Winter, as Wilks had a Year, or two before, done on their fide the Water, in the Summer. But it was not fo clear to Dogget, and myself, that it was in their Power, to do us the fame Service in Drury-Lane, as Wilks might have done them in Dublin. However Wilks was fo much a Man of Honour, that he fcorned to be outdone in the leaft Point of it, let the Coft be what it would, to his Fellow-Menagers, who had no particular Accounts of Honour open with them. with them. To acquit himself therefore with a better Grace, Wilks fo order'd it, that his Hibernian Friends were got upon our Stage, before any other Menager had well heard of their Arrival. This fo generous Dispatch of their Affair, gave Wilks a very good Chance of convincing his Friends, that Himself was fole Mafter of the Masters of the Company. Here now, the different Elements in our Tempers began to work with us. While Wilks was only animated by a grateful Hospitality to his Friends, Dogget was ruffled into a Storm, and look'd upon this Generofity, as fo much Infult, and Injustice upon himself, and the Fraternity. During this Disorder, I ftood by, a feeming quiet Paffenger, and, fince talking to the Winds, I knew, could be to no great Purpose, (whatever Weaknefs it might be call'd) could not help smiling, to observe with what officious Eafe, and Delight, Wilks was treating his Friends at our Expence, who were fcarce acquainted with them: For, it feems, all this was to end in Bb 2 their

their having a Benefit-Play, in the Height of the Seafon, for the unprofitable Service they had done us, without our Confent, or Defire to employ them. Upon this Dogget bounc'd, and grew almost as untractable as Wilks himfelf. Here, again, I was forc'd to clap my Patience to the Helm, to weather this difficult Point between them: Applying myself therefore to the Perfon, I imagin'd was most likely to hear me, I defired Dogget, to con"fider, that I muft naturally, be as much "hurt, by this vain, and over-bearing Beha"viour in Wilks, as he could be; and that tho' it was true, thefe Actors had no Pre

tence, to the Favour defign'd them; yet "we could not fay they had done us any "farther Harm, than letting the Town fee, "the Parts they had been fhewn in, had "been better done by thofe, to whom they "properly belong'd: Yet as we had great"ly profited, by the extraordinary Labour "of Wilks, who acted long Parts almoft

every Day, and at least twice to Dogget's once; and that I granted it might not "be fo much his Confideration of our com"mon Intereft, as his Fondness for Applause, "that fet him to Work; yet even that Va

nity, if he supposed it fuch, had its Merit (( to us; and as we had found our Account in "it, it would be Folly upon a Punctilio, to tempt the Rafhness of a Man, who was capable to undo all he had done, by any "Act of Extravagance, that might fly into

"his Head That admitting this Benefit

might be fome little Lofs to us, yet to break "with him upon it, could not but be ten "times of worse Confequence, than our overlooking his difagreeable manner of making "the Demand upon us.

Though, I found, this had made Dogget drop the Severity of his Features, yet he endeavoured ftill to feem uneafy, by his starting a new Objection, which was, That we could not be sure even of the Charge, they were to pay for it: For Wilks, faid he, you know will go any Lengths, to make it a good Day, to them, and may whisper the Door-keepers, to give them the Ready-money taken, and return the Account, in fuch Tickets only, as thefe Actors, have not themselves difpofed of. To make this eafy too, I gave him my Word, to be anfwerable for the Charge, my felf. Upon this he acceded, and accordingly they had the Benefit-Play. But fo it happen'd (whether as Dogget had fufpected, or not, I cannot fay) the Ready-money receiv'd, fell Ten Pounds fhort of the Sum, they had agreed to pay for it. Upon the Saturday following, (the Day on which we conftantly made up our Accounts) I went early to the Office, and inquired, if the Ten Pounds had yet been paid in; but not hearing that one Shilling of it had found its way thither, I immediately supply'd the Sum out of my own Pocket, and directed the Treasurer to charge it received from me, in the deficient Receipt of

Bb 3

the

the Benefit-Day. Here, now, it might be imagined, all this filly Matter was accommodated, and that no one could fo properly fay, he was aggrieved, as myfelf: But let us obferve what the Confequence fays---why, the Effect of my infolent interpofing honefty prov❜d to be this: That the Party moft oblig'd, was the most offended; and the Offence was imputed to me, who had been Ten Pounds out of Pocket, to be able to commit it: For when Wilks found, in the Account, how fpitefully the Ten Pounds had been paid in, he took me afide into the adjacent Stone-Paffage, and with fome Warmth ask'd me, What I meant by pretending to pay in this Ten Pounds? And that, for his part, he did not underftand fuch Treatment. To which I reply'd, That tho' I was amaz'd, at his thinking himself, ill-treated, I would give him a plain, justifiable Answer.---- That I had given my Word to Dogget, the Charge of the Benefit fhould be fully paid, and fince his Friends had neglected it, I found myself bound to make it good. Upon which he told me, I was miftaken, if I thought, he did not fee into the bottom of all this --- That Dogget, and I, were always endeavouring to thwart, and make him uneafy; but he was able to ftand upon his own Legs, and we should find he would not be ufed fo: That he took this Payment of the Ten Pounds, as an Infult upon him, and a Slight to his Friends; but rather than fuffer it, he would tear the whole Bufinefs to pieces: That I knew it was in his Power to do it;

and

1

and if he could not do a civil thing to a Friend, without all this fenfeless Rout about it, he could be received in Ireland upon his own Terms, and could as eafily mend a Company there,' as he had done here: That if he were gone, Dogget and I would not be able to keep the Doors open a Week, and, by G---, he would not be a Drudge for nothing. As I knew all this was but the Foam of the high Value he had set upon himself, I thought it not amifs, to feem a little filently concerned, for the helpless Condition, to which his Refentment of the Injury I have related, was going to reduce us: For I knew I had a Friend, in his Heart, that, if I gave him a little time to cool, would foon bring him to Reason: The fweet Morfel of a Thousand Pounds a Year, was not to be met with at every Table, and might tempt a nicer Palate than his own to swallow it, when he was not out of Humour. This I knew would always be of weight with him, when the best Arguments I could ufe, would be of none. I therefore gave him no farther Provocation, than by gravely telling him, We all had it in our Power to do one another a Mifchief; but I believed none of us much cared to hurt ourfelves; that if he was not of my Opinion, it would not be in my Power, to hinder whatever new Scheme, he might refolve upon; that London would always have a Play-house, and I fhould have fome Chance in it, tho' it might not be fo good as it had been; that he might be fure, if I had thought my paying in the Bb 4 Ten