Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 10.djvu/363

 8), completed by Cibber from Vanbrugh's manuscript of 'The Journey to London.' 22. 'The Rival Queans, with the Humours of Alexander the Great,' a comical tragedy, Dublin, 8vo, 1729, acted, according to Genest, at the Haymarket on 29 June 1710. 23. 'Love in a Riddle,' a pastoral, 8vo, 1729 (misprinted 1719). This was written in imitation of the 'Beggar's Opera,' and played at Drury Lane on 7 Jan. 1 729. It was hissed by Cibber's enemies and converted into (24) 'Damon and Phillida,' a ballad opera, 8to, 1729, which was published anonymously, was acted successfully at Drury Lane, and kept possession of the stage. 25. 'Papal Tyranny in the Reign of King John,' tragedy, 8vo, 1746, acted at Covent Garden on 15 Feb. 1746. This tragedy, founded on 'King John,' was written and rehearsed nine years previously. Cibber, having been rebuked for meddling with Shakespeare, withdrew it. Pope refers to this in the 'Dunciad:' 'King John in silence modestly expires.' Cibber also wrote: 26. 'The Lady's Lecture,' a theatrical dialogue, 8vo, 1748, never acted. His name in the 'Biographia Dramatica' is said to be affixed to an opera called (27) 'Chuck,' 1736. The same work states that Defoe attributed to Cibber the anonymous tragedy called (28) 'Cinna's Conspiracy,' 4to, 17 13, taken from the 'Cinna' of Pierre Corneille, and acted at Drury Lane on 19 Feb. 1713, and has heard attributed to him (29) 'The Temple of Dulness, with the Humours of Signor Capochio and Signora Dorinna,' a comic opera, 4to, 1745 (Drury Lane, 14 Jan. 1745). Barker's 'Drama retarded, or List of Plays,' 1814, assigns to Gibber (30) 'Gapochio and Dorinna,' a musical entertainment, probably founded on the piece last named, 4to, no date. Gibber also claims to have assisted Steele in the composition of 'The Conscious Lovers.' During the earlier years of his theatrical career Cibber's pen supplemented advantageously his precarious earning as an actor. The withdrawal from the company at the Theatre Royal of Betterton, Mrs. Barry, and their associates, who in 1695 opened the theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, threw both managements, the old and the new, into constant straits. On 24 March 1691 Alexander Davenant, to whom four years previously Charles Davenant, assumably Dr. Charles Davenant, his brother, who is one of the sixers of the ifamous agreement of 1681 [see ], had assigned a portion of his share in the patent, made it over to Christopher Rich, who, stepping at once to a leading place in the management, is made chiefly responsible by Gibbar for all future failures. Cibber states that 'the provident patentees' forgot 'to pay their people when the money did not come in, nor then neither, but in such received one day's pay; and for some years after seldom had above half our nominal salaries' {Apology, p. 231). Gibber accordingly, who before he was two-and-twenty, and when he had but 20l. a year allowed him by his father, in addition to 20l. a week for his theatrical labours, had married Miss Shore, sister of John Shore, 'sergeant trumpet' of England, found his income too small to supply his family with the necessaries of life. 'It may be observable too,' he writes, 'that my muse and my spouse were equally prolific; that the one was seldom the mother of a child, but in the same year the other made me the father of a play. I think we had a dozen of each sort between us, of both which kinds some died in their infancy, and near an equal number of each were alive when I quitted the theatre' (ib. p. 267). At the beginning of the season of 1706-7 Cibber joined the Haymarket company, then under the management of Owen Swiney or MacSwiney. Early in 1708 the two companies united, the Haymarket was made over to Swiney for opera, and Gibber rejoined his former associates at Drury Lane, in the patent of which his friend Colonel Brett had obtained a share. Some objections on the part of Rich to taking him back were overruled. On 31 March 1708 Brett assigned his share in the patent to Wilks, Estcourt, and Gibber. At this period Rich, in answer to the constant complaints against his management, published an advertisement, reprinted in the 'Covent Garden Journal,' 1810, pp. 86-90, showing the amounts earned by his principal performers. According to this, Gibber received for seventy-one performances a salary at the rate of 6l. a week, amounting to 111l. 10s., a certain benefit of 51l. 0s. 10d., making 162l. 10s. 10d., to which was thought to be added by guineas from patrons and friends about 60l. additional. The publication of this advertisement did not prevent the actors from laying their grievances before the lord chamberlain, by whom Rich was ordered to satisfy their demands. This Rich declined to do, and on 6 June 1709 (1707 is the date wrongly given in Williams's 'Dramatic Censor') Drury Lane Theatre was closed by order of Queen Anne. Rich tried vainly to play in spite of the prohibition, and was, by a piece of sharp practice on the part of a lawyer named William Collier, member of parliament for Dover, who had obtained a license and a second lease from the pro-