fo affected the whole Houfe, that they cried out with a continual acclamation, Bravo! bravo! Booth undone! Booth undone !' to the mortification of feveral competitors, • Thanks to the God's!-my boy has done he fucceeded fo well, that the audience his duty!' gave him their general applause through the whole courfe of the part. The next night he made himself perfect, and performed it with redoubled applaufes of approbation; and was complimented by feveral perfons of diftinction and dramatic tafte, upon his early rifing genius. Upon the revival of the Merry Wives of Windfor, at Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, Quin performed the part of Falstaff; and, the first night of his appearance in that character, he furprifed and aftonifhed the audience. The next capital character that Quin appeared in at Lincoln'sInn-Fields, was that of Sir John Brute in the Provoked-Wife. This play, which was written by Sir John Vanburgh, was revived at Drury-Lane about the year 1725, after having been laid afide for feveral years, on account of its immoral tendency. Many of the moft offenfive parts were now omitted, and the whole night fcene, where Sir John Brute, as the play is now acted, appears in woman's apparel, was fubftituted for one wherein the Knight reprefented an inebriated Parfon, and, as fuch, a professed debauchee. The run of the Beggars Opera, about the time of the revival of the Provoked Wife at Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, prompted Quin to leave that Theatre, where his t-lents lay dormant, as he could neither perform the part of Macheath, nor that fill more illuftrious one of Harlequin, which the Manager (Mr. Rich) confidered as a more capital character than Hamlet or Cato, and therefore kept it intirely to himself; and, to do him juftice, it must be acknowledged he was very great in pantomimical exhibition. When Quin first engaged at DruryLane, he fucceeded the elder Mills in all the capital parts of Tragedy; and Delane fupplied his place at Lincoln'sInn-Fields, after having performed for fome time with tolerable fuccefs at Goodman's Fields. But it was, upon Booth's quitting the flage on account of his illnefs, that Quin fhone forth in all his fplendor; and yet he had the diffidence, upon the first night of his appearance in Cato, to infert in the bills, that the part of Cato would be only attempted by Mr. Quin. The modefty of this invitation produced a full house and a favourable audience; but the Actor's own peculiar merit effected more. When he came to that part of the play where bidad fon is brought in upon the bier, fpeaking these words, Yet this was not the fummit of his applaufe; for, when the famous foliloquy was delivered, he was encored to that degree, that, though it was fubmitting to an impropriety, he indulged the audience with its repetition. We now fee Mr. Quin arrived at the height of his profeffion, where he remained without a rival for full ten years. But, though he was in quiet poffeffion of the firft characters upon the ftage, the stage itself did not continue in this peaceable fate all this while. Various were the fermentations and refolutions of the Theatre, during the time he was at the head of it. In the courfe of this period a circumftance occurred which gave our Actor great concern: Mr. William Bowen, an old performer of great merit in Comedy, could not brook Quin's afferting that Ben Johnston, an Actor, who died afterwards in the year 1742, excelled in the part of Jacomo in the Libertine: The company fupported him in his opinion; on which Bowen retired in a paffion, and fent a challenge to Quin to attend him at the Caftle-Tavern, HenriettaStreet. When the latter entered, Bowen fhut the door, clapt his back against it, and drew his fword. Quin mildly expoftulated with him, but all to no purpose. He threatened to pin him to the wainscot, if he did not draw that moment; which he did to defend his own life, with an intention to difarm his antagonist. But Bowen preffed fo furioufly upon him, that he received the wound which occafioned his (Bowen's) death three days after. However, when the lofs of blood had weakened his rage, he confeed his own folly and madness had julily drawn on him this misfortune; and, at the trial, Quin was honourably acquitted. The deceafed had several children by his wife, two of whom our Actor, from a principle of humanity, educated till they were able to provide for themselves. Whilft this great performer continued upon the ftage, he confiantly kept company with the greatest geniuses of the age; He was well known to Pope and