THE OLD ACTORS. 13 



ing John Kemble made his first appearance at Drury-lane in the cha- 

 racter of Hamlet. So many critics have described his powers, that I 

 will merely notice his costume on the occasion. It consisted of a 

 full dress court suit of black velvet; his hair was dressed in the 

 taste which then prevailed; he wore a bag, and a cocked hat with 

 feathers outside the brim. All the characters in the piece were 

 dressed in the court and military dresses of the time. 



Every body, I suppose, has heard of Gentleman Smith, who figured, 

 for almost thirty years, as the principal tragic hero, as well as " the 

 man of Grosvenor-square/'as Jesse Foote called him, " upon the stage." 

 I was personally acquainted with him, when he was an eminent actor, 

 and some relations of mine knew his father before I was born. In Al- 

 der sgate- street is a house that was built by or for, and once inhabited 

 by, the well-known Earl of Shaftesbury ; afterwards it was divided into 

 several tenements ; one of these was inhabited by Smith's father, 

 who was a grocer, and it is remarkable that the last time I walked 

 through the street, I saw the name " Smith" fixed in conspicuous char- 

 acters upon the house in which I know the actor was born, and visible 

 signs of the same trade being carried on within, perhaps by a member 

 of the same family. If so, it is a singular instance of one family 

 continuing the same business on the same spot for more than a 

 century. Smith's father had several children, and to this his eldest 

 son, he made the following offer, viz., that he would bring him up to 

 his own trade, and leave him in it, with capital enough to carry it on, 

 providing for his other children in different ways ; or he would 

 educate him for any profession he chose to engage in, and leave him 

 to follow his own course afterwards. The youth said, " Give me 

 the education of a gentleman, and I will then make my own way in 

 the world." When his private education was completed, he went to 

 Cambridge, and when prepared to engage in life, he obtained 

 introductions to Rich, at Covent-garden, where he made his first 

 appearance as Theodosius, in The Force of Love. Barry played 

 Varanes to him. Even in such company, Smith stood his ground so 

 effectually, that he obtained an advantageous engagement, and re- 

 mained a first-rate actor in the capital till he quitted the stage. 



In early life he married a sister of the dissipated Earl of Sandwich; 

 his Lordship affected great indignation at the match, but after a time 

 he relented, representing to Smith that, as he was now become a 

 member of his honourable family, he should abandon an occupation 

 that was so degrading to them. To this, it is said, Smith replied, 

 "My Lord, the stage is my profession; I am fond of it, and it 

 enables me to live with independence in the rank I have always held 

 in society, and at the same time to support your sister with pro- 

 priety, in that situation in which she has united herself with me ; I 

 am sensible of the honour derived from my alliance with your Lord- 

 ship's house, and would do every thing practicable and becoming to 

 deserve it, but / must live ; yet if you will, in any way consistent 

 with your own honourable feelings, insure to me for life the same 

 income I now gain by my profession, I will sacrifice my inclinations 

 to your pleasure," The conditions were not accepted, and he 

 continued on the stage. 



