e to return to the stage, the town demonstrated their respect
for him by crowding the house. Being attacked by a complication of
distempers, he paid the debt to nature May 10, 1733. A copy of his
Will was printed in the London Magazine for 1733, p. 126, in which
we find he testified his esteem for his wife, to whom he left all his
fortune, for reasons there assigned, which he declared amounted to no
more than two thirds of what he had received from her on the day of
marriage. His character as an actor, has been celebrated by the best
judges, and was never questioned by any. And here we cannot resist the
opportunity of shewing Mr. Booth in that full, and commanding light in
which he is drawn by the late ingenious Aaron Hill, esq; who had long
experience in the affairs of the stage, and could well distinguish the
true merits of an actor. His words are,

'Two advantages distinguished him in the strongest light from the rest
of his fraternity: he had learning to understand perfectly what it
was his part to speak, and judgment to know how far it agreed, or
disagreed with his character. Hence arose a peculiar grace, which was
visible to every spectator, though few were at the pains of examining
into the cause of their pleasure. He could soften, and slide over,
with a kind of elegant negligence, the improprieties in the part he
acted, while, on the contrary, he would dwell with energy upon the
beauties, as if he exerted a latent spirit which had been kept back
for such an occasion, that he might alarm, awaken, and transport in
those places only, where the dignity of his own good sense could
be supported by that of his author. A little reflexion upon this
remarkable quality, will teach us to account for that manifest
languor which has sometimes been observed in his action, and which was
generally, though I think falsly, imputed to the natural indolence of
his temper. For the same reason, though in the customary round of
his business, he would condescend to some parts in comedy; he seldom
appeared in any of them with much advantage to his character. The
passions which he found in comedy, were not strong enough to excite
his fire, and what seemed want of qualification, was only the absence
of impression. He had a talent at discovering the passions where they
lay hid in some celebrated parts, by the injudicious practice of other
actors; when he had discovered he soon grew able to express them; and
his secret of his obtaining this