GARRICK

Garrick. GARRICK, DAVID, the greatest actor of his age, and the most successful of theatrical managers, was descended from a French Protestant family (Garrigue), that had settled in England on the revocation of the edict of Nantes. The father of David, Captain Peter Garrick, was on a recruiting expedition when his celebrated son was born at Hereford, and baptized there February 28, 1716-17. The captain usually resided at Lichfield on half pay, but in order to benefit his family he accepted an offer to proceed on service to Gibraltar in place of a brother officer who was desirous of returning to England. This kept him many years absent from his family, and the letters written to him by "little Davy," acquainting him with the doings at Lichfield, are highly interesting memorials of the future Roscius.¹ In his nineteenth year, after receiving a good education at the grammar-school of Lichfield, David was sent to the establishment at Edial, opened in June or July 1736 by that greatest of Lichfield men, Samuel Johnson. The Edial seminary was shut in about six months, and master and pupil, Johnson and Garrick, proceeded to London, one to commence the study of the law, and the other to try his tragedy of Irene. They left Lichfield on the 2d of March 1736-7. Seven days afterwards Garrick was entered of Lincoln's Inn, but he resided for some time with the Rev. Mr Colson, a distinguished teacher at Rochester. His father, who had returned from Gibraltar, died about a month after David's arrival in London, and it is worthy of note, that in his will, dated 1st January 1736-7, while he left liberal legacies to his other children, the youngest is only remembered by this bequest: "Item, to my son David, one shilling."² Fortunately a rich uncle, a wine merchant at Lisbon, in his will left David a sum of L.1000; and he entered into partnership with his brother as wine merchants in London and Lichfield. The concern was not prosperous, and before the end of 1741 David had spent nearly half of his thousand pounds. His passion for the stage completely engrossed him; and being acquainted with Giffard, manager of the theatre at Goodman's Fields, he accompanied that gentleman, with a party of his players, to Ipswich, where Garrick made his first essay as an actor under the name of Lyddal. His success on the provincial boards determined his future career. On the 19th of October 1741 he made his appearance at Goodman's Fields in the character of Richard III., and gained the most enthusiastic applause. His staid and sedate brother, and his sisters at Lichfield, were scandalized at this derogation from the provincial dignity of the family; and Garrick, greatly distressed at the shock they had received by the intelligence (which however he expected), hastened to give up his interest in the wine company. Each night added to his popularity on the stage. He was received by the best company in town. Glover ("Leonidas") attended every performance; Lyttelton, Pitt, and several other members of parliament, had shown him the greatest civility. Before next spring he had supped with "the great Mr Murray, counselor," and hoped to do so with Mr Pope through Murray's introduction, while he was dining with Halifax, Sandwich, and Chesterfield. "There are a dozen dukes of a night at Goodman's Fields," writes Horace Walpole; and Garrick's farce of the Lying Valet being at this time brought out with success, the honours of dramatic author were added to those of the stage. His fortune was made.

Having very advantageous terms offered him for performing in Dublin during part of the summer, he went over

to that city, where he found the same homage paid to his merit which he had received from his own countrymen. To the service of the latter, however, he esteemed himself more immediately bound; and therefore, in the ensuing winter, he engaged himself to Fleetwood, manager of Drury Lane. In this theatre he continued till 1745, when he again went over to Ireland, and continued there the whole season, as joint-manager with Sheridan, in the direction and profits of the theatre-royal in Smock Alley. From Dublin he returned to England, and was engaged for the season of 1746 with Rich at Covent Garden. This was his last performance as a hired actor; for in the close of that season Fleetwood's patent for the management of Drury Lane expired, and that gentleman having no inclination further to pursue a design by which, from his want of acquaintance with the proper conduct of it or some other cause, he had considerably impaired his fortune, Garrick, in conjunction with Lacy, purchased the property of the theatre, together with the renovation of the patent, and in the winter of 1747 opened it with the best actors, and especially with the famous prologue written by his old preceptor Johnson, who, though somewhat sullen, if not envious, at Garrick's sudden rise, was glad to see

"— the reign commence
Of rescued nature and reviving sense."

The naturalness of Garrick's acting was its great charm. Booth, Quin, and the old tragedians were remarkable for a style of stately declamation, sonorous and often graceful and impressive, but wanting the versatility and rapid changes of passion that, when exhibited by Garrick, at once captivated the audience. "It seemed," said old Richard Cumberland, "as if a whole century had been stepped over in the passage of a single scene; old things were done away, and a new order at once brought forward, bright and luminous, and clearly destined to dispel the barbarisms of a tasteless age, too long superstitiously devoted to the illusions of imposing declamation." In comedy Garrick also excelled, and the variety of his acting was justly considered one of his peculiar excellences. As a manager, though he committed some grievous blunders, his career was beneficial to the stage. He purified it of much of its grossness, and introduced a correctness of costume and decoration unknown before. In 1749 Garrick was married to Mademoiselle Violette, a German lady, who had attracted the admiration of the court of Vienna as a dancer, and was patronized in England by the Countess of Burlington. The union was a happy one, and the lady survived, living in great respect, until 1822. Having sold the moiety of his theatre for L.37,000, Garrick took leave of the stage in 1776, but only enjoyed his opulent and well-earned repose for a period of less than three years, dying on the 20th of January 1779. Johnson, whose various and not always consistent criticisms on Garrick, are scattered through the pages of Boswell, spoke warmly of the elegance and sprightliness of his friend's conversation, as well as of his liberality and kindness of heart; and his death, which came upon him unexpectedly, "eclipsed," Johnson said, "the gaiety of nations, and impoverished the public stock of harmless pleasure." But the most accurate and discriminating character of Garrick, slightly tinged with satire, is that drawn by Goldsmith in his poem of Retaliation. As a literary man Garrick was happy in his epigrams and slight occasional poems. He had the good taste to recognise, and the spirit to make public his recognition of, the excellence of Gray's Odes at a time

when they were either ridiculed or neglected. His dramatic pieces (the Lying Valet, Lethe, the Guardian, Miss in her Teens, Irish Widow, &c.), and his alterations and adaptation of old plays, evinced his knowledge of stage effect and his appreciation of lively dialogue and action, but he cannot be said to have added one new or original character to the drama. His correspondence, in two volumes quarto, and the notices of him in the Memoirs of Hannah More, Madame D'Arblay, and above all, in Boswell's Life of Johnson, bear testimony to his general worth and to his many fascinating qualities as a friend and companion. (n. c.—s.)