Page:English Caricaturists and Graphic Humourists of the nineteenth century.djvu/108

 behind the scenes, he asked me, knowing I acted Belcour, to prompt him if he should be 'out,' which he very much feared. The audience were in convulsions at his absurdities, and in the scene with Miss Rusport, being really 'out,' I gave him a line which Belcour has to speak, 'I never looked so like a fool in all my life,' which, as he delivered it, was greeted with a roar of laughter. He was 'out' again, and I gave him again the same line, which, again being repeated, was acquiesced in with a louder roar. Being 'out' again, I administered him the third time the same truth for him to utter, but he seemed alive to its application, rejoining in some dudgeon, 'I have said that twice already.' His exhibition was a complete burlesque of the comedy and a reflection on the character of a management that could profit by such discreditable expedients."Poor "Romeo" Coates lived to get over his theatrical weakness, and died (in 1848), in his seventy-sixth year, from the results of a street accident.

{outside L|align=center|}}The Princess Charlotte of Wales, having successfully thrown over her royal Dutch suitor, was married at Carlton House to Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg, afterwards King of the Belgians, on the 2nd of May, 1816. Prior to the marriage, Parliament had voted a provision for an establishment for the pair of £60,000, while in the event of the princess's death, £50,000 was settled on the prince during his life. Leap Year, or John Bull's Establishment (S. W. Fores, March, 1816) shows us John Bull with a bit in his mouth, driven by Her Royal Highness, who lashes him unmercifully with a tremendous horse-whip. Miserable John is saddled with a pair of panniers, one of which carries the prince and his money bags, the other being filled with heavy packages labelled with different impositions or items of expenditure of which John is the victim. "Plans for thatched cottages," "Plan for pulling down and rebuilding," "Assessed taxes," "Increase of salaries," "Army for peace establishment," and so on. Says Leopold to the princess, "You drive so fast, I shall be off!!!" "Never fear," she replies; "I'll teach you an English waltz." The gouty Regent hobbles after them on his crutches, the supports of which are formed of dragons from his