Martin's-in-the-Fields, Archbishop Tenison
preached the sermon. When this was subsequently made the ground of
exposing him to the reproof of Queen Mary, she remarked that the good
doctor, no doubt, had said nothing but what the facts authorized.
"Who should act genteel comedy perfectly," asks Walpole, "but people
of fashion, that have sense?" And, in truth, the seventeenth century
gave many ladies to the stage, Mrs. Barry being the most famous of
them. Like many eminent actors, she was famous for the way in which
she would utter one single expression in a play. Dr. Doran gives
some curious instances from later actors. "What mean my grieving
subjects?" uttered in the character of Queen Elizabeth, was invested
by her with such emphatic grace and dignity as to call up murmurs of
approbation [87] which swelled into thunders of applause. Her noble
head is here engraved after Kneller, like the head of a magnificent
visionary man.
Should we really care for the greatest actors of the past could we
have them before us? Should we find them too different from our
accent of thought, of feeling, of speech, in a thousand minute
particulars which are of the essence of all three? Dr.
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