Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Companion to the play-house, or, An historical account of all the dramatic writers (and their works) that have appeared in Great Britain and Ireland, from the commencement of our theatrical exhibitions, down to the present year 1764 > Volume 2

R Y
T. CiJ. Tragi-Com. in two
Parts,
2. Shephevd^s Holiday, Trag.
Com. Paftora!.
Ryan, Mx.Lacy. — This Gen-
-tleman, tho' generalJy, I believe,
efteifmed a Native of Ireland, was
born in England, in the Year
1694. — What Profeffion he was
originally intended for I have ne-
ver hearci 5 but a ftrong theatrical
Paffion led him to that of the
Stage, on which he made a very
early Appearance, and was even
taken confiderable Notice of in
the Part of Marcus in 'Cato, du-
ring the firft Run of that Play in
the Year 17 12, tho' then but
eighteen Years of Age. — He from
that Time increafed in Favour,
arofe to a very ronfpicuous Rank
in his Profeffion, and conftantly
maintained a very uieful and even
important Caft of Parts, both in
Tragedy and Comedy. — In his
Perfon he was genteel and well
made ; his Judgment was critical
and coned: ; his Underftanding of
an Author's Senfe moft accurately
jurt, and his Emphafis, or Man-
ner of pointing out that Senfe to
the Audience, ever conftantly
true, even to a mufical Exadlnefs ;
his Feelings were ftrong, and no-
thing could give more honourable
Evidence of his Powers as an Ac-
tor, than the Sympathy to thofe
Senfations, which was ever ap-
parent in the Audience when he
thought proper to make them feel
with him.
Yet, fo many are the Requi-
fites that /hould go to the form-
ing a capital Aftor, fomevv-hat (o
very near abfolute Perfe<Slion is
expected in thofe who are to con-
vey to us the Idea, at Times, of
even mor-e than Mortality, that,
with ail the above - mentioned
great Qiialiries, this Adlor was
ftill excluded from the Lift of
R Y
firft Rate Performers, by a Defi-
ciency in only one Article,' njiz.
that of Voice.
It is probable that Mr. Ryan's
Voice might not naturally have
been a very good one, as the Ca-
dence of it feem'd always inclinable
to a fharp fhrillTreble ; but an un-
lucky Fray with fome Watermen,
at the very eariieft Part- of his
theatrical Life, in which he re-
ceived a Blow on the Nofe, which
turned that Feature a little out of
its Place, tho' not fo much as to
occafinn any Deformity, made an
Alteration in his Voice alfo, by
no Means to its Advantage 5 yet
ftill it continued not difguftful,
till, feveral Years afterwards, be-
ing attacked in the Street by fome
Ruffians, who, as it appear'd af-
terwards, miftcok him for fome
other Perfon, he received a Brace
of Piftol Bullets in his Mouth,
which broke fome Part of his
Jaw, and prevented his being able
to perform at all for a long Time
afterwards ; and tho' he did at
length recover from the Kurt, yet
his Voice ever after retained a
Tremidum or Quaver, when drawn
out to any Length, which ren-
der'd his Manner very particular,
and, by being extremely eafy to
imitate, laid him much more
open to the Powers of Mimickry
and Ridicule, than he would other-
wife have been. Notwithftanding
this, however, by being always
extreniely perfeft in the V/ords of
his Author, and juft in the fpeak-
ing of them, added to the Senfi-
biiity I before-mentioned, an ex-
2L&. Propriety in Drefs, and an
Eafe and Gentility of Deportment
on the Stage, he remained even
to the laft a very deferved Favo-
rite with many 5 which, more-
over, his amiable Charafter in
pri'ate Life did not a little con-
trjlute to.— And a very ftriking
inftance