age, was induced, from a variety of motives, to think of a retreat. He had by this time realized a pretty handfome fortune, by his industry and exertions; and he was refolved not to remain upon the ftage till his powers of acting were weakened by age and infirmity. He was a yery convivial man, although he never drank to excefs. It may be readily fuppofed that, as an eminent actor and teacher of elocution, and as a public man, the circle of his friends and acquaintances must have been very extenfive. He was alfo patronized and refpected by the most eminent characters of those days.

Mr. Macklin was very fond of being independent, and this fondness was increased ftill more by the unjust treatment that he had experienced both from managers and actors. He had encountered the prodigality and oppreffive tyranny of Fleetwood, the unprovoked and unwarrantable conduct of Sheridan, and the apoftacy, envy, and treachery of Garrick. As he never acted unhandsomely, or unjustly, to any manager or actor, he conceived that he was not bound to brook infult, fuffer oppreffion, or endure injuftice, from any man. He accordingly refolved to take leave of the ftage, and to fet up for himself upon a new plan. In purfuance of this refolution, Mr. Macklin clofed his dramatic career, at least for fome time, on the 20th December, 1753. The performances of the night confifted of "The Refufal, or The Lady's Philofophy," and, "The Englifhman in Paris."-- Mr. Macklin played fir Gilbert Wrangle, Mrs. Macklin lady Wrangle, and mifs Macklin, Charlotte.-The unbounded approbation of the audience on that night, bore the moft ample teftimony of their fatisfaction, and the actors' merit-they regretted loudly, and repeatedly, the retirement of their old favourite.' Vol. i. P. 353.

We applaud the refolution of Mr. Macklin to retire from a profeffion, in which he had acquired both fame and profit, before age and infirmity' united to compel retreat. This is a duty which men of diftinguished talents in every purfuit owe to themfelves not lefs than to the public, and it is to be lamented that fo few are found who can prevail on themfelves to perform it. Though we approve Mr. Macklin's retreat from the flage, the fcheme of employment which he afterwards adopted is liable to objection. It is thus related..

He opened a large tavern and coffee houfe under the Piazza in Covent garden, next door to the playhoufe. To fit up this houfe in the most commodious and fuperb ftyle he fpared no expence -Choice wines of the highest price, and abundance of provifions were laid in-bar-maids, cooks, waiters, and fervants of all defcriptions were immediately hired, and fet in motion by the great crowds of perfons, of all denominations, that came every day to crack a bottle and a joke with their old friend. At one table,

and at another table, below ftairs, and above ftairs, the company of Mr. Macklin was fought after with great eagerness. His hu morous anecdotes, witty repartees, and entertaining stories, gave an admirable zeft to the produce of the larder and the cellar. One would have imagined, that fuch a very bustling kind of life would have furnished ample employment for the mind of Mr. Macklin, however active it might be-but he was not eafy, he was not fatisfied, till he was doing fomething in his own way. He was defirous of giving lectures on various fubjects, and of inftructing theatrical tyros in elocution, and in the art and duty of an actor. With this view he opened a lecture-room in Hart-street, Coventgarden, which he ftyled "The British Inquifition." Vol. i. P. 357

It is fcarcely neceflary to obferve what a contrast this exhibited to the fober dignity of retirement; and the attempt to reconcile the fatigues of a tavern keeper with the duties of a lecturer was highly ridiculous. The new avocation of Mr. Macklin was no more favourable to his circumftances than creditable to his good fenfe: he loft nearly the whole of his property, became a bankrupt, and was reduced to the neceffity of returning to the stage for fubfiftence.

On his refumption of theatrical purfuits, he experienced the reception due to an old favourite; and continued for feveral years to act in London, in Dublin, and at many provincial theatres, with fuccefs. He was, however, fo frequently involved in difputes with managers and with performers, that his dramatic life was rendered very uncomfortable. He was at length fubjected to a temporary expulfion from the stage. The legal proceedings against the perfons by whofe cabal that expulfron was effected occupy the greater part of the fecond volume of thefe Memoirs. The fpeech of Mr. Dunning, as leading advocate for Mr. Macklin on that occafion, is a mafterly fpecimen of forenfic eloquence, admirable for clofenefs of reafoning, and for a grave, difficult, and moft effective fpecies of irony. Mr. Macklin triumphed, and, greatly to his credit, ufed his victory like a man of fenfe and moderation.

