reign of
James I. It was altered only by Mr. Betterton, who was so cautious, and
reserved upon this head, that it was by accident the fact was known, at
least with certainty.

3. The Amorous Widow, or the Wanton Wife, a Play, written on the plan of
Moliere's George Dandin. The Amorous Widow has an under-plot interwoven,
to accommodate the piece to the prevailing English taste. Is was acted
with great applause, but Mr. Betterton, during his life, could never be
induced to publish it; so that it came into the world as a posthumous
performance.

The chief merit of this, and his other pieces, lies in the exact
disposition of the scenes; their just length, great propriety, and
natural connexions; and of how great consequence this is to the fate of
either tragedy or comedy, may be learned from all Banks's plays, which,
though they have nothing else to recommend them, yet never fail to move
an audience, much more than some justly esteemed superior. Who ever saw
Banks's earl of Essex represented without tears; how few bestow them
upon the Cato of Addison.

Besides these pieces, Betterton wrote several occasional Poems,
translations of Chaucer's Fables, and other little exercises. In a word,
to sum up all that we have been saying, with regard to the character of
this extraordinary person, as he was the most perfect model of dramatic
action, so was he the most unblemished pattern of private and social
qualities: Happy is it for that player who imitates him in the one, and
still more happy that man who copies him in the other.[8]

[Footnote 1: Mr. Theophilus Cibber being about to publish, in a work
entirely undertaken by himself the Lives and Characters of all our
Eminent Actors and Actresses, from Shakespear to the present time;
leaves to the other Gentlemen concerned in this collection, the accounts
of some players who could not be omitted herein, as Poets.]

[Footnote 2: Cibber's apology.]

[Footnote 3: Biograph. Brittan. from the information of Southern.]

[Footnote 4: Cibber's Life.]

[Footnote 5: Cibber's Life.]

[Footnote 6: Memoirs of Vanbrugh's Life.]

[Footnote 7: History of the stage.]

[Footnote 8: We acknowledge a mistake, which we committed in the life
of Mavloe, concerning Betterton. It was there observed that he formed
himself upon Alleyn, the famous founder of Dulwich-Hospital, and copied
his theatrical excellencies: which, upon a review of Betterton's life,
we find could not possibly happen as All