about this piece

( The Secret,) I remember

47

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

we had been speaking, when she told me she had another
Indian, offered at her shrine, which she would trouble me to read. I did so, and we talked the piece over
at her town residence, in Somerset-street, Portman-square.
play
She had not told re who was the author of
but there was that in it which merited consideration. 1
gave her my opinion frankly, and painted out the indecorum of the interest :--however, though not a moral play,
of talent,
it was written evidently, I said, by a
and as a benefit piece, preferab~le to an old one. Mrs.
Jordan here, in confidence, informed me that the Duke
desire, also; and
had taken the trouble to read it at
that we agreed most decisively in our opinions. She was
in charming spirits, I remember, that morning, and occasionally ran Over the strings of her guitar.
Her young
family were playing about us, and the present Colonel
George Fitzclarence, (now Earl of Munster) then a child,
amused me much with his spirit and strength; he attacked me, as his mother told me, his fine tempered father
was accustomed to permit him to do himself.
The reader will judge ot
certainly an infant Hercules.
the pleasure with which I have since viewed his career,
as a soldier; and I owe him my best thanks for his iastructive and amusing Journey across India, through
Egypt, to England, in the winter of 1817-1818,'-which

East

the

man

hei

He

he

dedicated

to his late

Majesty,

George

the Fourth,

when Prince Regent. I shall here merely say that hi~s
fourth chapter in this work is written with great skill;
and possesses that interest which arises from actual facts
at critical periods; from difficulties surmounted by patience and exertion ; abounding in the terrible aridl (es tructive, unexaggerated and minutely detailed. As a usoving picture, this division of his work may, with ad iaiitage, stand a comparison with the best passages of those
who travel to seek

effects."

Mrs. Jordan, on the 22nd of April, appeared in the
East Indian, for her benefit. This comedy was the pro-

duction

of

Mr. Lewis,

as well as a farce called the Twints,

which he alo presented to B~annister, who adopted it for
his benefit night.
Late in this year (1799), Miss Biggs personified Zo-

48

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

rayda, in the place of our actress, who candidly confessed
her predilection for the pathetic, alledging that had she
been blessed, early in life, by an intercourse with refined
comp)any, she felt convinced that she might have attained
eminence as a tragedian.
Early in the year 1800, our heroine resumed her dramatic career, and onlthe 10th of May, performed in a
comedy written by Prince Hoare, called Indiscretion.
On the 15th of the same month, their Majesties, accompanied by the Princesses, &c. visited Drury Lane theatre,
to see She would and She would not, and the Humourist, of Mr. Cobb, a farce that had been recommended by
Edmund Burke to Sheridan, in the year 1785.
His
Majesty had just entered the box, when a man starting
up from the front of the pit, levelled a horse pistol at the
King, which he discharged. The monarch, advancing to
the front of the box, waved his hand to the Queen, in
order to deter her from entering, and then, to dispel all
apprehension among the audience respecting his safety,
laying his right hand upon his breast, bowed in acknowledgment for the extreme anxiety manifested by the crowds
assembled.
Hatfield was secured, but so great was the general horror evinced, that Mrs. Jordan was obliged to present herself, who gave assurance to the audience " that he was
perfectly secured, and properly attended, when the play
was ordered to proceed.
The Drury Lane company, and more particularly our
heroine, had long lamented that the political sentiments
of Mr. Sheridan should prove a bar to the visits of their
Majesties to that theatre; however, from speeches that
had been delivered in parliament, and the patriotic sentiments put into the mouth of Rolla, by the manager, it
began to be inferred that the King would be led to repeat
his visits. This supposition was strengthened by a knowledge that the Princesses were particularly anxious to
witness the performances of the lady who had so completely captivated their royal brother.
Such had been
the feeling entertained, prior to the above incident, which
it was apprehended, would at once put a stop to any

LIFE

OF

MRS

JORDAN.

49

further attendance on the part of George the Third,
and the Royal Family.
Mrs. Jordan, on the 18th of January, 1800, was delivered of a daughter, at Bushy Park, which circumstance acted as a bar to her appearance in public, until
the 12th of March, when she personated the Country
Girl, with all the fascinations attending its representation in younger days.
In the above month appeared Cumberland's piece, entitled Lovers' Resolutions, in which Mrs. Jordan personified Racket, a very appropriate name for the busy
character assigned to her in this piece.
On the 24th
of May, our heroine appeared as Lady Teazle, for the
benefit of that sterling master of his art, the late Mr.
King, who on the night in question, retired from the
stage, accompanied by the rapturous plaudits of his admiring auditors. As we conceive the critique of Mr. Boaden sterling on this occasion, we will quote his words from
p. 96, of his Life of Mrs. Jordan.
"She (Mrs. Jordan,) differed essentially from her predecessors in this--that as to them, the six months of fashionable life, had totally divested them of their original
habits-they did not act the fine lady; they seemed never to have occupied any other station than the one
present.
Mrs. Jordan thought the rather coarse pleasantries which her Ladyship lavished upon Sir Peter,
were more in the tone of her former, t:an the present
condition, and she therefore, returned to its frank and
abrupt discontent; she quarrelled with her old rustic
petulance, and shewed her natural complexion
rouge, and her finesse she reserved for artificial life. She
wanted the recovering dignity of Abington, to advance
before the prostrate screen.; but her voice aided her very
natural emotion, and thigh she was not superior in the
part, she merited consid}ration, and to be compared with
the printed play, rather than the manner in which it had
been acted."
During the summer of this year, Mrs. Jordan occasionally performed at the Richmond theatre, and subsequently at Margate, upon the accustomed terms of £180. for
six nights, and a clear benefit.
It was on this occasion,

;-her

50

F

IVFb

MRLS. JORDAN.

that while personatiit tte

Country Gi, our herotie's
drapery became ignited, but the flames were so speedily
extinguished, that.she sustained no injury, when in her
accustomed playfulmannier, she returned her heart-felt
thanks to the audience, for
sympathy they had
evinced in regard to the dangerous situation in vhise
had been placed.
On the 16th of September, under the direction of dr.
Bannister, Mrs. Jordan opened the theatre Royal Dury
Lane, in the character of
in the comedy of the
Inconstant, soon after wlich, Mir, Cherry being engaged,
resolved to make our actress
friend ; for which purpose he undertook to produce a play, exhibiting our
heroine to the greatest advantage, of which we shall
shortly have occasion to speak.
Dirs. Jordan, on the 29th of January, 1803, sustained
a part in Ioicroft's new comedy of Hear Both Sides,
and on that occasion, used every effort to support the
piece, wiich notwithst angding ovd a dead letter.
Oin the 16th of' April,
five act comedy was performned, fronm the pen of i1-1r.
Allinghawt, a clever production,
wherein Airs. Jordan, as Emma Harvey, gave universal satisfaction.
We have previously had occasion to remark, that the
plilanthropy of the heroine of our tale, was unhonined, and that her conduct to the necessitated, in her own

the

Bisarre,
his

a

profession,

was

pioverbial. An

opportunity

of this des-

cription presented itself in the case of Charles Lee Lewis,
a performer of forty years standing, wvlio, being reduced
in circumstances, had a benefit awarded him, when hie,
for the last

time, performed

Lissardo, in the,

Wonder,

and Mrs. Jordan, Viola. As a part of the entertainment,
Mrs. Litchfield undertook the recitation of Dryden's
Alexander's Feast, wheti being ready dressed tbr the
occasion, our heroine compeined of the nervous state of
her feelings,--ire proof of t ias, seizing Mrs. Litchfield's
hand, she placed it upon her heart, exclaiming "You
are a good, kind, creature, will *you take the book to the
wing,
prompt me
case f am- at a loss "
To this
Mrs. Litchfield assented, and regularly accomp~anied her

andi

through

the part.

in

L 01?

U

B

F

IT7,CLAvE

CE

-v

F_-bLihec-byC Thcon be,19UfittEe

U-eeiSty

iOlhorn"

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

51

We had thus far proceeded in correcting the press for
our memoir, when we were permitted to inspect one of
the most voluminous collections of manuscript and printed documents on the subject of theatricals, we ever yet
inspected. On referring to the documents respecting
Mrs. Jordan, such a multiplicity of genuine articles, appertaining to our actress appeared, that we deemed it
expedient to profit by the permission accorded, and have
in consequence, to introduce, a series of statements, referring to years of her life already printed off, that we
deem it expedient to annex them, until the date at which
we closed the last page, viz. 1803, on the attainment of
which epoch we shall arrange the fresh information acquired from the above source, in the chronological order
of each succeeding year.
One of the ealiest efforts of our actress that tended to
bring her into repute, was the ballad entitled 'To the
Green-wood gang wi' me,' the first
stanza of which
runs as follows: " To speir my love wi' glances fair,
The woodland laddie came ;
He vow'd he would be ay sincere,
And thus he spake his flame :

"The morn is blith, my bonny fair,
As blith as blith can be;
To the green-wood gang, my lassie dear,
To the green-wood gang wi' me." &c.

We now refer to the date of 1785, when the following
paragraph on the subject of our Thalia appeared in one
of the London daily prints.
"The lame, and the halt, and the leprous, were last
Tuesday night invited to bathe in the streams of Jordan
humour, and to go happy away. What were the salutary effects, they best can tell who stood most in need of
them; but if we may be allowed to hazard an opinion,
without detracting from the other properties the Jordan
may possess, we conceive its astringent and emulgent
properties to have most powerful influence on the blind."
At the same period, another paragraph emanated from
the public press, in the following words:F.
No. 3.

52
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

52.

"The great powers of Mrs. Jordan, cannot be better
displayed than in the wonderful contrast in her Country
Girl,.and Viola. In one, all archness and vivacity ;-in
another, serious, gentle, tender, and sentimental.
We
understand, in addition to such diversity of excellence,
she is equally happy it, opera.
There may be greater
Actresses in some one line, but where shall we find any so
deserving of alplause in all'?"

predeliction

Speaking of the Duke of Clarence's early
for Mrs. Jordan, we find the circumstance thus adverted
to at the same period:" a et have miW to believe the desire of the Twelfth
s reason
Night, and the Romp, at Drury-lane, this evening, proceeded from a certain personage, who, as Shakspeare
says,
Might put his wishes, more into commands."

Certainly the early attention which his Royal Highness was observed to pay to the performances of Mrs.
Jordan, reflects the greatest honor on his critical discernment."
Mrs. Jordan's performance of the Romp, was

tionably

one of

the

most

complete

pieces

unques-

of

comic

acting , that was ever exhibited before the 'public.( For
a female to assume the masculine attire with pr~opriety,
requires a syrnetry of person~, and perfection of shape, ill

the

suited to the costume worn at
Mrs. Jordan, howvever,

rished.

-er;-so

remark;

the following effect

flou-

time our heroine
very fortunately proved

appcared ;-

an exception to this

as, to a careless, easy

man-

of deportment, she added the most perfect elegance
of form
that while the actress excited our admira-

tion, we were no less captivated by the woman.
Speaking of our actress in male attire, a paragraph 'to
6As Mlrs.. Jordan so often. chooses a lbreeclhes part, we
cannot, as. men, but applaud her penetration.
should envy her , for. she has the fortunate privilege
be

Females
to

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

53

above censure, and therefore heedless of what may fall
from the tongue of malice; but if other ladies were as
openly to avow their partiality, as their wishes or ideas
might dictate, the world would not oniy smile, but recriminate."
The following critique on Mrs. Jordan's performances,
appeared in the ' Morning Herald,' of the 26th of October, of the year 1785.
' With respect to Mrs. Jordan, the reports of the different editors, though short, were full and discriminating;
yet in no point were they inconsistent.. All were equally
favorable to her,-none fulsome. She is universally allowed to possess a figure, small perhaps, but neat and
elegant, as was remarkably conspicuous where she was
dressed as a boy, in the third act. Her face, if not beautiful,-is said by some to be pretty,-and by some,
Her voice, if not
pleasing, intelligent, or impressive.
peculiarly sweet, is not harsh ;-if not strong, is clear
and equal to the extent of the theatre. She has much
archness, and gave every point of the dialogue with the
best comic effect. She is a perfect mistress of the Jeu
de Theatre, and improved to the uttermost all the ludi
crous situations with which the Country Girl abounds;
from such premises there is, and can be but one conclusion
that she is a most valuable acquisition to the public stock
of innocent entertainment."
A correspondent on the 1st of March, 1786, sent the
following letter to the ' Morning Herald, addressed to
Mrs. Jordan ;"Madam,-"
" You will permit me to reduce into this
epistolary form, the general sentiments of this city,
with regard to you, and thus to convey to you the
very flattering testimony which every private circle,
and every public assembly bears to your dramatic
excellence. My only motives herein, are these ;first, to give vent to expressions of that admiration

54

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

which your playing never fails to create :-secondly,
to give to merit that commendation which is its due;
for though conscious abilities in a considerable degree do reward themselves, yet one who, like you, is
honorably emulous of public approbation, derives a
powerful addition of satisfaction from an express and
formal declaration of it; and though I am not specially appointed secretary to the public, yet it is an
office that lies open to any one, and I have, in the
present instance, sufficient credentials, which may be
found in any company within the metropolis :-lastly,
the delight you afford, naturally creates an interest
in your success; and I have a pleasure in thinking
that this letter may possibly procure you in the reading, a momentary flush of that,atisfaction, and honest
pride, which I presume you are susceptible of, in
common with sensible and ingenuous hearts."
"'You perceive that you are a great favourite
amongst us. There is no company where Mrs. Jordan is not named with uncommon applause.
But
that you may the better know what particular qualities you possess to charm so extensive an audience,
give me leave to inform you, that they are principally your remarkable skill in apprehending nature, and
your extreme good humour.
Wherever you exert
the former talent, I am inclined to think that you
will allow the best criterion of good acting, to be the
favourable sentiments of an audience, delivered from
the first impressions of nature, and not entirely a
a system of professional rules, which, in every line
usurp a strange authority, and I fear, have too much
weight in the dramatic line with some, who, in the
representation of natural characters, are not content
to make nature only, their model, nor to observe her
only with their own eyes; but the case is very different with you; your action proceeds so exactly and
nicely from your characters which you have the art
of seizing, of representing to yourself, and of adopting, with such wonderful justness and precision, that
you rather seem to realize the circumstances of the

55
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
drama, with regard to yourself, than merely to accomodate your action to a character you assume. I am
sensible my language will immediately betray my
ignorance of the dramatic art; but your nice judgment and observation will turn this very circumstance
to advantage, when you see how you are understood
and tasted by those who possess no no other standard
by which to try your real merit, than ordinary life."
"Your other quality is that of good humour ;after all, the best recommendation from the stage,
and which best secures the friendship of the public.
We conceive you without those airs, and that caprice
which in almost every instance, produce in the end a
lasting rupture between the performer and his audience. You appear without them, and possess a fund
of good humour, which displays itself in the lively
repetition of several fatiguing parts, which require
an extraordinary exertion of the mind and spirits."
"Your sentence, as I convey it to you, is not to be
despised, for it is pronounced by a jury of your peers;
so far, I mean, as they are acquainted with pure
and genuine nature, and think her the best interpreter of herself."
" In conclusion of this long letter, which nevertheless, I hope will not appear quite unreasonable,let me entreat you, from the most selfish motives, to
to persevere, and cultivate these admirable proper.
ties; and that you and the public may remain ever
on the on the most cordial terms, is the earnest wish
of one of your greatest
ADMIRERS."

The following is a copy of Mrs. Jordan's address to
the audience of Edinburgh, after the play of the Belle
Stratagem, in 1786.
WRITTEN ANDI

SPOKEN BY HERSELF.

Presumption 'tis, in learning's seat,
For me the muses to entreat ;--

56

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Yet, bold as the attempt may be,
I'll mount the steed of poesy ;
And, as my Pegasus is small,
If stumbling--I've not far to fall.
Hear then, ye Nine, the boon I ask,
While (throwing off the comic mask),
With gratitude, I here confess,
How much you've heighten'd my success.
By seeking thus, my sentence now,
You've heap'd new laurels on my brow;
Nor is the northern sprig less green,
Than that which in the south was seen,
For though your sun may colder be,
Your hearts I've found as warm for me."

On one of Mrs. Jordan's last night's performances at
the Edinburgh theatre, she was presented with a gold
medal, bearing the following engraved inscription:
" A small Tribute from the Admirers of Genius, to
the Child of Nature."
We are told that in 1786, Mrs. Jordan had brought
into the theatre, since her engagement which took place
the preceeding year, no less a sum than £5,000,--a circumstance that furnished sanguine hopes of future entertainment to the public, as well as emolument to the
proprietors of that establishment.
The following just tribute of praise to Mrs. Jordan's
private character, appeared in a daily paper, in the month
of October.
"Mrs. Jordan's merit has been to the managers of
Drury-lane, a perfect magnet of attraction, and like a
magnet, has suffered' no sensible diminution in its attracting powers. We have heard much, at times of the various private virtues of different performers ;--let it be
remembered therefore, that this lady likewise does not
rest all her pretensions to pitblic favour, on her abilities
as an actress, but on those to which as a woman and as
a member of society, the is so highly entitled. A person

LIFE 'OF MRS. JORDAN.

6

57

who has known her for some years, delineates her character as possessed of the greatest sincerity, humanity,
and good nature; and as he early saw, so he early
told that her merit would one day raise her to the situation which she now fills so much to the public satisfaction,
as well as to her own advantage."

fore-

The lines that follow, were attributed to various writers
of the period, and among many others, wire confidently
ascribed to the pen of Mr, Mferry:POETICS.
TO

MRS.

JORDAN,

Accorpanying a Sword, with which she played "Hypolta."

By every name, divine and human,
But chief, the winning name of woman,
Which ever must invite
of every art to please,
Of mirth, festivity, and ease,
Of exquisite delight.

Genie

Or if, to gain propitious hearing,
You hold some name still more endearing,
Suppose me now to use it ;
And while this tribute I prefer,
Hurt not my vanity so far,
A s flatly to refuse it.
No nman so cruel hbut he'll let
An enemy capitulate,
So he'll resign his

sword;

Shall womns, then, of softer make.,
Persist to set a life at stake,
When slavery's

implored?

Let prudery and false discretion,
And hypocritical profession,

And alt the cnrs'd alliance,

Pour out their self-condemning satire;
Firmly do you allow the matter,
Arnd set them at defiance.
Nor think the weapon 1 present,
Errs from its

primitive

intent,

58

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Nor suits a female thigh;
For tho' in fact, we hold the steel,
'Tis you inspire us with the feel,
"To conquer or to die."
So Alexander, tho' the Great,
Ne'er knew his most triumphant state,
'Till slav'd in Thais' arms;:
And half the Emperors of Rome,
Had held in scorn a laurel'd doom,
Ungrac'd by female charms.
And still in Turkey, some recount,
The very musselmen account,
Their triumph incomplete,
Until returning from the field,
They lay their scimitar and shield,
At their Sultana's feet.
Nor here forget we to recite,
The prowess of the Spanish Knight,
While woman fann'd the flame;
Whose dreadful weapons-some alledge,
Had never any other edge,
Than Dulcinea's name.
And let Hypolita discover,
With what success a female lover,
May martial arms assume;How the charm'd weapon can bewitch,
While I, alas! too vainly wish,
Myself in Philip's room.
The Muses and the fates impart,
To you, the conduct of the heart,
And secrets of delight;
And Nature, who approves the deed.
And ratifies what they decreed,Maintains you in your right.
Take then, this symbol of command;
Accept it from a subject's hand,
Whe feels, and owns your sway;
And still with confidence avers,
What in few governments occurs,'Tis pleasure to obey."

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

59

'Many ill natured aspersions having been disseminated
by those who envied the celebrity our actress had acquired, the following letter appeared in the diurnal nndermentioned :
" To the Mlorning Herald."
MR. EDITOR,-

A variety of paragraphs having lately appeared in the newspapers, tending to convey an insination that I have declined performing again, at
Drury-lane theatre, until I am announced in a manner, different from what I have been ;-I beg the
favor of you to insert this letter, as a positive denial
of such charge, and of the supposed circumstances
on which it is founded.--A long continuance of severe illness, has alone been the cause of my absenting
myself from my duty to the proprietors and the
public."
I am, Sir, &c.
Gower-st.

" DOROTHEA JORDAN."

Feb. 4, 1788.
The following complimentary stanzas, addressed to

lMrs. Jordan, were first handed about in MS. and appeared in print on the 11th of August, 1788.
" Embosom'd oft the sullied gem,
Earth's dull recess conceals,
Till the sun's penetrating beam,
The brilliant spark reveals.

The innate beauties of the mind,
Thus spurious powers controul
Till happily, some ray refin'd
Illuminates the soul.
How long the faihionable choice,
Tom-boy and Hoyden reign'd;

Hlow long thy wiles, the public voice,
Hypolita sustain'd!
Till Viola beautified the scene
And Rosalind, the bower;
Thy blossoms, JotODAN, had we seen,

But not thy fairest flower.

60

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
In the Romp's flippant, wanton dress,
The counterfeit is hsewn;
Whilst the sweet charms of tenderness,
And love-are all thy own.
Cheltenham,
Aug. 8th, 1788.

G. J.

Mrs. Jordan, during the residence of their Majesties
and the Princesses at Cheltenham, in the above year,
had the good fortune to secure the Royal favour so successfully, that it was expected their presence at Drurylane, would be frequent in the course of the following
season.

In the month of September following, our actress was
waited upon by Boles Watson, Esqr. manager of the Cheltenham theatre, who presented her with an elegant medalion locket, richly set, on one side with fine pearls, in
the centre of which was a beautiful painting of the comic
muse, from the original picture, executed by Sir Joshua
Reynolds. On the reverse was placed, in blue enamel,
an oval of fine brilliants, and in the centre, the following
inscription in gold letters, on white enamel:
"Presented to Mrs. Jordan, Thalia's Sweetest Child,
September 10th, 1788."
The design and workmanship gave general satisfaction
to the noblemen and gentlemen who were subscribers to
the above token of the very exalted estimation in which
they held the unrivalled talents of our enchanting actress.
In 1789, a misunderstanding took place between our
heroine and Mr. Jackson, manager of the Edinburgh
theatre, at which period she penned a letter, dated from
Chester, wherein she mentions not having seen the above
gentleman's public statement of the cause of their disagreement, which originated in the height of illiberality
upon his part. In the communication alluded to, she denies most of the assertions published by Mr. Jackson,relates the great difficulty she encountered in procuring
from him any pecuniary remuneration,-that in consequence she found herself compelled to borrow money, in

LIFE OF MRS.

61

JORDAN.

order to discharge her Edinburgh engagements, and that
the very identical bill le was compelled to give her at
Glasgow, for £100. was protested in London, though
the manager made a boast of his unvarying punctuality
in all pecuniary transactions.
Mrs. Jordan concludes
in the following manner, whence it may be inferred, that
her equanimity of temper had experienced a violent shock,
as she was not accustomed to use acrirnomious terms.
" I have now entirely done with this subject, and,
thank god, with Mr. Jackson, who I hope, by his
punctuality, to pay his at present protested note,
will not compel me to resume any acquaintance with
him, by the methods the law points
"P. S.-As to Mr. Jackson's-comparative statement of the receipts, I am no judge;-I can only
say that the houses were apparently very good, when
I performed :-Perhaps it would not have been amiss,
but ratherfairer, if he:had said that in the year
1785, from whence he drew Mrs. Siddons's account,
that lady performed at the advanced London
prices."
following poetical bagatelle, has been ascribedto
Murphy, hut whether correctly or not, we are unable to
substantiate.

out!"

The

AN

ACROSTIC,

"J-ust emblem charm by ev'ry feature,
of all lovel'nature,
O-rdain'd to
R~-e igning unrivall'd in thy art,
D-alight of ev'ry l'eeling heart ;
A-pplause await and crown
wishes,
N-ations accord, . She all possesses!"

thy

L~ife.

During this year, was issued a pamphlet, now of exof-," Jordan's Elixir of
and Cure for the Spleen; or a Collection of all the
Songs sung. by Mrs. Jordan, since her first appearance
in London.-Published by William Holland,
50,
W.ford-street, 1789."
Th'is produnction contains fortyballads, duets, &c.
is illustrated by a whole
treme rarity, under the

one

lentgth

engraving of

title

and

No.

our actress, in the character of. Sir

62

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

Harry Wildair,--to which is prefixed a very laconic
biographical sketch of the lady. While adverting to the
subject of engraved portraits that exist of Mrs. Jordan,
in the superb collection, whence our latter information
has been derived, we have enumerated thirty-one prints
of the subject of our biography, some of which are now
very scarce.
The following song, introduced by Mrs. Jordan in the
part of Polly Honeycomb, in 1790, was said to be the
production of her own muse, and we consequently deem

it admissible in the present memoir
SONG.
When late the wretched youth
Breath'd vows of endless truth,
All on the bare boards kneeling;Protesting, sobbing, sighing.'Mid flames and torment dying;
Sure it was wond'rous feeling,
Ah! pity the wretched youth.
0, had you heard him swear,
And call me ' cruel fair,'
So adverse to his loving ;His eyes with madness glaring,
His hair all frantic tearing,
You'd swear 'twas wond'rous moving,
And pity the wretched youth.
But when a knife he drew,
To pierce his heart so true,
In wild disorder raving ;His face with tears all flowing,
His nose all red with blowing,
Could I refrain from saving,
In pity, the poor youth ?

On the 20th of October, appeared in the Morning Herald, the following composition, entitled,
SEPULCHRAL ANTICIPATION.
"Near a monument to MRs. CLIVE, is a superb, and
richly decorated urn, entwined with a wreath of fading

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

63

flowers, and embossed with a figure of DEATH, trampling
on the mask and emblems of COMEDY :-on the tomb is
the subsequent
INSCRIPTION~

~axvg~i Ito tE~ ~J*smnn.
of
MRS.

DOROTHY

JORDAN,

Late of Drury Lane Theatre.
Poor injured mortality!
Snatched
From the fostering embrace of
Public admiration,
In the full vigour of her attraction
That raised it; ...
Stop, gazer,
And behold the little tyrant of hearts,
The favoured nymph of EUPHROSYNE;
TIus mournfully entombed!
Disdaining
To wear the trammels of science, which too often
Prevent the intention, and restrain
The effect of the Drama;
Her exertions were
The dictates of Nature,
Whose steps it was her profession to follow:
Like the ' Child of Fancy,
In wood notes wild,'
She inspired the hearts of her hearers
With the warmth of sensibility,
And the transports of

mirth:

The stein speculation of the pedantic Critic, ( that too often blasts
the Genius of the Stage, to maintain a consequence andauthority, equally base and unwarrantable.)
Lost
the magic of her talents,

in

Would smooth its wrinkled front,
And, like honest Laughter,
Shake its bursting

sides:

The jovial heart
That gave lustre to her scenic charms,
Cherished a sweetness of disposition,
Which rendered her amiable in private

life;

No. 3.

Her gaiety was deceit,
As the~heart that prompted it was sincere ;
And the frolic humour of the characters
It was her province to represent,
As an AcTREss,
G

64

64
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

She scorned to degrade the dignity
That belonged to her own, as a WOMAN.
in all her rosy train,
THALIA had not such a Nymph.
Tho' traveller, thou hadst not witnessed
The powers of which thou read'st,
Refuse not the tribute of a sigh
To her whose voice was
Public joy:
Nor quit these hallowed mansions,
Till in the ardour of a STERNa,
And the language of a SHAKSPEARE,
Thou hast exclaim'd,
AALAS!

POOR JORDAN

This monument is the tribute of
An impartial admirer,
Unconnected with the theatre,
Whose only design was to join in that
Approbation of Mrs.Jordan,
Which the public so unanimously testified,
And which her exertions
So justly merited."

We cannot help remarking that the writer of the
above inscription, in the year 1790, little dreamed how

appropriate, the conclusive line,

"ALAS!-PO

would subsequently prove to

her melancholy end, and

and

how fitting would be

the

ORA!

ejaculation, if engraved

upon Ter tomb at St.. Cloud.
In the above year, on the 20th of March, was first
performed, for our actresses benefit, the amusing piece of
the Spoilt Child, attributed to Mr. Ford, but which the
daily prints declared Mrs. Jordan had avowed, as being

her own production, when

it is

added, she received the

congratulations of her Bretheren and Sisterhood ot the
sock and buskin.
As a proof that Mrs. Jordan was uniformly received
as the lawful wife of Mr. Ford, several paragraphs appeared in the summer of 1791, of which we give the annexed by way of sample.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
"c
Mrs. Jordan

65

has withstood the unbounded offers

of

a certain personage; so much to her own credit, and to
the satisfaction of a certain gentleman, to whom she has
for some years afforded her smiles, that the latter has,
from motives of gratitude
love, introduced her as
his wife, and in that character she has been received in
the most fashionable circles."
In the month of August, 1791, Mrs. Jordan took a
farewell of the Audience at Richmond play-house, when
she delivered the following elegant address, purposely
written for the occasion, by I. Bunbury, Esqr.

and

ADDRESS.
Here doom'd no longer or to Romp or sing,
Or, as a Beau in breeches, he-the thingTo memory still, shall alt your sports appear,
The sprightly pastimes I have witnessd here.

Each manly exercise the Green adorning,
The fist the evening,-and the bat, the morning;
Butchers full gallop,-or a baker's barrow,
Annoying ladies in the lanes so narrow;
Nags, who knock'd up, refuse to mount the Hill,
Yet find 'their way at last into the bill.
By wives molested, nor by country cousins,
Herebucks come down, to pay their.Rumps and Dozens.
And, dare do more than does become a man,
To be as little losers as they can.
Methinks a poet, here, of any kind,

find-

Or gay, or pensive, may a subject
where spring-guns and 'sparagus abound,

Here,Plumbs and steel-traps
And

spread their lur'es around;
Ingolden barges, where the city dames,
Lugg'd by a horse, up great old father

Thames;

'Midst waving streamers and tobacco fumes,
Nodding to drums _and trumpets--Dollman's plumes.
Where belles in boats, sit broiling in the sun,
And maids of honor turn out hot at

onc;

Where Miss, her flame reposing with her face,)
To flirt and angle, finds both time and place,
'
Fishing by turns, for compliments and--dace.5
here, I alas ! no longer shall have leisure,
gape at parties (as they're call'd) of pleasnre ;
No more in such gay doings must partake,
But from my comic lethargy awake!

To

66

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Leave off this strain, and tune my note new,
And bid to Richmond a more fond adieu I
RICHMOND ! where nature's partial hand is trac'd,
With all her richest charms supremely grac'd;
Can I, unmov'd, your friendly mansions fly,
Or quit these scenes without a grateful sigh?
For you your smiles to Jobson'swife extended,
And,-her gown gone-poor Beatrice befriended;
Caress,d .Hypolita and all her pranks,
And sure Miss Peggy owes you many thanks,
The gallant Sylvia could some mirth afford,
And Little Pickle sung and you encored!
May this last effort for indulgence sue,
And be, though last, not least approv'd by you.
Farewell !-What pleasure does reflection cause !
The dear remembrance of your kind applause!
Applause that banish'd each intruding care,
And rais'd this little frame to walk on air.
Once more, adieu !-parting is such sweet sorrow,
That I could say good night! till 'twere tomorrow.

Soon after the appearance of First Love, the following
impromptu was forwarded to one of the diurnal prints,
under the following head.
Upon seeing MRS. JORDAN in the characters of the CHILD o'
NATURE, and' SABINA,' in First Love,
By an admirer of her superior abilities, and siugular benevolence
of heart.
Great child of nature, and of mimic art.
We see see thy excellence in every part;
To thy FirstLove who firmer ever stood ?
For thy first love, was love of doing good.

Among the innumerable tirades that appeared in the
newspapers, on the subject of Mrs. Jordan's connection
with the Duke of Clarence, we give the following
specimens:'A favourite comic actress, if old
Goody Rumour is
to be trusted, has thought proper to put herself under
the protection of a distinguished Sailor, who dropped
anchor before her last summer, at Richmond. As she resolutely held out however, at that time, though the as-

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

67

sault was vigorously pushed, perhaps this is only a flying
report; and the lady thinks there is more security in a
private ford, than in the open sea."
'Little Pickle's assumed character of the Tar,.was a
prelude only to her future nautical fame; for though
pressed into the service, she has consented, we find to be
close moored under the guns of the Royal Commodore.'
'A correspondent observes, that what was only FORDable some time ago, is now capable of bearing a first
rate !'
'The part of Mrs. Ford, has been supported with so
much decorum at Richmond, by Mrs. Jordan, that many
respectable families there, are disposed to consider her as
quite the character.'
In reference to the above topic, we now beg leave to
give some interesting documents which were ushered into
publicity with the prefatory matter annexed.
SAs a very considerable part of the public always take
an interest in the private characters of those who live by
contributing to the public amusement, such persons have
a right to expect that no part of their private conduct
should be represented in a more unfavorable point of
view than it deserves.'
'Mrs. Jordan's family affairs having been lately the
subject of much conversation, it is but justice to her, to
shew that whatever opinion may be entertained of her
discretion, she has never been deficient in the duties of a
mother.'
' The following letter from the gentleman who has the
best means of knowledge will clear up this part of the
business to the satisfaction of the most scrupulous.'
MR. FORD'S LETTER TO MRS. JORDAN.

'Least any insinuations should be circulated, to
the prejudice of Mrs. Jordan, in respect to her

68

~

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

having behaved improperly towards her children, in
regard to pecuniary matters, I hereby declare that
her conduct has, in that particular, been as laudable
generous, and as like a fond mother, as in her present situation it was possible to be. She has indeed
given up for their use, every sixpence she has been
able to save from her theatrical profits; she has also
engaged herself to allow them £550. per annum;
and at the same time settled £50. a year upon her
sister. It is but bare justice to her, for me to assert this, as the father of those children.'
(Signed) RICHARD FORD.
Octr. 14, 1791.

To Mrs. Jordan;'In gratitude for the care Mrs. Jordan has
ever bestowed upon my children, it is my consent
and wish that she should, whenever she pleases, see
and be with them, provided her visits are not attended by any circumstanaes which may be improper
to them, or unpleasant to me.'
'RICHARD

FORD.'

On the 3rd of November, the following paragraph
appeared in one of the mornin gprints, which subsequently performed the round of all the other diurnuls.
'The connection between Little Pickle and her new
FRIEND, has been paragraphed in every public shape, and
unless something extraordinary should occur, may now be
dropped.-We have only to add, that as Banker to her
Highness, he actually received her week's salary from the
Treasurer, on Saturday last !!!'

13th

On the
of the above month, the annexed impromptu, &c were published on the same subject.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

69

ON A CERTAIN PERSON'S RECEIVING A THEATRICAL
SALARY.
As Jordan's high and mighty squire,
Her play-house profits deigns to skim;
Some folks audaciously enquire,
If he keeps her, or she keeps him!
' PINDAR JUNR.'

'It is said positively to be a fact, that the actress whose
elevated connection has lately engrossed so much newspaper comment, has not touched, and is in little likelihood
of obtaining any pecuniary aid from her new protector;
and that besides her domestic support, to which her own
salary contributes, she has only procured an annuity for
her eldest child, for whom she is supposed to be indebted
to an Irish manager of well-known gallantry.'
'As some palliative for the scurrility with which the
daily prints abounded, in regai to Mrs. Jordan, some
admirers were found to espouse her cause, and among
such paragraphic matter, we beg to insert the following.
'Among the ungenerous attempts which have been
used to lower Mrs. Jordan in the public estimation, may
be ranked the insinuation that she has made a mercenary
agreement with her present protector-admitting that
the public had any thing to do with the business; her
calumniators. however, if the have erred through ignorance, must be covered with shame when they know
that although she has settled half her future income
from her profession, and all that she has saved in it, upon
her children ;-she has absolutely rejected every idea of
settlement, or pecuniary aid for herself. Her independence is in her talents, the unrivalled excellence of which
is undoubtedly the real cause of so much unmanly scurrility having lately appeared against her.'
At the close of a biographical sketch of Mrs. Jordan,
speaking of her private character, in reference to the
Duke of Clarence, we find the following statement :--

70

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

SIn private life, Mrs. Jordan has the best opinion of
the best characters-towards the Duke she conducts herself in the most faithful and endearing manner-neither
superfluous in expenditure, nor extravagant in expectation,
she lives as the nature of her connection will allow; and
it may be said of her, what of many ladies legally connected cannot be said;'Tho' she boasts not the name, she's the truth of a wife..

' Unfriendly to the parade of high life, she is contented
to forego the wretched ostentation of less exalted minds,
for the more tranquil pleasures of domestic retirement.She is a fond and tender mother, and with her children
she loves to pass away those hours,-which might
be less pleasureably expended in the splendid delusions of fashionable life.'
' In addition to these commendable dispositions she has
the credit of being liberal to the necessitous, and of uniting to the proper dignity of conscious talent, the engaging condescension of lady-like manners.'
' It is by the ignorant, that worth most usually is injured.--Humanity has a natural bias to columniate, and if
the report of a public character is balanced between
praise-and censure, opinion turns the scale, and fixes the
approbrium. It is by those who know her not that Mrs.
Jordan is discredited ;-those who do know her, never
can know enough of her good qualities, her conciliatory
temper, her engaging manners, her readiness to oblige, and
her willingness to assist, the open generosity of her hand,
the superior liberality of her mind.'
The season after Mrs. Jordan had accepted the protection of his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, she
did not perform, and it was reported that it was her intention to relinquish the stage, as the Duke had provided
for her. In consequence of this report, Mrs. Jordan soon
after published the following letter, directed to Mr. Sheridan, wherein she explains the occasion of her non-ap.
pearance on the boards.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

71

' SIR,-"

"From the very handsome manner in which
you acceeded to my proposals, and as I conceived,
concluded my engagement, I flattered myself I
should have no difficulty to encounter inimmediately entering into my agreement with you ;-an event
I have waited for with encreased anxiety, from the
circumstance of having, through your liberality,
been for some time, in the receipt of a very large
salary, without being permitted to perform."
" I am totally at a loss to account for the conduct
of the manager, in any other way than his continued
disinclination to let me appear in any new character
whatever,-a complaint I have often been constrained to make to you, and you have as often acknowledged the justice of it; and, in our last negociation,
endeavoured effectually to remove,-but without
success."

" As a duty I owe myself and the public, I mean
to publish a copy of this letter, to serve as a simple,
but fair contradiction, to some malicious reports
that are circulated, insinuating that I have withdrawn myself from their protection, a circumstance
I have had every reason to be proud, of which I shall
ever retain the most grateful remembrance, accompanied by the sincerest regret at being deprived of
the happiness of manifesting, in the duties of my
profession, the truth of this assertion. You, sir, I
make no doubt, will candidly confess-that I have
already been too much tormented with regard to this
engagement-and also that from this unnecessary
delay in bringing forward the comedy, that it is now
void; and when I assure you that my situation in
the theatre has, for a considerable time, been made
very irksome to me, and that should I attempt to
continue in it, out of respect to you, I should subjeict
myself to still greater perplexities, which it is not tn
your power to prevent; I am therefore confident,
that you will release me from that kind of embarrasment, which the liberality of your couduct towards

72

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

me, makes me suffer in the justice of my wish to
quit the Haymarket theatre."
"In complying with the above request, you will
greatly add to the favours already conferred on,
Sir,
Somerset-street,
Yours, &c.
DORA JORDAN."

Jan. 29, 1793.

On the 13th of December, 1791, the following paragraph appeared in one of the morning papers-'A FACT.'
'The Naval Oficer, who too often infests the scenes
of the Haymarket Theatre, to the annoyance of every
one that belongs to the house, but one, had the modesty
to forbid Mr. Ford
the other day, to desire Mr. S
the privilege of appearing behind the scenes..
Mr.
S--- --- very properly told the naval officer, that Mr.
Ford's behaviour, as a gentleman, precluded such a prohibition; and that in point of right, Mr. F. had as much
pretension as (Mr. S) himself.'
It appears that there was some idea of introducing
Mrs, Jordan to the public in the character of an oratorio
singer, as the following statement will manifest :'Amidst the many contradictory reports which have been
circulated respecting Mrs. Jordan,s performance at the
ensuing oratorios, we have been able to ascertain the
following, as as being the exact state of the business, as it
at present stands. Some time since, Dr.
and
Mr. Linley, applied to Mrs. Jordan, requesting her assistance as a principal singer for the oratorios at Drury-lane;
after repeated refusals on her part, from a sense of her
inexperience in that line, it was proposed that Dr. Parsons, whose reputation stands so high in the musical
world, should hear her sing, and that his judgment
The trial
respecting her voice, should be conclusive.
was accordingly made, and every assurance of success

-Arnold

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

73

given ; Dr. Parsons himself undertaking to give her the
necessary instructions ; at the same time the Doctor and
her friends have advised her not to throw away the attractions of her first appearance, unless she can be supported by a proper band, and vocal performers of reputation and consequence,-if such can be engaged so late
in the season, and Dr. Parsons approves of them as proper assistance to his new scholar, Mrs. Jordan will certainly perform this season, otherwise the curiosity of the
public will remain ungratified until next year.'
'In reference to the Royal friend of our actress, we
annex a ludicrous skit that appeared on the 1st of May,
1792.
'Little Pickle's carriage is to be immediately decorated
with something like heraldic bearings :-a crest is already
fixed upon, and what can be more appropriate than a sea
gull.'
The annexed well turned letter appeared in a morning
print, on the 19th of March, 1794, two days subsequent
to the date it bore, being written from the Thatched-house
tavern.
TO MRS. JORDAN.'
Madam,' As you and your friends may possibly be at" a
loss to account for the abuse that has been for some
time thrown out against you, I will endeavour to explain the mystery, and how you may avoid it in
in future.

Among the various admonishers you have

had, not one of them has possessed courage or
candour enpugh to lay before you your real and
numberless offences. It is fairly said, if we do not
know our faults, how are we to mend them? This
ignorance shall no longer be your plea; and I flatter myself, that in the execution of the task I have
undertaken, every friend to you and truth will ac-

74

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

knowledge the justice of the accusations I am abou t
to bring ageinst you.
Without further preface,
then, give me leave to ask you, how dare you possess such brilliant talents, and exert them with the
How dare you deserve,
success you usually do?
and consequently receive the largest salary given
at either theatre ? These are two capital offences to
which even your friends will acknowledge you must
plead guilty. The next is that you never think it
necessary to pay for the panegyric of any single person, but have the insolence to remain perfectly happy
with the approbation of the audience.'
'So much for your public iisdemeanours, your
private ones are still more extraordinary and aggrav'ting, for have you not had the presumption, all
your life, to conduct yourself most affectionately
and tenderly towards your relatives,-liberally and
benevolently towards the distressed? Your impertinent conduct, moreover, in the theatre is monstrous.
How dare you presume to depart from an established rule in your high situation, by being mild and
civil to the lowest performer in it
You can no
longer be at a loss to account for the abuse, or its
origin :-you must dispossess yourself of all these
faults, and of the public partiality, before you can
hope to be popular; and if you had been fortunate
enough to have been attempted a high conquest, and
failed in the attempt, it would have rendered you
(with the above set,) the most amiable of women,
established your moral character, however glaring
any other connection might be, provided, like the
gypsies, it was confined within the pale of your
own profession.'
' VERITAS.'

The annexed epigram said to have been from the pen
of Peter Pindar (Dr. Walcott,) appeared on the 6th of
November, 1794, soon after Mrs. Jordan's appearance in
the character referred to:-

r

°!s

"i

I
_-' ('

LA

YL

A

£

90

BTh
lislledby Jf Thnc omlbe,19 Thi±l.e Q eernStstjBoboin ,

7

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
EPI

75

RAM1.

G

On seeing Mrs. Jordan in the character of Rosalind, at
Drury Lane Theatre.
Had Shakspeare's self at Drury been,

While JORDAN play'd each varied scene,
He would have started from his seat,
And cried-,' That's Rosalind complete!

Soon after the above, appeared these lines, under the
head:-

following

On Mrs. Jordan's exquisite recital of
the Rivals.

the Epilogue to

To comic JORDAN'S laughing eye,

The tear of pity stole;
But in revenge she drew a sigh,
From each spectator's soul.

In reference to the procrastinated warfare that existed between Mr. Kemble, then acting manager of Drury-lane theatre, and Mrs. Jordan, as well as the conduct
of the former in regard to the drama of Vortigern, performed on the 2nd of April 1796, we deem it expedient
to insert the following letter.
'Kemble can never stand in the first rank of' favorites till he evinces greater abilities, and less
self-conceit..
Before that period arrives, he will
constantly meet with mortifications whenever he
contends with a perfornmer of

Mrs.-Jordan's

merit,

who is singly capable of' supporting the interests of
a theatre,,as he has himself most injudiciously proved
by placing her perpetually in situations where all around her were drawbacks,.instead of assistants.
If any dispute between actors be brought before the

'

p)ublic, their motto must of course be, -- Spectemur

agendo,'
upon

Let our performances be the test,'-and

this ground, the question has long been

com-

pletely divided between the conten'ding parties.'

No. 4.

1H.

