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VOLUME THE FIRST.
VOLUME THE FIRST.
NOTE. 510 copies printed on this fine deckle-edge demy 8vo paper for England and America, with the portraits as India proofs after letters. Each copy is numbered, and the type distributed. No. 368 AN APOLOGY FOR THE LIFE OF MR. COLLEY CIBBER WRITTEN BY HIMSELF A NEW EDITION WITH NOTES AND SUPPLEMENT BY ROBERT W. LOWE WITH TWENTY-SIX ORIGINAL MEZZOTINT PORTRAITS BY R. B. PARKES, AND EIGHTEEN ETCHINGS BY ADOLPHE LALAUZE IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME THE FIRST LONDON JOHN C. NIMMO 14, King William Street,
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
Colley Cibber's famous Autobiography has always been recognized as one of the most delightful books of its class; but, to students of theatrical history, the charm of its author's ingenuous frankness has been unable altogether to overweigh the inaccuracy and vagueness of his treatment of matters of fact. To remove this cause of complaint is the principal object of the present edition. But correcting errors is only one of an editor's duties, and by no means the most difficult. More exacting, and
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PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.
PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.
The twenty-six portraits and eighteen chapter headings in this new edition of Colley Cibber's "Apology" are all newly engraved. The portraits are copperplate mezzotints, engraved by R. B. Parkes from the best and most authentic originals, in the selection of which great care has been taken. Where more than one portrait exists, the least hackneyed likeness has been chosen, and pains have been taken to secure those pictures which are likely to be esteemed as rarities. The chapter headings are etch
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LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS.
LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS.
NEWLY ETCHED FROM CONTEMPORARY DRAWINGS BY ADOLPHE LALAUZE. Volume the First....
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THE PREFACE.
THE PREFACE.
Much has been Writ of late pro and con, about the Stage, yet the Subject admits of more, and that which has not been hetherto toucht upon; not only what that is, but what it was, about which some People have made such a Busle. What it is we see, and I think it has been sufficiently displayed in Mr. Collier' s Book; What it was in former Ages, and how used in this Kingdom, so far back as one may collect any Memorialls, is the Subject of the following Dialogue. Old Plays will be always read by the
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A DIALOGUE OF PLAYS and PLAYERS.
A DIALOGUE OF PLAYS and PLAYERS.
Lovewit, Truman. Lovew. Honest Old Cavalier! well met, 'faith I'm glad to see thee. Trum. Have a care what you call me. Old, is a Word of Disgrace among the Ladies; to be Honest is to be Poor, and Foolish, (as some think) and Cavalier is a Word as much out of Fashion as any of 'em. Lovew. The more's the pity: But what said the Fortune-Teller in Ben. Johnson 's Mask of Gypsies , to the then Lord Privy Seal , Trum. Ben. Johnson? How dare you name Ben. Johnson in these times? When we have such a cr
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LETTERS PATENT FOR ERECTING A NEW THEATRE
LETTERS PATENT FOR ERECTING A NEW THEATRE
15 January, 14 Car. II. 1662. A Copy of the Letters Patents then granted by King Charles II. under the Great Seal of England, to Sir William D'avenant, Knt. his Heirs and Assigns, for erecting a new Theatre, and establishing of a company of actors in any place within London or Westminster, or the Suburbs of the same: And that no other but this company, and one other company, by virtue of a like Patent, to Thomas Killigrew, Esq. ; should be permitted within the said liberties. Charles the second,
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TO A CERTAIN GENTLEMAN.[3]
TO A CERTAIN GENTLEMAN.[3]
SIR, Because I know it would give you less Concern to find your Name in an impertinent Satyr, than before the daintiest Dedication of a modern Author, I conceal it. Let me talk never so idly to you, this way; you are, at least, under no necessity of taking it to yourself: Nor when I boast of your favours, need you blush to have bestow'd them. Or I may now give you all the Attributes that raise a wise and good-natur'd Man to Esteem and Happiness, and not be censured as a Flatterer by my own or yo
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CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER I.
A Man who has pass'd above Forty Years of his Life upon a Theatre, where he has never appear'd to be Himself, may have naturally excited the Curiosity of his Spectators to know what he really was when in no body's Shape but his own; and whether he, who by his Profession had so long been ridiculing his Benefactors, might not, when the Coat of his Profession was off, deserve to be laugh'd at himself; or from his being often seen in the most flagrant and immoral Characters, whether he might not see
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CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER II.
He that writes of himself not easily tir'd. Boys may give Men Lessons. The Author's Preferment at School attended with Misfortunes. The Danger of Merit among Equals. Of Satyrists and Backbiters. What effect they have had upon the Author. Stanzas publish'd by himself against himself. It often makes me smile to think how contentedly I have set myself down to write my own Life; nay, and with less Concern for what may be said of it than I should feel were I to do the same for a deceased Acquaintance
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CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER III.
