year 1720, that he had an opportunity of difplaying his great theatrical powers. Upon the revival of the Merry Wives of Windfor at Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, of which the late Mr. Rich was then manager, there was no one in the whole company who would undertake the part of Falftaff; Rich was therefore inclined to give up all thoughts of reprefenting it, when Quin happening to come in his way, faid, if he pleased, he would attempt it. "Hem!" faid Rich, taking a pinch of fnuff, you attempt Falstaff! Why (hem!) you might as well think of acting Cato after Booth.-The character of Falstaff, young man, is quite another character from what you think;" (taking another pinch of snuff), "it is not a little faivelling part, that, that in fhort, that any one can do. There is not a man among you that has any idea of the part but my felf. -It is quite out of your walk. No, never think of Falfaff- -never think of Falstaff-it is quite quite out of your walk, indeed, young man."

This was the reception his firft effort of stepping out of the faggot walk met with, and for fome days he laid afide all thoughts of ever doing Falstaff, or indeed fpeaking upon the ftage, except it were to deliver a message. Ryan, who at that time had the car and confidence of Rich, having heard Quin, long before he thought of coming upon the ftage, repeat fome paffages in the character of Falstaff, prevailed upon the manager to let Quin rehearse them be. fore him; which he accordingly did, but not much to his matter's

fatisfaction. However, as the case was defperate, and either the Merry Wives of Wind for muft have been laid afide, or Quin perform Falstaff, this alternative, at length, prevailed upon Rich to admit him into this part.

The first night of his appearance in this character, he furprised and aftonished the audience. No actor before ever entered into the fpirit of the author, and it feemed as if Shakespeare had by intuition drawn the knight, fo long before, for Quin only to reprefent. The just applaufe he met with upon this occafion is incredible: continuted clappings, and peals of laughter, in fome measure interrupted the reprefentation; though it was impoffible that any regularity whatever could have more increafed the mirth, or excited the approbation of the audience. It would, however, be injustice to the other performers, not to acknowledge that they greatly contributed to the fuccefs of the piece, which had a very great run, and was of eminent fervice to the company.

The next capital character he appeared in, was that of Sir John Brute, in the Provoked Husband; foon after which he engaged at Drury-lane, and fucceeded the elder Mills in all his capital parts in tragedy. Upon Booth's quitting that ftage, "Quin fhone forth in all his fplendor; and yet he had the diffidence, upon the first night of his appearing in Cato, to infert in the bills, that the part of Cata would be only attempted by Mr. Quin. The modefty of this invitation produced a full houfe, and a favourable audience, but

the

the actor's own peculiar merit effected more. When he came to that part of the play where his dead fon is brought in upon the bier, in Speaking these words,

Thanks to the Gods!-my boy has done his duty," he fo affected the whole houfe, that they cried out with a continued acclamation, Booth outdone! Booth outdone!

Yet this was not the fummit of his applaufe; for when he repeated the famous foliloquy, he was encored to that degree, that, though it was fubmitting to an impropriety, he indulged the audience with its repetition.

"

Here he remained without a rival full ten years, though the ftage underwent various fluctuations during that period; at the clofe of which he was engaged by Fleetwood, the manager at Drurylane, at a very extraordinary falary; where he prefided over rehearsals, and the perufal of fuch new plays as were offered. "A poet had put a tragedy which he had just finished, into his hands, one night behind the fcenes whilft he was ftill dreffed for the character he had performed. Quin put it into his pocket, and never thought any more about it. The bard, who was very impatient to know his fentiments with regard to the piece, waited upon him one morning, in order to hear his doom. Quin gave some reasons for its not being proper for the ftage, after having learned the title and fable, which he was before entirely unacquainted with: upon which the poet, whofe mufe had flattered him with the perfpective view of a new fuit of cloaths, as well as the clearing

in the room

of it."

At the end of the winter of the year 1748, Queen having taken umbrage at Rich's behaviour, retired in a fit of fpleen and refentment to Bath, notwithstanding his being under engagements to that manager. Though Rich ought to have known that Quin never put up with any infult, and though he too late repented of what he had done, yet he thought, by treating him with filent contempt, to make him fubmit to his own terms. the other hand, Quin, whose generous heart began now to relent having ufed his old acquaintance fo cavalierly, refolved to facrifice his refentment to his friendship, and wrote early the next feafon a laconic epiftle to Rich in these words:

I am at Bath. QUIN.

On

Stay there and be damned. RICH.

This reply coft the public one of the greatest ornaments of the ftage for as he and Mr. Garrick did not agree very well together, whilst they continued rival actors, he could not brook fubmitting to his competitor in dramatic fame; and as he now took a firm refolution of never engaging again with fo infolent a blockhead, as he ftyled Rich for this anfwer, there was no theatrical door open for him, without he had turned opera-finger. He, nevertheless, came from Bath in the year 1749, to play the part of Othello at Covent-garden theatre, for the benefit of the unhappy fufferers by the fire in Cornhill; which happened on the 25th of March, in the year 1748; and he afterwards continued many fucceffive years to come conftantly to London, to perform the character of Sir John Falstaff, for his old and truly friend Ryan ; but in the year 1754, having loft two of his front-teeth, he was compelled to decline the task, and wrote a comic epifle to Ryan upon the occafion.

esteem than Mr. James Thomfon, author of the Seafons, and many dramatic pieces.

