of her friends, she seized an opportunity, early one morning in February, 1772, of eloping from her family. She had previously packed up a few necessaries in a band-box, and, with these, ran about two miles, across some fields, and there waited with impatience for the stage, which conveyed her to London. At this time, she was about sixteen years of age, and remarkable for the beauty of her features, and elegance of her figure.

Having often heard her family speak of a distant relation, who lived in the Strand, on her arrival in London, she took a hackney coach, and sought this asylum; but, on her reaching the place, was, to her great mortification, told, that her relation had retired from business, and was settled in Wales. Her alarm at these unexpected tidings, and evident distress, (it being near ten o'clock at night,) moved the compassion of the people of the house where she inquired, who, at her request, generously accommodated her with a lodging. This civility, however, awakened suspicion: she had read, in novels, the various modes of seduction which were practised in London, and apprehended that she was in a dangerous house; this suspicion seemed

confirmed by the entrance of an old corpulent lady, whose appearance corresponded exactly with the description she had read of a procuress; while, therefore, they were whispering their pity for her youth, and extolling her beauty, she snatched up her band-box suddenly, and, without uttering a single word, rushed out of the house, leaving the good people to stare at each other, and repent of their compassion. Much fatigued and alarmed, she saw a bill, signifying lodgings to let; she knocked at the door, and entered the house, stating herself to be a milliner's apprentice, whose mistress had unexpectedly a number of visitors from the country, that occupied all her beds, and, therefore, desired her to seek a temporary accommodation.

The veracity of her story was doubted; but she still persisted in her tale, till, on turning about, to her great surprise and confusion, she perceived the identical tradesman, whose house she had so precipitately left, listening attentively to her solemn assertion. Impelled by curiosity, and determined on knowing who and what she was, this man had followed her to the present house. Confounded at this detection, she attempted another escape, but the door was locked, and

she was detained as an impostor. Sincerity was all she had now left; and, with a flood of tears, she candidly confessed her real situation; but even now her truth was doubted, and the savage woman of the house desired a constable to be sent for; but her son, a boy of twelve years of age, more humane than his mother, joined his tears with those of the poor wanderer, and threatened never to go to school again if a constable came. By his intercession the fair adventurer was dismissed, and left to wander the streets of London again. She now walked where chance directed, exposed to all those insults which unprotected females must encounter.

At two o'clock she found herself at Hol

born Bridge, and, seeing the stage set off for York, which she understood was full, she entered the inn, pretended to be a disappointed passenger, and solicited a lodging. This scheme succeeded, though the landlady much suspected her character, and took, therefore, the precaution of locking the door of the room where she slept. In vain she rose at her usual hour, for having no bell, she could not apprise the family that she was up; she was, therefore, obliged to wait till noon, when the landlady was pleased to liberate her, in

forming her that the York stage would set out again that evening; this intelligence having been delivered with an air of suspicion, which was very cutting to her, she immediately took out all the money she had, to the last half-crown, and absolutely paid for a journey she did not intend to

take.

The landlady, thus satisfied, invited her to breakfast, but she excused herself, pretending she was in haste to visit a relation, in order to inform her of the disappointment she had experienced, in not leaving London the preceding evening. Thus she escaped the expense of a breakfast; and having returned to the inn, said that her relation had requested her to remain in town a few days longer; by which means she secured her apartment, and while she daily took a walk, to purchase what she could afford, it was supposed by the people of the inn that she was dining with this relation. At length, her money became exhausted, and, during the last ten days of her residence at the inn, she subsisted on two half-penny rolls, and the water which the bottle in her chamber contained. During one of these daily rambles, she attracted the notice of a performer of Drury Lane, noted for his gallantry,

who employed every art to obtain repeated interviews, and learn the nature of her situation. Having, at length, succeeded in gaining her confidence, he recommended to her the stage, as the most probable means of support; assuring her, that the impediment in her speech (which she possessed in a slight degree) was no insurmountable obstacle; for, by previously rehearsing her characters, she would be enabled to articulate perfectly before an audience. A few meetings having convinced her that his designs were not honourable, she prudently declined his company, but determined to follow his advice. After this she changed her maiden name, (which was Simpson,) to that of Inchbald; and her husband introduced her on the Scotch stage, from which she proceeded to London, and acted at Covent Garden Theatre; but was more successful as an authoress than an actress.

She died at Brompton, August 1, 1821.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE PLAYS OF SHAKSPEARE.

DR. DRAKE assigns the period of Shakspeare's commencing as a dramatic writer, to the year 1590, and he arranges the list of his plays chronologically thus: