the Biographia Britannica and feveral other books. It is obfervable that biographical writers often give the world long differtations concerning facts and dates, when the fact contefted might at once be afcertained by vifiting a neighbouring parishchurch: and this has been particularly the cafe of Mr. Betterton. He was the fon of Matthew Betterton (under-cook to King Charles the First) and was baptized, as I learn from the regifter of St. Margaret's parish, Auguft 11, 1635. He could not have appeared on the ftage in 1656, as has been afferted, no theatre being then allowed. His first appearance was at the Cockpit, in Drury Lane, in Mr. Rhodes's company, who played there by a license in the year 1659, when Betterton was twenty-four years of age. He married Mrs. Mary Saunderson, an actress, who had been bred by Sir William D'Avenant, fome time in the year 1663, as appears by the Dramatis Perfone of The Slighted Maid, printed in that year. From a paper now before me which Sir Henry Herbert has entitled a Breviat of matters to be proved on the trial of an action brought by him against Mr. Betterton in 1662, I find that he continued to act at the Cockpit

3 This celebrated actor continued on the ftage fifty years, and died inteftate in April, 1710. No perfon appears to have adminiftered to him. Such was his extreme modefty, that not long before his death" he confeffed that he was yet learning to be an actor." His wife furvived him two years. By her laft will, which was made, March 10, 1711-12, and proved in the following month, the bequeathed to Mrs. Mary Head, her fifter, and to two other perfons, 20l. apiece, "to be paid out of the arrears of the penfion which her Majefty had been gracioufly pleafed to grant her;" to Mrs. Anne Betterton, Mr. Wilks, Mr. Dent, Mr. Dogget, and Mrs. Bracegirdle, twenty fhillings each for rings, and to her refiduary legatce Mrs. Frances Williamfon, the wife of Williamfon," her dearly beloved husband's picture."

Mrs. Mary Head must have been Mr. Betterton's fifter; for Mrs. Betterton's own name was Mary.

till November 1660, when he and feveral other performers entered into articles with Sir William D'Avenant; in confequence of which they began in that month to play at the theatre in Salisbury Court, from whence after fome time, I believe, they returned to the Cockpit, and afterwards removed to a new theatre in Portugal Row near Lincoln's Inn Fields. Thefe Articles were as follows:

ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT tripartite, indented, made, and agreed upon this fifth day of November in the twelfth yeere of the reigne of our fovereigne Lord king Charles the Second, Annoque Domini 1660, between Sir Wm. Davenant of London, Kt. of the first part, and Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, Robert Noakes, James Noakes, Thomas Lovell, John Mofeley, Cave Underhill, Robert Turner, and Thomas Lillefton, of the fecond part; and Henry Harris of the citty of London, painter, of the third part, as followeth.

Imprimis, the faid Sir William Davenant doth for himself, his executors, adminiftrators and asfigns, covenant, promise, grant, and agree, to and with the faid Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, Robert Noakes, James Noakes, Thomas Lovell, John Mofeley, Cave Underhill, Robert Turner, and Thomas Lilleston, that he the faid Sir William Davenant by vertue of the authority to him derived for that purpofe does hereby conftitute, ordeine and erect them the faid Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, Robert Noakes, James Noakes, Thomas Lovell, John Moseley, Cave Underhill, Robert Turner, and Thomas Lilleston and their affociates, to bee a company, publiquely to act all manner of tragedies, comedies, and playes whatfoever, in any theatre or playhoufe erected in

London or Westminster or the fuburbs thereof, and to take the ufual rates for the fame, to the uses hereafter expreft, untill the faid Sir William Davenant fhall provide a newe theatre with SCENES.

Item, it is agreed by and between all the said parties to these prefents, that the faid company (untill the faid theatre bee provided by the faid Sir William Davenant) be authorized by him to act tragedies, comedies, and playes in the playhouse called Salisbury Court playhouse, or any other houfe, upon the conditions only hereafter following,

vizt.