76

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
'Next to professional talents, professional humility,
and a zeal for the gratification of those to whom
they owe their very existence,-will always be the
greatest recommendation of persons in such a situation. In this particular, as well as in many others,
Mrs. Jordan appears to me to exceed ahnost all her
cotemporaries ; while Mr. Kemble is as notoriously
blameable for the reverse. When I instance (the
most recent of numerous examples) the night on
which the famous Kynge Vortigerne was announced
for general condemnation; I would, by no means,
be understood to be an advocate for its authenticity;
on the contrary, my own private opinion perfectly
coincides with the fiat of the audience,-but the play
having once been accepted, no matter for what reason-by the proprietors, and eagerly expected by
the world, what could be more indecorous, to say nothing worse (considering from whom, and for what
he receives a large salary) than the behaviour of
Mr. Kemble throughout ?-Nor could a more striking
contrast to his overweening fastidiousness possibly be
exhibited, than in the deportment of Mrs. Powell
and the inimitable actress, his jealousy of whom has
occasioned the present stricture.-.
'----Though
I wish thy death,
I will not be thy executioner.'

While nothing short of downright MURDER would
satiate Mr. Kemble's thirst of vengeance. To every
liberal spectator, whether credulous or incredulous
as to the old trunk and its contents, such conduct
could not fail of being rhost disgustingly offensive.
The audience, in order to form their judgment, had
no need to take their cue from his ' wreathed smiles,'
nor even from MR. MALONE'S octavo.'
' N on obtusa adeo gestamus pectora poenni,
Nectam aversus equos Tyria, sol jungit ab urbe !'

' I cannot quit this subject without remarking that
I have scarcely ever observed a more glaring in-

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN;

77

stance of clumsy misrepresentation, than in a statement made of the loss likely to be sustained by the
lovers of the drama, in consequence, forsooth, of this
fracas. A long list of performers is pompously
held forth, as following Mr. Kemble into retirement
upon this, his threatened secession,--whereas, most
unfortunately, not only all those who frequent the
theatre, but all who cast their eye upon a newspaper, have repeatedly been informed that every individual of that list has, for some time past, resolved
upon quitting the stage, at the conclusion of the
present season, and that too, before Hamlet (which
it seems, was the bone of contention,) was even put
into rehearsal,'
'MIso PUFF.
In regard to the dispute respecting Hamlet, we beg
leave to insert the ensuing paragraph:'There have lately been very high and violent disputes
between Mr. Kemble and Mrs. Jordan, on the subject of
Hamlet. The former, it seems, started some objections
to the latter announcing it for her benefit, he having already advertized it for his night.
The arguments on
both sides proceeded to such a length, that the question
became quite confused; and the only equitable decision
the managers could pronounce between the contending
parties, was that neither of them have the disputed piece.
In consequence of this verdict, the Deputy is said to be
so much offended, as to talk of resigning his important
functions.'
This affair terminated by Mrs. Jordan choosing the
tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, in which she, for the first
time sustained the latter character, concerning which we
find the following statement published at the time, viz.
the 30th of April, 1796, five days subsequent to the representation.
'The assuming any new part or piece for a benefit, is
scarcely even worth any observation;---but when the

78

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

house adopts eirher, it becomes a fair subject of criticism. Mrs. Jordan, in every delicate touch of sensibility
in her performances, has been so accustomed to approbation, that it was natural enough she should attempt
the most delicate of all characters--that of Juliet: but
beautiful ald unequalled as, she is on such occasions,
the brilliancy is heightened only by the shade that surrounds it;--in Juliet, all is elegant refinement, while her
forte is mere simplicity not rude but untaught. Her
figure and her features are not those of the 'great Capulet,s daughter,--still she shewed us much to admire.'
We have previously remarked that our actress was at
all times ready to step fqrward in behalf of the distressed, an instance of this kind occurred in the month of
May, 1799, respecting which we insert the following
comment :--

'Great as is her theatrical merit, Mrs. Jordan deserves
more of public applause for the natural display of her
professional humanity, than for the superiority of her
powers in the mimic art. Who that sees her transferring
those powers to Covent Garden theatre in aid of the widow and orphans of the late Mr. Follet, but must admire
her active benevolence, and lament that so forcible an example is so unfrequently imitated.'
In the month of June, 1800, we again find our actress
in the cause of humanity, as the ensuing paragraph will demonstrate:-

enlisted

' For all benevolent purposes, Mrs. Jordan is ever ready
and gratuitous ; notwithstanding her previous exertions this week, which have been devoted to objects of the
same character she comes cheerfully forth at Covent Garden theatre in aid of that very useful establishment, the
Lying-in Hospital, at Bayswater. Of this lady may be
repeated what Dr. Johnson has said of Levet, thatIn misery's darkest caverns known,
Her useful aid is ever nigh,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

79

Where hopeless anguish proves its groan,
And lonely want retires to die.

After a long absence from her theatrical avocations,Mrs. Jordan on the 11th of March, 1801, appeared as
Peggy, in the comedy of the Country Girl, when so
irresistible proved the attraction, that at a very early
hour the house was crowded to an overflow.
On her appearance she was greeted by the splendid
crowd with reiterated testimonials of admiration and respect; and throughout the entire performauce, was warmly and universally applauded.
She looked extremely
well, and exhibited with the most fascinating effect that
irresistable playfulness of manner, those winning gestures, and incomparable diversity of sweet and silvery
tones for which she stood so eminently unrivalled, and
proclaimed her the favorite offspring of Thalia.
In the month of August, 1802, while performing at
Margate, in the Country Girl, Mrs. Jordan met with an
accident'which had nearly terminated in a fatal manner,
In the scene near the conclusion of the piece, where she
spoke from a window, the flame from one of the lamps
behind the scenes caught the train of her dress, and she
was instantly in a blaze.-The one side was totally consumned before it could be quite extinguished.
Happily
she sustained no other injury than what arose from terror. The audience testified their extreme interest for her
safety, and throughout the whole house there was a general expression of alarm. Notwithstanding the accident, Mrs. Jordan sustained the part, though evidently
labouring under considerable depression of spirits.
Towards the close of November, in the above year,
Mrs. Jordan for the first time appeared in the character
of Mrs. Sullen in the Beaux Stratagem. It was only
an expectation of pleasure beyond all bounds, founded
on her well known unrivalled performances that could
have occasioned disappointment, if any was experienced.
Had the essay in question been her original entree, the
audience would have been enraptured, and the night
would have been pronounced the most memorable

80

LIFE

OF. AIRS.

SORDA

i.

in the annals of the stage that had occurred for a series
of years. The character in question had not appeared
of so much importance since the secession of Miss Farren.
The author appeared to have had her alone in his
thoughts, and to have invented the fable and introduced
the other persons of the drama, only for the purpose of
displaying her wit, her frankness, her gaiety, her happy
talent for raillery, her powerful love of pleasure, and her
yielding sense of propriety.
At the same time we must
confess that her delineation of the character did not, in
our eyes attain perfection. 1Mrs. Sullen is a woman of
fishion;--she had been buried fourteen months ;-but
supposing that she did not often, in that lapse of time,
dance and chat, and flirt with the French officers, she had
previously moved in the first circles about London, and
acquired all the elegant ease of high-life. We by no
means say that she should confine herself to parts of
broad humour, or deep pathos;-but certainly on that
occasion, the toss of our actress's head, and the flirt of
her fan, did not remind us of the court ; she did not
manage her eyes with all the skilful freedom of a modern lady of ton, and at times too, she did not appear
altogether free from embarrassment to find proper emIf indeed, there was any of
ployment for her hands.
this awkwardness discoverable, it was in considerable degree owing to the situation in which ZIrs. Sullen is
placed, and the speeches put into her mouth not being
at all times consistent with delicacy, lfut calculated to
distress the female who performs the part, and her who
witnesses its performance. In fact the Beaux Stratagem
is throughout the most licentious piece tolerated on the
stage, and we know not if its dramatic excellence ought
to be considered as a sufficient apology for its immoral
tendetmy.
Mrs. Jordan appeared in no new character during this
year, when Frances, her eldest daughter, came of age,
for whom she took ahandsomnie mansion in Golden-square,
that lady having subsequently become the wife of Mr.
Alsop. With Frances, her sisters, Lucy and Dora resi-

- LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

81

ded when absent from their mother, whom they usually
attended at Bushy Park.
It is said that an elderly gentleman, named
at this juncture,
tendered ilMirs. Jordan a very ample fortune, in the event
of her taking his name, and becoming his representative
Having mentioned Mrs. Alsop, it may
be irrlevant
here to remark, that at a subsequent period of life, she
attempted the stage, assuming the cast of characters so
inimitably personated by her -parent, in reference to
which, we shall content ourselves by quoting Mr. Hazlitt, who, in his View of the English Stage, (one volume,
8vo. published in 1818), speaking of this lady's delineation of the character of Rosalind, observes as'follows,
at p. 168.:

Bettsworth,

not

"Octobler 22nd, 1815. A lady of the name of Alsop,
a daughter of Mrs. Jordau (by a former husband), has
appeared at Covent Garden theatre, in the character of
Rosalind. Not only the circumstance of her relationship to that excellent actress, but the accounts in the
papers raised our curiosity and expectations very high.
We were unwillingly disappointed.
The truth is, Mrs.
Alsop is a very nice little woman, who acts her part very
sensibly and cleverly, and with a certain degree of arch
humour, but no more like her mother, "1than I to Hercules."
we say this, we mean no disparagement

When

to this lady's talents, who is a real

acquisition, to
stage in correct and chaste acting,--bu~t simply to

vent comparisons,

the
preonly end in disappointment.

mour, and when nature is

in

which can
Mrs. Alsop would make a better, Celia, than Resound.Mrs. Jordan's excellences were all natural to her ; it was
not as an actress, but as herself, that she charmed every'
one. -Nature had formed her in her most prodigal hu.

this humour to

make

a

woman all that is delightful, she does it most effectually.

Mrs. Jordan .was the same in all her characters, and inimitable in all of them, because there was no one else
like her."
'Her face, her

tears, her manners were irresistable.

Her

82

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

smile had the effect of sunshine, and her laugh did one
good to hear it. Her voice was eloquence itself ; it seemed as ifher heart was always at her mouth. She was all
gaiety, openness, and good nature.
She rioted in her
fine animal spirits, and gave more pleasure than any other
actress, because she had the greatest spirit of enjoyment
in herself. Her Nell--but we will not tantalize ourselves, or our readers. Mrs. Alsop has nothing luxurious
about her, and Mrs. Jordan was nothing else. Her voice
is clear and articulate, but not rich or flowing. In person she is small, and her face is not prepossessing. Her
delivery of the speeches was correct and excellent, as
far as it went, but without much richness, or power;lively good sense is what she really possesses. She also
sung the Cuckoo song very pleasingly."
Having quoted Mr. Hazlitt, in reference to the daughter of Mrs. Jordan, we conceive the present a favorable
opportunity for the introduction of the ensuing lines,
from the virulent pen of J. M. Williams, otherwise Anthony Pasquin, who, in his poem, entitled the Children
of Thespis, notwithstanding his wonted asperity, could
not refuse the meed of praise to which our inimitable actress was so justly entitled.
LINES.
Behold sportive JORDAN, that favorite fair,
Who was sent by mankind to avert your despair;
With her, you've successfully baited your trap;
She's, in truth, the best feather you have in your cap.
Howyou got her, to me, I must own, is a wonder,
When I think of your natural aptness to blunder.
She must have been forc'd on you, inaugre your sighing,
As they give children physic, in spite of their crying.
Tho the scion could play ev'ry character well,
You should keep her in those, where she's own'd to excell;
For IMCGEN'S woes, or fair VIOLA'S wit,

The decrees of propriety mark her unfit.

Let her polish those talents that heaven has sent her,
And the RomP prove the climax to MOODY'S TORMENTOR.
Be that her ne plus,---keep her actions in view,

Lest she wander in labyrinths wanting a cue:

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
As she's mounted the summit of public applause,
Preserve her importance,-and husband the cause,
Go, study the priest-hood,-their stratagems mind,
know ev'ry path to the hearts of mankind.
As the good saint of Naples is kept in a den,
To he shewn to the mob as a charm-now and then;
Een thus keep your actress, whose well timed inaction,
Will only redouble her force and attraction.
Depend on't, like spendthrifts, incaution will hurt you.
For magnets oft us'd, will lose much of their virtue.

They

When the gentle HYPOLITA, PHILIP entreats,
The tones of her voice are well freighted with sweets;
Persuasion has not a more potent ally,
Should discernment allude to her tongue, or her eye:
A nondescript poignancy brightens her speech,4
If she prates to allure, or declaims to beseech;
MATILDA'S solicitude's pictnr'd with force,
Tho' mild, energetic-tho'
man-like, not
Mid the wilds of blythe nature shte anders alone,
And oft gathers fowrets to culture unknown;
Fascination keeps gnarl near each haunt where she dwells,
And has hung the nymph round with indefinite spells.

coarse:

In NELL, sportive Nature's rude habits are shown,
And the rose of vulgarity flushes full blown.
Not a ray issnes forth from her keen sable eye,
But gives all the race of refinement the lie.
Theybread, jolly rapture, she paints with such truth,
That surliness grins, and bares wide his foul tooth.
Yet her name's not been rais'd by. illiberal arts,
She came 'fore the audience, anod rush'd to their hearts:
Their feelings ackllowledg'd the nymph could insptire,
And fann'd the faint embers which glimmer'd with fire.
For these are like transparent paintings design'd,
derive half their wortlh from tile lighot that's behind.

.Which
On

the

7th of February,

4804,

Mr. Cherry, 'to

whomt

we have previously alluded, produced his piece, entitled
The Soldier's Daughter, in which Mrs. Jordan personated Widow LCheerly, with the most happy effect.
This
character was alike removed from that of the .Romp, or
the lady of high ton, resting its claim to favour in the

sprig htliness,

and genuine goodness

of

heart.

At the

close of the piece, which commanded particular success,
our actress spoke an epilogue, terminating with an ap-;

peal to the

indulgence

of

her auditors

towvards the writer

84

LIFE OF MIRS. JORDAN.

of the comedy, which entreaty, however, was by no
means required, as the play continued a favorite during
the entire season, in the course of which, however, Mr.
Cumberland brought forward his Sailor's Daughter, a
representation that was unattended by success.
Our heroine, for her benefit this year, made choice of
the Hypocrite, with a new force, from the pen of a Mr.
Oulton, of Dublin, in which she personated an Irish servant,
The dialogue was interspersed with flashes of
considerable humour, but upon the whole, the attempt
was not calculated to make a favorable impression,-and
after the first performance, no repetition took place.
The Drury Lane company, in 1804-5, commenced operations on the 15th of September, Mrs. Jordan performing
the part of Widow Cheerly, whose entree was greeted
with reiterated applauses.
During this season, she had
frequently to repeat the same character, as well as those
in which she was so well known to the public. No
theatrical novelty, however, was produced, until the
20th of November, on which night our actress appeared in the popular farce of Matrimony, adapted to our
theatre, from the French, by Mr. Kenny.
In order to shew the favorable light in which Mrs. Jordan was regarded at this period, and the countenance she
received from some of the most dignified personages in
the realm, we beg leave to quote the following article,
originally published in 1806. We further hope to stand
excused for inserting the comments of Mr. Cobbett, the
correctness of which cannot be denied, however they
may, in some measure, militate against the heroine of
our pages. This article was reprinted in the ' Political
Register,' of Saturday the 9th of June, 1832, the present
year, when its insertion caused such a rapid sale, that the
edition was soon exhausted, and in consequence, a premium was tendered at the office, for any of the numbers
that might be presented there for disposal.
THE FITZJORDANS.

"The following article, which will give rise to striking
reflections, is taken from the "Register," of September

85
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
6th, 1806. Twenty-six years ago, then, and when these
people were babies, I foresaw the consequences that
might arise from their existance."
"What a base and foolish thing it is for any consolidated body of authority to say, or to act as if it said,-I
will put my trust, not in mine own virtues, but in your
patience ;-I will indulge in effeminacy, in indolence,
and corruption ;-I will give way to all my perverse and
vicious humours, because you cannot punish me without
the hazard of ruining yourselves !"
BURLE'S WORKS, Vol VII. p. 364.

, The large grants of public money, made by the
Whig ministry, just at the close of the last session of
parliament, were, by many persons, and by myself among
others, regarded as being totally unnecessary, seeing
that the allowances to the several branches were already
so ample. Colonel Wood has the merit (a merit that
will ere long, be distinguished) of having opposed these
grants; and though his opposition proved ineffectual fbr
the time, it encourages us to hope, that when the House
shall again be full, there will be some few members, at
least, found to endeavour to cause a revision of this measure, which, I will venture to say, has given a greater
shock to mens' feelings, than any one that has been adopBut at any rate since the money
ted for many years.
has been granted, it must be the wish of every good
subject to see it judiciously expended ;-to see it, agreeably to the declarations of ministers, employed in, and
" supporting the dignity" of the several persons on whom
it has been bestowed; and inder the influence of this
wish, what must have been the public feeling at reading
the following account, ostentatiously published in all
the London newspapers, of the 23rd of April, 1806, under
the title of;"DUKE

OF CLARENCE'S BIRTH DAY.'

[" To be precise, however, I shall, previous to my
inserting the account, just state, that I copy it from
the Courier newspaper of the day here mentioned."]

86

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

" The Duke of Clarence's birth-day was celebrated
with much splendour in Bushey Park, on Thursday. The
grand hall was entirely new fitted up with bronze pilasters, and various marble imitations ;-the ceiling was
correctly clouded, and the whole illuminated with some
brilliant patent lamps, suspended from a beautiful eagle.
The dining room, in the right wing, was fitted up in a
modern style, with new elegant lamps at the different
The pleasure ground was disposed for the
entrances.
occasion, and the servants had new liveries. In the morning, the Dukes of York's and Kent's Bands arrived in
caravans ;-after dressing themselves, and dining, they
went into the pleasure grounds, and played alternately
some charming pieces. The Duke of Kent's played some
of the chorusses and movements from Haydn's Oratorio
of the CREATION, arranged by command of his Royal
About five
Highness, for a band of wind instruments.
o'clock the Prince of Wales, the Dukes of York, Kent,
Sussex, and Cambridge, Colonel Paget, &c. arrived from
After they had
reviewing THE GERMAN LEGION.
dressed for dinner, they walked in the pleasure grounds,
accompanied by the Lord Chancellor, Earl and Countess
of Athlone and Daughter, Lord Leicester, Baron Hotham
and Lady, Baron Eden, the Attorney General, Colonels
Paget and Mtc.Millon, Serjeant Marshall, and a number
of other persons. At seven o'clock, the second bell announced the dinner, when THE PRINCE took MRS. JORDAN by the hand, led her into the dining room, and seated her at the top of the table. The Prince took his seat
at her right hand, and the Duke of York at her left ;
the Duke of Cambridge sat next to the Prince, the Duke
of Kent next to' the Duke of York, and the Lord Chancellor next to his Royal Highness. The DUKE OF CLAIRENCE sat at the foot of the table."
" It is hardly necessary to state the table was sumptuously covered with every thing the season could afford.
The bands played on the lawn, close to the dining room
window. The populace were permitted to enter the plea-

87
LIFE OF MRS.JORDAN.
sure grounds to behold the royal banquet, while the
presence of Messrs. Townshend, Sayers, and Macmanu
preserved the most correct decorum.
'The Duke's NUMEROUS FAMILY were introduced, and
admired by the Prince, the Royal Dukes, and the whole
company ; an infant in arms, with a most beautiful white
head of hair, was brought into the dining room by the
nursery maid. After dinner, the Prince gave ' the Duke
of Clarence,' which was drunk with three times three;
the Duke then gave ' the King,' which was drunk in a
A discharge of cannon from the lawn
solemn manner.
followed. ' The Queen aud Princesses,'-' The Duke
of York and the Army !' His Royal Highness's band
then struck up his celebrated march !'
'Now, first observing that I do'not mean to give this
paragraph, as a narrative of real facts, but merely as a
publication that I have found in the newspaper above
named, and as a statement which I wish to see contradicted by order of His Royal Highness the Prince of
Wales, or some of his brothers; thus observing, and explicitly stating that my object is to remove the evil impression which such a publication must necessarily tend
to produce upon the minds of a people, who, by the express command of his Majesty, have read to them from
the pulpit, tour times a day, a long exhortation against
vice and immorality, and who have fresh in their minds
the huge grants of money recently made for the declared
purpose of enabling the several branches of the Royal
Family •to support the dignity of their station,' thus
previously observing, I would beg leave, as a beginning
of my comments upon the publication before me, to ask
the writer ot it what march he means, when he talks of
the ' celebrated march of the Duke of York ?'-and
I would further ask him, what necessity there was in a
publication of this sort, to remind the people of England of the Duke of York's marches?-and why he
could not have so far got the better of his too obvious
disposition, as to suffer those 'celebrated' marches to rest
quiet, and unalluded to ?
'The representing of the oratorio of the Creation,
I
No.4.

88

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

and arranged by the Duke of Kent too, applied to the
purpose of ushering in the 'numerous family' of the
Duke of Clarence ;-the thus representing the Duke of
Kent as employed in an act whereby the procreation of
a brood of illegitimate children is put in comparison with
the great works of the Almighty, is in this writer, an act
of the most indiscreet disloyalty, and of blasphemy, the
most daring.'
' We all know that the Duke of Clarence is not married and that therefore if he had children, those children
must be bastards, and that the father must be guilty of a
crime in the eye of the law, as well as of religion,-and
that he would exhibit a striking example of that vice
and immorality which his Royal father's proclamation, so
regularly read to us by our pastors, commands us to shun
and to abhor, and enjoins upon the magistrates to mark
out and to punish whenever they shall find them existing
among us.
' While we hear this command so often repeated to
us, and know that from the form in which it is conveyed,
it comes immediately from his Majesty's mind and conscience, can we possibly suppose that he would wink at
acts in his own family, such as are described by this writer ? And when to this consideration we add the many
others that present themselves upon the subject, can we
hesitate in declaring that to represent the Duke of Clarence as having a 'numerous family of children,' is foully to slander his Royal Highness, and that further to represent him as ostentatiously exhibiting this ' numerous
family' in public, and in the immediate presence of all
his Royal brothers, and of the Lord Chancellor of England, and others of the nobles, is to accuse him of a
gratuitous and. wanton insult against the laws, manners,
and morals of the country.'
' This representation and accusation, I must and I do,
therefore, consider as false, and I am confirmed in this
my opinion when I hear the same writer assert that the
Prince of Wales took Mother Jordan by the hand, and
in the presence of a Countess, a Countesses Daughter,
and a Baroness,-seated her at the head of the table,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

89

taking his place upon her right hand, his Royal brothers
arranging themselves according to their rank, on both
sides of the table, the post of honor being nearest Mother
Jordan, who the last time I saw her, cost me eighteen
pence, in her character of Nell Jobson. This part of
the account, proves the falsehood of the whole.
But
though amongst persons who are at all acquainted with
the characters of the illustrious personages who are by
this writer represented as having been actors in the
scene, there can be no doubt that the whole of the representation is false, more especially when we take into
view the pious and strenuously enforced precepts of their
Royal father's proclamation ;-yet amongst that part of
his Majesty's subjects who know nothing of the manners of the great, except what they learn through the
channel of the newspapers, doubts upon the subject may
prevail, nay-such persons may believe the representation
of the Courier, particularly as it had been given in
nearly the same words, too, by all the other newspapers;
and therefore being fully convinced that the representation must produce in whatever degree it is believed, an
impression extremely injurious to the character of the
parties named;--not less injurious to the manners and
morals of the people; and eventually greatly dangerous
to the stability of the throne, for this plain reason,- that the
most virtuous part of the people, that part of them in whose
minds truth and justice are'predominent, that part of them
on whom alone reliance could safely be placed, would infallibly be the most disgusted, and the most alienated, by
the belief of such a representation; being fully convinced
of these important truths, I venture to beseech the royal
parties whose names have been so unwarrantably brought
before the public in the above cited publication, to cause
a formal contradiction thereof to be publicly made; I
venture to beseech them to reflect on the fatal consequences which have uniformly ensued, and especially in recent
instances, from proceedings such as are here described in
this publication, and to remember that to be blameless, as
they doubtless are, in this and all other cases of the kind, is
not enough, unless they are also thought to be blameless.'

90

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

'I venture to beseech them well to weigh the words of
my motto, and to consider whether, though the above
cited publication is a tissue of falsehoods, thus permitting it to remain uncontradicted may not expose them
among the uninformed part of the people to the imputation of acting upon a principle such as that in my motto described.'
' I beseech venture to beseech them above all things
to reflect upon what must be the natural and inevitable
effect produced in the minds of the people, if they were
once to believe that any portion of the grants made out
of the taxes, in times like the present, was expended
upon objects such as those described in this poisonous
publication ; and lastly, as I have, in proportion to my
means and my capacity, done as much as any private individual ever did in support of the throne, and the repu.
tation of the Royal Family, I hope it will not be thought
presumptuous that I now make them a tender of my
pages and my pen, for the purpose of making and promulgating that contradiction which every truly loyal
subject is so desirous to see.'
Notwithstanding the large profits derived by Mrs. Jordan from her inimitable talents, it has been shrewdly
surmised they were not always appropriated to her own
benefit, there is however, nothing wonderful in this, as
numerous instances might be recorded of the uses to
which beings under the human shape, and calling themselves gentlemen, have converted their mistresses ; nay,
we have been given to understand that in numerous instances, the salaries derived from professional avocations
have not unfrequently seen applied to the use of such
protectors.
We have also heard that in some instances an embargo
has been laid on public performances, unless the nightly
salary was paid over prior to a lady's appearance on the
boards;-of course nothing of such a nature bears reference to our story:---Let the gall'd jade go wince,
Our withers are unwrung !'

LIFE OF:MRS. JORDAN.
91
It may be very glorious to rank a potentate in this
world, but it is a much more honorable thing to deserve
the name of gentleman,--tor title, though veiling a multitude of sins, will not engraft honor in a polluted soil.
We live in an age of improvement, and sounding
names can no longer curtain flagrant depravity ;-the
march of intellect may be impeded, but never stoppedit may halt, but cannot retrogade; mind has received
the grand impetus; reason has been inspired by the niagic wand of truth, and the drayman is now as well aware
that potentates are but fragile clay, and subject to be
degraded by every vice,--as the mighty Bacon, or the
reasoning Locke.
Little digressions are pardonable in a writer, and the
foregoing remarks are only intended as trimmings to the
subject matter of our theme.
In the progress of the trial of the late unfortunate
Queen Caroline, it was currenitly reported that a certain
illustrious character insinuated in the committee that
an occurrence had taken place between two parties,
which if true, would have branded the individuals alluded to with an incestuous intercourse, which to contemplate only in imagination, makes us shudder.
Whether there was any truth in the statement adverted to we will not pretend decide, but we can assert
that so prevalent was it at the period in question, and
so fully credited by one of the counsel for the accused,
that Mr. Denman adverting to the subject, made use of
the followipg energetic ejaculation which ran from one
end.of the kingdom to the other:' Come forward, thou foul slanderer, and let me see
thy face. If you refuse, you are not so respectable as
the Italian witness who comes to face the court ;-you
are worse than the Italian assassin;-you are plunging
a dagger unseen,.-and converting your stiletto to c
sword of justice !'
The editor of the Trial then proceeds to comment as
follows:-

92

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

' I should have thought it impossible for any man with
the heart of a man, and the honour of a peer, to present
such a case. If it can be one of the Blood Royal, I
would say he had done more to degrade himself, and forfeit his right to the crown, than my Royal mistress
would have done, had every charge been proved against
her.'
See the ' Trial of Queen Caroline,' published by
Wright, Fleet-street, 8-vo. vol. 2, p. 437.
In the ' Black Dwarf,' vol. 5. page 571, we find the
following :TO H. R. H. THE DUKE OF CLARENCE,
On his apparentanxiety to criminate the Queen, in cross-examining Lieutenant Ilosman
Admiral Tarry Breeks,* a Royal Duke,
The moral brother of a moral King,
Is anxious 'mongst the Lords to look,
A sapient, nautical, and righteous thing.
But ere he points at Britain's Queen a shaft,
Or steps, (the ship that chases her) a board on
He should remember memory looks abaft,
And reads his morals in the hapless JORDAN.
BEN

BACKSTAY.

*Vide Burns' Address to his Majesty.
In the last work quoted, vol. 5, p. 650, we read the
following remarks:'Amongst the voters against the Queen are exquisite
judges of morality, and excellent observers of the commandment,-' Thou shalt not commit adultery.'
The
It is enough to vitiate
Dukes of York and Clarence!
the whole proceedings, that on such an occasion, two
such men should dare to present themselves in the House
of Lords.
' What, is the age is so lost to decency, that avowed
guilt can sit in judgment upon persecuted innocence?-We would the spectre of the unfortunate Jordan

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

93

should push one of them from his stool; though we must
confess we cannot expect any thing could abash the other;
when he could leave the funeral of his wife, to assume
the seat of judgment; in the face of his convicted adulteries with Mrs. Clark. These things are so monstrous
that we can hardly persuade ourselves they occur in England. Are we not at Rome in the time of Nero ?-Or
to what othen barbarous but licentious times, have we
reverted ?'
In the same volume of the work above quoted, p. 742,
we further read to the'following effect-'They have seen open and notorious adulterers audaciously sitting in judgment upon a brave and virtuous
Queen ; they have witnessed a man who has inundated the
country with bastards, after having deserted the deserving,
but hapless mother of his offspring ;-and finally left her to
perish like a dog, in the streets, and to be buried as a
pauper at the public charge, when she ceased to maintain life by her own exertions ;-going about in all directions, slandering his sovereign, whom he dared not to
look in the face.'
After an absence of two seasons, Mrs. Jordan was engaged for Drury-lane, by Mr. Wroughton, who then officiated as acting manager of the establishment, and on
the 17th of September, 1808, she appeared in the character of Peggy, in the Country Girl, which was supported with all her accustomed archness.
On this occasion it may be requisite to remark that her
'absence had been much felt by the publiec; if any inferencermay be drawn from the reception she experienced,
which was enthusiastic in the extreme.
Nothing of a novel character transpired at the theatre
as regarded Mrs. Jordan, until the 5th of January, when
Mr. S.J. Arnold, whose talents had' been before exclusively confined to opera and farce, brought forward a
comedy under the title of Man and Wife, which commanded much applause. In this piece our heroine sup-

94

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

ported a leading character, and spoke the epilogue with
an effect that proved highly advantageous to the author,
whose piece was given out for a second representation,
with universal satisfaction.
On the night of Friday, the 24th of February, 1809,
Drury-lane theatre was consumed by fire, on which occasion our heroine was one of the greatest sufferers
amongst the company, for as she generally resided at
Bushy Park, the major part of her wardrobe, and decorations of every description, were left at the play-house.
With this melancholy catastrophe, the retirement also of
Mrs. Jordan from any further permanent theatrical engagement took place ;--however, according to custom,
when it became requisite to shew a charitable feeling,
she was never found deficient, so on the present occasion
was her philanthropy manifested.
Mr. Taylor, of the Opera House, having accorded
permission for the use of that establishment during three
nights, in order to assist those performers of humble rank
who had been sufferers by the conflagration, our heroine
on the 23rd of March, performed gratuitously in the
Country Girl.
As we conceive an interesting anecdote, tending further to illustrate the inherent goodness of our heroine's
heart will not prove devoid of interest, we shall proceed
to narrate it, vouching at the same time for the correctness of the statement.
Mrs. Jordan, as frequently before remarked, was gifted
with a mind susceptible of every tender emotion that
confers honour upon the female sex, and such sentiments
never failed to be called into action on the appearance
of misery or distress.
During one of the visits paid to Chester, her washerwoman, a poor widow burthened with three small children, was, by an inhuman creditor, cast into prison for a
trifling debt of forty shillings originally, but which had
been augmented in a short time by the rapacity of a
No sooner had our heroine
lawyer, to eight pounds.
ascertained the circumstance, than she sent for the attorney, paid the full demand, and then with all the severity

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAW.

95

she was capable of displaying, accompanied by a look,the very reverse of her accustomed good natured smile,
observed:-' You lawyers are assuredly infernal spirits,
allowed as sojourners on this earth, to make the unfortunate more miserable.'

The man of law did not think

fit to hazard a reply, but making an obsequious bow, retired, well satisfied in having pocketed his expences.
The same evening, the poor woman received her unexpected discharge, just at the period when our actress
was indulging in an accustomed walk, with her waiting
woman; when the widow, accompanied by her children,
having ascertained the rout she had taken, followed her
steps and overtook Thalia just as a sudden shower of
rain had obliged her to seek shelter under a porch,-at
which moment the grateful widow dropping on her
knees, with the utmost emotion exclaimed, 'God for
ever bless you, madam, you have saved me and my
helpless infants from ruin.'
The children seeing their mother in tears, joined
their piteous cries to the affecting scene, which could
not fail to awaken all the impulses of a sensitive mind
to sympathy. The uniform hilarity of our heroine's temper was not easily subdued by scenes of sorrow ;-yet
although endeavouring to conceal it, the tears coursed
down her cheeks, when stooping to kiss the little ones,
she slipped a pound note into the parent's hand, and in
her accustomed playful manner replied, ' There, thereall is over;--go, my good woman, God bless you ;-I
charge you, say not another word.'
The grateful widow would fain have replied, but her silence was insisted on, and she departed.
It so chanced that another individual had sought shelter under the same porch, who was witness to the whole
of this interesting scene, and as soon as Mrs. Jordan
had observed him, stepped forward and tendering his
hand, with a deep sigh exclaimed ;' Lady! forgive the freedom of a total stranger; but
would to the Lord, all the world were like thee l'
The figure and costume of the last speaker, pronounced his calling; his visage was pale, and a black suit,

96

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

grown rather rusty, arrayed his thin tall figure. Our actress soon appreciated his character and calling, and
good humouredly replied, retreating a few paces,'No, I will not shake hands with you.'
' Why '
'Because you are a methodist preacher, and when
you have ascertained who I am, you'll send me to the
devil.'
'The Lord forbid ! I am, as you judge, a preacher of
the gospel of Jesus Christ, who tells us to clothe the
naked, feed the hungry, and relieve the distressed ; and
do yon think I can behold a sister fulfil the commands
of my great master, without feeling that spiritual attachment which leads me to break through worldly customs, and offer you the hand of friendship and brotherly
love.'
'Well, well; you are a good old soul, I dare saybut-I--I don't like fanatics; and you'll not like me,
when I tell you who I am.'
'I hope I shall.'
'Well then, I'll tell you ;--I am a player.' [the preacher sighed.] 'Yes, I am a player, and you must
have heard of me ;-Mrs. Jordan is my name.'
After a short pause, he once more extended his hand,
and with a complaisant countenance, he replied,
' The Lord bless thee, whoever thou art ;-his goodness is unlimited; He has bestowed upon thee a large
portion af his spirit; and as to thy calling, if thy soul
upbraid thee not, the Lord forbid that I should.'
A reconciliation having been thus effected, and the
shower being ended, they issued from the sheltering
porch together; the offer of the preacher's arm was accepted, and the comic muse, with the disciple of John
Wesley, trudged arm-in-arm to the door of our heroines
ressdence, and at parting, the latter shook hands with her,
exclaiming,
' Fare thee well, sister ! I know not what the principles of persons of thy calling may be,-thou art the first
with whom I ever yet held converse; but itf their practices of benevolence go hand in hand with thine, I hope

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

97

and trust at the great judgment day the Almighty father will say to each ' Thy sins are forgiven thee.'
Mrs. Jordan on one occasion when performing at the
Margate theatre, with a new actor of Irish birth, the
latter on proceeding to kiss her, such being a feature in
the representation, she turned her head so as to present
little more than her ear.
'Och, by Jasus, then,' cried the Hibernian,--' Pll be
d-----d if I kiss you at all at all ;--if you wo'nt let me
play my part as a man should, you may do it all yourself.'
Upon which Paddy very deliberately walked off the
stage, accompanied, as may be supposed, by a loud roar
of laughter.
In reference to the subject of our theme, the following
delineation by a modern writer, is particularly applica.
ble.
'It was not by a cursory acquaintance she could be
known; unreserved confidence alone could develope her
qualities, and none of them escaped my observation. I
have known her when in the busy bustling exercise of her
profession.--I have known her when in the tranquil lap
of ease, of luxury, and of magnificence.-I have seen her
in a theatre, surrounded by a crowd of adulating dramatists.-I haveseen her in a palace, surrounded by a numerous, interesting, and beloved offspring.---I have seen
her happy-I have seen her, alas, miserable; and I could
not help participating in all her feelings.'
'At the point of time when I first saw the lady, she
could not be much more, I think, than sixteen years of
age, and was making her debut as Miss Francis, at the
Dublin theatre. It is worthy of observation that her
early appearances in Dublin, were not in any of those
characters (save one) wherein she afterwards so eminently excelled; but such as being more girlish, were better
suited to her spirits and her age.
'I was then, of course, less competent than now to
exercise the critical art, yet could not but observe that
in those parts, she was perfect even on her first appearance; she had no art, in fact, to study ;-nature was

98

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

her sole instructress. Youthful, joyous, animated, and
droll, her laugh bubbled up from her heart, and her tears
swelled out ingenuously from the deep spring of feeling.
Her countenance was all expression, without being all
beauty; her form, then light and elastic, -her flexible
limbs,--the juvenile but indescribable grace of her every
movement,--impressed themselves, as I perceived, indellibly upon all who attended even her earliest performances.
' Her expressive features and eloquent action,at all periods harmonized blandly with each other-not by artifice, however skilful, but by intellectual sympathy; and
when her figure was adapted to the part she assumed,
she had only to speak the words of an author, to become
the very person he delineated. Her voice was clear and
distinct, modulating itself with natural and winning
ease; and when exerted in song, its gentle flute-like melody formed the most captivating contrast to the convulsed and thundering bravura. She was, throughout, the
untutored child of nature; she sang without effort, and
generally without the accompaniment of instruments, and
whoever heard her ' In the dead of the night,' and her
'Sweet bird,' either in piublic or private, if they had any
soul, must have surrendered at discretion.'
Those who knew Thalia only half as well as we did,
could bear testimony to her worth, and echo forth her
praises; never were manners more open and undisguised;
benificence characterized her look, honey flowed from
her tongue, nor could we ever trace in her conduct an
approximation to any of those little failings that are too
We have observed her in
prevalent in the female sex.
the green-room, when an aspirant in her own walk of
acting has sought for fame-exert her ineffable sweetIf wayness to inspire courage, and ensure success.
ward fortune oppressed any of the theatric company,
she was the first to advocate a subscription,-and
profuse in forwarding the charitable intent, thereby exemplifying the grand chasm that existed between the

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CO LONEL

dub

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SxtgoThom.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

99

liberality of her spirit, and that whereby the great Melpomene of the day was warmed.
We knew Thalia at York, when her means had become
scanty , compared with what she had formerly enjcyed, at
whichperiod application was made by a theatric character, whose name, from motives of delicacy, we refrain
from inserting;-when the letter sent in reply, containing a five pound note, ran as follows
SIR,

1 have received your distressing letter, for to a
mind ill at ease, any discordant theme becomes oppressive. The trifle I remit, I beg you will accept as
such, and not conceive it the tribute that would have
been paid to your talents in happier days, by
Sir, Your obedt. Servt. &c.
D. JORDAN.

At the commencement of the year 1809, our heroine
only presented herself at intervals before the public, and
in such cases for the sole purpose of contributing as much
as possible to ensure a handsome establishment for her
daughters by Mr Ford; this retirement from Theatrical
duties, appears to have been the result of a wish manifested by her illustrious friend that she should no longer
continue a constant member of any dramatic corps.
Mrs. Jordan had now become corpulent, yet such was
the extraordinary pre-enminence of mind over matter,
that no sooner did she open her lips to utter the music of
her voice than her corpulency was forgotten; every thing
was absorbed in, the brilliancy of her talents,-the mortal
incumbrance was wholly obliterated; in short, intellectoal refinement cancelled the remembrance of her altered
person which had then become nearly as broad us it
was long.
We have now attained the most momentous epoch of
our heroine's life, and to prove the candour we wish to
adopt towards any other party concerned, we shall now
give a series of documents from g nuine autograph papers adduced by Mr. Boaden in his life of this unfortunate lady, with a view to obliterate painful impressious,
No. 5.

100

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JOE,

..

AN.

entertained in another quarter, assuming, however, to
ourselves the privilege of making those comments we
deem requisite, after which we shall adduce such statements as we can avouch for facts, and then leave the
reader to draw his own conclusions.
During this year our actress was sedulously occupied
in making preparations for the marriage and establishments of her three daughters.
Frances, the eldest, espoused Mr. Alsop, a gentleman holding a situation in
the Ordnance Office, who resided at No. 11, Park-place,
with whom Miss Dora and Miss Lucy Jordan lived until
the ensuing year, when the former espoused Frederick
Edward March Esqr. a natural son of Lord Henry Fitzgerald, also a clerk in the Ordnance Office, and in 1810
the latter ( Miss Lucy,) became the wife of General,
then Colonel Hawker of the 14th Light Dragoons.
To those ladies our heroine devoted part of her fortune as well as a portion of what she acquired by her
theatrical talents, naturally conceiving that any progeny
resulting from the elevated connection she had formed
would be amply provided for, by the father.
The settlements intended for her daughters are clearly designated in the quotation from a letter given by
Mr. Boaden, which runs as follows
'I am sure you will be pleased to hear that your
young friend Lucy is about to be married, much to
my satisfaction, to Colonel Hawker of the 14th Dragoons ;-he is a most excellent man, and has a very
good private property; she will make the best of
wives ;-a better girl never lived; it makes me quite
happy, and I intend to give her the value often thou..
sand pounds.'
To this she is said to have added £200. a year while
she was enabled by her theatrical avocations to make
such disbursements.
In reference to the above statement, we have to offer
a string of observations which we conceive it would be
father difficult to reconcile with reason or common sense

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

101

without the intervention of some secret ,ode, not hitherto explained, in which thousands were disposed of;; now
to the point.-When Mrs. Jordan was first connected with Mr. Ford,
she was living in affluence, kept a carriage, and all the
necessary auxiliaries ; in short, her income was estimated
as amounting to two thousand pounds a year, being the
interest of a capital of £40,000.
Miss Frances Jordan,
her eldest daughter, was then of course an infant, from
which time to her marriage with Mr. Alsop, a lapse of
twenty-five years took place, during which, as previously
shewn in the progress of our memoirs, Mrs. Jordan was
indefatigable in pursuing her professional career, both in
the metropolis and various parts of England.
Sir Jonah Barrington whom we shall have occasion to
quote in the sequel, asserts that at the close of our actres'ss theatrical career, when age, corpulency, and other
circumstances combined to diminish her former attractions, she neverthsless netted in one year, seven thousand
pounds, a calculation we certainly conceive, over-rated.
Without wishing, therefore, to make our estimate on such
an exaggerated scale, suppose we average her gains at
four thousand pounds per annum, which is certainly
speaking within compass, when all the fascinations and
novelty of the zenith of her powers be taken into consideration, the result at the end of twenty-five years,
would be a gross amount of one hundred thousand pounds,
which added to her previous fortune, made a total of one
hundred and forty thousand pounds.
During our heroine's long continuance with an illustrious individual, it is but natural to conjecture that houserent, the expenditure of the table, &c. were not at her
charge, consequently she had only to find her private
wardrobe and theatrical dresses, which taken at the most
extravagant rate could make a very trifling inroad upon
an annual income of seven thousand pounds, the interest
of the capital above mentioned.
However, we now find Mrs. Jordan anxious to make a
provision for her three daughters, to effect which she
settles upon each ten thousand pounds, being areduction

102

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

of thirty thousand pounds from the fortune she had acquired, when there still remained one hundred and ten
thousand pounds,-a statement, 1 believe, not to be refuted] by the ablest calculator existing. We shall, in the
sequel, have occasion to speak of a bond executed in
favour of a valued relative, together with acceptances
given in blank to the same party, for which she was in
dread of legal pursuit ; but to what amount were those
claims ?-why two thousand pounds, which would have
been a very trifling diminution from the £110,000. of
which by right she ought to have been possessed, yet
notwithstanding this, we find her compelled to sacrifice
property of every description, and fly for refuge to the
continent for the comparative trifling amount of two
thousandpounds.
' There are more things ii heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in our philosophy.'

At the period when Mrs. Jordan's daughters were disposed of in marriage, it was currently reported that a
quarrel had taken place between that lady and her illustrious protector, for which various causes were assigned;
and at the same juncture another exposure took place
in regard to an elevated personage and his notorious mistress, Mary Anne Clarke.
Had we any desire to interlard our pages with anecdotic matter relating to this last mentioned transaction,
we might insert materials as multifarious and diversified
as they would prove in opposition to correct morals and
common decency. These were derived from an intimacy
with Colonel Wardle, M. P. of so much celebrity at the
time, by whom we were informed that the royal inamorato
now deceased, used to relate to his mistress, all the secrets of an exalted progeny, not forgetting those of
papa and mama, the whole condensing a body of materials calculated to form a record of iniquities, crimes, and
fooleries that might afford excelent scope
a modern
Gay to found a new opera, under the title of Royal
Knaveries.
Refinements in pleasure were never formed for the
slaves of debauchery, who are neither possessed of deli-

for

103
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
eacy or jucgment, since being all corporeal they are incapable of appreciating the refinements of real passion.
0 ! divine love, how few there are enabled to estimate
thy blessings and enjoy the rapture thou art calculated to
afford; those possessing only the grosser passions-who
regard the qualities of the heart as of no account, are
unworthy to be ranked among thy votaries, or participate
in thy blessings.
In reference to the alledged misnderstanding between
our actress and her royal friend, we quote the following
letter, as it refers to the subject, having only to observe
that whatsoever disagreement might have existed, we
feel thoroughly convinced the lady in question would
nave tacitly submitted to any suffering rather than allow
the fact. With this comment, we leave the reader to
form his own estimate of the assertions contained in the
annexed document.
Bushy House, Sunday.
Dear Sir,Dear Sir,-'I should be very ungrateful indeed if I could
for a moment, consider as an enemy, one from whom I
have received very decided proofs of kindness and attention. I love candour and truth on all occasions,
and the frankness with which you speak of my professional merit, stamps a value on your opinion of them,
and which (entre nous) I really believe is quite as
much as they deserve, but we do not feel inclined to
quarrel with the world for thinking better of us than
we deserve.
I do not know how to thank you for the humanity
with which you seem to enter into my feelings ;-they
are, indeed, very acute, and did you know the three incomparable and truly amiable objects of my anxiety,
you would not be inclined to withdraw your syinpathy.
With regard to the report of my quarrel with the
Duke, every day of our past and present lives must
give the lie to it. He is an example for half the fa-...

