player had the advantage of Davenant's tuition, who had himself been instructed by Shakspeare as to the proper mode of embodying his conceptions on the stage.

"You have seen," says Cibber, "a Hamlet, perhaps, who, on the first appearance of his father's spirit, has thrown himself into all the straining vociferation requisite to express rage and fury; and the house has thundered with applause, though the misguided actor was all the while, as Shakspeare terms it, 'tearing a passion into rags.' I am the more bold to offer you this particular instance, because the late Mr Addison, while I sat by him to see this scene acted, made the same observation: asking me with some surprise if I thought Hamlet should be in so violent a passion with the ghost, which, though it might have astonished, had not provoked him. For you may observe that in his beautiful speech, the passion never rises beyond an almost breathless astonishment, or an impatience limited by filial reverence to inquire into the suspected wrongs that may have raised him from his peaceful tomb, and a desire to know what a spirit so seemingly distressed might wish or enjoin a sorrowful son to execute towards his future quiet in the grave. This was the light into which Betterton threw this scene, which he opened with a pause of mute amazement, then rising slowly to a solemn trembling voice, he made the ghost equally terrible to the spectator as to himself; and, in the descriptive part of the natural emotions which the ghastly vision gave him, the boldness of his expostulation was still governed by decency,-manly but not braving,-his voice never rising into that seeming outrage or wild defiance of what he naturally revered. But, alas! to preserve this medium between mouthing and meaning too little,-to keep the attention more pleasingly awake by a tempered spirit than by mere vehemence of voice,is, of all the master-strokes of an actor, the most difficult to reach. In this, none yet have equalled Betterton. He that feels not himself the passion he would raise will talk to a sleeping audience; but this never was the fault of Betterton." The reader may be gratified to contrast this description, as we may consider it, of Betterton's style of acting in the prime of life, with the following account of his appearance on the stage when no less than seventy-four years of age. "Had you seen him to night," says a correspondent of the Tatler, "you had seen the force of action in perfection. Your admired Mr Betterton behaved himself so well that, though now about seventy-four, he acted youth, and, by the prevalent power of proper manner, gesture, and voice, appeared through the whole drama a young man of great expectation, vivacity, and enterprise. The soliloquy, where he began the celebrated sentence of To be, or not to be,'-the expostulation, where he explains with his mother in her closet,-the noble ardour, after seeing his father's ghost,—and his generous distress for the death of Ophelia, -are each of them circumstances which dwell strongly upon the minds of the audience, and would certainly affect their behaviour on any parallel occasions in their own lives." These are strong attestations to the merits of this early actor; but they are surpassed by the following paragraph from the author of The Lick at the Laureate.' “I have lately," says that anonymous writer, "been told by a gentleman who has frequently seen Betterton perform Hamlet, that he observed his countenance, which was naturally ruddy and sanguine, in the scene of

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the third act, where his father's ghost appears, through the violent and sudden emotion of amazement and horror, turn instantly as pale as his neck cloth, when his whole body seemed to be affected with a tremour inexpressible so that had his father's ghost actually risen before him, he could not have been seized with more real agonies. And this was felt so strongly by the audience that the blood seemed to shudder in their veins likewise, and they in some measure partook of the astonishment and horror with which they saw this excellent actor affected."

In the course of 1663, Betterton married a lady of great talent who had joined his own company as an actress, and was one of the first, if not the first female performer, that came upon the English stage. The principal characters sustained by her were those of Ianthe in the siege of Rhodes, Ophelia, Juliet, Queen Catherine, and Lady Macbeth. The last was her best character. She is supposed to have died about

1712.

On the death of Sir William Davenant, Betterton obtained the principal management of the Duke's company; and in 1682, when a union was formed between the two rival companies, Mr Betterton was still continued in the direction. But in 1690 a new patent was issued, the terms of which dissatisfied him. He applied to the earl of Dorset, and, through his influence, obtained an independent license for himself, and a few of the best players who adhered to him, under which they built a new theatre in Portugal-street, Lincoln's inn, which was opened in April, 1695, with Congreve's comedy of Love for Love." This speculation turned out unfortunate, and Betterton sold his shares, and resigned his management to Sir John Vanbrugh, who erected a new theatre in the Haymarket, in which Betterton accepted an engagement as an actor only. Old age, disease, and misfortune, had sadly reduced Betterton by this time; but he continued occasionally to act with all the fire and vivacity of youth; and such was the esteem in which he was held by the public, that on the occasion of a benefit being announced for him, in the month of April, 1710, the proceeds exceeded one thousand pounds. The effort, however, though most successful, was fatal to Betterton. He had been labouring under a fit of gout for some time previous to his appearance in public; and the exertion which he made on this occasion determined the disease to his head. He died within three days from the date of this performance.

