MONTHLY MIRROR, FOR APRIL, 1802. Embellished with A PORTRAIT OF MR. JOHNSTONE, THE COMEDIAN, ENGRAVED BY RIDLEY, FROM AN ORIGINAL PICTURE. PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETORS, By J. Wright, Mo. 20, Denmark-Court, Strand, And published by VERNOR and HOOD in the Poultry; Sold, also, by all the Booksellers in the United Kingdom. A Portrait of Capel Lofft, Esq. engraved by Ridley, from an ori ginal Picture, will appear in our next number. We are sorry that the Epistle from Roger Coulier, of Dorsetshire, to his Friend Giles Bloomfield, the Suffolk Farmer's Boy, arrived too late for insertion previously to the Dorsetshire Eclogue printed in the present number. An Allegory, in prose, transmitted by a correspondent from Lichfield, soon as possible. To Mr. W. HANBURY. of Rugby, from whom we have received a Poetical Allegory, we return the same answer. The further communications of A. H. have been received. We have not yet had an opportunity of perusing the translations which G. C. has had the kindness to send us. The Engraving which was promised in June 1796, as an accompaniment to the Translation by RECLUSE, appeared in Dec. 1796. Some of the other embellishments mentioned by THEODOSIUS, we have declined, and some it is not convenient to us yet to publish. The Dactylics, by Henry Kirke WHITE, (Nottingham) shall occupy the first vacancy. His Cursory Remarks on Tragedy appear in the present number. The requests of LAOCOON, (Abergavenny) shall both be complied with. The remarks of a Constant Reader, at Canterbury, are reserved for our next. We have already much exceeded our limits with regard to the Halifax theatricals, and therefore we hope SANCHO will excuse us if we decline inserting his last letter, relative to Mr. Wrench. Some beautiful Lines to Mr. Braham, by MELODIA, shall appear next month if possible. J. C. S. on the performances at Belfast, at the same time; and also a Comparison of the Merits of Messrs. Faulkner and Huddart, in Rolla and Alonzo, at Manchester. The Inscriptions on the monument erected to the memory of the officers of the BRAZEN in our next. The Exchange, by an ETON BOY; and Separation, to Mrs. have a situation. -, by S. shalí The former favours of J. B. S. ITALICUS, of Ashford, we never received, and we are sorry to observe that the Lines to Miss Seward, &c. though not destitute of merit, are yet not sufficiently correct for this publication. There is nothing striking in the Song on the Return of Peace, sung at the Harmonic Society at Birmingham. Errata in our last. In the letter from Louis XVIII, p. 158, 1. last, read " fideles ministres ;" p. 159, 1. 9, for "stereres," read "steriles". In the Sonnet to the Author of the Farmer's Boy, 1. 3, for "pompous boast," read" pompous gifts." Erratum in the present Number. In the sonnet beginning thus, "Scarce has the Sun," there should be a mark of reference to a note, signifying that the author alludes to a sonnet already published in the Mirror for March 1801. MONTHLY MIRROR, FOR APRIL, 1802. BIOGRAPHICAL MR. JOHNSTON E, [With a Portrait.] THE pre-eminent talents of this gentleman, and the distinguished situation he has held in Covent-Garden and the Haymarket theatres for so many seasons, render it necessary for us to offer some apology to our readers for having so long delayed to introduce his portrait into this work. The opportunity, however, now presents itself, and if it had earlier occurred, we should have felt great pleasure in adding our tribute to the general testimony of respect which both the private and professional character of Mr. Johnstone have deservedly obtained from the public. MR. JOHN JOHNSTONE was born in the city of Kilkenny, in Ireland, on the first day of August, 1759. His father, who held the posts of quarter, riding, and pay master, in an Irish regiment of horse, intended his son for the profession of the army. His death, which happened in the year 1770, prevented this design from being carried into effect. In consequence of that event, it was thought more adviseable that Mr. J. should turn his attention to the law, and accordingly, at the age of twelve, he was articled to Mr. Jones, an attorney in Dublin, with whom he continued five years; and, being a great favourite with him, would probably have succeeded him in his business, but for the following unhappy occurrence, which effected an abrupt separation. Mr. Jones, in a moment of passion, was about to chastise his clerk in a mode that the high spirit of Mr. Johnstone could not brook. He warmly resented this affront; and, there being no chance of accommodation after an outrage of such a nature, our hero resigned his situation, and with it all hopes of legal prosperity. He now came over to this country, and the money which he had saved during his clerkship in Dublin, was soon exhausted in London. A merchant from the former city arrived very opportunely to his assistance. He had been empowered by Mr. Johnstone's mother to make enquiry after her son, and with this gentleman