HANNAH MORE, of 1777, she published her " Essays for Young Ladies ;" and in the winter, her tragedy of " Percy" was produced at Covent Garden, with brilliant eclat; Garrick,, although he had quitted the stage, exerting himself to secure its success. The profits of this play were six hundred pounds; but it also brought her applause unbounded. Mrs. Montagu wrote her warm congratulations ; Dr. Percy returned " his best thanks for her invaluable present," and offered the thanks of the Duke of Northumberland and Earl. Percy, with their regrets at being prevented by gout from attending the first performance ; ladies made appointments: conditionally that they " should be at liberty to break them. for ` Percy,' "-the theatre " overflowed prodigiously," even with "their Majesties, and ` The School. for Scandal,' at the other house; men " shed tears in abundance at the representation ; " Mrs. Chapone, who never visited . the theatre, read and passed warm encomiums on the play ; Mrs. Boscawen sent her a wreath of Roman laurels ingeniously interwoven, the stems confined with an elegant ring; Mr. Home called to rejoice inher success, while he was mourning the untimely fate of his own " Alfred ;" the. Man of Feeling,, in Edinburgh, was in tears while reading it. Two thousand copies of the first edition were sold in the course of a fortnight ; it afterwards travelled to all the provincial theatres, and was translated into French by the then prime minister of France, M. de Colonne, and performed in German. at Vienna. 23
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