This Actor, in his manner of Speaking, varied very much from those I have already mentioned. His Voice had an acute and piercing Tone, which struck every Syllable of his Words distinctly upon the Ear. He had likewise a peculiar Skill in his Look of marking out to an Audience whatever he judg'd worth their more than ordinary Notice. When he deliver'd a Command, he would sometimes give it more Force by seeming to slight the Ornament of Harmony. In _Dryden_'s Plays of Rhime, he as little as possible glutted the Ear with the Jingle of it, rather chusing, when the Sense would permit him, to lose it, than to value it.
Had _Sandford_ liv'd in _Shakespear_'s Time, I am confident his Judgment must have chose him above all other Actors to have play'd his _Richard the Third_: I leave his Person out of the Question, which, tho' naturally made for it, yet that would have been the least Part of his Recommendation; _Sandford_ had stronger Claims to it; he had sometimes an uncouth Stateliness in his Motion, a harsh and sullen Pride of Speech, a meditating Brow, a stern Aspect, occasionally changing into an almost ludicrous Triumph over all Goodness and Virtue: From thence falling into the most asswasive Gentleness and soothing Candour of a designing Heart. These, I say, must have preferr'd him to it; these would have been Colours so essentially shining in that Character, that it will be no Dispraise to that great Author to say, _Sandford_ must have shewn as many masterly Strokes in it (had he ever acted it) as are visible in the Writing it.[151]
When I first brought _Richard the Third_[152] (with such Alterations as I thought not improper) to the Stage, _Sandford_ was engaged in the Company then acting under King _William_'s Licence in _Lincoln's-Inn-Fields_; otherwise you cannot but suppose my Interest must have offer'd him that Part. What encouraged me, therefore, to attempt it myself at the _Theatre-Royal_, was that I imagined I knew how _Sandford_ would have spoken every Line of it: If, therefore, in any Part of it I succeeded, let the Merit be given to him: And how far I succeeded in that Light, those only can be Judges who remember him. In order, therefore, to give you a nearer Idea of _Sandford_, you must give me leave (compell'd as I am to be vain) to tell you that the late Sir _John Vanbrugh_, who was an Admirer of _Sandford_, after he had seen me act it, assur'd me That he never knew any one Actor so particularly profit by another as I had done by _Sandford_ in _Richard the Third_: _You have_, said he, _his very Look, Gesture, Gait, Speech, and every Motion of him, and have borrow'd them all only to serve you in that Character_. If, therefore, Sir _John Vanbrugh_'s Observation was just, they who remember me in _Richard the Third_ may have a nearer Conception of _Sandford_ than from all the critical Account I can give of him.[153]