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Thefe extraordinary marks of public gratitude had a proper effect upon Mr. Betterton; who, inftead of indulging himself on their bounty, exerted the fpirits given by this feasonable act of generosity in their fervice, and appeared on the ftage as often as his health would fuffer. He foon after performed the part of Hamlet with fuch vivacity and juftice, that, in the opinion of the fevereft critics, he was not inferior to his former felf. This activity kept off the gout longer than ufual, but the fit was the more vio lent in the fpring. This was very unlucky, as it was about the time of his benefit. Nevertheless, the day was fixed, and he made choice of the Maid's Tragedy, in which he was to play the character of Melantius; and notice was accordingly given by his good friend, the Tatler: but the fit intervened, and that he might not disappoint the town, Mr. Betterton was forced to allow of outward applications, to reduce the fwelling of his feet; which had fuch an effect, that he was able to appear on the flage, though forced to ufe a flipper. He acted that night with unufual Spirit and brifkncfs, and obtained univerfal applaufe. But this could not defend him from paying a very dear price for thefe momentary marks of approbation;

fince the gouty humour, repelled by fomentations, foon feized upon the noble parts, which being, perhaps, weakened by his extraordinary fatigue on that occafion, he was not able to make a long refiftance; but on the 28th of April, 1710, paid that tribute to nature, which heroes themfelves, and all those who play them, are equal. ly fubject to.

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As his behaviour in his life-time had raifed his reputation as high as he could with, fo he received the ftrongest proofs of public effeem after his death; and fuch honours were paid to his memory, as only his memory could deferve. the fecond of May, he was buried with great folemnity in Weftminfter-Abbey. A moft excellent account of this ceremony was given in the Tatler, Number 167; containing the finett picture of this great man that was ever drawn, and the moft pleafing Ekeness.

The character of this great actor in his profefiion, the reader hath already feen. There remain some particulars, relating chiefly to his private life, neceffary to mention.

He was a man of great study and application; and in regard to the fubjects which employed his attention, as knowing, and as much a mafter, as any man could be. Ile was an excellent critic, more espècially on Shakespeare and Fletcher, not in remarking their defects, but in fearching out and producing to light all their minute and hidden beauties. In this he was fo accurate and fuccefsful, that Mr. Rowe, an excellent judge himself, who had alfo ftudied the fame authors with deep attention, fays the firongett

things that man can fay of Betterton's fill in this refpect. His know ledge of Shakespeare's merit, gave him fo ftrong and fo perfect an ef teem for him, that he made a journey, or rather a pilgrimage into Staffordshire, to vilt his tomb, and to colle whatever particulars relating to his hiftory, tradition might have preferved; and thefe he freely communicated to a friend, who wrote the life of Shakelpeare, and acknowledged his memoirs to be the produce of that journey.

Yet extenfive as his knowledge was, and high as he stood in reputation and elteem, he was the most modeft of men. The young actors revered him, and loved him too, as their common parent. He was gentle in his language, mild in his behaviour, ready in commendation, fincere in advice, and fo indirect in his reproofs, that he had an art of thewing men their foibles imperceptibly to thenfelves; and the fecret was the better kept, because he never mentioned fuch failings to another man,

Mr. Booth, who knew him only in his decline, faid, he never faw him either upon the ftage or off, without learning from him; and frequently observed that Mr. Bet terton was no actor, that he put on his part with his cloaths, and was the very man he undertook to be till the play was over, and nothing more. So exact was he in following nature, that the fame gentleman declared, that the look of furprize, which he (Betterton) put on in the character of Hamlet, ftruck him (Mr. Booth) fo much in the Gholt (when he first played it) as to difable him for fone moments from going on.,

Yet was he fo communicative, that in thofe parts he played higheft, he would enter into the grounds of his action, and explain, as far as ir was poffible to explain, the principles of his art. He was admirably verfed in the action of the stage, confidered as independent of fentiment; and knew perfectly the de pendance, connection, and bufinels of the fcenes, fo as to attract, preferve, and fatisfy, the attention of an audience: an art extremely necetary to an author, and yet the hardeft to be acquired of any. He was fo far from putting on affuming looks, and a fupercilious air to young authors, that he always infilted on their reading his parts to him, and took their inftructions in the acting them, with the utmoft deference and refpect.

