ly started in
court, I contrived to take the train pretty early to Knebworth, in
order to attend rehearsals as well as perform in the evening.

Sir Edward's good-nature caused him much distress at my having to
journey to and fro. What _could_ he do? He offered me the sole use of
his library during the time I was there if I could make it in any way
helpful, and said it should be fitted up as a bedroom and study. But
it was impossible to do other than I did. The rehearsals were nearly
always going on--we had audiences as though they were _matinees_--and
they afforded much amusement to us as well as the spectators when we
made our corrections or abused one another for some egregious blunder.
This, of course, did not include Mathews, who coached us from an
improvised royalty box, where he graciously acted as George IV., got
up in a wonderful Georgian costume for the occasion. George was so
good that he diverted the attention of the audience from us, and made
a wonderful hit in his new character.

I will not say that at our regular performances we always won
the admiration, but I will affirm that we certainly received the
forbearance, of our audience, which says a great deal for them. This
observation, however, does not, of course, apply to the professional
artists, but only to myself, who, luckily, through all the business
still kept my head.

And it will be easily understood that this was the more difficult,
especially if I may include my temper with it, when the good-natured
Baronet actually invited several of his Hertford friends and
neighbours to take part in the performances, some of them being
friends of my own and members of my profession.

So that at this electioneering time the whole of that division was
alive with theatricals and "Every Man in his Humour," which was
exactly what Sir Edward wanted.

It was an ordeal for some of us to rehearse with the celebrities of
the stage, but I need not say their good-humour and delight in showing
how this and that should be done, and how this and that should be
spoken, was, I am sure, reciprocated by all the amateurs in studying
the corrections. Never were lessons more kindly given, or received
with more pleasurable surprise. Some could scarcely conceive how they
could so blunder in accent and emphasis. However, most things require
learning, even advocacy and acting.

Eliot Yorke was stage-manager, and wrote a very excellent prologue. It
must have been good, it was so