that Burbadge played in "Every Man in his Humour" (no doubt Kitely, while Shakespeare is conjectured to have been the elder Knowell,) in 1598; and in "Every Man out of his Humour," in 1599: he was most likely Sejanus in the same author's tragedy in 1603; and he had prominent parts (not now to be distinguished) in "Volpone" in 1605, in "Epicone" in 1609, in the "Alchemist" in 1612, and in "Cateline" in 1611. Ben Jonson was doubtless fully sensible of his obligations to Burbadge, and in one of his later plays, acted by a rival company, to which we shall advert more particularly hereafter, he does not hesitate, consistently with the vigorous independence of his character, to pay a just tribute to him.

The epitaph upon Burbadge, from which we have derived so much information as regards the parts he sustained in Shakespeare's plays, also furnishes us with a few of those for which he was celebrated in the works of contemporary dramatists : they are the following:

Edward, probably Edward II. in Christopher Marlowe's tragedy of that name.

Antonio, in Marston's "Antonio and Mellida;" but which of the two parts into which the drama is divided is doubtful.

Vendice, in Cyril Tourneur's "Revenger's Tragedy;" but miscalled Vindex in the epitaph.

Brachiano, in "The White Devil," by John Webster.1

Frankford, in Heywood's "Woman killed with Kindness."

Philaster, in Beaumont and Fletcher's tragedy of the same name.
Malevole, in Marston's "Malcontent."

In fact, the name of Richard Burbadge is found appended to the lists of dramatis persona of various other plays of the time which it is perhaps needless to enumerate: he played, for in

From the old Dramatis Personæ of Webster's "Duchess of Malfi," 1623, we find that R. Burbadge took the part of Ferdinand, Duke of Calabria, in that play after his death it devolved, like Hamlet and some other characters, into the hands of Joseph Taylor.

stance, in "The Captain" and " Valentinian" of Beaumont and Fletcher; and in the manuscript epitaph we meet with the name of Amintas, as that of a character for which he had been celebrated: we might think it a mistake for Amintor, if we were not perfectly sure that Burbadge's part in "The Maid's Tragedy" must have been Melantius: we recollect no play in which Burbadge is likely to have appeared, where such a personage as Amintas is met with. With regard to Malevole, in the "Malcontent," Marston himself informs us, in the "Induction," (if, indeed, it were not one of Webster's "additions" to the second impression of that play in 16042) that Burbadge was the representative of the hero.

Burbadge is introduced in his own person into this "Induction." Sly and Sinklow are brought forward dressed as two gallants, who wish to sit upon the stage during the performance (as was then customary at what were called private theatres, though less usual at public ones) while Burbadge, Lowin, and Condell, appear there as members of the company, about to perform in the piece. Burbadge and Condell give some explanations to the audience respecting the character of the play, then on the point of commencing, but the former makes his exit before the end of the scene, having perhaps to dress for his part; and, after he has gone out, Condell informs Sly and Sinklow that Burbadge is to be the Malevole of the night. From this preliminary portion of the play we learn that it had, in the first instance, been performed by a rival company, under the title of "The Malcontent," but that, with additions, it was that night to be represented by the King's players, with the new name of

1 One of the latest plays in which Burbage acted must have been Fletcher's "Loyal Subject," which was licensed by Sir George Buc, the Master of the Revels, on the 15th of November, 1618. His name is also found among the actors of "Bonduca," "The Knight of Malta," "The Queen of Corinth," "The Mad Lover," &c.

2 There were two editions of "The Malcontent" in 1604, the one by Marston only, the other with additions by Webster.

"One for Another." It was nevertheless afterwards reprinted, in the same year as the first edition, with a title-page still calling it "The Malcontent."

ance.

In another play, "The Return from Parnassus," Burbadge figures in his own name in the body of the performIt was not printed until 1606, but internal evidence establishes that it had been written and acted before the death of Elizabeth. In act iv., scene iii., two Cambridge scholars, called Studioso and Philomusus, employ Burbadge and Kempe, the first as the most famous tragedian, and the last as the best comedian of the day, to instruct them in the art of acting. Before the scholars enter, Burbadge and Kempe have a conversation, in which, among other matters, Kempe thus speaks of Shakespeare:

Few of the University pen plays well: they smell too much of that writer, Ovid, and that writer, Metamorphosis, and talk too much of Proserpina and Jupiter. Why, here's our fellow Shakespeare puts them all down; aye, and Ben Jonson too. O! that Ben Jonson is a pestilent fellow he brought up Horace, giving the poets a pill, but our fellow Shakespeare hath given him a purge that made him bewray his credit.

