THESE VOLUMES,

DESIGNED TO FURNISH A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF

MEN AND MANNERS, LIFE AND LETTERS,

IN THE SO-CALLED AUGUSTAN AGE OF ENGLAND,

ARE, BY PERMISSION, INSCRIBED TO

SIR ALFRED SHERLOCK GOOCH, BART.,
of Benacre Hall, Suffolk,

WITH CORDIAL THANKS, BY HIS FAITHFUL SERVANT,

April 1886.

W. H. DAVENPORT ADAMS.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION,

PAGE

xi

CHAPTER I.

THE STAGE IN QUEEN ANNE'S REIGN-I. THE DRAMATISTS-

-

-

Theatres in London - Their interior Stage absurdities

Realism in Queen Anne's reign-Colley Cibber-Actor

and manager-His quarrel with Pope-His plays-'She

Would and She Would Not '-'The Careless Husband'-

'The Nonjuror'-'The Provoked Husband'- Scene

between Lord and Lady Townly - The Restoration

Drama-George Farquhar-His qualities as a dramatist

'The Inconstant' -- 'The Recruiting Officer' — The

opening scene-The plot described-The finale-Last

days of Farquhar-Sir John Vanbrugh-'The Relapse'

-The Provoked Wife'-Daily life of a woman of

fashion-'The Confederacy' -Sir Richard Steele as a

dramatist-'The Tender Husband'-Steele as a moralist

-'The Funeral'-Scene between Lady Harriet and

Lady Charlotte-'The Conscious Lovers' - Dennis's

attack-Plot of Steele's Comedy-Scene between Tom

and Phillis Scene between Bevil and Myrtle-Mrs

Centlivre-Her life-story-Her dramatic compositions-

'The Busybody'-'The Perplexed Lovers'-'The Cruel

Gift'-'The Wonder'-A comedy of intrigue - Scene

between Don Felix, Violante, Flora, and Don Pedro-

'A Bold Stroke for a Wife'-The virtuoso-Aaron Hill

-A life of activity-Hill's tragedies--Opera of 'Rinaldo'

-Scenic effects-Hill as a speculator and projector-His

tragedy of 'Zara'-Scene between Osman and Zara-

Hill as a poet,

I-102

CHAPTER II.

THE STAGE IN QUEEN ANNE'S REIGN-II. THE PERFORMERS—

Barton Booth-Thomas Doggett-Robert Wilks - George

Powell-Richard Estcourt-Cave Underhill-Verbruggen

-Betterton-Edward Kynaston-Jubilee Dicky,' and

others William Penkethman - Mrs Verbruggen or

Mountford Mrs Bracegirdle - Mrs Betterton - Mrs

Elizabeth Barry-Mrs Anne Oldfield-Mrs Porter,

PAGE

103-146

CHAPTER III.

MUSIC AND MUSICIANS IN QUEEN ANNE'S REIGN—

Introduction of Operatic Representations- ‘Rosamond’·

Italian Opera-' Hydaspes '-Nicolini and the Lion-

'Rinaldo '-Various Operas - Operatic Airs-Handel's

Operas-The Singers-John Abell-Richard Leveridge

-Lawrence-Lewis Ramondon-Margarita de l'Epine-

Mrs Tofts-The Cavaliere Nicolini-The Musical Com-

posers - Congreve's Masque - The Competitors - John

Weldon-John Eccles-Daniel 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,

147-202

CHAPTER IV.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE-

Characteristics of the 'Queen Anne' Architecture-Wood,

Carving and Grinling Gibbons-Francis Bud-Boit, the

Painter in Enamel-Jervas-Howard-Cradock-Crowe

-Jonathan Richardson-Wollaston-Dahl-Ricci-Pel-

legrini-John Closterman-Sir Godfrey Kneller-Anec-

dotes-Sir James Thornhill-Sir Christopher Wren-Sir

John Vanbrugh-James Gibbs-Landscape Gardening-

William Kent-Orlando Bridgman,

203-233