continued.

These extraordinary acts of public gratitude had a proper effect upon
Mr. Betterton; who instead of indulging himself on their bounty, exerted
the spirit given by this generosity, in their service, and appeared and
acted as often as his health would permit[7]. On the 20th of September
following, in particular, he performed the part of Hamlet, with such
vivacity, as well as justice, that it gave ample satisfaction to the
best judges. This activity in the winter kept off the gout longer than
usual, but the fit returning in the spring, was the more unlucky, as it
happened at the time of his benefit, when the success of his play was
sure to depend in a great measure upon his own performance. The play he
made choice of was the Maid's Tragedy, in which he acted the part of
Melantius; and notice was accordingly given by his good friend the
Tatler; but the fit intervened; and that he might not disappoint the
town, Mr. Betterton was forced to submit to outward applications, to
reduce the swelling of his feet: Which had such an effect, that he was
able to appear on the stage, though he was obliged to use a slipper. He
acted that day, says the Laureat, with unusual spirit, and briskness,
by which he obtained universal applause; but this could not prevent his
paying a very dear price for these marks of approbation, since the gouty
humour, repelled by fomentations, soon seized upon the nobler parts;
which being perhaps weakened by his extraordinary fatigue on that
occasion, he was not able to make a long resistance: But on the 28th of
April, 1710, he paid the debt to nature; and by his death occasioned the
most undissembled mourning amongst people of rank and fashion.

His behaviour as a man, and his abilities as a player, raised his
character, and procured him the esteem of all worthy and good men; and
such honours were paid his memory, as only his memory could deserve.

On the second of May, his corpse was with much ceremony interred in
Westminster Abbey, and the excellent author of the Tatler, has given
such an account of the solemnity of it, as will outlast the Abbey
itself. And it is no small mortification to us, that it is inconsistent
with our proposed bounds, to transcribe the whole: It is writ with a
noble spirit; there is in it an air of solemnity and grandeur; the
thoughts rise naturally from one another; they fill the mind with an
awful dread, and consecrate Mr. Betterton to immortality, with the
warmth of