18th of March, 1787, [we] arrived in London for the first time in my life. On the same evening, Stephen Storace and myself called upon Mr. Linley at his house in Norfolk Street in the Strand, where I found his accomplished daughters, Mrs. Sheridan and Mrs. Tickell. Mrs. Sheridan asked me if I had seen " Richard Coeur de Lion," in Paris ; and on my telling her that I had, only four evenings before, she requested me to go and see it at Drury Lane that evening, as she was most anxious to know my opinion of the relative merits of the French and English pieces. General Burgoyne had translated it,- and Mrs. Sheridan adapted it to the English stage. I and Storace, accompanied by a young gentleman, set off for the theatre, but the piece was nearly half over. I must premise, that I was then totally uninformed as regarded the actors and actresses at Drury Lane. Just as we entered the boxes, Richard was singing the romance from his prison, most loudly accompanied from behind the scenes by two French horns ; I was astonished to hear an accompaniment so completely at variance with the intention of the composer, and which entirely spoiled the effect of the melody, nor did I think much of the vocal powers of the royal captive; and turning to Storace, said, "If His Majesty is the first and best singer in your theatre, I shall not fear to appear as his competitor for public favour." Storace laughed, and told me that the gentleman who upon that special occasion was singing, was Mr. John Kemble, the celebrated tragedian, who, to serve the proprietors, had undertaken to perform the part of Richard, as there was no singer at the theatre capable of representing it. However, as I was not gifted with intuition, my mistaking him for the principal vocalist of the theatre was natural enough, having a few days back seen Philippe, the first singer at the French theatre, perform the same part. My friend Kemble laughed heartily when he was told that I had mistaken him for the Drury Lane Orpheus. By the way, I heard that when Kemble was rehearsing the romance, sung by Richard, Shaw, the leader of the band, called out from the orchestra, " Mr Kemble, my dear Mr. Kemble, you are murdering time."" Kemble, calmly and coolly taking a pinch of snuff, said, " My dear Sir, it is better for me to murder time at once, than be continually beating him as you do." Mrs. Jordan's acting in this drama was delightful, and the Laurette of Mrs. Crouch most interesting. I was struck with admiration of her wonderful beauty, and delighted to hear that she was to be my prima donna in the opera in which I was to perform. She seemed to me to aggregate in herself, like the Venus of Apelles, all that was exquisite and charming. I agreed with Mr. Linley for the remainder of the season at Drury Lane, and to make my debut in the part of Lionel, on Friday, the 20th of April, 1787. << less