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ANTHONY ASTON
STROLLER AND ADVENTURER
To which is appended Aston's Brief Supplement to
Colley Gibber's Lives; and A Sketch of the
Life of Anthony Aston, written
by Himself.
By
WATSON NICHOLSON, Ph. D.
Author of "The Stru^^le for a Free Sta^e in
London," "Six Lectures on American Liter-
ature," "Sources of Defoe's /ournaZ
of the Plague Year," etc.^
19 2
Published by the Author
South Haven, Michigan
Copyright 1920
BY WATSON NICHOI-SON
All Rights Reserved
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FOREWORD
Writing twelve years after Milton's death,
in hires of flic Most Famous English Poets, old
Winstanley, the royalist, disposed of the author
of Paradise Lost in exactly eighty-two words.
Shakespeare, escaping the political odium en-
veloping the blind poet, came off a trifle better.
Other early biographers of the English Stage
and Drama disclosed similar exaggerations and
eccentricities; but when we find, later, one of
them devoting twice as much space to Tony
Aston as to Shakespeare and Milton combined,
we are aware that proportion and perspective
are wanting, or that there was a woful lack of
material and judgment. However, when the
editors of the latest edition of the Dictionary of
National Biography reserve a niche for the
effigy of Anthony Aston, we do not feel called
upon for an apology for this brochure.
'i'his sketch of Astnn's h'fc is brief, but —
Ther n'as naniorc to telle.
Short as the account is, the details contained
in the following pages represent nil that is
369461
ANTHONY ASTUN
known about the once famous wag, and are now
published for the first time since Aston's death.
In addition to the Sketch, the discovery of which
is herein recorded and the document itself
printed in full, it has been thought opportune
to reprint the Brief Supplement and also Chet-
wood's account of Aston; thus collecting in one
place all that is known of and about Tony Aston.
W.N.
"Deer Lodge"
South Haven, Michigan,
July 4, 1920.
ANTHONY ASTON:
STROLLER AND ADVENTURER
The name of Tony Aston has been familiar to
all men of letters, particularly to students of the
Stage, for two centuries; and yet, so few real
facts have been discovered, hitherto, concerning
the man's life that we may assert with-
out fear of contradiction, that practically
nothing has been known about him, save
that he was a strolling player for manv
years, the author of an unsuccessful play and
the much more important Brief Supplement to
Colley Gibber's Apology. Chetwood's General
History of the Stage (1749) has been, until now,
the sole source of our knowledjj-e about Anthony
Aston. This is the only reference mentioned by
Baker in his sketch of Aston in Biographia Dr<i-
matica, and it is the only work appended to his
life in the Dictionary of National Biography.
A mere glance at Chetwood's three-page gossipy
account will suffice to show how really meager
our knowledge of Tony Aston has been, up to
this time. Even now, many essential details are
wanting for a wholly satisfactoiv biography of
the man.
5
AXTHOXY ASTON
This paucity of information about Aston is the
more surprising, inasmuch as during his own
lifetime, he was so universally known in England
and Ireland that his name was a mere byword
that wanted no explaining. Not only had he
played "in all the Theatres in London", but he
was "as well known in every town as the post-
horse that carries the mail". Probably no actor
of his time, with the possible exception of Dog-
get, was known to so many people. Nearly
every one who could raise a shilling for the pur-
pose had been convulsed at Tony's grimaces. He
was so familiar to all that his name grew into a
figure of speech. After his own generation,
however, until now, all that attached to the
name of Tony Aston, making it a living person-
ality, was forgotten, save the few choice samples
preserved by Chetw^ood. Just as the old Drury
Lane prompter, John Downes, is known to us
simply as the author of the priceless Roscius
Anglicanus, so Tony Aston has come down to us
as the blackguard author of the no less rare
Brief Supplement: the person who went by that
name has vanished and left not sufficient for
even a "sticks-and-rags" man.
At last, by one of those lucky stumbles, per-
petually possible in the path of the researcher,
much of this ignorance about the details of the
6
ANTHONY ASTON
life of Anthony Aston has been cleared away.
One day, in the British Museum, about the time
of the outbreak of the Great War, while leafing
over some old and forgotten "drolls", trivial and
sorry stufif even in their own time, I chanced
upon a title-page that caused me to sit up and
rub my eyes. There was something decidedly
familiar about it; and yet I had never seen it
before. It appeared in no library catalogue that
I had ever seen, in no reference list, in no biblio-
graphical table. If any one else had ever seen
it, he had failed to report the fact. This was the
title-page:
A
SKETCH
OF THE
LIFE, &c.
OF
Mr. Anthony Aston,
Commonly calFd TONY ASTON.
Written by Himself. Now All Alive.
There was no mistaking the pages which fol-
lowed this announcement, — they were written
by the author of the Brief Supplement. Meager
as this sketch is, — it was intended only as a
synoptical outline of a more complete autobi-
ography — it supplies us with ;i multitude of
7
ANTHONY ASTON
facts, hitherto inaccessible, about the life of An-
thony Aston; in fact, it is our first real account
of the man. I have gone to some pains to verify
(whenever possible) every statement made by
the author, and have spanned the breaks in the
narrative with the necessary historical connec-
tions. For this, in the main, I have relied upon
sources contemporaneous with Aston's own ac-
count.^
I.
According to the Sketch, Anthony Aston was
the son of Richard Aston of the Staffordshire
branch of that numerous family. His mother
was of Irish birth, the daughter of a Colonel
Cope, County Armagh. Tony was, therefore,
half Irish, which may or may not account for
his native wit. However, the nationality of his
mother does assist us to identify the father of
the subject of our story. There were two Rich-
ard Astons of Staffordshire. One, the grandson
of Sir Walter, first Lord Aston, was too young
to be the father of Tony; and, besides, the rec-
ords show that that Richard Aston married Jane
Colclough. The only alternative is that the
other Richard Aston was the father of Tony.
This Richard Aston was the third son in a fam-
1. Chief among these are. The Flying Post, Postman, London Po8«,
Dawk'a News-Letter, London Gazettev English Post, Daily Conrant, and
Craft«nian.
8
ANTHOXY ASTOX
ily of seven children, and his grandfather was
the brother to Sir Edward Aston who, in turn,
was father to Sir Walter first Lord AstonJ It
would appear, therefore, that the Staffordshire
Astons were highly respectable; and Richard
Aston was no exception to this. A point is made
of this fact as it throws light on Tony's remark
in his Sketch, to-wit, "As for my Relations every
where, I don't care a Groat for 'em, which is
just the Price they set upon me". In other
words, Tony was the recognized black sheep of
the flock, — a fact safely vouched for by his
amazing career."
Richard Aston left Staffordshire before his
marriage, and went up to London to pursue the
study of law. He seems to have been highly suc-
cessful ; and his ability was much valued, for,
in time, he became Principal of Furnival's Inn
and Secretary of the King's Bench. Furnival's
InnSvas then situated on the north side of High
Holborn, just east of Gray's-Inn-Road, between
Brooke Street and Leather Lane. At the top of
a. SUffortUhire Pe^sree (or. 1912). p. 10. For the Aston Cent of
Arms, Bee Publications of the Harleiani Society, lOl'J, vol. LXIII.
2. It ifi of paiuiintr intorest to note that Richard Aston claimed rela-
tionship with Anne Brac»')dr<ilf, famous actress of the later Reator^tion
period ; and in the Brief Supplement, Anthony htules that "Lady Shelton
of Norfolk [was] tn.y Godmother".
•< Furnival's Inn derives it« name from the orijrinni occupants, the
Lords Furnival. It is finjt noticed bb a law »eminary in 9 Hen. IV. In
Richard AKton's time it was an inn oi" Chancery nttnched to Lincoln'*
Inn. About 1818 it ceased to have any connection with uny Inn of Court.
In recent times it has been pulled down, the »ite beinK now occupied by
the Prudentiiil buildine.
ANTHONY ASTON
Brooke Street (not many paces from the place
where, at No. 39, the career of the youthful
Chatterton was ended in 1770), is Brooke Mar-
ket. Here lived Richard Aston, and here, prob-
ably, young Aston spent his earliest days. Rich-
ard Aston, ''tho' a Lawyer, liv'd and dy'd an
honest Man". He compiled a valuable book
(1661) entitled, Placita Latine Rediviva which
went through the third edition in 1673.
Naturally, the father chose for his son the
profession of law. Tony's first tutor, from
whom he got his earliest "tincture of whims",
was one Ramsay 'Svho first innoculated the Itch,
and also good Latin". He was then sent to "my
beloved Town of Tamworth" in Staffordshire,
to complete his Grammar education. Here the
boy proved father to the man, indulging in "in-
nocent pranks", which accorded well with his
"mercurial disposition". His experience at
Tamworth he describes more picturesquely as
"the early Seeds of Whim which push'd out in
my Infant Puerility". In fact, throughout a long
life, these same seeds never ceased "pushing
out". It was probably at Tamworth that he first
began to scribble poetry, though the best sample
1. Tamworth, at the confluence of the Tame and Auker, was a famous
royal residence ae far back ae the Heptarchy. Offa's Charter to the Wor-
cester Monks was dated from Tamworth, A. D. 781. About 910, Ethelfleda
created a fortress there, which was nearly destroyed by the Danes, and
later rebuilt.
10
ANTHONY ASTON
we have he declares he wrote at the age of seven.
He named it a burlesque
IN PRAISE OF PEACE
One in a fight, when standing at his Ease,
Did boldly eat a piece of Bread and Cheese;
His Fellou' ask'd him for a little Crumb,
Tho' not so big as Supernaculum:
The greedy Dog deny'd'. why should he grudge
it?
He had above a Peck within his Budget:
But while his Hand cramm'd Meat into his Gul-
let,
His Mouth received a spightful leaden Bullet.
Now Bread and Cheese lies trampled on the
Ground,
And such another Piece can ne'er be found;
So I'm resolv'd I never JVar will make,
But e'er keep Peace for Bread and Cheese's sake.
"Says my School-master, Antrohus. Give
Aston nothin<^ but Bread and Cheese these three
Days."
Whether Tony finished the course at the
Tamworth Grammar School we are not in-
formed. On his return to London, he was made
"an unlucky clerk" to a Mr. Randlc of the Six
Clerks' Oflicc. In this capacity he confesses,
with his usual frankness, that he was "unworthy"
11
ANTHONY ASTON
and "idle," doubtless dreaming of the days of his
Tamworth "pranks". It was not long until he
was "transplanted" to another office to learn the
ways of the lawyer under a Mr. Paul Jodrel,
for whom Tony had an unbounded admiration.
Instead of sticking faithfully to the routine task
of copying bills, answers, etc., the lad still "pre-
served his mercurials", and spent much of his
time scribbling verse, reading plays, and going
to the theatre. In brief, Tony was cut out
neither for the law nor for any work that re-
quired systematic industry and habits of dis-
cipline.
At this juncture in his bringing up, young
Aston went to see Thomas Dogget make comi-
cal faces "in the last two acts". This little exper-
ience proved to be the parting of the ways. He
threw up the profession of law and went on the
stage (he explicitly designates the "Old Play-
House", and, again in 1735, in a whimsical
speech delivered in the House of Commons, he
states that he was "initiated there", /. e. at Drury
Lane ). His name does not appear in any of the
play-bills of the day, and this, together with
Chetwood's remark that he was never long at
any one theatre, indicates that he was never
given an important part; and he was too indo-
lent, or restless for new experiences, to secure
12
ANTHUXY ASTON
his place even in a minor part. Tonv's version
of the case, however, is to the effect that he "suc-
ceeded in many Characters", and he went
through life protesting to the last that he had no
superiors in certain parts on the stage. At least
in one character he had no peers, namely, that
of Tony Aston. The fact is, he was a soldier of
fortune de natura, and anything that smacked of
continuous and coherent effort was disagreeable
to him. It is true, the time came, as to all such
roving natures, when he must find a groove for
himself to move in, but, even then, as we shall
find, it was the nomadic life he chose, rather than
risk, the ennui growing out of the daily grind of
a settled profession.
As to the exact date when Aston left Master
Jodrcl and went on the stage (as well as the
dates of the other events of his checkered career)
he is exasperatinglv indifferent, or entirely
silent. From internal evidence and several otlicr
correlated events, however, we may assert, with
a high degree of probabilitv that wc are right,
that it was in the year 1697 that he gave up the
law and went to Drury Lane to serve Mimos.
