Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 15.djvu/10

 successfully produced together, 18 Sept. 1778, at Covent Garden. ‘Annette and Lubin’ followed, and on 3 Jan. 1779 ‘The Touchstone.’ But Fred. Pilon, Mrs. Cowley, Cumberland, and even Lee Lewis had been allowed to interlineate and spoil it. In a fit of disgust Dibdin threatened to go to India and join his brother Tom at Nagore, but first wrote ‘The Chelsea Pensioners.’ He had wished his ‘Mirror’ to be entitled ‘Hell broke Loose;’ it was a mythological burlesque of Tartarus. He at last prevailed on Harris to produce his ‘Shepherdess of the Alps’ in 1780. His brother died at the Cape of Good Hope, when voyaging homeward, after having been struck by lightning and been partially paralysed. Seeing India thus closed to him, Dibdin became reconciled to Harris, who produced for him ‘Harlequin Freemason’ at Covent Garden 1780, but ‘The Islanders’ came out before it. His ‘Amphitryon,’ a musical adaptation of Dryden's, was a failure, and it probably deserved to be, but he had secured himself as to profits, and got 285l. for it. ‘Pretty well for an unsuccessful piece,’ Dibdin said. This brought a fresh rupture with Harris.

Dibdin now commenced giving musical entertainments at the Royal Circus, on the site of the present Surrey Theatre. He found enemies in Hughes and the elder Grimaldi, father of ‘Joey,’ the future clown [q. v.] But he was continually finding enemies, according to his own account. His numerous interludes were sandwiched between equestrian feats in the circle. ‘The Cestus,’ ‘Tom Thumb,’ and ‘The Benevolent Tar,’ were brought out in 1783, 1784, and 1785. Troubles were incessant. His ‘Liberty Hall,’ full of songs, was produced at Drury Lane in 1785. By the destruction of another place of entertainment, named Helicon, he lost 290l., and 460l. by failure of a Dublin manager to pay him for musical work done, soon after the death of his mother at Southampton. He removed with one of his families to a village five miles off, and began his novel of ‘The Younger Brother,’ published in 1793. He began a weekly satire called ‘The Devil,’ which died within the half year. His ‘Harvest Home’ was produced on 21 May 1787 after he started to give entertainments in various towns for fourteen months. He was the sole performer. Of this ‘Musical Tour’ he published at Sheffield, in 4to, an account in 1788. He was continually embroiled with managers, and again quarrelled with Harris in March that year. Even as his own master and servant he was dissatisfied, and he once more resolved to go to India, being again in danger of arrest. He left the Thames for Madeira, expecting to be ‘picked up’ there. He sold all that he could, obtaining merely two guineas for his ‘Poll and my Partner Joe,’ which brought 200l. to the publisher, and ‘Nothing like Grog’ for half a guinea. He got to Dunkirk with his family, but he had quarrelled with the captain, the crew were mutinous, and by stress of weather they were driven to Torbay, and never got nearer to India. Threatened by creditors he returned to London, took lodgings near the Old Bailey, and made a fresh start with one of his best entertainments, ‘The Whim of the Moment,’ in which he introduced his favourite song of ‘Poor Jack.’ This was parodied ruthlessly by John Collins, but held its ground. After this the entire interest of his life centres in his sea songs and various ‘entertainments sans souci.’ He amused the public with anecdotes and gossip, interspersed with his ditties. He resided at St. George's Fields, and engaged the Lyceum for his ‘Oddities,’ 1789–90, seventy-nine nights, and ‘The Wags,’ 1790, for 108 nights: ‘Private Theatricals’ and ‘The Quizzes’ were the names of entertainments given at the Royal Polygraphic Rooms, Strand, 1791–2, followed by ‘Coalition,’ 1792, and ‘Castles in the Air,’ 1793. It was at this, his most successful time, that warm-hearted John O'Keeffe saw him, and without any professional jealousy praised him generously: ‘Dibdin's manner of coming on the stage was in happy style; he ran on sprightly, and with nearly a laughing face, like a friend who enters hastily to impart to you some good news. Nor did he disappoint his audience; he sang, and accompanied himself on an instrument, which was a concert in itself; he was, in fact, his own band. A few lines of speaking happily introduced his admirable songs, full of wit and character, and his peculiar mode of singing them surpassed all I had ever heard.’

Other sketches that followed were ‘Nature in Nubibus’ and ‘Great News,’ 1794. ‘Will of the Wisp’ and ‘Christmas Gambols,’ 1795. ‘Datchet Mead,’ ‘General Election’ (in which came ‘Meg of Wapping’ and ‘Nongtongpaw’), 1796, and ‘The Sphinx,’ 1797, were performed at Leicester Place, and he also produced there ‘The Goose and Gridiron’ and ‘Tour to the Land's End,’ 1798, founded on his own adventures; ‘King and Queen’ and ‘Tom Wilkins,’ 1799, with his song of ‘The Last Shilling.’ He went to Bath and Bristol with success, and soon after to Scotland, making sketches with pen and pencil, and composing new sketches (‘The Cake House,’ 1800; ‘A Frisk,’ 1801; ‘Most Votes,’ 1802; ‘Britons Strike Home!’ 1803; ‘Valentine's Day,’ ‘The Election,’ ‘The Frolic,’ and ‘A Trip to the Coast,’ 1804; ‘Heads or Tails’ and ‘Cecilia,’ 1805). He now wished