night, except during the run of a new pantomime-Violent riot in the playhouse -Garrick obliged to submit-The like at- tempt on the following night at Covent- Garden-The two ring-leaders taken up by Lord Mansfield's warrant―That noble- man, after giving them a severe reproof, prevails on Mr. Beard to drop his prosecu- tion-The two culprits dismissed, and the riots end-Mallet's tragedy of Elvira- That writer's stratagem to get his play acted-He practises a delusion on Garrick Remark of Dr. Warburton on Mr. Mallet -Elvira, little more than a translation of Ines de Castro, by La Motte-It was acted nine nights, and then expired-The season closes-Garrick, in the summer, forms a resolution to visit the Continent, and absent himself from the stage-He sets out with Mrs. Garrick, on the 16th September, 1763, and leaves the manage- lives of men, who were eminent in their time, has been always considered as a pleasing, and most useful branch of polite Literature. It traces the man into his closest retirement; views his conduct in all the relations of life; discloses VOL. I. B discloses his principles, his passions, and, in short, lays the whole character open to our view. History does not afford so instructive a lesson; it does not descend from its dignity, to enter. into the scenes of private life; it shews us the person in his public conduct, either acting with integrity, or serving the sinister views of his own ambition. But the entire character is not displayed. Biography supplies this defect. We are told by TACITUS, that in the degenerate age, in which he lived, it was an established custom to record the lives of eminent men, whenever a great character proved superior to the clouds of envy and wilfull ignorance, that too often pursue exalted virtue. THE same degree of attention to departed merit cannot be said to have flourished in this country. Writers of genius have seen their contemporaries temporaries pass away with calm indifference, or, at least, with deep silence, deaf to the call of friendship, and altogether neglecting to give due information to the world. The task of doing justice to the memory of the deceased, seems to have been consigned to after-times, when the Biographer must collect his facts from scattered fragments and oral tradition. In this manner it has happened, that the lives of the Poets, who flourished in the last century, were reserved for Dr. Johnson. But a Biographer of his genius cannot often be expected; and, indeed, to let the good and worthy moulder into silent dust, till some great writer shall, at a distant period, open the tomb, and call them forth to their posthumous fame, is a degree of cold neglect that ought to prevail no longer. |