It was about this time that the taste of the Town became vitiated: one remarkable instance I cannot forget. In January 1717 some dancers arrived from France, and with them one Swartz, a German. This man brought over two dogs, whom he had taught to dance the louvre and minuet; they were immediately engaged by Rich, at ten pounds _per_ night, and brought above twenty good houses, when the Othello of Booth, the Wildair of Wilks, and the Foppington of Cibber, were neglected, and did not bring charges. The town, who were formerly unanimous in supporting the stage, now were formed into different parties; some preferred sense to sound, others were for the Opera and Pantomime, and the actors, as Colley Cibber remarks, 'were very near being wholly laid aside, or, at least, the use of their labour was to be swallowed up, in the pretended merit of singing and dancing.' I must, however, not forget to mention, that a few years ago, some ladies of the first distinction, eminent for their just taste, entered into a society, and distinguished by the name of the Shakspeare Club, in order to support his plays on the stage. Many verses were written on this occasion; one stanza I remember: "No more shall Merit's passion fail, Since Beauty wit and knowledge prize, Whose bright example shall prevail, And make it fashion to be wise. "I must do justice to the managers of the Dublin Theatres, in commending their care and assiduity to please the Town; and could wish, instead of importing from Sadler's-wells wire-dancers, &c. they would revive some select plays of Shakspeare and Jonson. "I have at my leisure hours drawn up the following scale of the merits of the performers on the Irish stage; I have no connections with either Theatre or Managers, but am a lover of Truth and the Drama. I am, &c. THEATRICUS. "_Dublin._ "A SCALE of the Merits of the Performers on the Irish Stage, 1763. Men. |Trag.|Com.|| Women. |Trag.|Com. ----------+-----+----++-----------+-----+---- Barry | 20 | 10 ||Dancer | 14 | 16 Mossop | 15 | 6 ||Fitz-Henry | 14 | 6 Sheridan | 15 | 6 ||Abington | 0 | 18 Macklin | 8 | 15 ||Hamilton | 10 | 12 Sowdon | 13 | 12 ||Kennedy | 8 | 10 Dexter | 10 | 12 ||Kelf | 8 | 10 T. Barry | 10 | 8 ||Barry | 8 | 10 Ryder | 6 | 12 ||Jefferson | 6 | 8 Stamper | 0 | 12 ||Ambrose | 0 | 8 Sparks | 0 | 12 ||Mahon | 0 | 6 Jefferson | 8 | 10 ||Roach | 0 | 6 Heaphy | 6 | 8 ||Parsons | 0 | 6 Reddish | 6 | 8 || | | Walker | 0 | 8 || | | Glover | 4 | 8 || | | Mahon | 4 | 6 || | |