His readings were attended frequently by Mrs. Siddons and John Kemble; his voice was so flexible that his tones conveyed every phase of meaning. Even his way of reading the words, "They order this matter," said I, "better in France," had a world of significance in it, not to be found when uttered by others; and the letter of Mrs. Ford to Falstaff, when he read it on the stage, shook the house with such laughter as was seldom heard, save indeed when he imitated Garrick and Dr. Johnson, the former reciting his ode, and the latter interrupting him by critical objections. I do not wonder that both Munden and John Kemble who, all their lives, had a longing to play Falstaff, abandoned the idea when they remembered Henderson's excellence.
At the period of Henderson's death, his early prophecy had been fulfilled with regard to Mrs. Siddons;—to whose career we will now direct our notice.
FOOTNOTES:
[46] Should be 20th.
[47] Ireland, Henderson's biographer, states that he was born in February 1747. He is said to have been baptized on 8th March.
[48] "Walpole availed himself of Henderson's triumph to say something malicious of Garrick: 'Garrick is dying of yellow jaundice on the success of Henderson, a young actor from Bath,' which was not true" (2d edition).
[49] I think this Garrick-worshipper was Tom Davies.