LIFE, OF MRS.. JORDAN.

('4

thers and husbands in the wvorld, the he.t
and the most firm and generous of friends.

ofI will, in
masters

a day or two, avail nyself of your kind offer to con
tradict those odious and truly wicked reports.
I am
so ill that I can do nothing myself, but must wait for the
assistance of a good and clever friend, who is at present out of the way, and who (if truth is not quite scared
out of the world) will endeavour to do away the ill
impression those reports were meant to make.
In the
mean time accept my thanks, and believe me,
Yours truly,
DoRtA JOkDAN.'

As the daily prints continued their attacks upon the
conduct of the Royal personage alluded to, our actress
was at lendgth prompted to seek the advice referred
in
the above communication; after which we find from the
same authority, a second epistle, containing the result
of the conference, and the ultimatum of the Duke's
wishes as regarded the future proceedings of our heroine
in her professional career.

to

Bushy House, March 27th,J1809.
Dear Sir,'When I last did myself the pleasure of writing
to you, I mentioned that I waited for the assistance of
a friend who wvas not just then in the way, to contradict the cruel and infamous reports that were then in

circulation;

but on my application to him, (perhaps he

was right) he said that what had been done had every
good effect that could possibly he expe-cted or wished
for; and that a renewal of the subject might do more
harm than good.

Of this I should like to have

your opinion,. when

you have read the enclosed.-I need not add that you
'will set ,the author down for a very partial friend indeed. In obedience to the Duke's wishes I have withdrawn myself, for the present, or at least till there is a

Mr.

theatre royal for me to appear in.
March, and
Mr. Alsop, the two gentlemen to w~hom my daughters

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

105

are married, will do themselves the pleasure of leaving
their cards at your door, next week,
I ever am,
Sir,
Your obliged humble Servt.
DORA JORDAN.

I am to play tomorrow week at the Opera House,
and as it is likely to be my last night, it would not be
amiss to have it insinuated into the boxes.
W bether there existed any real ground for the reports
"rculated in regard to a quarrel between our heroine
and her friend, we do not take upon ourselves to decide;
it however appear evident that not only herself, but her
family were also rendered subservient to the scurrility of
the public press, as we find from an undated letter, writen in 1809, the following statement relative to her three
daughters.
Without date, written in 1809.
Dear Sir,Having frequently experienced your kindness
in assisting to do away any unfair impression, your
candour, believe me, cannot be better employed than
in the defence of three as good and virtuous girls as
ever existed.
It would be painful to me, and unnecessary to you
to mention the cruel and infamous reports for some
time in circulation, and to the extent of which I was
really a stranger till last week. To say it has made
me sick at heart, is saying little.
I remain,
Your obliged humble Servt.
DORA JORDAN.

In a postcript to the letter preceeding the above, mention is made of Mrs. Jordan's having to perform at the
Opera House, which he did gratuitously, for the benefit
of the necessitated members of the Drury-lane company,

106

LIFL OF MRS. JORDAN.

after which she quitted London to perform at Bath, being
accompanied on that occasion, by one of her daughters.
Our heroine, soon after her arrival, discovered that the
tales, so industriously circulated in the metropolis respecting a separation from the Duke, had found their way to
the gay circles of that celebrated resort of fashion, as in
a communication to a friend, we find the ensuing curious
statements respecting herself and the subject adverted
to.
Bath, Sunday, 22nd April, 1809.
Dear Sir,-I should be more insensible than my heart tells
me I am, if I did not experience much gratification
from your very kind and friendly letters ;-friendly they
must be, for though I am ever asking favours of you,
I feel it impossible that I can ever return them.
My professional success through life, has indeed
been most extraordinary, and consequently attended
with great emoluments; but from my first starting in
life, at the early age of fourteen, I have always had a
large family to support. My mother was a duty ;--but on brothers and sisters I have lavished more money
than can be supposed ; and more, I am sorry to say,
than I can well justify to those who have a stronger
and prior claim on my exertions.
With regard to myself (as much depends upon
our ideas of riches), I have certainly enough ; but this
is too selfish a consideration to weigh one moment
against what I consider to be a duty. I am quite tired
of the profession. I have lost those great excitements
vanity and emulation; the first has been amply gratified, and the lastI see no occasion for; but still without these, it is a mere money getting drudgery.
The enthusiasm of the good people here, is really
ridiculous, but it brings 'grist to the mill,' and I shall
notwithstanding the great drawback of unsettled weather, clear between this place and Bristol, from £800.
to £900.
Thoug I very seldom go out when from homne,
I was, temptedby my dear girl to go to a fashionable

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

100r

library, to read the papers, and not being known, was
entertained by some ladies with a most pathetic description of the parting between me and the Duke !-My very dress was described, and the whole conversation accurately repeated !--unfortunately for the party,
a lady came in who immediately addressed me by
name, which threw them into the most ridiculous and
(I conceive) embarrassing situation imaginable. In
pity to them, I left the place immediately, and flatter
myself I did not shew any disgust or ill nature on the
occasion.

The last favour I asked of you, was not to
gratify my own vanity, but my best friend's;-who
in spite of-the world, are I can with truth assure you
as much interested about me as they were seventeen
years ago.
Believe me ever,
Your truly obliged,
DoRA JORDAN.

P. S.--I fear I have tired you with my scrawl.
Having terminated her engagement at Bath, which
proved very lucrative, our actress next repaired to Dublin, and from that place shortly after her arrival, she
penned the following letter, which is interesting, as it
contains an expression of her maternal feelings in regard
to one of her sons, then serving with the army on the
Peninsula.
Dublin, Sunday, June 18th, 1809.
Dear Sir,I had left Bushy for this place, before the arrval of your letter. That you would enter into my
feelings respecting my dear boy, I was convinced when
I sent you the extract, and as you very rightly supposed, only meant for your perusal ;-for however gratifying it might be to my feelings to see any testmonial
of his good conduct before the world, I have reason
to believe that he would be very angry aith me if he
t bught I had made it public. I only mention this to.

I08

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

show you that he is an unassuming modest boy ;--so
much so, that we never could get him to speak of the
business at Corunna, where he was himself concerned,
but the accounts of him from every other quarter, were
indeed most gratifying.
With regard to myself, I have not much to say:
the audience are of course very kind, and my reception was most brilliant,--but entre nous, I do not think
I shall make as much money as I expected. With
every good wish,
I remain, Dear Sir,
Your most obliged
Humble Servant,
DORA JORDAN.
The visit of our heroine to Dublin proved in one point
of view, most gratifying to her feelings, being particularly noticed by many of the leading personages of that
city; but as regarded her professional avocations, she
was not quite so fortunate, as the dramatic corps engaged
by Mr. Jones, then manager of the theatre, proved the
very refuse of the mimic tribe. Not only were they of
of vulgar habits, and addicted to liquor, but so neglectful
of the duties of their profession as not even to attend to
the business of the stage, so that after one or two attempts, our actress at length found herself under the painful necessity of refusing to play.
It is by no means improbable that the disgust manifested by Mrs. Jordan, tended to heap upon her the injuries she had to sustain from those unworthy members of
her own profession, more particularly a performer named
Corri, who pertinaciously continued his abuse against
our actress, and all those who stood forward to befriend
her.
Among the advocates of our heroine, was in particular
Sir Jonah Barrington, who for reiterated attacks that appeared in the daily papers, commented an action against
the printer. Upon the trial, the counsel employed for
the defendant delivered a speech by no means creditable
to him as a man of feeling, or a gentleman, in reference

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

109

to which, as well as the contrarieties she was subjected
to while at Dublin,--Mrs. Jordan thus expresses herself:To Sir Jonah Barrington.
Bushy House, Wednesday.
My Dear Sir,-Not having the least suspicion of the business
in Dublin, it shocked and grieved me very much ;not only on my own account, but 1 regret that I should
have been the involuntary cause of anything painful
to you, or to your amiable family, But of Mr. Jones
I can think anything, and I beg you will do me the
justice to believe that my feelings are not selfish.Why indeed should I expect to escape their infamous
calumnies ? Truth however, will force its way, and
justice exterminate that nest of vipers. I wanted nothing from Mr. Crompton's generosity, but I had a
claim on his justice-his honour.
During the two representations, of the Inconstant, I represented to him the state Mr. Dwyer was
in, and implored him out of respect to the audience,
if not in pity to my terrors, to change the play.
As
to the libel on Mr. Dwyer, charged to me by Mr. Gold,
I never directly or indirectly, by words or by writing, demeaned myself by interfering in.the most remote degree with so wretched a concern.
I knew no Editor,-I read no newspapers while
in Dublin. The charge is false and libellous on me,published I presume, through Mr. Gold's assistance.
Under that view of the case, he will feel himself rather
unpleasantly circumstanced should I call upon him eieither to prove or disavow his assertions. To be introduced any way into such a business, shocks and grieves
me; he might have pleaded for his companions without
calumniating me:-but for the present, I shall drop an
irksome subject, which has already given me more than
ordinary uneasiness.
Yours, &c.

DORA

JORDAN.

110

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

It may be imagined to what an extent the scurrility
and abuse levelled at Mrs. Jordan, was carried, when
her quiescent spirit was at length so wrought upon, that
she came to the determination of applying legally for redress, a proceeding that would in all probability have
been put in force but for the timely and salutary advice
of some confidential friend.
Shortly after the termination of this disagreeable business, the battle of Talavera was fought, when her son
displayed his gallantry, on which subject the annexed
document is sufficiently indicatory of the agitated state
of her feelings.
Bushy, Thursday, August 17, 1809.
I am very vain, but still I have judgment enough
not to be fond of doing that which I know I do very ill.
Still I feel pleasure in writing to you who so kindly
enter into all my feelings. You may easily guess what
they were last Monday night, when I heard the account of.the battle of Talavera. Five thousand killed !
-- the Duke at Brighton !-I went to bed, but not to
sleep.
The Duke set out at five o'clock on the Tuesday,
I am
to be the first to relieve me from my misery.
mentally relieved; but it has torn my nerves to pieces.
I have five boys, and must look forward to a life of
constant anxiety and suspense. I am at present very
ill-excuse this hasty scrawl, and believe me,
Your ever obliged,
DoHA JORDAN.

The coolness on une part of our actress's protector
which had been solongtalked of,seemed at length confirmed by her removal from Bushy Park, when she took up her
abode at Hammersmith, not far from the late villa of the
deceased Margravine of Anspach, which also became the
partial residence of her illustrious friend. The sensitive
feelings of our heroine were ill attuned to witness this
neglect with stoicism, and in order, therefore, to recruit
her finances and separate herself from scenes that goad
ed her mind t o agony, she undertook some profession
eXcur sions

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

111

Notwithstanding our actres's removal to Hammersmith, as above mentioned, we nevertheless find that
there were short intervals during which she was either at
Bushy, or St. James's, as two or three subsequent correspondences tend to prove, of which we shall speedily have
proofs to demonstrate.
At the above mentioned residence it was currently reported that very unpleasant bickerings frequently occurred ; that the children of our actress were estranged
from her, and as pecuniary resources failed, a palpable
coldness and total neglect became apparent in a certain
quarter. We do not pretend to deny that a want of money might be experienced by one individual, but we are
by no means enabled to account for any such deficiency
in another party.
From all the foregoing statements in this volume, containing every event on record relative to our actress, we
cannot trace one feasible reason for her being reduced in
circumstances, yet that she did begin to feel pecuniary
embarassment is a notorious fact, the solution of which
some persons, perhaps, may shrewdly surmise, notwithstanding all varnish used to gloss over and mystify the
fact
Although we cannot, for a certainty, point out the
precise period when the final interview took place between
the heroine of our tale, and her soidisant friend, yet the
effects produced upon our feelings will not easily be
erased from our memory.
She happened to be on the point of sustaining a character at the Cheltenham Theatre, when a letter was received from the individual alluded to, appointing a meeting at Maidenhead, for the purpose of exchanging an
eternal farewell. Thalia, at the time referred to, had
actually terminated her engagement for a few nights,
having only to continue one evening longer, in order to
appear in the character of Nell, in The Devil to Pay ,
for the benefit of Mr. Watson, then manager of the Cheltenham company.
It was during the afternoon of the last mentioned day,
that the fatal letter came to hand, notwithstanding which
No. 5.

L.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

112

with that generous kindness that uniformly characterized
her conduct, she refused to withdraw her name from the
play-bills, though her mental agitation at the time was
such that on her arrival at the play-house, from having
suffered continual hysterics, it rnigItxbe said she was saturated from excess of grief.

The following circumstance, howeverhaving occurred
during the performance, we deem it necessary to record
the incident.
In the Scene with Jobson, the Conjuror having
her, Nell laughs immoderately, upon which the former is
manle to exclaim :
Why, Nell, the conjuror hasnot only made you
drunk, but he has made you laughing drunk 1'
this occasion, when the sufferiug creature attempted
to laugh she burst into a flood of tears, upon which the
personifier of Jobson, with great presence of mind, altered
the text, saying:Why, Neil, the conjuror has not only made you
drunk-he has made thee crying drunk!'
By which means the scene passed off with the accustomed eclat. At the conclusion of the performance, our
actress, more dead than alive, was placed in a travelling
chariot, without having time to throw off her theatrical

seen

On

dress, and in that state set

off

to keep the final appoint-

ment with her former protector.
It may in this place be requisite to insert a list of Mrs.
Jordan's progeny by this illustrious connection thus terterminated, which runs as follows:
GEORGE F1TZCLAstEN o, Viscount Fitzclarence,

Baron

Tewkesbury, Earl of Munster, in th~e Peerage of the
the 29th of January, 1794,
United
married Mary, Daughter of George, Earl of"Egremont, the 18th of October, 1319, by whom he has

Kingdom-born

issue

:

William George,

Viscouin t Fitzclarenrce-born

the 19th of May, 1824.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
113
Frederick Charles George ; born the 1st of
February, 1826.
Adelaide Georgina ; born the
of October,
1820.
Aiig sta Margaret; born on the 31st of July,
1822.
Colonel Fitzclarence was raised to the peerage in the
above dignities, by Letters Patent, dated May 1831, with
special remainder, in default of his own male issue, to his
lordship's brothers, Lord Frederick Adoiphus, and Augustus Fitzclarence, promigeniturely,
their male descenlants. The Earl of Munster is a Colonel in the
Army, Aide-de-cainp to his Majesty, and Lieutenant of
the Tower,
The Earl of Munster has the foilowing surviving
and sisters.
t. Frederick Fitzclarence, a Colonel in the Army, and
Aid-de-camp to the King; he married Lady Augusta Boyle, daughter of George, Earl of Glasgow,
and has one daughter.
3. Adolphus Fitzclarcnce, Captain in the Royal Navy,
Commander of the Royal Sovereign Yacht.
4. Augustus Fitzclarence, in Holy
Rector of
Maple Durham, Oxfordshire.
5. Sophia Fitzclarence, married to Sir Philip Sidney,
eldest son of Sir John Sidney, Ban,.of Penshurst
Place, Kent.
6. Mary Fitzclarence, wife of Lieutenant Colonel Fox,
of the Grenadier Guards.
7. Elizabeth Fitzclarence, married to William George,
Earl of Errol, hereditary Lord High Constable of

28th

and

bro-

thers

Orders,

Scotland,

8. Augusta

who has issue.
Fiizclarence,

married

to the Honourable

John Kennedy Erskine, second son of the present
Marquis of Ailsa, (who died the 16th of March,
1832), by whom her ladyship has issue.

2711h

9. Amelia Fitzclarence, married
1830, to Lucius, Viscount Falkland,

His

Majesty,

of December,
issue.

and has

William the Fourth, was pleases on the

24th of May, 1831, to grant to all the above-mentioned
ladies and gentlemen, with the exception of the Count-

114

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

ess of Errol, and Viscountess Falkland, (who, through
their marriages had already attained higher rank), the
title and precedency of the younger issue of a Marquess.
We are neither so fastidious or strait laced as to qt.arrel with, and look contemptuously on persons born out
of the pale of matrimony; on the contrary, here splendid talents are elicited, we care little whether the parents
of such persons ever received the hymeneal blessing at
the altar. It is only when Illegitimates, gifted with no
brilliant qualifications, think fit to aspire to high posts
and honours, and seek to subvert the just rights of an
injured people, that we conceive it equitable to remind
them.of their origin ;--for not all the officers of the College of Heralds can raze from their escutcheon, the Bar
of Bastardy.
The Earl of Munster has thought fit to render himself
conspicuous in the upper House of Parliament, to which
he has been so recently elevated, and that, too, in a man.
ner hostile to public feeling, which has very justly entailed upon him the anathemas of the public press.
The sentiments delivered so strongly in the diurnal
publications, led to the following explanation, delivered
in the House of Peers by the noble Earl, which we quote
from the 'Times,' newspaper.
EXPLANATION OF THE EARL OF MUNSTER.'

'THE EARL OF MUNSTER then rose and addressed

their lordships from the opposition side of the house.said
Hlie that he wished to take that opportunity of explaining to the house and to the country, the course which
he had felt it his duty to take with respect to the measure of reform now before their lordships; and also to
correct certain misrepresentations which had been published respecting his conduct on the occasion of the resigHe was fully aware
nation of His Majesty's ministers.
of the difficulties of the task he was about to enter upon,
but he trusted that hlie should not ask in vain for their
He assured them
lordships' indulgent consideration.
that he would not have trespassed on their attention at

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

115

not

LIFE conduct had been
alt, were it
that hisOF~ MR~S. JORDN15 made the subject of the grossest misrepresentations, the injustice of
winch he hoped to be able to prove to their lordships. He
premise what he had to say to their
by declarino that his opinions, however valueless they might be,
had always lbeen what was called liberal; awl it
well
t nown that he had always considered reform-a moderate
reform--to be just and necessary. Indeed, many idividuals were aware that in
1830, he had advocated, in a quarter where his opinion attended to, a moderate reform, which, if it had been adopted, would, he
believed, have relieved the country from the difficulties
in which it was now placed. But he confessed that the
extent of the present measure of reform did alarm him;
and he stated his opinion openly, for it was not his habit
to hide his sentiments. Holding as he did, these opinions, yet, when called to their lordships' house, he considered it to he impossible for him to do otherwise than to
cupport the ministerial 'measure of reform; because he
felt that if he had opposed the clauses of the bill to which
he objected, he might have created a false impression
respecting the opinion of one to whom he owed everything. Under these circumstances, le did not hesiate
what course to pursue; and he determined to avoid, as
far as in him lay, producing those results in the
which of late their lordships had witnessed, and of whic~h
God forbid that they should see the like again. He trust.ed that he had vindicated this part of his conduct to their
lordships' satisfaction ; but being upon his legs, he would
take the opportunity of alluding to certain aspersion.

mliust

lordships,

was

October,

country,

been
wasworthy of notice, being convinced
hardly

which had
cast upon his character .out of doors.-He
at first inclined to consider these calumnies

that those who
knew his character would need no other proof of their
falsehood ; but as they had been very generally dissewiinated, he thought, upon consideration, that it would be as
well

publicly

to refute

them.

It

had

been stated that r e

had u iandsomely intrigued against Earl Grey's Govern-,
went. uind endeavoured to undermine that noble Joid's
Adninstration. This was a v ry serious charge ; but he

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

116

would convince their lordships, by a short and simple
statement, that it could not, with any justice, be imputed
to him. The truth was, that for six months before, and
for four-and-twenty hours after the resignation
His
Majesty's ministers had been accepted, it was, from certamu circumstances, out of his power to act in the manner
imputed to him, even if he had been so unworthily inclined. [he noble Earl, after apologizing for having occupied the time of the house so long, concluded by stating
that he had felt it to be his duty to make these few
for the purpose of setting himself right with their
lordships and the country.'

of

obser-

vations,

In i eferrence to the above lame and wholly insufficient
palliatives of his lordship's conduct we beg leave to
quote the following samples of the comments issued in
daily prints, being sufficiently explanatory of all we
desire to say on the subject of his lordship's mediocre
talents, and new fangled honours.

the

'It would be the most threatning symptom attending
the permanence of the monarchy, if it were understood
that persons in Lord Munster's situation were allowed to
sway the councils of State, or in any way affect the
least should
A century
movements of Government.
be suffered to elapse before it should be made known by
anmy public speech or act, that there was such a person as

al

Lord

Munster in existence.

Then, when something of

antiquity was added to the title, and the obscurity of
years cast over its origin, the possessor, if otherw~ise unobjectiouable, might take his place and station in society,
without remark ; this cannot be the case at present.'
Times, May 31st, 1832.
From the Chronicle of June 2nd, the following letter,
signed..J/'index, is extracted, pretty clearly demonstration
the ambitious views entertained by that new fledged longling. We have, however , ene piece of information to
add to the accotnpaiyian tmreiy, that it was thewish
of this :Illegitimate to ha tie his earldom. converted tired

LIFE OF MIRS. JORDAN.

117

the ducal title, which, coupled with the Governorship of
India, would have made him continue staunch to the
cause of Reform.

LORD,-After

having been so lately engaged in
'MY
unveiling the character of one political adventurer, I
little thought that you were next to step forward
I was content
provoke an enquiry into your conduct.
to give you that place in my estimation which the public
assigned you ; and, indeed, I know not whether I al
or to
more moved to indignation by your
rision by your unutterable folly.
Under the inspiration of what God were you emboldened to offer to the House of Lords that thing which
sober or not, your
you call an explanation'?
sudden emergency from the shade in which you have
hitb'rto concealed yourself, would be surprising, if you
possessed more capacity for the business of a plotter, to
which you have vowed yourself; but what can or ought
to su prise us in a man who, without substantial merit of
any kind, and having no public services to boast of, has
preferred claims to rank on the ground of a shameful birth
alone, and who, in following up his suit, has not hesitated to set aside his duty to his Sovereign, ani forget his
gratitude to his parent, of which: he now makes theatrical exhibition ?
But, my Lord, to the point of your speech. Did you,
or did you not, serve the Duke of' Wellington in his intrigue :to overthrow the Government of Earn Grey ? To
pl y mind, no better answer to this question is wanting
than your own speech. Your bitterest enemy could not
have (fesired a Strongzer proof that every thing
is

and

effrontery,

de-

Whether

of'
against yourself.

said

which,

you is true, than the evidence you hav'e afforded

- speech more clearly betraying the
embarrassment of him who made it, more palpably evincing the confusion of ideas and reproachful feelings which
proceed from a mind ill at ease, could not have been put
into yotur mouth by the imagination of a poet. You say
that for six months before the resignation of Earl Grey,
yiou were so situated as not to be able to intrigue against

118

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

the Government. You had better, my Lord, have spoken
out more clearly, for the benefit of those persons, the
great mass of your countrymen, who are unacquainted
with the secret History of the Court. You should have
told them that Lord Grey had refused you the office of
Governor General of India, that, not satisfied with the
efforts made by a high personage for the attainment of
this object of your mortified vanity, you had conducted
yourself in such a manner as to make your presence at
Court extremely undesirable.
From that moment, my Lord, though you voted for the
Bill, you were heard in all societies to inveigh in bitter
terms against it and the Government. You were again
received into the favour and intimacy of certain ancient
and illustrious dames, and when you had matured your
and their plot, by the success of Lord Lyndhurst's motion, you returned to favour at St. James's with the ease
of an expected guest.
Is not all this true, my Lord? Who was it that was
seen to drive from Belgrave-place to Hyde-park-corner
at an early hour in a close hackney-cabriolet, several
mornings together, previously to the memorable division
on Lord Lyndhurst's motion? How was the arrival of
that cabriolet so easily known to the porter of Apslcy
House? By what magic did the gates fly open to receive the unwonted visitor without the necessity of the
career of the horse being in the least checked? Why
were they closed again with such speedy and mysterious
precaution ?
My Lord, we have the greatest obligations to your illustrious father, and for his sake we are willing to overlook the errors of his children, when those errors are confined to the impertinences of the Court. But do not
forget your maternal origin. Forbear to provoke enquiries, lest we should discover in you rather the manners
and the designs of a soubrette than the lofty bearing of
a Prince. Write bad books, and borrow the unacknowledged assistance of others, as you have done before.Think no more of India. That country cannot be made
the plaything of a child. Renounce Court intrigues, in

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

119

which alone you can injure us; and remembering that
your understanding does not keep pace with your ambition, we shall in future allow you to follow what course
n politics you will, without complaint.'
As regards the rest of these nine Illegitimates, we have
little to add; indeed something might be said of the
Reverend Gentleman, whose character is pretty well blazoned at Windsor, and who, if report be correct, has
like papa, a hankering after theatricals ;-but by the
WAY-LET that pass ; he ranks a divine, and it would
not be decorous in us to meddle with the cloth.
Having alluded to upstart Illegitimates possessing no
pretensions to honors or fame, we now take the liberty of
annexing the names of a few Illegitimates, or base-born, as
they are termed, whose disgrace, as, bastards was completely obliterated by the renown they acquired.
Solomon ; Romulus and Remus; Ramieries, King of
Arragon ; Alexander the Great; Clovis, King of France;
John Sforza; the Bastard Dunois of Orleans; William
the Conqueror; Erasmus, &c. were all illustrious Bastards; while countless others by their celebrity, have
cancelled the misfortune attending their birth by brilliant
talents or exalted virtues. Such are the Illegitimates we
honour, and not the mushroom lordlings of yesterday, indebted only to chance for their elevation.
However indisputable the fact, it appears to us almost
incredible that there exist some persons in this world, so
singularly moulded.as to be able to shift off their affections with the same ease they do their gloves. That
early tuition tends to bias the impulses of the mind, no
one will deny ; but where feeling has naturally been implanted, it appears to us next to an impossibility that it
should ever oe eradicated altogether from the heart.
Portsmouth and Plymouth, for intance, in time of
war, are celebrated places for enabling an observer to
watch the proceedings of young men, rearing for the
Navy; and it has frequently been found that their opening career proved characteristic of what occurred at the
more ripened 'eriod of manhood. We have known, at

120

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

the above places, a young officer disgrace himself by
tying a poor washerwoman's petticoats over her head,
who, thus indecently exposed, has been left to extricate
herself as well as she could ;-and upon other occasions,
one lady not being sufficient, three at the same time have
been chosen for bed-fellows. 'These freaks, as they were
termed, have not, however, been the indexes of an inherent playful disposition, as upon other occasions, the
same personage has figured, when on board, a complete
Martinet, exerting authority over the Jack tars, with all
the rigour tolerated by the Naval discipline.
On other occasions, we have witnessed a young officer
in the Island of Saint Dominica, in the West Indies, in
a state of inebriety, amuse himself with firing the huts
of the wretched negroes, by way of a spree, and being
present at a ball at Roseau, given by Captain Ord, then
Governor of Dominica, after accompanying the beautiful
wife of that officer down a dance, the same individual
actually behaved with such indecency before the company, as to be under the necessity of making a hasty retreat from the Island, in order to escape the just vengeance that must have awaited his nauseating depravity.
Such being in some cases, the early propensities of youth,
we need not feel surprised if the germs acquire a deep
root at a more ripened period of life, thus rendering the
mind callous to all the warm affections of commisserating
pity, and the refined impulses of virtuous love.
The term corrupt, as applied to the mind, is an expression borrowed from what takes place in a corporeal
sense, when gangrene has taken possession of the body;
a corrupt heart, therefore, is one, the morals of which
are as polluted as a substance in a state of decomposition.
and as disgusting to those possessing pure and innocent
sentiments, as the sight of a festering object, and the
effluvia it emits, prove to individuals possessed of delicate
oifactory nerves.
Those who never dream of crimes, cannot imagine
others capable of committing them, and however we may
perceive discrepancies in the conduct of our friends, there
is nevertheless, a wide difference between an infringe

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

121

rneint of the common rules of decorum, and the direct
violation of every moral dutty.
Gracious Heaven ! it is the fate of some ill-starred objects to witness the last glimpse of their peace eternally
extinguished--to have the mind stabbed in a point it
makes us shudder to contemplate; the wound too, being
perpetrated when the soul labours under a weight of conflicting griefs that render the sufferer incapable of supAnd whence may proporting the annihilating shock !
ceed the deadly blow ?--From a quarter least to be
dreamt of! ! In such cases, where wanders the spirit of
him who should protect'?-Why does not the avenger
come forward to rescueno more;
no more ;-let
the curtain drop upon the blighting vision of horror for
ever!!!
Infamy, when attached to the human character, is the
most insupportable of degradations, as it entails upon us
the loss of honour, and the aversion of every upright
character. A man stamped with the badge of infamy
gas lost all claim to reputation, and in such case the only
plan hle has to pursue is to conceal himself from publicity.
No punishment is so humiliating to human nature, as to
be scourged by the indignation of public justice.
The next document we have to offer, is a letter from
the pen of Mrs. Jordan to a confidential friend, on the
subject of the recent separation, which runs as follows.
THE SEPARATION.

Sir,y Dear

Bushey, Saturday.

I received yours and its inclosure, safe this
morning. My mind is beginning to feel somewhat reconciled to the shock and surprise it has lately received; for could you or the world believe that we
nevet' had, for twenty years, the semblance of a QUARREL.
But this is so well known in our domestic circle,
that the astonishment is the greater! MONEY, money,
my good friend, or the want of it,
has, I am convinced,
made
at this moment, the most wretched of
MEN; but having done wrong, he does not like to re-

HiM

122
tract.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

But with all his excellent qualities, his domestic vzrtues, his love for his lovely children, what must
he not at this moment sufer
his distresses should
have been relieved before ;-hut this is entre nous.
All his letters are full of the mostunquallifed
praise of my conduct; and it is the most heartfelt
blessing to lknow that to the best of my power, I
have endeavoured to Deserve it. I have received the
greatest kindness and attention from the R****t, and
every branch of the Royal Famrnily, who, in the most
unreserved terms, deplore this melancholy business.
The hole corresponderce is before the
"t, and
1 am proud to add that miy past and present conduct
has secured me a friend, who declares he never will
forsake me
My forbearance, he says, is beyond what he could
have imagined ;-but what will not a woman do, who
is firmly and sincerely attached? Had he left me to
starve, I never would have uttered a word to his
disadvantage. I enclose you two otler letters, and in
a day or two you shall see more, the rest being in the
hands of the R.----t. Ard now, my dear frieid, do
le has
not hear the Duke of C. unfairly abused.
done wrong, and he is suffering for it; but as far as he
has left it in his own power, he is doing every tiing
KIND and NOnBLE, even to the distressing HIMSELF.-I thank you sincerely for the fricndly caution at the
end of your letter, though I trust there will be no
occasion for it ; but it was kind arid friendly, andl as
such, I shall ever esteem it.
I remain, Dear Sir,
Yours sincerely,

R5*'

These letters are for

your eye alone.'*

DO RA JORDAN,'

Let it be observed that notwithstanding the praise lawhich sprang from
vished upon' the D - of C-,
*Trhe two letters enctosed by Mrs. Jordan, returned faitthfully to
hesfl esetbe, condition attached to their communication.

ELI ZABETH.I

Yu-bElse

lopDmrtc omb ei-9j1ittLe Qteen Sttd lo~

ot-m.

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

128

the writer's goodness of heart, she nevertheless cannot
refrain at the close of her epistle, from allowing that he
had done wrong and was suffering for it. The first
assertion no one can deny; but in regard to the second,
we cannot judge of persons by their actions; and for our
parts, we very much doubt whether an individual, having
so. conducted [himself, could be susceptible of a compunctious, yearning towards'the being who was withering
under the blight of his unkindness.
'My dear Sir,I should be sorry the letters I have inclosed to
you were the only vouchers I could produce to the
world, if necessary. But, good God ! what will not
the world say.? I received two letters this days, telling
me I was accused of intrigueing with the Duke of
Cumberland !
I am heart sick and almost worn out with this cruel
business, but
I am, very gratefully yours,
DORA JORDAN."

Well, indeed, might the wretched lady exclaim, that
she was heart sick at such a monstrous idea, as that referred to in the above note. It is true, tastes may be
DEPRAVED, but there is one EXTREME in

DEPRAVITY,

which scarcely occurs, as to rank almost impossible; and
of that description, would have been all intercourse between Mrs. Jordan and the being above adverted to.
Degustibus non est disputandum, says the Latin adage,
and certainly had such a taste been manifested by our
actress, it would have ranked her; not on a level-but
far more degraded than the lowest trull at Wapping; as
there are certain associations, which even the most dissolute of the female race would shun enhorrowed, and of such
a nature is the supposition to which we allude. This
preposterous and nauseating idea, brings to ourrecollection
the disgraceful trial of the late unfortunate Queen Caroline, when the revolting charge was made of her having
submitted to the embraces of her father-in-law,King
No. 6.T

1t4

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

George the Third, which h'''ninable allegation produced
the celebrated words of Ir. Denman, COME FORTH
THOU S LANDERER! levelled at the exhalted individual

who had ventured to hint at such a crime.
From the ensuing letter, as well as the next but one, it
seems that although the separation had taken place, Mrs.
Jordan continued under the roof of her late protector,
as these communications are dated from Bushy and
St James's; however, they are the last bearing such
superscription; whence it may be inferred, that she was
preparing to quit the royal residences for ever.
Bushy, Thursday
" My dear Sir,-

Allow me to thank you for your kind attention to
my request. We really live so much in the country,
and soentirely within ourselves, that we might be dead
and buried, without our friendsl knowing eventhat we
had been ill. I have the heartfelt happiness of informing you, that the Duke is considerably better, though
far from being as we could wish ; however, his physicians have given his Royal Highness permission to go
to town to-morrow. I have been confined ever since
my return, owing to the fatigues and anxiety I have
gone through. I hear it will be some time before I
recover the very great shock I received. 1 hear there
are to be two Drury Lanes; I believe just as likely as
one.
Yours, ever,
DoRA JORDAN."

Cadogan Place, Thursday.
"My dear Sir,I fear I must have appeared unmindful of your many
kindnesses, in having been such a length of time without
writing to you; but really, till very lately, my spirits
have been so deprossed, that I am sure you will understand my feelings, when I say, it cost me more pain to
write to those interested about me, than to a common
acquaintance. But the constant kindness and atten-

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

125

tion I meet with from the Duke, in every respect, but
personal intercourse, (and which dependsas much on my
feelings as his) has in a great measure restored me to
my former health and spirits. Among many noble
traits of goodness, he has lately added one more, that
of exonerating me from my promise of not returning
to my profession. This he has done, under the idea of ita
benefiting my health, and adding to my pleasures and
comforts; and though it is very uncertain, whether I
shall ever avail of this kindness, yet you, if you choose,
are at liberty to make it known, whether publicly or
privately.
Yours, ever,
DORA JORDAN."

P. S. I wish I could see you, but it is such a long way
for you to come.
l
It appears from the above letter, that all persona
association between the Duke and Mrs. Jordan, had
terminated, while she eulogizes his bounty in permitting
her to resume her theatrical avocations, should she be
desirous of so doing. Truly, a mighty condescension this,
to permit a repudiated mistress, after twenty years cohabitation, to betake herself to a profession, after growing
grey in the service, for the purpose of contributing to her
pleasures and comforts. PLEAS URES forsooth! a mighty
accession of delight she had to contemplate from toiling on
the theatrical boards, of which she had long been sick;
as to comforts, indeed, the labour was seasonably recommended, as the good things of this life can only beprocured through the medium of money, whereof she was
then disburthened; consequently, the profits accruing
became a very requisite desideratum.
We are such rooted admirers of the divine Shakspeare,
that we never fail to bear him in our remembrance; and
therefore, as Polonius observes, speaking of Hamlet
harping on his daughter. We must still 'continue to harp
upon the old string, and enquire, what in the name of

126

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

16
Li;E of the hundred and ten thousand
JORDAN
heaven bad become O)F MRS.C;
pounds?
"My dear Sir,I lose not a moment in letting you know that the
Duke of Clarence has concluded and settled on me and
his children, the most liberal and generous
and I trust every thing will sink into oblivion.
Yours, ever,

provisions;

DORAX

JORDAN."

What was to sink into oblivion? The remembrance
of
intercourse of twenty years standing? the having
borne a numerous progeny; or the hic presto disappearThese are
ance of a hundred aid ten thousand
events in a persons life not easily to be erased from the
memoryy; and however forgiving the generous creature
might be, we have a shrewed surmise that she did not

anl

pounds?

FORGET !

In reference to the foregoing correspondence, Mr.
Boaden, vol. ii. p. 280, observes,- The letters which
have been laid before the reader will have given all the
information that Mrs. Jordan thought herselAT LIBERTY
to communicate to paper." No doubt, and a very scanty
crop of information do they afford us; in short, we learn
from their contents everytinformation, but that which we
were desirous of learning

;-namely,
pounds! Tfhe

the cause

separation and the mysterious disappearance
hundred and ten thousand

of the

of'

one

same biogra-

pher then continues in the following strain.
t It may he remarked on' this occasion, that there were
three distinct sources of calumny concurring to swell the
tide of persecution, which now assailed Mrs. Jordan, and
the press was equally disposed to all the three, for they
equally purposedr mischief. The first was a pretty nuine,
rous set of scribblers, who, with the usually wanton ignorance of his conduct and merits, hated the Duke, her
a few writers connected
illustrious friend.-The
with

the theatres,

who,

-second,

crediting every rumour

with

which provincial towns suplied them), attributed to the
charming actress every, description of sordid or loose

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN

127

attachment; who converted her very virtues into pitch
and if she exerted herself to benefit any witness of her
early progress in life, stated, like lago. in the instance of
Cassio and Desdemona:That she repeal'd him for her body's lust.

A third, were perhaps, set on by persons of graver
consideration, but not less doubtful morals, who do evil
that good may come out of it; who affecting a high
sense of public virtue, and regard for the family on the
throne; and its members, within the probability of succession, spared no pains to excite distrust or disgust in
the royal person connected with her; trusting topowerfull
aids in the embarrassments of his circumstances; which,
with every disposition to frugality, had accumulated to
the noble Duke's serious annoyance.
The writer, contumaciously designated by Mr. Boaden,
as scriblers, who thought fit to express their sentiments
of disgust at the conduct of a certain personage, acted
like men possessed of honourable feelings, who disdained
to pamper greatness at the expence of veracity. They
averred, and true was the assertion, that the poor lady
waa shamefully abandoned. In regard to the writers
nected with provincial theatres, who stigmatized our
actress, we might with equal justice pronounce Mrs.
Jordan deficient on the score of charity, in quoting the
following extract from Kirkman's Life of Macldin, who
speaking of a subscription, set on foot for that veteran of
the histrionic art, gives the ensuing statement.
During the time of the subscription, Mrs. Jordan
wrote Mr Macklin the following letter :Somerset Street, 1791.
"Sir,I have done myself the pleasure of subscribing to
your works, ten pounds, aud request you will accept the
same from me every year, in remembrance and respect
of your superior abilities.
I am, Sir,
Your sincere admirer, and
humble servant,
DoRA JORDAN.'
- Mr. Charles Macklin.

12

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

An application was afterwards made to Mrs. Jordan for
her promised annual subscription ; but strange to relate,
this lady did notdeign to return even an answer. It is but
justice to both parties to relate this circumstance, as Mrs.
Jordan most unquestionably received all the merit and
praise due to her for her promised liberality; because her
letter addressed to Mr. Macklin enclosed under cover to
Mr.John Bell,Bookseller, Strand, was handed about in his
shop, as a testimony of her generosity, and he announced
the same publicly in the newspapers: but lest the world
should be misled in regard to this particular, we can
assure the public, from the most undoubted authority,
that Mr. Macklin never received one single shilling from
Mrs. Jordan, subsequent to the period of her first subscription. Mr. Macklin, it is true, applied to her, in
pursuance of the request contained in her own letter, for
her annual subscription, but was not honoured with an
answer. The sum of the transaction is this: - Mrs.
Jordan had all the merit of the bounty: Mr. Macklin
had not the benefit of it.
Now all this goes incontestibly to prove that what the
scriblers stated was true, as it was no lack of inclination
on the part of Mrs. Jordan that prevented a coutinuance
of the stipend to Mr. Macklin, but an absolute want of
the means to put her charitable intention into practice.
We, therefore again ask what had become of the sterling
proceeds from her theatrical pursuits ? We have on
previous occasions given incontestible evidence of the
kindness and philanthropy of her heart, and we only
blame .Mr. Macklin's biographer for drawing his conclusions. without examining more minutely the real
statement of the case. Mrs. Jordan might well have
exclaimed with the Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet:My poverty, and not my will consents.

Her not writing is easily accounted for, as she couh4
not have put pen to paper without confessing her inability to disburse the amount solicited, which must have
cast an odium in another quarter, and her mind was too

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

129

generous to implicate a triend, while she was empowered
to screen him at her own expense.
As to the third class of individuals pourtrayed Mr.
Boaden, they must indeed have been of very doubtful
morals, since they were infamous enough to cast upon
our sufferer the taint of an intrigue with the Duke of
Cumberland. When we first heard the detestable falshood bruited at the time, we experienced a feeling that
forcibly brings to mind the line of Virgil where he says;
Obstupui, steterunt, que come et vox faucibus hsoe.

At the period of the separation, an intended union
between the Duke of Clarence and the late ill-fated Miss
Tylney Long was publicly talked of, and report went so
far, as to state that the Prince Regent contemplated the
bringing the bill into parliament, in order to sanction such
union. In reference to this topic, Mr Boaden observes:
-'" In fact TWENTY YEA us of sympathy and truth leave

always strong impressions upon the mind; and I have
no doubt full justice has always been done to the attachment of Mrs. Jordan, by the royal personage to
whom it was borne."
If this be not offering undeserved adulation, we never
heard of flattery before; however, upon second thoughts,
we conceive that Mr. Boaden may not merit reprehension,
as the daubing is so truly preposterous, as to verify the
famous line of Pope:
Praise undeserved is satire in disguise.

Mr. Boaden next observes-" The letter from Mrs.
Jordan upon the subject of the disagreement, mentions
her forbearance, and that it was highly applauded by a
great personage." We take it for granted, the then
Prince Regent, " nor is it unlikely that she might have
placed some part of her fortune at the temporary digposition of her noble friend. Every thing of apecuniary
natuce, however, it will be shewn by adequate proof, was
settled, with interest, up to the very hour of adjustment,

Iso
and

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

Mrs, Jordan's receipt in full taken

by the

gentleman

commissioned to make the arrangement."
Here then we have something like an admisssion, that
the poor lady had forbearance, and that a portion of her
fortune might have been placed at the disposal of her
potetor. We- now wish to enquire the motive of this
forbearance, that gave such delight to an exalted
personage.
it her concealment of the nature of
those pecuniary transactions; their amount ; non-restitution, or failure in the payment of the annual allowance
of a thousand posnds which had been secured by a bond?

Was

FORBEARANCE

.

a great personage to'applaud the lenity

of an actress towards no less an individual than his own
brother; it must indeed have been a circumstance of no
very trifling nature, that could wring such plaudit on a
vagabond actress, from one of the haughtiest men in
existance!
Although we have on former-occasions commented on
the large sums, realized by our actress during her professional carreer; we cannot refrain from recurring to
the theme. We once more beg leave to advert to the
bequeathed
ample settlement of £1000 a year, and a
her by a deceased relative of her mother's; making with
her professional gains, an annual rental of no less than
£8000, including the £1000 annuity. Now suppose we
deduct the latter amount as never having been paid,
£7000 per annum still remained, being the interest

sum

a capital of £140,000.

of
find stated that our
We next three it daughters, and
her

heroine settled £30,000 on
ultimately,' that she

was

to

necessitated

abandon-Eng.

land on account of numerous demands on a bond and bills
had accepted ; now if such be the fact, she had not
liquidated theme; then how were the £110,000 that re-~
for certain illusinained disposed off ? The

she

advocates

upon

trious and fashionable individuals, may turn round
us with brazen impudence (for assurance dwells with the
Ali! but the bills and bond concerns
great)and
were only in part cancelled". What 110,0001. a mere
partial wiping off of those incumbrances ; paltry evasion
subterfuge! Then we again demrand, What.

say,-"

-wicked

?

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

181

became of the capital? Our actress was no gambler,
her habits were uniformly frugal, and for a series of
years her house rents; expenditure for the table, &c.,
had or ought to have been defrayed by another; the
advocates of greatness will never solve this problemnot so the abettors of truth; they see through the flimsy
veil: spunges will suck up, and sinks ingulph the
largest torrents.
Now the pecuniary embarrassments under which our
heroine suffered, did certainly result from a bond and
bill involvements, the amount of which is stated at
£2000, a sum she could not liquidate, although it seems
more than probable, her claims upon others were of such
magnitude, and this was coupled with other circumstances, that completely annihilated her peace, and compelled her to abandon her native land.
In regard to the thousand pound settlement, such
things have been heard of as procuring the loan of a bond
under specious pretences, and never returning the same.
Transactions of this nature will sometimes occur in
families, as a lady of the name of Robinson could testify
was she still in existance.
Parnobile fratrum. The cacoethes iniclaudi is proverbial with certain races great as well as plebian, with
this sole, but wide difference, that the former escape,
while the latter invariably meet the punishment due to
their offences. Great men may keep mistresses, expend
their earnings, and then discard them pennyless-they
may have friends to exhilirate their spirits at the festive
board, who being being ruined by imitating their extravangancies, are dismissed to close life's, scene in penury.
These are privileges denied to common bipeds like ourselves; we are burthened with that stale commodity,
called HONOURABLE

IEELING.

