sup with him, being conscious that all the money he possessed would scarce procure a good one, and that there was no credit to be expected in those houses. His anxiety upon this head was however removed, upon Quin's informing him, that as he supposed it would have been inconvenient to have had the supper dressed at the place they were in, he had ordered it from an adjacent tavern; and as a prelude, half a dozen of claret was introduced. Supper being over, and the bottle circulating pretty briskly, Quin said, "It is time now we should balance accounts :" this astonished Thomson, who imagined he had some demand upon him--but Quin perceiving it, continued, "Mr. Thomson, the pleasure I have had in perusing your works, I cannot estimate at less than a hundred pounds, and I insist upon now acquitting the debt:" on saying this, he put down a note of that value, and took his leave without waiting for a reply. By this means was Thomson released from confinement, and Quin had the pleasure to see him a few years after again in affluence, having obtained the place of surveyor-general of the Leeward Islands. After this he wrote several dramatic pieces, amongst others his tragedy of Agamemnon which was acted with applause in 1738; and the tragedy of Edward and Eleanora which he prepared for the stage the ensuing year, when he was refused a license for it. Coriolanus was the last dramatic piece he wrote, and had not yet been acted, as the prologue testifies, at the time of his death in 1748. This pleasing poet's principal merit not lying in the dramatic way, and this, though the last, being far from the best of his works, even of that kind, I cannot pay any very exalted compliments to the piece: yet in justice to the amicable character of its author, I must not avoid calling to mind in this place, the grateful tribute of sensibility paid to his memory at the first representation of it; when, on a recapitulation of his loss in the prologue in a manner peculiarly affecting, and not without the visible tear trickling down his cheek, "I come not here your candour to implore, scarce an eye but began to moisten, and ere he had finished the prologue, a tributary tear was bestowed by almost every spectator, so general was the sense shewn of the value of a good and moral man. CHAPTER XII. The attention that was paid Mr. Quin by the late Prince of Wales. Is appointed tutor for the English language to his royal highness's children. They perform plays under his tuition. His extatic exclamation upon a public occasion. His encounter with Theophilus Cibber at the Bedford coffee-house. His retreat to Bath, and manner of living there. MR. QUIN had, during the course of his acting, from his judgment in the English language, and the knowledge of the history of Great Britain, corrected many mistakes which our immortal bard Shakespeare had by oversight, or the volatileness of his genius, suffered to creep into his works; he also changed many obsolete phrases in his favourite poet, and restored the proper pronunciation of various words to the stage, from whence it had long been banished. These talents joined to his merits as an actor recommended him to the observation of his late royal highness the Prince of Wales, father to his present Majesty, who appointed him to instruct his children in the true pronunciation of their mother tongue. In order to accomplish this the more effectually, it was necessary they should accustom themselves to the reading of Milton, and some of our best dramatic poets; this naturally created in them a desire to perform the parts they rehearsed; and his late royal highness, who was a tender and indulgent father, readily gratified their inclination. Mr. Quin perfected his royal pupils in their parts, and his present Majesty, with his brothers and sisters, represented several plays under his tuition at Leicester-house. Nothing could surpass the joy he felt, when he was from time to time informed of the virtuous and gracious disposition of his royal pupil, contemplating with pleasure the felicity of the nation under so good and just a prince; and upon being informed with what elegance and noble propriety his Majesty delivered his first gracious speech from the throne, he cried out in a kind of ecstasy-"Ay-I taught the boy to speak!"-Nor did his Majesty forget his old tutor, though so remote from court; for it is positively averred, that soon after his accession to the throne, he gave orders, without any application being made to him, that a genteel pension should be paid Mr. Quin during his life. It is true, that Mr. Quin was not in absolute need of this royal bene faction; for, upon quitting the stage, he thought it was prudent to make some provision for the remainder of his days, and as he was never married, and had none but distant relatives, he resolved to sink half of his small fortune in order to procure an easy competence. The Duke of B- who always professed a great regard for him, hearing of his design, sent for him, and very generously told him, that he would grant him an annuity for his life upon very much better terms than any he could procure from persons who made a profession of granting annuities; and so in reality he did, for Mr. Quin obtained two hundred pounds a year for two thousand pounds. With this provision and about two thousand more he had in the funds, he retired to Bath, a