"Their Majesties' Servants." Annals of the English Stage (Volume 2 of 3)Doran, Dr. (John)
History
"Their Majesties' Servants." Annals of the English Stage (Volume 2 of 3)
Doran, Dr. (John)
Actors -- Great Britain; Theater -- Great Britain -- History
Walpole never liked him; and he laughed at the "airs of fatigue
which Garrick and other players give themselves after a long
part;"--comparing their labour with that of the Speaker and of some
members of the House of Commons. The fine gentleman depreciated the
fine actor systematically, but at the close of a score of years'
familiarity with his acting, he rendered a discriminating judgment
on him. "Good and various," the player was allowed to be, but other
actors had pleased Walpole more, though "not in so many parts." "Quin
in Falstaff, was as excellent as Garrick in Lear. Old Johnson far
more natural in everything he attempted. Mrs. Porter surpassed him
in passionate tragedy. Cibber and O'Brien were what Garrick could
never reach, coxcombs and men of fashion. Mrs. Clive is, at least,
as perfect in low comedy, and yet, to me, Ranger was the part that
suited Garrick the best of all he ever performed. He was a poor
Lothario, a ridiculous Othello, inferior to Quin in Sir John Brute
and Macbeth, and to Cibber in Bayes; and a woeful Lord Hastings and
Lord Townley. Indeed, his Bayes was original, but not the true part;
Cibber was the burlesque of a great poet, as the part was designed,
but Garrick made it a Garretteer. The town did not like him in
Hotspur, and yet I don't know if he did not succeed in it beyond all
the rest. Sir Charles Williams and Lord Holland thought so too, and
they were no bad judges." It was less fair criticism when Walpole
wrote, with reference to Garrick, "I do not mention the things
written in his praise;--because he writes most of them himself."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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