The mistress and the

friend have imperious claims upon us, and we cannot
however necessitated ourselves may be, we abandon
them after years of enjoyment, to wretchedness and the
grave.
The mind gifted with purity of sentiments is not
framed for the unfeeling and the heartless, there is only

132

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

one species of companion, fitted for such a formation, we
mean the Tartar, a creature for instance, like Mary
Ann Clarke, who while indulging licentiousness and
depravity, watched with the wary eye of the vampirebut the unguarded moment extracted the hidden secrets
of the breast, and treasured them until a fitting moment,
when the threat of disgorging wake the dissolute idiot
from his slumber, and the syren who had enslaved and
fooled him, received a golden boon as the reward of
basest treachery. Such are the fitting companions of
men void of soul, whereas it is the fate of some wretched
victims to bare their bosoms to the vulture's beak, that
it may pluck their hearts out.
There is something particularly ominous in the word
BIRD, as connected with certain individuals, and many
persons have found to their cost, that to meddle with
them was very far from child's play. We recollect many
years back having been entrusted with the perusal of a
pamphlet, entitled, 'The Royal Criterion,' advertized
to be published in Green Lettuce Lane in the City, which
production, however, did not meet publicity, having
created a considerable ferment at the time. It contained
an exposure of facts relating to three bonds, issued for
the purpose of raising £100,000 for three brothers, those
instruments having been entitled, the Irish, the Dutch,
and the French bonds. On the first, no sum of any
consequence was raised; because the assets were to be
derived from persons NEAR HOME ; and consequently too

well acquainted with the principals concerned, to place
any confidence in the transaction ; on the second or
Dutch bond, about £20,000 were procured; and on the
third or French bond, upwards of £36,000; of which
last mentioned amount, the share holders never were
remunerated in one farthing interest or principal. This
fact, although far from a joke to those who had advanced
their funds, under the full assurance of repayment, was
nothing compared to what occurred to some of the leading agents in the French bond transaction; for, at the
period alluded to, the National Convention of France had
declared hostility against all kingly governments, Jaques

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

133

de Baunds, Jean Francois Malereier and others, became
implicated as endeavouring to raise money in Paris for
the purpose of forwarding the views of foreign princes.
The, result was, that five individuals were condemned
and suffered decapitation by the guillotine; while others
concerned, making in the whole, to the best of our recollection, THIRTEEN INDIVIDUALS, were either shot or
beheaded, in consequence of this precious BOND SPECULATION.
The late D-ke of P-tl-d, with Messrs.
H-mm- rs-ly and H-sk--ss-n, might have thrown
considerable light on the whole of this very very inter
esting transaction, and, the sanguinary episode that terminated such a truly honourable afair.
To the above we have to add, that being at Paris a few
years back, we were introduced to three or four persons
in the rue des Lombards, who were the holders of coupens
or cheques to a considerable amount in this notable bond
transaction. It was further proposed to vest in our
hands, assets to the amount of fifty thousand francs, for
the purpose of ascertaining whether as an Englishman,
and holding such securities, we could not legally proceed
for the recovery of the amount. Being a matter of some
importance, we consulted the celebrated Mr. Plunket,
since deceased, who had long been a resident in the
French capital, when he gave it as his opinion, that in
consequence of the lapse of time, and the rank of the
persons to be pursued, there was much doubt as to a
favourable result; and that all that we might acquire
would be a great share of unprofitable notoriety, which
representations made us decline any further interference in
the business. It may be necessary to add, that half of
the amount received, was to have been our recompense,
coupled with an undertaking, that in the event of success
attending this primary essay, nearly the whole remaining
amount of the six i and thirty thousand pounds that had
been procured on the bond, was to be claimed through
our intervention.
For a short period after the separation, our actress
resided with her daughter, the wife of Colonel Hawker,
who inhabited a house in Cadogon Place. Having, as

LIFE OF MRS, JORDANt
previously observed, obtained the sanction of her cidivant friend, to resume the theatrical profession, Mrs.
Jordan entered into several lucrative engagements.
Notwithstanding the change in her personal appearance,
having become extremely corpulant, and the loss of
youth, her attractions continued unimpaired with the
provincial audience; nay, in so much so, that Sir Jonah
Barrington has estimated the last season of her performance, as having produced no less than seven thousand
pounds; a sum we conceive much exaggerated. It had
long been the wish of our actress to quit the profession
of the stage at the same time as Mrs. Siddons, however
being much younger than the latter lady, and necessity
pressing hard upon her, she abandoned the idea.
The year 1814 was pregnant with unfortunate events,
as regarded the heroine of our memoirs. Mr. Alsop,
whose habits had been very dissolute and extravagant,
was at this period completely ruined? and compelled
through the interest of Mrs. Jordan to atteud Lord Moira
to India as his nominal secretary, not having been absolutely appointed to that post. On the departure of
Mr. Alsop, his mother-in-law did all within the scope of
her slender ability to forward his views; it having been
previous arranged, that on his establishment at Calcutta,
he would send over for his wife, which however did not
take place; and the sequel of the story is, that Mr.
Alsop died, leaving by a white woman three children, for
whom a subscription was raised on his demise.
On the departure of Mr. Alsop, Mrs. Jordan insured
his life for the benefit of her daughter, in the event of
his death. This shock sustained in regard to her eldest
daughter, was followed by a second blow, in the persons
of two of her sons, officers in the Tenth Hussars, who
became implicated in the court martial, instituted against
Colonel George Quentin, the commanding officer. The
result was, that Mrs. Jordan's sons went to India under
rather disagreeable auspices; it being exaeted, that they
should be kept under strict discipline, in consequence of
the prominent share they had taken in the affair of
Colonel Quentin and his regiment.
4

LIFE OF M1RS. JORDAN.

185

The next documents furnished, are two letters from
Mrs. Jordan, respecting the insurance of Mr. Alsop's
life, and her final solemn resolve on the subject of that
gentleman's wife.
Whitehaven, 11 Nov. 1816.
r

" My Dear,-

This moment only have I received both your
letters ; therefore, you will not be surprised that Igrew
uneasy. rhe other half of the cheque, you will have
received by this time; so far all is right. It was
from Howard's own mouth that I got the disagreeable
information, that I was liable to pay the additional
insurance on Alsop's life. I need not tell you my
dear,-how much obliged I should be to you, if you
would regularly arrange this very disagreeable and
unfortunate business
me. I trust that the heavy
addition will be prevented, and I am truly sorry that
you have not been comfortable. What has been the
matter? I have been very ILL, but do not let them
know of it at home ! So much so, that I was obliged
to give up my engagement at Sheffield, after playing
only one night, which was doubly unlucky, from the
prospect there was of great success I lose £150 by
it. I am doing very well here; but the theatre is not
large enough.
God bless you all,
Your affectionate
DORA JORDAN.'

tor

P. S. I believe I shall go to Edinburgh, but Newcastle first.
According to a note given by Mr. Boaden, it appears
that our actress performed at the English Theatre, in
Brussels in 1814, and that she equally trod the boards at
Margate in July and August 1815, at which place she
so frequently charmed the audience during the days of her
prosperity. The latter we understand were the last of her
theatrical exhibitions prior to her decease the ensuing
year.
No. 6.

N.

130

LIFE.OF 21RS. JORDAN.

Relative to Mrs. Alsop.
Carlisle, Saturday, Dec. 3, 1814,
" I was prevented by illness, both of body and
mind the last time I wrote, from saying one half of
what it is necessary should now be perfectly understood with regard to Mrs. Alsop. You say, that in
order to assist her, you must expend £30 or £40. I am
sorry for it, as it will not be in my power to reimburse
you; andf trust the love and duty you owe to your own
family, will interfere and point out to you the injustice
to it. You talk of Mrs. A--s's desire to go to
her husband. If it were duty or affection that prompted
her I.should pity, though even in that case, it would
at this time be out of my power to forward her
wishes; but this is not the case as you must know. I
have at present melancholy, but far better claims on
me-claims that to my bitter remorse, I have almost
deprived myself of the means of affording to two
amiable children, by having them lavished them on
one. She never could have been sensible of the
sacrifice, or I should not have met with such ingratitude. For the last time dear---shall this subject ever
employ my pen, and I trust you will give it the
feel due to it. In the event of Mrs.
attention
's going abroad,I must sink another 1001. peryear
Ato the 260l.; (independant of the additional insurance
life) making in all near 4001. a year. He
on A--'s
has no employment, and how will he support her.?
and I am to have the additional misery of thinking
that she may be starving in a foreign land ? I, therefore, for the last time, most solemnly declare to her,
through you, that these are the last and only propositions that shall ever be approved. THAT she shall go to
her uncle in Wales, when I will pay 401. a year for her
board and lodging, allowing her 501. a year for clothes.
till such time as her husband may be able to maintain
her abroad, when every exertion shall be mode to seda
her out. If she refuses this, I here swear by the most
heart breaking oath, that presents itself to my tortured
mind, that may I never again see those two sacrificed

1

LI1E OF MRS. JORDAN.

187

young men, if I ever (if possible) think of her again
as a child, that has any claim on ME. And Isbhall be
led to doubt the affection of any one who may by a
mistaken motive, endeavour to make me break an oath
If she has an
so seriously and solemnly taken,
atom of feeling and wishes' to regain any part of my
affection, se will instantly agree to this. If not, the
O9l. shall be regularly paid to her so long as
a year
I have it to give. Let her not look on this as
Let her look on the fate of two gallant
banishment,
young men,submitting to a cruel exile without a murmur,
whatever they may feel. I shall'send a plan to Mrs.
WVilliams, and shall be under the diagreeable necessity
my dear-of withdrawing from you the little addition
I could have wished to continue to you. When every
thing is adjusted, it will be impossible for me to remain
in England: I shall therefore go abroad, appropriating"
as much as I can spare of the remainder of my income
to pay my debts. And now my dear-for the last time
on this cruel subject. ADIEU! I write this from a
sleepless pillow. God bless you all! I shall be at
home by tho 15th. or 16th. I have been obliged to
to give up all my engagements :-love to all.
Your affectionate,
DORA JORDAN "

a

- Place, after the
'For the little time I shall be in C
departure of all happiness, till dear Lucy, I shall pay her
three guineas per week for myself, Miss J. and the two
servants, finding our own tea, sugar, and wine.
Be
silent on the subject at my going abroad, or it may
embarrass me.'
Little comment is necessary on the subject of the
foregoing epistle, which sufficiently explains the anguish
of the writer's mind, and the stern resolve she was
compelled to adopt in regard to her daughter, Mrs.
Alsop, who had adopted that course of life which was
derogatory to herself, and heart rending to the keen
feelings of a kind and indulgent mother.

LIFE OF MRS. JORD14N.
We frequently remember to have seen Mrs. Alsop
when in a state of real distress ; yet under those circumstances, there was always a theatric tawdry about
her, if we may be permitted so to denominate her appearance, For instance, in a complete soaking day, she used
to walk the streets in a faded and worn out silk dress; a
bonnet, the trimmings of which, fluttered so many rags
in the wind; on her legs she wore rusty silk stockings,
dyed of a flaming pink colour; while her shoes, in holes,
admitted the mud at every step she took ; such, without
caricature, being the precise appearance of this lady in
the days of her wretchedness and destitution.
Tihe following letter in reference to Mrs. Alsop, merely
refers to the former communication, recapitulating her
fixed determination to adhere to the plans laid down in
that epistle, for the benefit of her destitute and erring
child.
Relative to Mrs. Alsop.
Carlisle, Sunday, Dec. 4, 1814.
" My dear------,
When I received your letter relative to Fanny, I
immediately wrote to George, without endeavouring to
prejudice him in the smallest degree, but was not at
all surprised at the enclosed answer, which you may
shew or not, as you shall judge best. You have of
course received my last; I will spare what I can to
send her to Wales respectable, and enable her uncle
to receive her comfortably. Whenever Alsop is in a
situation to provide for or maintain her abroad, I will
exert my utmost to send her to him.
All personal discussions on such subjects, are
doubly painful; therefore, my dear,- to prevent such,
I take the opportunity of repeating this by letter
and in future, I have only to refer Fanny to my last
letter to you. If she and Mrs. Williams should prefer
living in any cheap part of France, they may do it to
more advantage. It is very probable, that I shall find
it necessary to live there the best part of every year.
Dear George's account of every body in C
138

0OF MRS.

JORD

139

pleasure;

LIFE

I could wish Mrs.

place, gives me great
Alsop and Mrs. Williams would make up their minds
before I return. I shall be back, if those dear boys go
or 16th.-God bless you all.
soon, by the

15th.

Your's

affectionate,

DORA JORDAN."~

to Mrs. Jordan.

Captain George Fitzclarenoe
closed in the preceding.

-En-

Extract,,

London, Dec. '2nd.

ct. My

1814,

dearest mother,is at yet settled when we start; but we
are to go out in Admiral Burtton's ship, who goes out
to take command in India. I am now certain to join
but if any thing is said about it, the Du$e
Lord
of York will give me positive orders to join my horrid
regiment. I really think we go out in the most happy
way, and ought, if we choose to stay long enough to
make our fortunes. My father, poor soul, has suffered
much, but is now better; his anxiety actually made
him very ill; but both go out in the same ship, which
is a great comfort. Although ve are a great w y off
each other, (700 miles) yet I hope should any good
situation -offer to bring Henry to Calcutta. The girlis

Nothing

Moira:

have made up their

minds to

it very well.

M-

did

not mention any thing about Fanny, but I cannot take

her

on board the king's ship.

It

will be impossible;

I would not shackle myself with her. Mac Mahon gives
me the most certain assurances of Alsop being provided for. I will do all I can ; but I. cannot take
Fanny out with us. It will cost 3,0001. to get us out
to India-.-where is all this to come from?"

From Mrs. Jordan.
Carlisle, Dec. 5th. 1814.
"My Dear,I shall be home by January 15th. or 16th. Truly
sorry am I to be under the necessity of disturbing dear

140

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

Dora; sooner than do so, if I was not very unwell, I
would take lodging s.
The inclosed to the gen----l*, contains a proposition similar to the one I made you concerning the
house; which if it does not appear eligible to him, I
shall dispose of as soon as possible; and if not able to
follow my profession, I shall immediately go abroad.
God bless you,
DORA JORDAN."'

P. Si I trust in God you will exert yourself in pointing
out to Fanny the absolute necessity of her prompt compliance with the proposal; in which case she shall find
me her mother and friend."
In regard to Mrs. Alsop, she terminated her miserable
career in America, as it is reported, by poison, though
we cannot vouch for the fact; and in reference to the
fortune of Mr. Jordan, Sirs. Jonah Barrington, after
making mention of the 70001. accumulated by her professional tours during the last year of her performance,
infers, that after such unexampled success, we might
be led to infer an increased fortune had been accumulating
through life. The whole, however, seemed to have been
checked and withered away (but the bounty of her illus,
strious friend) by the conduct of the gentleman once so
dear in her esteem. 'May we (says Boaden) bee to enquirg
what had become of that vast fortune which we have
vainly fancied to be a growing bank and fund of provision for herself and her children'?' Suppose it could
have been established that he (the friend for whom our
actress signed a bond and bills) had engaged Mrs.
Jordan,s name and credit to the amount of 6,0001. What
was to hinider her from paying the bonds thrice, if once
would not have sufficed, rather than becoming a fugitive
in a foreign land, and dying of dejection and alarm, as
much as of disease? But we- have from her own pen,

SGeneral Hawkins her son in-law.

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

141

14
a detail of her IrFEI OF MRS. JORDA. she knew anything
circumstances, before
of the embarrassments of the person in question, and a
most astonishing exhibition it is; I use her own wordy,
continues my authority, 'hat
no colouring of mine may
seem to deepen the disastrous pictures.'
hen every thing is adjusted it will be impossible for
me to remain in England. I shall therefore go abroad,
appropriating as much as I can spare of the remainder of
ray income to pay my debts.
Be silent on the subject of my going abroad, or it may
embarrass me.'
'At this time she (Mrs. Jordwn) was so little aware
of the difficulties shortly to excite her attention, that
she absolutely apologises to the PERSON for withdrawing
a slight addition she had been happy to make to his
income, in order to carry into effect the arrangements
proposed for the salvation indeed of
daughter Alsop.
How, it will be asked, did she come into such nulooked
for straitness, as to what should have rendered her
independant even of royal bounty? Who had swallowed
up the recompense of her glorious talent, the growth from
the stock of her own industry ? her sons in law had not
been halfpaid the intended portions of their wives.

W

her

(Ten

of

thousand pounds each.)

every degree

But all her connections

were her annuitants.'

The ensuing note is to a friend who had pecuniary
claims Upon Mrs. Jordan, to whom she remitted fresh
securities, as required by him for the amount in which
she

stood his debtor.
"My ever dear----,
thank your kind and considerate letter, and reap

I

all the consolation from it that my present melancholy
situation will. allow of. .I enclose the notes I have just
written to dear-~-

God bless you all,
DORA

Without date.

JORDAN.'

142

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN

We now come to the authentic statement respecting
the unfortunate business transactions in which our actress
had became involved for the sole purpose of relieving an
esteemed, though worthless friend.
Authentic statement.

1813,

Mrs. Jordan was called upon
'In the autumn of
very uexpectedly, to redeem some securities given by
her, for money raised to assist a near relative. The
cause of this aid was the pressure of matters, purely of
a domestic nature. The call upon her was sudden
and certainly unexpected; and not finding herself
in a situation to advance the 20001. claimed, she withdrew herself to France, deputing a friend in Eugland,
to make every necessary arrangement for paying all the
At the time of Mrs
creditors as soon as possible.
Jordan's quitting England, she was in the receipt of an
annual income of upwards of 2,0001. paid with the
greatest punctuality quarterly, without demur, drawback,
or impediment, and so continued to the hour of her death.
Up to April 1816, Mr. Jordan's drafts on Messrs Coutts
and Co. were duly paid; never for a moment could she
have felt the griping hand of poverty.
SI can positively assert, that never during her LIFE
TIME was one shilling paid towards liquidating the
securities in question; nor was it URGENT that it should
be done; because the creditors, for the most part personal friends, well knew tihe upright principles they
had to depend upon; nor were they ignorant, that the
transcendant talents of this GIFTED being were always
sure to receive a munificent reward from the hands
of the public, whenever she should again seek their
assistance; and in the fruits of this, THEY were sure of
participating. Her protracted stay abroad was occasioned by .untoward circumstances, over which the
PRINCIPALS had no control.
Up to the hour of Mrs Jordan's leaving England,
she. had been living under the same roof, with the
relative with whom hewas concerned in the securities

14

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
alluded to. Reciprocal acts of kindness, mutual confi
dence, in all domestic matters, and many points of
private affairs tended to create Mrs. Jordan's mind a
reliance upon this person. Never for a moment during
the six years that her daughter had been married, had
Mrs. Jordan reason to doubt his sincere affection or his
veracity; nor did she doubt them when she left England.
'Immediately upon the derangement of Mrs. Jordan's
affairs, and before she left England, a STATEMENT OF
ALL the CLAIMS to which she was liable, was made out
together with a LIsT of the THE PERSONS holding her

bonds and bills of acceptance; the result of which convinced Mrs. Jordan that her liabilities did not much
exceed 2,0001., and that the claimants were one and all
the personal friends of the parties.
' In August 1815, Mrs Jordan left England for
France, with the intention of remaining away some ten
days, the time computed necessary to place matters in
that state, as to render her person legally secure from
arrest. Her affairs were placed in the hands of persons
well informed in every particular thereof, as of all other
matters connected with her life. Mrs.Jordan was well
aware that the creditors were only anxious to have their
claims placed in a secure state, and that they were willing to give every accommodation required. She was
also aware that her FELLOW SUFFERER had given up

a considerable portion of his income ; and she felt that
her representative in England could in one hour's time
settle any doubtful point that might arise during the
arrangement. In short, she knew that no impediment
existed. Consequently, when she found that month
after month elapsed, without anything being finally
settled, her mind became troubled.
'Mrs. Jordan left England,; she took with her as a
companion, a lady who had for some years previously been
employed in superintending the education of Mrs.
Jordan's younger children, and who had for the last
twelve months, been Mr's. Jordan's constant attendant.
This person came to England in January 1816, to receive
and take Mirs. Jordan her quarters's in cc ne, liLU

144

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

Messrs. Coutt's house. From the moment of her arrival
in England, until she quitted it, she pursued a line of
conduct towards the daughters of Mrs. Jordan, (then
residing in Mrs. Jordan's house) that was offensive
beyond measure; she peremptorily and in a most insulting manner, called upon the person concerned with Mrs.
Jordan in the affairs of the bills and bonds, to make oath
that Mrs. Jordan was not liable to any claims beyond those
Cf which she already knew. The demand was accompanied by base insinuations. Justly doubting this to be
really the wish of Mrs. Jordan, and irritated at the circumstances attending the demand, it was refused; and
on the same day this lady returned to France, and there is
little doubt, but then for the first time, Mrs. Jordan did
become apprehensive.'
During her stay in England, the lady alluded to informed two of Mrs.Jordan s daughters, that Mrs. Jordan's
future place of residence in France, was to be kept a
profound secret from them, and that all letters from them
to their mother, must be sent through a third person,
and be directed to Mrs. James, instead of Mrs. Jordan;
thus, from that time, all such :communications first passed
through the hands of a person who might withdraw Mrs.
Jordan's confidence and affection, from those most interested in getting her back to England. It is necessary to
revert to the verbal refusal given to take the OATH
demanded, because it has been made a point of much
importance as connected with Mrs. Jordan's state of
feeling in consequence of the publication made in the
Morning Chronicle of 26th. January 1824, of a letter of
Mrs. Jordan's bearing date 16th. January 1816.
Mrs. Jordan's letter must have been written immediately after the return of the above mentioned lady to
France, and there is great reason to think that then only
for the first tirpe, did a feeling of apprehensin of further
demands awake in Mrs. Jordan's mind, and the fatal
step of cutting off the source ofcommunications prevented
altogether, or perhaps only delayed the receipt of a
letter written by the person refusing to take the oath on
the very same day; to say that he was truly willing to

LIFE OFZMRS. JORDAN.

14

do whatever Mrs. Jordan should HERSELF require, and

that the oath should he taken whenever she wrote to say
it was her wish.
There can be no question that the mind of this great
woman had been long and grievously oppressed. Nor
will this be any matter of wonder when a retrospect is
taken of her eventful life. Who can deny, that in the
greatest flow of her prosperity, she had many bitter
memorials that GooD and ILL will mingle in every human
condition. The greatest pleasure that acquiring could
bestow upon Mrs. Jordan, was its affording her the
power of shedding greater happiness around her. Can
there be a severer censure on her memory than to think
that PECUNIARY DIFFICULTIES,, even weighty, (which

her's never were) could for any length of time have
depressed a mind such as her's in its perfect state ?
I have thrown this statement together, in the hope
that you will deem it satisfactory,
and remain my dear Sir,
most sincerely Yours's,
This document we take it for granted, is given as a
most satisfactory and conclusive elucidation of all that
may be requircd by the reader on the subject of Mrs.
Jordan's pecuniary embarrassments. Now, so far from
conceding to such opinion, we regard this authentic
statement as one of the most unsatisfactory and inconclusive papers we ever perused. The unfortunate lady
it seems was very unexpectedly called upon to pay two
thousand pounds, and not having assets so to do: she,
in order to secure her personal safety, fled to France. At
the period alluded to, she was in the enjoyment of
upwards of 20001. a year, yet no security could be given,
Dnor any composition entered into with the claimants;
finally, nothing short of expatriation could censure her
safety. So much for the first paragraph. We are next
told that during the lady's life time, not one shilling was
ever paid in liquidation of the bonds and bills, whereon

146

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

the 20001 were claimed ; and why? because the creditors
were personai riends of the debtor who felt so pefectly
f
satisfied ' th her honourable conduct, that nothing
could be further from their minds, than having recourse
to any unpleasant measures. Then why in the name of
common sense, did she absent herself from England? and
what is the meaning of the conclusive lines of the
second paragraph, that her protracted stay abroad was
ocsasioned by untoward circumstances over which
PRINCIPALS had no control.
Who are the persons
alluded to under the term PRINCIPALS? were they the
creditors ; her own family; or the indivdual with whom
she had last cohabited ?
contess there is something
so inignmatical i;a this sentence, that we are not ashamed
to own our inability to solve its meaning.
Again, in the fourth paragraph, we find it repeated
that our actress, after all the claims upon her had been
ascertained, was not involved to a greater amount than
20001., which debt had been incurred to assist another;
while the creditors, ONE and ALL, were personal friends
of the parties.
sinigular then, we again repeat, that
she should have gone abroad, and still more extraordinary, that her absence should have been protracted
by events, over which the PRINCIPALS had no control.

the

We

Fow

The fifth paragraph

states

in

direct

contradiction to

the above, that her intention was to be absent some ten
days, the time. computed necessary to place matters
in

son

that state, as to render her (Mrs.
legally secure from ARREST,

Jordan's) per-

What

fear

could

exist when we have teed twice assured they were. ONE
and ALL her PERSONAL FRIENDS ? Added to this, we
are further instructed that the poor. lady's FELLOW
SUFFERER had given up a considerable portion of his
annual income, and she felt certain her representative
in England, could in hour's time settle any doubtful
point in the arrangement.
In short, she knewv that
no impediment existed. Consequently, finding month
succeeded z onth, and no settlement taking place, her
mind became troubled.'
Well, indeed, it
and
our

only astonishment is, that the

might,

worm

thus trampled

THE

2

Biublishevi

LEVERJENTD

--

hjncon-be.L9.Zittle Queerz S2i olhosm.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.''4

weigh147

upon was so quiescent as unavenged to carry her
ty sufferings to the grave.
In the sixth paragraph
allusion is made to the staunc-h friend of our actress,
wiho visited London to receive her money at Coutt's,
the haniker's, *nd -who was no doubt, perfectly avare
of' the neglectful manner in which her employer had
been treat. during her absence, consequently pursued
a line of conduct towards her daughters by Mr. Ford,
that gave great offence; she further, as it subsequently
appears at the express desire of Mrs. Jordan, demanded
an affidavit on the part of the friend she had obliged in
the bond and bill transactions, stating that he had not
involved her to a larger -amount than the 20001.
oath he refused to ratify; when we are sapiently informed at .the close of" this paragraph, thatthen for the first time, Mrs. Jo-dan did become apprehensive.' So then, her leaving England in the greatest
terror--the necessity of such a measure for ten days, to
secure her from arrest,-all was mere moon-shine, as
her only real terrors were awakened when she
in
perfect security from the harpies of the
law, on
the soil of France.
We should like to know after a such an expose as the
above assertion affords, ;what.
can be said in support of
this aledged Authentic Statement, which is,
our opi-

stipula-

ted, which

English

in

\Sas

nion, the most garbled and mystified document we

ever

perused, and all we have to say is, that the reader umust
be endowed with a far, greater portion of credulity and
discernment than ourselves to extract auything like a
satisfactory elucidation of the points it was intended to
develope.
It was at this period the conduct of Mrs. Alsop gave
great umbrage in a certain exalted quarter, in consequence of a most. virulent epistolatory correspondence
which she carried on, while under the roof of her sister's
husband, MMr.
March. Now, who was enabled to know
mose intimately the affairs of Mrs. Jordan, than her
eldest daughter, Mrs. Alsop, who, smarting from the ef
fects of personal exigency, and fully aware of the

fortune her parent ought to have enjoyed,
No. 7.

and

was bereft
0

MRS. JORDAN.
148
LIFE acrimonious
JORAN
of--gave vent to her OF MRi~lS. feelings.
LIFE

148

OF

The result
was an interview, by the Duke's command, between his
agents, Messrs. Wilkes and Barton, who were perfectly
satisfied that Mr. March had not been at all instigatory
to the objectionable correspondence forwarded by Mrs.
Alsop ;-in short, the latter mentioned lady, being remonstrated with upon the subject, by Mr. March, she at
once absented herself from his house.
On the 18th of October, 1815, Mrs. Alsop first appeared upon the stage, at which period her husband had
been absent one year, having, as before observed, sailed
with Ear! Moira ; at which period it was obvious the
lady was far advanced in pregnancy-a pretty clear demonstration that she had forgottcn those obligations
whereby she ought to have been bound by the nuptial
tie. Respecting this first essay, we bet leave to quote
Mr.
who thus describes Mrs.
on the present occasion.

Hazliti,

Alsop

'he truth is, Mrs. Alsop is a very nice little woman,
who acts her part very sensibly and cleverly, and with a
certain degree of arch humour ; but no more like her mo
ther than we to Hercules.!Mrs. Jordan's excellencies
were all natural to her.-It was not as an actress, but as
herself, that she charmed every one. Nature had formed
her in her most prodigal humour ; and when Nature is
iii the humour to make a woman all that is delightful,
she (10es it most effectually. Her face, her tones, her
manner, were irresistable. Her smile had the effect of

it.

good

Her
to hear
sunshine, and her laugh did one
it seemed as if her heart was
voice was eloquence

itself:

Shbe was all gaiety, ounness,
always at her month.
arid good nature. She rioted in her fine animal spirits,
gave umore pleasure than any other actress, because

andi

she had

the greatest spirit ot

enjoment

in

herself.'

Mrs. Alsop has nothing luxurious about her, and Mrs.
Jordan was nothing else. Hier voice is clear and articulate, but not rich or flowing . Jn person she is small, and
her face

not

was correct

prepossessing.

Her delivery of the speeches

and excellent, as far as it went, but without

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

149

fLIFE OFE Lively good
4
much richness or power. MIRS. JORA.sense is what she
really possesses. She also sang the
Cuckoo Song,'
very pleasingly.'
On the subject of this lady, we find the followingobservations.
'As she had a tale of hardships to tell, this lady was
listened to, and her patrons were among the admirers of
mother, and those who only opposed her mother's
friend. rI'he latter even visited Covent Garden Theatre,
to support this daughter of Drury. She acted Rosalind,
five times, and the ' -Country Girl,' once, and that, pro3
bably, was as -much as she could venture, before Christ-

her

Alluding, no doubt, to the advanced state of Mrs. Alsop's pregnancy.
Since the above observations in regard to Mrs. Alsop,
were committed to paper, we have gleaned the follow in
facts from indubitable authority. The lady in qtestion
lprevious to sailing from England for America, resided at
the house of Mr. Withers, a printer, No. 62, Millbank
Street, Westminster. At the period alluded to, she was
dreaefnlly involved, having been indebted to her landlord
obout 1701. while the nurnerotus demands hy trades-peopie, (among whom was Mr. Hamlet, the jeweller, for a
large amount,) were little short of 30001. for the paytment of which several applications were subsequently
made in a certain quarter, and a small dividend paid,
which, however, left the creditors minus in the major
part of their demands.
During Mrs. Alsop's absence at Bath, whither she was
invited in her theatrical capacity ; her lodgings were
occupied by her sister, Mrs. March and the family, at
which period the death of Mrs. Jordan occurred. Ere
March,
the latter melacholy event. was known to
it so happened that the quarterly allowance paid to her
by Messrs.
the bankers, became due, and she in
consequence repaired thither to receive the same, having

Mrs.

Con tts,

150

promised ten

150
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
pounds of the money to her landlord,

Mr.

Withers, in part liquidation of Mrs. Alsop's debt, in order that he might pay an arrear of taxes, for
he
was importuned by the collector. On application, however, at the bankers' it we found that the news of Mrs.
Jordan's decease having previously been ascertained by
her former protector, his agent had by his ccrnrnand, prohibited all further payments two days prior; notwithstanding the annuity was on the eve of becoming
Of course the payment to Mrs. Alsop was equally prohibited, who in consequence began to commit her memoirs
to paper, which wou!d have proved no very palatable
publication in a certain quarter, she being in possession
of letters and manuscripts sufficient to fill a moderate
sack, containing among other documents, the whole correspondence from its origin, between her mother and her
former illustrious paramour. Jndeed, so indignant was
Mrs. Alsop, that she applied to her landlord, desiring
that he shou~old commit her manuscript to the press,
saying all she wished was to be imprisoned for a libel, as
in that case she should by such publicity acquire public
commisseration ;=-M-r.
however from prudential
motives declined interfering. From part of Mrs. Alsop's
production, as read to her landlord, it appears that her
mother's nightly salaries at Dory Lane, were constantly
paid in advance on the night of perforimance, ere she
made her appearance upon the boards, which sums were
accustomed to be remitted by a messenger, sometimes to
a gambling house in Pall Mall, and at others, St.' Jamnes's
Street, for certain purposes which we leave the reader
to surmise.
No sooner had Mrs. Alsop acquired a knowledge of
her parent's melancholy dissolution, than she hired a post
chaise, and repaired to Eng;lefield. Green, M rs. Jordan's
former residence, where she found the old nurse who
had ft r years attended our actress,
from whom she

which

due.

Withers,

and

claimed various articles on the premises, as

Mrs. Jordan's

eldest child, which she secured to the value of a hundred

an

pounds. Among these objects werc some china chimney
ornaments ; a penduhl
original oil picture of our

LIFE OF

MRS. JORDAN.

151

heroine; and in particular, a mirror, formerly the pro
perty of David Garrick, which during his career.had
adorned the dressing room of our Roscius, at Old Drury
Lane theatre. The last memorial Mrs. Alsop possessed
of her mother, was a rug, half finished, the work of her
hands, being intended for an uzrn, upon the tea table.
One curious fact connected with this object is our actress
having been engaged in working the same at the precise
juncure when it was announced to her that a final separation from her protector was indispensihie,--the purposed alliance with the then wealthy Miss Tilney Long,
being adduced as the plea.
Some altercation
place, and words growing
high, the unfortunate lady in the irritation of the moment
arising' from wounded pride and indignant
threw the rug at the head of her friend, which piece of
workmanship we have recently had in our hands. We
give this as one of the statesinents frequently reiterated
by Mrs. Alsop, which becomes the more valuable as
tending to confirm the statement we have previously
made respecting' the real cause of Mrs. Jordan's separation from her protector.
must now recur to the melancholy subject of our
history, who found the last gleam of prosperity cloud

taking

feelings,.-

We

a

upon her for ever.

She was cut off from all intercourse

with progeny of ten beloved children, ( and how she
was capable of adoring her offspring those might avouch
who knew her as intimately as ourselves,)-but further
subjected to encounter pecuniary claims for domiestic expenditures which she found it far from
to
liquidate. Too noble in spirit to sue for assistance where
she might have commanded justice--and too delicate
in sentiment to make any appeal to a heart she had found
proof against every latent touch of sympathy, she rather

coavenient

chose to pine in

i

secret;-.

dAnd

let concealment, like a worm i'the buid,

Feed on her damask cheek.
Nothing

is

more

harrowing to the mind of. sensibility

1b2

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

than the being subjected to encounter persons and objects we were accustomed to greet under more prosperous circnmstances.
Every square and street through
which our actress passed, reflected, as in a mirror, the
gaudy scenes of days gone by. London, therefore, became irksome from a variety of causes, but more particularly a conviction that she almost inhaled the same breath
as her children, without possessing the power of clasping
them to her heart.
Thus circumstanced, no course was left her to pursue,
but to fly from secrecy and and refuge to a foieign soil.
What pangs this step inflicted on the unfortunate lady,
we too well know ;-days of weeping, and nights without a moment's repose, preceded the adoption of this
measure; and when she bade adieu to London, it appeared as if' materiality had left the spirit behind to hover
over those those the loved, and was fated never to meet
again!
The following anecdote, never recorded, is one of the
last occurrences that took place previous to Mrs. Jordan's
bidding a final adieu to the land she had so prominently
embellished-to the soil that gave her birth.
Mr. Charles Wigley, who possessed the spacious apartments formerly existing in Spring Gardens, and appropriated to the display of public exhibitions, was applied
to by Mrs. Jordan, of whom he had some previous
knowledge, in order that he might become the purchaser
of her furnittriiture, &c. The above mentioned gentleman who was well acquainted wiih Mr. Fisher, the auctioneer, father of the celebrated Clara Fisher, of histrionic fame-called upon the latter, and requested he
would accompany him to estimate the household goods,
pictures &c. at a dwelling in Sloane-square, without
intimating the name of the individual to whom the property belonged.
Mr. Fisher accordingly accompanied Mr. Wigley
through the apartments, and as had been previously
agreed, without proceeding to make an inventory, gave
his estimate from the cursory glance, being from habit

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

153

perfectly conversant with the value of furniture. Having
completed the survey, they adjourned to a coffee house,
when Mr. Fisher informed his friend that supposingan
individual wanted the articles as they stood, the carpets,
&c. being fitted to the rooms. they were well worth three
hundred pounds ; but if to be removed, he conceived one
hundred less would be a fair estimate,
he might
go as far as 220l.
Mr, Fisher then accompanied Mr. Wigley back to
Sloane-square, when the former gentlemnu to his no
small astonishment, was introduced to Mrs. Jordan, who
he thei found to be the proprietress of
articles he
had been requested to appraise. After some conversation upon the subject, Mr. Fisher retired, leaving Mr.
XWiglev to close the bargain ith our actress alone, which
was done for the reduced sum of one hundred guineas,
notwithstanding Mr. Fisher had stated that the property
was worth 2201.-added to which, the lease of the preanises was thrown into the bargain, which the last mentioned gentleman assured the writer, was iu his estimation
worth 5001. yielIding to Mr. Wigley, the purchaser, a
very snug profit, if he could reconcile the transacti on
to his conscience.

thouji
the

This melancholy fact tends to prove two things ; first
the unsuspecting and easy mind of Mrs. Jordan, and
lastly, her anxiety to conclude the sale without the least.
delay, in order that she might quit the country with all
the expedition possible, so much had her feelings been
wrought upon, and her apprehension of legal proceeding,
excited in the event otf a protracted continuance in
London.
Our actress retired from her native soil with all the
secrecy possible, when the first spot she selected for her
residence, was a cottage at Marquetra, about a quarter
of a mile front the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. The
habitation was small but neat, and the general appearance extremely cheerful. To this residence we find a

single,

solitary letter, forwarded by one of her ten chil-

dren, which runs as follows

LIFE OF

1.5r4

MIRS. JORDAN.

Colonel Fitzclarenee,

to-Mr's.

Jordan.

(Copy.)
'My Dear

Mother,My lear '

spi-

8ophia' has been very low
rited since she received my
(ear Dora's letter
and she tooks tho earli s opportunity to speak to Mrs.
Arbuthnot, who would Speak to her husband about
this long
it. I ant afraid we shall riot come home
are
time. I long to see dear Lucy. Tre
very kind to me.--J have got a room in Paris. Hall
all
have had a horse shot.
is
better behaved.
's. I' you want money for diem,
about the
don't ask me for it, b t take iy allowance 'or theni
because with a little care I could live on my farher's
till their business. Now, (0as I ask you- -mindvon
do, for they have always beca so kind to rs all ;and if I can make any return, f should be a devil if f
did not ; so take my next quarter,-and ac you may
sake.--f am
want to give them some, do that lor
very well.
God bless you!

ever

for

Arburthnots

Tell

I

m

Faun. FITZCLARENCE.

(Signed,)

'P.

.-

Sophia

will write

Addressed--- To

Mrs.

to

you

James,

on Thursday.'

Post-office,

Boulogne,

France.'
At this residience, however, Mrs. Jordan did not long
remain, for tire mlindl ill at ease, becomes naturally restdelight one (lay, becomes
less, and that wich
From that tranquil residence, her
irksome the next.
care-worn mind was next directed to decide upon Ver-.
sailles, whither she repaired to sojourn but for a transient
period, when under tire idea of living iu greater seclusion,

affords

~His sister, nio doubt
of 1815.

evernts

attracted to Paris by the extaordinary

LIFE

made

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

155

she
choice of St. Cloud, and adopting the name of
James, there established herself.
Previously to her arrival at the latter place, she was
rendered miserable by receiving no communications
ever from any of her children, or the last inl:viduai with
whom she had cohabited for such a series of years,
thouh every member of her family had been repeatedly addressed in the most urgent manner. She therefore
still continued to await letters. under a depression of
spirits not to be described. Independant of her anxiety
to acquire information respecting her offspring, the situation of her finances was much reduced, and on that
account advices from England were absolutely necessary
to determine the future line of conduct she ought to

what-

pu'ste.

Day succeeded day, yet no letter came to hand, when
the sentiment of indignation that pervaded her mind,
was succeeded by disgust at the base ingratitude and
inhumanity displayed towards her, by the father of her
offspring, on the one hand,-and the cruelty and undutifulness of her children, on the other
short, the mask
which had so long veiled the truth from her eyes, was
withdrawn, and she perceived with horror that the fixed
determination was to abandon her to bet'waywad
destiny.
It appears obvions that Mrs. Jor-dan, who had naturally
been imbued with no small portion of Nervous irritability, even during her prosperous clays, was not framed-

-in

in the decline of life, wheni fortune frowned upon

her-to

rally her feelings and become as it were by supernatural
agency gifted with power, to stern the torrent of adversity. She entertained dreadful apprehensions as to her
personal safety, and the thought of irncarceration shook
her mind
centre.
This terror, far from being. repelled through the mediumiof' any wholesome advice,

to-its

was

rather fomented

by persons Who under the

specious

pretence of friendship used every effort to urge an abandonment of her native land. It was this ntanweuvre that
prompted the almost instantaneous resolution previously
detailed of quitting- Sloutne-square, anod sacrificing her

156
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
We have traced
property as shle did upon that occasion.
our heroine to her several residences in France, and we
have now to record circumstances never before published
to the world. In the days of her prosperity, and when
basking in the sunshine of princely protection, the subject of our memoir had -been in the habit of visiting with
her infant offspring the residence of a confectioner to his
late Majesty George the Third, where she used to meet
former acquaintances, whonu she could not with propriety
tolerate in the Stable-yard, St. James's.
On such
occasions the party to whom we refer used to gambol
with the thriving progeny of the princely father, and, as
may be supposed, the choicest of sweetmeats used to be
spread to regale them; iu short, during such visits (and
we are not exactly certain that the Royal parent himself
was not in some instances present) all reserve was laid
aside, and our actress enjoyed that unrestrained intercourse which was so consonant with the unsophisticated
effusions of her heart.
Thus far we have to state as regards the season of
prosperity; we must now suffer the revolution of years
and events previously developed in these pages to transpire when not only had our actress experienced the sad
reverse already pourtrayed, but the individual to whom
we allude from enjoying affluence acquired as a confectioner of George the Third, became in some degree reduced and repaired to Paris; in which city with the residue of his means he established himself in his former business. Aware that his old munificent visitor was at St.
Cloud, he proceeded thither under the hope of obtaining
an interview, but to his no small astonishment found our
heroine subjected to a positive state of espionage. A
variety of questions were asked, and in reply to his anxious desire to be introduced to the unfortunate lady, evasive answers were given, so that he was ultimately compelled to relinquish the attempt, and thus retired without
seeing the object of his enquiry.
Shortly after this occurrence a letter came to his hands
penned by Mrs. Jordan, entreating he would attend after
midnight under a certain window designated, of the

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

I57

the dwelling she inhabited at St. Cloud, when it may naturally be supposed he proved punctual to the appointment given. From the casement in question he ascertained that our wretched actress was in a complete state
of captivity ; that she was environed by spies; and stood
in need of the necessaries of life-being reduced to a state
of great indigence. This interview continued for two hours,
of the poor supplianl such were the immediate
cant, that she literally received the eighteen or twenty
francs her visitant had about him, with a promise that he
would return the following
an appointment being
made when she might communicate with him unmolested
lie having further promised to provide himself with twenty pounds, the loar required at his hands, in order to
make the necessary arrangements preparatory to ier escape to En~ land.
True to his word he met the suffering
and
gave into her hands twenty-four Napoleons, when it was
agreed that in ten days after they should
requisite plans being entred into-and that, under his
protectioui, she would return to her native land. Strict to
his promise, he aitended at the time stipulated, when, to
his infinite mortification and sorrow, he was given to understand she had expired the day preceding.
A fewy years elapsed, when circumstances not becoming; more prosperous with our informant, he returned
to England ; and, pressedl by the exigency to which he
was reduced, made application in a certain quarter for
repayment of the twenty pounds advanced as aboveresisted, under the plea
mentioned, but the demand
that he possessed no receipt from the borrower-though

wants

(lay;

cieature,

meet-the

was

letters

were

produced suplicatng

the loan" iii question-

arid thuts the matter terminated ; at least when we last
saw the creditor (a year ago), wxho at the period in question produced a bundle of documents which he stated his
determination to make public, in consequence of the ionliquidation of the advance so philanthropically made
upon his part. He farther added, that in the course of
his application-being much changed in appearance and
dress, and not being reeognized by them-he neverthe

LIFE OF MRS. Jo DAN.
less saw two or three individuals enjoying posts in a
great establishment who he recollected as having held
the situations of spies, or keepers, over Mrs. Jordan.
he asked the name of the individual of whom
We
this information was acquired-which we certainly could
communicate-buit as twelve months have elapsed, and
since that period he may have obtained the twenty
pounds, we forbear to implicate him further. We
the last lodging in which he resided, where a sum
rental has been left unpaid, hut we have not ben ahle
down to the present moment to trace him further,
black
a more detailed account of this mysterious
as we have
affair should have been given to the ptic,
very little idea that his applications were attended to
subsequent to our final meeting.
To return to our wretched actress. Left to feed upon
the anguish of her rind, she gradually became enfeebled
the result, which
in body, and a hilious attack
slowly increased, but its growth did not create naeasiness, so completely (ejected and lost was the wretched
lady to every thing connected with herself, or that took
place around her. Thus circurnstanced life became so
burthensome that she was led to contemplate the approach of dissolution with calmness, being resolved to
the.final struggle with placidity.
welcome
were in a hoT'he chambers occupied by our
tel in .the square adjoiniing the palace ; the mansion was
sp~acious, gloomy, cold, and inconvenient-similar to
those habitations so frequently pictured in the romances
of thirty years hack. A long flagged corridor stretched
from one extremity of the building to the otiier",
the chambers were lofty and comfortless, and the
tout ensemble demonstrated that the edifice had once
The
been the habitation of a French nobleman.
ap)artinents of the poor sufferer wete most shabbily
decorated; not one of those domestic comforts, so common in her native land, having saluted her regard during
A small tarnished sofa was
the last scene of
the miost respectable article of furniture that adorned
she
w~hat might he termed the drawing-room,
t58

may

know
for
otherand

wise

was

sufferer

existence!

whereon

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.'9

159

incessantly reclined, and upon vhich she yielded up her
tortured spirit into the hands of her Maker.
We shall now proceed to delineate the closing scene of
our unfortunate heroine, as descriI~ hb the owner of the
d welling; and we venture to say a more affecting finale
never stood recorded in the page of biography.
The individual in question, denominated as Mr.
conceived she was poor and tendered her the loan of money, which was declined ; notwihstanding this he uniformly regarded her apparent poverty and the wearing
he unupon her finger a diamond ring an enigma not
ravelled. The gem in question, from some secret motive, she never would relinquish--added to this, she is
statei to have been plossessed of some other
articles of jewellery.
From the moment of her arrival at St. Cloud, as previously observed, Mrs. Jordan manifested the most restles anxiety for 'intelligence from England.
[hat feeling gradually increased, and became so intense that the
skin actually became discoloured ; she continued from
morning till night sighing deeply, and in a dejected posture on the sofa. Several posts arrived, yet no tidings
reached her, so that the intensity of her anguish became
at length too oppressive for mortal strength to endure.
When the morning of her death arrived, this torture of
suspense had attained its acme ; her agitation wsas (dread-

C

to

valuable

ful ; her regard, now restless,

would

then become rivetted

to one spot; the motion of her limbs assumed a rapid
and unmeaning. movement, an] her whole demeanour
seemed to indicate that a convulsive paroxysm was on
the point of taking possession of her frame. In this situation she eagerly requested Mr~.'C-., prior to the
accustomed hour for the delivery of letters, to go to the
post-office, and on his return, startitng up, she stretched
forth. her hand, as if impatient to grasp the expected
communication from

England.

