Perfonæ of the Ancients, and raise our Stage to a greater Merit than they could pretend to, which deprived the Audience of the nobleft and most vivacious part of the Representation, in the Lofs of the motions of the Face, of which we ought to take a peculiar Care, fince it is on that which the Audience or Spectators generally fix their Eyes the whole Time of the Action.

you

Exercife and frequent practice ought to reform the least Error in this particular, because in the performance every one presently discovers it, tho' the Actor fees it not himself. The fureft way of correcting this, is either a Looking-glafs, or a judicious Friend, who can and will let know what Countenance is agreeable, and what the contrary. But this is a general Rule, without any Exception, that you adjuft all the Lines and Motions of the Face to the Subject of your Difcourfe, the paffion you feel within you, or fhould according to your part feel, or would raise in those who hear and fee you. You must likewife confider the Quality you reprefent, as well as the Quality of thofe to whom you fpeak; for even in great degrees of the paflions, the Difference and Distance of that has a greater or lefs awe upon the very appearance of the paffion. The Countenance must be brightened with a pleasant Gaiety on Things that are agreeable, and that according to the Degrees of their being fo; and likewife in Joy, which must ftill be heightened in the paffion of Love, tho' indeed the Countenance in the Expreffion of Love is extremely various, participating fometimes of the Tranfports of Joy, fometimes of the agonies of Grief; and is fometimes mingled with the Heats of Anger. Sadnefs or Gravity mult pre

vail

vail in the Countenance, when the Subject is grave, melancholly or forrowful; and Grief is to be expreffed according to its various degrees of Violence,

I have obferved frequently fome Players, who pafs'd for great ones, have their Eyes lifted up to the Galleries, or Top of the House, when they are engaged in a Difcourfe of fome Heat, as if they were conning a Leffon, not acting a part. But Nature acts quite contrary; for no Man is engaged in Difpute, or any argument of Moment, but his Eyes and all his Regard are fixt on the perfon he talks with; not but that there are Times, according to the Turn or Crifis of a paffion, where the Eyes may with great Beauty be turned from the Object we address to, as in Appeals to Heaven, imploring assistance, and the like.

When we are in a Difcourfe which requires no great Motion, our afpect fhould be pleafant, our Looks direct, neither fevere nor afide, unless we fall into a paffion, which requires the contrary; for then Nature, if we obey her Summons, will alter our Looks and Geftures. Thus when a Man speaks in anger, his Imagination is quite inflamed, and kindles a Sort of Fire in his Eyes, which sparkles from them in fuch a manner, that a perfon who understood not a Word of the Language, or a deaf Man, who could not hear the loudeft Tone of Voice, would not fail of perceiving his Fury and Indignation. This fire of their Eyes will eafily ftrike thofe of their Spectators, which are continually fixt on theirs ; and by a very strange fympathetick Infection, it will fet them on fire too with the very fame paffion,

Laft

Laft of all, the Art of Weeping ought to be carefully ftudied; the Ancients made fo great a progrefs in this, and worked the Counterfeit to fo near a Reality, that their Faces used to be all over bedewed with Tears when they came off the Stage.

Thus ends Mr. Betterton's Obfervations on Action: We come now to give our Readers the celebrated Comedy of Pamela, which, tho' it may seem to fome to be foreign to our purpose, yet as it certainly relates to the Stage, we don't doubt of its being agreeable to all Perfons: However, 'tis fo contrived, that it may be ftitch'd up by itself, without interfering with our History.

THE

LIFE

OF

Mr. COLLY CIBBER.

IN

INTRODUCTION..

N the Beginning of this Work, we gave our Readers the Hiftory of the STAGE, from its Origin to the Year 1685, when the King and Duke's Companies were united, after that the Characters of the principal Actors; and come now to give fome Account of Mr. CIBBER, one of our principal Theatrical Heroes: But as this Gentleman has lately published his own Life, in which is contained a very entertaining History of all the Theatrical Affairs, from the Union of the above two Companies, to the prefent Time; we fhall give our Readers large Extracts from it, as follows, viz.

A

T my Admiffion to the Theatre, the Patentees, who were Mafters of the united and only Company of Comedians, made it a Rule, that no young Perfons, defirous to be

P

Actors,

Actors, fhould be admitted to Pay under at leaft half a Year's probation. But Pay was the least of my Concern; the pleasure of every Day feeing Plays for nothing, I thought was a fufficient Reward for the best of my Services. So that it was no pain to my Patience, that I waited full three Quarters of a Year, before I was taken into a Sallary of ten Shillings per Week; which, with the Affiftance of Food and Raiment at my Father's Houfe, I then thought a moft plentiful Acceffion, and myself the happieft of Mortals.

The firft Thing that enters into the Head of a young Actor, is that of being a Heroe: In this ambition I was foon fnubb'd, by the Infufficiency of my Voice; to which might be added, an uninform'd meagre Perfon (tho' then not ill made) with a difmal pale Complexion. Under thefe Difadvantages, I had but a melancholy Profpect of ever playing a Lover, with Mrs. Bracegirdle, which I had flatter'd my Hopes, that my Youth might one Day have recommend ed me to. What was moft promifing in me, then, was the Aptnefs of my Ear; for I was foon allow'd to fpeak juftly, tho' what was grave and ferious, did not equally become me, The firft Part, therefore, in which I appear'd, with any glimpfe of Succefs, was the Chaplain in the Orphan of Otway. There is in this Character (one of one Scene only) a decent Pleafantry, and Senfe enough to fhew an Audience, whether the Actor has any himfelf. Here was the first Applause I ever receiv'd, which, you may be fure, made my Heart leap with a higher Joy, than may be neceffary to defcribe; and yet my Tranfport was not then half fo high, as at what Goodman, who had now left the Stage, faid

of