THE THEATRE .

a mnnflg lg Bahiqiu

THE DRAMA,MUSIC, AND THE FINE ARTS

EDITED BY

C L EM E N T sc E

‘J

QIL

EW SERIES.)VOL . V I I I . JU Y TO DECEMBER, 1 886 .

g onhnuCARSON COMERFORD ,

CLEMENT’

S HOUSE,CLEMENT

’

S I NN PASSAGE,

STRAND,W.C .

1 886 .

[A ll Rig lzls Reserved]

L I S T O F P H O T O G R A P H S .

M I SS C I SSY G RAHAME in “ The P ickp ocke t

L ADY MONCKTON in J im the Pe nm a n .

MRS. G I L BERT and MR . JAMES L EW I S

in A Nig h t OH.

"

M I SS HENRI ETTA L INDLEY in J im thePe nm a n .

M I SS MARY MOORE.

MR . YORKE STEPHENS i n On’

ChangMR . H ENRY ARTHUR JONES.

THE VAUDEV I L L E COMPANY inR o a d t o Ruin .

THE D RURY L ANE COMPANY inRun of L uck .

AUST IN BRERETON.

E N G R A V I N G S .

MRS. ABINGTON. SAMUEL F OOTE .

I N D E X

PAGE.

A BI NGTON , Fra nce s , Mem o ir o fAdo nis

Ay ling , Efii e M a y, Fra nz L isz tBARRY , E l izabe th . Mem o ir o fB a yreuth P i lg r im a g e , A .

Béa rna ise , L a"

Brere to n, Austin :Fra nce s Abing to nSamue l Fo o teA Run o f L uckI I a rv e s t

E l iza be th Ba rry .

H IS Ma rria g eMem o ir o f

C L A I RON , H ippo lyte ,M em o ir o fC la rke , H . Sa vi le .J ack

Na ncy a ndC oThe J i lt

C o wa n , Sa m ue l K The To a stDOROTHY

D ra m a,a n Epi to m e o f

Dra m a ticStudents , TheFA I R ROSAMUND a t W imbledo nFa ithfull, Em i ly , recite s a t M a n

Che s te rFa m o us Firs t Nig htsFirst a ppe a ra nce sM rs . Siddo nsJphn a nd Fa nny K emble 1 17e a n , M acre ady, a nd

M iss O’

Ne I llFirst Nig hts , Fa m o usFitzg e ra ld, P e rcy :Mrs . Siddo nsJ o hn a nd Fa nny K embleK e a n , M acre a dy , a nd

M iss O ’

Ne ill .

The H o bby H o rseFo o te , Sa mue l,M em o irFrivo l i

G AY HUSBAND . A

G e rm a n Odds a ndEndsG o dw in , E . W . , D e a th o fG ra ham e

, Cissy, Mem o ir o f

Hippo lyte

IND I ANAIrving , H enry, a t Oxfo rd“ JACKJ i l t , Theo ne s , Henry A. . Mem o ir Of

L AST Ma tch , TheL e e

, Na t , Mem o ir o fL e e , R icha rd

Sa m ue lA n Epito m e o f the Dram a

L indley, Henrie tta , Mem o ir o fL io n ’s M o uth , The

192

282

15 1

101

531 83288

5 1

HAPPY DAY , A

Ha rris,Aug ustus , Sto ry b y

H a rve st ”H awkins , F . W . ,

C la iro nHe rve y , Cha rle sFa m o us

“ First Nig htsAn Ope ra t icR e tro spectL o uisa Nisbe t

Ho bby-H o rse,The

JKEAN

,Edmund H is First Appe a r

a nceK emble , Fa nny , Her First Appe a ra nce

Kemble , J o hn, H is First Appe a ra nce

K ing sto n , Wi l l ia m Be a ttyOurMusica l-Bo x “

: 30 , 103 , I 58,G e rm a n Odds a ndEndsMy Fa ncy’

s Q ue enK le in , H e rm a nn :Friv o l i

A Ba yreuth Pilg rim a g e

MACREADY . \V C H is First Appe a ra nce

Ma rsha l l , F. A . , Sto ry b yM o nte Christo "

in P a rI s a ndL o ndo n

M o o re , M a ry , Mem o ir o fMus ica LBo x , Our

By Wi l lia m Be a tty King st o n 30, 103 , 158 , 268

By C la vicho rd 325

Iv . INDEX.

PAG E PAG E:

My L o rd in L ive ry 280 REC I TERS

A le xa nde r W a tso nJ o hn L . ChildNANCY a ndC o Rho daNe ttle , The Run o f L uck , A

Nig ht A

Nisbe t , L o u isa , M em o ir o f "

OMNI BUs-Bo x , Our, 47, 1 1 1 , 172 ,220 , 2 84 , 33 1

O’Ne ill , M iss , He r First Appe a ra nceOur Stra te g ists

PARI S, Am e rica n Acto rs I n . . 2 20

P a tti , Ade l ina M a rria g e o f" 37P e nny P la in : Tw o pence C o lo ured 1 77Phe lps , Sa mue l , M em o ir o f 59, 135

Bio g ra phy o f 287 , 33 1

P la ys , New , a nd Reviva ls . in TURNER G o dfre y :L o ndo n , the Pro vince s , a nd Penny P la inPa ris 175. 29 1 , 342 First Nig hts o f H is Y o ung

P o e try Da ys

Brig hto n Pie rL a s t Summ e r V I EUx Ga rco ns , L e sV o ice s !The T o a st W I L DE, W. C . K No te s o n

Ars L o ng a—V ita Brew s Am e rica n 44Fra nz L is z t W i l la rd, E . S , a s J im the Penm a n 230

My Fa ncy ’

3 Q ue en Wo tto n , M a be l EOur Em pre ss Q ue e n L a s t Summ e rWritten In Sa nd Na t L ee

SCOTT , C lem ent :Brig hto n P I erV o ice s !French a ndE n g lI sh

O ur Empres s Q ue enWritten in Sa nd

Siddo ns , Sa ra h , He r First Appe a ra nce 1

Simpso n , J . Pa lg ra ve , Sto ry b y 293Siste r M a ry 49 , 2 13 , 228»

So rry F I n ish , A 3 19Smythie s , W . G o rdo n

Ars L o n g a—V ita Bre vis

Stephens , Y o rke , Mem o ir o f

THE THEATRE .

First A ppe a ra nce s .

MRS. SIDDONS.

BY PE RC Y F I T Z G E RAL D .

IT wa s i n the year 1775 that Mrs . Siddons happened to b eperform ing at Cheltenham , i n a theatre that cou ld be de

s cribed a s l it tle better than a barn . She had been m arri ed onlya few m onths to Mr . Si ddons—a t im orous creature

,not to sa y

g rovell ing , and qu ite overshadowed by the g reat wom an who w a s

h is com panion . On e nig ht i t fell out that som e persons of dist inct ion were s taying at Cheltenham— the H o n . Miss Boyle

,after

w ards L ady O ‘Ne il, and her step father, L ord Bruce . Seein gVenice Preserved put up for perform ance

,they were tem pted

t o vis i t the place , i n the hope , a s they confessed later, o f having afi n e burlesque entertainm ent and a hearty laug h . To the i ra stonishm ent they w i tnessed a powerful and affect ing perform anceo n the part of an unknown young actress of only nineteen , andfound their tears falli ng abundantly . Next day they calledupon her , and fou nd her a s m odest and attract ive a s She wa s

g i fted . L ord Bruce , who wa s better known a s L ord Aylesbury,

w hen he returned to t o wm m e n tio n ed thi s discovery to Mr.

G arrick , of Drury L ane , thou g h Dr. Hoadly had also drawn h isa ttent ion to the obscure country actress .

Am ong C arrick ’s m ore int im ate fri ends at this t im e wa s ane xtraordinary parson , nam ed Bate , a bru is ing clerg ym an , whoh ad fi g ured i n duels and “ affrays at Vauxhal l ” and otherp laces . G arrick , hearing that th is g entlem an—who wa s a soundcri t ic , and a newspaper proprietor a s well , also well experiencedi n theatrical m atters—wa s about to vis i t Cheltenham

, wrote toNEW SERIES.

—VOL . V I I I .

2 THE THE/17TRE . [JUL Y 1,1886 .

him the fol lowing letter, in which he comm iss ioned him to reportupon the country perform erMR . GARRICK TO REV . MR. BATE .

J ulyDEAR BATE ,

— I f you pass by Cheltenham on your w a y t o

Worcester, I w ish you would se e an actress there— a Mrs .

Siddons . She ha s a des i re , I hear , to try her fortune w i th us . I fshe seem s , in your eyes , w orthy of being transplanted , pray des i reto know upon what condit ions she would m ake the trial , and I w i l lwri te to her the post after I rece ive your letter . Pa y our com pl im ents to your lady and accept our warm es t w ishes , &c.

A Mrs . Siddons The g reat actress would have sm i ledalm ost g rim ly had she ever seen this description after her latertrium phs .

I t w i l l be not iced ho w ca relessly and w i th what l i ttle hope o fresul t the actor g ave thi s com m iss ion . Nothing could have bettersui ted the j ovial parson , who w i thin ten days found h im self at thewatering -p lace . H is letter of report is wri tten in a g a y, exhila rating spirit , and is pleasant reading .

REV . MR . BATE To MR . GARRICK .

Aug ust 1 2 , 1 775.

MY DEAR F RIEND ,—After com batting the various d iffi cultie sof one of the cursedest cross -roads in this king dom , we arrived safeat Cheltenham on Thursday last , and sa w the theatri cal hero in eof that place in the character of Rosalind . Thoug h I beheld herfrom the s idew in g s of the stag e (a barn about three yards over) ,and consequently under alm ost every disadvantag e , I o wn she

m ade so strong an im press ion on m e , that I th ink she cannot fai lto be a valuable acqu is it ion to Drury L ane . He r fi g ure m ust b erem arkably fine .when she is happily divested of a b ig whichent irely m ars for the present her whole shape . He r face

,i f I

m a y j udg e from whence I sa w i t , is one of the m ost beauti ful fo rstag e effect ever I beheld ; but I shall surprise you when I shallassure you that these are nothing to her action and g eneral stag edeportm ent,which are rem arkably p leas ing and characterist ic

in short,I know no wom an who m arks the different passag es andtrans it ions w i th so m uch var i ety , and , at the sam e t im e , proprietyof express ion . I n the la te r hum bu g scene w i th O rlando , previousto her reveal ing herself, she did m ore w i th it than anyone I ever

saw— not even your divine Mrs . Barry excep ted . I t is necessaryafter this paneg yr i c to inform you that her vo ice struck m e at firs ta s rather dissonant , and I fancy , from the private conversat ion Ihad w i th her, that in unim pass ioned scenes i t m ust be som ewhatg rat ing . However, a s I found i t wear away a s m y bus i ness becam em ore interesting , I a m incl ined to think i t only an error of affectat ion

, which m a y be corrected , i f not totally rem oved . She told m eshe had been upon the stag e from her cradle . This,thoug h it

JUL Y 1 ,F I RST APPEARANCES . 3

surprised m e , g ave m e the h ig hest opinion of her j udg m ent , to findshe had contracted no stroll ing habits , which have so often beenthe bane of m any a theatrical g enius . She w i l l m ost certainly beof g reat use to you , at a ll events , on account of the g reat num berof characters she plays , al l of which , I venture to assert , she fi l l sw i th propriety , thoug h I have no t seen her but i n one . She is ,a s you have been i nform ed , a very g ood breeches fi g ure , and playsthe Widow Brady , I a m i nform ed , adm i rably . I should notwonder, from her easy fi g ure and m anner , i f she m ade t/zepro udest of e ither house trem ble i n g enteel trag edy nay , bewareyourself, g reat L i tt le m a n

, for She plays Ham let to the sat isfact ionof the Worcestershire crit ics .

The m om ent the play w a s over,I wrote a note to her husband

(who is a da m n’

d rascally player , thoug h seem ing ly a very c ivi lfel low) , request ing an interview w i th him and his w i fe , int im at ing ,at the sam e t im e , the nature o f m y bus iness . Yo u w i l l not blam em e for m aking th is forced m arch in your favour, a s I learned som eof the Covent G arden M ohawks were entrenched near the place

,and intended carrying her by surprise . At the conclus ion of thefarce,they waited on m e , and , after I had opened m y com m is

s ion,She expressed herself happy at the Opportuni ty of bein gbrou g ht under your eye , but decl ined propos ing any term s , l eavingi t entirely to you to reward her a s you think proper .You w i l l perce ive that at present she ha s all that diffide nce ,u sually the first attendant upon m erit . H o w soon the force of

Drury L ane exam ples , added to the ris i ng van ity of a stag ehero ine,m a y transform her, I canno t sa y . I t happens

,veryluckily

,that the com pany com es to Worcester for the race week ,

when I shal l take every Opportun ity of seeing her , and i f I findthe leas t reason to alter m y opinion (perhaps too hast i ly form ed) ,you shal l im m ediately have m y recantation . My w i fe , o f whosej udg m ent i n theatrical m atters I have a h ig h opinion , jo ins w i thm e i n these sent im ents respecting her m eri t . I Should havewrote to you before , but no pos t w ent out from any place nearhere but th is ni g ht ’s . I Shal l expect to hear from you by returnof the post , a s Siddons w i l l cal l upon m e to know whether youlook upon her a s eng ag ed . My w i fe j oins m e i n respect to Mrs .

G arrick and yoursel f.I rem ain,m y dear sir,

(after writ ing a dam ned j a rg on . I supp o se , of unintell i g ibl e s tuff)In haste ,Ever yours m ost truly .

Pos t direct to m e to the H o p Po le .This i s al l vivid enoug h , su g g est ing the scene i n Ni ckleby,

when the L ondon m anag er w a s known to be i n the boxes . The

fi g u res are touched in w i th m uch g raphic power , the leas t effect ivebeing the Sketch of the poor hum ble Siddons , who is w ishing tog o any term s .G arrick wa s g reatly pleased wi th th is full and sati sfactory

B 2

4 THE THEATRE . [JUL Y 1,1886 .

report but there wa s a reason founded on his peculia r ly sens i t ivenature tha t m ade this news openly welcom e to him ,

and wa sreal ly a patent feature in the eng ag em ent that fo llowed . I t isw ell known ho w harassed he wa s by his o wn ladies— the Abingtons

,Yates

,Y o un g e s , and others . He felt an inexpress ible

sa t isfact ion in the idea that i f he discovered a n ew and bri ll ian ts ta r he w ould have the sat is fact ion of putt ing them down andfi ll ing them w i th m o rtifica t io n . This m ust be borne in m ind

, a s

i t w i l l be found to help i n understanding the failure that fo l lowed .He , indeed , reveals his purpose in his letter of reply to Bate .

MR . GARRICK T o MR. BATE .

Aug ust 15, 1775.

DEAR BATE ,—~Te n thousand thanks for your ve ry clear

,

a g reeable , fr iendly letter . I t p leased m e m uch,and whoevercalls i t a j arg on of un in tellig ible stufi

'

should be knocked down i f Iw ere near him . I m ust des i re you to secure the lady w i th m ybest com p l im en t s , and that she m a y depend upon any reasonableand fr iendly encourag em ent in m y powe r ; at the sam e t im e , youm ust i nt im ate to the husband that he m ust be satisfied w i th thesta te of life in which i t ha s plea sedH ea ven to ca ll her . Yo u se e ho w

m uch I th ink m yself oblig ed to you r kind offices by the flatteringquotat ion I m ake from your o wn bo o k . Your account of the b igala rm s m e . \Vhen shal l we be in shape ag ain ? H o wlong does the lady count ? \Vhen w i l l she be able to appear Im a y com ple te your g ood offices , and let m e know al l we are totrust to . Should not you g e t som e m em orandum s i g ned by herand her husband , and of which I w i l l send a facs im ile copy tothe n I ?I la u g hed at the m i l i tary stratag em s of the C ovent G ardeng enera ls , whils t I had you g enius t o oppose them . I f she ha s

m eri t, a s I a m to ld by yo ur letter she mus t ha ve,a ndwill be who lly

g o vern edby me , I will m a ke her thea trica l fo rtun e . If a ny lady beg in sto play a s tricks , I will imm edia tely play off my m a sked ba tte ry ofS iddo ns a g a in s t her . I should be g lad to know her cast of parts ,or , rather , what parts she ha s done , and in which she l ikes herself best— these I would have m arked— and

,above all

, my dearBate , le t m e know about what tim e she m a y reckon to l i e in ,that we m a y reckon accord ing ly upon her appearance in DruryL ane . I report this to you a s i t is of the utm ost consequence .

REV . MR. BATE T o MR . GARRICK .

Worcester , Aug . 19, 1 779.

MY DEAR F RIEND ,- I received your very fri endly letter

,andtake the fi rs t post from he nce to answer it . I found it unnecessaryto m ake the intim ation you des i red to the husband

, s ince he requi res only to be em ployed in any m anner you think proper,andas he is m uch m ore tolerable than I thoug ht him at first , i t m a y

J ULY I ,F I RST APPEARANCES . 5

be no very difficul t m anner to stat ion him so a s to sat i sfy them a n w i thout burdening the property. I sa w him the other eveningi n Young Marlow i n G o ldsm i th ’ s Com edy , and then he w a s farfrom despicable , neither his fi g ure nor face contem ptible . Aj ealousy prevai l ing throu g h the theatre upon a su sp ic ion of thusl eaving them ,

the acting -m anag er seem s determ ined that I shal lnot se e her ag ain in any character , when she m i g ht g ive m e asecond display of her theatri cal powers . I a m reso lved

,how ever ,to continue the s i eg e t i ll they g ive her som eth in g cap ital , know in gthat m ust speedi ly be the case , or the g arrison m ust fal l by fam ine .

.No w ,fo r the Big B Pretty early i n Decem ber she w i l lbe fi t for service ; a s you certainly m ean to open the ensu in gcam pai g n by charg ing In person at the head of your l i nes , Iconceive she w i l l com e at a very favourable cris is to take a

second com m and when your retreat from the field m a y bepo l i t ical ly necessary . I a m strong ly for her first appearance a sR osal ind ; but m a y j udg e better, perhaps , after a pe rusal o f th el ist on the other s ide . The characters m arked under are thosewhich She prefers to others .

J ane Shore . Jul iet .A licia . C ordel ia .Roxana . Horat io .

G ree z'

a n’

s D a ug hter . Marianne .Matilda . L ady To wn ley .

C al ista . P o rti a .

No m in ia . Mrs . Belvil le .B elvedere . Vio lante .

Yo u are certainly ri g ht respect ing a m em o ra nda m between you .The m om ent

,therefore , I rece ive one from you i t Shall be con

v eyed to them at Cheltenham , when they return next w eek , andthey have prom ised to return m e an answ er im m ediate ly at Birm in g ha m ,

for which place I Shal l be off the instant I have rece ivedyour letter on m y w a y to town . I n order to conclude th is bu s inessfinally,and to the sat isfact ion of all parties

,I a m des ired torequest your answers to the fo l low ing pa rt iculars

1 . AS they a re ready to attend your sum m ons at any t im e ,whe ther they are not to be al lowed som ething to subs ist uponwhen they com e to town previous to their appearance .

2 . Whether you have any obj ect ion to em ploy them i n anysi tuat ion in which you m a y think them l ikely to be u seful .3 . When you des ire they should attend you .AS to the first

,w i thout you are i ncl ined to have them at the

opening of the hou se , perhaps her rem ai nin g in the country intheir o wn com pany, where they do very w ell , m a y ease you ofsom e expense , but of that you m ust be the best j udg e . W i th respect to him

,I th ink you can have no o b j ectio n t o take him uponthe term s he proposes him self. I forg ot to tel l you that Mrs .

S iddons is about twenty years of a g e . I t w ould be unj u st not torem ark one c ircum stance i n favour o f them both ; I m ean theun iversal g ood character they have preserved here for m any years ,on account of their publ ic a s w ell a s private conduct in l i fe . I b e g

R o sa lind.

Mrs . Stri ckland .C larida .Miss Aubrey .C ha r lotte .Wi a ’o w Brady .Im og ene .

6 THE THEA TRE . [JUL Y 1 , 1886 .

you to be very parti cular i n your answer to the three queries,andl ikew ise express ly to m ention the t im e you w ish to se e them ,thatthey m a y arrang e thei r l ittle m atters according ly . This , I hope ,

w i l l enable m e to effect everything you would expect from m e

when you honoured m e w ith the comm iss ion , and i f, i n the discharg e o f i t , I have been able to render you the least service Ishall reflect upon i t a s one of the m ost flattering c ircum stances ofmy l i fe . Mrs . Bate j o i ns m e , &c.N.B .

—She is the m ost extraordinary quick study I ever heardof. This cannot be am iss , for i f I reco l lect rig ht , w e have a sufficient num ber of the leaden -headed ones in Drury L ane already .I t w i l l be seen that in th is long l ist of characters—wonderful i n

s o youn g a creature—she m odestly cons idered herself s trong in onlyseven . Widow Brady and the G recian Daug hter thus puttog ether m ust have m ade the m anag er sm i le .The parson thus s t im ulated , and , at the sam e t im e , g rat ified bytheir pra ises (and he wa s , indeed , perform ing a cong enial duty) ,

n o w beg an to follow up his comm iss i on w i th som eth ing l i ke e nthus ia sm . I n a few days he reported further prog ress .

Nearly a m onth,however , passed before a nythin g wa s concludedfinal ly . The poor, nervous Siddons g rew alarm ed and wrotepiteous ly to his friend , who had left the place . The ir s i tuat ion

wa s critical .MR . SIDDONs To REV . MR . BATE .

Cheltenham , Sept . 4, 1 775.

REV . SIR,- Yours cam e safe to hand this m orning . I confessI w a s under som e concern not hear ing from you sooner, for fromthe t im e you showed m e Mr . C arrick ’s letter at Worcester I hadnearly assured m yself of Mrs . Siddons’ eng ag em ent , on which ,on m y retu rn to Worcester, I g ave my partners i n m anag em entnot ice of m y intention to part from them ; and i f anything hadhappened that we could not have been eng ag ed i t w ould have

Droved a very unlucky circum stance . However, Sir, your letter

b I th rem oved the apprehens ions I wa s under, and se t m e rig hta g a In .I a m very ag reeableMrs . Siddons can continue here at G loucestert il l she is able to rem ove to L ondon . Meantim e hope to be favou redin your correspondence w i th any advice you shall please to offeror inst ructions Mr. G arrick shall be pleased to send m e . Be so

g ood , Sir, a s to present my m ost respectfu l com plim ents to him ,and assure him he ha s confe rred an eternal oblig ation on m e byhis kind offer of the cash , but hope I shall not have occas ion totrouble him for . F o r the pains you have taken and the servicesdone m e I shal l ever retain the m ost g rateful sense , and a m , w i thMrs . Siddons ’ respects ,

Your very hum ble’ Servant ,WM. SIDDONS.

JUL Y 1. F I RST APPEARANCES. 7

The s i tuat ion of the young actress wa s part icularly unfortunate ,a ndthe delay—absolutely necessary a s i t wa s—wa s the m ore emharrass ing from i ts uncertainty . The unha ppy Si ddons wa s ,

however , rel ieved in an unexpected wa y, and he ventured to writed irect to the g reat m a n him self to tel l him the j oyful news that thep eriod of suspense wa s at an end .

T o MR . D . GARRICK .

G loucester , No v . 9, 1 775.

DEAR SI R,—F rom my form er accounts of Mrs . Siddons,

you ’ l l b e surprised when I tel l you she wa s unexpectedlyt aken i l l when perform ing on the stag e , and early the nextm orning produced m e a fine g i rl . They are both l ikely todo well . But I a m afraid , sir, notw i thstanding th is , I shan ’ tb e able to leave th is week sooner than the t im e I last m e n

t io n ed ; for Mrs . Si ddons counting so m uch long er , I had fixedthe conclus ion of our part i cular private concerns t i l l that t im e . Ihope this w i l l m ake no difference w i th you ; i f s o ,

I would eude a v o ur to hasten m y bus i ness i f not , I shall have t im e to cone lude i t w i th sat is fac t ion to th ink Mrs . Siddons w i l l be som ewhatb ett er to take the j ourney.

I a m , s ir.

P .S .— I have j ust had the pleasure of see ing Mr . Dinw o o dy,

whom you comm iss ioned to supply m e w i th the cash . He tel lsm e I m ig ht have any sum I had occas i on for, so have m ade boldt o take £20—which I hope w i l l m eet w i th your approbat ion .I n about six weeks the young actress wa s recovered , and by

C hristm as wa s i n L ondon at Drury L ane,about to m ake herdebut.

The term s they had accepted were of the m ost m odest kind—threepounds a week for the lady , and for h im sel f tw o . At l east , so weg ather from a letter of the husband ’s .

An i nterest ing speculat ion ha s always been what wa s the causeo f Mrs . Siddons ’ fai lure . She hersel f laid i t on G arrick

,and

a ccused him of “ keeping her back . ” The real reasons,however ,

w ere tw o — first,her situat ions i n the theatre

, where al l the leadingcharacters were in possess ion of the m ost capable actresses , andwho were already fi l led w i th j ealousy ; secondly

,her o wn fool ish

delus ion that she wa s a com edy actress,and as such clearly im

pressed Mr . Bate , who saw her i n As Yo u L i ke I t —a perform er who could take pride in doing the Widow Brady4 -a nd

Nell i n The Devi l to Pa y,” cou ld hardly have nourished thep ure spiri t of trag edy . This latter is the real reason , forP ort ia , played w i th g race and spiri t , i t need not be said ,w ould be effect ive a s a trial part . She wa s , m oreover, too

8 THE THEA TRE . [j a w I , I sso .

young and too sl ig ht , and wanted wei g ht for. the g reat charact ers . A t rial part , however , i s a su re evidence of bel i ef in one ’ spowers,and the choice of s o ai ry a com edy part a s Porti a

proves th is . As to G a rrick ’

s share in “ keeping her back , ” heseem s to have been warranted by her failure in this part . But afarce by the Re v . Mr . Bate , the ag ent who had eng ag ed her , calledThe Blackam oor Washed White , ” w a s n o w produced , and she

wa s g iven a part in i t . This unlucky production wa s the cause ofa frig htful riot ; the fi g ht ing clerg ym an appeared in the boxes , andseem ed to defy or challeng e the aud ience . The poor actressshared in the disg race , and it is said the author laid the blam e o ffailure upon the pro teg e‘ he had s o recom m ended , attacking her i nh is newspaper . During his last perform ances before his ret irem ent Mr . G arrick broug ht her m ore forward . She wa s privileg edto play L ady Anne to his R ichard , w i th also Mrs . Sullen . All

this shows that she had only a respectable pos i t ion in theco mpany . The nam e of the poor, abj ect Siddons , enjoying his {2a week , does not appear at all . He probably carried a banner,or

,perhaps

,played a sm all part under a different nam e .

The nig ht of th is debut wa s Decem ber 29, 1 775, when she a p

pe a red a s Port ia before an audience described a s num erous a nd

splendid . ” The bill ranDRURY L ANE .

By His M a je sty’

s C o mpa ny ,

AT THE THEATRE ROYAL IN DRURY LANE,

TH I S DAY w i l l b e pre sentedTHE MERCHANT OF VENICE .

Shylock, b y Mr. K ING ;

Ba ssa nio,b y Mr. BENNL EY

Anto nio , b y Mr. REDDI SH

G o bbo , b y Mr. PARSONS

L o renzo (w ith s o ng s), b y Mr. VERNON

L a unce lo t,b y Mr . WRIGHTEN

Duke,b y Mr. HURST

Tuba l , b y Mr. MESSINK

Gra tia no , b y Mr. DODD

Sa la n io , b y Mr. Fc ETT

Sa la rino , b y Mr . J . AcEN

Je ss Ica , (w ith so ng ) b y M iss JARRATTNe rfssa , b y Mrs. DAV I ESL a dy, b y Mrs . K I NG

P o rtia b y A YOUNG G ENTL EWOM AN,

(Be ing her First Appe a ra nce )

JUL Y 1 ,F IRST APPEARANCES .

To which w i l l b e added, fo r the fo urth t im e the se six ye a rs , a dram ticente rta inment(in two pa rts) o f s ing ing , da ncing , a nd dia l o g ue , in ho no ur o f Shake spe a re ,ca l led

THE JUBIL EE .

The P rincipa l Cha racte rs b yMr. V ERNON ,

Mr. M o o dy , Mr. Na ldo n , Mr. K e a r, Mr. Ushe r,Mr. Whitfie ld, Mr. Da vie s , Mr.Fo sse tt

,

M a rk Bla n la nd, Mr. BANNI STER

Mr. L o ve , M rs. Bradshaw ,M rs . Da vie s , a ndM r. WR I GHTEN .

The dance s b y Sig no r G io rg i , Sig no r Co m o, Sig no ra C re 5pi , a ndMrs . Sutto n.In which w i l l b e intro duced

A PAGEANT WI TH ADD IT IONS.

Bo xe s , 55 Pit , 33 First G a l le ry , 2 3 . Uppe r G a l le ry , 1 8 .

The do o rs w i l l b e o pened a t fiv e o’clock. P lace s fo r the bo xe s t o b e had o f Mr.Fo sb ro o k , a t the Sta g e -do o r .

Nothing could have been m ore unfortunate than the incidents o f th is debut . Overcom e w i th nervousness , she wa s

Observed to totter on , rather than walk . She appeared to be frailand del icate , having only j ust recovered ; her words were ofteninaudible

,her voice dropping i nto an inaudible whisper at theclose of the sentence her eyes wandered round idly ; while evenher dress w a s u g ly—a faded salm on -coloured sask-back . In the

qual ity of m ercy speech she did better, del ivering i t w i th onlyelocutionary propriety . ” I t wa s , i n short , a fai lure . The

Ga z etteer said i t wa s a m edi ocre perform ance,and there wa s a

vulg arity in her tones . She w a s unsu ited for the g reat l ine i nwhich she had been held forth . She had

,indeed

,a g ood stag eexpress ive feature , and spoke w i th propriety , but her voice hadl i ttle variety or feel ing— she lacked fire and spiri t ; nothing wa sso barren of fam e or profi t a s a co ldco rrectn ess . Even her friend

and d iscoverer (Bate) would sa y l i ttle except deplore her overnervousness,and declare i t wa s one of the m ost respecta ble

(awkward word !) firs t essays he had ever seen . He praised ,however , her beauty , fi g ure , and g esture , and her forte seem edto be the enforcing the m eaning of the author by an em phati cthou g h easy art pecul iar to herself ; her voice at t im es wa s ra therlo w.

The actress never forg ot th is hum i l iat ion , and laid i t al l onG arrick . She had thoug ht him not only her friend , but heroracle

,and in consequence of his advice Port ia wa s selected .

L ater she accused him of hindering her exert ions ; she w a s n o t

to overshadow the t ip of his nose . Ye t he g ave her m anychances—L ady Anne , pronounced “ lam entable ” by the Press

I O THE THEA TRE . [JULY 1 , 1886 .

the truth being that a m istake had been m ade in choosing com edyparts . She , therefore , m a y be said not to have strictly m ade herdebut at all unti l som e years later

,when she appeared a s a real

t rag edy queen , and took the town by s torm .

After the season w a s over she went to the country,bel ievinghersel f secure of re -eng ag em ent . G arrick , ret iring from his

theatre,prom ised to m ention her to the n ew m anag em ent . But

they were fi lled w i th m isg ivin g s at th is chang e , which reachedthem i n the country , and the husband addressed Mr. G arrick i nth is low ly and obsequious strainMR . SIDDONS To MR . GARRICK .

DEAR S I R,—I m ake ho ld to trouble you w i th an epistle in wh ich

I have presum ed to soli ci t your fri endship and endeavours for ourcontinuance in Dru ry L ane . I adm i t w e have been doubly un fo rtun a te at our onset at the theatre . F i rst , that particular circum sta nce s prevented our j oining i t at a proper tim e , and therebyrendered it im poss ible for us to be m ing led i n the bus iness of thes eason when our util ity m ig ht have been m ore observed ; second ,that we are g o ing to be deprived of you a s a m anag er, and left tothose who m a y not have an opportunity this w inter of observingus at all . These cons iderat ions , s ir, have occas ioned this address ,w ith hopes that you w il l lay them before Mr . Sheridan and theg entlem en , your successors and , a s there ha s been no ag reem entw i th reg ard to salary between you and us , i t m a y here be necessaryto p ropose that art icle

,thereby to acquaint them w i th what weshall expect , which (a s we are s o young i n the theatre) is , I th ink ,no m ore than what we m a y decently subs ist on , and appear w i th

som e credit to the profess ion . That is , for Mrs . S iddons threepounds a week , for m yself tw o and this , I flatter m yself, we shallboth be found w orthy of for the first year,after that (a s i t m a y bepresum ed we shal l be m ore experienced in our bus iness) shall w ishto rise a s our m erits m a y dem and . I a m , sir, w i th m any apo log i esfor th is freedom

,

Your m ost obedient and very hum ble servant ,WM . SIDDONS.

