RECOLLECTIONS OF THE OLD ACTORS. 259 



Garrick relinquished Kitely, the piece lost its greatest attraction. 

 Then Woodward fell, and carried Bobadil with him, when the piece 

 sunk into oblivion ; but was revived for a short time by Henderson, 

 who shewed himself to great advantage in it. On Henderson's death 

 it sunk to rise no more, and became quite forgotten by all who 

 cannot, like the writer, cast an eye backwards on the times which 

 are gone. 



From Beaumont and Fletcher, besides reproducing Philaster for 

 Powell, he restored " Rule a Wife and have a Wife/' making Leon 

 his own, and giving the Copper Captain first to Woodward, and, after 

 Woodward's desertion, to his friend Tom King. I did not know the 

 original Estefania, but Mrs. Abingdon was the best I have seen. He 

 made ' ' The Chances " a stock-piece with so much effect that no one 

 ventured to touch it till it was appropriated by Henderson, from 

 whom it passed, once more, to John Palmer, and, becoming utterly 

 degraded, was forgotten. 



Garrick made one more step from the ancient drama towards 

 modern times by reviving the " Gamesters," by Shirley. This ap- 

 proaches so nearly to the manners of our own times that a modern 

 audience may see, understand, and relish it without making very 

 violent efforts. It was long a favourite ; but, like many of its more 

 ancient companions, is but seldom introduced. 



Approaching more nearly to his own times, Garrick acquired 

 much reputation for acting in pieces written in or very near his own 

 times ; but he again retrograded to alter and greatly improve 

 Wycherly's " Country Wife," a play suited to the times of Charles 

 the Second, but unfit to be seen in any other. Its plot was adapted 

 to that time, not more by its exceptionable matter than by the man- 

 ner in which the business was conducted. Garrick new-modelled 

 the whole ; instead of the country wife he transformed her into a 

 country girl with all the peculiarities which Wycherly had given to 

 his wife, but changed to similar propensities in a girl, in whom they 

 were not morally wrong, because they were merely the effect of 

 ignorance. Mrs. Abingdon was Garrick's favourite Country Girl ; 

 but, though she had great merit in various ways, it was not that she 

 gave even a true stage representation of the character ; her perfor- 

 mance more nearly resembling the action of a woman of quality as- 

 suming the character of a country girl at a masquerade. 



The Country Girl is a character which was new to our stage in my 

 time till Mrs. Abingdon produced it in all its richness and variety. 

 Among all who saw that distinguished actress in these situations 

 from the beginning of her career, few are able and willing to tell 

 what they have seen or known ; while I, having no motives for eva- 

 sion or concealment, shall render an essential service in some future 

 communication by giving some details of what is within my own 

 knowledge of this highly talented lady. 



Several accounts of the life of Mrs. Jordan are extant, more or less 

 authentic ; but as none of them are now in my hands, I will not quote 

 any, but be satisfied to relate such facts as I know of my own know- 

 ledge to be true. Her maiden name was Bland ; and she was said to be 

 a native of some part of Wales. Having no fortune to depend on when 



