AN ESSAY on ACTING: In which will be conſider'd The Mimical Behaviour OF A Certain faſhionable faulty ACTOR, AND THE Laudableneſs of ſuch unmannerly, as well as inhumane Proceedings. To which will be added, A ſhort CRITICISM On His acting MACBETH.
LONDON: Printed for W. BICKERTON, at the Gazette, in the Temple Exchange, near the Inner Temple Gate, Fleet-ſtreet. M, DCC, XLIV. [Price Six-pence.]
AN ESSAY ON ACTING, &c.
[]AS I have a long Time (twenty Years, or more) made the STAGE, and ACTING, my Study and Entertainment, I look upon my⯑ſelf, and indeed am thought by my Inti⯑mates, a proper Perſon to animadvert upon, [2] or approve, the Errors and the Excellencies of the Theatre; and as there can be no better Opportunity offer itſelf than now, when the Town is running after their little faſhi⯑onable Actor, in a Character of which he is, properly ſpeaking, the Anticlimax of, or ra⯑ther the Antipode of Shakeſpear; I will en⯑deavour in the following Diſſection of our Puppet Heroe, to convince my dear Country Men and Country Women, that they are madly following an Ignis fatuus, or Will of the Whiſp, which they take for real ſubſtantial Light, and which I ſhall prove to be only the Ruſh-light of Genius, the Idol of Faſhion, and an Air-drawn Favourite of the Imagination.
HOW are we degenerated in Taſte! Oh how chang'd! how fallen! * That our Thea⯑tre ſhall be crowded with Nobility, Ladies and Gentry, to ſee Macbeth Burleſqu'd, or Be—g—k'd, which are ſynonimous, when they might read Mr. Theobald's Edition of him, without throwing away their Money, [3] miſpending their Time, ruining their Taſte, or running the Hazard of catching a vio⯑lent Cold, for a mere Non-entity: However, that I may not ſeem to be prejudic'd againſt Mr. G—k, as I really am not, for I ad⯑mire him, for thus boldly daring to deceive and cheat three Parts of the Nation; I ſhall, having now crack'd the Shell of my Spleen againſt the Town, come to the Kernel of Reaſon, and preſent 'em this little ſweet Nut of theirs, worm-eaten to the Sight, imbit⯑ter'd to their Taſte, and abhorr'd to their Imaginations, as Shakeſpear terms it.
IN order to do this, I ſhall preſent my Readers with the following ſhort Treatiſe upon ACTING, which will ſhew 'em what ACTING ought to be, and what the preſent Favourite in Queſtion is not.
A Short TREATISE UPON ACTING. By which The PLAYERS may be Inſtructed, and the TOWN Undeceiv'd.
[4]That I may convince the World, that the Pub⯑lick Good, and no Private Animoſity, has extracted the following Treatiſe from its Author. I ſhall firſt give an ample and clear Definition of ACTING, and make the Natural, Metaphyſical, and Conſequential Deductions, that will immediately elicite the Right from the Wrong, and ſhew my De⯑ſigns are merely Scientifical, and not Sub⯑ſervient to Pique and partial Prejudice.
[5] ACTING is an Entertainment of the Stage, which by calling in the Aid and Aſſiſtance of Articulation, Corporeal Mo⯑tion, and Occular Expreſſion, imitates, aſſumes, or puts on the various mental and bodily E⯑motions ariſing from the various Humours, Virtues and Vices, incident to human Na⯑ture.
