Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Sales catalogue 573: Maggs Bros. Source: Wellcome Collection.
118/134 page 106
![773 SIDDONS (MRS. SARAH, 1755-1831). Famous Actress. EIGHT AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED ADDRESSED TO MISS COATES (ONE TO MRS. STERLING). 18 pp., 4to. Newcastle, Pontefract, London, Belfast, Edinburgh, 1795-1808. £36 A series of letters of great interest in which Mrs. Siddons discusses her engagement and dresses, and remarks on the flight of time. Next July;:alas; Iam: 4o°years old. 7 O Time, Time?” She also quotes from ‘‘ Measure for Measure ’’ and states that she has just returned from playing Jane Shore. | Jane Shore is mentioned by Shakespeare in Richard II]., where Clarence and Gloucester discuss the power exercised over the King by her beauty and “‘ passing pleasing tongue ’’ (Richard III., 11). Gloucester sends a mocking message to Hastings to ‘‘ give Mistress S. one gentle kiss the more ’’ (ib. III., 1); Gloucester declares that the Queen is in league with the ‘‘ harlot, strumpet Shore,’’ and that Hastings is the latter’s protector (ib. III., 4). ‘‘T fancy there is little danger of my suffering much from the power of my charms at present, ’tis too late. I own tis not unpleasant however to be still well-looking, 5th of next July, alas! I am 40 years old. O time, Time! ”’ . - You have heard from my Son, before now I suppose; I know I saw a Letter at Lancaster from him directed to you; he told you, I suppose of my just getting there time enough to dress for the Play ; this was running the old gentleman (Time I mean) hard, but I had bought the pleasure of seeing Bothwell with you my dear Miss Coates very cheaply with the price of the anxieties that delay cost me, I repented me not. But my dear Harry having oddly and per- versely enough taken into his head (like my other friends that I could not work you know) that it is my way to be late always, made me leave Lancaster by eight o’clock the Sunday following. I got to Skipton about five in the evening and was detained the next morning for want of Horses. Dear fellow! he was very much affected at parting with me, and I no less regretted him. I think when the crude materials of his composition are ripened by Time and observation, he will be a fine creature; the more I conversed with him the more I found instinctive fondness heightened by his excellent understanding and very amiable qualities, his mind is capable of every lovely and great perception, and he only wants to get. rid of his unjustifiable portion of difidence, and to see and hear good things, to make him a fine Actor. Do not fancy this a blind partiality, for I look at those I love ‘ with all the malice of a friend.’ We used to talk of you very often & you perhaps will be the only person to doubt the result of our conversations; and indeed my dear Miss Coates, I sincerely regret that two people so well calculated to live together as you and me, are likely to see so little of each other in this weary pilgrimage, where there are so few that one desired to see; but you are better engaged than you would be living in London, but I will not blame myself, for diverting your attehtion from objects more worthy, during my stay at Glasgow, for you would only return to your duty with more alacrity, & Shakespeare says, ‘men are often](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31814153_0118.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
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