She

was informed no let-

ters for her had arrived --foir a moment she continued
with a wild amid vacant
motionless, regarding Mr.
and again held forth her hand, as if by. an involuntary motion not to be controlled ; she then as quickly
.j

stare;

C--

OF MRS.

160
LIFE

160

JORDAN.

withdrew it, and fell back upon the sofa frorr which she
had so recently arisen.
Alarmed, Mr. C---- hastily left te apartment to sunmon her attendant, ww1lho
had, 1i chever, stepped out on an
errand.
then returii'ed, and, advancing to the ,u'ferer, remarked an alteration in her countenance that appalled hinm. She uttered not word-she breathed not,
but gazed steadfastly upln him. She wept not-no tear
bedewed her chcek, which vas one instant flushed, aid
then assumed the livid hue of death.
drawn sighs
were heard at intervals--it seemed the con vulsive struggle of a heart on the point ofl urstin2 .
Mr. C--- continel irresolute, not knowing how to
act. In a minute he heard the breath frawn with increased . difliculty, accompanied, as it were, by anlinterthe stupilied cbzservei
nal sobbing at w hich
hastily advanced to
becamie thoroughly territied.
the sofa, and stretchinr over the unfortunate
ound that the last deep draw s01 had been the iinicdiate precurlor of her'untimely d's olut ion. She was a
corpse !Alas ! our act ress breached no more

He

a

Deep

moment

Ho

creature,

Let the vivid pecil of Fancy conjure up this harrowscene : let the form, once aitinated by the
hilarity, be pourtraved to the mind's eye struggling in
a go ny of insupportable suspense ; tie bosom afterniately
heaving and motionless, arid the overswolleui heart's iegular palpitations procliminty'th; unutterable anguish
reigning within, and as it were beatig heavy time to the

sootof

ai

in~

quickly aapproachtng

miarcht of' (tuitlt.

We

stand aghast

as the finial convulsive throb hors t openi the storehouse of
a bieathfess 'and
life, and leaves the late crucified
'Who, I repeat, can contemplate in
corrse.
(of
imagination such an innocent and inolfexafing victin
cruelty and neglfeet without vending the groan of bittrwho, in fine,
ness and draining the rivulet of the eye
can stifle the execration, ' deep nut loud,' that springs
from an indignant feeling, or refnse the prayer of pity
that uniformly awaits the suffering of' the gentle and the

sufferer

inanmate

good ?--if

such there

be,

let

them go herd with spin

-s

APP

OF

MRS.

'lO[tDA

161

.

LIlE OF M\RS. those by
6
great in name and heartless as J1tDN whom she was
abandoned.
Illud amicitiae sanctum ac venerahile tomen
Nunc tibi pro viii, sub pedibusq. jacet,'
OVID.

As an illustration of the manner in which Mrs. Jordan's
death was announced in thy p)ulic newspapers, we insert
the following paragraphs, not one of which contains anything like a correct delineation of the events attending
that unfortunate lady's untimely dissolution.
On the 1st of July, 1816, appeared as follows :-' It is
hut too true we- hear that this excellent actress (Mrs.
Jordan) is no more. She died on Monday last
Saint
Cloud, in the vicinity of Paris. About nine
ago
she went to France, but her health did not improve by
the change-it gradually declined. In her letters to her
friends in England, written early in the present year, she
expresses in the strongest terms a presentiment that she
.should never see them more. The disease, however,
which closed her eyes, and fixed in death those playful
smiles which so long charmed the admiring world, was
not connected with decline of spirits. She was seized
with a violent inflammation in the chest, under which
she suffered several days. The rupture of a blood-vessel in that region took place and closed the scene.'

at
months

On the 2d of July, 1816, appeared the following

graph

in one

of the

London diurnal

prints-.-'

paraHopes

are entertained that Mrs. Jordan still lives. The letter
which announced her death last week
received on
Thursday. Letters of a subsequent date received in

was

town yesterday, from a lady who accompanies Mrs. Jordon, states, that her life had been despaired of, but
blisters had been applied, and hopes were entertained of her recovery. None of her family have received
any account of her (death. Tphe letter ini which it was
mentioned last
was received by a gentleman in
town as law agent with the family.'

that

severe

week

AThe Paris papers, received yesterday

morning, men-

162

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

tion the death of Mrs. Jordan.
This charming actress lingered in a state of insensibility until Friday
last, when she expired at two o'clock in the morning,
at her apartment at St. Cloud. The former reports of
her death was therefore premature.'
Oh, where were the yearnings of filial affection,where the manly sympathy of the dutiful son,-where the
tender commiseration of the sensitive daughter ? At such
a season even the paternal command should have been
spurned with indignation, and the base thirst of lucre
resulting from exalted patronage been rendered subservient to a mother's wants and anguish. Well, indeed,
might Thalia have exclaimed in the emphatic language of
of the heart-broken Lear,-'How sharper than a serpant's tooth it is,
To have a thankless child.'

Go, and adorn yourselves in the tinsel gew-gaws of
fashion,--go, and indulge your panpered appetites at
the ample board, and wallow on the couch of luxury,we envy not your glittering guise, we covet not your
splendid banquetings, or seek to share your down beds of
voluptuousness; poverty with a light heart and approving conscience is to us more acceptable than splendour
purchased at such a price.
We cannot refrain from remarking on this occasion,
that any father ranks a despicable being who only controls the affections of his offspring in proportion to the
necessity they experience of ensuring his support and patronage ; a parent should be respected on account of his
virtues, and rendered estimable in the eves of his children by the goodness and rectitude of his heart.
It is impossible that we can stand acquitted of the
obligations due to a mother, and it is one of the greater
reproaches wherewith human nature is burthened, that in
respect to tenderness the maternal instinct far surpasses
that wherewith the child is imbued. Benefits received
are less powerful incentives to gratitude and love than
those accorded, and the care bestowed renders the child
dearer to the mother than the parent to her offspring.

LIFE OF MRS, JORDAN.
163
A child who exposes life to preserve that of a mother
only performs what is in strict accordance with justicehis duty is to serve her at all times and under every cirNotwithstanding this we incessantly find
cumstance.
sons and daughters neglecting the authors of their being
when they have attaineda certain age ; they blush to
keep them company or even acknowledge them. They
consign them to banishment or oblivion without a sigh,
and leave to a sordid menial, the care of providingfor
their necessities. Children thus conducting themselves
should be regarded as monsters, and deserve to be held
in execration by every member of civilized society.
Of such an imperative nature are the duties of children
towards their parents, that they rank next to the awe,
veneration, and love due to the Divinity himself. Upon
this head, however, independent of the Fifth Commandment, let us consult the page of Holy writ, and adduce
p)roof among the numerous instances therein recorded,
and we shall find what anathemas await on the undutifulness of children.
' The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his
mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young
eagles shall eat it.'--Paov, c. 30 v. 17.
Can there be anything more energetic than the above
language, or more explanatory of a sentiment instilled by
the Most High. It is no palliative to state that the nuptial rites were never solemnized between our parents.
Nature has instilled a sacred sentiment in the human
heart, and those who refuse to listen to her calls, have
severed the great bond implanted by Omnipiotence.
In reference to Sir Jonah Barrington's account of Mrs.
Jordan's last moments, Mr. Boaden observes :-Nothing
is said of the attendant-how soon or how late she returned. Nothing is said of any resort to the FACULTYas is common in such cases-that after trying the usual
resources of their art in convulsive spasms, they might
ultimately pronounce the actual extinction of life. Mr.
C--.-- was satisfied that she was no more; and, after
Toall, Mrs. Jordan, it seems, was really NOT DEAD.

164,

LIFE OF' MRS. JORDJ

.

wards the latter end of June a letter was received,
written by Mrs. Jordan's companion to one of herdaughters, informing her that ' after a few days illness the lady
had died at St. Cloud 9' At the same time the death was
Barton
announced in some of the morning journals,
himself in his letter-shortly to follow in this
says, that she died in the month of June. Her daughter
was dreadfully shocked, as may be supposed, at the intelligence ; at the time it arrived a mouth had not elapsed since her own aceoucheinent. Three days after the
first tidings, a second letter was received, from the same
writer, saying, that ' she had been deceived by Mrs. Jordan's appearance; that she was alive, but very ill.'
Immediate preparations were now made for this daughthey could he corter's going to.her mother ; but
pleted, a third letter came to hand announcing that
Jordan was really dead.' General Hawker
went to Paris to ascertain the fact, and 1 believe arrived
there about three days after the interment had taken
place.'
Mr. Boaden then proceeds to detail the following very
singular circumstances:--' Indeed, about the period in
question there was a notion that, so far from her being
dead, Mrs. Jordan had been met by various persons in
London, and I MYSELF was very strongly impressed
with a notion that I had seen her. The deair lady
Not that there were
not an every day sort of woman.
not persons who resenmbled her-for some such I knew,
who had more than a slight resemblance in features,, and
who, to enhance their own attractions, copied her smile
and a peculiar action of the mouth, which was -full .of
But there is
effect, and pointed an ironical sentence.
physiognomy so minute, if we will observe, as to decide
the almost indifferent actions of the human character.
She was near sighted, and wore a glass attached to a gold
chain about her neck. Her manner of using this to assist

Mr. work-

before

himself then

Aas

her sight was extremiely peculiar. I was taking a very
usual walk before dinner, and I stopped at a bookseller's
window on' the left side of

lishment to some

Piccadilly to took at

new publication. that

an emhelstruck my eye.

LIti'E

OF

MRS,

JORDAN.

165

On a sudden a LU'E stood by my side, who had stopped
lady OF MRBSJODN.16
with a similar impulse-to my conviction it was Mrs. Jordan. As she did not speak, but dropped a long white
veil immediately over her face, I concluded that she did
not wish to he recognized, and therefore, however I
should have wished an explanation of what so surprised
me, I yielded to her pleasure upon the occasion--ground
ed, I had no doubt, upon sufficient reasons.
When I retnrnedl to my own
at dinner time
I mentioned the .circumstance at table, and the way in
which it struck me is still remembered in the family. I
used on the occasion the strong language of Macbeth,
If I stand here, I
her.' It was but very recently
beard, for the first time, that one of her daughters (Mrs.
Alsop) had, to her entire conviction, met her mother in
the Strand, after the report of her death that the reality,
or the fancy, threw her into fits at the time, and that, to
her own death, she believed that she had not been dIeeived. With her, indeed, it was deemed a vision- -a
sepuichral appearance at noon day-which I necd nt
say was not my impression in the rencontre with myself.
I havc had, it is true, some ghostly intercourse, as dramu tic author ; but Voltaire-no mean authority as a
poet-has never rendered by his Seiniramis a noon-day
spectre either terrible or credible.
Whatever becomes of the above, I cannot doubt that
every care has been taken to ascertain the facts attendant

home,

I

SAT:

4

upon

The

illness,-her

her

scuffering,

-

medical

friend,-her spasmodic

-to

her death burial !'

only memento left

point out the

spot

where

moulder the ashes of our heroine, is a flat stone, a little

inscription.
W

raised, bearing the annexed
I t was erected
the expernce of Henry
oudgate, Esq., of
Essex ;
accompanied by his lady, was

at

who,

Jordan a short period prior to her

dissolution.

Memorise Sacrum

DOROTH2E JORDAN,.
Quee per r ulios annos Londini
Juique alias Briitrnuiae urbibus
Scenam egregie ornavit,

Dedham,

with Mrs.

166

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Lepore Comico
Voces suavitate,
Pnellarnm Hilarium alteriusque sexus
Moribus Hahit Imitandis nuillssecunda
Ad Exercendam eamque
Dum feliciter versata est artem
Ut res egenorum adversas sublevarit
Nemo Promptior;
Evitu exiit 3d novas Julii, 1816,
Annos Nata 50 :
MEMENTOTE,

LUGATE

[Thus Anglicised.]
Sacred to the Memory of
DOROTHY JORDAN,
Who, for a series of years, in London
As well as other cities of Britain,
Pre-eminently adorned the Stage.
For Comic Wit,
Sweetness of Voice,
And imitating the Manners and Customt
OfLaughing Maidens,
As well as the,opposite sex,
She ranked second to none
In the display ofthat Art,
Wherein she was so pre-eminently skilled
Neither was any one more prompt
In relieving the necessitous.
She departed this.Life,
The 3d of July, 1816,
Aged Fifty.
Remember and weep for her

We cannot dismiss the subject of the lamented ladyv's
grave without expressiug our astonishment that among
the countless English visitants of Paris and its environs
no independent gentleman of feeling should have been
found to

set on foot, and head a

subscription for erecting

a cenotaph, commemorative of the talents of the departed. Such a mausoleum would stand a signal record

to eternize the shame of

beings now existing; who by of-

fering such a tribute would have tendered some atonement to the dead for the scandalous neglect they had
displayed in regard to her sufferings and privations during

the latter period of hetr

existence.

167
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
In consequence of the anathemas thundered against
stage-players by th'e members of the Catholic church the
remains of Mrs. Jordan were in the first instance denied
Christian burial, until, through the strenuous interference
of an English gentleman of some weight, she was
mately interred in the cemetery of Saint Cloud, being
followed to the grave by nine of her countrymen, when
the funeral service was performed by the Rev. Mr. Foster, officiating clergyman of the British Embassy at
Paris.
Thus terminated the mortal career of Britains matchless representative of comedy,-the darling favourite of
the public,--the mistress of a prince,---and the universally acknowledged best actress that perhaps ever figured
on a London stage.
In order to prove how little credit which ought to be
placed on newspaper reports, we find that on the 8th of
September, 1816, the following paragraph, which has
anything but veracity to' recommend it, appeared in one
of the daily papers.

ulti-

' The funeral of the late Mrs. Jordan was not conducted in the manner which has been described; it was
attended by the Mayor of Saint Cloud, in his full dress
robes, accompanied by upwards of two hundred of the
most respectable of his parishioners. The Protestant service was read over her in the church, and afterwards a
French minister pronounced an oration upon her-enumerating her talents, and many amiable qualities.
She
had. for a short time before her death, assumed the name
of Jones.'
Penny subscriptions having frequently been set on
foot to pay what were deemed cruel and arbitrary fines,
or to relieve individuals persecuted for their political
creeds, we think a similar plan adopted, to ra se a monument to the memory of our departed Thalia, would redound to the credit of society at large, and more particularly that portion of the community who are partial to
theatrical amusements. Should such an idea be seconded

168

LFE OF, MRS.

168

JORDAN.

by any of our readers, we should feel happy to forward
effect
their views by entering into a sysematic plan
the design ; for which purpose an written communications, addressed to the publisher of these Memoirs will be
immediately attended to.
In order again to show how far the statements of newspaper informants may he relied upon, we extract the ensuing paragraph from a London newspaper, in reference
to the individuals stated as constituting the only En
glismnzen who witnessed the ceremonial en passant, instead of having formed a portion of the actual assistants
on that melancholy occasion.

to

Mrs. Jordan was buried in the cemetery of'Saint
Cloud. She had resided in the village for some time
with great privacy, under the name of Mrs. James. She
buried in a thin shell, stained black, but uncovered
cloth or ornament ofally kind. Mr. John Greatorex, an hotel-keeper in Paris, and Mr. Wiiliam [enshall, statuary, of Mortimer Street, Cavendish-square,
were by accident passing and saw her interred. They
were the only Enaglisinen present.'

was

vith

first

appeared in
The following correct announcement
the English print published by Galignani, in Paris, entitled The Messenger, whence it was quoted Iby several
English diurals--the copy from which we derived our
extract being under date of the 4th of' July, 1819.

We some days since inserted a letter on the subject
of an unliquidated debt% sixty francs, due to the rnuniciof

polity of St.

Cloud, for the space

of'

ground appropriated

as the last resting-place of the late Mr's. Jordan. We
feel, called upon to state, that immediately after the pub..
lication of' the above-mientioned letter, we received repeated applications, both personally and in writing, from
various British residents, all expressing an anxious desire
to lbe permitted to take the debt tpon themselves, both
from a national feeling

of

" hat

was due to the character

of our country, and an individual sentiment of respect for

LIFE

OF

MRS.

have

JORDAN.

169

LIFE ani alt hough, as we
authority
the anible deceased ; O)F MRS. JORAN16
to mention, the sum in question has been paid b
active competitor in the honourable race of generosity, we nevertheless continue each day to receive
ters o1 the same import, and to the same purpose, from
the departments.
'ITo those
knew the fine domestic
lent 'qualities of this very eminent and gifted actres,
whose very frailties wereex cused by almost every mitigating
where by female frailty can be excused, andIstill
more, to those who were residents some years ago in
neighbourhood of Bus.hy Park, (our own
the oregoig statement will afbrd a melancholy proof ot'worldly vicissitude, and of the peculiar fragile nature of the
'rmot natural links in a certainatmosphere. Speaking of
Bushy Park, we recollect hat in Aug ust, 1806, a rand
dinner was g'ivenii there, in hunour o the Duke of Clarence's birth-day, which tlinner was attended by a
liant assemblace of Royalty and Fashion of both sexes,
andl of the first distinction, including even Dig taries of
the Law. At dinner, Airs. Jordan, took the head of te
tarble,,supported by the Dukes ot York and Kent, hue
the Diuke of Clarence officiated at the bottom. After
dinner the young family was introduced, even to a white.
headed uriiant in the nurse's arms. Drums, trumpets,
healths, congratulatious,
festivity were tire order of

a parti-

cularly

let-

w.ho

and benevo-

fact

the

case)

bril-

the day.--cSe
Augoust.
About the

('1816)

file

and.

of the Courier,

same

1806,

22,

123,
'24,

of

"a

time
the year, ten years after
r. Jordan dies at St. Cloud, near :Paris, in

ini

state of' poverty and obscurity, and is buried
a deal
paznted black, her funeral being conducted andi at-

coffin

tended by strangers ; and nowv in 1819, we learn that an
appeal 'to the public is necessary, to pay a part of the expense, sixty trans---two pounds, twelve shillings, and
sixpence.
That numbers of Englishmen should he eager' to discharg~e that

for the honour of their country, which other

people have s

grossly neglected to the

themselves, is not to be

wondered at,

dishonour

particularly

of

when

170

170
LIFE OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

in addition to the above facts, the Peculiargenerosity and
benevolence of Mrs, Jordan's character are understood,
as also that she did not beeome poor by folly or
gance ; and that lastly, it unconnected, she might have
died mistress of a very res 1 ectabie fortune.'Taking
these circumstances into consideration, the Paris advertisement forms one of the severest libels upon many perSons in high life, to whom her talents were once rendered convenient, that ever was furnished.
We believe
the present Lei utenant-Co!onel Fitzclarence and the
Litzclarence forned a part of the young family
mentionedc
in the above reminiscences from the Courier
ot 180(.'

extrava-

all

Misses

further

proofs neeessary to render valid the
Were any
assertions so repeatedly made in the progress of the foregoing pages, we certainly conceiv'e the above pretty con
clusive evidence. The commemoration of the Duke of
Clarence's birth-da, as reported by the Courier in 180,
we have lireviiily given at full-length, with Mr. Cobbet's very caustic observations, and certainly such a strikirig instance of the strange vicissitudes of fortune is very
uncommon, as that of the Holiday Feast and the BURIAL
SOLEMNITY above recorded !

Gracious Heaven ! the mediocre sum of two pounds,
twelve shillings, and sixpence was not forthcoming to
pay for the breaking of the burial ground of Saint
Clotud, without seeking it through the medium
us hear no mor e respecting Mrs. Jordan'si
rite

;-let
having died in easy circumstances,

of' chit.

if not in affluence.'

The above statement is conclusive, as re ards the cx"
treme indigence which attended her latest rmomnents, and
we blush

when .the recollection comes across us of

U.
ose

who were enabled, yet (lid not come forward to tender
the aid required. 'What becomes of the laboured state-

Ducal

agent, which we shall
ments of Mr. Barton, the
ere long present to our' rgadlers; with all the trurmpedl up
tales concocted by the friends of the GREAT, to cast a

LADY

I ITE

DY EIISIKIITL

1Ilisele& Ihrn-coinbe.IJ Little Queen. Stt Hoborn

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

171

veil over their ingratitude and uncharitableness.
The
whole vanishes like mist, and leaves the naked truth
developed :--our actress expired as reduced in circumstances as blighted at the soul,-she closed her eyes
heartbroken, neglected, and forgotten !
After the death of Mrs. Jordan, when most of the
daily prints were pointedly acrimonious in their comments
upon a certain exalted personage, while they commiserated the penury which had characterized the final stage
of our heroines career;--reports were industriously circulated in another quarter, attributing all her necessities
to the bond and bills signed for a valued friend, which
had compelled her to abandon England under the dread
of legal pursuit aid ultimate imprisonment. As on previous occasions, we beg again to ask what had become
of the hundred and ten thousand pounds she had accumulated, and why dild the holders of such bond and
bills await until the hour of poverty had arrived, to
pounce upon their unfortunate victim? This bond and
bill transaction had been of considerable standing, and
while Mrs. Jordan was in the enjoyment of every comfort this life could afford, then surely such would have
been the season for bond and bill holders to commence
operations; is it reasonable to suppose they would let
slip such a golden opportunity, and sleep daring the season of affluence-only rousing to action when penury
and affliction were the attendants on the object of their
pursuit; the bare supposition is too ridiculous to require
further comment. For what purpose then was this bill
and bond affair brought in evidence, but to conceal facts
that would have proved disgraceful to the living ? It is
our firm conviction that the timid mind of the heroine
was thus wrought upon for the express purpose of urging
her to quit this country, it having been pre-arranged she
should never return.
Has in not appeared in evidence
none will dare dispute that her mind had been impressed
with an idea that the absence would be for ten days or
a fortnight at most, during which her pecuniary affairs
would be finally adjusted, so as to admit of her coming

174

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

back in safety; yet what was the resnt?-The commiemcations from home were at the commenceentjof her
absence very unfrequent. l!:id after the lapse of a short
period never attenrled to at all, which was productive of
a state of unceasing anxiety that tended to hasten the
final catastrophe. Let us enquire further, has it ever
been proved that Mrs. Jordan was actually sued by the
holders of the bond and bills ;-in all we have read upon
the subject, no such inference can be drawn, and .it
therefore appears to us that the whole was produced by
a side-wind influence, for the role purpose of expatriating this ill used lady, the worm when trampled on
will turn, and there is little doubt but she was in possession of secrets worth knowng, and might have blown a
nine calculated to set St. Jatues's in an uproar.
The yer subsequent to the death of Mrs. Jordan, on
of the month of June appeared the following
the
acnnouncement, which, however, was not producive ot
the expected publication. Whether any stch manuscript
did exist we cannot undertake to say, though we conceive such to have been the case, and that the work
suppressed.

13th

was

Thirteenth of Junie, 1817, will be published in one
Vol. octavo, with original letters, Authentic Memoirs of
of Mrs. Jordan.

This

favourite

retired to the continent,

where site closed an existence insupportable to her feelings as a mother. By Colburn, Conduit Street, Bond
Street.'
On the subject of Mrs. Jordan's consummate talents
in her profession, little need be sald, as they were of
such a (description as to outstrip all our attempts at
praise. She unquestionably was bot intended by nature
to personate

the woman of

quality,

for when

put

in com-

petition with Miss Farren, her Lady Teazle wanted
energy of nmanner, and her genteel comedy always savour-

strongyly of the Hoyden to rank as a legitimate pferco-

ed too
sonification

of

hig h life.

In

the cast of

sentimental

LIFE

OF MRS. JO

DAN.

redy she was very effective, and for this reason, because
not being required to bend, she never forfeited her digIt,' she was
Rosalind of 'As You
nity. In
beyond all panegyric; her Romp, Nelly,
and Miss Biddy, so far surpassed the efforts of any other
performer, that they might be pronounced unequalled
without any fear of a dissentient voice. In the walk of
tragedy, though not so naturally pathetic as Fanny Kelly,
she was far more correct, and in accordance with nature,
as she would appear in reality, and though not endowed
with the violence of feeling assumed by Miss Kelly, her
delivery was more true. As to our actress's smile and
laugh, they were bewitching,--noshing iu nature could
b'e so enlivening ; in short they were as much beyond the
Her laugh in
pale of description, as above
particular gradually encreased, and as imperceptibly diininished, so that the faintest sigh of its existence was as
natural, and pregnant with effect as when it had attained
the loudest swell;--this was as naturally resorted to by
our heroine, as the best tutored and most mellifluent
singer has recourse to a shake or cadence, and she was
capable of managing all its modulations with equal skill.
Mrs. Jordan was of the middle stature, her face oval,
not strictly handsome, but possessing great fascination,
while her figure always inclining to the en bon point, for
some years previous to her death had assumed a corpselency which did [not assimilate with her theatrical avocatio ns.
One of the earliest miniatures of our actress
by Mr. Barber, ( nov Barber Beaumont, Esqr.)
while lie followed the profession of a miniature painter,
It was done expressly for a
in Southampton-street.

the

Like

Little Pickle,

all-praise.

was deli-

neated

theatrical

publication of

great elegance

and popularity

in its day, entitled ' The Monthly Mirror,' conducted
by a gentleman well known in the fashionable world,
is as young and as gay as at the period alluded to-in
flue, a complete ever-green.
7th of January,
In the Theatrical Examiner of
181 5, under the head ' Sketches of the Performers,' No.
187, we find as foilows.

who

the

174

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

'Of all the actresses vihom we were in the habit of
seeing before we came to prison,* and who still keep possession of the stage, the truest and most native is unquestionably Mrs. Jordan. Her talent lies in the expression of a warm, unsophisticated heart, full of kindly impulses, and quick as a child to everything new and pleasurable. Her range] in consequence, is not extensive.
In sentimental comedy, she is particularly poor; and
she is all deficient in the Lady, though as every body
must have their blindness of some kind, she does not appear conscious of it, and is sometimes injudiciously
praised for the reverse by those who confound gentility
with flirts of the fan, and a fine dashing manner. In
fact, the principal secret of gentility is certain graceful
orderliness--an habitual subjugation, more or less, of
impulse to manner; and Mrs. Jordan is deficient in this
respect, not because she is impudent or vulgar.minded,
for apparently as well as by all account, she possesses
those generous and affectionate qualities upon which the
truest good breeding is founded:-but because from circumstances perhaps uot to be found out, she seems never
to have been in the habit of controlling her impressions
externally. We do not believe, with the world in general,
that great powers of a different nature may not unite in the
same person; but some, we believe, are less likely to do
so than others, particularly if they depend on every day
habits, and of these kinds is the talent possessed by Mrs.
Jordan, and that which Miss Farren is said to have exhibited. If Mrs. Jordan were what she ought to be in
the lady, we more than doubt whether she could be what
the
she is min boarding school girl, or the buxom woman.'
'But then, how true to the life is she in characters of
that description! In the girl, what hey-day vivacity,
what bounding eagerness, what tip-toe spirits and expec,
tation, what exquisite ignorance of received habits !In the woman, what generous confidence, what a flush of

*Written by Leigh

Hunt, then in confinement for a political libel.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

175

mirth and tenderness, what a breath suspended, and the
blurting kind of pleasantry, relieved from coarseness by
a delicious voice !'
'There are some primitive expressiion of feeling, to
excel in, which imllies at once a taste for nature. Miss
O'Neil, we are told, is pre-eminent in what is elegantly
termed 'a cry,' and Mrs: Jordan always appeared to us
unrivalled in a laugh. A stage laugh generally follows
speech which it should
and is as good a
set ' ha! ha i ha i' as the author has put down in his
book;-but
the laughter of Mrs. Jordan, in all its
branches, from the.giggle to the full burst, is social and
genuine ; it clips, as it vere, and tickles the dialogue;it
breaks in and about her words, like sparkles of bubbling
water; and when the whole stream comes out, nothing
can be fuller of heart and soul.'
lhe last time we saw this charming actress, she was
of a size, however.convenient for the widow, certainly
obstructed a little the dancing vivacity of the hoyden
hut such is the effect of native feeling, vivacity, and a
tone of generous temper that even in a portly young
girl of forty hardly appeared an extravagance; and we
had scarcely to shut our eyes in order to fancy ourselves
in the middle of a school room when the governess had
gone out of the way.
Mrs. Jordan is not only the
living actress in comedy, hut we fear that when our readers coasider the matter
nicely, she will be found to be the only actress since the
retirement of Miss Pope, who can any way be reckoned
great and original. There are some other clever actresses
no doubt, but they
upon one's mind no idea of themselves which we may not connect with that of another. We shall therefore be very brief with the remainder'

-accompany,

the

first

fix

The

observations contained. in the foregoing comment,

are in general very correct, and conveyed in appropriate
language ; we cannot, hkowever, coincide in opinion with

not

all that the writer has

thought

fit to advance.

There was

a character in which Mrs. Jordan appeared, that we
did not witness freqnently, and from critical observation

beg to dissent from the foregoing decision as regards the

176

LIFE OF MRS. JOR)AN.

representation of sentimental comedy by the lady under
review. So far from oh-.erving any paucity in her personification of such characters, our actress, on the contrary uniformly excited sentiments of the most
sympathy ; the tones of her voice on such occasions were
plaintive beyond expression, accompanied by acting that
evinced a perfect knowledge-from inherent feeling of
what was requisite in personifying the supplicatory and
the pathetic. In the beautiful melo-dramatic piece of
Richard Cieur de Lion,' for instance, what could be a
stronger appeal to the heart than her representation of
the diszuised Matilda, and in the scene where she discovers Lauretta's (represented by Mrs. Crouch,) love for
Florestin, the jailor of her own captured king and husband, there were blended in her speech and acting such
mingled pity for her friend, with exultation at the discovery of her lord, that a finer struggle between the passions of friendship, gratitude, and fervent love could not
be developed. In regard to the fine lady of Mrs. Jordan, ye cannot advance thus much, though from the
first time she appeared in Lady Teazle, which we witnessed, equally with other characters of the haut ton,
we cannot
so much to reprehend as the writer of the
foregoing article, whose comments, as previusly observed, we in every other respect regard as strictly correct,
and a most faithful personification of the conic powvers
of a lady who we never saw equalled, and may confidently venture to assert will never be surpassed.
.The last time she appeared before a London audience,
her powers were evidently on the decliiie, and her corpulency bad so much en creased as to deteriorate greatly
from the fascinations of her acting. With a very trifling
compass of voice, she possessad the art of singing every
species of air in a manner to command attention and ensure applause; arid in many instances she executed very
difficult compositions with success ;-added to this,
ear was remarkably acute, and her recollection of
air
retentive in the extreme. That our heroine was a most
extraordinary geius and talented woman, cannot be de-

lively

find

an

her

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

177

nied, and that she possessed more natural attributes for
the walk of life in which she figured, than any actress
upon record, is a fact so universally allowed by the ablest
judges, .that we do no more than justice when we accord
her the blooming wreath of Fame, and hail her as
'The unmatched

f.HALIA

of the British

Stage!'

Mrs. Jordan having died intestate, after her effects
had bieen administered to in the usual form, the.King's
solicitor collected the same, ex officio. Letters of Administration were then taken out at Doctor's Commons,
on the 24th of May, 1817, the amount of assets bein
sworn under £3C0.
Seven years subsequent to that
date, a partial settlement of the affairs of the deceaed
took place with her creditors, -though an advertisnent
had appeared on the 8th of December,
runnig
as follows.-.

1823,

'DOROTHEA JORDAN, DECEASED.The Creditors
of Dorothea Jordan, late of Englefield Green, and Cadogai Place, Sloane Street, in the county of Middlesex,
Spinster, deceased, who have proved their debts, may
receive a dividend of five shillings-in the p)ound, b~y app~lying at the
of the Solicitor to the Treasury,
No. 5, Stone Buildings,
Lincoln's' Inn.
And
those Creditors who have not yet proved their debts,
are requested forthwith to furnish the Solicitor of the
Treasury with proof thereof.'

office

In

consequence

of the above announcement, which

'va-

seemed to infer that the payment was tendered by way
of a composition with the creditors of Mrs. Jordan,
attacks were made upon a certain illustrious ca
we select the folowing,-the caracter,
from which
two
first paragraphs having appeared on the 21st of Deer.
1823, and the last on the 8th of January, 1824.

rious

178
1LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

178

'M

W JORDAN,--TO
;.

THE EDITOR

OF

THE NEWS.

'Sir,[ observed a few days ago, (and with sentiments of great indignation;) an advertisement in the
daily papers, announcing a dividend of five shillings
in the pound as now in course of payment to the bona
fide creditors of the late Mrs. Dorothea Jordan, fornerly of Cadogan Terrace, and last of St. Cloud, in
France.
'To those, sir, who have witnessed, as I have-often,
the honorable and liberal feelings of this lamented lady
in pee niary matters, the generosity and self denial with
wivhich she permitted her theatrical salary to be taken
weekly, and devoted to expenses of a domestic nature,
which expenses in any similar case would have been
.defrayed from other funds,--it must prove a source of
much pain to see her name held up to the world as
that of an Insolvent who had lived beyond her income,
and defrauded the honest tradesman of his just due.
I am persuaded that there are enough of her admirers
still living, who by a public subscnipton would have
rescued her memory from this degrading but undeserreproach. Though poor, my unite should cheerfully
have been contributed to such a purpose, and hundreds
there are, I amn assured, who would have been eager
to have done the same. If strangers to her domestic
hospitality, and persons who never partook of her
bounty, so feel,
I be allowed to ask--must
have been the sensations of her high-bred children,
when they saw their noble minded parent thus held
forth to public animadversion !
'To have been spared their feelings, had 1, Mr. Editor, possessed no other resources, the privations of
nature should have furnished the means to have rescued a beloved mother's name from such foul and un' I am, sir,
merited obloquy.
'AN ADMIRER OF FILIAL, PIETY.'

vedl

what-may

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

179

' A few days ago an advertisement appeared in the
daily papers, announcing a dividend of five shillings in
the pound, as now in the course of payment to the bona
fide creditors of the late Mrs. Jordan, formerly of Cadogan Terrace, and last of Saint Cloud, in France. To
those who have witnessed the honourable and liberal feelings of this benevolent woman in pecuniary mattersthe generosity and self denial with which she permitted
her theatrical salary to be taken weekly, and devoted to
expences of a domestic nature, which expences in any
similar case, would have been defrayed from other
funds-it must prove a source of much pain to see her
name held up to the world as that of an insolvent who
had lived beyond her income, and defrauded the honest
tradesman of his just due. THERE RE NEARER CONNECTIONS TO WHOM SUCH A FACT OUGHT TO BE UNBEARABLE.

'January 8th, 1824.'
'MRS.

JORDAN.

'To the Editor of the Morning Herald.
' Sir,'I am a plain matter-of-fact-man, a tradesman,
and steer as clear as I can of all party. The late
Mrs. Jordan contracted a debt with our house eighteen
years since, for which I could never get satisfaction.
Lately I was informed of an advertisement calling
upon a!l creditors of the late Mrs. Jordan to come to
the Solicitor of the Treasury, and receive five shillings
in the pound, and those who had not proved their
debts, to come in and prove them. I was one of the
latter, and went accordingly with a copy of my account, when to my surprise, and I may say indignation, I was informed the account had been too long
standing, and I would not be allowed to prove. If
every long standing account were thus rejected at the
ipse dixit of the Solicitor, then I consider the advertisement a humbug; and as there are possibly more
creditors than myself, who have felt the same disap-

180

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

pointment, I shall feel obliged by your giving this
statement to the public in any other way you may
think proper, than in the hasty way I have penned
this, under the signature of
'A CREDITOR.'

In order to repel the various aspersions fulminated
against the Duke of Clarence, some friend of the aspersed issued the ensuing statement. These reiterated attacks, however, not having been refuted by authority,
were generally credited,-in consequence of which appeals were made, calling upon the confidential friends
and advisers of His Royal Highness to repel such assertions, and vindicate his character, which ultimately produced the letter from Mr. Barton which will be found in
the sequel of our Memoir.
' MRs. JORDAN.-Sunday Jan. 4th, 1824.
' paragraph is now in progress through the newspapers, stating that the debts of this lamented and interesting lady, have been compounded for five shillings in the
pound, which is now in course of payment-this statement is not correct : Mrs. Jordan died intestate in France ;
the consequence of which, is her property rests in the
Crown, and it has become the duty of the King's Solicitor
to collect her effects, and apply them in the first instance
to the payment of her debts. He has done this, and announced a payment to the extent stated. This is the
fact, but it is not a composition of the lady's debts, the
same course would he adopted in the case of any other
British subject dying abroad intestate; but perhaps it
would not have been necessary to notice the misrepresentation, were it not for the use to which it is applied by
some of the public prints, in which it is made the ground
of a bitter invective against a royal personage, formerly
connected with that interesting female, by many dear
and intimate ties. Nothing can be more unfounded than
the charge in which it is stated that she was left totally
unprovided-to pine and die in want in a foreign land.

LIFE

OF

MRS.

181

JORDAN.

LIFE OF; MRS. of 20001. a year settled
8
Mrs. Jordan enjoyed an income JODA.
upon her by the Royal Duke. It was paid quarterly at
Coutts's bank, in the Strand, and the last quarter, which
did not become due until alter death, was received by a
lady, formerly a governess at Bushy, and afterwards
resident with her as a companion in France, who came
over to London for the purpose. But the report of the
abandonment and destitution of Mrs. Jordan is not new,
it has been so long and frequently reported, and
to pass without contradiction, it isreceived as truth
in every circle. That it has not been noticed by some of
the friends of the royal personage aspersed may excite
surprise. We feel it our duty, however, to expose the
misrepresentation, without regard to the wishes of the
friends of his ROYAL, HIGIIHtNS.'The exposure is due
to the cause of truth, it is due to the country which has
an interest in the character of the illustrious individual so
near the throne, which could not belong to the case of a
subject, however important, of inferior rank,'
As this document did not appear conclusive or tend to
ally' the indignant feelings excited in the public mind,
Barton, of the Royal Mint undertook to espouse the
cause of his illustrious employer, aceompanying the same
with such epistolatory communications from Mrs. Jordau,
as he conceived necessary to elucidate the point in question, all of which we now beg to lay before our readers.

now

suffered

Mr.

"THE

LAVIE MRS.

JORDNAN.--TO

THE EDITORS.

'Sir,.
The attention of the public has lately, as it
has many times before, been drawn by notices in the
(aily papers to the case of the late Mrs. Jordan, and
much pains have been taken to stigmatize the conduct
of an illustrious personage, as relates to that celebrated
and much esteemed favourite of the public. These
censures upon the conduct of the Duke of Clarence,
have becn often repeated, and as often treated with
silence upon the part of his Royal H~ighnesses friends.
This silence has however been constrained by many
into an admission of the accusations, till at length the

182

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

stories so often told of Mrs. Jordan having been obliged to leave her country and fly to a neighbouring
kingdom, where it is said she died insolvent for want
of a trifling allowance being made her by the Duke, are
assumed as facts.
'It has gone on thus until some persons have exclaimed: ' Has the Duke of Clarence no friend, who,
it the accusations are groundless, can rescue the character of his Royal Highness from such gross calumny ?
All who know the Duke or his connections intimately,
are acquainted with the truth; but none being so fully
possessed of the whole case as myself, I feel that any
further forbearance would amount to a dereliction of
duty on my part, and therefore in justice to a much injured character, I take upon myself to submit the following statement to the public, acquainting them in
the first place that it was through my hands the whole
transaction, upon the separation of the Duke and Mrs.
Jordan, passed; that it was at my suggestion Mrs.
Jordan adopted the resolution of leaving this country
for Prance, to enable her the more readily and honourably to extricate herself from the trouble into which
she had fallen through a misplaced confidence; and
that I possess a correspondence with Mrs. Jordan, subsequent to her leaving England, which corroborates
my statement in the minutest points.
'Upon the separation which took place between
Mrs. Jordan and the Duke, in the year 1811, it was
agreed that she should have the care, until a certain
age, of her four youngest daughters, and a settlement
was made by the Duke for the payment by him of the
following amounts:
' For the maintenance of his four daughters - £1,500
600
'For a house and carriage for their use
' For Mrs. Jordan's own use

-

-

1,500

'And to enable Mrs. Jordan to make aprovision for her married daughters children
of a former connexion

-

-

-

800

'In all £4,400

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

183

This settlement was carried into effect, a trustee was
appointed, and the monies under such trust were paid
quarterly to the respective accounts, at the banking-house
of Messrs.Coutts, and Co.
It was a stipulation in the said settlement, that in the
event of Mrs. Jordan resuming her profession, the care
of the duke's four daughters, together with the £1,500
per annum, for their maintenance should revert to his
Royal Highness; and this event actually did take place
in the course of a few months, in consequence of Mrs.
Jordan's desire to accept certain proposals made to her to
perform.
Mrs. Jordan did resume her profession, and not long
after reflections were thrown out against both the duke
and herself, whereupon, Mrs: Jordan, indignant at such
an attack upon his Royal Highness, wrote the following.
letter which was published in the papers of the day.
" Sir,
Though I did not see the morning print that
contained the paragraph alluded to in your liberal and
respectable paper of yesterday, yet I was not long left
in ignorance of the abuses poured out against me; this
I could silently have submitted to, but I was by no
means aware, that the writer of it had taken the opportunity of throwing out insinuations which he thought
might be injurious to a no less honourable, than illustrious personage.
In the love of truth and injustice to his Royal Highness, I think it my duty publicly, and unequivocally
to declare, that his liberality towards me, has been
noble and generous in the highest degree; but not having it in his power to extend his bounty beyond the
term of his own existence, he has with his accustomed
goodness and consideration, allowed mQ to endeavour
to make that provision for myself, which an event that
better feelings than those of interest make me hope I
shall never live to see would entirely deprive me of.
This then, sir, is my motive of returning to my proR

181

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JO.RDAN

.

fession. I am too happy in having every reason to hope
and believe that under these circumstances, I shall
not offend the public at large by seeking their support
and protection, and while I feel I possess those I shall
patiently submit to that species of unmanly persecution
which a female, so particularly situated, must always
be subject to. Ever ready to acknowledge my deficiences in every respect, I trust I may add 1 shall never
be found wanting in candour and gratitude--not forgetful of the care that every individual should feel for
the good opinion of the public,
I am, sir,
Your much obliged humble servant,
DoRA JoRDAN."

