The Letters of David Garrick: Volume II Letters 335–815 [Reprint 2014 ed.] 9780674288157, 9780674336377

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Volume II Letters 335-815

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May j ,

401

IJ66

509

To The Duke of Nivernois1

Hampton M a y 3 d 1766 I cannot neglect this opportunity by M r Bontems of paying my duty to Your Grace— the honour and Pleasure Which I enjoy'd by the Duke of Nivernois' favour, are too forcible upon my Mind, not to hazard being thought too officious, in troubling Your Grace with my impertinent gratitude. When I reflect upon the humane Enquiries, that were made after Me, when I was half dead at my return to Paris from Italy, & the flattering offers that were daily made to M e by your Secretary, 2 (at a time when the loss of the Duke of Devonshire was almost too much for my weak state of health), my Sensibility is too powerfull for any other Considerations, and I must give way to feelings, which, as they are natural, I am sure Your Grace will forgive. I have defer'd giving You this trouble in hopes that I might have been guilty but of one impertinence, & have presented my dramatick & poetical triffles at the same time— they were to be publish'd this Spring in three Volumes, but I am oblig'd to delay their appearance till next year. 3 A Comedy call'd the Clandestine Marriage is now acting upon our Stage with great Success— it was Written by my friend Colman & Me, as a commemoration of a friendship which is not Every day to be found among the Genus irritabile Vatum: 4 I have made bold to Send Your Grace a Copy of the play, Which I hope You will receive, as a small tribute of my Gratitude, and not as a token of my Vanity— I am Your Grace's most dutifull & most Obedient humble Servant David Garrick. I have presum'd to send y r Grace an ode which I wrote lately to M r Charles Townshend, it is in behalf of my friend Capt n Schömberg, 5 who is much distress'd in his Circumstances, has liv'd a long While in America & tho a brave Man, & a Sensible one, has almost forgot European Manners— He wanted to be made Governor of some fort— That is ye Subject David Garrick to The Right Hon ble Charles Townshend in behalf of Captain Schömberg.

To The Duke of Nivernois ι If true that as the Wit is great, The Mem'ry's in proportion small; Ask Him, or Her, the first You meet, They'll swear that YOU have none at 2 This fact premis'd,— shall I once doubt, Again to urge my former suit ? A thousand Grains are blown about, For one that happily takes root.

3 Imagination like the Wind, Lets not the seeds of kindness rest; But tho they're scatter'd from your mind, They fall, & settle in Your breast.

4 To humble tasks your heart will bend, To feel neglected Worth submit; And there will Schömberg find a friend, Benevolent, in spite of Wit.

5 But how for one so wild provide, For one so helpless what relief? Ο Sooth his Mis'ry thro' his pride, And raise him to an Indian Chief! 6 Send Him where oft, he fought, & bled, Again to cross th'Atlantic Sea; To Tomahawk, and Wampum bred, He's more than half a Cherokee!

7 Make him the Tyrant of a fort; He'll Ask no more of You, & fate;— Surrounded by his Scalping Court, What Monarch would be half so great!

May

/j,

iy66

8 ' T i s there his Genius will surprize, Create Love, A w e , and Veneration! I n E n g l a n d lost, H e there m a y rise, T h e Townshend of a savage N a t i o n ! I f the D u k e of Nivernois has the pleasure of knowing M r H o r a c e W a l p o l e , M r G a r r i c k will take it as a great f a v o u r , if his G r a c e w o u l d shew the O d e to H i m , as he p r o m i s ' d a friend of M r W a l p o l e ' s to send it to h i m at P a r i s — 6 Endorsement by the recipient {on letter): Regus L e 13. Juillet par M r Bontemps. Repdue L e JJ. Joint a ma R e p s e une Lettre de M a d e de Rochefort. Source: F S L . ι. Louis Jules Mancini Mazarini (1716-1798), due de Nivernois, diplomat and man ofletters, had visited London early in 1763 to negotiate the peace of the Seven Years' War. Though his own literary work was restricted chiefly to translation, he was intimately connected with the foremost French writers of the period. He replied to Garrick on July 15 (FSL, where there are three more of his unpublished letters). 2. Bontemps. 3. The Dramatic Works of David Garrick, Esq., 1768, 3 vols. 4. Cf. Horace, Epistles, II, ii, 102: "Much do I endure, to soothe the fretful tribe of bards, so long as I am scribbling, and humbly suing for public favour." 5. Captain (later, 1777, Sir) Alexander Schömberg (1720-1804), the younger brother of Isaac and Ralph. He entered the navy in 1743 and, after twenty years' service, he was now on inactive duty and seeking a new command. Townshend, who was Paymaster-General of the Forces from May 1765 to July 1766, would have had influence on Schomberg's obtaining a new command. 6. This postscript, found in the Folger Shakespeare Library as a separate manuscript, is obviously part of this letter, for Nivernois, in his reply of July 15, comments: " J e n'ay re^ü qu'avanthier, Monsieur, par M r Bontemps Votre Lettre du 3. de May avec la jolie ode qui y etoit j o i n t e . . . je n'ay pu executer la commission que vous me donniez de communiquer Votre ode a M r Horace Walpole qui etoit parti d'ice lontemps avant qu'elle y arrivät" (FSL).

