"But that I took up Jove's imperfect work, Alcib." What, wrangling, Lords, like hungry curs for "crusts? "Away with this unmanly war of words! "Pluck forth your shining rapiers from their shells, "And level boldly at each other's hearts. "Hearts did I say? Your hearts are gone from ❝ home, "And hid in Timon's coffers-Fie upon it! Luc.-"My Lord Lucullus, I shall find a time. Alcib. Hah! find a time! the brave make time and ❝ place. "Gods, gods, what things are men! you'll find a 66 ❝ time? A time for what?-To murder him in's sleep? "The man, who wrongs me, at the altar's foot Luc.- Aye; 'tis your profession. Alcib." Down on your knees and thank the gods for that, "Or woe for Athens, were it left to such "As you are to defend. "Each other heartily? Do ye not hate Yet neither dares "To bare his trembling falchion to the sun. How tame they dangle on your coward thighs! Lucul.-"We are no soldiers, Sir. Alcib. - No, ye are Lords; "A lazy, proud, unprofitable crew ; "The vermin gender'd from the rank corruption ❝ of a luxurious state-No soldiers, say you ? "And wherefore are ye none? Have ye not life, When Moody from the excellence of his acting in the part of Major O'Flaherty, became the established performer of Irish characters, I wrote in compliance with his wishes another Hibernian upon a smaller scale, and composed the entertainment of The Note of Hand, or Trip to Newmarket, which was the last piece of my writing, which Mr. Garrick produced upon his stage before he disposed of his property in Drury-Lane theatre, and withdrew from business. During my residence at Bath I had been greatly pleased with the performance of the part of Shylock by Mr. Henderson, and, upon conversing with him, found that his wishes strongly pointed to an engagement, if that could be obtained, at Drury-Lane, then under the direction of Mr. Garrick. When I had seen him in different characters, and became confirmed in my opinion of his merit, I warmly recommended him to Mr. Garrick, and was empowered to contract for his engagement upon terms, that to my judgment, and that of other intermediate friends, appeared to be extremely reasonable. At first I conceived the negociation as good as concluded, but some reports, that rather clashed with mine, rendered Mr. Garrick cool in the business, and disposed to consult other opinions as to Mr. Henderson's abilities; and amongst these he seemed greatly to depend upon his brother George's udgment, whose report was by no means of the same sanguine complexion with mine.Poor George had come to Bath in a lamentable state of health, and must have seen Henderson with distempered eyes to err so egregiously as he did in his account of him. It proved however in the upshot decisive against my advice, and after a languishing negociation, which got at length into other hands than mine, Garrick made the transfer of his property in the theatre without the name of Henderson upon the roll of his performers.Truth obliges me to say that the negociation in all its parts and passages was not creditable to Mr. Garrick, and left impressions on the mind of Henderson, that time did not speedily wear out. He had wit, infinite pleasantry and inimitable powers of mimickry, which he felt himself privileged to employ, and employed only too successfully. The season of the winter theatres passed over, and when the Haymarket house opened, Henderson came from Bath with all the powers of his genius on the alert, and upon the summer stage fully justified every thing that I and others had said of him through the winter, and established himself completely in the public favour.A great resort of men of talents now flocked around him; the town considered him as a man injuriously rejected, and though, when they imputed it to envy I am sure they were mistaken, yet when Garrick found that by lending his ear to foolish opinions, and quibbling about terms, he had missed the credit of engaging the best actor of the time, himself excepted, it is not to be wondered at if the praise, bestowed on Henderson's performances, was not the most agreeable topic, that could be chosen for his entertainment. He could not indeed always avoid hearing these ap plauses, but he did not hold himself obliged to second them, and when curiosity drew him to the summer theatre to see Henderson in the part of Shylock, he said nothing in his dispraise, but he discovered great merit in Tubal, which of course had been the cast of some second-rate performer. Henderson in the mean time was transferred from the Haymarket theatre to Drury-Lane, under the direction of Mr. Sheridan, where I brought out my tragedy of The Battle of Hastings, in which he played the part of Ed-` gar Atheling, not indeed with the happiest effect, for he did not possess the graces of person or deportment, and as that character demanded both, an actor might have been found, who with inferior abilities would have been a fitter representative of it. As for the play itself, it was published and is to be found in more collections than one; its readers will probably be of opinion, that is it better written than planned; a judgment, to which I shall most readily submit, not only in this instance but in several others. About this time died the earl of Halifax. CC 4 |