The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
In the beginning of the year 1700, Farquhar brought his Constant Couple,
or Trip to the Jubilee, upon the stage, it being then the jubilee year
at Rome; but our author drew so gay, and airy a figure in Sir Harry
Wildair, so suited to Mr. Wilks's talents, and so animated by his
gesture, and vivacity of spirit, that it is not determined whether the
poet or the player received most reputation by it. Towards the latter
end of this year we meet with Mr. Farquhar in Holland, probably upon
his military duty, from whence he has given a description in two of his
letters dated that year from Brill, and from Leyden, no less true than
humorous, as well of those places as the people; and in a third, dated
from the Hague he very facetiously relates how merry he was there, at
a treat made by the earl of Westmoreland, while, not only himself, but
king William, and other of his subjects were detained there by a violent
storm, which he has no less humorously described, and has, among his
poems, written also an ingenious copy of verses to his mistress on the
same subject. Whether this mistress was the same person he calls his
charming Penelope, in several of his love letters addressed to her, we
know not, but we have been informed by an old officer in the army, who
well knew Mr. Farquhar, that by that name we are to understand Mrs.
Oldfield, and that the person meant by Mrs. V---- in one of them, said
to be her bedfellow, was Mrs. Verbruggen the actress, the same who was
some years before Mrs. Mountfort, whom Mrs. Oldfield succeeded,
(when Mrs. V---- died some years after in child-bed) with singular
commendation, in her principal parts; and from so bright a flame it was
no wonder that Farquhar was more than ordinarily heated. The author of
Mrs. Oldfield's life says, that she has often heard her mention some
agreeable hours she spent with captain Farquhar: As she was a lady of
true delicacy, nor meanly prostituted herself to every adorer, it
would be highly ungenerous to suppose, that their hours ever passed in
criminal freedoms. And 'tis well known, whatever were her failings, she
wronged no man's wife; nor had an husband to injure.
Mr. Farquhar, encouraged by the success of his last piece, made a
continuation of it in 1701, and brought on his Sir Harry Wildair; in
which Mrs. Oldfield received as much reputation, and was as greatly
admired in her part, as Wilks was in his.
In the next year he published his Miscellanies, or Collection of Poems,
Letters, and Essays, already mentioned, and which contain a variety of
humorous, and pleasant sallies of fancy: There is amongst them a copy of
verses addressed to his dear Penelope, upon her wearing her Masque the
evening before, which was a female fashion in those days, as well at
public walks, as among the spectators at the Playhouse. These verses
naturally display his temper and talents, and will afford a very clear
idea of them; and therefore we shall here insert them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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