Mr. Garrick, and his accomplished6, high-bred,
[Pg 166]
and engaging wife, La Violetta, had been amongst the earliest of the pristine7 connexions of Mr. Burney, who had sought him, with compassionate8 kindness, as soon after his heart-breaking loss as he could admit any friends to his sight. The ensuing paragraph on his warm sentiments of this talented and bewitching pair, is copied from one of his manuscript memorandums.
“My acquaintance, at this time, with Mrs. as well as Mr. Garrick, was improved into a real friendship; and frequently, on the Saturday night, when Mr. Garrick did not act, he carried me to his villa9 at Hampton, whence he brought me to my home early on Monday morning. I seldom was more happy than in these visits. His wit, humour, and constant gaiety at home; and Mrs. Garrick’s good sense, good breeding, and obliging desire to please, rendered their Hampton villa, on these occasions, a terrestrial paradise.
“Mrs. Garrick had every faculty10 of social judgment11, good taste, and steadiness of character, which he wanted. She was an excellent appreciator of the fine arts; and attended all the last rehearsals12 of new or of revived plays, to give her opinion of effects, dresses, scenery, and machinery13. She seemed to be his real other half; and he, by his intelligence and accomplishments14, seemed to complete the Hydroggynus.”
This eminent15 couple paid their court to Mr. Burney in the manner that was most sure to be successful, namely, by their endearing and good natured
[Pg 167]
attentions to his young family; frequently giving them, with some chaperon of their father’s appointing, the lightsome pleasure of possessing Mrs. Garrick’s private box at Drury Lane Theatre; and that, from time to time, even when the incomparable Roscius acted himself; which so enchanted16 their gratitude17, that they nearly—as Mr. Burney laughingly quoted to Garrick from Hudibras—
“Did,—as was their duty,
Worship the shadow of his shoe-tie.”
Garrick, who was passionately18 fond of children, never withheld19 his visits from Poland-street on account of the absence of the master of the house; for though it was the master he came to seek, he was too susceptible20 to his own lively gift of bestowing21 pleasure, to resist witnessing the ecstacy he was sure to excite, when he burst in unexpectedly upon the younger branches: for so playfully he individualised his attentions, by an endless variety of comic badinage,—now exhibited in lofty bombast22; now in ludicrous obsequiousness23; now by a sarcasm24 skilfully25 implying a compliment; now by a compliment archly conveying a sarcasm; that every happy day that gave them but a glimpse of this idol26 of their
[Pg 168]
juvenile27 fancy, was exhilarated to its close by reciprocating28 anecdotes29 of the look, the smile, the bow, the shrug30, the start, that, after his departure, each enraptured31 admirer could describe.
A circumstance of no small weight at that time, contributed to allure32 Mr. Garrick to granting these joyous33 scenes to the young Burney tribe. When he made the tour of Italy, for the recovery of his health, and the refreshment34 of his popularity, he committed to the care of Mr. Burney and his young family his own and Mrs. Garrick’s favourite little dog, Phill, a beautiful black and white spaniel, of King Charles’s breed, luxuriant in tail and mane, with the whitest breast, and spotted35 with perfect symmetry.
The fondness of Mr. Garrick for this little spaniel was so great, that one of his first visits on his return from the continent was to see, caress36, and reclaim37 him. Phill was necessarily resigned, though with the most dismal38 reluctance39, by his new friends: but if parting with the favoured little quadruped was a disaster, how was that annoyance40 overpaid, when, two or three days afterwards, Phill re-appeared! and when the pleasure of his welcome to the young folks was increased by a message, that
[Pg 169]
the little animal had seemed so moping, so unsettled, and so forlorn, that Mr. and Mrs. Garrick had not the heart to break his new engagements, and requested his entire acceptance and adoption41 in Poland-street.
During the life of this favourite, all the juvenile group were sought and visited together, by the gay-hearted Roscius; and with as much glee as he himself was received by these happy young creatures, whether two-footed or four.
