The Case of Mrs. Clive | Page 9

they to apply? It is unlawful to act any where but with them; Nece????ity or Inclination brings every one to the Stage; if the former happens to be the Ca??e, they will not readily find an Employment; and if the latter, they will not be fit for one; ??o that it will appear an Act of great Inju??tice and Oppre????ion. If it ??hould be objected, That the Actors Demands are ??o exorbitant, that the Managers cannot comply with 'em? I have already endeavoured to ??how, that tho' two or three Salaries might be thought ??o in general, they did not amount to more than had been allowed, and very con??iderable Profits ari??ing to the Patentees. But there is a very melancholy In??tance, that the Actors Demands is not the Rea??on of di??mi????ing 'em, but the Will of the Manager alone; since la??t Sea??on an Actor and Actre??s returned to _Drury-Lane_ under ??uch Abatements as that Manager thought proper, and ??uch as were in no degree equal to their Merit; and yet, at the beginning of this Sea??on, were di??mi????ed, after having been from their Infancy on the Stage, and having no other Profe????ions to live by, and very numerous Families to ??upport.
The Manager of _Drury-Lane_ tho' he can't but know I am di??engag'd from the other Theatre, has not made any Application to me to act with him, which he has done to ??everal others who quitted that Stage at the Time I did: The Rea??ons which obliged me to leave him ??till ??ub??i??t: He owes me a Hundred and Sixty Pounds, twelve Shillings, which he has acknowledged to be ju??tly due, and promi??ed Payment of it by la??t _Chri??tmas_ to a Per??on of too great Con??equence for me to mention here, the greater Part of it Money I expended for Cloaths for his U??e. He offer'd me, la??t Sea??on, not near half as much as he afterwards agreed to give another Performer, and le??s than he then gave to ??ome others in his Company; ??o that I mu??t conclude, as every one knows there are Agreements betwixt the Managers, that there is a De??ign to di??tre??s me, and reduce me to ??uch Terms as I cannot comply with.
I am ??orry I am reduced to ??ay any thing in favour of my??elf; but, as I think I merit as much as another Performer, and the Managers are ??o de??irous to convince me of the contrary, I hope I ??hall be excu??ed; e??pecially when I declare, that at this time, I am not in the lea??t vain of my Profe????ion.
As to my Performances, the Audience are the only, proper Judges: But I may venture to affirm, That my Labour, and Application, have been greater than any other Performers on the Stage. I have not only acted in almo??t all the Plays, but in Farces and Mu??ical Entertainments; and very frequently two Parts in a Night, even to the Prejudice of my Health. I have been at a very great Expence in Ma??ters for Singing; for which Article alone, the Managers now give five and ??ix Pounds a Week. My additional Expences, in belonging to the Theatre, amount to upwards of one Hundred Pounds a Year, in Clothes, and other Nece????aries; and the pretended great Salaries, of ten and twelve Pounds a Week, which have been ??o artfully, and fal??ly repre??ented to the Town, to the Prejudice of the Actors, will, upon Enquiry, appear to be no more than half as much, ??ince they performed half Sea??on, at the Theatres, very ??eldom above three or four Days a Week; ??o taking in the long Vacation, when there are no Plays at all, to tho??e Days the pre??ent Managers omit acting, a Salary which appears to be great, will be found, in effect, to be very moderate; and tho??e which are le??s, not a Sufficiency.
I have now fini??hed all I propo??ed; I have ??hown in how aggravating a manner, without any Rea??on a????igned, and at a Time a very con??iderable Sum of Money was owing to me, I have been turn'd out of _Covent-Garden_ Theatre. The Manager of _Drury-Lane,_ tho' he can't but know what ju??t Rea??ons I had for quitting him, has never apply'd to me to return, nor made the lea??t Excu??e for not paying my Arrears, tho' due ??o long, and after promi??ing Payment near a Year, notwith??tanding I have, for many Years, not only endeavour'd, but ??ucceeded, in greatly promoting that Manager's Intere??t, as is known to him??elf and his whole Company.
The Rea??on of my taking the Liberty to communicate the??e Things to the Publick, is mo??t earne??tly to interceed for their Favour and Protection, from whom I have always met with great Genero??ity and Indulgence: For, as I have already declared, in a Letter publi??hed by me la??t