inconfiftent, with the Liberties of a civiliz'd People (neither of which, fure any moral Man of Senfe can difpute) might it not have fhewn a Spirit too poorly prejudiced, to have rejected fo rational a Law, only becaufe, the Honour, and Office of a Minifter might happen, in fome fmall Measure, to be protected by it.

But however little Weight there may be, in the Obfervations I have made upon it, I fhail for my own Part always think them juft; unlefs I should live to fee (which I do not expect) fome future Set of upright Ministers use their utmost Endeavours to repeal it.

And now we have feen the Confequence of what many People are apt to contend for, Variety of Play-houses! How was it poffible fo many could honestly subfift, on what was fit to be feen? Their extraordinary Number, of Course, reduc'd them to live upon the Gratification of fuch Hearers, as they knew would be best pleased with publick Offence; and publick Offence, of what kind foever, will always be a good Reafon for making Laws, to reftrain it.

To conclude, let us now confider this Law, in a quite different Light; let us leave the political Part of it quite out of the Question; what Advantage could either the Spectators of Plays, or the Mafters of Play-houses have gain'd, by its having never been made? How could the fame Stock of Plays fupply four Theatres, which (without fich additional Entertainments, as a Nation of common Senfe R

ought

ought to be ashamed of) could not well fupport two? Satiety must have been the natural Confequence, of the fame Plays being twice as often repeated, as now they need be; and Satiety puts an End to all Taftes, that the Mind of Man can delight in. Had therefore, this Law been made feven Years ago, I fhould not have parted with my Share in the Patent, under a thousand Pounds more, than I received for it--- So that as far as I am able to judge, both the Publick, as Spectators, and the Patentees, as Undertakers, are, or might be, in a way of being better entertain'd, and more confiderable Gainers by it.

I now return to the State of the Stage, where I left it, about the Year 1697, from whence this Purfuit of its Immoralities has led me farther than I first defign'd to have follow'd it.

CHAP.

CHA P. IX.

A fmall Apology, for writing on. The different State of the two Companies. Wilks invited over from Dublin. Eftcourt, from the fame Stage, the Winter following. Mrs. Oldfield's firft Admiffion to the Theatre-Royal. Her Character. The great Theatre in the HayMarket built, for Betterton's Company. It Answers not their Expectation. Some Obfervations upon it. A Theatrical State Se

cret.

NOW begin to doubt, that the Gayeté du Cœur, in which I first undertook this Work, may have drawn me, into a more laborious Amusement, than I fhall know how to away with: For though I cannot fay, I have yet jaded my Vanity, it is not impoffible but, by this time, the most candid of my Readers may want a little Breath; efpecially, when they confider, that all this Load, I have heap'd upon their Patience, contains but seven Years of the forty three I pafs'd upon the Stage; the Hiftory of which Period I have enjoyn'd my self to transmit to the Judgment (or Oblivion) of Pofterity. However, even my Dulness will find fomebody to do it right; if my Reader is an ill-natur'd one, he will be as much pleased to find me a Dunce in

my old Age, as poffibly he may have been, to prove me a brisk Blockhead, in my Youth: But if he has no Gall to gratify, and would (for his fimple Amusement) as well know, how the Play-houses went on forty Years ago, as how they do now, I will honeftly tell him the rest of my Story, as well as I can. Left therefore the frequent Digreffions, that have broke in, upon it, may have entangled his Memory, I must beg leave, just to throw together the Heads of what I have already given him, that he may again recover the Clue of my Discourse.

Let him, then, remember, from the Year 1660 to 1684, the various Fortune of the (then) King's, and Duke's, two famous Companies; their being reduced to one united; the Diftinct Characters I have given of thirteen Actors, which in the Year 1690 were the most · famous, then, remaining of them; the Cause of their being again divided in 1695, and the Confequences of that Divifion, 'till 1697; from whence I fhall lead them to our Second Union in- -Hold! let me fee-ay, it was in that memorable Year, when the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland were made one. And I

remember a Particular that confirms me I am right in my Chronology; for the Play of Hamlet being acted foon after, Eftcourt, who then took upon him to fay any thing, added a fourth Line to Shakespear's Prologue to the Play, in that Play which originally confifted but of three, but Eftcourt made it run thus:

For

For Us, and for our Tragedy,
Thus ftooping to your Clemency,
[This being a Year of Unity,]
We beg your Hearing patiently.

This new Chronological Line coming unexpectedly upon the Audience, was received with Applaufe, tho' feveral grave Faces look'd a little out of Humour at it. However, by this Fact, it is plain, our Theatrical Union happen'd in 1707. But to fpeak of it, in its Place, I muft go a little back again.

From 1697, to this Union, both Companies went on, without any memorable Change in their Affairs, unless it were that Betterton's People (however good in their Kind) were moft of them too far advanc'd in Years to mend; and tho' we, in Drury-Lane, were too young to be excellent, we were not too old to be better. But what will not Satiety depreciate? For though I must own, and avow, that in our highest Profperity, I always thought we were greatly their Inferiors; yet, by our good Fortune of being feen in quite new Lights, which feveral new-written Plays had shewn us in, we now began to make a confiderable Stand against them. One good new Play, to a rifing Company is of inconceivable Value. In Oroonoko (and why may I not name another, tho' it be my own?) in Love's laft Shift, and in the Sequel of it, the Relapfe; feveral of our People fhew'd themselves in a new Style of Acting, in which Nature had not as yet been