'

It should have been before stated, that upon settling
the annual allowance to Mrs. Jordan, every thing in the
shape of a money transaction was brought to account, and
that the most trifling sums even upon recollection were
admitted, and interest being calculated upon the whole
in her favour to the latest period the balance was paid
over by me on the part of the Duke, and for which I hold
Mrs. Jordan's receipt. It should also be understood that
up to the day of their separation, Mrs.Jordan had received
a large annual allowance from his Royal Highness.
" A cessation of correspondence between Mrs. Jordan
and myself ensued until September 1813, when I most
unexpectedly received a note from her, requesting to see
me immediately. I found her in tears and under much
embarrassment from a circumstance that had burst upon
her, as she said, like a thunder storm ! She found herself involved to a considerable amount by securities which
all at once appeared against her in the form of bonds and
promissary notes, given incautiously by herself to relieve,
as she thought, from trifling difficulties, a near relation
in whom she had placed the greatestconfidence.
" Acceptances had been given by her in blank upon
stamped paper, which she supposed were for small
amounts, but which afterwards appear to have been laid
before her capable of carrying larger sums.

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

185

" She was fearful of immediate arrest; she wished to
treat all her claimants most fairly and honourably, and to
save of possible the wife and children of the person, who
had so deceived her, from utter ruin. She could not enter
into negociations with her creditors unless at large, and
apprehending that if she remained in England, that would
not long be the case, she instantly adopted the resolution
before mentioned of going to France.
"A list of creditors was made out, and an arrangement
was in progress to enable her to return to this country.
All she required to set her mind at ease on the extent of
the demands that might be out against her, was that the
person who had plunged her into all these difficulties
should declare upon oath, that the list he had given her
included the whole. This the party from time to time refused to do, and disappointed thus in the hope she had
so fondly cherished of again returning to this country, and
seeing those children, for whbm she had the most tender
affection, she sunk under the weight of her afflictions,
and in the month of June, 1816, died at St. Cloud.*
"In the support of the foregoing narrative, the writer
has the most incontestible evidence; but he trusts nothing
can be more satisfactory or convincing to the public than
the following extract from a letter, addressed by Mrs.
Jordan, dated at Paris, 18th January, 1816.
"Dear Sir,
"I have forborn writing to you, that I might
occupy as little of your time as possible; my spirits are
in so disturbed a state that my weak hand is scarcely
able to brace the still more feeble efforts of my mind.
* * * * He assures you that I am in possession of the
names of my creditors, to whom he has made me answerable by filling up those blank acceptances that I
so unguardedly gave him, and yet declines making an
oath to that purpose; this has caused me much uneasiness, for it appears to me vague if not equivocal.
*

No; she died on the 3rd of July.

186

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

"I can solemnly declare that the names I sent to
you, are the only ones I know of, and the greatest part
utter strangers to me.
"' I was in hopes that not only out of humanity and
justice to me, but for his own sake he would have done
it voluntarily, as it would have been the means of removing in a great degree, the unpleasant impressions
such a determination might cause in the minds of those
who still remain anxious for his future well doing. I
do not command or enforce it, but entreat it as the
only relief he can give to a being he has almost destroyed. *
* * What interpretation can be put
on his refusal ?-.-If he says he will not take the oath,
it is cruel; and if he add that he cannot, what is to
become of me ? Is it in nature possible for me to return to an uncertain home with all the horrors I have
suffered there fresh on my mind,-with the constant
dread of what may be hovering over me ? I really
think (under these circumstances,) that when my
presence would be absolutely necessary, that it would
not remain in my own power to be able to encounter
such misery. It is not, believe me, the feelings of
pride or avarice, or the absence of those comforts I
have all my life been accustomed to, that is killing
me by inches;-it is the loss of my only remaining
comfort, the hope I used to live on from time to time
of seeing my children. The above assertion I can
convince the world of, if driven to it, by leaving the
bond (all I have,) to the creditors, and the Duke's
generous allowance to the decision of the law.
It is now, and ever has been my wish to save
*
* * *; for even now, I feel a regard for him
I cannot conquer; but surely I may expect some return of gratitude from a man, who by a single act
could relieve those fears that are nearly insupportable.
The idea is shocking.-Excuse this long letter, but I
am sure you will see and feel the motives and the urgency. Once more, dear sir, forgive and excuse,
DORA JORDAN.'
' Yours,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

187

' With the death of Mrs. Jordan, ceased the allowance, which by His Royal Highness's means she was
enabled to make of 2001. a year to each of her three
married daughters. Surely then, no blame can at.
tach to the Duke of Clarence, whose liberality in
order to enable Mrs. Jordan to make a suitable provision for them in the event of her death, has been acknowledged by her, and shows him most noble and
generous in the highest degree.
'All sorts of means were resorted to by one of the
parties (now no more), to compel a continuance of
these allowances. The Duke did not chuse to be
driven in this respect, but when the importunity from
ineflicacv of threats had died away, His Royal Highness of his own generous accord, did give to each, his
kind assistance,'and I am to this day paying, and as long
as it shall be his Royal Highness's pleasure, shall continue to pay annual gratuities to the two surviving
daughters.
' Who, after this statement%of facts, shall accuse
the Duke of Clarence with want of generosity towards
Mrs. Jordan or her memory ?
'The administration of the effects of Mrs. Jordan
by the Solicitor of the Treasury, was ex officio, and
the advertisement which appeared in the papers, and
which has called forth tlhis last attack, was put in in
regular discharge of his administration.
' I must conclude with one assurance, that after
having given a true, and I trust a candid recital of
facts, I shall treat with contempt anything further that
may be said on this subject; resting satisfied if after
an attachment of six-and-thirty years service to a
good and generous master, I shall have added anything
to his comfort in convincing a single individual of the
injustice he has sustained.
I am, sir, &c. &c.
JOHN BARTON.'

' Royal Mint, Jan. 21st, 1824.
R1

188

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

Four days after the appearance of the foregoing
letter, the following strictures were inserted in one of
the daily papers, which we conceive in every respect applicable to the subject. We cannot, however, refrain
from expressing onr astonishment that the queries proposed by this writer did not elicit some reply from Mr.
Barton, unless indeed that gentleman was incapacitated
from satisfactorily vindicating the character of his noble
employer.
'THE LATE MRS. JORDAN.'

'A gentleman who signs himself JoHN BARTON,
'Royal Mint,' has volunteered in the 'Morning Herald,'
of yesterday, a defence of the Duke of Clarence, as to
his conduct towards Mrs. Jordan. This defence is supposed to be called for by some remarks which have lately
appeared in the journals, louching an advertized dividend
of Jive shillings in the pound. now in progress of payment to the creditors of that lady.
Some of these
remarks have appeared in the '
News,' but in our opinion,
they did not apply exclusively, if at all, to the Duke.Others might safely have appropriated to themselves a
large share of them. Be this as it may, te proceed to
Mr. Barton's vindication of His Royal Highness.
' After premising that he (Mr. Barton) was the medium, or go-between of the separation of the Duke and
Mrs. Jordan; he says:-'"
Upon the separation which took place between Mrs.
Jordan and the Duke, in the year 1811, it was agreed
that she should have the care, until a certain age, of her
four youngest daughters, and a settlement was made by
the Duke for the payment, by him, of the following
amounts:"

For the maintenance of his four daughters

" For a house and carriage for their use
" For Mrs. Jordan's own use
-

£1,500

-

-

-

-

600
1,500

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

189

" And to enable Mrs. Jordan to make a provision for her married daughters, children of
a former connection
" In all,

-

-

-

-

-

-

800
£4,400

'" This settlement was carried into effect, a trustee was
appointed, and the monies under such trust were paid
quarterly to the respective accounts, at the bankinghouse of Messrs. Coutts & Co."
'Now if Mr. Barton had confined his laud of the
Duke to the performance of a mere act of justice, we
might have joined him in his praise; but when he talks
of liberality and generosity, we become inclined to examine the matter a little more closely. We would ask
of this vindicator, how/much of the two latter sums was
the Duke compelled to pay to Mrs. Jordan, pursuant to
articles signed at the commencement of his connexion
with her, and in the event of a separation arising from
his wish ?-Mr. Barton must know the terms on which
Mrs. Jordan consented to abandon her former 'friend,'
and live with His Royal Highness. Let him give those
terms to the public, and it will quickly be seen whether
one shilling more than the strict letter of the law demanded, was conceded on the occasion alluded to. The allowance for the maintenance of her four young ladies,
stands on similar grounds as to liberality and generosity,
as the sums we have already discussed. It did not suffice, as the young ladies were required to be educated
and maintained; and even Mr. Barton is compelled to
admit this by what follows.'
, It was a stipulation in the said settlements, that in
the event of Mrs. Jordan's resuming her profession, the
care of the Duke's four daughters, together with the
15001. per annum for their maintenance, should revert to
His Royal Highness, and this event actually did take

190

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN,

place in the course of a few months, in consequence of
Mrs. Jordan's desire to accept cerain proposals made
her to perform."

to

'We

now proceed to the eause of Mrs. Jordan's
leaving England, which Mr. Barton states as follows:--

" A cessation of correspondence between Mrs. Jordan
and myself eensued until September, 1815, when most
unexpecte'4 y received a note from her, requesting to see
me immediately. .I found her in tears, and uder much
embarrassment from a circumstance that had burst upon
as she said, like a thunder storm. She found herself -involved
to a considerable amount by securities which
all ,at once appeared against her in the form of bonds
and promissory notes, given incautiously by herself to relieve, as she thought, from trifling difficulties a near relation in whom she had placed the greatest confidence.
"Acceptances had been given by her in blank, upon
stamped paper, which she supposed were for small
amounts, but which afterwards appear to have been laid
before her capable of cbrrying larger sums.
"She was fearful of immediate arrest,-se wished to
treat all her claimants most fairly and honourably, and

I

her,

to save if possible, the wife and

children of the per'son
wm had so deceived her, from utter ruin.
ho
not enter into negociations with her creditors,
at
and apprehending that if she remained in En-

large;

unless.

gland, that would not
adopted
France.'

She could

long be the case, she instantly

the resolution

before mentioned

of

going. to

*' If this poor lady was thus compelled to abandon her country,
and 8ly as it were from the face of her creditors, wvhat, we wocid
ask, had become of the many thousands she had for a length of
years been in the habit of receiving as the produce of a long and
well merited theatrical course of

success?

It is well known her

receipts from the theatres were all applied to the support of her
children, and the maintenance of a household of which she at that

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

191

"A list-of creditors was made out, and an arrangement was in progress to enable her to return to this
country. All she required to set her mind at ease on the
extent of the demands that might be out against her,
was that the person who had plunged her into all these
difficulties should declare upon oath that the list he had
given her included the whole. This the party from time
to time refused to do; and disappointed thus in the hope
she had so fondly cherished of again returning to this
country, and seeing those children for whom she had
the most tender affection, she sunk under the weight of
her afflictions, and in the month of June, 1816, died at
St. Cloud."
' We shall make no comment on this ex-parte statement, parts of which, considering Mrs. Jordan's long acquaintance with the world, appear almost incredible, but
at once proceed to the cause which has occasioned its publication. And here we must say that our opinion as to the
unseemliness of the immediate connexions of Mrs. Jordan allowing the payment of a dividend on her debts to
go forth to the world, remains unchanged.
'We must here be understood as looking to the situation in life of those persons, and to the rank they fill,
and are likely to fill in society. Is it fitting that in the
same newspaper we should read of visits paid to Royalty at Brighton, and of dividends of so much in the
pound on a mother's debts? The late Mrs. Jordan's creditors may, we admit, be for the most part composed of
persons in possession of bills, originating in the blank
acceptances alluded to by Mr. Barton,-but is he prepared to assert that when Mrs. Jordan left England, all her
common and daily tradesmen were paid ?-Besides, the

time formed a part. If liberality and generosity had been the
order of the day, every shilling of this money should have been
vested in trustees for her sole use and disposal.-Would she then
have had cause to fly her native soil ?'

t92

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

hills were received by the other creditors on the faith of
Mrs. Jordan's name, and are entitled to consideration
eanqual with the rest of the claims.

'On the whole, when we consider with what little difficulty we might satisfy creditors placed in similar circumstances to those of

Mrs. Jordan-how

ready they

must be to make the conditions of payment of her debts
easy and accomodating to those who would generously,
because voluntarily, propose to pay them:-we do think
it lacks of common sensibility, putting out of the ques-

tion filial duty, and a due regard to a mothers memory,
to allow her to appear before the public in the light of
an insolvent debtor !'*
We now present a curious document issued by
an unknown writer, and after considering the general
tenour of Mr. Boaden's remarks on a certain character,
we must confess that we feel no little astonishment

it should have found insertion

in his

that

Biography of

Mrs. Jordan. Our own comments upon this paper will
close the labour we have undertaken.

' MRS.

JORDAN.

CTo John Barton, Esqr. six-and-thirty years servant

to His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence.'

Sir,
'As I have doubt that the papers appearing in the
*'In further proof of the liberality and generosity of the Duke
of Clarence towards Mrs. Jordan, Mr. Barton quotes a circular
letter, which was some years ago addressed by her to the different London Journals, in which, in allusion to reports then in
circulation of the Duke's treatment of her, she says:" In love of truth, and in justice to His Royal Highness, I think
it my duty thus publicly and unequivocally to deciare that his liberality to me has been noble and generous in the highest degree,"
' We are not at all disposed to lessen the consideration of any
act of kindness from the Duke to Mrs. Jordan, prior to leaving
the kingdom; but it should be borne in mind that -Mrs. Jordan
was a mother, and as such, ever inclined to spare the father of her
children from feeling that which might have embittered him against
his offspring.'

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

193

morning prints, with your signature, was intended to
become part and portion of the public record, I will
offer no apology for troubling you with this letter.As a state document, put into wide circulation to explain away the charges which have been preferred
against one of the blood-royal, between whom and the
throne of these realms there is but one slender life,towards a lonely yet ill-fated creature, it is deserving
of respect; and as an answer to some remarks introduced in a former number of this paper, it is entitled
to some observations. Yet anxious as I most truly am,
that the character of your amiable and illustrious master should come forth pure and unalloyed from the
ordeal of criticism, and that you yourself after an attachment of six-and-thirty years, to a good and generous master, should be the happy instrument of
contributing to this end, I must be excused from going
along with all the conclusions contained in your address.
I am inclined, in the first place to think,
though the opinion of the world be against me, that
the long and continued connexion which subsisted
between your illustrious master and Mrs. Jordan, was
in the eyes of morality equivalent to a marriage, and
as such it was registered in heaven.'
' It is true that the Royal marriage act, the policy
of which may well be doubted, does certainly bar the
house of Brunswick from allying any of its princely
members, even to the highest dame in the country;
and that far less could a young, beautiful, and accomplished female commoner ever aspire to be lighted to
the bridal chamber by the torch of Hymen ;-still the
interchange of affection-the communication of interests-the sharing of the honours of the table and
bed-the birth of children-are acts and circumstances which can be but feebly supported by the mere
formal nuptial tie.
'It is not the pronouncing of a.few set phrases, no,
nor the conformity to a legal and outward mark of
intention, that can beget so undue and dreary a vacu-

194

LIFE OF MRS JORDAN.

in
umrn the intercourse of the sexes. Man clings to
woman--his feelings and his wants attach him to her;
and woman, fond, relying woman, leaves the guardian
of her youth, and the sworn protector of her riper
years, for him who captivates her heart, and holds
out the hand of welcome and protection. To Mrs.
Jordan this hand was freely extended, and many many
were the years during which she lay in the bosom of
your illustrious master. But 'tis truly said,-.
'Affection changes as the mood inclines.'

'The domestic comforts began to wax cold, and a
separation took place. What advice should you have
offered to your master ?-Ought you not to have dissuaded him, by kindling the sparks of half-buried
love, from allowing a creature shorn of her attractions,
and worn down by cares and toils in his services, again
to offer herself before the public ?-You will answer
that ample provisions were made to avert this necessity. These, indeed, look fair upon paper, but what
are the conditions with which they were clogged ?-If
Mrs. Jordan were to return to the stage, 2,2001. were
to be struck off for her daughters portions and equipages; and she was to shun their society.
'Does a mother love to be torn from her offspring ?
Distracted between the two alternativcs-either to
lose their company, or to give up the hope of earning
a livelihood for the children of Mrs. Jordan, and of securing some independence, should His Grace be called
to his audit ;.-she at length preferred the latter course.
One thousand five hundred pounds, therefore, became
her sole dependence; but scarcely had she began her
career than this sum was snatched from her by an unfortunate guarantee-she was therefore destitute.
' With your approbation she fled to France, and
Your amiable and
there lived in want and misery.
illustrious master was not ignorant of her embarrassments; yet they were unheeded. How they affected

LOLD

Ioaon

AIDOZITJVS

Yl'aheAvDuc

FIIZOCLARLILCIE

me,9IatzleQeem St et{&bonm

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

195

her, the letter she wrote from St. Cloud is too melancholy an evidence:"My weak hand,' says she, 'is scarcely able to
trace the still more feeble efforts of my mind."
'It is well known she sunk under the pressure of
her situation ;-foreigners supplied her with rags to
cover her squalid and emaciated frame, and the benevolence of foreigners was taxed to lay her ashes in
the tomb.-Why did not you, sir, communicate these
circumstances to your master ?-Why did you not say
that the annuity was a sealed book-that she was
wretched and forlorn in a foreign land ? Had your
amiable and illustrious master heard this tale of woe,
he must have flown to her relief-repaid the large
sums which he had drawn from her theatrical talents ;
or at least taken some steps to withdraw the arrest
upon the annuity. Surely you must have known that
a slanderous world would have interpreted your apathy into the apathy of your patron; and that there
was risk, however pure and spotless the House of
Brunswick is, of a shadow passing across the lustre of
one of its brightest ornaments. And busy tongues,
too, might have said that the bond had a careful provision, by which legal or voluntary assignees were to
annul its efficacy, and that the prospect of these had
swayed the noble hearted and munificent grantee in
amplifying its contents.
Unjustifiable aad malicious as these allusions were,
the credulous public might have given them ear, and
it was your duty to have prevented them. You are
not entitled, in exculpation, to plead the profuse allowance of two hundred pounds sterling afterwards
granted to Mrs. Jordan's daughters. Is it any excuse
to an ungrateful country that monuments are reared
and paeans are sung to one whose lamp had expired
for want of the oil of subsistence ?
"The Athenians honoured their Socrates after compelling him to drink the hemlock juice.
S

196

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

But I have said enough to show the tender anxiety
I feel for the character and conduct of your amiable
and illustrious master; and how sincerely I wish that
his manifold virtues should shine as conspicuously as
h.s rank.
' Yours,
' HUMANUS.'

In the foregoing reply to Mr. Barton's explanation
respecting the conduct of his Royal master, we certainly have a document of more sterling value than all the
letters and statements previously given. From the commencement of Mrs. Jordan's pecuniary embarrassments
to their termination, the two prominent circumstances
to be remarked are; the strenuous attempts of the
Duke's friends to substantiate that our actress was never
reduced to want, on the one hand,-and the assertions
on the other, that prior to dissolution she was in a state
of complete exigency, the latter of which opinions we
certainly cherish.
As to the connection that had subsisted between the
unfortunate lady and the personage adverted to, after
twenty years cohabitation, and the having borne him
such a progeny, we conceive with Humanus, that no
nuptial ceremony could have rendered the tie more permanently binding to both parties in the face of heaven ;
and in regard to the Royal Marriage Act, we have ever
been led to regard it as one of the most unnecessary and
cruel piece of state policy that have ever disgraced the
statutes of the realm.
We must next advert to the ample settlement stated
by Mr. Barton to have been made upon the lady who did
not, however, think fit to publish the particular clause
contained in the deed, which is so forcibly adverted to
by the writer of the last document; namely, that in the
event of Mrs. Jordan's return to the theatrical profession
she was to forfeit in favour of her daughters equipages,
&c. 22001. a year, and also be deprived of the society
of an offspring she adored. By thus stipulating that in
the event of having recourse to the stage, so serious a

LIFE

OF

MRS.

197

JORDAN.

diminution of income would certainly accrue, she was
necessarily compelled to relinquish all idea of providing
for her offspring by Mr. Ford, through the medium of
of her own exertions, and thereby that portion of her
family was to be left destitute. Well, indeed, might Humanus enquire of Mr. Barton why he did not advise
his patron against the adoption of such a heartless and
cold blooded line of conduct.
When the income, however, became limited to 15001.
in consequence of our heroine's noble resolution to sacrifice her own maternal feelings for the sake of providing for her portionless daughters, and that this latter
sum became a dead letter, owing to pecuniary involvements for another, she fled to France in a state of destitution, when pursuing that desperate measure, she actually received the approbation of Mr. Barton, although
he must have been well aware that penury would ensue.
Yet although her necessities were cognizable to his employer and himself, they remained unattended to, notwithstanding the tenor of her letters afforded evident
testimony of the agony of her mind.
We now come to the most pointed paragraph in this
exposition; namely, the point blank assertion, ' That
had his amiable and illustrious master heard this tale
of woe, he must have flown to her relief-REPAID THE
LARGE SUMS WHICH HE HAD DRAWN FROM HER THEATRICAL TALENTS; or at least taken some steps to

withdraw the arrest upon her annuity.'
Throughout the foregoing pages, WE have only dealt
in Queries upon the above topic, whereas Humanus
makes the direct charge, which Mr. Barton never thought
fit to contradict; we therefore leave the reader to judge
from what has been so frequently remarked in the
progress of these pages respecting the disappearance of
Mrs. Jordan's fortune, how it could have been expended
and if the statement of the above writer be correct,
whether or not she received anything like an adequate remuneration for the immense sum we have clearly proved
were the result of a display of her long protracted and
inimitable talents.

S2

198

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Having thus given the Memoirs of the late Mrs.
Jordan, as far as statements and ffacts already extant
have enabled us; we shall now proceed to detail circumstances connected with, or relating to that unfortunate lady which have never before met the public eye,
nor can we refrain from observing that their novelty we
trust, will ensure them a favorable reception with the
reader. The first document was procured from an English gentleman who has for a series of years been a resident of Paris, who was on the most intimate terms
with the late Miss Helen Maria Williams, of literary
celebrity from whose hands he received the manuscript
which we were permitted to transcribe, and are thus
enabled to present to our readers.
MISS HELEN MARIA WILLIAMS AND MRS. JORDAN.

As a biographical sketch of the first mentioned lady,
will tend to show the light in which she was regarded as
a literary character, we have ventured to preface her
statements with the same as a document in some degree
essential to the anecdotic matter that ensues.
Miss Helen Maria Williams made a very conspicuous
figure during the first French revolution, having been establisbed in Paris from nearly the commencement of that
eventful period. In the year 1779, she was a resident
at Berwick, soon after which period she removed to London, under the patronage of Dr. Kippis, by whom she
was introduced to the public as a writer, being then
about eighteen )years of age. The success that attended her first poeical effort, encouraged her to pursue the
career of literature in various branches, but that in which
she proved most eminently successful,was in the character
of a novelist. Two volumes of her poetical efforts were
issued by subscription, and produced a considerable sum,
whereby she was enabled to visit France, about the year
1788. The manner in which she was received in that
country, prompted her to abandon England entirely, at
the turbulent taera 1791, after which period she uniof
formly made Paris her residence.

199

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

During the dictatorship of the tyrannical Maximilian
Robespierre, Miss Williams was for a period confined in
the prison of the Temple, but on the overthrow of that
sanguinary despot, she obtained her release, and resumedt her literary and political career, having for her
friend and protector, the rioted Mr. Stone. Though a
decided republican, Miss Williams proved a great eulogist of the Emperor Napoleon ; she also undertook the
editorship of the 'Correspondence of Louis XVI,' accompanying those letters with annotations which proved
her intimately acquainted with all the court intrigues
that preceeded the revolution.
Miss Williams was author of the following productions. ' Edwin and Elfrida,' a legendary tale, in verse,
1782.-' An Ode on the Peace,' 1783.-' Peru,' a
poem, 1784.-' A collection of Miscellaneous Poems,'
' Poem on the
including the preceding piece, 1786.
Slave Trade,' 1788.-' Julia,' a novel, 2 vols. 1790.-' Letters written in France, during the Summer of 1790,
to a Friend in England,' 1790.-' A farewell to England
for Two Years,' a poem, 1791.-' Letters containing a
Sketch of the Politics of France, 1796.-' Paul and
Virginia,' translated from the French of Bernardin de
St. Pierre, 1796.-' A Tour in Swizerland, with comparative Sketches of the Present State of Paris,' 1793.Sketches of the State of Manners and Opinions in the
French Republic, in a series of Letters,' 2 vols. 1800.
'Poems, Mora!, Elegant, and Pathetic,' selected from
various Authors, 1796.-' The Political and Confidential Correspondence of Louis XVI, with Observations
on each Letter,' 3 vols. 1803.-' The Personal Travels
of M. de Humboldt in the Equinoctial Regions of the
New Continent,' 4 vols. 8vo. 1814.
Minutes of my Introduction to, and subsequent Conversations with Mrs. Jordan, who was for so long
a Periodthe Idol of the British Public.
' Having by mere accident ascertained that the justly
celebrated Mrs. Jordan, under the assumed name of
Mrs. James, had been for some time residing at Saint

S3

200

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

Cloud in a very retired manner, I felt my interest particularly excited, and the natural curiosity incidental to
my sex, strongly impelled me to wish for an interview.
Being far from supine when my feelings are worked upon,
I set about making the requisite enquiries, and through
the medium of Mr. L, had my wishes communicated in the channel adverted to,
After the lapse of a few days, I was informed by the
above gentleman that my presence at Saint Cloud would
not be deemed an intrusion, and I consequently lost no
time in forwarding a letter to Mrs. Jordan, appointing
an early day for waiting upon her, if convenient, to
which I received a note, consonant with my wishes, and
at the time appointed, presented myself at the Hotel
where Mrs. Jordan resided.
' I was received with all that urbanity I had pictured
to myself she would adopt; in short, the lapse of a few
minutes rendered us as familiarly acquainted as if an
intercourse of years had subsisted between us. My long
residence in Paris and consequent acquaintance with all
the transactions of the revolution being well known to
Mrs. Jordan, she commenced by making a variety of
enquiries respecting the momentous transactions of that
period, and the several individuals who figured in the
grand revolutionary drama.
Among others, having
mentioned the name of Collot d'Herbois, who opened
his career prior to the revolution, as a very mediocre
comedian at the Haye, and in other French Theatres,
being ultimately hissed off the boards at Lyons, where
he had the temerity to appear, he never pardoned the
inhabitants, as was subsequently manifested when he
figured Pro-consul of that ill fated city, which he literally deluged with blood, and made the theatre of his

persecutions. Respecting the individual alluded to, and
the professors of the histrionic art taken in the aggregate, Mrs. Jordan, to the best of my recollection, expressed her sentiments in the following terms.'
" It appears to me somewhat singular that this Collot
d'Herbois should have figured in such sanguinary annals,
as I do not find theatrical professionals addicted to cru-

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
201
elty. It is too true that they are envious, as I have
frequently found to my sorrow ; but further than that I
do not think the walk of the stage calculated to nurture
more guilty propensities,"
' The remark is just,' was my reply; 'but then Collot D'Herbois lived at a very momentous crisis; besides
I have previously stated that his talents were of a mediocre cast, and it is a query whether he was justly entitled to rank a member of the theatric corps,'
" Whatsoever may have been the extent of his qualifications, he nevertheless appears to have made the
scenic art his hobby, and I must again repeat, Miss
Williams, that it never came within my knowledge to
observe cruelty a predominant passion in a performerthe only instance I remember upon record of malice
being carried to a pitch of revenge, was exemplified
in the conduct of Mr. Macklin, who certainly seemed
to possess the germs of vindictiveness in his composition. As for jealousy and ill nature, I had an ample
share to encounter in the progress of my public life,
and from quarters pursuing a different walk, consequently the last who ought to have manifested their
spleen towards me.* For a considerable time I met
those shafts with good nature, but finding such conduct encrease rather than otherwise, I banished my
smiles, and had recourse to reserve until the attacks becoming too frequent and pointed for further endurance,
I was compelled to make my grievances known in another
channel where immediate redress was accorded me.t"
"I should conceive, Mrs. Jordan, that comedy must

'Evidently alluding to the Kemble and Siddons families, whose
conduct to Mrs. Jordan has been detailed in the progress of these
Memoirs.
t The channel to which Mrs. Jordan adverts, was Mr. Sheridan,
who fearing that she would according to her proposal, abandon
Drury Lane for Covent Garden Theatre, and thereby give a preponderance to the other house, was glad to accede to any terms
rather than lose the main prop of his establisijment.

202
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
have been your nurse from the cradle, as you seem to
have intuitively possessed all her fascinations.'
"There you are completely in error,-my earliest
predeliction was for tragedy, and I will even be free to
confess to you that during the very zenith of my career
in the walk of comedy, I still had a strong hankering after the sentimental; nay, and to be candid with
you, I was always gratified in the extreme when it fell
to my lot to sustain characters of such a cast. For instance, when I personified
'Little Pickle,' in the
' Spoiled Child,' in the particular scene where I sang
'Since then I'm doom'd,' I uniformly called up every
thing I could, expressive of the pathetic, as well in
countenance as voice and manner, on which occasions
nothing was so truly gratifying to my feelings as the
applause which followed ; -mind, I do not merely allude
to the air, but the verbal delivery of my part, which
never failed in producing its effect upon my auditors.
Another character wherein I took infinite delight, was
'
Matilda,' in 'Richard Coeur de Lion,' because it
strongly savoured of the pathetic; in short there is no
accounting for predelictions which I, haveseen strongly
exemplified during my progress through life."
" I am not aware whether you have visited any of the
French theatres since your arrival in this country ; -it
would afford me much entertainment to hear your candid opinion of the merits of performers in France, contrasted with those of England."
'This remart seemed forcibly to affect Mrs. Jordan,
who strove in vain to suppress a heavy sigh, which was
followed by the ensuing remarks.'
"Alas]
Miss Williams, I have never passed the
threshold of a place of entertainment during my residence in this country; there ar. seasons, as you must
know, when the mind is ill attuned to mingle in scenes
of gaiety."
After a pause, Mrs. Jordan resumed as
follows. " I shall now in turn request you, who must
be so perfectly acquainted with French Theatricals, to
give me your strictures on the same subject."
" In the walk of comedy, I certainly think that the

LiFE

OF

MRS.

JO

ROAN.

20

a

natives of France have to boast a far greater number of
real proficients than grace the English boards ;-there
is scarcely a minor theatre in Paris which cannot produce what may be justly termed clever comic performers
but on the score of tragedy, there is much to be said, as
sorrow and melancholy do not form component parts of
the Gallic character, while their tragic dramatists being
shackled by rhyming versification, there is less scope for
the exertion of tragic powers than is afforded by the
productions of England. Corneille, Racine, and Voltaire,though abounding in beauties, and the most chaste
dramatic composition, cannot approach Shakspeare,
Massinger, Ben Jonson, Otway, and other British writers in the refined touches of nature, and the starts of
passion to which the human mind is subject. The first
tragedian who has had the temerity to abandon the trammels of the French stage, is Talmna, who imbibed his
love for adhering to truth in sustaining his parts, from
the English; yet it is astonishing the caution he was
compelled to adopt in bringinging his style of acting to
meet the taste of his auditors. Had he ventured upon
the change at once, however beneficial, it would have
inevitably failed; on the contrary, he was compelled to
proceed by very slow degrees, and even then, the impediments he had to encounter were numerous and formidable, so powerful is the effect of custom, supported by
prejudice. In short, whether considered as dramatists
or players, France is not the realm where tragedy can
flourish, her empire being England and Germany. Comruedy, on the contrary, has established her dominion
here, and certainly it was but just that the soil which
could produce Moliere, should boast individuals capable
of doing justice to his inimitable productions."
" If anything makes me regret the little knowledge I
have of the French language, it is my incapacity to appreciate the beauties of the writer you allude to. 1 have
seen our charming performer, Mr. John Bannister, in the
' Village Lawyer,' a piece imitated, I believe, from
Moliere, and that is quite sufficient to convince me how
inimitable must be the original. The fact is that on

204

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

witnessing' the performance in question, my risible faculties were so forcibly excited that I was literally ill
from the effects produced. Had I spirits to enter a
theatre, I know of no piece I should so much desire to
see performned in France as the original of our ' Village
Lawyer.'
" You cannot," I replied, " over-rate the merits of
the production in question, which with the character of
'Tartu 'e,' display the acme of comic writing; it is
indeed next to impossible to conceive any efforts of the
comic muse, capable of eclipsing those productions of
Moliere."'
" Then your decided opinion, Miss Williams, is that
in the walk of Tragedy, we far surpass the French ?"
" Most assuredly, and for the reasons previously alledgo'ed."
" May I now enquire what is your estimate of the
personification of genteel comedy, when drawing a comparison between the two countries ?"
"You now propose a question, Mrs. Jordan, which
is not quite so easily answered, because the manners and
customs of the two nations vary so much in the common
intercourse of society that they may be said to form two
For instance, let the
stiles peculiar to themselves.
leading performers in Sheridan's ' School for Scandal,'
(supposing them perfectly au fait at theFrench language)
undertake the representation of a sterling comedy of
this country, and I am thoroughly convinced a complete
failure would be the result, and in the same manner reverse the characters, substituting French comedians as
representatives of the piece adverted to, and a similar
incompetence would be observable."
"You therefore give it as your opinion that in genteel comedy each country possesses its peculiarities, and
that on the score of histrionic excellence the one does
not surpass the other."
"I should certainly to the best of my judgment, come
to that conclusion, as far as my humble talents can lead
inme appreciate between the excellencies of England
to
and France, in the walk of legitimate comedy."

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

205

"Your elucidation of this subject, Miss Williams has
brought to my mind a host of ideas which I had conceived were for ever buried in oblivion. There is, however, no accounting for circurmstances, and I really feel
at this moment a lpartial return of that predeliction for
the theatrical pursuit which was many years back, the
predominant characteristic of my life.
those were
entrancing (lays which like pleasing visions of youth are
passed away,- leaving scarcely the faintest shadow behind. It is impossible for any one to picture
satis$
faction arising from popular applause,-conceive for instance, an actor in full health, perfectly satisfied with his own acceptation of a character having
previously established his fame with the pubic.
executes every scene with becoming spirit, progressing
in perfectability of acting in proportion to the rounds
of applause that greet his ear at intervals.
The piece
at length closes, and as he makes his bow, incessant
peals of approbation salute him.
Place such a scene,
Miss Williams, before your imagination, and then judge
what internal txultation must animate the
stimulate the senses to delight bordering upon extacy."
"How often,
dear madam, has such been most
deservedly your envied lot."
"Indeed, I have nO cause for complaint, and if the

Ah

the

He

rame-yes,

my

public on such occasions

justly

appreciated the

grateful

sentiments I entertained for the nieed of commendation
bestowed, they would have confessed that their favours
were not lavished on a thankless heart."
As Mrs. Jordan pronounced the conclusive words,
the tones of her voice which were all 'sweetness, obviously faltered, and on

fixing my regard

upon her woe-

worn countenance I saw the big tear stealing down her
cheek, which she hastily wiped away, and endeavouring
to assume an appearance of sprightliness that ill accorded with her external demeanour, observed

" But I must think no more of such scenes; old

wo-

men like myself who are fallen into the sear and yellow
leaf, should count their beads, and betake themselves
to prayer

and

meditations.

206

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

'A pause now ensued, when conceiving I had sufficiently prolonged my visit, and that the spirits of my
hostess began to flag, I rose to take my leave, when Mrs.
Jordan quitting her chair, and advancing towards me,
tenderedher hand, at the same time observing :" Miss Williams, I feel so truly gratified by this 'interview, that I trust it is only to be a prelude to a future
In order, therefore, not to
intercourse between us.
leave another meeting to mere chance, suppose we appoint a day, which will obviate any delicacy upon your
part as to whether I may be engaged or not."
'A time was in consequence named, when I took my
leave, not less gratified with the certitude of a continuance of friendly intercourse, than the pleasurable meeting which had just terminated.'
' SECOND

INTERVIEW.

SIt may naturally be conceived I was punctual to the
hour appointed, and found Mrs. Jordan, as on the preceeding visit, ready to welcome me with a warmth of
feeling that seemed an inherent quality of her nature.
'After some introductory conversation on the leading
topics of the day, the subject of the Opera Francaise
came upon the tapis;-that led to a disquisition on
which accomplishment Mrs. Jordan candancing, in'
(idly allowed the French to possess a superiority of
grace and talent over the English. Our next theme
was singing, when we mutually awarded the palm of
perfection to the Italians in the sublimer walk of that
enchanting science, after which I could not but observe
the pleasure that illumined Mrs. Jordan's features on
hearing me state that the French were far surpassed in
I cannot
vocal attributes by our own countrymen.
here refrain from observing that a praiseworthy sentiment of national prejudice obviously predominated in
the mind of this charming woman-she was indeed English at the core, and nothing but a thorough conviction
of mediocrity on the part of her compatriots could
induce her to yield an inch in supporting British excellence. But to return to the Italians.'

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

207

"I have, of course," said Mrs. Jordan, "sufficiently
witnessed the efforts, of the vocalists at the English
Opera House, to allow their exquisite science; the extraordinary perfection to which they bring the
voice, and the ease, precision, and rapidity of their runs,
cadenzas, &c. nevertheless in the pathetic and ballad
style, give men my own dear delightful'countrywomenfor instance, take by way of sample, my little warblin
relative) Mrs. Bland. Is it possible to hear more sweetness issue from a human mouth, in addition to which,
give me leave to tell you, Miss Williams, she isby no
means deficient on the score of musical science; not
that I decide from my own knowledge, which is extremely circumscribed, but from the judgment of perfect proficients. If, on the other hand, we take the
male sex, what Italian could outwarble in a feeling air,
the efforts of Irish Johnson, whose ' Grama chree Molly,' and ' Her mouth with a smile,' were sufficient to
electrify a stoic, or in a manly as well as touching
strain, what could outrival those of Incledon and Sedgwick
literally found their way to the inmost
recesses of the heart, and positively at times impeded
or excited its palpitations. I can only say such has frequently been the effect produced upon my system, perhaps a little too sensitive, and doubtless others could

human

?-they

rify"SYouassertions I
the

ve-

advance.'

no

have stated
more than I have frequently
only of our own sex,
heard reiterated by others,

not

but the male part of creation. Mrs. Bland, Johnson,
and Incledon, have invariably been cited as instances
of the pathos to which you allude, 'and as regards Mr.
Sedgwick, I have heard those speak 'of his merits who
on several occasions witnessed his talents in private
societies."
" Yes, yes, Miss Williams," ejaculated our actress,
with an .archness of smile I did not expect she could
assume :-11 let them say what they will in disparagement
of old Eng land and Johnny Bull, in spite of all, we
still possess some sterling attributes which cannot be deT

208

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

11Bless

trjed us." After a short pause, she thus continued
the dear little island, and all that it contains,never, no, never, will its fascinations he obliterated
from my memory until all recollection of the past be
buried in the grave. Forgive me, my dear madam, this
sudden ebullition-it is a spontaneous effuson of the
heart that frequently finds vent when I am alone, being
the result of a train of ideas too powerful to be suppressed."
In order to give a turn to the conversation which I
perceived would lead to painful retrospections, I irinediately resumed the former topic, by observing, "When
alluding to the excellent qualifications of your relation,
Mrs. Bland, your own rnerits in the ballad style should
not be passed over in silence, since what is allowed on
all hands must necessarily be fbunded in
actress was on the point of stopping short my remar
Which, however, l would not
hut thus continued
-- " Nay, nay, you will permit inc in
utter sonicthing in praise of British talent, as you have hitherto
wholly engrossed that subject. With all due deference
therefore, to the vocal abilities of Mrs. Bland, there is
a syren who with equal justice claimed the wreath of
fame, and that was no other, Madam, than yourself;

truth." Our

suffer,

turn to

w on the English hoards, and when
Thether
unmatched

for pathos, archness, or persuasion, you stood

asserting
thus much, what competition can the French adduce in
giving utter'ance to simple and ballad harnmony---As
wtell might you expect from the pen of Hielen Maria
an epic poem comparable with the effusions of
the (livine Milton, or a production eqully erudite and

Williams
profound

the

' Essay

on the Human Understanding,'

of hearing a strain
can asof even sunmay almost expect a revolution in natuare,
as

of the philosophic Locke, as to think
warbled with English naivete on the
theatre ; ere such a metamorphosis

boards

a French
take place, wve

plicity on the theatres of France, is coupled with a

species of
sonification

affectation

wholly unconnected with the per-

of the peasant's life in our own country.-

LIFE

OF

MRS.

209

JORDAN;

LIFE F MRS. JORA.
0
Such, Irs. Jordan, are my opinions voluntarily offered
from the heart, and however prejudiced you may conceive me to be, from a long association with
manners and customs, I have, nevertheless, I trust, sufficient judgment to discriminate the prominent excellencies existing on either side of the channel."
" From any other lips than your own, Miss Williams,
I might be led to conjecture that something like direct
compliment if not flattery was intended from your previous remarks. I will, however, candidly confess that I
conceive what you have uttered to be the spontaneous
effuion of your mind, uncontaminated by any
alloy;-that is to s~iy, you conscientiously give ue
credit for more real talent than I inherently have pus.
sessed. In advancing thus much. I do not seek
impeach your better judgment, but when we call to mind
the effects of prejudice, whether in elevating or depreciating talent, you will excuse me if I state that I conceive yoti, as well as others, may have suffered your
better consideration to be swayed by the =oice of
applause. To say that I was devoid of talent
as an actress, would be only begging a
I
feel that I must have possessed some share of ability,
or never could the results have ensued, that actually

public

basc

to

indis-

crirninate

compliment

took place; raising me, as I may with truth

affirm,

from

a state of exigency to an ample fortune, and the very
pinnacle of popular favor. Nothwithstanding all this,
my scenic endowments appear to tiie to have been attended with so little study, and even the points eliciting
most applause, were such ebullitions of the moment,
that I must regret, as I before stated. they (lid not merit
the conimendations heaped upon them by a generous
and open hearted public."
"Springes to catch woodcocks-I have now cauight
you, my dear madam, in the trap laid for you by

herself;-those

very

nature

involuntary ebullitions you speak

of,-those flashes of intellect,

the sterling offsprings ot

leg~itimate talent, were the talismans that ensured the

encomiums

of a discerning public.

Kemble and

Sid-

210
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
dons commanded applause, and very justly, for their
merits were transcendant; but they were excellencies
acquired by art and study; all they produced was the
effect of mannerism,--the start, the emphasis, the elevatior of the arm, were never varied; once seen, every
after attendance presented only a repetition, and for
this sterling reason, nature Inu nothing to do with the
representation; it was grand, imposing, and I may say
at times tinctured with the sublime, and yet it was not
what I call the thing--it wanted the finishing, the
master touch, TRUTH,-the soul of all true acting,
NATURE. Mark the diference in Mr. Cooke, who,
though an incessant slave, and I
say, constantly
bestialized by liquor, who never knew the manner in
vhich he should accept a speech until he burst upon the
scene; his readings and conceptions being constantly
varied, and as uniformly astounding; like a shock of
electricity they worked upon his hearers, in short, it was
not the performer Cooke, but 'Richard,' ' fago,' or
the ' Pierre,' in 'V enice Preserved,' that stood before
you. Such call the true touchstone of the histrionic
and in producing this excellence, you, Mrs. Jordan,
ranked pre-eminent; for depend ipon it a British audience cannot be entrapped by an ephemeral flash, a mere
ignis
o--there must be sterling merit of some
description to ensure anything like brilliant success, and
that, your career was a life of scenic splendour, defies
all the powers of scepticism to refute."
'Ater a considerable pause, the dear lady not seerming anxious to enter uponi the field of argument, in
210

may

art,

fatuus

rather a peevish tone observed :--6 Well, well, let us
talk nio more on that subject; I must, however, decidedly
that I had not the smallest claim to applause

affirm

on the score of moy vocal efforts, which were unsophisticated and unadorned by any embellshmennts of taste
or science

;-t o be

plain, Miss Williams,

I frequently

asked myself as the encore was reiterated, what to the
name of reason could conduce to call forth such popular

enthusiasm. That a few

simple notes uttered

by a very

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

211

mediocre voice, unadorned by shake or cadence, should
create a ferment bordering on enthusiasm, was, I confess,
to me inexplicable, and what is more, will ever remain
so; at the same time, do not misunderstand me, the
plaudits were not one jot the less welcome to my
feelings.
" The simplicity of which you speak, combined with
a tone of voice that even in common conversation
has the most persuasive effect, produced the enthusiasm in your auditors of which you speak, for
although cultivation in singing may create astonishment,
there is a something in a natural sweetness that steals
upon and entrances our senses. I do not remember
having ever heard Mrs. Bland, but have little doubt that
she possessed the sweetness to which you allude,
coupled with scientific acquirements."
" You are correct in your supposition, Miss Williams,
as my relative had only to open her mouth in order to
ensure the immediate silence of the most crowded and
previously noisy audience.
By-the-bye, while on the
subject of Mrs. Bland, I know not what may be your
opinion respecting supernatural agency, but there is a
circumstance connected with her which never fails to
excite astonishment when it passes across my mind."
'As Mrs. Jordan paused, apparently for the purpose
of ascertaining my sentiments respecting the last topic
alluded to; I proceeded to say that although I was sceptical on the subject of apparitions, I nevertheless had
read and heard statements which most forcibly struck
me, and that whether such occurrences ever took place
or not, they were at all events calculated to interest the
feelings ift narrated."
"It is astonishing to observe that the most cultivated
as well as ignorant minds are uniformly prone to be entertained by stories of the marvellous," continued Mrs.
Jordan ; " indeed I do not recollect having ever witnessed an instance to the contrary; that is to say,when
persons would speak with candour. Some individuals,
indeed, who wish to arrogate to themselves a superiority
T3

2

212
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

12

*we

of judgmtent, will pretend to hold statements of that
escription in derision; hbut could
look into the
reccsses of their inds we should find that their assertions were the very reverse of their real sentiments.However, as you have candidly stated that tales of the
goblin kind ate gratifying to your feelings, I will, with
your permission, narrate the circumstance connected
Bland, to which I previously alluded."
with
".nf ortunate events will frequently embitter the nuptial state, and a circumstance of that description happened
between my brother and his wife, who in consequence
separated, after which Mrs. Bland placed herself under
the protection of Mr. Thomas Caulfield, the comedian,
by whom she had a family of children. For the benefit
of the little ones, they were accustomed to reside at a
short distance from town, and it was at a rural cottage
I think in the vicinity of Chelsea, that the following
circumstance transpired.
"Mrs. Roianzini, the mother of Mrs. Bland,
been for some time declining in health, but she was not
in such a state as to create apprehensions of a speedy
in the middle of sumIt was on a
dissolution.
mer, Mrs.' Bland having had a party to dinner, that the

Mrs.

had

Sunday

persons.- -

company were assembled, consisting of nine
hot, and the servant had just

The weather was intensely

placed the tea equipage Upon the table, when on a sudden every one was electrified by hearing a loud sharp
noise, resembling the violent slap of a cane upon the
table. Mrs. Bland and every one present rose from
their seats, so loud was the crash, each staring at the
other with astonishment, which was not a little encreas-

tea
ed

by

a

repetition

of the same unaccountable noise. One

gentleman present, less astonished than the rest, and
anxious to ascertain the cause, proceeded to examine the

table,

conceiving that the sultry state

might have

of the weather

warped the wood .so as to make it crack,

sunn

were completely excluded
though the rays of the
from the apartment by Venetian blinds that descended

LIFE OF

While

MRS.