"Hearing once, that Thomfon was confined in a fpunging-house, for a debt of about feventy pounds, he repaired to the place, and having inquired for, was introduced to the bard. Thomfon was a good deal difconcerted at feeing Quin in fuch a place, as he had always taken great pains to conceal his wants, and the more fo, as Quin told him he was come to fup with him, being confcious that all the money he was poffeffed of would fcarce procure a good one, and that there was no credit to be expected in thofe houfes. His anxiety upon this head was removed, upon Quin's informing him, that as he fuppofed it would have been inconvenient to have had the fapper dreffed at the place they were in, he had ordered it from an adjacent tavern; and as a prelude, half a dozen of claret was introduced. Supper being over, and the bottle circulating pretty brifkly, Quin faid, "It is time now we should balance accounts:" this aftonished Thomfon, who imagined he had fome demand upon him; -but Quin perceiving it, continued, "Mr. Thomfon, the pleafure I have had in perufing your works, I cannot eftimate at lefs than a hundred pounds, and I infift upon now acquitting the debt." -On faying this, he put down a note of that value, and took his

leave, without waiting for a reply.

Mr. Quin had, during the course of his acting, from his judgment in the English language, and the knowledge of the hiftory of Great Britain, corrected many mif

takes

takes which our immortal bard Shakespeare had, by overfight or the volatileness of his genius, fuffered to creep into his works; he alfo changed many obfolete phrafes in his favourite poet, and reflored the proper pronunciation of various words to the ftage, from whence it had been long banished. Thefe talents, joined to his merit as an actor, recommended him to the obfervation of his late royal highness the Prince of Wales, father to his prefent majefty, who appointed him to inftruct his children in the true pronunciation of their mother-tongue. In order to accomplish this the more effectually, it was neceffary they should accuftom themselves to the reading of Milton, and fome of our best dramatic poets; this naturally created in them a defire to perform the parts they rehearsed; and his late royal highnefs, who was a tender and indulgent father, readily gratified their inclination. Mr. Quin perfected his royal pupils in their parts, and his prefent majefty, with his brothers and fifters, reprefented feveral plays under his tuition at Leicester-house.

Nothing could furpafs the joy he felt, when he was from time to time informed of the virtuous and gracious difpofition of his royal pupil, contemplating with pleafure the felicity of the nation under fo good and juft a prince; and upon being informed with what elegance and noble propriety his Majesty delivered his first gracious fpeech from the throne, he cried out in a kind of ecstasy Ay I taught the boy to fpeak!"- Nor did his Majefty forget his old tutor, though fo remote from court.

It is true, that Mr. Quin was

not in abfolute need of this royal benefaction; for, upon quitting the ftage, he thought it was prudent to make fome provifion for the remainder of his days, and as he was never married, and had none but diftant relations, he refolved to fink half of his small fortune, in order to procure an easy competence. The duke of B-, who always profeffed a great regard for him, hearing of his defign, fent for him, and very generously told him, that he would grant him an annuity for his life, upon much better terms than any he could procure from perfons who made a profeffion of granting annuities; and fo in reality he did, for Mr. Quin obtained three hundred pounds a year for three thoufand three hundred pounds. With this provifion then, and what he had in the funds, he retired to Bath, a place he had always in his eye for a retreat, as the manner of living, and the company that affociated there, were fo entirely confonant to his plan of life.

At Bath Mr. Quin lived in a very genteel manner, courted by every one for his understanding, his humour, and his wit, and frequently vifited London, and fojourned with Mr. Garrick, at Hampton. Thefe are the principal events of his life that are worth recording; for what relates to his amours or his theatrical fquabbles, would not greatly intereft the reader.

;

During Mr. Quin's last stay at Hampton, he had an eruption upon his hand, which it was fuppo. fed would turn to a mortification but he refolved, whatever might be the confequence, not to suffer an amputation. A malignant fever fucceeded, and, when out of

all

all danger from his hand, carried him off the stage of this life, on Tuesday Jan. 21. 1766, about four in the morning, aged feventy

three.

He lies buried in the abbeychurch at Bath, and it is faid Mr. Garrick intends writing an epitaph for his tomb.

During his illness he had taken fuch large quantities of bark, as to occafion an incefiant drought, which nothing could affuage; and being willing to live as long as he could without pain, he difcontinued taking any medicines for upwards of a week before his death and during this period he was in very good fpirits. A few days before he died he drank a bottle of claret, and being fenfible of his approaching end, he faid, "He could wish that the last tragic fcene were over, though he was in hopes he fhould be able to go through it with becoming dignity."

By his laft will and teftament, dated July 10. 1765, he bequeaths, after his funeral charges and debts are paid, to Mr. Thomas Nobbes, oilman in the Strand, 500 1. To Mr. Charles Lowth, of Pater-nofter Row, 500l. To, Mr. Tho. James Quin, 100 l. To Dr. Relhan, 2001. By a very foolish promife, to Daniel Leckie, his gold repeating watch, chain, and feals. To Mrs. Penelope Lepage and Mrs. Sarah Lepage, 501. each, or 100l. to the furvivor. To William Grinfell, an arts-mafter of Bridewell, 500 1. To Mr. Daniel Rich, 1001. To Mr. Thomas Gainsborough, limner, 501. To Mrs. Nugent, 501. To Mr. Je remiah Pierce, furgeon at Bath, his gold-headed crutch cane. To the Hon. John Needham, 1001.

1

T

HIS unfortunate gentleman was the fon of an Irish captain, who left his native country upon the articles of Limeric, and commanded a company under Lord Dillon. The early acquaintanceyoung Lally had with military life, together with his handsome perfon, in fome measure distinguished him among the Irish regiments; and, by the time he was nineteen, he became a captain. He was fome time after fent, in a civil capacity, to the court of Ruffia, where his addrefs and fidelity gained him the confidence of the French king his mafter, and the friendship of the czarina. From his return from this court he began to be confidered as one of the most rifing characters at the court of Versailles ; and was raifed, from being captain, to the command of a regiment. In this fituation he commanded at the battle of Fontenoy, and other places where the Irish re

giments