THE OLD ACTORS. II 



them with him. This practice fixed Garrick indelibly in my 

 memory, and left an impression which, though weakened by time, 

 leaves me in a condition to say his equal has never since been 

 seen. 



The theatres were to me a constant source of pleasure ; I saw 

 every play, and every performer of consequence, as they came into 

 view ; compared them with their predecessors at the time, and their 

 successors with them, as they arose, preserving notices of the whole, 

 until within the last twelve years, during which I have never been 

 within the walls of a theatre, and in consequence know nothing of 

 theatres, plays, or performers, as they now are. But having seen 

 everything connected with the subject for such a number of years, I 

 have thought it possible that extracts from my notices of the persons 

 and things that have passed away, may afford amusement to some 

 who are curious in such matters. 



The first play I ever saw was Cymbeline. Powell performed 

 Posthumus ; Smith, lachimo ; Yates, Cloten ; Hull, Pisanio ; Clarke, 

 Bellarius; Wroughton and another, Guaderius and Arviragus ; and 

 Mrs. Yates, Imogen. Those who now look to the stage for, at least, 

 attempts to imitate the costume of characters represented, will be 

 amused by learning that Cloten, being the King and Queen's favourite 

 coxcombly son, was dressed in a court suit, as near the fashion of the 

 time as a theatrical wardrobe would afford ; it was made a la mode 

 de Paris, of rich figured yellow silk, lined with blue; his wig was in 

 the fashion of the day, with bag and solitaire ; and he wore a chapeait 

 de bras, with a delicate small sword at his side. Caius Lucius, and 

 his soldiers, were attired in something which the wardrobe-keeper 

 sported for Roman costume ; King Cymbeline and his courtiers, with 

 lachimo and Posthumus, in rich fancy dresses, which, in the thea- 

 trical language of that time, were technically called " shapes ;" the 

 three exiled Britons, with Posthumus himself when in exile, wore 

 dresses of green, trimmed with fur, time out of mind devoted 

 to countrymen or savages, of whatever nation they might be, as 

 shabby scarlet coats, black wigs, and cut-throat Tyburn-looking 

 faces, were the appropriate livery of bullies, bravos, and murderers. 

 Imogen, in her disguise, (no doubt for sake of concealment), wore a 

 Vandyke dress, made of rich sky-blue sattin, slashed with white, and 

 richly trimmed with spangles and silver lace ! Her man, Pisanio, 

 no doubt to mark the difference of his rank, was attired in a serving 

 man's habit of similar fashion, but of materials more modest. 



This neglect, or rather contempt of costume, was invariable and 

 universal. Quin, Barry, and all their successors, till long after I was 

 familiar with the theatre, played Othello in a general's full-dress 

 scarlet uniform, richly ornamented with gold lace, the face as black as 

 burned cork could make it, and a white bushy wig, which I believe 

 the cognoscenti in such matters call a bob-major, though the citizens 

 termed it a real " Dalmahoy," the name of a leading city dandy of 

 that day, who competed with the courtiers for superiority in such 

 matters. I ago and Cassio, conforming, as good officers should do, 

 with orders issued from the War-office, dressed in the uniforms of 



