(1) Mr. Munden and Mr. Claremont went one Sunday to Windsor to see the
king. They passed with other spectators once or twice: at last, his late
majesty distinguished Munden in the crowd and called him to him. After
treating him with much cordial familiarity, the king said, 'And, pray,
who is that with you?' Munden, with many congees, and contortions
of face, replied, 'An please your majesty, it's Mr. Claremont of the
Theatre Royal Drury Lane.' 'Oh! yes,' said the king, 'I know him well--a
bad actor, a bad actor, a bad actor!' Why kings should repeat what they
say three times is odd: their saying it once is quite enough. I have
always liked Mr. Claremont's face since I heard this anecdote, and
perhaps the telling it may have the same effect on other people.
(2) The trunk-maker, I grant, in the _Spectator's_ time, sat in the
two-shilling gallery. But that was in the _Spectator's_ time, and not in
the days of Mr. Smirke and Mr. Wyatt.