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"old benefactor. I had not gone far from the house "when I heard behind me the cry of stop thief! "but this only increafed my difpatch; it would · "have been foolish to stop, as I knew the voice could "not be levelled at me. But hold, I think I paffed "those two months at the curate's without drinking. "Come, the times are dry, and may this be my poi"fon if ever I fpent two more pious, ftupid months " in all my life!

"Well, after travelling fome days, whom should "I light upon, but a company of ftrolling players. "The moment I faw them at a diftance my heart "warmed to them; I had a sort of natural love for every thing of the vagabond order: they were "employed in fettling their baggage, which had

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been overturned in a narrow way; I offered my "affiftance, which they accepted; and we foon "became fo well acquainted, that they took me as fervant. This was a paradife to me; they fung, danced, drank, eat, and travelled, all at the fame "time. By the blood of the Mirabels, I thought "I had never lived till then; I grew as merry as a grig, and laughed at every word that was spoken. They liked me as much as I liked them; I was "a very good figure, as you fee; and, though I was poor, I was not modeft.

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"I love a ftraggling life above all things in the "world; fometimes good, fometimes bad; to be "warm to-day, and cold to-morrow; to eat when one can get it, and drink when (the tankard is 66 out) it ftands before me. We arrived that evening at Tenterden, and took a large room at the "Greyhound; where we refolved to exhibit Romeo and Juliet, with the funeral proceffion, the grave and the garden fcene. Romeo was to be performed by a gentleman from the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane; Juliet, by a lady who had never "appeared

"appeared on any ftage before; and I was to fnuff "the candles: all excellent in our way. We had

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figures enough, but the difficulty was to dress "them. The fame coat that ferved Romeo, turned "with the blue lining outwards, ferved for his friend "Mercutio: a large piece of crape fufficed at once "for Juliet's petticoat and pall: a peftle and mortar "from a neighbouring apothecary's anfwered all the "purposes of a bell; and our landlord's own family, wrapped in white fheets, ferved to fill up the "proceffion. In fhort, there were but three figures among us that might be faid to be dreffed with any propriety: I mean the nurse, the starved apo"thecary, and myfelf. Our performance gave uni"verfal fatisfaction: the whole audience were en"chanted with our powers.

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"There is one rule by which a strolling-player "may be ever fecure of fuccefs; that is, in our "theatrical way of expreffing it, to make a great "deal of the character. To fpeak and act as in

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common life, is not playing, nor is it what peo"ple come to fee: natural fpeaking, like fweet wine, runs glibly over the palate, and scarcely leaves any "tafte behind it; but being high in a part refem

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bles vinegar, which grates upon the tafte, and "one feels it while he is drinking. To please in "town or country, the way is to cry, wring, cringe "into attitudes, mark the emphafis, flap the pock

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ets, and labour like one in the falling fickness: "that is the way to work for applaufe; that is the "way to gain it.

"As we received much reputation for our skill on "this firft exhibition, it was but natural for me to "afcribe part of the fuccefs to myfelf; I fnuffed the "candles, and let me tell you, that without a can"dle-fnuffer, the piece would lofe half its embellifhments. In this manner we continued a fort

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"night, and drew tolerable houfes; but the even"ing before our intended departure, we gave out "our very beft piece, in which all our ftrength was

to be exerted. We had great expectations from "this, and even doubled our prices, when behold "one of the principal actors fell ill of a violent fever. This was a ftroke like thunder to our little company they were refolved to go in a body, to "fcold the man for falling fick at fo inconvenient

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a time, and that too of a diforder that threatened "to be expenfive; I feized the moment, and offer"ed to act the part myself in his ftead. The case "was defperate: they accepted my offer; and I acર. cordingly fat down, with the part in my hand and

a tankard before me (Sir, your health), and ftudied "the character, which was to be rehearsed the next "day, and played foon after.

