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Macready not infrequent. These led to Macready's acceptance of an engagement for Bath, where he appeared, 29 Dec. 1814, as Romeo, following this upwith the Earl of Essex, Hamlet, Orestes, Hotspur, Richard II, Luke in 'Riches,' and other characters. In the spring of 1815 he played a short engagement in Glasgow, where he met his subsequent wife, then acting a child's part, and somewhat characteristically scolded her. In April he was in Dublin, engaged at the high salary of 50l. a week. Country engagements followed, and he reappeared in Bath, 9 Dec. 1815, as Benedick, Genest's curt comment on which is 'very bad.' A fresh engagement in Dublin in February 1810 extended over thirteen weeks. Starring engagements in Ireland followed, and he then came to London to fulfil at Covent Garden an engagement for five years at a weekly salary rising from 16l. to 18l.

On 16 Sept. 1816, as Orestes in the 'Distressed Mother,' to the Andromache of Mrs. Julia Glover [q. v.] and the Hermione of Mrs. Sarah Egerton [q. v.], he made his first appearance at Covent Garden. Kean was in the audience and applauded loudly. His reception was favourable, and success was predicted. Montevole in Jephson's 'Julia, or the Italian Lover,' 30 Sept., augmented his reputation, and he was then announced to play alternately with Young as Othello and Iago. His Othello won a very favourable verdict, though Hazlitt pronounced it 'effeminate,' and in the pathetic passages inclined to be 'whimpering and lachrymose.' Such it remained to the close. Hazlitt also compared Young as Othello 'to a great humming-top,' and Macready as Iago to 'a mischievous boy whipping it.' The engagement of Junius Brutus Booth [q. v.] took from him the chief classical parts. On 12 Nov. 1816 he was the original Gambia, a slave, in the 'Slave,' by Morton; on 18 Jan. 1817 Demetrius in the 'Humorous Lieutenant, or Alexander's Successors,' an adaptation from Fletcher by Reynolds; on 15 April Valentio, a traitor, in Dimond's 'Conquest of Taranto, or St. Clara's Eve,' in which, outshining Booth as the hero, he augmented his reputation; and on 3 May Pescara, governor of Granada, in Shiel's 'Apostate.' Against the unsympathetic parts thrust upon him he vainly protested, but he rose in reputation in his own despite. Tieck declared that Macready's Pescara took him back to the best days of German acting. A tour with his father's company in the north preceded his taking part in the farewell of John Philip Kemble, at which he met Talma. During consecutive seasons he played parts in forgotten melodramas and villains in pieces of more reputation, growling over all, and winning from Harris, the manager, the name of 'The Cock Grumbler.' He was in 1817-18 the original Chosroo in John Dillon's 'Retribution, or the Chieftain's Daughter;' Count Berndorff in Reynolds's 'Illustrious Traveller, or the Forges of Kanzel;' Rob Roy, one of his favourite parts, in Pocock's adaptation, 'Rob Roy Macgregor;' Amurath in Sheil's 'Bellamira, or the Fall of Tunis;' and Salviati in the younger Raymond's 'Castle of Paluzzi.' He also added to his reputation by playing Romeo to the Juliet of Miss O'Neill. Friendships in literary society were formed about this time, Lamb, Talfourd, Alaric Watts, Crabb Robinson, Barry Cornwall, and Jordan being among his associates. He remained, however, discontented, and talks in his 'Diary' about quitting the stage. Ludovico in Sheil's 'Evadne, or the Statue' (10 Feb. 1819), an adaptation of Shirley's 'Traytor,' was favourably received, and the part of Fridolfo, a villain, in Maturin's 'Fridolfo,' stirred him to passionate protest. As George Robertson in Terry's version of the 'Heart of Midlothian' he had 'Kitty' Stephens as his Effie Deans. In the summer of 1819 he visited Scotland, and was not very cordially received in Edinburgh.' At Covent Garden his Joseph Surface was at first a failure, and his King Henry V little better. His Richard in, 25 Oct. 1819, took a firm hold of the public and established what was held to be a dangerous rivalry for Kean. This Macready called the turning-point in his life, raising him to the undisputed head of the theatre. Coriolanus, Jaques, and many leading parts followed, and were well received. He was, 2 March 1820, the first Front de Boeuf in Moncrieff's 'Ivanhoe,' and 22 April the first Henri in Morton's 'Henri Quatre,' Declining the part of King Lear in a revival intended to anticipate Kean at Drury Lane, he took that of Edmund. Sheridan Knowles's 'Virginius' was played for the first time in London on 17 May 1820, with a prologue by John Hamilton Reynolds and an epilogue by Barry Cornwall. Macready was Virginius, Charles Kemble Icilius, and Miss Foote Virginia. 'Virginius' had a tumultuous success, was universally praised, and remained a favourite with Macready to the end. In the summer he played in various Scottish towns, being supported by Miss Atkins, his future wife, whom he induced his father to engage for the Bristol Theatre. Wallace in the 'Wallace' of C. E. Walker was given 14 Nov. 1820. Duke of Mirandola in Barry Cornwall's 'Mirandola,' 4 Jan. 1821, and Damon