; that he would read my tragedy
forthwith; and did not believe he should venture to reject it in contradiction
to his Lordship's opinion, for which he had the utmost veneration, but put it
into rehearsal without loss of time. - I was so much intoxicated with this
encouragement, that I overlooked the mysterious conduct of Mr. Marmozet, and
attended the manager at the time appointed, when, to my infinite confusion! he
pronounced my play improper for the stage, and rejected it accordingly. As soon
as I could recollect myself from the disorder into which this unexpected refusal
had thrown me, I expressed a desire of hearing his objections, which were so
groundless, indistinct and unintelligible, that I persuaded myself he had not at
all perused the piece, but had been prompted by somebody whose lessons he had
not rightly retained. However, I have been since informed, that the poor man's
head, which was not naturally very clear, had been disordered with superstition,
and that he laboured under the tyranny of a wife, and the terrors of hell fire
at the same time. - Precipitated in this manner, from the highest pinnacle of
hope, to the abyss of despondence, I was ready to sink under the burthen of my
affliction; and in the bitterness of my anguish, could not help entertaining
some doubts of Mr. Marmozet's integrity, when I recollected and compared the
circumstances of his conduct towards me. I was encouraged in this suspicion, by
being told, that my Lord Sheerwit had spoke of his character with great
contempt; and in particular, resented his insolence in opposing his own taste to
that of his Lordship, concerning my tragedy. - While I hesitated between
different opinions of the matter, that friend, who (as told you before) was a
little hotheaded, favoured me with a visit, and having heard a circumstantial
account of the whole affair, could not contain his indignation, but affirmed
without ceremony, that Marmozet was the sole occasion of my disappointment; that
he had acted from first to last with the most perfidious dissimulation, cajoling
with insinuating civilities, while he underhand employed all his art and
influence to prejudice the ignorant manager against my performance; that nothing
could equal his hypocrisy, but his avarice, which ingrossed the faculties of his
soul so much, that he scrupled not to be guilty of the meanest practices to
gratify that sordid appetite; that in consequence of this disposition, he had
prostituted his honour in betraying my inexperience, and in undermining the
interest of another author of established reputation, who had also offered a
tragedy to the