JORDAN.

213

thus employed, Mrs Bland who had
to the floor.
turned of an ashy paleness, exclaimed
"
is no need to investigate the case,-l am
fully aware of the fact-it is an announcement of the
death of my poor dear mother !"
placing her hands before her face, she burst
into a paroxysm of tears. Mr. Caulfild, forcibly struck
by the above words, immediately took out his watch
ascertain the precise hour and minute,xwhich he cormitted to paper, when the party proceeded to take tea,
each endeavouring to- give some feasible reason for the
Ite occurrence, in order to tranquilize the distressed
state of mind of their hostess, but all to no purpose,Mrs. Bland still persisting in the truth of her previo
assertion. In this state about an hour andJ.a half transpired, when a coach was heard to stop at the outer door,
and itnmediately a loud ring at the bell was heard, when
in a few seconds the servant announced that two strange
gentlemen wished to to speak toMr. Caulfield. Having
requested that the unknown visitors might be shown
into one of the parlours, he joined them and continued
for some time absent, when the gentlemen at length
quitted the house, and Mr. Caulfield rejoined his visitors.
No sooner had he entered the room, than
steadfastly rivetting her eyes to his countenance, and
placing her hand upon his arm, exclaimed :"My dear Tom, do not endeavour to
mnc by
any fictitious tale ; I am fully aware that the strangers
you have seen, came with the tidings of. my mother's

1There
When

to

Mrs. Bland

deceive

death-be explicit,

I entreat, for I would rather know

the worst at once than be tortured by an agony of suspense."
"After such an appeal, Mr. Caulfield conceiving that
subterfuge would avail but little, candidly confessed
that Madame Romanzini had expired, and what rendered
the circumstance more singular was, that accounting
for the trifling variation that might take place in time
pieces, it appeared from the statement of Mr. Caulfield':
informants, whom hie had purposely interrogatedl upon

L FE OF MRS. JORDAN.
the subject, that the def'uict must have breathed her
last during the interval which elapsed between the two
reports that had been heard by the whole company. "This statement," continued Mrs. Jordan, I have
had corroborated by three of the individuals who were
present, one of whom in particular is the most incredulous person living as regards anything appertaining to
appearances or warnings of such a description. I then
requested his opinion respecting the cause of the sounds
that had been heard, when he candidly declared he
could by no means account for them though he left no
214

means untried to satisfy himself upon that head."
' Well, Miss Williams, what think you of this singular
narrative? do you conceive it possible that the noises
heard could have had any connection whatever with the
demise of Madame Romanziui.
For myself, I have a
hundred times ruminated upon the subject without being
able to come to any conclusion whatsoever.'
' This narrative, madame, like a variety of others of a
similar description, cannot fail to excite our astonishment without enabling us to reason conclusively on the
events. The first question, however, which I uniformly
put to myself, is this ; taking it for granted that the noise
heard, were the results of supernatural interposition, for
what good purpose were they produced as it is impossible to conceive that such an interference on the part of
Providence should be permitted to transpire, having no
apparent end in view, but to excite the astonishment or
fear of those by whom it is witnessed. The only feasimode of accounting for an event of this description,
is, allowing the spirit of a dying person be permitted to
wander from the body ; that the latest sentiments exl)erienced by expiring life, is affection for some particular
person, and an anxiety to cling to that individual to
the very last.'
'I have listened with the greatest attention to your conclusive words, Miss Williams, and certainly take some

blhie

credit to myself for having frequently adopted a similar
opinion. As for speaking decidedly upon the subject

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

215

that is altogether out of the question, every thing beyond
the pale of existence being only conjectural.'
' The bourne from whence no traveller returns.'

'There is something so singular in your statement,
Mrs. Jordan, that on my return home I shall not fail to
commit the narrative to paper, and with your permission
will, at our next meeting, bring the manuscript for your
perusal, in order that you may correct any inaccuracies
of which I may have been guilty in the progress of the
Having received Mrs. Jordan's acquiescence
detail.
with my request, as I had extended my visit to an unusual length, I rose to depart, when the dear lady taking
my hand, said in the most affectionate manner:' Ten thousand, thousand thanks, my dear friend, for
this charitable visit; let me entreat you to consider that
my door shall never be closed upon Miss Williams, who,
like a good genius, revives my spirits and for a period
wafts me back to my own dear native country.'
'There was something so peculiarly gratifying in this
complimentary address, and the heart-felt warmth
whereby it was accompanied, that I raised the dear
hand, which still held mine in its pressure, and sealed
upon it a fervent kiss, after which having named a
day for a future meeting, we parted mutually delighted
with each other.'

THIRD INTERVIEW.

' After the accustomed salutations, the first question
put by Mrs. Jordan, was, whether I had committed to
paper the account relative to Mrs. Bland, as previously
related; having replied in the affirmative, she begged
I would favour her by its perusal, with which I complied
when she was pleased to compliment me on my retentive
memory, adding that I had not suffered a word to escape
my recollection. After some desultory conversation on
the topic of apparitions, Mrs. Jordan suddenly remarked:'

216

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
' Well, iftany thing could make me enamoured with
the subject of super-human agency, most unquestionably
it would be the manner in which it has been handled by
the divine dramatist, Shakspeare, in his inimitable tragedy of Macbeth. There is something so truly appalling
in the whole progress of that production, as to leave
every other scenic effort of the same description at an
incalculable distance.
The weird sisters are the
creatures of the bard's imagination, their language, manners, and haunts, are completely their own, and in the
scene where having worked their victim up to a paroxysm
of desperation, they present the aerial train of future
Scottish monarchs to his view ; I conceive it impossible
to produce a higher finished picture of the terrific.
Neither is the ghost of Banquo less effective in the banquet
scene, which Mr. Kemble, however, endeavoured to explode; for a short period fixing his gaze upon nothingness;
such, however, was the effect of custom or a love for
witnessing the spectre on the boards by the audience,
that our tragedian found himself compelled to reinstate
'The blood boltered Banquo.'
On the same principle,
suppose the spirit of Hamlet's father had nothing to
utter in that drama; I am thoroughly convinced the
spectators would not be satisfied by the omission of the
figure clad in complete steel; in fact, apparitions ever
were and will always continue the order of the day.
By-the-bye, Miss Williams, you can perhaps throw
some light upon a subject which I have frequeutly heard
mentioned ; I mean Napoleon's being a fatalist-is there
any truth in the assertion ?'
'As far as I can speak from statements made by persons worthy of credit, arnd who were the most likely to
ascertain the fact, Napoleon unquestionably was strongly
prejudiced with a belief in fatalism.*
He was equally
* At the period when the above conversation occurred, theentertaining volumes of Count Las Casas, respecting the deceased
Emperor of France which were penned at St. Helena, had not met
the public eye, which tend to verify the assertion of Miss Williams
in more instances than one.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

217

partial to the grey CAPOT, or grey coat which he wore
on the memorable day, when the battle of Marengo
was fought, and he never wore any other sword than
that which hung at his side on that fortunate occasion.
Numerous tales have been told of a supernatural character, as connected with Napoleon, which however I believe were only the offsprings of his admirers or enemies.
One of these accounts went to state, that Napoleon
being then merely Bonaparte, general-in-chief of the
army of Egypt, was in company with some of his officers
near the great pyramid of Cheops, on which occasion he
is stated to have had the following singular interview.
Oin asudden there appeared before him a stranger enveloped in an ample red mantle which completely concealed his frame from head to foot, who addressing him
desired a few minutes private conversation. Having retired with the unknown to a short distance, after a few
seconds the general informed his officers that he was going
to enter the pyramid with the individual who had addressed him, at the same time commanding them not to
follow but await his return. At the end of an hour he
camne forth from the edifice alone, never uttering a syllable that had transpired while absent with the unknown,
but to every appearance perfectly satisfied with the
result. The ensuing day he fought and gained the famous
battle of the Pyramids, prior to which he delivered to
his army that energetic speech so famed for one sentence
it contained, namely :-' Soldiers ; from the summit of
this (abric centuries are looking down upon your deeds.'
For nearly ten years it is then stated no more transpired
respecting the man in the red mantle, who at that period
again presented himself on the day preceeding the conflict
at Wagram, when a conference of an hours duration
again took place, not a syllable of which ever transpired.
The'prosperity of Napoleon still continued for a time
until the unfortunate results of the invasions of Spain
and Russia, subsequent to which the mysterious unknown
is reported to have a third time presented himself at the
moment when Napoleon was quitting Paris for the disas-

218

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

trons campaign of Leipsic. Having presented himself
at the palace of the Tuilleries, the man in the red mantle
is reported to have demanded an interview with the Emperor, who in the first instance was denied admission;
but continuing to speak in the most authoritative tone'
adding that it was not only requisite that he should see
his majesty, but that he would see him, the chamberlain then on duty made known to the Emperor that a
stranger habited in a scarlet mantle, who would not give
his name, insisted on having an immediate audience with
his majesty, when Napoleon changing colour commanded
him to be introduced immediately. What passed during
the conference or how long it continued was unknown,
as no witness was present, nor was it ascertained how
the man in the scarlet mantle disappeared, as two hours
after the Emperor rang his bell for breakfast, when he
was found alone, no one having witnessed the.departure
of the mysterious stranger. However improbable this
story may seem, I can certainly aver that the question was
once put to Napoleon respecting the truth or falsehood
of the narration, to ahich the Emperor gave no direct
reply, but immediately changed the conversation.'
' After a pause Mrs. Jordan remarked :-Well, if there
was no foundation whatsoever for super-human occurences, one would scarcely credit that such a capacious
understanding as that w herewith Napoleon was endowed
would have indulged in mere chimerical notions. If any
thing could prompt me to place reliance on the marvellous, it certainly would be the preponderating bias which
was manifested in the mind of such a character.'
'From the subject of the Imperial reign, Mrs. Jordan
then reverted to the revolutionary epoch, and demanded
of me what was the state of the drama during the reign
of Terror. To which I replied by giving the ensuing
statement, which particularly excited the astonishment
of my valued friend.'
' You have no doubt uniformly been given to understand that the French are enthusiastically fond of the
stage, and never was that fact so incontestibly verified

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LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
219
than during that dreadful period to which you allude,
for however incredible it may seem, there were more
play-houses then open than at the present day, and
never were the theatres so uniformly thronged.
At a
time when between thirty or forty carts laden with victims were daily conveyed to the barrier du Trone, at the
end of the Faubourg Saint Antoine for decapitation, the
scene of blood had scarcely terminated for the day than
the Boulevards were literally crowded by citizens hurrying to the different places of amusement ; and it has
frequently occurred that an individual on returning
thence to his own door, has found the officers attending
with an order for his arrestation from the revolutionary
tribunal, when after the lapse of eight and forty hours,
he had made one among the fresh unfortunates doomed
to terminate their lives upon the scaffold. I have on more
occasions than one heard persons declare that if they
were fated to fall it was as well to enjoy the theatre to
the last; neither did the constant recurrence of slaughter
tend to diminish the gaiety of the public character, every
tirade of wit which emanated from the comedians never
failing to command the accustomed peals of laughter
and rapturous bursts of applause. Such I do not conceive would prove the case in the event of similar scenes
being transacted in the metropolis of England.'
'You are perfectly right, Miss Williams, John Bull
would chew the cud of melancholy reflection, and after
perusing in the morning prints the butcheries of the preceding day, find no delight in witnessing dramatic sights
of any description. Yet after all Frenchmen are in the
right, for melancholy reflections cannot avert a predestined ill, and it must be allowed that nothing tends more
to prolong existence than mental peace. A cheerful
mind is the best companion of human nature, and happy
are they whose temperaments are so amalgamated as to
hold the passions in a state of equilibrium.' Mrs. Jordan
paused; I could perceive that a variety of emotions agitated her mind and struggled for utterance, which prudence however forbade her to divulge; I pitied her from

U

220

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
my soul. At length aroused as it were from the lethargic
spell of grief, and forcing a smile upon her features, she
thus resumed the conversation:
' Inevertheless envy
you, Miss Williams, the scenes that must necessarily
have passed under your observation during the heat of
the revolution. You was, I believe, confined for some
time in the prison of the Temple, where Louis the XVI,
and Marie Antoinette were equally kept prisoners ?'
' I certainly had the honour, if such it may be esteemed,
of living under the roof that had sheltered the heads of
royalty, and in fact was frequently apprehensive that
my own would share a similar fate with theirs, under the
knife of the guilldtine, for in those days it was impossible
to calculate what events might occur from hour to hour,
in fact my English birth was in itself sufficient to seal
my doom, my only astonishment is how I escaped.'
' Oh! Miss Williams, your sex was in itselt sufficient
to ensure you from danger ; besides, what could a defenceless woman have done to provoke vengeance and
draw down the lash of punition ?'
'Although not generally known, there were I assure
you sufficient incitements to entail upon all English residents in France the direst hatred of the Republican
government. You are not aware, Madam, of the baseness and iniquity that characterized the proceedings of
the Pitt administration, with which I was fully acquainted, from the intercourse I had with persons well versed
in every thing that transpired. It was not the open
warfare carried on that was dreaded by the then constituted authorities of France, but the secret and base
machinations resorted to by the English cabinet, that
struck a deadly blow at the prosperity of the newly
framed government. How was it possible that any
measures could circumvent the insidious issue of forged
assignats, which were shipped off by millions and landed
on the coast of Normandy, whence they were forwarded
to the Vendean and Chouan chieftains, who purchased
oxen and provisions of every description for the rebel
armies with such spurious paper, which by that means

221
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
acquired circulation throughout the republic and ultimately found its way to the treasury. The iniquity was
well known, but the authorities did not dare promulgate
the fact as publicity would only have tended to encrease
the evil. Not only was the French government acquainted of the frauds practised, but through the medium
of spies in England the very names of the several fabricators of assignats were registered in the books of the
police. One individual in particular, and perhaps the
most prominent of the men so employed, was one Coleman, a very expert wood-cutter, who resided in the
neighbourhood of Chelsea, where he manufactured bills
from five livres, to notes of ten thousand francs value.
It was that knowledge which constantly made me fearful respecting my personal safety, and I think you will
confess with me that such an apprehension was very far
from being ill-founded.'
" You really astonish me; I could not have supposed
that the British governmhent would stoop to adopt such
derogatory measures against an enemy, however inveterate might be the animosity existing between the two
states.'
" Not only were such measures pursued, but openly
vindicated by no less a person than the famous Lord
Chief Justice Kenyon, who when a prosecution was instituted for the recovery of a sumin due for the fabrication of a certain quantity of assignats, told the jury
when summing up the evidence that measures of that
description were justifiable where two countries were
in a state of hostility.
"That indeed is Machiavelian, policy with a witness, and in truth, Miss Williams, I must candidly confess that I think you held your head on your shoulders
by a very fragile tenure."''
"At the period to which I allude, attempts were also
made to negotiate a bond for one hundred thousand
pounds for the use of certain personages in England,
whereof six-and-thirty thousand were procured and
sent out of France, for which five of the unfortunate

222
LIFE OF MRS. JORD)AN.
negociators were condemned to theguillotine; in short
the measures practiced against the French republic
were so glaring and iniquitous, that it is requisite to
know facts ere we proceed to condemn the measures
pursued by the then legislation of France."
'There is much truth in yE_ observation, Miss Wilmc
liams, and I begin to think tha. have been led to form
connectvery unjust conclusions 'especting many
ed with the French Revolution. That there was nuch to
blame, cannot be disputed ; at the same time no popular commotion recorded in history was ever productive
of more extraordinary results, or gave publicity to such
a host of eminent characters, of whom Bonaparte
ranks foremost, being in my humble opinion the
est potentate upon record. However, not to speak of
his brilliant actions, as far as your knowledge goes,
what think you of the emperor in-private life ?"
"That he enjoyed himself like other people, and
could even descend to mingle in the games of boyhood,
being particularly fond of ' blind-man's buff."
"Was he lpartial to theatrical amusements I"
Particularly ; and munificent in the extreme to those
who excelled in the walk of tragedy, havi5Jg frequently
paid the debts of M. Talmna."
Mrs. Jordan, smiling, then remarked, " Had he any
p~redeliction
the fair sex connected with the stage i
222

I

points

great-

1
"

for

Unquestionably,

and if niot displeasing to you, I will

recite one or two anecdotes, for the truth of which I can
avouch. Previous to his marriage with Marie Louise,
the emperor one night took it into his bead to send
the famous Mademoiselle Duchenois, one of the leading
personages of the Theatre Francais, whose features

for

were

by

no means prepossessiIng,

but who had to boast

a person that was symmetry itself. On arriving at the
palace, Napoleon, who was occupied on state affairs,
being made acquainted with the fact, gave orders that
the lady should be conducted to an anticharnber adjoining the room in which he slept, at the same time intimating that she might undress herself. The unfortunate

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

223

actress obeyed the commands, throwing off every vestige
of her apparel, save that which conceals nudity. It was
at the close of the month of September, the nights
were cold, and there was nQ fire in the apartment, so
that after the lapse of an hour Mademoiselle Duchenois
was literally perished with cold, when ringing the bell
she requested that the attendant would make known to
the emperor the unpleasantness of her situation, who
being still occupied with one of his ministers, merely
remarked, " Let her go about her business !" and thus
terminated his connection with the lady alluded to.Mademoiselle George, another performer of the same
theatre, then at the height of her beauty, having been
.sent for by Napoleon, repaired to the palace. The emperor during that day had been very seriously engaged
on matters of the highest import, insomuch so that his
nervous system was excited in a particular manner,
which a night passed with such a lovely creature was
by no means calculated to allay. A little after two
o'clock in the morning, the lady in question perceived
that Napoleon was in a complete state of insensibility,
when dreadfully alarmed, her senses forsook her, and
screaming aloud, she proceeded to ring the bells of the
apartment with all the force imaginable. The attendants
alarmed, ran for the physician and surgeon, the whole
palace was in an uproar, and Josephine awakened by
the noise, proceeded with all expedition to the bed
chamber of her husband, when the first object that
presented itself to her view, was Mademoiselle George
half undressed, supporting the emperor in her arm, who
had in some measure recovered from the state of apathy
The sight of Josephine
that had overpowered him.
aroused his passion, which was so forcibly excited as
nearly to produce a recurrence of the malady from
which he had just recovered, when the poor trembling
actress being dismissed, was never pardoned by Napoleon for the exposure to which she had subjected him by
her want of due precaution. It is, however, requisite
to remark that such infidelities on the part of the errU3

224

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN

peror were very rare during his connection'i ith Josephine, and became more so after his alliance with Marie
Louise, from whom he sedulously concealed any little
faux paux of that description. He nevertheless sometimes complained that she did not sufficiently exert her
efforts to please the personages of the court. Accustomed to the uniform grace and amiability that had
been the characteristics of Josephine, it is by no means
astonishing that the difference between his first and
second wife should forcibly strike him. He forgot that
the latter, born on a throne, and accustomed from infancy to homage and respect, possessing also some share
of Austrian pride, and naturally timid, and reserved
conceived, as is generally the case with potentates, that
she had only to show herself in order to reign in the
hearts of her observers, while, on the other hand, she
was by no means acquainted with the character of the
people over whom she had been called to reign.
"Another lady connected with the Theatre Francais,
whose beauty so far fascinated Napoleon as to render
him jealous of her, was Mademoiselle Bourgoin, who
was the cause of a ludicrous circumstance that occurred
to the famous minister Chaptal, on which occasion the
emperor played the leading part. Napoleon, who when
state affairs needed his attention, occupied himself by
night as well as by (lay, having occasion to confer with
the ministers, sent for Chaptal when it was nearly mid.
The page who was bearer of the letter, on
night.
gaining the hotel was informed that Chaptal was from
home, but that he would certainly be found at the residence of Mademoiselle Bourgoin. The messenger accordingly proceeded thither, and having delivered his
message, returned to the palace to make known to his
master what had transpired. Chaptal, who was in bed,
rose on the instant, and dressing himself with all the
despatch possible, proceeded to the palace.
' Scarcely had he left the hotel of the lady, when a
thundering knocking was heard at the portal, which
Mademoiselle Bourgoin conceived was the announcement

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

'225

of Chaptal's return, when she proceeded to search the
chamber, imagining that he had perhaps forgotten something; on the contrary it was the emperor's page, who
presented the following laconic note, scarcely legible,
being penned by Napoleon himself.
She trembling
broke the seal, and read as follows:"Come on the instant to the Palace of the Toilleries."
NAPOLEON."

'The lady immediately attired herself with all the
care which the hasty summons would admit, and having
ordered the horses to her carriage, she drove off to meet
her imperial lover. During the period which so transpired, Napoleon occupied his minister in revising several decrees, making notes, and correcting different plans
that had been projected. On a sudden a page presented
himself at the door, saying, 'Sire, she is arrived.'-'Show her in,' said the emperor, upon which Chaptal
directing his regard to the door to ascertain who was
Napoleon's nocturnal visitor, was completely petrified
on beholding Mademoiselle Bourgoin. Dropping the pen
with eyes and mouth-equally distended, he could scarcely credit what appeared before him. The actress, however advancing to his majesty, intimated with becoming
respect that she presented herself conformably with his
royal pleasure. " Go into that chamber," said Napoleon, without deigning to regard her, pointing to a door
opposite that by which she had entered the apartment.
-"Go to bed, and there await my coming." She disappeared, and the poor minister Chaptal covered with a
chill prespiration, was obliged to resume the pen, and
remain occupied for two hours longer, which appeared
to him so many ages. He was at length dismissed when
the emperor rang the bell, who on the arrival of the
valet said, "Tell Bourgoin to go about her business
-she has finished her part." On the ensuing day, he
told the story himself, which became the theme of pub-

226

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN,

lic
conversation in all the saloons of the great. Chaptal
had no cause to regret the termination of this affair,
which, however, was not the case with the lady, who
felt excessively mortified, conceiving at the same time,
that the affront to which she had been subjected, was
unpardonable."
'
Mrs. Jordan having expressed herself much gratified
by the recital of the foregoing anecdotes which I should
certainly have never thought of detailing, but at her own
particular request, owing to her former connection
with royalty ;-I took my leave, being s on former occasions strenuously solicited to continue my visits.'

' FOURTH

INTERVIEW.

'On this occasion, Mrs. Jordan seemed in much better spirits than during the previous interviews, and after
a few casual remarks upon the weather, and the news of
the day, she thus addressed me.
"I have a strong inclination, Miss Williams, to let
you into a secret, but your long initiation with literature
deters me, as I should most probably fall under the lash
of your criticism."
" I am sorry that you should form an opinion so erroneousin respect to me; -rest assured, Madam, that
I have little of the sarcastic in my composition, and
where I cannot praise, I never revile, but rather have
recourse to commisserating sentiments.'
" Well, if such be the ease, I will e'en take courage,
for you must know, my dear madam, I have at times
had recourse to my pen, when every other souree of
amusement failed, and the other day, when rummaging
over my papers, I found a fragment of doggrel poetry

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

227

written upon a particular occasion~, for the express purpose of pleasing a personage who shall be nameless, as
well as a prose composition on a Member of Parliament
who had at the period alluded to, brought forward a
motion respecting circumstances connected with the
Admiralty board that was particularly annoying in a
certain quarter."
' Having thus prefaced the subject, Mrs. Jordan took
a bundle of papers from her writing desk, three of which
she selected, and then perused their contents. On soliciting permission to transcribe the ballad, she kindly remarked that.the originals were very much at my service,
as it was her intention to commit the whole to the
flames. I of course embraced the offer with infinite satisfaction, and as constituting part of our interview, have
thought fit to insert them.'

A FRAGMENT.

'Sir,'I conceive that any literary trifles applicable
to the men and manners of the present day, may
prove acceptable to the public. I take the liberty of
forwarding the ensuing lines for inspection, and
should they find a place in your very entertaining
print I, shall proceed in my poetical career by following them up with a series of numbers, under the
title of'I am, Sir &c.
ANTHONY ACERBUS.'

*As a proof that the subject of this Memoir was not divested of
poetical talent, we refer our reader to a previous part of our history, where, upon the death of her venerated mother, she penned
some stanzas which were inserted in the public prints.

228
LIFE OF MRS, JORDAN.

228

No. 1.
When ALL the Talents, greedy rout,
From darling places were turned out ;
When fortnne proved no more their friend,
Depriving them of candle's end,
Whereof too long they had been sharing,
And eke of cheese, delicious paring.
Astounded were their flimsy wits,
bodies seiz'd wviti ague fits;
Each phiz pourtray'd fell consternation,
Thus 'reft of power and situation;
In short, to all were words denied,
'T'heir tongues by goblin horror tied;
But short the pause, for gaining breath,
Ere long they threaten hell and death
From bloated venom's filthy sty,
Their lungs Cerberian--hideous cry;
Till then their prince's word was law,
Till then they ae'er saw Satan's claw
The brightness of his lustre taint,
In fine, 'till then, the Prince was Faint;
But being Outs instead of Ins,
Transform'd good actions into sis.
Come forth unmask'd to broad ey'd day,
What has consistency to say 2'
When he yot deem'd one hour a god,
Felt in the next detraction's rod;
Ttus from the Talents venom flies,
But Truth, the noixous drug defies;
,Though deadlier than the Ulnas tree,
Or guardians of Pandora's key;
My hand, correct ions lash shall wield,
And bear aloft a champion's shietd ;
The symbol blazon'd my broad riag on,
Saint George triumphant., and the Dragon.
Then come forth, Talents cap-a-pie ;
T' court poetic chivalry

And

:

Come forth, desponding Grnv~~lle come,
And Lansdwne-Master Tommy Thumb;
Antd mighty Gr~y, I know so
w~ell,

By Talents dnbb'd sage Sidrophel:

*Alluding,

no (doubt, to the period when the Whigs after a short
continuance in
and~ the ratification of the Peace of Autiiens,

office,

were compelled to relinquish their stations, and reinstate the hunmgry Tories in power.

229

LIFE OF MRS. JORD.N.
Come forth of Holland House the band,
Sir Frank so hot, mine host so bland,
And Sammy,*' from whose noddle drops,
Wisdom as sweet as juice of hops;
Come forth from High House and the Low,
Rank has no claim when MIND'S the foe;
With GENIUs, Title stands for SIR,
His Grace no more than Commoner;
Thus much for Talents ta'en en masse;
My numbers in reflective glass,
Each character shall hold to view,
In colours striking-diction true;
E'en from that porpoise of ambition,
That rtles the helm of opposition
To him who sconce mnst needs he puzzlng,
In lieu of serving dames witihmuslin;
I mean great "ithm'n,
Bridge-street star,
Fam'd draper, east of Temple-bar,
Who emulates protd Gr*nv~lle's glow,
When wielding yard o'er Calico.

SK1ETCH OF A CHARACTER.

G

---

ESQ. M. P.

T----,

OR, ENG LAND'S\COCKRR

REDIVIVUS.t

Having his hand pass'd o'er his pate,
He'd look quite grave, and

ruminate;

Scan ev'ry rule, from plain addition,
Solve Algebraical position;

* The

late Samuel Whitbread,

Esqr.

Brewet,

Member of

Parliament, and one of the most conspicuous leaders of the
Whig party.
1t George Tierney, Esq. Member of Parliament for a long series of years, and a staunch member of the -Whig faction. He
was an honest and conscientious public character, never having
tergiversated in his political opinions, and when considered as a
man of busiitess, his aptitude at calculation would have well
hire for tile post of Chancellor of the Exchequer, had the party
whose principles he espoused ever continued for a length of time
in the enjoyment of power.

fitted

230

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
In fine, he made no more of figures,
Than soldier's do of pulling triggers;
Yet labour was not worth one sous,

The mountain bringing forth-a mouse!

' NAPOLEON is stated to have accomplished every
thing by the aid of Mathematics, an opinion cherished
to such a pitch that he imagined we might eat, drink,
and sleep on mathematical principles. If such was the
exalted idea of Bonaparte on that head, we venture to
intrude on public notice an advocate equally strenuous
in supporting the sister science of Arithmetic, in the
person of George Tierney, Esq. M. P.
'This gentleman, with a tact truly his own, has for
upwards of half a century done no one earthly thing lut
by the aid of figures. He can tell you to a fraction how
many hours, minutes, and seconds have been expended
in wearing out his precious Parliamentary legs while
standing erect, and combating for the Whig minorities,
prior to the consumptive and ricketty peace manufactured by the PETTY Administration. He is no less
expert in calculating to a denier the profits acquired
during that short lived enjoyment of the loaves and
fishes, and only experienced acute sorrow in not having
been longer empowered to practice Multiplication. He
can divide and subdivide with any member of the upper or lower House, and although minus ninety-nine
times in the hundred, his perseverance has uniformly
been the same.
' From the commencement of the late Premier's lamented illness, Mr. Tierney is said to have estimated
Time with such accuracy, that he can tell how
grains of sand passed the hour glass until the arrival of
the propitious moment of his coalition with George
Canning, Esq. Having as before said been so long estranged to the calculation of Gains, he finds himself
somewhat deficient in multiplying; but Practicerenders
all things easy, and depend upon it he will soon get his
hand in.
Sor the foregoing reason, Mr. Tierney has had little

mnany

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

231

to do with Compound Interest, but should his patron
hold out, that must come as a matter of course. While
thus delightfully occupied, we shall no longer hear our
Cocker Redivivus vehemently opposing, a la Hume, the
useless and lavish expenditure of the public money ; no,
no,--tempora mutantur! If the reader ever listened to
a speech delivered by this honourable gentleman, he
must allow the nicety with which Mr. Tierney was ever
wont to measure out the Chancellor of the Exchequer by
the rule of' Avoirdupoise.-Penny'weightis not beneath
his notice; nay, he will even scruple about a very fraction! What a patriot calculator-what an invaluable
friend to the John Bull race ;-what a Cocker Secundus!
Why his fame, like his head, is cera perrenius.
The very walk and gesture of Mr. Tierney, demonstrate profundity; and on considering his phisiognomy,
were Canova or Flaxman still living, I would recommend
his sconce as a perfect model for the bust of Archimedes.
With hands crossed behind, ('after the Bonapartean
fashion) and eyes bent downwards, his study seems to
be--the pavement. By heaven, I will venture to affirm
in defiance of the universally cherished axiom, that he
has (lived into the secret of extracting blood from a
flint stone.
'This most useful ars crescendi will no doubt lay dormant while the discoverer has an opportunity of devouring MINT SAUCE with his lamb; it may nevertheless
prove a very useful desideratum, when place and pension,
shall be no more. From the foregoing statements it must
appear obvious that if we cannot say with the poet, that
' He lisp'd in numbers and the numbers came;'

we may still aver, without fear of contradiction, that ;' He swore by Cocker, and the Figures came!'

As bare assertion, however, is no legitimate test of
truth, we will close our subject with a case in point. A
pretty round sum; say half a million sterling, having

x

232

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

been expended in providing liqucrs for the use of'the
Navy, we view Mr. Tierney, with his accustomed gravity,
demanding that the navy estimates be laid upon the table of that Honourable House. The same being handed
up in due course, and every item found correct; what
says Save-all, Gocker, Secundus ?-why, rising from his
seat, after calling up a look of the highest importance,
and turning to the Speaker, he exclaims:
'It appears obvious that the sailors quaff'd the grog
and guzzled the wine to the very lees. The casks and
hoops I find werejustly sold and duly carried tothe credit
account of the nation; yet I have a weighty charge to
prefer--a charge'of the highest importance, no less than
pecculatumrmagnatum ;-a
charge, whose magnitude
must astound the country-a charge in short, that would
in more patriotic times, have consigned a minister's head
to the block. The casks, I say, as well as their hoops,
were duly disposed of; hut the BUNGS, Mr. Speaker,
the worn out BUNGS, Mr. Speaker; what became of
them ? I now solemnly call upon the occupants of the
ministerial benches, for a full, clear, and honest statement of the BUNG HOLE CONCERN, and having so done,
I resume my seat, conscious that I have fulfilled a sacred
duty to God and my country !' The honorable member
sat down amidst reiterated cheerings from the occupants of the opposition benches.

then

THE WILES OF LOVE.
A BAL.LAD.

Love's mien in innocence array'd,
An arch and dimpled smile displaying;
Enscarfs the subtle urchin's trade,
who secret plans the soul's betraying.
The young and unsuspecting heart,
All suppliant courts th' enslaving fetter ;

;LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
Joyful receives th' envenom'd dart,
And sues to rank keen misery's debtor.

233

As ambient air, another free,
Though tutor'd by the bitter warning;
Pants bat to barter liberty,
For love, the bliss of freedom scorning.
Thus to the urchin's sweet controul,
We yield heart's pennons, erst so soaring;
And tender up the willing soul,
Enslav'd ; the despot still adoring.

From thd foregoing specimens, it cannot be denied but that
Mrs. Jordan was gifted with some share of literary capability, but when awarding her the meed of praise, she
would not allow herself a particle of talent, but patting
me on the shoulder with an arch smile, called me a wicked
flatterer, after which she proceeded in the following
strain:
'Persons possessed of sterling literary acquirementsfeel an inherent conviction of their capacity of which nothing can deprive them; now I on the contrary, however
desirous I might be to enlist myself one of the Muse's
sisterhood, not all the powers of persuasion could urge
me to give myself credit for a single sentimentabove mediocrity. It is true I have all the wish, but alas ! the
power has been by nature denied rme, consequently I rank
myself among the woud be's. Now you, Miss Williams
on the contrary, entered the flowery field of poesy while
yet a girl, your dawning talents procured for you the
commendations of men of science, and the highest literary
acquirements, I am convinced that composition was no
toil to you from the earliest dawning essay that emenated
from your prolific pen; but it is otherwise with me, unfortunately my Pegasus needs the whip and spur, not that
I am altogether bereft of the emenations of fancy ; for my
ideas have a copious flow, but then I feel a deficiency in
their arrangemenits, and consequently being dissatisfied

234

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAM.

with my own powers, 1 hurry on from one thought to
another without bestowing the requisite attention on any
one. When such is the case no production can ever approximate to excellence, it may be passable, perhaps
pretty, and in so saying you have passed all the commendation that is due. How much it is to be regretted that
persons cannot be trained up for poets or writers as you
instruct for trades. I once knew a lady who piqued herself on her capacity at rhyming, which she had acquired
through the medium of Byshe's Art of Poetry, but who
had no more pretensions to genius than myself, she however entertained a contrary opinion, how far the supposition was correct may be exemplified by the following
specimenis, which will never escap my memory.'
' In purple streams I ardently confess,
Sweet is the love that comes with wil-ling-ness.'
' Sportive lambkins skip and play,
To the change of night and day.'
' With glowing pleasure I must here relate
Kings and dominions all submit to fate !'

It was utterly impossible to restrain the indulgence of
one's risible faculties on witnessing such sheer specimens
of the bathos in poetic composition, more particularly as
the couplets were delivered by Mrs. Jordan, who added
a gravity of demeanour and tone of voice that were truly
irresistable. Conceiving that I had a topic very much to
the point, I then stated as follows:'
There has been resident in Paris, one Doctor Haskell,
physician to the American Embassy, who combines with
a considerable share of mental acumen opinions of a very
singular nature. Among others, he is a firm believer in
demonology, palmistry, phantoms, and alchemy, upon
relates tales out of number. I have
which subjects
on several occasions had the honour of being in society
with the Doctor, when we uniformly take our stations
close to one another; he for the purpose of inculcating
his doctrines, arind I to elicit from time to time as much

lie

935

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

as possible, appearing to swallow with avidity every syllab!e that escapes his lips. Speaking of the singularities
that characterized some of our Atlantic brethren, he
upon one occasion gave me to understand that a mania
had existed in some districts of the United States, for
drawing out poetical testamentory papers of goods and
chattels, which a citizen might have, and leave behind
him ; a specimen, whereof he gave me in the following
stanzas, which he remembered from a vast number he had
once perused, being the bona will of a defunct Yankee
' A porridge-pot--a three legged stool,
A grid-iron and trivet;
A candle stick, and old night stool,
That does not smell of civet.
A pair of snuffers, and quart pot,
A box to hoard up candles ,
A fishing rod without the line,
And hooks-beware who handles.
A brush with half its bristles gone,
Great coat to shield from weather;
Two chamber pots, a glass for eye,
And brigs of greasy leather.
A canister of English tin,
Wash'd silver spoons-true Brummagem;
A box of tools-to know what's in,
You've only got to rummage 'em.
Buckle for stock-for butt a cock,
A stove made of cast iron;
Fork with three prongs, shovel and tongs,
Trivet to hang the fire on.
A book put out, by Thomas Rook,
Another book by Bunyan;
A tub of soap, an old cart rope,
And five or six yards of spun yarn.'

'Notwithstanding the dear lady's accustomed melancholy, she could not refrain from displaying more than a

X3

2 86

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

smile on my delivery of the couplets, upon which she
ren rked:'
'Well, well, Miss Williams, I really must say, if
your specimens do not surpass, they are at all events upon
an equality with the rhymes I have delivered of samples
of poetry bereft of common sense. I know not what
may be your private opinion; but really there is nothing
in my estimation so truly revdlting to the mind, as for an
intalented individual to conceive himself enlisted among
the votaries of the muse, I have on very many occasions
encountered such unfortunates, and been subjected to
endure the horrid crucifixion of hearing them peruse long
specimens of their poetic flights; if however any thin gcan
exceed such mortification of the spirit, it is the being
doomed to listen to the reading of a dull tragedy or comnedy, divested of point or interest. The fame I had acquired as a member of the histrionic corps, frequently
impelled me to endure the latter torment, as I never could
find it in my heart to repulse an applicant, more particularly if he or she appeared unblessed by the gifts of
fortunc. Oh ! Miss Williams, the latter is indeed 3 species of indiscribable torture; it is like subjecting an
unfortunate heretic to the endurance of the question;
thank heaven! all such trials are now at an end, being
at least one nail less in one's coffin. But recurring to
Doctor Iaskell, you say that with all his scholastic endowments he was notwithstanding weak enough to place
credence in the black art as well as transmutation of
metals.'
'Not only, my dear madam, did he firmly believe in
such studies, but is constantly employing himself in endeavours to prove their possibility from practical efforts.
I have at his request paid him two or three morning visits, when never perhaps has a more ludicrous scene
presented itself, than the Doctor and his apparatus. In
the first place, the gentleman himself might in external
appearance rank a candidate for Saint Luke's: his eyes
large and piercing, are constantly in motion, his bushy
hair hanging in curls upon his shoulders, while in his

LIFE OF MRS. JO)RDL N.

237

mouth he invariably chews a very small quid of the short
cut. As for the chamber it is strewed with books, papers
bundles of herbs, and pots of various descriptions. On
the mantle-piece are ranged phials, without end, and on
either side of the wood fire-place bricks are placed so as
to form cavities wherein charcoal fires are burning in
order to heat a regiment of crucibles placel over them.
Sometimes on entering, ten minutes will elapse ere the
Doctor deigns to pronounce a syllable, merely giving a
significant glance or nod while moving the quid in his
mouth, as if to indicate that he is on the point of verifying
some mighty chemical problem. When the critical moment of fusion or otherwise arrives, he will elevate his
arms, pass his fingers through his hair, and then hold his
hands clasped over his head until finding the expected result end in a chimera, leisurely setting down in his armchair, he with the greatest possible solemnity avers that
there only wanted the twentieth part of a grain of some
mineral or other ingredient to render the discovery complete, which he of course cannot fail to effect on his next
essay. Then comes my favourable opportunity of broaching some question connected with occult philosophy,
upon which like, an eight days pendulum once set in motion, off he goes and forgetful of the hour for meals or
any other imperative duty he may have to fulfil ; (for it
must be recollected he has his American patients'to attend to)nothing but the subjectthusstarted, possesses any
charm for him; in short, as long as his visitor will listen,
he uniformly continues to amuse, and even when upon
the point of going it frequently happens that he will
hold the lock handle of the door in order to prevent your
egress until he has terminated the subject that engrossed
him.'
'Your account, Miss Williams, is truly amusing and
characteristic ; nay, in so much so, that I can in the mind's
eye picture the American doctor before me. From what
I have been given to understand, few cities, if any one
in Europe, can develope so much singularity of human
character as Paris, and upon that head I conceive no

X38

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

person more conversant than yourself from long association with its inmates, and the multiplicity of persons
with whom you must necessarily have mixed.'
' I can confidently assert, madam, that although so inferior in extent to the English metropolis, there is far
more of the world, generally speaking, in the capital of
France than can be found in the vortex of London. Men
of. the most consummate talents and scholastic acquirements occupy in Paris attic rooms, almost unknown, who
would in London be hailed as constellations of erudition.
The Frenchman of real talent is generally speaking diffident in the extreme, retired in his habits, frugal to a
fault, and rather anxious to glean information from one
by far his inferior in intellectual capacity, than assume
the dictatorship to which he is justly entitled, from the extension of his mental acquirements. These facts have
frequently come under my cognizance, and I have on
various occasions had cause to blush on being complimented for mental acumen by men, the latchets of whose
shoes I was not fit to unloose.'
' Your opinion of French talent is so decidedly flattering to the character of the natiou, that I shall soon be
led to imagine our English writers are but ephemeral
scribes, when placed in competition with their gallic
competitors for the wreath of fame.'
' I assure you, madam, I speak to the best of myjudg,
ment without being swayed by prejudice. I do not pretend to say that there are no flimsy and superficial
writers exist in this city; my allusion was to men of first
rate science and literary talents, who I again repeat,
are in my judgment less presuming than those of a similar standard in England.'
'Finding the conversation here begin to flag, I thought
it high time to take my leave, whieh I did, little conceiving that this fourth meeting was destined to be the
final interview I should ever enjoy with the most kind and
fascinating of her sex. Previous to taking my leave,
however, an early day had as usual been named for a
meeting, on the evening prior to which the following
communication was delivered at my hotel.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

' Dear Madam,
' I am not unmindful of the appointment made for
to-morrow; but circumstances have intervened, which
will preclude me the pleasure of a meeting, in addition
to which, my spirits are so depressed that I should
prove but a melancholy companion for one so full of
energy as yourself. With every sentiment that can be
dictated by warmth of friendly attachment, believe me
I remain,
'Dear Madam,
Your's very truly,
'D. JORDAN
"I suffered a fortnight to elapse without hearing any
thing further from the charming lady, when anxious to
ascertain the state of her health and what prospect there
might be of future intercourse; I proceeded to Saint
Cloud and applied at the hotel, where I was informed
that orders had been given for the admission only of two
persons, and that the health and spirits of Mrs. Jordan
were such as to augur the worst of results. With that
disheartening information, I therefore returned to my
hotel in Paris, with a sad and sickening presentiment that
I should never behold the charming creature more-my
surmises were unfortunately justified by the event; as
the next tidings I received, which did not attain me until
some time after, were the decease and interment of the
object of this narrative.
Feeling as we do, so signally indebted for the contents
of the manuscript of Miss Helena Maria Williams, we
deem it justice to annex a few comments on the literary
talents of that lady. Her poetic compositions, though
possessing much smoothness and fancy, do not soar into
the higher walks of thIe muse,-whereas her prose works
possess a considerable portion of mental penetration.The work, however, for which she ranks particularly
signalized is the translation of the Travels of Hum

240

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

boldt, a production that cannot fail to hand her name
down to posterity. This latter production was issued from the
printing press of Mr. Smith, at Paris, where we had the
pleasure of twice meeting the lady to whom we allude,
from whose conversation we derived particular instruction
as regarded the various factions that successively predom'-nated in France prior to the accession of Napoleon to power.
Miss Williams not only supported the tenets of a republican form of government, but made a boast of her sentiments upon all occasions, and during the Hundred
Days of the Imperial Dynasty, she produced some anonymous papers in the liberal sheets of that period, which
proved her to be gifted with a masculine pen when engaged on the topic of the liberty of the subject; indeed
so energetic was her style in many parts of those contributions that she appeared to have imbibed all the fire of
Mary Woolstoncroft, so universally known and panegyrized for her celebrated work on The Rights of Woman.
That a lady so eminently gifted should have arrested the
attention of Mrs. Jordan, is not to be wondered at, and
we only wish that an earlier introduction had taken place,
as we might then perhaps have been gratified by the life
of our actress from a pen fully competent to have done
justice to the talents and virtues of the subject of these
pages, and at the same time commiserated the melancholy
termination of her career with all the pathos of feminine
sensibility.

