1759. Backed by which honest purposes may he not again Et. 31. venture to tell his brother that he is very near quite resolved to be a player; as he has the best judgment of the best judges, who to a man are of opinion that he shall turn out (nay, they say that already he is) not only the best tragedian but comedian in England. "I would not," he prettily interposes here," say so much to any body else; but as this "may somewhat palliate my folly, you must excuse me. 'Mr. Littleton was wth Me last Night, and took me by ye "hand and said, he never saw such playing upon ye English "Stage before." And for other more practical proofs of his success, he tells Peter that he has had great offers from Fleetwood; that they have had finer business than either Drury Lane or Covent Garden; that Mr. Giffard himself had given him yesterday twenty guineas for a ticket; and (for a climax) that next week he designed buying 2001. of his stock out of his profits of playing. So, as to the business between them, and the selling off of their joint stock in London, if his brother should want more money than his share comes to, he will supply it. In conclusion he admits that the trade is rather better than it was, but, his mind being quite turned another way, he desires to be released as soon as possible from it. Now, that this was a highly practical, business-like letter, though written by a flighty stage-player, even the obstinately unbelieving Peter appears to have felt. It went, at any rate, straight to the heart of the partnership affairs between them; and, however reluctantly, he would seem to have made up his mind to accept it as the best of a bargain that must be any way a bad one. But one matter he should like to have cleared up. Had his brother really been playing Harlequin, as reported, before he came out at Goodman's Fields? 1759. Here was a question to be addressed to a man whom the great and noble were delighting to honour, who was charming Et. 31. the whole town both in comedy and tragedy, nay, who had just come out as an author, and whose farce of the Lying Valet, acted (not at Drury Lane, but) at Goodman's Fields six days after the date of his last letter, was taking prodigiously, and was approved of by men of genius, and thought the most diverting farce that ever was performed. "I believe you'll "find it read pretty well," he continues, addressing Peter with somewhat more courage than usual, and sending him. a copy; "and in performance 'tis a General Roar from 'beginning to end; and I have got as much Reputation "in ye Character of Sharp, as in any other character I "have perform'd, tho far different from ye others." Far different, indeed! as different as Romeo from Sir John Brute, as Othello from Fondlewife, as Richard from Jack Smatter, as Shakspeare's Lear from Colley Cibber's Master Johnny, as eighty-four from fifteen.* Yet even such was the surprising versatility now displayed with consummate ease by this greatest of actors; who alone, of all performers on record, seems to have hit the consummation of the actor's art in being able to drop altogether his own personality. "All the run is now after "Garrick," writes Walpole. "The Duke of Argyll says he "is superior to Betterton." "We are all wrong, if this * "For his benefit on the 18th of March," says Mr. Boaden, "he amazed the "town by repeating" (he had first played it on the preceding 22nd of February) "after his performance of King Lear, his Master Johnny, a lad of fifteen, in the "Schoolboy. The farce was written by Colley Cibber, who was still living; and "he might, and very probably did, see that wonderful junction of eighty-four and "fifteen by the same actor." Memoir, vii, viii (Gar. Cor.) "The stage" said the play bills of the night "will be formed into an amphitheatre, where servants "will be allowed to keep places." Account of the Stage, iv, 24. + The whole passage is too characteristic not to be given. "All the run is now "after Garrick, a wine-merchant, who is turned player, at Goodman's-fields. 1759. "is right," said Quin, decisively. "I' faith, Bracey," said Æt. 31. Cibber, taking snuff, and turning to his ancient partner in theatrical glory, Mrs. Bracegirdle, "the lad is clever!" Justly was Garrick proud of that opinion; for only a year before, the Apology had given proof of what a masterly critic Cibber was, and all the old man's prejudices and tastes went strongly counter to the admission thus wrung from him. That it was given, however, and in still stronger terms, may fairly be inferred from what Garrick goes on to say to his brother, in this letter dated the 22nd December. "You perhaps would "be glad to know what parts I have play'd. King Richd, "Jack Smatter in Pamela, Clody Fop's Fortune, Lothario "Fair Penitent, Chamont Orphan, Ghost Hamlet, and shall soon be ready in Bays, in ye Rehearsal, and in ye part of "Othello, Both which I believe will do Me and Giffard "great service. I have had great success in all, and 'tis not yet determin'd whether I play Tragedy or Comedy best. Old Cibber has spoke with ye Greatest Commendation 66 of my Acting." Of course the reader has observed that the grave question as to Harlequin has not been answered. But it creeps into the letter