The works of Betterton as a dramatic poet are but few, viz. 1. The Woman made a Juftice. 2. The unjust Judge; or Appius and Virginia. This lalt was originally written by Mr. John Webfter, an old poet, who flourished in the reign of James the First. It was altered only by Mr. Betterton. 3. The Amerous Widow; or the wanton Wife: a play written on the plan of Moliere's George Dandin. The Amorous Widow is a fecond plot interwoven, to accommodate the piece more to the English talle. This comedy was acted in Mr. Betterton's lifetime with great applaufe; but notwithstanding this, he could never be prevailed upon to publish it; fo that the world faw it only as a poflhumous performance. The chief merit of this, and indeed of all his performances, lay in the exit difpofition of the fcenes, their just length, great propriety, and natu

3

ral connection. To thefe good qualities they were indebted for the character they obtained; that of being the beading plays which had been brought upon the ftage. Of how great confequence this is to the fate of tragedy and comedy, may be learned from all Banks's pieces; which, without any other recommendation, feldom fail to affect an audience as much, or more, than fome that are defervedly in better reputation. This remark may be of ufe to those who write for the ftage; fince there are many more plays loft for want of attending to this, than from any deficiency of wit and judgment.

As Mr. Betterton had the rare felicity of paffing through life without envy or reproach, though not without misfortunes; fo this felicity was alfo heightened by his fortunate choice of a wife, with whom he paffed his days in domeftic quiet, though their tempers were very different. He was naturally chearful, and had the higheft confidence in providence: the was of a thoughtful and melancholy difpofition, more efpecially after their great lofs, and when the perceived his health to be declining. She was fo ftrongly affected by his death, which, as has been fhewn, was in fome measure fudden, that the tan diftracted; though he had always appeared rather a prudent and conftant, than a fond paffionate wife. She was. extremely useful to the theatre, and more happy in the inftructions the gave to young actreffes than any other had beep; fo that her mif

fortune was a great, indeed, a publick lofs. She furvived Mr. Betterton but fix months; yet this was long enough for the generous, the humane, the good queen Anne, to exprefs her compaflion, by fettling a penfion on her, which was hardly conferred before it ceafed. She is faid to have recovered her fenfes a little while before expired. Mr. Cibber's character of this lady is fo juft, that we cannot conclude this life better than in his words. She was, fays he, though far advanced in years, fo great a mistress of nature, that even Mrs. Barry, who acted lady Macbeth after her, could not in that part, with all her fuperior ftrength, and melody of voice, throw out thofe quick and cares lefs ftrokes of terror, from the dif order of a guilty mind, which the other gave us with a facility in her manner, that rendered them at once tremendous and delightful. Time. could not impair her skill, though he had brought her perfon to decay. She was, to the laft, the admiration of all true judges of nature, and lovers of Shakespeare, in whofe plays the chiefly excelled, and without a rival.

Thus the reader has feen in this excellent pair, that all profeffions, honeftly and ably discharged, are honourable; and that it is by no means impoffible for perfons of real worth, to transfer the reputation they acquire on the ftage to the characters they fuflain in life.

[Concluded.]

265 265

Receipts for preparing and compounding the principal Medicines made ufe of by the late Mr. WARD.

Together with an Introduction, &c. by JOHN PAGE, Efq; to whom Mr. Ward left his Book of Secrets.

TH

re

HE wohy gentleman who has generously published these ceipts, and directed the medicines to be fold at a very cheap rate, that the lowest of his Majesty's industrious fub. jects may have the benefit of them, declares in his addrefs to the public, which is prefixed to this pamphlet, that he fhould think himself unworthy of Mr. Ward's bequeft, if he was not difpofed to apply it to the nobleft of all purposes, the common good of mankind.

"But vain (fays he) would have been my inclination in this particular, had not his Majefty's most benevolent difpofition, and extenfive bounty, removed an infurmountable obftacle which flood in my way; by making ample provifion for certain ingenious chemifts, who had been employed by Mr. Ward, the moment it came to be humbly reprefented to him.

"By his Majefty's royal bounty, then, these men were made willing to give that affiftance, which I could not, in confcience, have otherwife afked or expected from them; as it would have been injurious to themselves, and without which I could not have made all these medicines known to the world, on account of certain omiffions and inaccuracies discovered, upon examination, in the book: Since none, but fuch as have been employed in making the chemical medicines, could give a clear and perfect account of the proceffes which had been actually used in the preparing of them."

This humane gentleman next in

Mr. White and Mr. D'Ofterman, to whom his Majefty has granted penfions for

life.

