Towards the end of the year 1745, Garrick went over to Ireland, having received an invitation from Sheridan to be joint manager of the Dublin theatre for the season. On his return to England, in May 1746, he was offered advan tageous terms by Rich, the manager of Covent Garden, who proposed, as a further inducement, to open his play house, which was then shut, for six nights, upon an equal share of the profits. Garrick accepted, and played his ca pital parts with great success. Ile was also engaged for the ensuing season at the same theatre. Early in January 1747, he produced his farce of Miss in her Teens, which was extremely well received, and when, in the course of this season, Dr Hoadley's excellent comedy of the Suspi cious Husband was brought forward, Garrick provided the prologue and epilogue.
The following season, Garrick attained the great object of his wishes, by becoming joint-patentee with Mr Lacy of the Drury Lane theatre. At the opening of the theatre, on the 20th Septemher 1747, he spoke an occasional prologue, written by his friend Dr Johnson, in a style superior to every thing of the kind in the English language, if we ex cept, perhaps, Pope's prologue to the tragedy of Cato. During several years, Garrick continued to devote himself, with unremitting zeal and assiduity, to the concerns of the theatre, bringing forward new productions of merit, reviv ing the neglected plays of Shakspeare, Otwav, and our best dramatic writers, occasionally diversifying the mode of entertainment by tile exhibition of pantomines, and con tinually delighting the public by the display of his own great powers. In the month of July 1749, Garrick enter ed on a new scene of life, by marrying the fair Violetti, a native of Vienna, who had chosen to adopt an Italian name. She had an elegant figure, and was much admired as a dancer. She was patronized by Lord and Lady Burling ton, who, it was generally understood, gave her a fortune of six thousand pounds. In the summer of 1763, he form ed a design to visit the continent, having been told by his physicians that he stood in need of air and exercise, and that Mrs Garrick's health would receive benefit from the waters of Barrege. Accordingly, he set out for Dover on the 15th September, leaving his brother George, as his substitute, to act For him in concert with Mr Lacy. Du ring his absence, the affairs of the theatre continued to be managed with considerable profit ; but the public longed for the return of their favourite performer. Garrick and his lady arrived in London about the end of April 1765.
The news was announced in the papers, and was received with joy by the town. He did not act, however, during the remainder of the season, which ended, as usual, in the month of June. On the 14th of November 1765, his ma jesty, alter opening the session of parliament, commanded, for his evening entertainment, the comedy of Much ado about Xothing. This called lorth Garrick from his retreat. Ile came prepared with an address to the audience, and was received with loud acclamations of joy and approba tion. From this period lie continued to appear occasional ly in his best characters, and to conduct the affairs of the theatre with the same spirit and success as lie had formerly done.
In the month of March 1773, Garrick lost an able coad jutor by the death of Mr Lacy, the joint-patentee of Drury Lane. The whole burden of management now fell upon him, at a time when his infirmities rendered him unequal to the task. Ile therefore appeared as seldom as possible in the laborious parts of tragedy ; but still continued to perform his favourite comic characters. In the beginning of the year 1776, lie formed the resolution of retiring from the stage, and this intention was first intimated to the pub lic in the prologue which he wrote to Mr Colman's farce, called The Spleen, or Islington Slialu. After describing a tradesman, who quits his business to enjoy the air of Is lington, ho adds, The master of this shop too seeks repose, Sells oil' his stock in trade, his verse and prose, his daggers, buskins, thunder, lightning, and old clothes.
On the 10th of June, he made his last public appearance. For some time he proposed to finish his theatrical career with the part in which he at first set out ; but he thought that after the fatigue of so laborious a character as that of Richard III. it would be out of his power to utter a fare well address to the audience, and he therefore chose the part of Don Felix, in the comedy of the Wonder. The pro fits of the night were assigned to the fond for the relief of those who should be obliged by their infirmities to retire from the stage. After the play he came forward and ad dressed the audience in a few words, which he uttered in a manner that sufficiently indicated the feelings which agi• tated his mind. He then bowed respectfully to all parts of the house, and in a slow pace, and with much hesita tion, withdrew for ever from the scene of his well-earned fame, amidst the regret of all those who knew how to ap preciate his unrivalled genius.