In his Brief Supplement, comparing Bettcrton
and Powell, Astf)n savs that tlie former was
sixty-three, the latter forty, years of age, at the
time of which he was writing. Evidently, these
13
ANTHONY ASTON
reminiscences were of the time when he was best
acquainted with the actors, that is, when he was
associated with them. In other words, he had the
season of 1697-'8 in mind. The correctness of
this conjecture is supported by another statement
in the same work. Writing of Dogget, he says
that that comedian left the London stage at the
latter end of King William's reign, ''at which
time I came on the Stage". This evidence is
conclusive.^ Dogget's name disappeared from
the London play-bills at the close of the 1696-7
season, and does not reappear in them for more
than three years. This fact enables us to estab-
lish another date in Tony's biographv. The late
Mr. Joseph Knight {vide Dictionary of Na-
tional Biography, Art. "Thomas Dogget")
thought it probable that these three years were
spent by Dogget in a visit to Dublin, the city of
his nativity and the place where he began his
histrionic career. Knight further states that
Aston met Dogget in Norwich, but gives neither
date, authority, nor excuse for injecting this
fragmentary information into the biography.
However, the matter may now be cleared up for
the first time. In his Sketch (of which Knight
1. Since writing tlus pa-ssaye, I have found complete verification of
the conclv^ion therein deduced, in a warrant in the Lord Chamberlain's
cffice in London caKd November 23, 1697, for the arrcet of DoKpret for
violating his articles .and deserting the company a.ctins: in Dorset Garden.
Dogget's a.rtic!es are dated April 3. 1696, and were for throe years. —
Lord Chamberlain's Bk«., Class .t. No. 114, p. 40, and idem, Class 7, Ser.
4.—
14
AXTHOXY ASTON
knew nothing) Tony tells us that, after leaving
the London stage, he went over to Ireland,
then returned to England and "travell'd with
Mr. Cash, Dogget, Booker [and] Mins". Again,
in the Brief Supplement, he says, "I have had
the pleasure of his [r. e. Dogget's] Conversation
for one Year, when I travell'd with him in his
strolling Company". Now, we know that Dog-
get's company was travelling in 1699, for on
January 27 of that year he performed at the
Angel Inn, Norwich. It was then that Aston
must have been with him, for it is the only year
in which I have found Dogget's name connected
with a strolling company in England, after he
joined the patentees in 1690. On the night in
question at Norwich, the gallery was so crowded
that it gave way and many people were injured
by the collapse. One child had its neck dislo-
cated, a mishap which seemed to cause it small
inconvenience, as Dr. Read, the King's oculist
was present and succeeded in re-adjusting the
member to the satisfaction of all concerned.^
Dogget's company was much respected by the
public, as "each Sharer kept his Horse", a spe-
cial mark of the gentleman, which Tony proudly
sets down in his Sketch. From a casual remark
in the Brief Supplement, we conclude that Aston
was a full sharer in Dogget's company.
I. Dank't News l^ettcr. No. i\2.
15
ANTHONY ASTON
The chronology for these years, therefore
so far as Aston is concerned, appears to be as
follows. In 1697 he abandoned the study of law
and went to act at Drury Lane Theatre. Not
succeeding there, nor at the other patent house,
he joined Dogget in Dublin where he probably
acted in 1698. The following year he travelled
with Dogget's company in England, as already
mentioned. These years filled Aston's imagi-
nation with the allurements of the stroller's life,
with its ever shifting fortunes and adventures,
and formed the determining factor in his later
movements.
On leaving Dogget's company, Tony first
tried his luck as a soldier. It is inconceivable
that he should have chosen this profession of his
own volition. It is more probable that his father
placed him in the army for purposes of disci-
pline. However that may have been, the father
paid the piper, and Tony's happiest recollection
of this period was that he took delight in "oblig-
ing" his "friend", Sergeant Callow, and posed
as a young spark with a father of means. In
spite of himself the drill in the manuals stood
him in good stead at no distant date.
Anthony could not have been connected with
the army for long, for within two years follow-
ing his strolling with Dogget, we find him shift-
16
ANTHONY ASTON
ing from one post to another in rapid succession.
At the beginning of his Sketch, he asserts that
he was a "Gentleman, Lawyer, Poet, Actor, Sol-
dier, Sailor, Exciseman, Publican" — a very nat-
ural progression for such a character — and the
sequence probably followed nearly in the order
given, although it is not always easy to unravel
the chronology of some of the jumbled and irrel-
evant jargon composing the brief account of his
life. For instance, just when or why or how he
secured the berth of Exciseman is a mystery; but
it is likely that this was one of the numerous ex-
periments whereby Tony was tried out to deter-
mine if he were really fit for anything in the
world. This much is clear, the place was un-
sought by him, for, being born a gentlem.an, "I
would not have you think", he says, "that I men-
tion being an Exciseman as a credit to me; no, to
screen that, I once pass'd [myself ofif] for a
Corn-Cutter". He immediately drops the sub-
ject with a characteristically vulgar joke, and
does not refer to it again. I place this experience
of Tony's tentatively before that of his voyage
overseas as the most probable order, although it
may have fallen in a later period. However,
from this on, for a considerable time at least,
we are able to check up his movements with a
17
ANTHONY ASTON
degree of satisfaction, by correlating his own
account with known historical facts.
11.
The closing years of the 17th, and the begin-
ning of the following, century were filled with
stirring affairs for England; and for the next
two or three years, Aston's shuttling movements
were largely guided by political developments.
The last years of King William's life had been
spent in apprehension of, and preparations for,
the final grip with the great menace which then,
as now recently, threatened all Europe — an arro-
gant one-man rule. The ambitions of Louis XIV
were scarcely veiled ; and the death of Charles II
of Spain near the close of 1700 was the occasion
for "his most Christian Majesty" to set his plans
in motion. The causes of the War of the Span-
ish Succession are too familiar to call for repeti-
tion here. Louis's candidate for the Spanish
throne was his kinsman, the Duke of Anjou,
whom he immediately sent to Madrid to secure
the crown. The popular candidate in Spain, or
more properly speaking, the candidate of the
Grandees, was Charles, Archduke of Austria;
but a declaration in his favor was sure to precip-
itate a war with France, and to avoid that con-
tingency Spain threw herself into the arms of
18
AXTHOXY ASTOX
Louis. Thus, (fortunately, as the event proved
— witness Gibraltar) England found herself
confronted by two foes instead of one. So far as
England and France alone were concerned,
there was a more irritating cause for hostilities
than even the question of the Spanish Succession.
When James II of England was deposed ( 1688) ,
he sought an asylum in France where he was re-
ceived as the rightful king of England; and
upon his death (September 6, 1701), Louis at
once hailed the Pretender as the legitimate heir
to the English throne. This in itself was a suffi-
cient cause for a declaration of war, but William
of Orange died suddenly (March 8, 1702)
before the formal step was taken. Less than two
months later (May 4, 1702) Queen Anne issued
the impending declaration of war.
Privateering and buccaneering had already
commenced in the waters of the West Indies and
along the coast of the colonies in America. No
more welcome occasion could have offered itself
to Tony Aston: it was the life for him. Near
the close of 1701, he set sail for Jamaica in the
brigantine Diligence. He has little to tell of the
outward voyage, save that it consumed eleven
weeks, and the captain placed him in irons for
certain improprieties towards one of the passen-
gers. On his arrival at Kingston, Aston applied
19
ANTHONY ASTON
himself to the practice of law, in which he seems
to have done very well, for, commenting on this
experience, he says, "I kept my Horse, liv'd gay,
pay'd all off". Running true to form, however,
he was soon ready for pastures new; and we are
able to test the accuracy of his statements by
comparing his account with the shipping intelli-
gence in the London Gazette, and from corres-
pondence and news items as these appeared in
the London prints from time to time. Thus we
learn that Colonel Selwyn had been appointed
Governor of Jamaica in April, 1701, but for one
or another reason he did not arrive in the island
until January, 1702. His first duty, of course,
was to put the colony in a state of defense; and,
doubtless, owing to Aston's service, brief though
it was, in the army, the latter was invited to as-
sist in the work, with, it would appear, the
promise of the first vacant commission. Hope
of advancement, however, was soon blasted.
Governor Selwyn died soon after his arrival in
Jamaica, and the Council for the colony ap-
pointed Peter Beckford to fill the vacancy until
a royal commission should supply a successor
to Selwyn. Meantime, occurred the death of
King William; and in the Summer of 1702
Queen Anne appointed the Earl of Peter-
borough as Governor of Jamaica. For some un-
20
AXTHONY ASTOX
explained reason he never went out to the col-
ony, and so Col. Thomas Handasyde (the "Mr.
H d e" of Aston's Sketch) was ap-
pointed in his room in 1703. Handasyde had
been a lieutenant in the army under Selwyn, and
was the virtual head of the government after his
chief's death. According to Tony's own testi-
mony, the new governor did not like him ; hence,
there was no hope of preferment fron^ that quar-
ter, and so he determined on moving his soldier-
of-fortune's camp.
Once more our picaro took passage on the
Diligence, this time bound for South Carolina.
The "Manner and Horror" of this voyage was
"inexpressible". They were cast away on the
sands of Port Royal, only sixty miles from their
destination. In answer to their "plaintive
Guns", a Bermudan sloop came to their succour.
After being plundered by his rescuers, Aston
arrived in Charleston, S. C, "full of Lice,
Shame, Poverty, Nakedness and Hunger".
These sufferings were partly palliated by the
kind treatment he received at the hands of Gov.
James Moore, whom he afterwards accom-
panied on an expedition against the Spaniards at
St. Augustine. The exciting episodes of this last
mentioned exploit, our hero promises "will be
described at large in a volume". This was the
21
AXTUOXV ASTOX
book that never was written, more is the pity.
Soon after these events, Moore was succeeded
by that able man, Sir Nathaniel Johnson, who so
assiduously and effectually guarded his capital
that the Spaniards never once threatened his
position. In one of the companies of soldiers
organized by Johnson, Aston was made a Lieu-
tenant of the Guard with a commission from the
Governor. Tony, however, objected to the over-
bearing treatment accorded him by his Captain,
"one Heme", and particularly "since he caus'd
me to do that Duty he was to relieve [me of]
every other Night", he surrendered his commis-
sion and once more tried a turn of the wheel of
fortune. Before this, however, probably soon
after his arrival at Charleston, he "turned
Player and Poet", but not for long, we may im-
agine. He further states that he wrote a play on
the country; but this chef-d'oeuvre has not been
preserved.
When our adventurer left Charleston in a
hufif, he headed for North Carolina in a small
sloop, with the ultimate aim of securing passage
on some homeward bound vessel. The storm
which drove the Diligence aground near Port
Royal in 1702 was a dallying zephyr compared
to the weather which they encountered on this
voyage. If his memory did not play him a trick,
22
ANTHONY ASTON
Aston was lashed to the helm for twelve hours,
while his clothes were literally washed from his
body. The little barque was knocked to pieces
off Cape Fear, and Tony, like another classic
sailor, found himself washed ashore on the bank
of a small river. He too was relieved by a sec-
ond Alcinoiis who cared for him a month, after
which he returned to Charleston for a second
attempt. This time (November, 1703) he
steered for New York; but once more the storms
pounded the ship fearfully and it was obliged to
put into a Virginia harbour. After recuperat-
ing at the house of a Quaker, Tony and two fel-
low travellers borrowed horses and made their
way to Newcastle, on through Pennsylvania and
New Jersey, and finally arrived at New York.
If all the details of these adventures had been
set down in Aston's vernacular, they doubtless
would rival anything with which fact or fiction
has been adorned. It is a world of pities that
Tony never got to the task of elaborating his
notes of these exciting experiences.
Once in New York, he had the rare good for-
tune to fall in with a number of his old London
acquaintances, who had on former occasions ren-
dered him aid and who now again befriended
him. The name of one of these appears fre-
(]uently in the annals of the wars then waging,
2Z
ANTHONY ASTON
Captain Henry Pullen, or Pulleyn. Aston spent
this Winter (1703-'4) in keeping with his char-
acter, or, as he puts it, "acting, writing, courting,
fighting". In the following Spring or early
Summer, another attempt was made to return to
England; and this time our wanderer was suc-
cessful, albeit the voyage, like the course of
Tony's career, was a circuitous one. By another
run of good luck he was given free passage back
to Virginia where he was "treated handsomely"
by the Governor, Sir Francis Nicholson, whose
guest he apparently was for some time, — at least
one would assume that such was the relationship
from Tony's own account. In January, 1704,
the real opportunity to get back home came,
when a portion of the British Fleet under Com-
modore Evans acted as convoy to some 500 sail
bound for home ports. Though still a mendi-
cant, Aston was yet in luck, for the "generous
Captain Pulman of the Hunter" gave him his
passage, and he was not less grateful to his "dear
Captain Pullen" for his "punch and extraordi-
naries."
The homeward voyage was relieved from
monotony by a few brushes with the enemy, and
on August 7, 1704 the Fleet anchored in the
Downs. After an absence from England of
about three years, filled with the experiences of
24
ANTHONY ASTON
the adventurer, Tony Aston found himself once
more in London, penniless and with nothing in
view. He was still in his early twenties, and the
predominant trait in his character, thus far de-
veloped, pointed clearly to the mountebank.
