author of many clever comedies.
[15] 'Murphy:' Arthur Murphy, Esq., a native of Ireland. See Boswell's Life of Johnson. Churchill hated Murphy on account of his politics. He was in the pay of the Court.
[16] 'Northern race:' Wedderburn, afterwards Lord Loughborough, and Earl Rosslyn, a patron of Murphy, and a bitter enemy of Wilkes.
[17] 'Proteus Hill:' Sir John Hill, a celebrated character of that day, of incredible industry and versatility, a botanist, apothecary, translator, actor, dramatic author, natural historian, multitudinous compiler, libeller, and, intus et in cute, a quack and coxcomb. See Boswell's account of the interview between the King and Dr. Johnson, for a somewhat modified estimate of Hill.
[18] 'Woodward:' Woodward the comedian had a paper war with Hill.
[19] 'Fools:' the person here meant was a Mr. Fitzpatrick, a bitter
enemy of Garrick's, and who originated riots in the theatre on the
subject of half-price.
[20] 'A youth:' Robert Lloyd, the friend and imitator of Churchill—an
ingenious but improvident person, who died of grief at his friend's
death, in 1764.
[21] 'Foster:' Sir Michael Foster, one of the puisne judges of the
Court of King's Bench.
[22] 'Ode:' alluding to Mason's Ode to Memory.
[23] 'Havard:' William Havard, an amiable man, but mediocre actor, of
the period.
[24] 'Davies:' Thomas Davies, a bookseller, actor, and author. See
Boswell.
[25] 'Holland:' Holland, a pupil and imitator of Mr. Garrick.
[26] 'King:' Thomas King, a voluble and pert but clever actor.
[27] 'Yates:' Yates had a habit of repeating his words twice or thrice
over, such as 'Hark you, hark you.'
[28] 'Tom Errand:' Tom Errand and Clincher, two well-known dramatic
characters—a Clown and a coxcomb.
[29] 'Woodward:' Henry Woodward, comic actor of much power of face.
[30] 'Kitely:' Kitely, in Johnson's 'Every Man in his Humour,' was a favourite character of Garrick's.
[31] 'Obrien:' a small actor; originally a fencing-master.
[32] 'Jackson:' afterwards manager of the Royal Theatre, Edinburgh.
[33] 'Love:' James Love, an actor and dramatic writer, who could play
nothing well but Falstaff.
[34] 'Dominic:' Dryden's 'Spanish Friar.' [35] 'Boniface:' The jovial
landlord in Farquhar's 'Beaux Stratagem.'
[36] 'Austin,' &c.: all small and forgotten actors.
[37] 'Moody:' Moody excelled in Irish characters.
[38] 'Bayes:' alluding to the summer theatre in the Haymarket, where Murphy's plays were got up and acted under the joint management of himself and Mr. Foote.
[39] 'Elliot:' a female actress of great merit.
[40] 'Ledgers:' the Public Ledger, a newspaper.
[41] 'Vaughan:' Thomas Vaughan, a friend of Murphy.
[42] 'Little factions:' Murphy had called Churchill and his friends
'The Little Faction.'
[43] 'Militia:' the Westminster militia and the city of London trained
bands and lumber troopers, afforded much amusement.
[44] 'Sparks:' Luke Sparks, an actor of the time, rather hard in his
manner.
[45] 'Smith:' Called Gentleman Smith,' an actor in genteel comedy,
corpulent in person.
[46] 'Ross:' a Scotchman, dissipated in his habits.
[47] 'Statira:' Ross's Statira was Mrs. Palmer, the daughter of Mrs. Pritchard.
[48] 'Macklin:' Charles Macklin, alias M'Laughlin, good in such characters as Shylock, &c.; no tragedian; a lecturer on elocution; coarse in features.
[49] 'Sheridan:' father of Richard Brinsley. See Boswell and Moore.
[50] 'Islington:' the new river.
[51] 'Rolt:' a drudge to the booksellers, who plagiarised Akenside's
'Pleasures of Imagination,' and was a coadjutor with Christopher
Smart in the 'Universal Visitor.' See Boswell.
[52] 'Lun:' Mr. John Rich, the manager of Covent Garden and Lincoln's
Inn Fields Theatre, called Lun for his performance of Harlequin; famous
for pantomimes.
[53] 'Clive:' Catherine Clive, a celebrated comic actress, of very diversified powers; 'a better romp' than Jonson 'ever saw in nature.'
[54] 'Pope:' a pleasing protégé of Mrs. Clive.
[55] 'Vincent:' Mrs. Vincent, a tolerable actress and a fine singer.
[56] 'Arne:' a fine musician, but no writer.
[57] 'Brent:' a female scholar of Arne's, very popular as Polly in the 'Beggars Opera.'
[58] 'Beard and Vincent:' famous singers.
[59] 'Yates:' Anna Maria Yates, the wife of Richard Yates, mentioned in
a preceding note.
[60] 'Hart:' Mrs. Hart, a demirep, married to one Reddish, who, after
her death, wedded Mrs. Canning, mother of the great statesman.
[61] 'Bride:' another beautiful, but disreputable actress.
[62] 'Stale flower,' &c.: an unmanly allusion to Mrs. Palmer, the daughter of Mrs. Pritchard, who was greatly inferior to her mother.
[63] 'Cibber:' sister to Arne, and wife to the once notorious Theophilus Cibber, the son of the hero of the 'Dunciad.' She was no better in character than many actresses of that day; but sang so plaintively, that a bishop who heard her once cried out, 'Woman, thy sins be forgiven thee!'
[64] 'Pritchard:' according to Johnson, 'in private a vulgar idiot, but who, on the stage, seemed to become
