359 lofs of an habitual Object. This gave me fo much Concern for the Death of Mr. William Peer of the TheatreRoyal, who was an Actor at the Restoration, and took his Theatrical Degree with Betterton, Kynafton and Harris. Tho' his Station was humble he perform'd it well, and the common Comparison with the Stage and Human Life, which has been fo often made, may well be brought Out upon this Occafion. It is no matter, fay the Moralifts, whether you act a Prince, or a Beggar, the Business is to do your Part well. Mr. William Peer diftinguished himself. particularly in two Characters, which no Man ever could touch but himself; one of them was the Speaker of the Prologue to the Play, which is contrived in the Tragedy of Hamlet, to awake the Confciences of the guilty Prin

ces.

Mr. William Peer spoke that Preface to the Play with fuch an Air, as reprefented that he was an Actor, and with fuch an inferior manner as only acting an Actor, as made the others on the Stage appear real great Perfons, and not Reprefentatives. This was a Nicety in Acting that none but the most fubtle Player could fo much as conceive. I remember his fpeaking thefe Words, in which there is no great matter but in the right adjustment of the Air of the Speaker, with univerfal Applaufe.

For us and for our Tragedy,
Here flooping to your Clemency,
We beg your Hearing patiently.

Hamlet fays very archly upon the pronouncing of it, Is this a Prologue, or a Poly of a Ring? However, the fpeaking of it got Mr. Peer more Reputation, than those who speak the length of a Puritan's Sermon every Night will ever attain to. Befides this, Mr. Peer got a great Fame on another little Occafion. He played the Apothe cary in Caius Marius, as it is called by Otway; but Romeo and Juliet, as originally in Shakespear; it will be neceffary to recite more out of the Play than he spoke, to have a right Conception of what Peer did in it. Ma-rius, weary of Life, recollects means to be rid of it after this manner.

I do remember an Apothecary

That dwelt about this rendezvous of Death,

Meagre

Meagre and very rueful were his Looks,

Sharp Mifery had worn him to the Bones.

When this Spectre of Poverty appeared, Marius addreffes him thus:

I fee thou art very poor,

Thou mayeft do any thing, here's fifty Drachmas,
Get me a Draught of what will fooneft free
A Wretch from all his Cares.

When the Apothecary objects that it is unlawful, Marius urges.

Art thou fo bafe and full of Wretchedness,
Yet fear ft to die? Famine is in thy Cheeks,
Need and Oppreffion ftareth in thy Eyes,
Contempt and Beggary hang on thy Back;

The World is not thy Friend, nor the World's Laws;
The World affords no Law to make thee Rich;
Then be not poon, but break it, and take this.

WITHOUT all this Quotation the Reader could not have a juft Idea of the Vifage and Manner which Peer affumed, when in the moft lamentable Tone imaginable he confents; and delivering the Poifon, like a Man reduced to the drinking it himself, if he did not vend it, fays to Marius,

My Poverty, but not my Will, confents.

Take this and drink it off, the Work is done.

IT was an odd Excellence, and a very particular Circumftance this of Peer's, that his whole Action of Life depended upon fpeaking five Lines better than any Man elfe in the World. But this Eminence lying in fo narrow a Compass the Governors of the Theatre obferving his Talents to lie in a certain Knowledge of Propriety, and his Perfon admitting him to fhine only in the two above Parts, his Sphere of Action was enlarged by the Addition of the Poft of Property Man: This Officer has always ready in a Place appointed for him behind the Prompter, all fuch Tools and Implements as are neceffary in the Play, and it is his Bufinefs never to want Billet-doux, Poifon, falfe Money, Thunderbolts, Daggers, Scrolls of Parchment, Wine, Pomatum, Truncheons and Wooden

Legs,

.

Legs, ready at the Call of the said Prompter, according as his refpective Utenfils were neceffary for promoting what was to pafs on the Stage. The Addition of this Office, fo important to the Conduct of the whole Affair of the Stage, and the good Oeconomy obferved by their prefent Managers in punctual Payments, made Mr. Peer's Subfiftence very comfortable. But it frequently happens, that Men lofe their Virtue in Prosperity who were fhining Characters in the contrary Condition. Good fortune indeed had no Effect on the Mind, but very much on the Body of Mr. Peer. For in the Seventieth Year of his Age he grew fat, which rendered his Figure unfit for the Utterance of the five Lines abovementioned: He had now unfortunately loft the wan Diftrefs neceffary for the Countenance of the Apothecary, and was too jolly to fpeak the Prologue with the proper Humility. It is thought this Calamity went too near him. It did not a little contribute to the fhortning his Days, and as there is no State of real Happiness in this Life, Mr. Peer was undone by his Succefs, and loft all by arriving at what is the End of all other Mens Purfuits, his Eafe.

I could not forbear inquiring into the Effects Mr. Peer left behind him, but find there is no demand due to him from the Houfe, but the following Bill.

For Hire of fix Cafe of Piftols

A Drum for Mrs. Bignall in the Pilgrim
A Trufs of Straw for the Madmen
Pomatum and Vermilion to grease the Face
of the Stuttering Cook

For boarding a Setting Dog two Days to
follow Mr. Johnfon in Epfom-Wells

For Blood in Macbeth

Raifins and Almonds for a Witches Banquet

1. s. d.

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THIS Contemporary of mine, whom I have often. rallied for the narrow Compafs of his fingular Perfections, is now at Peace, and wants no further Affistance from any Man; but Men of extenfive Genius, now living, ftill depend upon the good Offices of the Town.

I am therefore to remind my Reader that on this Day, being the 15th of June, the Plotting Sifters is to be VOL. I.

Acted

Acted for the Benefit of the Author, my old Friend Mr. d'Urfey. This Comedy was honoured with the Prefence of King Charles the Second three of its first five Nights.

MY Friend has in this Work shown himself a Master; and made not only the Characters of the Play, but also the Furniture of the Houfe contribute to the main Defign. He has made excellent use of a Table with a Carpet, and the Key of a Closet; with these two Implements, which would, perhaps, have been overlooked by an ordinary Writer, he contrives the most natural Perplexities (allowing only the Ufe of thefe Houfhold Goods in Poetry) that ever were represented on a Stage. He has alfo made good Advantage of the Knowledge of the Stage itself; for in the Nick of being furprised, the Lovers are let down and escape at a Trap-door. In a word, any who have the Curiofity to obferve what pleafed in the laft Generation, and does not go to a Comedy with a Refolution to be grave, will find this Evening ample Food for Mirth. Johnson, who understands what he does as well as any Man, exposes the Impertinence of an old Fellow, who has loft his Senfes, ftill purfuing Pleasures, with great Maftery. The Ingenious Mr. Pinkethman is a bashful Rake, and is fheepish without having Modefty, with great Succefs. Mr. Bullock fucceeds Nokes in the Part of Bubble, and in my Opinion is not much below him, for he does excellently that fort of Folly we call Absurdity, which is the very contrary of Wit; but next to that, is of all things the propereft to excite Mirth. What is Foolish is the Object of Pity, but Abfurdity often proceeds from an Opinion of Sufficiency, and confequently is an honeft Occafion for Laughter. Thefe Characters in this Play cannot choose but make it a very pleasant Entertainment, and the Decorations of Singing and Dancing will more than repay the Good-nature of those who make an Honest Man a Vifit of two merry Hours, to make his following Year unpainful.

YOUNG MENG

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