My last appearance, as a dramatic writer, was in another national piece, called "The Siege of Tripoli," which the managers persuaded me to bring out for my own benefit, being my first attempt to derive any profit from dramatic efforts. The piece was elegantly got up--the house crowded with beauty and fashion--everything went off in the happiest manner; when, a short time after the audience had retired, the Park Theatre was discovered to be on fire, and in a short time was a heap of ruins. This conflagration burnt out all my dramatic fire and energy, since which I have been, as you well know, peaceably employed in settling the affairs of the nations, and mildly engaged in the political differences and disagreements which are so fruitful in our great state. I still, however, retain a warm interest for the success of the drama, and all who are entitled to success engaged in sustaining it, and to none greater than to yourself, who have done more, in actual labour and successful efforts, than any man in America. That you may realize all you have promised yourself, and all that you are richly entitled to, is the sincere wish of Dear sir, Your friend and servant, M. M. NOAH. Wm. Dunlap, Esq. FOOTNOTES: [1] John Kerr wrote "The Wandering Boys; or, The Castle of Olival" (1823), which Dr. Atkinson believes was taken from the same French source as Noah's piece. [2] She Would Be A Soldier,/or the/Plains of Chippewa;/An Historical Drama,/In Three Acts./By M. M. Noah./Performed for the first time on the 21st/of June, 1819./ New-York:/Published at Longworth's Dramatic Repository./Shakspeare Gallery./ G. L. Birch & Co. Printers./1819./[At one time, Edwin Forrest played the Indian in this piece.] [3] Catherine Leesugg married James H. Hackett, the American actor, in 1819. As early as 1805, some critics in England spoke of her as the Infant Roscius. Of her, the newspaper versifier proclaimed: "There's sweet Miss Leesugg--by-the-by, she's not pretty, She's a little too large, and has not too much grace, Yet there's something about her so witching and witty, 'Tis pleasure to gaze on her good-humoured face." [Illustration: SHE WOULD BE A SOLDIER, OR THE PLAINS OF CHIPPEWA; _AN HISTORICAL DRAMA,_ IN THREE ACTS. BY M. M. NOAH. PERFORMED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE 21ST OF JUNE, 1819. NEW-YORK: Published at Longworth's Dramatic Repository, Shakspeare Gallery. _G. L. Birch & Co. Printers._ 1819. FAC-SIMILE TITLE-PAGE TO 1819 EDITION] PREFACE