An essay on acting: in which will be consider'd the mimical behaviour of a certain fashionable faulty actor, ... To which will be added, a short criticism on his acting Macbeth.

Table of contents

- [titlepage]

- AN ESSAY ON ACTING, &c.

- A Short TREATISE UPON ACTING. By which The PLAYERS may be Instructed, and the TOWN Undeceiv'd.

- Some Critical OBSERVATIONS upon the Character of MACBETH, as it is at present Attempted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane.

- [part]

AN ESSAY on ACTING: In which will be consider'd The Mimical Behaviour OF A Certain fashionable faulty ACTOR, AND THE Laudableness of such unmannerly, as well as inhumane Proceedings. To which will be added, A short CRITICISM On His acting MACBETH.

—So have I seen a Pygmie strut,

Mouth and rant, in a Giant's Robe.

Tom Thumb.

—Oh! Macbeth has murder'd G—k.

Shakespear.

LONDON: Printed for W. BICKERTON, at the Gazette, in the Temple Exchange, near the Inner Temple Gate, Fleet-street. M, DCC, XLIV. [Price Six-pence.]

AN ESSAY ON ACTING, &c.

AS I have a long Time (twenty Years, or more) made the STAGE, and ACTING, my Study and Entertainment, I look upon myself, and indeed am thought by my Intimates, a proper Person to animadvert upon, or approve, the Errors and the Excellencies of the Theatre; and as there can be no better Opportunity offer itself than now, when the Town is running after their little fashionable Actor, in a Character of which he is, properly speaking, the Anticlimax of, or rather the Antipode of Shakespear; I will endeavour in the following Dissection of our Puppet Heroe, to convince my dear Country Men and Country Women, that they are madly following an Ignis fatuus, or Will of the Whisp, which they take for real substantial Light, and which I shall prove to be only the Rush-light of Genius, the Idol of Fashion, and an Air-drawn Favourite of the Imagination.

HOW are we degenerated in Taste! Oh how chang'd! how fallen! [*] That our Theatre shall be crowded with Nobility, Ladies and Gentry, to see Macbeth Burlesqu'd, or Be—g—k'd, which are synonimous, when they might read Mr. Theobald's Edition of him, without throwing away their Money, mispending their Time, ruining their Taste, or running the Hazard of catching a violent Cold, for a mere Non-entity: However, that I may not seem to be prejudic'd against Mr. G—k, as I really am not, for I admire him, for thus boldly daring to deceive and cheat three Parts of the Nation; I shall, having now crack'd the Shell of my Spleen against the Town, come to the Kernel of Reason, and present 'em this little sweet Nut of theirs, worm-eaten to the Sight, imbitter'd to their Taste, and abhorr'd to their Imaginations, as Shakespear terms it.

IN order to do this, I shall present my Readers with the following short Treatise upon ACTING, which will shew 'em what ACTING ought to be, and what the present Favourite in Question is not.

Notes

*
Milton's Paradise Lost.
↵

A Short TREATISE UPON ACTING. By which The PLAYERS may be Instructed, and the TOWN Undeceiv'd.

That I may convince the World, that the Publick Good, and no Private Animosity, has extracted the following Treatise from its Author. I shall first give an ample and clear Definition of ACTING, and make the Natural, Metaphysical, and Consequential Deductions, that will immediately elicite the Right from the Wrong, and shew my Designs are merely Scientifical, and not Subservient to Pique and partial Prejudice.

ACTING is an Entertainment of the Stage, which by calling in the Aid and Assistance of Articulation, Corporeal Motion, and Occular Expression, imitates, assumes, or puts on the various mental and bodily Emotions arising from the various Humours, Virtues and Vices, incident to human Nature.

