The Life of Mr. James Quin, Comedian: With the History of the Stage from His Commencing Actor to His Retreat to Bath ...

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Reader, 1766 - Actors - 107 pages

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Page 73 - Indian mount, or fairy elves, Whose midnight revels, by a forest side, Or fountain, some belated peasant sees, Or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth Wheels her pale course ; they, on their mirth and dance Intent, with jocund music charm his ear ; At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Page 79 - When Lothario gave Horatio the challenge Quin, instead of accepting it instantaneously, with the determined and unembarrassed brow of superior bravery, made a long pause, and dragged out the words, ' I'll meet thee there !' in such a manner as to make it appear absolutely ludicrous.
Page 83 - In fancied scenes, as in life's real plan, He could not, for a moment, sink the man. In whate'er cast his character was laid, Self still, like oil, upon the surface play'd. Nature, in spite of all his skill, crept in : Horatio, Dorax, Falstaff, — still 'twas Quin.
Page 23 - Herculean satirist, this drawcansir in wit, that spared neither friend nor foe ; who, to make his poetical fame immortal, like another Erostratus, set fire to his stage, by writing up to an act of parliament to demolish it.
Page 91 - That tongue which set the table on a roar, And charm'd the public ear, is heard no more ! Clos'd are those eyes, the harbingers of wit Which spoke, before the tongue, what Shakespeare writ ; Cold are those hands, which, living, were stretched forth At friendship's call to succour modest worth.
Page 82 - Though we deny imaginary grace, Founded on accidents of time and place ; Yet real worth of ev'ry growth shall bear Due praise, nor must we, Quin, forget thee there. His words bore sterling weight, nervous and strong In manly tides of sense they roll'd along. Happy in art, he chiefly had pretence To keep up numbers, yet not forfeit sense. No actor ever greater heights could reach In all the labour'd artifice of speech.
Page 13 - Music has charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. I've read that things inanimate have moved, And, as with living souls, have been informed, By magic numbers and persuasive sound.
Page 76 - That Garrick was a new religion ; Whitfield was followed for a time ; but they would all come to church again.
Page 82 - Their darling chief, and lin'd his fav'rite cause. " Far be it from the candid Muse to tread Insulting o'er the ashes of the dead, But, just to living merit, she maintains, And dares the test whilst Garrick's genius reigns, Ancients in vain endeavour to excel, Happily prais'd, if they could act as well. But though prescription's force we disallow, Nor to antiquity submissive bow ; Tho...
Page 14 - I remember the ladies were then observed to be decently afraid of venturing bare-faced to a new comedy, till they had been assured they might do it, without the risk of an insult to their modesty...

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