Andthesethingsbredagreatcombustioninthetown。
Wagstaffe’s“ApparitionofMotherHaggis。“
TheacrimoniouswarfarecarriedonforalengthoftimebytheplaygoersofLondonagainsttheproprietorsofCovent-GardenTheatre，isoneofthemostsingularinstancesuponrecordofthesmallfollywhichwillsometimespervadeamultitudeofintelligentmen。Carriedonatfirstfrommereobstinacybyafew，andafterwardsformingledobstinacyandfrolicbyagreaternumber，itincreasedatlasttosuchaheight，thatthesoberdwellersintheprovinceshelduptheirhandsinastonishment，andwonderedthatthepeopleofLondonshouldbesuchfools。Asmuchfirmnessandperseverancedisplayedinabettercause，mighthaveachievedimportanttriumphs；andwecannotbutfeelregret，inrecordingthismatter，thatsomuchgoodandwholesomeenergyshouldhavebeenthrownawayonsounworthyanobject。Butwewillbeginwiththebeginning，andtracetheO。P。maniafromitssource。
Onthenightofthe20thofSeptember，1808，theoldtheatreofCovent-Gardenwastotallydestroyedbyfire。Preparationswereimmediatelymadefortheerectionofamoresplendidedifice，andthemanagers，HarrisandthecelebratedJohnPhilipKemble，announcedthatthenewtheatreshouldbewithoutarivalinEurope。Inlessthanthreemonths，therubbishoftheoldbuildingwasclearedaway，andthefoundation-stoneofthenewonelaidwithalldueceremonybytheDukeofSussex。Withsomuchcelerityweretheworkscarriedonthat，inninemonthsmore，theedificewascompleted，bothwithoutandwithin。Theopeningnightwasannouncedforthe18thofSeptember1809，withintwodaysofatwelvemonthsincethedestructionoftheoriginalbuilding。
ButtheundertakinghadprovedmoreexpensivethantheCommitteeanticipated。Torenderthepitentrancemorecommodious，ithadbeendeemedadvisabletoremovealowpublic-housethatstoodintheway。