402

To Marie Jeanne Riccoboni

M a y 1 5 th 1 7 6 6 T h o u dear, wild, agreeable D e v i l ! I h a v e b u t a m o m e n t to tell Y o u that I love Y o u in spite of y o u r cruelty, & ill usage of M e — I h a v e receiv'd Y o u r letters b y M r Liston, but h a v e not yet seen h i m — 1 a n d indeed, w h a t shall I say to h i m w h e n I d o — ? Y o u say such fine things of him, that I ought to measure S w o r d s w t h him, instead of

512

To Arthur Murphy

doing him any Service in my Power— in short if I was to fight every Man that I am jealous of upon your Account, I should have no time for eating & Sleeping— The Bearer of this is a Gentleman who has written with great Success for the Stage—2 He will tell You all about Me, & can give You the best information about our theatrical affairs— His merit, as a writer, You are acquainted with, for, if I mistake not, I sent you, his Love in a Village, & Maid ofye Mill— he has likewise given a piece to our theatre this last winter3 which I have sent You, with another in which I have the right of being a half-Father—4 If it amuses You & your amiable Friend (to whom we send our best wishes) I shall not be asham'd that I have had a Finger in the pye: What a good sweet-temper'd Christian am I, to forgive You after all ye Injuries I have receiv'd from You— My wife joins her love with mine, but she can't love You half so well as I do, & for a very good Reason— Sweet witty Barbarian Y r s Ever & Ever D: Garrick PS. I am allways upon the Gallop— M r Bickerstaff can't stay, nor have I time, to read my letter over Source: G a r r i c k C l u b ; H e d g c o c k , p . 3 6 3 ^ 1. Robert Liston ( 1 7 4 2 - 1 8 3 6 ) , a Scot, for several years tutored the son of Sir Gilbert Elliot in Paris. He afterwards distinguished himself in the diplomatic service, and received the G.C.B, in 1816. The letter Liston carried to Garrick from Mme Riccoboni is printed in Boaden (II, 546). 2. Isaac Bickerstaffe (ca. 1 7 3 5 - 1 8 1 2 ) , dramatic writer, produced more than a score of pieces, chiefly comic operas, between 1760 and 1 7 7 : , writing for both Covent Garden and Drury Lane. Some of these, notably Love in a Village (1762) and The Maid of the Mill (1765), were unusually popular. 3. Daphne and Amintor, Oct. 8. 4. The Clandestine Marriage.

403

To Arthur Murphy 1

Sir May 24 1766 I never heard that You did me the favour of calling in Southampton Street— I have not yet examin'd our theatrical Stores for next Season, We have many things to make their appearance—

[ante May 30, 1766]

513

Y o u did not mention what performance you intended for Us, whether Tragedy, Comedy, or farce— 2 Whatever it is, if you will please to put it into my hands, I will take care to perform it as soon as I possibly can; T h e Managers reserving to themselves the right of refusing it if they shall (upon Consideration) think it not for our & their advantage to receive it— I may almost venture to say that you can run no risque of this last condition— Y o u will oblige me by putting M e in the list of y r Subscribers— 3 r M L a c y , M r Holland, & M r Powell, desire to have their Names also — among your Subscribers I am S r Your very humble Serv 1 D Garrick I shall be glad to know by a Line in Southampton Street Tuesday or Wednesday next, what kind of performance Y o u intend for our Theatre, that I may give Y o u my Answer as soon as possible Source: FC, draft, with corrections and postscript in the hand of James Love of Richmond, according to a penciled endorsement; Boaden, I, 224. 1. So identified in the printed source. 2. Perhaps the comedy The School for Guardians (CG, J a n . 10, 1767). See Letter 434 and note 2. 3. Presumably to the translation of The Works of Cornelius Tacitus, 1793, which Murphy had begun in 1763.

404

To John Arthur1

[ante M a y 30, 1 7 6 6 ] 2 M r . Garrick's compliments to M r . A r t h u r — he desires him not to give a Copy of it 3 upon any account— that is ye first condition— the next is that he takes pains to give the full Effect of it in ye speaking— M r . G has vary'd y e Matter on purpose— M r . A must mimic the Prude drawing up herself & speaking affectedly— and he must pronounce ye french Madame not like our Madam— but broad & Long Mawdawme— T h e Epilogue will have a good Effect if M r . Arthur will think it worth his trouble— remember no C o p y — M r . Powell desir'd M r . G to write a Prologue— perhaps he m a y — 4 he knows nothing of y e Epilogue: my Service to y r wife Source: Sotheby, Catalogue, June 1 2 - 1 3 , 1939, extract.

5T4

To Doctor William Kenrick

ι. Arthur, with Clarke and Powell, opened the new theater in K i n g St., Bristol, in M a y 1766; at the end of the first summer season he was forced out of the management, chiefly because of his unpopularity (Powell to Garrick, Sept. 6, H T C ; Richard Jenkins, Memoirs of the Bristol Stage, Bristol, 1826, pp. 76-80, 160). 2. A n approximate date is determined by the epilogue that accompanied this letter. 3. A n " E p i l o g u e " by Garrick, consisting of " 3 2 lines with 8 more crossed through" (Sotheby, Catalogue, June 12-13, '939)· This is undoubtedly the epilogue spoken by Arthur at the opening of the new theater in Bristol on M a y 30, 1766. It should, perhaps, be noted that as printed in Jenkins' Bristol Stage (p. 7gf.), the London Magazine (vol. X X X V , June 1766, p. 320), and the London Chronicle (vol. X I X , June 1766, p. 537), the epilogue is 36 lines in length (Knapp, No. 363). 4. Garrick did so. His prologue, spoken by Powell for the opening, has been printed many times; it, but not the epilogue, is in Poetical Works (I, a 13f.; K n a p p , No. 362).

405

To Doctor William Kenrick

Hampton Sir, May 31, 1766 We have six performances at present in our hands, some of which were received before I went abroad, three of them are only farces. I shall produce them as fast as I can; 1 but till we know their fate, it is impossible to say that we can act another comedy next winter. If Mr. Kenrick will put his play 2 into my hands, he may depend upon every advantage in my power, that I can confer with justice to other gentlemen. In the pieces I have mentioned above, I do not include the revived plays, which will take up some part of the season. If Mr. Kenrick's play is approved of, I will promise for myself and Mr. Lacy to bring it on the stage either this next winter or the following winter. Should any circumstance disappoint us of any of the performances we have fixed for representation, Mr. Kenrick's play will be forwarded in its turn. Could I be favoured with a sight of two acts only, I can with justice put it down for the next in turn, and will candidly give my opinion, though I shall not dare to correct the works of a much abler master than myself. Mr. Colman and his partner in the clandestine Marriage are much flattered with your opinion of their play. I am Sir, your most humble servant, D. Garrick. Source: K e n r i c k , p . 18. 1. Actually there were ten new productions in the season of 1766-67. 2. The Widow'd Wife ( D L , Dec. 5, 1767).