our hero returned to his native country somewhat the lighter for his journey, The army was again thought of for his future support, and interest was made with a distant relation, who enjoyed the rank of Lieut. Colonel, to procure him a respectable situation in his regiment. He was made a Cadet, and so continued for two years, with a very good prospect of promotion; but the same indignant, though perhaps justifiable spirit, which he manifested on the occasion before-mentioned, proved once more injurious to his interests, and compelled him to relinquish all thoughts of gaining distinction by the sword. The jealousy of a lieutenant in the same regiment impelled him to make use of certain terms of reproach which Johnstone retorted by chastising the offender on the spot. For this breach of discipline he was called to a court martial at Clonmell, where the regiment was then quartered, but dreading the result, he privately set off for Dublin, and, through the good offices of the colonel, all further proceedings were dropped, The stage now appeared to be his dernier resort, and having been in the habit, while with Mr. Jones, of transacting business with Mr. Ryder, then manager of the Smock-Alley Theatre, he had long entertained a partiality for the drama, which his other pursuits had not permitted him to indulge. Contrary to the wishes of his mother and his friends in general, he now determined to appear on the boards, and he accordingly made his debût in Lionel, with a degree of success which greatly exceeded his expectation. He was immediately engaged by Mr. Ryder, and rose rapidly into the favour of the audience. About this time he married Miss Poitier, daughter of Captain Poitier, and his great merit having attracted the notice of Macklin, during one of his summer excursions, the veteran recommended him to Mr. Harris, by whom Mr. Johnstone and his wife were speedily engaged*, for three years, at a salary of fourteen, sixteen, and eighteen pounds per week. Lionel was again chosen for the occasion. His success fully justified the favourable report of Mr. Macklin, and Mr. Johnstone ranked from that period as the first vocal performer on the Covent-Garden stage. Mrs, Johnstone died in the summer of 1785, of a decline, and his enemies endeavoured to propagate an invidious report upon this occasion, with a view to throw some imputation on his character. For a letter from Macklin to Mr. Johnstone on this subject, see M. M. Vol. * IV. p. 304. The aspersion was as false as it was cruel, and we are assured by a person who was with Mrs. J. in her last moments, that she spoke on her death-bed to this effect, "Let those who love me, love my husband, for he has been the best of husbands to me. A declaration that effectually destroys the credit of the calumny with which a few malicious persons were anxious to load his reputation. What remains of Mr. Johnstone's history is soon told. In the summer of 1791 he was engaged at the Haymarket theatre, where he appeared in the character of Clifford in Major North's (now the Earl of Guildford's) play of the Kentish Barons; and in that company he has remained ever since, infinitely to the credit of his own talents, and to the respectability and advantage of the concern. In December 1792, he married Miss Bolton, daughter of Mr. Bolton of Bond-street, Wine-Merchant to His Majesty, and the Prince of Wales. By this lady, who discharges the duties of a wife, with the most amiable propriety, he has one child, a very beautiful and promising girl, in whom the affections of her parents seem to be almost wholly concentred. Though Mr. J. established himself as a first rate singer, and was, for several seasons, at the head of the operatic department, at CoventGarden, he has since considerably enhanced his popularity by his admirable performance of Hibernian characters, of which he is avowedly and decisively the most finished representative that has ever appeared on the stage. His humour is the richest and most natural that can be imagined, and never fails to convulse the audience with laughter. He may be said to have given a new direction to the English comedy, since his unprecedented excellence in this species of character has induced our modern dramatists to consult their own interest, by framing opportunities for the exhibition of his unique talents, to which in many instances they have been entirely indebted for the success of their productions; and of late years few of our popular plays and farces are without his powerful name among the Dramatis Persona. Perhaps there is no character in which he is more irresistibly ludicrous, than that of Loony Mactwolter in the favourite farce of the Review. Mr. Johnstone's appearance and manners are altogether those of a gentleman; he is favoured by the countenance and esteem of many persons of the first distinction in the UNITED KINGDOM, and is happy in the society of a number of the most respectable families. Exclusively of the emoluments he annually derives from his professional |