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"I found my memory exceffively helped by drinking: I learned my part with aftonishing rapidity, and bid adieu to fnuffing candles ever after. I found that nature had defigned me for "more noble employments, and I was refolved to "take her when in the humour. We got together " in order to rehearse; and I informed my compa"nions, mafters now no longer, of the furprifing "change I felt within me. Let the fick man, faid "I, be under no uneafinefs to get well again; I'll "fill fill his place to univerfal fatisfaction; he may even "die if he thinks proper; I'll engage that he fhall

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never be miffed. I rehearsed before them, ftrutted, ❝ranted, and received applause. They foon gave ઃઃ ⚫out that a new actor of eminence was to appear, and immediately all the genteel places were betpoke. Before I afcended the stage, however, "I concluded within myfelf, that as I brought money to the house, I ought to have my fhare in the profits. Gentlemen, faid I, addreffing our com

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pany, I don't pretend to direct you; far be it "from me to treat you with fo much ingratitude: you have published my name in the bills with the "utmoft good-nature; and as affairs ftand cannot "act without me: fo gentlemen, to fhew you my gratitude, I expect to be paid for my acting as "much as any of you, otherwife I declare off. I'll "brandish my fnuffers, and clip candles as ufual. "This was a very difagreeable propofal, but they "found that it was impoffible to refufe it; it was "irrefiftible, it was adamant: they confented, and "I went on in king Bajazet; my frowning brows, "bound with a stocking ftuffed into a turban, while

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on my captiv'd arms I brandifhed a jack-chain. "Nature feemed to have fitted me for the part; I "was tall, and had a loud voice; my very entrance "excited univerfal applause; I looked round on the "audience with a fmile, and made a moft low and

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graceful bow, for that is the rule among us. As it was a very paffionate part, I invigorated my fpirits with three full glaffes (the tankard is almost out) of brandy. By Alla! it is almoft inconceiv"able how I went through it; Tamerlane was but a "fool to me; though he was fometimes loud enough "too, yet I was ftill louder than he: but then, be"fides, I had attitudes in abundance: in general I "kept my arms folded up thus, upon the pit of my ftomach; it is the way at Drury-Lane, and "has always a fine effect. The tankard would fink "to the bottom before I could get through the "whole of my merits: in fhort, I came off like a pro

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digy; and fuch was my fuccefs, that I could ra"vith the laurels even from a firloin of beef. The principal gentlemen and ladies of the town came "to me, after the play was over, to compliment me upon my fuccefs; one praised my voice, another my perfon: upon my word, fays the fquire's lady,

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* he will make one of the fineft actors in Europe; “I say it, and I think I am fomething of a judge. "Praife in the beginning is agreeable enough, " and we receive it as a favour; but when it comes

in great quantities we regard it only as a debt, "which nothing but our merit could extort: inftead of thanking them, I internally applauded myself. We were defired to give our piece a fe"cond time; we obeyed; and I was applauded even more than before.

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"At laft we left the town, in order to be at a horfe-race at fome diftance from thence. I fhall "never think of Tenterden without tears of grati

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tude and refpect. The ladies and gentlemen there, "take my word for it, are very good judges of plays and actors. Come, let us drink their healths, if you please, fir. We quitted the town, I fay; and there was a wide difference between my coming "in and going out: I entered the town a candle"fnuffer, and I quitted it an hero!—Such is the "world; little to-day, and great to-morrow.

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could fay a great deal more upon that fubject, "fomething truly fublime, upon the ups and downs "of fortune; but it would give us both the spleen, "and fo I fhall pafs it over.

"The races were ended before we arrived at the "" next town, which was no finall difappointment to our company; however we were refolved to take "all we could get. I played capital characters there

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too, and came off with my ufual brilliancy. I "fincerely believe I fhould have been the firft actor "of Europe had my growing merit been properly "cultivated; but there came an unkindly froft "which nipped me in the bud, and levelled me 66 once more down to the common standard of hu"manity. I played Sir Harry Wildair; all the Vol. IV. 66 country

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