February 1763.

forms the public, of the efficacy of Mr. Ward's medicines, from his own experience and obfervation; and proceeds to give the receipts. Method of preparing Antimony, for the PILL and DROP.

Provide yourself with an earthen unglazed pan, that will hold three or four quarts; fet it on a naked fire, and have in readiness, of the finest and pureft crude antimony; as much as you pleafe; (that which appears in long fhining needles, and is the eafieft powdered, is the beft; being molt free from metallic, or other heterogeneous bodies) powder it indifferently fine; put ten or twelve ounces into your pan, ftirring it continually with an iron fpatula, and increafing your fire

till it fends forth white fumes, and a flame like burning brimftone: contiAtirring, till it burns or fumes no more; nue that degree of fire, continually but is become a grey or afh-coloured powder. If it fhould melt, and run into lumps, in the beginning of your operation, you must take it out of your pan, and pound it again; putting it in again, and ftirring as before, till it be thoroughly calcined. Then put in four ounces more of your crude matter; proceeding as before, and continuing fo to do, till you have as much as you defire. By this method you will calcine your antimony with much less labour and time, than in doing it altogether, as is ufual: for, by putting your crude antimony to your calcined, its melting will be prevented, and the fumes will fly off much fooner.

(N. B. It must be done in a chimney;

I

ney; otherwise the fumes will be hurtful to the operator.)

Take a clean crucible, which will hold about a quart; put into it about two pounds of your calcined antimo. ny; fet it in a melting furnace, and make a gradual fire under it; put coals nearly to the top of your crucible; keep it in a moderate fufion, fume. times firring it about with an iron rod: care must be taken that your fire be not too violent, while your matter is in fufion; or it will liquify it to fuch a degree, and render it fo fubtle, that it will all run through the pores of your crucible, into your afh-hole; not leaving one fingle drop, or grain

behind.

When you find your matter, which adheres to your rod, tranfparent and bright (which it will be, in about half an hour after it is in fufion, if you have kept a proper degree of fire) have, in readiness, a smooth marble stone, well dried, and heated as hot as you can bear your hand upon it; for fear hot matter fhould break it. [It will be proper to have an iron curb round your marble, to rife half or three quarters of an inch above its furface, to

your

prevent your matter from running off.] Pour your vitrified matter upon your ftone; and if you have any more of your calcined matter, put your crucible again into the fire; put in more, and proceed as before. If your crucible is good, and your fire moderately governed, you may ufe the fame crucible five or fix times; as I, myself, have frequently done.

Thus have you a fair and pure glafs of antimony, of a light red colour.

As I have been informed that moft, if not all the glafs of antimony, ufed in this kingdom, is imported; and that the erroneous procefs, in making it, is alfo introduced here; I fhall make the following obfervation upon it.

As the giafs of antimony, ufed here, is made abroad, we cannot be competent judges whether it is made of pure antimony, or fuch as may be mixed with other heterogeneous matter. I have alfo obferyed, that keeping the

crucible covered, during the time of its fufion, both hinders the vitrification, and makes the grafs lefs pure, by preventing the remaining combuftible parts of the antimony from flying off.

The Pill and Drops are made as follows :

timony, as much as you pleafe; pound Take, of the aforefaid glass of anit in a clean iron mortar, and fift it through a fine lawn fieve; then grind, ftone, to an impalpable powder. Take or levigate it, on a smooth marble alfo dragon's blood, dried and powdered. To four ounces of your levigated glafs, put one ounce of this dragon's blood; grind them very well together; and with good fack, or rich mountain wine, make into a mafs for pills, of about one grain and half

each, which is a full dofe for a man

or woman.

levi

The Drop, fo called, is made by putting half an ounce of your gated glafs of antimony into a quart fack. Shake them well together, and of the richest Malaga mountain, or let them ftand two or three days to off gently, to be quite fine. fettle, and grow clear. Then pour it

The full dofe (half an ounce) is for a man or woman: but beft to begin. with the half or two thirds; according to age or ftrength of constitution.

OBSERVATIONS.

Common glafs of antimony, as fold at the fhops, though reckoned a very rough medicine, is, I find, prefcribed in difpenfatories from two to eight grains: therefore I fhall make the following obfervations upon it.

First, As I have made large quantities of glafs of antimony, for Mr. Ward; fo I find a very effential difference between what I made by the foregoing procefs, and what I have bought in the fhops: mine being of a brighter red, much fofter, and not fo harth and gritty in the pulverifation and levigation: whence I imagine, that the glass of antimony imported

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