To that career Garrick now determined to devote him self: and the low state of the stage, at this period, seemed to present ample scope for the exercise of his genius. Quin and Macklin were the only male performers of dis tinguished reputation, and even their excellence was con fined Within the limits of a few particular characters. Mrs Pritchard, Mrs Woffington, and Mrs Clive, shone in come dy. But with these few exceptions, truth and nature seem ed to be banished from scenic representation. Comedy was reduced to mere farce and buffoonery ; while in tragedy, vi olent rant and whining declamation were deemed the only just expression of passion and sentiment. Garrick per ceived these defects in the style of theatrical exhibition ; but he flattered himself that he should be able to revive a better taste, and to succeed by the truth of imitation. In the beginning of the year 1740, he dissolved partnership with his brother, and passed the remainder of the year in preparation for his great design; studying, with all his at tention, the best characters of Shakespeare, and of our most esteemed comic writers. Having consulted his friend Mr Giffard, who was manager of the theatre in Goodman's Fields, he determined, by his advice, to make an experi ment of himself at a country theatre. Accordingly, they both sct out for Ipswich, where, in the summer of 1741, there was a regular company of comedians. Garrick's diffidence was still so great, that he assumed the name Lydda); and to prevent every chance of discovery, he chose, for his first appearance, the character of Akan in the tra gedy of Oroonoko. His reception, however, was such, that, in a few clays, he ventured to throw off his black complex ion, and shew himself in the part of Chamont in the Orphan. He afterwards displayed his powers in comedy, and with the same success. Not only the inhabitants of the town, but the gentlemen all round the country, went in crowds to see the new performer ; and thus Ipswich had the ho nour of having first discovered and patronised the genius of a young actor, who soon afterwards became the brilliant ornament of the English stage, and the first comedian of the age in which he lived.
Garrick returned to town before the end of the summer, and resolved, in the course of the following winter, to pre sent himself before a London audience. With this view he offered his services, first to Fleetwood, and afterwards to Rich, the managers of Drury Lane and Covent Garden ; but was rejected by both. He then applied to his friend Giffard, and agreed to act under his management, at a sa lary of five pounds a week. The part he chose for his first appearance in the metropolis, was that of Richard III. which he performed at Goodman's Fields, on the 19th of October 1741, in a style so new, so natural, and so impres sive, as secured for him a• most abundant harvest of ap plause. His fame quickly spread over the metropolis ; and the public rushed in crowds to see a young performer, who burst forth at once a complete master of his art. The most elegant company flocked to Goodman's Fields; the celebrated Mr l'ope was drawn from his retreat at Twick enham ; and Lord Orrery is reported to have been so much struck with the performance, that he said, " I am afraid the young man will he spoiled, for he will have no competi tor." In the course of the season, Garrick appeared in a variety of characters ; in Lothario, Chamont, Sharp in his own farce of the Lying Valet, Lord Foppington, Captain Plume, and Raves in the Rehearsal. In this last charac ter, he seized the opportunity of making keen and power ful strictures on the prevailing taste in dramatic composi tion ; and availed himself of his wonderful powers of mimickry in taking off the most eminent performers of the time.
The unparalleled success which had hitherto attended all his efforts, induced Garrick to attempt a nobler flight, and to aspire to the first character in tragedy, by repre senting the difficult part of King Lear. Never was his genius more con picuously displayed, than in his portrai ture of the madness of that unfortunate monarch; it was, perhaps, the most accurate and impressive imitation of na ture that was ever exhibited to the view of a theatrical au dience. With that wonderful versatility of powers, for which he was so eminently distinguished, he descended from that first character in tragedy, to the farcical part of Abel Dragger, and represented the tobacco-boy in the truest style of comic humour. Hogarth, the famous paint er, saw him in Richard III., and on the following night in Abel Drugger ; he was so struck with the various powers of the performer, that he said to Garrick, " You are in your element, when you are begrimed with dirt, or up to your elbows in blood." Meanwhile the theatres of Drury-Lane and Covent-Gar den were almost deserted ; and the actors beheld with jea lousy the rapid and unprecedented success of the new per former. Quin said, in his sarcastic manner, This is the wonder of a clay ; Garrick is a new religion; the people follow him as another Whitfield, but they will soon return to church again." The joke was relished, and soon spread. through the town. Garrick thought it required an an-, swer, and replied in the following epigram.— About this time, Garrick produced the farce of Lake, in which he acted three different characters; and in the month of May 1741, he closed the season at Goodman's Fields, after a career of the most brilliant success. In the beginning of June he repaired to Ireland, in consequence of proposals on the part of the managers of the Dublin theatre, inviting him to perform with them during the summer months. He there performed his various comic and tragic characters to astonished and delighted audiences, and received the same applause that had been bestowed upon him in London. Towards the beginning of August he returned to England.
Garrick's reputation, as an actor of first rate excellence, was now completely established; in so much that Fleet wood, the manager of Drury Lane, now solicited those ser vices which he had formerly rejected with disdain. He ac cordingly opened a negotiation with Garrick ; and the treaty Nvos soon concluded on a salary of 5001., which was more than had ever been given before. Garrick continued to perform at Drury Lane during three successive seasons, gradually augmenting his list of characters, by reviving the masterpieces of our great dramatic poet Shakspcare. hamlet, Illacbeth, King John, and Othello, were successive ly brought forward, and exhibited in a style of varied ex cellence, which no actor before his time had been able to attain. Among the numerous merits of Garrick, it ought not to be reckoned the least, that by the correctness of his taste, and the charms of his acting, he contributed to re store our old standard plays to their just rank on the stage, and excited a relish in the public for the works of that great author, whose sublime conceptions of character, and pro found knowledge of the most minute springs of human ac tion, have elevated him to the highest seat among ancient and modern poets.