Agreed,' replied Mrs Bracegirdle. am as good a shot as yourself.'

I

"What say you to arranging the affair in this way, ladies?' interposed Masham. You both profess to be good shots. I will hold a candle, and you shall post yourselves at the extremity of the room, and she who snuffs it hall be adjudged the victor.'

"I assent,' said Mrs Oldfield. "But you will run a great risk, Mr Masham,' cried Mrs Bracegirdle.

"Oh! I'll take my chance,' he replied, laughingly. Better I should receive a slight wound than the stage be deprived of one of its brightest ornaments.'

"The young equerry's gallantry was much applauded, and Mrs Bracegirdle assenting with some reluctance to the arrangement, a brace of pistols were produced, and all impediments being quickly cleared away, Masham took up a candle, and marched to the further end of the room, where he took up a position and stretched out his arm. All being now ready, Mrs Bracegirdle begged her rival to take the first shot. Mrs Oldfield instantly raised her pistol, levelled, and fired. "The shot was so true that the flame wavered, and a burst of applause followed.

"As soon as this had subsided, Mrs Bracegirdle took her rival's place. But just as she had levelled the pistol, a trembling seized her, and she dropped her arm.

"I cannot do this,' she cried. I should never forgive myself if I hurt that young man, and would rather own myself vanquished than put him in danger.'

"On this, the applause was louder and more vehement than before, and at its close Mrs Bracegirdle said, "To show that I am not without some skill, I will make an attempt, which can endanger no one. There is a small white spot on the upper pannel of yon door, not larger than a shilling. Be that my

mark.'

"And as she spoke, she again raised the pistol quickly, and drew the trigger. The wood was perforated in the precise spot indicated by the fair shooter."

OLD PLAYERS AND OLD PLAYHOUSES. THE following passages from Mr Collier's late publication will be found more interesting to the lovers of theatricals than the never-ending discussions on the way in which Shakspere spelt his name, which,

as was lately shown in the Mirror,' ean lead to no result. From the notice given of the manner in which certain players were then rewarded, some inference may be drawn of what was the condition of the professors of the dramatic art generally before" Immortal Shakspere rose,"

"The earliest record of the representation of any plays in Stratford-upon-Avon (says Mr C.), is dated in the year when John Shakespeare was bailiff, the precise season is not stated, but it was in 1569, when the 'Queen's players' (meaning probably, at this date, one company of her 'Interlude players,' retained under that name by her father and grandfather) received 9s. out of the corporate funds, while the Earl of Worcester's servants in the same year obtained only 12d. In 1573, just before the grant of the royal license to them, the Earl of Leicester's players, of whom James Burbage was the leader, received 6s. 8d.; and in the next year the companies acting under the names of the 17s. and 5s. 7d. respectively. It is unneEarls of Warwick and Worcester obtained Cessary to state precisely the sums disbursed at various times by the bailiff, aldermen, and burgesses, but we may notice that in 1577 the players of the Earls of Leicester and Worcester again exhibited; and in 1579 we hear of a company in Stratford patronized by one of the female nobility (a very unusual circumstance), the Countess of Essex. Lord Strange's men (at this date not players, but tumblers) also exhibited in the same year, and in 1580 the Earl of Derby's players were duly rewarded. The same encouragement was given to the companies of the Earls of Worcester and Berkeley in 1581; but in 1582 we only hear of the Earl of Worcester's actors having been in the town. In 1583 the Earl of Berkeley's players, and those of Lord Chandois, performed in Stratford, while in the next year, three companies appear to have visited the borough. In 1586 the players' (without mentioning what company) exhibited; and in 1587 no fewer than five associations were rewarded, viz. the Queen's players, and those of the Earls of Essex, Leicester, and Stafford, with another company,' the nobleman countenancing them not being

named."

Not less remarkable is the history of the theatres standing in Shakspere's time.

It will be seen in the extract below that the Fortune Theatre is mentioned as "having been between White Crosse streete and Golding lane." This may have been the position of the original theatre in that locality, and in the street called “ Playhouse yard," leading from Golden lane to Whitecross street, it probably stood. After the fire of 1618 it was perhaps rebuilt in Golden lane, where it now stands. Though

long since appropriated to business, the aspect of a theatre may still be distinctly traced, and the eye has no difficulty in determining which was the entrance for the box or superior company, and which for the gallery people or "groundlings." Though the inside was destroyed by revolutionary fanatics, the walls were suffered to remain.

