CHAPTER VII.

DRURY LANE, AND THE TWO THEATRES IN DRURY LANE AND COVENT GARDEN.

Craven House -- Donne and his vision -- Lord Craven and the Queen of Bohemia -- Nell Gwynn -- Drury Lane Theatre -- Its antiquity, different eras, and rebuildings -- The principal theatre of Dryden, Wycherley, Farquhar, Steele, Garrick, and Sheridan -- Old Drury in the time of Charles II. -- A visit to it -- Pepys and his theatrical gossip, with notes -- Hart and Mohun -- Goodman -- Nell Gwynn -- Dramatic taste of that age -- Booth -- Artificial tragedy -- Wilks and Cibber -- Bullock and Penkethman -- A Colonel enamoured of Cibber's wig -- Mrs. Oldfield -- Her singular position in society -- Not the Flavia of the Tatler -- Pope's account of her last words probably not true -- Declamatory acting -- Lively account of Garrick and Quin by Mr. Cumberland -- Improvement of stage costume -- King -- Mrs. Pritchard -- Mrs. Clive -- Mrs. Woffington -- Covent Garden -- Barry -- Contradictory characters of him by Davies and Churchill -- Macklin -- Woodward -- Pantomime -- English taste in music -- Cooke -- Rise of actors and actresses in social rank -- Improvement of the audience -- Dr. Johnston at the theatre -- Churchill a great pit critic -- His Rosciad -- His picture of Mossop -- Mrs. Jordan and Mr. Suett -- Early recollections of a play-goer 257