she, however, pursued her public profession till the year before her death, when her disorder increasing, she retired from the stage in 1759, and died on the 28th of March, 1760. Her death was considered at that time as a general loss to the stage; and Mr. Hoole, (the ingenious Translator of Ariosto, &c.) who knew her perfectly well, has in the following lines (which we have extracted from his Monody to her Memory) drawn her public and private character so faithfully, that we cannot better conclude this sketch, than by giving them a repetition in this place. Blest in each art, by Nature form'd to please, Nor was thy worth to public scenes confin'd, WILKS, THE CELEBRATED ACTOR. THOUGH We have no very favourable account of Wilks from Colley Cibber, who hated him personally, as well as Dogget, (though he had more prudence in concealing it during Wilks's life,) and though he always preferred Powel to him, "who," he says, "excelled him in voice and ear in Tragedy, as well as humour in Comedy ;” yet he, on the whole, is obliged to allow him qualifications which leave him a very considerable actor; particularly in his Sir Harry Wildair, Essex, Mark Antony, Valentine, Plume, &c. &c. To these he adds his uncommon attention to be perfect in his parts, which he was so exact in, that "I question," says Cibber, " if, in forty years, he ever five times changed or misplaced an article in any one of them." 66 Of his determined perseverance in this exercise of memory, he adds the following curious instance: " In Wilks's general merits as an actor may be divided Of Mark Antony, he says, "As soon as Wilks en- Of his Prince of Wales he speaks in still higher terms. "In his challenge of Hotspur, his defiance was equally Macklin used to praise him in three parts, which, per- and Lord Townly. He spoke highly of the first, but with the most unqualified applause of the two last, which were perfect models of ease and good breeding. To these testimonies we shall add that of an Irish Barrister, of great eminence, who died about thirty years ago, and who was always considered not more eminent in the walks of his profession than in those of dramatic criticism. From him we have been informed," that whatever Wilks did upon the stage, let it be ever so trifling, whether it consisted in putting on his gloves or taking out his watch, lolling on his cane or taking snuff, every movement was marked with such an ease of breeding and manner, every thing told so strongly the involuntary motion of a gentleman, that it was impossible to consider the character he represented in any other light than that of a reality." "But what was still more surprising," said the Gentleman, in relating this anecdote, "that the person who could thus delight an audience, from the gaiety and sprightliness of his manner, I met the next day in the street hobbling to a hackney-coach, seemingly so enfeebled by age and infirmities, that I could scarcely believe him to be the same man." Such is the power of illusion, when a great genius feels the importance of character * !" With Wilks's general talents for tragedy, there were some parts that he was unequal to; and in particular the Ghost in Hamlet. One day, at rehearsal, Booth took the liberty to jest with him upon it. "Why, Bob," says he, "I thought last night you wanted to play at fisty-cuffs with me, (Booth played Hamlet to his Ghost,) you bullied me so, who, by the bye, you ought to have revered. I remember, when I acted the Ghost with Betterton, instead of my awing him, he terrified me-but there was a divinity hung round that man!" To this rebuke, Wilks, feeling its propriety, modestly replied, "Mr. Betterton and Mr. Booth could always act as they pleased; but, for my part, I must do as well as I can.' *The above event took place in the year 1729, two years before the death of Wilks, who, as Cibber tells us, was much more enfeebled by the constant irritations of his temper than he was by his declining years." |