Memoirs of His Own Life, Volume 4

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author, 1790 - Actors

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Page 65 - Heaven doth with us as we with torches do, Not light them for themselves ; for if our virtues Did not go forth of us, 'twere all alike As if we had them not.
Page 173 - em as they're new. — ' To one at least your usual favor show ; — ' A female asks it, can a man say no ? ' Should you indulge our novice yet unseen, • And crown her with your hands a tragic queen : ' Should you with smiles a confidence impart, ' To calm those fears which speak a feeling heart; ' Assist each struggle of ingenuous shame, ' Which curbs a genius in its road to fame ; ' With one wish more her whole ambition ends — ' She hopes some merit to deserve such friends.
Page 113 - I stand upon the stage, talk aloud and stare about, which confounds the actors and disturbs the audience ; upon which the galleries, who hate the appearance of one of us, begin to hiss, and cry
Page 104 - ... with her back to a rail juft by me : Ecod what does me ! for nothing in the world but a joke, as I hope for mercy, but ties her locks to the rail ; fo when...
Page 191 - I have made shift hitherto to victual my little garrison ; but then it has been with the aid of my good friends and allies — my clothes. This week's eating finishes my last waistcoat ; and next I must atone for my errors on bread and water.
Page 45 - COME not here your candour to implore For scenes, whose author is, alas ! no more; He wants no advocate his cause to plead ; You will yourselves be patrons of the dead. No party his benevolence confin'd, No sect — alike it flow'd to all mankind.
Page 30 - Frodsham would have been voted superior, and under the rose appointed the man for the ladies. Nor would that decision...
Page 80 - I know this myself perfectly, by having had, about twenty years ago, an old wardrobe I found in the ruins of my theatrical Herculaneum, and which was of great antiquity, and had appertained to Roman emperors, kings, &c. when not a performer, lady or gentleman of the London theatres, but would have involuntarily laughed at the old broad seams of gold and silver lace, and have cast piteous and contemptuous looks on the country performers thus loaded with trumpery: Yet those despicable clothes had,...
Page 176 - THE frequent miftakes which I find I have made in the chronology of my theatrical anecdotes, will, I hope, be imputed to my reciting them, as I have already obferved, entirely from memory; and the deviation, I truft, will be excufed by you and my readers, as the incidents themfelves, though perhaps erroneous in point of time, are real facts.
Page 146 - Impressions of their Art decay. Your Children cannot feel what you have known; They'll boast of Quins and...

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