expired, to embrace the kind offer of his old friend, the new patentee, to engage with him on very liberal terms, fuperior to what he had hitherto enjoyed; and indeed no performer of his affiduity deferved encouragement more than he did; he acted a variety of characters both in tragedy and comedy, and was conftantly before the eyes of a critical audience. Such was the foundnefs of his judgement, and fo refpectable his character, that he never met with any marks of difpleasure from the public; on the contrary, he was conftantly favoured with their countenance and approbation.

Nothing can better prove his interest with the people than his being encouraged to act parts to which neither his voice nor his manner was adapted. Remorfeless tyrants, favage conquerors, and state-villains, undignified by any generous paffion or fplendor of action, have in a theatre been always esteemed very hazardous to the perfons who have undertaken to reprefent them; and feveral actors, from their fuperior fituation, have rejected them, though Nature feemed P 3

to

to have formed them to act fuch boiste

rous characters.

I

Notwithstanding the inadequate powers of Havard, the author of a new tragedy always thought himself moft fecure when a fceptered ruffian or a hateful minifter of state was undertaken by him: he knew the audience would favour the actor for the fake of the man.

In private life he was an acceptable member of fociety: Havard was always the companion of gentlemen diftinguished for their worth and amiable qualities; his converfation was liberal and eafy, and fuch as became the well-bred man, unmixed with sarcasm, fpleen, petulance, or ill-nature.

But the gentleness of his temper, and the foftness of his demeanor, did not partake either of meannefs or weaknefs; for he wanted not spirit to refent any perverse attempt to provoke his anger. Foote more than once experienced and acknowledged the power of his wit in converfation.

Το

To conclude this amiable man's cha

***

racter, which I have dwelt upon the longer for the fake of his fucceffors on the stage: he was greatly esteemed by the public, and beloved by a very numerous and refpectable acquaintance.

He retired from the ftage in May, 1769, and spoke a farewel-epilogue, partly written by Mr. Garrick and partly by himself.

He died of a gentle decay, at his lodgings in Tavistock-street, in January, 1778.

Verses inscribed on Mr.Havard's tomb-stone, written by Paul Whitehead, Efq.

Views of ambition ne'er his hopes employ'd,
Yet honeft fame he courted and enjoy'd;
Fair peace he cherish'd as he hated ftrife,
And lov'd and liv'd an inoffenfive life.
Not unaccomplish'd in the scenic art,

He grac'd the ftage, and often reach'd the heart:
From his own fcenes he taught diftrefs to flow,
And manly virtue wept for civil woe.
Malevolence and envy he ne'er knew;
He never felt their darts, and never threw.

heh

With his belt care he form'd into his plan
The moral duties of the focial man,

*He honour'd virtue, and he lov'd his friend;
$ Oft from his little to the poor would lend ;
And prais'd his great Creator at his end.
C d lovel

}

*The three laft lines were not written by Mr. Whitehead, who died about three years before Mr. Havard.

CHAP. XLV.

The Jubilee, at Stratford, in honour of Shak· Speare - The fate of a clergyman who cut down Shakspeare's mulberry-tree

The

ufe made of it -Various entertainments at the Jubilee Account of the company The Ode

Remarks upon it — A gentleman

A

turns the whole feftival into ridicule macaroni pleads the cause of infenfibility against Shakspeare Anfwer to him by the fteward Strange ftupidity of the inhabitants of Stratford Harmony between Mr. Garrick's generofity and economy,

any author ever merited the celebration of a periodical feftival, Shakspeare certainly called for that distinguished honour. Many perfons of high rank and approved tafte had admired him; many excellent critics and commentators on this divine bard had exerted their talents in the illuftration of his text, and beftowed upon his writings a profufion of juft panegyric;

but