Mr. Kemble has favoured me with the following minute of what passed at this visit:—­

’When Mrs. Siddons came into the room, there happened to be no chair ready for her, which he observing, said with a smile, “Madam, you who so often occasion a want of seats to other people, will the more easily excuse the want of one yourself[749].”

Having placed himself by her, he with great good-humour entered upon a consideration of the English drama; and, among other inquiries, particularly asked her which of Shakspeare’s characters she was most pleased with.  Upon her answering that she thought the character of Queen Catharine, in Henry the Eighth, the most natural:—­“I think so too, Madam, (said he;) and whenever you perform it, I will once more hobble out to the theatre myself[750].”  Mrs. Siddons promised she would do herself the honour of acting his favourite part for him; but many circumstances happened to prevent the representation of King Henry the Eighth during the Doctor’s life.

’In the course of the evening he thus gave his opinion upon the merits of some of the principal performers whom he remembered to have seen upon the stage.  “Mrs. Porter,[751] in the vehemence of rage, and Mrs. Clive in the sprightliness of humour, I have never seen equalled.  What Clive did best, she did better than Garrick; but could not do half so many things well; she was a better romp than any I ever saw in nature[752].  Pritchard[753], in common life, was a vulgar ideot; she would talk of her gownd:  but, when she appeared upon the stage, seemed to be inspired by gentility and understanding.  I once talked with Colley Cibber[754], and thought him ignorant of the principles of his art.  Garrick, Madam, was no declaimer; there was not one of his own scene-shifters who could not have spoken To be, or not to be, better than he did[755]; yet he was the only actor I ever saw, whom I could call a master both in tragedy and comedy[756]; though I liked him best in comedy.  A true conception of character, and natural expression of it, were his distinguished excellencies.”  Having expatiated, with his usual force and eloquence, on Mr. Garrick’s extraordinary eminence as an actor, he concluded with this compliment to his social talents:  “And after all, Madam, I thought him less to be envied on the stage than at the head of a table."’

Johnson, indeed, had thought more upon the subject of acting than might be generally supposed[757].  Talking of it one day to Mr. Kemble, he said, ’Are you, Sir, one of those enthusiasts who believe yourself transformed into the very character you represent?’ Upon Mr. Kemble’s answering that he had never felt so strong a persuasion himself[758]; ’To be sure not, Sir, (said Johnson;) the thing is impossible.  And if Garrick really believed himself to be that monster, Richard the Third, he deserved to be hanged every time he performed it[759].’

A pleasing instance of the generous attention of one of his friends has been discovered by the publication of Mrs. Thrale’s collection of Letters.  In a letter to one of the Miss Thrales[760], he writes,—­