as I thought, fo infenfible, or impregnable, I look'd gravely in his Face, and told him- He knew upon what Terms, I was willing to ferve him; and took my leave. By this time, the Hay-Market Company had begun acting, to Audiences fomething better than ufual, and were all paid their full Sallaries, a Bleffing they had not felt, in fome Years, in either House before. Upon this Succefs, Swiney prefs'd the Patentee to execute the Articles they had as yet only verbally agreed on, which were in Substance, That Swiney fhould take the HayMarket House in his own Name, and have what Actors he thought neceffary from DruryLane, and after all Payments punctually made, the Profits should be equally divided between these two Undertakers. But foft, and fair! Rashness was a Fault, that had never yet been imputed to the Patentee; certain Payments were Methods he had not of a long, long time been us'd to; that Point ftill wanted time for Confideration. But Swiney was as hafty, as the other was flow, and was refolv'd to know what he had to truft to, before they parted; and to keep him the clofer, to his Bargain, he ftood upon his Right of having Me added to that Company, if I was willing to come into it. But this was a Point as abfolutely refus'd on one fide, as infifted on, on the other. In this Contest, high Words were exchang'd on both fides, 'till, in the end, this their laft private Meeting came to an open Rupture: But before it was publickly known, Swiney,

by

by fairly letting me into the whole Tranfac tion, took effectual means to fecure me in his Interest. When the Mystery of the Patentee's Indifference to me was unfolded, and that his flighting me, was owing to the Security he rely'd on, of Swiney's not daring to engage me, I could have no further Debate with my felf, which fide of the Question I should adhere to. To conclude, I agreed, in two Words, to act with Swiney; and from this time, every Change that happen'd in the Theatrical Go vernment, was a nearer Step to that twenty Years of Prosperity, which Actors, under the Menagement of Actors, not long afterwards, enjoy'd. What was the immediate Confequence of this last Desertion from Drury-Lane, shall be the Subject of another Chapter.

CHAP.

CHA P. X..

The recruited Actors, in the Hay-Market, encourag'd by a Subfcription. Drury-Lane, under a particular Menagement. The Power of a Lord-Chamberlain, over the Theatres, confider'd. How it had been formerly exercis'd. A Digreffion to Tragick Authors.

AVING fhewn the particular ConHduct of the Patentee, in refufing fo

fair an Opportunity of fecuring to himself both Companies, under his fole Power, and Intereft; I fhall now lead the Reader, after a fhort View of what pass'd in this new Establishment of the Hay-Market Theatre, to the Accidents, that the Year following, compell'd the fame Patentee, to receive both Companies, united, into the DruryLane Theatre, notwithstanding his Difinclination to it.

It may, now, be imagin'd, that fuch a Detachment of Actors, from Drury-Lane, could not but give a new Spirit to thofe in the HayMarket; not only by enabling them to act each others Plays to better Advantage; but by an emulous Industry, which had lain too long inactive among them, and without which they plainly faw, they could not be fure of Subfiftance. Plays, by this means, began to recover T a good

a good Share of their former Efteem, and Favour; and the Profits of them, in about a Month, enabled our new Menager to discharge his Debt (of fomething more than Two hundred Pounds) to his old Friend the Patentee; who had now left him, and his Troop, in truft, to fight their own Battles. The greateft Inconvenience they ftill laboured under, was the immoderate Wideness of their House; in which, as I have obferv'd, the Difficulty of Hearing, may be faid to have bury'd half the Auditors Entertainment. This Defect feem'd evident, from the much better Reception feveral new Plays (first acted there) met with when they afterwards came to be play'd by the fame Actors, in Drury-Lane: Of this Number were the Stratagem, and the Wife's Refentment; to which I may add, the Double Gallant. This laft was a Play made up of what little was tolerable, in two, or three others, that had no Succefs, and were laid afide, as fo much Poetical Lumber; but by collecting and adapting the beft Parts of them all, into one Play, the Double Gallant has had a Place, every Winter, amongst the Publick Entertainments, these Thirty Years. As I was only the Compiler of this Piece, I did not publish it in my own Name; but as my having but a Hand in it, could not be long a Secret, I have been often treated as a Plagiary on that Account: Not that I think I have any right to complain, of whatever would detract from the Merit of that fort of Labour, yet, a Cobler may be allow'd to be

ufeful,

ufeful, though he is not famous: And I hope a Man is not blameable for doing a little Good, tho' he cannot do as much as another? But so it is Twopenny Criticks must live, as well as Eighteenpenny Authors!

While the Stage was thus recovering its former Strength, a more honourable Mark of Favour was fhewn to it, than it was ever known before, or fince, to have receiv'd. The, then, Lord Hallifax, was not only the Patron of the Men of Genius of this Time, but had likewise a generous Concern for the Reputation, and Profperity of the Theatre, from whence the most elegant Dramatick Labours of the Learned, he knew, had often fhone in their brightest Lustre. A Propofal therefore was drawn up, and addreffed to that Noble Lord, for his Approbation, and Affiftance, to raise a publick Subscription for Reviving Three Plays of the best Authors, with the full Strength of the Company; every Subscriber to have Three Tickets, for the first Day of each Play, for his fingle Payment of Three Guineas. This Subscription his Lordship so zealously encouraged, that from his Recommendation chiefly, in a very little time, it was compleated. The Plays were Julius Cæfar of Shakespear; the King and no King of Fletcher; and the Comic Scenes of Dryden's Marriage à la mode, and of his Maiden Queen put together, for it was judg'd, that as these comic Episodes were utterly independent of the ferious Scenes, they were originally written to, they might on this occafion be