His good family connections had doubtless been
drawn upon in more than one emergency; in no
other way can we account for the almost invari-
ble kind treatment he received from those hi eh
in position and authority. On the other hand,
he had many good points to insure his getting
along among strangers. He was possessed of a
fair degree of honesty, was witty, a shrewd ob-
server of human nature, and was a good judge
of character. His inclinations, however, were
unswervingly towards a low level. That he had
histrionic ability there is no doubting; but every-
thing about him, taste, experience, mental equip-
ment, indicated the low comedian rather than
the dignified wearer of the sock. As we have
seen, it was to the business of grimacing that he
invariably returned after he had tired of other
ventures: so now, he drifted unerringly to
Smithfield, it being the height of the "season"
there. Here he proceeded to "settle down," at
least to take a step in that direction, by getting
married, as he informs us, to a "Bartholomew
Fair lady", presumably an actress whf) later be-
25
ANTHONY ASTON
came 'heading lady" in Tony's strolling Com-
pany.
III.
About this time, that is, soon after his return
to London, it appears that Aston joined Colonel
Salisbury's expedition to Portugal, with the
promise of the first commission to fall vacant;
but, as on a former occasion in the colonies, he
was disappointed in this, and probably took no
further part in the business. (He states in the
Sketch that he had been in "Hispaniola", but
makes no allusion to his experiences there.)
Once more he turned stroller, and "continued
up and down in England, Scotland, Ireland,
acting". Just how long he continued swinging
around the circle without a break, he does not
tell us; but with the possible exception of a
slight change in his course for a short period —
an episode to be mentioned later — this probably
marks the close of Tony's irregular wanderings,
and the beginning of a half-century of regular
routine strolling. The first five or six years of
this long experience Aston seems to distinguish
from the remainder of the period, for in a peti-
tion to Parliament in 1735, he says that "for
twenty-five years past, my Medley . . . hath
been admitted and applauded through Great
26
ANTHONY ASTON
Britain''; and in his Sketch he mentions the fact
that he "set up" his Medley after leaving ofif
strolling, leaving the impression either that he
had been travelling with some other company
or that his Medley performances were in con-
tradistinction to the amusements offered by the
stroller. As a matter of fact Aston did not leave
off strolling at all; he simply altered somewhat
the character of his entertainments in about 1710,
after which he regaled the public of the prov-
inces with a hotch-potch bill which he very
properly called a Medley. This was not of
Tony's invention, but was the direct descendant
of the so-called "drolls" of the Commonwealth
period — a mongrel species of performances con-
ceived to keep alive the histrionic art during
the time when the theatres were closed. There
are numerous examples extant of Tony's enter-
tainments. They consisted of a concoction of
numerous scenes (usually six or eight) taken
from the chief stock plays, and had no more re-
lation one to another than the numbers in a mod-
ern vaudeville bill or music hall "show". To
these scenes were tacked an occasional prologue
and epilogue, and, to add variety, dances and
comical songs were interspersed. These furbe-
lows were the product of Aston's "undaunted
genius."
27
ANTHONY ASTON
From the advertisements in the newspapers of
the time, and from the songs preserved in printed
form, we learn something of the character of
these performances — if performances they may
be called, as their chief source of amusement lay
in Tony's grimaces and in stage "business". Of
course, the humorous songs, epilogues and pro-
logues were often improvised to fit local condi-
tions, making them the special features of the
entertainment. As a typical programme of a
feast of mirth offered by Tony to the hungry
public, the following, taken from the Daily
Courant for December 27, 1716, will serve as an
illustration:
"Tony Aston's Medley From Bath.
Begins to Morrow, being Friday the 28th In-
stant [December, 1716], at the Globe and Marl-
borough's Head in Fleetstreet. He gives his
humble Duty to the Quality, and Service to his
Friends and Acquaintances, hoping they then
grace his first Night, at 6 a-Clock, Price Is.
That Night's Entertainment will be, 1. A new
Prologue. 2. Riot and Arabella. 3. Woodcock
Squib and Hilaria. 4. Serjeant Kite and Mob.
5. Ben and Miss Prue. 6. Fondlewife and
Laetitia. 7. Teague. 8. Jerry Blackacre and
Widow. 9. The Drunken Man. 10. A new
Prologue. With Dances, and new Comical
Songs.
28
ANTHONY ASTON
N. B. All this is perform'd by Mr. Anthony
Aston, his wife, and son of 10 Years only, and
will continue Nightly, Bills being stuck up of
the whole Entertainment, which varies each
Night".
Although Tony boasted that he was capable
of contending with the best of 'em for the bays,
it is perfectly evident that he was most success-
ful in the horse-play scenes of the Restoration
Drama. In these entertainments he merely at-
tempted to impersonate the leading comedians of
the day in their parts; and, indeed, it is improb-
able that he ever got much beyond the under-
study. As an actor his originality consisted in
"taking off" well known eccentric characters of
the day. In this he was the immediate forerun-
ner of Samuel Foote who copied Tony in more
than one particular. Reverting to the above bill,
the items varied from time to time, but the qual-
ity remained always about on one level.
This coming to London, as announced in the
foregoing advertisement^ cast the shadow of an
expanding ambition on the part of Anthony
Aston, an ambition that never got beyond the
nursing stage. Hitherto, his "company" con-
sisted of himself, wife and son. Me now re-
cruited it by four more actors and actresses and
offered to the public taste an "Kpitome of the
29
ANTHOXV ASTON
best Comedies" by his "additional Company".
This was a mere feeler, which he immediately
followed by announcing "the whole Spanish
Fryar" for March 2, 1717; and thereby hangs
a tale. Tony's advertisements at least were now
quite as respectable as those of the two patent
houses. The Drury Lane Theatre had been
playing Three Hours After Marriage, while the
new house in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields was offering
The She Gallant, with singing by Cook, "and
several Entertainments of Dancing by Mons.
Mrean, Mrs. Bullock, and Mons. Salle and
Madamoiselle Salle his Sister, the two Chil-
dren". ^
Now, it was exactly because Tony aspired
(whatever the motive) to something higher than
his faddling Medley, that he ran amuck of the
great orbs, Wilks, Cibber, and Booth at the
Drury Lane Theatre, and John Rich at the Lin-
coIn's-Inn-Fields; for these managers claimed
a monopoly of the acted legitimate drama in
London. They would brook no encroachments
on their patents, and, while it was not then
usual for them to take any notice of the two
"fairs" and the numerous "booths" about town,
that "whole Spanish Fryar" was more than they
were willing to swallow. The law supplied
1. Daily Courant, Jan. 18, 1717.
30
ANTHONY ASTON
them with sufficient ^'instrumentalities" for si-
lencing all opposition, and a simple mandate
was usually sufficient. At any rate, we hear no
more of Aston's attempt to represent the legiti-
mate drama in London. The full force of the
blow to Tony's hopes did not end with the sup-
pression of The Spanish Friar, but struck at
something more tangible and more vital than
mere ambition. This will appear more clearly
in the next announcement which he ventured to
publish. About a week after the episode just
related, the following appeared in the Daily
Courant (March 11, 1717) :
''At the Desire of some Persons of Quality,
This present Monday will be Reviv'd
Tony Aston's Medley: Beginning at Six
a-Clock, at the Globe and Marlborough's
Head in Fleetstreet; when the Company
may hear that Surprising Musick without
Wind or String.
N. B. Mr. Aston performs to divert his
Friends Gratis, and hath Toothpickers to
sell at Is. each."
It is the "N. B." part of this advertisement that
holds the greatest significance for the student of
the English Stage. It means something more
than that poor Aston was obliged to abandon
his big scheme to represent entire plays ; it means
31
ANTHONY ASTON
that the patentees were determined that he
should not act at all in London. The ''tooth-
picker" dodge to evade the letter of the law is
probably the earliest forerunner of later similar
devices by which independent theatrical mana-
gers got around the "for hire, gain, and reward"
protection of those specially privileged by royal
patent. Thus viewed, this otherwise trifling af-
fair assumes a dignified rank in a long struggle
which resulted, more than a century later, in
the abolition of the theatrical monopoly in Lon-
don.
It is more than probable that the patentees be-
gan to hector Tony soon after his arrival in Lon-
don from Bath, and, some weeks before the event
just recorded, had almost succeeded in ousting
him from his little kingdom in the Strand. On
February 14, 1717, he was forced to this sub-
terfuge :
"For the Benefit of a Gentleman in Distress,
This present Thursday, Tony Aston per-
forms his Medley, at the Globe and Marl-
borough's Head in Fleetstreet, being the last
time but one at this part of the Town".
The "Gentleman in Distress" was doubtless Mr.
Anthony Aston. However, the trick seems to
have worked, for the next day he made a new ap-
peal to the public by borrowing directly from
32
ANTHONY ASTON
the great managers themselves the stale device,
*'at the Desire of several Ladies and Gentle-
men". A week later, he varied the ruse in the
announcement that "several Ladies and Gentle-
men have appointed to be at Tony Aston's Med-
ley" on a given day. Emboldened by his suc-
cess in hanging on longer than he had hoped to
do, he now struck out on the venture which was
earlv destined to wreck all his plans in London.
Retaining the Medley for Mondays, Wednes-
days and Fridays, he announced for the alternate
days of the week, "a Contiguous Entertainment,
beginning with a new farce on Tuesday next
rpebruary 26, 1717], call'd the Way of the
Town: The part of Old Doodle by Mr. Aston,
Eleanor his neice by Mrs. Aston, Quicquid a
Comical Servant by Aston, Jun. and 4 other
Characters by People capable to discharge
them". ^ The progress after this was rapid to
the "whole Spanish Fryar" affair, as already re-
lated, and the final collapse of the audacious
scheme to beard the lion in his den.
Tony's meteoric appearance at the Globe and
Marlborough's Head ceased with his Easter
Week (1717) engagement there. "Up and down
England" was again in order. It is unnecessary
to follow him in these peregrinations. In fact,
beyond the bald statement which he makes in
1. D«lly Courint. KH>rua.ry 22. 1717.
33
ANTHONY ASTON
the Sketch that Ireland and Scotland were in-
cluded in his itinerary, his condition "sometimes
increasing, sometimes decreasing in Circum-
stances, Hopes, Friends, Patience — and still
have liv'd handsomely by God's Providence —
Force of my undaunted Genius", we know little
or nothing of the details of his life for some
years following his adventure in London. It is
worthy of record that Tony, while abhorring
and lamenting the illiberal treatment bestowed
upon him by the patentees in London, applied
the same tactics to his competitors en route.
Chetwood, a contemporary of Aston's, thus
illumines his monopolistic methods:
"He pretended a Right to every Town he en-
tered, and if a Company came to any Place
where he exhibited his Compositions, he would
use all his Art to evacuate the Place of these
Interlopers, as he called them. ... If he
met with a sightly house, when he was Itinerant,
he would soon find the Name, Title, and Cir-
cumstances of the Family, curry them over with
his humorous verse, and by this means get some-
thing to bear his Charges to the next Station.
... If Tony by chance ever came to a Town
where a Company of Showmen (as People call
them) had got in before him, he presently de-
clar'd War with them; and his general Condi-
34
AXTHOXY ASTON
tions of Peace were, that they should act a Play
for his Benefit, that he might leave the Seige,
and march with his small Troop to some other
Place. And as he was a Person of Humour, and
a proper Assurance, he generally, like a Cat,
skimm'd ofif the fat Cream, and left the lean
Milk to those that stay'd behind."
Tony was simply shrewder, not meaner, than the
others, or, as Chetwood doggerelizes It:
// various Dealers the same Goods exhibit,
They wish each other dangling on a Gibbet.
The same historian relates the story of the trunk
full of "cabbage-stocks, bricks and stones" left
by Tony with a certain landlord, as security for
an unpaid board bill. To his credit, be it re-
corded, as soon as his circumstances permitted,
he returned and redeemed the pawn; for, "his
Finances, like those of Kingdoms, were some-
times at the Tide of Flood, and often at low
Ebb".