Saturday m orning , F e b . 9, 1 776 .

Three pounds a week, j ust hal f what she had been rece iving ,wa s surely evidence of the extrem i t i es to which the pair held thems elves reduced . The actress i ndeed spoke of her “ disg race atDru ry L ane . Suddenly

,however

,they received a curt and form alannouncem ent from the n ew m anag em ent that their servi ces wouldnot be required . This blow

,a s Mrs . Siddons said , nearly killedher . The disg race of dism issal , a s i t seem ed , appeared to bringru in to her and her babes . She always accused G arrick of a

breach of fai th, saying that he depreciated her—a t least Mr . Sheri

JUL Y 1, F IRST APPEARANCES. 1 1

dan told her so . But i t m a y be doubted . She , however, bravelyrall i ed and returned to her dul l provincial round , under verym ort i fying conditions , and for seven years worked hard , andsteadily rose i n reputation . She thus l ived down that rebuff. I tw a s Sheridan (Sheridan pe‘re) who chanced to see her at acountry theatre , and wa s so struck w i th her playing that hes trong ly urg ed her eng ag em ent . She showed no eag erness to g o totown ; thoug h , indeed , after my form er dism issal , ” She said , “ th iswa s a trium phal m om ent . Henderson had also seen and reportedfavourably o f her . Sheridan , having fai th in the venture , fi l ledthe papers w i th preparatory puffs , ” and the news of the eng ag em ent o f the star wa s reiterated at the foot of the b il l for weekspreviou sly . The nig ht of October 10, 1782 , w a s chosen for th i ssecond probat ion , m ore peri lous and even terrible from the orig inalfai lure . Tw o days before she wa s sei z ed w i th a nervous hoarseness , and i t seem ed likely that a postponem ent would have to betaken . But on the m orning of the perform ance her vo ice wa sm ost happily res tored . On th i s eventful day, ” she writes , myfather arrived to com fort m e and be a w i tness of my tria l. He

accom panied m e to my dress ing -room at the theatre . There hel eft m e , and I , i n one of what I ca ll my desperate tranqu i ll it i es ,which usually im press m e under terrific circum stances

,com pleted

my dress , to the astonishm ent of my attendants , w i thout utteringone word,thou g h often s ig hing m ost profoundly . ” H o w natural

is this,yet i t only described what depended on the awful cris is ,for failure wa s n o w failure i n all and for the future . Here wa s the

bi l l on which those fine eyes m ust have rested w i th a dulledterror

DRURY LANE .

NOT ACTED the se FOUR ye a rs .By H I S MAJESTY ’S COMPANY ,

the THEATRE ROYAL , in DRURY L ANE ,

TH I S EVEN ING w i l l b e pre sented,I S A B E L L A ;o r, THE FATAL MARR IAGE .

Biro n , b y Mr . SM ITH

C o unt Ba ldw in , b y M r. PACKER ;

C a rlo s,b y Mr . FARREN

Be lfo rd,b y M r. R . PALMER ;

Sa mpso n, b y M r . WRIGHTEN

a ndV ille ra y, b y Mr. PALMER

Nurse , b y Mrs . L OVE

a n d I s a b e l la,b y Mrs . SIDDONS

I Z THE THEA TRE . [JUL Y 1, 1886 ,

(Fro m the The a tre Ro ya l , Ba th).In Act I I I . a n EP ITHAL AM IUM ,

w ith s ing in g b y M iss C OL L ETT a ndM iss WRI GHT .

To which wi l l b e added

A T R I P T O S C O T L A N D .

Griskin , b y Mr. PARSONS

Cupid (with a so ng in cha racte r), b y M iss F I EL DSo uthe rto n , M r. NORR I S Cha mbe rla in, Mr. BURTONJemm y Tw inkle , M r . L AMASEF il la g ree , Mrs . HOPKINS

L a ndlady, M iss LOVECha mbe rm a id, M iss SIMSON

M iss Flock , M iss WR I GHT ;

M iss G risk in , Mrs. BRERETON,

w ith a POST I L L ION DANCE incidenta l to the piece .

Bo xe s , 5s P it , 3s . G a l le ry , 2 3 . Up . G a l le ry , 15 .

Place s fo r the Bo xe s to b e ta ken o f Mr. Fo sbro o k a t the sta g e do o r.The do o rs to b e Opened a t ha lf a fte r fiv e o 'clock.

T o be g in exactly a t ha lf a fte r s ix.

V I VANT R e x ET REG INA.

The revived co medy o f “ The G a m e ste r , ” which wa s so fa vo ura bly rece ivedSa turda y la st we e k ,

w i ll be pe rfo rm ed e a rly in the ne xt we ek. A n ew a fte r-piece ,

ca l led To o C ivil b y H a lf,

"is g e tting fo rwa rdwith a ll po ss ib le expediti o n .

The larg e theatre wa s cramm ed - crit ics , am ateurs , all w erethere in serri ed rows . As She stepped on the Scene she felt uhnerved . “

The aw ful consciousness , as she said i n her naturalwa y,

“ that one is the sole obj ect of attent ion in that vast space ,l ined,a s i t were , w i th hum an intel lect from top to bottom and al laround . I t m a y be im ag ined , but can never be described , and

by m eca n never be fo rg o tten .

”

Isabella is a play of tum ultuous pass ions,a crescendo of

horrors and viol ent em otion , and nothing could have been bette rse lected to exhibi t the powers of the candidate . The tendernessof her tones went to al l hearts ; the ag ony of her suffering th r i l ledthe house . Many m e n were seen in tears ; som e wom en fell i nt ohysterics . I n the last act every speech w a s i nterrupted bybursts of applause . As the g reat fold of the som bre g reen curtai nfell

,i t wa s felt that a g enu ine trium ph had been achieved . “ Inever in my l i fe heard such peals of applause , ” She wrote . Ithoug ht they would not have suffered Mr . Packer to end the play .The exqu is i te enj oym ent of assured trium ph

,after peri l passed

,is

happi ly described by her . We envy the del icious feel ing . Iwa s hal f dead, she says , and my j oy and thankfulness were oftoo overflow ing and so lem n a nature to adm i t of words , or eventears . My father, my husband , and m yself sa t down to a frug alsupper in a silence uninterrupted , except by ex clam at ions of g lad

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14 THE THEATRE . [JULY 1 , 1886 .

Fra nce s A b ingto n .

Br AUSTIN BRERETON.

L ITTLE le ss than a century a nd a hal f a g o a brig ht l ittl eg i rl wa s dai ly to b e se en sel l ing flowers in the Mall of St .

J am es's Park . Popularly known as No se g ay F a n ,the chi ld d id

he r be st to help in the support o f her poor hom e,shared by her

father,once a p r ivate sold ier in the K ing ’

s Guards,and then a

cobbler inWindm i l l Street, and a fterwards in V ineg ar Yard , DruryL ane , and her b rother, who wa tered the horses of the Hampsteads ta g e in Hanway Ya rd , Tottenha m Court Road . Thence she roseto the d ig ni ty of reci t ing at the Be dford or Shakespeare in CoventGarde n wheneve r she could pe rsuade a wai te r to introduce her tothe company assembled in those taverns . F rom spouting Shakespeare and other authors from a table in the Covent Garden Piazzashe becam e a servant to a F rench m i l l iner in Cockspur Street,acqu i r ing thereby a tas te for d ress , afterwards o f g reat service toher

,and an acquaintance wi th the F rench tong ue . T hence the g i rlpassed to the k itchen over which Robert Baddeley—then not

dream ing of the cake which he wa s la ter on to bequeath to Dru ryL ane Theatre—pres ided , and—to som ething worse. The g irl wa sF rance s Barton , born in 173 1, one of the firs t com ic actresses o four s tag e , and the o rig inal L ady Teazl e. He r comm on or ig in andthe penury

,l owness , and m isery of her early l i fe excuse her frail ty ,and

,thou g h none too virtuous at first, the No se g a y F a n o f la tcr

l i fe wa s an estimable, benevolent woman .The stag e career of F anny Barton comm enced i n 1755 on

Theophilus C ibber obtaining perm iss ion to present a certainn umber o f performances at the Haym arket Theatre. On Au g ust 2 1of that year wa s announced the com edy o f “ The Busybody

,

” thepart of M i randa by Miss Barton

,being her firs t essay . ”

Mi randa wa s rapidly fol lowed by M iss J enny in “ The ProvokedHusband ,” Kitty Pry in “ The L ying Valet ,” Sylvia in The

Recruiting Officer, Prince Prettyman in “ The Rehearsal , and

JUL Y 1 , F RANCES ABTNGTON 1 5

Mrs. Tattoo in “ L ethe . F rom the Haym arket , Miss Bar ton

went to Bath , and durin g th e summ er fol lowing she played a tR ichm ond , where she wa s seen by one o f the patentees o f DruryL ane Theatre , who eng ag ed her forthwi th . She accord ing ly openedat Drury in November, 1756 , a ppearing a s L ady Pl iant i nCong reve’s com edy , “ The Double Dealer. Advancem ent atDrury L ane wa s difficult— indeed , wel l -nig h im poss ibl e, for thebeg inner who had to contend , on the one hand , w i thMrs . Pri tchardin t rag edy , and , o n the o ther, w i th Mrs . C l ive in com edy . So anen g ag em ent in Dubl in , m ore advantag eous in every wa y to theactress

,being offered , wa s prom ptly accepted , and the actresscrossed to the I r ish capital . But at this pe r iod she wa s Miss

Barton no m ore, for she had m arr i ed her m us ic-m aster, Mr.Abing ton , one of the trum peters in the Royal service . Nothingvery precise is known o f th is sam e A bing ton , beyond the fact thathe wa s a sm art- look ing l i ttl e m a n , of a l ively wit , and no t veryattentive to his duties a s a hu sband . I t is n o t , therefore , m uch t obe wondered at that the flo we r- g i rl of early days should havesou g ht conso lation wi th one Mr. Needham , a m em ber o f the I r ishParl iam ent, to whom She wa s so faithfu l that he left her an annu ity .Mr. Abing ton wa s content to w ink at the connection in cons ideration o f a yearly sum of m oney al lowed him by his w i fe

, who sur

v iv edhim m any years .

Mrs . A bin g ton ’s fi rs t appearance in Dubl in wa s m ade at theSm ock A l ley Theatre on Decem ber 1 1 , I 759, when she played Mrs .

Sul len in The Beaux ’

Stratag em .

”He r nex t par t here

,and o n e

i n which she wa s adm irably su ited , wa s Beatr ice in Much AdoA bou t Nothin g .

”This wa s succeeded by Cor inna , Clarinda, F lora ,and Violante

,L ady F anciful , L e a n the , Maria in The No u-J uror

,

”

Second Constantia , and the F ine L ady in “ L ethe .” He r com i cg enius rapidly asserted i tself, and before the season had ended sheestab l ished hersel f a s one of the firs t and m ost prom is ing actresseson the I r ish stag e . A t Sm ock A l l ey Mrs . A bin g ton had the adv a ntag e of acting w i th TateWi l k inson in H ig h L ife Below Stairs ," i nwhich She m ade a g reat success a s K itty . The hit m ade by her inth is part is thus descr ibed by Tate Wi lk inson The whol e ci rclewa s in su rprise and raptu re, each ask ing the other ho w such atreasure could poss ibly have been in Dubl in , and in a state o fo bscuri ty ; such a j ewel wa s invaluabl e, and their o wn tastes and

THE THEATRE. [JULY 1, 1886,

j udg ments

,they feared

,would j ustly b e ca lled in ques ti o n i f th is

daughter of Thalia wa s not immed iate ly ta ke n by the ha nd a nd

d isting uished a s her certain and d is t ing u ished m e ri t dem a nded.

50 successful wa s the farce that i t wa s repe a ted a do ze n time sduring the season . Mrs . A bing ton ’s success o n the s ta g e wa s n o wa ssured , and s o nice wa s her tas te in dre ss that the "Ab ing t o n

cap ”wa s the rag e among the Dubl in lad ie s .

Mrs . Abing ton wa s eng ag ed the fo l lo wing se a so n fo r the Cro wStreet Theatre, the g reat rival to Sm ock A l ley , a nd she o pe nedthere on May 22, 1760, acting L a dy To wn ley, a nd L ucinda inThe Eng l ishman in Par is . The nig htcho se n fo r he r e n tra nce a t

Crow Street wa s also appointed for he r be ne fi t, a nd so g re a tly wa sshe patronised that i t wa s fo und nece ssary to co nve rt pa rt o f the

pit into seats corresponding to our mode rn sta l ls . He r “ Virg inUnm asked ” in “ Oro o no k o

”a nd he r L ucy in The Be g g a r

’sOpera ” also broug ht her fam e . I t is wo rthy o f n o te tha t Mrs.

Abing ton had for companions in the Crow Stre e t co mpa nyWoodward , F le etwoo d, Mr. and Mrs . J e ffe rso n (the fi rst J e ffe rson) ,a ndMr. Dancer. To the harlequin of \Vo o dwa rd, Mrs . Ab in g t o na ppeared a s Columbine in the pantom ine of Que e n Ma b .

"l le r

Chloe in “ The L ottery ” and he r Po l ly Ho ncyco mb e in Co lema n '

s

farce of that nam e d isplayed her co m ic po we rs unco mm o nly we l l .A rthur Mu rphy ’s comedy , “ The “la y to Ke ep Him ,

"wa s first

performed in Dubl in, at Crow St reet, in F ebrua ry , 176 1 , when Mrs.A bing ton rose s ti l l further in publ icestimatio n by her e a sy , e le g a n tportrayal of the Widow Be lm o ur. In the fo l lowin g a utumn Mrs .

A bing ton returned , under the m anag ement o f M o sso p , to Sm ockA l ley, where she rem ained until the n ex t ye a r, whe n she wa se ng ag ed by Garrick for Drury L ane.He r re -appearance at D rury L ane wa s m ade in thecha ra cte r o fthe Widow Be lm o ur. She remained there

,in und isturbe d po se s

s ion of the chief com ic parts, for twen ty years . The re she pe rfo rm edL ady F anciful in The ProvokedWi fe

, A ram inta in The Schoo lfor L overs ,” Bel inda in “All in the Wrong ,” Polly Pe achum ,Miss

Prue, L ady Betty Modish, L ady Townley, and M illemont . Shewa s also the o rig inal representative ofL ady A l ton in The Eng l ishMerchant, Charlotte in “ The Hypocri te , Miss Ruspo rt in TheWest I ndian ,” L ady Ba b L ardoon in “ The Maid of the Oa ks

,

"

Roxalan a in “ The Sul tan ,” Miss Hoyden in “A Trip to Sca rboroug h,” and L ady Teazle. Her Sha kspe a re a n chara cte rs we re

JUL Y 1,

F RANCES ABINGTON . I 7

Port ia,Rosal ind , Ophel ia, Desdem ona, O l ivia, a nd Beatrice . She

ex cel led in the la tter part particularly, bu t her Ophel ia, which sheplayed to G a rrick ’

s Ham le t, appeared , to a cri tical spectator, “ l ik ea m ackerel on a g ravel walk .” She rem ained at Dru ry L ane unti l1782 , when she went over to Covent Garden . There she stayedunti l 1790, and she wa s absen t from the s tag e unti l the season of1797- 1798 , when she resum ed her po s i tion at Covent Garden .He r l a s t appearance on the publ ic stag e wa s m ade there on A pri l12

,I 799, when she acted L ady Racket in “ Three

Weeks A fter Marriag e,” for the benefi t o f A l e x ande rPope, portrai t-painter and player. The l as t t im e

,however

,that she acted wa s on May 3 1 of the sam e year, when she playedL ady F anci ful at Brande nburg h House , the res idence of theMarg ravine Anspach , who acted L ady Bru te . F rom that tim eunti l her death

,in 18 15, she retired from publ ic l i fe , and bus ied

hersel f in qu ietly doing g ood to her fel low creatures .

Thom as Davies , a contem po rary of the actress , j ud g ed herpe rson to be el eg ant , her address g raceful , and her looks anim ateda nd ex press ive . To the g oodness of her unders tanding ,” he alsowrote

,and the supe r iority of her tas te she is indebted principal ly

for the power o f ple a sin g . The tone s of her voice are not natu ~ral ly charm ing to the ear, but her incom parable ski l l in m odulat ionrenders them perfectly ag reeable . He r art icu lation is even so

e xact that every syl lable she utters is conveyed d istinctly and evenharm oniously .” A ccord ing to Charle s Dibdin , the re cam e w i thMrs . A bin g ton “ a species of e x cel lence which the stag e seem s

never before to have boas ted in the sam e pe rfection . The hig herparts i n com edy had been perform ed chas tely and truly perhapsi n these part iculars m ore so than by th is actress . There wa s apecul iar g oodness g l eam ed across the l evity of Mrs . Pri tchard, andby what one can learn of Mrs . Braceg irdle, who seem s to have,possessed the sam e sort of ca ptivating m anners which d isting u ishedMrs . Abing ton , she wa s i n these characters natural and w inn ing .

But i t rem ained for her succe ssor to add a deg ree of g race , fashion ,and accom pl ishm ent to sprig htl iness which wa s no sooner seenthan it wa s im i tated in the pol i tes t circles . In add ition to theg race , the ease , and the eleg ance w i th which Mrs . A bin g ton im perso n a ted characters in hig h l i fe and aped pol iteness in cham berm aids , her taste for dress wa s n ovel and interestin g . In thede x terou s m anag em ent of a fan no o n e cou ld com pare wi th her .NEW SERIES—VOL . VI I I . 0

18 THE THEATRE . [j un r. 1886.

Garrick was exceed ing ly ung e nero us to wa rds Mrs . Abing to n .

He did much to annoy her, and his publ ishedco rre spo nde n ce co ntains m any caustic lette rs a ddressed by him to he r. She is b e lo w

the thoug ht of any honest m a n or wom a n , he sa id ; she i s a ss i lly a nd as false as she is treache ro us." Ye tMrs . A bing ton fo rg a vehis sneers, and wa s neve r tired of pra is ing his g enius. Of his eyesshe sa id that whatever express ion they assumed they seem ed tooperate by fascinat ion in all he r in te rco urse wi th the wo rld shehad never beheld eyes wi th such wonderfu l expre ss io n , b ri l l ia ncy ,

and force. She thou g ht that Sha kespe are wa s m ade fo r

Garrick , and Garrick for Shake speare . I do impa rti a l j ust ice to

your m eri t ,” Horace Walpole wrote to he r in 1775, a ndfa irly a l lowi t equal to any actress I have seen , but be l ieve the pre se nt a g e wi l lnot be in the wrong i f they he reafte r prefer i t to tho se the y mayl ive to se e . A l ife-l ike g l impse of her in he r re t irem ent is g ive n inHenry Crabb Robinson's Rem in isce nces , unde r da te o f June 16 ,

18 1 1 Dined at Serg eant Roug h ’s, a nd me t the o nce ce le b ra tedMrs . A bing ton . F rom he r prese nt a ppe a ra nce we ca n ha rdlysuppose she could ever have be en othe rwise tha n pl a in . She

hersel f lau g hed at her snub-nose but she is e rect , ha s a la rg e , b lue ,express ive eye , and an ag reeable voice . She spo ke o f he r re ti rem ent fro m the stag e a s occasioned by the vexatio ns o f a the a trica ll i fe. She said she should have g one m ad i f she had n o t qu ittedhe rprofession . She ha s los t al l her profess ional fe e l ing s, a ndwhe n sheg o es to the theatre can laug h and cry like a child but the troubleis too g reat, and she does not often g o . Mrs. Abing to nwould not have led m e to suppose that she had b een on the sta g eby ei ther the m anner or the substance of her conve rsa t ion. She

speaks w i th the ease of a person used to g o od society rather thanwith the assurance of one whose bus iness i t wa s to im i ta te tha tea se.She once m ade the m istake of playing Scrub in The Be aux '

Stratag em w i th her hair dressed for L ady Racket,a cha racter

which she acted after Scrub on the sam e evening . This i ll-adv i sedv enture wa s m ade on the occasion of her benefit

.I t n atura llybroug ht m uch ridicule upon her . G rotesque portraits of he r i nth is character were m ade at the tim e , and are sti ll to be m e t w i thin old print shops . The performance wa s thus a lluded to by Pete r

P indar

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20 THE THE/I TRE . new I , 1886.

Hippo lyte C la iro n .

BY F a nne mcx Hawxm s.

PART I I .T i s needless to say that the em inence so dese rve dly wo n i n afew hours by this g i rl -actress—a g a l lant ve ssel o n the ocea nof F rench dram atic g enius , n o w sail ing g alla ntly in the m oo nlig htthat sleeps along its waves , n o w scudding befo re the breeze i n a lltheglory of sunshine , and anon tossed hither and thi ther a m idstorm s and da rkness ”—wa s not lost sig ht of by the dram at icpoets of the tim e . Many trag ed ies were wri t ten i n the hope tha tshe m ig ht appear in them ,

and nea rly a ll of those i n which she didappear received at least a tem pora ry vital i ty fro m her d iscipl inedart and intensity of pass ion . Ma rm o n te l wa s inde bted to he r ina larg e m easure for the success of his first two pla ys Denis leTyrant and Aristo men e .

" I n the form er , i t m a y be prem i sed ,he had g iven effect to an idea which had occurred to him a t the

outset , thoug h only to be rej ected a s t o o ha zardo us . The yo un g erD ionys ius , i n order to disarm the fa ctio ns , re tains his m i stre ssas a hostag e in his father’s palace . G reen -ro o m idle rs held tha tthis scene would m ake or m a r the piece . We ll , ” sa id thedram atist to the actress , I accept the presa g e . I t depe ndsupon you to settle the quest ion in my favo ur . When youn gDionys ius opposes your del ivera nce , i f you see the a ud ien ceris ing ag ainst this effort of vi rtue , do not lea ve them t im e tom urm ur, but , pressing the reply, boldly pronounce the l inesbeg inning

‘ V a . n acra ins rien.C lai ron saw his m eaning , and , acting upon the advice w i th a llthe force at her comm and , evoked a burst of enthus iasm whichse t cri ticism at defiance . Merope he tells us

, wa s the firstp iece which g ave rise to a call ’ for the author ; Deni s le Tyra ntwa s the second .” In Aristo m én e

,perhaps

,Mdlle . C la iron wa s

1m x. H I PP OL YTE CLA I RON . 2 1

s ti l l m ore superb . Ma rm o n te l s a ys that Voltai re , who sat w i thh im i n the author’s box on the first n ig ht , “ l eapt for j oy at thee ffect of the th ird act , where L eonide , loaded w i th chains l ike acrim inal , appeared in the m i dst of her j udg es , comm anded themb y her d ig nity and g reatness of soul , obtained ful l possession oft he s tag e and the hearts of the Spectators , turned her defence intoa ccusat ion , and disting u ishin g am ong the senators the virtuousfriends of Aristo m én e from his fa ithless enem i es

,attacked and

o verwhelm ed the latter w i th a convict ion of the i r pe rfidyBrava , C la i ron , ’ he cried , m acte anim o

, g enerose puer . ’ No r

did he fai l to profi t h im sel f by the g i fts so eulog i sed . I t wa s forh e r that he intended E lectre i n h i s “

O reste , Ida m é i nL

’

Orphe lin de la Chine , ” and Am én a ide i n “ Tancrede .”L ekain , the hero of the second piece , quaintly acknowl edg ed thatshe overshadowed him . Mdlle . C la i ron , he said , “ j ou eG eng is-Khan ; j e su i s rédui t a me j ouer qu ’

Ida m é . Am én a tde

cam e to be one of the characters w i th which she associated hern am e . F a v a rt te lls us that Tancrede wa s often ca l led Mdll e .C lairon ’ s trag edy . “

Ah,m o n cher m aitre , wrote D iderot to

V oltai re , then i n h is exi le at F erney, i f you could see her crossin g the stag e in the last act , hal f supported by the execut ionerss urrounding her, her knees threatening to g i ve way, her eyesclosed

,her arm s hang ing down as thou g h i n death—if, too , you

could hear her cry on recog nising Tancrede—you would beconvinced m ore than ever that acting so m e tim e s

‘

ha s a pathosbeyond al l the resources of the art of oratory . ”Nine or ten years after her de’but

,i n the plen itude o f her power

a nd authority, C lai ron beg an to com e forward under differentcond it ions . Ma rm o n te l, of whom she wa s at one t im e enamo ured, frequently urg ed her to cult ivate a sim ple and m ore naturals tyle of act ing , point ing out that force w i thout suppleness andt ruth w a s nearer to rant than sens ibi l ity. Yo u have , ” he woulds a y to her , all the m eans of excellence i n your art and , g reata s you are

,i t would be easy for you to rise above yoursel f by

m anag ing m ore carefully the talents of which you are so prodig al .Yo u cite to m e your bri ll iant successes ; you cite to m e the

opinion of M . de Voltaire , who rec ites his verses w i th em phas is ,a ndwho pretends that declam at ion requ ires the sam e pom p asthe style . I have an irres ist ible feel ing that declam at ion , l i kes tyle, m ay be noble , and m aj est ic , and trag i c , w i th s im pl ic ity ;

22 THE THEA TRE . UULv r. 1886.

that expression,to be l ively and profoundly pe ne t ra ting , requ ire s

gradations

,shades, unforeseen and sudden trai ts , which it ca nno thave when stretched and forced .” “ I see , she so m e t im es replied,

that you w i ll never let m e rest unt i l I have assum e d a fam ili a rand com i c tone in t rag edy. ” No ,

”he said , “ tha t yo u w i ll neverhave ; Nature has forbidden it . Yo u even ha ve i t not while you

are speaking to m e ; the sound of your voice , the ai r of you rcountenance,your pronunciation

,your g esture s , your a tt itudesare naturally noble ; by chang ing yo ur style yo u w i l l only b e m o reimpress ive . Suddenly, i n the course of an eng a g eme nt a t Bo rdeaux

,she resolved to try the effect of what he recomm ende d .

In her o wn words , i t had the g reatest succe ss , m urm urs o fm ais cela e st beau being raised in the first scene . On her re

turn she had to play Rox ane before the Court a t Versa i lle s .Ma rm o n te l went to se e her at her to ilet . F o r the first t im e , hesays

,he found her dressed in the habit of a sultana , w i thout ho o p ,

her arm s half bare , and in the t ruth of ea ste rn costum e . Ye s ,”

she said,after relating her experi ence at Bo rde a ux , “

a nd I a m

g oing to try the n ew style here . G o and he ar m e . I f I succe e das well , farewell to my old declam atio n . Ma rm o n te l did not fa i lto w itness the perform ance . The eve nt , he writes , surpa sse dour expectations. I t wa s no long er the actre ss , i t wa s Ro xa n eherself whom the audience thoug ht they hea rd . The surprise , thei l lusion , the enchantm ent wa s extrem e . Afte r the ‘play he co ng ratulated her . Ah l” she said , don ’ t yo u pe rce ive tha t i t ru insm e ? The truth of declam at ion requires that of dress . All myrich stag e wardrobe is from this m om ent rej ected . I a m po o rerby twelve hundred g u ineas ; but the sa crifice is m a de . " I n theresult , perceiving what her predece sso rs—w i th po ssible except ion sin favour of Adrienne L eco uvreur a ndMarie F ava rt—hadent i re lyoverlooked , that a n ew deg ree of probabil ity and interestwa s g iven to theatrical action by truth of costum e ," the actre ssat leng th set herself to accom plish a m uch-ne ede d reform on thishead—a proj ect ardently seconded by L ekain. L

’

Orphe lin de laChine wa s the first piece in which the two players showed thecourag e of their convictions. C lairon appeared in i t w i thout theenorm ous panier then in vog ue ; L ekain had the hardiho od to la yaside the tim e-honoured wig . Ma rm o n te l states that the actorsforthwith abandoned their curious m ixture of ancient and m oderndress in plays on G reek and Rom a n subj ects ; but the fa ct would

J UL Y 1,H I PP OL YTE CLA IRON . 23

seem to be that the i nnovat ion thus hazarded found only a

g radually- i ncreas ing acceptance at the theatre .Material ly s treng thened by her m ore natural m ethod , C la ironreaped tri um ph after tri um ph at the C om éd ie F rancaise unt i l thespring o f 1 765, when the theatre w a s closed for the u sual Eas tervacat ion . I n the i nterval an unusual deg ree of com m ot ion m ig hthave been observed in the g reen - room . On e Dubo is , “

who forthe last tw enty-n ine years , ” to quote from G rim m , had enj oyedthe confidence o f al l the t rag ic heroes , had been charg ed w i ththe honourable duty of reci t ing to the p i t the fine speeches thatm ake F rench trag edy so probable , and had exerc i sed him sel f w i thsuccess a s s im ple va let s on deig ning to exchang e the buskin forthe sock , ” had consulted a surg eon nam ed Benoit under veryd i screditable c ircum stances

,and on rece iving the b il l declared

m ost stou tly that he had paid it . Benoi t then brou g ht an act ionag ainst him for the am ount . H is com rades , i rri tated to find aco médien da ro i m ixed up i n such a dispu te

,referred the m atter to

a G entlem an of the Cham ber,w i th the result that they w ere

al lowed to decide upon i t them selves . I nqu iry and exam i nat ionfo llo w ed ; Dub o is , driven into a corner , confessed to having l i edthrou g h th ick and thin , and at the sug g estion of C lai ron he wa sig nom in ious ly expelled from the com pany . But the story wa s notto end here . Pretty Mdll e . Dubois , the culpri t ’s dau g hter , anactress , espoused her father ’ s cause w i th the m ost com m endablezeal . Next day

,sweet as a Venus rising from the se a , she

appeared before the Due de F ro n sac, one of her adm i rers , andurg ed him to have her respectable pere re instated at thetheatre . He r prayer wa s read ily g ranted , as m a y be inferred fromthe fact that an hour or tw o later,accom panied by the enam oured

duke and tw o other sprig s of nobi l i ty, she broke in upon arehearsal in the g reen-room w i th an order to the effect that Duboisshould be perm i tted to play his usual parts unt i l the king determ ined the ques t ion o f his fi tness to rem ain a royal player . But

five of his com rades—C lairon,L ekain

,Bri zard

,Mole

,and Dauber

val—were not to be diverted from thei r purpose . Cost them whati t m ig ht , they resolved no t to appear w i th Dubois ag ain .I t w a s on the evening of the sam e day that the Com édie reopened its doors after the recess . L e S ieg e de Calais ” had beenannounced , and Dubois , who played Manny , firm ly refused to lethis place be taken by anybody else . C onsequently the fiv e

24THE THEA TRE . [J UL Y

m utineers were conspicuous by the ir absence as the t im e for ra i sin g the curtain arrived . What could be done ? I t wa s an anxiousm om ent for the players behind the scenes , as the assem bled audience

,

induced by various hirel ing s of Dubois i n the house to b el ieve that the absentees had capriciously decl ined to fulfi l the irduties

,were g ett ing into an ang ry and vindictive m ood . Bouret ,

a m em ber of the company , at leng th cam e forward to announcethat,ow ing to the defect ion of particular players , the “ J oueur ”

would be substituted for the “ Sieg e de C a lais ,” and that thosewho did not care to see the form er m ig ht have their adm i ss ionm oney returned . Messieurs ,” he sa id , we are in despa i r.”“ None of that , ” g ruffiy interposed a spectator in the pit ;want the ‘

Sieg e de Hereupon a deafening clam ourarose , and the actor, finding that he wa s not l ikely to obtain ahearin

g ,returned to the g reen-room . Prév ille , g iving the sig nalfor the curtain to g o up , went in for the first scene in the J oueur ,"but wa s hissed o ff the stag e . Before long the spiri t of tum ultreig ned suprem e , fierce obj urg ations upon the refra ctory playersbeing coupled w i th dem ands for thei r imm ediate incarcerat ion .

C lai ron seem s to have been sin g led out for part icular resentm ent .Exag g erated stories of her disdainful pride had already qual ifiedher popularity . Cries of C lairon a prison l F rét illo n a

l’

Hopita l C lairon a u F o r-l’Ev éque frequently m ade themselves heard above the prevai ling din . No such riot had yet beenw i tnessed in the first theatre of Paris . Eventual ly the aud iencew a s prevailed upon to disperse , thoug h not before the G ardeRoyale

,under the comm and of the Ma réeha l de Bi ron , had m ade

up for a curious supineness at the outset by warn ing s scarcely tobe despised .Subsequent events could not but intensi fy what Bacha um o n t

calls the “ surpris ing excitem ent caused in Paris by this d isturbance . I n a conference w ith M . de Sa rt in e s , L ieutenant-G eneralof the Pol ice , the G entlem en of the Cham ber, always re spo n

s ible to the king for the well-being of the Com édi e F rancaise ,decided to m ake an example of the five players by clapping them for an indefinite period in F o r-l’Ev éque , the ancientF orum Episcop i , s ituated in the Rue St . G erm ain l’Auxe rro is .

