Cibber

Cibber, Colley (1671-1757), English actor, dramatist, and poet, was the son of a German sculptor whose work is still to be seen upon the pedestal of the Monument at London Bridge. He was educated at Grantham, and in his nineteenth year entered Betterton's company of actors at Drury Lane. He played in The Orphan and in The Double Dealer, and in 1696 he played in his own comedy of Love's Last Shift, and secured his reputation. In 1704 he brought out his Careless Husband for himself and Mrs. Oldfield, and in 1712, when part owner and manager of Drury Lane, he brought out Addison's Cato. In 1715 he adapted the Nonjuror from Moliere's Tartuffe, and on the death of Mrs. Oldfield, in 1730, followed by that of Wilks, one of his partners in the ownership of the theatre, he sold his share, and retired from the stage, having already been appointed Poet Laureate. An autobiographical Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber shows great merit, and if his powers as a dramatic writer were not great, at any rate he did much to elevate and purify the stage. He was severely criticised by Pope in the Dunciad, and spoken of with scorn by Johnson, who, however, approved of his Apology.