_Spouting_ Clubs, or, in other words, assemblies of persons ardent admirers of the antient art of Acting, were known before the middle of the century, and have flourished, under the influence of some unavoidable mutations, to the present moment. The violent action of the members, their improper emphasis, and their grimaces, have frequently been successfully ridiculed; but the evil still exists in private Theatres, where it is asserted some vices are acquired which are not very creditable to the possessors; and I shall only add that in my opinion youth is generally sufficiently presuming without having recourse to this improper mode of _education_. Influenced by this conviction, I am always grieved to hear of private plays at colleges and schools, and particularly at _female_ boarding-schools. It is from the latter custom, that we have witnessed so much folly in the recent exhibition of heroes and legislators by _infant girls_ and _boys_, whose feeble and shrill voices pronounce denunciations and elevated sentiments which are often injured by the imperfect organs even of our best tragic adults. To illustrate this assertion more forcibly, let posterity be informed, that _we enlightened inhabitants_ of London have actually listened to the ensuing speech with rapture uttered by children under fifteen years of age, and little more than four feet in height: "_A thousand hearts are great within my bosom._ Advance our standards, set upon our foes, Our antient word of courage, fair _St. George_, Inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons: Upon them, Victory sits on our helms[204:A]." Let it also be recorded, that the season of 1806 produced a _juvenile Theatre_, which was well attended. But let us return to the Spouting-clubs, lest we pass them without _due_ notice: that indeed they received in 1759, when these excellent lines appeared in the London Chronicle, to which I can add nothing new. "THE SPOUTING CLUB. _A Poetical Dish newly cooked up_ By RIGDUM FUNNIDOS, Esq. Professor of Bombast and Blank Verse in the University of Queerumania. _Conamur tenues grandia._