THERE are Two different Kinds of Exhibitions, viz. TRAGEDY and COMEDY; the first fixes her Empire on the Passions, and the more exalted Contractions and Dilations of the Heart; the last, tho' not inferior (quotidem Science) holds her Rule over the less enobled Qualities and Districts of human Nature, which are call'd the Humours: Now in some Cases, Passions are Humours, and Humours Passions; for the Revenges of an Alexander and a Haberdasher, may have the same Fountain, and differ only in their Currents, and tho' the one (Alexander) cannot content himself but with the total Subversion of his Enemy's Kingdom, and the other (the Haberdasher) is satisfy'd with rolling his Antagonist in the Kennel; yet, still it is Revenge, the Mind of one is equally affected in Proportion to the other, and all the Difference lies in the different Ways of satisfying their common Passion. But now to the Application▪ and Design in Hand. If an Actor, and a favourite Actor, in assuming these different Characters with the same Passions, shall unskilfully differ only in Dress, and not in Execution; and supposing him right in One, and of Consequence absolutely ridiculous in the Other. Shall this Actor, I say, in Spite of Reason, Physicks, and common Observation, be caress'd, applauded, admir'd? But to illustrate it more by Example.—Suppose the Murder of Duncan, and the Breaking a Urinal shall affect the Player in the same Manner, and the only Difference is the blue Apron and lac'd Coat, shall we be chill'd at the Murderer, and roar at the Tobacconist? Fie for Shame!—As the One must be absolutely the Reverse of Right, I think the Publick, for so gross an Imposition, should drive both off the Stage. When Drugger becomes Macbeth, and Macbeth Drugger, I feel for the Manes of the Immortal Shakespear, and Inimitable Ben; I bemoan the Taste of my Country, and I would have the Buffoon sacrific'd to appease the Muses, and restore to us a true Dramatick Taste, by such an examplary Piece of Justice. I shall now, as relative to my my present Subject, describe in what Manner the two abovemention'd Characters ought to be mentally and corporeally Agitated, under the different Circumstances of the Dagger, and Urinal; and by that shall more fully delineate what is meant by Passions and Humours. When Abel Drugger has broke the Urinal, he is mentally absorb'd with the different Ideas of the invaluable Price of the Urinal, and the Punishment that may be inflicted in Consequence of a Curiosity, no way appertaining or belonging to the Business he came about. Now, if this, as it certainly is, the Situation of his Mind, How are the different Members of the Body to be agitated? Why Thus,—His Eyes must be revers'd from the Object he is most intimidated with, and by dropping his Lip at the some Time to the Object, it throws a trembling Languor upon every Muscle, and by declining the right Part of the Head towards the Urinal, it casts the most comic Terror and Shame over all the upper Part of the Body, that can be imagin'd; and to make the lower Part equally ridiculous, his Toes must be inverted from the Heel, and by holding his Breath, he will unavoidably give himself a Tremor in the Knees, and if his Fingers, at the same Time, seem convuls'd, it finishes the compleatest low Picture of Grotesque Terror that can be imagin'd by a Dutch Painter.—Let this be compar'd with the modern Copies, and then let the Town judge.—Now to Macbeth.—When the Murder of Duncan is committed, from an immediate Consciousness of the Fact, his Ambition is ingulph'd at that Instant, by the Horror of the Deed; his Faculties are intensely rivited to the Murder alone, without having the least Consolation of the consequential Advantages, to comfort him in that Exigency. He should at that Time, be a moving Statue, or indeed a petrify'd Man; his Eyes must Speak, and his Tongue be metaphorically Silent; his Ears must be sensible of imaginary Noises, and deaf to the present and audible Voice of his Wife; his Attitudes must be quick and permanent; his Voice articulately trembling, and confusedly intelligible; the Murderer should be seen in every Limb, and yet every Member, at that Instant, should seem separated from his Body, and his Body from his Soul: This is the Picture of a compleat Regicide, and as at that Time the Orb below should be hush as death; I hope I shall not be thought minutely circumstantial, if I should advise a real Genius to wear Cork Heels to his Shoes, as in this Scene he should seem to tread on Air, and I promise him he will soon discover the great Benefit of this (however seeming trifling) Piece of Advice.

