Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 63.djvu/323

 season her name is not to be traced. Genest thinks she may not have been engaged. On 15 Dec. 1756, as Mrs. Yates late Mrs. Graham, she reappeared, playing Alcmena in ‘Amphitryon.’ Murphy, whom her statuesque beauty had attracted, and who had joined the company, had taken much pains with her, and under his tuition and that of [q. v.] she ripened into a fine actress. The Queen in ‘Spanish Friar’ and Lady Townly in the ‘Provoked Husband’ were given during the season. She remained at Drury Lane until 1767, playing many characters in tragedy and comedy, including Mrs. Marwood in ‘Way of the World,’ Zara in ‘Zara,’ Cleopatra in ‘Antony and Cleopatra,’ Mrs. Sullen, Rutland in ‘Earl of Essex,’ Miranda in ‘Woman's a Riddle,’ Lady Randolph, Calista, Monimia, Rosalind, Constance in ‘King John,’ Belvedera, Almeria in ‘Mourning Bride,’ Jacintha in ‘Suspicious Husband,’ Anne Bullen in ‘Henry VIII,’ Violante in the ‘Wonder,’ Lady Lurewell in ‘Constant Couple,’ Lady Jane Grey, Zapphira in ‘Barbarossa,’ Julia in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona,’ Bellario in ‘Philaster,’ Indiana in ‘Conscious Lovers,’ Sylvia in ‘Recruiting Officer,’ Clarinda in ‘Suspicious Husband,’ Horatia in ‘Roman Father,’ Imogen, Desdemona, Cordelia, Perdita, Arpasia in ‘Tamerlane,’ Andromache, Fidelia in ‘Plain Dealer,’ Cleopatra in ‘All for Love,’ Roxana in ‘False Friend,’ and probably Chruseis in ‘Heroic Love.’

Her original parts at Drury Lane were numerous and important. They comprised Sandane in Home's ‘Agis,’ 21 Feb. 1758; Harriet in Murphy's ‘Upholsterer,’ 30 March; Mandane in Murphy's ‘Orphan of China,’ 21 April 1759; Mrs. Lovemore in Murphy's ‘Way to keep him,’ 24 Jan. 1760; a part in a farce called ‘Marriage à la Mode,’ 24 March; Emmeline in Hawkesworth's ‘Edgar and Emmeline,’ a character in which she was excellent, 31 Jan. 1761; Belinda in ‘All in the Wrong,’ 15 June; Araminta in Whitehead's ‘School for Lovers,’ 10 Feb. 1762; Mrs. Knightly in Mrs. Sheridan's ‘Discovery,’ 3 Feb. 1763; Lady Frankland in Mrs. Griffith's ‘Platonic Wife,’ 24 Jan. 1765; Clarissa in Murphy's ‘Choice,’ 23 March; Margaret of Anjou in Franklin's ‘Earl of Warwick,’ 13 Dec. 1766; Medea in Glover's ‘Medea,’ 24 March 1767; and Dido in Reed's ‘Dido,’ 28 March.

On 16 Oct. 1767 she made her first appearance at Covent Garden, playing Jane Shore. Besides repeating many favourite characters, she was seen for the first time as Palmyra in ‘Mahomet,’ Lady Macbeth, and Queen in ‘Hamlet.’ During the following four years she added to her repertory the Countess of Salisbury, Imoinda, Amelia in ‘English Merchant,’ Statira, Portia in ‘Merchant of Venice,’ Isabella in ‘Measure for Measure,’ Mrs. Oakly, Mrs. Cadwallader, Ximena in the piece so named, Eudocia in ‘Siege of Damascus,’ Isabella in ‘Isabella,’ and Viola in ‘Twelfth Night.’ Her original parts consisted of Mandane in ‘Cyrus,’ adapted by Hook from Metastasio, 3 Dec. 1768; Electra in ‘Orestes,’ taken by Dr. Francklin from Voltaire, 13 May 1769; Sophia in Cumberland's ‘Brothers,’ 2 Dec.; Ismena in Hook's ‘Timanthes,’ 24 Feb. 1770; Clementina in Kelly's ‘Clementina,’ 23 Feb. 1771; and Zobeide in Cradock's ‘Zobeide,’ 11 Dec. The profits of this piece, which was taken in part from ‘Les Scythes’ of Voltaire and was acted eleven times, were given by the author, a man of fortune, to Mrs. Yates. During the following two seasons Mrs. Yates was, with her husband, engaged for 700l. per season in Edinburgh, a member of the Edinburgh faculty of advocates subscribing 150l. so as to enable [q. v.] to undertake so costly a speculation. She appeared on 19 Jan. 1773 as Mandane, her husband having acted eight days previously. A round of her principal parts was played, and a great sensation was produced by the performance on 8 March of the ‘Prince of Tunis,’ an original play by (1745–1831) [q. v.] In this Mrs. Yates played Zulima, the heroine, speaking also as the Genius of Scotland a prologue. Tragedy and actress were highly praised, but the former was seen during the season only five times. Mrs. Yates was in 1774 joint-manager with Mrs. Brooke of the Haymarket Opera House. As Electra in ‘Orestes’ she made at Drury Lane, on 15 Oct. 1774, ‘her first appearance there for eight years,’ and was on 17 Feb. 1775 the first Duchess of Braganza in Jephson's ‘Braganza.’ At this house she played Octavia in ‘All for Love,’ and was the first Semiramis in Ayscough's ‘Semiramis,’ 13 Dec. 1776; Berinthia in Sheridan's ‘Trip to Scarborough,’ 24 Feb. 1777; played a part in Shirley's ‘Roman Sacrifice,’ then first acted, 18 Dec.; was the first Edwina in Cumberland's ‘Battle of Hastings,’ 24 Jan. 1778; and Zoraida in Hodson's ‘Zoraida,’ 13 Dec. 1779. Back at Covent Garden, she was the original Thamyris in Mrs. Brooke's ‘Siege of Sinope,’ 31 Jan. 1781, a part written expressly for her. She had also a part in a revised version of Mrs. Cowley's ‘Second Thoughts are Best,’ 24 March. Lady Allworth in ‘A New Way to pay Old Debts’ was added to her repertory in 1781–2, and in the following season Euphrasia in the ‘Grecian Daughter.’ The