(Vol. v., p. 466.)
In Downes' _Roscius Anglicanus_, edit. 1789, mention is made of these two
actors, thus:
"Hart was apprentice to Robinson, an actor who lived before the Civil
Wars; he afterwards had a captain's commission, and fought for Charles
I. He acted women's parts when a boy.
"Mohun was brought up under Robinson, as Hart and others were: in his
youth he acted Bellamente, in _Love's Cruelty_, which part he retained
after the Restoration."--Page 10.
It appears to have been the practice of the old actors--the "master
actors," as they were called--to take youths as apprentices, and to
initiate them in female characters, as a preparatory step towards something
weightier. Richard Robinson, above-mentioned, _circa_ 1616, usually
performed female characters himself.[5] In 1647 his name occurs, with
several others, prefixed to the dedication of the first folio edition of
Fletcher's _Plays_. He served in the king's army in the civil wars, and was
killed in an engagement by Harrison, who refused him quarter, and who was
afterwards hanged at Charing Cross.
The patent of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, of which Mr. Hart and Major
Mohun formed part of the company, having descended from Thomas to Charles
Killigrew--
"In 1682 he joined it to Dr. Davenant's patent, whose company acted
then in Dorset Garden, which, upon the union, were created the King's
Company: after which Mr. Hart acted no more, having a pension to the
day of his death from the United Company. I must not omit to mention
the parts in several plays of some of the actors, wherein they excelled
in the performance of them. First, Mr. Hart, in the part of Arbaces, in
_King and no King_; Amintor, in the _Maid's Tagedy_; Othello; Rollo;
Brutus, in _Julius Cæsar_; Alexander. Towards the latter end of his
acting, if he {613} acted in any one of these but once in a fortnight,
the house was filled as at a new play, especially Alexander; he acting
that with such grandeur and agreeable majesty, that one of the Court
was pleased to honour him with this commendation; that Hart might teach
any king on earth how to comport himself."[6]
In Rymer's _Dissertation on Tragedy_ he is thus noticed:
"The eyes of the audience are prepossessed and charmed by his action,
before aught of the poet can approach their ears; and to the most
wretched of characters Hart gives a lustre which dazzles the sight,
that the deformities of the poet cannot be perceived."
"He was no less inferior in Comedy; as Mosca, in the _Fox_; Don John,
in the _Chances_; Wildblood, in the _Mock Astrologer_; with sundry
other parts. In all the Comedies and Tragedies he was concerned, he
perform'd with that exactness and perfection that not any of his
successors have equall'd him."[7]
It would seem that through Hart's "excellent action" alone Ben Jonson's
_Catiline_ (his own favourite play), which had been condemned on its first
representation, was kept on the stage during the reign of Charles II. With
Hart this play died.
Previous to Nell Gwyn's elevation to royal favour, it is said, upon the
authority of Sir George Etherge, in _Lives of the most celebrated Beauties,
&c._, 1715, she was "protected" by Lacy, and afterwards by Hart. Whether
this be true or not, it is certain that she received instructions in the
Thespian art from both of these gentlemen.
The cause of Hart retiring from the stage was in consequence of his being
dreadfully afflicted with the stone and gravel, "of which he died sometime
after, having a salary of forty shillings a week to the day of his death."
Hart's Christian name was Charles. He is believed by Malone to have been
Shakspeare's great nephew.[8]
Major Mohun remained in the "United Company" after Hart's retirement.
"He was eminent for Volpone; Face, in the _Alchemist_; Melantius, in
the _Maid's Tragedy_; Mardonius, in _King and no King_; Cassius, in
_Julius Cæsar_; Clytus, in _Alexander_; Mithridates, &c. An eminent
poet[9] seeing him act this last, vented suddenly this saying: 'Oh,
Mohun, Mohun! thou little man of mettle, if I should write 100 plays,
I'd write a part for thy mouth.' In short, in all his parts, he was
most accurate and correct."[10]
Rymer remarks:
"We may remember (however we find this scene of Melanthius and Amintor
written in the book) that at the Theater we have a good scene acted;
there is work cut out, and both our Æsopus and Roscius are on the stage
together. Whatever defect may be in Amintor and Melanthius, Mr. Hart
and Mr. Mohun are wanting in nothing. To these we owe what is pleasing
in the scene; and to this scene we may impute the success of the
'_Maid's Tragedy_.'"
Major Mohun's Christian name was Michael.