THERE are Two different Kinds of Exhi⯑bitions, viz. TRAGEDY and COMEDY; the firſt fixes her Empire on the Paſſions, and the more exalted Contractions and Dilations of the Heart; the laſt, tho' not inferior (quotidem Science) holds her Rule over the leſs enobled Qualities and Diſtricts of human Nature, which are call'd the Humours: Now in ſome Caſes, Paſſions are Humours, and Humours Paſſions; for the Revenges of an Alexander and a Ha⯑berdaſher, may have the ſame Fountain, and differ only in their Currents, and tho' the one (Alexander) cannot content himſelf but with the total Subverſion of his Ene⯑my's [6] Kingdom, and the other (the Haber⯑daſher) is ſatisfy'd with rolling his Antago⯑niſt in the Kennel; yet, ſtill it is Revenge, the Mind of one is equally affected in Pro⯑portion to the other, and all the Difference lies in the different Ways of ſatisfying their common Paſſion. But now to the Application▪ and Deſign in Hand. If an Actor, and a favourite Actor, in aſſuming theſe different Characters with the ſame Paſſions, ſhall un⯑ſkilfully differ only in Dreſs, and not in Execution; and ſuppoſing him right in One, and of Conſequence abſolutely ridiculous in the Other. Shall this Actor, I ſay, in Spite of Reaſon, Phyſicks, and common Obſervation, be careſs'd, applauded, admir'd? But to il⯑luſtrate it more by Example.—Suppoſe the Murder of Duncan, and the Breaking a Urinal ſhall affect the Player in the ſame Manner, and the only Difference is the blue Apron and lac'd Coat, ſhall we be chill'd at the Murderer, and roar at the Tobacconiſt? Fie for Shame!—As the One muſt be ab⯑ſolutely the Reverſe of Right, I think the Publick, for ſo groſs an Impoſition, ſhould [7] drive both off the Stage. When Drugger becomes Macbeth, and Macbeth Drugger, I feel for the Manes of the Immortal Shake⯑ſpear, and Inimitable Ben; I bemoan the Taſte of my Country, and I would have the Buffoon ſacrific'd to appeaſe the Muſes, and reſtore to us a true Dramatick Taſte, by ſuch an examplary Piece of Juſtice. I ſhall now, as relative to my my preſent Subject, deſcribe in what Manner the two abovemention'd Characters ought to be men⯑tally and corporeally Agitated, under the different Circumſtances of the Dagger, and Urinal; and by that ſhall more fully deli⯑neate what is meant by Paſſions and Hu⯑mours. When Abel Drugger has broke the Urinal, he is mentally abſorb'd with the dif⯑ferent Ideas of the invaluable Price of the Urinal, and the Puniſhment that may be inflicted in Conſequence of a Curioſity, no way appertaining or belonging to the Buſi⯑neſs he came about. Now, if this, as it certainly is, the Situation of his Mind, How are the different Members of the Body to be agitated? Why Thus,—His Eyes [8] muſt be revers'd from the Object he is moſt intimidated with, and by dropping his Lip at the ſome Time to the Object, it throws a trembling Languor upon every Muſcle, and by declining the right Part of the Head to⯑wards the Urinal, it caſts the moſt comic Terror and Shame over all the upper Part of the Body, that can be imagin'd; and to make the lower Part equally ridiculous, his Toes muſt be inverted from the Heel, and by holding his Breath, he will unavoidably give himſelf a Tremor in the Knees, and if his Fingers, at the ſame Time, ſeem con⯑vuls'd, it finiſhes the compleateſt low Picture of Groteſque Terror that can be imagin'd by a Dutch Painter.—Let this be compar'd with the modern Copies, and then let the Town judge.—Now to Macbeth.—When the Murder of Duncan is committed, from an immediate Conſciouſ⯑neſs of the Fact, his Ambition is ingulph'd at that Inſtant, by the Horror of the Deed; his Faculties are intenſely rivited to the Murder alone, without having the leaſt Conſolation of the conſequential Advantages, [9] to comfort him in that Exigency. He ſhould at that Time, be a moving Statue, or indeed a petrify'd Man; his Eyes muſt Speak, and his Tongue be metaphorically Si⯑lent; his Ears muſt be ſenſible of imaginary Noiſes, and deaf to the preſent and audible Voice of his Wife; his Attitudes muſt be quick and permanent; his Voice articulately trembling, and confuſedly intelligible; the Murderer ſhould be ſeen in every Limb, and yet every Member, at that Inſtant, ſhould ſeem ſeparated from his Body, and his Body from his Soul: This is the Picture of a compleat Regicide, and as at that Time the Orb below ſhould be huſh as death; I hope I ſhall not be thought minutely circumſtantial, if I ſhould adviſe a real Genius to wear Cork Heels to his Shoes, as in this Scene he ſhould ſeem to tread on Air, and I promiſe him he will ſoon diſcover the great Benefit of this (however ſeeming trifling) Piece of Advice.
