The British Roscius
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Thomas Betterton (1635-1710), of whom Cibber says, "He alone was born to speak what only Shakespeare knew to write." The title was also accorded to Garrick.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The British Roscius” mean?
Thomas Betterton (1635-1710), of whom Cibber says, "He alone was born to speak what only Shakespeare knew to write." The title was also accorded to Garrick.
Is “The British Roscius” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.