Orittrts mat. Mush'.
Mr. Clunics.Mathews having imitated Mr. Anderson at Drury Lane, in the farce called The Great Gun Triek,.)fr. Anderson retorts by en- gaging Mr. Leigh Murray to imitate 2Mr. 'Charles Mathews at Covent Garden: And very cleverly &ins Mr. Murray perform his task ; in- terrupting the Professor in the midst of his magical entertainment, with that easy assurance of which his renowned original is to consummate a master. When a game of bantering begins, it not unfrequently happens that pleasantries grow unpleasant ; and with respect to this duel of small wit we must say, that the Professor's retort is less humoured than the joke which was played off at his expense in the first instance : for, as he was only , burlesqued in his professional character, he allows personal allusion to creep into his retaliatory sarcasms ; and, of course, a portion of his audience is offended. However, the trumpery nature of the quar- rel is enough to prevent it from widening into a serious theatrical war- fare ; for we cannot conceive anything more utterly insignificant in the eyes of the general public than a private squabble between the managers of the two "national" theatres.
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