inclining for their being joined, the Patentees of each, by the King's Advice, which perhaps amounted to a Command, united their Interefts, and both Companies into one, exclufive of all others, in the Year 1684. This Union was, however, fo much in favour of the Duke's Company, that Hart left the Stage upon it, and Mohun furvived not long after.

One only Theatre being now in poffeffion of the whole Town, the united Patentees impofed hard Terms upon the Actors; for the profits of acting were then divided into twenty Sharers, ten of which went to the Proprietors, and the other Moiety to the principal Actors, in fach Sub-divifions as their different Mexit might pretend to. Thefe Shares of the Patentees were promifcuoufly fold out to Money making Perfons called Ade venturers, who, tho' utterly ignorant of Theatri→ cal Affairs, were still admitted to a proportionate Vote in the Management of them; all particular Encouragement to Actors were by them, of Con fequence, looked upon as fo many Sums deducted from their private Dividends. While therefore the theatrical Hive had fo many Drones in it, the labouring Actors, fure, were under the greatest Difcouragement, if not a direct State of Oppreffion. Their bardships will appear in a much ftronger Light, when compared to the Situation of the late Patentees, who with much lefs Merit, fucceeded to be fharers under a Pai tent upon five times eafier Terms.

As the Names of the principal Actors, not only of the United Company jult now mentions ed, but of their Succeffors, will often occur. in this Work, it will be here proper to give the Reader fuch particular. Characters of their Theatrical

Theatrical Merit, as they really deferved: Not doubting but that this Attempt will be agreeable to the Curious, and all true Lovers of the English Stage.

Mr. THOMAS BETTERTON's Character.

M

!...

R. Betterton being Apprentice to Mr. Rhodes a Bookfeller, (who in the Year 1659, obtained from the Powers then in being, a Licence to act Plays in the Cockpit, Drury-lane,) was brought by him upon the Stage in the Year 1660, together with his Fellowprentice Mr. Kynafton.

Mr. Betterton, tho' but twenty Years of Age at his first Appearance on the Stage, acquired very great Applaufe by his performances in The Loyal Subject, The Wild Goofe Chace, The Spanish Curate, and feveral other: Plays of Beaumont and Fletcher. But while this excellent Actor was rifing under his Master Rhodes, Sir William Davenant took him, and all who acted under Mr. Rhodes, into his Company, in the Year 1662. In this Company, which was call'd the Duke's, Mr. Betterton was applauded for his performances in the first and fecond Parts of the Siege of Rhodes, that being the Play with which Sir William Davenant opened his Houfe, having new Scenes and Decorations, being the first used in England.

Betterton was an Actor, as Shakespeare was an Author, both without Competitors, form'd for the mutual Affiftance and Illuftration of each others Genius! How Shakespeare wrote, all who have a Tafte for Nature may read, and know; but with what higher Rapture would he

ftill

fill be read, could they conceive how Betterton play'd him! Then might they know, the one was born alone to fpeak what the other only knew, to write. Pity it is, that the momentary Beauties flowing from an harmonious Elocution, cannot like thofe of Poetry, he their own Reeord: That the animated Graces of the Player can live no longer than the inftant Breath and Motion that prefents them, or at best can but faintly glimmer through the Memory, or imperfect Atteftation of a few furviving Spectators Could how Betterton fpoke be as eafily known as what he spoke, then might you fee the Mufe of Shakespeare in her Triumph, with all her Beauties, rifing into real Life, and charming the Beholders. But fince this is fo far out of the reach of defcription, how fhall I fhew you Betterton? Should I therefore tell you, that all the Othellos, Hamlets, Hotspurs, Mackbeths, and Brutus's, whom you have feen fince his Time, have fallen far fhort of him; this fill would give you no Idea of his particular Excellence. Let us fee then what a particular Comparison may do.

You have perhaps feen a Hamlet, who on the first appearance of his Father's Ghoft, has thrown himself into all the ftraining Vociferation requi fite to exprefs Rage and Fury; and the House has thunder'd with Applaufe; tho' the mifguided Actor was all the while, as Shakespeare terms it in this very Play, tearing a Paffion into Rags. This Obfervation will meet with favour from the Reader, when 'tis known, that the late judicious Mr. Addifon, while I fate by him, to fee this Scene acted, asked me with fome Sur prize, if I thought Hamlet fhould be in fo violent a Paffion with the Gho, which tho' it C

might

might have aftonih'd, it had not provok'd him for you may obferve that in this beautiful Speech, the Paffion never rifes beyond an almost breathlefs Aftonishment, or an Impatience, limited by filial Reverence, to enquire into the fufpected Wrongs that may have raifed him from his peaceful, Tomb; and to know what a Spirit fo feemingly diftreft, might with or enjoin a forrowful Son to execute towards his future Quiet in the Grave? This was the Light into which Betterton threw this Scene, which he opened with a pause of mute Amazement; then rifing Howly, to a folemn, trembling Voice, he made the Ghoft equally terrible to the Spectator as to himfelf: And in the defcriptive part of the natu ral Emotions which the ghaftly Vision gave him, the Boldness of his Expoftulation was ftill go Vern'd by decency, manly, but not braving his Voice never rifing into that feeming Outragey or wild defiance of what he naturally revered:. But to preferve this medium between mouthing and meaning too little, is of all the Mafterftrokes of an Actor the most difficult to reach ;' and in this none have yet equall'd Betterton. But

am unwilling to fhew his fuperiority only by recounting the Errors of those who cannot an fwer to them; let their farther Failings therefore be forgotten: Or rather, fhall I in fome meafure excufe them? For I am not yet fure, that they might not be as much owing to the falfe Judgment of the Spectator, as the Actor. While the Crowd are fo apt to be tranfported, when the Drum of their Ear is fo roundly rattled; while they take the Life of Elocution to lie in the Lungs, it is no wonder the Actor, whofe end is applaufe, fhould be tempted, at this eafy fate, to excite it. I fhall go a little farther ?

and

and allow that this Extreme is more pardonable than its oppofite Error? I mean that dangerous Affectation of the Monotone, or folemn Samenefs of Pronounciation, which to my Ear is infupportable; for of all Faults that fo frequently pafs upon the Vulgar, that of Flatnefs will be the leaft admired. That this is an ancient Er ror feems evident by what Hamlet fays, in his Inftructions to the Players, viz.

Be not too tame, neither, &c.

He that feels not himfelf the Paffion he would raife, will talk to a fleeping Audience: But this never was the Fault of Betterton; and it has often amaz'd me to fee thofe who foon came after him, throw out in fome part of a Charac ter, a juft and graceful Spirit, which Betterton himfelf could not but have applauded: And yet in the equally fhining paffages of the fame Character, have heavily dragg'd the Sentiment along. like a dead Weight, with a long-ton'd Voice, and abfent Eye, as if they had fairly forgot what they were about: If you have never made this Obfervation, I am contented you should not. know where to apply it.

A farther Excellence in Betterton, was, that he could vary his Spirit to the different Characters he acted. Thefe wild impatient ftarts, that fierce and flashing Fire, which he threw into Hotfpur, never came from the unruffled Temper of his Brutus: When the Betterton Brutus was provok'd, in his difpute with Caffius, his Spirit flew only to his Eye, his fteady Look alone fupplied that Terror, which he difdain'd an Intemperance in his Voice fhould rife to. Thus, with a fettled Dignity of Contempt, like an unbeeding

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