HERE being now only one theatre, the T patentees confidered it as the means of accumulating wealth to themselves by the labours of others. Having once this maxim in view, it began to have fo ftrong an influence on their conduct, that the actors foon found themfelves in a difmal condition. They were oppreffed without decency, left without means of redrefs for the prefent, and without hopes for the future. In this fituation, Betterton endeavoured to convince the managers of their folly, and laboured to fhew from reafon and experience, that the means they ufed were very ill-fuited to the ends February, 1763.

they propofed. This language founded like treafon in the ears of this theatrical miniftry. Inftead of thinking how to remedy the mifchiefs complained of, they bent their thoughts to get the better of their monitor. With this defign, they committed fome of Betterton's beft parts to young actors, fuppofing this would leffen his character, and abate his influence. This policy ruined them, and affifted him. The public refented having plays illacted, when it was known they might be acted better. The wifeft and best players attached themselves wholly to Betterton, and defired him to turn his thoughts on fome method of procuring juftice to himfelf and them.

H

ton had a vifible advantage over them in this proceeding, he was a man of too much judgment and good-fenfe not to forclee, that any conqueft would be prejudicial to the victors, as well as the vanquished ; and therefore the only ufe he made of his fuccefs was, to propofe an accommodation, as moft beneficial for both parties. This the patentees, with haughtiness, rejected, not confidering of how much confequence it is in all fuch difputes to be, and to be thought, in the right; or at least they did not reflect, that by the making this propofition, Betterton and his party would fecure the good opinion of the public. They were heated with a fond prefumption of their own power, and blinded by a falfe notion they had conceived, that it was not to be controuled. They thought, they had the law on their fide, and whatever became of the juftice of their cause, the power vetted in them by the patent would enable them to triumph over all oppofition.

It doth not appear, that Betterton had any intention of diftinguithing his own intereft from thofe of the patentees, until they convinced him by their behaviour, that they were already distinguished in their opinions. The perfon they fixed upon to come into betterton's parts was George Powel, a nan as oppofive to the perfon he thought to fupplant, as Nature could well form him. He had hite without judgment, confidence without merit, and ftrength of lungs, which very much exceeded the ftrength of his understanding. With thefe abilities, or rather this want of ability, he ftept into Betterton's parts, and, which was no less welcome to him, with four pounds a-week falary inftead of forty fhillings. At the fame time, this step was taken among the men, another of the like kind was attempted in reference to the women. Mrs. Bracegirdle was then a young player, but had given fuch an earneft of what the after. wards performed, that no fcruple was made of offering her the parts of Mrs. Barry, the greatest actress that had then appeared upon the English ftage; but Mrs. Bracegirdle fhewed her capacity, and her virtue at the fame time, by a teady refufal.

Things being in this ftate, Betterton thought fit to provide for his own fecurity, by fetting on foot a kind of association amongst the actors, which fufficiently demonftrated his influence and their good fenfe, fince the ableft and moft esteemed among them readily agreed to fupport him. The patentees had recourse to the fame method, and lifted as many as they could on their fide. But though Better

At length this quarrel rofe to fo great a height, that the course of acting was entirely interrupted, which proved the lofs of a thoufand pounds to the patentees before Christmas. Yet they flattered themfelves with the hopes of going on better, during the remaining part of the feafon, by drawing off fome of thofe who fided with 1694 Betterton. Here they met with an unforefeen difappointment, by the death of queen Mary the Second, which occafioned a total fufpenfion of all public diverfions. This gave Mr. Betterton and his friends leifure to enquire upon what ground they flood; and whether

the

the earl of Dorfet, then lord chamberlain, was not able to redrefs their grievances. His lordship's inclinations were well known; but it was not found that his office enabled him to compel the patentees to do juftice to the actors. Upon this the fubject was canvaffed at court, and, at leaft, reached the royal ear. The king immediately fignified a willingness to relieve thefe people from a yoke they were not able to bear, and with which the public alfo was highly difpleafed. The lawyers were not long in finding out how this might be done. They had indeed given their opinion that the former patentees were good; but they agreed that this was no reftraint from granting a new patent. Thus was the knot cut that could not be untied, and Mr. Betterton and his friends at liberty to entertain the town on a stage of their own. Several perfons of diftin&tion subscribed forty guineas a-piece; and it was agreed to build a new theatre, where the Tennis-court then stood, in Lincoln's-inn-fields.

