have lain in the Grave he was digging; when he could no more excite Laughter, his Infirmities were dismiss'd with Pity: He died foon after, a fuper-annuated Penfioner, in the Lift of those who were fupported by the joint Sharers, under the first Patent granted to Sir Richard Steele.

MR

Mrs. MONT FOR T's Character.

[R S. Montfort, whofe fecond Marriage gave her the Name of Verbruggen, was Miftrefs of more variety of Humour, than I ever knew in any one Woman Actress. This variety too, was attended with an equal Vivacity, which made her excellent in Characters extremely different. As fhe was naturally a pleasant Mimick,

fhe had the Skill to make that Talent useful on the Stage, a Talent which may be furprising in a Converfation, and yet be loft when brought to the Theatre, which was the Cafe of Eftcourt already mention'd: But where the Elocution is round, diftinct, voluble, and various, as Mrs. Montfort's was, the Mimick, there, is à great Affiftant to the Actor. Nothing, tho' ever fo barren, if within the Bounds of Nature, could be flat in her Hands. She gave many heightening Touches to Characters but coldly written, and often made an Author vain of his Work, that in it felf had but little Merit. She was fo fond of Humour, in what low Part foever to be found, what fhe would make no fcruple of defacing her fair Form, to come heartily into it,; for when he was eminent in feveral defirable Characters of Wit, and Humour, in higher Life, the would be, in as much Fancy, when defcending

un

into the antiquated Abigail of Fletcher, as when triumphing in all the Airs and vain Graces of a fine Lady; a Merit that few Actreffes care for. In a Play of D'urfey's, now forgotten, call'd The Western Lafs, which Part fhe acted, fhe tranfform'd her whole Being, Body, Shape, Voice, Language, Look, and Features into almost another Animal; with a strong Devonshire Dialect, a broad laughing Voice, a poking Head, round Shoulders, an unconceiving Eye, and the most be-diz'ning Drefs that ever cover'd the train'd Limbs of a Joan Trot. To have feen her here, you would have thought it impoffible the fame Creature could ever have been recover'd, to what was as easy to her, the Gay, the Lively, and the Defirable. Nor was her Humour limited, to her Sex; for, while her fhape permitted, fhe was a more adroit pretty Fellow, than is ufually feen upon the Stage Her eafy Air, Action, Mien, and Gefture, quite chang'd from the Quoif, to the cock'd Hat, and Cavalier in fashion. People were fo fond of feeing her a Man, that when the Part of Bays in the Rehearsal, had, for some time, lain dormant, fhe was defired to take it up, which I have feen her act with all the true, coxcombly Spirit and Humour, that the Sufficiency of the Character required.

But what found moft Employment for her whole various Excellence at once, was the Part of Melantha, in Marriage-Alamode. Melantha

is as finish'd an Impertinent, as ever flutter'd in a Drawing-Room, and feems to contain the most compleat fyftem of Female Foppery, that could poffibly be crowded into the tortured Form of a Fine Lady. Her Language, Drefs, Motion, Manner, Soul, and Body, are in a con

tinu.l

tinual Hurry to be fomething more, than is neceffary or commendable. And though I doubt it will be a vain Labour to offer you a juft Likenefs of Mrs. Montfort's Action, yet the fantaftick Impreffion is ftill fo ftrong in my Memory, that I cannot help faying fomething, tho' fantaftically, about it. The first ridiculous Airs that break from her, are upon a Gallant, never seen before, who delivers her a Letter from her Father, recommending him to her good Graces, as an honourable Lover. Here now, one would think he might naturally fhew a little of the Sex's decent Referve, tho' never fo flightly cover'd! No, Sir; not a Tittle of it; Modefty is the Virtue of a poor foul'd Country Gentlewoman, she is too much a Court Lady to be under fo vulgar a confufion; fhe reads the Letter therefore with a careless, dropping Lip, and an erected. Brow, humming it haftily over, as if fhe were impatient to outgo her Father's Commands, by making a compleat Conqueft of him at once; and that the Letter might not embarrafs her Attack, fhe crumbles it at once into her Palm, and pours upon him her whole Artillery of Airs, Eyes and Motion; down goes her dainty, diving Body to the Ground, as if the were finking under the confcious Load of her own Attractions; then launches into a Flood of fine Language and Compliment, ftill playing her Cheft forward in fifty Falls and Rifings, like a Swan upon waving Water; and, to complete her Impertinence, fhe is fo rapidly fond of her own Wit, that she will not give her Lover leave to praife it; filent affenting Bows, and vain Endeavours to fpeak, are all the fhare of the Converfation he is admitted to, which, at laft he is relieved from, by her Engagement to half a fcore Vifits, which fhe I 2 fwims

fwims from him to make, with a promise to return in a Twinkling.

If this Sketch has colour enough to give you any near conception of her, I then need only tell you, that throughout the whole Character, her variety of Humour was every way proportionable; as, indeed, in most parts that the thought worth her care, or that had the leaft matter for her Fancy to work upon, I may juftly fay, That no Actress whatever could have heighten'd them with more lively strokes of Nature.

M

Mr. BRACEGIRDLE'S Character.

R S. Bracegirdle was an Actress who had more favour from the Publick than any I ever knew, which he maintained to the laft of her Dramatick Life, by not being unguarded in her private Character. This Difcretion contributed, not a little, to make her the Darling of the Theatre; for it will be no extravagant Thing to fay, fcarce an Audience faw her, that were lefs than half of them Lovers, without a fufpected Favourite among them: And tho' fhe might be faid to have been the Univerfal Paffion, and under the highest Temptations, her Conftancy in refifting them, ferved but to increase the number of her Admirers: And this perhaps you will more easily believe, when I extend not my Encomiums on her perfon beyond a fincerity that can be fufpected; for fhe had no greater Claim to Beauty, than what the most desirable Brunette might pretend to. But her Youth, and lively Afpect, threw out fuch a Glow of Health

and

and Chearfulness, that, on the Stage, few Spectators that were not paft it, could behold her without defire. It was even a Fashion among the Gay and Young, to have a Tafte or Tendre for Mrs. Bracegirdle. She infpired the best Authors to write for her, and two of them, when they gave her a Lover in a Play, feemed palbably to plead their own Paffions, and make their private Court to her, in fictitious Characters. In all the chief parts fhe acted, the Defirable was fo predominant, that no Judge could be cold enough to confider, from what other Excellence the became delightful. To fpeak critically of an Actress that was extremely good, is as hazardous as to be positive in one's Opinion of the best Opera-finger. People often judge by Comparifon, where there is no Similitude. In this cafe we have only Tafte to appeal to, and of Tafte there can be no difputing. I fhall therefore only fay of Mrs. Bracegirdle, that the most eminent Authors always chofe her for their favourite Character, and fhall leave that uncontestable proof of her Merit to its own Value, Yet let me fay, there were two very different Characters, in which fhe acquitted herself with uncommon Applause: If any thing could excufe that defperate Extravagance of Love, that almoft frantick Paffion of Lee's Alexander the Great, it must have been when Mrs, Bracegirdle was his Statira: As when she acted Millamant, all the Faults, Follies and Affectation of that agreeable Tyrant, were venially melted down into fo many Charms and Attractions of a confcious Beauty. In other Characters, where Singing was a necessary part of them, her Voice and Action gave a Pleasure, which good Senfe was not afham'd to give praise

to.

She