Bri z ard and Da ub e rv a l were conducted thither a few hours afterwards . More difficulty wa s experienced in discovering L ekainand Mole, who , hearing of the punishm ent i ntended for them ,

had

JUL Y 1 , H I PPOL YTE CL AI RON . 25

ret i red to a friend ’s house at a short distance from the c ity i n thehope that the storm would soon blow over . On the sam e day,however , they were sent to j oin Brizard and Da ub e rv a l. Betterth is

,

”

wrote L ekain.

from his durance,

“ than to be seen on thes tag e w i th such a rascal a s Dubois . ” C lai ron w a s arrested at thehouse of Mdm e . Berth ier de Savig ni , w i fe of the Intendant deParis . “ I n an analag ous case i n your reg im ent , the actress askeda n officer present

,

“would you not have acted in the sam e wa y ?

Doubtless,

”

w a s the reply ; m ais se me serai t pas un j our des ieg e . ” On her road to prison she loft ily rem arked that her l i fea ndpossessions were at the m ercy of the king , but not her honour .He r custodian bethou g ht h im sel f of an old leg al m axim . True

,

”

he said ; o n il n’

y a rien le ro i perd se s droi ts —a j es t which , carefully bru i ted about by the j est er

, g ave infinite am usem ent to thetown . But the im prisonm ent of the actors w a s really a tri um phfor each . Every evening the approaches to the g aol were blockedw i th the carriag es of thos e who cam e to tender them express ionso f sym pathy

,to cheer them w i th a l i ttle l ively conversat ion , and

a lso to partake (in com pany w i th the g overnor) of del ig htful suppers over wh ich they pres ided .Before long the authori t ies had cau se to reconsider the ir

decision . As m a y be supposed , the current of publ ic feel ingt urned dec isively in favour of the prisoners as soon a s i t becam eknown that they-had been actuated s im ply by a determ i nat ion touphold the credi t of their order

,and had had the boldness to

disreg ard at l east the intention of an order em anat ing from thedetested C ourt . I n such a play- loving c ity a s Paris , too , theprospect of the ir being kept off the boards for even a few weekswa s hardly to be endured . Evidently m i ndful o f al l th i s , theG entlem en of the Cham ber thou g ht fi t to l iberate the offendingplayers , thoug h only by deg rees . L ekain

,Mo lé , Brizard , and

D a ub erv a l were allow ed to play at th e theatre,on the condit ion ,

however , that they returned to pri son at the end of the performa nce . Nobody n o w supposed that they had m eant any disrespectfo r the publ i c

,but the L i eutenant o f Poli ce ins isted that before

they reappeared an apolog et i c address which he had drawn upshould be del ivered from the stag e by Bellecourt , and a m ag ist rate went i n h is robes to report whether i t had been spoke na ccording to copy . “ I f I d id not love the C om édi e better thanm ysel f

,

”

said the actor selected for the task , I should have been

26 THE THEA TRE. [j uL v 1, 1886.

unable tog e tthroug h it .” F ive days after her a rrest , C la iro n ,

havingprocured a m edical cert ificate that her hea l th had b ee n

gravely affected by prison li fe , received perm ission to re tu rn hom e ,

but wa s forbidden to g o out or see m ore tha n four pe rso ns a t a

t im e . L i ke her com rades, she still re fused to be asso cia ted in a nywa y wi th Dubois, who then found him sel f compelle d to re ti re o n

the ful l pension . Eventually , the perse cute d pla yers recovere dtheir full l iberty,C lairon in twenty-o n e days , the othe rs i n abo ut

twenty-four .I f the authorities bel ieved tha t th ing s a t the C o medicF ra n

ca ise would n o w g o on a s before theywe re g r ievously di sa ppo inted.

The m e n resum ed their places , but C lairon , stung to the qu ick by thehum il iat ion she had unde rg o n e , re so lvedto qu it the stag e for g oo d.

Her services a s a co nu’dz‘cmrcda ro i , ext ending as they did ove rm ore than two decades , entitled her to a pe nsion o fl ivres a year

,and out of her receipts she had sa ved eno ug h to

m ake a m oderate competency . He r a ppl icat ion wa s based o n a

j ustifiable plea of i ll-health but the F i rst G entlem a n of theCham ber, the Due de R i chel ieu , would not re a di ly accede to he rwishes . He g ave her leave of a bsence unti l the follo w ing Ea ster,adding that i f she did not recover by that t im e he would a g a i nconsider the m atter . Clairon took advanta g e of this ha ndso meco ng e

’ to pay a vis i t to Voltaire , to whom she ido latrously fell upo nher knees a s,w i thout standing on cerem ony, he ~ran out of hischateau to welcom e the long -expected g uest . In her eyes he

had always been a sort of dem i-g o d. On his side , the a g e dphilosopher wa s quite prepared to vi ew her as a dem i-g oddess ,especially after w i tness ing in his li ttle theatre the superb combinat ion of art and truth which her acting had presented for the lastthirteen years . Am ong the heroines she played there wa s theE lectre of his “

Oreste . ” According to Ma rm o n te l,this char

acter , which the poet had induced her to declaim w i th a continua land m onotonous lam entation , acquired , when spoken naturally, acharm unknown to him self. I t i s not I who wrote that

,

” he exclaim ed a t the close , w ith tears in his eyes ; ’

tis C lairon who ha screated the part On her return to Paris i t wa s believed tha tshe would reappear at the Com édie

,but no arg um ent orentreaty could do m ore than temporarily shake her resolut ion .

In the prim e of wom anhood , w i th her voice and pe rsona l be autyas l ittle im paired by tim e a s her intel lect,thi s wayward and in

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28 THE THEATRE . “J UL Y 1, 1886.

recru its—L arive a nd1Mdlle . Raucourt—for the Comédie F ra nca i se ,C lairon m ig rated to the court of the Marg ra ve of Anspach , whe reshe remained seventeen yea rs . During this t im e she wro te m ucho f her autobiog raphy, bes ide s so m e va luable Réfie xio n s sur la

Déclam ation Theatrale . ” In 1 791 , the Marg rave dyin g , she

returned to Paris, and before long wa s re duce d to co mpara tivepoverty by the g eneral stoppag e of court pensio n s a s the m o na rchyfell. F o r this loss she had som e co nso latio n in the pro fits o f he rMém oires e t Réflexio n s , which cam e out in 1799, a nd of wh ich

a second edition wa s called for i n a few m onths . Wi th he r m inda ppa rently unimpaired to the last , she d ie d in slee p o n the 18th o f

J anuary, 1803 , w i thin a few wee ks of c o mpleting her e ig htie thyear. He r book had revived the tra dit io n of her g rea tne ss,and old playg oers who had esca pe d the scythe of the Rev o lut ion m ay well have expe rience d a l i ttle sentim e n ta l reg re t o nhearing that this brig ht l ink wi th the pa st had snappe d . No r

did the m orali st fai l to remark upon the co n tra st be twe en hernecessitous old a g e a nd her form er po sit io n in the wo rld—a

position so elevated that to have m e t he r i n socie ty wa s o ne o fthe proudest boasts indulg ed in by the bra g g a rt in Ca ndide .

END.

JULY 1,LA ST SUMMER . 29

L a st Summ e r .

STAYED m y dusty tram p along the lane ,Andpeeped w i th curious eyes athwart the hedg e,

The house wa s cool and shady . Peeped ag ainAnd saw th e rose-l eaves on the w i ndow ledg eAnd then two wom an-hands , so soft , so white ,That s tirred thei r frag rance ; and at last m y eyes,No long er bl inded by the noo n-day l ig ht ,Perce ived the fig ure i n blue draperies .The sun-bl ind at the w indow showed a tear,And pouring throu g h i t cam e a m olten streamO f yel low sunsh ine on her dusky hair .The sweet fulfi lm ent of a poet ’ s dreamL a y brooding i n her eyes and al l the st i rOf m urm urous country sound about my feetG rew hushed and silenced as I looked at her,And felt my hol iday at leng th com plete .Half-ch ild , half-wom an , w i th a tender m outhThat au g ured g entle counsell i ng s and love ,The am orous breezes of the balm y southOn roses on the ledg e , on l ips above ,Pressed equal kisses and beli eved them one I

A l ing ering g lance , and then she m oved away,And i n the dusty lane I s tood alone

,

Andm issed the bri g htness from the summ er ’s day.ENVOY .

Yo u whose nam e I never knew,

C all ing you Sweet eyes of blue,May you read th is rhym e

At the w indow take your stand,

Wi th the rose -l eaves i n your hand ,As that summ er-t im e

A ndw i th tender, serious faceC onsecrate that sunny place

To the passers throu g hThen w il l they a s sure as IKeep in happy m em ory

That sam e thou g ht of you . M . E . W.

30THE THEATRE . [Inn ' 1 , 1886 .

®a r (musica ls-5130;The most in terestin g musical episode of the 1886 seaso n ha s be en M r.

Rosa’s brief reig n at Drury Lane—a g en ial a ndbenefi cent in terreg num ofexcellent all- round performances o f tastefully m o unted a nd adm ira blystag e-manag edworks, fulfill ing to the lette r every pro m ise held o ut bythe z’mprcsa , a nd g ivin g the Opera-lo ving public considerably m o re thanits money’s worth . All M r. Ro sa’s “ principals have do ne well hisorchestra ha s maintained its l o n g -establ ished reputa t ion for in tell ig ence ,vigour

, a ndde licacy ; .his cho rus-s ing ers. fo r vo cal qua l ity a nd t ruthfulin tonat ion , may confiden tly challen g e co mpet it io n throug ho ut Europe .Noth ing could be more i rreproachable than his pro duct ion o f such publicfavourites a s Can n o n ,” F aust ,” The Bo hem ia n .G irl,

” Ma rita na ,”

a nd Nadeshda.” To 0. las t-named opera I l istened with unalloyedpleasure . What a charm in g work ! Ho w g ra ceful , g en ial , truly melodions, and thoroug hly musician ly ! Where shall we fi nd n o w- a -days—inth is country or o n the Continen t—a co mposer who writes equally well fo rthe voices a nd for the o rchestra, except Mr. Gorin g Thom a s ? Ce rta in lynot in Germ any, the operat ic products of which ba rren la nd, o nce thegen i trix of g reat creative musician s, have been for some ye a rs past unworthy o f serious crit icism . No t in I taly, n o w that Verdi is steadfa stlysilen t , a nd Ponch i ell i ha s been snatched away in his prime . No t in

F rance, where Ma sse n e t’

s frothy plag iar ism s a nd Del ibe s’ pleasa n tprettinesses pass for works of “ national g en ius.

”And, I fe a r, n o t even

here—thoug h we m ay be justly proud of possessing co mpo se rs endowedwith creat ive a nd construct ive facul ties o f a very hig h order—whereaccomplished a nd ing en ious musicians allow themselves to be be trayedby hero-worship into servile im itations ofm ethods a ndmannerisms wh ich .when in formedby transcendant g en ius, have wo n publ ic a dm irat ion in ap i teof their in trin sic deform ities ; b ut, when aped by mere talent , pa in theca rby their uncouth crabbedness, a ndweary the intellig ence by their lab o uredintricacy. Of th is imi tat ive sin M r. Gorin g Thomas is n ever g uil ty.

True, his musical nature is impreg natedwi th the style of his g reat m a s ter,a ndwi th certain transi t ional tricks andmanners of a stil l g rea te r tonepoet than Ambroise Thomas—to wit, Charles Gounod . But he ha s thetrue melodic g ift ; beaut iful tunes sug g est them selves to him wi th unm istakable spontanei ty ; a ndhe n ever condescends to perpet rate sheerug l iness on the pretext , forsooth , that i t is st rictly in keep ing wit h thedramat ic requiremen ts of a character or a s ituat ion .

JULY 1 ,OUR M USI CAL -BOX. 3 1

In addin g such charm in g and ever-at tract ive works a s Nadeshdaa nd “ Esm eralda ” to his réperto z

'

n M r . Rosa ha s shown sound musicaland m anag erial judg men t , wh ich ha s had its well-m eri ted reward in theg enuine eag erness wi th which the g reat Bri t ish pub l ic—provincial a s wel la s m etropol i tan—ha s bestowed its favour upon these Operas . I t is to bereg retted that the energ et ic z’mpresa rz’o ’s laudab le efforts to g ive pub l ici tyto the creat ions of En g lish composers should not have un iformly metwith the success that ha s crowned them in the case of M r . GoringThomas’s deli g h tful insp irat ions . As a matter of fac t these latter

,of a ll

the operas by contemporary Eng l ish musicians wh ich M r. Rosa ha s produced, are the on ly ones wh ich have repaid him the heavy expensesincurred in brin g in g them out . No r can anybody connected with theproduct ion of less fortunate works be fairly b lamed for its unfortunateresul ts save the z'mpresa rz'o him self. M r . Rosa is no ordinary theatricalmanag er, but a ripe mus ician , exper ienced conductor, and shrewd m a n

of the world, wel l ab le to g aug e the taste of a pub l ic he ha s catered for,with profi t and honour to h imself, fo r a considerab le number of years .

An operat ic score is a s easy readin g to him a s is a Sanscri t poem toEdwin Arnold i t would seem , to anyone who knows him a s wel l a s I do,all but impossib l e that he should mistake its mean in g , or form an erroneousest imate of its musical and commercial value . And yet M r. Rosa ha swasted larg e sums of money, and misappl ied the talen ts of his excellentcompany, in producing th ree En g l ish operas which have turned out dismalfailures. No manag er of my acquaintance is m ore deeply conv inced thanis Mr. Rosa that the fi rst duty of an z'mpresa n '

o is to make his enterprisepay

,and that mere sent imen tal considerat ions should never be allowed to

preponderate o ver those affect in g his o wn imm ediate in terests . I haveere n o w se t forth M r . Rosa’s views in th is reg ard , deemin g them eminentlyreasonab le and just, in the pag es of THE THEATR E I know ho w keen lyhe ha s felt the disappo intments which accrued to him in consequence of thefrig id recept ion accorded by the paying pub l ic (not by audiences of firstni g hters and dead-heads , whose verdicts are n o toriously untrustworthy)to “ Moro,

” “ Colomba,” a ndthe lug ubrious Canterbury Pi lg rims a nd,therefore,I am somewhat at a loss to conjecture ho w he can have allowedhim self to be cajoled—surely ag ainst his b e tte r judg m e n t— into accept ing

so infel ici tous a work a s The Troubadour,” perform ed by the Carl Rosacompany for the first t im e at Drury Lane on the 8th ul t . What hopecould he possib ly have cherished of success wi th the Bri t ish pub l icwh ich plumes itself o n its propriety, craves for amusement, and delig htsin org an ic melody—for a revo lt in g sto ry, clum sily a nd t i resomely told

,and se t to m usicwh ich , whatever i ts meri ts of construct ion and co n trivance may be, is paramountly untuneful P The product ion o f thisg ruesome work at o ur ch ief nat ional theat re by such an in tellig en tm a n a s Carl Rosa is an even t surrounded by g loomy mystery.The l ibretto of “ The Troubadour ha s been wri tten b y Dr. F ranz

H iiffe r, a learned musical essayist who , when he publ ished his maideneffort in the way of an operat ic text, wa s g ood enoug h to po int ou t to the

THE THEATRE . [JULYpublic that n o li terary m a n of En g l ish bi rth hadever pro duced a l ibre ttoof a ny value, a ndkindly vo lun teered to show us dull i slanders the way toconceive a ndconstruct a perfect wo rk o f that descripti o n . The m o delhe pu t forward for o ur adm irat ion a nd im ita t ion wa s the b o o k ” o f

Colomba." Strang e to say, the rhymed a nd blank verse s o f thisl ibretto, describedby their autho r a s “ po e try,” pro ved to be pro fuselydisfig uredby the Della Crusca n mann erism s with the pe rpe trat io n o f

wh ich he severely repro achedBrit ish l ibrett ists o f the pas t andpresen t.Dr. Hiifl

'

e r’s share Of “ Colomba ” bristled wi th b a rb arisms a nd falseconco rds ; it wa s obv iously the o utco me o f arduo us a nd in tellig en tlabour, but lacked spontaneity a nd g race. I n the Opin io n o f severa lem inen t musician s many of the lines were so difficul t to se t tha t they

must have laid a g reat stra in upo n M r. Mackenzie’s pat ie nce a nd in g eun ity, a nd seriously handicapped him in the perfo rmance o f his musica lundertakin g . On e or two o f mycri t ical co l lea g ues , to who se judg men tsthe g reat London publ ic is accusto med to l isten with de ference , didnot hesitate to attribute the co mmercia l fa ilure o f Co lomba " (upo nwh ich opera Mr. Rosa had based such hig h expecta t io ns) to thedulness of the boo k , ” which , a s they alle g ed, had o bvio usly d isp iri teda nd hampered the composer. I t wa s my co nvict io n , a fter hea rin g theOpera in question twice , that i t was n o t o n ly a sin g ula rly be a ut ifulmusical ach ievement , b ut, in some respects , the m o st impo rta n t wo rk o fits class ever theretofore created by a n En g l ish co mpo se r ; a nd to tha tconvict ion I adhere . But Co lo m ba was n o t a po pular success. despitethe charm that pervaded some of its musical num b e rs ; a nd tha t re g re ttable circumstance should have taug ht its co m po se r. a s we ll a s the

z'

mpresa rr’

o who commissionedMr. Macken zie to wri te a no the r o pera fo rthe Carl Rosa company, a sa luta ry lesso n . By that lesso n , ho wever itthey learn ed it—they do not a ppear t o have pro fited ; fo r M r. Mackenzieha s ag ain harnessed his muse to a po ndero us, hal tin g , a nd lug ubrio ustext, ag ainst the depressing influence of which he has strug g led in va ina ndMr. Rosa has investeda larg e sum o f m o ney in the a rt ist ic preparat ion a ndproduct ion of a work which he wi ll be co mpe lled to releg a te tothe limbo of his failures after perform in g i t a few t imes po ur acquit dcco nscience.

I t may be that Dr. Hufi'

er’s ven erati o n fo r the late RichardWag ner ha sinducedhim to follow the example se t to Lat ter-Day l ibrett ists by that

g reat poet in his book of the Nibelun g Tri log y that is to sa y, to peoplethe stag e with crim inals devoidof a ny redeem ing qual i ty.I can n o t but

think, however, that he wa s unwise in offering so co n temptible a crew a s

the characters of The Troubado ur ’ to the atten t ion of the Eng l ishpubl ic . Even the g lamour of Wag n er’s g en ius could n o t seduce thatpub l ic into condon in g the abom inat i o ns spoken a nd acted by them a lefice n t g ods a nd noisome heroes of the Tetralog y ; a stubbo rn factwh ich should have warned Operatic l ibret tists ag ain st the comm issio n o foffences ag ainst decency a ndg ood-feeling when caterin g fo rBri tish operahouse audiences- a r least, for so me t ime to co me, un til we haply achieve

JUL Y 1, OUR M USI CAL -BOX. 33

the stol id indifference to moral clean l iness that ha s been attain ed byGerm an audiences, who are a s tolerant of the fil thyWotan a s thoug h h ewere a typ ical Aul icCouncillor of unspotted repu tat ion , the father o f adozen well-conducted children beg otten in hon ourable wedlock . But

the avowed disl ike en tertained in this coun try to dra ma ticperso n a steepedin malefact ion and meanness ha s not deterred Dr. Hufi

'

e r from actin g a sl iterary g odfather to a se t of wretches whose words and deeds arecalculated to insp ire contempt and loathin g in the breas ts of a ll honestfolk who m ay be m oved by curiosity to read the l ibretto of “ TheTroubadour .” Wi th the exception of Count Robert—a poor g ull ibl ecreature enoug h—a ll the “ principals of the opera a re desp icabledelinquents. The hero del iberately dishonours a nobl eman who e nterta ins him w ith sp lendid and cordial hosp i ta l i ty ; the heroine is ade term ined adulteress ; her s ister connives at her shame, and perjuresherself for a purpose indescribab le to ears pol i te whilst Coun t Raim on,the injured husband, whose wro n g s amply just i fy him in punishing hisvile wife and he r treacherous pa ra rn o ur, does so in such a cowardly anddisg ust in g mann er that anythin g l ike sympathy with so p it i ful a dastardis utterly out of the quest ion . L ike “ Trista n and Isolde,” “ The

Troubadour ” calls upon its hearers to commiserate the m isha ps of acoup le of unprincipled sensual ists, who do n o t hes i tate to trampl e underfoot every law of honour, every dicta te of self-respect , in order to g rat ifythei r animal passions . The deg radat ions of adul terous intercourse areinve sted wi th a pathetic interest in the dialog ue and lyr ics, and even

sug g ested m ost indecorously in act ion upon the sta g e . The object ionab le love -scene in T ri stan exhib i ts no item of business so offensivea s the pantom im e of Guillem and Marg arida behind the form er’s cloakin Count Ra im o n

’s g arden , whilst the co mpla r'ra n te Az a la is contemplatesthei r dumb-show from a window overlook in g the g rounds . T im e wa s

when the actors represen t in g so unwholesom e a situation ”would havebeen hissed o ff the stag e o f any L ondon theatre . We are less scrupulous

n owadays than were our fathers before us ; and I , for one, am sorryfor i t .M r . Mackenzie ’s music is a s essent iallyWag n erian in its manner isms

a s Dr. Hiifi'

e r’

s l ibretto is in its imm oral ity. I t teem s wi th “

g uidin gphrases, ” symphon ic descript iveness, mut ilated m elodies, a nd in g en iousorchestral contrivance . I t subordinates the vo i ces to the b an d wi thinflexibl e indifference to the public predilect ion for org an ic tunes it setshard

. hard tasks, in the way o f awkward intervals and hig h-p i tcheddeclamat ion,to the vocal ists ; in short , i t proves M r . Macken zie t o b e a

past-master of his craft, and fil ls some of his sincerest admirers—myselfamon g the number—with inexpress ib le reg ret that so much superbcreative and const ruct ive power should be squandered in the productionof so un satisfactory a resul t . “ The Troubadour ” is here a nd thereenriched wi th musical g ems of in est imable preciousness, con sp icuously inthe orchestral introduct ion s to Acts I . and I I I . , in the adm irabl eMasque and Jeu de Paume,” and in Az a la is’ minatory so n g , “ Ah 1

NEW SERIE S.—VOL . V I I I . D

34THE THEA TRE ‘ [J ULY

m e ,the dawn i t comes too soon . But, considered in its en t irety, i t is

to o g loomy, heavy, a nd laboured to please a publ ic wh ich is a s ye t

barbarous—o r shall I say sensible—enoug h to reg ard endless mel o dy

a s a synonym for wearisome untunefulness . Enoug h of The Troubado ur,fo r wh ich dismal k insman of “ I I Trovatore” a ll the artistes en g ag edin itsperfo rmance did their very best on the occa s ion of i ts pro duc tio n .

Whether they or their audience were most t o be p itiedis a quest io n whichI do n o t feel competen t to answer.

At Coven t Garden , for a wonder , there have be en g ood a ll-roundperfor

mance

sof I tal ian Opera, in the co urse of which n o fewer. than th ree

n ew a nd h i g hly interest in g prune do n ne made their débrm in L o ndo n . The

venture

,from a pecuniary po int of v iew, belong s to Messrs . G aya rre a nd

Maurel

, who se agent for the t ime bein g b osses ” their show, a nd is

understood to repudiate any family connect ion with the Lady of theL ake . Of the g ifted trin ity of dc‘bula n ter I m ay sa y that they are a llthree g oodvocalists, intelli g ent actresses, a ndwell favouredwo m en thattheyhave pleasant voices, s in g steadfastly in tune , a ndare nei ther lackin g

in power nor flexib il i ty.M iss Ella Russell's to pm o st reg ister isunque

stionabl

yher best a ndmost effective ; but she ha s be en well taug h t,althoug h an American b y b i rth , a nd bridg es over the n atural g aps

between the so -called w ar (if mm a nd v o t e dr'

pe/I o in a very art istic a ndsat i

sfact o ry manner . He r best part 18 Lucia ; she is , ho wever, a sympathet icG ilda a nda sweetly un a tfected Gretchen . Miss Te o do rin i, theyoun g Ro um am a n leading lady who too k mus ical Londo n m os tagreeabl

y by surprise three weeks a g o in the stro n g a ndonero us rd]: ofValentine, is a s g ood a dramat ic so prano a s they make them n owadaysei ther in I talyor Germany. Moreover, she is nei ther fa t n o r elderly , l ike

the majority of Valent ines . He r acting is extremely forcible her voicefresh , mellow, a ndvig orous ; her into nat ion as nearly faul tless a sca n bethat Of any s ing er who ado pts the v ibra to m etho d Of pro ducti o n ; herphrasin g truly admirable, a treat to Old fog ies l ike myself, who remem be rthe g lo ries of the I talian school forty years a g o her declamat ion energ et ic, art iculate, a ndreplete wi th si g n ificance. In “ Le s Hug uenots " a ndG ioconda she establ ishedher repu ta tion , once for a ll, in th is coun try,

a s a really first-class s in g er a ndactress . Mdlle . Valda (M iss Wheelock) ,t o o ,

is a consummate vocal art is t . He r vo ice is a lig h t soprano O f

s in g ularly brig ht quali ty a nd fin ished pl iab ili ty, perfectly under he rco ntro l , a nd produced to its g reatest advan tag e . She came o ut (atCovent Garden) in Verdi’s dear old “ Ballo,” wh ich L ondon had n o theard for ever s o many years , a ndwa s delig hted to l isten to ag ain . He r

recept i o n, a s soon a s the audience found o ut what rig ht g ood s tuff she

wa s made of, wa s a s enthusiast ic a s she could have wished i t to be , a nddeservedly so . I l iked G aya rre less than ever th is year ; his etern altransitions from bellow to wh isper a ndvice verse?are no less i rri ta tin g thanweari some. Sig nor d’

Andrade is simply one Of the best vocal a nddramat ic artists of the day, with a nob le vo ice, g allant bearin g , a nd

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

36THE THEATRE. Unrv r, 1886.

in histor ical costum es of remarkable splendour, a nd a rtistica llygrouped—men

, wom en , and children—ln such sort a s to prese n t a .

reallygorgeous spectacle to the eye. They Sing a s m ag n ificen t ly a s

they look, which is really saying a g ood deak M . d Ag re n etf (Ivande Twe r) h im self is the possessor of a peculi arly sym pa thet ic teno rvoice

,and am ong st his ba n dthere is o n e supe rb o rg an of far g reate r

r ichness and com pass than any of the celebrated profo ndr'rrr'm '

Of St .

Isaak ’s at Petersburg . Several m embe rs of the i ’mpresa rio ’s fa m i lytake part in the concer ted m us ic; their s in g ing is s imply pe rfect ion .The Russ ian lan g uag e, wedded to swee t m us ic , so unds every whi t a sm e llifluo us a s I talian ho w delig h tful to l isten to suchco axin g wo rdsa s Kalinka

, malinka m oya , which , by the w a y, a re se t t o a

curiously “ catching ”

En tertainm en t Son g ” belon g ing to the fa rTa m b o fi

' district , and m ean in our ve rn acular My Guelde r Tree !My Raspberry Bush !” A pathetic song ca lled I v o shka acion a i sm oya (“W illow, g reen w i llow and a lleg ed to b e the O lde s tco mpos i t ion of its class known in Russ ia , wa s so tenderly re ndered a s t odraw tears from many of those who hea rd i t fo r the fi rs t t ime a t St .

j am es ’

s Hall . Mori tz Moszkowski's n ew Orche s t ra l Suite , wri t te nexpressly for the Philharmonic So ciety, a nd perfo rm ed fo r the firs tt im e a t that associat ion 's las t co ncert this se a so n , is a t rulycha rm ingwork . Each of its five m ovem ents ha s a Spe cia l fa scin a t io n o f its

o wn ,and all of them teem wi th m us ician ly in tellig ence a nd g e nuine

poet ic feeling . In Moszkowski the m us ica l world po sse sse s a fert i leand g raceful m elodist , a s well a s a co nsummate o rchestra to r. H is

tunes are deliciously dainty and his inst rumental eflects so m et imesnovel,frequent ly ing enious , and alwa ys a g re ea ble t o the culturedhearer . The Sui te to which I a llude w ill , I venture t o pro phe sy,become a public favour i te in this co un try a nd a

“stock i temin the prog ramm es of L ondon instrumenta l co nce rts . The spaceat my disposal on ly perm i ts m e t o sa y a few words ab o u t the two

s tupendous Wag ner evening s of the Richter serie s . As m ig h t ha vebeen expec ted , the orches t ral rendering s of Tr istan (Act I I . ) a ndOfthe g lor ious Sieg fried eps io de were beyond a ll praise ; and sca rcelyless excellen t were the vocal achievem ents o f the so lo ists e n g a g ed byDr. Hans , w i t h the except ion Of those em anat ing fro m Herr Gude hus ,

who wa s painfully hoarse , and whose voice , when a t his bes t , isharsh , hard, a nd rasp ing . But F rau Mal ten and F raeule in Cram ersang superbly, and so did G eorg e Henschel , who succeeded in impart ing deep human in teres t to K ing Marke's lug ubrious m onolog ueupon t he shortcoming s of friendship and the inconvenience of oldm onarch s being cut out w i th thei r youn g wi ves by sensua l n ephews .

At t he fi rs t of t hese tw o m om entous concerts I m e t Aul ic CouncillorDr. Edward H a n slick , the mos t lea rned of living m us ical c r i t ics, whowa s hol iday-mak in g in L ondon , g reat ly impressed w i th the hig hquali ty of our Operat ic orches tral perform ances , and on the eve oft ravelling down to C raig -

y-No s to vis i t the newly-m arr ied pair in the

[ o u r 1 , OUR WI USI CAL -BOX. 37

N ig ht ing ale’s Nes t . Of Barton McGuckin the renow ned Viennesem us i c ian speaks in term s of unqualified praise . I mus t not omi t tom en tion Sig nor Vi ttor io Carp i ’s ann ual concert (Jun e a br i ll ian taffai r , attended by the I talian Ambassador , the Rouman ian andP ortug u ese M in isters , and a c rowd of fashionable notabi li t i es . Sig norCa rp i ’s broad and sp i r i ted render in g s of I talian song s con s t i tu ted them os t salien t feature of this excellen t entertainmen t , which , however ,p resented many other vocal and ins t rum en tal at tract ions of a hig ho rder .TWO charm ing son g s , composed by M r . Charles K. Salaman , to

w ords respec t ively by Vict or Hug o and F r iedr ich Bodens ted t ,Toujou rs a to i ! and “ Du sue sse s Maedchen , reached m e last

m on th (Novello , Ewer , and Both a re g racefully tuneful , andw ell w r i t ten for the s ing er and accom pan is t al ike . Toujou rs a

t o i ! i n par t icula r , is ins t inct w i th g enuine love pass ion . E laine , ”a wal t z by M r . E rskine Al lon , oug h t to achie ve ball -room popular ity ,b ein g a t once m elodious , orig inal , and insp i r i t ing t o the dancer . I ts issued by the L ondon Mus ic Publishing Company.

A NIGHTINGALE ’

S WEDDING.

