"I took what Joe gave me, and found it to be the crumpled playbill of a small metropolitan theatre, announcing the first appearance, in that very week, of "the celebrated Provincial Amateur of Roscian renown, whose unique performance in the highest tragic walk of our National Bard has lately occasioned so great a sensation in local dramatic circles."

I do not understand the meaning of "Roscian" in the quotation. I did find a reference to a "Roscian law" that in
Rome reserved 14 rows of seats to the equites. Perhaps Bingley can explain it to us.