The Petition of all the Devils of the Play-house in behalf of themselves
and Families, setting forth their Expulsion from thence, with
Certificates of their good Life and Conversation, and praying Relief.
_The Merit of this Petition referred to Mr._ Chr. Rich, _who made them
Devils._
The Petition of the Grave-digger in 'Hamlet', to command the Pioneers in
the Expedition of _Alexander_.
_Granted._
The Petition of _William Bullock_, to be _Hephestion_ to _Penkethman the
Great_. [4]
_Granted._
* * * * *
The caricature here, and in following lines, is of a passage in Sir
Robert Stapylton's 'Slighted Maid': 'I am the Evening, dark as
Night,' &c.
In the 'Spectator's' time the Rehearsal was an acted play, in which
Penkethman had the part of the gentleman Usher, and Bullock was one
of the two Kings of Brentford; Thunder was Johnson, who played also
the Grave-digger in Hamlet and other reputable parts.
* * * * *
[Footnote 1: 'March' was written by an oversight left in the first reprint
uncorrected.]
[Footnote 2: No. 31.]
[Footnote 3: Mr. Bayes, the poet, in the Duke of Buckingham's
'Rehearsal', after showing how he has planned a Thunder and Lightning
Prologue for his play, says,
Come out, Thunder and Lightning.
[Enter Thunder and Lightning.]
'Thun'. I am the bold 'Thunder'.
'Bayes'. Mr. Cartwright, prithee speak that a little louder, and
with a hoarse voice. I am the bold Thunder: pshaw! Speak
it me in a voice that thunders it out indeed: I am the
bold 'Thunder'.
'Thun'. I am the bold 'Thunder'.
'Light'. The brisk Lightning, I.']
[Footnote 4: William Bullock was a good and popular comedian, whom some
preferred to Penkethman, because he spoke no more than was set down for
him, and did not overact his parts. He was now with Penkethman, now with
Cibber and others, joint-manager of a theatrical booth at Bartholomew
Fair. When this essay was written Bullock and Penkethman were acting
together in a play called 'Injured Love', produced at Drury Lane on the
7th of April, Bullock as 'Sir Bookish Outside,' Penkethman as 'Tipple,'
a Servant. Penkethman, Bullock and Dogget were in those days Macbeth's
three witches. Bullock had a son on the stage capable of courtly parts,
who really had played Hephestion in 'the Rival Queens', in a theatre
opened by Penkethman at Greenwich in the preceding summer.]
* * * * *