The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-07-21
DAVID GARRICK.
The Celebrated British Actor.
nay DIR. R. SHELTON MACKENZIE


drove. for his life and liberty, into Eng
land. His grandmother on the materna
side was Irish, while her husband was nj
Englishmsn. 1t has been thought that
the actors versatility came from hi
French. his johh0D,ie and wit from his
Irish. and his solid, practical intellect
from his British descent. His father, !
captain in the British army, finally set
tied down in the old cathedral city o
Lichfeld, Of which DIR. Samuel johnson
was native. At the grammar school o
Lichfield Garrick received an education
which gave him some knowledge of the
classics, sad all of his family spoke anc
wrote French. While vet u schoolboy
he distinguished himself in amateur
theatricals. playing Sergeant Kite, IN
Fsrouhars comedy of the Recruiting
Officer, with much spirit. Soon after
he was sent to visit his uncle, then
wine merchant in Lisbon, but was not
long absent. Next, at the age Of cigh'
teen. he became one of Johnson pupils
but devoted most of his time TO the com
no,ltion of dramatic sketches and scenes
FINALLY, in March, 1877, Mt tie age OF
twenty one, he and johnson, who WAS
his senior by seven years, went 10 Lon
don.-one to begin the study of the law
the other to try his fate with the tragedy
of Irene, and As translator Whatever
their hopes, their means were Scanty
The Journey, of hundred and ten
miles, was partly performed on foot, and
in after days, both used to talk pleasant
. IL of it,-as sailor will jest over tn,
perlls which he has escaped. johnson
once spoke, in large company, Of lIj1
as the year when came TO London
with twopence-halfpenny in my pocket,
and then turning to Garrick viii
three half-pence in thine.
Garrick, having succeeded, soon after
he arrived in London, to legacy OF
$1,000 from his uncle, lived Us IA young
man obout town, not studying the law
The death of both his parents left hin
free to follow the bent o. his own incl
nation. In conjunction with his brothe
Peter, he rented vaults in Durham Yard
near Covcnt Garden, in which. for
short time, they carried on the wine bus
mess. Not agreeing their perlrnershll
ended DAVID Garrlck remained IN Lon
don, cultivaiing the acquaintance OF act
ors managers, and playwrights, anu fire
quently crIticiZing their performances II
the journals of the day At last, the de-
sire to be all actor becoming lrrrprresl
BILE, h. let his osteusiblc business to ms
conduct itself, and in the summer Of Ill
attached himself to the company ther
performing at Ipswich theatrical circuit
There. under the name OF Lyddal, he
performed various leading characters
with success, his first appearance being
as Abuan, in SOuthernes tragedy Of
Oroonoko. As h" had to play with
bInckened face. which would prevent hl'
recognition if unsuccessful, il had beer
thought that he purposely selected TIM
second-rate character. 1t Is more likely
however, that, n n novice, he had ne
choice. Much applaudcd, he was ther
/ permitted to appear in variety OF parts
in tragedy and comedy,-even, on on" oc
caslon, as Harlequin in u pantomlnr,-s
I descent in which he WAS subsequently, fol!
lowed by Edmund kean.
His success in the country encouraged
his desire to appear on the London stage
II had studied u variety OF characters
literally ranging from the sublime to The
ridiculous, iii tragedy, comedy, farce and
pantomimc. Neither of the great thea
ire was open TO him, SO he arranged L
appear at Il little theatre IN Goodman
Fields, Whitcchapel, in the far East o
London, and certainly one Of the leas
fashionable localities IN that metropolis
tie made his dcbm there, as Richard tn,
Third, ON tine 18th Of October, l7il.
His success, was instantaneous aGd H.
>urcd The greatest poet al modern times
Lord Byron, whom Shelley APPLY call"l
the pilgrim OF eternity, declared Il
awukr one morning and found myself ia
NOUS 50 with Garrirk's fame. He WA
set down in the bills IL IA gentleman wh'
had never appeared on any stage (which
VA, white lie. after his practice on th'
Norfolk circuiU, and. though many o
his personal friends were present. there
WAS small audience. W hen he came
on. AS Richard, he was appalled,, and etoot
for 81 few seconds without speech or ac
ton: but the strong wiII-thc purpose t'
.,t,-prevailcd, and then Richard rus HIM
self He moved, spoke, aud looked, not
according to the long -c.iablIshed and con
ventionaI manner and method "t actors
The flexible voice WAS natural III IL Ut
trraucr. The movements were FREE, "no
the wondrouS mobility OF feature. or ("
features expression. which assisted nm
~ much ever after, permitted the audi
rnce lo anticipate the coming words. lie
did not talk about the stage, nor make
deliberately calculated pnusc>; he n'iiher
nouthcd nor rautcd; he simply was the
ruthless prince drawn by Shakespeare;
The audience went away charmed aud
astoui,hed. In those days there were
few newspapers in London, and only one
of these. next morning, noticed his debut,
in single sentence, which said that his
,.rccrpllon was the most extraordinary
and greut that ever was known on >uch
an occasion. and we hear that he obliges
the town thi. evening with the same per-
iormance.' The news spread through
London, and his audience was soon large
" composed of noble and fashionable per-
sons from the West End. Among these,
though his health had much declined, and
his own course had nearly run. was Alex
suder Pope, who expressed his delight by
hearty applause, and, turning TO Lord
Orrcry, who had accompanied him,
emphaticslly said, That young man
never hsd his equal, and never will have
Il rival
There still remains, purchased at sale
of autograph lctte,s in London, in
December, 1919, and published IN the first
volume of Notes and Qne'ics, letter
from David Garrick TO his brother Peter,
III Lichhrld, begun on the day on which