RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE. XXV
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nexperienced set of actors could produce. Havinglittle judgment to direct him in the conduct of atheatre, he not only permitted the best plays to bemangled by the most despicable performers, but bythe introduction of tumblers and buffoons, and otherextravagancies, brought the entertainments of thestage to the lowest degree of contempt. He persisted,however, to the last in the same mode of conduct, ,which his son afterwards followed, and by that meanshad a greater influence on the present public enter-tainments than at first sight would bethought probable. While the rival theatres were contending againsteach other with inveterate malice, an enemy to thevery toleration of dramatic entertainments appeared,who, with considerable abilitv, and with all the rigidpuritanical maxims of a severe sect, attacked the stageon account of its profaneness and immorality. This-was the celebrated Jeremy Collier, who, in l6t)7,published a book, Containing a severe invective agnjnstactingof plays, the profligacy of the performers, and thelicentiousness of the poets ; and having some truth andjustice on his side, the advocates for the theatre foundthemselves hard pressed to answer the charges broughtagainst their favourite diversion. It cannot be deniedbut that many authors, and some in great favour withthe public, had written in a manner which war-ranted the censure of everv person who professed theleast regard to propriety or decency. Mr. Collier wasopposed by Congreve, Vanbrugh, Dryden, Dennis, andothers, with wit and humour, but without Confutingthe objections which bad been started either againstthemselves individually, or against the stage in general.The public opinion ran so much against trie defendersof the theatre, and in favour of their enemy, thatKing William considered Mr. Collier's book as a workwhich entitled the author of it to some lenity in a pro-secution then carrying on in consequence ol errors inhis political conduct. This controversy produced asmuch as could be wished for from it. Mr. Cibber ob-serves, the calling our dramatic writers to this strict - Digitized by Google XXVt RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE. account “ had a very wholesome effect upon those who“ writ after this time. Thev were now a great deal“ more upon their guard; indecencies were no longer“ wit; and by degrees the fair sex came again to fill“ the boxes on the first day of a new comedy without“ feaV or censure.” To forwaid the stage’s reformation, prosecutionswere commenced against some of the performers forrepeating profane and indecent words. Several werefound guilty; and Betterton and Mrs. Bracegirdlewere actually fined. These severities were not entirelythrown away. From this period may be dated the in-troduction of that more refined taste which hath doneso much credit to the British drama. The managers acting under the united patents hadhitherto made use of both the theatres in Dnrset-Gardenand Drury-Lane; hut about this time the former ofthese houses was deserted. The company which hadbeen left bv Betterton and bis party, after strugglingwith unequal force against the excellent performers whobated under the banner of that respectable veteran, be-gan now to remove the prejudices which had been en-tertained against them, and to claim their share ofapplause. Many of them were much improved. Theyhad the advantage of youth; and having had the op-portunity of exhibiting themselves in new characters,where comparisons to their disadvantage could not hemade, they began to be viewed in a more favourablelight, Itji ihe mean time, Betterton and some of hisassociates were daily losing ground through old age.Besides, the house itself was too small, and poorlyfitted up, very insufficient for the purposes of profit orsplendor. These considerations induced Sir John Van-brugh to procure subscriptions for erecting a new andmagnificent play-house in the Haymarket, calculatedto do honour to the architect and to the nation, and atthe same time produce wealth to those concerned in it.The sum of 3l)00l. was immediately raised, and thebuilding begun under Sir John’s direction. On this scheme being proposed, it was agreed that RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE STAGE. XX\ii Mr. Betterton should assign over to Vanbrugh hislicence to perform, and for the future serve only as auactor, without any concern in the conduct or directionof the theatre. The proposal was ready assented to onthe part of Betterton. He had now been upon thestage between forty and fifty years, and found the in-firmities of age beginning to make inroads upon hisconstitution ; he was therefore desirous of repose, and •to be relieved from the fatigues of management. Inthelatter part of the year 1704, he performed his partof the agreement, by surrendering to Sir John Van-brugh all his right and interest in the licence granted tohim. The new proprietor associated himself withMr. Congreve, and from the joint abilities of sueh ex-cellent writers great expectations were formed. On the9th day of April, 170a, the theatre was opened withan Italian opera, which did not meet with the suc-cess expected from it. The failure of their first hopeobliged the principal manager to exert himself ; andhe accordingly, with that happy facility which ac-companied him in writing, immediately produced noless than four new pieces. But these were insufficientto bring the theatre into reputation. It was soonfound, that the architect of it was better qualified tosupport the stage by his writings than to constructhouses to act his performances in. Every piece repre-sented appeared under manifest disadvantage. Theedifice was a vast triumphal piece of architecture,wholly unfit for every purpose of convenience ; thevast columns, the gilded cornices, and lofty roofsavailed very little, when scarce one word in ten couldbe distinctly heard. “.At the first opening it,” saysMr. Cibber, “ the flat cieling, that is. now over the“orchestra, was then a semi-oval arch, that sprung“ fifteen feet higher from above the cornice. The“ cieling over the pit too was still more raised, being“ one level line from the highest back part of the upper“gallery to the front of the stage; the front boxes“ were a continued semicircle to the bare walls of the,f house on each side : this extraordinary and super-
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