Scholars acquainted with the evolution of the
theatre in England will recall that the first third
of the 18th century was a critical period in the
history of the Stage. In the first place, there
was a determined effort to bring under the con-
trol of the Crown (through the Lord Chamber-
lain's office) all theatrical amusements through-
out the kingdom; while at the same time, the
35
ANTHONY ASTON
patentees of the two national theatres, claiming
under the patents issued by Charles II to Killi-
crrew and Davenant an absolute monopoly of
stage performances in London, stubbornly de-
fended their sinecures against royal encroach-
ments, on the one hand, and on the other they
were jealously alert to stamp out all competi-
tion of every nature whatsoever. These contests
culminated in the famous Licensing Act of 1737,
rightly regarded as the most illiberal legislation
ever enacted in connection with the acted drama
in England. As the precursor of this Act, Sir
John Barnard in 1735 introduced into Parlia-
ment the Playhouse Bill, aimed ostensibly at a
new theatre in the East End (the Goodman's
Fields Theatre) erected by Thomas Odell to-
ward the close of 1729. The real purpose of
Barnard's measure was to clinch the monopoly
of the Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres,
and to bring under the control of the Lord
Chamberlain "all common players of Inter-
ludes" within the realm. Of course the bill met
with stiff opposition; the term "interlude" was
all-inclusive, taking in Jarley waxworks, Aston
Medleys, and what not? Among others, was a
"Petition of Anthony Aston, Comedian", read in
the House of Commons April 14, 173.^. The
petitioner conceived that he would be ruined if
36
AXTHOXy ASTOX
the proposed act passed into law, and prayed that
he might be heard personally, "he being poor,
and having no Money to fee Counsel". This
request was granted; and one wonders which it
was, the desire to be entertained, or the love of
justice, that moved the committee to grant
Tony's plea. The speech was printed by its
author, and shows the acumen and egotism of th-:
man. He shrewdly saw the threatened danger
to his profession in the Playhouse Bill: it would
give to the magistrates "the whip-hand of us all,
except the Patentees", who would still remain
immune within the stronghold of their royal
patents. Tony then launched upon one of his
characteristic boasts: he was "esteem'd through
the Kingdom as a Top Proficient, . . . and
am now (without Gaul to any Actor) willing to
contend from the Ghost in JIamlet, to Hob in
the Country JVake", a fair cFK)u,<.>h challenge it
would seem. He declared that his .Medley was
a paragon of decency and good manners, "and
hath been admitted and applauded . . .
when and where common Players have been re-
jected ; nay, I have been invited often into the
Private Apartments of the Heads of Colleges,
and Noble, and Cientlemen's Houses; so that if it
had not been ff)r accumulated Misfortunes,] had
been in easy Circumstances". He closed his ad-
369461
ANTHONY ASTON
dress with the request that he be given a monop-
oly of the Medley business in Great Britain,
''or be otherwise provided for, that I may not
starve in my declining Years".
There were numerous similar attacks on
Barnard's proposed measure, and these were so
successful that the bill was withdrawn on April
30, 1735. Tony's allusion to "accumulated mis-
fortunes" had something to it more than the con-
ventional hard-luck story. In addition to the
harsh treatment at the hands of the patentees,
complained of, at one time during his career
Tony was afflicted with consumption, against
which he seems to have put up a winning fight.
At another period, the date of which I have
been unable to fix definitely, he invested in a
public house in Portsmouth. The money which
he put into this venture must have been the in-
heritance he received at the death of his father;
for it is inconceivable that he ever should have
accumulated a sufficiency of his own earnings to
invest in any substantial business. Sometime
prior to this diversion, it is possible that he was
mitiated into the tapster's calling by Richard
Estcourt, the actor, who at one time seems to
have owned the Bumper Tavern in James St.,
Covent Garden. This conclusion is deduced
from an advertisement in the Spectator No. 262
38
ANTHONY ASTON
(January 1, 1712), in which a Mr. Estcourt
recommends his "neat natural wines" to the pub-
lic who will be served "with the utmost Fidelity
by his old Servant Trusty Anthony, who has so
often adorned both the Theaters in England and
Ireland". If this be our Tony (and the allusion
to his acting is justifiable grounds for suspecting
that it is), it was his first service under the sign
of a bunch of grapes, as the commendation
(which carries also another sign of the times)
says of him that, "as he is a person altogether
unknowing to the Wine Trade it cannot be
doubted but that he will deliver the Wine in the
same natural Purity that he received it from the
Merchants". The reference by Estcourt to his
"old Servant Trusty Anthony", is a little mysti-
fying. Aston makes but a single passing allusion
to Estcourt in his Supplement; if the relation-
ship between the two had ever been as close as
that indicated in the advertisement quoted, it
would seem that Tony would have made some
direct reference to it. However, there is no
doubting that Aston kept an "ele«jfant" tavern at
Portsmouth, if \vc- may believe his own state-
ment to that effect in the recentlv discovered
Sketch. He appeared to like the Blue Flag as
he called it, "where I was generously used by
the worthy Corporation, Officers, and others,
39
ANTHONY ASTON
and there might have continued, had some of
my Family proved Honest". With this remark
he drops the subject as suddenly as he intro-
duces it.
IV.
Aside from the activities recounted in the
foregoing outline, there is left to record the out-
put of Tony Aston's pen. Here, again, the per-
ennial characteristic of the man crops out: there
is more of boast and promise than real achieve-
ment. The verses scribbled during his school-
days have not been preserved, save the half
dozen couplets quoted near the beginning of this
sketch ; but from these we may judge of the rest,
as the man himself changed little from boyhood
to old age. Indeed, if there is any marked dif-
ference between his early effort and later com-
positions, the balance tips in favor of the former.
Not many of Aston's "plays" are extant.
Baker {Biogrnphia Dramatica) , quoting Chet-
wood, says that Tony wrote a piece called Love
in a Hurry which was acted without success at
the Smock-Alley Theatre in Dublin in 1709.
Chetwood mentions no date in connection with
this dramatic effort, and, so far as I know, Chet-
wood is the sole authority for its existence. But
there is no reason for doubting that the play was
written and acted, for, as already pointed out,
40
AXTHOXY ASTOX
Chetwood has been, until now, our only author-
ity on Anthony Aston. It is probable that the
piece had its title changed when it was printed,
if it ever was printed, or, what is more probable,
Love in a Hurry was the sub-title and was
omitted from the printed edition. This I con-
jecture from the fact that Aston did have a play
printed in Dublin in 1709, bearing the title,
"The Coy Shepherdess, a Pastoral, as it was
Acted at the Theatre Royal." In 1712 this was
reprinted in London with the followinfy title-
page: Pastora: / or, th? / Coy Shepherdess. /
An / Opera. / As it was Perform'd / By His
Grace the Duke of / Richmond's Servants / At
/ Tunbridge-Wells / In the Year 1712. / Writ-
ten by / Anthony Aston, Comedian. This piece
is slight from every approach, and is beneath,
criticism. It could not, in and of itself possibly
have furnished more than a twenty minutes en-
tertainment, without the addition of stage "busi-
ness" for the real "show". It is difficult to con-
ceive why it was called an "opera", or how it
possibly could have formed the basis of amuse-
ment of any sort in any age. But then wc have
our own comic operas to answer for.
Much later than The Coy Shepherdess ap-
peared The Fool's Opera. I have placed this
conjecturely in the year 1730, although it is pos-
41
ANTHONY ASTON
sible that it appeared later than that date. Gay's
Beggar 5 Opera was acted early in 1728, and as
it was widely imitated it is possible that it fur-
nished Aston with the suggestion, although the
chief resemblance is in the titles. The full title
of Tony's book is, The / Fool's Opera; / or, the
/ Taste of the Age. / Written by Mat. Med-
ley. / And Perform'd by / His Company in
Oxford. / To which is prefix'd / A / Sketch /
of the / Author's life, / Written by Himself. /
This is a very rare book, not on account of the
intrinsic worth of the "opera", but because of
the "Sketch" (which is suffixed, not prefixed as
stated on the title-page). The British Museum
probably possesses the only copy in existence.
It is the only authoritative account of the life of
Anthony Aston thus far unearthed, and its exist-
ence was not suspected until I discovered it a
few years ago. It has been largely drawn upon
for the foregoing pages, and is of such singular
importance as to justify a reprinting at this time.
Its general characteristics are the same as those
of tht Brief Supplement {which, is also reprinted
in this volume), although more ragged in style,
and less coherent and more crude in every way.
The two pamphlets are alike in the vulgar tone
which dominates them both, and in the egotism
of the author. The two documents were appar-
42
ANTHONY ASTON
cntly set up and printed on the same press. A
"To the Reader", prefixed to the Fool's Opera,
informs us that it "was first Acted with univer-
sal Satisfaction in a Person of Quality's House,
by People of the first Rank, for their own Diver-
sion; who, I must needs say, did all the Char-
acters Justice, especially the Fool, who out-acted
himself. The "Person of Quality" is not des-
ignated, but the "People of the first Rank" are
set down as,
Poet Mr. Aston Sen.
Fool Mr. Aston, Jun.
Lady Mrs. Motteux
Maid Mrs. Smith
The preface closes with this whimsy: "N. B. I
hereby Own to have Received for the Copy of
this OPERA One Thousand Three Hundred
Forty Four Pounds, Nineteen Shilling and
Eleven Pence Three Farthings, — All in Mr.
Wood's Half-pence." Inset at the top of the
frontispiece is a medallion efiigy, labelled "Tony
Aston," but, although a rarity, its likeness to the
original may be doubted.
In passing, it is of interest to note that Aston's
company was not confined to his own small fam-
ily, as hitherto generally supposed. In addition
U) the Mrs. Smith and the Mrs. Motteux men-
tioned in the above cast of characters, four other
43
ANTHONY ASTON
names appear in Tony's company at other times.
These were Champneys and Leigh, Mrs.
Dumene and Mrs. Lee. These names appear
among the dramatis personae of the Coy Shep-
herdess, and were probably the "additional com-
pany" mentioned in the advertisements of 1717.
The play which Tony says he wrote in South
Carolina "on the Subject of the Country", as
well as the poetry written in New York the fol-
lowing Winter, probably never got printed.
This may also be stated of the many songs, pro-
logues, and epilogues which he composed to
"fill up the chinks of the slender meal" served
up in his Medleys. Some of these, doubtless,
were never as much as written down, but were
simply improvisations out of Tony's surplus
audacity and waggery. However, belles-lettres
have not suffered for the omission, if the extant
samples of Tony's "undaunted genius" are rep-
resentative of the others.
On the other hand, his failure to write down
his memoirs of the stage is a genuine loss, judg-
ing from the quality of the Brief Supplement to
Colley Cibber's Apology. The Brief Supplement
is most unique. The criticisms of the actors and
actresses included within the author's purview
are, of course, partial, sometimes trivial, and
sometimes exaggerated. But Aston here does
44
ANTHONY ASTON
what scarcely another contemporary was able to
do, namely, he hum.anizes the persons dealt with
and of. Eschewing mere platitudes, he justifies
or condemns by pointing to concrete excellences
and palpable faults, — to specific tones and ges-
tures, to glances and attitudes, to personal man-
nerisms and even to physical defects and virtues
which impeded or enhanced the effectiveness of
the particular character he writes about. Bell-
chamber, who first reprinted the Brief Supple-
ment in his "Cabinet" in 1808,^ is very indignant
at Aston's characterization of Betterton, but, in
this instance, Bcllchamber's prejudice is so
marked as to neutralize what might otherwise
stand for an excellent judgment. Moreover, he
ignores the fact that Aston takes for his text the
quotation, Nemo sine crimine vivit, and empha-
sizes that it is an antidote to Gibber's Apology
that he is preparing. As for the depiction of
Betterton, Tony states very clearly that he is
writing about the great actor as he knew him,
that is, as he appeared in his later years on the
stage. And, after all, who has bestowed more
intelligent praise, or, which is more to the pur-
pose, wh(j has reproduced a living Betterton so
well? The same is true of the other portraits in
1. At th<r r-nd of thp liorond volume of hi« pxrellont rpprint of Cib-
ber'» ApoloBT. Ihr latt; R. W. LowtV htui very BaliHfact'jirily rciiroduotxJ
AntoriB Brief Rupplfmetit (1H89).
45
ANTHONY ASTON
the Brief Supplement: they are flesh-and-blood
characters, this one with a wry mouth, that with
a deformed shoulder, a splay foot, a mole
marked, or pock-fretted face, and so on. The
stories related of the various artists are relevant
in interpreting their temperaments, their foibles,
their benevolences, their vanities, in brief, their
human qualities. The little brochure has its
faults, both of omission and commission; but
who would alter it if he could?
The Sketch differs from the Brief Supple-
ment in that it is entirely autobiographical. The
style is execrable — in fact, it cannot be said to
possess a style; but then, as already pointed out,
it is nothing more than choppy notes jotted
down as the basis of a more pretentious work.
Rut if the expression is not felicitous, or the
thought lucid, or the scrappy facts lack ideal-
ism, we must not forget that all of this, after all,
is fairly reflective and characteristic of the man
himself. Indeed, we thus learn more about
Tony Aston than if he had embroidered the
crude facts with a pseudo-morality or padded
them with a fictional heroism. The sketch is as
the man was, uncouth, undeveloped, devoid of
high aims, vigorous, vulgar and erratic.
