The Cardinal, surprised at the unexpected cessation, asked him if a string was broke?
To which Corelli, in an honest conscience of what was due to his musick, reply'd, "No, Sir, I was only afraid I enterrupted business." His Eminence, who knew that a genius could never shew itself to advantage where it had not its regards, took this reproof in good part, and broke off his conversation to hear the whole concerto played over again.
[Footnote A: Arcangelo Corelli, the "father of modern instrumental music."] Another story will let us see what effect a mistaken offence of this kind had upon the French theatre, which was told me by a gentleman of the long robe, then at Paris, and who was himself the innocent author of it.

At the tragedy of "Zaire," while the celebrated Mademoiselle Gossin[A] was delivering a soliloquy, this gentleman was seized with a sudden fit of coughing, which gave the actress some surprise and interruption; and his fit increasing, she was forced to stand silent so long that it drew the eyes of the uneasy audience upon him, when a French gentleman, leaning forward to him, asked him, If this actress had given him any particular offence, that he took so publick an occasion to resent it?
The English gentleman, in the utmost surprise, assured him, So far from it, that he was a particular admirer of her performance; that his malady was his real misfortune, and if he apprehended any return of it, he would rather quit his seat than disoblige either the actress or the audience.
[Footnote A: Jeanne, Catherine Gossin, of the Comedie Francaise.] This publick decency in their theatre I have myself seen carried so far that a gentleman in their second Loge, or middle-gallery, being observed to sit forward himself while a lady sate behind him, a loud number of voices called out to him from the pit, "_Place a la Dame! Place a la Dame_!" When the person so offending, either not apprehending the meaning of the clamour, or possibly being some John Trott who feared no man alive, the noise was continued for several minutes; nor were the actors, though ready on the stage, suffered to begin the play till this unbred person was laughed out of his seat, and had placed the lady before him.
Whether this politeness observed at plays may be owing to their clime, their complexion, or their government, is of no great consequence; but if it is to be acquired, methinks it is a pity our accomplished countrymen, who every year import so much of this nation's gawdy garniture, should not, in this long course of our commerce with them, have brought over a little of their theatrical good-breeding too.
INDEX Abington, Mrs.
Actors and audience, Colley Cibber on Addison, Joseph his "Cato" Anne, Queen Anne's reign, Life in Queen Ashbury, Joseph Ashton's "Reign of Queen Anne" Aston, Tony Attorneys of Queen Anne's day Baggs, Zachary Baker of Dublin Barry, Spranger, Mrs.Spranger Barry, Mrs.Elizabeth Bartholomew Fair Bath life "Beaux' Stratagem," Farquhar's Bellchambers, Edmund Bertie, Miss Dye Betterton, Thomas Blackmore, Dr.( Sir Richard) Boileau Bolingbroke, Lord Booth, Barton Mrs.Barton _see also_ Santlow Boswell, James Bowman, an actor Bracegirdle, Anne Bradshaw, Mrs.
Brett, Colonel Miss Anne Broschi, Carlo (Farinelli) Budgell, Eustace Bullock, an actor Burney, Dr.
"Busiris," Young's Cadogan, Charles Sloane, 1st Earl Campbell, Thomas "Careless Husband," Cibber's Cat, Christopher Cat-calls "Cato," Addison's Centlivre, Mrs.
her "Perplexed Lovers" Centlivre, Mr.
Charles II., King Chener, Mons.
Chetwood, W.R.
"Christian Hero, The," Steele's Church and stage Church music and the theatre Churchill, General (Marlborough's nephew) Churchill, Colonel (Oldfield's son) Churchill, Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough Churchill, Mary, Countess of Cadogan Cibber, Caius Gabriel Cibber, Colley "Cibber, Apology for the Life of" Cibber, Theophilus Clive, Mrs.
Coffee-houses of Addison's day Collier, William Colman's "Random Records" Congreve Corelli, Arcangelo Costumes, Stage Courthorpe's "Addison" Covent Garden Theatre Craggs, Mr.Secretary Crawley, the showman Critics, Addison on dramatic Crown, John Cuzzoni, Francesca Davenant, Alexander Davies, T.
Defoe, Daniel Delany, Mrs.
Dennis, John, "Essay on the Operas" Diction of the eighteenth century "Distressed Mother, The," Philips' Dod, Benjamin Dogget, Thomas Doran, Dr.
Dorset, Earl of Dorset, Garden Theatre Downes, the prompter Drama and the Restoration Dramatic critics (Addison) Dramatic writings, old and new Drury Lane Theatre Drury Lane, revolt of Betterton another exodus riot Drury Lane, Company Dryden "Duke of York's Company" D'Urfey's "Western Lass" "Echoes of the Playhouse" Elrington, Thomas Epilogues, Comic (The _Spectator_) Estcourt, Dick Eugene, Prince Evans, John "Fair Quaker of Deal," Shadwell's Farinelli Farquhar, Capt.

George Faustina, Bordoni Hasse Fielding, Henry Fitzgerald, Percy Fontaine, Monsieur de la Foote, Samuel "Funeral, or Grief a la Mode, The," Steele's Funeral customs, old time Gambling women Garrick, David Garth, Dr.