Swift, and the late Earl of Chesterfield and Lord Lyttleton often invited him to their tables; but there was none for whom he entertained a higher efteem than Mr. James Thomfon, Author of the Seafons and many dramatic pieces. This Gentleman, tleman, by the death of Lord Talbot, his Patron, found himfelf reduced to a state of precarious dependence. In this fituation, having created fome few debts, and his creditors finding that he had no longer any certain fupport, became inexorable, and imagined by confinement to force that from his friends which his modefty would not permit him to ask. One of thefe occafions furnished Mr. Quin with an opportunity of displaying the natural goodness of his heart and the difinterestedness of his friendthip. Hear ing that Thomson was confined in afpunging-houfe for a debt of about feventy pounds, he repaired to the place, and, having inquired for, was introduced to, the Bard. Thomson was a good deal difconcerted at feeing Quin in fuch a place, as he had always taken great pains to conceal his wants; his embarrafment increased, when Quin told him he was come to fup with him, being confcious that all the money he was poffetled of would scarce procure a good one, and that there was no credit to be expected in those houses. His anxiety upon this head was however removed, upon Quin's informing him, that, as he fuppofed it would have been inconvenient to have had the fupper dreffed in the place they were in, he had ordered it from an adjacent tavern; and, as a prelude, half a dozen of claret was introduced. Supper being over, and the bottle circulating pretty brifkly, Quin faid, It is time now, Jemmy Thomson, we fhould balance accounts, This not a little aftonifhed the Poet, who imagined he had fome demand upon him ;-but Quin, perceiving it, continued, Sir, the pleafure I have had in perufing your works I cannot eftimate at lefs than a hundred pounds, and I infift upon taking this opportunity of acquitting myself of the debt.' On faying this, he put down a note of that value, and haftily took his leave, without waiting for a reply. At the end of the year 1748, Quin, having taken umbrage at Rich's behaviour, retired in a fit of fpleen and refentment to Bath, notwithstanding his being under engagements to that Manager. Though Rich ought to have known that Quin never put up with any infult, and though he too late repented of what he had done; yet he thought, by treating him with filent contempt, to make him fubmit to his own terms. On the other hand, Quin, whose generous heart began now to relent, for having used his old acquaintance fo cavalierly, refolved to facrifice his refentment to his friend fhip, and wrote, the next feason, early, the following fingular epistle to Rich: "I am at Bath. Quin." Rich thought this by no means a fufficient apology for his behaviour, and returned an answer, in almoft as particular, though not quite fo civil, a manner : "Stay there and be damned. Rich." This reply it is faid loft the Public one of the greatest ornaments of the stage; for as he and Mr. Garrick did not agree very well together, whilft they continued rival Actors, he could not brook fubmitting to his competitor in dramatic fame; and as he now took a firm refolution of never engaging again with fo infolent a blockhead, as he filed Rich for this answer, there was no theatrical door open for him, unlefs he had turned Opera Singer. He, nevertheless, came from Bath, in the year 1749, to play the part of Othello at Covent-Garden theatre, for the benefit of the unhappy fufferers by the fire in Cornhill, which happened on the 25th of March, in the year 1748; and he afterwards continued many fucceffive years to come conftantly to London to perform the character of Sir John Falstaff, for his old friend Ryan; but in the year 1754, having loft two of his front teeth, he was compelled to decline the tafk, and wrote the following Laconic epiftle to Ryan upon the occafion : My dear friend, There is no person on earth whom I would fooner ferve than Ryan-but, by G-d, I will whittle Falstaff for no man. I have inclosed a 100l, bank note for a ticket: Yours for ever, JAMES QUIN." Mr. Quin's judgment in the English Language, joined to his merit as an Actor, recommended him to the obfervation of his late Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, father to his prefent Majefty, who appointed him to inftruct his children in the true pronunciation of their mothertongue. In order to accomplish this the more effectually, it was neceffary they fhould accufiom themselves to the reading of Milton and fome of