per Week, without any conditional Deduc tions. From this time Wilks feemed to take new Delight in keeping the Actors close to their Bufinefs, and got every Play revived with Care, in which he had performed the chief part in Dublin: To be employed on the Stage was the delight of his Life; to be justly excused from it was the Joy of mine. In our theatrical disputes, he would hazard our Undoing to gratify his paffions, tho' otherwife an honeft Man, and I rather chofe to give up my Reafon, or not see my Wrong, than ruin our Community by an equal Rafhnefs. Let me now give a particular In. ftance of the Reward and Favour, which in a Theatre, Diligence and Sobriety feldom fail of, Mills the elder grew into the Friendship of Wilks, with not a great deal more than thofe ufeful Qualities to recommend him; He was an honeft, quiet Man, of as few Faults as Excellencies; and Wilks rather chofe him for his Second in many Plays, than an Actor of perhaps greater Skill, that was not fo laboriously diligent. And from this conftant Affiduity, Mills, with making to himfelf a Friend in Wilks, was advanced to a larger Sallary than any Man-actor had enjoyed, during my Time on the Stage. I have yet to offer a more happy Recommendation of Temperance, which a late celebrated Actor was warn'd into, by the mif-conduct of Powel. About the Year that Wilks returned from Dublin, Booth, who had commenced Actor upon that Theatre, came over to the Company in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields: He was then but an Undergraduate of the Buskin, and as he told me himfelf, had been for fome time too frank a Lover of the Bottle; but having had the Happiness to obferve into what Contempt and Diftrefs poor Powel Powel had plung'd himself by the fame Vice, the was fo ftruck with the Terror of his Example, that he fixed a Refolution, which from that Time to the End of his days he ftrictly obferved, of utterly reforming it; an uncommon Act of Philofophy in a young Man; of which in his Fame and Fortune he afterwards enjoyed the Benefit. Had Wilks been as remarkable for Eafe in his Temper, as for Sobriety, he would certainly have lived to a great Age; but he never left the Stage till he left the World: I never fo well enjoy'd the World, as when I left the Stage; he died in poffeffion of his Wifhes. As he in a great measure wore out the Organs of Life, in his inceffant Labours to gratify the Publick, the Many whom he gave pleasure to, will always owe his Memory a favourable Report. If I have spoke with more Freedom of his quondam Competitor Powel, let my good Intentions to future Actors, in fhewing what will fo much concern them to avoid, be my Excufe for it; for an intemperate Man, though Morality were out of the Queftion, can never arrive at the neceffary Excellencies of a good or useful 'Actor. PART PART II. The Patentee of Drury Lane wifer than his Actors. The Author continues to write Plays." The best dramatick Poets cenfured by Collier, in his Short View of the Stage. It has a good Effect. The Mafter of the Revels from that Time cautious, in his licenfing new plays. The late Act for that purpofe confidered. TH Hough the Master of our Theatre had no Conception himself of Theatrical Merit, either in Authors or Actors, yet his Judgment was governed by a faving Rule in both: He looked into his Receipts for the Value of a play, and from common Fame he judged of the Actors, Formerly, when there was but one Company, the Actors were punctually paid their appointed Sallaries; but our wife Mafter took first out of every day's receipt two Shillings in the pound, and left them to be paid only as the lefs or great Deficiences of acting, would permit. I remember in a few Years after this, he once paid us nine days in one Week: But it was too coftly a Frolick to be repeated; we never having received one day more of our arrears in above fifteen Years Service. While the Actors were in this Condition, I think I may very well be excufed my prefuming to write Plays, my precarious Income as an Actor being being then too feanty to fupply my Family with even the Neceffaries of Life: To this Neceffity. of Writing then, I attribute the Defects of my fecond Play, which coming out too hastily turn'd to very little account; but having got as much by my firft as I ought to have expected from them both, I had no great Reafon to complain; Not but I confefs fo bad was my fecond, that I do not chufe to tell you the Name of it. When I was warmly engag'd, by a Subject entirely new, I only thought it a good one, when it feem'd worthy of abler pens than my own, and might prove as useful to the Hearer, as profitable to my felf: Therefore, whatever any of my produtions. might want of Skill, Learning, Wit or Humour, or however unqualified I might be to inftruct others, who fo ill govern'd my felf: Yet fuch Plays, entirely my own, were not wanting, at leaft in what our moft admired Writers feem'd to neglect, and without which, I cannot allow the moft taking Play, to be intrinfically good, or to be a Work, which a Man of Senfe and Probity, fhould value himfelf; I mean when they do not, as well give profit with Delight! It has often amaz'd me, that our beft Authors of that time, could think the Wit and Spirit of their Scenes, could be an Excufe for making the Loofenefs of them publick. The many inftances of their Talents fo abufed, are too glaring to need a clofer Comment, and are fometimes too gross to be recited. If then to have avoided this Imputation, or rather to have the Intereft and Honour of Virtue always in View, can give Merit to a Play, I am contented that my Readers fhould think fuch Merit, the All, that mine have to boast of-Libertines of meer Wit and Pleafure, may laugh at thefe grave Laws, that would limit a U lively lively Genius But every fenfible honest Man, confcious of their. Truth and Use, will give these Ralliers Smile for Smile, and' fhew a due Con-> tempt for their Merriment. But while our Authors took these extraordinary Liberties with their Wit, I remember the Ladies Avere then obferv'd, to be decently afraid of venturing bare fac'd to a new Comedy, 'till they had been affur'd they might do it, without the Rifque of an Infult to their Modefty Or, if their Curiofity were too strong, for their Patience, they took Care, at leaft, to fave Appearances, and rarely came upon the first Day of acting but in Masks, then daily worn, and admitted in the Pit, the fide Boxes and Gallery, which Custom however, had fo many ill Confequences attending it, that it has been abolish'd these many Years. Thefe Immoralities of the Stage, had by an avow'd Indulgence been creeping into it ever fince King Charles his Time; nothing that was loofe could then be too low for it: The London Cuckolds the most rank Play that ever fucceeded, was then in the highest Court-Favour. In this almoft general Corruption, Dryden, whofe Plays were more fam'd for their Wit than their Chastity, led the Way, which he fairly confeffes, and endeavours to excufe, in his Epilogue to the Pilgrim, revis'd in 1700 for his Benefit, in his declining Age and Fortune. The following Lines of it will make good my Obfervation. Perhaps the Parfon ftretch'd a point too far, But |