Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 47.djvu/107

 and the like. He was seen as Peter in ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ Simon Pure in ‘A Bold Stroke for a Wife,’ Third Witch in ‘Macbeth,’ Gripe in the ‘Cheats of Scapin,’ the First Gravedigger in ‘Hamlet,’ the Tailor in ‘Katharine and Petruchio,’ Puritan in ‘Duke and No Duke,’ Vamp in the ‘Author,’ Mungo in the ‘Padlock,’ Canton in the ‘Clandestine Marriage,’ Zorobabel in the ‘Country Madcap,’ Clown in ‘Winter's Tale,’ Daniel in ‘Oroonoko,’ Scrub in the ‘Beaux' Stratagem,’ Pamphlet in the ‘Upholsterer,’ Rigdum Funnidos in ‘Chrononhotonthologos,’ Old Philpot in the ‘Citizen,’ and many similar characters. His original parts at this period included Ostler in Colman's ‘Man and Wife, or the Shakespeare Jubilee,’ Skiff in Cumberland's ‘Brothers’ on 2 Dec. 1769, and clown to the harlequin of Charles Lee Lewes [q. v.] in the pantomime of ‘Mother Shipton’ on 26 Dec. 1770. A patent for a theatre in Liverpool passed the great seal on 4 May 1771, and on 5 June 1772 Quick was playing there Prattle in ‘The Deuce is in him.’ Many other characters, including Lovel in ‘High Life below Stairs,’ Polonius, Peachum, Jerry Sneak, Shallow, Sir Tunbelly Clumsy in the ‘Man of Quality,’ were here in the next few years assigned him. At Covent Garden he was, on 8 Dec. 1772, the original Consol in O'Brien's ‘Cross Purposes,’ and on 6 Feb. 1773 the original Momus in O'Hara's ‘Golden Pippin.’ These performances prepared the way for his great triumph, on 14 March, as the original Tony Lumpkin in ‘She stoops to conquer.’ The character had been refused by Woodward, whose want of insight was fortunate for Quick. During the season Quick also played Sable in the ‘Funeral,’ Coupler in the ‘Man of Quality,’ Trapland in ‘Love for Love,’ Gentleman Usher in ‘King Lear,’ Lady Pentweazle (an original part) in an unnamed interlude of Foote, Old Mask in the ‘Musical Lady,’ and Honeycombe in ‘Polly Honeycombe.’ The following season (1773–4) saw him promoted to Mawworm in the ‘Hypocrite,’ Grumio, Varland in the ‘West Indian,’ and Autolycus Mufti in ‘Don Sebastian.’ On 31 Jan. 1774 he played Old Rents in the ‘Jovial Crew.’ Foresight and Town Clerk in ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ with other parts, followed; and on 17 Jan. 1775 he was the first Bob Acres in the ‘Rivals.’ Among some scores of comic characters subsequently assigned him are Launcelot Gobbo, Lord Sands, Don Pedro in the ‘Wonder,’ Trinculo, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Touchstone, Pistol, Dromio of Ephesus, Roderigo, Launce in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona,’ Cloten, Silence, Major Oldfox in the ‘Plain Dealer,’ Vellum, Lucullus in ‘Timon of Athens,’ Old Mirabel in the ‘Inconstant,’ Fondlewife, Old Woman in ‘Rule a Wife and have a Wife,’ Lovegold in the ‘Miser,’ Dr. Caius, Lord Duberly in the ‘Heir-at-Law,’ and Crabtree. From the almost interminable list of his original parts—most of them assigned him after the deaths of Shuter in 1776 and Woodward in 1777—may be selected Isaac Mendoza in Sheridan's ‘Duenna,’ Druggett in Murphy's ‘Three Weeks after Marriage,’ Sancho in ‘Don Quixote in England,’ adapted from Fielding, Vulcan in Dibdin's ‘Poor Vulcan,’ Sir Wilfrid Wildman in Kenrick's ‘Lady of the Manor,’ Hardy in Mrs. Cowley's ‘Belle's Stratagem,’ King Arthur in ‘Tom Thumb,’ altered by O'Hara from Fielding, Bobby Pendragon in Mrs. Cowley's ‘Which is the Man?’ Sir Toby Tacit in O'Keeffe's ‘Positive Man,’ Sir Solomon Dangle in Cumberland's ‘Walloons,’ Spado in O'Keeffe's ‘Castle of Andalusia,’ Savil in the ‘Capricious Lady’ (altered by Cumberland from the ‘Scornful Lady’ of Beaumont and Fletcher), Don Cæsar in Mrs. Cowley's ‘Bold Stroke for a Husband,’ Hillario in the ‘Magic Picture’ (altered by the Rev. H. Bate from Massinger), Dr. Feelove in Mrs. Cowley's ‘More Ways than One,’ Lapoche in O'Keeffe's ‘Fontainebleau, or Our Way in France,’ Don Guzman in ‘Follies of a Day’ (Holcroft's adaptation of ‘Le Mariage de Figaro’), Walmsley in Mrs. Inchbald's ‘Appearance is against them,’ Quiz in ‘Love in a Camp’ (O'Keeffe's sequel to the ‘Poor Soldier’), Sir Oliver Oldstock in Pilon's ‘He would be a Soldier,’ and Sir Luke Tremor in Mrs. Inchbald's ‘Such Things are.’

On 6 April 1790, for his benefit, Quick appeared as Richard III. He was always under the delusion that he could play tragedy, and took the character seriously at the outset, until the laughter of the audience proved irresistible. On 14 March 1791 Quick created the part of Cockletop, an antiquary, in O'Keeffe's ‘Modern Antiques,’ and on 16 April that of Sir George Thunder in the ‘Wild Oats’ of the same dramatist. On 18 Feb. 1792 he was the first Silky in Holcroft's ‘Road to Ruin,’ on 23 Jan. 1793 the first Solus in Mrs. Inchbald's ‘Every one has his Fault,’ on 5 Feb. 1794 the first Sir Gregory Oldwort in Holcroft's ‘Love's Frailties, or Precept against Practice,’ on 23 Oct. the first Sir Paul Perpetual in Reynolds's ‘Rage,’ and 6 Dec. the first Sir Robert Flayer in Mrs. Cowley's ‘Town before you.’ In Holcroft's ‘Deserted Daughter,’ 2 May 1795, Quick was the original Item, and on 23 Jan. 1796 the original Toby Allspice in Morton's ‘Way to get married.’ In ‘Abroad and at Home,’ by Holman, he was (19 Nov.) the first Sir