our best Dramatic Poets; this naturally created in them a defire to perform the parts they rehears ed; and his Royal Highness, who was a tender and indulgent father, readily gratified their inclination. Mr. Quin perfected his royal pupils in their parts, and his prefent Majelty, with his brothers and fifters, reprefented feveral plays under his tuition at Leicester-Houte. Quin, on being informed with what elegance and noble propriety his Majett delivered his first gracious fpecch tro the throne, he cried out in a kind of extafy- Ay-1 taught the boy to fpeak!' -Nor did his Majetty forget his old Tutor, though fo remote from Court; for it is pofitively averred, that, foon after his acceffion to the throne, he gave orders, without any application being made to him, that a genteel penfion fhould be paid Mr. Quin during his life. It is true that Quin was not in abfolute need of this royal benefaction; for, upon quitting the stage, he thought it was prudent to make fome provilion for the remainder of his days; and, as he was never married, and had none but diftant relations, he refolved to tink half of his fmall fortune, in order to procure an eafy competence. The duke of Bedford, who always profeiled a great regard for him, hearing of his defign, fent for him, and very generoufly told him, that he would fettle an annuity on him for life, upon much better terms than any he could procure from perfons who made a profeffion of granting annuities; and fo in reality he did, for Mr. Quin obtained 400l. a year for 2600l. With this provilion then, and about 2000! more he had in the funds, he retired to Bath, a place he had always in his eye for a retreat, as the manner of living, and the company that affociated there, were fo intirely confonant to his plan of life; he accordingly hired a house, and had it fitted up in a decent manner. From the time Quin retired from the flage, a regular correfpondence was carried on between him and Mr. Garrick; and, as he paid a vifit to his friends in London once a year, he generally fpent a few days at the houfe of our English Rofcius. On an excurfion these Genii, with feveral of their friends, made in the fummer of 1765 to St. Alban's, Mr. Quin lamented much, at the fight of Duke Humphry, who lies imbalmed there, that To many aromatics and fo much fpirit fhould be employed in the prefervation of a dead body; on which Garrick took out his pencil, and while the bottle was circulating, produced the following Jeud'Efprit: QUIN's Soliloquy, on feeing the body Rich wines and spices wafte! Which I can never tafle? Than Humphry's Duke more happy I— Imbalm'd alive, old Quin shall die A mummy ready made. Towards the clofe of the above year Quin was attacked with an eruption on his hand, which the Faculty were of opinion would turn to a mortification; this intimation greatly damped his fpirits, as the thought of lofing a limb appeared to him more terrible than death itself, he therefore refolved, let what would be the confequence, not to fuffer an amputation. A fever of the malignant kind fucceeded; and, when he was out of all danger with refpect to his hand, he was carried off by this fatal disorder. During his illness, he had taken fuch large quantities of bark, as to occafion an inceffant drought, which nothing could affuage; and, being willing to live as long as he could without pain, he discontinued taking any medicines for upwards of a week before his death, and, during this period, he was in very good spirits. The day before he died he drank a bottle of claret,and, being fenfible of his approaching end, he faid, He could with that the last tragical scene was over, though he was in hopes he should be able to go through it with becoming dignity.' He was not mistaken, and departed this life on Tuesday the 21ft of January, 1766, about four o'clock in the morning, in the 73d year of his age. The tranfactions of a man's life are the best illustrations of his moral character; Quin's was, like that of the greatefl part of mankind, a mixed one. He was generous, brave, and ftrictly honeft; but infolent, rude, and indelicate. He had a great fund of humour, but was too apt to contaminate his wit with obscenity and prophaneness. As an Actor, he flood in the first rank. Churchill, who only faw him in his declenfion, fpeaks of him thus: "His words bore fterling weight, nervous and strong; In manly tides of fenfe they roll'd along. Happy in art, he chiefly had pretence To keep up numbers, yet not forfeit fenfe. No Actor ever greater heights could reach In all the labour'd artifice of 1peech." The fatirical