June 3

4o6

[1766]

5*5

To Elizabeth Griffith1

Madam. [post May 3 1 , 1766] 2 I should have answer'd your Letter immediately had I not been in the Country: the Opinion I gave of the Double Mistake was to a friend, to whom I never disguise my thoughts: had I known that a Lady was the Author, and that my Letter would have been sent to her, I should certainly have been more wary in my expressions: however I most sincerely congratulate You, that the success of the Comedy did not Correspond with my Opinion.3 We have six new performances in our hands, three of which are only Farces: I am likewise to read a New Comedy to morrow & expect, from its Author, sufficient Merit to receive it. Exclusive of this last piece, it will be impossible to perform Yours this next Winter, it shall come in its turn, & if it is receiv'd you shall be acquainted with its situation upon our Book, & with the names of those performances which, injustice, & by the Custom of Theatres, Must precede it. I am Madam Your & c — DG— Whenever you please to intrust me with a performance, you may depend upon my not abusing Y r Confidence. If I think I cannot serve, I take care not to injure, an Author. Source: F C , copy; Boaden, I, 2 2 7 . 1. Elizabeth (Griffith) Griffith ( i 7 2 0 ? - i 7 9 3 ) had acted at Covent Garden in 1 7 5 3 - 5 4 , collaborated with her husband, Richard, in several popular novels, and then had turned to playvvriting. Her Platonic Wife was produced at Drury Lane in January 1765 without much success. Her second comedy, The Double Mistake, she took to Covent Garden (Jan. 9, 1766), and after its flattering reception she lost no time in again addressing herself to Drury Lane. 2. This is the reply to Mrs. Griffith's letter of May 3 1 , 1766 (FC), which she in turn answered on June 4 (Boaden, I, 227f.). 3. The comedy was acted twelve times.

407

To James Love

Hampton Sir June 3 d [1766] 1 That M r Garrick may too hastily, and M r Love too Slowly feel the delicacy of friendship, I am very ready to acknowledge; but I could 4*

5i6

To The Earl Waldegrave

wish that M r Love would make some Small distinction between Slights & Slight occasions.— the last are the words made use of in your Letter to M r Hopkins. As for Cautherly, it was never intended that he Should be a Burden to Y o u , and he never S h a l l . — 2 H e is otherwise dispos'd of. Hopkins is my Witness that I read your Extraordinary Letter to him, with astonishment indeed but no anger; I beg with you that the whole Matter may be drown'd in oblivion·, we have both been Mistaken— Nos debemus Amici, Si quod sit vitium, non fastidire— 3 I am S i r — Y o u r humble Serv 4 D Garrick.— Endorsement:

Answer to Love's Letter.

Source:

F C , c o p y ; Boaden, I,

225Ϊ.

1. The year is derived from Love's letter to Hopkins of M a y 28, 1766 (FG; Boaden, I, 224f.), to which this is Garrick's reply. 2. Garrick had evidently proposed, through Hopkins, that Love let Cautherly perform a tragic part, which he was then studying, at the New Theatre at Richmond on a Saturday night. Love, in reply, had objected, saying that to perform tragedy on a Saturday night would involve "the certainty of losing more than I can possibly afford . . . I do not desire M r Cautherly to appear till we can do a Comedy he is in, and then he may play first on a Saturday" (FC; Boaden, I, 225). During the season Cautherly appeared as Romeo, to the Juliet of Mrs. Baddeley, and as Hamlet to her Ophelia (Frederick Bingham, A Celebrated Old Playhouse, 1886, p. 13). 3. Horace, Satires, I, iii, 44: " W e should deal with a friend as a father with his child, and not be disgusted at some blemish."

408

To The Earl Waldegrave1

Hampton M y Lord. June 7 t h [1766] I have Ventur'd to give you this Trouble from no other Motive, but that of serving an honest M a n . A n d with an Assurance from your Lordships Character, that I shall not offend you. I formerly interceded with the late Lord Waldgrave 2 in behalf of the same person, A n d was happy to Succeed for him in part: His name is Waldgrave, I have known him many Y e a r s — H e bears the best Character, A n d tho' much distrest, by Infirmity and Sickness, He never was Guilty of any Action, to Occasion the Loss of that Regard, he rec d from every Body who knew him. He is, I am afraid, in some Necessity,

June

18, ij66

517

And if your Lordship should bestow, (as I have been told was your intention) some small place upon him, He would become the most happy, from One of the most unfortunate of Men! His desires are very humble, he wishes only a Mere Subsistence. Were I not well assur'd, that your Lordships bounty would not be 111 bestow'd, I should not have dar'd to Address you in this manner, And I rely upon your Lordships great good Nature and humanity for my Pardon I am My Lord Your Lordships most humble and most Obed 4 Serv1 D: Garrick Endorsement by George Garrick: Source: F C , copy.

copy L r e sent to Lord Walgrave 7 t h J u n e 1766.

1. John Waldegrave (1718-1784), third Earl Waldegrave, who succeeded his brother to the title. 2. James Waldegrave ( 1 7 1 5 - 1 7 6 3 ) , second Earl Waldegrave, a Lord of the Bedchamber to George II and influential in court and political circles.

409

To The Earl Waldegrave

[?post June 7, 1766]1 M Garrick presents his Duty to Lord Waldegrave & begs his Lordship's Pardon for troubling him twice with the Enclos'd Petition— Had he not known the person who wrote it & was well assur'd of his Worth, tho in Necessity, he should not have dar'd to present it. r

Source:

FSL.

ι. While this letter may possibly have been written to the second Earl Waldegrave, it seems more likely that it follows in sequence the preceding letter.

410

To James Love1

Hamp 4 June 18th 1766 r Tho M Garrick may have been too sensibly touch'd with the slights, he has rece'd from a quarter, where he imagined, that he had some reason to expect a contrary behaviour, Yet his Heart is a

5i8

To The Lord Camden

Stranger to such an Obstinacy, that would prejudice rather than justify his Sensibility in the first Case. M r Garrick will be glad to see M r Love to breakfast either to morrow or fryday Morning— all he requests of M r Love in return, is, that for both their sakes, He will not say a Word more of what has passed— as to his Engagement with the Managers of Drury Lane Theatre, He begs it may be no Consequence of their meeting— M r Garrick scorns that the reconciliation should have any effect upon M r Love's Interest— the Latter must send his determination to M r G's Brother, and accept or refuse the proposals as he thinks will best suit his Circumstances.2 Endorsement by Garrick: M y last note to M r Love.