As an actor Tony Aston was more the imi-
tator and impersonator than the original com-
46
ANTHONY ASTON
edian. He was something above the Bartholo-
mew Fair mountebank, and was decidedly out-
classed by the leading comedians of the legiti-
mate stage. He had much histrionic ability but
lacked the originality to create great comic
characters. On the other hand, while he shone
brightest in low, broad comedy, he chose for his
masters those who were original and pre-emi-
nent in their respective roles; and Aston was no
mean disciple, despite his over-consciousness of
the fact. Thus, for example, he confesses to
have copied Joe Haines the creator of Roger in
JEsop, and Dogget's interpretation of Fondle-
wife in The Old Bachelor. But Tony was too
"idle" and "unworthy" (to use the language
which he himself applied to his youth) ever to
become thorough master of his art, and this fact,
taken in conjunction with his ambition and na-
tive ability, partially accounts for a versatility
that usually fell short of genuine achievement in
any line. It also serves to explain his self-appre-
ciation in the assertion that he "succeeded in
many characters", on the one hand, and, on the
other, the refusal of the London managers to
sec him in that light. Lazy ability is fatal to
great results; industrious mediocrity often
accomplishes wonders.
We are fortunate in having preserved for us
47
ANTHONY ASTON
a brief contemporaneous estimate of Tony Aston
as an actor, and although the appreciation is
used for a comparison in politics, it is none the
less accurate. In the Craftsman No. 267 (Aug-
ust 14, 1731), after berating Walpole for gath-
ering unto himself the various powers of the
government, followed by a plundering of the
nation, the writer attempts to elucidate his con-
tention by the following object lesson : ''Tony
Aston is a Monopolizer of this Kind; he plays
all Characters; he fills none; he is the whole
Comedy in his single Person; he receives, in-
deed, the Salary of Proper Actors, and this is
poor Tony's only View; for his Plea is Neces-
sity; he confesses his Inability to sustain so many
Parts, and picks your Pocket of half a Crown,
with some Appearance of Modesty; but if he
should enter with the Air of a Drawcansir, and
swear that He alone was fit to represent every
Character, that He alone was iit to receive all
the Pay, and that he would never permit any
one else to tread the Stage, I think he would be
hiss'd by the People".
Other characteristics of Anthony Aston,
which stand out boldly in the Sketch and in the
Brief Supplement, need no elaboration or
lengthy comment. Egotism, mendicancy, and
coarse-mindedness are everywhere shamelessly
featured; and these were inherent faults of the
48
ANTHONY ASTON
man, not to be charged against the "age" in
which he lived. Bellchamber, in a fury, says
that Tony was "notorious for his frauds, ignor-
ance and audacity". This is the interpretation
he placed on Chetwood's short account of Aston.
Audacious, Tony certainly was, but always so
waggishly so that one is disposed to condone the
fault. As for the charge of fraud, that is based
entirely on the story related by Chetwood of
Tony's cramming his trunk full of rubbish and
leaving it with his landlord as security for an
unpaid board bill, the landlord all the while be-
lieving that the trunk was filled with a valuable
wardrobe which he was satisfied would soon be
forfeited to him. That there was deception on
Tony's part is beyond cavil; but he had no
other recourse in those days. Bellchamber fails
to call attention to the cupidity of the landlord,
and to the more important fact that Aston re-
turned as soon as he was able to do so and paid
the landlord in full. A dishonest person would
not have done that. Even when Tony was de-
pendent outright on charity, he never shows in-
gratitude, but always takes pains to acknowledge
the assistance received, and never speaks of a
benefactor exxept in the most respectful and en-
dearing terms. Coming to the last charge, Aston
was not a prodigy of learning or culture, and
49
ANTHONY ASTON
his bad French and smattering of Latin, to say
nothing of his tortured English, is sufficient
grounds to speak of him as ignorant. But then
there is the shrewdness and naivete of the man
to balance the account. In short, Tony was just
Tony Aston, and we must accept him and his
work as they have come to us, not as we would
have them.
The exact date of Anthony Aston's birth is
not known, but it was about 1682. Of the time
and place of his death we are even more ignor-
ant. From internal evidence, we know that he
wrote his Brief Supplement as late as the latter
part of 1747; and Chetwood states as a belief
that he was still alive and strolling in 1749.
This half conjecture is significant. Tony's mode
of living was dissociated from all that gives to
home "a local habitation and a name", and yet
he was so well-known of all men and so common
withal, that he had come to be a memory, though
still alive! I know not what Parish Clerk re-
corded his death. He emulated greater actors
than himself, notably, Thomas Dogget, and
claimed superiority over CoUey Cibber in cer-
tain characters; he probably caused more people
to forget life's tribulations for a brief hour than
most men who trod the stage in his time.
50
DESIGN
A
SKETCH
OF THE
LIFE, &c.
OF
MR. ANTHONY ASTON
Commonly calVd TONY ASTON
Written hy Himself - ■ Now ALL ALIVE
51
ANTHONY ASTON
NTENDING hereafter to write my
HISTORY at large, I now oblige
my Printer with this cursory
Touch, in order to make him coine
doicn handsomely for what will be
anon. I have often been in the mind to commit
some criminal Fact, on purpose to oblige him
with my Dying Speech; but as I considered he
would ^et more by my LIFE, I was resolved
to continue Honest and Merry: so, ad rem at
once.
My merry Hearts,
You are to know me as a Gentleman, Lawyer,
Poet, Actor, Soldier, Sailor, Exciseman, Publi-
can; in England, Scotland, Ireland, New-York,
East and JVest Jersey, Maryland, [Virginia on
both sides Cheesapeek,) North and South Caro-
lina, South Florida, Bahama's, Jamaica, His-
paniola, and often a Coaster by all the same; like
the Signs of the Ablative Case, in, through,
with, for, from, and by; for I been in 'em,
travel I'd throuf/h 'em, paid for 'cm. come off
f^cnteely from 'em, and liv'd hy 'em.
Well, hold; for I'll clear as I go — My
Father was Richard /Iston, Esq; Principal of
Furnivals-Inn, and Secretary of the King's-
Bench Office; of Staffordshire Extraction, and
liv'd ill Brooke's Market; and, tho' a Lawyer,
53
ANTHONY ASTON
liv'd and dy'd an honest Man; whose Place has
not been better officiated since. My Mother was
Daughter of Col. Cope of Drummelly-Castle in
the County of Armagh, in the Kingdom of Ire-
land. As for my Relations every where, I don't
care a Groat for 'em, which is just the Price they
set upon me. I had my Grammatical Educa-
tion at my beloved town of Tamworth in Staf-
fordshire, tho' I had a previous Tincture of
Whims by one Ramsay, who first innoculated
the Itch, and also good Latin. — Of my innocent
Pranks and mercural Disposition there, I must
forbear 'till my Volume is extant; also of the
early Seeds of Whim which push'd out in my
Infant Puerility. 1 was an unworthy, idle,
unlucky clerk, first to Mr. Randal of the Six-
Clerks-Office; after that transplanted to that in-
comparable Man Mr. Paul Jodrel, and I still
preserved my Mercurials, as much as he his
indefatigable ingenious Industry: Instead of
copying Bills, Answers, &c. I was prone to mak-
ing Verses, reading Plays; and, instead of going
to proper Offices, I went to see Dogget make
comical Faces in the last two Acts: This you
must think gave me a Taste of the Girls, and
which I am afraid I shall never leave off.
Well! Farewel Lawyer for the present.
A Poet I commenc'd at seven Years old, but
54
ANTHONY ASTON
a Burlesque one, as thus, writing in Praise of
Peace, shows:
One in a Fight, when standing at his Ease,
Did boldly eat a piece of Bread and Cheese;
His Fellow ask'd him for a little Crumb,
Tho' not so big as Supernaculum;
The greedy Dog deny'd: why should he grudge
it?
He had above a Peck within his Budget:
But while his Hand cramm'd meat into his
Gullet,
His Mouth receiv'd a spightful leaden Bullet:
Noiv Bread and Cheese lies trampled on the
Ground,
And such another Piece can ne'er be found ;
So I'm resolv'd I never War will make,
But e'er keep Peace for Bread and Cheese's sake.
Says my School-master, Antrobus, Give Aston
nothing but Bread and Cheese these three Days.
As for an Actor, it needs no Description:
T wish his Majesty would order me to contend in
my Way, I would venture Shame and the odd
Hits. I am obliged to appear thus vain,
because of the many repulses. Shams, and male-
Treatment I have received from those in Power.
Now for the Soldier; I took Delight in
obliging my Friend Serjeant Callow, whenever
55
ANTHONY ASTON
General (then Colonel) iVightman muster'd,
which was in my Father's Life-Time; and I
mention that, because the World knew my
Father's Income, and that it was a sprightly
Novelty of mine, .and no mean Recourse. The
Use of the Manuals, &c. was advantageous to me
in foreign Parts, among the Careolians, Flori-
dans, and Carolinians; of which in my Volume
at large.
The Sailor was indeed more caught as my
Delight, and sometimes compulsive, when
wreck'd, or urg'd by the different rumaging of
other Matters I was capable of, when Martial
Law was in Force, and the Courts of Justice
were silent. I can say by Sailing, as Hamlet
does when the Wind is North East, I know a
'Hawk from a Hand-saw; and, in plain Terms,
I acknowledge I know not much, afifect a little
of every Thing (except Acting Prologue, &c.
writing and Face-making, and singing them
with any Man.
I would not have you think that I mention
being an Exciseman as a Credit to me; no, to
screen that, I once pass'd for a Corn-Cutter:
And yet could I see a Lady of a Thousand a
Year, of a triangular Form, I know how to drop
a Perpindicular upon her; know the perfect
Use of my sliding Rule; how to take my Gage
56
ANTHONY ASTON
in the middle of Inches, and not to put a false
Diameter under a fix'd Utensil; but no more of
that
Now for the Blue Flag: I was always for
the Nick and Froth; and altho' it is a copious
Subject to run Bams on, I say no more, but that
I kept an elegant Tavern on the Parade at Ports-
mouth, where 1 was generously used by the
worthy Corporation, Officers, and others, and
there might have continued, had some of my
Family proved honest.
Well; when I came from my Master / /,
I went into the Old Play-house, and succeeded
in many Characters; went over into Ireland; re-
turn'd; travell'd with Mr. Cash, Dogget,
Booker, Mins; and then embarqued a Passenger
with Capt. JValters in the Diligence for Jama-
ica, who put me in Irons, because one Betty
Green (who went by the Name of Pritchard,
and was married to a Gentleman of Lincolns-
Inn, and had a 7 housand Pounds given her to
quit him) would not remember or take Notice
of me, because she had a great Cargo on board;
but the Captain paid dear for it aftenvards : We
were eleven Weeks before we made the Disse-
ado, buried no Passengers. I took to the Law,
having a good Friend there, who help'd mc to a
Study of Books of .Mr. S< tnlt't's of Kings-town.
57
. ANTHONY ASTON
I got Money, kept my Horse, liv'd gay, boarded
at my Widows, pay'd all ofif; when Governor
Set'wyn invited me to bear Arms in his Regi-
ment as a Cadet. I had my own frank Practice
of the Law and Quarters, and, as is well known,
kept Company with the best of the Island. The
Governor's Death made me quit the same; be-
cause, altho' it is known to the surviving Officers
I should have had the first vacant Commission,
yet the succeeding Governor, Mr. H — d — e
neither lov'd me, nor Mr. Key ting, both Cadets
and Gamesters. I had my Certificate from Sec-
retary Nichols; embarqued on Board the Dili-
gence of London, Capt. Wild ; and, altho' we
came to the Windward Passage, was Cast-away
in the Gulph, on the South Sand off Port-Royal
Harbour, twenty Leagues Southward of the
Harbour of Charles-Town in South Carolina;
but the Manner and Horror of that is inexpress-
ible in this Abstract: — We were saved by
a Bermudas Sloop (that heard our plaintive
Guns) in Port-Royal Harbour, where Governor
Moore anchor'd, in the Beginning of Queen
Anne's Reign, with a small Fleet design'd
against St. Augustine. I (aft'er being plunder'd
by the Bermudians) , was carry'd to him, con-
doled, treated, and went with him to Augustine ;
where of the Fort, its Harbour, Platform, my
58
ANTHONY ASTON
Commissions, the Reinforcement of the Span-
iards from Havanna, of their Blocking-up the
Harbour, burning our own Vessels, Fatigue of
Travelling, of the Indians, Hunger, burning Tow-
ers, and other surprizing Accidents, will be at
large described in a Volume. — Well, we arriv'd
in Charles-Town, full of Lice, Shame, Poverty,
Nakedness and Hunger: I turned Player
and Poet, and wrote one Play on the Subject of
the Country; — and I then had a Commission of
Lieutenant of their Guards given me by the
Governor Sir Nathaniel Johnson, which Com-
mission being too much superintended and in-
sulted by one Heme, my Captain, that formerly
rode in the Life-Guards, I laid it down; since
he caus'd me to do that Duty he was to Relieve
every other Night; and the Governor taking his
Part, — 1 embarqu'd on Board a Sloop of 95
Tun, one Reynolds, Master, for Corotuc, or N.
Carolina. — Off Cape-fear had the wind at N.