THE only Way to arrive at great Excellency in Characters of Humour, is to be very conversant with Human Nature, that is the noblest and best Study, by this Way you will more accurately discover the Workings of Spirit (or what other Physical Terms you please to call it) upon the different Modifications of Matter. Would the Painter produce a perfect Piece to the World, let him Copy from the Life, let Nature herself sit to the Artist: Wou'd a Player perform equally excellent in his Profession, let him be introduc'd into the World, be conversant with Humours of every Kind, digest 'em in his Mind, let 'em be cherish'd by the genial Warmth of his Conception, transplanted into the fair Garden of his Judgment, there let 'em ripen to Perfection, and become his own. Hic Labor! Hoc Opus! The late celebrated Mr. Dogget, before he perform'd the Character of Ben, in Love for Love, took Lodgings in Wapping, and gather'd thence a Nosegay for the whole Town: Another Comedian now living, tho' not upon the Stage (it being so replete with greater Geniuses) has been observ'd constantly to attend the 'Change for Weeks together, before he exhibited one of Shakespear's most inimitable and difficult Characters, and so far succeeded by his great Attention and Observation of the Manners, Dress, and Behaviour of a particular Tribe of People, that the Judgment, Application, and extraordinary Pains he took to divert the Publick rationally, was amply return'd with crowded Theatres, and unequall'd Applauses; nay, to so great a Degree did they shew their Approbation to this Pains-taking Genius, that he is at present more known by the Name of the Character he perform'd, than by his own.

I shall not enter into the Reasons why he is at present excluded Theatre, but shall only, as an Advocate for the Publick, say that I wish for their Sake, that there were many such Actors as him upon both Theatres.

I have, in as concise a Manner as possible, given my Sentiments of Acting, by Example and Precept; but there will very soon be publish d a more compleat and expanded Treatise upon ACTING, with an accurate Description of each Humour and Passion, their Sources and Effects; by which the Players may be taught to renounce their Errors, and the Town its Judgment of Acting and Actors.—

Here Ends the Essay upon Acting.

Some Critical OBSERVATIONS upon the Character of MACBETH, as it is at present Attempted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane.

THE following Critque is design'd as a Supplementary Appendix to the foregoing Essay on ACTING, and as that was not so full and investigating, as my Imagination had at first form'd it, I shall in this short Survey of Heroism in Miniature, still have my Eye upon the Essay on ACTING, and at the same Time convince the Publick, that they have insensibly been misguided by Fashion, and that they have in the Dark run-a-ground their Reputation on the Sandy Banks of Error: But I shall now fix a Lanthorn at the Poop of their Misconceptions, they shall see their Distress, I will set my Hand to the Pump of Conviction, clear the Vessel from sixteen Feet Water of Anti-Taste, keep it from foundering, hoist up the Flag of Criticism, and once more pilot their Understandings into the Harbour of True Judgment: But Metaphor apart, what is the Character of Macbeth? He is an experienc'd General, crown'd with Conquest, innately Ambitious, and religiously Humane, spurr'd on by metaphysical Prophecies, and the unconquerable Pride of his Wife, to a Deed, horrid in itself, and repugnant to his Nature; but as it is the Ladder to the swelling Act of the Imperial Theme, his Milk soon becomes Gall, imbitters his whole Disposition, and the Consequence is the Murder of Duncan, the taking off of Banquo, and his own Coronation. Thus stands Macbeth. Now to our Inferences. Valour and Ambition, the two Grand Characteristicks of Macbeth, form in the Mind's Eye a Person of near six Feet High, corpulently Graceful, a round Visage, a large hazel Eye, aquiline Nose, prominent Chest, and a well-calv'd Leg, rather inclin'd to that which is call'd an Irish Leg; this, I say, would be the Painter's Choice, was he to give us the Macbeth of his Imagination; I mention this only to prove that Mr. G—k is not form'd in the least, externally, no more than internally, for that Character, and tho' there are many Figures in the World would become it very well, tho' not exactly co-incident with my Description, yet the nearer they approach to it, they will the better look Ambition, Heroism, and Murder. Mr. G—k, could he Speak the Part, is well form'd for Fleance, or one of the Infant Shadows in the Cauldron Scene, but for the Manager to impose him upon the Town for a Macbeth, and to refuse taking another Comedian into his House, is such an Example of Ignorance and Impudence, that is not to be paralell'd but by his own unparalell'd Behaviour.—Mr. G—k's Dress is very faulty too, his Coat should be Banquo's, and Banquo's his, and for this Reason; Red and Gold suits the Dignity of Macbeth, and at the same Time implies, a more principal and exalted Character, without derogating, or taking from the Rank of Banquo in Red and Silver, who titularly bears an equal Station as Commander, tho' militarily bears an inferior Proportion as Man: This Distinction is very nice, and perhaps may not glare upon common Readers, as defin'd here, but was this Decorum nicely preserv'd, the Eyes of all, from the Critick to the Groundling (as Shakespear calls 'em) would immediately convey to the Mind the several Degrees and minute Distinctions of the Character, from the Colour and Trimmings of his Apparel:—I shall leave it to the Consideration of the Publick, whether or no a Tye Wig is more eligible than a Major, or a plain Hat, than a lac'd one, for my own Part, I say, No.

