H. J. Jackson discusses Queen Charlotte's responsive "extra-illustration" of text of her copy of An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, Comedian.
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Queen Charlotte Print: Book
'The fault of the great author, whose letters to his friend you have been reading, is, that Tully is wholly concerned for the fame of Cicero; and that for fame and self-exaltation sake. In some of his orations, what is called his vehemence (but really is too often insult and ill manners) so transports him, that a modern pleader... would not be heard, if he were to take the like freedoms... Cicero's constitutional faults seem to be vanity and cowardice. Great geniuses seldom have small faults. You have seen, I presume, Dr Middleton's "Life of Cicero". It is a fine piece; but the Doctor, I humbly think, has played the panegyrist, in some places in it, rather than the historian. The present laureat's performance on the same subject, of which Dr Middleton's is the foundation, is a spirited and pretty piece... You greatly oblige me, Madam, whenever you give me your observations upon what you read'.
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Richardson Print: Book
'. . . let me recommend to You, to borrow or get from the Circulating Library, "An Apology for the Life of Mr Colley Cibber"?This book has Chance thrown in my Way since I spoke last to You . . .?My book is of the 2d Edition in 1740?Page 284 whatever may be the Page of the Book you procure.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Crisp Print: Book
'Began Colley Cibber's "Life"; and was much delighted with his minute yet masterly account of the principal actors who figured previously to the Revolution...'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Thomas Green Print: Book
'As my dear Mr [italics] Cibber [end italics] had made me a present of fifty of his last Answer to Mr [italics] Pope [end italics], I sat down to read it, and found it so full of Spirit, and Humour, that just as it had thrown me into a hearty fit of Laughing, a Clergyman entered, who asked me, what had I got new?' [LP was by now running a print and pamphlet shop]
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Laetitia Pilkington
[LP went to visit Colley Cibber] 'and met, according to Custom, a very kind Reception: For his Friendship to me was inviolable. He was writing the [italics] Character and Conduct of CICERO Consider'd [end italics]; and did me the Honour to read it to me: I was infinitely pleased to find, by the many lively Sallies of wit in it, that the good Gentleman's Spirits were undepress'd with Years; - Long may they continue so. This gave me an opportunity of writing a Poem to him [the poem is then reproduced] Mr [italics] Cibber was exceedingly well pleas'd when I waited on him with it, and said, he would give it a Place, but that it wanted Correction, which he promised to bestow on it: This I readily agreed to, being convinced his Judgement far surpassed mine.
I waited on him the next Morning, and found he had greatly improved my Work: I thank'd him for his obliging Pains, but remarked his Modesty in having struck out some Lines, in which he was most praised.' [LP then relates how Cibber and other gentlemen gave her money for her poem]
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Laetitia Pilkington Manuscript: Unknown
[LP went to visit Colley Cibber] 'and met, according to Custom, a very kind Reception: For his Friendship to me was inviolable. He was writing the [italics] Character and Conduct of CICERO Consider'd [end italics]; and did me the Honour to read it to me: I was infinitely pleased to find, by the many lively Sallies of wit in it, that the good Gentleman's Spirits were undepress'd with Years; - Long may they continue so. This gave me an opportunity of writing a Poem to him [the poem is then reproduced] Mr [italics] Cibber was exceedingly well pleas'd when I waited on him with it, and said, he would give it a Place, but that it wanted Correction, which he promised to bestow on it: This I readily agreed to, being convinced his Judgement far surpassed mine.
I waited on him the next Morning, and found he had greatly improved my Work: I thank'd him for his obliging Pains, but remarked his Modesty in having struck out some Lines, in which he was most praised.' [LP then relates how Cibber and other gentlemen gave her money for her poem]
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Colley Cibber Manuscript: Unknown
'I communicated this Letter [from Colley Cibber, reproduced in the text] to Lord Chief Baron [italics] Bowes [end italics], the Hon. [italics] Arthur Hill [end italics], Esq., and several Persons of Taste, who were infinitely delighted with it, as they were with many others, which I had from Mr [italics] Cibber [end italics], and which would considerably have embellished my Work, had I not the Misfortune to lose them, by lending them to a Man of Distinction, who by some Accident mislaid them.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Arthur Hill, Lord Bowes Manuscript: Letter
'His [Colley Cibber's] friends gave out that he [italics] intended [end italics] his birth-day "Odes" should be bad: but that was not the case, Sir; for he kept them many months by him, and a few years before he died he shewed me one of them, with great solicitude to render it as perfect as might be, and I made some corrections, to which he was not very willing to submit'.
