These measures, of course, created murmurings on one side, and ill-humour and contempt on the other." [Footnote A: Alexander Davenant, Charles Killigrew, and Rich.] "When it became necessary therefore to lessen the charge, a resolution was taken to begin with the salaries of the actors; and what seem'd to make this resolution more necessary at this time was the loss of Nokes, Montfort and Leigh, who all dy'd about the same year.

No wonder then, if when these great pillars were at once remov'd the building grew weaker and the audiences very much abated.

Now in this distress, what more natural remedy could be found than to incite and encourage (tho' with some hazard) the industry of the surviving actors?
But the patentees, it seems, thought the surer way was to bring down their pay in proportion to the fall of their audiences.

To make this project more feasible they propos'd to begin at the head of 'em, rightly judging that if the principals acquiesc'd, their inferiors would murmur in vain.
"To bring this about with a better grace, they, under pretence of bringing younger actors forward, order'd several of Betterton's and Mrs.Barry's chief parts to be given to young Powel and Mrs.
Bracegirdle.

In this they committed two palpable errors; for while the best actors are in health, and still on the stage, the public is always apt to be out of humour when those of a lower class pretend to stand in their places." And with a bit more of this timely philosophy--to which, let it be hoped, he ever lived up to himself--Colley goes on to say that, "tho' the giddy head of Powel accepted the parts of Betterton, Mrs.
Bracegirdle had a different way of thinking, and desir'd to be excused from those of Mrs.Barry; her good sense was not to be misled by the insidious favour of the patentees; she knew the stage was wide enough for her success, without entering into any such rash and invidious competition with Mrs.Barry, and, therefore, wholly refus'd acting any part that properly belong'd to her." Then came the revolt, which the astute Betterton ("a cunning old fox" Gildon once dubbed him) seems to have managed with all the diplomacy of a Machiavelli.