'The Rooms, as I hinted before, have been almost deserted, except on particular nights. At the last ball but one, at the _Ship_, only seven couple stood up, and the lady who took the lead, according to the etiquette established in pride and folly, was _pro_ NUMMORUM _atque hominum fidem credite_!--no less a person than Mrs. Tr----d, daughter of the naval baronet, who, in his lifetime, gained many signal advantages over the tribes of Benjamin and Levi. The _Castle_ has been somewhat more fortunate. But Fox, the manager, has been so successful, as to excite the envy of his rivals, who have it in contemplation to set up a theatre in opposition to his. It was for this purpose that _Signor Grimaldi's_ journey was undertaken, which, by the newspaper accounts, proved so fatal to him; and, as he, with Mr. _Spencer_, the harlequin, is to have the principal concern, we may expect that the prime parts of the entertainment at the new Theatre, will be pantomime, with _grinning_ and _jumping_ in abundance. If Mr. _Grimaldi_ should bring down his young pupils from the Circus, it will, perhaps, be necessary for Mr. Fox to engage the General Jackoo, or the Dancing Dogs. At present, he confines his attempts to Comic Opera, Comedy, and Farce; and, for these, it must be confessed, he has good materials. His company may be called a good one--for the country--though the greatest part are recruits, and want drilling. Yet, why for _the country_, when there are so many London performers without engagements in the summer. 'The most extraordinary event that has happened lately, was a violent gale on Tuesday, which caused many sad accidents. The wind blew with prodigious force from the southward, and brought an uncommonly high tide with it. This rendered it necessary to draw up all the small craft, and the machines upon the Steine, where most of the Company, particularly the Londoners, assembled to gaze at a sea storm. The Prince's curiosity got him a ducking, and an old man and his ass were drowned under the Cliff.' [Illustration: Decorative motif] FOOTNOTES: [30] _Morning Herald_, July 27. [31] _Parker's General Advertiser_, July 28. [32] _Morning Herald_, August 9. [33] _Morning Herald_, August 10. [34] _Ibid._, August 21. [35] _Morning Herald_, September 9. [36] _Ibid._, August 27. [37] Sir Cecil Wray, one of the candidates. [38] _Morning Post_, July 8, 1785. [39] The lessee and manager. [40] The builders have, since last year, erected a row of houses on the Steyne, with bricks of these colours, in compliment, I imagine, to the Prince's uniform. [41] Whig. [Illustration: Decorative panel] CHAPTER VII. The Prince's acquaintance with Mrs. Fitzherbert--His courtship and marriage--Satirical prints thereon.