With the following Embellishments, viz.

A neatly engraved Head of the late Comic Actor Mr. WESTON,

AND

ibid.

An ALLEGORICAL PRINT on the late Marriage of the MARQUIS of GRANBY.

LONDON, printed for R. BALDWIN, at No. 47, in Pater-nofter-Row. Of whom may be had complete Sets, from the Year 1732 to the prefent Time, ready bound and ftitched, or any fingle Volume to complete Sets.

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MTHOMAS WESTON.

London Mage

• THE

LONDON MAGAZINE,

FOR

FEBRUARY, 1776.

For the LONDON MAGAZINE.

Memoirs of that celebrated Comedian, and fingular Genius THOMAS WESTON. (With an exalt Likeness.")

"I knew him well;

He was a fellow of infinite bumour."

R. Thomas Weston was the fon of Thomas Wefton, Efq. firft cook to his majefty K. George the Third, the falary and emoluments of which place were fully fufficient to enable him to live as a gentleman, and give his fon an education, wherein he was infructed in all the polite accomplishments. Nothing remarkable how ever occurred worth noticing during his very boyish days; when he grew up to about fixteen years of age, he feemed to have a particular liking to the stage, at the reprefentations of which he was very often prefent: by frequenting the houfes where the actors ufually refort to, he foon be came acquainted with feveral of them, and alfo with a number of young fpouters: these laft introduced Tom to their clubs, which were at that time ufually held at the Horn, in Doctors Commons, the Queen's Arms, Newgate-ftreet, and the Queen's Head, in Duke's Court, Bow-itreet.

Our hero was exceedingly pleafed at this introduction, and the happinefs he had in view of figuring away in a fpeech among his fpouting acquaintance. Tom begged to be received a member of the fociety, which was granted him, and with the greateft pleasure he laid down his five fhillings towards buying a curtain, fome clothes, lamps, candles, and decorations. Tom now ftudied very hard till he made himself mafter of the Tent Scene in Richard the Third, and the battle with Richmond; and

SHAKESPEARE.

when perfect, put down his character upon the lift (as they took it by turns) for performance; when the night came, his heart beat, his face flushed, and he owned he was as much afraid as a performer, for the firft time, on a Theatre Royal, or Mr. Kelly, at the firft reprefentation of any of his pieces; he, however, received the applaufes of all the company; tokens of the hand they always thewed to young beginners to encourage them, as they faid (for applaufe is the nurse of merit) though they all agreed his acting was execrable, and his voice no ways adapted to the ftage. He was quite hoarfe before he had gone thro' half the firft fcene; he however was pleafed with his own performance, whatever other folks might think of it, which he has frequently told his friends fince, and indeed his future conduct proved it. At the play therefore, and the spouting clubs, he generally fpent his evenings, and the day in ftudying of new parts and fcenes.

Mr. Wefton (his father) had not, as yet, obferved any thing in his fon's behaviour to give him cause to fufpect his obedience; he therefore procured for him the place of Turnbroach, (turnfpit in English) in the king's kitchen, worth about thirty pounds a year: it is executed by a deputy, who is paid about feven or eight pounds a year, and which place our hero poffeffed till his death. He got alfo appointed a clerk under the clerk of the kitchen, and Tom made a jaunt in the yacht with the late king to Holland, in his way to Hanover, I 2

as

Foote fays to

The portrait here drawn is from a fcene in the Maid of Bath. Weflon, "you are a tight fellow, Tom." He replies, looking up at him, “yes, your bonour, nimble and flight-much of a height."