The Author's several Chances for the Church, the Court, and the Army. Going to the University. Met the Revolution at Nottingham. Took Arms on that Side. What he saw of it. A few Political Thoughts. Fortune willing to do for him. His Neglect of her. The Stage preferr'd to all her Favours. The Profession of an Actor consider'd. The Misfortunes and Advantages of it. I am now come to that Crisis of my Life when Fortune seem'd to be at a Loss what she should do with me. Had she favour'd my Father's f
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CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER IV.
A short View of the Stage, from the Year 1660 to the Revolution. The King's and Duke's Company united, composed the best Set of English Actors yet known. Their several Theatrical Characters. Tho' I have only promis'd you an Account of all the material Occurrences of the Theatre during my own Time, yet there was one which happen'd not above seven Years before my Admission to it, which may be as well worth notice as the first great Revolution of it, in which, among numbers, I was involv'd. And as
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CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER V.
The Theatrical Characters of the Principal Actors in the Year 1690, continu'd. A few Words to Critical Auditors. Tho', as I have before observ'd, Women were not admitted to the Stage 'till the Return of King Charles , yet it could not be so suddenly supply'd with them but that there was still a Necessity, for some time, to put the handsomest young Men into Petticoats; [128] which Kynaston was then said to have worn with Success; particularly in the Part of Evadne in the Maid's Tragedy , which I
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CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VI.
The Author's first Step upon the Stage. His Discouragements. The best Actors in Europe ill us'd. A Revolution in their Favour. King William grants them a Licence to act in Lincoln's-Inn Fields. The Author's Distress in being thought a worse Actor than a Poet. Reduc'd to write a Part for himself. His Success. More Remarks upon Theatrical Action. Some upon himself. Having given you the State of the Theatre at my first Admission to it, I am now drawing towards the several Revolutions it suffer'd in
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CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VII.
The State of the Stage continued. The Occasion of Wilks's commencing Actor. His Success. Facts relating to his Theatrical Talent. Actors more or less esteem'd from their private Characters. The Lincoln's-Inn-Fields Company were now, in 1693, [250] a Common-wealth, like that of Holland , divided from the Tyranny of Spain : But the Similitude goes very little farther; short was the Duration of the Theatrical Power! for tho' Success pour'd in so fast upon them at their first Opening that every thin
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CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Patentee of Drury-Lane wiser than his Actors . His particular Menagement. The Author continues to write Plays. Why. The best dramatick Poets censured by J. Collier, in his Short View of the Stage. It has a good Effect. The Master of the Revels, from that time, cautious in his licensing new Plays. A Complaint against him. His Authority founded upon Custom only. The late Law for fixing that Authority in a proper Person, considered. Though the Master of our Theatre had no Conception himself of
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CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER IX.
A small Apology for writing on. The different State of the two Companies. Wilks invited over from Dublin . Estcourt , from the same Stage, the Winter following. Mrs. Oldfield 's first Admission to the Theatre-Royal . Her Character. The great Theatre in the Hay-Market built for Betterton 's Company. It Answers not their Expectation. Some Observations upon it. A Theatrical State Secret. I now begin to doubt that the Gayeté du Cœur in which I first undertook this Work may have drawn me into a more
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VOLUME THE SECOND.
VOLUME THE SECOND.
NOTE. 510 copies printed on this fine deckle-edge demy 8vo paper for England and America, with the portraits as India proofs after letters. Each copy is numbered, and the type distributed. No. 368 AN APOLOGY FOR THE LIFE OF MR. COLLEY CIBBER WRITTEN BY HIMSELF A NEW EDITION WITH NOTES AND SUPPLEMENT BY ROBERT W. LOWE WITH TWENTY-SIX ORIGINAL MEZZOTINT PORTRAITS BY R. B. PARKES, AND EIGHTEEN ETCHINGS BY ADOLPHE LALAUZE IN TWO VOLUMES VOLUME THE SECOND LONDON JOHN C. NIMMO 14, King William Street,
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LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS.
LIST OF CHAPTER HEADINGS.
NEWLY ETCHED FROM CONTEMPORARY DRAWINGS BY ADOLPHE LALAUZE. Volume the Second. AN APOLOGY FOR THE LIFE OF MR. COLLEY CIBBER, &c....
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CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER X.
The recruited Actors in the Hay-Market encourag'd by a Subscription . Drury-Lane under a particular Management . The Power of a Lord-Chamberlain over the Theatres consider'd. How it had been formerly exercis'd. A Digression to Tragick Authors. Having shewn the particular Conduct of the Patentee in refusing so fair an Opportunity of securing to himself both Companies under his sole Power and Interest, I shall now lead the Reader, after a short View of what pass'd in this new Establishment of the
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CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XI.
