Griev'd and Repining you had heard him fay,
Why are the Muses Labours caft away ?
Why did I only Write what only he could Play?

But fince, like Friends to Wit, thus throng'd you

Go on and make the Gen'rous Work complete;
Be true to Merit, and ftill own his Cause,
Find fomething for him more than bare Applaufe.
In juft Remembrance of your Pleafures paft,
Be kind, and give him a Discharge at last.
In Peace and Eafe Life's Remnant let him wear,
And hang his confecrated Bufkin here.

THE

THE

LIFE

OF

Mr.Thomas Betterton, &c.

INTRODUCTION.

A

S it was faid of Brutus and Caffius, that they were the laft of the Romans; fo it may be faid of Mr. BETTERTON, that he was the laft of ourTragedians. There being, therefore, fo much due to his Memory from all Lovers of the Stage; I could not lay afide my Defign of conveying his Name with this Difcourfe at least to a little longer Date, than Nature has given his Body. Nor can I imagine, that it can be look'd on, as injurious to our Reputation, either as Men of Can

dour, Figure or Senfe, to exprefs a Concern for the Lofs of a Man fo excellent in an Art which is now expiring, and for which Antiquity had fo peculiar a Value; fince it is plain from the Motto of this Book, that Cicero pleading the Cause of the Poet Archias, tells the Judge, a Man of the first Quality, that every Body was concern'd for the Death of Rofcius the Comedian, or which is more emphatic, fays he, Who of us was of fo brutish and four a Temper as not to be mov'd at the late Death of ROSCIUS? Who, though be dy'd old, yet for the Excellence of his Art, and Beauty in Performance, Seem'd as if he ought to have been exempted entirely from

Death.

:

Whether Mr. Betterton or Rofcius make a juft Parallel or not in their Merits as Actors, is difficult to know; but thus far it is certain, that let the Excellence of the Roman be never fo great, that of the Briton was the greatest we had and tho we fhall find, that in Cicero's Time the Decorums of the Stage were more exactly obferv'd, than in ours, yet we may fuppofe Mr. Betterton, in his own particular Performance, on a Foot with Rofcius, efpecially when we confider that our Player excelled in both Comedy and Tragedy, the Roman only in the former, as far as we can discover.

To give our English Actor yet the Preheminence, I fhall here by writing his Life make him convey to others fuch Inftructions, that if they are perfectly understood, and justly pra

ctis'd,

tis'd, will add fuch Beauties to their Perfor mances, as may render his Lofs of lefs Confequence to the Stage. Plato and Xenophon introduce Socrates in their Difcourfes, to give the greater Authority to what they fay, on thofe important Points which they would the more forcibly recommend to their Readers. I fhall, therefore, make the fame Use of Mr. Betterton, on a Subject in which he may reasonably be thought a very competent Judge.

I know it may be objected, that the Qualifications I make him require, and the Precepts he gives, may seem to render this Art impoffible for any other to attain to, as Cicero is faid in his Orator, to do with the Oratorian Art.

I confefs that I do make him require Qualifications, of which he was not perhaps Master himfelf; but I prefume that can be no Objection to them provided they are neceffary, or at leaft conducive to the forming a complete Player; for we may daily hear many Painters, or even Lovers of the Art, who will tell you what Qualities are neceffary to a great Master in History Painting, who yet do not themselves pretend to be poffefs'd of them. And the fame. will hold of many other Arts.

But if, indeed, there were any Precepts deliver'd, or any Qualifications requir'd, which would render a Mastery in this Art fo difficult, that it could not be attain'd, the Objection would be far more folid, and worthy of our Notice; but I dare affirm, that as the Stages are Ba

now

now in the Hands and Management of the Players, there is not one Qualification fet down, which is not abfolutely neceffary to do Juftice to Art, in Judgment and Performance.

Nor can I find that Cicero, in his Book de Oratore, has requir'd any Impoffibility in his Candidate for Eloquence; and it is evident, that has not fo far difcourag❜d others from attempting that noble Science, but that every Age has produc'd fome eminent in it, tho few or none have arriv❜d to an Equality with him in the Performance for want of thofe very Qualities requir'd by him to the forming a complete Orator. Thus tho, to be a perfect Mafter, all the Qualities delivered be neceffary, yet there is Room for Praife as well as Industry for others, who are not capable of attaining the whole. Such therefore, whofe Genius is not fo extenfive as to comprehend the whole, ought entirely to apply themselves to, and be content with, the Performance, leaving the Office of Judging to thofe, whofe greater Skill and Knowledge better qualify them for Judges.

Having premis'd these things by way of Introduction, I fhall now proceed to the Life of Mr. Betterton.

Mr.