108 DOGGET. which he did, could reasonably expect that posterity would read them. Of the absurdity, superstition, and folly of many of his writings, their titles alone are suffi cient evidence. Archbishop Tillotson, being consulted by him respecting some of his writings, honestly pointed out their defects, and told him, “such particulars are so perfectly false, that I wonder you do not perceive the absurdity of them; they are so gross, and grate so much upon the inward sense.” He was, in fact, better able to collect materials for writing, than to arrange them, or to produce any thing valuable from his own mind. His his torical annals are his best performances; for their merit we have the authority of Gibbon, whose opinion we have quoted. His private character was most excel lent; his integrity was unquestionable; his humility and modesty truly praiseworthy. He was regularly accus tomed to fast three days in the week, when he abstained from all food, except a dish or two of tea or coffee, till supper-time, and then he ate no flesh; a habit which he probably found beneficial to his constitution. He was possessed of a most benevolent heart; for, although his income was limited, his charities were extensive. THOMAS DOGGET, An author of some merit, but more eminent as an actor, was born in Castle-street, Dublin, towards the close of the seventeenth century, and made his first theatrical at tempt on the stage of that metropolis; but not meeting with the encouragement to which his merit was entitled, he quitted Dublin, and came over to England, where he entered himself in a travelling company, and from thence was very soon removed to London, when he procured an engagement in Drury-lane and Lincoln’s-Inn-fields Theatres, where he was universally admired in every cha racter he performed ; but shone in none more conspicu ously than those of Fondlewife, in the Old Batchelor; and Ben, in Love for Love; which Congreve, with whom he
