CHAPTER IX.

Fleetwood sells the remaining term of his patent, which is purchased by two bankers.... Mr. James Lacy admitted a third sharer....Mr. Garrick's second voyage to Dublin....Mr. Sheridan's success in acting...He obliges Quin to leave Dublin....Messrs. Sheridan and Garrick joint managers....Their success....Mr. Barry's first acting, and reception from the audience....Mr. Garrick returns to England....Plays at Mr. Rich's theatre, and shares the profits with the manager.

In the year 1745, Mr. Fleetwood grew tired with a manner of living which brought with it nothing but continual vexation and anxiety. Perpetually harrassed with the importunate claims of a hundred creditors, he suffered the painful sensation of being obliged to make his house a place of confinement. He was at last prevailed upon to advertise the remaining term of his patent, which was then reduced to about three or four years, with a view to pay off his most pressing incumbrances, that he might be enabled to retire to some place on the continent, where he could live decently on the shipwreck of his fortune. Two bankers, Green and Amber, became the purchasers, and admitted Mr. James Lacy to a third share, on condition that he would undertake the management of the theatre, and mortgage his portion of the patent till the profits should have enabled him to discharge the debt.

The sum they paid for their morsel of the patent was 3,2001. Mr. Garrick, I believe, was invited to

accede to the treaty, in any manner which he thought agreeable; but he saw the precarious situation of the theatre at that time, and did not care to risk his fortune and his labour at so alarming a period, when England was threatened with a rebellion, which was then actually broken out in Scotland. He was determined to pay a second visit to Ireland.

Mr. Lacy was extremely offended at Mr. Garrick's refusing to play at Drury-lane; and wrote to the proprietors of the Dublin theatre, in such terms, relating to his engagement there, as gave Mr. Garrick great offence.

So

But these proprietors had, by a formal writing, given the entire management of the Dublin stage to Mr. Thomas Sheridan, the son of Dr. Thomas Sheridan, the friend of the celebrated Dean Swift. This gentleman, either led by his own inclination, or invited by the example and success of Mr. Garrick, resolved to try his talent for acting on the Irish stage, about a year after Mr. Garrick had stept on the London theatre. His attempts were answerable to the most ardent expectations of himself and friends. great was his influence over the Dublin audience, that Quin, who arrived in that city during the first warm glow of Mr. Sheridan's prosperity, with an intention to act a certain number of characters, and put a handsome sum of money in his pocket, (a custom which he had often practised) was obliged to quit that metropolis with disgust, if not disgrace.— He was told by the proprietors that all the acting days, during the remainder of the winter, were engaged to the new actor.

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In 1743, Mr. Sheridan had acted several parts at Drury-lane, and a sort of competition, or rivalship, was set up between him and Mr. Garrick by officious friends this occasioned a quarrel between them, which was unreconciled when Sheridan left London. However, he knew and acknowledged the worth of Mr. Garrick; and as soon as he heard of his intention to visit Ireland, he wrote him a letter to this purpose, "That he was then sole manager of the Irish stage, and should be very happy to see him in Dublin; he would give him all advantages and encouragement which he could in reason expect.” made an offer to divide all profits with him, from their united representations, after deducting the incurred expenses. He told him, at the same time, that he must expect nothing from his friendship, for he owed him none; but all that the best actor had a right to command, he might be very certain should be granted.

He

Mr. Garrick was at colonel Wyndham's when he received this letter; after looking it over, he put it into that gentleman's hand, saying, "This is the oddest epistle I ever saw in my life." "It may be an odd one, (the colonel replied, after he had perused it) but it is surely an honest one: I would certainly depend upon a man that treated me with that openness and simplicity of heart."

When Mr. Garrick arrived at Dublin, he soon had a meeting with Mr. Sheridan, who offered to fulfil his promise of sharing profit and loss; but the former insisted upon a stipulated sum for playing during the winter. The other objected to the demand,

and persisted in his first proposal, which, he said, was most reasonable; for then he would receive as much money as he earned, and others would not be losers, when he, perhaps, might be the only gainer. After some little dispute, which Sheridan decided by taking out his watch and insisting upon an answer in a few minutes, Mr. Garrick submitted. The principal characters were divided between them; sometimes they acted parts of importance alternately, such as Hamlet, and Richard the Third. To give a peculiar strength to the tragedy of Othello, they for several nights acted the parts of the Moor and Iago by turns. The Irish theatre this year was more splendid and more frequented than usual.

Lord Chesterfield, then lord lieutenant, bespoke plays very frequently; but though he was very gracious to Mr. Sheridan, and often admitted his visits at the castle, he took not the least notice of Mr. Garrick; nay, when they both waited on him with candles in their hands, on the night of Mr. Garrick's benefit, he spoke very kindly to Mr. Sheridan, but did not even return the salute of the other. It seems his lordship, when in Ireland, had a mind to convince the people of that kingdom, that his heart was entirely Irish. When residing at Dublin, he gave intimation that he would encourage Mr. Sheridan's plan of an academy for teaching oratory, in these expressive words, "Never let the thought of your oratorical institution go out of your mind." But when Mr. Sheridan, some few years afterwards, waited upon him in London, with an expectation that he would fulfil his promise, and be one of his great pa

trons in his intended scheme, he received him coldly, and gave him a guinea, as his sole contribution to an oratorical academy.

During the management of the Dublin stage by Garrick and Sheridan, a genius started up, whose eminence in heroick characters, and whose excellence in scenes of love, tenderness, and all the mingled passions of the soul, has been greatly and justly celebrated. Barry was certainly one of the most pathetick lovers of the English stage, and I suppose not inferiour to Montford, so highly praised by Colley Cibber.

Othello was the character in which Barry chose to give the earliest proof of his genius for acting. After much allowance made to a raw and unexperienced adventurer, and the terrours of a first night's performance, all the criticks with one consent declared, they had never seen, on that stage, such a noble. first essay, nor such an early promise of future excellence. Mr. Lacy, manager of Drury-lane theatre, who went on purpose to Dublin to raise forces for Drury-lane theatre, was present at Barry's Othello, and immediately hired him at a very considerable income. Mr. Garrick was so pleased with this actor's merit, that he bore testimony to it in several letters which he wrote to his friends in London; assuring them, that he was the best lover he had ever seen on the stage.

Satiated with caresses from all ranks of people, and after having considerably added to his stock of money, Mr. Garrick left Ireland, and arrived in London May 1748.