Colley Cibber

Colley Cibber (6 November 1671 – 11 December 1757) was an English actor-manager, playwright and Poet Laureate. His colourful memoir ''An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber'' (1740) describes his life in a personal, anecdotal and even rambling style. He wrote 25 plays for his own company at Drury Lane, half of which were adapted from various sources, which led Robert Lowe and Alexander Pope, among others, to criticise his "miserable mutilation" of "crucified Molière [and] hapless Shakespeare".

He regarded himself as first and foremost an actor and had great popular success in comical fop parts, while as a tragic actor he was persistent but much ridiculed. Cibber's brash, extroverted personality did not sit well with his contemporaries, and he was frequently accused of tasteless theatrical productions, shady business methods, and a social and political opportunism that was thought to have gained him the laureateship over far better poets. He rose to ignominious fame when he became the chief target, the head Dunce, of Alexander Pope's satirical poem ''The Dunciad''.

Cibber's poetical work was derided in his time and has been remembered only for being poor. His importance in British theatre history rests on his being one of the first in a long line of actor-managers, on the interest of two of his comedies as documents of evolving early 18th-century taste and ideology, and on the value of his autobiography as a historical source. Provided by Wikipedia

162
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1729
printed by J.W. [John Watts] and sold by S. Chapman, in Pallmall; E. Lynn, over-against Devereux-Court in the Strand; and E. Smith, at the Royal Exchange

163
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1765
printed for the proprietors; and sold by the booksellers in town and country

165
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1723
printed by W. Helme, for W. Smith, Tho. Thornton, and R. Norris, Booksellers in Dames Street

166
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1735
printed for Jacob Tonson, in the Strand

169
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1760
printed for J. Clarke, C. Hitch and L. Hawes, D. Browne, J. and R. Tonson, J. Rivington, R. Baldwin, T. Caslon, C. Bathurst, S. Crowder and Co. T. Longman, H. Woodgate, and S. Brooks, C. Corbet, G. Kearsly, J. and T. King, and T. Lownds

170
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1725
printed for J. Tonson; and sold by J. Longman at the Ship in Pater-Noster Row

171
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1733
printed by B. Lintot, W. Feales, R. J. and B. Wellington, J. Clark, J. Motte, T. Astley, and T. Saunders

172
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1721
printed for Jacob Tonson, over against Catherine-Street, in the Strand ; Bernard Lintot, at the Cross-Keys between the Temple-Gates, Fleetstreet ; William Mears, at the Lamb, without Temple-Bar ; and William Chetwood, at Cato's-Head, Russel-Street, Covent-Garden

173
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1791
printed for the proprietors, under the direction of John Bell, British Library, Strand, Bookseller to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales

175
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1756
printed for J. and R. Tonson in the Strand

176
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1745
printed for J. Watts at the Printing-Office in Wild-Court near Lincoln's-Inn Fields: and sold by B. Dod at the Bible and Key in Ave-Mary-Lane near Stationers-Hall

177
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1714
printed by R.B. for W. Mears at the Lamb, J. Brown at the Black-Swan without Temple-Bar, and J. Woodward in Fleetstreet

178
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1736
printed for Henry Lintot; and sold by W. Feales, at Rowe's-Head, the Corner of Essex-Street, in the Strand

180
by Cibber, Colley
Published 1725
printed for J. Hyde, R. Gunne, R. Owen, E. Dobson, and P. Dugan