I, 230.

Source: FC, copy; Boaden,

1. Garrick's reply to an apologetic letter from Love (Boaden, I, 229), written in answer to Letter 407. 2. O n June 13 George Garrick had written Love that the "Managers of Drury Lane . . . can not possibly raise yours, or M™ Love's Salary," but offered them a contract for three years at the old rate (FC). The Loves accepted the offer.

411

To The Lord Camden1

My Lord. June 18, 1766 Having receiv'd an invitation from D r Hay to Meet Your Lordship at the Commons2 next tuesday, I imagin'd that I should not have y e Honour of Your commands (which it will be ever my greatest pride to obey) till after that time; so, I unluckily Engag'd some french Gentlemen, whose Friends Entertain'd me most hospitably at Paris, to be at Hampton next Sunday: this disappointment is of too much consequence to Us, not to feel it most Sensibly— but I trust in Your Lordship's Justice that we shall be no Losers by this untoward Accident. I am My Lord Y r LordP'8 most humble & most Obed 1 Serv4 D G— Endorsement by Garrick: Lett r to L d Camden.

Source: F C , draft.

1. Charles Pratt (1714-1794), first Baron Camden (1765), later (1786) first Earl Camden, had been appointed Chief Justice in 1761 and was Lord Chancellor from 1766 to 1770. By nature and habit he was dilettante, fond of music and plays. According to Boswell, "Garrick . . . was very vain of his intimacy with Lord Camden" (III, 311). 2. The Doctors' Commons, of which both Hay and Camden were members.

June 2j,

iy66

519

To Charles Burney1

412

M y dear Sir June 27 th 1766 2 I have sent Y o u a [blotted] copy of the prologue, & which will be much alter'd for y e better next Y e a r — but I can deny Y o u nothing & so I sent it w t h all it's imperfections on it's h e a d — let me beg of Y o u again & again not to make it too much known, for I have refus'd Every body a copy of it, & some of my very particular friends— I need say no more to y r feelings— the People talk so much of Mrs Badderly3 at Richmond that I must desire Y o u to go & see her in y e Maid ofy Mill* I think, if you can skrewy Courage to the Sticking place (as Lv Macbeth well words it) 5 she will by all accounts, hit the mark — I shall be in T o w n by ten '

-"Ζ, ' « Λ »-•*•• t * as?

Letter 514, the first page: to Edmund Burke [1768]

Letter 514, the wrapper showing address, postmarks, seal, and endorsements

October 2,

ij6g

667

I had y e greatest opinion of him, & his probity, & hope still I Shall have no reason to change i t — M y Brother hints to M e that M r Jago has done or said Something to vex h i m — I wish I knew what it was, 2 that I might behave accordingly— I will not suffer y® least dirt to be thrown upon me, or my Conduct, in an Affair which I undertook for ye good of Stratford, & which has Employ'd both my Mind, body, & purse— 3 I must desire You, as I flatter myself that you are my friend, to let me know the particulars, if you do know t h e m — I will not believe that a Scholar, a Clergyman, & an Ingenious Writer can do any thing to injure M e or himself, till I have y e best proof, & when I h a v e — Memo me &c.4 M r e Garrick desires her best Comp1® to y r Lady & Yrself, we shall live in hopes of Seeing you both in London, when we will laugh & Sing & tell old Tales as Lear says5 & snap our fingers at the Sons of Falsehood & Calumny. Your Dear Sir Most truly D Garrick. pray present my best respects to our good friends at Alscott. pray if you know any thing of w4 my Brother hints about M r J to send me word directly. Address: To W m Hunt Esqr, Townclerk of Stratford upon Avon. Source: Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust. ι . O n Sept. 30, after a performance of The Country Girl. T h e Ode did not form a part of the stage representation of the Jubilee, then in preparation. 2. Apparently it was reported to George that Jago had ascribed to Garrick some scurrilous verses, and that he had also criticized the Jubilee (Boaden, I I , 367^). 3. Garrick was appreciated by Stratford, for on Sept. 26 he received an official letter of gratitude from the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses, which reads in part: " T h e signal Marks of your Favour, and Bounty, to this Borough, are too great for us to express, and by far too numerous for a Letter; Our Hearts overflowing with Gratitude, can never forget that Attention, and Regard, you have shewn to our Prosperity, in so elegantly expressing your Abhorrence in your most incomparable Ode, of that cruel Design, to destroy the Beauty of this Situation, by inclosing our open Fields. T h e fine Statue on the Outside of Shakespeare's Hall, his noble Picture, and the Beautiful Ornaments within, will remain lasting Monuments of your Liberality; but will long perish, before your Name can be effaced, in the grateful Minds of our Posterity" (Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust). 4. Nemo me impune lacessit: " N o one provokes me with i m p u n i t y " — m o t t o of the Scottish Order of the Thistle. 5. King Lear, V , iii, 12.

9 + l . D . G . 11

668

562

To Spranger Barry

To Jean Baptiste Antoine Suard

My dear Sir Oct' ι [5, 1769H Tho I have not heard from You, I shall never forget Y o u — I have Sent You my last Child, begot and brought forth in the heigth of Zeal,2 (I wish I could say poetic rapture) for y e God of my Idolatry— I hope to have the pleasure of Seeing You in y e Spring, till then, & always Ever, my dear M r Suard Most truly & Affect* Yours D: Garrick You will have pleasure I know in hearing that I produc'd last Night a piece upon ye Stage with all y e Success & applause my Friends could desire.3 Address: A Monsieur, Monsieur Suard. Seal. Source: FSL, contemporary transcripts in French and English in Stadt- und Universitäts-Bibliothek, Frankfurt-am-Main; Charles Nisard, Mbnoires et correspondances historiques et littiraires, 1736 ά i8i6, ed. Jean-B.-A. Suard, Paris, 1858, p. 160, in French. I. While Garrick has dated this letter the 16th, reference to the first night of The Jubilee indicates the correction. a. His Ode. 3. The Jubilee.

