For the edification of the Managers of the Victoria, we
will repeat a good old Turkish maxim which Mahommedan sages are careful to impress on the minds of their Bashaws and other great men, who are apt, like theatrical potentates, to forget them- selves and their friends. The invaluable words, which merit enrolment among the Golden Rules of the Royal CHARLES, arc- " Affront not Mine historian." The philosophical KNICKER- BOCKER, when preparing to immortalize the Dutch worthies of New York, says, " What is a hero without an historian ?" We say to Messrs. ABBOTT and EGERTON, what is an actor without a critic? The modesty of those gentlemen may lead them to imagine that they have been more indebted to the silence of the Press in forbearing to notice their defects, than to its watchfulness in seizing the rare opportunities which have been presented of pro- claiming their merits. Be that as it may, we are sure that since they assumed the dignity of Managers, they have had reason to be grateful for the support that has been given them by nearly every publication, the conductors of which have the troublesome and unprofitable duty of reporting to the public the lights and shadows of dramatic life. We fear Messrs. ABBOTT and EGERTON have been spoiled by the indulgence that has been shown to them, and, like froward children, mock the rod which has lain idle in mercy to the tender infancy of their new-fledged power. They could not else have had the ill-manners to withdraw the customary free ad- mission of the Press to their theatre,* without sending the notice which their remote position rendered doubly incumbent on them to give of their intention. The ostensible cause of this extraordinary manifestation of managerial power (which extends, we understand, to the whole Press), was the performance of the Fairy burletia lately imported from the Fitzroy. But as nothing of the kind was at- tempted at the theatre where this faded attraction was originally produced, we conclude the rulers of the Victoria have some deep design in view, which baffles the penetration of ordinary minds. We have known two or three men who have doubted the effi- ciency of their abilities to fill the office of Chancellor of the Ex- chequer ; but we never knew one who did not believe lie was fully qualified to manage a theatre. We confess ourselves subject to the prevailing weakness of our fellows; and, to show Messrs. Almon, and EGERTON that we view their rudeness more in merri- ment than anger, we will communicate a portion of our skill before we take our leave of them. The pay of the little Fairy Army which they have inlisted from the Fitzroy, with the additional out- lay attending it, cannot amount to less than 1001. per week. Now, with half that sum, they might have engaged six or eight good ac- tors : such an accession of strength would have enabled -them to present a series of our best plays (which it seems they continue to act on sufferance) in a most attractive manner, and would have en- titled theta to the reputation which first gained them the sym- pathy and favour of the public—that of offering an asylum for the talent thrown out of employ by the present unprecedented position of the Patent Theatres.
• So we learn tom a notic., in the Courier of Tuesday.
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