Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/474

 CHERRY 463 doubt) who were then under the management of a Mr Martin. The first character our hero exhibited himself before his new audience in, was Colonel Feignwell, in Mrs. Cent livre's comedy of " A Bold Stroke for a Wife," somewhat an arduous undertaking for a boy of seventeen, as it is but rare that even the veterans of the stage are possessed of a variety of talent sufficient to represent this difficult character.The applause, however, was great, and the manager of this sharing company, after passing many en- comiums on his exertions, presented him with 101d. as his dividend of the profits on that night's performance. Young Cherry afterwards launched into a most exten- sive range of character, for being blest " with a peculiar facility of study," (i. e, a good memory,) in the space of ten months, he performed almost all the principal charac- ters in tragedy, comedy, and farce; and during the same periods underwent all the vicissitude and distress, that usually attend those hapless individuals, who are depen- dant on so precarious a mode of existence. The friends of Cherry have heard him declare, that although constantly employed in the laborious study, that his range of cha- racter must necessarily bring upon him, he never was in possession of a single guinea, during the whole ten months. He was frequently without the means of common suste- nance, atid sometimes even unable to buy the very candles by which he should study the characters that were so numerously allotted to him-eireumstances the whole of which are highly probable. In the town of Athlone, we are told, a circumstance of particular distress attended our hero; but which he bore with all the magnanimity that dramatic ardour could in- spire. The business of the theatre was suspended for a short time, in consequence of the benefits having turned out badly: the manager was resolved not to waste any more bills, but wait for the races, which were to commence in a few days. Our hero being of a timid and bashful turn, and assisted by a portion of youthful pride, was incapable