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of the stage bid farewell to it forever. Before that last performance, Garrick appeared in a round of his most. famous characters; and that entertaining raconteur, Frederick Reynolds, tells how he saw the great man's final presentation of Hamlet.

"On the morning of that day," says Reynolds, "Perkins, who was my father's wig maker, as well as Garrick's, cut and trimmed my hair for the occasion. During the operation he told me, that when I saw Garrick first behold the ghost, I should see each individual hair of his head stand upright; and he concluded, by hoping, that though I so much admired the actor, I would reserve a mite of approbation for him, as the artist of this most ingenious, mechanical wig; the real cause,' he added, 'entre nous, of his prodigious effects in that scene.' Whether this story was related by the facetious perruquier to puff himself, or to hoax me, I will not pretend to decide; but this I can say with truth, that though I did not see Garrick's hair rise perpendicularly, mine did, when he broke from Horatio and Marcellus, with anger flashing from 'his two balls of fire' (as his eyes were rightly called) exclaiming,

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'By heaven, I'll make a ghost of him that lets me.'"

The narrator was also on hand on the farewell evening. Garrick played Felix in The Wonder with a fire that made him young again and afterwards addressed the enthusiastic yet sorrowing house, broke down in

the middle of this, the most pathetic Epilogue of his life, recovered himself, ended his valedictory and then, solemnly bowing, walked off the stage forever, amid the mingled tears and plaudits of the brilliant assemblage. On this night, continues Reynolds, "my brother Jack and I, after waiting two hours, succeeded at length in entering the pit. But the commencement of the evening was somewhat unfortunate to my brother, who, during the struggle in the pit passage, not only had his watch stolen, but so completely lost his temper that, on the detection of the thief, who immediately offered to restore the property, Jack, instead of receiving it, with all the fury of an enraged young lawyer determined to have the stolen goods found on him. Accordingly he seized him, and shouted for police officersin vain; the crowd involuntarily prevented a possibility of their interference. Jack now dragged the thief into the pit, and again called loudly for police officers, who at length came, though somewhat late; for owing to the increased confusion the bird had at length broken from Jack and flown!

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"The riot and struggle for places can scarcely be imagined," continues Reynolds, "even from the above anecdote. Though a side box close to where we sat was completely filled, we beheld the door burst open, and an Irish gentleman attempt to make entry, vi et armis. 'Shut the door, box-keeper,' loudly cried some of the party, "There's room by the pow'rs!' cried the Irishman, and persisted in advancing. On

this, a gentleman in the second row rose, and exclaimed, 'Turn out that blackguard!' 'Oh, and that is your mode, honey?' coolly retorted the Irishman, 'come, come out, my dear, and give me satisfaction, or I'll pull your nose, faith, you coward, and shillaly you through the lobby!'

"This public insult left the tenant in possession no alternative; so he rushed out to accept the challenge; when, to the pit's general amusement, the Irishman jumped into his place, and having deliberately seated and adjusted himself, he turned around and cried; 'I'll talk to you after the play is over.'

"The comedy of The Wonder commenced, but I have scarcely any recollection of what passed during its representation; or, if I had, would it not be tedious to repeat a ten times told tale?* I only remember that Garrick and his hearers were mutually affected by the farewell address; particularly in that part where he said The jingle of rhyme and the language of fiction would but ill suit his present feelings' and also, when putting his hand to his breast he exclaimed, 'Whatever may be the changes of my future life, the deepest impression of your gratitude will remain here, fixed and unalterable.' Still, however, though my memory will not allow me to dwell further on the events of the evening my pride will never permit me to forget, that I witnessed Garrick's dramatic death." The physical death of this wondrous player, who

* Would that he had done so, nevertheless.

had so often mimicked the Grim Visitor that now stood upon his threshold, occurred peacefully and painlessly on January 20, 1779. Two days after the funeral (his remains were laid with great pomp and ceremony at the base of Shakespeare's statue in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey) his brother George Garrick went over to the great Majority, fitly enough, as it seemed. George had been David's right hand man at Drury Lane, a Fidus Achates as well as a relation. On his returning to the theatre after a brief absence he would invariably ask “Has my brother wanted me?" and when he was gathered unto his fathers, a friend said wittily but tenderly, "His brother wanted him.”

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OPENED IN 1794 AND DESTROYED BY FIRE IN 1809. FROM AN ENGRAVING BY W. J. WHITE AFTER A DRAWING BY J. CAPON.

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