Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 62.djvu/426

 ‘Lethe,’ 15 April 1740; and Neverout in ‘Polite Conversation,’ taken from Swift, 23 April. On 29 Dec. 1741 he appeared at Covent Garden as Coachman in the ‘Drummer.’ At Drury Lane he remained till 1747, playing the lead in comedy, and adding to his repertory some fifty characters. Among these were Osric, Campley in ‘Funeral,’ Bullock in ‘Recruiting Officer,’ Brisk in ‘Double Dealer,’ Jerry Blackacre in ‘Plain Dealer,’ Lucio in ‘Measure for Measure,’ Lord Sands, Pistol, Ben in ‘Love for Love,’ Parolles, Sir Courtly Nice, Guiderius in ‘Cymbeline,’ the Lying Valet, Antonio in ‘Don Sebastian,’ and Colonel Feignwell. Two original parts were assigned him—Flash in Garrick's ‘Miss in her Teens,’ 17 Jan. 1747; and Jack Meggot in Hoadley's ‘Suspicious Husband,’ 12 Feb. of the same year.

Engaged by Sheridan for Smock Alley Theatre, Dublin, Woodward made his first appearance there on 28 Sept. 1747 as Marplot in the ‘Busybody,’ and played also Brass in the ‘Confederacy,’ Trappanti in ‘She would and she would not,’ and other parts. As Marplot he came out again on 10 Sept. 1748 at Drury Lane, ‘first appearance for seven years.’ He repeated some of his Dublin successes, and was seen during the season as Tom in ‘Conscious Lovers,’ Justice Greedy in ‘A New Way to pay Old Debts,’ Ramble in ‘London Cuckolds,’ Gregory in ‘Mock Doctor,’ Captain Brazen, Scrub, Mercutio, Harlequin in ‘Emperor of the Moon,’ Fine Gentleman in ‘Lethe,’ Faddle in ‘Foundling,’ and Ramilie in the ‘Miser,’ and gave on 18 March 1749 his own unprinted interlude, ‘Tit for Tat,’ in which he made sport of Foote, who had taken him off in his ‘Diversions of the Morning.’ In November 1752 the actor had to make an affidavit that he had not insulted one Fitzpatrick (the same probably who in 1763 caused a riot in the theatre).

During this same year (1752) Woodward was subjected to an attack at the hands of the mountebank ‘Sir’ John Hill [q. v.], who inserted in his ‘Inspector’ a letter ‘to Woodward, comedian, the meanest of all characters.’ This elicited a pamphlet, ‘A Letter from Henry Woodward, Comedian, the meanest of all Characters [see Inspector, No. 524], to Dr. John Hill, Inspector-General of Great Britain, the greatest of all Characters (see all the Inspectors)’ [London], 1752 (2nd edit.), 8vo. This was followed by ‘A Letter to Mr. Woodward, on his Triumph over the Inspector. By Sampson Edwards, the Merry Cobler of the Haymarket,’ London, n.d. [1752], 8vo; ‘A Letter to Henry Woodward, Comedian, occasioned by his Letter to the Inspector. By Simon Partridge, the Facetious Cobler of Pall Mall,’ &c., London, n.d. [1752], 8vo, and finally ‘An Answer to Woodward, by the Earl of …,’ London, 1753, 8vo, a mock defence of Hill.

Between 1751 and 1756 Woodward had produced and doubtless acted in several unprinted pantomimes of his own—‘Harlequin Ranger,’ season of 1751–2; ‘The Genii,’ produced in 1752, and often revived; ‘Queen Mab,’ 1752; ‘Fortunatus,’ 1753, frequently revived, ‘Proteus, or Harlequin in China,’ 1755; and ‘Mercury Harlequin,’ 1756. These all displayed gifts of construction and invention, and were highly popular. Some of them had previously been seen in Dublin. ‘Marplot in Lisbon’ (1760, 12mo) was acted at Drury Lane on 20 March 1754. It is only a compression, with some slight alterations by Woodward, of Mrs. Centlivre's ‘Marplot,’ a continuation of the ‘Busybody,’ and was seen again in Dublin and at Covent Garden.

At Drury Lane he remained until 1758, being seen as the Little French Lawyer, Sir Harry Wildair, Trappolin in ‘Duke and no Duke,’ Quicksilver in ‘Eastward Hoe,’ Bobadil, Stephano in the ‘Tempest,’ Celadon in the ‘Comical Lovers,’ Face, Sir John Daw, Sir Fopling Flutter, Launcelot Gobbo, Polonius, Subtle in ‘Alchemist,’ Clown in ‘Winter's Tale,’ Copper Captain, Lissardo in the ‘Wonder,’ Falstaff in the ‘Second Part of King Henry IV,’ and other characters. Chief among his original parts were Witling in Mrs. Clive's ‘Rehearsal, or Bays in Petticoats,’ 15 March 1750; Don Lewis in Moore's ‘Gil Blas,’ 2 Feb. 1751; a part in his own unprinted ‘Lick at the Town,’ 16 March; Petruchio in Garrick's ‘Catharine and Petruchio,’ 18 March 1754; Dick in Murphy's ‘Apprentice,’ 2 Jan. 1756; Block in Smollett's ‘Reprisal,’ 22 Jan. 1757; Daffodil in the ‘Modern Fine Gentleman,’ 24 March; Nephew in the ‘Gamesters,’ altered from Shirley by Garrick, 22 Dec.; and Razor in Murphy's ‘Upholsterer,’ 30 March 1758.

At the end of the season of 1757–8 Woodward finally severed his connection with Drury Lane. His last engagement had been prodigal of interest and incident. He was Garrick's right-hand man, and divided with him the empire over comedy. His Mercutio, when Garrick and Barry in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ divided the town, had been an unsurpassable triumph. Murphy said, concerning the performance, that ‘no actor ever reached the vivacity of Woodward.’ His performance of Bobadil was pronounced ‘