THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, AND LONDON REVIEW, For DECEMBER 1791. MR. CHARLES MACKLIN. As when that Hero, who in each campaign Such, such emotions should in Britons rife, When press'd by want and weakness MACKLIN lies, POPE on Dennis. AT the age of ninety-two, Mr. Mack lin, the Neftor of the Stage, after an exertion of his talents for the maintenance of himself and his family unto a period much later than falls to the general lot of mankind, by the lofs of his memory has found himself reduced to a fituation which has compelled him to folicit the attention of the pub public towards him. When it is confidered, that the present state of his affairs is not owing to extravagance or vicious indulgencies, but to causes from which no human being can exempt himself, it is apprehended few words will be necessary to induce the public to regard the application for him with a favourable eye. We shall, therefore, lay before our reader's Mr. Murphy's Address subjoined to the Proposal for printing the Man of the World, and Love A-lamode; intending at a future, and not difrant period, to give a full account of Mr. Macklım's Life and Writings. TO THE PUBLIC. WHEN the reasons which have occafioned the neceffity of the present plan are shortly stated, the friends of Mr. Mack- The prefent Address is an appeal to the Bleffed with uncommon vigour of constitution, Mr. Macklin hoped that his industry and indefatigable pains would have held him above want to the end of his life. But the decay of his memory has deprived him of all hopes of appearing again in that profeffion which he always loved, and before that public whom he honoured for the generous encouragement with which * Fff 2 1 which his exertions have been always diftinguished. It is now near three years fince he first felt, in the middle of his part, on Covent Garden Stage, a fudden failure of memory. He has lived from that time in hopes of recovering his faculties; but his hopes have been too fanguine, and he now feels with regret, that he can never again have the honour of presenting himself before a British Audience. It is for this reason that his friends prefume to make this application. The two pieces on which the applause of numerous audiences has stamped a value were never printed; and as Mr. Macklin's memory has so far deferted him as to render those productions of no further use to him, it has been agreed, at a meeting of his friends, to offer them to the public by subscription. The Editor has most cheerfully undertaken the office of superintending the press, for a difabled performer, whom he has known during a number of years, and whom he always respected for his profeffional talents. He would take the liberty to add more, were he not restrained by Mr. Macklin, who says, "That he has not lived an inattentive obferver of the public mind, and therefore defires that bis case, without further folicitation, may be left to the generosity of fuch as are willing to relieve the languor of age, and the pains of disease and indigence." TO DOCTOR BROCKLESBY. HAVING heard, last night, that a plan had been adopted for the relief of Mr. Macklin, I have sent five guineas, which I detire you will apply as my fubfcription. Independent of the pleasure I have received from the writings and action of that celebrated comedian, Mr. Macklin has a peculiar claim on me from the following circumitance: On the death of Hefiod Cooke, about the end of the year 1756, at South Lambeth, myself and another gentleman fet on foot a private subscription for burying him, and for the relief of his wife and only daughter. Whilft he yet lay dend in the house, I related to a friend at the Bedford Coffee-houfe an account of his death, and the diftreis of his family, in the hearing of Mr. Macklin, then standing near the bar; immediately after which, though I had never spoken to him before, nor have at any time fince, Mr. Macklin addressed me in words to the following pur port:-" I am much concerned, Sir, at hearing the melancholy account you have given of poor Cooke and his family; I had a respect for him whilst living, and you will therefore oblige me very much, if you will permit me to add my mite to the subscription you have so laudably fet on foot;" and he gave me two guineas. Such an unexpected act of genuine benevolence has ever since impressed my mind with a most favourable opinion of the goodness of Mr. Macklin's heart, and I have scarce ever heard his name mentioned in private companies without telling it to his honour. If you should think the publication of this anecdote, at this time, would be ufeful to Mr. Macklin, you have my leave to make it known in any manner you shall choose. 