The person here designated the Bishop was procured by Stone, and had often rehearsed the Bishop of Winchester in the play of Henry VIIIth, with such singular éclat, that Garrick addressed him at the rehearsal, as “Cousin of Winchester The fellow, however, never played the part, although advertised more than once to come out in it. The reason will soon be guessed from the two following letters that passed between Garrick and Stone on the very evening the Prelate was to make his début. “Sir, “The Bishop of Winchester is getting drunk at the Bear, and swears he won't play to-night. “I am, yours, “Wm, Stone.” “Stone, “The Bishop may go to the devil. I do not know a greater rascal, except yourself. “D. G” --hissed in the centre region of a fiery dragon in some diabolical Jewiow-stration of dramatic diablerie, brandished a wooden sword,--gallanted Columbine,--blushed blue flame and brickdust in Frankenstein,--plastered my head over with chalk for want of a Lord Ogleby white wig,--and bellowed myself hoarse with tawdry configurations and claptrap vulgarities! And (_Punch_ has no feelings'!) what my reward? A magnificent banquet of dry bread and ditch-water from O'Doddipool, ['Think on that, Master Brook!') peels, not of applause, but oranges! from the pit; and showers of peas (not boiled!) from the Olympus of disorderly gods. * * The custom of pelting actors and authors upon the stage is very ancient. Hegemon of Thasos, a writer of the old comedy, upon the first representation of one of his plays, came upon the stage with a large parcel of pebbles in the skirt of his gown, and laying them down on the edge of the orchestra, gravely informed the spectators that whoever desired to pelt him might take them up and begin the attack; but if, on the contrary, they chose to hear with patience, and judge with candour, he had done his best to amuse them! The audience were so delighted with his play, that though its performance was interrupted by the arrival of very unfortunate news from Sicily, viz. the destruction of the Athenian Fleet, it was suffered to proceed; not one of them quitting the theatre, though almost every individual had lost a relation or friend in the action. The unfortunate Athenians could not refrain from shedding tears on the occasion; but such was their delicacy and honour with respect to the foreigners then present, that they concealed their weakness by muffling their faces in their mantles.