Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 21.djvu/26

Garrick in his Humour,' was the original Mercour, 17 Feb. 1752, in 'Eugenia,' by Philip Francis, D.D. [q. v.], and produced Foote's comedy of 'Taste.' A visit in company with his wife to Paris had attracted little attention, though Garrick was introduced to Louis XV, and is said, on very dubious testimony, to have been the hero of a romantic adventure, in which by his skill in acting he detected the murderer of a Sir George Lewis (, Life of Garrick, i. 270). Garrick once more produced a pantomime in 1752-3, and created a very powerful impression by his performance as the original Beverley in Moore's 'Gamester,' 7 Feb. 1753. In the following season Mrs. Gibber rejoined Garrick, whom she resembled so much that they might have passed for brother and sister. From this time forward until her death she did not leave him. Miss Macklin and Foote also joined the company, and Macklin took what was called a farewell benefit. Garrick took parts in the 'Boadicea' of Richard Glover [q. v.] the 'Virginia' of Samuel Crisp [q. v.], and Whitehead's 'Creusa.' To 18 March 1754 belongs the first production of 'Katharine and Petruchio,' Garrick's adaptation of the 'Taming of the Shrew,' which may be said to still hold possession of the stage. In this Garrick did not act; the Petruchio being Woodward and the Grumio Yates. The first important revival of the following season was the 'Chances,' altered by Garrick from Buckingham's previous alteration from Beaumont and Fletcher, and produced at the request of George II. In this, 7 Nov. 1754, he played Don John. Four days later for Mossop he produced 'Coriolanus.' 'Barbarossa,' by John Brown [q. v.], 17 Dec., was the first novelty. The 'Fairies,' an opera taken from the ' Midsummer Night's Dream,' 3 Feb. 1755, is generally attributed to Garrick, but is repudiated by him. He delivered as a drunken sailor a prologue to Mallet's masque of 'Britannia.' This was repeated many nights after the masque was withdrawn. On 8 Nov. 1755 Garrick produced the 'Chinese Festival,' a very dull divertissement by Noverre, a Swiss, which had been long in preparation. Meanwhile war with France having broken out, the French dancers provoked a strong opposition and much brawling. Garrick was accused of bringing over the enemies of his country to oppose his countrymen on the stage. On Tuesday the 18th the rioters overpowered the aristocratic patrons of the house, who drew their swords, did some 1,000l. worth of damage to the theatre, and attempted to sack the house of Garrick. The piece was then withdrawn. Three days later Garrick, dressed as Archer, came on the stage and heard cries which sounded like 'Pardon.' He then advanced, and firmly and respectfully 'explained how ill he had been treated by the wanton and malignant conduct of wicked individuals,' and declared that unless he was permitted to perform that night, 'he was above want, superior to insult, and would never, never appear on the stage again' (, The Mirror, or Actor's Tablet, p. 215; not given in contemporary biographies). This was greeted with wild enthusiasm. 'Florizel and Perdita,' Garrick's alteration of the ' Winter's Tale,' was produced 21 Jan. 1756 with Garrick as Leontes, and the 'Tempest,' an opera taken from Shakespeare, with some additions by Dryden, on 11 Feb. and attributed to and repudiated by Garrick. In the next season, 28 Oct. 1756, Garrick produced 'King Lear,' with restorations from Shakespeare; also, 3 Dec., 'Lilliput,' a one-act piece, extracted from 'Gulliver' and acted by children whom he had trained; and, 24 March 1757, his own farce the 'Modern Fine Gentleman,' revived 3 Dec. as the 'Male Coquette.' He played for the first time, 6 Nov. 1756, his favourite character of Don Felix in the 'Wonder,' produced Foote's comedy the 'Author,' and strengthened his company by the addition of Miss Barton, subsequently Mrs. Abington [q. v.] Mrs. Woffington died before the next season commenced. On 2 Dec. 1757 he was Biron in his own alteration of Southern's 'Fatal Marriage,' and on 22 Dec. produced the 'Gamesters,' altered by himself from Shirley's 'Gamester,' and played in it the part of Wilding. When on 16 Sept. 1758 Drury Lane reopened, Garrick had lost Woodward. Foote, however, reappeared, and with him Tate Wilkinson. Garrick took Marplot in the 'Busybody,' Antony in 'Antony and Cleopatra,' abridged by Capel, and was the original Heartly in his own adaptation the 'Guardian,' 3 Feb. 1759. Moody was added to the company the following season, one of the early productions of which was ' High Life below Stairs.' Garrick produced on 31 Dec. 1759 his own unprinted pantomime 'Harlequin's Invasion.' In 1760-1 Garrick engaged Sheridan, who played leading business, Richard III, Cato, Hamlet, &c. Garrick was himself the Faulconbridge to Sheridan's King John. Some revival of jealousy and ill-feeling was the outcome of this experiment. He produced 'Polly Honeycombe,' by his friend George Colman the elder [q. v.], the authorship of which was attributed to and disowned by Garrick. He produced the ' Enchanter, or Love and Magic, 13 Dec. 1760, a musical trifle, the authorship of which has been assigned to him. Foote during the season played in some