Читать книгу Notes and Queries, Number 70, March 1, 1851 - Various - Страница 3

Mr. George Wingrove Cooke, in his valuable work, The History of Party (vol. iii, p. 66.), gives an admirable sketch of the life of Edmund Burke. Speaking of his early career, and of the various designs which he formed for his future course, we are told that "at Macklin's Debating Society he made the first essay of his powers of oratory."

Mr. Cunningham, in his Handbook for London, speaks of Macklin delivering Lectures on Elocution at Pewterer's Hall (p. 394.), and of his residence in Tavistock Row, Covent Garden (p. 484.); but he does not mention Macklin's Debating Society. I imagine that by this "Debating Society" is meant an Ordinary and School of Criticism, which that eminent actor established in the year 1754, in the Piazza, Covent Garden. Mr. W. Cooke, in his Life of Macklin, 1806, p. 199., says—

"What induced him [Macklin] to quit the stage in the full vigour of fame and constitution, was one of those schemes which he had long previously indulged himself in, of suddenly making his fortune by the establishment of a tavern and coffee-house in the Piazza, Covent Garden; to which he afterwards added a school of oratory, upon a plan hitherto unknown in England, founded upon the Greek, Roman, French, and Italian Societies, under the title of The British Inquisition."

The first part of this plan (the public ordinary) was opened on the 11th of March, 1754; and an amusing account of its operations may be found in Angelo's Pic Nic, p. 32. The second part of "Macklin's mad plan," as it was then termed, "The British Inquisition," commenced proceedings on the 21st of November in the same year; and here, according to the first advertisement, "such subjects in Arts, Sciences, Literature, Criticism, Philosophy, History, Politics, and Morality, as shall be found useful and entertaining to society, will be lectured upon and freely debated."

Edward F. Rimbault.