Propriety of conduct in fituations extremely unfavorable to virtue thould be noticed with applaufe. We are therefore happy in introducing a thort character of Mifs Macklin, daughter of the veteran, a lady of confiderable accomplishments, and a deferving favourite of the public.

In the fummer of 1781, Mr. Macklin fuftained a very heavy lofs by the death of his daughter, who had retired from the stage a few years before.

She died at Brompton, on the 3d of July, in the 48th year of her age. For fome years before her death, Mifs Macklin enjoyed but a very indifferent ftate of health. She went often into breeches,

and, by buckling her garter too tightly, a large fwelling took place in her knee, which, from motives of delicacy, fhe would not fuffer to be examined, till it had increased to an alarming fize. This flefly excrefcence was, however, cut off, and Mifs Macklin underwent the operation with great firmness; but he never after regained her former ftrength. Though contented in her fituation, and never under the neceflity or inclination of rambling, her life is tiffned with fome very extraordinary circumftances, unusual in the life of an actress.

Her qualifications producing her a very confiderable falary, with a very genteel acquaintance, fie humbly fat herfelf down to the quiet enjoyment of them, without hunting after new gratifications. She was unfashionable enough, too, to be religions; and, in confequence, to contract a number of out-of-the-way potions, for which she had often experienced the ridicule of the green room. She went to her devotion oftener than the went to rehearsal. Ponurious in her pleafures, though benevolent to diftrefs, and confidering the fage merely as it holds the mirror up to Nature,” ber practice was a conftant example of her theory. There was another ftill more extraordinary trait in her character than all this: though the had been upon the ftage for feveral years, and, on her entrance, confidered as one of the finest and most accomplished women in England-though befet with folicitation, and expofed to the force of bad example, fufpicion had never once i upon her fame, and the diffipated world were reduced to the neceflity of afcribing her celibacy to a coldness of conftitution. Her character as an actress flood in a no lefs favourable point of view. Endued with fo many acquired requifites, nature had not been backward in lending her aflistance, and the fhone a particular favourite both of Thalia and Melpomene. Vol. ii. r. 307.

In the year 1786 Mr. Macklin experienced the following attack of infirmity on the flage of the Dublin theatre.

• He took a benefit on the 22nd of Auguft, and was advertifed for Sir Pertinax, in the Man of the World, and Sir Archy in Lovea-la-Mode. This was an arduous undertaking for a man at his time of life. Mr. Macklin was refolved, however, to attempt it. As foon as the doors of the play-house were opened, the theatre was filled in every part, and his excellency the lord lieutenant, and feveral members of the court, graced the ftage and other boxes. Mr. Macklin went through the first act with great fpirit, but was taken fuddenly ill in the middle of the fecond, and was obliged to be affifted off the stage. The audience being informed that Mr. Macklin was fo inach indifpofed, that he could not appear again on the stage that night, very politely accepted of Mr. George Daw fon as his fubflitute, and the entertainment of the evening paffed off with out any further interruption. The concern and anxiety manifefted by the audience, on the occafion of Mr. Macklin's illness, reflected

the highest credit on their humanity, and afforded no fmall teftimony of the cftimation in which the father of the stage stood. This was the first time that the memory of Mr. Macklin began to betray fymptoms of decay and imbecility. When he was dreffing at the theatre, on his benefit night, he was feifed with a kind of shivering, which lafted several minutes. He alfo complained of a pain in the head, and, when he first went on the stage, he declared that his fight was fo much affected, and dazzled, as it were, that he could scarcely diftinguish the people in the pit. In a few moments he recovered bimfelf and went through the first act tolerably well; but the fhivering fit returning again, he felt a total incapacity to proceed with his part. In a few days, however, he recovered, and appeared in public, to the no fmall joy and fatisfaction of his numerous friends and admirers.' Vol. ii. P. 319.

