The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-27 00:00:00

EARLY PLAYS AND PLAYERS.

The celebrated ballad of " My lodging is on.
The cold ground," the air of which is so popular
in the present days and which has occasioned
several paiodies, was originally sung in a play
called the Rivals, by Mrs. Davis (familiarly
called Moll Davis), afterwards mistress to Charles
11. This play was acted by Sir Wm. D'Avenant's
Company, in Lincoln's Inn-fields. Old Downes,
the prompter, tells ,us that all the women cha-
racters were played admirably, but the part of
Celia (in which this song occurs) was performed
so charmingly, that not long after it raised her
from her bed on the cold ground to a bed-royal.
The mezzotinto portrait, after Lely, of" Madame
Davis," shews her to have been a most beautiful
creature.
The following is an amusing account by the
same author, of other plays and-players in this

company :
" Hamlet.—ln this tragedy. Hamlet was
performed by' Mr. Batterton ; Sir William
(D'Avenant) having seen Mr. Taylor, of the
Blackfryar's Company, act it, who was instructed
by the author, Mr. Shakspeare, taught Mr.
Betterton in every particularly of it, and made
him gain esteem and reputation in It superlative
to all other plays." This eminenent actor (vide
Tatler) continued to perform the above charac=
ter with great spirit, and much applause, till the
last hour of his life.
Love and Honour, written by Sir William
D'Avenant, was remarkable for the richness of
its dresses and decorations ; " the King (Charles
IL) giving Mr. Betterton his coronation suit, in
which he acted the part of Prince Alvaro; the
Duke of York giving Mr. Harris his, who did
Prospero ; and my Lord of Oxford, Mr. Price
his, who did Lionel, the Prince of Parma's son."
Romeo and Juliet, wrote by; Mi. Shakspeare.
This tragedy was made some time after into a

tragi-comedy, by Mr. James Howard, he pre.
serving Romeo and Juliet alive ; so that when it
was revived again, it .was played alternately, tra-
gically one day, and tragi-comically another, for
several days together.
King Henry the Eighth.—This play, by order
Of Sir William D'Avenant, was all new clothed
In proper habits ; the King's was new, and all
the Lords, the Cardinals, the BiShops, the Doc-
tors, Proctors, Lawyers, Tipstaves', &c. The
part of the King was so rightly and justly done
by Mr. Betterton, he being instructed in it by
Sir William, who had it from Mr. Lowen, that
had his instructions from Mr. Shakspeare himself,
that nothing could come near him in the per-
formance of that part. Mr. Harris's perfarmance
of Cardinal Wolsey was little inferior.
These, he informs us, were some of the chief
plays acted at Lincoln's-inn-fields, from 1662 to
1671, when ,the new Theatre in Dorset-gaidens
opened; and continued to be performed in until
1682, at which period the aboire, then called the
Duke's Company, united with the King's Com-
pany at the-Drury-lane Theatre, and the two be-
came one joint company. under the title (which
is still continued) of " his Majesty's Servants."
His account of two or three playa only, during
this interval, is worth noticing :
Macbeth.—(Alteied by Sir William D'Ave-
nant.) This being drestin all its Onery, as new
clothei, new, scenes, Machines, as flyings for the
witches, with all the singing and dancing in it—
the first composedby
.Mr. Lock, the Other by
Mr.-Challnel and Mr. Priest—and being all ex-
cellently performed in the nature of ari Opera,
it recompensed double the expellee.
The Tempest, made into: an Opera by Shad-
well, having all new in it ; as scenes, machineS—
parOCularly one scene Painted with Myriads of
aerial spirits ; and another flying away .with a
table, furnished out with fruits, sweetmeats, and
all sorts of viands, just when Trinculo and his
companions were going to dinner, and all per-
formed so admirably.' bell,
.that no succeeding
Opera brought so much money.
Of the actors and actresses here, during the
run of the above plays, as also those of Drury-
lane Theatre, which this writer also notices, we
have several anecdotes. Our room will only per-
mit us,to mitntiOn the principal ones :
At. Drury-lane, 'the famous actor HART. He

