[382] Edward Knight, known as LITTLE KNIGHT, is universally stated to have been born in Birmingham in 1774; “Bristol” and “1778” are probably misprints. [383] _Flora, or Hob in the Well_, a farce by Cibber, adapted from Thomas Doggett’s _Country Wake_. [384] _The Soldier’s Daughter_ is a comedy by Cherry, Timothy Quaint being a minor character.--_Fortune’s Frolic_ is a farce by Allingham. Robin Roughhead, a labourer, succeeds to the title and wealth; then he marries his humble sweetheart, Dolly, and makes the best of landlords. [385] Of Knight as an actor we read: “There was an odd quickness, and a certain droll play about every muscle of his face, that fully prepared the audience for the jest that was to follow. His Sim, in _Wild Oats_, may be termed the most chaste and natural performance on the stage.” It was remarked of Knight, however, that he was too fond of laughter and tears, “squeezing his eyelids, and fidgetting and pelting about, till he got the necessary moisture.” [386] A bronze statue in the garden of Burton Crescent shows Cartwright as a small, excessively bald man, seated with what might be a blue-book in his hand. A luxuriant fig tree was threatening to engulf him in its foliage in September 1905. The inscription states that he was “The First Consistent and Persevering Advocate of Universal Suffrage, Equal Representation, Vote by Ballot, and Annual Parliaments.” For every evil, even for cold weather or bad plays, he prescribed “Annual Parliaments and Universal Suffrage.” The Reverend J. Richardson, in his _Recollections_, says that for many years the Lords of the Admiralty gave Cartwright half-pay, without suspecting that the “John Cartwright” on their books was their arch-critic, “Major” Cartwright, whose commission in the Nottinghamshire Militia had put this handle to his name and disguised his identity. [387] It may be hoped that, had Smith lived to prepare his BOOK FOR A RAINY DAY for the press, he would have expunged these embittered references to the wealth of Nollekens and legateeship of Francis Douce. [388] Elizabeth Ogilvy Benger (1778-1827) was an amiable woman and a popular writer of history and biography. She was a friend of the Lambs, Mrs. Barbauld, Mrs. Aikin, Campbell, and others. Among her works are _Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots and Anne Boleyn_, and a poem on the slave-trade. [389] From Mr. W. Roberts’ “_Memorials of Christie’s_, it appears that the original cup from Shakespeare’s mulberry tree, which was presented to David Garrick by the Mayor and Corporation, at the time of the Jubilee at Stratford, realised 121 guineas on April 30, 1825.” Smith mis-states the date. On May 30, 1903, a figure of Shakespeare carved from the tree was sold at Sotheby’s for £13, 5s. [390] See note, p. 273.