THE only Way to arrive at great Ex⯑cellency in Characters of Humour, is to be very [10] converſant with Human Nature, that is the nobleſt and beſt Study, by this Way you will more accurately diſcover the Workings of Spirit (or what other Phyſical Terms you pleaſe to call it) upon the different Mo⯑difications of Matter. Would the Painter produce a perfect Piece to the World, let him Copy from the Life, let Nature herſelf ſit to the Artiſt: Wou'd a Player perform equally excellent in his Profeſſion, let him be introduc'd into the World, be conver⯑ſant with Humours of every Kind, digeſt 'em in his Mind, let 'em be cheriſh'd by the genial Warmth of his Conception, tranſ⯑planted into the fair Garden of his Judg⯑ment, there let 'em ripen to Perfection, and become his own. Hic Labor! Hoc Opus! The late celebrated Mr. Dogget, before he perform'd the Character of Ben, in Love for Love, took Lodgings in Wapping, and gather'd thence a Noſegay for the whole Town: Another Comedian now living, tho' not upon the Stage (it being ſo replete with greater Geniuſes) has been obſerv'd con⯑ſtantly to attend the 'Change for Weeks toge⯑ther, [11] before he exhibited one of Shakeſpear's moſt inimitable and difficult Characters, and ſo far ſucceeded by his great Attention and Obſervation of the Manners, Dreſs, and Behaviour of a particular Tribe of People, that the Judgment, Application, and extra⯑ordinary Pains he took to divert the Publick rationally, was amply return'd with crowd⯑ed Theatres, and unequall'd Applauſes; nay, to ſo great a Degree did they ſhew their Approbation to this Pains-taking Genius, that he is at preſent more known by the Name of the Character he perform'd, than by his own.
I ſhall not enter into the Reaſons why he is at preſent excluded Theatre, but ſhall only, as an Advocate for the Publick, ſay that I wiſh for their Sake, that there were many ſuch Actors as him upon both Theatres.
I have, in as conciſe a Manner as poſſi⯑ble, given my Sentiments of Acting, by Example and Precept; but there will very [12] ſoon be publiſh d a more compleat and ex⯑panded Treatiſe upon ACTING, with an accurate Deſcription of each Humour and Paſſion, their Sources and Effects; by which the Players may be taught to renounce their Errors, and the Town its Judgment of Act⯑ing and Actors.—
Some Critical OBSERVATIONS upon the Character of MACBETH, as it is at preſent Attempted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane.
THE following Critque is deſign'd as a Supplementary Appendix to the fore⯑going Eſſay on ACTING, and as that was not ſo full and inveſtigating, as my Imagination had at firſt form'd it, I ſhall in this ſhort Survey of Heroiſm in Miniature, ſtill have my Eye upon the Eſſay on ACTING, and at the ſame Time convince the Publick, that they have inſenſibly been miſguided by [13] Faſhion, and that they have in the Dark run-a-ground their Reputation on the Sandy Banks of Error: But I ſhall now fix a Lanthorn at the Poop of their Miſconceptions, they ſhall ſee their Diſtreſs, I will ſet my Hand to the Pump of Conviction, clear the Veſſel from ſixteen Feet Water of Anti-Taſte, keep it from foundering, hoiſt up the Flag of Criticiſm, and once more pilot their Underſtandings into the Harbour of True Judgment: But Metaphor apart, what is the Character of Macbeth? He is an ex⯑perienc'd General, crown'd with Conqueſt, innately Ambitious, and religiouſly Humane, ſpurr'd on by metaphyſical Prophecies, and the unconquerable Pride of his Wife, to a Deed, horrid in itſelf, and repugnant to his Nature; but as it is the Ladder to the ſwell⯑ing Act of the Imperial Theme, his Milk ſoon becomes Gall, imbitters his whole Diſ⯑poſition, and the Conſequence is the Murder of Duncan, the taking off of Banquo, and his own Coronation. Thus ſtands Macbeth. Now to our Inferences. Valour and Ambi⯑tion, the two Grand Characteriſticks of Mac⯑beth, [14] form in the Mind's Eye a Perſon of near ſix Feet High, corpulently Graceful, a round Viſage, a large hazel Eye, aquiline Noſe, prominent Cheſt, and a well-calv'd Leg, rather inclin'd to that which is call'd an Iriſh Leg; this, I ſay, would be the Painter's Choice, was he to give us the Macbeth of his Imagination; I mention this only to prove that Mr. G—k is not form'd in the leaſt, externally, no more than inter⯑nally, for that Character, and tho' there are many Figures in the World would become it very well, tho' not exactly co-incident with my Deſcription, yet the nearer they approach to it, they will the better look Ambition, Heroiſm, and Murder. Mr. G—k, could he Speak the Part, is well form'd for Fleance, or one of the Infant Shadows in the Cauldron Scene, but for the Manager to impoſe him upon the Town for a Macbeth, and to refuſe taking another Comedian into his Houſe, is ſuch an Example of Ignorance and Impudence, that is not to be paralell'd but by his own unparalell'd Be⯑haviour.—Mr. G—k's Dreſs is very faulty [15] too, his Coat ſhould be Banquo's, and Banquo's his, and for this Reaſon; Red and Gold ſuits the Dignity of Macbeth, and at the ſame Time implies, a more principal and exalted Character, without derogating, or taking from the Rank of Banquo in Red and Silver, who titularly bears an equal Sta⯑tion as Commander, tho' militarily bears an inferior Proportion as Man: This Diſtinction is very nice, and perhaps may not glare upon common Readers, as defin'd here, but was this Decorum nicely preſerv'd, the Eyes of all, from the Critick to the Ground⯑ling (as Shakeſpear calls 'em) would imme⯑diately convey to the Mind the ſeveral De⯑grees and minute Diſtinctions of the Cha⯑racter, from the Colour and Trimmings of his Apparel:—I ſhall leave it to the Con⯑ſideration of the Publick, whether or no a Tye Wig is more eligible than a Major, or a plain Hat, than a lac'd one, for my own Part, I ſay, No.
