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 to secure a fourth share of the Drury Lane property. The following year he began to negotiate through Mrs. Inchbald for the purchase of a share of Covent Garden, and while negotiations were in progress went abroad. After revisiting Douay, which he found in ‘a state of ruin, poverty, and desolation, not to be described’ (letter to Charles Kemble, Paris, 23 July 1802, in, Life), he went to Paris, and made the acquaintance of Talma, Mme. Contat, and other members of the Comédie Française. In December 1802 he was in Madrid, where he received news of his father's death.

Upon his return he acquired for 23,000l. the sixth share of Covent Garden formerly owned by William Thomas Lewis [q. v.] His partners were Thomas Harris, holding half the shares; Henry Harris, owning one-twelfth; and George White and A. Martindale, each owning one-eighth. Kemble, who replaced Lewis as manager, made his first appearance in the newly arranged theatre as Hamlet, 24 Sept. 1803. His family came with him to his new home, Charles appearing on the opening night, 12 Sept., and Mrs. Siddons on the 27th. It was first agreed that Cooke, then the chief support of the house, and Kemble should alternate principal and subordinate characters. In his manner of carrying out his contract with his turbulent associate, who gave him the nickname of Black Jack, and in that of taking parts belonging to Murray and others, Kemble incurred some censure. He played, however, Richmond to Cooke's Richard, and Antonio to his Shylock, his new characters being Old Norval, the King in the ‘Second Part of Henry IV,’ and Ford in the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor.’ In the following season he was, 24 Oct. 1804, the original Villars in the ‘Blind Bargain’ of Reynolds; 16 Feb. 1805 Sir Oswin Mortland in ‘To Marry or not to Marry,’ by Mrs. Inchbald, and 18 April 1805 Barford in ‘Who wants a Guinea?’ by the younger Colman; and played Eustace St. Pierre in the ‘Surrender of Calais.’ Gloster in ‘Jane Shore,’ Pierre in ‘Venice Preserved,’ and the Delinquent, an original part in Reynolds's play of that name, belong to 1805–6. The ‘Tempest,’ with Kemble as Prospero, was revived 8 Dec. 1806, and on 10 Feb. 1807 he was the first Reuben Glenroy in ‘Town and Country,’ by Morton. This was his last original part. Iago and Valentine in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ were played subsequently. On 20 Sept. 1808 Covent Garden Theatre was burned to the ground, with a loss of twenty lives. As it was inadequately insured Kemble was nearly ruined. His friends mustered, however, round him, and the Duke of Northumberland, to whose son, Lord Percy, he had given some lessons, lent him 10,000l. Kemble, Mrs. Siddons, and the Covent Garden company acted from 26 Sept. to 3 Dec. at the Haymarket Opera House, and for the remainder of the season at the Haymarket Theatre. The foundation-stone of Smirke's new Covent Garden Theatre was laid by the Prince of Wales on 31 Dec. 1808, one of the features of the proceedings being the return to Kemble, cancelled, of the Duke of Northumberland's bond for 10,000l. On 18 Sept. 1809 the new building was opened. Some idea was anticipated of opposition to the new scale of prices it had been found necessary to charge, and an address in the shape of a playbill was issued. As soon as Kemble, dressed as Macbeth, came forward to speak the occasional address, he was greeted with volleyed hissing, catcalls, hooting, and shouts of ‘Old prices.’ No word of the prologue was heard, and the tragedy was played by Kemble and Mrs. Siddons in dumb show. This opposition, known as the O. P. riots, lasted until the sixty-seventh night, and much ill-feeling was excited against all bearers of the name of Kemble. The theatre was shut for some days, and was reopened with no change in the aspect of affairs. Managerial explanations and offers were met by placards held up by the malcontents, and O. P. badges were articles of common wear. The management sought vainly to pack the house, and sent prizefighters into the theatre to mingle with the audience. Legal proceedings were taken and failed. A small literature of polemics on the subject came into existence. An influential committee, consisting of the solicitor-general, Sir Thomas Plumer, the recorder of the city of London, John Silvester, Alderman Sir Charles Price, bart., M.P., John Whitmore, governor of the Bank of England, and John Julius Angerstein, drew up a report in favour of the management, but this, like other efforts, proved futile. On 14 Dec. the leaders of the O. P. party dined at the Crown and Anchor tavern, where Kemble met them, and a compromise was effected. Some attempt at a renewal of riot was made the next day, but was checked without difficulty, and peace was eventually restored. Among those by whom the management was supported was William Cobbett, who declared the claims of the rioters to be a violation of the rights of property.

Brutus in ‘Julius Cæsar,’ 29 Feb. 1812, was his last new character. His final appearance was for his benefit, 23 June 1817, when he appeared as Coriolanus. His performance was received with enthusiasm by an immense audience, including Talma. Seeing how