hitherto have attained it. If he has strong ideas, and only watches the daily occurrences of life, he may, on many occafions, carry off a favourite look, paffion, or attitude, and infert them in the character he would represent, in the fame manner as the inimitable Hogarth can occafionally take the out-lines of a face fit for his purpose in his pocket-book. We have a droll example of this in Congreve: when he was about writing his Comedy of Love for Love, he lodged in disguise for three weeks among the failors at Wapping, that, by a closer obfervation of their manners, he might enliven his character of Ben. Something not unlike this we are told of Sir Richard Steele, who, to learn the characters of low-life, gave a general feast to the beggars of Edinburgh; and obferved, when it was over, that he had laid in a fund of low humour fufficient for a Comedy. And Lord Orrery remarks of Dr. Swift, that he delighted in scenes of low life; and, in his journies to England, chose to converfe with waggoners, oftlers, &c. Le Brun would not have been fo fuccessful in the delineation of the paffions, had it not been his common practice to obferve the workings of paffion, even in a common quarrel in the street.

The

The Actor, as well as the Poet and Painter, will converse with Nature in every drefs. Jobfon on the Stage may fometimes converse with a real cobler, if it was only to learn the use of the stirrup and pincers: even Apelles fubmitted to the correction of a connoiffeur in this science; for, though he might be able to give a general idea of his figure, yet, with all its excellence, it was not to be fuppofed he could exprefs, with fufficient precifion, all those little particularities which are inclufive in his art.

History and Historical Paintings will be the next branch of his study. These can furnish him with the general character, description, and drefs of the hero or perfonage he is to represent, and the manners of the age, &c. from all which he may judiciously select some circumstantial likeness or particularity allufive to the known story, which will give a greater air of probability and truth to his performance.

Thus, if he confines his ftudies to Nature in general, and to the paffions and manners of mankind in particular, he will be always certain of preserving a close likeness, and never run the hazard of straining himself beyond probability

probability and truth, which may justly be termed Painting beyond the Life; nor run into those unnatural fallies which will evermore render him offenfive to his audience, who cannot fail of defpifing him for thofe unmeaning rants, which they never can find to correfpond with their own feelings.

The advantages he will have in studying Nature alone are felf-evident; hereby he will have an opportunity of introducing more natural and lively touches, than he whofe oppofite poverty of genius deviates from proportion and truth; and I need not add, that it is far more noble to strike out a new original beauty of our own, than to be the clofeft copier of any other, however excellent in his way; because at beft he is only a Painter, who copies from the fame original.

СНАР.

CHA P. III.

How he ought to deport himself with regard to

the world, his masters, his brethren, and his,

choice of characters.

W

HEN the Player has discovered where

the ftrength of his genius lies, and applies himself to that set of characters which are conformable to it; when alfo he has laid in a fufficient stock of reading and obfervation, he may be then faid to be only properly prepared for his business; a long and arduous `practice afterwards being neceffary to reduce his natural and acquired abilities into perfection, and to ripen them for execution,

I would recommend it, in the first place, as a useful piece of prudence to the young Actor, when he enters on the Stage, to restrain his ambition by a modeft diffidence, and fet out in thofe characters which he can perform with eafe and freedom, that he may rife in the approbation and efteem of his audience by unfolding his excellencies by degrees; for thus will he secure his present and future reputation,

It is the misfortune of young performers fometimes to attempt capital characters wherein great Players only have fucceeded, and even those by a long and severe application; these, though they perform with a tolerable mediocrity, yet permit of a comparison being made greatly to their disadvantage from the apparent inferiority they difcover; and they are thereby prevented and difcouraged from all future progrefs. It is ufual for them to perform fuch parts for their own benefits; and though at other times they would not be endured in them, they think, as the audience are their friends, they muft bear with their infirmities. Painful tafk! But when they are habituated a while to the Stage, and got rid of that aukward stiffness and uneafy timidity, which all experience more or lefs at firft, and which is as painful to the audience as themfelves, they may then, with greater confidence of fuccefs, rife by degrees to all the grand characters their talents are adapted to; and not risk their future fame, by making an indifferent appearance in a capital character for once, and ever after to appear in a mean and inconfiderable light.

Let