On the poor players fell all the disgrace; but I think I shall be able to show, in the next chapter, that the fault lay rather with the poets. These, in their turn, laid blame upon the public; but it is the poet's business to elevate, and not to pander to a low taste. The foremost men of the tuneful brotherhood, of the period from the Restoration to the end of the century, have much to answer for in this last respect.
[40] Mountfort seems to have acted as early as 1678.
[41] Norris does not appear in the bills till 1699.
[42] Dr. Doran spells "Oroonoko" wrong throughout. In this he follows Genest; but the latter corrects his blunder in his "errata."
[43] The trial of Mohun and Warwick took place seven years after Mountfort's death--that is, in 1699.
[44] It is only fair to Hill to say that Dr. Doran adopts a theory regarding the death of Mountfort which is, at least, doubtful. It is quite as possible that he was killed in a fair fight with Hill.
[45] Dr. Doran in his MS. gives the following curious and valuable note regarding Quin's trial and punishment, which states a fact absolutely unknown to any of Quin's biographers:--"1718. The papers of the day say that Quin and Bowen fought on the question which was the honester man. The coroner's inquest found it 'Se Defendendo;' but an Old Bailey jury returned a verdict of Manslaughter, and at the end of the Session I find, among the names of malefactors sent to Tyburn, or otherwise punished, 'Mr. Quin, the comedian, burnt in the hand.'"
[46] This is taken from the _Guardian_, No. 82. Genest calls it a humorous account of him.
[47] The elder Mrs. Cibber (second edition).
[48] This is a most inaccurate statement. Benjamin Jonson, or Johnson, was a comedian of the highest order. Davies calls him "That chaste copier of nature," and praises him heartily: Victor is enthusiastic in his appreciation of him: and Lloyd, in his "Actor," specially commends him. He was very great in his more famous namesake's comedies.
[49] Should be John Mills. William was a much less important actor.
[50] 1736. He died November or December 1736.
It is a curious fact, that the number of dramatic writers between the years 1659-1700, inclusive, exceeds that of the actors. A glance at the following list will show this.