Wi th in the memory of the Oldest inhab itan t—and the v illag ers Of‘

Ystradg yn lais, Yste la fe ra , Ynyscydwyn , G ly n tawe , and Pe nwylt have as tol id moun taineerin g hab i t Of attain in g extrem e O ld a g e , cen tenariansbein g quite a drug in those hilly hamlets—no such sensation ha s beencreated in the Swansea Valley a s that aroused during the earl ier port iono f last mon th by the marriag e of the Queen Of Son g to the man of herchoice . The absorb in g interest man ifested by Adel ina Pat t i ’ s WelshTn eig hbours in her nupt ials wa s not solely, or even chiefly, att ributab le tohe r g reat reputat ion a s a vocal and dramat ic art ist for the i nhab i tantso f the p icturesque reg ion that inte rvenes between Swansea and Brecona re simple , hardwork in g fo lk , unrecept ive of news from the g reat busyworld O f art , science , and pol i t ics in wh ich the Diva’s executan t feats aree ag erly observed a ndcareful ly chron icled . The majori ty o f the se Cymricrust ics scarcely know what a prima a'o n n a is, or ho w she earns her incomeb ut eve ry Shenk iu and L lewellyn of them is accura te lyawa re that Adel inaPat ti , the Lady of the Castle ,” is r ich and g enerous ; t hat her l i ttlehands have dispensed aid and com fort to thousands of poor and sufferingC ambrians ; that ever since she boug h t the g rey fastness of the Old.a ncient Powel ls, look you,” she ha s been the Good F airy of the Valley,by the mag ic of her chari ty t ran sformin g sorrow’ into happ iness, a nd

penury in to p lenty that no unfortunate (and we who l ive amon g st towncomforts a nd conven iences have no idea ho w unfortunate the countryspoor can be, when luck g oes ag ain st them) ever appealed to her forh elpful p i ty in vain that she reverences the ag ed, a nd l o ves l i ttl e ch i ldren a nd, final ly, that she experiences no keener pleasure than in shari n g wi th her indig ent fellow- creatures the weal th she ha s accumulated inthe course of a quarter of a cen tury’s hard a nd un remit tin g toi l . I t wa s

38THE THE/I TRE. Uuur r, 1886

because the

yknew these th ing s of he r that the valley-fo lk fre e ly spe n t

theirsmall sav in g s in deckin g thei r v i llag es a nd hig hways w ith b a n ne rs ,

g arlands , and g ay dev ices to do hon our to their b enefact ress o n he r

wedding -day, a nd forsook their man ifoldavocat ions t o flock t o the hi l leng irdled church in wh ich she pro nouncedhe r marriag e vo ws. a s we ll a sto the Rock of Nig h t, at the foot ofwhich she had prepa red g o o dche erfor the inner m a n , a nd co n g en ial en te rtainmen ts for eye a nd e a r Of a ll

those who ,from far or n ear, mig ht g ra tify he r by takin g pa rt in he r

nuptial fest ivi ties. To th is h o spi ta b le e nd had tons o f fre sh m ea t.

wag gonload

sof wh i te breadand pastry, a ndhug e casks Of s tron g b e e r

been conveyed from Swansea to Craig -y-No s ; whither a lso had b ee n

summonedmilitary bands, bards Of renown , a nd the g re a t pyro techn icmagician of the Crystal Palace , Brock, who—aidedby his po te nt fam i lia rs

—made the g rim Welsh m oun tains a nd darkso me va l leys g lo w a nd

sh immer with all the luminous colo urs of the rainbo w . Mea nwh i le. theschool ch ildren of the whole dist rict—three tho usa nd in numb e r—we rereg aled in their respect ive schoo lho uses a t the expense Of the Go o dF airy, who , moreover, clo thed three hundred Of them , the Offspri ng Ofhe r poorer fellow-parishioners, anew from t o p to to e . F o r three da ys

a nd n i g hts before the weddin g , four F renchco o ks , a nd I kno w n o t ho w

many local assistants, were busied in the hug e ca stle -ki tchen wi th pre parations for the morn in g a nd even in g banquets Of the 10th, a t the la t te r o fwh ich Over a hundred g uests o f humble deg ree—ye o men , tradesfo lk , a nddomest ics—sa t down to a succule n t fea s t in the lo n g , va ulted se rva n ts’hall . But I wil l endeavo ur to tell the ta le o f the m a rr ia g e ce leb ra t io ns,wh ich ha s reached me by instalmen ts fro m eye

-witnesse s , a s co he re n tlya s I m ay.

On Tuesday morn in g—the m o rro w o f the Diva ’s return to Cra ig -y-No sfrom London—wa s formally sig ned the marriag e-co n tract be tween AdeleJeanne Marie Patti and Ernest Nico l in i, so us le reg ime dota l a vecsepa ra tio n de

b iens,

” in the presence of M . de Tro b ria nd, the F renchConsul at Swansea, both con tra ct in g part ies be ing F rench sub jects.

Shortly afterwards, the Mayor a ndCorpora tion Of Breco n (whichcountytown is so me seventeen m i les distan t from the Rock Of Nig ht) wa i tedupon the Chatelaine in order to presen t he rwi th a n address of co n g ra tulat ion upon her approach ing marriag e, a nd of “ deep g ra ti tude for theSpontaneous and g enerous a id renderedby her to the Brecon hospita l,“ whereby its usefulness hadbeen so larg ely pro moted.

”The address

concluded a s followsWe trus t that yo u m a y l o ng co ntinue to l ive amo ng us , a ndho n estly ho petha t the re a re in sto re fo r yo u ma ny years o f pro spe rity a ndha ppine ss , wh ich ,

we fe e l sure , wil l be devo ted, a s in the pa st, to the furthe rance Of the we lfa rea nd fe licity o f th o se amo ng s t who m yo ur lo t iscast.Aug ustus Spaldin g—well-known to brethren Of the busk in ,

a nd one of the Diva’ s Oldest friends, repl ied o n her behalf—she wa s to o

deeply affected to comma nd her o wn voice—in very felicito us terms,saying in ter a ha

All the wo rldis ag reed that Madame Patti is a mo st rema rka ble wo ma n

JUL Y 1,

OUR M USI CAL -BOX 39

b ut a m o ng her splendid talents a nd n o ble qua l ities there is o n e to wh ich '

I

ca n especial ly tes tify after many years o f friendsh ip—the g o o dnes s a nd k indnes s o f her heart, wh ich rise fa r abo ve a l l the specia l g ifts with wh ich she ha sbeen endo wed. She ha s o ften as sured me tha t there I S n o occas io n

when her sat i sfactio n at the succes s o f the ta l ents with wh ich she ha s beenblessed is s o g reat a s when she i s us ing them in the ho pe o f benefi ting the lo to f her suffering fel lo w-creatures ab o ve a l l , when she is enabled t o do s o o n

beha lf o f th o se who inhabi t theco untry she ha s selected a s her h o me, in wh ichwe a l l tru st that she may spendmany future happy years .

”

The Brecon deputat ion wa s fol lowed by others represent ing variousdistricts of the valley, and bring ing with them marriag e offering s o f

terra- cotta vases, si lver caskets, a nd old ch ina , wh ich,w i th appropriateaddresses in Welsh and En g l ish , they presented to the bride . On Wed

n e sday. the 9th, the civi l ri te wa s performed at the F rench Consulate inSwan sea, whi ther the happy pai r were accompan ied by thei r respect ivetémoins , ” the Chevalier Ganz and M . F ranco is Ma g n a rd, chief edi torof the Paris F ig a ro , a s wel l a s by Mrs . Brooks, Miss Beerbohm ,

and M r.Spalding , return ing to the castle about 6 p m , where they were awaitedby the un ited con g ratulato ry commi ttees of Swansea and Yst radg ynlais,bearin g thei r respect ive addresses and g i fts—that of the g reat Glamorg anshi re boroug h bein g a pe rfect dessert service o f O ld Swansea,” manufacturedm ore than a cen tury a g o , wh i lst the post- town of the valley g avea superb casket of oxidised si lver and g old , adorned with Cup ids in hig hrelief, the monog ram “ P.N and the inscript ion “ Yst radg ynlais,June t o , I n th is casket , one of Elkin g to n ’

s c/zq’

s -d’

esuvre, thei llum inated Ystradg yn lais address, en g rossed in Welsh , En g l ish , andF rench, and emblazoned wi th the Red Dra g on of Wales , wa s enclosed .To the addresses, read aloud b v Messrs. Hodg son an‘d Ta lfo urdStrick,M r. Spaldin g delivered appropriate rep l ies, at the request of his g iftedhostess .

On Thursday m orn in g , which had open ed somewhat cloudily, the sunshone out g allantly at about ten o’clock , a s the nuptial co rtég a qui ttedC raig -

y-No s, the courtya rds and g ateways of wh ich were profusely decke 'd

wi th flag s and g arla nds, wh i lst all the windows of the hug e buildin gwere se t for the nonce in frames of everg reen . Madame Patt i and ‘he rwi tnesses,” Messrs . Ma g n a rd and Spaldin g , occupied the fi rst carriag e,

a n Open landau,drawn by two dapple- g reys dressed o ut in g l i ttering

harness and fresh ly-cut flowers a second landau conveyed M . Nico lin iand his “wi tnesses,” Messrs. Ganz and V in tra s, to the t rystin g -placefour more landaus a nd two four- in -hands followed wi th the wedding

g uests then actually sta ying at the castle—to wit , Mrs . Brooks, Mrs.

Vin tra s , Mrs . and Miss Beatty-Kin g ston , M r. a ndMrs. T . Johnson , MissBeerbohm , M r . Ganz, jun . ,

M . de Trobriand, M . Millio t, a nd MMa g n a rd, jun . As Madam e Pat t i drove up to the g ate of Yst radg ynlaisChurch she wa s received by the local Presen tat ion Comm it tee , and byeig ht t iny villag e maidens, dressed in vi rg in wh ite wi th sky

-b lue sashes,a nd carrying baskets of flowers , the frag rant contents of wh ich theystrewed before the bride, a s she approached the church leaning on M ,

Ma g n a rd’

s ri g ht a rm ,the wh i le the ful l band of a volunteer corps played

40THE THEATRE. [JULY r, 1886 .

g ay a ndwelcom ing strains. The in teri o r o f the church wa s b ea utifully

decoratedwi th plants a nd flo wers from the Craig -y-No s co nse rvato ri es ;a huge bouquet of exot ics, flanked wi th two vases o f a rum l i l i es. g raced

the communion - table ; t ropica l plan ts l ined the chance l a nda isles ; thecommun i o n rails were hidden from v iew by masses o f petun ias, rho dodendron s, fern s, tulips, a nd lil ies whilst the church p i llars we reenwrea thed in g arlands of laurel a ndcut-blo sso ms, the ea stern w indo wb ays were blockedup wi th everg reen s, a nd o n either side o f the a l ta r hadbeen se t up fin e , youn g palm -tree s, surrounded by beds o f mammo thdaises a ndrare tul ips . These in im ita b le flo ral deco ra tio n s, I ta ke lea veto m en t ion , were main ly due to the ta s teful co ncept io n a nd pe rso na larran g emen t of two ladies in who m I may b e excusedfo r taking the verys trong est interest .The bride, arrayed in a lovely dress a nd b o nnet o f pale b lue s ilk,

shrouded in cream-coloured Duchesse lace, a nd o rnamen ted with t inybunches of forg et-m e -n o ts a nd l il ies-o f-the -va lley, wa s preceded to the

al tar—where the brideg ro o m a ndhis best m a n awa i tedher—by a l o n gpro cession of her g uests a nd friends, a ndwa s fo l lo wed by the eig ht l ittleYstradgynlais maiden s. As so o n a s the cerem o ny had bee n pe rfo rm eda nd the reg ister sig ned, theco rlég z , headed by the newly-m a rri ed pa ir ,a rm -in -a rm ,

quitted the church to the inspiri ting st rains ofMende lsso hn'sWedding March, a nd drove rapidly b ack to Crai g -y-No s b e twe e n l o n gl ines of scho o l-children in hol iday g arb , under triumpha l a rches, a nd

past brass bands a nd lo cal cho irs, a ll vocifero usly musica l . witho utn umber. What with friendly societie s in the ir ful l “ re g a lia , ” villa g e rs.excursion ists from Swan sea a nd Breco n , a nd the “ ris in g g enera t io n ofthe valley, there wa s scarcely a hiatus in the doub le l ine o fco ng ra tula n tsthroug hout the seven m iles ofhig hway leading fro m Ystradg yn la is to theca stle . After the sumptuo us weddin g breakfast, the ladies o f the pa rtyret ired to their apartments to prepa re fo r the even ing festivit ie s , wh ilstM . Nicol ini a nd his friends whiled away an ho ur o r two by ta kin g a

heavy basket o f trout in the ca stle lake . At 7 pm . the wh o le weddin gparty, fifty in number, m e t at dinner in the g rea t win ter-g arden , thecrystal ro of of which ha s recen tly b een raisedsevera l fee t . I t is o n e o fthe most picturesque a nd stately din in g -halls in Euro pe , co mmandin g a nextensive v iew of the Swanse a Valley, the sheeny, babb lin g Tawe , a ndthe majestic Breco n Beacon s. On the even in g of the 10th, i llum ina tedb y electric l ig hts g leam ing like radian t wh ite flo we r-cups from amon g s tthe broad leaves of trop ical creepers—peopled by g a ily-dressed g uests.seatedat long tables adornedwith exot ics, fai ry lamps, sparklin g crysta l ,a ndg l i ttering plate, it presen ted a specta cle, a s o ne of my inform a n tsstates, “

never to be forg otten . Durin g dinner the full band of the3rdG lamorg an Rifles playedo peratic selections,Welsh airs, dance music,a nd a brig ht Wedding March , composed expressly fo r the o ccas ionb y Marie An to inette King ston . At the close of the banquet ,the electric burners were turned o ut , a nd the wedding g ueststhem selves environed by perfumed darkness, watched for a n hour ortwo the splendid display of firewo rks a nd lum inous devices exh ib i ted

j un r, OUR flI USI CAL -BOX. 41

in t he castle g rounds, whilst the accl iv i ties and summi ts of thesurroundin g m ountains , l i t up (3 j o ur by M r . Brock’s art ificial fi resrevealed many thousands of a l fresro spectators, assemb led from all partso f the countryside . The fest iv i t ies concluded wi th a ball in the winterg arden , where dancin g wa s kept up un t i l dayl ig ht did appear .A few words must be said—before I conclude th is imperfect ske tch of

a n ep isode in Adel ina Patt i’s l i fe that cannot bu t be fraug h t wi th interestt o the whole civ i lised world—about the weddin g -presents and m essag eso f fel ici tat ion received by her on the occasion of he r second marriag e .Amon g st the g ifts were costly ornamen ts in bri l l iants and rub ies, sen t byL ord and Lady Roth sch i ld and Baron Al fred a Davenport in rosewooda nd g old , enriched wi th hand-pain ted pastoral scenes, by Mrs. TheodoreBrooks ; a massive g o lden tea- serv ice and coffee- service , byM r . and Mrs .

De Young , of Sa n F rancisco ; a Sevres tea-serv ice , pé ta ten a’re , b y M r .

Turner ; ant ique g olden bowl , encrusted wi th precious stones , by M r. A .

Spa ldin g ; ancien t g olden bowl and spoon s , by M r . and the Misses F i tzwil l iam Dick besides some fi fty presents of less int rin s ic value, offeredby persona l friends and dependants, al l of wh ich were displayed o n thewedding -day in the two Spacious b i ll iard- rooms of t he castle . The cong ratulatory messag es, over 150 in number , included le tters from the Princeo f Wales and Queen of the Bel g ians , and teleg rams from well-ni g h al lthe Rothsch i lds, L ord Aberdare , the Duchess of Newcastle , Christ ineNi lsson and L i ly Lan g try, M r . Sassoon , M r . J . M . L evy, the Marquis diMercato Bianco, and the Queen of Rouman ia, whose sympathet ic wellw ish in g deserves reproduct ion :

I n sending yo u my bes t fe l icita t io ns , I entertain the warmes t h o pe thatthe future ha s in reserve fo r yo u a s much pleasure a s yo u yo urse lfha v e alreadyg iven t o the ent ire wo rld. (Sig ned) EL IZABETH .

"

I would wind up m y accoun t of the Ni g h t in g ale’s Weddin g wi th thesekindly Royal words , in the purport of which Madame Patt i-Nico lin i’sinnumerable friends and adm i rers sincerely concur—none more ferventlythan myself—had not that joyful celebrat ion insp i red M r . HowelWal ters,the Bard of Ystradg yn lais (w i th whose Druidical t i tle I mourn to confessmyself unacquainted), w i th a couple of g lowin g sta nzas. the bold rhymes,o rig inal rhythms , a nd in g en ious imag e ry of wh ich ent it le them to a placeof honour in the pag es of THE TH EATRE.

I t m ay be doubted that thePoe t Laureate h imself, or even fiery Alg ernon Swinburne , could haveg iven b i rth to b i- l in g ual verses of so soarin g a character, so free fro mmetrical restrain ts, and untrammelled byco n structiv e preceden ts, a s thosee n g endered by M r. Walters’ fecund a nd fervid Cel tic brain .

[Tuna “ RISING OF THE LARK . 1Hail hail ye sons of Cambria,Celebrate the Prima Donna

Patt i’s weddin g day ;Sin g , Bards and Minstrels, sin gIn swee t strains le t your vo ice rin g

’Til h i lls resound the lay ;

42THE THEATRE . [JUL Y 1 , 1886 .

G e n’ro us lady, noug h t beg u ile thee,

He a v’

n protect thee wh i le o n earthHappy un ion be thy port ionBonds of love throug h l ife ’t i l dea thBo ed b ywyd swyn o l s irol sywGa n Dduw i Madam e Patt i .Hark ! sons of Muse in pra ise ,Of warb l in g notes to Heaven raise ,

F o rNico l in i-PattiBrave hearts, the g ems of fame,To -day un ited in one name

Beloved Noble Pair !Pleasures stream ing , l ife encha nt in g ,

L ove and peace ea ch da y m ay brin gRealms of g lory, fo r yo u wo rthy,\Vhe n . this earth ly frame yo u leaveMel Awen byth m ewn n e fo l fri,I Nicol in i-Patti .

L e t “Mabon a nd“ L lew L lywydd lo o k to the i r la ure ls l

in the Swan sea Va lley who m ay ye t run them hard inimmortal Bardic fame

\VM . Bs Am -K i scsr o x .

W P, ”

®ur [plays-mo p“ JACK .

A Comedy in fo ur se ts. produced a t the Ro ya lty Thea tre o n Mo nday even ln g , June i t , 1880.Jack Beam ish Mr. Be nn PLYHF I‘OX. Teddy 8 ro tt Mr. W. Co sm o s

No e l Bla ke Mr. a J . Bu m s . Wtutsmr Mr Bo l t o nMa j o r

.

Spo tewhite Mr . C . A. a Lady Bla nchma yne "In Ga m m a Li a mSe ba sti a n Smythe Mr. M. Cl ucxum . Ba by Blanchmnyn o Min hu m Wlw m

Da uw. Mn Bun n Miss M. A. Om a n.

e w o o P. CUNNIKGM l a dMr. F a a xms.

3° His-Do no rs" W .,

“ Jack , at the Royal ty, a co m edy in three ac ts , which wa s ,i t is understood , p layed som e years a g o in Am er ica , when M r .Montag ue took part in the representat ion , is an ada pta t ion of“ L a P ierre de Touche ," by MM . Aug ie r and Sa nde a u. I t is acur ious imi tat ion of the s tyle of Rob ertso n , and bo ldly p la g iarise ssome of the inciden ts of L ord L yt to n ’

s Money . We are int roduced to the unwashed Bohem ian s and the exceeding ly haug htya r is tocrats of whom Robert son wa s so fond , whi le a w i ll is rea dwh ich leaves a larg e fortune to an outsider , thus disappoint ing anumber of the tes tator ’s g reedy relat ion s . M r . Blake is a nee dym us i ci an , and M r . Beamish an out -a t -elbows art is t , and w i th theml i ves a charmin g g i rl , Madg e Hesketh . Both the m e n are in loveWi th her , but she prefers Blake , and Beamish un se lfishly forbe ars to

press hi s o wn sui t . I t happens that an eccent r icm ill ionaire ha s

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

44THE THEA I RE. [Ju n r. 1836 .

u s a p leasan t sketch of a fai thful house keeper. The co m edy wa s rece iv ed w i th cons iderable applause , and Mrs . Be cket, the a da pter,cam e before the curtain in response to a lo ud dem a n d . I t wa sfol lowed by a burlesque , en t i t led Mephisto , in which Mr . Henleyg ave a very exag g erated carica ture of Mr. I rving , which la cked the

a rt and ver isim il itude of M r. Dixey ’

s clever im i ta tio n . The piecew a s a trashy and vulg ar produc t io n , and wa s deservedly hissed.

H . SAVI LE Cu rra n .

NOTES ON AMERICAN ACTING.

There is no such thin g a s a ver i table Ame rica n pla y in L o ndo n .

M inn ie Palm er’s Dutch baby sho w ha s bee n succee ded by the exce lle n tDaly’s company, who are a t wo rk o n a t ra ns la t ion fro m the G e rm a n .

“ Adonis isn ’ t a play a t a ll, a nd The Stra te g ists is ra ther fea rfulfool ing of no nat ionality wha tever. I n fact , fo r a m em o ry o f a rea lAmer ican p lay we m us t g o back to burly, be a rdedMr . M‘K e e Ra nkina nd the red-shi rted dig g ers in The Da ni tes .

"Co nse quent ly, i t is

m ore of the method of the Ame rican acto rs tha n the wo rk they a ree ng ag ed on that L ondon ta lks this m o nth . \Ve ha ve n e i ther a Bo o thn o r a F orres t nor a Jefferso n w i th us , b ut we ha ve a laug ha ble g ro upo f com edy art ists well worth s tudy, a nd ho w a ndwherein they di ffe rfrom our hom e team s is the quest io n .

The Am erican voice is d ry and , to o ur ea rs, so mewh a t ha rsh , sp i teo f the song " that run s th roug h the delive ry ; the m e n p i tch thei rnotes lower and the wom en a s a rule hig he r tha n we do . There isl i t tle subt le ty in thei r speakin g ; they have so methin g t o sa y, a nd theys a y i t and are done w i th i t . There a re many o f o ur o wn a c tors whow i ll coquet te w i th thei r wo rds a nddra g a sylla ble a lon g l ike achild 'st o y at the e nd of a s t r ing , a nd poss ibly we ra ther l ike this hes i ta t ing ,l ing ering fashion—not because i t is g o od elocu t ion , bu t beca use i t isl ike our o wn m odern wa y of speech . But yo ur Am erican is incis ive .H is “

r’

s” are g i ven rem orse lessly . He hi ts his words fai rly a nd

s quarely on the head , drives each ho m e wi th a s ing le sma r t ta p , a ndg oes on to t he next , b ig words and li t t le words a ll receiv ing a shareo f his at tent ion . I never ye t heard an Am e r ican ac tor who did not .t o my ears , over-em phas ise the indefin i te ar t icle . Ta ke such as entence a s “ I have received a le tter a s an i llus t ra t io n. I t is ea sy toimag ine one of our drawling young m e n w ith his pret ty I

’

ve r’

m‘

v ed

a letta lz / But of a veri ty the transat lan t ic p layer would g ive arap to the a (pronounced eh and , probably, s tern ly insist o nt he re in “ received ." I cannot help think ing that there is a wanto f s tyle about this m ethod, but for a ll that i t ha s a qua int hum ourp eculiarly i ts o wn , there is a lurking twinkle beneath its g rimdecis ion that in g ood hands never fails to g e t hom e , and we are g ett inga ccustomed to i t.

are m anyturn s on m e t rou b les o r a p rofe s s o r . i s up p o s e A m e r ica n p rofessors ,l ike thei r Teuton ic types , are not supposed to m eddle w i th p laym akin g or have aug ht to s a y to the s tag e ; but w e a re g raduallychang in g all that , and seek for stag e m anag ers from the professoriateof O xford and Cambr idg e and the Society of Ant i quar ies when wem ake ou r loft iest dramat i c fl ig hts . I m erely note thi s in pass in g a s

a n indication of the m arch of culture . Who knows but that som e fine

x,OUR PLAY-BOX. 45

A NIGHT OF F .

An ecce ntricco m edy , by As o usrm DALY, fo unded o n the Germa n by Fu s s Vo n Scn o xrn a x.

Pro duced, fo r the first time in En g la nd, a t the Stra ndThea tre , o n Thursday, Ma y 27, 1886 .

Justin ia n Ba bbit Mr. J AMES LEWIS. Mrs. Za n tippa. Mrs . G , H, GIL BERT.

Ha rry Dama sk Mr. O'n s Ss n msn . An g e licaen Dama sk M133 Vmem u 1) mJack Mulbe rry Mr. JOHN DREW. Susa n Miss MAY l a w s .

The MacMulb e rry Mr. WrL Lum Gree ns -r. Ma ri aMa rcus Brutus

.

Sn a p .Mr. CHARLES Lscnnaco . Nisbe

Pro wl . Mr. F . Bo rn) .

G lancing at the three Am er ican g roups unti l recen tly p laying ,we findthe Daly Com pany at the top of the class . This is a perfect andcom pact l i t t le arm y, in which dr i l l , neatness , unison , and close touchof each othe r seem t o be ins t inctive in each p layer in its ranks , forhere all are in the ranks , and there is n o

“sta r ” and no offi cer

, savethe pervading invis ible and un t i r in g sp i r i t of Mr . Aug usti n Daly ,the m anag er . I t wa s in 1869 that Mr . Daly found Mr . L ew is , thecri sp and crackly o ld m a n that w e all know s o well , p laying burle sque w i th E l ise Ho lt in Boston , and discovered that Mrs . G i lber t(in her day a nd g enera t ion a g raceful dancer) had a born g enius for“ o ld wom en , and started o ff w i th VVilkie Col l ins ’

s Man andW ife . Of the o ld com pany , on ly these tw o popula r veterans rem ain ,but g radually the comedy Sp i r i t g rew . M r . John D rew cam e to themten years a g o from his m other ’s theat re in Arch Street hisfather w a s a celeb rated p layer of I r ish character, and I havea boyish m emory of his Handy Andy ” at the o ld Theat reRoyal , Dublin— it w a s subsequen tly p roduced at the H a y

m arket under Bucksto n e ’

s m anag em ent . Miss Ada Rehan , whosehi g hly or ig inal g enius wa s once veiled in the low ly walks ofa walking lady, w a s “ inverted " some Si x years a g o ,and she ha selaborated a com ic m ethod of he r o wn tha t defies im itation . There

is no more ag reeable intellectual exercise in L ondon to -nig ht thanan affec t ionate s tudy of this clever lady’s sweet s i l l iness . Mr . O t isSkinner ha s been w i th them three yea rs , and s o the com pany knoweach other’s ways thoroug hly, and the astute m anag er writes up t otheir individual s tyles . They can w i th ease p roduce a n ew p lay in afortnig ht , and their work is constantly being looked after . I f “ g ag screep in— they w i l l c reep in naturally w i th these funny peop le—downcom es the m anag er , a s he says , to cut o ff the ba rnacles .

” However ,any individual barnacle proves g ood and in the p ictu re ,” i t isstraig h tway honourably attached t o the ship . The Nig ht Off is asparkle from that n ew ly-discove red foun t of fun ,G erm any, and , l ikem anyG erm an p lays On

’

Chan g e , ” the o ld Big Bonan za ," for ins tance),turn s on the troubles of a professor . I suppose Am er ican p rofessors ,l ike thei r Teutonic types , are not supposed to m eddle w i th p laym aking or have aug ht to s a y to the stag e ; but we are g raduallychan g in g a ll t hat , and seek for stag e manag ers from the professor i ateof Oxford and Cambr idg e and the Society of Ant i quar ies when we

m ake ou r loft i est dramat i c fl ig hts . I m erely note this in pass ing a s

a n indication of the m arch of culture . Who knows but that som e fine

46 THE THEATRE . [JULY r, 1886"

day we shall have a bur lesque produced by a Bishop . I n the pla y,which is a smart adapta t ion of Von Scho n ta n ’

s De r Raub der Sabin erin n e u ,

"a ll is nea t and rap id the Am ericans shrink from the t irade ,the soli loquy, and the conversa t ional dialog ue—those literary form s so

dea r t o the F re nch schoo l—and ra t t le their p lot w i th nervous excitem ent . The effect is exhilarating , thoug h at tim es i t ha s a tendencyt o sug g es t rest lessness the characters use the device of the c ro ssand alterat ion of s t a g e pos i t ion w ith ext raordinary frequency . So m etim es they fl it across the scene from one do o r t o another a s tho ug hfearful that we m ig ht forg e t all about them in the ir abse nce bu t , a tall events, they never let a m oment g o to was te not an instan t dropsor drag s , and ing enious hum o u r ha s rarely been se en in so p lea sa nta d ram at ic form . I w ish we had a com edy co m pany of w i t s tha tcould s t ick t og ether . Our clever young pla yers ho p a bou t fro mtheatre to theat re , and , s ince the old P r in ce of Wa les days , wehave no such kn i t ted band of p layers a s these del ig h tful folk fro move r the se a . Mohan taug ht us what ensemble m ea n s on the stag e .

OUR STRATEG ISTS.

A mode rnco medy o f e rro r," in to ur no b . writte n a nd acted just fo r fun .

”

Pro duced, fo r the first. t llne In Eng la nd, a t. the Ope ra Co m lque , o n Sa turday , May 29, 1890.

Jack Rutledg e Mr. Te re nce O'

fl em Nr. 8 . Co n an

Ma jo r Mr. Re v . Jo hn Badma n Hr Lmemuu Bu n

Arthur Rutledg e Mr. Ne llie uo v a -d Min lixn n G iu l ia .

Se rg ea n t Gumnledo n Mr. Mn . Ma jo r Ho wa rd Miss La u Cu mC a psicum Pepper Hr. Hu n t Min uet-m in no w "

The Stra teg i sts claim s to be a co m e dy o f erro rs, b ut i t is atbest but a farce of e rrors of judg m ent . Constan t and wearisomedisg uise is no subst i tute for dialo g ue , a nd the a t tempt s t o Ang l icisethe Am er icanism s are very fut i le. L e t us have the Am er icanism s ,Huckleberr ies and a ll bu t t o talk of “ VVhite ley'

s a s a housedown town " is foo l ish. Miss Kat ie G i lb er t p lays w i th a certainam ount o f sm a rt m ischief, and M r . Henry Bell ha s a roug h sort offun abou t him ; b ut nei ther p lay nor p layers m e r i t reco g nition a s a nexamp le of T ransat lant ic art .

ADONIS.

Am erica n ecce ntricity, in two acts , by Gm . a nd b urn .

Produced, fo r the first time in Eng la nd, a t the Ga iety Thea tre , o n Mo nda y, Sla y 31, 18 36 .

Ado n is Mr. I i ss a r E. Dixz r . Min mu n Burro w.

Ma rquis de Baccara t Mr. H. l i t. IDA Bu n.

Bun i o n Turke Mr. Gno m e W. fl o wn Miss L I MA l i a rs" .

Art e. Miss Emu Ca use s . Min Ju a n Merl o t.“Tula mea Miss L i nu x G a r an. l l. Anw a SOl KRVILLI .

Duchess o f Are a l i tes As s u An ta re s .

We are all pre tty wel l ag reed about Adon is. The actor , a s hiscoun t rywom en would s a y, is j ust charm ing . H i s p lay is veryfool ish ; i t is bu t a pot of s t irabou t , wherein burlesque , pan tom im e,O pera b o ufi'

e , the t r icks of the conj uror , the ci rcus , the m usic -hal l area ll whisked tog ether w i th an assortmen t of wheezes , ” n ew and old

,and i t is on ly tolerable for the sake of the p icturesque surp rises andw i t ty dexter i ty of youn g M r. D ixey . Whether this clever pe rform e rcould act a part in a p lay we have no m eans o f j udg ing , but a s a

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48 THE THEA TRE . ”OD! x, 1886 .

ca n trace n o offence whatever. The man ner of the actor is bro ug ht fo rward n o t to be ridiculed b ut to be im i ta ted. On the o ther ha nd, Mr.Hen ley’s im i ta t ion is whol ly disfig ured by unkindn ess a nd ill-disg uisedsp itefulness .

I t is a fi t accompan imen t to the wretched dog g erel thati t introduces . F o r Mephisto burlesques, parodies, t ravest ies n oth in gin the wide world . I t ha s been plan n ed a ndpro duced apparen tly for thesole purpo se of in sult ing Mr. I rv ing , and lib ellin g the pub l ic wri ters whohave had the privileg e of describ in g , po in t by po in t a nd step by step, thecareer of the first ofEn g l ish art ists, o n e who ha s do ne more for the sta g ethan a ny actor of his t ime . I shall be to ld that M r. Hen ley is not respon sible fo r the folly of M r. Byron McGuine ss . He is di rectly re spo ns ible for th is autho r’s vulg ari ty a ndimpe rt inence when he lends hisco un ten ance a nd influence to such a shabby sho w a s th is burlesque . No t o n lyis Mr. Hen ley responsible , b ut so are a ll the o ther actors a nd a ctresse srespons ib le who g ive theircoun tenance to the prog ra mme put fo rwa rdby the manag ement o f the Ro yal ty Thea tre. I sho uldhave tho ug ht tha tM r . Hen ley and his co mpan ions wo uldhave been pro ud of a n acto r l ikeHen ry I rving . I shouldhave thoug ht the ma n a ndhis career, his influence, his uprig htness, a nd his h ig h a im s in the se rvice o f the dram a

would have savedhim fro m this m isera ble yelp in g . Scurri lo us journ alists,disa ppo in ted a nd soured acto rs , cyn ical American wri ters who acro ssthe Atlan t ic never forg ive their En g l ish fa i lures, m ay ascribe I rvin g ’ssuccess to prejudiced flattery a nd ill-co ncealed fra ud . But m e n l ike this,whose op inio ns have no we ig ht , a ndwhose wo rds have n o chara cter, a rein a hopeless a nd m isera ble minority. The g reat pub l icapplaud M r.I rvin g a s a n actor o f except io nal atta inmen t, a nd a s a m a n of raremodesty a ndtact . The sa me public ha s endorsed eve ry wo rd wri tte n o fM r .Irvin g by m e n who to o often waste the ir t ime a ndenerg y o ver the tra n saction s o f the modern stag e in its baser a nd more deg ra ded aspect . I fM r. Hen ley a ndhis friends th ink that the task of cri t icism , or descript ionof the daily reco rd of the m o dern s tag e , is a pleasa n t o n e , he is verymuchm istaken . The m ind of m a n is n o t improved by da ily co n tact wi thimbecil ity, ig norance, a nd van i ty such a s is displayed in n o other walkof l ife . The modern actor ha s been so b e -pufl

'

ed a nd b e -praised that heturns roundand rends his benefacto r. There a re instances of such ing rat i tude in lower ranks of nature . But i t is a sorry ci rcumstan ce whena young actor who ha s talen t l ike M r. Hen ley should lead a forlorn hopeof rag g ed scribes, a nd rowdy wri ters, arm ed with hands ful l o f mud to

throw at a man who ha s don e so much for the stag e in every way a sMr. Henry I rving . The wr ite rs at tacked can happ ily defend them selves,a ndare n o t l ikely to forg et the scorn that some actors say they possessof undue publ ici ty. They are likely to have their desire amply g rat ifiedin the future . The best way to pun ish a n in sul t is to ig n ore the m a n whocomm its it . Me a nwhile , I heart i ly ag ree wi th the remarks of a cleverwri ter who ha s justly observed, You ca n believe m e when I say thatsome of the people who g o in for th is sort of sa tire would g o down o ntheir knees to any cri tic even of the m ost insi g n ifican t sort, who wouldwrite them a line of praise ” l That is precisely my op in ion . The auto

j uL r r. OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 4g

b iog raphy of a dramat ic crit ic ha s yet to be wri tten , i l lustrated by orig inalle tters and correspondence. The m aterial one day m ay be fo rthcom ing .

