Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 21.djvu/31

 and the laudableness of such unmannerly, as well as inhumane proceedings,’ &c., 1744, 8vo, is curious as a criticism by Garrick upon his own Macbeth, by publishing which he hoped to disarm the censure of others. Garrick also wrote an ‘Answer to Mr. Macklin's Case,’ London, 1743, of which a copy with no title-page is in the Forster collection at South Kensington. On a copy of a ‘Letter of Abuse to D——d G——k.’ London, 1757, 8vo, belonging to Joseph Reed, now no longer traceable, was the following note: ‘This was probably written by Mr. Garrick himself.’ The best known eulogy of Garrick is that of Churchill in the ‘Rosciad,’ 1761, in which, after dealing with minor actors, Shakespeare, on behalf of himself and Ben Jonson, bids Garrick take the chair, Nor quit it till thou place an equal there. Garrick's easy acquiescence in this praise, which he professed to regard as a bid for the freedom of his theatre, led to the publication by Churchill of the ‘Apology,’ in which Garrick was made to wince. Henceforward Churchill was treated with consideration by Garrick, who more than once lent him money. For a list of the pamphlets and other works for and against Garrick that are accessible in the British Museum, the Forster collection, and some private libraries, reference may be made to Mr. Lowe's ‘Bibliographical History of English Theatrical Literature,’ 1888, in which work they occupy twelve pages. As a dramatist Garrick had vivacity and sweetness that almost do duty for art, a good knowledge of character, and complete familiarity with stage craft. In this respect he resembled Colley Cibber. His poetical works were collected in two volumes, small 8vo, 1785. Of the 540 consecutively numbered pages, almost three quarters are occupied with prologues and epilogues, in which Garrick was happy. These indeed constitute in themselves a minute chronicle of the stage. Songs, burlettas, epigrams, fables, and occasional verses, with ‘Fizgig's Triumph, or the Power of Riot,’ written against Fitzpatrick, and other satires make up the two volumes. His epigrams are good in their way. The only piece in which he reveals inspiration is in his song ‘Peggy,’ written to Mrs. Woffington. Garrick's plays have never been collected. His share in works, such as the ‘Clandestine Marriage,’ written in conjunction with George Colman cannot be settled, and the pieces generally which bear his name or are ascribed to him are almost invariably adaptations. Sometimes, as in the ‘Country Girl,’ his version of an unpresentable work of one of the older dramatists has retained possession of the stage. His alterations of Shakespeare, however, of Ben Jonson, and other dramatists are not to be trusted as original productions, and are sometimes the reverse of creditable. His so-called dramatic works were published in three vols. 12mo, 1768, reprinted 1798. Lowndes justly speaks of this as ‘a wretched and imperfect collection.’ It contains sixteen plays. Most of the printed plays of Garrick are in the British Museum in 8vo. Many of them are included in the ‘Modern British Drama’ and the collections of Inchbald, Bell, &c. As a manager Garrick commands respect. His vanity did not prevent him from engaging the best obtainable talent. He pitted himself against men such as Spranger Barry, Macklin, and Quin, and he missed no opportunity of appearing with actresses such as Mrs. Clive, Mrs. Woffington, Mrs. Cibber, Mrs. Abington, and others of equal talent and reputation. To Mrs. Woffington he had, after essaying it, to resign the part of Sir Harry Wildair, and it was often said that he would not fairly match himself against Mrs. Clive, who was indeed a formidable opponent. In this respect, however, his conduct compares favourably with that of most of his profession. In his resentment against those who, he held, had gone out of their way to injure him, he declined to accept one or two pieces from their pens, and so played into the hands of Covent Garden. He had no enduring hostility, however, his temper generally being devoid of gall. He carried caution to an excess. Davies says that he acquired through this a hesitation in speech which did not originally characterise him. As a rule he was fairly accessible to authors, and if he produced few masterpieces, the fault was in the writers. In dramatists generally he displayed genuine interest, and after his retirement he took great pains to advance the fortunes of Hannah More. In his disputes the impression conveyed is generally that he was in the right. He generally treated the ebullitions of mortified vanity on the part of authors with tenderness. He kept the masculine portion of his company in fair order, though the feminine portion was generally mutinous. He made many important reforms, some of them learned during his journeys abroad, in discipline, in stage arrangement, and in matters of costume, in which he effected some improvement, pleading as a not very convincing reason for going no further that the public would not stand it. In many cases of difficulty he showed magnanimity, which his enemies sought vainly to stamp as prudence. Fortune fluctuated during his managerial career, but the result was that the property he conducted increased