"The Globe was pulled down to the ground by Sir Mathew Brand on Munday, the 15th of April, 1644, to make tenements in the rome of it. The Black Friers play house, in Black Friers, London, which had stood many yeares, was pulled down to the ground on Munday, the 6 day of August, 1655, and tenements built in the rome. The play house in Salisbury courte, in Fleete streete, was pulled down by a company of souldiers, set on by the Secretaries of these sad times, on Saturday, the 24th day of March, 1649. The Phenix, in Druery lane, was pulled down also this day, being Saturday the 24th day of March, 1649, by the same souldiers. The Fortune play house, between White Crosse streete and Golding lane, was burned down to the ground in the year 1618. And

built againe, with bricke worke on the outside, in the year 1622; and now pulld downe on the inside by these souldiers, this 1649. The Hope, on the Banke side in Southewarke, commonly called Beare Garden; a play house for stage playes on Mundays, Wednesdays, Fridayes, and Saturdayes; and for the bating of the bears on Tuesdays and Thursdays-the stage being made to take up and downe when they please. It was built in the year 1610; and now pulled downe to make tenements by Thomas Walker, a peticoate maker in Canone streete, on Tuesday the 25th day of March, 1656. Seven of Mr Godfries beares, by the command of Tho. mas Pride, then his Sherefe of Surry, were shot to death on Saturday, the 9 day of February, 1665, by a company of Souldiers."

THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BUTE. THIS family springs from the royal house of Stuart. Sir John Stuart, the son of Robert II, obtained from his father a grant of land in the Isle of Bute, with the heritable sheriffship of that place, Arran, &c., subsequently confirmed by the charter of Robert III, dated November 11,1400. He married Jean, daughter of Sir John Semple of Eliotstoun. The great grandson, the offspring of this marriage, Ninian Stuart, succeeded his father in the sheriffship of Bute, and obtained, in 1498, a grant of the hereditary custody of the castle of Rothsay, with a salary of 80 marks yearly out of the lordship of Bute. He died in 1509, and was succeeded by his son, James Stuart, who was infeft in his estate, and heritable constabulary of Rothsay Castle, May 20th, 1509. The grandson of this James became Sir James Stuart, knight, of Bute, and married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Robert Hepburn of Foord; by whom he acquired the estate of Foord, with several other lands in the county of Haddington, and was succeeded by his son. This was Sir John Stuart of Bute, who was created a Baronet of Nova Scotia, 1627; and adhering to the royal cause through the civil wars, he suffered considerably, both by fines and sequestrations. He married Isabel, daughter of Sir Dougal Campbell of Auchinbreck, and died in 1662, when the title came to his son Dugald, who married the daughter of Sir Thomas Ruthven, of Dunglass, and grand-daughter, maternally, of Alexander, first Earl of Leven, by whom he had, besides daughters, two sons, James and Dugald. The latter succeeded his uncle, Lord Tillicoultry, as Lord of Session and Justiciary in 1709; and died in 1712, leaving a high character for integrity and talent. Sir Dugald died in 1672, and was succeeded by James, his eldest son, who was a mem

In

ber of the Privy Council of Queen Anne and one of the Commissioners appointed to treat for the Union of Scotland with England, in 1702, when the measure was not brought to a conclusion. He was elevated to the Peerage of Scotland, in the following year, by the titles of Earl of Bute, Viscount Kingarth, and Lord Mountstuart, Cumra, and Inchmarnock, to himself and his heirs male whatever. 1706 his lordship opposed the Union with all his might; and when he discovered that a majority of parliament was in favour of it, he withdrew from the house to his country seat. He married, first, Agnes, eldest daughter of Sir George Mackenzie, of Rosehaugh, Lord Advocate in the reign of James VII; and second, Christian, daughter of William Dundas, Esq., of Kincavel. His lordship died in 1710, and was succeeded by the only son of his first marriage. This was James, the second Earl, who, after the death of his maternal uncle, and after much litigation, succeeded to the estate of Rosehaugh. He married Anne, daughter of Archibald, first Duke of Argyle, and had, besides daughters, two sons, John and James, the elder of whom, on his decease, January 28, 1723, succeeded to the title.

John, the third Earl, who was born in 1713, married Mary, only daughter of Edward Wortley Montagu, Esq., of the county of York, and great-grand-daughter of Edward, first Earl of Sandwich. Her ladyship was created Baroness Mountstuart, of Wortley, Yorkshire, April 4, 1761, with remainder to her male issue by the Earl of Bute. They had a numerous family. The son of James Archibald, the second son, became Baron Wharncliffe, and Charles, the fourth son, was created Lord Stuart de Rothsay. The third Earl, of whom we are now writing, was in office from 1737 (when he was made a Lord of