I m ust return to m y in teresting fr i end in the Br ig hton G uardianw ho s t i l l s tou t ly main tains t hat “ m orali ty ha s been ou t rag ed and tha tpoe t ical j us t ice ha s not been sa t isfied in the character of CaptainW alter L eig h in the p lay called Sister Mary .” I m a y , perhaps , bepermi t ted to differ w ith m y Br i g hton c r i tic , and w i th some jus t ice , intha t I know Walter L eig h and he does not . Wal ter L eig h is a part icula r fr iend of m ine . I know him by heart . I unders tand everys entim ent he ut te rs , and I a m perfectly ce rtain that i t is unju st a ndu nt rue t o call him a blackg uard ," a s unj u st and unt rue a s i t is tos a y t hat he is “ courted and flattered , ” whi ls t the wom an he ha sr uined is unm erci fully ostracised . My fr i end in Br ig h ton rusheso ff at a tang en t , and ha s not p roper ly s tudied the idea or the cons truction of Sister Mary .” There is one po in t he ha s eviden t ly notn ot iced , and i n t h i s he is not particular. The peculia r i ty in thecon struc t ion of Sis te r Mary tha t ha s a s yet escaped the notice 0e very c r it ic is this tha t althoug h the story deals w i th the l i fe -sor rowof a wom a n cau sed by a m an ’ s recklessness , thoug h they are bothcont inually on the s tag e , ye t from one e nd of the p lay to the otherMay n ever meal . O n the wedding m orn in g , when Wal ter L eig h is tobe m arr ied t o Mary L is le , he is a s ig norant of the ex istence of RoseR ead , he ha s a s abso lu tely forg ot ten he r and the o ld romance a si f it had never occur red , We , the audience , have heard Rose Read ’ss tory . We have l is tened t o he r p i t i ful tale . We have seen her tears

,

a ndw i tnessed her an g ui sh , bu t Wal ter L eig h ha s been kep t in a b sol u te ig n orance of the fa te of Rose unt i l the dramatic crash comes tha ti s to ruin her l ife for eve r . O n the wedding m orn ing Walter L eig h ’sb r ide asks him candidly to tel l her if there is anything in his past l ifetha t oug ht t o separa te them . I t is an anx ious ques t ion at such at ime . H e hes i tates for a m omen t , and says

,from his po int of

V iew ,qui te t ruthfully , No .

”

T o sa y tha t a t this m om en t he ut tersdel iberately and solemn ly the foulest of l ies is whol ly to m isunders tandt he purpose of the p lay. Wal ter L e i g h at this mom ent does not knowwha t the audience know . H e is in absolute ig norance of what ha so ccurred . The audience is in the secret. He is in the dark. He

k now s that years a g o he ha s used his powe r unfai r ly on a weak a ndi nnocen t g i r l who ha s van ished ou t of his l i fe , and that is all . Hedoes not know tha t Rose Read had ever suffered socially. H e doesn o t know tha t a child w a s ever born to him .

The woman ha s suffered nobly and s i lently apart . She n evera ppealed t o the father of her child . H e never discovered herwhereabou ts . She never approached him or wen t near himshe hid her sorrow in he r o wn heart, and ha s hitherto brea thed

NEW SERIES—VOL . vm .

so THE THEA TRE. [JUL Y 1, 1886 .

her bur ied secret to n o human being except to Sis te r M a ry.Unt i l “ Siste r Mary know s who Rose Read's lover w a s, andcon fronts him w i th the port rai t of his forg otten love , Wal te rL eig h knows abso lutely nothin g of the m isery he ha s caused . H is

pun ishmen t comes when the truth is told . H o w , then , can i t b e saidthat he u t ters delibe rately and solemnly the foulest of l ies ? ” Hedoes n othing of the k ind . I f he knew tha t he w a s the fa ther of a ni lleg i t imate child , tha t the woman he had ruined w a s t he fr iend o f“ Sister Mary , that she had endured ag ony in consequen ceo f his folly

,then , indeed , he would be a reproba te ; b ut

the object of this p lay is t o show ho w w o m en b ea r inbi t ter s i lence the whole pun ishm en t fo r a mad act of fo lly.The m a n laug hs and r ides away . I do n ’ t excuse the recklessness of L eig h's ear ly life a t the barracks when the m ischie f

wa s done that s tained the life of Ro se Rea d for ever , bu t ifa woman hides her sham e from the m a n who ha s ca use d i t heca nhardly be called a “ foul l ia r for n o t con fess ing wha t he really doesnot know . When L eig h fi rs t sees Sis ter Mary he do es n o t kno wof the existence of Rose Read. I t w a s a dead and fo rg otten roman ce,the end of which he never knew . When he pro po ses t o Sis terMary " n either knows tha t Rose is to be the des t iny tha t is t o se pa ratethem . On the weddin g m ornin g neither kn ows tha t Rose is hoverin ground the church door l ike a shadow of fa te !The interest of the p lay is carefully w o rked up by pro g res

s ive stag es to the very po int which my Brig h ton fr iend ha sbeen wholly unable to se e . I cannot fo r the life of m e se e

the hypocr i tical g libness of a cust o mary reproba te in WalterL eig h . A less hypocr i t ical a nd m ore g enero us m a n I , fo r m ypart , have never met . H is candour is his s trong po in t -n o t hisdecept ion . L e t my Br ig hton fr iend s tudy Wal ter L eig h a g ain ,and rem ember that after that w i ld ac t of fol ly a t the ba rracks he ha snever seen or heard of the woman he ha s inju red . I t is not un t ilSister Mary shows him the port rai t that the face o f Rose Rea dar ises to his recol lect ion . L on g before that he ha s t old his br ide thathe knows of nothing that should prevent their m a rr iag e ; and when he

says that he tells the t ruth, for he does know nothing . I f br ides wereall so indiscreet a s t o pu t such ques t ions to br ideg ro oms o n theirwedding m orning there would be no marr iag es a t a ll. Wal te r L e ig hdoes not st ifle his conscience w i th a whi te lie , rem em b e ring RoseRead , bu t he “ den ies her thr ice , ha v in g utterly forg otten her .I repeat that Walter L eig h ’s vi rtue is not oppress ive . ” But he

is no can t ing hypocr i te who poses a s a hero . He is a real, g enu in e ,flesh-and-blood m a n , and I cannot se e ho w m orali ty or poe t ica lj ust ice have been out rag ed by a character that bo th m e n a ndw o m en

oug h t to unders tand .However , he is com in g w i th Sister Ma ry to the Co m edy The atre

12 2

No b o dy understa nds F reddy but me .

Tun PICKPOCXUET

F ROM A PHO’

I OGRAPH spacra e TAKEN THEATRE a v BARRAUD, 263, o xro g p

w a s born on Apr i l 10 , 1862. She m ade her fi rs t appearance on thes tag e a t the Thea t re Royal , Hull , in 1 875, under the m an ag em en t ofM r . W i lson Bar ret t . She next acted under the di rection of M r .Sefton Pa rry, and , at Edin bu rg h , under that of M r . J . E . Howard .He r fi rs t importan t part w a s that of Adr ien ne

,i n the production of

P roof a t Br ig h ton , on Apr i l 20 , 1 878 . She wa s next eng ag ed byM r . Ha re for the Cour t Theatre , where she m ade her fi rst L ondon

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52 THE THEATRE. [JULY 1,

appe a rance, o n Ja nuary 4, 1879 , as L ucy F ra n klin in A Sc ra p o fPaper, ” afterwards acting , a t the sam e theatre , L eo nie in “ The

L adies ’ Batt le a nd F lorence Dals t o n in Mr . V a l Prin se p ’

sco m edie tta Co us in D ick. A pro vincial t o u r w i th Mr. a ndMrs . Kendalwa s followed by a n eng a g em en t a t the St . Ja m es 's The a tre , whereshe acted Marg uerite in M o ns ieur le Duc a nd Mrs . Mildm a y inStill Waters Run Dee p . I n Aug ust , 1880 , she pla yedNiche tte inHea rtsea se ,” a ndthe Duchess d'

Allm o n t in Adri enne L eco uvre urduring an eng a g em en t o f Ma da m e M o dje ska a t L iverpoo l. Returnin g to L o ndon , she a ppe a red a s Ma rg are t Curl l in the pro duction o fMary Stua rt a t the Co urt Thea t re ; a nd. a t the Prince o fWa les ’

s

Thea tre , she p la yed, o n No vem be r 1 , 1880, L ise in “ Annie -Mic."At the sa m e thea tre , o n F ebrua ry a o f the yea r fo l lo wing , she a c tedNellie in The Co lo nel , ” a pa rt which she susta ined du r in g a lmostthe whole of the lo ng run o f Mr. Burn a nd'

s pla y . At theHa yma rketThea tre, o n Apri l 25, 1882 , she acted Ev a Tre ve ne in the pro duct io nof the En g l ish ve rs io n o f Odet te ." Then ca me a lo ng e n g a g eme n tunder the directio n of Mr. \Vilso n Ba rrett , in the co urse o f whichshe a cted Bess Ma rks in The L ig hts 0

'

L ondo n Nell ie De nver in“ The Si lver K in g , a nd Alm ida in “ Cla udia n , in the pro vinces .

He r ne xt a ppea ra nce in L ondon wa s m a de a t the Va ude ville Thea treon Septembe r 25, 1884, whe n she a ppe a red a s the hero in e in Sa intsa ndSinners. " At the sa me the a tre she subseque n t ly actedCaro l ineF a reha m in Under F i re a nd Myra Ca yley in “ Ope n Ho use .

"

She wa s next eng a g ed by Mr. Ha wt rey fo r a brief se a so n a t HerMajesty’ s Thea tre , and the n a t the G lo be , whe re she o pe n ed o n

Apr i l 24 las t , pla ying Mrs . Ho pe in The P ickpocket ," in whichcha racter she ha s be en specia lly pho to g ra phed fo r this m a g a z ine .At the sa m e the a tre, o n the 19th of la s t m o n th, she m a de a hit byher charm ing po rtra yal of the hero ine in Mr. Je ro m e K . Jero m e ’spret ty li t t le p lay Barba ra . Miss G ra hame , i t m a y be a dded , isone of the m o st intell ig ent, able , a nd g raceful o f o ur yo ung actresse s .

Mr . Yo rke Stephens , who se po rtra i t a lso a ppe a rs in this numbe r,m ade his first pro fess io nal a ppea rance a t the O lymp ic Theatre inJuly, 1879, in The Worship of Bacchus . After a n en g ag em en t a tthe Royalty Theat re , where he played in Midg e , under the direct ion of Miss Jennie L e e , he wa s eng ag ed by the la te Miss L i tt o n tospeak the F irst L ord ’ s speeches in the revival of As You L ike I t a t

the Im per ial Theatre in F ebruary, 1880 . I n Miss L i t ton's pro vincia lt our he p layed such part s a s F alkland in The Ri vals " and Has t in g sin She St oops to Conquer . On the retirem ent of M r . Kyrle Bellewfrom the com pany, he succeeded him a s Orlando , and in MissL it ton’s revival of The Coun try G irl at the Ga iety , in 188 1 , hew a s the Belvi lle . He then wen t on tour ag ain w i th Miss L i tto n , inthe cou rse of which he a ppea red a s Joseph Surfa ce a t the Thea treRoyal , G lasg ow. A short season a t the Court Theat re wa s fo llowed

52

Mr

m adeJuly , 1 :

the Rt ion o f M

J

speak th 2 ir .

the Impe ria T o

t ou r ] 1 p la yedin She St oops to Conquer . On the ret irem en t of M r . Kyrle Bellewfrom the com pany, he succeeded him a s O rlando , and in MissL i t ton’s revival of “ The Count ry G i rl a t the Gaiety , in 188 1 , hew a s t he Bel vi l le . He t hen wen t on tour ag ain w i th M iss L i t ton , inthe course of which he appeared a s Joseph Surface a t the Theat reRoyal , G lasg ow. A short season at the Cou rt Thea tre wa s foll o wed

My m o tto is slo w a nd sure ; ha rdto g e t , but sa fe to co m e .

ON CHANGE ,

PEC I AL L Y TAKEN F OR"THE THEATRE BY BARRAUD , 263, OXFORD

STREET,w.

fro

L i t tow a s the .

t he GOU I’ SLRoyal , G la

JUL Y 1 , OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 53

by a n eng ag em ent a s leading j uven i le m a n w i th the la te JohnMcCullo ug h in Am er ica . After act ing for tw o years under theMadison Square Theat re manag em ent , a nd at Daly ’s Theatre , NewYork , he retu rned to En g land . He acted G i lbert Vaug han in thefi rs t tour of Called Back , ” on the conclus ion of which he w a sen g ag ed for the Vaudevil le Theat re, where he rem ain ed a year ,p laying Cap tain F anshawe in “ Sain ts and Sinners ,” H o n . C laudeDoyle in Under F i re , M r . Cayley in Open House, &c. He w a snex t eng ag ed for the part of Joseph Johnson in On

’

Chang e , ’ apart which he acted dur ing the long run of that p lay.

A ma tinée at the C r i ter ion on Jun e 15 int roduced us to a youngac t ress of whom it is permiss ible to have hig h hopes in the future .Miss Jan e t Achu rch , who appeared in A G a y Husban d ,” an adapt a tio n of a p iece of Oc tave F euillet ’s , which ha s , we believe , neverbeen p layed in F rance , is a lady w i th a g racefu l fig u re , s ing ular lyexpress ive face , sympathetic vo ice , and an undeniable aptitude forthe hig hest stag e work . In certain s i tuation s in the p iece she p layedw i th an emot ional power ve ry rare even amon g act resses who havehad a long exper ience of the boards , and she can listen intell ig ently, a:m atter by no mean s so m uch a t tended to a s i t should be . She shouldbeware , however , of t rying t o show , a s i t we re , too m any confl ict in gem ot ion s on her face at once . By al l m ean s g i ve thoug ht due facialexpress ion bu t pe r iods of compara t ive repose a re necessary , in orderto g ain the requis i te dram atic con t rast . Taken a s a whole , MissAchurch ’

s performance wa s a remarkable one , and m anag ers on thelook -ou t for a leading lady should not forg et this clever youn gact ress . The p iece is in teres t ing , but unp leasant , l ike s o m anyF rench p lays of its class , and the adap tation is rather c rudely done .The performance , i t may be noted , wa s w i tn essed by Miss E l lenTerry, Mrs . Kendal , and Mrs . Banc roft , a ju ry fully competent t odecide upon M is s Achurch ’

s cla im s t o his t r ion i c honours , but theirpresence m us t , we fancy , have m ade the young lady rather nervous .

An adaptat ion of “ L e s Vieux G arcons , by Sardou , from the pen:of M r . James Mort imer , w a s produced a t the G aiety on the afternoonof June 16 . The adaptation , which is wel l done , w a s g iven at the.Haym arket som e six years a g o , under the title of “ Reclaimed .” I tis an interes t in g p iece , but too talky ,” l ike a g reat deal of Sa rdo u ’

s

work , and needs compression . That supp l ied , i t should suit atheat re like the St . James ’

s . M r. Beerbohm -Tree p layed a reform edrake very clever ly,and M r . Royce g ave a remarkable p ic ture of ano ld ro ue’ who dotes on a m us ic -hall s i ren , who deserts him . Miss

L ydia Cowel l p layed tha t youn g lady w i th m uch sp ir i t and humou r ,g iving us a bi t of charac ter ac t in g of hig h excellence . Miss Measor ,too, m ust be c redited w i th a s in g ularlyw inn in g and fresh performance

54 THE THEATRE . [JUL Y 1, 1886.of the art less heroine . The ma tinee wa s for the ben efit of the Ma n

s ion House Hosp ital Sunday F und, and wa s under the imm ediatepatronag e of the L ord Mayor.M r. Alexander Wats o n ’

s seco nd dramat ic recital, g iven at SteinwayHall o n May 26 , proved a s successful a s the fi rst . The open in g i tem ,however, wa s n o t g ood . K e e n e a n

’s Charg e, a n American p iece, wa s

delivered by M r. Watso n in an affected mann er, wh ich I wa s so rry ton o tice, but no t race of th is remained durin g the rest of the even in g .

Mrs . Alexander’s Burial of M o ses is bet ter suited to private re adingt han to reci ta t ion ; b ut The Newsbo y’sDebt ” is to uch in g a ndaffect in g ,and wa s done full justice to by the reci ter . The Ha t,

” translated fro mthe F rench , is a clever p iece, a nd sho wed M r. Watson to advan tag e the

points were broug ht on in a quiet , b ut m ost tell ing manner . C Coll ins’smost amusing , because so true , Our Eye-wi tness o n the Ice and Mark

Twain’s Europea n Guides were g iven wi th a tho ro ug h a ppre ciat ion o f

the authors' humo ur,the latter especially showin g the reciter in his bestcom ic vein . But the g rea t hit of the even in g wa s

“ An Ocean Waif,”founded on a n inciden t wh ich appea red in Tire D a ily Teleg rap/i someyears back . The autho r m o destly hides h imself under the shelter o f“ An o n ,

” but he ha s do ne his work well . An in terest ing story is told inlang uag e that is bo th pathet ic a ndhumo ro us, sho win g a g o od descript ivepo wer . M r. Watson ’s in terpretat io n is a dm i rable, a nd I do n o t hesita teto pronounce i t his best achievemen t . The p iece is long ,

but M r . Watso nholds his audience in his g rasp , pro vo king tea rs or la ug hter at wi ll, a ndkeep in g them interested to the very e nd. The patho s and quaintness o fhis del ivery deserve the hig hest praise, a nd I co ng ratulate him o n hav ingsecureda p iece wh ich is so g o o d a nd so well sui ted to his style . Mr.Watson wa s warm ly applauded.M r . J o hn L . Child’s annual series of dramat ic reci ta ls at St . Geo rg e’s

Hall proved a s successful a s usual . The musical elemen t wa s representedby Madame C lara Samuell , Miss Marian Helmore , M r. Mayb rick, M r. J .Andersen Clarke , a nd M r . F . W. Bamp fylde , all of whom found favourwi th the audience. M r. Ch i ld beg an his fi rst recital on the afternoon ofMay 5 in a most effective manner. The p iece selected Southey’s Lo rdWil l iam ,

”is in i tself most impress ive i t wa s del i vered with g rea tdramat ic intensi ty a nd power, a nd i t proves a valuable addi t ion to M r.

Ch ild’

s repertory. The same m ay be sa id of “ The Uncle, M r. Child’sinterpretat ion of wh ich is forcible a nd th ri ll in g .

“ A Nig h t wi th a Stork "wa s , I bel ieve , also attempted for the first t ime , a nd successfully. The

second act of “ Hamle t wa s rather disappoint ing to those who haveheardMr . Ch i ld’s Macbeth ,” b ut the speech commencing 0, what arog ue a ndpeasant slave am I ,” wa s finely spoken . The Story of theF ai thful Soul a nd My F i rst a ndL ast Appearance were g iven wi th Mr.Ch ild’

s usual excellence . The second reci tal, o n the evenin g of May 2 2 ,comprised the fol lowin g item s z—Edmund Ollier’ s F airyTale for E lderly

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567 1115 THEA TRE . [Jv 1, 1886 .

a s the g uil ty m a n takes flig ht—all this wa s wroug ht wi th the g reatesta rt ist ic sk ill , and alm os t m akes one reg ret tha t Mr. Child ha s qui t tedt he s tag e for the p latform . The dese rved success of this performancew i ll g rea t ly add t o his repu tat ion . His im pe rsonat ion shows them os t careful s tudy ; the advice t o the p layers wa s not o nly welldel ivered by him , but ac ted upon throug hou t the evening .

Mdm e . Puzm 5 annual concert , always one of the m os t interes t ingo f t he season , t o o k place on Ma y 3 1 , St . G eorg e ’s Ha ll be in g crowded,

a s usual on these occas ions . O ne of the s t r iking fea tures of thea ftern oon wa s Mdlle . Marie Ma rim o n

'

s reappearance in this co unt rya fter tw o years ’

a bsence . She wa s in excellent voice , a ndher pe rfec tvocal isa t ion ha s lost none of its rem a rkable flexib i l i ty she wa s

e ncored in the a ria from I l F lau t o M a g ico , a nd wa s equallys uccessful in her second so lo , L

'

Ab e ille , by Massé . Mdme .T re be lli wa s g reeted en thus ia s t ically, s in g ing wi th exquis i te charm theg avot te from Mig non ," orig inally composed for he r , rea p in g adouble recall . Mdlle. Anto inet te Tre b e lli sang the shadow songfrom Dinorah w i th a faci l i ty and fin ish which a re the ou tco m e ofa g ood m ethod a nd sound tra inin g . This yo ung la dy ha s n o w beenb efore the Eng l ish public for near ly a year, and ha s fulfilled a ll ther ich prom ises of he r de’but ; she ha s m o reove r g ained m uch in express ion and in g race of m anner . An other young s ing er who ha s maderap id s t r ides is Mr . Be n Davies , who sho wed both power ande xpress ion on this occas ion . M r . Sha kespea re sa ng Adelaide wi th‘his usual tas te and finish .Books on the hum an vo ice are n um ber less . They pou r in upon

u s from specialists and quidnuncs . They a re alarm in g a s they are,

a mus in g . I t m akes one husky t o read som e and hurrah t o peruseothers . On e of the bes t , a s i t is the m os t convincing ly wr i t ten , is byt hat em inent authori ty, Dr. Morell Mackenz ie . I t is called “ TheHyg iene of the Vocal O rg ans (Macmillan and I a m p leasedt o observ e tha t Dr. Macken zie , l ike a sens ible m a n , advoca tes m oderat ion , not abs t inence . He does not tell us that we shall be speechles s if we d rink a g lass of wine , or vo iceless if we dare t o smoke acig ar . We m a y enjoy ou r l i t t le pleasures , but we m us t not taket hem w i th t oo m uch enthus iasm . Underneat h the pract ical hin tsa nd scient ific fa c ts w i ll be found a p leasan t vein of cynicism andg en ial comm on sense characterist ic of the wr i ter.I t becomes once m ore necessary to repeat for the thousandth t ime that

n o paymen t is or ever ha s been demanded from a ny actor or actress forthe publ icat ion of thei r p ictures in this mag azine . The on ly paym entg iven is o n e of thanks from the conductors of the periodical to M r. He r

b ert Barraud. t he photo g raphic art ist, fo r ta k in g the p ictures, a nd to the

j uryOUR OMNI BUS-BOX. 57

subjects for takin g the trouble to sit . This explanat ion becomes necessaryin con sequence of some utterly unt rustworthy remarks m ade in anAmerican theatrical journal wh ich professes to know som eth ing aboutL ondon journal ism , but whose strictures are disco loured by the animosi tye n g endered by an o ld feud that oug h t to have been forg otten years a g o

New p lays produced , and im portan t re v i vals , in L ondon , thep rovinces , and P ar is , from May 1 8 to June 2 2 , 1 886

(Reviva ls a re markedLONDON

May 20 Ho up L a ! Tra , L a , L a ! Co medietta , in o n e act , by H . Mainwaring Dunstan adapted fro m the Germ a n . R o ya l ty Theatre .“ The Esm o nde s o f Virg in ia . ” D o mes ticdrama

, in fo ur acts .

R o ya l ty Theatre .Hand a nd Heart . New a nd o ri g ina l play, in o n e act , b y \V .Yardley a nd H . P . Stephens . Gaiety Theatre. (Matinee—s ing leperfo rmance .)

25“ The VV i fe

’

s Sacrifice . Drama , in five acts ; a dapted fro m theFrench by Sydney G rundy a nd Sutherland Edwards . St . James'sThea tre.

27 A Nig ht Off. Eccentricco medy, in fo ur acts ; fo unded b yA ug ustin Da ly o n a German p iece by Frank V o n Scho nthan .

StrandTheatre . (Firs t t ime in Eng land. )W i ldOa ts .

”O

’

K e e fe’

sco medy . Criterio n Thea tre .

Our Strateg ists .

” ‘

An American farcical p iece. Opéra C o mique .(First t ime in Eng land. )

3 1“ Ado nis .

"American burlesque, in two acts

,by G ill a nd D ixey .

(First time in Eng la nd. )J une 1 1 Meha la h ; o r, the Po wer o fW i l l ." R o manticdrama i n five acts ,a da pted by W . Po e l a nd W. H . G . Pa lmer . Ga iety Theatre.(Mat inee—s ing le perfo rmance . )June 12 The Palace o f Pearl . ” Mus ical spectacu lar extravag anza , writtenb yWi l l iam Yo ung e a ndA lfredMurray ; mus icby J a k o b o wsk i a ndStanis laus . Empire Theatre .

14 Jack .

”C o medy, in fo ur acts . R o yal ty Theatre .Meph ist o Burlesque

,

”in o n e act . R o yal ty Thea tre .

15 A G ayHusband.

”Drama , in three acts ada ptedfro m the French

o f Octave Fe ui l let . Criteri o n Theatre . (Matinee—sing le perfo rmance)“ Take Back the Heart . A mysterio us incident

,

"in o n e act .

Crite rio n Theatre . (Mat inee—s ing le perfo rmance . )16 OldSinners .

”Co medy ,

in fo ur acts ada pted fro m the French o fSa rdo u by James M o rtimer. Gaiety Thea tre . (Mat inee—s ing lepe rfo rmance .)

18 The Co nfidentia l C lerk . Fa rcica l co medy, in three acts ;adapted fro m the Ge rman . G a ietyTheatre . (Ma tinee—s ing le perfo rm a nce .)

19“ Ba rbara. ” New pl ay, in o n e act , by Jero me K. Jero me . Glo beTheatre .M isch ief. New a nd o rig inalco medy, in thre e acts , by Cunn ingham Bridg man . Gaiety Theatre. (Matinee—s ing le pe rfo rma nce . )

29

58

Ma y

une

9

24°

24

3 1

anD

THE THE/1TRE . [JULY r, x886 .

Pa o v mca s“ Ca rpio . New ro ma nticpla y, by J o hn F inn am o re . Prince ’sThea tre , Bra dfo rd.

“ The A lps .

" Farcica lco medy, in three acts ; a da pted fro m theFrench . The a tre Ro yal , Cambridg e .

By La nd a ndSe a New a nd o rig inal drama , in five acts , byJ . R. Campbe l l a nd J . L . Shine. Theatre Ro ya l , Birming ham.Innocents All Abro a d.

"Orig ina l Ope ra tica bsurdity ; l ibretto by

A . L . C la rke ; musicb y J o hn Greg o ry . \Vinte r Ga rdens , Blackpo o l .Blackbe rrie s .

”Co medy-drama , in o ne act, by Ma rk Melfo rd.

Prince o fWa les , L ive rpo o l .The J o nes 's No tes .

" New a nd o rig ina l fa rcica l co medy, in threeacts , by J o seph Ta b ra r. Thea tre Ro ya l, Bo urnemo uth.

“ The Grea t To m -To m . New co mico pe ra , writte n by Butle rSta nh o pe ; musica rra ng ed a ndco mpo sed by J . R. Re id. Thea treRo ya l, Birkenhea d.

Pa n ts

L'Arlésie nn e .

” in five acts , musicby Mende lsso hn . Odeo n .

“ Le Fruit Defendu,

" co medy, in fo ur acts , by Ca mille Do uce t .Thea tre Fra nca is .

Bra hma ,

" ba llet . in three acts a nd n ine ta blea ux, by M . Mo n

plaisir ; musicby M . Da lla rg ine . Eden .

Prestidig ita tio n , by M . de Ko l ta . Ede n .

Appea ra nce o f Kra o , the M iss in g L ink .

” A lca za r d’

Eté .

“ Ca de t, Ro ussel , Dum o lle t , G rib o uille, e t Co mpa g n ie , a sketch ,in three acts . by MM. Cla irv il le a nd J ule s Co rdie r. MenusPla isirs .

Le s Petits Mo yens . co medy-va udeville , in o ne act, b y MM .

L a biche, Gusta ve Ix m o ine , a nd Adrie n Deco urce lle . MenusP la is irs .

“ Vis ite a Co rneil le , a pro po s in ve rse , by M . Em ile Blem o n t .Thea tre Fra ncais .

“ La Lettre du Cardina l,”co medy, in o n e act, by MM. Geo rg e s

Be rtal a ndRené Lafo n . Odéo n .

Le Tro uvere ,” o pe ra , by Verdi . Chate a u d’

Ea u .

“ La Tra via ta,” o pera , in fo ur acts , libre tto by M . Duprez ; musicby V e rdi. Opera Co mique.“ L e Médicin malg ré lui , comedy, in three acts , b y Mo liere .Odéo n .

Po lye ucte , t ra g edy, in five acts , b y Co rneil le. Odé o n .

“ Pierre le No ir o u le s Chauffeurs , drama,in five acts a nd s ix

tableaux, by MM. Din a ux a ndEug ene Su‘

e. Ambig u .

THE THEATRE .

Sa m ue l Phe lps .

A BIOGRAPH ICAL SKETCH .

BY R ICHARD L E E .

AINTING , sculpture , m us i c , l i terature— al l the refining arts ,save one—appeal for j udg m ent throu g h their products tothe verd ict of the future . Acting

The yo ung e st o f the s iste r a rtsWhe re a ll the i r be a uty blendshaving no real ex istence beyond the pass i ng m om ent of i t s

creat ion,dies even a s i t is born . The sole appeal therefore o f the

stag e player reg ard ing his vivid but necessarily evanescent impersonat ions is to the j udg m ent o f contem poraries who actual lyw i tness bodied forth upon the s tag e his l iving i l lustrat ions of thedram at ist ’s concept ion . I f, then , these ephem eral hum anit i es offancy are to survive the fleet ing real i ty of histrioni c assum pt ion , i tm u st follow that the actor of al l art ists should find a chronicler o fhis i nd ividual characteris t ics while st i l l exerc is ing them ; or , fail ingthat

,before the vivid reflex o f his counterfe i t presentm ents

becom es dim and faded i n the m irror of m em ory . But m erely toV i ew these presentm ents on the surface is no t enou g h they m us tbe seen w i th the m in d ’s eye a s w ell a s that o f th e body by thespectator who would j ust ly appraise the player ’s art ist i c qual i tya de scrim in a t iv e i ntrospect ion ofwhose m ot ives a s well a s m ethodsis requ is i t e i n order to pluck the heart out of his m ystery . I tshould m oreover be borne i n m i nd by the stag e biog rapher that o fall artists the actor is the only one wholly dependent upon hiscrit ics for posthum ou s i nterpretat ion , forasm uch a s , his career onceended

,no appeal is poss ible from the ir j ud g m ent to his work

Urg e n tur ig n o tique lo ng aNocte , ca tcut quia va te s acro

NEW SER IE S.— VOL . V I I I .

