Macahone Bowen: Tom Jolt Bullock: Isabella Mrs. Bradshaw. 18. For bt. of Cory and Mrs. Mills. Comical Revenge. Col. Bruce Booth: Widow Mrs. Knight: Graciana Mrs. Rogers: Aurelia Mrs. Porter-see Hay. Dec. 14 1706. 19. Rover. Hellena Mrs. Bradshaw-20. Mac beth Betterton. = 24. Constant Couple. Knight. Lady Lurewell = Mrs. 25. Recruiting Officer. Costar Pearmain Pinkethman. 26. Committee. Arbella Mrs. Porter. 28. For bt. of the Executor of Mrs. Pix. Busy Body. June 2. Troilus and Cressida. Troilus - Wilks: Hector Powell: Achilles Booth: Agamemnon= Mills Ajax Keen: Ulysses=Thurmond: Thersites Betterton: Pandarus-Estcourt: Cressida= Mrs. Bradshaw: Andromache = Mrs. Rogers :-this was Dryden's alteration. 3. For the bt. of Cave Underhill the old Comedian -Hamlet. Gravedigger Underhill :—with a new Prologue and Epilogue-rest as before. The Tatler says (May 30) "I wish to recommend "to my friends Honest Cave Underhill, who has been "on the stage for three generations: my father ad"mired him exceedingly when he was a boy-there "is certainly nature excellently represented in his "manner of action, in which he ever avoided the "general fault in players of doing too much-it must "be confessed he has not the merit of some ingeni"ous persons now on the stage, of adding to his "authors; for the actors were so dull in the last age, "that many of them have gone out of the world, "without ever having spoken one word of their own "in the theatre. "Poor Cave is so mortified, that he quibbles, and "tells you that he pretends only to act a part fit for a man with one foot in the grave-that is a gravedigger-all admirers of true Comedy it is hoped "will have the gratitude to be present on the last day "of his acting, when if he does not happen to please them, he will have it even then to say, that it was "his first offence." Cibber says, (p. 129) "the Tatler recommended "Underhill to the favour of the town upon Hamlet's "being acted for his benefit, wherein, after his age "had some years obliged him to leave the stage, he "came on again, for that day to perform this old 66 part; but alas! so worn and disabled, as if himself "was to have lain in the grave he was digging; when "he could no more excite laughter, his infirmities were dismissed with pity: he died soon after, a superannuated Pensioner in the list of those who "were supported by the joint sharers under the first "Patent granted to Sir Richard Steele." Cibber, who is never to be depended on as to dates, is on this occasion more inaccurate than usualUnderhill could hardly with propriety be said to have left the stage some years, as he acted Jan. 20 1707— and perhaps later- -By the first Patent Cibber probably means the License, which was afterwards turned into a Patent; but even the License was not granted till more than 5 years after Underhill's bt.Cibber evidently supposes that this was the last time Underhill acted the Gravedigger, whereas he acted the part again Feb. 23 1710 at D. L.. (Bills from 'B. M.) The old Patentee having regained the dominion of the theatre, instead of profiting by past experience, and endeavouring to conciliate the regards of the actors, returned to his former oppressive behaviour towards them-some were reduced in their pay, Cibber and others were threatened with the same fate —but the most material grievance, which they all had to complain of, was in regard to their benefits. During the reign of King Charles, an actor's benefit had never been heard of-the first indulgence of this kind was given to Mrs. Barry in King James' time in consideration of her extraordinary merit—but there this favour rested to her alone; till after the division of the Company in 1695, at which time the Patentees were soon reduced to pay their actors half in good words and half in ready money-in this precarious condition, some particular actors compounded for their arrears by taking the chance of a benefit playin a year or two these benefits grew so advantageous, that they became at last the chief article of every actor's agreement-now tho' the agreements of the actors on their return to D. L. were only verbal, yet that made no difference in the honest obligation to keep them—but honour was a thing about which the Patentees did not much trouble themselves-no actor therefore could have his benefit fixed this season, till he had first signed a paper signifying his voluntary acceptance of it, on condition of paying one third to the Patentees, any claims from custom to the contrary, notwithstanding-the actors were forced to comply with what they considered the severest injury, but they applied to the Lord Chamberlain for redress-the Patentees were warned at their peril to refuse the actors full satisfaction-they demurred and an order for Silence was sent to the theatre-Swiney had permission to enter into a treaty with such of the actors at D. L. as might be thought fit to head a company, and be joint sharers with him at the Hay.-see Cibber. An advertisement was published in vindication of Rich.* Some persons having industriously spread about what small allowances the chief actors have had this last winter from the Patentees of D. L., it was thought necessary to print the following account-the whole company began to act on Oct. 12th 1708 and left off the 26th of the same month by reason of Prince George's illness and death-they began again Dec. 14th and left off June 4th 1709 upon the Lord Chamberlain's order; so they acted during that time in all 135 days, which is 22 weeks and 3 days, accounting 6 acting days to a week. s. d. Wilks acted 100 times, for which and for £. ....... 90 14 9 Betterton acted 16 times-had a salary £. of £4 a week for himself and £1 for his wife who did not act For his benefit at common prices And more by computation s. d. 112 10 0 ... 76 4 5 450 0 0 ...£638 14 5 Total Estcourt acted 52 times He received at £5 a week for himself and £1 for his wife, who Mrs. Oldfield had £4 a week for 14 weeks 112 10 0 58 1 4 20 0 0 £191 11 4 and one day only, as she left off acting after her benefit March 17th 1708(O.S.) and refused to assist others at their benefits-she acted 39 times For her benefit certain And more by computation For sundries 56 13 4 62 7 8 120 0 0 13 5 7 Total ............£252 6 7 |