retrieve Mr. Betterton's affairs.
This favour was kindly received by Mr. Betterton; but he was now grown
old, his health and strength much impaired by constant application,
and his fortune still worse than his health; he chose therefore (as a
mutinous spirit, occasioned by disappointments, grew up amongst the
actors) to decline the offer, and so put the whole design under the
conduct of Sir John Vanbrugh, and Mr. Congreve, the latter of whom soon
abandoned it entirely; and Mr. Betterton's strength failing, many of the
old players dying, and other accidents intervening, a reunion of the
companies became absolutely necessary, and soon after took place.

Hitherto, Betterton is considered as at the head of his company, and
the affairs of the stage are naturally connected with his, as the
transactions of a nation are interwoven with the life of a prince. After
our author reached seventy, his infirmities grew upon him greatly, his
fits of the gout were more lasting, and more severe: His circumstances
also, which had not been mended since he took upon him the conduct of
the theatre, grew more necessitous, and all this joined to his wife's
ill state of health, made his condition melancholy, at a time when the
highest affluence could not have made them chearful. Yet under all these
pressures, he kept up his spirit, and though less active, was as serene
as ever. The public in those days, had a grateful remembrance of
the pleasure Betterton had given them, and would not suffer so
distinguished, and so deserving a man, after fifty-years service, to
withdraw, till he had received from them some marks of their favour.

In the spring of 1709 a benefit was granted to Mr. Betterton, and the
play of Love for Love was acted for that purpose. Two of the best
actresses that ever graced the stage appeared on it upon that occasion,
tho' they had long quitted it, to render the benefit more advantageous:
The part of Valentine was performed by Mr. Betterton, Angelica by Mrs.
Bracegirdle, and Mrs. Barry performed that of Frail. The epilogue was
written by Mr. Rowe. Mrs. Bracegirdle, Mrs. Barry, and Mr. Betterton,
appeared on the stage together, and the ladies taking hold of him,
represented his infirmities of age, and pleaded his ancient merit, in a
very natural and moving manner: This epilogue is exquisite in its kind.
The profits arising from that benefit, we are told, amounted to 500 l.
He had also a promise that the favour should be annually