3 F C G G 1 Oftriç Robin Good Fellow Sir Polydore Hogstye Æfop Trappanti Foigard Mad Welshman Morocco Servant Sir Hugh Evans Merry Wives of Numps Finder Sailor Windfor Double Gallant Tempest Captain Weazel Eurydice; or, The Devil Henpecked Beggar's Wedding Provoked Wife Stratagem Love for Love Committee Old Batchelor Virgin Unmasked 2d Part of Henry IV Mother-in-Law Univerfal Paffion Harlot's Progress Double Dealer Alchymist Silent Woman Lord Froth Orange Woman Man of Taste Roxana Plain Dealer Harlequin Grand Volgi Coffee House Man of Mode Careless Husband Relapse Rival Queens Squib Marplot Modelove Clown Don Choleric Mock Doctor Tim Peafcod John Moody She Would and She Would not Stratagem Tender Husoand Fall of Phaeton Tunbridge Walks 1739 Sir Novelty Fashion Sir John Daw Lord Lace Clodpole Busy Body Harlequin Ship- Love's Last Shift Silent Woman Amorous Widow Sir William Belfond Squire of Alfatia Bullock Recruiting Officer Tempeft Hospital for Fools Britons strike home 1740. Sir Francis Wrong head Old Batchelor Polite Conversation Country Wife Provoked Husband Rural Sports Royal Merchant Enchanted Garden Toby Guzzle Higgin Citizen Julius Cæfar Petit Maitre Butler Drummer 1741. Teague Twin Rivals Malvolio Witch Macbeth Shylock Teague Committee Twelfth Night Merchant of Venice* Macahon * This Play was revived the 14th of February in this year. As the cast of the characters may, at this time, be an object of curiosity, we shall here insert it. The 19th night of its performance was for Mr. Macklin's benefit. Macahon Old Woman Touchstone Dromio of Syracuse Comedy of Errors Physician Gomez Clown Corvino Drummer Sir Oliver Cockwood She Would if She Could Rehearfal Mercutio Romeo and Juliet Spanish Fryar Tom Thunb Rigdum Funnidos Chrononhotontholo gos Zerobabel Min's Lucy in Town Buck 1ft. Grave Digger Hamlet Miftake Henry V Covent Garden The. atre 753. Englishman in Paris 1759. 1743 Sir ArchyMac Sar- Love A-la-mode Nol Bluff Old Batchelor cafm Mr. Sredfaft Glofter Wedding Day 1761. Jane Shore Lord Bellville Married Libertine 1744. 1767. Iago Othello Ghoft Hamlet Irith Fine Lady Loveless 1773. Macbeth $745. Mr. Havard Mr. Turbutt Mr. Winttone Mr. Taswell Mr. Ridout Mrs. Clive Mrs. Pritchard Mrs. Woodman. favour favour in doing it without any folicitation; and I shall look on myself as the person obliged, if you will be fo kind as to accept of my volume of original pieces, and fome smaller things of mine, one of which is a play, which was acted this winter at Drury-lane Playhouse *. I will foon do myself the honour to wait on you, to encourage you to visit my small but pleafant habitation. I have sent to Mr. Annesley by the fame messenger, making a request to him, the compliance with which, I believe, will not be to his dishonour or disinterest; and my extraordinary regard to his peculiar fate makes me defirous of his compliance with my request. I am, Sir, SIR, LETTER II. After returning you and Mr. Mackercher thanks for the favour of your fubscriptions to my Plautus, I beg leave to fubmit a request to you, which nothing but my very fincere wishes for your future fuccess and felicity should induce me to make. Having prepared the ten volumes of my edition and tranflation of Plautus's Comedies, I am determined to pay a public mark of respect to ten perions, with very disinterested views; by addreffing a volume to each of them, and without the usual aims of addresses of that fort, being refolved to admit of no return, in whatever manner offered. All that I intreat is, that those persons will be fo good, as promoters of the work, towards embellishing it, to favour me with their contributions for a fet of copper-plates for each respective volume, for which I have agreed with an eminent engraver for five guineas a fet. What I propose by this method is, to defray the expences of my copperplates, and at the fame time to indulge the pleasure, which will be a great one to me, of paying a peculiar tribute of regard to ten perfons who I think deserve those tributes. Eight perfons (among whom are the Earls of Chesterfield and Godolphin, and Admiral Vernon) have been fo kind, on the first application, as to favour me with their contributions for a fet of copper-plates each; and I affure you, that it will give me a fingular pleasure, to raise a monument of my regard to you, before a volume of an edition and tranflation of one of the finest ancient authors, and for the reafons which I have given in my address to you, which I have enclosed that you may tee what I propose to print; and I make this request to you with the less referve, as I fcorn the expectation of any future advantage from it; and I affure you, that I should with great pleafure do any offices of regard to you in my power. I beg your acceptance of a Prologue and Epilogue of mine on Shakefpeare and his writings, which were spoke last winter †, and of a Play of mine which was acted last December. I have enclosed my preface to my Plautus, that you may fee at what a vast expence of time, trouble, and charge I have been in this work; and I beg the return of the preface because it is part of a fet on ordinary paper. When business will permit, and the days shall be tempting, I should be proud to fee you and Mr. Mackercher here. I have encioled a receipt to you for a fet of copper-plates; and the favour of your contribution by my fervant, shall meet with such returns as I believe will not be difagreeable to you, from Sir, • It was called "Love the Cause and Cure of Grief." A Tragedy acted the 19th of December 1743. It was performed only once. EDITOR. + Published in folio; they were spoken by Mr. Garrick and Mrs. Woffington, before and after the Merchant of Venice, acted at Drury-lane 21st January 1743, for Mr. Cooke's benefit, EDITOR. ANEC. |