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himself, made his Service to the whole but an incidental Merit; whereas, by my profecuting the Means, to make him eafy, in his Pay, unknown to him, or without asking any Favour for my felf, at the fame time, I gave a more unquestionable Proof of my preferring the Publick, to my Private Intereft: From the fame Principle I never murmur'd at whatever little Parts fell to my Share, and though I knew it would not recommend me to the Favour of the common People, I often submitted to play wicked Characters, rather than they fhould be worfe done by weaker Actors than

my felf: But perhaps, in all this Patience under my Situation, I fupported my Spirits, by a confcious Vanity: For I fancied I had more Reafon to value myself, upon being fometimes the Confident, and Companion of our Master, than Wilks had, in all the more publick Favours he had extorted from him. I imagined too, there was fometimes as much Skill to be fhewn, in a fhort Part, as in the most voluminous, which he generally made choice of; that even the coxcombly Follies of a Sir John Daw, might as well diftinguish the Capacity of an Actor, as all the dry Enterprizes, and bufy Conduct of a Truewit. Nor could I have any Reason to repine at the Superiority he enjoy'd, when I confider'd at how dear a Rate it was purchased, at the continual Expence of a restlefs Jealoufy, and fretful Impatience- Thefe were the Paffions, that, in the height of his Succeffes, kept him lean to his laft Hour, while what I want

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ed in Rank, or Glory, was amply made up to me, in Ease and Chearfulness. But let not this Obfervation either leffen his Merit, or lift up my own; fince our different Tempers were not, in our Choice, but equally natural, to both of us. To be employ'd on the Stage was the Delight of his Life; to be justly excused from it, was the Joy of mine: I lov'd Eafe, and he Pre-eminence: In that, he might be more commendable. Tho' he often difturb'd me, he feldom could do it, without more difordering himself: In our Disputes, his Warmth could lefs bear Truth, than I could fupport manifeft Injuries: He would hazard our Undoing, to gratify his Paffions, tho' otherwife an honeft Man; and I rather chose to give up my Reason, or not fee my Wrong, than ruin our Community by an equal Rashness. By this oppofite Conduct, our Accounts at the End of our Labours, ftood thus: While he lived, he was the elder Man, when he died, he was not fo old as I am: He never left the Stage, till he left the World: I never fo well enjoy'd the World, as when I left the Stage: He died in Poffeffion of his Wishes; and I, by having had a lefs cholerick Ambition, am still tafting mine, in Health, and Liberty. But, as he in a great measure wore out the Organs of Life, in his inceffant Labours, to gratify the Publick, the Many whom he gave Pleasure to, will always owe his Memory a favourable Report--- Some Facts, that will vouch for the Truth of this Account, will be found in the Sequel

Sequel of thefe Memoirs. If I have spoke with more Freedom of his quondam Competitor Powel, let my good Intentions to future Actors, in fhewing what will fo much concern them to avoid, be my Excufe for it: For though Powel had from Nature, much more than Wilks; in Voice, and Ear, in Elocution, in Tragedy, and Humour in Comedy, greatly the Advantage of him; yet, as I have obferv'd, from the Neglect, and Abuse of those valuable Gifts, he fuffer'd Wilks to be of thrice the Service to our Society. Let me give another Inftance of the Reward, and Favour, which in a Theatre, Diligence, and Sobriety seldom fail of: Mills the elder grew into the Friendship of Wilks, with not a great deal more, than those useful Qualities to recommend him: He was an honeft, quiet, careful Man, of as few Faults, as Excellencies, and Wilks rather chofe him for his fecond, in many Plays, than an Actor of perhaps greater Skill, that was not fo laboriously diligent. And from this conftant Affiduity, Mills with making to himself a Friend in Wilks, was advanced to a larger Sallary, than any Man-Actor had enjoy'd, during my time, on the Stage. I have yet to offer a more happy Recommendation of Temperance, which a late celebrated Actor was warn'd into, by the mif-conduct of Powel. About the Year, that Wilks return'd from Dublin, Booth, who had commenced Actor, upon that Theatre, came over to the Company, in Lincolns-InnFields: He was then but an Under-graduate of

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the Buskin, and as he told me himself, had been for fome time too frank a Lover of the Bottle; but having had the Happiness to observe into what Contempt, and Diftreffes Powel had plung'd himself by the fame Vice, he was fo ftruck with the Terror of his Example, that he fix'd a Refolution (which from that time, to the End of his Days, he ftrictly obferv'd) of utterly reforming it; an uncommon Act of Philofophy in a young Man! of which in his Fame, and Fortune, he afterwards enjoy'd the Reward and Benefit. Thefe Obfervations I have not merely thrown together as a Moralist, but to prove, that the briskeft loofe Liver, or intemperate Man (though Morality were out of the Queftion) can never arrive at the neceffary Excellencies of a good, or useful Actor.

CHAP.

CHA P. VIII.

The Patentee of Drury-Lane wiser than his Actors. His particular Menagement. The Author continues to write Plays. Why. The beft dramatick Poets cenfured, by J. Collier, in his Short View of the Stage. It has a good Effect. The Mafter of the Revels, from that time, cautious, in his licensing new Plays. A Complaint against him. His Authority founded upon Custom only. The late Law for fixing that Authority, in a proper Person, confidered.

HOUGH the Mafter of our Theatre T had no Conception himself of Theatrical Merit, either in Authors, or Actors; yet his Judgment was govern'd by a faving Rule, in both: He look'd into his Receipts for the Value of a Play, and from common Fame he judg'd of his Actors. But by whatever Rule he was govern'd, while he had prudently referv'd to himself a Power of not paying them more than their Merit could get, he could not be much deceived by their being over, or under-valued. In a Word, he had, with great Skill inverted the Conftitution of the Stage, and quite changed the Channel of Profits, arifing from it; formerly, (when there was but one Company) the Proprietors punctually paid

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