Century: 1850-1899 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Manuscript: Unknown
'Boswell. "You have read his [Cibber's] apology, Sir ?" Johnson. "Yes, it is very entertaining. But as for Cibber himself, taking from his conversation all that he ought not to have said, he was a poor creature. I remember when he brought me one of his Odes to have my opinion of it, I could not bear such nonsense, and would not let him read it to the end; so little respect had I for [italics] that great man! [end italics] (laughing.)"'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
'Boswell. "You have read his [Cibber's] apology, Sir ?" Johnson. "Yes, it is very entertaining. But as for Cibber himself, taking from his conversation all that he ought not to have said, he was a poor creature. I remember when he brought me one of his Odes to have my opinion of it, I could not bear such nonsense, and would not let him read it to the end; so little respect had I for [italics] that great man! [end italics] (laughing.)"'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Colley Cibber Manuscript: Unknown
'Dr. Johnson, as usual, spoke contemptuously of Colley Cibber. "It is wonderful that a man, who for forty years had lived with the great and the witty, should have acquired so ill the talents of conversation: and he had but half to furnish; for one half of what he said was oaths." He, however, allowed considerable merit to some of his comedies, and said there was no reason to believe that the "Careless Husband" was not written by himself.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
'BOSWELL. "Yet Cibber was a man of observation?" JOHNSON. "I think not." BOSWELL. "You will allow his 'Apology' to be well done". JOHNSON. "Very well done, to be sure, Sir. That book is a striking proof of the justice of Pope's remark:
'Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand'
BOSWELL. "And his plays are good". JOHNSON. "Yes; but that was his trade; [italics] l'esprit du corps [end italics]; he had been all his life among players and play-writers".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell Print: Book
'BOSWELL. "Yet Cibber was a man of observation?" JOHNSON. "I think not." BOSWELL. "You will allow his 'Apology' to be well done". JOHNSON. "Very well done, to be sure, Sir. That book is a striking proof of the justice of Pope's remark:
'Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand'
BOSWELL. "And his plays are good". JOHNSON. "Yes; but that was his trade; [italics] l'esprit du corps [end italics]; he had been all his life among players and play-writers".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell Print: Book
'BOSWELL. "Yet Cibber was a man of observation?" JOHNSON. "I think not." BOSWELL. "You will allow his 'Apology' to be well done". JOHNSON. "Very well done, to be sure, Sir. That book is a striking proof of the justice of Pope's remark:
'Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand'
BOSWELL. "And his plays are good". JOHNSON. "Yes; but that was his trade; [italics] l'esprit du corps [end italics]; he had been all his life among players and play-writers".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
'BOSWELL. "Yet Cibber was a man of observation?" JOHNSON. "I think not." BOSWELL. "You will allow his 'Apology' to be well done". JOHNSON. "Very well done, to be sure, Sir. That book is a striking proof of the justice of Pope's remark:
'Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand'
BOSWELL. "And his plays are good". JOHNSON. "Yes; but that was his trade; [italics] l'esprit du corps [end italics]; he had been all his life among players and play-writers".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
'[Johnson said] He [Colley Cibber] abused Pindar to me, and then shewed me an Ode of his own, with an absurd couplet, making a linnet soar on an eagle's wing. I told him that when the ancients made a simile, they always made it like something real.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Manuscript: Unknown
'[Johnson said] 'Colley Cibber once consulted me as to one of his birth-day Odes, a long time before it was wanted. I objected very freely to several passages. Cibber lost patience, and would not read his Ode to an end.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Colley Cibber Manuscript: Unknown