Genest, P.
George I., King Gildon, Charles, Gossin, Jeane Catherine Gregory, Mr.
Griffith, Thomas Gwyne, Nell Habits of society Halifax, Lord Haymarket Theatre, restricted to operas "Hearts, The King of," Maynwaring's Hendon, Heywoodhill Henley, Mr.
Hertford, Countess of Hill, Aaron Horton, Mrs.
Howard, Bronson Hoyt, Mr.
Hughes, Mr.
Hulet, Charles Ibsen "Inconstant, The," Farquhar's Ingolsby, General Italian opera "Jane Shore," Rowe's Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster Johnson, Dr.Samuel Johnstone, Drury Lane machinist Jones, Henry Arthur Jonson, Benjamin Keen, Theophilus Killigrew, Charles "King's Company, The" Kit-Cat Club Knight, Mrs.
Knipp, Mrs.
Lambro, Miss Lecouvreur, French actress Leigh, Francis Lincoln's Inn Field Theatre of 1695, re-opened "Lives of the Poets," Cibber's Lorrain, Rev.Paul Lowe, R.W.
Macclesfield, Anne, 1st Countess of Macklin "Make-up," Art of Marlborough, _see_ Churchill Master of the Revels, office of Maynwaring, Arthur, Maynwaring, Mr.( Oldfield's son) "Milk White Flag, A," Mr.Hoyt's Mills, John Misson's, Henre, "Memoirs" Mist, Nathaniel _Mist's Weekly Journal_ Mitford, M.R.
Mitre Tavern Moliere Montagu, Captain Morley's "Notes on The _Spectator_" Mountford, Will Mountford, Mrs., _see_ Verbruggen Mountford, Susan Neal, Edmund, "Phaedra and Hippolitus" "Non-Juror, The," Cibber's Norris, an actor Oldfield, Captain Oldfield, Mrs.
Oldfield, Anne (Nance) birth meets Farquhar introduced to Vanbrugh, joins the stage Bath _debut_ first stage triumph Cibber's "Careless Husband" her success deportment as Sylvia in Farquhar's "Recruiting Officer" leaves Drury Lane for the Haymarket supplants Mrs.Bracegirdle salary at the Haymarket -- -- and at Drury Lane as Andromache in "Distressed Mother" plays Marcia in "Cato" meets Alexander Pope tragic parts rivals produce a riot, her triumph as Jane Shore adheres to Drury Lane takes Sophonisba, praised by Thomson meridian lustre mistress of A.Maynwaring personal attractions accepts protection of Marlborough's nephew received at Court her natural children ancestress of Earls of Cadogan sympathy for Richard Savage intercedes for his life mourned by Savage contemporaries her equipage sweetness and common sense retains her bloom captivating as Lady Townley moved in polite circles ill-health, dies in Lower Grosvenor Street laid in State in the Jerusalem Chamber interred in Westminster Abbey Oldfield, Anne, elegy by Richard Savage Opera, Italian Operatic singers Oxford and the drama actors contribute to St.Mary's restoration fund Page, Francis Pepy's Diary "Perplexed Lovers, The," Centlivre's Philips, Ambrose Players in Queen Anne's time Pope, Alexander Porter, Mistress Powell, George Prince George of Denmark Pritchard, Sir William "Provoked Husband, The," Vanbrugh and Cibber's Radcliffe, Dr.
"Recruiting Officer, The," Farquhar's Rich, Christopher Rich, John Rivers, Lord Rogers, Mrs.
Rowe, Nicholas Russell Court Chapel Ryan, Lacy Sandridge, Dean Santlow, Hester _see also_ Booth, Mrs.
Saunders, Mistress Savage, Richard Schlegel, Augustus Wm.
"Scornful Lady, The" Shadwell, Thomas Sheridan, Richard Brinsley Side-shows "Sir Courtly Nice," Crown's "Sir Thomas Overbury," Savage's Skipworth, Sir Thomas Smith, an actor _Spectator, The_ Stage armies Stanyan, T.
Steele, Sir Richard Strolling players Swift, Dean Swiney, Owen "Tamerlane," N.Rowe's "Tartuffe," Moliere's Theatre and church and playgoers Theatrical dress claptrap, Addison on property, Sir R.Steele on Theatricals began, Hour Thomas, Augustus Thomson's "Sophonisba" Thurmond, John Toasts Toasting glasses Tofts, Mrs.
Tonson, Jacob Trumbull, Sir William Vanbrugh, Sir John Verbruggen, Mrs.
Voltaire Voss, Mrs.
Walker, an actor Walpole, Horace Walpole, Sir Robert Ward, Ned Wig, cost of a full-bottomed Wilks, Robert William III., King Williams, Joseph Woffington, Peg "Wonder, The," Mrs.Centlivre's Woollen shrouds Yates, Mistress Young's, Dr., "Busiris" ***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PALMY DAYS OF NANCE OLDFIELD*** ******* This file should be named 11717.txt or 11717.zip ******* This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: http://www.gutenberg.net/1/1/7/1/11717 Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will be renamed.
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