Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/865

Rh in the tenth year of her age, made a very distinguished figure among them.

She appeared, for the first time, at Covent-Garden theatre, in 1738. She chose the character of Sir Harry Wildair, and acted it with ease, elegance, and propriety of deportment; so that it proved quite fashionable to see her in this character.

Her chief merit consisted in the representation of females in high rank, and of dignified elegance, whose graces in deportment, as well as foibles, she understood, and displayed in a very lively and pleasing manner.

But she did not confine herself to them; she loved to shew ignorance combined with absurdity, and to play with petulance and folly, with peevishness and vulgarity.

As, in her profession, she aimed at attaining general excellence, she studied several parts of the most pathetic, as well as lofty class in tragedy; and resolved to perfect herself in the grace and grandeur of the French theatre. With this view she visited Paris, where she was introduced to Mademoiselle Dumesnil, an actress, celebrated for natural elocution and dignified action.

On her return, she acted with approbation some parts in tragedy; but she never could attain to that happy art of speaking, nor reach that skill of touching the passions, so justly admired in Cibber and Pritchard. Old Colley, her master, who at the age of seventy professed himself her humble admirer, taught her to recite so pompously, that nature and passion were not seldom sacrificed to a false glare of eloquence.

Mr. Garrick's acquaintance with her commenced in Ireland: he became patentee of Drury-lane, in 1747, she was one of the articled comedians of Mr. Lacy; but, as he brought with him, from Covent-Garden, Mrs. Cibber