If Sylla’s ghost made bloody Cat’line start.

The other is called the Lady of Pleasure, with; its Argument at the Head of it, whereof the first line is,

  The life of Nelly truly shewn.

Sir George spent a life of ease, pleasure, and affluence, at least never was long, nor much, exposed to want.  He seems to have possessed a sprightly genius, to have had an excellent turn for comedy, and very happy in a courtly dialogue.  We have no proof of his being a scholar, and was rather born, than made a poet.  He has not escaped the censure of the critics; for his works are so extremely loose and licentious, as to render them dangerous to young, unguarded minds:  and on this account our witty author is, indeed, justly liable to the severest censure of the virtuous, and sober part of mankind.

[Footnote 1:  Biogr.  Brit. p. 1844.]

* * * * *

THE LIFE OF

William Mountford.

This gentleman, who was very much distinguished as a player, was born in the year 1659, but of what family we have no account, farther than that they were of Staffordshire; the extraordinary circumstances of Mr. Mountford’s death, have drawn more attention upon him, than he might otherwise have had; and though he was not very considerable as a poet, yet he was of great eminence as an actor.  Mr. Cibber, in his Apology for his own Life, has mentioned him with the greatest respect, and drawn his character with strong touches of admiration.  After having delineated the theatrical excellences of Kynaston, Sandford, &c. he thus speaks of Mountford.  ’Of person he was tall, well made, fair, and of an agreeable aspect, his voice clear, full, and melodious; in tragedy he was the most affecting lover within my memory; his addresses had a resistless recommendation from the very tone of his voice, which gave his words such softness, that as Dryden says,

  —­’Like flakes of feather’d snow,
  ’They melted as they fell.

All this he particularly verified in that scene of Alexander, where the hero throws himself at the feet of Statira for pardon of his past infidelities.  There we saw the great, the tender, the penitent, the despairing, the transported, and the amiable, in the highest perfection.  In comedy he gave the truest life to what we call the fine gentleman; his spirit shone the brighter for being polished by decency.  In scenes of gaiety he never broke into the regard that was due to the presence of equal, or superior characters, tho’ inferior actors played them; he filled the stage, not by elbowing and crossing it before others, or disconcerting their action, but by surpassing them in true and masterly touches of nature; he never laughed at his own jest, unless the point of his raillery upon another required it; he had a particular talent in giving life to bons mots and repartees; the wit of the poet seemed always to