SO much for Dress and Figure; now I shall proceed to the more difficult and physical Parts of the Character, and shall consider the Action, Speaking and Conception of our modern Heroe.

THE first Words of the Part,—So foul and fair a Day I have not seen, in my Opinion are spoke wrong; Mackbeth before his Entrance has been in a great Storm of Rain, Thunder, &c. Now as the Audience have been appriz'd of this, by the three▪ Witches, he should very emphatically describe the quick Transition from being wet to the Skin, to being almost instantaneously dry'd again: Tho' I can't convey in Writing the Manner how it should be spoke, yet every Reader may comprehend how it ought to be spoke, and know that in the Manner it is now spoke, the Sentiment is languid, unintelligible, and undescriptive. I shall now examine the most remarkable Scene in the whole Play, which is that of the Air-drawn Dagger. This I shall make appear he has mistook from the Beginning to the End.—Macbeth, as a Preparation for this Vision, is so prepossess'd, from his Humanity, with the Horror of the Deed, which by his more prevailing Ambition he is incited to, and for the Perpetration of which, he lies under a promissary Injunction to his Lady, that his Mind being torn by these different and confus'd Ideas, his Senses fail, and present that fatal Agent of his Cruelty,—the Dagger, to him:—Now in this visionary Horror, he should not rivet his Eyes to an imaginary Object, as if it really was there, but should shew an unsettled Motion in his Eye, like one not quite awak'd from some disordering Dream; his Hands and Fingers should not be immoveable, but restless, and endeavouring to disperse the Cloud that over shadows his optick Ray, and bedims his Intellects; here would be Confusion, Disorder, and Agony! Come let me clutch thee! is not to be done by one Motion only, but by several successive Catches at it, first with one Hand, and then with the other, preserving the same Motion, at the same Time, with his Feet, like a Man, who out of his Depth, and half drowned in his Struggles, catches at Air for Substance: This would make the Spectator's Blood run cold, and he would almost feel the Agonies of the Murderer himself. I have spoke of the Scene following the Murder, in my Essay on Acting, and shall only say, that the Daggers are near an Inch and half too long, in Proportion to the Heighth of the Murderer. The Night-Gown, he appears in, after the Murder, ought to be a Red Damask, and not the fripperyflower'd one of a Foppington; but when Taste is wanting in Trifles, and Judgment in Essentials, how can we hope to see the THEATRE flourish? I must make a Remark upon him in the Banquet Scene, which is the most glaring Absurdity that ever was committed by an Actor: When Banquo's Ghost gets Possession of Macbeth's Chair, and the latter, frighted at his Appearance, by Words and Actions, says, Which of you have done this? Meaning the Murder of Banquo; here the Actor should address himself to the Guests, and not keep a fix'd Eye upon the Ghost; he should turn his Head from Banquo, and say, to the Lords at Supper, Which of you have done this? For to speak to the plural Number, and look at the singular (Banquo only) is most absurd and ridiculous. Then at the second Appearance of the Ghost, at the Words, Dare me to the Desart with thy Sword, Macbeth should draw his Sword, and put himself in a Posture of Defence; and when he comes to, Hence horrid Shadow! he should make a home Thrust at him, recover himself upon the Ghost's moving, and keep passing at him till he has got him quite out of the Room: The Manner it has been done heretofore, which is keeping the Hand upon the Sword, and following him out, is not so natural and effecting, as the Way I propose; and if any Objection is made, that Macbeth should know, that Ghosts are not vulnerable, I answer, Macbeth's Horror confounds him, and his Actions must denote the Non Compos. Here I must take Notice of an Omission in the Part of Banquo; when he appears at the Banquet, he ought to rise in a Red Cloak, as he was seen to cross the Stage in one, immediately before his Murder; this would throw a great Solemnity upon the Figure of Banquo, and preserve the Decorum of the Stage.—I must likewise observe, that in Shakespear's Time, the Actors wore their own Hair, and now, from the present Fashion of wearing Wigs, some Speeches are become absurd, such, for Instance, is this of Macbeth, Never shake thy Goary Locks at me; when at the same Time the Ghost is seen in a Tye Wig: If I might be allow'd to propose an Alteration (with all imaginable Deference to the immortal Shakespear) in order to avoid this Blunder, I would have the Actor say, Never shake thy Goary TYE at me; if the Word Wig is thought more Poetical, it will be equally good, as they are both Monosyllables.