before its close. "As to playing a Harlequin, 'tis quite false. Yates last season "was taken very ill, and was not able to begin ye Entertain"ment; so I put on ye Dress, and did two or three scenes 66 66 66 * "He plays all parts, and is a very good mimic. His acting I have seen, and may * Then a brother actor at Goodman's-fields, who afterwards married the celebrated actress, his second wife, for whom Goldsmith, as will hereafter be seen, had the highest admiration. The occasion was, no doubt, when Yates in the preceding March had to appear with Miss Hippisley, a Columbine, in a new pantomime called "Harlequin Student; or, the Fall of Pantomime with the Restoration of the Drama, "the whole to conclude with a representation of Shakespeare's Monument as lately erected." Some Account of the English Stage (Bath, 1832) iii. 641. for him, but Nobody knew it but him and Giffard. I know 1759. "it has been said I play'd Harlequin at Covent Garden, Et.31. "but 'tis quite false." With which imperfect explanation Peter's ruffled dignity had to compose itself, as best it might. The anticipation of a triumph in Bayes proved thoroughly well-founded. After Bayes there was no disputing the predominance he had reached. To the roar of laughter and delight at its imitations, what still remained of the old school came tumbling down irrecoverably. "Heresy," growled Quin;* "Reformation," cried Garrick; and the smartness of the retort showed off also his pretensions as a man of wit. Noblemen had him to their houses; Pope came out of his retirement to see him play; the great Mr. Murray, leader of the King's Bench, forgot his briefs and his politics to entertain him at supper in Lincoln's-inn-fields; ladies fell in love with him; he had to write to Lichfield to protest he was not going to be married; and if, in the last letter I shall quote from this remarkable collection, and which is dated within less than six months from the first I have quoted, he refers to some of these distinctions and compliments with a modest and manly pride, let us admit that some such set-off was needed to all the bitter mortifications his brother Peter had been heaping upon him, and that while he remains victor in the epistolary duel, he sings no 66 * "Pooh! pooh!" exclaimed that old stage despot. "This Garrick is a new "religion. Whitfield was followed for a time, but they'll all come to church "again." It was the "Bayes " which gave Quin mortal offence. Quin was not himself among the actors who were ridiculed, but he took to himself the laughter at others who were in fact his imitators and disciples. "Delane" says Murphy was at the head of his profession. He was tall and comely; had a "clear and strong voice, but was a mere declaimer. Garrick began with him. "He retired to the upper part of the stage, and drawing his left arm across his "breast, rested his right elbow on it, raising a finger to his nose; and then came "forward in a stately gait, nodding his head as he advanced, and in the exact "tone of Delane, spoke," &c., &c. Life, i. 53. And see Davies, Life, i. 47-8. 1759. 66 strained or excessive song of triumph. "The favor I meet Æt. 31. "with from ye Greatest men," he writes to his brother on the 19th of April, "has made me far from repenting of "my choice. I am very intimate with Mr. Glover, who will "bring out a Tragedy next winter upon my acct. Twice I "have sup'd wth ye Great Mr. Murray, Counsell', and shall "wth Mr. Pope, by his Introduction. I sup'd with ye Mr. "Littleton, ye Prince's Favourite, last Thursday night, and "that with ye highest Civility and complaisance. He told me he never knew what Acting was till I appeared, and said "I was only born to act wt Shakespear writ. These things "daily occurring give me Great Pleasure. I din'd with La "Hallifax and Ld Sandwich, two very ingenious Noblemen, "yesterday, and am to dine at Ld Hallifax's next Sunday "with Ld Chesterfield. I have the Pleasure of being very "intimate, too, with Mr. Hawkins Browne, of Burton.* In short, I believe nobody (as an Actor) was ever more 'caress'd, and my Character as a private Man makes 'em "more desirous of my Company. (All this entre nous, as one "Broth to another.) I am not fix'd for next year, but shall "certainly be at ye Other End of ye Town. I am offered 500 "guineas and a Clear Benefit, or part of ye Management." 66 Here, then, I leave him, rapidly on his way to the other end of town, manager in expectancy already, the architect in six months of a fortune which went on increasing for thirtysix years, now as always the darling of the great, and a *The author, among other things, of A Pipe of Tobacco (the original of the Rejected Addresses, Odes and Addresses, &c. &c.), which Goldsmith praises deservedly in his Beauties of English Poetry, not on the ground that the parody is ridiculous, but that the imitation is excellent. "I am told" he remarks “that "he had no good original manner of his own, yet we see how well he succeeds "when he turns an imitator." i. 261. Johnson thought him the best "converser" he had ever met. Mrs. Piozzi, 173. "I dined to-day at Garrick's," writes Horace Walpole to Bentley (August 15, 1755) "there were the Duke of Grafton, Lord and Lady Rochford, Lady Holder |