 no sooner entered his chamber,
than looking at me with a languishing eye, he pronounced, Mr. Melopoyn, I'm
heartily sorry for an accident that has happened during my illness - you must
know, that my eldest boy, finding your manuscript upon the table, in the
dining-room, where I used to read it, carried it into the kitchin, and leaving
it there, a negligent wench of a cook maid, mistaking it for waste-paper, has
expended it all but a few leaves in singeing fouls upon the spit - But I hope
the misfortune is not irreparable, since, no doubt, you have several copies.
    I protest to you, my good friend Mr. Random, I was extremely shocked at this
information! but the good-natured gentleman seemed to be so much affected with
my misfortune, that I suppressed my concern, and told him, that altho' I had not
another copy, I should be able to retrieve the loss by writing another from my
memory, which was very tenacious. You cannot imagine how well pleased Mr. Supple
was at this assurance; he begged I would set about it immediately, and carefully
revolve and recollect every circumstance, before I pretended to commit it to
paper, that it might be the same individual play that he had perused. -
Encouraged by this injunction, which plainly demonstrated how much he interested
himself in the affair, I tasked my remembrance and industry, and in three weeks
produced the exact image of the former, which was conveyed to him by my good
friend, father O Varnish, who let me know next day, that Mr. Supple would revise
it superficially, in order to judge of its sameness with the other, and then
give his final answer. - For this examination I allotted a week; and in full
confidence of seeing it acted in a little while, demanded an audience of the
manager, when that term was expired. - But alas! the season had slipt away
insensibly; he convinced me, that if my play had been put into rehearsal at that
time, it could not have been ready for performing, until the end of March, when
the benefit nights come on; consequently it would have interfered with the
interest of the players, whom it was not my business to disoblige.
    I was fain to acquiesce in these reasons, which to be sure were extremely
just; and to reserve my performance to the next season, when he hoped I would
not be so unlucky. - Although it was a grievous disappointment to me, who by
this time, began to want
