Colley Cibber
An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber, Volume I
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About the print version
An Apology for the Life of Mr. Colley Cibber, Volume I
Colley Cibber Editor Robert W. Lowe
Reprint of the 1889 Robert W. Lowe edition; (New York: AMS Press) 1966
337 pp.
John C. Nimmo
London
1889
Published: 1889
AN APOLOGY FOR THE LIFE OF MR. COLLEY CIBBER
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOLUME THE FIRST
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF A NEW EDITION WITH NOTES AND SUPPLEMENT
by
ROBERT W. LOWE
WITH TWENTY-SIX ORIGINAL MEZZOTINT PORTRAITS BY R. B. PARKES, AND EIGHTEEN
ETCHINGS BY ADOLPHE LALAUZE
LONDON
JOHN C. NIMMO
I4, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND
MDCCCLXXXIX
AMS PRESS, INC.
NEW YORK
1966
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PREFACE.
COLLEY CIBBER'S famous Autobiography has always been recognized as one of
the most delightful books of its class; but, to students of theatrical history,
the charm of its author's ingenuous frankness has been unable altogether to
overweigh the inaccuracy and vagueness of his treatment of matters of fact. To
remove this cause of complaint is the principal object of the present edition.
But correcting errors is only one of an editor's duties, and by no means the
most difficult. More exacting, and almost equally important, are the
illustration of the circumstances surrounding the author, the elucidation of his
references to current events, and the comparison of his statements and theories
with those of judicious contemporaries. In all these particulars I have
interpreted my duty in the widest sense, and have aimed at giving, as far as in
me lies, an exhaustive commentary on the `' Apology."
I am fortunate in being able to claim that my work contains much information
which has never before been made public. A careful investigation of the MSS. in the British Museum, and of the Records of the Lord Chamberlain's
Office (to which my access was greatly facilitated by the kindness of Mr. Edward
F. S. Pigott, the Licenser of Plays), has enabled me to give the exact dates of
many transactions which were previously uncertain, and to give references to
documents of great importance in stage history, whose very existence was before
unknown. How important my new matter is, may be estimated by comparing the facts
given in my notes regarding the intricate transactions of the years 1707 to
1721, with any previous history of the same period. Among other sources of
information, I may mention the Cibber Collections in the Forster Library at
South Kensington, to which my attention was drawn by the kindness of the
courteous keeper, Mr. R. F. Sketchley; and I have also, of course, devoted much
time to contemporary newspapers.
In order to illustrate the "Apology," two tracts of the utmost rarity, the "
Historia Histrionica" and Anthony Aston's " Brief Supplement" to Cibber's Lives
of the Actors, are reprinted in this edition. The " Historia Histrionica " was
written, all authorities agree, by James Wright, Barrister-at-Law, whose
"History and Antiquities of the County of Rutland" is quoted by Cibber in his
first chapter (vol. i. p. 8). The historical value of this pamphlet is very
great, because it contains the only formal account in existence of the
generation of actors who preceded Betterton, and because it gives many curious and interesting particulars regarding the theatres and plays, as well as the
actors, before and during the Civil Wars. As Cibber begins his account of the
stage (see chap. iv.) at the Restoration, there is a peculiar propriety in
prefacing it by Wright's work; a fact which has already been recognized, for the
publisher of the third edition (1750) of the "Apology" appended to it " A
Dialogue on Old Plays and Old Players," which is simply a reprint of the
"Historia Histrionica" under another title, and without the curious preface.
Following the "Historia Histrionica" will be found a copy of the Patent
granted to Sir William Davenant, one of the most important documents in English
stage history. A similar grant was made to Thomas Killigrew, as is noted on page
87 of this volume.
These documents form a natural introduction to Cibber's History of the Stage
and of his own career, which commences, as has been said, at the Restoration,
and ends, somewhat abruptly, with his retirement from the regular exercise of
his profession in 1733. To complete the record of Cibber's life, I have added a
Supplementary Chapter to the 'Apology," in which I have also noted briefly the
chief incidents of theatrical history up to the time of his death. In this, too,
I have told with some degree of minuteness the story of his famous quarrel with
Pope; and to this chapter I have appended a list of Cibber's dramatic
productions, and a Bibliography of works by, or relating to him.
Anthony Aston's "Brief Supplement to Colley Cibber, Esq; his Lives of the
late famous Actors and Actresses," of which a reprint is given with this
edition, is almost, if not quite, the rarest of theatrical books. Isaac Reed,
says Genest," wrote his name in his copy of Aston's little book, with the date
of 1796 -- he says -- 'this Pamphlet contains several circumstances concerning
the Performers of the last century, which are no where else to be found -- it
seems never to have been published' -- he adds -- 'Easter Monday, 1795 -- though
I have now possessed this pamphlet 26 years, it is remarkable that I never have
seen another copy of it.'" Of Aston himself, little is known. According to his
own account he came on the stage about 1700, and we know that he was a noted
stroller; but as to when he was born, or when he died, there is no information.
He is supposed, and probably with justice, to be the " trusty Anthony, who has
so often adorned both the theatres in England and Ireland," mentioned in
Estcourt's advertisement of his opening of the Bumper Tavern, in the "Spectator"
of 28th and 29th December, 1711; and he was no doubt a well-known character
among actors and theatre-goers. He would thus be well qualified for his
undertaking as biographer of the actors of his time; and, indeed, his work bears
every mark of being the production of a writer thoroughly well acquainted with
his subject. This valuable pamphlet has been, until now practically a sealed
book to theatrical students.
The three works which make up this edition -- Cibber's " Apology," Wright's
" Historia Histrionica," and Aston's " Brief Supplement" -- are reprinted
verbatim et literatim; the only alterations made being the correction of obvious
errors. Among obvious errors I include the avalanche of commas with which
Cibber's printers overwhelmed his text. A more grotesque misuse of punctuation I
do not know, and I have struck out a large number of these points, not only
because they were unmeaning, but also because, to a modern reader, they were
irritating in the highest degree. The rest of the punctuation I have not
interfered with, and with the single exception of these commas the present
edition reproduces not only the matter of the works reprinted, but the very
manner in which they originally appeared, the use of italics and capitals having
especially been carefully observed.
The "Apology" of Cibber has gone through six editions. I have reprinted the
text of the second, because it was certainly revised by the author, and many
corrections made. But I have carefully compared my text with that of the first
edition, and, wherever the correction is more than merely verbal, I have
indicated the fact in a note (e.g. vol. i. p. 72). The only edition which has
been annotated is that published in 1822, under the editorship of Edmund
Bellchambers. Whether the Notes were written by the Editor or by Jacob Henry
Burn, who annotated Dickens's "Grimaldi," is a point which I have raised in my "Bibliographical Account of English Theatrical Literature" (p. 373). I
have been unable to obtain any authentic information on the subject, so give
Burn's claim for what it is worth. The statement as to the latter's authorship
was made in his own handwriting on the back of the title-page of a copy of the
book, sold by a well-known bookseller some years ago. It was in the following
terms --
"In 1821, while residing at No. 28, Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, the elder
Oxberry, who frequently called in as he passed, found me one day adding
notes in MS. to Cibber's 'Apology.' Taking it up, he said he should like to
reprint it; he wanted something to employ the spare time of his hands, and
proferred to buy my copy, thus annotated. I think it was two pounds I said
he should have it for; this sum he instantly paid, and the notes throughout
are mine, not Bellchambers's, who having seen it through the press or
corrected the proofs whilst printing, added his name as the editor. -- J. H.
...
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