Richard Cumberland: His Life and Dramatic Works

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Yale University Press, 1917 - 365 pages
 

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Page 145 - Why, sir, for aught I know, he might take out some of the best things in my tragedy, and put them into his own comedy.
Page 17 - ... when after long and eager expectation I first beheld little Garrick, then young and light and alive in every muscle and in every feature, come bounding on the stage, and pointing at the wittol Altamont and heavy-paced Horatio — heavens, what a transition!
Page 158 - ... dinner ; you did not, perhaps, make it the whole, or principal part, of your meal, but it was an admirable and wholesome auxiliary to your other viands. Soame Jenyns told you no long stories, engrossed not much of your attention, and was not angry with those that did.
Page 157 - He was the man who bore his part in all societies with the most even temper and undisturbed hilarity of all the good companions whom I ever knew. He came into your house at the very moment you had put upon your card: he dressed himself, to do your party honour, in all the colours of the jay ; his lace indeed had long since lost its lustre, but his coat had faithfully retained its cut since the days when gentlemen wore embroidered figured velvets with short sleeves, boot cuffs, and buckram skirts.
Page 17 - Quin presented himself, upon the rising of the curtain, in a green velvet coat,- embroidered down the seams, an enormous fullbottomed periwig, rolled stockings, and high-heeled, squaretoed shoes. With very little variation of cadence, and in a deep, full tone, accompanied by a sawing kind of action, which had more of the senate than of the stage in it, he rolled out his heroics with an air of dignified indifference, that seemed to disdain the plaudits that were bestowed upon him.
Page 121 - Stoops to Conquer ; and that title was agreed upon. When I perceived an embarrassment in his manner towards me, which I could readily account for, I lost no time to put him at his ease ; and I flatter myself I was successful. As my heart was ever warm towards my contemporaries, I did not counterfeit, but really felt a cordial interest in his behalf; and I had soon the pleasure to perceive, that he credited me for my sincerity. — 'You and I,' said he, ' have very different motives for resorting...
Page 130 - ... its future sale. Johnson described the precautions he took in concealing the amount of the sum he had in hand, which he prudently administered to him by a guinea at a time. In the event he paid off the landlady's score, and redeemed the person of his friend from her embraces. Goldsmith had the joy of finding his ingenious work succeed beyond his hopes, and from that time began to place a confidence in the resources of his talents, which thenceforward enabled him to keep his station in society,...
Page 122 - Adam Drummond, of amiable memory, who was gifted by nature with the most sonorous, and at the same time, the most contagious laugh that ever echoed from the human lungs. The neighing of the horse...
Page 124 - It was upon a proposal started by Edmund Burke, that a party of friends who had dined together at Sir Joshua Reynolds' and my house, should meet at the St. James's CoffeeHouse, which accordingly took place, and was occasionally repeated with much festivity and good fellowship. Dr.
Page 121 - Drummond, of amiable memory, who was gifted by nature with the most sonorous, and at the same time the most contagious laugh, that ever echoed from the human lungs. The neighing of the horse of the son of Hystaspes was a whisper to it ; the whole thunder of the theatre could not drown it. This kind and...

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