Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/193

Rh a good man, morally conſidered; ſome inſtances of the generoſity and noble ſpirit of Wilks, are taken notice of in the life of Farquhar.

A few years after Mr. Booth roſe to the dignity of manager, he married the celebrated Miſs Santlowe, who, from her firſt appearance as an actreſs in the character of the Fair Quaker of Deal, to the time ſhe quitted the ſtage, had always received the ſtrongeſt marks of public applauſe, which were repeated when after a retreat of ſome years, ſhe appeared there again. By her prudence in managing the advantages that aroſe to her from her reputation as an actreſs, and her great diligence in her profeſſion, ſhe acquired a conſiderable fortune, which was very uſeful to Mr. Booth, who, from the natural turn of his temper, though he had a ſtrict regard to juſtice, was not much inclined to ſaving.

During the few years they lived together, there was the greateſt harmony between them, and after the death of Booth, his diſconſolate widow, who is yet alive, quitted the ſtage, and devoted herſelf entirely to a private courſe of life. By degrees the health of Mr. Booth began to decline, ſo that it was impoſſible for him to continue to act with ſo much diligence as uſual, but at whatever time he was able to return to the ſtage, the town demonſtrated their reſpect for him by crowding the houſe. Being attacked by a complication of diſtempers, he paid the debt to nature May 10, 1733. A copy of his Will was printed in the London Magazine for 1733, p. 126, in which we find he teſtified his eſteem for his wife, to whom he left all his fortune, for reaſons there aſſigned, which he declared amounted to no more than two thirds of what he had received from her on the day of marriage. His character as an actor, has been celebrated by the beſt judges, and was never queſtioned by any. And