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other, they may have been seduc'd by the fame means with the rest of the world; and it may be added, we have known poets who have been as little judges of playing as the beaux themselves, and that the heart may have been in many cafes charm'd instead of the understanding.

A third objection, more formidable than either of these, may be rais'd from what passes every hour of our lives before us among the generality of mankind; we see people who have never study'd speaking, yet in common conversation giving the proper tone of voice, and the proper accent to every sentiment; and it will be ask'd, Why may not the player as well do this justice to the sentiments which are given him to deliver on the stage, without all this apparatus which we have deliver'd as necessary in order to it?

Our answer to this objection will be short. The man whom we observe in speaking to have the most just, regular, and varied inflexions of voice, often reads very ill, even his own writings; and they who read well will allow, that there requires a great deal of time and practice to arrive at the art of reading many things as they ought to be read; particularly fables, ftories, or plays written in rhyme and measure. Our clergy, tho' they generally speak well in common conversation, yet frequently read their fermons so ill, that people are induc'd to suspect they are not their own. If there are so many difficulties, as hence it appears there certainly are, in barely reading more than in common speaking, how many must there needs be in playing, which is to common reading what a finish'd picture is to a first rough draught in chalk ?

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CHAP. XXI.

Same Remarks whith may be of Service to certain modern Actors.

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HE more difficulty there is in the reprefentation of dramatic writings, the more necessary it is to the player to know his own ftrength, and not to attempt any thing beyond what he may be able to go through.

The English stage has from time to time shew'd us a kind of Proteus's capable of affuming every form they pleas'd, and of excelling in every different branch of their profeffion; we have feen in Mr. Garrick, a genius capable of all things that the stage can require, able to charm us in every character from Richard III. to Abel Drugger, and equally form'd to affect, to entertain, and divert us, equally able to make us laugh, and to call forth our tears: one would be apt to say that nature has crowded several different meit into this little body.

We have fome players who, if they would keep themselves within their proper bounds, would be able to do a great deal, but, who attempting, after the example of these masterly actors, to fall into every thing, can never excel in any thing, but remain middling in every character they attempt.

Others we have of a more modest turn, who chufe for themselves only one kind of characters, and bend all their study to excell in those; but very unluckily for fome of these, we find that they have fixed upon that set of characters, which nature has of all others the least qualify'd them for

excelling in. An actress perhaps has a good understanding, a readiness in her manner, and a great deal of the fineffe of playing appropriated to genteel comedy. She excells in characters of this stile, and must always do fo. She wants that pertness that characterises the people cut out for the Phyllis's of the stage: But if the will perform the Phyllis and neglect the Lady Townley, what is the to expect for this, but the contempt she

deferves?

Out of hope of fucceeding in these characters, tho she have neither the necessary elevation of foul, nor fufficient command of voice for tragedy, she will attempt that; and tho' of all people in the world not cut out for the fublime, or the pathetick, she will fpeak the words intended to convey such Ideas. The audience, captivated with the fight of a fine figure dress'd to a peculiar advantage, forget the player and applaud the woman: She misinterprets the praife, and fancies all the heroines of the stage are nothing to her, till falling into some one of her old and proper parts again, the is awak'd to a fense of herself, by finding the applaufe there double to what it was before.

A player of the other sex has a great strength of voice and force of expreffion. He is cut out by nature to perforin the general or the heroe, but he will be nothing but the lover. Cato wou'd found well from his mouth, but his heart will think of nothing but Juba. Another is cut out by nature to be useful rather than ornamental on the stage; he is form'd only for the fubaltern characters, but he will act none but those of kings and heroes. We have feen more than one player ruin'd by this fort of folly: Where

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Where the interests of a company give fuch a man a power of chusing, or where he finds the way to the weak side of a manager, the credit of the whole body suffers by it.

A man of great use at one of the theatres was some time fince going to run in a rage to the other house, because where he was, they offer'd him only second characters, and in the other where they wanted him, he was to play many of the first: He consulted a friend on the subject, who had fincerity enough to tell him that he was cut out by nature for the second characters, not for the first, and wou'd get much more reputation by such, than by setting himself upon a footing with Garrick, and with Quin, and giving an opportunity to a comparison in which he must make a very bad figure: He, by his honeft advice, retain'd him where he was, and where he is respected to this day. A fecond, favour'd confiderably more than he deserved in the same company, and deaf to every thing but the offer of the first parts, pursu'd his road of vanity, and is gone. To what purpose? to be despis'd and laugh'd at in first characters, instead of being applauded and esteem'd in those he was qualify'd for.

The CONCLUSION.

To what has been said in this treatise, we might add the examination of many other queftions relative to the subject, and which may be naturally enough started from reading what we have faid of it. Some of the principal of these, it may be not amiss to answer. We have just observed of some particular players, that the choice of parts feems altogether a matter of indifference in regard to them; that they are equally cut out for all, and able to command the fame applause in all; it may be asked however, whether a player of this kind wou'd not have excell'd yet much more, if instead of playing trajedy and comedy alternately, he had apply'd himfelf folely to one of them? The custom of the present times requires it indeed of the player to be able to do both; but it wou'd certainly be better in general if the best performers wou'd confine themselves to one of the two so very different branches of their profession; each of them requiring a long and labour'd application and study in order to the executing it well; and the one often requiring accomplishments fo very different from those necessary to the other. The man who is wholly unfit to succeed in the one, is yet often cut out well enough for shining in the other: Nay, we may go fo far as to affirm it impossible for the fame man to excell in tragedy, and to be as perfect in some parts in the comie writings, as others of infinitely less talents, only better appropriated to those parts, may be.

We all remember the late Mr. Hippisley's me rit in comedy, yet perhaps no body ever wish'd to see him in the bufkin; and we cannot but acknowledge that Mr. Yates at present plays the part of the Lying Valet vastly better even than Mr. Garrick, tho' it is a character of that gentleman's own writing; yet we shou'd hold the former of these in a very contemptible light if he were for this reason to attempt to rival the other in Macbeth or in Hamlet.

We remember Mr. Delane to have charm'd us in Alexander; and in Hotspur to have excell'd

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