| Citation |
PC.769.091
4-11 Sep 1769:2723, 2731 (139)
A letter from Bristol, [England], July 9. Poor Powell is at
last released from his pains. In him we have lost a great
actor and a good man. The public esteem will testify the
former, and the affection of his friends the latter. We
have had the pleasure of seeing him on the stage only twice
this summer. Jaffier in Venice Preserved was the last part
he performed. His fatal illness attacked him the following
day: the severities of which he bore not only with patience,
but fortitude, while he retained his senses. Last Sunday we
were flattered with vain hopes of preserving him to delight
us again; but on that night his delirium encreased, and at
seven o'clock on Monday evening he expired. The play of
King Richard was to be performed that night, and the sad
intelligence being brought to the theatre, just as the
curtain drew up, the managers could not gratify their own
and the company's wishes not to perform, without the highest
disrespect to the audience; they therefore used their
efforts to discharge their respective characters--but what
an affecting instance was it of the true regard they bore to
their lost brother, and of the humanity of the spectators! -
--Scarce an actor appeared without streaming eyes and a
broken voice. The fictitious lamentations in the second act
for the loss of King Edward, were converted into real
anguish for their own loss, and aggravated their sensations
so much, that Mr. Holland was constrained to apologize for
their incapacity to acquit themselves as usual. That humane
audience readily admitted, by their sympathetic feelings and
appearance, and even approved those defects, which had their
source in friendship and affection. They moreover, when
desired to accept of a farce different from what was
advertised, loudly declared their willingness to depart
without any. A signal instance of kind and good hearts! On
Thursday noon the remains of our beloved friend were
conveyed from his lodgings to College Green, attended by Mr.
Colman, Mr. Holland, Mr. Clarke, and the Surgeon and
Apothecary who had with great tenderness and assiduity
attended him. The corpse was met at the boundary of the
consecrated ground by the Dean of Bristol, and the Rev. Dr.
Stonhouse, who conducted it to the College, attended by the
Choir, who sung an anthem over the body. The church was so
crouded, the precession with great difficulty moved on. The
actors, who went in mourning to pay their last token of
regard to their departed friend, as well as the majority of
the congregation, gave strong proofs of the sincerity of
their grief. The Dean read the whole service. The deceased
was at length deposited in a decent vault, in the north
isle, attended with every token of politeness, humanity,
piety, and affection, which his nearest friends could wish
should have been shewn him.
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