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of those gentlemen who have acquired wealth in the East Indies. At the time this play was produced, a general odium had been excited against the members of the Eaft India company, which was kept alive by every art that virulence and party could fuggeft. Mr. Foote, ever attentive to avail himself of popular fubjects, seized the prefent occafion to entertain the town at the exexpence of fome individuals. The character of Sir Matthew Mite was intended for a gentleman who had rifen from the low fituation of a cheesemonger.

18. Piety in Pattens, a farce, acted at the theatre in the Haymarket in 1773; but never printed.

19. The Bankrupt, acted at the Haymarket in 1776. This piece, like most others written by our author, contains little elfe than detached fcenes without any plot. It exhibits, however, fome strong delineations of character, and is by no means a bad performance.

20. The Cozeners, a comedy of three acts, acted at the Haymarket in 1774, and printed in 8vo. in 1778. The character of Simony in this piece was defigned as a vehicle for fatire on the late Dr. Dodd. It may be observed, as fome apology for our author's ftage ridicule, that he rarely

pointed

pointed it at any perfons who met with public respect, or deferved to meet with it.

21. The Capuchin, a comedy, acted at the Haymarket in 1776, and printed in 8vo. in 1778.

22. A Trip to Calais, a comedy, intended for representation in 1776, at the Haymarket; but containing a character defigned for a lady of quality, fhe had intereft enough to prevent its obtaining a licence.

Mr. Foote, after having written these pieces, fuffered his name to be put to a work, entitled, The Comic Theatre, in five volumes, 12mo. being a tranflation of a number of French comedies. Of thefe, however, we are affured, the firft only, The Young Hypocrite, is to be attributed to him.

All Mr. Foote's works are to be ranked only among the petites pieces of the theatre. In the execution they are fomewhat loofe, negligent, and unfinished; the plans are often irregular, and the catastrophes not always conclufive; but, with all these deficiencies, they contain more ftrength of character, more ftrokes of keen fatire, and more touches of temporary humour, than are to be found in the writings of any other modern dramatift. Even the language spoken by

his characters, incorrect as it may fometimes appear, will, on a close examination, be found entirely dramatical, as it abounds with those natural minutiæ of expreffion, which frequently form the very basis of character, and which render it the trueft mirror of the converfation of the times in which he wrote and published them.

Being on a party of pleasure, in the year 1766, with the late Duke of York, Lord Mexborough, and Sir Francis Delaval, Mr. Foote had the miffortune to break his leg, by a fall from his horse, in confequence of which he was obliged to undergo an amputation. This accident so sensibly affected the Duke, that he made a point of obtaining for Mr. Foote a patent for life, whereby he was allowed to perform, at the Little Theatre in the Haymarket, from the 15th of May to the 15th of September every year.

Our author now became a greater favourite of the town than ever; his very laughable pieces, with his more laughable performances, conftantly filled his house, and his receipts were fome feafons almoft incredible. Parfimony was never a vice to be afcribed to Mr. Foote; his hofpitality and generofity were ever confpicuous; he was vifited by the first nobility, and he was fometimes honoured even by royal guests.

In 1766, the Duchefs of K-, who had long been a general topic of converfation, our wit thought would furnifh a good fubject for a three-act piece; he fet about it, and during the time of writing it, often mentioned it to his friends, to fome of whom he read the chaarêter of Lady Kitty Crocodile, which was intended for her grace. We are told, that the fatire was highly seasoned, and the play one of the best he ever wrote. Her grace hearing of her being intended as a principal character in Foote's piece preparing for reprefentation, applied by her friends to the Lord Chamberlain; and when the play came before his lordfhip for his approbation, it was critically fcanned, and a permiffion refused. Mr. Foote, however, certain that no objeĝion could be laid to it on her grace's part, fent her the manufcript to read; but he was inexorable. Upon this, a paper war commenced between her grace and the wit, to the no fmall entertainment of the town.

The attack made upon his character by one of his domeftics, whom he had difmiffed for his mifbehaviour, is too well known to need being mentioned here. It may be fufficient to fay he was honourably acquitted of that charge. It is, however, believed by fomc, that the fhock he received from it accelerated his death, particularly

the

the very active part the agents of a certain duchefs took in that criminal profecution. It is more probable, that his natural volatility of fpirits would fupport him against all impreffions from attacks of that nature.

Our author, finding his health decline, entered into an agreement with Mr. Colman for his patent of the theatre, according to which he was to receive from that gentleman 1600l. per annum, befides a ftipulated fum whenever he chose to perform. Mr. Foote, afterwards made his appearance in two or three of his most admired characters; but being fuddenly feized with a paralytic ftroke one night whilft upon the ftage, he was compelled to retire, and from that time the public loft their juftly-admired Ariftophanes. He was advised to bathe, and accordingly went down to Brighthelmftone, where he feemed to recover his former health and fpirits.

A few weeks before his death he returned to London; but, with the advice of his physicians, fet out with an intention to spend the winter at Paris, and in the fouth of France. He had got no farther than Dover, when he was fuddenly attacked by another stroke of the palfy, which in a few hours terminated his exiftence. He died on the 21st of October, 1777, about the 56th

year

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