To Spranger Barry Sir. Oct r 29th 1769 r As there is one paragraph in y last letter which relates to Me alone, I must beg leave to answer i t — 1 1 most certainly did send word by M r Hopkins2 that I would never Ask M re Barry to do any thing on my Account only— by Which You could not but know, that I meant— to play on any Night Which I might have as an Author, unconnected with the Manager—

Mra Barry was pleas'd to refuse playing ye Part of Almeria3 for Me, on Monday last, tho she knew (for she was told it) that it was the Author's Night for the Jubilee— M ra Barry had y e Choice ®f two parts— she first chose Lady Townley,4 then Almeria, & would do

September-October 176g

669

Neither— I knew that after I was gone to Hampton she sent to know what play was given out, but I had left orders that ye Play I had fix'd upon should not be alter'd— I believe no person in my Situation Ever met with such a refusal, & as no favor could be granted by the compliance, the refusal appear'd the more extraordinary— I can lay my hand upon my heart, & say, when I Acted in common, I never refus'd y® favor in all my Life, & indeed this is ye first time, & shall be ye last, that Ever I will run γ* risque of having it refus'd to. I am Sir Your very humble Servant D: Garrick. The terms which M re Barry sent to Me of her playing on Monday, Was, that She would not, or could not, appear in the Pageant on Saturday— I shall say no more— Endorsement by Garrick: N o t Sent.

Source: F C , draft; Boaden, I ,

yjoi.

1. See Barry's letter of Oct. 27 (Boaden, I, 370). 2. By word of mouth and also by letter—see Hopkins' letter to Barry o f O c t . 2 7 ( F C ) . 3. In The Mourning Bride. It was presumably as a result of Mrs. Barry's refusal to play on Monday (Oct. 23) that Henry IV, Part 1 was substituted. 4. Mrs. Barry finally acted this character in The Provok'd Husband on Nov. 2.

564

To Voltaire

Sir [September-October 1769] 1 I have taken the liberty of offering my small poetical tribute to the first Genius in the World— As nobody has written so well & so forcibly against the principles of intoleration, as MonS r de Voltaire, I hope he will excuse the excess of Zeal with which I have Endeavor'd to paint in this Ode the Powers of our great dramatic Poet, Shakespeare, who is both the founder and chief Supporter of the English Stage.2 I am Sir Your most Obedient humble Servant & sincere Admirer D. Garrick. Source: F C ; Boaden, I I , 3 6 5 .

670

To Charles Macklin

1. T h e approximate date is determined by considering this letter with the two similar notes presenting copies of the Ode to Warton and Suard. 2. N o doubt with such enthusiasts as Garrick in mind, Voltaire wrote later of the rage for Shakespeare in England: " C e goüt-lä devient une religion; et il y a dans ce pays-lä beaucoup de fanatiques k l'^gard de cet a u t e u r " (Oeuvres complites, Paris, 1883,1, 391)·

565

T o Charles Macklin

D r Sr [POctober 1769] 1 r I most Sincerely thank you for y Observations upon the o d e — I am sure you are Sincere & therefore will excuse me to be as sincere in my turn— I shall write loosely, & to be return'd to me when you have read i t — I am afraid (God help Me) that I differ totally with You, & yet I have an humble opinion of y® Performance. Blest Genius ofye Isle, can mean no other but y® Isle we are upon, & in my opinion is more poetical than this— — The Envious Nations round. I am surpriz'd at y r Objection at this expression, & is constantly made Use of by ye best poets— vide Shah?, Milton Dryden, Pope &c. I agree that unconquer'd is not y® Characteristic Epithet— Clutterbuck w d have had me change it to all Conquering, It w*1 be better but is not quite right— done with Men— &, the Deed had done I stand by ye Expression because it is Shakespeare's, & a very favourite one of [h]is— I've done the deed— If it were done— I know no word more Emphatical, & Which Shakespeare has made use of more forcibly— The Poet may Either create or Narrate as he pleases— Homer & Milton— both tell— & why not poor Garrick— To tell how sitting &c I cannot possibly give up my telling— because I'm much more able to tell than to Shew, & as all ye Great Poets do both, I may take my choice— Unaided & alone—

\?October iy6g\

671

by his own Powrs— from his own Source, unasisted by Classical knowledge or by other dramatic Writers, Greeks, Romans, French, or English— I say again & again— Unaided & alone! The great characteristic difference between Shakespeare & all other Poets Whatsoever— I know you think you have caught me about y e Passions— but I will try to break thro' y r Sophistry— Such is y e Power of Shakespeare, that he can turn & wind the Passions as he pleases, & they are so Subjected to him, that tho raging about, & unchain'd they wait upon his Commands, & Obey them, when he gives y® Word— It appears to me a Strong figure, & consistent from y® first Word to y e last— but, my dear Sir, don't say withy Skill of a Jockey, but rather Say with y e Skill of Harry Monmouth To turn & wind a fiery Pegasus And witch y® world w t h Noble Horsemanship ! 2 What do you really mean by saying that here ye dreams are realiz'd & there they seem— & why not ?— his Plays are y e appearances, or Images, of Persons, & things but are so much in Nature, that they are realiz'd by his pen, & deceive You— & yet they do but Seem— this would pass in warm figurative Prose, pray y r Worship, let it pass in Poetry— Ingratitude wd drop a Tear & I differ totally & Essentially with y r Criticisms upon this passage— I say, & will confirm my Saying by fact that— the Person who has been ungratefull, may dropye tear, & Even Cruelty be SofterCd— I will give You a hundred Instances of the Effect of y e Drama upon harden'd hearts— there is a particular Story in ye Comedien of Sl Albini—3 will overturn all y r Logick— but y e facts are innumerable to contradict y r Assertion— Art or bribe— Art is y® only word— Power may mean Riches ye Same as Bribe— I mean by art or bribe cunning or Power A Monster may feel, but to make the marble hearted Monster feel, is an operation for the Genius of Shakespeare— When our Magician more inspir'd— It certainly in y® Poetical Language requires more inspiration to create New Worlds, & imagine new beings, than paint those You see & converse w t h