His remains were deposited, with much funeral pomp, in the cloisters of Westminster abbey. Sir Richard Steele attended the ceremony, and has described it in one of his Tatlers with great beauty and force of moral reflection. Betterton's authority on all points connected with the drama, appears to have been regarded as paramount by even the most gifted of his contemporaries. In the preface to Don Sebastian,' Dryden says: "About 1200 lines have been cut off from this tragedy since it was first delivered to the actors. They were indeed so judiciously lopped by Mr Betterton, to whose care and excellent action I am equally obliged, that the connection of the story was not lost." Betterton was the author of a comedy, entitled 'The Woman made a Justice.' His alterations and adaptations to the stage are more successful performances than his original pieces.

'No. 167.

Dr Henry Aldrich.

BORN A. D. 1647.-died a. D. 1710.

In addition to an unusual diversity of talent, Dean Aldrich exhibited such eminence in each of the pursuits to which he devoted himself, that his reputation would have been great and well-merited though it had rested but upon a single basis. At the same time that he was greatly distinguishing himself as a polemical writer, a polite scholar, a theologian, a profound critic, an architect, and a man of sound judgment and exquisite taste in arts, science, and literature in general, he became so profound in the theory and practice of music, that his compositions, particularly for the church, equal in number and excellence those of the greatest masters of his time.

He was born at Westminster in the year 1647, and was educated under Dr Busby, then master of Westminster school. After the usual course of preparation, he entered Christ-church college, Oxford, and subsequently took orders. Distinguished for his profound knowledge and extensive learning, he soon became a tutor of his college, and in that capacity acquired much fame. In February, 1681, he was installed canon of Christ-church, and very shortly after he accumulated the degrees of bachelor and doctor in divinity. Among those clergymen who, at this period, distinguished themselves by their zealous opposition to the church of Rome, Aldrich bore a considerable part; indeed Burnet classes him with the more eminent divines, "who managed and directed this controversial war." Of the manner in which the clergy conducted their side of the argument, he thus writes: "They examined all the points of popery with a solidity of judgment, a clearness of arguing, a depth of learning, and a vivacity of writing, far beyond any thing that had before that time appeared in our language. The truth is, they were very unequally yoked; for, though they are justly to be reckoned among the best writers that have appeared on the protestant side, those they wrote against were certainly among the weakest that had ever appeared on the popish side." He says, further, "that popery was never so well understood by the nation, as it came to be upon this occasion." Dr Aldrich, in short, made himself so conspicuous by his merits in this and other respects, that, at the Revolution, when Massey, the popish dean of Christ-church, fled beyond sea, the deanery was conferred upon him. Thus having passed through the whole series of academic honours, and acquired a high reputation for learning both as a student and a tutor, his excellence of character and pleasing deportment, as master of the college, attracted the esteem and love of all its members. His own attachment to the university induced the exercise of all his energies, the employment of all his various talents, for the promotion of its honour and fame. To support its credit for attention to classical studies, he made it his practice, in imitation of Dr Fell, to edit and publish annually some Greek author, as a new year's present to the students of his house. Epictetus, Theophrastus, Plato, Xenophon, and Plutarch, were among the writers to whom he thus gave his attention. He composed a System of Lo

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gic,' which went through several editions. He printed also a book on the Elements of Geometry,' in Latin, in a large thin octavo; probably for the use of some of his friends or pupils, for it was never published. Use was made of his assistance in the preparation of Gregory's Greek Testament, printed at Oxford, 1703. To Dean Aldrich, in conjunction with Bishop Sprat, was committed the revisal of the manuscript of Lord Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, but it does not appear that any considerable additions or alterations were introduced. The dean was also one of the ecclesiastical commissioners appointed by William III., in 1689, to pave the way for some alterations in the church service, &c.; but he, with Mew and Sprat, the then bishops of Winchester and Rochester, withdrew after the first meeting of the committee. They objected first to all alterations whatever, and next to the appointment of a special commission.