was an apprentice or pupil to Robinson, a per-
former before the civil wars, who afterwards had
a Captain's commission and fought for Charles L.
Hart soon became so superior as an actor, that
he took the lead in all the plays performed At
,Druly-lane. Othello was one of his Master parts,
and his excellent performance alone saved from
condemnation Ben Jonson's Cataline,- which was
never revived after this actor's death. "In the.
part of Arbaces, in Ding and no, King," says
Downes. (Roscius finglicanus, p. 23) " Aznyn-
tor, in the Maid's Tragedy; Othello; Rolla ;
Brutus, in Julius Cavar ; and towards the latter
end of his acting, Alexander; if he acted in any
one of these but once, in a fortnight, the
was filled as at a new play, espe-
cially Alexander; he acting :that with such
grandeur and agreeable majesty, that one of
the Court was pleased, to honour him with this
commendation, that hart might teach any King
on earth how to comporthimself." The great critib
Rymer, in his dissertatiO9-on 'tragedy, equally
praies this celebrated actor in the following pas-
sage The eyes of the, audience are.prepos-
sessed and charmed by his action, before-aught
of the, poet, can approach their ears ; and to the
most wretched of characters Ilart gives a:lustre, '
which so dazzles the sight, that the deforrhities
of the
,poet cannot beperceiVed." In his old age,
on account of, his former valuable services, the'
theatre allowed hima,pensionuntil his death.
MauuN was brought 'up under Robinson, as
Hart and others were. In his youth hd acted
Bellamente, in Love's Cruelty, which pdrt he
retained
,after the Restoration. IN was eminent
for Volpone; Face, in the Alchymist; Melanthius;
in the Maid's Tragedy; Marchnius,in King and
no King; Cassius, in Julius Caesar; Clyus, in
Alexander, &c. Rymer, just quoted, pays the
following compliment to Hart awl Mohnn, : " We

* In the modern representation of ".Machetlk" Hecate is the
only character that ascends, the three witches who open the
play, and whO depart with the NOrds " Hover through the fog
and filthy air," are itnproperly made to sick Through a trap
door. Their being raised into the air by a machine, as here
deicribed, must certainly be considered as far superior.

may remember, however we find this scene•of
Melanthius and Amyntor written in the book, that
at the theatre we have a good scene acted; there
is work cut out, and both our iEsoptis and
Roscius are on the stage together. Whatever de-
fect may be in Amyntor and Melanthius, M'
Hart and JVIr. Mohun are wanting in nothing!
To these we owe what is pleasing in the scene--;
and to this scene we may impute the success of
the Maid's Tragedy."
LACY.—Aubrey says of Lacy, that " be was
horn near Doncaster, in Yorkshire; came to Lon-
don to the playhouse 1631. Apprentice to Mr.
Ogilby. B. Johnson tooke note of his words and
proverbes for his Tale of a Tub. Servant to th,
Lord Gerrard. He was of an elegant shape all.(t,
fine complexion. His mastre (Ch. II.) has several!
pictures of this famous comedian at Windsore and
Hampton Court, in the posture of the several(
parts he acted.. He made his exit on Saturday,
September 17, 1681, and was buried in the far-
thur cbureh-yard of St. Martyn in the Fields on
the Monday following." Langbaine speaks of
,„.
this actor's admirable representation of Falstajf•
KyNNAsTorr was taken to join the Drury-lane
Company from that which acted under Rhodes'
the bookseller, at the Cockpit, Drury-lane
Downes says he acted Arthiape, in the Unibra'.
nate Lovers ; the Princess, in the Mad Lover i
Aglaura ; Ismenia, in the Maid of the Mill ; a"
several other women's parts ; he being then ver',
young, made a complete stage beauty, perforPl.ll
his characters so well, and moved such comPaol„-,
and pity, that it has been dispUtable since ani,,°"d
the judicious, whether any woman.that succeeueb,
him so sensibly touched the audience as lie. 'A he
ber tells us that it was a frequent practice of ("
ladies of quality, in the height of his fame' to
-„,
carry this actor with them in his female dre,/
after the play (which then began at three o'clock) "
in their, coaches to Hyde Park. e the
Mrs. MARSHAL was the first actress 0,. -;,
King's, or Drury-lane-Company. She was trio',
,
ed into a sham marriage by the Earl of.Osfer"'
the particulars of which are mentioned by Gra(li
wont. The King obliged fain to settle an an
3d,
income on her. She is described as a very a

