tradition of it is still kept alive. Wherever Lord Ogleby has been played-unhappily but rarely-it is acted as King performed it. There is a picture of him which represents the stiff, ungainly nobleman with hard wooden, heavy cheeks, a languishing ogle in his old eye, a wig with a comic curl over his forehead, dressed in finery, and taking a pinch of snuff with an air of exquisite dandyism. In the course of the play there was another rock-a scene between the lawyers, which has some humour, but which excited murmurs, from the same nicety that caused Goldsmith's humorous bailiffs to be objected to. Anything like broad, open, healthy humour was reckoned "low," and "the lawyers," like the bailiffs, had to be very much cut down.

In the last act, too, so many alterations had been made, up to the very last moment, that the players did not know what they were to say, or what to leave out; and the "business" became a mass of confusion. There was a deal of rushing in and out, from bedrooms, &c.; but the energetic "Pivy" Clive, who to the last was full of spirits and animal motion, came bustling on, and threw such life and vigour into the scene, that she restored the day, and brought the piece triumphantly through.

In his epilogue he determined to satirize the new popular fancy for English opera, which had grown up in his absence, and had taken serious hold of the public. Yet a taste that brought out such fresh English music, and such truly characteristic dramas as "Love in a Village" scarcely deserved such bantering. Mrs. Quaver asks, "Pray do you know the author, Colonel Trill?"-(here was Garrick's old system

of self-depreciation once more)-and the "first lady" whispers him, which makes Lord Minim break out, "What, he again! And dwell such daring souls in little men?" After that first night it had a great success, and ran for many nights.*

Kenrick attacked it openly; Hawkesworth was gentle with it; and Johnson good-naturedly sent down to Bath, to Garrick, a refutation of Kenrick's review. Even Davies, the bookseller, and friend of Garrick, had his little sling ready, and from a private corner abused the play as full of "vulgarisms," which only made Garrick smile. Now turned bookseller, the former actor had made his shop a sort of rendezvous for all who disliked the manager; and there, as Gar

The town, as usual, was to indemnify itself with a joke, and made merry at the joint authorship. The "Monthly Review" alluded pointedly to Tate and Brady, Sternhold and Hopkins, and other noted collaborateurs, while newspaper wits made rhymes on them as a new Beaumont and Fletcher :"F.-I'll treat the town once more.

F.

No matter what.
Harry is all war-thieves-run in and out,
No matter what the bustle is about.
Your connoisseur shall furnish quaint remarks
On modern taste, plantations, buildings, parks.
'Jenny's Country Visit' shall supply
Your piece with sterling humour, so will I.
My favourite Chalkstone, ready cut and dried,
Shall hobble forth with Bowman by his side.

But now, let's search the room. That's to my wish,
Those prints there-'Hogarth's Marriage '-take 'em.

Pish!

B. See here a lord, a cit, a modern wife,

A rake, a lawyer, painted to the life."

rick well knew, were hatched half the ill-natured stories about him.

It is impossible not to read this little history without seeing how much it is to Garrick's credit in every part. "If either of us," he wrote affectionately to Colman, "had the least ingredient of some of the mortal composition that shall be nameless we might have lost the greatest blessing of our lives-at least I speak for one." This was not likely to be a "half reconciliation. Colman was his "ever affectionate. friend." Colman's little boy he and Mrs. Garrick looked after carefully. He christened him "Georgygo-jing," and rode over often to look after him, play with him, and amuse him. He was brought over to stay at Hampton. All Colman's concerns were well managed during any absence. It was Garrick's lot that those, on whom he had heaped all these good offices, should select him as the object of some ungenerous return; and Colman was already meditating a questionable stroke of policy, which, if strictly legitimate, had very much the ugly air of ingratitude. A new La Rochefoucauld could illustrate very cynically, from Garrick's life, the folly of being strictly equitable and above worldly resentments, and of being too quick to forgive. Such behaviour is sure to be interpreted as weakness, and invites the petulance and intimidation of those who have something to gain. And this explains, in part at least, the exceptional behaviour of many of Garrick's so-called "friends," who, like Murphy, grew at last to know his failings by heart, his dislike to give pain by a blunt refusal, and who could "wring his gizzard," as Murphy was supposed to have the power of doing."

CHAPTER II.

COLMAN.-COVENT GARDEN.

1766-1768.

Now he might fairly expect his old troubles to set in. Lacy, perhaps overset by the success of his sole management, was beginning to obstruct-to take airs, and claim a share in the management, though it had been stipulated that he was to confine himself to his own special department. This, in fact, Garrick's solicitors wished to have had inserted in the deed, but Garrick's delicacy-that wonderful and unfailing delicacy-wished to spare an affront to the vanity of his partner, who seems to have been an obstinate man, with a kind of crooked suspicion in his mind, which was worked on by friends. Garrick, wearied of these humours, began actively to look out for a purchaser for his share of the patent, which, though nominally supposed to be of equal value to his partner's, was worth infinitely more; as it was his talent that brought profit to both, and when that was withdrawn, not much would be left behind. It was some such reflection, that always acted as a wholesome check upon Lacy. Early in the following year he made a handsome apology, begged that things might go on on the old footing, and gave his word of honour, that he would never object to Garrick's manage

ment, except in a private and friendly way. This was his reply to a formal memorandum sent by a solicitor. Garrick at once withdrew, though matters had gone so far, with his usual graciousness. "I should have quitted Drury Lane," he said, "with reluctance; and nothing but being convinced that Mr. Lacy chose to part with me, should have drove me to the step I was obliged to take. .. I am ready to meet Mr. Lacy as my partner and friend, without having the least remembrance that we disagreed." Thus was the matter accommodated-for a time.

The foreign tour proved scarcely of so much benefit as he anticipated; for he had presently to go down to Bath to drink the waters and try to drive away his complaints.* They did him some good, and made him, as he said, feel like a feathered Mercury. He found strange company there, which amused him, and the pleasant society of Mr. Selwyn. But presently, when he was "cent. per cent. better," the gout came back, and all but crippled him. Soon after he found his way down to Mistley, to the social Rigby's, one of the political portraits of the last century, who managed to combine a boisterous bonhommie to his friends with a reckless and unscrupulous morality at the expense of the nation. At his pleasant house there was always a welcome for Garrick; for not yet had the host been overtaken by evil days, nor had a stern morality come into fashion which made him its first victim.

Some of this most delightful day had been spent at

* His name is among the "arrivals" there in March.