The doctor's eminence in the fine arts, to which allusion has been made, was evinced in the beauty of the Peckwater-square, a part of Christ-college, the whole of which was designed by him, and which, as Chamberlayne says, "is esteemed a regular and complete piece of architecture by all who have seen it, natives and foreigners.' The parish church of All-saints, in Oxford, which he is known to have designed, is esteemed a finished specimen of his knowledge and taste in architecture. The plan of the chapel of Trinity college, erected by Dr Ralph Bathurst, was designed by him; but with some slight modification from the hand of Sir Christopher Wren.

Amidst his variety of learned pursuits, and the cares to which he was subjected in the government of his college, Dr Aldrich found leisure also to study and cultivate to a great extent, the science of music, and particularly that branch of it which was more closely connected with his profession and office. Though not more than five or six of his choral productions continue to be performed, except at Oxford, yet he composed nearly forty services and anthems, which are preserved in the third volume of Dr Tudway's collection in the British museum. Beside these, Dr Aldrich enriched our cathedrals with many admirable compositions, by adapting English words, from the psalms or liturgy, to anthems or motets of Palestrina, Caressimi, Vittoria, Graziani, and other Italians, which were originally set to Latin words, for the Roman catholic service. Sir John Hawkins says, that the dean was of such skill in music, that he holds a place among the most eminent of our English church musicians. Among his lighter compositions of this kind are rounds and catches, two of which have been particularly admired. One, "Hark the Bonny Christ-church Bells," has been always remarked for its pleasing melody and general effect. The other is a smoking catch, full of humour and musical ingenuity. His love of smoking, it seems, was so great as to serve the university for an amusing topic of conversation. The admirable choral discipline Dr Aldrich preserved in his college for upwards of twenty years, is still remembered. bequeathed to his college, at his decease, an admirable collection of music. Dr Burney says, that having made a catalogue of these musical works, he can venture to assert, that, for masses, motets, madrigals, and anthems, of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the collection is the most complete of any that he had an opportunity of consulting. His love of the science, and zeal for its advancement, prompted the

He

desire to write a History of Music;' but though he collected all the materials he could find, opportunity did not present itself for entering upon their arrangement. They are yet extant in the library of his own college.

Dr Aldrich is of some note as a Latin poet. The Musæ Anglicanæ❜ contains some elegant verses by him. Besides his other preferments, Dr Aldrich held the rectory of Wem, in Shropshire; and in 1702 he was chosen prolocutor of the convocation. On the 14th of December, 1710, to the unspeakable grief of the whole university, he died, at his college, in the 63d year of his age. He lived in a state of celibacy; and as he rose in the world he disposed of his income in works of hospitality and benevolence, and in the encouragement of learning. Notwithstanding that modesty and humility for which he was remarkable, and which he exhibited in withholding his name from his numerous publications, he maintained a firm and steady rule in the governinent of his college. He was buried, according to his desire, in the cathedral of Oxford, near Bishop Fell. He is always spoken of as having been a man of wit, and as one who, to his great talents and virtues, joined those amiable qualities which rendered him the object of general affec tion, as well as of universal respect and esteem.

Henry Dodwell.

BORN A. D. 1641.-DIED A. D. 1711.

THIS very learned writer was a native of Ireland. He was born in that country in 1641, but he received his school-education in England. In 1656, we find him holding a fellowship in Trinity college, Dublin ; but he relinquished it in 1666, in order to avoid taking orders, and came the same year to Oxford, where he remained for some time.

In 1672, he first appeared as an author, or rather as an editor, in the publication of a posthumous treatise of his tutor John Steam, with a preface from his own pen. The title of this book was 'De Obstinatione: Opus Posthumum Pietatem Christiano-Stoicum scholastico more Suadens.' Dodwell entitled his own preface Prolegomena Apologetica de usu Dogmatum Philosophicorum,' its object being to vindicate his tutor from the charge of depreciating the value of the scriptures by over-estimating the value of the heathen philosophy. His second publication was Two Letters of Advice,' addressed to theological students. To the second edition of this work, in 1681, he added 'A Discourse concerning the Phoenician History of Sanchoniathon,' in which he attempts to prove that Philo-Byblius, was the forger of this pseudo-Phoenician history.

Dodwell came over again to England in 1674, and soon after entered into the lists of polemical controversy. In 1675, he published 'Some Considerations of present concernment: How far the Romanists may be trusted by princes of another persuasion.' This book was chiefly levelled against Father Walsh, and the other parties concerned in The Irish Remonstrance,'' and Controversial Letters,' two publi

'See Kennet's Register and Chronicle