ourtesy,
even to the extent of drinking cheap tea without a grumble. After the
philosopher takes his leave he will likewise take with him a vivid
memory of the beldam's many wrinkles--so many, indeed, that "a
picture of old age in the abstract might have been taken from her
countenance."[A]

[Footnote A: Dr. Johnson was pleased to avow that "Mrs. Porter in the
vehemence of rage, and Mrs. Clive in the sprightliness of humour, he
had never seen equalled."]

Of a different calibre was Lacy Ryan, an ill-trained genius who could
shine pretty well in both tragedy and comedy and from whom, according
to Foote,

"... succeeding Richards took the cue,
And hence his style, if not the colour, drew."[A]

[Footnote A: Justice has scarcely been done to Ryan's merit. Garrick,
on going with Woodward to see his Richard with a view of being amused,
owned that he was astonished at the genius and power he saw struggling
to make itself felt through the burden of ill-training, uncouth
gestures, and an ungraceful and slovenly figure. He was generous
enough to own that all the merit there was in his own playing of
Richard he had drawn from studying this less fortunate player.--PERCY
FITZGERALD.]

Like Mrs. Porter, Ryan was a youthful disciple of Betterton, and was
brought to the notice of Roscius in a curious fashion. One day, when
Lacy had just begun, as a boy of sixteen or seventeen, to court the
dramatic muses, he was cast for the role of Seyton, the old officer
who attends on Macbeth, and was, no doubt, charmed with the
assignment. To wait upon Macbeth, in however humble a capacity, was
in itself no mean honour, and when the aforesaid Macbeth would be
Betterton himself, the importance of the task was re-doubled.

That afternoon Ryan came on the stage in all the glory of a
full-bottomed wig (imagine playing Shakespeare these days with
full-bottomed wigs) and a smiling young face, being very much pleased
with himself and the world in general. To Betterton, who had expected
to see in Seyton a henchman of mature years, and who up to this moment
had been unconscious of Lacy's existence, the appearance of the boy
came as a shock. Had the witches of the tragedy been turned into
beautiful children he could not have been more surprised. However, he
gave the new Seyton an encouraging look, and the stripling played the
part in a way to earn the approbation of the great actor. After the
performance was over, Betterton scolded old Downes, t