672

To Charles

Macklin

But soon these horrors pass away— Thro Storms & Night, & Surely ye Day may be said to break thro' Night Storms— a very common piece of Philosophy— & if he Smiles & inclines to write Comedy, the horrors of Tragedy may figuratively be said to vanish from his Mind, as the Witches into a i r — & of Course all the pomp of Tragedy the buskind Heroes disappear w t h them & c — Y o u can't have y e Horrors with 4 y e buskind Heroes, & therefore if you have one, you must have y e Other, & so, I flatter myself, y r Objection falls to y® G r o u n d — — Spurious Birth a false unnatural birth— like y e Mouse from y e M o u n t a i n — Mine is ye reverse o f t h a t Fable. I find in my hurry I have let pass some of y r Criticisms, by y r papers being loose, & my not regarding y e Pages of ' E m — to go back t h e n — to answer y r long passage upon WonderTeeming Mind, in as short as I can; When Shak r wrote his tempest in which are Ariel, Caliban & c — I say that his Mind in particular then teerrCd with Wonders— they were Monsters & Spirits of his own creating & therefore Wonders— W h a t does Shak r mean by WonderWounded hearers ? that the Stars stand-still to hear something out of y e C o m m o n — and here Sir let me remark upon a position that you have laid d o w n — that all poetry must be fact— I say n o t — & that a mere Matter of fact Poet is a damn'd P o e t — the Poetica Figures— will allow Stars to be Wonder-wounded hearers, when God knows, they mind No More what we are doing, than Y o u perhaps what I am writing Heartly ye Actress ? — 3 has the Merit which she is said to have ? is it fashion or whim, or party to admire her. A Word or two of cool, just, & impartial Criticism would greatly oblige M e — I repeat it, let it be cool, for whenEver You are Engag'd, Your warmth at least will keep pace w t h y r judgment— Men of Ability are seldom very temperate, so you will excuse my Caution— I beg my best respects to Your Lady & believe me Most truly, Your Oblig d & Sincere humble Ser* D : Garrick I shall kiss y r hands with pleasure in y e Spring. Address: T o J a m e s Boswell E s q r at Edinburgh. Source: Boswell M S S . Y a l e .

Seal.

Postmark:

MR

2.

1. Boswell wrote Garrick on Sept. 18, [ 1 7 7 1 ] , but the letter was mislaid in the Garrick household; he then wrote a second time, on Feb. 27, 1772, repeating some of the content of the earlier letter: it is to this second letter that Garrick is replying (Boswell M S S . Yale). 2. " Chateaubriant," which became " T h e Siege of Marseilles." 3. Mrs. Elizabeth Hardey ( 1 7 5 1 - 1 8 2 4 ) made her debut at Edinburgh on Dec. 4, 1 7 7 1 . In J u l y 1772 Moody was to see her, at Garrick's request, and recommended that she be engaged, although he was not impressed by her appearance or manner (Boaden, I, 476). She, however, went to Covent Garden, where she became extremely popular. She appeared only once at Drury Lane, on Feb. 10, 1775, when she was borrowed to play Jane Shore.

678

To Doctor James Beattie

Dear Sir March 2 d 1772 I have had a return of my Old complaint or I should have thank'd you, as I ought, before this time for Your most agreeable & very flattering present: 1 let me assure You, that I am not wholly unworthy of your favour, and do not think me too vain, when I tell

790

To Doctor James Beattie

You, that I read, admire & am much instructed with Your charming book— let me go a little farther & boast of my sagacity too, for I protest, before I had ye honour & pleasure of your Acquaintance or was partial to You from that Acquaintance, I prophesy'd upon reading some extracts on y e Nature & immutability of Truth, that it would make a Noise in y e World & rise into the highest Esteem— behold, my dear Sir, the Prophesy fully Accomplish'd! & I congratulate You, Myself, Your friends & the whole Nation, that such a book meets with taste, knowledge & Virtue Sufficiently to honour, & esteem it. I din'd lately at y e Bishop of Gloucester's, when his LordP & D r Hurd 2 Spoke with Rapture of You & Your Work, as they struck in unison w t h my heart, I could not help being very warm & loud upon the Occasion— You are always most justly, I need not say affectionatly remember'd in Hill Street— 3 may not I venture to thank D r Beattie for a most elegant copy of verses upon Hagley park? 4 Ex pede Herculem— 5 I cannot be mistaken, & tho I have not thank'd You for them before in this manner, my heart has not been guilty of y e least ingratitude. I wish it were in my power to send you some verses address'd to me, & written by Lord Chatham— they were deliver'd to me by our most amiable & learned friend Lord Lyttelton— they are indeed excellent, & would plea You much, but I have yet no right to g a Copy, when I have, the post after shall convey it to Aberdeen. M r s Garrick joins with me in y e warmest wishes, & best Compliments to You & M re Beattie,6 & believe me, with y e greatest truth Dear Sir Your most Oblig'd & Obedient Servant D : Garrick PS. L d Lyttelton is quite recover'd & made happy by a late transaction with Address: marked.

T o D r Beattie of the University at Aberdeen, North-Britain.

Endorsement:

Answered 16 March.

Source:

Post-

Beattie Collection.

i. This was a copy of Beattie's Essay on the Nature and Immutability of Truth (1770). a. Richard Hurd (1720-1808), D.D. 1768, later Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry (1774-1781) and Bishop of Worcester (1781), at this time Archdeacon of Gloucester and a close associate of Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester. More scholar and critic than churchman, Hurd produced a variety of literary works, perhaps the most noteworthy being his Letters on Chivalry and Romance (1762). 3. A t the Edward Montagus'. 4. Beattie wrote in reply: " I am not the author of those verses which you have done me the honour to suppose mine. I wish indeed your supposition had been a true one" (Boaden, I, 461).