Some Chimærical Thoughts of making the Stage useful: Some, to its Reputation. The Patent unprofitable to all the Proprietors but one. A fourth Part of it given away to Colonel Brett. A Digression to his Memory. The two Companies of Actors reunited by his Interest and Menagement. The first Direction of Operas only given to Mr. Swiney. From the Time that the Company of Actors in the Hay-Market was recruited with those from Drury-Lane , and came into the Hands of their new Director, Swiney , the Th
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CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XII.
A short View of the Opera when first divided from the Comedy. Plays recover their Credit. The old Patentee uneasy at their Success. Why. The Occasion of Colonel Brett' s throwing up his Share in the Patent. The Consequences of it. Anecdotes of Goodman the Actor. The Rate of favourite Actors in his Time. The Patentees, by endeavouring to reduce their Price, lose them all a second time. The principal Comedians return to the Hay-Market in Shares with Swiney. They alter that Theatre. The original an
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CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIII.
The Patentee, having now no Actors, rebuilds the new Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields . A Guess at his Reasons for it. More Changes in the State of the Stage. The Beginning of its better Days under the Triumvirate of Actors. A Sketch of their governing Characters. As coarse Mothers may have comely Children, so Anarchy has been the Parent of many a good Government; and by a Parity of possible Consequences, we shall find that from the frequent Convulsions of the Stage arose at last its longest Settl
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CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XIV.
When we were first invested with this Power, the Joy of our so unexpectedly coming into it kept us for some time in Amity and Good-Humour with one another: And the Pleasure of reforming the many false Measures, Absurdities, and Abuses, that, like Weeds, had suck'd up the due Nourishment from the Fruits of the Theatre, gave us as yet no leisure for private Dissentions. Our daily Receipts exceeded our Imagination: And we seldom met as a Board to settle our weekly Accounts without the Satisfaction
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CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XV.
It must be observ'd, then, that as Collier had no Share in any Part of our Property, no Difficulties from that Quarter could obstruct this Proposal. And the usual Time of our beginning to act for the Winter-Season now drawing near, we press'd him not to lose any Time in his Solicitation of this new License. Accordingly Sir Richard apply'd himself to the Duke of Marlborough , the Hero of his Heart, who, upon the first mention of it, obtain'd it of his Majesty for Sir Richard and the former Menage
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CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Author steps out of his Way. Pleads his Theatrical Cause in Chancery. Carries it. Plays acted at Hampton-Court. Theatrical Anecdotes in former Reigns. Ministers and Menagers always censur'd. The Difficulty of supplying the Stage with good Actors consider'd. Courtiers and Comedians govern'd by the same Passions. Examples of both. The Author quits the Stage. Why. Having brought the Government of the Stage through such various Changes and Revolutions, to this settled State in which it continued
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SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. BY ROBERT W. LOWE.
SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER. BY ROBERT W. LOWE.
The transaction to which Cibber alludes in his last paragraph is one with regard to which he probably felt that his conduct required some explanation. After the death of Steele, a Patent was granted to Cibber, Wilks, and Booth, empowering them to give plays at Drury Lane, or elsewhere, for a period of twenty-one years from 1st September, 1732. [200] Just after it came into operation Wilks died, and his share in the Patent became the property of his wife. Booth, shortly before his death, which oc
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A BRIEF SUPPLEMENT To COLLEY CIBBER, Esq; his LIVES of the late famous ACTORS and ACTRESSES.
A BRIEF SUPPLEMENT To COLLEY CIBBER, Esq; his LIVES of the late famous ACTORS and ACTRESSES.
Mr. Betterton (although a superlative good Actor) labour'd under ill Figure, being clumsily made, having a great Head, a short thick Neck, stoop'd in the Shoulders, and had fat short Arms, which he rarely lifted higher than his Stomach.—His Left Hand frequently lodg'd in his Breast, between his Coat and Waist-coat, while, wi th his Right, he prepar'd his Speech.—His Actions were few, but just.—He had little Eyes, and a broad Face, a little Pock-fretten, a corpulent Body, and thick Legs, with lar
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MEMOIRS OF THE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES MENTIONED BY CIBBER, TAKEN FROM EDMUND BELLCHAMBERS'S EDITION OF THE "APOLOGY," 1822.
MEMOIRS OF THE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES MENTIONED BY CIBBER, TAKEN FROM EDMUND BELLCHAMBERS'S EDITION OF THE "APOLOGY," 1822.
William Smith. This judicious actor, who is said to have been originally a barrister, came into the Duke's Company, when acting under Sir William D'Avenant, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, about the year 1663. He rose soon after to the duties of Buckingham , in "King Henry the Eighth," and subsequently filled a range of characters distinguished by their variety and importance. Sir William Stanley , in Caryl's wretched play of the "English Princess," procured him additional estimation and applause, whic
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