IV., a frightful Storm; we scudded with bare
Poles a-fore the Wind, when I was lash'd to the
Helm to steer for twelve Hours (a long and ter-
rible DescriptioFi :) Well, our Vessel was knock'd
■i\\\ to pieces, as were ail the Clothes wash'd off
me; I was cast a-shore in the River Stone, and
was relieved by Mr. Allen, who cloth'd me, and
honest Ahrnharti Ifair/lifs fed me for a Month.
59
AXTHOXV ASroX
I went again to Charles-Town, and got a frank
Passage for New-York on board a sloop of Wes-
sel Wessels, Cobus Kirkstead, Master; but being
in November, the Nor-westers blew us from the
New-York coast. As soon as we snuf^'d the
Land, wMiich after nine Days Boxing, we were
glad to gain the Capes of Virginia, put into Lit-
tle Moni, hired a Boat cross the Bay into N anti-
coke River, was courteously entertain'd by
one Hickes, an Indian Justice of Peace and a
Quaker; he was a Convict, and one of Whitney's
gang, • married his Mistress (a Widow:)
He lent me, Dick Oglethorp and Lewen, (both
Passengers) Horses to Newcastle in Philadel-
phia. We lay at Story's — enjoy'd — rode
through Elizabeth-Town, and so in the Packet
to New-York. There I lighted of my old
Acquaintance Jack Charlton, Fencing-Master,
and Counsellor Reignieur, sometime of
Lincolns-Inn, supply'd me with Business
'till I had the honour of being acquainted with
that brave, honest, unfortunate Genleman, Capt.
Henry Piillein, whose Ship (the Fame) was
burnt in the Bermudas ; he (to the best of his
Ability) assisted me so that after acting,
writing, courting, fighting that Winter My
kind Captain Davis, in his Sloop built a.t Rhode,
gave me free Passage for Virgina, where the
60
ANTHONY ASTON
noble Governor Nicholson treated me hand-
somely till the Fleet under Commodore Evans
in the Dreadnought with Oxford, Falkland,
Foy, &c. convoy'd about 500 Sail out of the
Capes. The generous Captain Pulman, Master
of the Hunter Hag-boat of London, gave me my
Passage Home, and dear Captain Pullen my
Punch and Extraordinaries The Foy was
taken by a St. Malo Fleet, fitted out to intercept
us, which bare down, yet soon tack'd and went
of. Next Day, Captain Underdown took the
Quebeck Ship from Bourdeaux. We arriv'd in
the Downs in August up to London —
marry'd a Bartholomeiu-Fa-ir Lady so be-
ing disappointed by Colonel Salisbury, with
whom I had entcr'd on Promise of the first Com-
mission that fell, when his Detachment went to
Portugal. Continued up and down in Eng-
land, Scotland, Ireland, acting 'till I set up my
MEDLEY sometimes increasing, some-
times decreasing in Circumstance; Hopes,
Friends, Patience and still have liv'd hand-
somely by God's Providence Force of my
undaunted Genius For, look'ee Brethren,
it is appointed for all Men once to die, and (as
Adrastus says) IVho uould grieve for that
which in a Day must pass? and again,
61
ANTHONY ASTON
Whose Knowledge from the Depth of Wisdom
Springs,
Nor vainly fears inevitable Things.
If the Sun shines by Day, and the Stars by Night
&c. — Life's a Bite You have it, have you?
— The Wise liv'd Yesterday — You snotty Dab
of a Puritan! — Sling your Gob, and sob your
Guts out — It's all a-Case, there's still a Hole
in my Kettle Ay, but says another, Why
I'le get another shall contradict him and
another him Mankind are all Quakers;
there's no convincing of 'em Let me see
you laugh now! Why look at me: Ha! ha!
ha! There are but two sorts of men. Scaramouch
and Harlequin. If you're grave, you're a Fool;
if trifling, you're a Fool: Ergo, You're a
Fool; be what you will! Is that Logic or
no? I'll bring a Clown from the Plough
shall talk better.
'Tis silly, that People can't like a Thing un-
less they know the Name on't. Hamlet's
Munchin Maligo, is a better Answer than any
other to so trifling a Querist. What then,
say you, we are not to be banter'd by a frothy
Fellow, and lay out our Money for such Stuff. —
Why, do not be angry, Friend: If I mock you
with your own Face and Gesture, then you'll
62
ANTHONY ASTON
see what a Fool you are. That makes Com-
edies useful. Come, laugh again now:
Why you came crying into the World ; go out
laughing, do Jack, for Variety's Sake — What!
you're asham'd to look such an Ass. Come,
frown and strain hard, as if you were at Stool,
and look like a Lion. There's a brave Boy!
you shall be Captain of the Train-bands.
I'll wait on you to Morrow about Dinner-time
and, 'till then,
/ am your humble Servant,
A. ASTON.
63
W. R. CHETWOOD'S SKETCH
— OF-
ANTHONY ASTON
From A General History of the Sta^e
(1749)
65
From Chetwood's General History of the Stage
(1749)
Mr. ANTHONY ASTON, commonly called
TONY.
This Person was bred an Attorney in Eng-
land; but, having a smattering of Wit and Hu-
mour, he left the Study of the Law for Parts on
the Stage. He strain'd forth a Comedy which
was acted on the Theatre in Smock-alley, call'd
Love in a Hurry, but with no Success. He play'd
in all the Theatres in London, but never con-
tinued long in any ; his Way of living was pecul-
iar to himself and Family, resorting to the prin-
cipal Cities and Towns in England with his
Medley, as he calTd it, which consisted of some
capital Scenes of Humour out of the most cele-
brated Plays. His Company were generally
composed of his own Family, himself, his
Wife and Son; between every Scene, a
Song or Dialogue of his own Composition,
fiird up the Chinks of the slender Meal.
He pretended a Right to every Town he
entered; and if a Company came to any
Place where he exhibited his Compositions, he
would use all his Art to evacuate the Place of
57
ANTHONY ASTON
these Interlopers, as he called them. He was
never out of his Way ; or if he met with a sightly
House when he was Itinerant, he would soon
find the Name, Title, and Circumstances of the
Family, curry them over with his humorous
Verse, and by that means get something to bear
his Charges to his next Station. His Finances,
like those of Kingdoms, were sometimes at the
Tide of Flood, and often at low Ebb. In one,
where his Stream had left the Chanel dry, yet
ready to launch out on a trading Voyage without
a Cargo, or Provision, he called up his Land-
lord, to whom there was something due, told
him of his Losses in his present Voyage, and
being sent for to another Place, desired he
would lend him a small Sum upon his Ward-
robe (which he shew'd him in a large Box) ten
times the Value of the Debt owing, or the Sum
borrow'd. The honest Landlord, seeing a proper
Security, easily comply'd, gave him the Sum de-
manded, lock'd up the Trunk, put the Key in
his Pocket, and retired. But as no Vessel can
make a Voyage without Sails, and other proper
Materials, he had contriv'd a false bottom to
this great Box, took out the Stuffing, and by De-
grees, sent of his Wardrobe by his Emissaries,
unperceiv'd. And that the Weight should not
detect him, he filled up the void with Cabbage-
68
AXTHOXY ASTOX
Stocks, Bricks and Stones cloath'd in Rags to pre-
vent moving, when the Vehicle was to be taken
the next Morning into the Landlord's Custody.
Everything succeeded to his Wish, and away
went Tony, but far wide of the Place mentioned
to mine Host. A Week was the stated time of
Redemption, which the Landlord saw elapse
with infinite Satisfaction (for he had a Bill of
Sale of the Contents in the Trunk) ; he openM
it with great Pleasure; but when he saw the fine
Lining! he was motionless, like a Statue carv'd
by a bungling Hand. He had recourse to Re-
venge. A Bailiff with proper Directions was
sent to the Place mentioned; but if he had dis-
cover'd the least Wit in his Anger, he might
have thought Tony knew better than to tell him
the Truth. I only mention this little Story, to
let the Reader know the Shifts the Itinerant
Gentry are sometimes put to. For Tony, when
his Finances were in Order, and cur'd of the
Consumption, honestly paid him. 1 have had
this Tale both from Tony and the Landlord,
who then kept the Black-Boy Inn at Chelmsford
in Essex.
If Tony by chance ever came to a Town
where a Company of Showmen (as People oft
call them) had got in before him, he presently
declarM War with them; and his general Con-
69
ANTHONY ASTON
ditions of Peace were, that they should act a
Play for his Benefit, that he might leave the
Seige, and march with his small Troop to some
other Place. And as he was a Person of Hu-
mour, and a proper Assurance, he generally,
like a Cat, skimm'd off the fat Cream, and left
the lean Milk to those that stay'd behind. I be-
lieve he is Travelling still, and is as well known
in every Town as the Post-Horse that carries the
Mail. He shall make his Exit with the follow-
ing two Lines:
If various Dealers the same Goods exhibit,
They wish each other dangling on a Gibbet.
70
TONY ASTON'S
BRIEF SUPPLEMENT TO
COLLEY GIBBER'S
APOLOGY
71
A BRIEF
SUPPLEMENT
TO
COLLEY CIBBER, Esq.
HIS
LIVES
Of the late FAMOUS
ACTORS and ACTRESSES
SI TU SCIS, MELIOR EGO
By ANTHONY
Vul&o TONY
ASTON
Printed for the AUTHOR
73
ANTHONY ASTON
R. CIBBER is guilty of Omission
that he hath not given us any De-
scription of the several Personages'
Beauties or Faults — Faults {I say)
of the several ACTORS, &c. for
Nemo sine crimine vivit.
Or, as the late Duke of Buckingham says of
Characters, that, to shew a Man not defective,
were to draw
A faultless Monster, that the World ne'er saw.
74
A BRIEF
SUPPLEMENT
TO COLLEY GIBBER, Esq; his
LIVES
Of the late Famous
ACTORS and ACTRESSES.
R. BETTERON (although a sup-
erlative good Actor) labour'd under
ill Figure, being clumsily made,
having a great Head, a short thick
Neck, stoop'd in the Shoulders, and
had fat short Arms, which he rarely lifted
higher than his Stomach. His Left Hand
frequently lodg'd in his Breast, between his
Coat and Waistcoat, while, with his Right, he
prepar'd his Speech. His Actions were few,
but just. He had little Eyes, and a broad
Face, a little Pock-fretten, a corpulent Body,
and thick Legs, with large Feet. He was
better to meet, than to follow ; for his Aspect was
serious, venerable, and majestic; in his latter
Time a little Paralytic. His Voice was low
and grumbling; yet he could Time it by an art-
ful Chmnx, which cnforcVl universal Attention,
75
ANTHONY ASTON
even from the Fops and Oranf/e-Girls. He
was incapable of dancing, even in a Country-
Dance; as was Mrs. BARRY: But their good
Qualities were more than equal to their Defic-
iencies. While Mrs. BRACEGIRDLE
sung very agreeably in the LOVES of Mars and
Venus, and danced in a Country-Dance, as well
as Mr. WILKS, though not with so much Art
and Foppery, but like a well-bred Gentleman.
Mr. Betterton was the most extensive
Actor, from Alexander to Sir John Falstaff ; but
in that last Character, he wanted the Waggery
of EST COURT, the Drollery of HARPER,
and Sallaciousness of JACK EVANS But,
then, Estcourt was too trifling; Harper had too
much of the Bartholomew-Fair ; and Evans mis-
place'd his Humour. Thus, you see what
Flaws are in bright Diamonds'. And I have
often wish'd that Mr. Betterton would have re-
sign'd the Part of HAMLET to some young
Actor, (who might have Personated, though not
have Acted, it better) for, when he threw him-
self at Ophelia's Feet, he appear'd a little too
grave for a young Student, lately come from the
University of Wirtemberg; and his Repartees
seem'd rather as Apopthegms from a sage Phil-
osopher, than the sporting Flashes of a young
HAMLET; and no one else could have pleas'd
76
ANTHONY ASTON
the Town, he was so rooted in their Opinion.
His younger Cotemporary, [Betterton 63, Powel
40, Years old) POIVELL, attempted several of
Retterton's Parts, as Alexander, Jaffier, k.c. but
lost his Credit; as, in Alexander, he maintain'd
not the Diginty of a King, but Out-Heroded
HEROD; and in his poison'd mad Scene, out-
rav'd all Probability ; while Betterton kept his
Passion under, and shew'd it most (as Fume
smoaks most, when stifled) Betterton, from the
Time he was dress'd, to the End of the Play,
kept his Mind in the same Temperament and
Adaptness, as the present Character required.
If I was to write of him all Day, I should
still remember fresh Matter in his Behalf; and,
before I part with him, suffer this facetious
Story of him, and a Country Tenant of his.
