When they entered, he ordered the coacht an to drive on, but he answered that he would as soon as he had got his complement of four passengers. A caprice immediately seized upon Garrick, and he determined to give his brother player a specimen of his art. While the coachman was attentively plying for passengers, Garrick slipped out of the door, went round the coach, and by lis wonderful command of countenance, palmed himself upon the coachman for a stranger. This he did twice, and was admitted each time into the coach as a fresh passenger, to the astonishment and admiration of Preville. He got out a third time, and addressing himself to the coachman, was answered in a surly tone, "that he had already got his complement," and would have drove off without him, had not Preville called out, that as the stranger appeared to be a very little man, they would, to accommodate the gentleman, contrive to make room.

One of the most remarkable occurrences in Garrick's life was the celebration of the Jubilee, at Stratford-upon-Avon, in honour of Shakspeare. This festival took place in 1769, and lasted three days, but the weather was so unfavourable, and the entertainment so indifferent, that the returns did not answer the expenses. To reimburse himself, Garrick brought out "the Jubilee," at his theatre, and with astonishing success, as the pageant ran ninety two nights, to crowded audiences, In January, 1776, Garrick parted with his

moiety of Drury Lane, for 35,000l. and with a fortune of near three times that sum, retired finally from the stage, in the character of Don Felix, in the Wonder. He died January 20, 1779, and was interred with great pomp, in Westminster abbey, where several years afterwards a monument was erected to his memory.

Dr. Johnson, who may be supposed to have known Garrick as well as any person, has thus drawn his character.

"Garrick was on the whole a good man, a decent liver in a profession which is supposed to give indulgences to licentiousness, and a man who freely gave away money acquired by himself. He began the world with great hunger for money; the son of a half-pay officer, whose study was to make four-pence go for four-pence halfpenny but when he got money, and became independent, he was liberal."

Of this Johnson himself had abundant experience, and that not long before Garrick's death. Mr. Albany Wallis, Garrick's executor, related the following anecdote to a friend :

"Mr. Garrick caine to me one morning, in à violent hurry, and without even his usual salutation, abruptly exclaimed-" My dear friend, the doctor is in want, you must instantly do me a favour; come, come, put on your hat, and without delay go to Dr. Johnson's lodgings, and present him with these bank notes, but on your life do not mention from whom you had them."

The

The amount, Mr. Wallis observed, was by no means inconsiderable.

"In compliance with his request," continued he, "I instantly waited on the doctor, and being announced, was ushered into his apartment; having prefaced my errand with as much delicacy as possible, I presented the notes, which the doc tor received with much agitation, and after a few moments wiping away the tears that involuntarily arose in his eyes, he pressed my hand between his and said, Mr. Wallis, I know from whence this comes; tell Mr. Garrick that his kindness is almost too much for me; tell him also, that I shall never be able to repay this, much less what I have before received at his hands."

By libertines Garrick was called avaricious, because, probably, he would not be the dupe of their designs, or the companion of their follies. The fact was, that he knew the due use of money, but his charities were extensive, and no man was more ready to exert himself in behalf of publick institutions, or to contribute to private subscriptions.

He had also the merit of reforming the stage, and of driving from it profaneness and immorality. His principal failing was vanity, which made him eager of adulation and impatient of contradiction and ridicule. This foible was thus happily hit off by Goldsmith in his Retaliation.

Of praise a mere glutton, he swallow'd what came,
And the puff of a dunce, he mistook it for fame;
Till his relish grown callous, almost to disease,
Who pepper'd the highest was surest to please.
2 M4

The

The literary talents of Garrick were far from being mean. He wrote some excellent prologues and epilogues, and several genuine epigrams and lively songs. His dramatick pieces are mostly of the farcical kind, except the "Clandestine Marriage," written in conjunction with the elder Colman.

When Garrick first heard Mr. Pitt, afterwards Earl Chatham, speak in the House of Commons, he was asked by a friend what he thought of him. "Think of him," says he, "why, that if he had originally preferred Drury-Lane to St. Stephen's Chapel, he would have almost annihilated the stage, by throwing us all at an immeasurable distance !"

The only thing against Garrick as a performer, was his diminutive stature, and yet that was overlooked when he performed Richard, Hamlet, other and the great characters. Once, however, it produced a whimsical effect. He was repeating the following passage in a new play:

"Alas!

I fear I seem too little in your eyes,"

A fellow in the gallery cried out, "Why, to be sure you do; it would be very odd if you did not." On this the house was in a roar, and Garrick never repeated the line afterwards.

Garrick's strict attention to propriety in all characters was strongly marked in a circumstance related to the editor by the late Dr. afterwards

Sir James Stonhouse. When the doctor relinquished medical practice for the church, he asked Garrick to accompany him one Sunday to a church in the city, where he was engaged to read prayers. Garrick did so, and after service, he asked his friend, "what particular business he had to do when the duty was over ?"-" None," said the other. "I thought you might," said Garrick, "on seeing you enter the church and reading desk in such a hurry.-Nothing," added he, "can be more indecent than to see a clergyman go about the duties of his office as if he were a tradesman, and enter a church as if he wanted to get out of it as soon as possible." He then asked the doctor what books he had in the desk before him? " Only the Bible and Prayer Book." -"Only the Bible and Prayer Book, why you tossed them backwards and forwards, and turned the leaves over with as much carelessness and hurry as if they had been the waste book and ledger."

The doctor took the hints, and profited by them to such a degree, as to become one of the best readers and preachers in the kingdom.

SAMUEL