AS I have not yet left the Banquet Scene, I must observe that the Attitude G—k stands in, at the second Appearance of the Ghost, is absolutely wrong: Macbeth here should sink into himself, or rather, if I may be allow'd the Expression, hide himself behind himself; or to illustrate it more by Example, Si parvis comporere, &c. he should imitate the contracting Power of a Snail, preserving at the same Time a slow awful manly folding up of his Faculties, and as his Body gathers up gradually at the Vision▪ his Mind should keep the same Time, and denote its strong Workings and Convulsions▪ at his Eyes; the Glass of Wine in his Hand should not be dash'd upon the Ground, but it should fall gently from him, and he should not discover the least Consciousness of having such a Vehicle in his Hand, his Memory being quite lost in the present Guilt and Horror of his Imagination. The Banquet itself, which is suppos'd to be a Regal one, should not be compos'd of a few Apples, Oranges, and such like Trash, but of hot costly Viands, and large Pyramids of wet Sweetmeats, and Savoy Biscuits; this would cast an inconceiveable Grandeur upon the Scene, and add greatly to the Horror of the Ghost.—Macbeth says, To Night we hold a SOLEMN Supper, Sir; which Solemnity should be preserv'd, by having several Bishops and inferior Clergy at the Table, and of Consequence the supernatural Appearance of Banquo, would strike with double Force on the Minds of the Audience, by their Spiritual Presence. I could shew that this Play is even deficient in every little Decoration, but this one gross Blunder will suffice to give us an Idea of all the rest.

AS my Criticisms upon the three first Acts of Macbeth have been more full and extended than I at first design'd 'em, I shall reserve my Observations upon the two last, for another Sixpenny Pamphlet, to which I shall subjoin a Criticism upon Colombine Courtezan, which I shall examine critically, Scene by Scene, and lay open the Imperfections of that Piece, discernable to the meanest Capacity, and shall prove, by undeniable Conclusions, drawn from known Postulata, that the worst Play that ever Shakespear wrote, is greatly preferable to the whole Performance of Colombine Courtezan. I am very sensible what Difficulties and Prejudices I have to surmount in such an Undertaking; but as I have the Reputation of my Country at Heart, I am resolv'd to prosecute my laudable Intentions with indefatigable Care, and unwearied Diligence.

IN short, to sum up the Whole of my present Observations upon this Head, as I profess the strictest Adherence to Truth, despise Flattery, and am incapable of Fear, I will venture to affirm, there is not one pleasure-giving Scene throughout the whole Play of Macbeth, as it is now acted: But as I will ever do Justice to Merit, I must own I felt some Pleasure at seeing Mr. Mills's Green Ribbon and Star, in the Character of Duncan; the unexpected Introduction of the Scotch Order was an agreeable Novelty, and discover'd great Fancy in the Actor; therefore I could not refrain from giving it here a deserved Commendation, and it shall always meet with my Approbation in the Theatre.