On the first coming-out of the “Cunning Man,” Mr. Garrick, who undoubtedly42 owed his unequalled varieties in delineating every species of comic character, to an inquisitive43 observance of Nature in all her workings, amused himself in watching from the orchestra, where he frequently sat on the first night of new pieces, the young auditory in Mrs. Garrick’s box; and he imitatingly described to Mr. Burney the innocent confidence of success with which they all openly bent44 forward, to look exultingly45 at the audience, when a loud clapping followed the overture46: and their smiles, or nods: or chuckling47 and laughter, according to their more or less advanced years, during the unmingled approbation48 that was bestowed49 upon about half the piece—contrasted
[Pg 170]
with, first the amazement50; next, the indignation; and, lastly, the affright and disappointment, that were brought forth51 by the beginning buzz of hissing52, and followed by the shrill53 horrors of the catcall: and then the return—joyous, but no longer dauntless!—of hope, when again the applause prevailed.
In these various changes, Mr. Garrick altered the expression of his features, and almost his features themselves, by apparent transformations—which, however less poetical54, were at least more natural than those of Ovid.
Mr. Garrick possessed55 not only every possible inflexion of voice, save for singing, but also of countenance56; varying his looks into young, old, sick, vigorous, downcast, or frolicsome57, at his personal volition58; as if his face, and even his form, had been put into his own hands to be worked upon like Man a Machine.
Mr. Garrick, about this time, warmly urged the subject of these memoirs59 to set to music an English opera called Orpheus; but while, for that purpose, Mr. Burney was examining the drama, he was informed that it had been put into the hands of Mr. Barthelemon, who was preparing it for the stage.
Astonished, and very much hurt, Mr. Burney
[Pg 171]
hastily returned the copy with which he had been entrusted60, to Mr. Johnstone, the prompter; dryly, and without letter or comment, directing him to deliver it to Mr. Garrick.
Mr. Garrick, with the utmost animation61, instantly wrote to Johnstone an apology rather than a justification62; desiring that the opera should be withdrawn63 from Mr. Barthelemon, and consigned64 wholly to the subject of these memoirs; for whom Mr. Garrick declared himself to entertain a friendship that nothing should dissolve.[27]
But Mr. Burney, conceiving that Barthelemon, who had offended no one, and who bore a most amiable65 character, might justly resent so abrupt66 a discharge, declined setting the opera: and never afterwards composed for the theatres.
This trait, however trifling67, cannot but be considered as biographical, at least for Mr. Garrick; as it so strongly authenticates68 the veracity69 of the two principal lines of the epitaph designed for Roscius, many years afterwards, by that acute observer of every character—save his own!—Dr. Goldsmith.
“He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack,
For he knew, when he would, he could whistle them back.”
[Pg 172]
Whether negligence70, mistake, or caprice, had occasioned this double nomination71 to the same office, is not clear; but Garrick, who loved Mr. Burney with real affection, lost no time, and spared no blandishment, to re-instate himself in the confidence which this untoward72 accident had somewhat shaken. And he had full success, to the great satisfaction of Mr. Burney, and joy of his family; who all rapturously delighted in the talents and society of the immortal73 Roscius.
点击收听单词发音
1 simplicity | |
n.简单,简易;朴素;直率,单纯 | |
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2 denuded | |
adj.[医]变光的,裸露的v.使赤裸( denude的过去式和过去分词 );剥光覆盖物 | |
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3 gaping | |
adj.口的;张口的;敞口的;多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 );张开,张大 | |
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4 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
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5 inflicting | |
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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6 accomplished | |
adj.有才艺的;有造诣的;达到了的 | |
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7 pristine | |
adj.原来的,古时的,原始的,纯净的,无垢的 | |
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8 compassionate | |
adj.有同情心的,表示同情的 | |
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9 villa | |
n.别墅,城郊小屋 | |
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10 faculty | |
n.才能;学院,系;(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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11 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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12 rehearsals | |
n.练习( rehearsal的名词复数 );排练;复述;重复 | |
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13 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
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14 accomplishments | |
n.造诣;完成( accomplishment的名词复数 );技能;成绩;成就 | |
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15 eminent | |
adj.显赫的,杰出的,有名的,优良的 | |
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16 enchanted | |
adj. 被施魔法的,陶醉的,入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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17 gratitude | |
adj.感激,感谢 | |
