Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 56.djvu/90

 Legend.’ Scott, à propos of this impersonation, wrote: ‘A Mr. Terry, who promises to be a fine performer, went through the part of the old earl with great taste and effect.’ Scott also contributed a prologue which Terry spoke. On 22 Nov. Terry played Falstaff in ‘Henry IV.’ On 15 Jan. 1811 he was the first Roderick Dhu in ‘The Lady of the Lake,’ adapted by Edmund John Eyre; on 6 March he played Polonius; on the 18th repeated Roderick Dhu in the ‘Knight of Snowdoun,’ a second version, by T. Morton, of the ‘Lady of the Lake,’ not much more prosperous than the former; and was, for his benefit, on the 23rd, Falstaff in the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor.’ He was Lord Ogleby in the ‘Clandestine Marriage,’ 18 Nov.

In this part Terry made his first appearance in London at the Haymarket, 20 May 1812, playing during the season Shylock, Job Thornberry, Sir Anthony Absolute, Major Sturgeon in the ‘Major of Garratt,’ Dr. Pangloss in the ‘Heir at Law,’ Don Cæsar in ‘A Bold Stroke for a Husband,’ Megrim in ‘Blue Devils,’ Harmony in ‘Everyone has his Fault,’ Sir Edward Mortimer in the ‘Iron Chest,’ Leon in ‘Rule a Wife and have a Wife,’ Gradus in ‘Who's the Dupe?’ Romaldi in the ‘Tale of Mystery,’ Barford in ‘Who wants a Guinea?’ Selico in the ‘Africans,’ Heartall in ‘Soldier's Daughter,’ Bustleton in ‘Manager in Distress,’ Octavian, and Iago—a remarkable list for a first season. He created some original characters in unimportant plays, the only part calling for notice being Count Salerno in Eyre's ‘Look at Home,’ 15 Aug. 1812, founded on Moore's ‘Zeluco.’ He was announced to reopen, 14 Nov., the Edinburgh theatre as Lord Ogleby, but was ill and did not appear until the 23rd, and on the 24th he played Shylock. He was, 23 Dec., the first Lord Archibald in ‘Caledonia, or the Thistle and the Rose.’

On 8 Sept. 1813, as Leon in ‘Rule a Wife and have a Wife,’ Terry made his first appearance at Covent Garden, where, except for frequent migrations to Edinburgh and summer seasons at the Haymarket, he remained until 1822. Among the parts he played in his first season were Sir Robert Bramble in the ‘Poor Gentleman,’ Dornton in the ‘Road to Ruin,’ Ford, Sir Adam Contest in the ‘Wedding Day,’ Ventidius in ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ Shylock, Churlton, an original part in Kenney's ‘Debtor and Creditor,’ 26 April 1814, and Sir Oliver in ‘School for Scandal.’ Other characters in which he was early seen at Covent Garden included Marrall in ‘A New Way to pay Old Debts,’ Stukeley in the ‘Gamester,’ Sir Solomon Cynic in the ‘Will,’ Philotas in ‘Grecian Daughter,’ and Angelo in ‘Measure for Measure.’ On 12 March 1816 ‘Guy Mannering,’ a musical adaptation by Terry of Scott's novel, was seen for the first time. This appears to have been the first of Terry's adaptations from Scott. At the Haymarket he was seen as Periwinkle in ‘Bold Stroke for a Wife,’ Hardcastle, Hotspur, Sir George Thunder, Sir Pertinax McSycophant, Sir Fretful Plagiary, Eustace de Saint-Pierre, Lord Scratch in the ‘Dramatist,’ and very many other parts. In 1815, meanwhile, he had, by permission of the Covent Garden management, supported Mrs. Siddons in her farewell engagement in Edinburgh, where he played Macbeth, ‘The Stranger’ [sic] in ‘Douglas,’ Wolsey, King John, and the Earl of Warwick. Back at Covent Garden, he was, 7 Oct. 1816, the original Colonel Rigolio in Dimond's ‘Broken Sword,’ and on 12 Nov. the original Governor of Surinam in Morton's ‘Slave.’ On 2 Oct. 1817 his acting of Frederick William, king of Prussia, in Abbott's ‘Youthful Days of Frederick the Great,’ raised his reputation to the highest point it attained, and on 22 April 1818 he was the first Salerno in Shiel's ‘Bellamira.’ In Jameson's ‘Nine Points of the Law’ he was at the Haymarket, 17 July, Mr. Precise, and in the ‘Green Man,’ 15 Aug., exhibited what was called a perfect piece of acting as Mr. Green. At Covent Garden he was, 17 April 1819, the first David Deans in his own adaptation, ‘The Heart of Midlothian;’ played Sir Sampson Legend in ‘Love for Love,’ Buckingham in ‘Richard III,’ Prospero, Sir Amias Paulet in ‘Mary Stuart’ (adapted from Schiller), 14 Dec. 1819, Lord Glenallan, and afterwards was announced for Jonathan Oldbuck in his own and Pocock's adaptation, ‘The Antiquary,’ 25 Jan. 1820. Illness seems to have prevented his playing Oldbuck, which was assigned to Liston. On 17 May he was the first Dentatus in Sheridan Knowles's ‘Virginius.’ At the Haymarket during the summer seasons Terry played a great round of comic characters, including Hardy in the ‘Belle's Stratagem,’ Old Mirabel in ‘Wine does Wonders’ (a compressed version of the ‘Inconstant’), Peachum in ‘Beggar's Opera,’ Falstaff in ‘Henry IV,’ pt. i., Old Hardcastle, Sir Peter Teazle, Dr. Pangloss, Polonius, Lear, Sir Anthony Absolute, Pierre in ‘Venice Preserved,’ and Rob Roy. Among many original parts in pieces by Kenney, J. Dibdin, and others, Terry was Sir Christopher Cranberry in ‘Exchange no Robbery,’ by his friend Theodore Hook, 12 Aug. 1820; the Prince in ‘Match Breaking,’ 20 Aug. 1821; and Shark in ‘Morning, Noon, and Night,’ 9 Sept. 1822.

Having quarrelled with the management