was read during the remainder of the performance. The life was tough in Batters, who soon recovered, and yvas able to folloyv his joint avocation-of tin battering and stage ranting, until shoved aside by his betters.
CAPPER'S P'IRST BENEFIT.
Capper, about the most useful and indefatigable actor on the early Melbourne boards, having given his services gratuitously for three months, yvas thought to be entitled to a benefit, yvhich yvas fixed for the inth June, and Capper resolved to make as big a thing as he could out of such small room. A real tragedy yvas to be for thefirsttime attempted in the again dubbed " Theatre Royal," and the occasion yvas to be under the extensive patronage of " the District electors and the citizens of Melbourne." The piece selected was "The Revenge," infiveacts, to be folloyved by the celebrated song and chorus from the drama of "Jack Sheppard," " Nix m y Dolly Pals Fake Ayvay," and " Buy a Broom " (in character), by Mrs. Arabin and Mr. Winter. T h e yvhole to conclude yvith "the yvell knoyvn and truly laughable farce, 'The Mayor of Garrat.'" T h e public endorsed the compliment by a croyvded attendance, and, pecuniarily, Capper had no reason to complain. T h e orchestra boasted "a full and complete band of musicians," and one of the allurements was thefirstappearance of Mr. Beverly Suttor, " the Australian poet, from the Theatre Royal, Parramatta." T h e tragedy proceeded in a barely passable manner, but on its conclusion, the police rushed in, ordered the people to turn out, and the house to be shut up, a mandate yvhich had to be obeyed, as that was the day of thefirstLegislative Election for Melbourne, and there yvas rioting in several quarters of the town in consequence of the defeat of the popular candidate.
STORMING THE DRESS CIRCLE.
On the 29th Tanuary, 1844, there yvas a heap of mishaps, yvhich must have tried the Knowles' temperament over-much. Firstly, Batters, the bellowing tinker, yvas cast for an important part in the opening piece, but yvas not up to time, so they had to get on yvithout him. Next, there yvere several visitors in the boxes whose desire for fun became so uncontrollable that they indulged it by "bonneting" those below them in the pit. This bye-play yvas suddenly interrupted by the sharp-ringing twang of a Caledonian voice giving a comment upon the performance. T h e offending tongue belonged to Mr. Peter Young, a stalwart Scotch publican from the country, yvho had been holiday-making in town. H e and Mr. William Kerr yvere together in one of the boxes, and adjourned for refreshment. Young returned without his companion, and from glorious soon became uproarious. Mr. Knowles stepped forward and remonstrated with the noisy commentator, but to no effect, when Mrs. Knoyvles gave him a talking to ; but he only laughed and jeered at such a curtain lecture. Young insisted upon his right of freedom of speech, and was backed up by other jovial spirits nearly as well " on " as himself. T h e police were sent for, and it was resolved to rush the dress circle—a " forlorn hope," in which Mrs. Knowles gallantly volunteered to serve. The assault was accordingly made, but the rampart was so manfully defended, that it was found impossible to eject the disturbers, and a treaty of peace was ratified, the only condition being that Young and his youngsters should behave themselves. This stipulation was faithfully observed; but the evening's harmony was not of long continuance for soon after an amateur and a professional disgusted the company with two songs, "replete with indelicate allusions of the most broad description." This contretemps led to another storm of uproar, and taken as a whole, the occasion is described as "a series of the most unedifying scenes." Knowles still held o n - n o sooner out of one difficulty than into another-keeping together a very nondescript company until April, when there was a general strike through non-payment of salaries-for, in theatrical parlance " T h e Ghost did not walk,"occasionally on the Melbourne boards, then, as well as since. Bills were posted through the town denouncing the manager, and the company furthermore presented a memorial to the Police Court praying that Knowles might be compelled to allow benefits all round as a m o d e of mutual recoupment. Mr. William Hull, J.P., declined to interfere in what appeared to him purely a question of private dispute, declaring there yvas no precedent for magisterial interposition in the manner asked for Such a thing, he said, was unknown at H o m e as a Macready or a Kemble, in the event of a