This temporary imbecility was fucceeded at different intervals by fimilar attacks. Mr. Macklin, however,

played the very laborious part of fir Pertinax, at a time when he was in his one hundredth year, with a vigour and a spirit that aftonifhed every beholder.-His lait attempt upon the stage was on the 7th of May, 1789, in the character of Shylock, for his own benefit. He went through the first act, but not being pleased with his own execution, and finding his incapacity increase upon him, and after making repeated but ineffectual efforts to overcome the ftupor, which clouded his reafon, he was obliged to come forward, and apologize for the interruption that he had given the performance, and to request that Mr. Ryder might be permitted to finish his part.

The company, with true Britif fympathy, accepted the change without hefitation, and the father of the British drama took his laft and very affecting farewel of the stage, amidst the tears and thundering plaudits of a molt crowded audience.' Vol. ii. P. 326.

The retired veteran continued to frequent the theatre till within a very fhort period of his deceafe, which is thus related.

In the beginning of the year 1797, he grew quite infirm, and in the month of May his diforder (which may be called a graduál decay) became fo alarming, that Dr. Brocklesby, his moft intimate friend,, was called in. However, Mr. Macklin refused to take any medicine. Prefcriptions, he faid, could be of no use to him, in . the state that he then was: his fpan of life was nearly spent. His difeafe was not fo powerful as to hinder him from converfing, occafionally, with philofophic cheerfulness, and Christian refignation. Three weeks before his death, he took very little fuftenance; but, what is not a little remarkable, his mental faculties returned, to an aftonishing degree. He knew every body that visited him, and be heard, faw, understood, and converfed, without the leaft

difficulty. On Tuesday morning, the 11th of July, 1797, Mr. Macklin got up, wathed himself all over in warm gin, (a practice he had been accustomed to for many years), put on fresh linen, and then lay down again. During the time that he was wafhing, he feemed eafy and compofed, and converfed with Mrs. Macklin with great tranquillity. In about an hour after he retired to his bed, he exclaimed to his wife-" Let me go! let me go!" laid himfelf backward, and expired without a groan.' Vol. ii. P. 425.

'Mr. Charles Macklin was born on the first of May, 1690, and died at the advanced age of 107 years, two months, and ten days.' Vol. ii. p. 427.

The defire of long life is fo prevalent among our fpecies, that most of our readers will be gratified by the biographer's account of Mr. Macklin's manner of living.'

To attain to the great age of 107 years has been the lot of very few; and to pass through life without the affliction of any serious diforder or indifpofition, has been the good fortune of still fewer, among mankind. Mr. Macklin, by the favour of providence, had the fingular happiness to accomplish both. He did not begin to pay particular regard to his conftitution, till he was forty years of age. Up to that time he lived very irregularly; he drank hard, fat up late, and took violent exercife; but, fubfequent to that period, he proceeded by rule. He attributed the continuation of his good health in his youth to perfpiration-to promote which, when he was more advanced in life, was his principal object.

• Mr. Macklin drank tea, porter, wine, punch, &c. and ate fish, Alef, fowl, &c. till he was feventy years of age; but he never drank to excefs. If ever he was prevailed upon to drink more than his ufual quantity (feven or eight glaffes of wine) he always took Anderfon's Scotch pill, going to bed at night. This, he said, kept his head from aching the next morning. He was always moderate at his meals, but never abftemious; and preferred converfation to the bottle. At feventy years of age, Mr. Macklin, finding that tea difagreed with him, difcontinued the use of it in a great degree, and took milk (which he had always boiled), inftead of tea. He also had bread boiled in his milk, which he sweetened with brown fugar, till it was almoft a fyrup. Having loft all his teeth, about the year 1764, he was reduced in his fuftenance entirely to fish (which he was very fond of) herbage, puddings, and fpoon meat; he liked all kinds of ftews, hafhes, and foups, particularly giblet foup, which he used to have two or three times a week. He was a great lover of eggs, cuftards, and jellies. His drink at his meals, for the laft forty years of his life, was white wine and water, made very fweet. Being attacked by the rheumatifin, in the year 1770, he difcontinued the ufe of sheets, to avoid it, and lept in blankets.--He did not fleep upon a feather

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