60 THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886.

The follow ing record faithfully se t down in the spiri t of the serem arks traces the art ist i c career of one who , w i thout d ispara g em ent to the n ew school of refined , ea rnest , and inte l lectualh istrions happi ly adorn ing our stag e , m a y be j ust ly d ist ing uisheda s the last typ ical class ic actor of the Eng li sh theatre .Sam uel Phelps w a s born in 1806 , at Devonport , where his fathercarried on bus iness as a w ine m erchant . Under the fosteringtu it ion of Dr. Reece , Head Master of Saltash G ram m ar Schoo l ,the boy received the seeds of the sound lea rning which the m a n

by an unrem i tt ing habit of study never ceased throu g hout his longl i fe to ripen and fructi fy . As his schoolm ate the lad found acong enial com panion in h is young er brother Robert , be tte r knownas Dr. Phelps , for over a quarter-century Master of Sidney SussexC olleg e , Cam bridg e , a nd at one period V ice -Cha ncellor of h isUnivers i ty . En pa ssa n t i t i s noteworthy ho w honoura bly theC hurch and the Stag e , the tw in exponents of rel ig ion and m oral i ty,were l inked and represented throug h the dutifu l and la boriouslives of these dist ing u i shed brothe rs .On qu itt ing school Sam uel Phelps , im pat ient of the intel lectua lrestraint of provincial l i fe , turne d his back on Devonport a ndca m eup to the aspiring countrym an ’s El Dorado , L ondon , to seek h isfortune

,and , as the issue proved , to found h is fam e . Pending a n

opportunity for the pract ical developm ent of the strong histrionici nst inct which possessed him , young Phelps took present service“ reader ” at a print ing offi ce in a court off L om bard Street ,

upon the s ite ofwhat afterwards becam e the C i ty Bankers ’ C learingHouse . By a curious coincidence the printer ’s forem an wa s noneo ther than Doug las J errold , afterwards em inent in the triplecapacity of w it , j ournalist , and dram at ist .While w ith m anly independence st il l doing the work whichcam e to his hand wherewi th to supply the needs o f present subsistence , the printer ’s reader never ceased to strive after thep ract ical m eans of fol low ing the artist ic bent of his i ncl inat ion ; fori t wa s at this t im e , while st i l l i n his teens , that he entered upon h ish istrionic probation by acting a s an am ateur at a private playhouse then standing in Rawsto n e Street , C lerkenwel l . There

,

b y strang e fortune , w i thin bowshot o f the theatre a fterwardsi dentified w i th his brig htest work , the young aspirant m ade h isfirst appearance before a Brit ish audience

,enact ing on the occa sion

in question a m i nor character in Monk ” L ewi s ’s sensat iona l

AUGUST 2, SANI UEL PHEL PS . 6 1

m elo -dram a , The Castle Spectre . Drawn to each other by thee l evated tastes and intell ig ence possessed by them i n comm on ,young Phelps , taking heart of g race , i nvi ted his forem an to se ehim act . J errold according ly went sat him sel f down front ing thel i t tle s tag e i n Rawst o n e Street , and saw the perform ance . Nothing ,if not crit ical , the future dram atist pronounced a j udg m ent uponthe tyro -player wh ich the subj ect of hi s cri t ic i sm , when years afte rhe had attained to the leadership of his profess ion , loved to quote{psissz

'

ma verbs J errold told m e that by dint of hard study,luck

,

a ndpat ience I m ig ht i n t im e act wel l enou g h to g e t thirty shi ll i ng sa week and , ” added the old actor w i th a g rim sm i l e , “ J erroldwa s rig ht I ha ve g o t th i rty sh ill ing s a week . ”Acqu iring faci l ity and experience by frequent pract i ce as an

a m ateur , young Phelps , while yet upon the threshold of m an ’se state , displayed the courag e of his am bit ion by turning hi s backa t once and for ever upon the L om bard Street print ing office , andg raduat ing as a profess ional actor . Thi s occurred at the Queen ’sTheatre , as then styled , i n Tottenham Court Road ; years afterwards rendered fam ou s by its late m anag eress , Mrs . Bancroft

,

under the nam e of the Prince ofWales’s . There,i n h is twenty

first year , A .D . 1827 , Sam uel Phelps first appeared on the publ i cstag e a s Captai n G all iard in the farce of XYZ .

”Al thou g h thepart wa s , i n theatrical parlance , that of walking g entlem an , the

favourable im press ion created by the tyro ’s act ing and personal i tysecured for him a second eng ag em ent imm ediately after thee xpirat ion of the firs t as a m em ber of the stock com pany of whatwa s then known as the York C i rcu it . Under these auspicesPhelps appeared at the Pontefract Theatre i n 1 828 , and at onceg ave such sat isfact ion to the audience as induced the m anag er ,w i th a shrewd eye to his o wn i nterests , to prom ote the young actorper sa ltum to leading bus i ness ,” by casting him w i th in the briefspace of a fortnig ht from hi s opening nig ht for the im portantcharacter of Joseph Surface in The School for Scandal . ”F ully j usti fying a s a princ ipal the favourable anticipations he

had raised a s a subordinate , Phelps rap idly becam e a recog nisedstag e favourite throug hout the North of Eng land , i n Scotland ,a nd, across St . G eorg e ’s Channel , at Bel fast and L ondonderry . Atthe principal theatres of these districts he wa s welcom ed both incom edy and trag edy, m ore part icularly i n the ro les o f testy oldm e n and m i serly m oney g rubs long aft er i dent ified w i th hi s nam e .F 2

6 2 THE THEATRE . [ACC UST 2, 1886 .

Broadening and at the sam e t im e refining his powers o fde l ineationby ceaseless study, pursued in faithful recog nit ion of the princ iplethat an art ist can have no such rival i n h is a rt a s a due sense ofi ts claim s , Phelps thus continued in the prosperous exerc ise ofh is profess ion for nine years .At the close of th is peri od the st i ll yo uth ful a ctor , applying , i t

would seem ,to h im se l f the quest ion of the C ro o kba ck as to his

o flicer’s whereaboutsWha t do they in the No rth

“(he n they sho uld se rve the ir so ve re ig n in the We stdeem ed i t expedient to chang e the venue of his h istrionic ope rat ions from York to Devon . Mig ra t ing w i thout halt i n L ondon

,

Phelps appeared at the Exeter Theatre in 1837, where the Southrons were imm ediately enl isted i n his favour a s warm ly a s thosej ust left behind him in the No rth . Ea ch successive nig ht he pla ye dat Exeter proved to the utterm ost penny ho w m uch m oney thetheatre could hold . Prosperity crowne d his efforts , as the m ana g e rsfound to their advantag e , while he wo n for both them and h im se l fnot only g olden opinions but m etal m ore sol id .Wi th a reputation thus establ ishe d and confirm e d a s a sound

Shakespearean actor , posse ssed of the rare m ag netic sym pathywhich attracts and enthrals audiences , i t w a s no m a rvel that theprovincial celebrity of Sam uel Phelps should reach the ears of theMetropolitan m anag ers , at whose head Macready for the first tim e

wa s about to place him self. On the eve of his m em ora bleendeavour to revive the national dram a at Covent G arden he

,i n

laudable anxiety to secure the hig hest act ing talent in the country ,j ourneyed down to Southam pton that he m ig ht judg e for h im se l fa s to the truth of the pae an of praise sung to the ris ing star . On e

vis i t to the theatre sufficed . At the close of the perform anceMacready wa s introduced to Phelps , who , a s the result o f theirinterview , ag reed to j oin the dist ing uished com pany of actorsthen in course of enlistm ent for the approaching m anag erial ca mpa ig n at C ovent G arden . A m i sunderstanding , however, i nrespect of this unwritten eng ag em ent caus ing Phelps to reg ard i ta s null and void , he cons idered him self free to accept an offer fromWebster to appear forthw i th at the Haym arket , where , i n duecourse , he enacted Shylock a s his opening im personation . Thefol low ing characterist i c record of the event is found in Macre ady ’

sdiary, under the date of the '

z g th of Aug ust , 1 837 Sent fo r ‘ The

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64 THE THEATRE . [AUG UST 2 , 1886 .

sented. Thoug h its success wa s undoubted , The Blot on the

’

Scutcheon ,” for reasons never publi cly stated , d isappeared fromthe bills after the third representat ion . But for all that Mr

Browning ’

s trag edy wa s played lon g enou g h and o ften enou g h toconvince the cri tical publ ic that they had before them a s terl inga ctor capable of sustaining characters conceived and cast i n thehig hest dram atic m ould .At Dru ry L ane the m ettle of Phelps wa s fu rther attested by hi sembodim ent of a long g allery of the fam i l iar personag es anim at ingthe leg i t im ate dram a of En g land , including Hubert i n KingJohn

,

” Macduff, Kent in King L ear,” L e o n a tus Posthum us ,and C ass ius . He also im personated,i n plays previously unacted,the m onk Joseph in R i chel ieu , ” and Captain Channel in The

Pri soner ofWa r . W'hen Macre ady’

s comm ission wa s g iven for thelast-nam ed dram a , w i th special i nstructions to fi t Phelps i n theleading character, Dou g las J errold m ust have had poig n a ntlyrecalled to his l i te ra ry conscience as a hum bling rebuke to h isearly pride of j udg m ent the dispara g i ng valuati o n he had set uponthe stag e talent possessed by hi s old companion of the printingoffice . However, by invest ing Phelps wi th a cha racter so sterlingas Captain Channel the dram ati st vi rtua lly m ade am ends to theactor for having once appraised his quality at thirty shi ll ing s aweek .Macre ady’

s m eri torious e nde a v o urto re establ ish the hig he rn a t iv edram a a s an abiding insti tution of the m etropolis would probablyhave resulted in success at Drury L ane but for the unhappy g reedof i ts proprie ta ry . F inding that the theatre , populari sed by thea rt ist i c l iberal i ty of i ts m anag em ent , wa s beg inning , i n howevers l ig ht a deg ree , to be rem unerative , the shareholders , at the term inat ion o f Macre ady’

s second season , declined to renew his leaseexcept at a very exorbi tant advan ce in the rent . Unable , w i ththe rem otest prospect of success

,to com ply w i th these aug m entedterm s, Macready reluctantly w i thdrew from m anag em ent , thereby causing his double com pany of trag edians and com edians—thefinest histrionic confederacy ever broug ht tog ether upon the sta g eof an Eng l ish theatre—to be dispersed, never i n i ts prist inestreng th to re -unite. L overs of the national dram a

, g rown tobelieve i t had at last found a local habitat ion worthy of its qual i ty,

were in despair at seeing Thalia and Melpom ene once ag ainturned ruthlessly out of house and hom e . The despondence of

AUGUST 2,1 886 ] SAM UEL PHELP S. 65

playg oers wa s the deeper, forasm uch as they found them selves t obe but a seem ing ly hopeless m i nority of the publ ic ; for, paradoxicala s i t appears , i t is nevertheless true , at the period i n quest ion ,that during the current hal f centu ry, when the h istrionica bi l i ty of the Bri t ish s tag e wa s at the hig hest levelthe popular interest i n the theatre wa s at the lowest ebb .Dram atic entertainm ents , whether g iven i n town or country,were then neither i n fashion w i th the aristocracy nor in favourwi th the m asses . Meag rely attended at the best , the theatreslang u i shed , while the ir m anag ers for the m ost part went bankrupt ,proving as the dism al resul t o f s tag e enterprise at the t im e thatthe pl ayhouse wa s the wa y to the workhouse .Wi th the dram a thus stranded , Phelps , i n comm on w i th the

m ost g i ftedof his late colleag ues , sou g ht the profess ional em ploym ent in the provinces denied to him i n L ondon . But so bad hadthe t im es becom e for theatres that even upon his old g round upin the North h is n a m e

,which used to w i tch audi ences to the play

house,lost i ts lure . As a discourag ing consequence , Phelps a nd

Mrs . Warner— lately the leading actress at Drury L ane—foundthem selves out of heart and pocket wending thei r wa y disco n solately back to L ondon .This lam e and im potent conclusion forc ibly i llustrat ing the poet ’sfaith -frau g ht l ine Our s eem ing i l ls are blessing s i n d isg u ise , ”occurred early i n 1844 an eventful year, as i t presently proved toth e subj ect of th i s m em oi r .Up to that date the suburban theatre ofSadler ’sWells , standingon the bank of the New R iver, near the confines of I sl ing ton and

C l erkenwel l , had been for m any years leased by Mr . T . L . G reenwood , g randson of the sceni c art i st who had desig ned and paintedthe scenery at the two patent houses for John Kem ble . G reenwood ,after keeping Sadler’s Wells open throu g h a seri es of years w i thvarying fortunes a s a m inor theatre for the product ion of dom est icdram a and m elo-dram a , had , at the period referred to , for h i sp artner i n the m anag em ent the once popular actor . o f eccentriccharacters , H . R . Ho n n o r . At the close of 1 843 , however, thet erm of their tenure expired . Thereupon G reenwood sou g ht rig hta nd left for a leg i t im ate attraction of any kind which m ig ht warranthis undertaking a renewal o f the lease . Prom pted by a firm faith ,which never left him

,i n th e appreciat ive tas te of the playg oingpubl i c , and w i th a prophet ic previ sion that success m ig ht b e

66 THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2 , 1886 .

achieved,even at a rem ote suburban playhouse , by the product ion

of the hig her dram a worth ily represented , he invited several of theleading stag e favourites of h is t im e , i nclud ing Va nde nho fi' as a

trag edian , and Mr. Walter L acy a s a com edian , to co -operatewi th him at Sadler’s Wells . But one and all em phatically decl ined ,t im orous of the rem ote s ituat ion and the attenda nt risk unt i l , inthe very n ick of t im e , Macre ady’

s two ablest coadj utors happi lyi ntroduced them selves to his notice . F rankly enterta in ing the irproposit ion

,he at first proposed that Sadler’s Wells be rented by

the trio under their conj oint lesseeship , but for urg ent reasons th i swa s impracti cable . Ult im ately G reenwood consented to take theentire respons ibi l i ty , ag ree ing to rece ive Phelps a ndMrs . \Varnerin cons ideration o f their art isti c services a s his partners , several lyto share , and share al ike , w i th him whatever profits m ig ht accrueto their venture . His sole reservation in th is covenant wa s , thatin the event of the fai lure of their enterprise , he should have theoption of term i nating i t by closing the theatre at o ne truck'

s n o tice .

This drasti c clause in the contract a ttests the stern fact of theopening of Sadler ’s \Vells at that t im e being , i n the opinion ofthose m ost qualified to estim a te the result , but a forlorn hope atbest .The F rench proverb , that nothin g is certa in but the unforesee n ,rece ived yet another confirm at ion of its truthfulness in the curioustrain of c ircum stances attending the re -opening of Sadler's Wells .Having reg ard to the antecedents of its two leading artists and theplays and characters identified w i th their reputations , i t has beeninferred naturally enoug h by dram at icco g n o scen ti that the m em orable Phelps and G reenwood m anag em ent wa s entered upon wi ththe sett led des ig n and intention of representin g the leg i t im atedram a and noth ing but the leg i tim ate dram a at Sadler’s Wells .This bel ief, fostered and confirm ed in the publ ic m ind by theclass i c entertainm ents g iven at the I sl ing ton playhouse throug heig hteen years , is , however , nothing less than a popular fallacy .That the m atter m a y be m ade qu ite 'clear it w i l l be necessary tohark back for a brief m om ent to the Macready m anag em ent .Even w i th its unexam pled array o f h istrionic talent

,and the

superadded attract ion of Bulwer’s two n ew plays, R ichel ieu ”

and The L ady of L yons , ” Drury L ane had been barely m ade topay . Anxiously aware of this the n ew m anag ers of Sadler’s Wellsnaturally hes i tated to follow an exam ple which,however bri lli ant

AUGUST 2 , SAM UEL PHELP S . 67

a nd art ist i c,had virtual ly resulted in failure . I g noring according ly

fo r the t im e being their Shakespearean experiences and aspirat ions,and taking shrewdly to heart the appos i t e profess ional

e pig ram ,they who l ive to please , m ust please to l ive , ” Phelps

and Mrs . Warner , i n counci l w i th their partner, arrived at theconclus ion that i n thei r conj o int interes t i t wou ld be best thatSadler’s Wells a s heretofore should re -open its doors to thepubl i c essentially a s a theatre for the representat ion of m elodram a .This revelat ion

,m ade after the secret ha s been so well kept

albe i t known by a wom an—w i l l,no doubt

,aston ish m any , and

poss ibly d isplease a few . H o w i t cam e abou t that , departingfrom thei r orig inal des ig n , the n ew m anag em ent , suddenly shift ingthe ir g round , re -opened Sadler ’s Wells a s a “ leg i t im ate ” playhouse , is a s tory taken from the l ips of Phelps him sel f, and n o wfor the first t im e publ icly told .D i rectly their deed of ag reem ent had been duly executed by thethree partners i t wa s concurrently settled that “ The Tower o f

Nes le , a m elo -dram a adapted from the F rench , of a dec idedlys ensat ional character, should be their opening piece ; w i th Phelpsi n the réle o f Buridon

,Mrs . Warner playing the hero ine .

F urther cons i deration of the subj ect,however , cau sed the m anag ersto abandon th is purpose ; and for reasons , be i t here recorded ,redounding to the ir credi t . Althou g h by no m eans s o repuls ive

i n its plot a s m any another play Since transferred from the F renchstag e to our o wn , and rece ived w i thout dem ur by Eng l isha udiences , i t wa s cons idered that the subj ect o f The Tower o fNes le , ” reg arded from the stri ctly eth ical standpo int , w a s , to sa ythe leas t o f i t , quest ionable , i f not absolutely forbidding . That thepiece had rece ived the z'mprz'm a z‘ur of the official l icensor o f plays ,that i t had been played elsewhere , and , m oreover

,had paid

elsewhere in Eng land , suffi ced not to satisfy the co n scie nt ious scruples of the Sadler ’s Wells trium virate , to each o fwhom the paneg yri c of D e L a Bruyere m a y j u stly be applied“I l dem ande de s hom m es un plus g rand e t um plus rare

succes que le s louang es , e t m em e que le s récom penses , qu ie st de le s rendre m e illeurs . Trained to th is elevat ion of dutyin the schoo l of Shakespeare and his cong eners a s at leas t tw o ofthe three had been in the exerc ise of thei r c raft

,i t becam e noth ingl ess than a m oral law dom inat ing their artist i c being that whatever

68 THE THEA TRE. [AUGUST 2 . 1886 .

they presented to the publ ic , even thoug h i t were but m elo-dra m a ,m ust conform to the principles of dra m ati c purity where in the irtaste wa s educated and upon which their j udg m e nt had beenform ed . Tri ed by this se vere but whole som e s ta n da rd The Towerof Nesle , found to be tainte d, wa s rej ected d o utra nce .

F oreg oing , from the honourable m otive s he re ci ted the product ion of th is re v iv a l, the pa rtners thereupo n determ ined to ina ug uratetheir m anag em ent w i th an orig ina l piece . A comm issio n for am elo-dram a wa s according ly g iven to Mr . Zachary Barnett , a

practised playwrig ht, who , thoug h h is productio ns have been longSince swept into the wallet which T im e g ive s to o bl ivion , d idservice of a hom ely sort to the dra m a of his day . But the date ofthe opening n ig ht of Sadler’ s We l ls , to which the m a na g em entwa s pledg ed by the prel im ina ry announcem ents already placardedover the town , n o w drew so ne a r as to re nder i t utte rly impracticable to produce Mr. Barnett ’ s pla y in t im e . Re solved at a llhazards to keep fai th wi th the public, a rig id rule of punctua l i ty,never once relaxed by the n ew Sadle r ’s We ll s m ana g em ent , thepartners, for no other reaso n tha n tha t they were le ft a bso lu te ly inthe lurch for lack of a m elo -dra m a , fell back upon Shakespe a re a

fortunate alternative , a s the i ssue proved , take n , as i t undoubte dlywa s , not throug h choice but from sheer compuls ion of n ece ssity.

In this ini tial crisis,Macbeth wa s selected for presentation .

Wi thout no vel accessories of a ny kind , and but very sparsely g arn ishedw i th such stock scenery and costum es as were found in thetheatre , the t rag edy wa s hasti ly put in rehe a rsa l . Chang ing fronta t the last m om ent , before their plan of action hada s yet be enconfided to the publi c , the m anag ers im proved the occa s i on byissuing their annunciatory address in term s strictly accordantw i ththeir n ew arrang em ents, w i thout a syllable throug h i ts text d isclos in g their surrendered plans . Here, in extenso , i s the m anife stoMrs . Warner and Mr . Phelps have em barked in the m anag e

m ent of Sadler’s Well s Theatre in the hope of eventually renderingi t what a theatre ou g ht to be , a place for j ustly representing theworks of our g reat dram atic poets .

“This undertaking i s comm enced at a t im e when the sta g e s

which have been exclusively called National are close d ordevoted to very different obj ects from that of presenting the rea ldram a of Eng land , and when , m oreover, the law has pla ced a ll

AUGUST 2,

SAM UEL PHEL PS . 69

theatres upon an equal foot ing of security a nd respectab i l ity ,leaving no difference except i n the obj ect and conduct of theirm anag em ent .*

These c ircum s tances j ust i fy the not ion that each separatedi vi sion of our imm ense Metropoli s , w i th i ts o f

inhabitants,m ay have i ts o wn well-conducted theatre w i th in a

re asonable distance of the hom es of it s patrons .F o r the North of L ondon the m anag ers of Sadler’s Wells

Theatre offer an entert ainm ent selected from the first stock dram a

in the world , re inforced by such novelt ies as can be procured byd il ig ence and l iberal i ty, i ntending that the qual ity of the ir novelt iessl

fi

a ll constantly im prove as t im e is g iven to procure and preparet em .

The plays w i l l be presented by a Com pany of acknow l edg edtalent,playing such characters a s they would be called upon t osustain at Dru ry L ane and Covent G arden were those houses n o w

devoted to the dram a .“ These attract ions are placed in a theatre where a ll can se e

a nd hear at a price fairly w i th in the m eans of all .Comm encing the ir enterprise under the disadvantag e of veryshort preparation , the m anag ers are aware that som e errors anddeficiencies are inseparable from such a c ircum stance they trus t ,however, that the ir nam es are a suffici ent g uarantee for the honest

e ndeavour to deserve further patronag e , and they prom i se that theconfidence and encourag em ent of the publ i c shal l be m e t bycont inual z eal and a l iberal i ty increasing constantly w i th them eans of Show ing i t .

F i nally, they w i l l endeavour to confi rm what m a y be foundsati sfactory, supply what m a y be at first d ifficult , and , above all ,e xalt the entertai nm ents to m eet the g ood taste of the audience . ”

To beco ncluded in o ur Septeméer numéer.)

The Bi l l intro duced in the H o use o f C o mm o ns b y Sir Edwa rdL ytto n Bulwe ra fte rwa rds L o rd L ytto n a nd fa the r o f the la te V ice ro y o f India—had j ust beco melaw

,a bo lishing the speci a l privi le g e s o f the two pa tent the a tre s , Drury L a ne a nd

C o vent G a rden, to 1epre se n t the leg itima te dra m a .

THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886.

V o ice s[A POEM SUGGESTED BY A Pro ruxa . ]

ENEATH the shade of a chancel old ,’Midst ru in of rose , and dais ie s fair ,

I stood alone , in the sunset g old ,And l is tened for voices there .

A whisper fel l from the ivy's nest,A sig h cam e over the distant sea ,

But the only presence I felt wa s rest ,And the pulse of m em oryVoices torn from the t ideless se a ,Voices borne from the g olden shore ,Voices sweet . that are lost to m e ,No t lost but g one before !

A wandering sunbeam kissed the feetO f a m arble cross where an infant s lept ,

Anda g arden of l il ies , passing sweet,G rew out of the tears she wep t!

A bird sang out of the darkened yew ,

A briar of roses k iss ’d i ts stemOh ! death in l i fe ! i f the lost ones knew !Do they long , as w e long for them ?

’

Twas here they buried my heart one day ;They shu t love ’s door and closed the g ate

Our summ er wa s over,the year turned g rey

A t the chi ll of the hand of fate !And here in a g arden of rose and yewThey’l l whisper prayers and chant the hym n ,

A nd here w i l l fo llow the faithful few ,

Andhere I shal l rest w i th himJ uly

,1886 .

https://www.forgottenbooks.com/join

7 2 THE THEA TRE. [AUG UST 2 , 1886.

knows ho w,but who , by som e m ysterious d ispensat ion o f

Providence , are inva riably to be found there .I have seen a g ood m any firs t nig hts in my t im e , but—not

t aking the last fi fteen years into account—ve ry few i n L o ndon ,

the only ones I can rem em ber be ing those o f Sheridan Kn o wle s ’

s

“ John of Procida ,” Bal fe ’s Daug hte r of St . M a rk , and , by fa rthe m ost im portant of the three , L ondon Assurance , ” produceda t Cove nt Garden March 4th, 1841 . Rarely , i ndee d , has i t fallent o the lot of a young and untri ed write r to co mm ence his caree runder m ore flattering au spices . In Novem ber , 1840, a cco rdingt o his o wn statem ent , wholly unknown a nd w i th o u t pa trona g e orrecomm endat ion , he subm i tted h is com edy to the m anag em en tunder the assum ed nam e of L e e Moreton , and four m onthslater “ found him self fam ous . A m ore sym pathet icaudience In ever saw ; from the first scene to the last not a hit m i sse d fire ,a nd at the conclus ion of every act the g enera l satisfact ion wa sm ani fested by repea ted ro unds of appla use . I particularly reco llect the roar of del ig ht whe n Charles Mathews , the in im i ta bleDazzle , on hearing tha t Mr . Solom on I sa a cs threatened to put am a n into young C o urtly’

s house in C urzon Stre et , asked i f “ hecouldn ’ t m ake i t a woman a nd, above all , the ring ing chee rsthat g reeted Mrs . Nisb e tt's descript ion of the steeple chase , whereBlueskin “ did the eig ht m i les in thirty m inutes and sca rcelyturned a hair. Mr . Bouc icaul t (he wa s Bo urcica ult then , by thew a y) ha s since scored m any a well-m erited trium ph , but I a m

inclined to doubt i f he has ever had reason to cong ratulate him se lfo n a m ore decis ive victory than the unanim ous verdict of thatm em orable evening .

’

A dram atised vers ion of L e s Mysteres de Paris , broug ht outa t the Porte-St . -Mart in , wa s the first premiere I had an o ppo rtun ity of w i tness ing in the F rench capital . L ike m ost othera ttem pts to condense the principal incidents of an interm inablenovel into a fiv e -act piece , i t failed to exc ite m ore than a pa ssin g i nterest ; and , althoug h adm irably g o t up and well acted ,e specially by F redericL em aitre , as Jacques F errand

,and

Raucourt , as the Maitre d’

Eco le , proved by no m eans a PactolusMrs. Fa nny Kemble , in her “ Reco rds , a l lude s to a repo rt o f his ha vingrece ived thre e hundred po unds a s a fixed remunera tio n fo r his co m edy. a nd addstha t o n the streng th o f this windfa l l he wa s sa id t o ha ve bo ug ht “

a ho rse , am iracul o us ca b , a ndo rde red se ven newco a ts.”

AUGUST F AMOUS “ F I RST N I GHT 73

t o the treasury . Som e nig hts later , j us t before the term inat ion o fthe perform ance , a s ing ular m i shap occurred . I n the las t scenethe curtai n cam e down w i th a sudden rush , and an alarm of firehaving been raised by a portion of the audi ence , loud cries froma ll parts of the house summ oned the stag e -m anag er to explainw hat had happened . On his appearance he wa s g reeted w i th av olley of quest ions as to the cause of the supposed d isaster , andimperatively charg ed to inform the publ ic i f the fire had beene xting u ished . Mess i eurs ,” repl ied the puzz led funct ionary,there i s no fire that I a m aware of. I have only to apolog ise forthe cu rtain having been inadvertently let down a m om ent toos oon , thereby prevent ing M . F redericL em aitre from having thehonour of exclaim ing three t im es , as he ha s always done since thefirst n ig ht of the piece Mon D i eu Mon D i eu ! Mon D i eu !This im prom ptu harang ue , del ivered w i th becom ing g ravi ty and an o t over-successfu l attem pt to im i tate the actor’s voice andm anner, w a s rece ived w i th shouts of laug hter, under cover ofwhich the rég isseur solem nly w i thdrew , w i th the ai r of a m a n who

had sat isfactori ly acqu i tted h im sel f of an im portant duty .Early i n F ebruary , 1 848 , a few days previous to the downfal l o f

the C i t izen King , the first i nstalm ents of Monte C risto w ereg iven on two success ive even ing s at the Theatre H i storique therem aining portions of the dram a , n ipped in the bud by the re v o lut i on , not being dest ined to se e the l ig ht unt i l after the lapse o fs everal years . On th is occas i on the stereotyped phrase of “ tou tPari s wa s not a m ere fi g ure of speech , but an i ndisputable real i ty ;never

,perhaps

,wa s a m ore astounding m ixtu re of classes collected

t og ether i n a theatre . Boxes,s tal ls , pit , g al lery , and corners i nthe orchestra were invaded by celebrit i es of every kind—peers o f

F rance , j ockey club l ions , fash ionable beaut ies , Si de by s ide w i tht z

'

tis i n blouses,j ostl ing one another i n stem equal i ty , and all , to

s a y the least , as eag er to be seen a s to se e . The stag e box belongin g to Dum as wa s occupied by the w i fe of a Russ ian prince , J ulesJ an in sa t enthroned in the centre of the house , L éon G o z la n andEu g ene G u inot were my near neig hbours i n the s tal ls , and i n al i ttl e box on a level w i th the chandelier a pretty actress of thePalais Royal d isplayed a toilette which five years of her salarywould scarcely have paid for . Near her sa t a lady in a perfectb laz e of diam onds , which would have been m ag nificent had theyb een real . I n the distance , however, they looked effect ive enoug h ,

74 THE THE/i TRE . [AUGUST 2 , 188o .

and during an cn tr’acte L am bert Thib o ust , the clever v a ude rillistwhose early death w a s a loss to the stag e , determ ined to ascertainwhether they were g enuine or not , and started on a voyag e o fdiscovery

,from which he soon returned , shrug g ing his Shoulders .

“ Du stra ss ,” he quietly rem arked ; “ at all events they a re i n

harm ony w i th the piece .Ho w so ? inquired G o z la n .

Pu isquece sont de scri’sta ux m o n tc‘s !Wi th a cast including Mélin g ue a s the hero , Boutin , Rouviere ,and Madam Person , and a perfect ion of scenery and a ppo intm ents

which no other Parisian theatre could then have surpassed , i t wa sindeed unfortunate for Dum as that the pol it ical catastrophe of thenext fortnig ht prevented him from reaping the fru its of his labours ,and abruptly term inated the ca reer of a dram a which under m orefavourable c ircum stances would inevitably have m ade h is fortune .The first perform ance in the Salle Ventadour ofAlfie ri ’s trag edy ,Mirra

,

”

wa s an event to be rem em bered as the crowning tri um phof that m arvellously g i fted actress , Adelaide R i stori . I doubt i fany of her contem poraries would have ventured to undertake sorepuls ive a part , and I feel convinced tha t they would not havebeen l istened to i f they had . Even to those who had alreadyseen and adm i red her i n F rancesca da R im in i i t wa s a revelat ion of qual it ies a s yet unsuspected , rem ind ing one at t im es o fRachel in Phedre , but w i th m ore g race , m ore tenderness , andinfin ite lv m ore charm . As Mr . Henry G revil le in his Di arytruly says : “

She looks the character exactly , and m anag es to beim pass ioned and decent i n her del ineation of i t ; and above all ,thou g h the whole play turns on the sam e sentim ent , she is neverm onotonous . Nine -tenths of those present were bus i ly eng a g edin fol low ing the actors throug h the m edium of a F rench tra n slat ion

,absorbed in the twofo ld occupation of l is tening to the

m elodious accents of the hero ine and , a s the s im ultaneous turningof the leaves every n o w and then test ified , referr ing to the text forexplanation . As a proof of the success of “ Mi rra,

” I rem em berhearing on g ood a utho ritv that during the run of the piece the saleof the book exceeded fifteen thousand copiesAn adaptation of Uncle Tom ’

s Cabin , broug ht out at theAm big u under the title of L a Case de l’Oncle To m ,

” one o f thoselong -w inded spectacular dram as last ing from seven o ’clock unti lpast m idnig ht , in which Boulevard playg oers part icularly del ig ht ,

AUGUST 2,1886 ] F AM OUS U F I RST NI GHTS .

”

75

wa s a fair specim en of its class , but a sore trial to the pat i ence ofthose for whom five acts and an indefinite num ber of “ tableauxhave no especial charm . The m os t sensational incidents of thestory

,such as the flig ht across the i ce and an interpolated duel

a l’

Am érica in e (hig hly rel ished by the occupants of the g allery) ,were reproduced w i th considerable effect ; and both Chilly (thesenator Bird) and Madam e G uyon , the latter o f whom ,

cl everlym ade up a s the quadroon E l i za , looked splendidly handsom e , wereexcel lent . Poor Harrison A i nsworth , whom I had inveig ledth ither by specious prom ises of am usem ent , which I fear were i nhis case unreal ised , 'had been for nearly s ix hours wedg ed inbetween tw o s tou t lad ies , whose flo unce s and furbelows left himbarely Si t t ing room i n what by courtesy i s called at the Am big u afauteui l d’

o rche stre , and , not being at that period the s l im m estof m ortals,wa s utterly unable to extricate h im sel f from hi s

ca b in ’

d, crib b ’

d,co nfin ’

d pos i t ion unti l Uncle To m ” and hispersecutors were finally disposed of,when a brisk walk to Torton i ’sand a cup of i nvig orating chocolate opportunely restored hise quanim i ty .In a form er num ber of THE THEATRE I have attem pted todescribe the first nig ht of L a Dam e aux Cam él ias at the Vaudevi l le , and n o w close these ram bling recollect ions by a brief reference to Theodore Barriere ’s best com edy , L e s F aux Bonshomm es

,produced at the sam e theatre , Novem ber 1 1 , 1 856 .