March 14 [ 1 7 7 2 ]

791

5. A proverbial saying, to the effect that the whole may be judged from a part. 6. Mary, only daughter of a Dr. Dun, had married Beattie in June 1767. As the years passed her life was more and more clouded with insanity (James Beattie's London Diary, 1773, ed. Ralph G. Walker, Aberdeen, 1946, p. 20). 7. See Letter 655, note 3.

679

To Arthur Murphy

D e a r Sir,

M a r c h 5 [1772 P] 1

I a m this M o m e n t stepping into y«* C o a c h to dine with M r R i g b y or I should answer your most O b l i g i n g Letter more f u l l y — G i v e me leave to say in the Words of S h a k e s p e a r — I do receive Y o u r O f f e r ' d L o v e like L o v e — and will not wrong it. 2 I a m without a C o m p 1 most truly Y o u r Friend & Ser 1 D Garrick. Source: H T C . ι. This is probably the answer to Murphy's letter of March ι, 1772, in which Murphy thanked Garrick for all his assistance in the production of The Grecian Daughter, winding up with the assertion: " M y Connection with you, Sir, is what I can never repent of. . . I confess indeed to have often had my Jealousies, but they were the Jealousies of a Lover. But after what you have done, Think'st thou I'll lead a Life of Jealousy?" (FC; Boaden, I, 460, see also 470; Othello, III, iii, 177). 2. Hamlet, V , ii, 262f.

680

To Bennet Langton1 London

D e a r Sir

M a r c h 14 [ 1 7 7 2 ] 2

L e t M e assure Y o u that I regard N o b o d y ' s recommendation more than Yours; but indeed our Theatre at present is so cramm'd with unemploy'd Actors, that we shall be oblig'd at y e E n d of this Season to discharge Some, who are a mere Weight upon the prop e r t y — others, w h o m w e keep because they have been some time

792

To Bennet Langton

w th

Us, have very little to do, & are waiting to be of more Use to us— thus circumstanc'd We cannot open our Doors but to first rate capital performers, & this, I trust from y r knowledge in our affairs, will be receiv'd by You, as a full & equitable Excuse for not Engaging M r e Vernsberg. I am greatly recover'd from my last attack of the Stone, but not yet so vigorous to take the field against Richmond, or so blood thirsty to make an attempt upon y® Life of Duncan; I may yet do both before y® Season is finish'd.3 M re Garrick is almost kill'd w t h y* fatigue of removing to y e Adelphi, where we shall be fix'd in ye next Week; M r Beauclerk is to be our Neighbour— 4 M ra Garrick presents her respects with mine to Lady Rothes 5 & Yourself. I am D r S r Your most Obed 1 humble Servant D : Garrick I have paid y* Subscription to D r Hiffernan— 6 You shall repay me when I have y e honor of seeing you. Will You give me leave to set y r name down for two small french Vol 8 that will be publish'd next Month by Monnet— call'd the Modern Scarron— 7 price 6 Shillings— Address: Seal.

T o Bennet L a n g t o n Esq r , L a n g t o n H a l l near Spilsby, Lincolnshire.

Postmark

illegible.

Source:

Boswell M S S . Y a l e .

1. Bennet Langton (1737-1801), scholar of Greek and friend of Dr. Johnson. 2. The year is indicated by the move to the Adelphi. 3. Garrick appeared in Richard III on M a y 30 and June 2, but not in Macbeth during the remainder of the season. 4. A t No. 3, Adelphi Terrace. 5. O n M a y 24, 1770, Langton had married Mary (Lloyd) Leslie (i743?-i82o), widow of the ninth Earl of Rothes. 6. For the second edition of Hiffernan's Dramatic Genius which was to be published later in the year. 7. Supplement au Roman comique, ou Memoires pour servir a la vie de Jean Monnet, ecrits par lui-mime, Paris, 1772. Paul Scarron (1610-1660) published in 1651 and 1657 an unfinished romance, Le Roman comique.

March 18, 1772

681

793

To The Reverend Doctor Thomas Francklin

Dear Sir March i8 t h 1772 Your Letter which Surpriz'd me muc came in the midst of my hurry in removing to the Adelphi, & as my Brother is mention'd too, & upon a matter which I was ignorant of, I thought proper to see him before I sent you this answer— He assures me that he had no Message from you about a play ready for my perusal, 1 nor did he say to me any thing about it. M y Brother Says he told You I was at home when he met you in Southampton Street, & desir'd You to call upon me, & that I would then explain the Question in my Letter; this you declin'd. But pray Sir, if the Tragedy You speak of has lain in your Drawer ready for my calling it into being, why did you not send it to me instead of Minos, or why did not You mention it to me, when Y o u talk'd about that little peice?— 2 give me leave to call to you mind a Circumstance or two, by which I thought my self very unkindly, & unjustly treated.— Some Years ago, You mention'd to me your design of altering a Play of Voltaire's, I think the Duke de Foi D : Garrick Address: To The Hon b l e M r Fitzmaurice, Pall Mall.

Seal. Source: FSL.

ι . The date is supplied in the manuscript by the recipient. 2. Fitzmaurice has added in the left margin, " to the Chances." Garrick's alteration of Beaumont and Fletcher's The Chances was announced as published, with a brief advertisement by way of introduction, on April 24, 1 7 7 3 {LC, vol. X X X I I I , p. 391). The alteration had first been performed at Drury Lane on Nov. 7, 1754, and was to be played by Garrick on April 2 1 , 1773.

[April?] 2i [1773?]

865

758 To The Honorable Thomas Fitzmaurice Dear Sir Tuesday Night [April 20, 1 7 7 3 ] 1 r I have made Use of y Observations as You will see in Every instance but one— as You will see by the Book I send You— the first that came from the Press— it is y r due. I have procur'd you two good Places,2 You must send y r man before half an hour after five, & I would advise You to [be] there Early to get Easily to y r Places most truly yre D Garrick. Address: H o n W e M r Fitzmaurice.

Seal.

Source: F S L .

1. This is the reply to Fitzmaurice's letter of April 20, 1773, a Tuesday (FC). 2. Presumably for The Chances, which Garrick played the following night.

