1689. *Lady Credulous in English Friar-*Mrs. Fantast in Bury Fair. 1696. *Thomyris in Cyrus the Great. * Originally. William Smith had left the stage between 1684 and 1688-Cibber having remarked the unjust prejudice the profession of an actor labours under, mentions as a striking instance of it, that Smith (whose character as a Gentleman could have been no way impeached, had he not been a celebrated actor) had the misfortune in a dispute with a Gentleman behind the scenes to receive a blow from him-the same night an account of this was carried to King James, to whom the Gentleman was represented as so grossly wrong, that the next day his Majesty sent to forbid him the Court for it-this indignity cast upon a Gentleman, only for maltreating a Player, was looked upon as the concern of every Gentleman-a party was soon formed to assert and vindicate their honour, by humbling this favoured actor, whose injury had been judged equal to so severe a notice-accordingly the next time Smith acted, he was received with a Chorus of catcalls, which soon convinced him he should not be suffered to proceed in his part-upon which, without the least discomposure, he ordered the curtain to be dropped, and having a competent fortune of his own retired from the stage. On the secession of the actors from the T. R., Smith was prevailed on by the persuasions of his friends of high rank, and probably still more so, by those of his old associates, to return to the stage on his first appearance he was received with continual shouts of applause-but unfortunately in 1696, on the 4th day of Cyrus the Great, in which he had a long part, he was taken ill and died. Downes only commends him in general terms— but Booth, in an inscription under Smith's picture, speaks of him as almost equal to Betterton-Booth's inscription is in Latin-Theo. Cibber has inserted it in his Life of Booth-Booth could not have seen Smith before he left the stage in King James' timein 1695 Booth was about 15 and at Westminster School. It seems probable that Smith had a commanding person, and that what Otway says of Pierre's figure was meant for Smith, who was to play the part— Don Carlos, another of Smith's original parts, is called by his father "Tall able slave "-it was probably for this reason that he acted Leon and the Rover, instead of Betterton. Dr. Burney, who compiled the playbills now in the British Museum, says-" Smith was greatly attached "to James the 2d-he returned to the stage in 1691, "but as the audience were much disturbed on account "of his principles, and a riot ensued, he again with"drew-he joined the company in 1695, and con❝tinued with them about 3 years -as it is not said from whence this anecdote is borrowed, the correctness of it may well be doubted-the supposition, that Smith continued about 3 years on the stage is clearly a mistake. Dr. Burney seems to have intended a biographical sketch of the principal performers—the 4 vols. which I saw did not contain much information--the others I did not see the Librarian not wishing any person to have them, till they were better arranged—at that time they consisted in great measure of loose papers. Smith's characters-selection only. L. I. F. 1663. *Corrigidor in Adventures of five Hours. 1664. Buckingham in Henry 8th-Antonio in Dutchess of Malfy. 1665. *Zanger in Mustapha. 1667. *Sir William Stanly in English Princess -*Sir John Swallow in Sir Martin Marrall. 1668. *Stanford in Sullen Lovers-*Courtall in She wou'd if she cou'd. 1669. *Young Single in Sir Solomon. 1670. *Cunningham in Amorous Widow. 1671. *Foscaris in Women's Conquest. D. G. 1671. *Prince of Salerne in Charles 8th. 1672. *Woodly in Epsom Wells-Banquo. 1673. *Careless in Careless Lovers-Horatio in Hamlet. 1676. *Sir Fopling Flutter in Man of the Mode -*Don Carlos in do.-*Don Diego in Wrangling Lovers * Rashley in Fond Husband-*Faithful Shepherd in Pastor Fido. 1677. *Antiochus in Titus and Berenice-*Cæsar in Sedley's Antony and Cleopatra-*Rover in 1st part-*Don Philip in Abdelazar. 1678. *Truman in Friendship in Fashion-*Lodwick Knowell in Sir Patient Fancy-*Peralta in Counterfeits probably Woodall in Limberham. 1679. *Adrastus in Edipus-*Hector in Dryden's Troilus and Cressida——*Sir Harry Fillamour in Feigned Courtezans. 1680. *Marius Junior in Caius Marius_*Chamont* Machiavel in Caesar Borgia*Marcian in Theodosius. 1681. *Duke of Suffolk and *Edward Plantagenet in Crowne's Henry 6th 1st and 2d parts-*Courtine in Soldier's Fortune-*Titus in L. J. Brutus-*Rover in 2d part-*Edgar in Tate's Lear-*Lorenzo in S. F. 1682. *Pierre-*Royalist-*Don Carlos in False Count-*Ramble in London Cuckolds * Henry 8th in Virtue Betrayed. T. R. 1682. *Grillon in Duke of Guise. 1688. 1684. Leon. *Constantine the Great-Cassius. 1695. *Scandal in Love for Love. 1696. *Cyaxares in Cyrus the Great. He also acted Warner in Sir Martin Marrall. * Originally. D. L. AND D. G. 1697. Cibber says, that the Patentees, to curry favour', opened the upper Gallery for the footmen gratis, which proved the greatest plague that a playhouse ever had to complain of it appears from the first speech in Wives' Excuse, that the footmen used before this to be admitted at the 5th act-previously to this however the servants had been a great nuisance to the theatre-Dryden in his Epilogue at the Union says "Then for your lacqueys and your train beside, By whate'er name or title dignify'd, "They roar so loud, you'd think behind the stairs "Tom Dove and all the brotherhood of bears: They're grown a nuisance beyond all disasters, "We've none so great, but their unpaying masters. "We beg you, Sirs, to beg your men, that they "Would please to give you leave to hear the play." Tom Dove seems to have been a celebrated Bearward he is mentioned in the Town Fop-in the Maid's last Prayer-in the Epilogue to the Rival Sisters and in the Prologue to the Pilgrim 1700. = Cibber says, that in consequence of this privilege granted to the footmen, the Gallery often thundered with applause, while the Pit and Boxes were in the utmost serenity—see the end of D. L. 1736–1737. Relapse, or Virtue in Danger-Loveless = Verbruggen: Lord Foppington Cibber: Young Fashion = Mrs. Kent: Sir Tunbelly Clumsy = Bullock: Worthy = Powell: Coupler (a Matchmaker) = Johnson : Serringe (a Surgeon) = Haynes: Bull (a Chaplain) Simpson: Sir John Friendly Mills: Berinthia == = Mrs. Verbruggen: Amanda = Mrs. Rogers: Miss Hoyden Mrs. Cross: Nurse Mrs. Powell :-Dogget, who had differed with the actors at L. I. F., returned to the T. R. time enough to play Lory, but after the first night he resigned the part, not thinking it suited to his style of acting; it was then given to = |