rs,
FANNY.

[Our total ignorance of the laws of health and the accidents of
sickness throws us necessarily for help upon the partial knowledge
of physicians; but I am often reminded of what that admirable
physician and charming man, Dr. Gueneau de Mussy, once said to me:
"Madame, nous ne savons rien." "Ah mais!" remonstrated I, "cependant
quelque chose?" "Absolument rien, madame," was the consolatory reply
of one of the first medical men of Europe, under whose care both I
and my sister then were, and to whose skilful and devoted care I
attribute the preservation of my sister's life under circumstances
of great peril.

The amateur performance given at the St. James's Theatre was Lord
Ellesmere's translation of Victor Hugo's "Hernani," which had been
acted sixteen years before under such very different circumstances,
as far as I was concerned, at Bridgewater House. Mr. C---- was again
the hero, as I the heroine, of the piece, but the part of Don Carlos
was filled by Henry Greville, and that of the old Spanish noble by
Mr. John Forster.

It was upon this performance that Mr. Macready passed such
annihilating condemnation, not even excepting from his damnatory
sentence of total incapacity his friend and admirer, John Forster,
whose mode of delivering the part of Don Ruez bore ludicrous witness
to Macready's own influence and example, if not direct teaching.

Macready does not even mention poor Forster; the entry in his diary
runs thus: "Went to the amateur play at the St. James's Theatre; the
play "Hernani," translated by Lord Ellesmere, was in truth an
_amateur_ performance. Greville and Craven were very good
_amateurs_, but--tragedy by amateurs!"

The recital of a very graceful and touching poetical address,
written by Lady Dufferin for the occasion, was part of the evening's
work assigned to me, and as I was so weak and suffering from my late
severe illness as to be hardly able to stand, it was with a sense of
having certainly done my share in the evening's charity that I
brought my part of the performance to a close.

While standing at the side-scene before going on to speak this
address, dear Lord Carlisle brought me a most exquisite bunch of
flowers, saying, "I know I ought to throw this at your head from