C ontrary to his usual habit,the author had in th i s i nstance devoted

m ore than ordinary attention to the construct ion of his plot butthere st i l l rem ained certai n i ncong ru i t i es , which a m ore practisedhand would have avoided . OldDuv e rt , near whom I w a s si tt ing ,wrig g l ed about d iscontentedly i n his stal l towards the close of thelast act.

“ I always m ainta ined,he whispered to m e ,

“ that Barriereresem bled the arch itect who i n bu i lding a house unaccountablyforg ot the s taircase . This t im e the staircase i s there

,but- where

a re the sta irs P

76 THE THEA TRE [AUGUST 2 , 1886.

A n O ld-W o rld Dra m a tist .

Bv MABEL E . Wo r'

ro x .

HE seventeenth ce n turv wa s pre-em inently the a g e of trag edie s ; and these trag ed ies , m oreover, were of strongdom estic interest , inasm uch a s they were furnished no t by the

a g e , but by the l ives of priva te individuals. I t m ay have beenthat poor Charles Stua rt se t this sombre fashion when he lo st hishead at \Vhiteha ll, and that our a nces tors , l ike ourselves , werefond of a pe in g royal ty ; but , be that a s i t m ay, i t is a n in

d isputable fact that there were fewer snug common -place l ive s ,a ndm ore de spe ra te and tra g ic ones , in Eng land in the se vente enthcentury than in any othe r . In the pol i t ical se e -saw for powerthat in barely twcn ty-one yea rs sa w a k ing beheaded , the rise andfal l of a republ ic , a nd the re stora t ion of the m onarchy , i t canhardly be thoug ht wonderful tha t, whi le so m a ny bodie s suffered .hearts ached in proportion but surely i t is so m ewhat noteworthythat l iterary m e n—m e n who were in no wise conce rned in wa rfare ,a ndm any of whom did not m ix in poli t ics—should not have beenone whit behind the rest in sustaining th is m ost unenviabl ereputation of the a g e . To thi s i t m ay of course be obj ected thatthe art of keeping a skeleton in o nc’s cupboard has not at allfallen into d isuse ; but , whatever m ay be the priva te woes of ourpresent-day dram atists and poets, they do not

, a t all events ,produce plays l ike “ Venice Preserved , and then d ie from theresults of s ta rvat ion , l ike poor O tway ; nor l ive neg lected l ike Abraham Cowley ; nor, ag ain, a re they starved l ike Butle r ; nor a re theyone year the talk of the town, and the ne xt left to die in a g utter,l ike Nathaniel L e e . A las, po or L e e ! No t even the m ost dashingof caval iers, as po rtrayed by the m elo-dram at ic stag e , could enterthe l ists wi th him w i th any reasonable hope of posing as the he roof m ore escapades or g reater vicissi tudes. “ The Pri nce ofDram atists ,” the Drunkard,” F ortune ’s Pa uper,”Dryden’ s Collaborator,” the Mad P0e t ”

;—these a re a few o f

AUGUST 2 ,OLD -WORLD DRAMATI ST. 77

the t itles and so ubriquets by whi ch we find him des ig nated atdifferent periods of h is l i fe , and they g ive us a tolerably clear ideao f the ups and downs that attended h is career . "Born at a t im e

when the g overnm ent wa s m ost firm ly assured , and , consequently ,a fa ir future wa s dawning for l iterature and the arts , L e e m a y bes aid to ha v e ~ fulfilled the old adag e of com ing into the world w i tha s i lver spoon in h is m outh . His father, a certain Dr. R i chardL e e , w a s the i ncum bent of Hatfield , i n Hertfordshire ; and here ,in the sober l i ttle country parsonag e , the boy passed the happiestyears of his l i fe . Dr. L e e appears to have kept no touch of theo uter world ; and when , at the end of 1665, his l i tt le ten-year olds o n w a s landed at Westm inster School , then under the care ofthe fam ous Dr. Busby, the chang e from the qu iet Hertfordshirel anes to the s t i l l plag ue-tain ted L ondon m ust have been s tartl ingi ndeed . Al thou g h Dr. Busby d id not possess the art of m akinge ducation parti cularly ag reeable to h is pupi ls , he certainly g o tthem on ; and in 1 668 (two years after the episode o f the g reatfire had probably driven the Westm inster boys hal f m adw i th excitem e n t) , young Na t L e e obtained a scholarship , and passed onto Trinity Colleg e , Cam bridg e .Here he shortly afterwards took h is BA . deg ree . So far

,so

g ood . F o r s eventeen years our young hero had played the ro‘ leo f G ood Bo y to the com plete sat isfaction of old L e e , who st il lw ent placidly on his wa y i n d i stant Hatfield , and who wa s st i l ldest in ing his boy for the Church . I n al l l ikel ihood these paternala rrang em ents would have been carried out i n due t im e , but fora n event which n o w occurred to upset for ever these carefully- la idplans . G eorg e V i ll i ers , Duke of Bucking ham , went down toC am bridg e on a vis i t , and wh i l e there , i n truly characterist i cfash ion

,he took i t i nto his head to do a g ood-natured act that

should cos t him noth ing , and forthw i th g ranted an interview tothe im portunate boy-student , who had addressed a set of versesto h is G race . The i nterview wa s a success as far as personalpleasure went . The j aded statesm an of forty-fiv e w a s am useda nd g rat ified by the young enthusiasm he had awakened , andL e e w a s naturally elated by the g reat m an’s kindnes s . When theDuke finally su g g ested that the young colleg ian should qu i t cap

The da te o f his b irth ha s be e n g iven indiffe rently a s 1653 a nd 1655, but the

g rea ter insig ht o f ev idence is in fa vo ur o f th e la ter ye a r.

78 THE THE/1TRE [AUGUST 2, 1886.

and g own and com e up to L ondon—the L ondon of M ilton ,Dryden , and the rest—as a m em ber of his o wn household , hi spro teg e

”

: g rat itude knew no bounds , and , fl in g ing all previousresolutions to the w inds, Na t L e e put an abrupt ending to thefirst chapter of his li fe,and went up to town in trium ph .

Alas for the innocence of young credulity l F o r Vill iers tointerest him self in a cleve r, brig ht boy, a nd to w i l e away the t im e

w i th his outspoken worship when he had plenty of hol iday leisurewa s one thing ; but i t wa s quite another to rem em be r even hisnam e when he wa s once m ore surrounded by his L ondon friends ,ordinary enjoym ents and cares . The utm ost h is patron ever didfor him wa s to introduce him to SirWi ll iam Davenant , and thenl eave him either to s ink or sw im by him self. A word or two a s

to this sam e SirWi ll iam , for , thoug h he died a few m onths afterL e e cam e to town , he treated the lad very g enerously, andcertainly did h is best for him . In 1656 Davenant had conceiveda brill iant idea . The puritan ical h indrances to theatrical perfo rm a nce s seem m uch to have re sem bled these w i th which o urMiddlesex m ag i strates hampe r the m usic halls of to-day so , i norder to evade the law and a t the sam e t im e to m ake m oney out ofa play of his o wn ,

Davenant opene d Rutla nd House,i n Cha rter

house Yard , for a strang e m edley of entertainm e nts he choseto dig nify by the nam e of operas . The G erm a n Reed ’s ente rta inm e n t i s m oulded on a som ewhat s im i lar plan ; and , doubtless ,people who were to o g o o d to be theatre -g oers throng ed then toRutland House , as they do n o w to St . G eorg e ’s Hall . But the

Restoration broug ht him be tter t im es , and he be cam e m anag er o fthe Duke of York ’ s players, who acted first i n Portug al Ro w ,

L incoln’s Inn F ields , and afterwards in Dorset Gardens . On e

clause in his patent i s espe cially interesting , for i n i t i s enactedthatWhereas wom en’s parts in plays have hi therto been actedby m e n in the habits of wom en , at which som e have takenoffence , we do perm i t and g ive leave for the tim e to com e that

a ll wom en ’s part be acted by wom en on the stag e . ”As a m atter of fact , there had been actresses on the stag e in

Charles the F i rst’ s t im e , but the ir appearance had g enerally beena m atter of personal influence , and this wa s the first t im e tha t itwa s m ade perm iss ible by law . Davenan t wa s also the first t ointroduce chang es of scenery. So he rea l ly d id a g reat dea l fo r

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80 THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886.

sweetness of voice wa s rem arka ble , and whose g enius l i tera l lyflam ed in his dark fiery eyes . Dryden would have helped him , a s

he assuredly did help him som e five years later ; the powerfulMrs . Braceg i rdle wa s sti l l al ive ; i n Bunhill F i elds the friendlyblind Milton wa s ever ready w i th advice a ndwelco m e for young erwriters ; a ndoutside these and such as these , were the bi g w ig s o fthe Court , whose patrona g e of a bo o k m ea nt a ctua l paym ent t oi ts author . But , no ; L e e wa s poor a ndproud , a nd m e n are thesam e a ll the world over . He wo uld force re cog nit ion instea d ofrequesting i t , and fired by this laudable i ntention , which wa saided no doubt by a pressing necessi ty for ready m oney, heturned his thou g hts to play-wri tin g , and in 1675 produced thetrag edy of Nero .” This wa s exce llently re ce ived , and the fac tthat it wa s the work of a lad of twenty m ade fickle fa shion atonce veer round a ndpro cla im Na t L e e a s a g en ius . A few pag esof G ibbon w i l l g ive the plot , so i t i s useless to t e -write i t here , butit i s noticeable that i t i s writ ten in blank ve rse , as indee d were thebulk of his later plays . He g e ne rally wrote (o r som et im es hadwritten for him ) the prolo g ue a nd epilog ue in verse , a nd the re isconstantly a rhym ed ta g to the text at the fina l e of a scene , as inthose plays of Shake spea re we a scribe as be l ong ing to hi s m iddleperiod , but the plays them selves a re i n blank verse . This isinterest ing , insom uch that only twelve years before there hadbeen a learne d controversy (sta rted by John Dryden in the dedication of his R ival L adies ” ) a s to the proper form i n whichto write plays . Shakespe a re ’s exam ple naturally did not countfor m uch in an a g e when every scribbler wa s at l iberty to adaptand alter him , and while Dryden arg ued that the dig nity of atrag ic play dem a nded rhym e as its proper vehicle of expression

,his opposers supported blank verse on the g round that i t m oreclosely resembled the prose of ordinary talk . I f the news of th isprecious arg um ent reached M ilton ’s ears , ho w the poet m ust havelau g hed in his s leeve as he thou g ht of the g reat blank verse poemwhich wa s shortly to see the l ig ht ! D ryden ’s opponents wo n theday, and , according ly, for the Spiri t of any a g e finds reflection i ni ts young er wri ters, Na t L e e , as reg ards form , wa s thoroug hly o fhis tim e .The sam e year that saw the product ion of Nero wa s after

wards fam ous as the date o f another play from the pen of a thene qually unknown , but perhaps even g reater writer . The earli er l i fe

'AUGUST 2 , OLD -WORLD DRAMATI ST. 81

of Thom as Otway had been i n a g reat m easure identical w i ththat of L e e . Both were the sons of country clerics , both hadbeen at publi c scho ols and then on to the univers ity, both hadtried an acto r ’s lot

,and both had fa iled . Then cam e a d ifference ,

for whil e L e e wa s being rapidly reduced to the last shifts of theluckless , the m ore fortunate O tway wa s doing soldier ’s work i nF landers . Back ag ain i n Eng land, he broug ht out his “ Alc ibiades , ” alm ost Sim ultaneous ly w i th L ee ’s Nero , ” bu t thou g hthe latter wa s the better rece ived , a secon d play by O twaytowards the end of the year wa s a g reater success than ei therfrom a m oney point of V i ew . L e e , how ever, wa s too busy to bej ealou s , and , indeed , i n those days when a run of th irty nig htswa s alm ost unprecedented

,there wa s l ess room for j ealousy

am ong st playwrig hts than at present , when a dram at ist ’s successof necess i ty bring s i l l- luck to h is successor , insom uch that i t i sretard ing the product ion of a n ew play. L e e wrote w i th enorm ou srapidity, and in the fo l low i n g year produced tw o m ore trag edies ,“So pho n isb a

” and - “ G loriana ” (m ore G ibbon) , and in 1677The R ival Queens ; or, the Death of Alexander ,” which wa sdest ined to be the m ost popular of his plays . F o r the benefi t o fthose m ethodical few who are fond of placing a wel l-known quota tio n , I m a y a s well here parenthet ically rem ark that the m uchm isquoted l ine

When G reek m eets G reek,then com es the tug of wa r,

occurs in “ The R ival Queens,and that i n its orig i nal form i truns

When G reeks j oined G reeks , then wa s the tug of wa r.

Dryden , who wa s by thi s t im e poet - laureate , wrote the p rolog ue,and i t wa s produced at the Theatre Royal . I t wa s dedicated t othe E arl o f M ulg rave—better known to m odern l iterature underhis later t i tle o f the Duke o f Bucking ham shire—and i ts g reatsuccess wa s i n no l i ttle m easure due to the g ood offices of thatg entlem an . Mulg rave wa s an o fficio us busy-body who , pridinghim self upon the refinem ent and exclus iveness of his taste , hadtaken upon h im sel f the task of reform ing the world o f letters , buthe m ade a g ood patron , and even wrote som e fai r verse . 'He

i s best rem em bered n o w by his absurd s trictures on Shakespeare’sm ethod , which had the m isfortune to displease him . He reconstructed “ Jul ius C aesar ” for the sake of preserv in g the unit i es ,

82 THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886 ,

and even altered va rious expressions which struck him as vulg a r.

F o r instance, Anthony’s declarat ion thatThe evi l that m en do l ives after them

The g ood is oft interred w i th their boneswa s chang ed by the pol ite lord into

The g ood is often burie d in their g ra ve s .Na t L e e wa s n o w at the zenith o f his fam e . He wa s universally popular both a t the the atre a nd i n the outside world , a ndhad b e chosen he could have been equally re spected . But , un fo r

tun a te ly, the t ing e of Bohem ianism which had m a de the futuredivine turn play-a ctor intensified in later l i fe , and w i th a ll hisg enius and w i th all h is power he wa s content to re ig n i n hell . ”H is favourite haunt wa s the Be ar and Harrow ” i n ButcherRo w ,on the Si te o f which part of the New L aw Courts n o w

stand . Butcher Ro w , a fterwards called Pickett Street , wa s a

very narrow thoroug hfare , running from Ship Ya rd to HolywellStreet , by the Side of St . C lem ent ’s Church . There , surroundedby lo w associates, would Sit drinking or m a king love to the roug hg irls around him ,

the m a n whose g enius had cause d Dryden toseek him as a prom ised colla borator in a forthcom ing play, a ndwhose love passag es a re m o re i ntensely bea uti ful than a re any ofhis contem porari es . We l ive in such a n a g e , When no one d iesfor love but on the stag e ,” were L e e ’ s o wn words , and he spokethem in som bre belief. I t se em s ha rd to belie ve that the fervencyand richness of his love-m aking were not due to a wom an ’sinfluence ; but i f Cha rles King sley’ s theory that lovers write thelea st personal love poetry be true , by inverted reasoning L ee ’

s verypower is but a further proof of the i solat ion in which he l ived .The collaborated play cam e off in 1679, and broug ht L e e the

friendship of Betterton,the actor who played the title r61e , (Edipus.

This event turned out well for them both , a s i n a ll L ee ’s futureplays he wrote a special part for Betterton , and the latter i nhis turn larg ely contributed to their populari ty . Betterton,by

the wa y, wa s the first actor who wa s sent to Paris by royalco mm and to see what he could learn from the F rench stag e , butw i th what results we are not told . This is a pity, as Betterton m usthave seen the wonderful M ichel Baron , besides m any othertheatrical celebrities , for th is wa s the t im e when the puri fyinginfluence of Cornei lle , Rac ine, and Moliere wa s m ost strong ly

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84 THE THEA TRE. [AUGUST 2 , 18863

thoroug hly in the fashion of the elder dram atist that he m u sthave been as fully im preg nated w i th the Shakespearean spi ri t a syoung I reland him self. In speaking of insults from princes , I tbreaks the very neck of loyal ty ” m ig ht be Ham let ’s o wn , and a sa further proof we m a y quote hi s apostrophe to F ear

When the sun sets , shadows that showed at noonBut sm all , appear m ost lo ng and terrible .So when we think fate hovers o ’ er our hea dsOur apprehens ions shoot beyond all boundsOwls , ravens , crickets , seem the watch of deathNature ’s worst verm i n scare her g o d-l ike sons ,Echoes

,the very leaving s of a voice ,

G row babbl ing g hosts , and cal l us to our g rave s .Each m ole -hi ll thoug ht swells to a hug e O lym pus ,While we , fantast ic dream ers , heave and puff,And sweat w i th a n im a g m a tio n

’

s weig ht .But thoug h he stole—o r, a s a plag iarist of tod ay would m oredel icately put it—thoug h he “ conveyed m ore ideas from the

imm ortal bard than he had any rig ht , to hi s honour b e i t sai dthat all the v ulg a rit ies i n speech , all the coarseness in phraseolog ythat we are taug ht to excuse on the g round that they a ppealed tothe g allery , find no reflection (w i th the exce ption of but one play) ,i n L ee ’s writ ing s . His plays de al ch iefly w i th the results ofbreaking the Sixth and seventh comm andm e nts , i t is true , butthen hi s characters were chiefly portraits

,and ne ither Nero ’ s

court nor the Bo rg ia s ’

,for i nstance

, wa s a nursery for m orals ;but , a s a dram at ic cri t ic naively told us the other day, weadm i re and study in associa t ion w i th a Rom an tog a theportrayal of such pass ions as we could not tolerate in connect ion w i th a dress coat , and any one who has read Morris ’ s“ Epic of Hades ” can read Na t L ee ’s plays . On e m ore quotat ion ,and one only , for a s a dying appeal from a m a n who hasbeen m ost foully w rong ed , there are few,

I venture to think , thatare finer or m ore pathetic in the whole rang e of l i terature . The

l ines are taken from the trag edy of M ithridates . ” Z ipha re s, hi sson , is m editat ing se t destruction in the horror of find ing hi sfuture w i fe , Sem a ndra , ha s becom e the m istress of his o wnfather. The g i rl ’s father vows that his o wn death shall fol lowthat of his royal m aster , and he i s thus answered by the heartbroken young prince

I would entreat thee not .l o u hast no sorrows that are past the sufferance

,

AUGUST 2 , OLD -WORLD DRAMATI ST. 85

And sure my flying soul would hang her w ing ,When She shal l feel thy weig hty death upon her .0 , Archila tis , l eave m e to my fate !I f thou m ust see m e fal l , I charg e thee l ive ,At least so long to tel l Sem a ndra of m e .

Bea r her som e token of m y i l l-starred loveWhich em pire could not w in to l ive w i thout her.Dip i n the blood which tri ckles from m y heartThy handkerchief, and bid her keep i t for m e

As a rem em brance n o w and then to m ourn m e .

Swear to do th is !Three m ore plays

,one of them being i n conj unct ion wi th Dryden ,bring s u s up to ’

84, when old Dr. L e e died . His poor son hadbeen verg ing on m adness for several m onths , and th i s news wa sthe last touch that wa s necessary . H is brain g ave wa y co mple te ly, and in Novem ber he wa s rem oved to Bethelem Hospital .I n those days the bu i lding stood on the north side of

‘

L ondonWall , extending from the present F i nsbu ry Pavem ent to thepresent Bloom field Street , and a g loom y enou g h place i t m usthave been . Here he wa s confined for three and a hal f years

,and ,not being dang erous , wa s apparently allowed to rece ive not onlyfriends , bu t strang ers who went to sat is fy thei r curios i ty w i th a

Sig ht of the m ad poet . ” On e of these visi tors , seem ing ly w i thout any idea o f the brutal i ty of h i s words , j oked poor L e e abou tthe am ple le isure he n o w had at his disposal , and added that i tm ust be very easy to write l ike a m adm an . L ee ’s answer wa sprom pt and to the point . I don ’ t know ,

” quoth he , m using ly,that i t i s very easy to write l ike a m adm an , but evidently i t i svery easy to talk l ike a fo o l. ” I n April,

’

88 , he w a s discharg ed ascured,and then com m enced a terrible hand to m outh strug g lefor existence . He w a s allowed ten shi l l ing s a week from the

funds of the Theatre Royal , but such a sum wa s not of m uch useto L e e , who , finding his late i llness had left him i n a weakenedcondit ion of m i nd and body, went back to his o ld haunts of dissipatiou

,i n the hope o f g oading his j aded w i ts to newer exert ions .

He took lodg ing s in Duke Street , L incoln ’s I nn F i elds , and hi snex t l i terary effort wa s “The Princess of C leves ,” the l ig htestand poss ibly the wors t of plays . I t i s a s easy to trace charac

t e ristics of which we are assured a s i t is to prophecy after theevent , and the work is equally ung racious, or i t would be nodiffi cult task to po int to passag es i n the play where the thou g htis so hidden in a cloud of words that it ’s m eaning i s often

THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886 .

obscured . This reproach , however , ca n hardly b e broug htag ainst h is next and , as i t proved , his l ast play . In the “ Ma ssa creof Pari s ” the im ag ery i s a s g rand a nd the la n g ua g e a s

fervent a s anything he wrote in earl ier years . I t i s a l tog e thera powerful play, a nd the character of Charles the Ninth, a lthoug hit i s hardly a faithful port ra it , i s at l east consistent a nd we lld rawn . The tone of the play is excellent , a nd the m o ra l of thewhole - the attendant evi ls of that big otry which ca uses theQueen-m other to ride her “ bloody ba rk, the Christian Church,to sai l on seas of ru in —i s em inently praiseworthy in a n a g e

when big otry wa s ram pant and m orals a t a discount . The

Bettertons and the fam ous Mrs . Barry were in the ca st , a nd i ti s pleasant to think that the last of L ee ’s th i rteen pla ys (wri ttenam id all the despondency caused by the knowledg e of a rapidlyapproaching and inevi table dea th) , wa s a s successful a s the

m aiden effort he had produced when a boy of twenty. He

l ing ered for rather m ore tha n a yea r , and then , i n the w inter of1691

-2 , cam e the end . He wa s reel ing hom e o n e nig ht throu g hC lare Market , when his foot Sl ippe d in the snow a nd he fell tothe g round . Unable to rise , and too shattered inconstitut ion t oendure the pierc ing cold , he so o n died of exha ust ion , a nd wa s

shortly afterwards buried in the parish church of St . C lem entDanes, at the side of hi s fri end a nd brother-dra m a t ist

, O tway .No t race of his g ra ve rem a ins . His o wn l ines on dea th m usthave recurred to the m em ory of the very few who were left tom ourn him , when they heard ho w poor Na t L ee ’ s l i fe had ebbedaway—unwatched a nd uncared for under the w intry skies

Death is not dreadful to a m ind resolved ,I t seem s as natural as to be born .

G roans and convulsions,a nd discoloured faces ,

F riends weeping round us , blacks , and obsequ ies ,Make death a dreadful th ing . The pom p of deathI s far m ore terrible than death itsel f. ”

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88 THE THE/I TRE . [AUGUST 2,1886.

Sdeath an insult cried a com rade , g rasping a t h is ba yonetI

I ’ve not had my fi ll of fig hting ! would you Spurn our sweethea rtsThey—the bonniest g irls i n En g land ! \Vhy, you chicken -hea rt edchurl ,I would spit you wi th my bayonet , i f your death would pl ea se my

g i rl !And another rose in an g er, a ndhe showe d his g ory knife ;Bonnier g i rls than sweethea rts , fellow ! \Vhy, that lie wo uldend thy l i feI f my sweetheart a sked m e do i t But the soldier lay a t res t ,Andhe sm i led upon the kni fe-blade , and the bayonet a t his brea stThen he Slowly rose in Si lence , and he fi l led a bum per g lass,Here ’s a bonnier g i rl to drink to , i f She ain ’t a bonnier lass ,

Spit m e w i th your ba yonet , m essm a te ! stick m e ,com rade , w i thyour knife

Here ’s—my Mothe r ! she who nurse d m e—re a red m e—love s m e

g ave m e l i fe !SAMUEL COW/m

, M.A.

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90 THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886 .

Din e ley G o o de re and Captain Sam uel G o o dere , R .N Mrs . F oo te ’sbrothers

. So bitter had becom e the feeling between the brothe rs ,that the baronet,who wa s unm arried and a l i t tle ecce ntric i n h i s

ha bits, had cut off the entai l of the fam i ly estate in favour of h i ssister’s issue,to the e xclus ion of the captain , who , i n the w inter of

1741 , paid an unex pecte d visi t to his brother i n Bristol , a nd

ostentatious ly affected a re concil ia t ionw i th him , ha ving previo uslyarrang ed that on the very nig ht of the i r m eet ing a press-g a ng ,partly selecte d from h is o wn sh ip , the Ruby m a n -o f-wa r, andpartly from the Vernon privatee r , should se ize a nd hurry SirJohn into a bo at a nd co nvey him ‘

to the purser's cabin i n theRuby ,” then lying i n the Kin g ’s-roa d . The a ffai r wa s a rt fullyarrang ed to look l ike a pract ice co mm on eno ug h in tho se da ys , but ,unfortunately for the ca pta in ’ s pla ns , i t wa s ove rdo ne . Suspicionwa s directed ag ainst theca ptai n by reaso n of his publi cly-a ct edrecog nition , a nddam ning evide nce ca m e from one of his crew,

who saw ,throug h a crevice in the ca bin , two of the Ruby ’s ”

worst ruffia n s st ra ng le the strug g l ing vict im . This w i tness a l soswore , in confirmat ion of the e vide nce of o the rs who hadw i tnesse dtheir co mm a n der ’ s wa tch o utside the do o r a t the t im e of them urde r and his subse que nt sudde n disa ppea ra nce i n side , that ina bout a m i nute a fter the m urder he saw a n a rm stre tched out a nda wi nk hand about the throat of the decea se d g entlem an . Capta inG o o de re protested tha t he had n o share i n the m urde r, whi le hi sfriends would ha ve defended him o n the plea tha t the act wa s notthat of a sa n e person , but i t i s sa t isfacto ry to be able to relate thatth is bru ta l brother wa s dese rv edly hang ed for thecrim e which ,by its double issue , broug ht o urwit a substant ia l fortune .To return to Oxford . Young F oote entertai ned his friends wi thhi s m im icry, and wa s wi tty a s wel l as im pe rt inent to the pom po us

Provost G ower, a m ost pronounced peda nt. F oote being calledbefore him one day for a reprim a nd , arm ed him sel f w i th a hug edictionary and assum ed an ai r of g ravity and subm i ssion . On the

doctor beg inning i n h is usual m anner wi th a terribly long word ,F oote so lem nly opened the dictionary , pretended to find the word ,after, w ith g reat form a l i ty, beg g ing pardon for interrupting thedoctor, and then said , “ Very well , sir, n o w plea se to g o on ."Obviously such a state of affairs could not be allowed to la st lon g ,and F oote quitted colleg e in 1 740, the th ird yea r of hi s un derg radua teship . His exi t wa s a li ttl e helped by the fact tha t

,after

AUGUST 2,

SAM UEL F OOTE . 91

a n i nterval of g aiety at Bath , he wa s found flam ing throug h Oxfordin society wh ich

,to say the least of i t , w a s rather quest ionable,

a ttended by two footm en , and w i th a ridiculous quanti ty of lacea bou t hi s clothes .

‘

F o r al l this he left colleg e , we are assuredw i thout any publ i c censure . Com ing to L ondon , he entered as

a student of the I nner T em ple , frequented the G rec ian andB edford taverns , where his ready w it m ade him the m ostw elcom e of g uests , and underwent som e startl ing vicissitudes .A t o n e t im e we find him l ivin g i n g reat style at CharltonHou se

,once the fam i ly seat i n Worcestershire . Here he enter

t a in ed his old schoolm aster, who , am azed at the extravag antSplendour i ndulg ed in by hi s quondam pupil , wa s m oved to askhim ho w m uch it m i g ht cost . F oote answered that he did n o tthen know ho w m uch i t m ig ht cost , bu t he certainly soon Mo uld

k now ho w m uch i t would bring , an antic ipat ion doubtless soonreal ised

,for we next hear of F oote im prisoned for debt i n the

F leet,where he suppl ied the w it , m i rth , and j oll i ty, a com panion

readi ly g iving him i n exchang e for hearty lau g hter a copious m ealo f turbot

,venison

,and claret .

The s triking characterist i c of F oote ’s hum our lay in i ts re adin ess . Whatever the occasion , he wa s never found want ing . I tw a s im poss ible to put him out . He wa s in terrupted one even ingi n the m iddle of one of hi s bes t stories , at the table of a m a n ofrank

, when som e one , thinking to d isconcert him , sa id,with an ai ro fm ost p rofuse apolog y, I b e g your pardon , Mr . F oote , but yourhandkerch ief i s hal f out of your pocket . ” Thank you

,s i r

,sai d

F oote , replac ing i t , you know the com pany better than I do ,and finished h is story . Mackl in wa s once com pos ing h im sel f forone of h i s solem n lectures,when a buzz of lau g hter from a g roup

a round F oote reached his ears . Wel l , sir, ” he said , “ you seemt o be very m erry there

,but do you know what I a m g oing to say

n o w P”

No,sir

,repl i ed F oote “

pray ,do y o u P

”

On e nig ht afters upper one of the party assai led him on account of his i ndulg encei n personal sat ire . “ Why, what would you have ?” exclaim edF oote , I take off all m y friends , but I use them no worse thanm ysel f, for I take m ysel f o ff also G adso l ” repl ied h is co mp anion , that I should l ike to see , whereupon F oote took up hisha t and left the room . No one

,

” i t ha s been said , could soprom ptly overthrow an assai lant so qu ickly rebuke an avarice orm eanness ; so effectually abate and dissolve any i g norant pretenceNEW SERIES—VOL . VI I . H

92 THE THEATRE [AUGUST 2, 1886 .

or affectation. Why do you attack my weakest part ?” heasked of one who had raised a lau g h ag ainst what Johnson callshis depedita t io n . Did I ever say anything about your head

D ining w i th a thrifty Scotch peer who d ispensed his port in thesm allest of decanters and g lasses , the while he descanted upon itsexquis i te g rowth and a g e , “ I t is very l i tt le of its a g e , ” said F oote ,holding up his dim inutive g lass . Being i n com pany w i th Hug hKelly

,who wa s boasting of his enorm ous powe r as a reviewer ofdistributing l i terary reputat ion , Don ’t b e too prodig a l o f it , ”quietly rebuked F oote , or you m a y leave none for yourself.

Well , F o ote , ” said the foolish Duke of Cum berland , com inginto the g reen-room of the Haym arket Theatre one nig ht , hereI am ,ready to swallow al l your g ood thing s .

”Really , wa s the

reply,your h ig hness m ust have a n excellent d ig estion , for younever bring up any ag ain . “ Why are you for ever humm ingthat air he asked a m a n who lacked the sense of tune . Because

i t haunts m e .

