Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 14.djvu/16

 no issue. His portrait has been engraved by Scriven, from a painting by Jackson.

His works are:
 * 1) ‘Thoughts, chiefly on serious subjects,’ Exeter (privately printed), 1821, 8vo, second edition, with additions, including remarks on ‘Lacon,’ by Caleb Colton, 2 vols. Exeter, 1822, 8vo.
 * 2) ‘Ideas and Realities, or thoughts on various subjects,’ Exeter, 1827, 8vo.
 * 3) ‘Extracts from and observations on Cicero's dialogues De Senectute and De Amicitia, and a translation of his Somnium Scipionis, with notes,’ Exeter, 1829, 8vo, London, 1832, 8vo.
 * 4) ‘Thoughts on various subjects,’ London, 1831, 8vo.
 * 5) ‘Travelling Thoughts,’ Exeter, 1831, 8vo.
 * 6) ‘Poems,’ Edinburgh, 1831, 8vo.v ‘Extracts from Young's Night Thoughts, with observations upon them,’ Lond. 1832, 8vo.



DANCE, CHARLES (1794–1863), dramatist, was the son of, architect [q. v.] During thirty years he was in the office of the late insolvent debtors' court, in which he was successively registrar, taxing officer, and chief clerk, retiring ultimately upon a superannuation allowance. Alone or in collaboration with J. R. Planché or others he wrote many pieces, chiefly of the lightest description, which were produced at the Olympic or other theatres. So great was his success in supplying Madame Vestris with extravaganzas that he was spoken of as a founder of a new order of burlesque. His pieces, which are mostly printed in Lacy's ‘Acting Edition of Plays,’ Duncombe's ‘British Theatre,’ Webster's ‘Acting National Drama,’ and Miller's ‘Modern Acting Drama,’ cover a period of nearly a quarter of a century. Some of his comediettas or farces, as ‘The Bengal Tiger,’ ‘Delicate Ground,’ ‘A Morning Call,’ ‘Who speaks first,’ and ‘Naval Engagements,’ are still occasionally revived, and one of his pieces was translated into German. Among his extravaganzas the best known is ‘Olympic Revels,’ with which, 3 Jan. 1831, Madame Vestris—the first feminine lessee of a theatre, according to the prologue, by John Hamilton Reynolds, spoken on the occasion—opened the Olympic. Other pieces in which Dance had more or less share are, ‘Alive and Merry,’ a farce; ‘Lucky Stars,’ a burletta; ‘Advice Gratis,’ a farce; ‘A Wonderful Woman,’ comic drama; ‘Blue Beard,’ a musical burletta; ‘A Dream of the Future,’ a comedy; ‘The Victor vanquished,’ a comedy; ‘Marriage a Lottery,’ a comedy; ‘The Stock Exchange,’ a comic drama; ‘The Paphian Bower,’ an extravaganza; ‘Telemachus,’ an extravaganza; ‘Pleasant Dreams,’ a farce; ‘The Country Squire,’ a comedy; ‘Toquet with the Tuft,’ a burletta; ‘Puss in Boots,’ a burletta; ‘Sons and Systems,’ a burletta; ‘The Burlington Arcade,’ a burletta; ‘Izaak Walton,’ a drama; ‘The Beulah Spa,’ a burletta; ‘The Dustman's Belle,’ a comic drama; ‘A Match in the Dark,’ a comedietta; and ‘The Water Party,’ a farce. During his later years Dance was a well-known figure at the Garrick Club. Dance was twice married, and survived both his wives. He lived in Mornington Road, not far from Regent's Park, and died at Lowestoft, whither he had returned for his health, 5 Jan. 1863. His illness was heart disease.



DANCE, GEORGE, the elder (1700–1768), architect, was surveyor to the corporation of London, and designed the Mansion House and many of the churches and public buildings of the city during the earlier half of the eighteenth century. Of the first named, begun in 1739, the story is told that an original design of Palladio's was submitted to the common council by Lord Burlington, a zealous patron of art, but was rejected by the civic authorities in favour of Dance's design, on the ground of Palladio being a papist, and not a freeman of the city! Dance is said to have been originally a shipwright, and is thought by the satirical author of the ‘Critical Review,’ &c., never to have lost sight of his original calling. But the Mansion House has served its purpose as well probably as if Palladio had been its architect, and may still be admired for its stately monumental effect, whatever may be thought of the clumsiness of detail which it exhibits in common with other buildings of the time. As Telford says of it, ‘it is grand and impressive as a whole, and reflects credit upon its architect.’ Among Dance's other works may be mentioned the churches of St. Botolph's, Aldgate, built in 1741–4; St. Luke's, Old Street; St. Leonard's, Shoreditch; and the old excise office, Broad Street. His works, with the exception of the Mansion House, exhibit small architectural merit. A collection of his drawings is in the Soane Museum. He died on 8 Feb. 1768, and was buried in St. Luke's, Old Street. He was the father of the more famous architect, [q. v.], who designed Newgate prison, of the well-known painter,, afterwards Sir N. Dance-Holland [q. v.], and of the comedian, [q. v.], who assumed the name of Love.