Burbadge observes, "It is a shrewd fellow, indeed;" and just afterwards, Studioso and Philomusus enter, to receive their lesson that of the one is founded upon Burbadge's performance of Jeronimo in the "Spanish Tragedy," while Kempe gives his pupil instructions as to the mode of playing the part of a verbose and foolish justice. The whole scene affords strong

1 In spite of what is said by Gifford (Ben Jonson's Works, i., lx) on the import of these expressions, which clearly refer to "The Poetaster," it seems to us more than probable that Shakespeare had taken some part in the quarrel between Ben Jonson and other poets in consequence of that comedy. Dekker, however, armed himself with the cudgels, and in his "Satiromastix," 1602, wielded them with more strength than skill, with more fury than effect. Ben Jonson's wrath was, however, excited,

and, as usual, he gave vent to it.

testimony, if any were wanted, of the high reputation of both players in their respective departments.

Having said so much of the characters sustained by Burbadge and of his undisputed excellence as a tragic performer, we may here properly introduce a sketch of his abilities and capabilities, left behind, not indeed by a contemporary, because the writer could never have seen Burbadge, but by one who mixed much with players and theatrical affairs, and who must have often heard his praises from numerous persons who had enjoyed an opportunity of personally marking the effects he produced upon his audiences. Such evidence is on some accounts better than that of an eye-witness, who speaks merely from his own observation, and not from traditional authority, founded upon the combined tributes of numerous spectators. We allude to Richard Flecknoe, who, in his "Short Discourse of the English Stage," printed in 1664,' inserted the description of "an excellent actor," in prose: this he subsequently put into verse, under the title of "The Praises of Richard Burbadge," inscribing it to Charles Hart, who became not much less distinguished after the Restoration. Flecknoe's "Praises" are these, extracted from his "Euterpe Restored," 1672; and it will be remarked that they begin somewhat abruptly, and read only like a fragment of some longer poem.

THE PRAISES OF RICHARD BURBADGE.

Who did appear so gracefully on the stage,

He was the admir'd example of the age,

And so observ'd all your dramatic laws,
He ne'er went off the stage but with applause;
Who his spectators and his auditors

Led in such silent chains of eyes and ears,

1 It is appended to his drama of "Love's Kingdom," which had originally appeared with the date of 1654: when it was republished ten years afterwards it was much altered, and to this impression the "Short Discourse of the English Stage" was first added.

As none, whilst he on the stage his part did play,
Had power to speak, or look another way.
Who a delightful Proteus was, and could
Transform himself into what shape he would;
And of an excellent orator had all,

In voice and gesture, we delightful call:
Who was the soul of the stage; and we may say

'Twas only he who gave life unto a play,

Which was but dead, as 'twas by the author writ,
Till he by action animated it :

And finally he did on the stage appear
Beauty to the eye, and music to the ear.

Such even the nicest critics must allow

Burbage was once, and such Charles Hart is now.1

If we may

believe some authorities, and there is no reason to doubt them, Burbadge was not only a great painter of living portraits upon the stage, but a limner of dead ones upon canvass: he was an artist as well as an actor, and attained considerable skill as a delineator of likenesses in oil-colours. In a

1 That the reader may judge how accurately Flecknoe in these verses repeated himself, and what he had said eight years before in prose, we subjoin the commencement of his description of "an excellent actor" from his "Short Discourse of the English Stage"—

"He was a delightful Proteus, so wholly transforming himself into his part, and putting off himself with his clothes, as he never (not so much as in the 'tiring house) assumed himself again, until the play was done. **** He had all the parts of an excellent orator, animating his words with speaking, and speech with action, his auditors being never more delighted than when he spake, nor more sorry than when he held his peace: yet even then he was an excellent actor still, never failing in his part when he had done speaking, but with his looks and gesture maintaining it still unto the height," &c.

Malone was acquainted with this quotation, (introduced by Flecknoe, with some praises of Richard Burbadge and N. Field) but was not aware that in a later production Flecknoe had put it into rhyme, and had expressly applied it to Burbadge. See Shaksp. by Boswell, iii., 185.