[Footnote 114: Downes ("Rosc. Ang.," p. 52) gives a quaint description of Dogget: "Mr. _Dogget_, On the Stage, he's very Aspectabund, wearing a Farce in his Face; his Thoughts deliberately framing his Utterance Congruous to his Looks: He is the only Comick Original now Extant: Witness, _Ben. Solon_, _Nikin_, The _Jew_ of _Venice_, &c."]
[Footnote 115: "The Laureat," p. 83: "Thy Partiality is so notorious, with Relation to _Wilks_, that every one sees you never praise him, but to rail at him; and only oil your Hone, to whet your Razor."]
[Footnote 117: In the Dedication to Steele of "Ximena" (1719) Cibber warmly acknowledges the great service Steele had done to the theatre, not only in improving the tone of its performances, but also in the mere attracting of public attention to it. "How many a time," he says, "have we known the most elegant Audiences drawn together at a Day's Warning, by the Influence or Warrant of a single _Tatler_, when our best Endeavours without it, could not defray the Charge of the Performance." In the same Dedication Cibber's gratitude overstepped his judgment, in applying to Steele's generous acknowledgment of his indebtedness to Addison's help in his "Spectator," &c., Dryden's lines:--
"Fool that I was! upon my Eagle's Wings I bore this Wren, 'till I was tir'd with soaring, And now, he mounts above me----"
The following Epigram is quoted in "The Laureat," p. 76. It originally appeared in "Mist's Journal," 31st October, 1719:--
"_Thus_ Colley Cibber _to his Partner_ Steele, _See here, Sir Knight, how I've outdone_ Corneille; _See here, how I, my Patron to inveigle, Make_ Addison _a_ Wren, _and you an_ Eagle. _Safe to the silent Shades, we bid Defiance; For living Dogs are better than dead Lions_."
In one of his Odes, at which Johnson laughed (Boswell, i. 402) Cibber had the couplet:--
"Perch'd on the eagle's soaring wing, The lowly linnet loves to sing."
"Ximena; or, the Heroic Daughter," produced on 28th November, 1712, was an adaptation of Corneille's "Cid." We do not know the cast of 1712, but that of 1718 (Drury Lane, 1st November) was the following:--
DON FERDINAND Mr. Mills. DON ALVAREZ Mr. Cibber. DON GORMAZ Mr. Booth. DON CARLOS Mr. Wilks. DON SANCHEZ Mr. Elrington. DON ALONZO Mr. Thurmond. DON GARCIA Mr. Boman. XIMENA Mrs. Oldfield. BELZARA Mrs. Porter.]