would refer the Reader to his excellent Poem on the late Mr. Jarvis, who fucceeded Sir Godfrey Kneller as Painter to the King; from whence we must conclude Jarvis to have been the best Portrait Painter of the Age, if he had not left us fo many Proofs to the contrary: But that great Poet's Integrity was wanting even here; he had long been an Admirer of Sir Godfrey Kneller, and very little Judgment was wanting to difcern the palpable Difference between thofe Painters. But Mr. Jarvis was an Author, and very likely, a Flatterer in his Turn; befides that, he had the Trouble of teaching Mr. Pope to be almost as good a Painter as himself.

From thefe Remarks, I hope I have ac→ counted for the Injury done to the Repu tation of Mr. Booth, fome Years after his

Death, by Men who had the Power to do Mischief; and though I have admitted, that feveral of his Characters have been well performed by the prefent great Actors, yet there are fome where their best Attempts have fallen fhort of his Excellencies. In Othello, Hotspur, Brutus, he had Master-ftrokes which have never fince been reached.

I have almost forgot this great Actor in King Lear; I well remember his fuperior Dignity in that Character; and, excepting that Advantage, I must own, the first Time I saw Mr. GARRICK in Lear, I felt more Transport from his masterly Variety, and more real Distress, than I ever remember from BOOTH.

I can

I cannot quit this Character, without inferting the following remarkable Anecdote. Cibber, in Page 377, tells us, when Sir Richard Steel firft fhewed him Cato in Manufcript, he could not help crying out in the Transport of his Imagination, "Good God! what a Part would "Betterton make of Cato ?" It must be admitted from his Character, as excellently drawn by that Author, he must have had as much Advantage of Booth in Cato, as one would imagine he must have had of Betterton in Varanes: But to the Anecdote which Mr. Booth informed me of.

When Cato was brought to the Stage about the Year 1712, Mr. Addison was a Man of too much Bafhfulness and Diffidence to affume the Author, and read his Play at their first Meeting, and therefore required

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required Mr. Cibber to fupply his Place; who read it fo much to the Satisfaction and Delight of Mr. Addison, that he infifted. on Cibber's performing the Part of Cato.

When the Parts were caft by the Managers, Cibber took Syphax, and Wilks Juba, and they had the Judgment to appoint Booth for Cato; but he being then a young Man, Mr. Wilks feared that Booth would think himfelf injured, by being compelled to appear in fo venerable a Character; and therefore had Good-nature enough to carry the Part to his Lodgings himself, to inform him of its Importance, and to perfwade him, if neceffary, to accept of it. Booth added, that he funk his Knowledge of the Importance of the Character, and seemed to accept it entirely at the Manager's Defire and Recommendation;

which Behaviour of Booth's, and his Performance of the Part, fo much to the Delight of the Audience, gave Wilks great Pleasure; till the Confequences began foon after to appear, viz. A Reputation and Intereft to obtain a fpecial License froth QUEEN ANN, to be included a fourth Manager in that Theatre.

This great Actor died the 10th of May, 1733, and was buried in Cowley Church. I wrote the following Epitaph for him, with a double Defign; the one was to fee if I could excite any of my able Friends to give me a better; and the other, to animate the Executrix to bestow a Piece of Marble whereon it might be engraved,

but I am forry to add, that I miscarried in both.