[16] SO much for Dreſs and Figure; now I ſhall proceed to the more difficult and phy⯑ſical Parts of the Character, and ſhall con⯑ſider the Action, Speaking and Conception of our modern Heroe.
THE firſt Words of the Part,—So foul and fair a Day I have not ſeen, in my Opi⯑nion are ſpoke wrong; Mackbeth before his Entrance has been in a great Storm of Rain, Thunder, &c. Now as the Audi⯑ence have been appriz'd of this, by the three▪ Witches, he ſhould very empha⯑tically deſcribe the quick Tranſition from being wet to the Skin, to being almoſt in⯑ſtantaneouſly dry'd again: Tho' I can't con⯑vey in Writing the Manner how it ſhould be ſpoke, yet every Reader may compre⯑hend how it ought to be ſpoke, and know that in the Manner it is now ſpoke, the Sentiment is languid, unintelligible, and un⯑deſcriptive. I ſhall now examine the moſt remarkable Scene in the whole Play, which [17] is that of the Air-drawn Dagger. This I ſhall make appear he has miſtook from the Beginning to the End.—Macbeth, as a Pre⯑paration for this Viſion, is ſo prepoſſeſs'd, from his Humanity, with the Horror of the Deed, which by his more prevailing Am⯑bition he is incited to, and for the Perpe⯑tration of which, he lies under a promiſſary Injunction to his Lady, that his Mind being torn by theſe different and confus'd Ideas, his Senſes fail, and preſent that fatal Agent of his Cruelty,—the Dagger, to him:—Now in this viſionary Horror, he ſhould not rivet his Eyes to an imaginary Object, as if it really was there, but ſhould ſhew an unſettled Motion in his Eye, like one not quite awak'd from ſome diſordering Dream; his Hands and Fingers ſhould not be im⯑moveable, but reſtleſs, and endeavouring to diſperſe the Cloud that over ſhadows his optick Ray, and bedims his Intellects; here would be Confuſion, Diſorder, and Agony! Come let me clutch thee! is not to be done by one Motion only, but by ſeveral ſucceſ⯑ſive Catches at it, firſt with one Hand, and [18] then with the other, preſerving the ſame Motion, at the ſame Time, with his Feet, like a Man, who out of his Depth, and half drowned in his Struggles, catches at Air for Subſtance: This would make the Spec⯑tator's Blood run cold, and he would almoſt feel the Agonies of the Murderer himſelf. I have ſpoke of the Scene following the Murder, in my Eſſay on Acting, and ſhall only ſay, that the Daggers are near an Inch and half too long, in Proportion to the Heighth of the Murderer. The Night-Gown, he appears in, after the Murder, ought to be a Red Damask, and not the frippery⯑flower'd one of a Foppington; but when Taſte is wanting in Trifles, and Judgment in Eſſentials, how can we hope to ſee the THEATRE flouriſh? I muſt make a Remark upon him in the Banquet Scene, which is the moſt glaring Abſurdity that ever was com⯑mitted by an Actor: When Banquo's Ghoſt gets Poſſeſſion of Macbeth's Chair, and the latter, frighted at his Appearance, by Words and Actions, ſays, Which of you have done this? Meaning the Murder of Banquo; [19] here the Actor ſhould addreſs himſelf to the Gueſts, and not keep a fix'd Eye upon the Ghoſt; he ſhould turn his Head from Banquo, and ſay, to the Lords at Supper, Which of you have done this? For to ſpeak to the plural Number, and look at the ſingular (Banquo only) is moſt abſurd and ridiculous. Then at the ſecond Appearance of the Ghoſt, at the Words, Dare me to the Deſart with thy Sword, Macbeth ſhould draw his Sword, and put himſelf in a Poſ⯑ture of Defence; and when he comes to, Hence horrid Shadow! he ſhould make a home Thruſt at him, recover himſelf upon the Ghoſt's moving, and keep paſſing at him till he has got him quite out of the Room: The Manner it has been done heretofore, which is