ADDITIONAL FACTS
Relative to the Life of Airs. Jordan, not inserted in the
foregoing Pages.
As we conceive that any matter tending to elucidate
our Memoirs, which may have been gleaned subsequent
to the recital of facts connected with the previous pages to
which they refer, may not be deemed irrevelant, we have
thought fit to annex the following.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
MRS.

241

BLAND.

Having had oocasion to speak of Mrs. Bland in the
progress of the foregoing pages, we conceive, that as
connected with Mrs. Jordan, whose brother she married,
the following biographical sketch may not be deemed
devoid of interest, more particularly as the statements
were partly derived from herself:
Miss Romanzini is the daughter of an Italian Jewess,
who having when very young evinced particular aptitude
for music, and possessing a remarkably clear and mellifluent toned voice, was placed under a master where her
proficiency was speedily exemplified. Having acquired
an insight as regards the science, she sedulously practised
vocal and instrumental harmony, when her first introduction to public notice was attained through the means of
Mr. Cady, hair-dresser to the Royal Circus, who was
particularly fascinated with her vocal powers. At the
period alluded to, Miss Romanzini was but a child yet
the archness of her manner was so predominant on the
boards, that she rapidly acquired public approbation, and
ere the close of the first season was regarded as a star at
the Royal Circus, in the line of characters she was fitted
to sustain. Soon after the termination of her articles our
little syren was deemed adequate to figure on the boards
of a regular theatre for Mr. Daly, the Dublin manager,
having heard of her talents made overtures, and she was
in consequence engaged for his theatre, where her first appearance was hailed with the most marked approbation.
Mr. Daly, whose character we have had cause to descant
upon at the commencement of Mrs. Jordan's memoirs in
no very favourable point of view, was so struck with the
comic powers and enchanting strains of our little warbler,
that according to his wonted custom he became desirous
of a closer intimacy, which was speedily discovered by the
wary and lynx-eyed mother, who dreading the results
that might accrue, rated the manager in such terms on
the subject of her child's virtue, that Mr. Daly thought fit
to desist from further importunities.

22

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

At the period when Mrs. Wrighten took her leave of
the stage, the proprietors of Drury Lane found infinite
difficulty in selecting a substitude, when they ultimately
made choice of Miss Romanzini, who by the favourable
result of her debut, proved themselves just in the election
they had made. One of the first parts she had to sustain
was in the character of the Page to Matilda, in the fascinating piece of Richard Caur de Lion; the latter part,
as previously mentioned in the progress of our memoirs,
having been sustained by Mrs. Jordan. We remember
being present at the first representation of this part by
our fascinating warbler, on which occasion never was
heard a more enthusiastic encore than followed her execution of the charming ballad, commencing with-The
merry Dance I dearly love-which she was compelled to
sing a third time.
The fame acquired by Miss Romanzini at Drury Lane
secured her a warm reception at our provincial theatres,
and in the summer of 1789, having visited Liverpool, she
not only ingratiated herself there as a performer, but acquired great celebrity for concert singing, in which
branch of the science she was equally a proficient, the
touching sweetness of her voice being peculiarly adapted
for many of Handels sacred strains.
Not long after her return from Liverpool, Mr. Bland,
Mrs. Jordan's brother, who had for a length of time been
regarded as the professed lover of Miss Romanzini, forrmally made proposals of marriage, which being sanctioned
by the mother they were accordingly united, and lived
for a time in perfect harmony, one child being the
result of their union. At length, however, a nameless
propensity having been discovered on the part of the busband a separation accordingly took place, when Mr.
Bland disappeared, having as it is conjectured, quitted
this country never more to disgrace it. Subsequent to
this separation, Mrs. Bland placed herself as before stated
under the protection of Mr. Thomas Caulfield, the performer by whom she had children, her vocal talents being
uniformly exerted every season at Drury Lane, and the

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LIFE OF VRS. JORDAN.

248

little theatre in the Haymarket, where in conjunction
with Mr. John Bannister, Jun., she was accustomed to fascinate the public in the ' Mountaineers,' the ' Children
in the Wood,' ' No Song no Supper,' and various other
favorite pieces; she was afterwards engaged in the summer seasons to exert her talents at the Lyceum, in short
it was proverbial, that wheresoever Mrs. Bland presented
herself, applause was the invariable attendant on her appearance.
By the profits accruing from the joint talents of Mrs.
Bland and her protector, they lived for a series of years
in great comfort, and for some time the proceeds of their
labours were so great as to enable them to keep a carriage. Revolving years, however, having brought on the
infirmities incidental to age, Mr. Caulfield resolved on
visiting America, in which country he died a few years
back, having for a short period trod the boards of the
theatres of New York and Philadelphia. Whether his
histrionic carreer did not answer his expectations we
cannot take upon ourselves to say, certain it is, however,
that he associated himself with one of the wild American
tribes, and being a very tall and personable man, became
a chief among them, assuming the garb, &c., in which
capacity he frequently after visited the towns, for the
usual purposes of traffic, &c. Mrs. Bland, as is too frequently the case with performers, not only outlived
her powers of acquiring the means of support from her talents, but was subjected for a series of years to mental
aberrations, and in that state was to her death supported
from the proceeds of charitable donations, together with
the amount collected from theatrical representations that
were got up in two or three in.stances for her support.
Mrs. Bland having on one occasion complained to Mr.
Charles Bannister :-' Would you believe it, sir, Signor
,Storacehas barbarouslyput me out of the IRON CREST !'
'And what of that my LITTLE dear?' replied the arch
wag, ' when you well know you have it in your power at
any time to re-enter through the KEY-HOLE!'

244

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

The following ludicrous anecdotes were related one
evening to Mrs. Jordan in the Green Room of Drury
Lane Theatre.
Mr. Twiss, the celebrated writer of Tours, so well
known by the cognomen of ' Chamber-pot Twiss,' conversing with an actress on the subject of Irish theatricals,
the former related as follows. ' I conceive the representations given in Dublin, approach nearer than any
other to those of London. The inhabitants of that metropolis having more money and less pride, are conseDuring my
quently endowed with better manners.
continuance at Limerick, that sink of Ireland for beggary, pride, and every despicable attribute, I was present at the representation of two of Shakspeare's plays,
namely, 'Hamlet,' and ' Romeo and Juliet,' on which
occasions, to my infinite surprize, no sooner had the
obsequies of Juliet commenced, and the chorus singers
began to chaunt the dirge, than the major part of the
audience vociferated to the utmost stretch of their voices,
the Irish howl, absolutely conceiving that they witnessed
a real funeral.'
'In like manner, when the Gravedigger in ' Hamlet,'
commenced the first stave of his ballad, a set of fellows
from the gallery very unceremoniously began pelting
him with apples, declaring that he was the most unfeeling
vagabond living, neither would they permit him to continue his part, insisting that another grave-digger should
assume his place, who on entering was thus questioned
by the leader of the discontented auditors in the gallery.
"Can you sing, Mister What-d'ye call-urnm ?"- " Not
I, faith and troth," was the reply; " do'nt you remember hissing me, my jewel, in old Jenkins, last night ?"
" Very true, very true !" said the gallery querist ;"Then by Jasus, you may now dig away as fast as you
are able."
Whether the following anecdote be correct or not, we
do not undertake to certify; it is, however, confidently
reported to have been told by Miss Mellon herself to
Mrs. Jordan :-

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

245

On the representation of a piece, entitled 'The
Chances,' taking place at Plymouth, Miss Mellon had
to perform the character of the second Constantia, on
which a young midshipman became forcibly struck with
her charms. When she came to that part of the character where she exclaims:--' Now, if any young fellow would take a liking to me, and make an honest
woman of me, I'd make him the best wife in the
world.'-' I will, by G--d.' exclaimed the love smitten
tar,--' and what's more, I've two years pay to receive
next Friday.'
On one occasion, when Mrs. Jordan had to perform
before their late Majesties George the Third-his
Queen, and the Royal Family, the following circumstance
occurred, which on her return home she recounted to
her princely protector, who was not a little amused with
the anecdote. The performance in question took place
immediately after an additional duty had been imposed
on strong beer, when a fellow in the one shilling gallery
called out lustily to an acquaintance, asking him if he
would drink, as he had got a full pot. " What did you
give for your full pot ?" was the query.-" Three pence
half-penny."-'" Why, where did you send for it

?"-

" To the New King's Head,"-" A precious fool you
must be," answered the other, "why did you not send
to the Old King's Head?-you would there have got it
for three pence !"
In number XLI, of a periodical published on the first
of May, 1820, under the title of THE BRITISH STAGE
AND LITERARY CABINET, illustrated by a very faithful

profile resemblance of MVrs. Jordan, is a short sketch of
her life, whence we have made the following extracts, to
which such comments are annexed as we conceived the
subject matter required.-At page 175, we read as follows:' At Drury Lane, she (Mrs. Jordan) remained for
many years, the delight of all who participated in the
amusements of a theatre. Her cohabitation with a mem-

246

ber

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

of the Royal Family, after the dissolution of her
connexion with Forde, is well knot n ; its notoriety, indeed, was a subject of deep regret with many sensible
persons, and the obtrusively ostentatious manner in which
the births of her numerous children were announced in
the public prints, occasioned great disgust in all quarters.
On the conflagration of the theatre, (Drury Lane) in
1809, it is said that she sustained a considerable loss in
clothes and jewels; and from that period the decline of
her fortune may be dated. She left the company on their
proceeding to the Lyceum, and we believe, performed at
she apppeared
several provincial theatres till 1811,
at Covent Garden on the 2nd of July, as the Widow
Chcerly, and played there for ten nights duriig the remainder of the season. In 1813, she entered into a regumalar engagement for two years with the Covent
nagers, and commenced on the 10th of February, as
Upon this occasion a most
Violante, in 'The
brutal attack upon her public and private character, appeared in a paper, notorious for its disregard of delcacy
and honourable feeling; and as this notable critique had
the effect of drawing forth a reply from the object of its
abuse, we shall here extract it:-

whe

Garden

Wonder.'

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.'
The ' Wonder,' was presented last night, for the introduction of
Mas. JORDAN. The comedy is so well known, that criticism upon
it moust be unnecessary. For a lively and graceful actress, nto
char acter can be more sensible than Violante :--mingled with
he
somewihat of of that irregular animation which has no right
pratised. it has so much spirit and variety, so much of the captivation of foreign elegance, and the grace of youthful beauty, that
while any share either of elegance oir youth might make it a favorite, we are surprised that it should have been adopted by
MRS. JORDAN'S theatrical fame
The house was full.
JORDAN.
yet other sources might be found
might have cootmihimied to
for this ardour of curiosity. To depict higher life in its due proportions,-that life which has so much ' envy, malice, and all uncharitableness,' for those who must gaze upoii it from the outsides
of hotels and barouches, is said to be among the most difficult
of the dramatic art. It would be obviously idle to look for
it among that enterprising nultitude wvhom instinct,-f'or we can

to

MRs.

this,

forts

ef-

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

247

conceive no connection of the impulse with reason,-annually
rouses from bar-maids and billiard-markers, into the 'nodding majesty' of monarchs and heroines. Fashionable life was a thing
of which no knowledge could be acquired but by actual inspection.
The actor who conceived that he was safe in giving the manners
of a gentleman where, he found only rank and riches, only showed
his reading in romance. The actress who depicted her woman of
fashion in the brilliant and sparkling attraction of a being at once
delighting the eye, and subduing the heart,-negligent, perhaps,
and unguarded, but repairing all her foibles by a noble generosity,
the natural profusion of exalted fortune, guided by the natural
tends mrness of an exalted heart, worthy af all honour in her more
serious moments, and even in her weakness subduing the spirits
that would have proudly and sternly refused to be dazzled by her
splendour,-would equally err. This might be all in the course of
the imagination; but nothing could be less like the reality. In
MRS. JORDAN, at last the means were put in their power to satisfy
Here they had found a woman that after
all their languishings.
forming her experience by a personal trial of almost every possible condition of life, had at length crowned her career by a full
admission to the knowledge, which but, for her had been hopeless;
a woman, who, like LADY WORTLEY MONTAGUE, had been admit-

ted into the secrets of harems and palaces, seen their full exhibtion
of nude beauty, and costly dissoluteness, the whole interior pomp
of royal pleasure, the tribes of mutes and idiots, sultans and eunuchs, slavish passion, and lordly debility. The price paid for this
indulgence was probably in both cases equally peculiar; but in
both the reward was knowledge, not attainable on lighter terms.
We are not, then, to wonder that MRs. JORDAN'S return should
excite the utmost extravagance of popular curiosity. The sentiment has been the same before she was born to delight princes.Perhaps the happiest effort of LucSAN's pen, is his description of
the return of MENNIPPIS from Hell. The public anxiety to see
the stranger, overcoming their national reverence for one who had
been so long enclosed in that singular and much talked of place ;
their eagerness to gain intelligence on subjects which the Philosopher assuredthem were least attractive to those best acquainted
with them; and their astonishment on seeing that he escaped with
so much of his human lineaments still about him, are sketched
with a fine fidelity to nature.
'Yet, it is sometimes difficult to satisfy a populace; and this
woman, to whom nature has had so few reserves, whose ' proper
study,' as Pope says, ' has been man;' whose opportunities of
sttudy have been furnished, in the course of a diligent life, from
every rank and every age; who has adopted Shakspeare's conception in its fulness, and come ' home to the hearts and the bosoms
of men,' with such unremitting assiduity; who has, eminently
above all other women, deserved the renowned motto of ' Iumani
nihil aliertun;' even she failed last night to give pleasure, even in
Y1

218

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

her representation of intrigue. We say this from no view of dePerhaps her failure
preciating talents so peculiarly accomnplishied.
is oly a new proof of her powers. If he' imitation of high life had
popular.
The
been less accurate, it might lase been
perpetual lisp, the laborious lounge, the vulgar voice, the acant
expression. the inanity of wind, that have now become her second
nature, doing the long observation of twenty years, disttnctly
drawn as they werce from the highest sources, were construed by
the multitude, in theirignorance, into native dullness and the
prejudice which had determined on its own portrait of elevated
manners, was seriously d;sgnsted with the acruracy that, we have
not a douhr, depicted them as they are. We must now leave Mrs.
Jordan, The managers of a tteatre are, of course, in sone resexcusable for brittging forward any show that attracts a crowdl
and we have no idea ttat ttey are likely to be restrained in this
object, by any voluntary zeal for public decency; hut, are there
no other persons concerned ? Is not the public forced to find the
alternative for this degraded wiman's appearance in the decline of
life, either in her own vile avarice, orin the viler breach of stipupovertyWe
lation by those who should never abandon her
cannot believe that the latter is the case; and, if the former,
share of public approbation should be permitted to one, for whong
it is impossible to feel any share of peisonal respect ? whose sons
and daughters are now strangely allowed to move among the hostartnorable people of Etgland, received by the sovereign,
ing in full appetite for royal patrtnage ; while their mother wanders,
antd is allowed to wsander from barn to barn, and frontwn to
town, bringing shame or the art wliihii sie piactises, atdldouble
ho
shame on those ws most have it in their power to seid her back
11, 1813
to peniitence end obscurity.'r(Times,

sure

to

what

aid

Feb.

[For Mrs. Jordan's letter on
page 183 of this work.]

the above article, see

'A general feeling of indignation was manifested against
the writer of the foregoing indefensible tirade ; and it

was

on all hands acknowledged

tihat, whatever

might

have been Mrs. Jordan's errors, nothing could palliate
sdastardly an attach, as uniprovoked as unmanly ; atnd
wicht could be accoun !ed for only by supposing' that the
writer was actuated by feeli ngs of revenge for some fancied
The public sentiment upon the occaslight or
sion wras strongly manifested towards her a few evenings
after, while she was playing Nell, in ' The Devil to
Pay,) Ihe following' words are addressed to the clia-

itjury,

LL E OF MRRS. JORDAN.

4

243

racter :-You have an honest face and need not be
was reashamed of showing it any where;
ceived wth shouts of exultation and three rounds of applause, which so overcame her, that she burst uto a
flood of tears. It is to be hoped that her anonymous
assailant was present at the scene.'
Such are the comments of the anonymous writer in the
periodical alluded to on the subject of the above
critique, contained-in the Times newspaper of the
11th of February, 1813, to which we beg leave to
some Tirther strictures. If ever there existed a diurnal
print that deserved the cognomen attached to it by Mr.
Cohbett, it is most unquestionably the uewspaper adverted to, since a more vindictive vehicle does not exist
its conductors are excited to wreak their vengearce.
renders this enmity the more to be dreaded, is that
the Times certainly ranks the most powerful engine now
teeming from the press, consequently where it seeks to
of annihilatin,
destroy, nothing can impede the
and upon the same principle were that organ employed
conto rescue the most undeserving object from shame
columns
fer fortune on the worthless, the effect
would equally tend to produce the effect desired. Venality
is the order of the day with the print in question, and no
stronger proof of its excessive virulence can be adduced
than will he found in the statement annexed. Our reader
has no doubt heard of the. famous work, produced by

this passage

offer

when
What

stroke

ofits

Doctor O' Meara, entitled '

A

Voice

from Saint

or

Helena;q'

in the course of that most entertaining and valuable production, lie g ives the reader to understand that in one of
his conversations with the late Emperor of France, the
latter informed him that such was the precipitancy adopted
by Louis the eighteenth and his court, in abaudoning the
palace of the Tuilleries after the
of Napoleon
from the Island of Elba, that numerous written documneats were scattered upon the tables, which from the
nature of their contents ought to have been committed to
the flames. Ile then proceeded to acquaint Mr. O'Mleara,
that among the rest was a receipt for the suit of onie hoe.

landing

250

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN
sand pounds, paid to the proprietors of the leading morning paper of London, by thie king of France, for the
services rendered to the Bourbon cause, and its instrumentality in effecting his Majesty's restoration to the
throne. In detailing this fact, although the author does
not positively state that the Times newspaper was the
vehicle alluded to, it is however so written that the paper
specified could not be mistaken, and the result has been,
that upon all occasions, when it has since been found necessary to mention either Napoleon or Doctor O'Meara,
a vehement tirade against one or both has accompanied
such paragraphs ; for once offend the Leviathan Times,
and you are sure never to escape the lash of its bitterest
resentment.
In reference to the above infamous attack upon the
character of Mrs. Jordan, we know not how to express
our sentiments in language consonant with the abhor..
rence and contempt that actuate our feelings. Had the
scurrilous writer to boast truth as the basis of his cold
blooded cruelty, that plea might in a trifling degree be
adduced in mitigation of his attacks; but even then he
would deserve reprehension when the sex, age, and more
than all, the motives that induced Mrs. Jordan to continue
her theatrical career, were taken into considerationnamely: to provide for her portionless daughters. But
when we find that direct falsehoods are enlisted into the
writers service, for the purpose of holding up a poor defenceless woman to public reprehension ; when, from the
nature of the statements promulgated, the casual reader
would be prompted to believe that Mrs. Jordan was the
most worthless and degraded of her sex;. that she had
revelled in low and promiscuous debaucheries ; that she
had associated with any man possessing means to satisfy
her cupidity, 'whose proper study,' to use the lampooner's words,' has been man,' and ' whose opportunities
of study have been furnished in the course of a diligent
life from every rank and every age; who has adopted
Shahspeare's conception in itsfulness, and come home to
the hearts and bosoms of men,' when we compare such an

25t
LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
unwarranted and false attack with the real characteristics
of the being aspersed: is it it to be wondered at if our
abhorrence is expressed in no very measured terms, In
the progress of these memoirs; and to the utmost of our
ability we have been guided by the dictates of truth,
without suffering any unjust bias to sway our opinions as
regarded the object depicted: we defy the most criticizing and rigid observer to find a single trait in the character of this lady, that can in the most trifling manner
lay to her charge a conduct tending to exemplify the text
of this assassin scribbler of the Times. From the dawn
of her chequered career, what appeared to have been
the prominent features of her disposition?--the dutiful
and affectionate daughter; the kind hearted sister; the
unimpeachable companion of the two individuals under
whose protection she placed herself; the humane, liberal,
and constant friend of the distressed-the most exemplary
of mothers, and the patient though heart-broken sufferer
under a complication of vicissitudes sufficient to excite
the acrimony of the most placid of dispositions; who,
while bending under the accumulated weight of neglect,
affliction, and poverty, may truly said to have
" ---------- never told her grief;
But let concealment, like a worm i' the bud,
Prey on her damask cheek-she pin'd in thought,
And with a green and yellow melancholy_
Sat, like Patience on a monument,
Smiling at grief."
Yet such is the creature doomed to encounter the
shafts of sonie despicable wretch, who from personal
hatred, or more probably suborned to do the dirty work
of a hidden assassin of character, embodies his venom
in the filthy columns of the most venal of prints, thus
attempting to stab a reputation too permanently estatlished in the good opinion of the public. To couple
avarice with the name of our unfortunate actress, is
like endeavouring to assimilate the most determined opposites ; she, whom we have proved to demonstratiou
was the very soul of commisseratiug charity--avarice

252

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

in sooth, the cause of her continuance upon the boards!
-A vaunt, detested slanderer ;-her motives, as previously observed on more occasions than one, having
solely been to acquire a competence for an offspring
having no provision.
As for arrogance, affectation, or conceit having held
any sway in the mind of Mrs. Jordan in consequence of
the lofty connection she had formed the very reverse was
demonstrated in every act, during her reign of splendor.
It, therefore, the introduction of the Fitzclarences to an
association with elevated rank, be a source of reprehension, let the bolt hit the proper mark ; let the royal father be subjected to that reprehension which was due to
his own misconduct and in which the mother so far from
participating, uniformly endeavoured but in vain to control.
Facts, however, are very stubborn things, and
were any demonstration wanting to prove the justice of
our previous remark ;-let the conduct of the father
long subsequent to the demise of the mother of his offspring, be taken into consideration, and it will then appear whether this overweening fondness, this elevation
ot bastardy, originated with the female parent ; on the
contrary, we unequivocally take upon ourselves to assert
that the very reverse of this position was the bona fide
fact.

If the reader is prompted to blame us for any illjudged warmth in eliciting our sentiments, let him take
into consideration the indignant feelings that arose on
perusal of the shameful article whereto we have replied,
every feature of which is in direct opposition to the unvarying conduct we have found pursued by Mrs. Jordan,
in the progress of an indefatigable research, to present
her to the world as she really was. If we have erred
in the estimation of some, we trust it will be allowed by
the majority that the failing has been upon the right
side; that we have advocated the cause of calumniated
merit, and buckled on the armour of reprehension in defence of a slandered woman. Trusting that this long
digression will be pardoned by our indulgent readers, we

LIFE

OF

MRS,

JORDAN.

258

shall now resume our quotation from the number of the
work previously quoted.
At Covent Garden she remained till the close of the
season 1813-14, when the curtain fell for ever upon
her dramatic existence. The last new character she
appeared in, was that of Barbara, in a forgotten comedy
of Kenney's, called 'Debtor and Creditor.' Though she
performed occasionally with all her early ability, during
these her closing scenes, it was often evident that her
spirits and vivacity were on the wane; her extreme lustiness, also, greatly diminished the effect of many of the
juvenile characters which she assumed ; and it must be
confessed that her appearing thus, in the decline of her
powers, was altogether greatly to be lamented.
Of the
last two years of her life, we have not been able to collect any particulars; and therefore can only record that
she died, &c.'
Here follows the account of her death having been occasioned by an inflammation o the lungs, with a detail of
her funeral at St Cloud, previously given at great length
in the preceding pages ;-the writer of the article then
proceeds as follows:' Such was the melancholy end of Dorothea Jordan,
who, after fascinating a nation for years, with the exercise of her genius, and revelling in all the luxuries of
princely splendour, died at last an exile from her native
land in comparative obcurity, if not in absolute distress;
forsaken by those who should have administered to her
wants, and unknown and unlamented by those who surrounded her.
' We detest that base, sneaking spirit of detraction,
which, under the guise of honest indignation, drags
forth to view all the petty fotbibles and vices of the great
to gratify the basest passions of mankind, and administer to its own sordid propensities.
But in the case of
Mrs. Jordan, the neglect of her former protector was so
evident, and the interest which the public felt in her
fate, was so natural and proper, that we look upon the
general expression of disgust which was manifested at her

25-E

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

treatment, to have been not only defensible, but praiseworthy. Of him who deserted her, we shall not trust
ourselves to record our opinion, since it is scarcely possible to speak of him as he merits, without wounding
individuals who unfortunately are connected with him.
' Let him solace himself, if he can, for the contempt
of the world, in the society of her who now claims his
regard, and who we trust will never experience that
heartlessness which too fatally darkened the destiny of
Thalia.'
But days may come, thou false one yet,
When e'en those ties shall sever;
When thou wilt call with vain regret,
On her thou'st lost for ever.
On her, who, in thy fortune's fall,
With smiles had still receiv'd thee,
And gladly died to prove thee all
Her fancy first believ'd thee.'

After giving an account of the plain monument raised
to Mrs. Jordan's memory, in the cemetary of St. Cloud,
and the Latin inscription engraven thereon, the biographer adds these comments.
'We have left ourselves no room to speak of the transcendant merits of Mrs. Jordan's acting; but this is of
trifling importance, as we are not aware that we have
any thing new to say upon the subject. The supremacy
of her genius has long been universally admitted ; and
the opinion of such humble writers as ourselves would
neither serve to add one jot to her fame, or in the slightest degree diminish its greatness, were we inclined to
question the justice of her reputation. Let us, however,
be allowed to express our hearty coincidence with all
that has been said in her praise, and to record our conviction that so charming a union of genius and judgment, of sentiment and vivacity, will never again adorn
the stage. We are well aware how futile such prophecies as these have generally been, but we fear that in this
instance we shall not find ourselves mistaken.'
After some intervening matter contained in our memoir, we read as follows:-

LIFE OF MRS. .JORDAN.

255

'The income which Mrs. Jordan derived from the exercise of her profession, ~u st for many years have been
very great. We have already remarked that her salary
at one period, was the highest ever paid at Drury Lane;
and the profits gained by her provincial excursions have
probably never been exceeded by those of any other
performer, since at all the great theatrical towns she was
of course as much followed as in London
'The Epitaph on Mrs. Jordan, given above, unlike
the epitaphs of most celebrated persons which ' lie like
truth, and still most truly lie,' merely does justice to
her merits; and in no respect more so than where it
speaks of her charitable disposition.'

MRS. ALSOP-.

In the progress of the foregoing pages, we have inserted some statements respecting the leading traits of
this lady's life, and from information on which we had
every reason to place implicit reliance, were in hopes that
an account of Mrs. Alsop existed which would enable us
to give the reader a detailed biography. However, so
far from such being the case, after the most indefatigable
search no such document exists, and we are consequently
compelled to give the following curtailed statements, on
the veracity of which every reliance may be placed.
Mrso Alsop was the eldest daughter of Mrs. Jordan,
and the ill-starred fruit of her intercourse with the dissolute and unprincipled Mr. Daly, manager of the Dublin
theatre. Notwithstanding the youth of the mother, and
the weighty burthen imposed upon her; having to support a parent and mother by her professional talents, she
nevertheless paid every maternal attention to her infant,
whom she instructed as ripening in years, with all the assiduity that characterizes a mind eager to witness the
future prosperity ofits offspring. During her cohabitation
with Mr. Ford, she continued for some time at a first rate
Z

256
L'FE OF MRS. JORDAN.
dublic seminary, and ultimately became an inmate of her
mothers house, with whom she resided until her marriage,
which we have previously adverted to. Being of a very
sensitive and versalite disposition, it is little to be wondered
at that Mrs. Alsop, seeing so much of theatricals constantly before her eyes should have imbibed a predeliction
for the stage, and that the bentof her inclination prompted
her to adopt the line of acting in which her parent so preeminently excelled.
The first appearance of Mrs. Alsop, before a public
audience, was at the theatre royal Covent Garden, in
October, 1815, on which occasion she undertook the arduous task of personating Rosalind, in ' As you Like it;'
we say arduous; because in a part performed in such a
matchless style by Mrs. Jordan, it was abold undertaking.
Being known as the offspring of the latter lady, much
was expected from Mrs. Alsop, and although possessing
some talent, the difference was so great between her acceptation of the part and the style adopted by her parent,
that it was immediately pronounced she would never
compete with her in the theatrical line. This debut was
followed by Mrs. Alsop's personification of several other
characters, in which Mrs. Jordan excelled, when she acquired that share of reputation which attends what are
termed passable actresses.
In 1818, Mrs. Alsop was engaged to perform at Drury
Lane theatre, and in the periodical entitled the British
Stage, speaking of this lady's appearance in a piece under
the title of ' The Man in the Moon,' we find as follows:
' Mrs. Alsop is no great favorite of our's, but justice
compels us to avow that she performed a gawky servant
girl very pleasantly; we wish she would stick to Hoydens
and relinquish the Lady Bells, &c.'
Among her provincial excursions, we have particularly
to notice Liverpool, where Mrs. Alsop was very well
eceived in personating Lady Bell and Maria Darlington,
at which place she terminated her engagement on the
seventh of June, 1819, having had an overflowing house
at her benefit.

LIVE

OF

MRS.

JORDN.

257

About this period, Mrs. Alsop, anxious to prove the
versatility of her talents, essayed the loftier walk of the
histrionic career, having appeared in the character of
Juliet and several other tragic parts, which she sustained
at the Lyceum, but without commanding that share of
applause which was gratifying to her feelings; wherefore
she gradually declined in the estimation of the public, and
seceeding altogether from the stage, may be said to have
dragged on a precarious state of existence. Being altogether incompetent to housewife her pecuniary resources,
this unfortunate lady was uniformly involved iu difficulties
notwithstanding the allowance made her by her mother's
royal protector, and the frequent donations received at
the hands of her parent, and in this precarious manner
she continued to exist until she set sail for the United
States, where she landed at New York in the month of
September, 1820. This epoch in her life was recorded
in the American newspapers by a flaming paragraph
wherein Mrs. Alsop was styled ' Grand Daughter of the
late King of Great Britain.'
In this new region, our heroine essayed her theatrical
powers with some degree of success, having been previously announced in the daily lprints, as a star in the scenic
hemisphere, which coupled with her parentage, paved
the way for success. These fortunate auspices, however,
were fated to be of short duration, as her death occurred
on the 2nd of June, 1821, which final event has been differently accounted for. The various vicissitudes that had
characterized the life of this ill-fated lady had prompted
her to have frequent recourse to laudanum as a means of
alleviating her mental sufferings. She had been indisposed
for some days prior to her dissolution, and itis said; that
having swallowed a more than ordinary dose of that narcoticjuice, the result was her premature death, while on
the other hand it was currently reported that she voluntarily put a period to her own existence, by a copious dose
of the medicine in question. Thus closed the earthly
career of Mrs. Jordan's eldest child, whose birth was the
source of her mother's wretchedness, and whose subse-

258

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

quent unsteady conduct through life proved a constant
theme of bitterness, as may be verified from the various
allusions that occur in the epistolary correspondences of
Mrs. Jordan, previously given in these memoirs. Prior
to Mrs. Alsop's leaving England, she rendered herself extremely obnoxious in a certain elevated quarter, insomuch
so that the pecuniary means required for her passage over
the Atlantic, were we believe furnished from that source
for the purpose of placing her beyond the power of creating further annoyance. Not only was Mrs. Alsop the
cause of her parent's wretchedness, as her husband equally
contributed to embitter the life of that suffering lady,
being unbounded in his extravagance as well as dissolute
in his habits, which ultimately compelled him to abandon
the lucrative situation procured for him in one of the government offices, when in order to escape the confines of
a jail, he, as before stated, was sent to the East Indies,
where he pursued a similar thoughtless course, until death
closed the scene of his existence.

In reference to our heroine having changed her name
from Francis to that of Jordan, in order to elude the
pursuit of the profligate Irish manager through whose
infamous practices her first seduction was effected, we
have learned the ensuing anecdote.
After her engagement with Mr. Tate Wilkinson, at
Leeds, took place, having on one occasion described the
misfortunes and dreadful treatment she had undergone
in Ireland, the subject of our Memoir at length exclaimed:'In short, I am certain that I shed tears enough
to
overflow the river JORDAN !'

When not having decided upon the designation she
should assume, that of JORDAN which had been so emphatically dwelt upon, was selected by a friend as the
most appropriate appellation she could adopt, and was
accordingly sesorted to. Another version of this story

259

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

is that after passing the Irish channel, she likened herself to the Children of Israel, who having traversed the
Jordan, escaped from persecutionand bondage, and on:
that account she assumed the name of the river in
question.
During Mrs. Jordan's earliest engagement, with Mr.
Wilkinson, at York, her personal attractions and histrionic talents so powerfully interested Mr. George Inchbald, then a member of the same theatrical company,
that he made her honorable proposals. The gentleman
alluded to was son-in-law to Mrs. Inchbald, and his
assiduities were by no means displeasing to onr heroine
but the visit of Gentleman Smith, the actor, to York,
where he became so struck with Mrs. Jordan's talents as
to procure for her an engagement with the managers of
Drury Lane, put a stop to this matrimonial speculation,
as her immediate removal from the North to London
proved the consequence.
It has been justly remarked by an anonymous writer,
that when at York, • Mrs. Jordan uniformly distinguished
herself by propriety in her domestic conduct, and the
untaxed modesty of her fnanners; thus rendering herself the more amiable and distinguished by supporting
and firmly protecting a breach which had been so lately
assaulted and violated.'
'Mrs: Jordan, therefore, in the view of a fashionable
Cyprian, claims a fair and honorable distinction. Though
always a mistress, still she has invariably acted up to
the rigid principles and economy of the wife. She has
never been lavish in her favours, but uniformly true and
constant to the man she has lived with.'
'To Mr. Ford she bore four children, one of whom
died, and she ever comported herself as a constant wife,
an affectionate mother, and a sincere friend; ever solicitous, and on the watch for their united comforts and
happiness. This tender conduct so far and justly gained
on the esteem and affection of Mr. Ford, that he promised to make her his wife.'
'Mrs. Jordan, says the same writer, 'has seven chil-

Z3

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.
dren living; at the period in question (1798,) she has
only three children by the Duke of Clarence. 'The
eldest, who is a fine accomplished girl, about fourteen,
is the offspring of Mr. Daly, the late Irish Manager.She passes by the name of Miss Jordan. She has three
by Mr. Ford, who also pass by the same name, and three
more, a boy and two girls by the Duke, who were
christened by the name of Pilzclarence.' They are all
under the care and education (together with Miss Jordan, a sister of our heroine's,) of the Rev. M. Lloyd,
at Ewell, chaplain to His Grace, who receives from Mrs.
Jordan the yearly sum of £400 for their maintenance
and instruction.'
'And now to follow up the above little soliloquy.As a mother, Mrs. Jordan will behold her children anxiously and attentively watchingover her declining powers,
blessing herself as she surveys their fondness and affection,
that fortune and her prudence have rendered them thus
cheerful, happy, and independent. The noble sentimerits flowing from a liberal education, will teach them
to reverence the mother, without sprinkling the tender
nomination with any inworthy reflections on the father.
And the base ungenerous tongue that ignorantly reflects
upon their own birth, that education will teach them to
260

despise;

whilst if necessary,

it will also teach' thenm to

resent and chastise. The sense ingrafted in' their.youthful minds by the liberal and Christian principles of a
Lloyd, will likewise teach them that one Being is the
Great and Universal -Parent of Mankind, and that
Being will instruct them that next to him} they owe all
their love and homage to a fond, a tender, and ever
anxious mother.'

So miuchs for the gencrous comments and
anticipations of an unknown writer, wvhose

Fitz signifles Bastard.-I do not see

v
hat

affectionate
wishes

werc

absolute necssity

there was of attachinlg this word to the children's navies.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

2G1

anything but realized by the lapse of years, as we have
amply demonstrated in the progress of the foregoing
pages. Had we not on previous occasions expressed our
sentiments on this head, we would further dilate upon the
topic of the ingratitude of children to their parents; we
cannot, however, close the subject without alluding to the
titled Fitzclarence, who not content with the honours
and wealth already heaped upon him by his father, is
said to have disagreed with him, because further importunities on his part have not been complied with. Alas !
poor Jordan, couldst thou rise from the grave, and behold the upstart pretensions of thy progeny, so diametrically opposed to those sentiments which it was thy
constant practice to infuse into their minds, thou wouldst
have a fresh pang inflicted on thy sensitive nature, and
more bitterly lament the hour when fate decreed that
thou shouldst rank the mothier of such a race.

Anxious to render these memoirs of the utmost importance to the public, the editor having been credibly informed that a channel existed at Paris, through which
some curious information might be gleaned respecting our
heroine, the requisite steps were pursued. Through the
medium,of a gentleman, therefore, who had occasion to
visit the French capital on business, the annexed statements were acquired, which we feel infinite pleasure in
laying before the public, as containing many facts hitherto
unpublished, and correcting erroneous statements that
have hitherto passed current with the world.
'
Much misrepresentation and a variety of false
reports having been disseminated through the medium of
the diurnal press, as well as pretended memoirs, respecting the state of seclusion and retirement of Mrs. Dorothea
Jordan from the land of her birth ; of the causes which

261

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN.

conduced to her adoption of that mode of proceeding, together with her premature decease, we think it requisite
to annex the ensuing details, for the strict veracity of
which we can conscientiously avouch.'

NARRATIVE OF THE LAST DAYS,
DEATH, AND FUNERAL OF

MRS. JORDAN;

BY A GENTLEMAN STILL LIVING IN PARIS;
ATTENDED THE FUNERAL,

&C.

WHO

&C.

" It is most probable that the real motive of our late actresses expatriation was confined to herself and some
branches of her family, to whom might be added a confidential and most faithful attendant; one Miss Sketchley,
who appears to have uniformly acted the most devoted part towards the lady who honoured her with unreserved confidence. The retired and humble mode of life
pursued by Mrs. Jordan at Saint Cloud, undera fictitious
name, contrasted with the affluence and splendour of her
former station, most probably conduced to render valid the
variety of reports afterwards disseminated respecting the
treatment and neglect which she is stated to have experienced from a certain very exalted personage. The inference thence deduced was to the effect that Mrs. Jordan
was subjected to a state of the most abject poverty and
destitution, resulting from a cruel, dishonorable, and
cold-blooded abandonment, on the part of her former
munificent protector. These assertions, however, were
not correct to the extent reported, but whether true or
false, being based on no other authority than surmise;
the positive fact is, that the unfortunate lady was no more
in a state of absolute destitution or positive starvation
khan she was in the enjoyment of that affluence, luxury,

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN

and splendour which had been the attendantsof her
years.'

263

otrmer

" Among the very limited number of individuals who
were accustomed to visit Mrs. Jordan during the period
of her exile, it has been ascertained that she in no
one instance made the slightest communication respecting
the source of her mental anguish, or ever uttered a syllable in the shape of complaint or reproach, that tended
to attach blame in the remotest degree to the exalted personage above alluded to. We do not thence pretend to
infer that no blame was attachable in that quarter, as it
was evident to every person possessing a knowledge of the
patient sufferer, that she was gifted with a temperament
so truly refined, as rather to pine and waste in silence
than breathe her wrongs and sufferings to the world. Be
the source of her sorrows what it might, it was nevertheless evident that the depression of her spirits as far surpassed the limits of what might have been the result of
pecuniary distress, as relief of a pecuniary nature must
have proved inadequate in effecting a removal of the
dreadful weight under which her afflicted spirit succumbed
and was ultimately bowed down. The real fact is, that
the internal disease under which Mrs. Jordan laboured,
was the canker-worm, that never abandoned its devoted
victim until the fore-doomed prey had ceased to exist and
was numbered with the dead.'
"Whatsoever might have been the cause that determined the wretched lady to bury herself in obscurity, there
can be little doubt but the incitement was of no very ordinary character; no trivial disappointments, or temporary
chagrin could have tended to subdue the hilarity, the
buoyant energies and playful vivacity of her superior and
well regulated mind, or compelled her to renounce her
name, her friends, and a couintry so dear to her, a and
where she had been next to idolized:-no ; there rmust
have been some hidden, some potent cause that could have

264

LIFE OF MRS: JORDAN,

impelled her to have recourse to such an unlooked for
line of proceeding, and there can be little doubt but her
family, if they thought fit, could develope the grand
mystery.
" Mrs. Jordan had been visibly upon the decline for a
long period prior to her dissolutiou; the acuteness of her
malady, however, was considerably alleviated by the unvarying assiduities and watchful attention of Miss
Sketchley, who had been her companion for a long
series of years, and to whom several peers and peeresses
of the present day stand indebted for the peculiar interest she took in the superintendance of their comforts
and happiness, during the period of their juvenile days.
At the time of Mrs. Jordan's retirement one Mr. John
Greatorex kept a highly .respectable hotel in the Rue
Pelletier, Paris, who was in the habit of supplying many
English families with wine, spirits, and other commodities-he was in the frequent practice of repairing to St.
Cloud, being one among the few individuals who was
aware that the supposed Mrs. James was no other than
the once highly-favoured and celebrated Mrs. Jordan.
She uniformly received Mr. Greatorex with all that amiability of manner and unaffected condescension that were
universally allowed to be peculiarly her own ; the last
visit he paid having been only two days previous to her
decease. On the occasion alluded to she oldered refreshments to be brought, whereof he partook-observing at
the time that she was labouring under bodily indisposition, though she certainly did not appear on the eve of
dissolutinn. After the lapse of two days, on Mr.
Greatorex again presenting himself to enquire after the
state of Mrs. Jordan's health, he found she had ceased to be an inhabitant of this world, and in conformity
with the revolting custom pursued in France, though not
in strict accordance with the law-that preparations for
the funeral had already commenced.
" The arrival of Mr. Greatorex, at the period adverted

LIFE

OF

MRS.

JORDAN,

265

to, proved opportune in the extreme, and of the greatest
service to Miss Sketchley-who, in addition to the extreme affliction whereby she was overwhelmed, had to
superintend the arrangements for the funeral, surrounded
by strangers, and unassisted by any friend or compaBut for the
triot, in whom she could place confidence.
arrival of Mr. Greatorex, therefore, there cannot be a
doubt but the remains of Mrs. Jordan would have been
conveyed to their final home unattended by any one of
her countrymen; and, from the intolerant operation of
superstitious prejudice and bigotry, would have been
committed to the earth without the rites of Christian sepultiire.*
" In this painful dilemma Mr. Greatorex hurried back
to Paris, where his primary object was to obtain the assistance of a Protestant clergyman. Unfortunately, the
Rev. Mr. Foster, resident Chaplain to the British Embassy, chanced either to be unwell, or unable to attend
on this melancholy occasion, when after much enquiry,
trouble, and research, he ultimately succeeded in finding
the Rev. Mr. Marron, officiating pastor at the French
Protestant Church of the Oratoire.
Mr. Greatorex
having fortunately obtained the assistance of the gen-

* For the information of such persons as may not be conversant with the usages of our Gallic neighbours, it may be requisite
to observe that the law of France on such occasions is, " that no
one be interred until after the expiration of twenty-four hours
from theperiod of dissolution," this being enacted so guard against
the danger of premature interments; which owing to the aversion
entertained by the French as regards tristosse, or anything of a
melancholy description, not unfrequently occurs, owing to the
departed being hurried off to the grave in such a brief space of
time- It must, however, be remarked, that the burial of any person may, and ought to be resisted, notwithstanding the authoritative blusterings of the Commissaire de Police, until unequivocal
signs of decomposition shall be manifest-thus proving that the

principle of vitality has become extinct.

LIFE OF MRS. JORDAN.

266

tlernan in question, they were joined by Mr. William
Hensliaw, Statuary, of Mortimer-stroet, Cavendish
souare, London, Mr. Keith, and other English residentswho hastily collected for the occasion, to the number of
eight--and repaired to St. Cloud,when the funeral took
place; on which occasion the mayor of the town assisted, accoutred in his official costume.

The funeral service was then performed by Mr.
Marron, with every appropriate solemnity, and in the
most impressive-manner.
The ceremony attending
Mrs. Jordan's interment, although plain, was in every
respect decorous-the coffin being covered with light
blue cloth, lined and embellished with white furniture.
After the office had been performed, a cold collation,
consisting of fruits and different wines, was prepared
order of-Miss Skcetchley, for'the Pastor and gentlemen
who had officiated.

by

Thus

'terminated

the earthly career of the being,

who having for such a series of years participated in the
smiles -and sunshine of Royalty, became an additional
instance of

,that

melancholy

versatility of fortune so

frequently experienced by those whose confidence ;..s
been placed in the insidious and faithless promises of

Princes."

FINIS.

Printed by Duncombe,

19, Little Queen Street, iHlborn.

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