ligence, that he undertook to train her for the stage. She was so small at this time that he used to threaten, if she did not perform her tasks, to put her in the basket of one of the orange-women, and cover her with a vine-leaf. Her career on the stage was eminently respectable. During Mrs Betterton's life, she played only secondary characters; but after her death she acceded to the principal rôles in the tragic drama. Though not handsome, she was tall, with a good figure, and a dignified presence; her voice was naturally harsh, but by diligent practice she had contrived to soften and vary its intonation; her grasp of character was complete, and she sounded the depths of passion with unfailing power. An artist to her very fingerends, she knew how to conceal her art; and realised her conceptions with a truth and force that could hardly be surpassed. Her career was a long one; she made her début on the stage in 1699, and her last appearance in 1742. So that she who in her youth had played to Steele and Addison, lived to play in her later womanhood to Burke, and Walpole, and Dr Johnson. The illustrious author of The Rambler informed Mrs Siddons, who may be considered her successor, that in the vehemency of tragic rage he had never seen her equalled. She was specially happy in the grace and dignity with which she assumed the regal character; and playgoers long loved to talk of her Queen Katherine in Henry VIII.,' and her Queen Elizabeth in 'The Unhappy Favourite.' On one occasion, when she was performing in the latter part, Queen Anne, who was present in the stage box, accidentally dropped her fan; and it is said that, in her full possession of the character she was representing, Mrs Porter turned with a stately air to an attendant, and said, Take up our sister's fan.' It is added that it was only the applause of the audience which recalled her to the real nature of the situation. But a very similar anecdote

VOL. I.

6

K

has been invented in reference to Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth.

In addition to the parts we have mentioned, Mrs Porter was excellent as Hermione in Phillips's 'Distressed Mother,' and Olivia in 'Jane Shore.'

She died in 1762, when she must have been nearly eighty years of age.

CHAPTER III.

MUSIC AND MUSICIANS IN QUEEN ANNE'S REIGN.

Introduction of Operatic Representations-Rosamond'-Italian Opera'Hydaspes-Nicolini and the Lion-Rinaldo'-Various OperasOperatic Airs-Handel's Operas-The Singers-John Abell-Richard Leveridge-Lawrence - Lewis Ramondon - Margarita de l'EpineMrs Tofts-The Cavaliere Nicolini - The Musical Composers - Congreve's Masque- The Competitors-John Weldon - John EcclesDaniel Purcell - Godfrey Finger-Dr Blow- Dean Aldrich - Dr Croft - Jeremiah Clark - Maurice Greene - Charles King-Richard King-Nicolo Haym-Harry Carey--Thomas Britton-"The Musical Small-Coal Man' - Dr Pepusch-Galliard - Dr Tudway- Marshall -Dr Turner-Some celebrated Organists.

FOR

OR the musical student, the reign of Queen Anne has a special and peculiar interest, because it witnessed the establishment of Opera in England, and a consequent development on a large scale of musical taste and musical ability. As early as 1704 we read of a new musical entertainment, written by Motteux, and entitled Britain's Happiness,' which partook of the operatic character. It was produced almost simultaneously at Drury Lane and Lincoln's Inn Fields; and its reception seems to have been so favourable as to encourage the introduction in the following season of a full-blown opera, on a foreign model. On the 13th of January 1705, the public were invited to Drury Lane to pronounce judgment upon 'Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus,'-an English version, by Motteux, of an Italian opera (first performed at Venice in

1677), set to music by Thomas Clayton. This Clayton was a member of the royal band, who in Italy had acquired 'a little taste and much vanity,' and bringing home a number of Italian airs, he altered and adapted them, worked them up into Arsinoe,' and claimed them as his own. The singers in 'Arsinoe' were all English; and the whole of the narrative was given in recitative. Its success was complete and in December 1707, another opera, that of Camilla '-translated by Owen M'Swiney, and the music (chiefly from Buononcini) arranged by Nicolo Haym-was also well received. The principal parts were thus distributed :-Latinus, Mr Turner; Preneste, Signora Margarita de l'Epine; Turnus, Signor Valentini; Metius, Mr Ramondon; Linico, Mr Leveridge; Camilla, Mrs Tofts; Lavinia, The Baroness; and Tullia, Mrs Lindsey. The English vocalists sang in English; the Italians also in their own language-a confusion of tongues which must have had a singular and distressing effect.

Meanwhile, a new and stately theatre had been erected in the Haymarket by Sir John Vanbrugh, who, to defray the expense, had raised a subscription from thirty persons of quality of one hundred pounds each. The management, at first was in the hands of Vanbrugh and Congreve; and, to take advantage of the new direction of the public taste, they opened, on the 9th of April 1705, with a 'pastoral opera,' 'The Temple of Love,' translated from the Italian by Motteux, the music by Signor Saggioni. This had been preceded, according to Hawkins, by an entertainment called 'The Loves of Ergasto,' with music by Greber. The entertainment had proved a failure, and the pastoral opera met with no greater success. A similar ill-fortune befell D'Urfey's whimsical extravaganza, 'Wonders in the Sun; or, The Kingdom of the

1 Valentini Urbani, a male soprano (an evirato).

Birds,' which did not pay half the cost of its getting up. It was illustrated, we are told, with a great variety of songs in all kinds by several of the most eminent wits of the age,' and these were set to music by English composers. But the public would have none of it: they wanted opera undiluted; and they flocked to Drury Lane to hear 'Camilla:' though it cannot be said that its libretto possessed any potency of poetical attraction. Here are two brief samples of its nakedness:

'Since you from death thus save me,

I'll live for you alone ;

The life you freely gave me,

That life is not my own.

Charming fair,

For thee I languish,

But bless the hand that gave the blow;

With equal anguish,

Each swain despairs,

And when she appears

Streams forget to flow.'

The popularity of these operatic representations grew so formidable to the old theatrical companies, that in 1707 a subscription was actually opened 'for the better support of the comedians acting in the Haymarket, and to enable them to keep up the diversion of plays under a separate interest from operas.' The new idol of the public is described in caustic terms by Colley Cibber, who says that 'the Italian Opera was a long time stealing into England; but in so rude a disguise, and unlike itself as possible, in a lame, hobbling translation into our language, with false quantities, or metre out of measure, to its own original notes, sung by our own unskilful voices, with graces misapplied to almost every sentiment, and with action lifeless and unmeaning through every character.' In his Essay