Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 1.djvu/468

CENTLIVRE Doctor outwitted." In 1705, her comedy of "The Gamester" was acted at Lincoln's Inn Fields, which met with considerable success, and was afterwards revived at Drury Lane. The plot of this piece is chiefly borrowed from a French comedy, ealled" Le Dissipateur. The 457 prologue was written by Nicholas Rowe. Her attachment to dramatic amusements was so great, that she not only distinguished herself as a writer for the theatre, but also became a performer in it, though it is far from probable that she attained any great celebrity as an actress, as she appears never to have played at the theatres of the metropolis. But in 1706, we are told she acted the part of Alexander the Great, in Lee's tragedy of the Rival Queens, at Windsor, where the court then was, and, in this heroic character, she made so powerful an impre sion upon the heart of Mr. Joseph Centlivre (yeoman of the mouth) or principal cook to Queen Anne, that he soon after married her, and with him she lived happily until her decease. That this marriage was the happiest of the three, can easily be accounted for-the precarious sabsistence dependant on dramatic authorship is proverbial The same year in which she entered into the matrimo- nial state with Mr. Centlivre, sbe produced the comedies of The Basset Table," and " Love at a Venture" the latter was acted by the Duke of Grafton's servants, at the new theatre at Bath; and in 1708, her most celebrated performance, " The Busy Body," was performed at Drury Lane theatre. It met at first with so unfavourable a re- ception from the players, that, for a time, they even refused to act in it, and were not prevailed upon to comply, until towards the close of the season; and even then the cele- brated Wilks shewed so utter a contempt for the part of Sir George Airy, as to throw it down on the stage at the rehearsal, with a declaration, " that no audience would endure such stuff:" but the piece was received with the greatest applause by the audience, and still keeps posses- sion of the stage. In 1711, she produced, at Drury Lane theatre, "Marplot; or, the Second Part of the Busy