offer'd me, laſt Seaſon, not near half as much as he afterwards agreed
to give another Performer, and leſs than he then gave to ſome others in
his Company; ſo that I muſt conclude, as every one knows there are
Agreements betwixt the Managers, that there is a Deſign to diſtreſs me,
and reduce me to Å¿uch Terms as I cannot comply with.

I am ſorry I am reduced to ſay any thing in favour of myſelf; but, as I
think I merit as much as another Performer, and the Managers are Å¿o
deſirous to convince me of the contrary, I hope I ſhall be excuſed;
eſpecially when I declare, that at this time, I am not in the leaſt vain
of my Profeſſion.

As to my Performances, the Audience are the only, proper Judges: But I
may venture to affirm, That my Labour, and Application, have been
greater than any other Performers on the Stage. I have not only acted in
almoſt all the Plays, but in Farces and Muſical Entertainments; and very
frequently two Parts in a Night, even to the Prejudice of my Health. I
have been at a very great Expence in Maſters for Singing; for which
Article alone, the Managers now give five and Å¿ix Pounds a Week. My
additional Expences, in belonging to the Theatre, amount to upwards of
one Hundred Pounds a Year, in Clothes, and other Neceſſaries; and the
pretended great Salaries, of ten and twelve Pounds a Week, which have
been ſo artfully, and falſly repreſented to the Town, to the Prejudice
of the Actors, will, upon Enquiry, appear to be no more than half as
much, ſince they performed half Seaſon, at the Theatres, very ſeldom
above three or four Days a Week; Å¿o taking in the long Vacation, when
there are no Plays at all, to thoſe Days the preſent Managers omit
acting, a Salary which appears to be great, will be found, in effect, to
be very moderate; and thoſe which are leſs, not a Sufficiency.