Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 58.djvu/36

Underhill was certainly the first Sanco in Ravenscroft's ‘Wrangling Lovers’ and Old Jollyman in D'Urfey's ‘Madame Fickle.’ During 1677 he appears to have been confined in the Poultry Compter (apparently for debt, at the suit of William Allen). His liberty was demanded in April by Sir Allen Apsley, on the ground that he was one of the Duke of York's menial servants; but the gaolers hesitated to comply with the request until the case was put before the House of Lords (Hist. MSS. Comm. 9th Rep. App. ii. 94). The same year saw him as the original Blunt in Mrs. Behn's ‘Rover.’ In 1678 he was the first Ajax in Bankes's ‘Destruction of Troy,’ Sir Noble Clumsey in Otway's ‘Friendship in Fashion,’ Pimpo in D'Urfey's ‘Squire Oldsapp,’ Fabio in ‘Counterfeits’ (attributed to Leanard), and Phæax in Shadwell's ‘Timon of Athens.’ In 1679 he was Thersites in Dryden's alteration of ‘Troilus and Cressida,’ and Tickletext in Mrs. Behn's ‘Feigned Courtezans.’ In Otway's ‘History and Fall of Caius Marius,’ taken from ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ he was in 1680 the first Sulpitius (Mercutio). Mrs. Barry, in the epilogue to this, speaks of those who come here wrapt in cloaks, Only for love of Underhill and Nurse Nokes. In the same year Underhill's name stands to Amble, a trifling part in D'Urfey's ‘Virtuous Wife.’ Genest thinks it should be Brainworm. Underhill was also the first Circumstantio in Maidwell's ‘Loving Enemies.’ In the second part of Mrs. Behn's ‘Rover,’ 1681, as in the first part, he was the original Blunt. He was also Gomez in the first production of Dryden's ‘Spanish Friar.’ In D'Urfey's ‘Royalist’ in 1682 he was Copyhold; in Mrs. Behn's ‘False Count’ Guzman, and in Ravenscroft's ‘London Cuckolds’ Wiseacre.

On the union of the two companies Underhill came out on 4 Dec. 1682 at the Theatre Royal as Curate Eustace in the production of Dryden's ‘Duke of Guise.’ On 6 Feb. 1685, while ‘Sir Courtly Nice’ was being rehearsed, Underhill had to inform the author, Crowne, of the death of Charles II, by whose command the comedy had been written. When, however, the play was produced shortly afterwards, he achieved a great success as Hothead (cf. GENEST, i. 439). At the Theatre Royal he remained thirteen years, playing the following parts, all original: in 1684 Daredevil in Otway's ‘Atheist,’ Turbulent in the ‘Factious Citizen;’ in 1685, Hothead in ‘Sir Courtly Nice;’ in 1686, Don Diego in D'Urfey's ‘Banditti;’ in 1687, Dr. Baliardo in Mrs. Behn's ‘Emperor of the Moon;’ in 1688, Lolpoop in Shadwell's ‘Squire of Alsatia,’ a soldier in Mountfort's ‘Injured Lovers;’ in 1689, Old Ranter in Crowne's ‘English Friar,’ Oldwit in Shadwell's ‘Bury Fair;’ in 1690, Bernardo in Shadwell's ‘Amorous Bigot,’ Mufti in Dryden's ‘Don Sebastian,’ Guzman in Mountfort's ‘Successful Strangers,’ Timerous in Mrs. Behn's posthumous ‘Widow Ranter;’ in 1691, Sassafras in Mountfort's ‘Greenwich Park,’ Sir Rowland Rakehell in D'Urfey's ‘Love for Money;’ in 1692, Hiarbas in Crowne's ‘Regulus,’ Captain Dryrub in Southerne's ‘Maid's Last Prayer;’ in 1693, Setter in Congreve's ‘Old Bachelor,’ Stockjob in D'Urfey's ‘Richmond Heiress,’ Sir Maurice Meanwell in Wright's ‘Female Vertuosoes’ (sic), Lopez in Dryden's ‘Love Triumphant;’ in 1694, Sancho in the second part of D'Urfey's ‘Don Quixote’ (Doggett was Sancho in the first part), Sampson in Southerne's ‘Fatal Marriage,’ Sir Barnaby Buffler in Ravenscroft's ‘Canterbury Guests.’ He also played a Plebeian in ‘Julius Cæsar;’ the Cook in ‘Rollo, Duke of Normandy;’ and, if J. P. Collier may be trusted, Smug in the ‘Merry Devil of Edmonton.’

At the theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields he was in 1695 the original Sir Sampson Legend in Congreve's ‘Love for Love’ (a part in which, according to Cibber, he was unrivalled); in 1696 Sir Topewell Clownish in Motteux's ‘Love's a Jest,’ Sir Thomas Testie in Doggett's ‘Country Wake,’ Sir Toby Cusifle in Granville's ‘She Gallants,’ Alderman Whim in Dilke's ‘Lover's Luck;’ in 1697 Bevis in Dilke's ‘City Lady,’ the Doctor in Ravenscroft's ‘Anatomist, or the Sham Doctor,’ Sir Blunder Bosse in D'Urfey's ‘Intrigues at Versailles,’ Flywife in Mrs. Pix's ‘Innocent Mistress’; and played Cacafogo in a revival of ‘Rule a Wife and have a Wife.’ The next year saw him as the original Sir Wealthy Plainder in Dilke's ‘Pretenders;’ and in 1700 Sir Wilfull Witwoud in Congreve's ‘Way of the World.’ In 1702 followed Merryman in Betterton's ‘Amorous Widow.’ His name now appeared less frequently. On 8 Feb. 1704 ‘Œdipus’ and ‘Rover’ were played for his benefit, and he played at court Timothy in a revival of ‘Sir Solomon.’ ‘The Virtuoso’ was played for his benefit on 31 March 1705, the last night of playing that season at Lincoln's Inn Fields.

On 5 Dec. 1706 he played at the Haymarket Sir Joslin Jolley in a revival of ‘She would if she could,’ a part in which in the following month he was replaced by Bullock; and on 20 Jan. 1707 he repeated Blunt in the ‘Rover.’ The ‘Mourning