Bard however foon after characterises him as follows: "In fancied scenes, as in life's real plan, He could not, for a moment, fink the man. In whate'er caft his character was laid, Self ftill, like oil, upon the furface play'd. Nature, in fpite of all his fkill, crept in: Horatio, Dorax, Falstaff,-still 'twas Quin." This is a heavy charge; but, we will venture venture to affert, the Poet, either from pre judice, or not having feen Quin in his nobleft force,' did not do him juftice. too fond of that theatrical cant which Mr. Garrick has fo judicioufly banished; but furely no one, who remembers him in Falstaff, will deny it was not ftrongly diftinguifhed from his Spanifh Friar, and that neither of them were like his Sir John Brute; or affert that they were not all admirably performed. We fhall conclude with obferving, that his Cato, his Duke in Measure for Measure, and his Jaques in As you Like it, were forcibly difcriminated, and never equalled by any perfon who has appeared in them fince; a circumftance which gives us, with refpect to all the above-mentioned parts, too much reafon to fay in the words of Shakespeare: 'He was a man, take him for all in allWe ne'er fhall look upon his like again.' By Mr. Quin's laft will and teftament he bequeathed to Mr. Nobbes, in the Strand, 500l. to Mr. Lowth, in Paternolter-Row, 500l. to Mr. Thomas-James Quin, fon of Di. Quin, Phyfician in Dublin, 100l. to Dr. Anthony Relhan, 2001, to Daniel Leckie his gold repeating watch; to Mrs. Penelope Lepage, and to Mrs. Sarah Lepage, sol. to William Grenfill, one of the Arts Matters of Bridewell, sool, to Mr. Rich, of Reading, 100l. to Mr. Gainsborough, Limner, sol, to the wife of Walter Nugent, Lieutenant, 50l. to Mr. Pierce, Surgeon, his gold headed cane; to the Honourable Mr. John Needham, 100l. to Capt. Robert Hughes, 50l. to Mrs. Mary Simpson, 100l. to Mr. Edward Parker, twenty guineas; and all the rest of his eftate, both real and perfonal, to the abovefaid Mr. Nobbes and Mr. Lowth. The following epitaph was written on the death of that eminent Actor, by his friend Mr. Garrick : "That tongue, which set the table on a To the Editor of the Hibernian Magazine. HE enclosed reafons fell into my hands a few days ago; they deferve publication: favour them then with a place in your next magazine. Though the oath itself might have appeared in a former magazine, it is however abfolutely neceffary to print it again on this occafion, in order to render the reafons ftill more forcible, and place them in a more confpicuous and ftriking light. I am, Sir, your conftant reader and very humble fervant, October 16, 1775. The E. M. Oath of Allegiance and Ahjuration framed in the laft Seffion of Parliament; with the Roman Catholicks Reajens against the taking of it. ift. I A. B. do take almighty God, and his only fon Jefus Chrift, my redeemer, to witnefs, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to our moft gracious fovereign lord king George the third, and him will defend to the utmost of my power against all confpiracies and attempts whatever that fhall be made against his perfon, crown and dignity; and I will do my utmoft endeavour to difclofe and make known to his majesty and his heirs all treafons and traitorous confpiracies which may be formed against him or them: And I do faithfully promife to maintain, fupport and defend, to the utmost of my power, the fucceffion of the crown in his majefty's family against any perfon or perfons whatsoever, hereby utterly renouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto the perfon taking upon himlelf the file and title of prince of Wales, in the life-time of his father, and who fince his death is faid to have affumed the ftile and title of king of Great-Britain and Ireland, by the name of Charles the third, and to any other perfon claiming or pretending a right to the crown of thefe realms. 2nd. And I do fwear, that I do reje& and deteft, as unchriftian and impious, to believe that it is lawful to murder or destroy any perfon or perfons whatsoever for or under pretence of their being hereticks, and alfo that unchriftian" and impious principle that no faith is to be kept with hereticks. 3d. I further declare, that it is no article of my faith, and that I do renounce, reject and abjure the opinion, that princes excommunicated by the pope and council, or by any authority of the fee of Rome, or by any authority whatsoever, may be depofed depofed or murdered by their fubjects, or by any perfon whatsoever; and I do promife that I will not hold, maintain or abet any fuch opinion, or any other opinion, contrary to what is expreffed in this declaration. 