14 THE OLD ACTORS. 



The lady died early in life, and Smith remained single : within 

 the theatre he was the associate of all who preserved respectability of 

 character ; but when away from it he left every thing attached to it 

 behind. He associated, upon equal terms, with the connections he 

 made at Cambridge, and others that were added to them in his pro- 

 gress through life ; he never committed himself improperly with the 

 public but once, and as there was something peculiar in the affair, it 

 will bear to be related. Smith had for several years been the 

 amorous tragic hero of the theatre, when Mrs. Hartley, a most 

 beautiful woman, was engaged there as the heroine. They became 

 lovers, of course ; at first in the way of business, and afterwards par 

 amour. Every thing went on smoothly for some time, till one even- 

 ing, while the tragedy of Henry the Second was performing, some 

 misunderstanding arose suddenly between Smith, the royal Harry 

 for the night, and his Fair Rosamond; and at length the King, 

 behind the scenes, swore he would not go on the stage, ' ' till that 

 vixen was discharged." The lady, on the ether hand, vowed that 

 she would not utter another syllable of her part till he was sent out 

 of the house. The rage of both parties increased, notwithstanding 

 the remonstrances of all who were in the green-room, so that the 

 curtain was necessarily dropped, and the audience dismissed. 



When Garrick ceased to be a constant regular performer in the 

 general business of his own theatre, and Barry went over to Covent- 

 garden, Smith was engaged to hold the first rank in every depart- 

 ment of stage business in Drury-lane. He did so, not only until that 

 theatre was transferred to Sheridan and his associates, but for several 

 years afterwards. At length he retired to Bury St. Edmunds, in 

 Suffolk, where he lived more than twenty years, in healthy enjoy- 

 ment of the gentlemanly independence he had obtained. His last 

 appearance in London, was at Drury-lane, many years after the public 

 had ceased to think of him. King, in hopes of making a good benefit, 

 wrote, offering a large fee by way of inducement, to request Smith 

 would play Charles, in the School for Scandal, his original character in 

 the piece, for his approaching benefit. Smith rejected the money, but 

 came to town, and played the character to serve his old friend. The 

 benefit produced as much as the house would hold. ; Those who 

 were present, and remembered Smith when he performed Charles 

 originally, saw but little difference between his first and last repre- 

 sentation of the part. He died nearly at the age of a century, leaving 

 property to the amount of eighteen thousand pounds. 



Smith's friend, King, became eminent at an early period of his 

 life, married, and plunged more deeply into dissipation than is 

 common at the present time. He returned home late one night, so 

 drunk that he could not speak intelligibly ; his wife, on searching 

 his pockets, found them crammed full of Bank notes to a very large 

 amount. She rose early in the morning, and went to consult Garrick, 

 who immediately returned with her to King's residence, and when 

 he had risen and recovered his senses, the friend and wife questioned 

 him as to where he had passed the preceding night. He did not 

 know; he remembered having played at some place, and with some- 

 body, but that was all he could recollect. The notes were now laid 



