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After much negotiation Sheridan in September 1795 had agreed to produce “Vortigern” at Drury Lane. Two hundred and fifty pounds were to be paid at once to Ireland, and half-profits were promised him on each performance after 350£ had been received by the management. When the piece was sent to the theatre in December Kemble’s suspicions were aroused. Delays followed, and Ireland wrote many letters to both Sheridan and Kemble, complaining of their procrastination. At length the piece was cast; the chief actors of the company were allotted parts. Pye wrote a prologue, but it was too dubious in tone to satisfy Ireland, who rejected it in favour of one of Sir James Bland Burges [q.v.]; Robert Merry prepared an epilogue to spoken by Mrs. Jordan; William Linley wrote music for the songs. When the play was put into rehearsal Mrs. Siddons and Mrs. Palmer resigned their characters, on the specious excuse of ill-health. On the eve of the performance (March 1796) Malone issued his caustic “Inquiry into the Authenticity” of the papers, to which Ireland temporarily replied in a handbill, appealing to the public to give the play a fair hearing. On Saturday, 2 April 1796, the piece was produced. Kemble, who had been prevented by Ireland’s complaints from fixing the previous night—April Fool’s day—for the event, nevertheless added to the programme the farce entitled “My Grandmother,” and Covent Garden announced for representation a play significantly entitled “The Lie of the Day.” Drury Lane Theatre was crowded. At first all went well, but the audience was in a risible humour, and the baldness of the language soon began to provoke mirth. When, in act v. sc. 2, Kemble had to pronounce the line And when this solemn mockery is o’er, deafening peals of laughter rang through the house and lasted until the piece was concluded. Barrymore’s announcement of a second performance met with a roar of disapprobation. The younger Ireland afterwards commemorated the kindly encouragement which Mrs. Jordan offered him in the green-room, but for Kemble and most of the other actors he expressed the bitterest scorn. Kemble asserted that he did all he could to save the piece. The receipts from the first and only performance amounted to 555£ 6s. 6d., of which 102£ 13s. 3d. was paid to the elder Ireland.