4th. And I do declare, that I do not believe that the pope of Rome, or any other foreign prince, prelate, ftate or potentate, hath or ought to have any temporal or civil jurifdiction, power, fuperiority or pre-eminence, directly or indirectly, within this realm: And I do folemnly, in the prefence of God, and of his only fon Jefus Chrift, my redeemer, profefs, teftify and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary fenfe of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental refervation whatsoever, and without any difpenfation already granted by the pope, or any authority of the fee of Rome, or any perfon whatever, and without thinking that I am or can be acquitted before God and man, or abfolved of this declaration, or any part thereof, although the pope, or any other perfon or perfons, or authority whatsoever, fhall difpenfe with or annul the fame, or declare that it was null and void from the beginning. So help me God. ift. / BECAUSE it is the doctrine of their church, that no one can fafely fwear to a thing, of which he is not certain; and they conceive that the rights of kings is fo perplexed a point, that the degree of certainty, which is requifite to make an oath lawful, cannot be afcer tained for determining those rights. Now the 4th paragraph of the propofed teft obliges them to decide by oath, in the moth peremptory manner, that they have pofitive and clear reafons not to believe, that any foreign prince, prelate, flate or potentate ought to have, that is, has a right to any temporal or civil jurifdiction, power, fuperiority, or pre eminence, directly or indirectly within this realm. Nay the words" ought to have" exclude every right either natural or acquired: and what individual can pretend to fo deep an infight into the much debated rights of princes as to determine with certainty on fo difficult and abftrufe a queftion? The Roman Catholicks of this realm confefs themfelves incapable of judging of this matter for want of fufficient lights: they therefore think they cannot with a clear confcience fwear to the con tents of the fourth paragraph. Nor can it be inferred from thence that they be lieve, that any other perfon but the prefent poffeffor, ought to have the temporal and civil jurisdiction, &c. for they are equally ignorant of the rights of any other: and they think that like the fubjects of other kings, they should be indulged in a quiet fufpence of belief upon thofe points, particularly as they are willing to fwear allegiance to his prefent majelly upon a clear conviction that they have a right to do fo, as they found him in quiet and peaceable poffeffion of the throne. The public good, and prefervation of the community from anarchy and confufion exact this allegiance from them, to this they will adhere without meddling with any right which another may claim or pretend to. 2dly. Because the words ought to have feem to have a retrofpect to the revolu tion, by which James IId. was deprived of the throne because he was a Roman Catholick, and made attempts to re-eltablifh the Roman Catholick religion, for which reafon he, and his heirs of the fame religion with him, were excluded from fucceeding in the throne of GreatBritain and Ireland, at the fame time that it continued to be hereditary in the proteftant branch of his family. forefaid words is not forced, but natural: This extenfion of the fenfe of the a for it was declared in the house of commons in the debates about this teft, by fome of the members, that no one could take this oath but on revolution principles. Now if this he fo, what proteftant in his fenfes would not think a Roman Catholick perjured, who would fwear what is equivalent to this-That the being a Roman Catholick is a juft and reasonable difqualification for not enjoying hereditary right? 3dly. Because the Roman Catholicks are groffly infulted in the very wording of the teft: for in it many fcandalous propofitions are propofed, which the framers of the teft fuppofe to be the doctrines of the Roman Catholick church. This caiumny is glaring, particularly in the laft paragraph, where it is fuppofed that Roman Catholicks have a difpenfation for occafional perjury. This fuppo fition, at the fame time that it is a grofs calumny, defeats every purpose of the teft itfelf: for it is a referve by which the offerers of the teft are enabled not to believe Roman Catholicks upon their oath, for the Roman Catholicks (wear they have no diffenfation for fwearing fallely, those who think they may have fuch an one, may |