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18 passionately | |
ad.热烈地,激烈地 | |
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19 withheld | |
withhold过去式及过去分词 | |
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20 susceptible | |
adj.过敏的,敏感的;易动感情的,易受感动的 | |
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21 bestowing | |
砖窑中砖堆上层已烧透的砖 | |
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22 bombast | |
n.高调,夸大之辞 | |
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23 obsequiousness | |
媚骨 | |
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24 sarcasm | |
n.讥讽,讽刺,嘲弄,反话 (adj.sarcastic) | |
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25 skilfully | |
adv. (美skillfully)熟练地 | |
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26 idol | |
n.偶像,红人,宠儿 | |
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27 juvenile | |
n.青少年,少年读物;adj.青少年的,幼稚的 | |
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28 reciprocating | |
adj.往复的;来回的;交替的;摆动的v.报答,酬答( reciprocate的现在分词 );(机器的部件)直线往复运动 | |
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29 anecdotes | |
n.掌故,趣闻,轶事( anecdote的名词复数 ) | |
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30 shrug | |
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等) | |
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31 enraptured | |
v.使狂喜( enrapture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32 allure | |
n.诱惑力,魅力;vt.诱惑,引诱,吸引 | |
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33 joyous | |
adj.充满快乐的;令人高兴的 | |
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34 refreshment | |
n.恢复,精神爽快,提神之事物;(复数)refreshments:点心,茶点 | |
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35 spotted | |
adj.有斑点的,斑纹的,弄污了的 | |
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36 caress | |
vt./n.爱抚,抚摸 | |
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37 reclaim | |
v.要求归还,收回;开垦 | |
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38 dismal | |
adj.阴沉的,凄凉的,令人忧郁的,差劲的 | |
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39 reluctance | |
n.厌恶,讨厌,勉强,不情愿 | |
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40 annoyance | |
n.恼怒,生气,烦恼 | |
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41 adoption | |
n.采用,采纳,通过;收养 | |
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42 undoubtedly | |
adv.确实地,无疑地 | |
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43 inquisitive | |
adj.求知欲强的,好奇的,好寻根究底的 | |
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44 bent | |
n.爱好,癖好;adj.弯的;决心的,一心的 | |
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45 exultingly | |
兴高采烈地,得意地 | |
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46 overture | |
n.前奏曲、序曲,提议,提案,初步交涉 | |
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47 chuckling | |
轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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48 approbation | |
n.称赞;认可 | |
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49 bestowed | |
赠给,授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50 amazement | |
n.惊奇,惊讶 | |
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51 forth | |
adv.向前;向外,往外 | |
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52 hissing | |
n. 发嘶嘶声, 蔑视 动词hiss的现在分词形式 | |
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53 shrill | |
adj.尖声的;刺耳的;v尖叫 | |
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54 poetical | |
adj.似诗人的;诗一般的;韵文的;富有诗意的 | |
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55 possessed | |
adj.疯狂的;拥有的,占有的 | |
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56 countenance | |
n.脸色,面容;面部表情;vt.支持,赞同 | |
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57 frolicsome | |
adj.嬉戏的,闹着玩的 | |
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58 volition | |
n.意志;决意 | |
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59 memoirs | |
n.回忆录;回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
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60 entrusted | |
v.委托,托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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61 animation | |
n.活泼,兴奋,卡通片/动画片的制作 | |
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62 justification | |
n.正当的理由;辩解的理由 | |
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63 withdrawn | |
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出 | |
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64 consigned | |
v.把…置于(令人不快的境地)( consign的过去式和过去分词 );把…托付给;把…托人代售;丟弃 | |
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65 amiable | |
adj.和蔼可亲的,友善的,亲切的 | |
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66 abrupt | |
adj.突然的,意外的;唐突的,鲁莽的 | |
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67 trifling | |
adj.微不足道的;没什么价值的 | |
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68 authenticates | |
n.证明是真实的、可靠的或有效的( authenticate的名词复数 );鉴定,使生效v.证明是真实的、可靠的或有效的( authenticate的第三人称单数 );鉴定,使生效 | |
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69 veracity | |
n.诚实 | |
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70 negligence | |
n.疏忽,玩忽,粗心大意 | |
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71 nomination | |
n.提名,任命,提名权 | |
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72 untoward | |
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的 | |
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73 immortal | |
adj.不朽的;永生的,不死的;神的 | |
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