Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/194

184 And here we cannot reſiſt the opportunity of ſhewing Mr. Booth in that full, and commanding light in which he is drawn by the late ingenious Aaron Hill, eſq; who had long experience in the affairs of the ſtage, and could well diſtingnuiſh the true merits of an actor. His words are,

‘Two advantages diſtinguiſhed him in the ſtrongeſt light from the reſt of his fraternity: he had learning to underſtand perfectly what it was his part to ſpeak, and judgment to know how far it agreed, or diſagreed with his character. Hence aroſe a peculiar grace, which was viſible to every ſpectator, though few were at the pains of examining into the cauſe of their pleaſure. He could ſoften, and ſlide over, with a kind of elegant negligence, the improprieties in the part he acted, while, on the contrary, he would dwell with energy upon the beauties, as if he exerted a latent ſpirit which had been kept back for ſuch an occaſion, that he might alarm, awaken, and tranſport in thoſe places only, where the dignity of his own good ſenſe could be ſupported by that of his author. A little reflexion upon this remarkable quality, will teach us to account for that manifeſt languor which has ſometimes been obſerved in his action, and which was generally, though I think falſly, imputed to the natural indolence of his temper. For the ſame reaſon, though in the cuſtomary round of his buſineſs, he would condeſcend to ſome parts in comedy; he ſeldom appeared in any of them with much advantage to his character. The paſſions which he found in comedy, were not ſtrong enough to excite his fire, and what ſeemed want of qualification, was only the abſence of impreſſion. He had a talent at diſcovering the paſſions where they lay hid in ſome celebrated parts, by the injudicious practice of other actors; when he had ,