Mr. Betterton had a small Farm near Read-
ing, in the County of Berks; and the Country-
man came, in the Time of Bartholomeif-Fnir, to
pay his Rent. Mr. Betterton took him to the
Fair, and going to one Crawley's Puppet-Shew,
nffer'd Two Shillings for himself and Roger,
his Tcnnant. — .Vo, no, Sir, said Crawley; we
never take Money of one another. This affronted
Mr. Betterton, who threw down the money, and
they enter'd. — Roger was hugeously diverted
with Punch, and bred a great Noise; saying, that
77
ANTHONY ASTON
he would drink with him, for he was a merry
Fellow. — Mr. Betterton told him, he was only
a Puppet, made up of Sticks and Rags: How-
ever, Roger still cried out, that he would go and
drink with Punch. When Master took him
behind, where the Puppets hung up, he swore,
he Xhonght Punch had been alive. However,
said he, though he be but Sticks and Rags, I'll
give him Six-pence to drink my Health. At
Night, Mr. Betterton went to the Theatre, when
was play'd the ORPHAN; Mr. Betterton act-
ing Castalio; Mrs. Barry, Monimia Well
(said Master) how dost like this Play, Roger?
Why, I don't know (says Roger) It's well
enough for Sticks and Rags.
To end with this Phoenix of the Stage, I
must say of him, as Hamlet does of his Father:
He was a Man (take him for all in all) I can-
not look upon his like again.
His Favourite, Mrs. BARRY , claims the next
in i^stimation. They were both never better
pleas'd, than in Playing together. Mrs.
Barry out-shin'd Mrs. Bracegirdle in the Char-
acter of ZARA in the Mourning Bride, altho'
Mr. Congreve design'd Almeria for that Fa-
vour. And yet, this fine Creature was not
handsome, her Mouth op'ning most on the Right
78
ANTHONY ASTON
Side, which she strove to draw t'other Way, and,
at Times, composing her Face, as if sitting to
have her Picture drawn. Mrs. Barry was
middle-siz'd, and had darkish Hair, light Eyes,
dark Eyebrows and was inififerently plump: —
Her Face somewhat preceded her Action, as the
latter did her Words, her Face ever expressing
the Passions; not like the Actresses of late
Times, who are afraid of putting their Faces
out of the Form of Non-meaning, lest they
should crack the Cerum, White-Wash, or other
Cosmetic, trowl'd on. Mrs. Barry had a Man-
ner of drawing out her Words, which became
her, but not Mrs. Braidshaw, and Mrs. Porter,
(Successors.) To hear her speak the follow-
ing Speech in the ORPHAN, was a Charm:
I'm ne'er so well p leas' d as when I hear thee
speak,
And listen to the Music of thy Voice.
And ae^ain :
Who's he that speaks with a Voice so sweet,
As the Shepherd pipes upon the Mountains,
JVhen all his little Flock are gath'ring round
h I t?i ?
Neither she, nor any of the Actors of those
Times, had any Tone in their speaking, (too
79
ANTHONY ASTON
much, lately, in Use). In Tragedy she was
solemn and august — in Free Comedy alert,
easy, and genteel — pleasant in her Face and
Action; filling the Stage with variety of Ges-
ture. She was Woman to Lady Shelton, of
Norfolk (my Godmother) when Lord
Rochester took her on the Stage; where, for
some Time they could make nothing of her.
She could neither sing, nor dance, no, not in a
Country-Dance.
Mrs. BRACEGIRDLE, that Diana of the
Stage, hath many Places contending for her
Birth The most received Opinion is, that
she was the Daughter of a Coachman, Coach-
maker, or Letter-out of Coaches, in the Town of
Northampton. But I am inclinable to my
Father's Opinion, (who had a great Value for
her reported Virtue) that she was a distant Rela-
tion, and came out of Staffordshire, from about
Walsal, or Wolverhampton. She had many
Assailants on her Virtue, as Lord Lovelace, Mr.
Congreve, the last of which had her Company
most; but she ever resisted his vicious Attacks.
and, yet, was always uneasy at his leaving her;
on which Observation he made the following
Song:
PIOUS Celinda goes to Pray'rs,
Whene'er I ask the Favour;
80
ANTHONY ASTON
Yet, the tender Fool's in Tears,
When she believes I'll leave her.
Woii'd I were free from this Restraint,
Or else had Poicer to win her!
Wou'd she coud make of me a Saint,
Or I of her a Sinner/
And, as Mr. Durfey alludes to it in his Puppet
Song in Don Quixot,
Since that our Fate intends
Our Amity shall be no dearer
Still let us kiss and be Friends,
And sigh we shall never come tiearer.
She was very shy of Lord Lovelace's Com-
pany, as being an engaging man, who drest well :
And as, every Day, his Servant came to her, to
ask her how she did, she always return'd her
Answer in the most obeisant Words and Be-
haviour, That she was indifferent well, she
humbly thank' d his Lordship. She was of a
lovely Height, with dark-brown Hair and Eye-
brows, black sparkling Eyes, and a fresh blushy
Complexion; and, whenever she exerted her-
self, had an involuntary Flushing in her Breast,
Neck and Face, having continually a chearful
Aspect, and a fine Set of even white Teeth ; never
making an £x//,but that she left the Audience in
an Imitation of her pleasant Countenance. Gen-
81
ANTHONY ASTON
teel Comedy was her chief Essay, and that too
when in Men's Cloaths, in which she far sur-
mounted all the Actresses of that and this Age.
Yet, she had a Defect scarce perceptible,
viz., her right Shoulder a little protended,
which, when in Men's Cloaths, was cover'd by a
long or Campaign Peruke. She was finely
shap'd, and had very handsome Legs and Feet;
and her Gait, or V/alk, was free, manlike, and
modest, when in Breeches. Her Virtue had its
Reward, both in Applause and Specie; for it
happen'd, that as the Dukes of Dorset and Dev-
onshire, Lord Hallifax, and other Nobles, over
a Bottle, were all extolling Mrs. Brae egir die's
virtuous Behaviour, Come, says Lord Hallifax
— You all commend her Virtue, &c. but why do
we not present this incomparable Woman with
something worthy her Acceptance? His Lord-
ship deposited 200 Guineas, which the rest made
up 800, and sent to her, with Encomiums on her
Virtue. — She was, when on the Stage, diurn-
ally Charitable, going often into Clare-Market,
and giving Money to the poor unemploy'd Bas-
ket-women, insomuch that she could not pass
that Neighbourhood without the thankful Ac-
clamations of People of all Degrees; so that, if
any Person had affronted her, they would have
been in Danger of being kill'd directly; and yet
82
ANTHONY ASTON
this good Woman was an Actress. — She has been
off the Stage these 26 Years or more, but was
alive July 20, 1747; for I saw her in the Strand,
London, then — with the Remains of charming
Bracegirdle.
Mr. SANDFORD, although not usually
deem'd an Actor of the first Rank, yet the Char-
acters allotted him were such, that none besides,
then, or since, ever topp'd, for his Figure, which
was diminutive and mean, (being Round-
shoulder'd, Meagre-fac'd, Spindle-shank'd,
Splay-footed, with a sour Countenance, and long
lean Arms) render'd him a proper Person to
discharge lago, Foresight, and Ma'hgtiij, in the
VILLAIN. But he fail'd in succeeding in a
fine Description of a triumphant Cavalcade, in
Alonzo, in the MOURNING BRIDE, because
his Figure was despicable, (although his En-
ergy was, by his Voice, and Action, enforc'd
with great Soundness of Art, and Justice:)
This Person acted strongly with his Face, —
and (as King Charles said) was the best Vil-
lain in the World. He proceeded from the
Sandfords of Sandford, that lies between Whit-
church and Newport, in Shropshire. He
would not be concern'd with Mr. Betterton.
Mrs. Barry, &c, as a Sharer in the Revolt from
83
ANTHONY ASTON
Drury-Lane to Lincoln s-Inn-Fields; but said,
This is my Agreement. — To Samuel Sandford,
Gentleman, Threescore Shillings a Week.
Pho! pho! said Mr. Betterton, Three Pounds a
Week. No, no, said Sandford; To Samuel
Sandford, Gentleman, Threescore Shillings a
Week. For which Cave Underhill, who
was a 1-4 Sharer, would often jeer Sandford;
saying, Samuel Sandford, Gent, my Man.
Go, you sot, said Sandford. To which t'other
ever replied, Samuel Sandford, my Man Sam-
uel.
CAVE UNDERHILL, and Mr. DOG-
GET, will be the next treated of.
CAVE UNDERHILL, though not the best
Actor in the Course of Precedency, was more
admired by the Actors than the Audience —
there being no Rivals then in his dry, heavy,
downright Way in Low Comedy. His few
Parts were. The first Grave-dig^ger in HAM-
LET, — Sancho Pancha, in the first Part of
DON QUIXOT— Ned Blunt, in the ROVER,
— Jacomo, in the LIBERTINE, — and the
Host, in the VILLAIN: All which were
dry, heavy Characters, except in Jacomo; in
which, when he aim'd at any Archness, he fell
into downright Insignificance. He was
84
AXTHOXY ASTON
about 50 Years of Age the last End of King
William's Reign, about six Foot high, long and
broad-facM, and something more corpulent th^^n
this Author; his Face very like the Homo Sly-
vestris, or Champanza; for his Nose was flat-
tish and short, and his Upper Lip very long and
thick, with a wide Mouth and short Chin, a
churlish Voice, and awkward Action, (leaping
often up with both Legs at a Time, when he con-
ceived any Thing waggish, and afterwards hug-
ging himself at the Thought.) He could
not enter into any serious Character, much more
Tragedy; and was the most confin'd Actor I
ever saw: And could scarce be brought to speak
a short Latin Speech in DON QULXOT, when
Sancho is made to say. Sit bonus Populus, bonus
ero Gubernator; which he pronounced thus:
Shit bones and babble arse
Bones, and ears Goble Nature.
He was obliged to Mr. Betterton for thrusting
him into the Character of Merrynian in hi^
Wanton Wife, or Amorous Widow; bi.'t
Westheart Cave was too much of a Dullmnn.
His chief Achievement was in Lolpoop.
in the 'Squire of Alsatia; where it was almost
impossible for him to deviate from himself : But
he did great Injustice to Sir Sampson Legend
in Lore for Love, unless it had been true, that
85
ANTHONY ASTON
the Knight had been bred a Hog-driver.
In short, Underhill was far from being a good
Actor — as appear'd by the late Ben. Johnson's
assuming his Parts of Jacomo — the Grave-dig-
ger in Hamlet — and Judge Grypus in Amphy-
trion. I know, Mr. Underhill was much
cry'd up in his Time; but I am so stupid as not
to know why.
Mr. DOGGET, indeed, cannot reasonably
be so censur'd; for, whoever decry'd him, must
inevitably have laugh'd much, whenever he saw
him act.
Mr. Dogget was little regarded, 'till he
chopped on the Character of Solon in the Mar-
riage-Hater Match'd; and from that he vege-
tated fast in the Parts of Fondlewife in the Old
Batchelor — Cohgniv, in the Villain — Hob, in the
Country Wake — and Ben the Sailor, in Love
for Love. But, on a Time, he suffer'd him-
self to be expos'd, by attempting the serious
Character of Phorbas in Oedipus, than which
nothing cou'd be more ridiculous — for when
he came to these Words — [But, Oh! I wish
Phorbas had perished in that very Moment) —
the Audience conceiv'd it was spoke like Hob
in his Dying-Speech. They burst out into
86
AXTHOXY ASTON
a loud Laughter; which sunk Tom Dogget's
Progress in Tragedy from that Time.
Faelix quern faciunt aliena pericula cautum.-
But our present LAUREAT had a better Opin-
ion of himself; — for, in a few Nights after-
wards, COLLEY, at the Old Theatre, at-
tempted the same Character; but was hiss'd, his
Voice sounding like Lord Foppington.
Ne Sutor ultra Crepidam.
Mr. Dogget was a little, lively, spract Man,
about the stature of Mr. L . Sen. Book-
seller in B — h, but better built. His Be-
haviour modest, chearful, and complaisant.
He sung in Company very agreeably, and in
Public very comically. He danc'd the
Cheshire Round full as well as the fam'd Capt.
George, but with much more Nature and Nim-
bleness. I have had the Pleasure of his
Conversation for one Year, when I travell'd
with him in his strolling Company, and found
him a Man oi very good Sense, but illeterate;
for he wrote me Word thus — Sir, I will give
you a hole instead of (whole) Share. He
dress'd neat, and something fine — in a plain
Cloth Coat, and a brocaded Waistcoat: — But
he is so recent, having been so often at Bath, —
satis est. He gave his Yearly Water-Badge,
87
ANTHONY ASTON
out of a warm Principle, (being a staunch Rev-
olution-Whig.) I cannot part with this
Non-pareil, without saying, that he was the
most faithful, pleasant Actor that ever was —
for he never deceiv'd his Audience — because,
while they gaz'd at him, he was working up the
Joke, which broke out suddenly in involuntary
Acclamations and Laughter. Whereas our
modern Actors are fumbling the dull Minutes,
keeping the gaping Pit in Suspense of some-
thing delightful a coming, Et parturiunt
Montes, nascitur ridiculus Mus.