mired performer.
Mrs. KNIGHT, another actress of this Corn Pan
was famous as a singer, and captivated, by thil3
and her fine person, Charles 11., to whom She
came a mistress, a little whilebefore another note
lf
female performer of this theatre—the lively
Gwynn. She was instructed by Hart and fl;
and soon became eminent in- the profession. a
acted the most spirited and favourite parts, ad,
spoke a prologue or epilogue with admirable a
dress. The pert and vivacious 'prattle of the
orange-wench, observes Granger, was bY le;
grees refined into such wit as could please Char'ge
Indeed, it was sometimes carried to extr-
vagance ; but even her higher flights were so °li
tural, that they rather provoked laughter tb3
excited disgust.
ft 11
Of the performers of the Duke's CncoP-1,0
many of whom were equally_ eminent, s",,cd
only give some of the names. They inclouee:
among the men, Leigh, Nokes, Joe flait:og
Harris, Goodman, Johnson, &c. ; and /tics.
the females, Mrs. Betterton, Mrs. BarrY',hers;
Davis,(the singer), Mrs. Davenport, anil ("fter.
but the most famons of all the actors was 13e`
ton.—(Morning Herald.)

On the 17th of this month, at four o'cloefk
the morning, the lightning struck the vane 0"t00
belfry of the cathedral of Valancay, and S't '" •
fire. The progress of the flames was terrii-et;
they consumed the whole rapidly, in :13,11,e
of the united exertions of the garrison, °`
firemen, and of more than 4,000 persons 5
CaMe to their assistance. The weather
stormy, and great disasters were dreaded, 'the
not the wind changed to the north. All ,:he
bells are broken ; only, the walls remain.
loss is estimated at more than 48,000 1.00
0, 3..,1
it would have been much greater if the fireuleot
of the town, by their courage and skill; had 111,
succeeded in confining the fire to the steep
to which the Cathedral is attached. Never
a more terrific thing seen. No lives were 1054
and only a sapper wounded by a burning* flake'

COURSE OF EXCHANGE, November °(i•

Amsteidalll
Ditto, at Sight
Rotterdam

lel C.
1118
12 2

Autwerp
Hamburg')
Altona
Paris,3 Day's sight
Ditto
Bourdeaux, ditto
Frankforton the Main
Madrid
Cadiz
Bilhoa
Barcelona
Seville .

12 3
37
37 6 2f rig
95 40 0 Us.
25 70 .2 Us.
25 70 0 Os.
•• • —156 Ex. Alonef
37i Effective
30 Effective
-.• s 7 Effective

Gibraltar
so 4
Leghorn •k ,
4'7
Geiß,a ~..
Malta • 5 Naples 39b
Palermo ... • llBOl. pet-
Lisbon
Oporto

RioJanciroas
Dublin .... Cork 9i pci Cent..

J-0 0 ri pcloo.
—.3 17 6
0 0 0
0 4 9+
fl 4

BULLION.

Portugal Gold, in Coin..
Foreign Gold, in Bars
New Doubloons
New% Dollars
Silver in Bars, Standard

BIRTH.
ist)On use;TEusecis.?oye,Cti?e av 'en2C-sthtreifiet:ts.,trtahned,Loafdisooln.Cyril J. 3lonk'

MRRIED. I.
On Tuesday, the 2.6 th inst at evtesburyi. Wilts.., 31 f
_Hcciog. M. ,
Everett,
ttoic
.uiEn
sms
.fte Charlotte,cf'tool-rempaecrn-es p place.a n :est da ug titero 01 a
liarriot, sec
t°
daughter, of Mr. John Mills, 'of St. Clements' Church-r,
haumel Hutton; Esq., of Birmingham.

seoconndthme
a2s4tedri
oinf si,t.,as
DIED.' '
daughter
On the 19th inst.. in her 2iith year, Jane Lucy, only at
tB
ri Canterbury,
g e ll os
of Mrs. Burdett, of Chathaim
mops,
til3ifec.2hsatrlthianinst.HiattcOh,aateftnerHailllo,nag ilnitneerbssu,rayt;..ro. r" Sim'
On the 12th inst. Benjamin, eldest son of 3lr. B.
At Cocking, in Sussex, the-Rev. lilelm
of West-street; Gravesend, ail-ea 13 Years. rear of
that parish,:dvanced of "
after a few hours illness, at the.............
itiekstravi,
21r. John Lin on 1, ..s en.
oth Skynncr; It ,m).

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