fible In King Charles's time, this low Skill was carry'd to fuch an Extravagance, that the King himfelf who was black-brow'd, and of a fwarthy Complexion, pafs'd a pleasant Remark, upon his obferving the grim Looks of the Murtherers in Mackbeth when turning to his People, in the. Box about him, Pray, what is the Meaning, faid he, that we never fee a Rogue in a Play, but, Godsfifh they always clap him on a black Perriwig? when, it is well known, one of the greateft Rogues in England always, wears a fair one. Now, whether or not Dr. Oates, at that time, wore his own Hair, I cannot be pofitive: Or, if his Majefty pointed at fome greater Man, then out of Power, I leave thofe to guess at him, who may yet, remember the changing Complexion of his Minifters. This Story I had from Betterton, who was a Man of Veracity: And I confefs, I fhould have thought the King's Obfervation a very just one, though he himself had been fair as Adonis. Nor can I, in this Question, help vot-ing with the Court; for were it not too grofs a Weaknefs to employ, in wicked Purposes, Men whofe very fufpected Looks might be enough to betray them? Or are we to fuppose it unnatural, that a Murther fhould be thoroughly committed out of an old red Coat, and a Black Per-riwig? 1 For my own part, I profefs myself to have been an Admirer of Mr. Sandford, and have often lamented, that his mafterly Performance could not be rewarded with that Applaufe, which I faw much inferior Actors meet with, merely because they flood in more laudable Characters. For, tho' it may be a Merit in an Audience, to applaud Sentiments of Virtue and Honour; yet there feems to be an equal Juftice, that no Distinction fhould fhould be made, as to the Excellence of an Actor, whether in a good or evil Character; fince neither the Vice nor the Virtue of it, is his own, but given him by the Poet; Therefore, why is not the Actor who fhines in either equally commendable? No, Sir, this may be Reafon, but that is not always a Rule with us; the Spectator will tell you, that when Virtue is applauded, he gives part of it to himself; because his Applause, at the fame time, lets others about him fee, that he himfelf admires it. But when a wicked Action is going forward; when an Iago is meditating Revenge and Mifchief; tho' Art and Nature may be equally ftrong in the Actor, the Spectator is fhy of his Applaufe, left he should, in fome. fort, he look'd upon as an Aider or an Abettor of the Wickedness in view and therefore rather chufes to reb the Actor of the Praife he may merit, than give it him in a Character, which he would have you fee his Silence modeftly discourages: From the fame fond Principle, many Actors have made it a point to be seen in any Parts fometimes, even flatly written, only because they stood in the favourable Light of Honour and Virtue. I have formerly known an Actress carry this theatrical Prudery to fuch a height, that he was very near, keeping herself chafte by it: Her Fondnefs for Virtue on the Stage, he began to think, might perfuade the World, that it had made an Impreffion on her private Life; and the Appearances of it actually went fo far, that in an Epilogue to an obfcure Play, the Profits of which were given to her, and wherein fhe acted a part of impregnable Chastity, fhe bespoke the Favour of the Ladies by a proteftation, that in honour of their Goodness and Virtue, fhe would dedi dedicate her unblemish'd Life to their Example. Part of this veftal Vow, I remember, was contained in the following Verfe: Study to live the Character I play. But alas, how weak are the ftrongest Works of Art, when Nature befieges it? for though this good Creature fo far held out her Distaste to Mankind, that they could never reduce her tọ marry any one of 'em; yet we muft own fhe grew, like Cæfar, greater by her Fall Her firft heroic Motive, to a Surrender, was to fave the Life of a Lover, who, in his defpair, had vowed to destroy himself, with which Act of Mercy (in a jealous Difpute once, in my Hearing). fhe was provoked to reproach him in these very Words; Villain, did not I fave your Life? It is plainly not the Hood that makes the Monk, nor the Veil the Veftal; I am apt to think, that if the perfonal Morals of an Actor, were to be weighed by his Appearance on the Stage, the Advantage and (if any were due to either fide) might rather incline to the Traytor, than the Heroe, to the Sempronius, than the Cato; or to the Syphax, than the Juba: Because no Man can naturally defire to cover his Honefty with a wicked Appearance; but an ill Man might poffibly incline to cover his Guilt with the Appearance of Goodness, which was the cafe of the frail Fair One, now mentioned. But be this Question decided as it may, Sandford always appeared to me the honefter Man, in proportion to the Spirit wherewith he expofed the wicked and immoral Characters he acted: for had his Heart been unfound, or tainted with the least Guilt of them, them, his Confcience mult, in fpite of him, in any too near a refemblance of himself, have been a Check upon the Livelinefs of his Action. He therefore might be faid to have contributed his equal fhare with the foremost Actors, to the true and laudable purposes of the Theatre: And in this Light too, of being fo frequently the Object of common Distafte, we may honestly stile him a theatrical Martyr, to poetical Juftice: For in making Vice odious, or Virtue amiable, where does the Merit differ? To hate the one, or love the other, are but leading fteps to the fame Temple of Fame, tho' at different Gates... This Actor, in his manner of fpeaking, varied very much from those I have already mentioned. His voice had an acute and piercing Tone, which ftruck every Word diftinctly upon the Ear. He had likewise a peculiar Skill in his Look of marking out to an Audience whatever he judg'd worth their more than ordinary Notice. When he deliver'd a Command, he would fometimes give it more Force, by feeming to flight the Ornament of Harmony. In Dryden's Plays of Rhime, he as little as poffible glutted the Ear with the Jingle of it, rather chufing, when the Senfe would permit him, to lofe it, than to value it. Had Sandford liv'd in Shakefpear's time, I am confident his Judgment must have chofe him, above all other Actors, to have play'd his Richard the Third: I leave his Perfon out of the Question, which, tho' naturally made for it, yet that would have been the leaft part of his Recommendation; he had ftronger Claims to it, fometimes an uncouth ftatelinefs in his Motion, a harsh and fullen pride of Speech, a meditating Brow, a ftern Afpect, occafionly changing into an an almost ludicrous Triumph over all Goodness ; and from thence falling into the most affwafive Gentleness, and foothing Candour of a defigning Heart. Thefe, I fay, muft have preferr'd him to it; these would have been Colours fo effentially fhining in that Character, that it will be no Difpraife to that great Author to say, Sandford muft have fhewn as many mafterly ftrokes in it, had he ever acted it, as are vifible in the writing it. M Mrs. ELLEN GUYN's Character. R S. Guyn, tho' Miftrefs to a Monarch, was the Daughter of a Fruiterer in Covent Garden. This fhews that Sultans, Emperors and Kings, When Blood boils high will ftoop to meanest Things. Nelly, for by that Name fhe was univerfally known, came into the Theatre in the way of her Business, to fell Fruit, The Orange-basket her fair Arms did fuit, This |