He was the best Face-player and Gesticu-
lator, and a thorough Master of the several Dia-
lects, except the Scots, (for he never was in
Scotland) but was, for all that, a most excellent
Sawney. Whoever would see him pictur'd, may
view his Picture, in the Character of Sawney,
at the Duke's-Head in Lynn-Regis, in Norfolk.
While I travell'd with him, each Sharer
kept his Horse, and was every where respected
as a Gentleman.
Jack Verhruggen, in Point of Merit, will
salute you next.
JACK FERBRUGGEN, that rough Dia-
mond, shone more bright than all the artful, pol-
ish'd Brilliants that ever sparkled on our Stage.
88
ANTHOXY ASTON
{JACK bore the BELL ait^ay) — He had
the Words perfect at one View, and Nature di-
rected 'em into Voice and Action, in which last
he was always pleasing — his Person being tall,
well-built and clean; only he was a little In-
kneed, which gave him a shambling Gate, which
was a Carelessness, and became him. His
chief Parts were Bajazet, Oroonoko, Edgar in
King Lear, Wilmore in the Rover, and Cassius,
when Mr, Betterton play'd Brutus with him.
• Then you might behold the grand Con-
test, viz. whether Nature or Art excell'd — Fer-
bruggen wild and untaught, or Betterton in the
Trammels of Instruction. In Edgar, in
King Lear, Jack shew'd his Judgment most; for
his madness was unlimited: Whereas he sensi-
bly felt a Tenderness for Cordelia, in these
Words, (speaking to her) — As you did once
know Edgar! And you may best conceive
his manly, wild Starts, by these Words in
Oroonoko, IJa! thou hast rous'd the Lyon
his Den; he stalks abroad, and the wild Forest
trembles at his Roar'. Which was spoke like
a Lyon, by Oroonoko, and Jack Verbruggen;
for Nature was so predominant, that his second
Thoughts never alter'd his prime Performance.
The late Marquess of T fall if ax order'd
Oroonoko to be taken from George Powel, say-
89
ANTHONY ASTON
ing to Mr. Southern, the Author, — That Jack
was the unpolish'd Hero, and wou'd do it best.
In the Rover {Wilmore) never were more
beautiful Scenes than between him, and Mrs.
Bracegirdle in the Character of Helena; for,
what with Verbruggen's untaught Airs, and her
smiling Repartees, the Audience were afraid
they were going off the Stage every Moment.
Verbruggen was Nature, without Extrava-
gance — Freedom, without Licentiousness —
and vociferous, without bellowing. He was
most indulgently soft, when he says to Imoinda,
— I cannot, as I wou'd, bestow thee ; and as I
ought, I dare not. Yet, with all these Per-
fections, Jack did, and said, more silly Things
than all the Actors besides; for he was drawn
in at the common Cheat of Pricking at the
Girdle, Cups and Balls, &c. and told his Wife
one Day that he had found out a Way to raise a
great Benefit. / hope, said she, you II have
your Bills printed in Gold Letters. No, no,
better than that, said he; for I'll have the
King's- Arms all in Gold Letters. As Mr.
Verbruggen had Nature for his Directress in
Acting, so had a known singer. Jemmy Bowen,
the same in Music: He, when practising a
Song set by Mr. PURCELL, some of the
Music told him to grace and run a Division in
90
ANTHONY ASTON
such a Place, O let him alone, said Mr. Purcell;
he will grace it more naturally than you, or J,
can teach him. In short, an Actor, like a
Poet,
Nascitur, non ft.
And this Author prizes himself on that Attempt,
as he hath had the Judgment of all the best
Critics in the Character of Fondle-'wife in the
Old Batchelor. — // you woud see Nature, say
they see Tony Aston — // Art, Colley Cibber;
— and, indeed, I have shed mock Tears in that
Part often involuntarily.
Mrs. FERBRUGGEN claims a Place next.
She was all Art, and her Acting all acquir'd,
but dress'd so nice, it look'd like Nature. There
was not a Look, a Motion, but what were all
design'd; and these at the same Word, Period,
Occasion, Incident, were every Night, in the
same Character, alike; and yet all sat charm-
ingly easy on her. Her Face, Motion, Gfc.
chang'd at once: But the greatest, and usual,
Position was Laughing, Flirting her Fan, and
je ne scay quois, — with a kind of affected Twit-
ter. She was very loath to accept of the
Part of JVeldon in Oroonoko, and that with just
Reason, as being obliged to put on Men's
Cloaths — having thick Legs and Thighs, cor-
91
ANTHONY ASTON
pulent and large Posteriours; but yet the
Town (that respected her) compounded, and
receiv'd her with Applause; for she was the
most pleasant Creature that ever appear'd:
Adding to these, that she was a fine, fair
Woman, plump, full-featur'd; her Face of a
fine, smooth Ov^il, full of beautiful, well-dis-
pos'd Moles on it, and on her Neck and Breast.
Whatever she did was not to be call'd Act-
ing; no, no, it was what she represented: She
was neither more nor less, and was the most easy-
Actress in the World. The late Mrs. OLD-
FIELD borrow'd something of her Manner in
free Comedy; as for Tragedy, Mrs. Ver-
bruggen never attempted it. Melanthe was her
Master-piece; and the Part of Miliaria in Tun-
bridge-Walks cou'd not be said to be Acted by
any one but her. Her Maiden-Name was
Percival; and she was the Widow of Mr.
Mountford, (who was kill'd by Lord Mohun)
when Mr. Verbruggen married her. She
was the best Conversation possible; never cap-
tious, or displeas'd at any Thing but what was
gross or indecent; for she was cautious, lest fiery
Jack shou'd so resent it as to breed a Quarrel;
— for he wou'd often say, — Dammee! tho' I
don't much value my Wife, yet no Body shall
affront her, by G — d; and his Sword was drawn
92
ANTHONY ASTON
on the least Occasion, which was much in Fash-
ion at the latter End of King JVilliam's Reign;
— at which Time I came on the Stage, when
Mr. Dogget left it; and then the facetious Joe
Haines was declining in Years and Reputation,
tho' a good Actor and Poet, his Prologues ex-
ceeding all ever wrote. [Fide Love and a
Bottle.]
JOE HAINES is more remarkable for the
witty, tho' wicked, pranks he play'd, and for his
Prologues and Epilogues, than for Acting.
He was, at first, a Dancer. After he had
made his Tour of France, he narrowly escap'd
being seiz'd, and sent to the Bastile, for person-
ating an English Peer, and running 3000 Livres
in Debt in Paris; but, happily landing at Dover,
he went to London, where, in Bartholomew-Fair,
he set up a Droll-Booth, and acted a new Droll,
caird, The Whore of Babylon, the Devil, and
the Pope. This was in the first Year of King
James II. when Joe was sent for, and roundly
admonish'd, by Judge Pollixsen, for it. Joe
replyM, That he did it in Respect of his Holi-
ness; for, whereas many ignorant People be-
lieved the Pope to be a Beast, he shew'd him to
be a fine, comely old Gentleman, as he was; not
with Seven Heads, and Ten Horns as the Scotch
Parsons describe him. However, this Affair
93
ANTHONY ASTON
spoiVd Joe's expiring Credit; for, next Morning,
a Couple of Bailififs seiz'd him in an Action of
20/. as the Bishop of Ely was passing by in his
Coach. Quoth Joe to the Bailiffs, — Gen-
tlemen, here's my Cousin, the Bishop of Ely,
going into his House; let me hut speak to him,
and he'll pay the Debt and Charges. The Bailiffs
thought they might venture that, as they were
within three or four Yards of him. So, up goes
Joe to the Coach, pulling off his Hat, and got
close to it. The Bishop order'd the Coach to
stop, whilst Joe (close to his Ear) said softly,
My Lord, here are two poor Men, who have
such great Scruples of Conscience, that, I fear,
they'll hang themselves. Very well, said
the Bishop. So, calling to the Bailiffs, he said,
You two Men, come to me To-morrow Morn-
ing, and I'll satisfy you. The Men bow'd, and
went away. Joe (hugging himself with his fal-
lacious Device) went also his Way. In the
Morning, the Bailiffs (expecting the Debt and
Charges) repair'd to the Bishop's; where being
introduced, — Well, said the Bishop, what are
your Scruples of Conscience? Scruples!
(said the Bailiffs) we have no Scruples: We
are Bailiffs, my Lord, who. Yesterday, arrested
your cousin, Joe Haines, for 201. Your Lord-
ship promised to satisfy us to-day, and we hope
94
ANTHONY ASTON
your Lordship nvill be as good as your Word.
The Bishop, reflecting that his Honour
and Name would be expos'd. (if he complied
not) paid the Debt and Charges. There
were two Parts of Plays (Nol Bluff in the Old
Batchelor, and Roger in JEsop) which none
ever touch'd but Joe Haines. 1 own, I have
copied him in Roger, as I did Mr. Dogget in
Fondleu'ife. But, now, for another story
of him.
In the long Vacation, when Harlots, Poets,
and Players, are all poor, — Joe walking in
Cross-Street by Hatton-Gardens, sees a fine
Venison-Pasty come out of Glassop'% a Pasty-
Cook's Shop, which a Boy carried to a Gentle-
man's House thereby Joe watch'd it; and
seeing a Gentleman knock at the Door, he goes
to the Door, and ask'd him if he had knock'd at
it: Yes, said the Gentleman; the Door is open'd.
— In goes the Gentleman, and Joe after him, to
the Dining-Room. — Chairs were set and all
ready for the Pasty. The Master of the House
took Joe for the Gentleman's Friend, whom he
had invited to Dinner; which bein^ over the
Gentleman departed. Joe sat still. Says
the Master of the House to Joe, Sir, I thought
you liould have gone with your Friend/
My Frtrnd. said Joe; alas! J never saw him he-
OS
ANTHONY ASTON
fore in my Life. No, Sir, replied the other:
Pray, Sir, then how came you to Dinner here?
Sir, said Joe, I saw a Venison-Pasty carried
in here; and, by this Means, have din'd very
heartily of it. My Name is Joe Haines, (said
he) I belong to the Theatre. Oh, Mr.
Haines, (continued the Gentleman) you are
very welcome; you are a Man of Wit; Come,
bring t'other Bottle; which being finish'd, Joe,
with good Manners, departed, and purposely
left his Cane behind him, which he design'd to
be an Introduction to another Dinner there:
For, next Day, when they were gone to Dinner,
Joe knock'd briskly at the Door, to call for his
Cane, when the Gentleman of the House was
telling a Friend of his the Trick he play'd the
Day before. Pray call Mr. Haines in. —
So, Mr. Haines, said he; sit down and partake of
another Dinner. To tell you the Truth,
said Joe, J left my Cane Yesterday on purpose:
At which they all laugh'd. Now Joe, (altho'
while greedily eating) was very attentive to a
Discourse of Humanity begun, and continued,
by the Stranger Gentleman; wherein he ad-
vanced, that every Man's Duty was to assist an-
other, whether with Advice, Money, Cloaths,
Food, or whatever else. This sort of Principle
suited Joe's End, as by the Sequel will appear.
96
ANTHONY ASTON
The Company broke up, and Joe, and the Gen-
tleman, walk'd away, (Joe sighing as he went
along.) The Gentleman said to him, What do
you sigh for? Dear Sir, (quoth Joe) I fear
my Landlord will, this Day, seize my Goods for
only a Quarter's Rent, due last Week. How
much is the Money? said the Gentleman.
Fifty Shillings, said Joe, and the Patentees owe
me Ten Pounds, which will be paid next Week.
Come, said the Gentleman, I'll lend thee
Fifty Shillings on your Note, to pay me faith-
fully in three Weeks. Which Joe, with many
Promises and Imprecations, sign'd. But
Joe, thereafter, had his Eyes looking out before
him; and, whenever he saw the Gentleman,
would carefully avoid him: which the Gentle-
man one Day perceiv'd, and going a-cross
Smithfield, met Joe full in the Face, and, in the
Middle of the Rounds, stopp'd him. Taking
him by the Collar, Sirrah, said he, pray pay me
now, you impudent, cheating Dog, or I'll beat
yiou into a Jelly. Joe fell down on his
Knees, making a dismal Outcry, which drew a
Mob about them, who enquir'd into the Occa-
sion, which was told them; and they, upon hear-
ing it, said to the Gentleman, That the poor
Man could not pay it, if he had it not.
Well, said he, let him kneel down, and cat up
97
ANTHONY ASTON
that thin Sirreverence, and I'll forgive him, and
give up his Note. Joe promis'd he would,
and presently eat it all up, smearing his Lips and
Nose with the human Conserve. The Gentle-
man gave him his Note; when Joe ran and em-
brac'd him, kissing him, and bedaubing his
Face; and setting the Mob a hollowing.
The Second Part of their Lives, 'with the
Continuance of JOE HAINES'S Pranks, the
Author hopes a fresh Advance for. In the
Interim, he thanks his Friends.
FINIS.
98
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below
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