1 P ART VII. Cato first acted. What brought it to the Stage. TH HE next Thing worth mentioning, is the first acting of the Tragedy of Cato. As to the Play itfelf, it might be enough to lay, That the Author and the Actors had their différent Hopes of Fame and Profit amply answered by the performance. In 1703, nine Years before it was acted, I had the pleasure of reading the first four Acts (which was all of it then written) privately with Sir Richard Steele: But my Satisfaction was highly difappointed, when he told me, Whatever Spirit Mr. Addifon had fhewn in his writing it, he doubted he would never have Courage enough to let his Cato ftand the Cenfure of an English Audience; that it had only been the Amusement of his leifure Hours in Italy, and was never intended for the Stage. But in the latter End of Queen Anne's Reign, when our national Politicks had changed Hands, the Friends of Mr. Addifon then thought it a proper Time to animate the ན Publick Publick with the Sentiments of Cato; in a word, their Importunities were not to be refifted; and it was no fooner finished than hurried to the Stage, in April 1712. This Tragedy was acted (Mondays excepted) every Day for a Month, to conftantly crowded Houfes. crowded Houses. As the Author had made us a prefent of whatever profits he might have claimed from it, we thought ourselves oblig'd to fpare no Coft in the proper Decorations of it, Its coming fo late in the Seaíon, prov'd of particular Advantage to the fharing Actors, and was almoft equal to two fruitful Seafons in the fame Year, at the Clofe of which the three managing Actors found themselves each a Gainer of thirteen hundred and fifty pound. ་ Although Cato feems plainly written upon what are called Whig Principles, yet the Tories of that Time had Senfe enough not to take it as the leaft Reflection upon their Administration; but on the contrary, carried their Approbation of it fo high, that one day, while the play was acting, they collected fifty Guineas in the Boxes, and made a prefent of them to Booth, with this compliment, For his honeft Oppofition to a per petual Dictator, and his dying so bravely in the 'cause of Liberty.' What was infinuated by any part of thefe Words, is not my Affair; but fo publick a Reward had the Appearance of a laudable Spirit; nor could: Booth be blam'd, if upon fo particular a diftinction of his Merit, he began himself to fet more Value upon it. Dogget infinuated to us, for he was a staunch Whig, that this prefent of fifty Guineas, was a fort of Tory Triumph which they had no pretence to; and that for his part, he could not bear that fo redoubted a Champion for Liberty as Cato fhould be bought off to the caufe of a con trary trary Party: He therefore, proposed, that the Managers themselves fhould make the fame Prefent to Booth, which had been made him, from the Boxes, the Day before. This, he faid, might be a Means, to fecure Booth more firmly in our Inte reft, it never having been known, that the Skill of the best Actor had receiv'd fo round a Reward, or Gratuity, in one Day before. Wilks, was fo charm'd with the Propofal, that he long'd that Moment to make Booth the present with his own Hands; and though he knew he had no Right to do it without my Confent, had no patience to ask it; upon which I turned to Dogget with a cold Smile, and told him, that if Booth could be purchas'd at fo cheap a Rate, it would be one of the best proofs of his Oeconomy we had ever been beholden to; I therefore defired that we might have a little Patience; that our doing it too haftily might be only making fure of an Occafion to throw the fifty, Guineas away; for if we fhould be obliged to do better for him, we could never expect, that Booth would think himself bound in Honour to refund them. This feem'd fo abfurd an Argument to Wilks, that he began with his ufual Freedom of Speech to treat it as a pitiful Evafion of their intended Generofity. To conclude, my Objections that the Money would be only thrown away, were over-ruled, and the fame Night Booth had the fifty Guineas, which he received with a Thankfulness that made Wilks and Dogget perfectly eafy; infomuch that they feemed, for fome Time, to triumph in their Conduct, and often endeavour'd to laugh my Jealoufy out of Countenance. But in the following Winter, the Game happened to take a different Turn; and then, if it had been a laugh ing ing Matter, I had as ftrong an Occafion to fmile at their former Security. Next Year a new Licence, recalling all former Licences, was iffued, wherein Booth's Name was added to thofe of the other Managers. But ftill there was a Difficulty, in his Qualification, to be adjusted; what Confideration he should allow, for an equal Title to our Stocks of Cloaths, Scenes, &c. without which, the License was of no more ufe than the Stock was without the Li cenfe. Collier, though now but a fifth Manager, ftill infifted on his former Appointment of 700 l. a Year; which, in Equity ought certainly to have been proportionably abated; but Court-favour was not always measured by that yard: But the Affair of Booth was not fo clear a point; The Lord Chamberlain therefore, only recommended it to be adjusted among ourfelves, which was a greater Indulgence than I expected. Wilks was of Opinion, that to fet a good round Value upon our Stock, was the only way to come near an Equivalent, for the Diminution of our Shares, which the Admiffion of Booth must occafion : But Dogget infifted, that he had no mind to difpofe of any part of his Property, and therefore would fet no price upon it at all; adding, that nothing but the Law fhould make him part with his Property; and fo went out of the Room. After which he never came among us more Dogget having thus abruptly abdicated his Poft in our Government, Wilks and I determined to keep our Bufines ftill going, and that our fafeft Way would be, to make the best Bargain we could with Booth; one Article of which was to be, be, That Booth fhould ftand equally answerable with us, to Dogget, for the Confequence: To which Booth made no Objection, and the rest of his Agreement, was to allow us Six Hundred Pounds for his Share, in our Property, which was to be paid by fuch Sums as fhould arife from half his Profits of Acting, 'till the whole was difcharg'd. Let us fee what Dogget did in this Affair after he had left us. - Dogget, who was equally oblig'd with us to act upon the Stage, as to affift in the Management of it, tho' he had refus'd to do either, ftill demanded of us his whole Share of the Profits; without confidering what Part of them Booth might pretend to from our late Conceffions. After many fruitless Endeavours to bring him back to us, Booth join'd with us in making him an Offer of half a Share, if he had a mind totally to quit the Stage, and make it a Sine-cure. No! he wanted the whole, and to fit ftill himself, while we if we pleafed might work for him, or let it alone, and none of us all, neither he nor we be the better for it. He appealed to the Vice-Chamberlain, to whose Direction the adjufting of all thefe Theatrical Difficulties was then committed: But there I dare fay the Reader does not expect he should meet with much Favour: However, a few Days after, we receiv'd an Order from the ViceChamberlain, politively commanding us to pay Dogget his whole Share, notwithstanding we had complain'd before of his having withdrawn himfelf from acting on the Stage, and from the Management of it. We abfolutely refus'd to comply with this Order, and made the Affair at laft too troublesome for the Ease of a Courtier to go thro' with. For when it was confider'd, that the |