I think I cannot better finish a Criticism on Macbeth, than with a succinct Description of the Talents and Capacity of its Author. Shakespear was a Writer not to be confin'd by Rule; he had a despotick Power over all Nature; Laws would be an Infringement of his Prerogative; his scepter'd Pen wav'd Controul over every Passion and Humour; his Royal Word was not only Absolute, but Creative; Ideas, Language, and Sentiment were his Slaves, they were chain'd to the Triumphal Car of his Genius; and when he made his Entry into the Temple of Fame, all Parnassus rung with Acclamations; the Muses sung his Conquests, crown'd him with never-fading Laurels, and pronounc'd him Immortal. AMEN.

Here ends the Criticism on Macbeth.

I shall at once convince the World of my Impartiality with Regard to Mr. G—k, by allowing him all the Merit that Mimickry can give him, which, to be sure, is very pleasant over a Bottle, tho' despicable on the Stage.—But how his being a good Mimick should entitle him to be a great Actor, I can't so easily comprehend; the Punch of a Puppet Shew, and the Heroe of a Theatre, are as different in their Characters as the Materials they are each compos'd of. But how can he answer it to Conscience, and his fellow Creatures, his endeavouring, by modulating his Organs of Speech and Action, to those of other Actors, to render them contemptible, by such a visible Exposure of their Infirmities? 'Tis wicked, 'tis unjust, 'tis inhumane! and the People who are diverted by it, and applaud him for it, are barbarous, unciviliz'd, and unfeeling. A Pick-pocket is less culpable than a Mimick: Suppose, for Instance, an Actor of either Theatre, coming out of the Play-House, has his Pocket pick'd of Ten or a Dozen Shillings, in the Piazza, or in Catherine-street; Care, Oeconomy and his Business, makes the Loss easy: But if the same Actor is made ridiculous, and looses the Means of replenishing his aforesaid pick'd-pocket, the Mimick that deprives him of ever having his Pocket pick'd again, either in the Piazza, or Catharine-street, is the Pick-pocket himself. I believe Mimickry was never thought of before in this Light; therefore let it be consider'd, let it be condemn'd. Besides, as a farther Confirmation of the Unlaudableness of such Proceedings, I am told the very mimick'd Actors themselves are not very easy under this Treatment, and are resolv'd never to be reconcil'd to any future Analysis of their Looks, Tones, or Gestures.

AS I am now oblig'd (for want of Room) to curb the Impetuosity of my Pen, and stop its critical Carears, I shall in a very short Time lay before the Publick, another Pamphlet, with some more additional Remarks upon the same Subject, which will be a proper Appendix to the Essay on Acting; and call'd An Essay on the common Sewers, vulgarly stil'd Common Shores, in which will be consider'd the Use and Abuse of Bumfodder, with some curious Observations upon the present State of Politicks, both at Home and Abroad.

FINIS.

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Title statement

An essay on acting: in which will be consider'd the mimical behaviour of a certain fashionable faulty actor, ... To which will be added, a short criticism on his acting Macbeth.

Garrick, David, 1717-1779.

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University of Oxford Text Archive
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http://ota.ox.ac.uk/id/3728

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1106007271

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9781106007278

ID [TCP]

K023421.000

ID [BIBNO]

CW3310912977

ID [ECLL]

0246902000

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— An essay on acting: in which will be consider'd the mimical behaviour of a certain fashionable faulty actor, ... To which will be added, a short criticism on his acting Macbeth., Garrick, David, 1717-1779.. [4],27,[1]p. ; 8⁰. London :: printed for W. Bickerton,. 1744.. [Attributed to David Garrick.] [Reproduction of original from the British Library.] [English Short Title Catalog, ESTCT6253.] [Electronic data. Farmington Hills, Mich. : Thomson Gale, 2003. Page image (PNG). Digitized image of the microfilm version produced in Woodbridge, CT by Research Publications, 1982-2002 (later known as Primary Source Microfilm, an imprint of the Gale Group).]

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