That the generall receipte of money of the faid playhouse fhall (after the houfe-rent, hirelings,* and all other accuftomary and neceffary expences in that kind be defrayed) bee divided into fowerteene proportions or fhares, whereof the faid Sir William Davenant fhall have foure full proportions or fhares to his owne ufe, and the reft to the ufe of the faid companie.

That dureinge the time of playing in the faid playhouse, (untill the aforefaid theatre bee provided by the faid Sir Wm. Davenant,) the faid Sir Wm. Davenant fhall depute the faid Thomas Batterton, James Noakes, and Thomas Sheppey, or any one of them particularly, for him and on his behalfe, to receive his proportion of those shares, and to furveye the accompte conduceinge thereunto, and to pay the faid proportions every night to him the faid Sir Wm. Davenant or his affignes, which they doe hereby covenant to pay accordingly.

That the faid Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, and the reft of the faid company fhall admit fuch a confort of muficiens into the faid playhouse

4 i. e. men hired occafionally by the night: in modern language, fupernumeraries.

for their neceffary use, as the faid Sir William fhall nominate and provide, duringe their playinge in the faid playhouse, not exceedinge the rate of 30s. the day, to bee defrayed out of the general expences of the houfe before the faid fowerteene fhares bee devided.

That the faid Thomas Batterton, Thomas Sheppey, and the rest of the faid companie foe authorized to play in the playhouse in Salisbury Court or elfewhere, as aforefaid, fhall at one weeks warninge given by the faid Sir William Davenant, his heires or affignes, diffolve and conclude their playeing at the house and place aforefaid, or at any other house where they fhall play, and fhall remove and joyne with the faid Henry Harris, and with other men and women provided or to bee provided by the faid Sir Wm. Davenant, to performe fuch tragedies, comedies, playes, and reprefentations in that theatre to be provided by him the faid Sir William as aforefaid.

Item. It is agreed by and betweene all the faid parties to these prefents in manner and form followinge, vizt. That when the faid companie, together with the faid Henry Harris, are joyned with the men and women to be provided by the faid Sir William D'Avenant to act and performe in the faid theatre to bee provided by the faid Sir Wm. Davenant, that the generall receipte of the faid theatre (the generall expence first beinge deducted) fhall bec devided into fifteene fhares or proportions, whereof two fhares or proportions fhall bee paid to the faid Sir Wm. Davenant, his executors, adminiftrators, or affigns, towards the houfe-rent, buildinge, fcaffoldinge, and makeing of frames for SCENES, and one other fhare or proportion fhall likewife bee paid to the faid Sir William, his executors, adminiftrators and affignes, for provifion

of habitts, properties, and SCENES, for a fupplement of the faid theatre.

That the other twelve fhares (after all expences of men hirelinges and other cuftomary expences deducted) fhall bee devided into feaven and five fhares or proportions, whereof the faid Sir Wm. D'Avenant, his executors, administrators, or affigns, fhall have feaven fhares or proportions, to mainteine all the women that are to performe or reprefent womens parts in the aforefaid tragedies, comedies, playes, or reprefentations; and in confideration of erectinge and establishinge them to bee a companie, and his the faid Sir Wms. paines and expences to that purpofe for many yeeres. And the other five of the faid fhares or proportions is to bee devided amongst the rest of the persons [parties] to theis prefents, whereof the faid Henry Harris is to have an equal fhare with the greatest proportion in the faid five fhares or proportions.

That the generall receipte of the faid theatre (from and after fuch time as the faid Companie have performed their playeinge in Salisbury Court, or in any other playhouse, according to and noe longer than the tyme allowed by him the faid William as aforefaid) fhall bee by ballatine, or tickets fealed for all doores and boxes.

That Sir Wm. Davenant, his executors, adminiftrators or affignes, fhall at the general chardge of the whole receipte provide three perfons to receive money for the faid tickets, in a roome adjoyning to the faid theatre; and that the actors in the faid theatre, nowe parties to these presents, who are concerned in the faid five fhares or proportions, fhall dayly or weekely appoint two or three of themfelves, or the men hirelings deputed by them, to fit with the aforefaid three perfons appointed by the faid Sir William, that they may