But, indeed, the strollers did not hesitate to mangle their author when his stage directions did not accord with their convenience.  The late Mr. Meadows used to relate that when in early life he was a member of the Tamworth, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Warwick company, he was cast for Orozembo, the Old Blind Man, and the Sentinel in “Pizarro,” and took part in a mutilated version of Macbeth, in which King Duncan, Hecate, the First Murderer, and the Doctor were performed by one actor; the bleeding soldier, one of the apparitions, and Seyton by another; and Fleance, the Apparition of a crowned head, and the Gentlewoman by the juvenile lady of the company, the characters of Donaldbain and Siward being wholly omitted.

Harley’s first theatrical engagement was with Jerrold, the manager of a company at Cranbrook.  His salary was fifteen shillings a week, and in a representation of “The Honeymoon” he appeared as Jaques, Lampedo, and Lopez, accomplishing the task with the assistance of several wigs and cloaks.  In “John Bull” he played Dan, John Burr, and Sir Francis Rochdale; another actor doubling the parts of Peregrine and Tom Shuffleton, while the manager’s wife represented Mrs. Brulgruddery and Frank Rochdale, attiring the latter in a pair of very loose nankeen trousers and a very tight short jacket.  The entire company consisted of “four white males, three females, and a negro.”  Certain of the parts were assigned in the playbills to a Mr. Jones.  These, much to his surprise, Harley was requested by the manager to assume.  “Between you and me,” he whispered mysteriously to his young recruit, “there’s no such person as Mr. Jones.  Our company’s rather thin just now, but there’s no reason why the fact should be noised abroad.”  Other provincial managers were much less anxious to conceal the paucity of their company.  A country playbill, bearing date 1807, seems indeed to vaunt the system of doubling to which the impresario had been driven.  The comedy of “The Busy Body” was announced for performance with the following extraordinary cast: 

Sir Francis Gripe and Charles       Mr. Johnston. 
Sir George Airy and Whisper         Mr. Deans. 
Sir Jealous Traffic and Marplot     Mr. Jones. 
Miranda and Scentwell               Mrs. Deans. 
Patch and Isabinda                  Mrs. Jones.

Among other feats of doubling or trebling may be counted the performance, on the same night, by a Mrs. Stanley, at the Coburg Theatre, of the parts of Lady Anne, Tressell, and Richmond, in “Richard III.”  A Mr. W. Rede once accomplished the difficult feat of appearing as Sir Lucius O’Trigger, Fag, and Mrs. Malaprop in a representation of “The Rivals,” the lady’s entrance in the last scene having been preceded by the abrupt exit of Sir Lucius and the omission of the concluding passages of his part.  The characters of King Henry, Buckingham, and Richmond, in Cibber’s edition of “Richard III.,” have frequently been undertaken by one performer.