The managers of the old patent now found, too late, that they had pushed the matter too far; and that when Betterton and his party fhould leave them, they would be too weak to attempt any thing with fuccefs. They had, however, the good fortune to draw over Mr. Williams, and Mrs. Mountfort, from their adverfaries; which did them fome hurt, and the managers a great deal of good. They, likewife, endeavoured to obtain recruits from the country, in which they were not altogether unfuccefsful, for this brought Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Bullock, to the houfe; nor were

they altogether deprived of good actors, by the going off of Betterton: fince they had fill with them Cibber, Kent, Verbruggen, Powel, and Haynes, Mrs. Rogers and Mrs. Verbruggen.

The patentees proceeded with fear and trembling; knowing that Betterton's company would, in the opinion of all proper judges, prove infinitely fuperior. They had the advantage, indeed, of opening before their rivals; but at the fame time, they had the misfortune to make ufe of a very bad play, which they revived upon this occafion. It was Abdelazar, or the Moor's revenge, poorly written by Mrs. Behn; and they acted it before a numerous audience. The ftage, however, appeared fo indifferently filled, when Betterton, Mrs. Barry, and Mrs. Bracegirdle, were abfent, that the very next night their audience funk to nothing; so that they were not long in doubt as to the confequences of this feparation, with respect to themfelves. The patentees faw plainly their error; and that whatever became of the other company, their own, by dint of their wife management, was fallen as low as their bittereft enemies could with it, without any visible profpect of their being able to raise it again.

of Betterton fairly, is to give the history of the theatre during his time. At last they separated; yet gradually, not with unkindness. After this great actor had reached the age of feventy, his infirmities greatly increased, and his fits of the gout became more lafting and fevere. His circumftances alfo, which had not been improved by his having had the conduct of the theatre, grew daily freighter. This, join ed to the ill ftate of health his wife laboured under, made his condition but melancholy, at a time of life, when the highest affluence would not have made them chearful.

Yet even under all thefe preffures he kept up his fpirit, and was as ferene as ever, though lefs active; nay, he acted still, when his health, would permit, which was but feldom. The public (in thofe days. grateful) remembered the pleasure that Betterton had given them, and could not fuffer, after fifty years fervice, fo deferving a perfon fhould quit the ftage, without fome confiderable marks of their bounty. At that time, a benefit was not, as now, a common favour; much lefs a thing of right. This was granted, as a very particular acknowledgment, to Mr. Betterton; and the play of Love for Love was acted at the Theatre Royal for that purpose. Two of the best actreffes that ever graced our ftage, who had then quitted it, came upon that occafion,

to render it more advanta1709 geous. The part of Valen

tine was played by Betterton, Angelica by Mrs. Bracegirdle, Frail by Mrs. Barry. The Epilogue fpoken by Mrs. Bracegirdle, was written by Mr. Rowe, who deferved the laurel he wore, had this been'

his fole performance; and fo well was the whole affair conducted, that it produced Mr. Betterton five hundred pounds, and he received a promife that the fame favour should be annually continued. "There never was known, fays Sir Richard Steele, in the Tatler, fo great a concourfe of perfons of distinction as at that time. The stage itself was covered with ladies and gentlemen; and when the curtain was drawn, it difcovered there a very fplendid audience."--"All, continues the fame writer, have shewn a great refpect for Mr. Betterton; and the very gaming part of the house have been fo much touched with a fenfe of the uncertainty of human affairs, (which alter with themselves every moment) that in this gentleman they' pitied Mark Anthony of Rome'; Hamlet of Denmark; Mithridates of Pontus; Theodofius of Greece; and Henry the Eighth of England. It is well known he has been in the condition of each of thofe illuftri ous perfonages for feveral hours together, and behaved himself in those high ftations, in all the changes of the fcene, with fuitable dignity." The Epilogue, which was of fuch a nature, as could not but convey to every generous heart and elegant mind, a tender feeling for the dif trefs of him for whofe fake it was written, concluded with the following lines:

Had you with-held favours on this your night, [him right; Old Shakespeare's ghoft had rifen to do With indignation had you feen him frown, Upon a worthlefs, witless, tastelefs town: Griev'd and repining, you had heard him fay;

Why are the mufes labours cast away? Why did I only write, what only he could play?

But