The Sun.
London, England, 1823-04-03 00:00:00

UAItItIUK.

As this may be deemed a theatrical age, every
thing relating to the greatest actor that probably
has ever appeared since the origin of the Stage,
must be interesting, and therefore Ave are sure
.that our Readers will be gratified with .the
following character of the BRITISH' Rosctus,
who, if this country had possessed a Gwent)
during the time of GARRICK he would hate
been proud to record his merits, as the -L o-'
Orator has immortalized the fame of the
llosctus of his days.—The following account of
our great Actor is taken from the memorable
Correspondence of the Baron de Geist, a work.
of so amusing and interesting a description that
we wonder it has not appeared in an English
form, at least in a judicious abridgement. if a
foreigner, who cannot be supposed to have
sufficiently understood the genius of SUAK-
SPEARE, and consequently of those congenial
poiVers which gave vital energy to his best cha-
racters, could thus describe the latter, how
superior must GARRICK have appeared in
the eyes of his countrymen, ,who are so much
better 'able to appreciate the merits of both.—
The late Mr. SMITH, of Bury, who was himself
an actor of great merit, which enabled him to
acquire a distinguished reputation even in the best
days of Geititicie,:held him in the highest eetima-
tion,and hi a letter which we have the'pleasure
possessing, says" Mr. GARRICK so completely
embodied the .characters which he represented,
that GARRICK himself was entirely buried in the
parts which he assumed." Such a just and liberal
tribute from so good a judge is well entitled to
notice in this place. But it is time to return to
G rum, who, however, seems to confine GARRICK'S
talents to comedy, though it is well known that in
all the tragic characters which he performed he was
not only without a rival,but far, very far above all
Competition.
" This great and illustrious Actor, this Roscius
of the English Stage, or rather of modern times,
for great talents are not peculiar to any country,
but belong to all those who know how to appre-
ciate them,—(lll3 DAVID GARRICK, in a word,
has kept.his promise, and has passed six months
with us on his return to England, after having
travelled through Italy. Ile would be ungrate-
ful, indeed, if he did not regret leaving France,
where he was received in the most flattering,man-
fier, and associated constantly with men of science
and literary attainments, who regretted his defter-
tore. The English generally exaggerate their ad-
vantages, and extol Their men of genius, sometimes
too highly above those of other nations.; but in
this instance they are quite right. Garrick is
really above all praise : no one can form any
idea of his talents without having seen him, and it
'may truly be said that those who have not seen
him have never seen comedy properly acted.—
This Actor is the first and the only-one who has
ever realized my conception of the talents and
qualifications of a comedian ; and he has shewn
me that the ideas which we form of perfection
are not always so chimerical as some narrow -
minded people would persuade us, anti that it is
impossible to restrain genius within limits
The great art of Garrick consists in a facility
of changing his character, and of putting himself
iu the situation of the person whom he repre-
sents ; and when he once thoroughly understands
his part, he is no longer •G. but becomes the
person whose part he is acting. Indeed, accord-
ing, as lie changes his part, he becomes so differ-
ent himself that one might suppose that -he
changes his features .and .person, and would
scarcely believe himself' to be the same man,—
Me can easily imagine that a person may, with-
out, any difficulty, disfigure his face; but Gar-
tick knew nothing of grimace or of caricature,
and all the alteration that you observed hi his
countenance proceeded from his feelings. lie
never went beyond the truth, and he possessed
the happy faculty of ,deliheating his characters
by the powerful aid of passion alone. We saw
him act the dagger-scene in Macbeth in a private
room, and in his ordinary dress, without the de-
ception of the stage ; and as he followed the
;logger with his eyes, whilst it was suspended in
the air, his countenance expressed his inward
feelings so forcibly, that it drew forth from the
assembly one general burst of admiration. Who
would believe that this same man counter-
feited, the next moment, in a manner equally
perfect, u p.astry cook's boy who, carrying patties
on his mead, stands gazing in the street, and
lets his dish fall into the gutter ; and who at
first seems stupified at the accident, and then
bursts into tears ? There is as much difference in
the physiognomy of Garrick when personating
these two characters, as in the features of G. and
those of Proville. Garrick performs equally well
ell those parts which are imitations of nature ; the
'only parts that lie cannot act are those fictitious
characters which resemble nothing in nature, and
are the produce of the licentiousness or the barren
imaginatiou of the poet. Ile asserts that if a per-
son is a good tragedian he must be a good come-
dian also, and I think he is right ; but if that is
the case lie has pronounced a terrible decree against
most of oor tragedians, and particularly against
his friend Mademoiselle Clairon, who could never
art any part whatever in a comedy tolerably,,-.
de Carniontelle has a picture of G. in a tra-
gical attitude, and opposite to this portrait he
placed another picture of G. in a comic charac-
ter, who surprises G., the tragedian, and laughs
at bin). I wish this picture was engraved. Whilst
he was sitting , for his picture he could not be
quiet a single moment, and was 'continually
changing his countenance from the expression of
joy to that of grief, and even to despair and ter-
or. That may be called the gamut of the comedian ;
for' why should there not be a gamut of passions
as well as of succeeding sounds ? Garrick has
an agreable and sprightly countenance, and. very
-expressive eyes. He is extremely vivacious, pos-
sesses a fund of wit, ingenuity, and good Sense ;
is naturally a mimic, and can imitate any thing
lie pleases.' lie does every thing gracefully. lie
has ;annoyed his great talents by studying na-
ture attentively, and by researches full of lege-
y and sublimity. For this purpose he fre-
quently mixes with a crowd, to observe nature in
ail its simplicity and originality. One day, being

on horseback with Preville, he said, " I am goingl
to imitate a tipsy man ; suppose you do the same."
They rode in that manner through the village of.
Pussy, without saying.a word, and, in an instant,
the whole village was assembled to see them.--'
The young men laughed, the women were alarm•'
ed lest they should fall oil' their horses, the old
men shrugged up their shoulders and pitied them,
or else passed on and broke out into fits of laugh.
ter. When they were-out of the village, P. said
to G. " Have I not aeted my part well ?"
" Very well, indeed," replied G., " but you
were not tipsy in your legs." This single anec-
dote allows wJaat .a nice observer of nature Gar.
rick was."