Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 53.djvu/153

 phrase of Downe's ‘Third Satyr’ and other trifles in verse, some of which had already appeared in the ‘Gentleman's Magazine.’ To this was prefixed a brief memoir of the author.

A portrait was prefixed to his translation of Thucydides.

[Foster's Alumni Oxon. 1715–1886; Ormerod's Cheshire, i. 221; Gent. Mag. 1791, ii. 745; Chambers's Worcestershire Biogr. pp. 431–2; Works of the Learned, May 1739; Chalmers's Biogr. Dict.; Allibone's Dict. of English Lit.; Brit. Mus. Cat.] 

SMITH, WILLIAM (1730?–1819), actor, commonly known as ‘Gentleman’ Smith, the son of William Smith, a wholesale grocer and teadealer in the city of London, was born in London about 1730. He was educated at Eton under Dr. Somner, and, with a view to entering the church, was admitted on 23 Oct. 1747, aged over sixteen, at St. John's College, Cambridge. Here his conduct was irregular, and at the close of a drunken frolic he snapped at the proctor an unloaded pistol. Refusing to submit to the punishment imposed, he came to London and put himself under the tuition of Spranger Barry [q. v.], through whom he obtained an engagement at Covent Garden. There, as Theodosius in Lee's ‘Theodosius,’ he made his first appearance, 8 Jan. 1753, to the Varanes of Barry and the Athenais of Mrs. Cibber; the performance was repeated on the three following days. On 13 Feb. he was Polydore in the ‘Orphan,’ and on the 21st the original Southampton in Jones's ‘Earl of Essex.’ After an uninterrupted run of sixteen nights the piece last named was withdrawn in favour of ‘All for Love,’ in which Smith was Dolabella. For his benefit on 7 April he played Abudah in the ‘Siege of Damascus.’ His impersonations had hitherto been tragic. On 22 Oct. he made, with Orlando in ‘As you like it,’ his first appearance in comedy, and on 26 Nov. played Young Mirabel in the ‘Inconstant.’ On the first appearance on the stage of Mrs. Gregory as Hermione in the ‘Distrest Mother,’ 10 Jan. 1754, Smith spoke a prologue, and on the 20th or 22nd was the original Musidorus in McNamara Morgan's ‘Philoclea.’ He was, 23 Feb., the original Aurelian in Francis's ‘Constantine,’ and played during the season Axalla in ‘Tamerlane,’ Loveless in the ‘Relapse,’ Myrtle in the ‘Conscious Lovers,’ Carlos in ‘Love makes a Man,’ and Valentine in ‘Love for Love.’ At Covent Garden Smith remained until the close of the season of 1773–4. While there he created the following original parts: Icilius in Moncrieff's ‘Appius,’ 6 March 1755; Glenalvon in ‘Douglas’ on its production in London, 14 March 1757 (the part had previously been played in Edinburgh by Love); Palador, otherwise Guiderius, in Hawkins's alteration of ‘Cymbeline,’ 15 Feb. 1759; Bellfield in Murphy's ‘No one's Enemy but his own,’ 9 Jan. 1764; Sir Charles Somerville in the ‘Double Mistake,’ by Mrs. Griffiths, 9 Jan. 1766; Bellford in Murphy's ‘School for Guardians,’ 10 Jan. 1767; Don Antonio in ‘Perplexities,’ Hull's adaptation of the ‘Adventures of Five Hours,’ 31 Jan.; Cambyses in ‘Cyrus,’ Hoole's adaptation from Metastasio, 3 Dec. 1768; Lord Clairville in the ‘Sister,’ by Mrs. Lennox, 18 Jan. 1769; Orestes in Lord Warwick's adaptation from Voltaire, 13 March; Belfield junior in Cumberland's ‘Brothers,’ 2 Dec.; Timanthes in Hoole's adaptation so named, 24 Feb. 1770; Athamand in Cradock's ‘Zobeide,’ 11 Dec. 1771; Lord Seaton in Mrs. Griffiths's ‘Wife in the Right,’ 9 March 1772; Athelwold in Mason's ‘Elfrida,’ 21 Nov.; Alzumar in Murphy's piece so named, 23 Feb. 1773; King Henry in Hull's ‘Henry II,’ 1 May; and Captain Boothby in Kenrick's ‘Duellist,’ 20 Oct. During these years he had been seen in a large variety of parts, among which the following stand conspicuous: Hippolitus in ‘Phædra,’ Juba in ‘Cato,’ Antony in ‘Julius Cæsar,’ Henry V, Romeo, Comus, Hotspur, Hastings, Oswyn in ‘Mourning Bride,’ Bastard and Edgar in ‘Lear,’ Archer, Lothario, Hamlet, Young Bevil, Coriolanus, Lord Foppington, Sir Harry Wildair, Demetrius in ‘Humorous Lieutenant,’ Falconridge, Pierre, Copper Captain, Richard III, Bajazet, Mirabel in ‘Way of the World,’ Iago, Antony in ‘All for Love,’ Alexander the Great, Castalio, Iachimo, Lord Townly, Macbeth, Volpone, and Don Sebastian.

To Garrick Smith wrote a letter, dated 24 Aug. 1773, giving a list of fifty-two parts in which he was ready at short notice to appear. This means, says Boaden, a recollection of twenty-five thousand lines. The letter in question forms one of a correspondence in which Smith, who had quarrelled with Colman, seeks an engagement, but wrangles whether the terms shall be twelve pounds or guineas per week. Garrick is very acrimonious, and Smith finally a little abject. Smith asked Garrick to destroy the correspondence, which however still exists. In an address to the public at Covent Garden, 10 March 1774, as Macbeth, he spoke, according to the manager's notebook, some verses, apparently of his own composition, announcing his intention to play Macbeth and Richard