Excerpt from Stage Favourites of the Eighteenth Century

Tavern, Where, no doubt, she assisted Mrs. Foss in waiting on the customers, she was overheard by George Farquhar (who was presently her lover) reciting passages from The Scornful Lady. He was much impressed by her powers, and praised them to hermother, who repeated the dramatist's remarks to his brother-playwright, John Vanburgh, who also frequented the inn. He, too, thought her clever as well as pretty, and suggested that she should try her fortune on the stage. At first she affected coy ness then she hesitated - she would, she would not. I longed to be at it, presently she told William Rufus Chetwood, sometime prompter at Drury Lane Theatre, and only wanted a little decent entreaties. The entreaties being forthcoming, she yielded to Vanburgh's wish, and he introduced her to John Rich, who, anxious to oblige, forthwith gave her an engagement at the splendid weekly salary Of fifteen shillings a week, which a little later he munificently increased by five shillings. This was in 1699. Q In the year Colley Cibber writes: Mrs. Oldfield was first taken into the House Drury Lane Theatre], where she remained about a twelve month almost mute and unheeded, until Sir John Vanburgh, who first recommended her, gave her the part of Alinda in the Pilgrim {of Beaumont and Fletcher] revised. This gentle character happily became that want of confidence which is inseparable from young beginners, who, without it, seldom arrive at any excellence. Notwithstanding, I Own I was then so far deceived in my oplmon of her, that I thought she had little more than her person that appeared necessary to the forming a good actress; for she set out with so extraordinary a diflidence, that it kept her too despondingly down to a formal.

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