keeping the Hand upon the Sword, and following him out, is not ſo natural and effecting, as the Way I propoſe; and if any Objection is made, that Macbeth ſhould know, that Ghoſts are not vulnerable, I an⯑ſwer, Macbeth's Horror confounds him, and his Actions muſt denote the Non Compos. Here I muſt take Notice of an Omiſſion in [20] the Part of Banquo; when he appears at the Banquet, he ought to riſe in a Red Cloak, as he was ſeen to croſs the Stage in one, imme⯑diately before his Murder; this would throw a great Solemnity upon the Figure of Ban⯑quo, and preſerve the Decorum of the Stage.—I muſt likewiſe obſerve, that in Shakeſpear's Time, the Actors wore their own Hair, and now, from the preſent Fa⯑ſhion of wearing Wigs, ſome Speeches are become abſurd, ſuch, for Inſtance, is this of Macbeth, Never ſhake thy Goary Locks at me; when at the ſame Time the Ghoſt is ſeen in a Tye Wig: If I might be allow'd to propoſe an Alteration (with all imaginable Deference to the immortal Shakeſpear) in order to avoid this Blunder, I would have the Actor ſay, Never ſhake thy Goary TYE at me; if the Word Wig is thought more Poe⯑tical, it will be equally good, as they are both Monoſyllables.
AS I have not yet left the Banquet Scene, I muſt obſerve that the Attitude G—k ſtands in, at the ſecond Appearance of the [21] Ghoſt, is abſolutely wrong: Macbeth here ſhould ſink into himſelf, or rather, if I may be allow'd the Expreſſion, hide himſelf be⯑hind himſelf; or to illuſtrate it more by Ex⯑ample, Si parvis comporere, &c. he ſhould imitate the contracting Power of a Snail, preſerving at the ſame Time a ſlow awful manly folding up of his Faculties, and as his Body gathers up gradually at the Viſion▪ his Mind ſhould keep the ſame Time, and denote its ſtrong Workings and Convulſions▪ at his Eyes; the Glaſs of Wine in his Hand ſhould not be daſh'd upon the Ground, but it ſhould fall gently from him, and he ſhould not diſcover the leaſt Conſciouſneſs of hav⯑ing ſuch a Vehicle in his Hand, his Me⯑mory being quite loſt in the preſent Guilt and Horror of his Imagination. The Banquet itſelf, which is ſuppos'd to be a Regal one, ſhould not be compos'd of a few Apples, Oranges, and ſuch like Traſh, but of hot coſtly Viands, and large Pyramids of wet Sweetmeats, and Savoy Biſcuits; this would caſt an inconceiveable Grandeur upon the Scene, and add greatly to the Horror of [22] the Ghoſt.—Macbeth ſays, To Night we hold a SOLEMN Supper, Sir; which So⯑lemnity ſhould be preſerv'd, by having ſeve⯑ral Biſhops and inferior Clergy at the Table, and of Conſequence the ſupernatural Ap⯑pearance of Banquo, would ſtrike with dou⯑ble Force on the Minds of the Audience, by their Spiritual Preſence. I could ſhew that this Play is even deficient in every little Decoration, but this one groſs Blunder will ſuffice to give us an Idea of all the reſt.
AS my Criticiſms upon the three firſt Acts of Macbeth have been more full and extended than I at firſt deſign'd 'em, I ſhall reſerve my Obſervations upon the two laſt, for another Sixpenny Pamphlet, to which I ſhall ſubjoin a Criticiſm upon Co⯑lombine Courtezan, which I ſhall examine critically, Scene by Scene, and lay open the Imperfections of that Piece, diſcernable to the meaneſt Capacity, and ſhall prove, by undeniable Concluſions, drawn from known Poſtulata, that the worſt Play that ever Shakeſpear wrote, is greatly preferable to the [23] whole Performance of Colombine Courtezan. I am very ſenſible what Difficulties and Pre⯑judices I have to ſurmount in ſuch an Un⯑dertaking; but as I have the Reputation of my Country at Heart, I am reſolv'd to pro⯑ſecute my laudable Intentions with indefa⯑tigable Care, and unwearied Diligence.
