The gloom of winter and all its attendant evils we hope is now passing away, and spring with health and the Muses in her train approaching to give new honours to the Attic Chest. We regret that its opening has been so long delayed and that we have been deprived of the society of our friends; but we may derive mental benefit from reflecting on the uncertainty of human enjoyments, when we find that amusements which seem to be unconnected with external causes like hunting and other active pursuits are indeed subject to atmospheric influence. A cold attended by a hoarseness as effectually destroys the reader’s power to entertain as storms and tempests prevent the pleasures of the field.
We might have hoped that such a long recess would have furnished our Coffer with a large collection of materials for the ensuing season; but we reluctantly acknowledge that our stores are less abundant than we have found them in preceding years. The ungenial influence of the winter seems to have operated on the fancy of our friends, or they have been rendered torpid by the cloud of uncertainty which enveloped the Chest. As both these causes are now removed we hope for more exertion and that the cheerfulness of nature and the certainty of meeting with the approbation they merit will stimulate our correspondents to surpass their former productions.
The advertisement for addresses from the Managers of Drury Lane Theatre has answered the purpose of an advertisement from the Attic Chest as have a large collection from which we shall select such as are most appropriate. These will be introduced in a letter from one of our correspondents, inclosing a circular letter requesting such addresses; but we found it unnecessary to send it to our members as the advertisement above mentioned had effectually answered the purpose. These addresses are both grave and gay and possess so much merit that the authors of the real addresses written for the Theatre would have acknowledged their superiority in spite of the partiality a person has naturally for the children of his own brain. Even Doctor Busby has rendered himself
“Sacred to ridicule his whole life long”
would have veiled his bonnet to the author of the addresses for the opening of the Attic Chest.
We have received from Mr Barnaby Scratch the plan of a Society of Vestals with the characters of the members who began the establishment. We have also received letters from some of the ladies themselves in which their peculiar tempers and dispositions are well displayed.
We shall read Mr Barnaby Scratch’s communication this evening but the letters from the ladies must enliven another meeting.
We have also received a good paper without a title purporting to be the first of a periodical series. It is signed X. The author requests the assistance of our members but limits their letters to thirty lines, a space too scanty for the display of wit or humour or even for the logical conduct of argumentative papers of which he furnishes a proof as he could not propose his own project in less than fifty.
Besides the papers we have mentioned we have a tragedy under consideration and a facetious friend has partly promised a comedy. But promises are not always performed and we must request further aid to enable us to continue our amusements with the customary spirit.