place he had always in his eye for a retreat, as the manner of living, and the company that associated there, were so entirely consonant to his plan of life; he accordingly hired a house there, and had it fitted up in a decent, if not elegant, manner. We may now suppose Mr. Quin at Bath; but before we fix him there for good, we must relate an adventure that happened at the Bedford coffee house about this time. The. Cibber, whose impertinence constantly kept pace with his vanity, having taken something amiss that Quin had said concerning his acting, came one night strutting into the coffee house, and having walked up to the fireplace, he said, "He was come to call that capon-loined rascal to an account for taking liberties with his character." Somebody told him, that he had been passed by Quin, who was sitting at the other end of the room in the window. "Ay, so I have sure enough" says he "but I see he is busy talking to Rich, and I won't disturb them now, I'll take another opportunity." "But," continued his informer, finding the backwardness of Cibber, and willing to have some sport, "he sets off for Bath tomorrow, and may not, perhaps, be in town again this twelvemonth." "Is that the case," said Cibber (somewhat nettled at finding his courage was suspected) "Then I e'en chastise him now."-Upon this he goes up to Quin and calls out aloud, "You— Mr. Quin, I think you call yourself, I insist upon satisfaction for the affront you gave me yesterday-demme”. "If you have a mind to be flogged," (replied Quin) "I'll do it for you with all my heart, d-mn me.' "Draw Sir, resumed Cibber, 66 or I'll be through your guts this instant."-"This (said Quin) is an improper place to rehearse Lord Foppington in; but if you'll go under the Piazza, I may, perhaps, make you put up your sword faster than you drew it." Cibber now went out; Quin followed, when they immediately drew-Cibber parried, and retreated as D far as the garden rails, when Quin tired with trifling so long, made a lunge, in doing which he tumbled over a stone: Cibber taking the advantage of the accident, made a thrust at him, slightly wounded him in the forehead, and ran off full speed towards the church, as if for sanctuary. Cibber put to flight, and Quin's wound dressed, the latter set out, according to his intention, the next day for Bath; and now let us take a view of his manner of living in this city: to do this, it will be necessary to observe how people in general pass their time here. It is customary to begin the morning by bathing, which continues from six till about nine; the company then repair to the pump-house, some to drink the hot waters, but more for pastime, as they are here amused by a band of music, which fills up the intervals of wit and pleasantry. From hence the ladies withdraw to the female coffee house, and from thence to their lodgings to breakfast; the gentlemen at the same time withdraw to their coffee houses to read the papers, and converse upon the news of the day, or such topics as may occasionally occur; and it must be acknowledged that this is done with a freedom and ease not to be met with in the coffee or chocolate houses of this city, for all restraint is there laid aside, and every one looks upon the present company as he would a set of old acquaintance whom he had known for many years. Public breakfasts are often given by persons of rank at the assembly houses, and sometimes private concerts. There are also in the morning lectures read upon various branches of arts and sciences for those who are inclined to improve their knowledge or refresh their memories. At noon the company appear upon the Parade and other walks, when they form parties for card playing or dancing for the evening. The more studious may now amuse themselves at the bookseller's shops, to which and the coffee houses, where they are allowed the use of pen and paper, they subscribe upon their arrival. We may now suppose it dinner-time, and if our friend partook of all the exercises of the morning, he was not behindhand in playing a pretty good knife and fork; as Bath is furnished with elegant provisions of every kind, and excellent cooks. Dinner being finished, the company meet again at the pump-house, when, if fine weather, they adjourn to the walks and from thence repair to the assembly to drink tea. The evening concludes according to their respective engagements, either in visiting, at the play, or the ball. Thus Bath yields a continued rotation of diversions, and people of all ways of thinking, even from the libertine to the methodist, have it in their power to complete the day with employment agreeable to their taste and disposition. Quin, who moved in the happy medium between both, could doubtless avail himself of the pastimes this agreeable place affords; if he did not often rise at six to bathe, or drink hot water in the pump-room, for the sake of being in fashion, he could enjoy the sprightliness of the conversation, and join in with the humourist or the satirist; he could comment upon the news of the day, with the politician or the schemist, at the coffee house; take a turn with Flirtilla upon the parade at noon; enjoy his friend and his mutton at three; crack a bottle and smoke his pipe till tea time; play a sober game at whist at the rooms; and retire contented to bed, without his losses or gains interrupting his repose. |