On 25 November, 1786, there was produced at Drury Lane a comedy by Mrs. Hannah Cowley (1743-1809), a prolific but mediocre dramatist, entitled, A School for Greybeards; or, The Mourning Bride (4to 1786 and 1787).

[Donna Antonia (The Mourning Bride), Mrs. Crouch; Don Henry, Kemble; Don Gasper (a Greybeard), Parsons; Donna Seraphina, Miss Farren]; and even the outlines of Seraphina's character, are taken from The Lucky Chanceas Mrs. Behn's play, though a very good one is too indecent to be ever represented again.

With regard to the reception of The School for Greybeards 'the audience took needless offence at a scene in the 4th act, and an unfortunate expression in Young Bannister's part [Don Sebastian.

The School for Greybeards is, in fine, a modest and mediocre comedy of little value.

Writing three days later to the same lady he has: 'The Greybeards have certainly been chastised, for we did not find them at all gross.

Ye greybeards that have seen Duke Ivo's mercy, arm ye!

That subtle Greybeard I'd rather see my father's ghost.

Of gold he's greedy, and dark raiment wears; A child no more, that naked sports and sings, But a sly greybeard; no gold shaft he flings, Now that fire-arms have cursed these latter years.

rest! Let the mad greybeard to his North depart; Earth shall arise and mock him in his grave Patience a little, let the dotard rave!"

Greybeard, if so thy heart and tongue agree, Draw forth thy legions and thy men at arms; Rear up thy standard and thy steeled crest, And meet with Sylla in the fields of Mars, And try whose fortune makes him general.

But, Pompey, if our Spanish jennets' feet Have learnt to post it of their mother-wind, I hope to trip upon the greybeard's heels, Till I have cropp'd his shoulders from his head.

But, by my sword, I wrong this greybeard's head; Go, sirrah, place it on the capitol: A just promotion fit for Sylla's foe.

There shall you see a puny boy start up, And make a theme against common lawyers; Then the old, unwieldy camels 'gin to dance, This fiddling boy playing a fit of mirth; The greybeards scrub, and laugh, and cry, Good, good!

You may chance be deceived, old greybeards; here's he will spend some of it; thanks, thanks, honest butler!

His gaze fell on the only man in the bar a greybeard of sixty whose weather-beaten face and rough clothing spoke of the sea.

Both were rich and of noble birth; but the greybeard was counted extremely wise, and of a foresight more than human.

It was encircled by a world of spectators; and the greybeard and myself (for his age gave him the first chance) only waited for the sound of the trumpet to set off.

As he talks to you, he is thinking of himself merely as a private individual; whereas his visitor cannot forget that in appearance he is a king, or an eighteenth-century dandy, orthough you know him well enough as a clean-shaven young man of thirtya bowed and wrinkled greybeard.

"You keep to it," said the greybeard impressively; "money was made to be took care of; if you don't spend your money you've always got it.

" "He don't look mean," said the greybeard, stepping back in haste.

One of the stained-glass windows is a memorial to that celebrated daughter of LymeMary Anning, who with the enthusiasm of a greybeard hammered and chipped at the cliffs around in a most ungirlish style, but to such good purpose that she unearthed the Ichthyosaurus that now astonishes the visitor to the Natural History Museum in Kensington.

"'This is the sort of life which you will have to lead, if you give yourself up to the guidance of those greybeards; and, after all, though you may have studied and studied, pored over their musty volumes, and listened to their tedious lectures, you are not sure of doing right.

A few lines in the plainest language found in the file here tell to such a greybeard a story that fills his eyes with tears.

An old greybeard palmer had broken down that afternoon and died.

He was a placid greybeard who had spent all his life upon the road, full of wisdom, gentle as a little child, and very frail.