Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 47.djvu/115

 non,’ 6 April; Solyman in Mallet's ‘Mustapha,’ 13 Feb. 1739, and Elmerick in Lillo's posthumous tragedy, ‘Elmerick, or Justice Triumphant,’ 23 Feb. 1740. He was also cast for Gustavus in Brooke's ‘Gustavus Vasa,’ which was prohibited by the censors. Quin's name appears, with those of John Mills, Ben Johnson, Theophilus Cibber, &c., in the ‘London Magazine’ for April 1735, to protest against the passing of a bill, then before parliament, for restraining the number of playhouses, and preventing any person from acting except under the patents.

In the autumn of 1741, Quin, who was not engaged in London, appeared at the Aungier Street Theatre, Dublin, in his now favourite character of Cato. He also played Lord Townly to the Lady Townly of ‘Kitty’ Clive, Comus, and other parts. After, as it is supposed, visiting with the company, Cork and Limerick, he reappeared at Aungier Street in 1742, playing Young Bevil in the ‘Conscious Lovers’ to the Indiana of Mrs. Cibber. He also played Chamont to her Monimia, and Horatio to her Calista.

On 22 Sept. 1742, as Othello, he reappeared at Covent Garden, and he remained there until the close of his career. On 12 Nov. 1744 he was Zanga in the ‘Revenge,’ and on 15 Feb. 1745 the original King John in Cibber's ‘Papal Tyranny in the Reign of King John,’ and he soon after played Herod in ‘Mariamne.’ In 1745–6 he was not engaged. He had been in the summer of 1745 with Mrs. Cibber, and returned with that artist, who shared his exclusion. In 1746 both Quin and Garrick were engaged by Rich for Covent Garden. On 14 Nov. 1746, in the ‘Fair Penitent,’ the two rivals measured swords, Quin playing Horatio and Garrick Lothario to the Calista of Mrs. Cibber. Great interest was evoked, and the cheering was so loud that both actors were disconcerted. Garrick owned his discomfiture, and said ‘Faith, I believe Quin was as much frightened as myself.’ Quin, who was too proud to own any want of courage, played Horatio with the ‘emphasis and dignity which his elocution gave to moral sentiments,’ and Garrick acted Lothario with a spirit peculiar to himself. Honours were thus divided. It was otherwise with Richard III, which was played by both. The representations of Garrick were closely followed, while those of Quin were neglected. A revenge was taken by Quin in ‘King Henry IV,’ his Falstaff being warmly welcomed, while Hotspur was pronounced unsuited to the figure and style of acting of Garrick, who this season relinquished the part. In ‘Jane Shore,’ Garrick, as Hastings, won back his supremacy over his rival as Gloster, which Quin called ‘one of his strut and whisker parts.’ Davies tells a story which Genest refuses to accept, and in part confutes, that after the astonishing success of Garrick's ‘Miss in her Teens,’ 17 Jan. 1747, Quin refused to act on the nights when it was played, swearing that ‘he would not hold up the tail of a farce.’ Garrick accordingly said, with some malice, ‘Then I will give him a month's holiday, and put it up every night.’ Quin, Davies says, came nightly to the theatre, and, being told that the house was crowded, ‘gave a significant growl and withdrew.’ Murphy, on the other hand, says that during the entire season Quin and Garrick had no kind of difference.

At the outset of the season of 1747–8 Quin was at Bath, whence he wrote to Rich, ‘I am at Bath—yours, James Quin;’ and received the answer ‘Stay there, and be damned—yours, John Rich.’ For the relief of sufferers by a fire in Cornhill, Quin reappeared as Othello 6 Aug. 1748. After this he played a few familiar parts. At the opening of the following season he was again a regular member of the Covent Garden company, playing constantly leading parts. On 13 Jan. 1749 he was the original Coriolanus in Thomson's ‘Coriolanus.’ The play was posthumous, and Quin feelingly referred in the prologue to the fact.

Garrick was then at the other house. His performance of Sir John Brute in the ‘Provoked Wife’ was contrasted with that of Quin, as well as with that of Cibber. Quin, it was said, forgot that Sir John Brute had been a gentleman, while Cibber and Garrick, through every scene of riot and debauchery, preserved the recollection. In 1749–50 he played, for the first time, Gardiner in Rowe's ‘Lady Jane Gray,’ and King Henry in Banks's ‘Virtue Betrayed.’ In 1750–1 Garrick sought to detach Quin from Covent Garden. Quin, however, though he had something to fear from the rivalry of Barry, was still in command at Covent Garden, and he skilfully used Garrick's application as a means of extorting from Rich 1,000l. a year, the greatest salary, according to Tate Wilkinson, that had then ever been given. On 23 Feb. 1751 Quin was, for the first time, King John in Shakespeare's play; and on 11 March, for the first time, Iago. His last performance as paid actor was on 15 May 1751, as Horatio in the ‘Fair Penitent.’

At the close of the season Quin retired to Bath. He came to London, however, to play, on 16 March 1752, Falstaff in ‘Henry IV,’ for the benefit of Ryan, and repeated the performance for the same purpose on 19 March 1753. The nobility and gentry at Bath gave Quin 100l., on the latter occasion, to spend in