The Person of this excellent Actor was suitable to his Voice, more manly than sweet, not exceeding the middle Stature, inclining to the corpulent; of a serious and penetrating Aspect; his Limbs nearer the athletick than the delicate Proportion; yet however form'd, there arose from the Harmony of the whole a commanding Mien of Majesty, which the fairer-fac'd or (as _Shakespear_ calls 'em) the _curled_ Darlings of his Time ever wanted something to be equal Masters of. There was some Years ago to be had, almost in every Print-shop, a _Metzotinto_ from _Kneller_, extremely like him.[124]
In all I have said of _Betterton_, I confine myself to the Time of his Strength and highest Power in Action, that you may make Allowances from what he was able to execute at Fifty, to what you might have seen of him at past Seventy; for tho' to the last he was without his Equal, he might not then be equal to his former Self; yet so far was he from being ever overtaken, that for many Years after his Decease I seldom saw any of his Parts in _Shakespear_ supply'd by others, but it drew from me the Lamentation of _Ophelia_ upon _Hamlet_'s being unlike what she had seen him.
----_Ah! woe is me! T'have seen what I have seen, see what I see!_
The last Part this great Master of his Profession acted was _Melantius_ in the _Maid's Tragedy_, for his own Benefit;[125] when being suddenly seiz'd by the Gout, he submitted, by extraordinary Applications, to have his Foot so far reliev'd that he might be able to walk on the Stage in a Slipper, rather than wholly disappoint his Auditors. He was observ'd that Day to have exerted a more than ordinary Spirit, and met with suitable Applause; but the unhappy Consequence of tampering with his Distemper was, that it flew into his Head, and kill'd him in three Days, (I think) in the seventy-fourth Year of his Age.[126]
I once thought to have fill'd up my Work with a select Dissertation upon Theatrical Action,[127] but I find, by the Digressions I have been tempted to make in this Account of _Betterton_, that all I can say upon that Head will naturally fall in, and possibly be less tedious if dispers'd among the various Characters of the particular Actors I have promis'd to treat of; I shall therefore make use of those several Vehicles, which you will find waiting in the next Chapter, to carry you thro' the rest of the Journey at your Leisure.