mous Dr.
Radcliffe; so Mr. Betterton advanced somewhat more than two-thousand
pounds, which was his all, and the Dr. made it up eight-thousand. The
vessel sailed to the East-Indies, and made as prosperous a voyage as
those concerned in her could wish, and the war with France being then,
very warm, the captain very prudently came home north about, and arrived
safe in Ireland; but in his passage from thence he was taken by the
French. His cargo was upwards of 120,000 l. which ruined Mr. Betterton,
and broke the fortune and heart of his friend in the city: As for doctor
Radcliffe, he expressed great concern for Mr. Betterton, but none for
himself; the Dr. merrily consoled himself with observing, 'that it was
only trotting up 200 pair of stairs more, and things are as they were.'

This accident, however fatal to Mr. Betterton's fortune, yet proved
not so to his peace, for he bore it without murmur, and even without
mention; so far from entertaining resentment against his friend in the
city, who doubtless meant him well, he continued his intimacy till
his death, and after his decease took his only daughter under his
protection, and watched over her education till she thought proper to
dispose of herself in marriage to Mr. Bowman the player, whose behaviour
was such, as to gain the esteem of all that knew him; he has not been
many years dead, and reflected credit on the reports of the excellency
of the old stage.

Such the virtue, such the honour of Mr. Betterton! who in his private
character was as amiable as any he borrowed from the poets, and
therefore was always deservedly considered as the head of the theatre,
though vetted there with very little power. The managers, as the
companies were now united, exercised the mod despotic stage-tyranny; and
obliged our author to remonstrate to them the hardships they inflicted
on their actors, and represent that bad policy of the few, forgetting
their obligations to the many. This language in the ears of the
theatrical ministry, sounded like treason; and therefore, instead of
considering how to remedy the mischiefs complained of, they bent their
thoughts to get rid of their monitor: as if the not hearing of faults
was equivalent to mending them. It was with this view they began to give
away some of Betterton's first parts to young actors,[4] supposing this
would abate his influence. This policy ruined them, and assisted him:
The public resented their having plays ill acted when the