an outrage.

_The First Performance_. _The Beaux-Stratagem_ was first
performed on Saturday, 8th March 1707, at the Theatre Royal
(or, as it was sometimes called, the Queen's Theatre), situated
in the Haymarket, on the site afterwards occupied by Her
Majesty's Theatre. It ran for ten nights only, owing to
benefits. The cast on that occasion was a strong one. Robert
Wilks (a brother-Irishman), who performed Archer, was the
foremost actor of the day. He was Farquhar's lifelong friend,
and appeared in all his plays, except _Love and a Bottle_ which
was produced in London during Wilks's absence in Dublin.
This actor's most famous part was 'Sir Harry Wildair' (_The
Constant Couple_), which our author drew on purpose for him, and
which ran for fifty-two nights on its first appearance. Farquhar
himself said that when the stage had the misfortune to lose
Wilks, 'Sir Harry Wildair' might go to the Jubilee! Peg
Woffington is said to have been his only rival in this part. Sullen
was the last original character undertaken by Verbruggen, a
leading actor of the time. It was from Verbruggen's wife
(probably the 'Mrs. V------' of Farquhar's letters) that the famous
Mrs. Oldfield received her earliest instructions in acting. The
last-named lady was the original Mrs. Sullen. Her connection
with Farquhar is very interesting and romantic. She resided
with her aunt, Mrs. Voss, who kept the Mitre Tavern in St,
James's Market (between Jeryrm Street, Regent Street, and the
Haymarket). One day, when she was aged sixteen, Farquhar,
a smart young captain of twenty-two, happened to be dining
there, and he overheard her reading Beaumont and Fletcher's
_Scornful Lady_ aloud behind the bar. When Farquhar, much
struck by her musical delivery and expression, pressed her to
resume her reading, the tall and graceful girl consented with
hesitation and bashfulness; although she afterwards confessed,
'I longed to be at it, and only needed a decent entreaty.' The
dramatist quickly acquainted Sir John Vanbrugh with the
jewel he had thus accidentally found, and she obtained through
him an engagement at the Theatre Royal as 'Candiope' in
Dryden's _Secret Love_. She soon became the fine lady of the
stage, and was the original representative of no less than
sixty-five characters. Pope disliked and satirised her severely;
on the other hand, Cibber worshipped her. According to some,
Farquhar fell violently in love with her, and she is the 'Penelope'
of his let