Cornish Characters and Strange EventsBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
Cornish Characters and Strange Events
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Cornwall (England : County) -- Biography; Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Legends -- England -- Cornwall (County)
But Foote was not so easily put down. The very next morning he
published the following statement in the _General Advertiser_: "On
Saturday afternoon, exactly at twelve o'clock, at the New Theatre in
the Haymarket, Mr. Foote begs the favour of his friends to come and
drink a dish of chocolate with him, and 'tis hoped there will be a
great deal of company and some joyous spirits. He will endeavour to
make the morning as diverting as possible. Tickets to be had for this
entertainment at George's Coffee House, Temple Bar, without which no
one will be admitted. N.B.--Sir Dilbury Diddle will be there, and Lady
Betty Frisk has absolutely promised." No one knew what this
advertisement meant, and a crowded house was the natural result. When
the curtain rose Foote came forward and informed the audience that "as
he was training some young performers for the stage, he would, with
their permission, whilst chocolate was getting ready, proceed with his
instructions before them." Then some young people, engaged for the
purpose, were brought upon the stage, and under the pretence of
instructing them in the art of acting, he introduced his imitations.
As he was not interfered with, he changed the hour to the evening and
substituted tea for chocolate.
He mimicked Quin as a watchman, with deep, sonorous voice calling out,
"Past twelve o'clock, and a cloudy morning"; Delane as a one-eyed
beggar; Peg Woffington as an orange girl, and imitated the unpleasant
squealing tone of her voice; Garrick in his dying scenes, on which he
prided himself.
As may well be supposed, actors, who are peculiarly sensitive to
ridicule, were offended. When they appeared in a grave play, as for
instance, when Garrick was dying on the stage, the audience laughed,
recalling what they had witnessed at the Haymarket. They complained,
"What is fun to you is death to us," but Foote paid no regard to their
remonstrances; he laughed and pursued his course. He was perfectly
unscrupulous, wholly devoid of delicacy of feeling, and would turn
his best friend and benefactor into ridicule in public. But when,
later, Weston took him off, he was highly incensed, and bided his time
to be revenged on him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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