759

To Doctor Charles Burney

M y dear Burney Wed* [April?] 21 s t [1773P] 1 Ten thousand thanks to You for your most kind & agreeable Present—2 I have, notwithstanding my present fatigue, & new Study, 3 read a great deal of y r book— 'tis clear, interesting, instructive & delightful— Nothing can be more pleasing to y r friends nor more agreeable to y e Publick Ever & truly Yours D : Garrick Love to y r family Address: T o D r Burney.

Source: Gabriel Wells.

1. The conjectural month and year are established by the marginal note. April 21, 1773, was a Wednesday. 2. Presumably The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands, and United Provinces

(1773)·

3. Of "Don John in the Chances"—marginal note in an unknown hand. "Their Majesties were last night at Drury-lane Theatre to see the Chances, in which Mr. Garrick played Don John, (a character got up in compliance with her Majesty's desire) and seemed highly entertained" (LC, vol. X X X I I I , April 22, 1773, p. 384).

866

To Peter Fountain

760 T o The Honorable Thomas Fitzmaurice May ye 6 [1773] 1 Garrick presents his respects to Fitzmaurice, & returns him his best thanks for the first Strawberries he has Seen this Y e a r — He will Eat, as he can't drink, Lady Shelburne's2 health directly, and as this fruit is reckon'd Excellent for M r Garrick's disorder, He will not permit M r e Garrick to touch Em Either with Wine, or without— Mr

Mr

Address: T o T h e H o n b l e M r Fitzmaurice.

Seal.

Source: F S L .

1. The year is supplied in the manuscript by the recipient. 2. Fitzmaurice's mother, Mary Petty (d. 1780), the Dowager Countess of Shelburne, who lived at this time at Richmond House, Twickenham (Richard S. Cobbett, Memorials of Twickenham, 187a, p. 255).

761

T o Peter Fountain

M y dear Sir Thursday [May] 6 th [1773] 1 r Many thanks to you for y very agreeable flattery— I am rejoic'd that M r e Fountain & you were so well situated, & so Easily plac'd— I must thank you too for y Papers which I send Y o u — Dentatus2 is not ill-written & has great Spirit, not to Say Venom, & a bit of y 6 Devil: I cannot guess at y® Author, This Entertain'd me greatly, before I Exhibited myself in Don J o h n — I should have been glad to have seen You without the Diamonds— 3 Y ra Ever & most truly D. Garrick Endorsement: T o M r Fountain.

Source: F C , draft.

i. Conjecturally written after Dentatus' attacks on Murphy in the Morning Chronicle for March and April 1773 and after Garrick's performance as Don John in The Chances on May 5, 1773, a Tuesday, when presumably the Fountains had been present. a. Four letters addressed to Garrick and a fifth to Colman, signed by Dentatus, criticizing the morals of actors and actresses were to be printed in the Morning Chronicle in the fall of 1773. Murphy has identified the writer as George Steevens (Works, 1786, V I I , xi-xiv; Howard H. Murphy, The Dramatic Career of Arthur Murphy, New York, 1946, p. 248). 3. See Letter 785, note a.

[post May 6, 1773]

762

867

To Doctor John Hawkesworth

[May 6, 1773] M r Garrick presents his Comp48 to D r Hawkesworth, and as he has the Misfortune to differ totally with him in opinion upon the Subject of his letter—1 He will not give y® Doctor the trouble, or himself again to enter into any further discussion of this very disagreeable business. Endorsement by Garrick: m y answer to his about his breach of Promise M a y 6 ® 1 7 7 3 . Source: H y d e Collection, draft; Boaden, I , 5 3 6 . i. On Garrick's recommendation, Lord Sandwich in 1771 had given Hawkesworth the commission to prepare for publication accounts of the recent voyages to the South Seas by Byron, Wallis, Carteret, and Cook (Sir James Prior, Life of Edmund Maloiu, 1840, p. 441). T w o years later the work was far enough advanced for Hawkesworth to seek a printer, and though Garrick had strongly urged Becket, Hawkesworth accepted an offer from William Strahan. When Hawkesworth learned of Garrick's displeasure at his decision, he wrote, apparently early in the day on M a y 6, 1 7 7 3 , a thorough justification of his behavior (Boaden, I, 535). The three-volume Account of the Voyages Undertaken for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere was to be announced in the June 5 - 8 , 1773, issue of the London Chronicle ( X X X I I I , 541).

763

To Doctor John Hawkesworth

Dear Sir [post May 6, 1 7 7 3 ] 1 It may be the fault of my temper but I am so form'd, that when my Mind receives a Wound particularly from the hand of a friend, I cannot get it heal'd, so readily, as I could wish— as I have always been thought, & by yourself too, very Sincere, Zealous & Active in my Friendships, I hope my being agitated (for any real or suppos'd Neglect of a Friend) in proportion to that Zeal & Activity may meet with indulgence— the moment I am at peace with myself, I will answer your letter in the Spirit in which it is written, in y e mean time give me leave to assure You that I am Your sincere Well Wisher & humble Serv4 D Garrick Endorsement by Garrick: A very disagreeable mistake between us. Source: H y d e Collection, draft in F C ; The R. B. Adam Library, Buffalo, 1 9 2 9 , I, [8].

868

To Doctor James

Beattie

i . This is the reply, which must have been written late in the day on M a y 6, 1773, to Hawkesworth's reply to the preceding letter (Boaden, I, 536). I n that reply Hawkesworth refers to the " c o l d expressions" of Garrick's note and does not hesitate " t o acknowledge that I failed in what I trust you will look upon more as a matter of form than as an instance of want of affection or a sense of your friendship, the strength of which is such as makes me digest, though with difficulty, the terms of what I flatter myself was a hasty billet."

764

To

Adelphi Terrace Sir Fryday [May] 14th [1773]1 I returnd from y® Country, & found Your letter & (one} Guinea inclos'd upon my table— the last time of my performing this Season will be on y® 2th of this Month— I have Secur'd You two of ye best places in the Theatre, & have inclos'd