vagant fondness for reading plays, and was entertaining her relations at the tavern with her talent in this way, when her voice chanced to reach the ear of Capt. George Farquhar, who happened to dine there that day. He immediately perceived something uncommonly sweet in it, and struck with her agreeable person and carriage, instantly pronounced her admirably formed for the stage. This concurring with her own inclination, her mother opened the matter to Sir John Vanbrugh, a friend of the family; who, upon trial, finding her qualifications promising, recommended her to Mr. Rich, then patentee of the king's theatre, who immediately took her into the play-house. However she gave no great hopes of being an accomplished actress till the year 1703, when she first shone out in Leonora in Sir Courtly Nice, and established her theatrical reputation the following year, in that of lady Betty Modish in the Careless Husband.
Near or a little before this time it was, that she engaged the regard and affection of Arthur Maynwaring, Esq; who interested himself greatly in the figure she made on the stage; and it was in some measure owing to the pains he took in improving her natural talents, that she became, as she soon did, the delight and entertainment of the town. This gentleman dying in 1712, she engaged in a like correspondence with brigadier-general Churchill. She had by Mr. Maynwaring one son, and another by the brigadier-general, who afterwards married the lady Anna-Maria Walpole, natural daughter of the earl of Oxford. About the year 1718, Mr. Savage, natural son to the earl of Rivers, being reduced to the extremest necessity, Mrs. Oldfield was so affected with his very singular case, that she allowed him a fixed provision of 50 l. a year, which was regularly paid as long as she lived.
