nifestly calculated for the meridian of Dublin, is all that he recollects. "Tis in claret alone I place all my hope; There's more absolution in that than the Pope; With which you may face either devil or wife, GARRICK was fond of repeating an Epigram, which was made during his stay in Dublin, and owed its birth to the following circumstance: King William's birth-day is always celebrated with great pomp at the Castle of Dublin, and the ladies adorn their persons with orange-coloured ribbons. On that occasion, the Widow Madden, a lady of great beauty, and known to be a Roman Catholic, was at Court dressed in the fashionable stile. Mr. Arthur St. Leger, a young man of promising genius, who went soon after into the army, and was was killed at the battle of Fontenoy, happened to be in the circle, and observing the fair widow, and the ornaments of her person, withdrew from his place, and wrote the following lines: Little Tory, where's the jest, To wear that Orange on your breast? In the course of the play-house season, a great theatrical phænomenon made its appearance. This was the celebrated Barry, who soon after blazed out on the London stage, and gave delight to the metropolis. His first attempt was in the character of Othello, if that may be called an attempt, which was almost perfection at the outset. He was received with universal applause. Garrick was among the foremost of his admirers, and, when he returned from from his Irish expedition in May 1746, he spoke in the most generous terms of Barry's merit, and was upon all occasions loud in his praise. RICH was by this time convinced that Garrick was an extraordinary Actor. He wished to gain an accession of strength for the ensuing season, and, accordingly, made overtures to the man whom he had rejected with disdain. He offered advantageous terms, and as a further inducement, proposed to open his play-house, which was then shut, for six nights, in order to give so popular an actor an opportunity of appearing before a London audience, upon an equal share of the profits. Garrick embraced the offer, and played his capital parts with great Lacy, in the mean time, left no success. stone unturned, to draw Garrick for the en suing winter to Drury-Lane. But his applica tions were too late; Rich had carried his point, determined to open his theatre at the usual time with a strong company. CHAP. CHAP. XI. RICH engages GARRICK for the ensuing Season-A Strong Com pany of Performers at that Theatre; QUIN, Mrs. CIBBER, Mrs. PRITCHARD, WOODWARD, &c.-BARRY engaged by LACY at Drury Lane.-A Further Account of BARRY, and his Extraordinary Powers-GARRICK and QUIN carry all before them-GARRICK'S Farce of MISS IN HER TEENS-Dr. HOADLEY brings out his Comedy of the SUSPICIOUS HUSBAND-FOOTE's Criticism, and Approbation of the PlayGARRICK in RANGER, and Mrs. PRITCHARD in CLARINDA GARRICK'S excellent Epilogue-Anecdote of QUIN and GARRICK, September 1746, to THIS was the most flourishing June 1747 Sea season that was ever known at Covent-Garden. Quin, Garrick, Mrs. Cibber, Mrs. Pritchard, Woodward, Ryan, Chapman, and others of considerable, but in VOL. I. ferior |