The Case of Mrs. Clive | Page 7

Mark: PN 2598. C45A2) in The Lilly Library, Indiana University. The total type-page (p. 9) measures 145 X 78 mm.

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THE CASE OF MRS. CLIVE [Price Six Pence.]
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THE CASE OF MRS. CLIVE Submitted to the PUBLICK.
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_LONDON:_
Printed for B. DOD at the Bible and Key in _Ave-Mary-Lane_ near _Stationers-Hall_. MDCCXLIV.
[Price Six Pence.]
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THE CASE OF MRS. CLIVE Submitted to the PUBLICK.
In order to put an End to ??ome fal??e Reports, which have been rai??ed in Relation to my not acting this Sea??on, as well as to be??peak the Favour of the Publick, I have, by the Advice of my Friends, ventured to addre??s my ??elf to them, from whom I have received many and great Marks of Favour, and who??e further Protection I now ??tand in need of.
I know Appeals of this Nature, which relate to Di??putes that happen at a Theatre, are by ??ome thought pre??uming and impertinent, ??uppo??ing they are too trifling to demand Attention: But, as I per??uade my ??elf that Inju??tice and Oppre????ion are by no means thought Matters of Indifference by any who have Humanity, I hope I ??hall not be thought to take too great a Liberty. I am the more encouraged to hope this from Experience; it having been ob??erved, that tho??e Performers, who have had the Happine??s to plea??e on the Stage, and who never did any thing to offend the Publick, whenever they have been injured by tho??e who pre??ided over Theatres, have ??eldom, if ever, failed of Redre??s upon repre??enting the Hard??hips they met with: And, as I at this time, apprehend my ??elf to be greatly oppre????ed by the Managers of both Theatres, I hope I ??hall be ju??tified in taking this Method of acquainting the Publick with my Ca??e, ??ubmitting it to their Determination.
Before the Di??putes happened betwixt the Manager of _Drury-Lane_ Theatre and his Actors, I had articled for Five Years to receive Three Hundred Pounds a Year, tho' another Performer on that Stage received for Seven Years Five Hundred Guineas, per Year; and at the Expiration of my Agreements the Manager offered me an additional Salary to continue at that Theatre.
And ??ince I have mentioned tho??e Di??putes, which ended ??o greatly to the Di??advantage of the Actors, I mu??t beg Leave to endeavour to ??et that Matter in a clear Light, which hitherto has been mi??repre??ented to the Publick: I think my ??elf obliged to this, as the Hard??hips I at pre??ent labour under are owing to that Di??agreement; if any think I treat this Matter too ??eriou??ly, I hope they will remember, that however trifling ??uch Things may appear to them, to me, who am ??o much concerned in 'em, they are of great Importance, ??uch as my Liberty and Livelihood depend on.
As only two Theatres were authori??ed, the Managers thought it was in their Power to reduce the Incomes of tho??e Performers, who could not live independant of their Profe????ion; but in order to make this appear with a better Face to the Town, it was agreed to complain of the Actors Salaries being too great, and accordingly a fal??e Account was publi??hed of them in the daily Papers, by whom I will not ??ay: Whether, or no, ??ome particular Salaries were ??o, I will not pretend to determine; yet, in the whole, they did not amount to more than had been allowed for many Years, when the Theatre was under a frugal and exact Regulation; when the Managers punctually fulfilled, not only all Engagements to their Actors, but to every other Per??on concerned in the Theatre, and rai??ed very con??iderable Fortunes for them??elves.
But ??uppo??ing the Expence of the Theatre too high, I am very certain it was not the Actors refu??ing to ??ubmit to a proper Reduction of them, which made ??o many of them quit the Stage, but from great Hard??hips they underwent, and greater which they feared would happen from an Agreement ??uppo??ed to be concluded betwixt the two Managers, which made 'em apprehend, that if they ??ubmitted to act under ??uch Agreements, they mu??t be ab??olutely in the Managers Power; and the Event has proved that their Fears were not ill-grounded, as I doubt not but I ??hall make appear.
When the Actors Affairs obliged 'em to return to the Theatres la??t Winter, under ??uch Abatements of their Salaries as hardly afforded the greater Part of them a Sub??i??tence, I was offered, by the Manager of _Drury-Lane_ Theatre, ??uch Terms as bore no Proportion to what he gave other Performers, or to tho??e he had offered me at the beginning of the Sea??on. They were ??uch as I was advi??'d not to accept, becau??e it was known they were propo??ed for no rea??on but to in??ult me, and make