remaining to us.  Mr. Crowne, being under the like agreement with the Duke’s House, writt a play, called the ‘Destruction of Jerusalem,’ and being forced, by their refusall of it, to bring it to us, the said Company compelled us, after the studying of it, and a vast expence in scenes and cloathes, to buy off their clayme, by paying all the pension he had received from them, amounting to one hundred and twelve pounds paid by the King’s Company, besides neere forty pounds he, the said Mr. Crowne, paid out of his owne pocket.

“These things considered, if, notwithstanding Mr. Dryden’s said agreement, promise, and moneys, freely given him for his said last new play, and the many titles we have to his writings, this play be judged away from us, we must submit.

(Signed) “CHARLES KILLIGREW. 
           CHARLES HART. 
           RICH.  BURT. 
           CARDELL GOODMAN. 
           MIC.  MOHUN.”

Dryden also appears as a regular partner in the King’s Company in an agreement to repay money lent for the purpose of rebuilding the Theatre after its burning in 1672.—­Shakespeare Society’s Papers, iv. 147.—­ ED.]

[27] Cibber, with his usual vivacity, thus describes the comic powers of Nokes in this admired character: 

“In the ludicrous distresses, which, by the laws of comedy, folly is often involved in, he sunk into such a mixture of piteous pusillanimity, and a consternation so ruefully ridiculous and inconsolable, that when he had shook you to a fatigue of laughter, it became a moot point, whether you ought not to have pity’d him.  When he debated any matter by himself, he would shut up his mouth with a dumb studious powt, and roll his full eye into such a vacant amazement, such palpable ignorance of what to think of it, that his silent perplexity (which would sometimes hold him several minutes) gave your imagination as full content, as the most absurd thing he could say upon it.  In the character of Sir Martin Mar-all, who is always committing blunders to the prejudice of his own interest, when he had brought himself to a dilemma in his affairs, by vainly proceeding upon his own head, and was afterwards afraid to look his governing servant and counsellor in the face; what a copious and distressful harangue have I seen him make with his looks (while the house has been in one continued roar for several minutes) before he could prevail with his courage to speak a word to him!  Then might you have, at once, read in his face vexation—­that his own measures, which he had piqued himself upon, had failed; envy of his servant’s wit; distress—­to retrieve the occasion he had lost; shame—­to confess his folly; and yet a sullen desire to be reconciled, and better advised for the future!  What tragedy ever showed us such a tumult of passions rising, at once, in one bosom! or what buskin hero, standing under the load of them, could have more effectually moved his spectators by the most pathetic speech, than poor miserable Nokes did by this silent eloquence, and piteous plight of his features?”—­CIBBER’S Apology, p. 86.