the Police) till 1763. The latter part of that period he held the high situation of First Lord of the Treasury. His lordship died March 10, 1792, when he was succeeded by his eldest son, John, fourth Earl of Bute. His lordship had previously succeeded, on the death of his mother, to the Barony of Mountstuart, and had been created Baron Cardiff, of Cardiff Castle. On the 21st of March, 1796, his lordship was further advanced to the Viscounty of Mountjoy, in the Isle of Wight, the Earldom of Windsor, and the Marquisate of Bute. He married, first, Nov. 12, 1766, Charlotte Jane, eldest daughter and co-heiress of Herbert Windsor Hickman, second and last Viscount Windsor, of the kingdom of Ireland. By that lady, who died January 28, 1800, he had a numerous family. The Marquis died at Geneva, November 16, 1814, and his titles and honours descended to John, the present peer, his grandson. The last-mentioned nobleman was born August 13, 1793. He succeeded to the Earldom of Dumfries on the death of his maternal grandfather, Patrick Earl of Dumfries, April 7, 1806. By royal permission he had previously (August 26, 1805) assumed the surname and arms of Crichton in addition to and before those of Stuart. He married, July 28, 1818, Maria, eldest daughter of George Augustus, third Earl of Guildford. He is sixth Earl of Dumfries and second Marquis of Bute.

Of the Earldom of Dumfries, now united with the Marquisate, it is sufficient to state, Sir Robert Crichton, of Sanquhar, signalized himself at Lochnaben against the Duke of Albany and the Earl of Douglas, when they made an incursion into Scotland in 1484. He was created a peer of parliament, by the title of Lord Crichton of Sanquhar, January 20, 1467-8. His son and grandson next bore the title. This latter was succeeded by his brother Edward. From him the title descended to Robert, the sixth Lord. That nobleman, when on a visit at Lord Norreys' seat in Oxfordshire, about the year 1605, lost his eye, fencing with one John Turner, a master of this science of defence, which so enraged his lordship against Turner that, after laying several plans for the purpose, he caused him to be assassinated seven years after the accident by one Carlyle, who shot him with a pistol, for which crime he and accomplices were brought to condign punishment; and Lord Sanquhar, surrendering afterwards, was like wise brought to the scaffold, being hanged upon a gallows erected in Great Palace yard, before the gate of Westminster Hall, June 29, 1612. The title then reverted to his kinsman, William, son of John Crichton, of Ryhill, second son of Robert, second lord. He was advanced to the dignity of Viscount of Air, February 2, 1622, and

created Earl of Dumfries June 12, 1633, and succeeded by his eldest son William, the second earl, who resigned his honours, and had a new grant, November 3, 1690, with an extension of the remaindership to his grandson William, Lord Crichton, who on his death, in 1691, succeeded to his honours. William died unmarried in 1694, and was succeeded by his sister Penelope, as Countess of Dumfries. Her ladyship married, in 1693, her cousin, the Hon. William Dalrymple, of Glenmuir, second son of John, first Earl of Stair, and was succeeded, in 1742, by her eldest son William, fourth Earl of Dumfries, who also inherited the Earldom of Stair from his brother James. He died without issue in 1768, and was succeeded in the Earldom of Stair by his consin, John Dalrymple, and in that of Dumfries by his nephew (the son of his sister Elizabeth), Patrick Macdowal, of Freugh, as fifth earl. He married, in 1771, Margaret, daughter of Robert Crawford, of Restalrig, county of Edinburgh, and had a daughter, Elizabeth Penelope, who married John, Viscount Mountstuart, eldest son of John, fourth Earl, and first Marquis of Bute. She died during her father's lifetime, leaving two sons, the elder of whom, John, inherited the Earldom of Dumfries at the decease of his maternal grandfather, August 7, 1803, sixth earl, and the Marquisate of Bute on the death of his paternal grandfather in 1814.

WHAT IS HAPPINESS ? PEOPLE form various and contradictory opinions respecting happiness, the best way to secure it, and what are really its constituents. All pursue pleasure, which is supposed to be somewhat analagous to it, and many are terribly disappointed when the shadow of pleasure vanishes and leaves happiness as far off as ever; and some agree by their ambition, envy, and other petty and discreditable feelings, that they have not happiness, for if they had, the mind would be easy and contented, or at any rate, would only advance with good feelings and benevolent emotions. What is happiness? Here lies the knotty point; people form wrong notions of it, and then wonder they do not possess it. Some think they have it, and are ever seeking after it, as if they had it not. They mistake the seemingly apparent means of procuring it for the thing itself, forgetting that happiness is in the mind, and although not totally independent of temporalities is much more so than is generally imagined. But happiness is frequently evaded by an useless and depraved ambition or envy, for on most occasions it is doubtful whether to pull others down would not be equally as agreeable as self-elevation; ambition for