Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 21.djvu/135

 Robert Gentili to Sir Peter Pindar, with a promise, ‘ere long, to present you with something which shall be mine own invention’). 3. ‘The Success and Chief Events of the Monarchy of Spain, by Malvezzi,’ London, 1647, 12mo. 4. ‘Considerations on the Lives of Alcibiades and Coriolanus, by Malvezzi,’ London, 1650, 12mo (dedicated to the daughter of Thomas, earl of Strafford, ‘as a small token of the manifold obligements whereto I am everlastingly tied to you’). 5. ‘The Natural and Experimental Historie of Winds,’ &c., by the Right Hon. Francis, lord Verulam, &c., London, 1653, 12mo. 6. ‘Le Chemin Abrégé, or a Compendious Method for attaining of Sciences,’ London, 1654, 12mo, dedicated to John Selden. There is no positive clue to the authorship of this work, which contains ‘the statutes of the academy in the city of Richelieu.’

[State Papers, Dom. James I; D'Orville MSS. in Bodl. Lib.; Archives of All Souls' College; A. Clark's Register of the Univ. of Oxford; dedications prefixed by Robert Gentili to his own and to several of his father's works; D. G. Morhof's Polyhistor, t. i. l. ii. c. 9, § 3.]  GENTLEMAN, FRANCIS (1728–1784), actor and dramatist, born in York Street, Dublin, 13 Oct. 1728, was son of a captain in the army. With Mossop and Dexter, both subsequently actors, he was educated at a grammar school in Digges Street under a clergyman named Butler. He obtained at the age of fifteen a commission in the regiment of his father, who died two years later. He exchanged into a newly raised company intended for active service, and had to leave the army on the peace of 1748. He then engaged with Sheridan at Smock Alley Theatre, where he appeared as Aboan in ‘Oroonoko,’ and remained for a season and a half. Notwithstanding what he calls ‘an unconsequential figure and uncommon timidity,’ he succeeded ‘beyond his expectations.’ Having inherited from an uncle in India a sum of 800l., he came to London, and states that he saved only 200l. from the lawyers. On his way from Dublin he met Macklin with a company at Chester, and produced ‘Sejanus,’ an alteration from Ben Jonson, printed 1752, 8vo. He afterwards joined Simpson's company at Bath, where he wrote ‘The Sultan, or Love and Fame,’ a tragedy (8vo, 1770), and next season produced ‘Zaphna,’ a tragedy, and an alteration of ‘Richard II.’ The manuscripts of the last two were stolen, and the pieces were unprinted. After going to Edinburgh, appearing as Othello and giving lessons in English, he visited Glasgow (where he met Boswell), Carlisle, Scarborough, Manchester, and Liverpool, returning to Chester, in which city he played the ‘Modish Wife,’ his masterpiece, if such a term may be used, 8vo, 1774, and the ‘Fairy Court,’ never printed, which was acted by children, and ran for fifteen nights. He now retired to Malton in Yorkshire, stayed there five years, and married a wife, who died in 1773, leaving him two children. Here he wrote ‘a thing in two volumes,’ entitled ‘A Trip to the Moon.’ To this period belongs ‘A Set of Tables,’ composed for the Prince of Wales. Expectations from the Marquis of Granby brought him to London; but Granby died in 1770, and Foote then gave him a summer engagement. His ‘Sultan’ had been revived in April 1769, apparently by a scratch company. The ‘Tobacconist,’ 8vo, 1771, a wretched comedy founded upon the ‘Alchemist’ of Ben Jonson, was given 22 July 1771. In this Gentleman played Sir Epicure Mammon. The ‘Coxcomb,’ a farce taken by him from ‘Epicene,’ was also played, once for a benefit, this season. His ‘Cupid's Revenge,’ taken from Hoadly's ‘Love's Revenge,’ a pastoral, 8vo, 1772, was played at the Haymarket July 1772. The ‘Pantheonites,’ a dramatic entertainment by Gentleman, 8vo, 1773, was acted for Jewell's benefit at the Haymarket, 3 Sept. 1773, Gentleman playing Skinflint. After the season was over, 18 Sept. 1773, his ‘Modish Wife’ was given. In 1770 Gentleman had published anonymously the ‘Dramatic Censor,’ 2 vols. 8vo, by which he is best known. It consists of a series of tolerable criticisms upon various plays of the time. The opinions expressed are fairly judicious. Vol. i. was dedicated to Garrick, and vol. ii. to Foote. A year previously he had printed the ‘Stratford Jubilee,’ a comedy, 8vo, 1769, and attacked Garrick in some sentences which the bookseller excised. Garrick had at this time assisted Gentleman, who had fallen upon evil times, and, though disliking him, helped him again. Among Garrick's papers is a quatrain upon this ‘dirty dedicating knave,’ who is ‘Gentleman in name’ only (, Life of Garrick, ii. 379). In the ‘Garrick Correspondence’ are some pitiable appeals from Gentleman to which Garrick responded. One loan of five guineas is asked in August 1775 for the purpose of giving ‘dramatic lectures of a nature different from any yet attempted’ at ‘Eaton’ and Oxford (ii. 82). On 14 March of the same year, acknowledging a letter from Garrick with ‘its solid contents,’ Gentleman disavows the responsibility for his ‘promulged (sic) theatrical sentiments,’ and promises better behaviour for the future (Private Correspondence, ii. 48). Gentleman was now leading a shiftless life of expedients. He was indeed a poor creature, and writes despairingly: ‘I heartily