Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 60.djvu/382

 panied Foote to Edinburgh, and to have appeared there as Launcelot Gobbo. In the autumn of 1771 he was with Tate Wilkinson in York, where he was seen in ‘Sir Harry Sycamore,’ as well as such favourite parts as Scrub, Jerry Sneak, Jerry Blackacre, Dr. Last, and Abel Drugger. Back at the Haymarket, he was Twig in the ‘Cooper’ in June 1772, Putty (a glazier) and Janus in Foote's ‘Nabob’ on 29 June, Ninny in Gentleman's ‘Cupid's Revenge’ in July of the same year, Butler in Foote's ‘Piety in Pattens’ on 15 Feb. 1773, Pillage in Foote's ‘Bankrupt’ on 21 July, Buck in the ‘Trip to Portsmouth’ on 11 Aug., Dan Drugger in Gentleman's ‘Pantheonites’ on 3 Sept., Toby in Foote's ‘Cozeners’ in July 1774, and Robin in Dibdin's ‘Waterman’ on 17 Aug. He was thus, it is seen, a mainstay of Foote in that actor's management of the Haymarket. Other parts that he played at this house included Papillion in the ‘Lyar,’ Tim in the ‘Knights,’ Richard III (a droll experiment made for his benefit on 30 Sept. 1774), Vamp in the ‘Author,’ Diana Trapes in the ‘Beggar's Opera,’ and Mrs. Cole in the ‘Minor.’

At Drury Lane, meanwhile, he was seen as Daniel in ‘Conscious Lovers,’ Scrub in ‘Beaux' Stratagem,’ Jerry Blackacre in the ‘Plain Dealer,’ and Lucianus in ‘Hamlet.’ On 17 Nov. 1768 he was the original Mawworm in the ‘Hypocrite,’ acting it inimitably, and stamping on it a character it retained with successive exponents. Subsequently he was Roger (an original part) in the ‘Institution of the Garter’ on 28 Oct. 1771, Gardener in the ‘Drummer,’ Master Stephen in ‘Every Man in his Humour,’ Clincher, jun., in the ‘Constant Couple,’ Thomas (an original part) in Garrick's ‘Irish Widow’ on 23 Oct. 1772, Servant (an original part) in the ‘Duel’ on 8 Nov., and Flash in ‘Miss in her Teens.’ In the season 1773–4 he was the first Binnacle in the ‘Fair Quaker, or the Humours of the Navy,’ on 9 Nov. 1773, Torrington (a barrister) in Kelly's ‘School for Wives’ on 11 Dec., Tycho in Garrick's ‘Christmas Tale’ on 27 Dec., and a character unnamed in the ‘Swindlers’ on 25 April 1774. He played Lory in the ‘Man of Quality’ and Justice Woodcock in ‘Love in a Village,’ imitated Hippisley's Drunken Man, and for his benefit, by way of parodying addresses delivered on the backs of asses, announced himself to speak Judge Tycho's sentence ‘riding on a rhinoceros.’ On 17 Sept., the opening night of the following season, he was King in a prelude called the ‘Meeting of the Company, or Bayes' Art of Acting;’ was the original Hurry in Burgoyne's ‘Maid of the Oaks’ on 5 Nov., Jack Nightshade in Cumberland's ‘Choleric Man’ on 19 Dec., and Spy in Bates's ‘Rival Candidates’ on 1 Feb. 1775. He was a Recruit in the ‘Recruiting Officer,’ and for his benefit gave an interlude called ‘Weston's Return from the Universities of Parnassus.’ In his last season he was the original Dozey, a parish clerk, in Garrick's ‘May Day, or the Little Gipsy,’ on 28 Oct. 1775. This was his last part and, so far as can be proved, his last performance. On 18 Jan. 1776 he died of habitual drunkenness. The third volume of ‘Dramatic Table Talk’ prints a mock will which Weston is credited with having made a few weeks before his death. In this, the ill-nature of which is at least as conspicuous as its wit, he leaves to Foote, from whom he derived it, all his consequence; to Garrick his money, ‘as there is nothing on earth he is so very fond of;’ to Reddish a grain of honesty, which is a rarity he must value; to Mr. Yeates (sic) all his spirit; to Mrs. Yeates (sic) his humility; to Shuter his example; to Brereton, a small portion of modesty; to Jacobs his shoes, for which he has long waited, and so on.

In his line Weston was one of the most genuine comedians our stage has known. He was an artist, moreover, and rarely offended, as did other impersonators of clowns, in speaking ‘more than is set down for them.’ Davies couples him with Benjamin Johnson [q. v.] as the only men who, in ‘all the parts they represented, absolutely forgot themselves.’ When their superiors in ‘the art of colouring and high finishing’ laughed at some casual blunder of an actor or impropriety in the scene, these men were so truly absorbed in character that they never lost sight of it. Weston's performance of Abel Drugger by its simplicity, Davies holds, almost exceeded the fine art of Garrick. Garrick, one of whose greatest comic parts it was, on seeing Weston in it, declared it one of the finest pieces of acting he ever witnessed, and presented Weston on his benefit with 20l. When Weston played Scrub, Garrick (as Archer) found it difficult to keep his countenance. As Daniel in the ‘Conscious Lovers,’ Weston is said to have been droll beyond the conception of those who had not seen him. His by-play was marvellous, and his breaking the phial in Abel Drugger; his returning for his shoes after his medical examination in Dr. Last; and his hurrying up with his wife's night-clothes on the well-known sound of ‘Jerry! Jerry! Where are you, Jerry?’ in the ‘Mayor of Garratt,’ are said to have shown excellence ‘that one might despair of ever seeing again.’ Hurry was