Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 39.djvu/305

 actress named Mary Jones, who deserted him after having by him four children, subsequently adopted by Mrs. Munden, brought him into temporary disfavour, which was forgotten when he married, 20 Oct. 1789, at the parish church of St. Oswald, Chester, Miss Frances Butler, a lady five years his senior with some claims to social position. This lady had made her début at Lewes, 28 July 1785, as Louisa Dudley in the 'West Indian,' had joined the Chester company, and on her marriage retired from the stage. After the death in 1790 of [q. v.], Munden was engaged at 8l. a week for Covent Garden. Having disposed to [q. v.] of his share in the country theatres, he came to London with his wife, living first in Portugal Street, Clare Market, and then in Catherine Street, Strand. On 2 Dec. 1790, as Sir Francis Gripe in the 'Busy Body' and Jemmy Jumps in the 'Farmer,' the latter a part created by Edwin two or three years earlier, he made his first appearance in London, and obtained a highly favourable reception.

At Covent Garden, with occasional summer appearances at the Haymarket, and frequent excursions into the country, he remained until 1811, rising gradually to the position of the most celebrated comedian of his day. In his first season he played Don Lewis in 'Love makes a Man,' Darby in the 'Poor Soldier,' Quidnunc in the 'Upholsterer,' Lazarillo in 'Two Strings to your Bow,' Level in 'High Life below Stairs,' Cassander in 'Alexander the Little,' Pedrillo in the 'Castle of Andalusia,' Daphne in 'Midas Reversed,' Tipple in the 'Flitch of Bacon,' and Camillo in the 'Double Falsehood.' On 4 Feb. 1791 he was the original Sir Samuel Sheepy in Holcroft's 'School for Arrogance,' an adaptation of 'Le Glorieux' of Destouches. On 14 March he was the first Frank in O'Keeffe's 'Modern Antiques,' and 16 April the earliest Ephraim Smooth in O'Keeffe's 'Wild Oats.' He presented from the first a remarkable variety of characters, and the removal of Quick and Wilson further extended his repertory. Putting on one side merely trivial parts, a list of between two and three hundred characters stands opposite his name. These include the Gentleman Usher in 'King Lear,' the Second Witch in 'Macbeth,' the First Carrier and Justice Shallow in 'King Henry IV,' Lafeu, the Tailor and Grumio in 'Katherine and Petruchio,' Autolycus, Polonius, Dromio of Syracuse, the Town Clerk and Dogberry in 'Much Ado about Nothing,' Launce, Launcelot Gobbo, Menenius in 'Coriolanus,' Malvolio and Stephano in the 'Tempest,' Sir Anthony Absolute, Hardcastle, Don Jerome in the 'Duenna,' Peachum in the 'Beggar's Opera,' Trim in 'Tristram Shendy,' Scrub in the 'Beaux Stratagem,' Robin in the 'Waterman,' Tony Lumpkin, Sir Peter Teazle, Justice Clement and Brainworm in 'Every Man in his Humour,' Marrall in 'A New Way to pay Old Debts,' Hardy in the 'Belle's Stratagem,' Croaker in the 'Good-natured Man,' Sir Fretful Plagiary in the 'Critic,' and Foresight in 'Love for Love.' Not less remarkable is his list of original characters. In countless pieces of Colman, Morton, Reynolds, and other dramatists of the day he took principal parts. His Old Dornton in Holcroft's 'Road to Ruin,' 18 Feb, 1792, sprang into immediate success, and remained a favourite to the end of his career. On 19 March 1795 he played Sir Hans Burgess in O'Keeffe's 'Life's Vagaries;' on 23 Jan. 1796 Caustic in Morton's 'Way to get Married;' 19 Nov. 1796 Old Testy in Holman's 'Abroad and at Home;' 10 Jan. 1797 Old Rapid in Morton's 'Cure for the Heart Ache;' 4 March 1797 Sir William Dorillon in Mrs. Inchbald's 'Wives as they were and Maids as they are;' 23 Nov. 1797 Solomon Single in Cumberland's 'False Impression;' and on 11 Jan. 1798 Undermine in Morton's 'Secrets worth Knowing.' These parts were all played at Covent Garden. At the Haymarket, 15 July 1797, he was the first Zekiel Homespun in the younger Colman's 'Heir-at-Law.' At Covent Garden he was, 12 Jan. 1799, Oakworth in Holman's 'Votary of Wealth;' 8 Feb. 1800 Sir Abel Handy in Morton's 'Speed the Plough,' and 1 May 1800 Dominique in Cobb's 'Paul and Virginia.' This season witnessed the dispute between the principal actors of Covent Garden and Harris the manager [see ]. Munden was one of the signatories of the appeal which Lord Salisbury, the lord chumherlain, as arbitrator, rejected in every point. Munden at the close of the season visited Dublin, Birmingham, Chester, and elsewhere.

At Covent Garden on 3 Jan. 1801, he was Old Liberal in T. Dibdin's 'School for Prejudice,' and 11 Feb. Sir Robert Bramble in the younger Colman's 'Poor Gentleman; 'on 15 Jan. 1805 General Tarragon in Morton's 'School of Reform;' 16 Feb. Lord Danberry in Mrs. Inchbald's 'To marry or not to marry,' and 18 April Torrent in the younger Colman's 'Who wants a Guinea?' On 15 Nov. 1806 he was the Count of Rosenheim in Dimond's 'Adrian and Orrila,' 3 Dec. 1808 Diaper in Tobin's 'School for Authors,' and on 23 April 1811 Heartworth in Holman's 'Gazette Extraordinary.' At the close of this season Munden quarrelled with the management on financial questions, and did not again, except for a benefit, set his foot in the theatre.