IN ſhort, to ſum up the Whole of my preſent Obſervations upon this Head, as I profeſs the ſtricteſt Adherence to Truth, deſpiſe Flattery, and am incapable of Fear, I will venture to affirm, there is not one pleaſure-giving Scene throughout the whole Play of Macbeth, as it is now acted: But as I will ever do Juſtice to Merit, I muſt own I felt ſome Pleaſure at ſeeing Mr. Mills's Green Ribbon and Star, in the Cha⯑racter of Duncan; the unexpected Intro⯑duction of the Scotch Order was an agree⯑able Novelty, and diſcover'd great Fancy in the Actor; therefore I could not refrain from giving it here a deſerved Commenda⯑tion, and it ſhall always meet with my Ap⯑probation in the Theatre.
[24] I think I cannot better finiſh a Criti⯑ciſm on Macbeth, than with a ſuccinct De⯑ſcription of the Talents and Capacity of its Author. Shakeſpear was a Writer not to be confin'd by Rule; he had a deſpotick Power over all Nature; Laws would be an Infringement of his Prerogative; his ſcepter'd Pen wav'd Controul over every Paſſion and Humour; his Royal Word was not only Ab⯑ſolute, but Creative; Ideas, Language, and Sentiment were his Slaves, they were chain'd to the Triumphal Car of his Genius; and when he made his Entry into the Temple of Fame, all Parnaſſus rung with Acclamations; the Muſes ſung his Conqueſts, crown'd him with never-fading Laurels, and pronounc'd him Immortal. AMEN.
I ſhall at once convince the World of my Impartiality with Regard to Mr. G—k, by allowing him all the Merit that Mimickry can give him, which, to be ſure, is very [25] pleaſant over a Bottle, tho' deſpicable on the Stage.—But how his being a good Mi⯑mick ſhould entitle him to be a great Actor, I can't ſo eaſily comprehend; the Punch of a Puppet Shew, and the Heroe of a Theatre, are as different in their Characters as the Materials they are each compos'd of. But how can he anſwer it to Conſcience, and his fellow Creatures, his endeavouring, by modulating his Organs of Speech and Ac⯑tion, to thoſe of other Actors, to render them contemptible, by ſuch a viſible Expo⯑ſure of their Infirmities? 'Tis wicked, 'tis unjuſt, 'tis inhumane! and the People who are diverted by it, and applaud him for it, are barbarous, unciviliz'd, and unfeeling. A Pick-pocket is leſs culpable than a Mi⯑mick: Suppoſe, for Inſtance, an Actor of either Theatre, coming out of the Play-Houſe, has his Pocket pick'd of Ten or a Dozen Shillings, in the Piazza, or in Ca⯑therine-ſtreet; Care, Oeconomy and his Bu⯑ſineſs, makes the Loſs eaſy: But if the ſame Actor is made ridiculous, and looſes the Means [26] of repleniſhing his aforeſaid pick'd-pocket, the Mimick that deprives him of ever having his Pocket pick'd again, either in the Pi⯑azza, or Catharine-ſtreet, is the Pick-pocket himſelf. I believe Mimickry was never thought of before in this Light; therefore let it be conſider'd, let it be condemn'd. Beſides, as a farther Confir⯑mation of the Unlaudableneſs of ſuch Pro⯑ceedings, I am told the very mimick'd Ac⯑tors themſelves are not very eaſy under this Treatment, and are reſolv'd never to be reconcil'd to any future Analyſis of their Looks, Tones, or Geſtures.
AS I am now oblig'd (for want of Room) to curb the Impetuoſity of my Pen, and ſtop its critical Carears, I ſhall in a very ſhort Time lay before the Publick, another Pam⯑phlet, with ſome more additional Remarks upon the ſame Subject, which will be a proper Appendix to the Eſſay on Acting; and call'd An Eſſay on the common Sewers, vulgarly ſtil'd Common Shores, in which will [27] be conſider'd the Uſe and Abuſe of Bum⯑fodder, with ſome curious Obſervations upon the preſent State of Politicks, both at Home and Abroad.
- Citation Suggestion for this Object
- TextGrid Repository (2020). TEI. 3728 An essay on acting in which will be consider d the mimical behaviour of a certain fashionable faulty actor To which will be added a short criticism on his acting Macbeth. University of Oxford Text Archive. . https://hdl.handle.net/21.T11991/0000-001A-5DA9-E