"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
In the latter part of the life of George II., he took advantage of
his position to make loud remarks on the performances at which he was
present. One night, at Drury Lane, he commanded Farquhar's "Beaux'
Stratagem" and Fielding's "Intriguing Chambermaid." He was amused
with the Foigard of Yates, and the Cherry of Miss Minors. In the
second piece, Kitty Clive played her original part of Lettice--a part
in which she had delighted the town, which could then be delighted by
such parts, for seventeen years. Walpole, writing of this incident to
Mann, says: "A certain king that, whatever airs you may give yourself
you are not at all like, was last week at the play. The intriguing
chambermaid in the farce says to the old gentleman: 'You are
villainously old, you are sixty-six, you cannot have the impudence to
think of living above two years.' The old gentleman in the stage-box
turned about in a passion, and said, 'This is d----d stuff!' and the
royal critic was energetically right."
On some occasions there were more kings in the house than he of
England. Four were once there among the audience, and as far as their
majesties were concerned, rather against their will. These poor
majesties were American Indian chiefs, to whom the higher sounding
title of "kings" was given by way of courtesy. The Irish actor,
Bowen, had contrived to secure their presence at his benefit when
"Macbeth" was performed, and a dense mob was gathered, not so much
to hear Shakspeare as to see the "kings." The illustrious strangers
were placed in the centre box, and as they were invisible to the
occupants of the galleries an uproar ensued. Wilks blandly assured
the rioters that the kings were really present, as announced. The
galleries did not care; they had paid their money, they said, to see
them, and the kings they would have or there should be no play. After
some negotiating and great tumult the managers placed four chairs
upon the stage, to which the four Indian kings gravely descended from
their box amid a chorus of "hurrahs!" from the late dissentients,
with whose noisy enthusiasm the imperturbable gravity of the chiefs
contrasted strangely. They listened seriously to the play, and with
as much intelligence to the epilogue, which was specially addressed
to them, and in which they were told that as Sheba's queen once went
to adore Solomon, so they had been "winged by her example" to seek
protection on Britannia's shore. It then proceeded, with some abuse
of grammar, thus:--
"O princes, who have with amazement seen
So good, so gracious, and so great a queen;
Who from her royal mouth have heard your doom
Secur'd against the threats of France and Rome;
Awhile some moments on our scenes bestow;"
which was a singular request to make when the play was over!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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