” No wonder, ” said F oote , “ you a re for everm urdering i t . Much bored on o n e occas ion by a pom pousphys i cian at Bath , who hadconfide d to him tha t he had a m ind topubl ish his poem s , but had so m any irons i n the fi re that he didnot know what to do , “ Take my advice , doctor ," said F oote ;put your poem s where your i rons are . ” None knew better thanF oote the disadvantag e a t which he wa s frequently placed w i thduller m e n by the exuberance of hi s hum our, and there is m uchSig nificance in his rem ark to young O ’

Ke e fe Take care o fyour wit , ” he said, bottle up your w it . His rebuke to R i chwa s severe , but well deserved . The Covent G arden m anag erhad been address ing him curtly as M ister . Perceiving thatF oote wa s annoyed , he apolog i sed , saying : “ I som et im es forg etmy o wn nam e . ” I am astonished that you could forg et youro wn nam e , ” said F oote , “ thoug h I know very wel l you cannotwrite i t .F o o te

’

s theatrical career dates from 1744. He had run throug htwo fortunes , and , not caring to earn a l ivelihood a s a hang er-o nto tavern society, he turned to the stag e for support . He consultedhis fri ends, the celebrated am ateur actors , F rancis Delaval ,afterward the baronet , and his brother, L ord Delaval , and Othell owa s fixed upon for F oote ’ s first appearance . G arrick and Mackl inhad quarrelled , the latter w i thdraw ing to the l i ttle wooden theatrein the Haym arket , where he wa s prevented by the L i cens ing Act

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94. THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2,1886 .

fam i l iar to the audience , he wa s applauded to the echo . F ooteseized upon and exag g erated C arrick ’s idea . Mere m i rth i nG arrick becam e cutt ing sarcasm in F oote “ the l icence G arrickhad confined to the theatre

,F oote carried wi th keener a im beyondit the bad actors on the m im i c stag e he kept in countenan ce by

worse actors on the real one he lau g hed al ike at the g rave publ i ctransact ions and the flying absurd ities of the day ; at the debatesin Parl iam ent , the failure of the rebels , the follies of the qu idnuncs ;at polit icians,play-writers

,players ; and a s , flash upon flash , the

m errim ent arose,F oote m ust have felt where in all respects his

real streng th lay, and that there wa s a vacant place in the theatreshe m ig ht by rig ht take possess ion of, a g round to b e occupiedw i thout rival or com peti tor . ” The last nig ht of his perform anceat Drury L ane wa s in Apri l , 1746 . F oote then occupied him se lf in

draw ing up his schem e . H is actors included NedShuter, L e e ,and Mrs . Hallam . On Apri l 22

,1 747 , he opened the Haym arket

Theatre w i th a concert , followed by a n ew entertainm ent , calledThe Divers ions of a Morning ,

’ to which w i l l be added a farcetaken from The Old Batchelor, ’ entitled ‘

The C redulous Hus

band,

’

F o ndlew ife by Mr . F oote ; w i th an Epilog ue to be Spokenby the B—d—dC offee House . To beg in at 7 . The theatre wa scrowded , and F oote proceeded to lash all public charac ters . His

notoriety thus early drew the town , and his clever m im i cry conv ulsed the house . The firs t perform ance had not ceased beforehe w a s dubbed , erroneously enoug h in m any respects , the Eng l ishAristophanes . The actors imm ediately took up arm s ag ainstF oote , to whom they appl ied the L i cens ing Act , w i th the result thaton the second nig ht a s trong detachm ent of constables from Bo wStreet drove away the audience as they approached

,leaving “ the

laug hing Ari stophanes to cons ider of n ew ways and m eans forsupport . ” The considerat ion did not occupy him long . The firstperform ance wa s on Apri l 22 the theatre wa s closed on the 23rd,and it wa s opened ag ain on the 25thw i th the fol lowing invitationMr . F oote beg s the favour of his friends to com e and drink adish of chocolate w i th him and ’

tis hoped there w i l l be a g reatdeal of Com edy and som e j oyous spirits ; he w i ll endeavour tom ake the m orning s a s diverting a s poss ible . ”Thus defying the law ,

F oote proceeded in his plan . He sparedno one in his ridicule . Dr. Burnaby, a notorious physician,less

remarkable for profess ional em inence than for the oddity of his

AUGUST 2,SAM UEL F OOTE . 95

pe rsonal appearance and m eddlesom e nature ; Cheval ier Taylor ,a quack ocul ist of w ide repute and indisputably bad character ;Cocks, the auctioneer Orator Henley ; Sir Thom as de Veal , thej ustice of the peace these, and m any other noted persons of theday

,cam e i n for censure . The D iversions

,

” orig inally g iven atnoon , were afterwards held i n the evening , when Mr . F oote ’sTe a

” becam e a prom inent theatri cal attract ion . He had an offerfrom Covent G arden the follow ing w i nter , and there he g ave h i sD ivers ions , ” tog ether w i th Bayes and F o ndlewife . The m onthof March , 1748, ag ain b roug ht out F oote at the Haym arket , thea dvert isem ents announcing that This evening , at h is auct ionroom , late the l ittle theatre i n the Haym arket , Mr . F oote w i l le xhibi t a choice collect ion of pictures

,

”&c. So choice d id the

collect ion prove that i t w a s exhibited fi fty t im es before the closeof the season

,and proved the attract ion of the opening of the

w inter season . F oote becam e firm ly established at the Ha y

m arket, where , by h is o wn unaided efforts , his ready wit , and hi s

m im ic ry, he accom plished the unparalleled feat of keeping thetheatre open for the g reater part of th irty years—from 1 747 to 1 777'

Despite F oote’s unceasing ridicul e of G a rrick ’

s weaknessh is self-doubt and h is hab it of thri ft

,which bordered close upon

parsim ony— a cordial friendship existed between the tw o playersWe al l know the story of G arrick watching in ag ony the wast ingcandle which he wa s not able to save because a g uest of couseque nce prevented him from taking the “ th ief out . Anotherstory w el l i l lustrates G a rrick ’

s reputat ion where m oney wa s concerned . At the Chapter Coffee -hou se F oote and h is friends werem aking a contribution for the rel ief of a decayed player, who wa snick-nam ed the Captain of the F our Wi nds because his hat wa sworn into four spouts . Each person dropped his m i te into thehat as it wa s held out to him . I f G arri ck hears of th is , ” saidF oote , he w i l l certainly send us Iris hat .F oote had a sm al l bust of G arrick placed near h is bureau .Yo u m a y be surprised , ” said he

,

“ that I allow him to be sonear my g old— but , you w i l l observe , he ha s no hands .

”Another

story is told of an announcem ent at one of F oote ’s dinner parti es ,when G arrick w a s am ong the g uests , of the arrival of Mr .G a rrick ’

s servants .

” “Oh, let them wai t , cried F oote , “ but ,

J am es,be sure to lock up the pantry .” A g ain , G arrick and F oote

96 THE THE/1TRE . [AUGUST 2 , 1886.

were leaving the Bedford one nig ht , when F oo te , who had beenthe entertainer,dropped a g u i nea on pull ing out h is purse to paythe bill . Im patient at not imm ediately finding i t , he exclaim ed ,

Where can i t be g one to Gone to the devi l ,” repliedG arrick, who had been searching everywhere for the coin . Wellsaid

, David ,” rejoined F oote ; trust you fo r m a king a g u inea g ofurther than anybody else .”F oote ’ s hum our carri ed everything be fore i t. While at the

Haym arket he ran throug h a third fortune , a nd g o t into financia ldiffi cult ies . I n these straits he l istened to the proposa l of abrewer , who , i n cons ideration of his larg e social posit ion , offeredhim a share i n the concern i f he would recomm end the beer to hisfri ends . But the be er becam e so bad tha t the servants at a certa i nhouse resolved to drink i t no m o re . Knowing F o o te ’

s connect ionw i th i t and his g reat influe nce w i th their m aster, they were at aloss ho w to procee d in the ir resolut ion . At leng th they fixed Upona l i ttle black boy to del iver their m essag e to the m aster of thehouse on a certain day . I t so ha ppened that F oote wa s din ing a tthe house on the appointed daywhen the boy

, who se rved at table ,wa s so delig hted w i th F o o te ’

s g oo d s tories , bri lli ancy, and g rimacethat he went downs tairs a nd said , Thi s i s the finest m a n I haveever seen . I w i ll not del iver your m e ssag e . I wi l l drink h is sm a l lb e erfi

’

(To beco ncluded in o ur September number . )

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THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2,1886.

And the voices, louder call ing ,Wi th a potency enthral l ing ,In the burden of their song ,L i ke discordant bells a -ring ing ,In his ears a re ever s ing ing

L i fe i s short , and Art i n long !G o d, Thou knowest ho w ,

for ever,Wi th a strong and true endeavour,I have toi led for Thee and Art 1

L iving years of self-denial ,Years of bi tter cross and trial

,

Weary bra in and aching heartF o r a m om ent once I faltered ,Andmy purpose would have altered ,F o r she pleaded so to m e !

C loser, closer then she nestledWhi le w i th in my bosom wrestledL ove and Art for m a stery !

All i n vain wa s thy appea l ing ,E lsie ! who , be fore m e kn eeling ,Bade m e turn from Art to L ove .

Even thee I le ft unheedingShe , in bitter g rief exceeding ,Passed from Ea rth to re alm s above !

Throug h what pang s and dread ordeal ,Striving for my soul ’s ideal ,Ever I aspired on

But, ti l l n o w , my g rasp eluding ,Visions brig ht my soul deluding ,Never on the canvas shone .

Ti ll , at last I se e the g low ingVis ions on the canva s g row ing ,G row ing ever m ore a nd;m o re .

And, while yet the daylig ht ling ers ,Eag erly my aching fing ersG uide the pencil o ’ er a ndZo ’

e r.

But a w ild,a dread m isg ivingI n m y bosom ha s its l iving

Sti l l a vo ice w i thin m e criesAll in vain li fe ’ s long endeavour,

AUGUST 2 ,HRS L ONGA VI TA BRE VI S . 99

On that canvas never , never,Perfect shal l the vision rise !’

G entl e L ord in thy perfect ion ,Se e m e i n my deep dej ect ionL e t m y toi l b e not in vain

Streng then Thou my fai l ing powers ,G rant m e but som e further hours ,F ree from weakness , free from pain

AS th is prayer the art ist ended ,Peace upon his heart descended,Sleep upon h is senses fel l !

And he sees from Heaven ’s portalCom e a m esseng er im m ortal ,C lad i n robes of Asphodel

And,a s nearer cam e the vision ,

He could se e , w i th al l precis ion ,That the face wa s a s his o wn ;

H is the form , round which the vestureSoftly clung , and , w i th a g esture ,Spake in voice of sweetes t tone .Whi le the sound of Ang el s Sing ingI n the art is t ’s ear is ring ingSweetly ring ing , soft and lo w

And the breezes , wafted overR ip

’

n in g fields of purple clover,Kiss the s leeper ’s weary brow .

I a m com e,

s o spake the vis ion,

C om e from happy realm s elys ian,

G ranting all thy prayer doth ask .Sleep thou on , oh weary m ortal !I a m com e from Heaven ’s portal

,

To com plete thy l i fe - long task !T o the easel then advancing ,By a touch the whole enhancing ,Perfect g rew the work of ArtWhi le the art ist , eag er g az ing ,Sees the m i racle am az ingWi th a w i ldly beat ing heart

[ 00 THE THE/1TRE . [AUGUST 2, 1886 .

Scarcely to his senses tru st ing ,Open w ide the latt ice thrust ing ,To his g rey-haired m aster cri esTell m e , i s this but a vis ion ,F i endish spo rt of Hell ’s derision ,That appears before my eyes ?

L ong the Master stood—and , g a z ing ,Uttered not a sound of praising ,G iving neither word nor s ig n

Then,at leng th , i n accents broken ,

Words w i th trem bl ing awe were spo kenThis i s work of hands Divine

Soft the breezes , wa nd’

rin g overF rag rant fields of purple clover ,Stole into the painter’ s roomKissed the brows of snowy whiteness ,Kissed the eyes

,around whose brig htne ss

Gathered shadows of the to m bSweetest sl eep his eyel i ds clos ing ,

Peacefully he l ies repos ingAs he m urm urs words of prayerWhile her nam e , so often uttered ,By his l ips i s fondly m uttered ,VVa fted on the summ er air .

L oud he hears throug hout h is dream ing ,Mus ic , sweet , trium phant , stream ing ,Hears his o wn fam i l iar nam e

Sees , i n robes of ang els wearing ,

E ls i e ! and her hands are bearingGolden laurel wreath of F am e

L ove ha s crowned the art ist,lying ,

W i th a wreath of F am e,undying

While a wondrous voice D ivineC alls from Heaven ’s o p’

n in g portalEnter at the G ates Imm ortalL ove and F am e a li ke are thine

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102 THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2 , 1886.

fulfil the axiom , F ia tcxperz’

m mtum in co rpo ra vilz'

. Those who do notfondly cherish the mem o ry of “ Chilpéric,” “ L e Pet i t F aust,” andL

’CEil C revé ” had well-n ig h forg otten the existence of such a composer

a s M . L ouis Herve. Those who do must n o w reg ret that his reputat ion in th is country wa s n o t allowed to rest on the early successes inquest ion ; i t is not pleasa nt, after being to ld that an old favouri te iscom ing to the fore ag ain with somethin g far superior to anything heha s ever produced, to find instead that what insp irat io n he had ha s lefthim , a nd that l i ttle of the former p iquancy a nd charm remains behind .The music of F rivol i is , save at rare momen ts , un o rig inal, comm o nplace and dull . Especially notab le is the weakness of the co n certednum bers, the absence o f a sin g le well-developed finale in the course o fthree acts, and the ent i re lack of vari ed colour or device that characterise s the in strumen ta t ion. Auber, indeed ! Why, L eco cq , Planque tte,and Audra n have g iven us scores appro aching infini tely nearer than thisto the level of the compo ser who wrote L e Domino Noi r a nd Le s

D iamants de la Couronne .” But, comparison s a part , F rivol i ” suffersfrom that worst of drawbacks in a n opera of its class—a pauci ty of tuneful ,ca tch in g m elodies. The fi rst ac t is part icularly badly o ff in th is respect .The chorus of the watch

,

“ Whilst the town is sleep in g ,” and that ofthe g irls, “ As throug h the fields we stray, ” are sl ig ht ly effect ive ; b utthe duets between the Duke a ndDuchess and the Chevalier a nd Rosellaare utterly un in teresting , wh ile F t ivol i ’s couple ts, “ Voici la Penteco te,

"

are a s feeble a s Rosella’s subsequent ballad is wan tin g in ori g inali ty.Much better than these is F t ivoli ’s so n g in the second act , “ Happythoug ht ; the theme is piquan t, a nd it ha s a pret ty accompan iment inim i tation of the mandol ine . The mus ic of the ballet and chorus tha tco m e later is by far the best in the Opera . The clever l ines of the dril lchorus, Shoulder arm s,

” are se t wi th some skill , two well-contrastedthemes being here broug h t in to comb inat ion . Striking also are th e wal tzin a minor key, and the brig ht concluding g alop . But the quintet thatfol lows is poor stuff, wh i le the Count’s son g in the last act , F ortunefrail , chan g eful maid ,” owed more to M r. Thorndike’s art istic renderingthan to a ny musical meri t of its o wn .

Such are the salient features o f M . Herve's share in F rivol i . I n

speaking of this before dealing wi th the story, I have reversed theproper order of th in g s, but i t matters l i ttle, seein g that that story playsa very in sig n ificant part in the consti tution of the p iece . On the fi rstnig ht of its performance I failed, in common with many others, to makehea d or tail of the plot . Since then,however, the prun ing -kn ife ha s

been l iberally used and several improvements have been int roduced ,with the effect of increasing the briskness and interest of the act ion .I t is n o w possible to follow wi th tolerab le facil i ty the prog ress of theevents that connect themselves in some fash ion with F riv o li’s career,from his b lunders a s valet to the Chevalier de L ig ny and his usefulpranks a s an Austrian recruit, to his final identificat ion , on amazing lysl ig h t evidence, a s the long - lost so n of the Duke di Beg on ia. The

dialog ue ha s been considerably altered , b ut I cannot perceive in the

AUGUST 2,

OUR [ MUSI CAL -BOX. 103

fre sh “ jokes a vast advance upon those that were there before . I t ispalpable that none of them emanate from the cul tured and refined brainof Mr . Wm . Beatty-K ing ston , who ha s wri tten the lyrics w i th a deg ree oftaste and skill wh ich cannot be too warmly recog n ised . In having to fi tEn g l ish words to music already composed he wa s saddled with a m ostdifficul t and un g rateful task ; so much the g reater, therefore, the credi tdue to h im for supplyin g rhyt hmical verses in wh ich poet ic fancy and akeen sense o f humour enjoy perfectly free play. Some of the sent im ental ” l ines are really charmin g , wh ile K rumm b e in

’

s son g and thesolo stanzas for the leaders o f th e watch are in the best G ilbert ian vein .

As reg ards the performance i t wi l l obv iously be fairer for me to Speakof th in g s a s they are than a s they were . F rivol i ” n o w g oes wi th nol it tle sp iri t and en tra in ,

the performers have fallen into their parts, a ndthey not only do themselves just ice b ut play more into each other ’shands . Madame Rose Hersee, albei t not well sui ted to the t i tle- ro l e,enacts i t wi th unflag g in g an imat ion and conscient ious a rt. Miss Mari e

Tempest shares with M r . Thorndike the vocal honours of the repyese n ta tio n ,

and next to these must rank M r. H . Walsham , who is fa r

superior, al ike a s a sin g er and an actor, to the g en tleman b e rep laced .Miss Emily So lde n e and Miss Kate Munroe make the m ost o f thei ropportun i t ies in parts of secondary importance. Upon M r. HarryNicholls a nd M r. Robert Pateman ch iefly depends the comic in terest,and th is they sustain with p raiseworthy vi g our a ndeffect . M r . Nicho lls’sappearance in the second act , from wh ich he wa s orig inally wi thheld,tends to make th is more than ever the l ivel iest section o f the opera .The chorus is except ionally numerous , comely, and efficien t ; theorchestra capab le of do in g just ice to a much more exig en t task t hanM . Herve ha s allotted i t . A word of eulog y for M r. Oscar Barrett, theab le conductor, and there remains on ly to speak of the g lorious m ise enscéi ze , which , I protest , is beaut iful enoug h to rescue from indifference aweaker musical dramat ic product ion than “ F r ivol i . ” The ballets ares imply exquisi te ; taste more admirab le than ha s been shown in theeleg ant des i g ns of the dresses , thei r delicate t ints , the g roup in g a nd

m ovements of the dancers, i t would be impossible to imag ine .HERMANN KLEIN .

Two or three concert s deserv in g of record in th is p lace took p lacedurin g the last few days of Jun e—after the comp let ion of mymonth ly musical budg et—notab ly that of Madam e Sz a rvady, a g reat andg oodp ian ist , formerly well - known to the L ondon pub l ic by her maidenname of Wi lhelmina C lauss . Th irty- four years have elapsed since shem ade her a

’

ébut in th is metropol is, at a t ime when Arabella Goddardreig ned (a s a p ian ist) in our concert - rooms wi th undisputed sway ; andthe youn g Bohem ian lady made so deep an impression upon En g l ishmusic- lovers by the intell ig ence and poet ical feel in g wi th wh ich sheinterpreted the immortal works of Bach and Beethoven , a s well a s by acertain passionate impetuo si ty that characterised her rendering of techn ica l difficul ties, tha t soon after her first appearance in publ ic o ur musical

104 THE THE/1TRE . [AUGUST

dz'

letta n ti took arms, so to speak, under the respective banners of C laussa ndGoddard, and wag ed a s eag er a fact ionary wa r throug hout two o rthree seasons a s that wh ich subsequently broke up many fam ily t ies ando ld friendsh ips in Berl in , when the rival claim s to operat ic supremacy ofPaulin e Lucca a ndMath ilde Mall in g er were fiercely disputed, n i g h t afte rn ig ht, by their partisans on the Opernplatz . I n 1 852 Wi lhelm ina Clausswa s the p e t o f Par is, and every wh i t a s popular in L o ndon a s She hadbeen three years prev iously, when a quain t l i ttle g irl of fifteen , at L eipziga ndDresden . Berl ioz del ig hted in her playing , wh ich b e pronounced tobe distinc tly in form ed by g en ius ; a nd o ur o wn g reat p ian ists, SterndaleBen nett a nd L indsay Sloper, a s I wel l remember, spoke wi th unb o undedenthusiasm of her ext raordinary musical ity, accordin g to her hi g h ran kamong st the most g ifted executants of a period when L iszt wa s in thezen i th of his g lory, and Thalberg numbered his disciples by tens o f

thousands . In short, the sensat ion created in musicalcircles th roug houtEurope byWilhelmina Clauss wa s unco mm o n ly keen a nd v ivacious, a ndmaintained i tself w ithout the leas t abatement durin g the five years whichcomprised her starrin g career a s a p ian is t . In 1 857 she m arr ied M .

Sz a rvady, a Hun g arian painter or sculpto r— I am n o t certain which ofthe two—and practically ret ired into private l ife , al thoug h she ha s overand over ag ain Since then been publ icly hea rd in connection wi th worksof charity. This year i t ha s ag a in been the priv i leg e of En g l ish musician sto l isten to her admirable (playin g , which , i f i t ha s lost som e of its oldfluency a nd impetuosity, is even m ore in terest in g , in at leas t one important respect , t han i t wa s th irty o dd yea rs a g o . Madame Sz a rvady n o wdisplays a breadth of style a nd a ripe intellectuality of in terpretat ion tha twere lackin g to her perform ances in the storm and stress days of herh i g h - sp iri ted youth . Beethoven ’s inim itable “ Moo n l i g ht Sonata ” ha shad no more thoug htful and sympathet ic exponen t for many years tha nthe g ifted art iste who played i t on j une 29 at Lady Cowper’s ; nor is i tpossible to imag ine a nyth in g at once more del icate a nd forcible than hertrendering , on that occas ion , of Schumann’s fanciful Carnaval ,” in thesubtle humour of wh ich Madam e Sz a rvady man ifestly revelled. I rej o iceto learn that she intends to g ive a series of R F . Recitals next season atSt . James’ s Hall, and feel sure that musical L ondo n wi ll accord to herthe cordial welcome due to her g reat deserts.

Miss Olson , of the Royal Academy, whose morning aftern oon alsocame o ff in the last week of the leafy m onth , is a p ian ist of pro m ise, wel lversed in a comprehensive n ‘perto ire of standard p ianoforte works by celeb ra ted com posers. She ha s been well taug ht , ha s studied assiduously,a nddeserves unstinted encourag ement . Her playin g of Mendelssohn’sflorid F antasia in F Sharp Minor wa s especially excellent . Madam eThea Sa nderin i’s ma tz'n e’e musz

'ca le , always an ag reeable “ even t of theL ondon season , took place at St . James’s Hall on j une 28, a ndwa s wel lattended by many g reat ladiesc'cpa r le ma de . The talen ted bénéfia ’

a z’

recontributed three song s (two by Si g nor Denza) to the entertainmen t,besides taking part in several concerted p ieces. Among st the art istes by

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106 THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2 , 1886 .

is the outcome of a rare and surprisin g comb inat ion of natural g ifts andin defat ig able cul tivat ion . The p i ty of i t wa s that so few of thoseamong st us who are fully qualified to appreciate i t were g atheredon the n th and 17th inst . to l isten to i t . Were L ondon society really a smusical a s i t pretends to be , the hall in wh ich tho se adm irab le entertainm en ts were g iven would not have been larg e enoug h to con tain theaudiences that would have flo cked to its doors in respon se to Sig norinaBarb i ’s publ ic announcem ents. That such wa s n o t the case is a g ravereproach to th is m etropol is. The inim i ta ble vocalist , I should men tion ,wa s ably supported by Sig n or Cesi , who performed wi th remarka bleversatil ity a larg e number of p ianoforte mo rfea ux , including wo rks byF re sco b a ldi, Scarlatt i, Mart in i, Boccherini and Clement i , Couperin andRameau , Handel , Bach , Graun , Beethoven , Mendelssohn, Schumann,Chop in , L iszt , Rub instein, He n se lt and Thalberg .

Twice durin g the past m on th Madame Patti-Nicol in i san g at theAlbert Hall , and once she appeared on the boards o f Drury La ne in thecharacter of Rosina for the benefi t of her old friend a nd impresa rio ,Colonel James Ma ple so n . Need I say that She fi lled the hug e amphitheatre a t Kensing ton and the capaci o us nat ional theatre wi th throng s ofhe r enthusiast ic adm irers , or that her sing ing a nd actin g were a ll thatca r a ndeye could desire them to be ? I tro w not ; for the whole musicalworld knows what she can do , a nd she ha s never done i t better than oflate

,her voice being in superb form and her charm s of appearance a nd

m anner no less fascinat ing than they were a quarter of a century a g o .

Sig nor Nicol in i, too, sustainedthe florid pa rt of Almaviva wi th all his oldverve, sp irit , and vocal flex ib i l i ty, and Sig no r de l Puente sang a ndactedF ig aro to g eneral adm i rat ion . On July sth, Mdlle: Pacin i g ave a“ m orn ing concert ” (in the afternoon , of course) at Mrs. ReubenSasso on’s , a ssisted by an unusually strong cast ofdrawing -room voca l ists ,each one quite first-class of his or her sort . Haydn ’s famous Canzonetwa s sun g with i rreproachab le taste by Madam e Marshall , a n ewly imported o rnam en t to L ondon concert-rooms. I n duets by Mido r andL e n epveu, Madam e C o n n e a u a nd M . de Soria aroused a very g enuinea nddemonstrat ive en thusiasm in their audience , al thoug h its predo m in at in g elements were rank and fash ion , which in th is country are accust o m ed to observe a ph leg mat ic attitude towards the performances ofmusical a nddramat ic art istes . The be

’

n efia a z'

n played brill iantly in conjunction with Sig nor Alban esi , the daint iest of contemporary p ianistsa ndMesdames Ba re ty a nd Marion , and M . Pierre Berton of the ParisVaudeville, varied the entertainmen t most ag reeab ly by their excellentperformance of a Sparkling l ittle F renchco me'dz'e dcsa lo n . On the 8th ul t .Mdlle. Therese Castellan’ s annual concert came o ff wi th g reat ét la t atL ady Go ldsm id’

s townhouse, the spacious salons of which were crowdedby wealthy a nd disting uished musical amateurs, attracted by the wellestabl ished reputat ion of the concert g iver a s a first-class viol inist, andby a very interesting a nd judiciously arran g ed prog ramm e . Severalartistes of co nsp icuous merit to o k part in the entertainm ent, the most

AUGUST 2,

OUR MUSI CAL -BOX To 7

salien t feature o f which, however, wa s Mdlle. Castellan ’s delig htfulp layin g , dist in g uished from that of so m anyco n tempo ra ry.

v io lin -soloistsby her feathery l ig htness of touch and charmin g del icacy of accent .No t that her p layin g is deficien t in breadth or impressiveness ; o n thecontrary

,her co up d’a rchez‘ is masculine in its vi g our, a nd her tone

superb . But i t is above al l her dapper phrasin g that m ore part icularlyrefreshes the ear and sat isfies the judg ment , bein g , a s i t unquest ionab ly is ,the dainty o flsprin g of hig h ly fin ished tecfim ’

que and keen musical in te llig ence . Mrs . G i lbert Campbell (née Ellen de F o n b la n que ) sangOrpheus and his Lute a s no other l ivin g chamber-vocalist can sin gthat enchan t in g composi t ion ; Eric L ewis convulsed his hearers wi thlaug hter by his quaint del ivery of a musical sketch ent i tled Son g a la

m ode Eug ene Oudin , who ha s ach ieved a g reat musico- social successthis season in what the immortal De L a Pluche wa s pleased to styl e“ the hupper suckles, displayed his fine bari tone vo ice in p leasant laysby Sullivan and Bizet ; l i ttle Galeott i played some thin g aston ish ing lydifficul t by Saint-Saens Miss Ell iott and Miss Myers san g a few of myfriend Benza’s son g s , t he name of wh ich is leg ion ; and Mdlle . Thenardand M . Mayer performed the g ay l i ttle say n éfe L e C o llectio n eur ” wi threfresh ing sp irt and frivo l i ty. Everybody present wi th whom I spoke o nthe subject o f the entertainmen t said that they had never spent a Julyafternoon in L ondon more ag reeab ly.

At the Novel ty Theatre, on the ra th and 1 6th ult . , were g iven twom eri tor ious performances of an orig inal En g l ish opera , in four acts,called F lorian ,” the book ” of which is byD. L atham and the music byIda Wal ter. The cast wa s a stron g one, includin g Miss Griswold, M r .Ben Dav ies , and Miss Burg on the orchestra wa s ably conducted by theChevalier Ganz ; and the opera wa s prett ily se t, mounted, and dressedMiss Walter possesses the melodic g ift, and wri tes very pleasan tly for theinstrum ents . Several of her vocal numbers are very pretty and takin gI may m ention in particular the son g “ H o w L ovely is the G leeman ’

s

L ife (Act excel lent ly rendered by M r . Dav ies Under the L indenTrees (Act Miss Griswold’s ab ly- sung 5010 ; L ove is but Vain ,”a ballad assig ned to Mr. Davies Ah Why to dim ” and “ All

m ay Dance (Act two tuneful di tt ies, well g iven by Misses Griswolda ndD ickerson and a robust drink in g -son g , L e t the F east be C rowned,vi g orously declaimed by M r . Max Eug ene, wi th a refra in m aficeur . Thereis not much plot in F lorian ,” a nd some of the verses appertain ing to itsl ibretto would be stron g er were they unsparin g ly pruned of confusedimag ery a ndinapt adject ives. But on the whol e the work does some credi tt o those concerned in its construct ion and product ion alike , a ndwa s verywarmly received by audiences of a h ig h ly intellectual and art istic character . I sincerely wish Miss Wal ter success in her further efforts to enrichour nat ional store of lyric dramas . She , at least, wri tes org an ic tunesn o t endless m elodies and we shouldbe g ra teful to her for direct ing herinsp irat ions so wisely.

NEW SE I E S—VOL . V I I I .

108 THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2,1886 .

Amon g st the musical pub lications for warded to me in the course of thepast month were a n ew song by Si g nor G . Ga rib o ldi, called “ Morrod’Am o re ,

” a pretty li ttle sto m e llo , wh ich oug h t to achieve a fair drawin groom success ; a simple and plaint ive sett in g of Lord Byron’s words,“ The Kiss, Dear L ove,” by Countess Ali Sadowska, proving that th isg ifted lady can compose cleverly a s well a s sing a nd reci te in a dozenmodern lang uag es ; “ That Word of Words,” in which a cha rm in gm elody by Mr. W. F ullerton is deftly fitted to Miss Madg e Dixon ’

s

unsoph isticated verses ; a nd four son g s by Sig nor An g elo Samue lli,respect ively int ituled “ Aubade,

” " No L on g er," a nd“ Yo u Know ”

(the last two publ ished by Asche rb e rg and C o .,Reg en t

Street), a ll of which are tuneful a nd well-wri t ten for the voice. “ No

L on g er ” and Aubade should becom e popular, i f they m e t with theirdeserts. I have also received three very beautiful photo g raphs of MissEllen Terry from M r. Barraud, ta ken quite recently, a nd especiallyremarkable for their l ifel ike resemblance to the act ress whom all theworld adm ires, a s well a s for the unconvent ional character of the accesso rie s introduced into each p ictu re. These port raits accurately repre sen tM iss Terry “ in her hab i t a s she l ives ," and are, on that a ccoun t, sog enerally interest in g to v o taries of a ll the a rts that I need not apolog i set o the readers o f THE THEATRE fo r squeezin g a brief m ent io n of themi n to my Musical -Bo x .

WM . BEATTY-K INGSTON.

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1 10 THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2,1886 .

o n e word of explanation would se t matters rig ht , but Mrs . Nancy wil l notallow i t until the play ha s been produced . At leng th the eventful nig htarrives, the play by Nancy a nd her distracted C o . is a g reat success,a ndamong the m ost enthusias tic of the audience is her husband, Mr.T ippy Brasher, who overwhelm s the autho ress wi th bo uquets . Then a llends happ ily in a somewhat conven t ional fashion. I t shouldbe saidalsothat o ldGriffin g ha s a daug hter who wishes to m arry a m il i tary m a n ,

wh i le her father desires her to espo use a youn g swell, or dude," a s NewYork slan g ha s i t, but the affai rs of these peo ple arouse on ly a lan g uidinterest. The shortcom in g s o f the farce would be m ore apparent in thehands of less experiencedplayers than the m embers of M r. Daly’sco mpany, b ut a s p layed by them i t is undoubtedly amusin g . M r. Daly’scom edian s have been sa id, a ndwi th som e justice, to be what the F renchcall a tro upe d’

em emble, a ndthey certain ly p lay tog e ther adm irably, wi thequal Sp irit a ndfin ish . Miss Ada Reha n's Nancy Brasher is a very brig hta nd efl

'

ective bi t o f sta g e work . and she is the cen t re of interest whenever she appears . Mrs . G . H . Gi lbert ha s very li ttle to do a s an o lda un t who is cal led “ a species of safe deposit company fo r fa valua blen iece,” but She does that l ittle very neatly. Miss D reher a ndM iss Kin gdo n are capab le represen ta tives o f M r. Griffin g s niece a nddaug hter, whileMessrs . D rew and Skinner play with sp iri t a s the lo vers . M r. G i lbert’sT ippy Brasher m ay be heart ily co mm ended, a ndM r. Parkes, thoug h hepo ssibly overdoes the imbecili ty of the “ dude ,” is very amusin g . The

part of old G riffin g is cap i tally acted by M r. James Lewis ; the characte ris a hackneyed one , but the co median ’

s method makes i t seem almostn ew to us . Nancy a ndCompany ” wa s received wi th much laug htera ndapplause, but o ne wo uld l ike to se e this ca p i tal co mpany in a playm o re wo rthy o f their abilit ies.

H. SAV ILE CLAR KE.

AUGUST OUR OllfNI BUS-BOX. I I I

®ur ®mntbus=lBo r

The sum mer season of 1 886 w i ll be remembered am ong st m anyo ther pleasan t thing s for tha t ag reeable inter lude when Hen ry I rvingwen t down t o Oxford a t the reques t of the Vice -Chancellor t o lectureo n t he D rama to the members of that ancient and hosp i table Un ivers ity . This , i t w i l l be remembered , is the thi rd t ime that the populara c tor ha s discu ssed his ar t in the p resence of a U n ivers i ty audience .The fi rs t occas ion w a s some years a g o a t T r in i ty Col leg e , D ublin ,whose g raduates and underg radua tes were amon g M r . I rvin g ’

s m ostcordial and s incere adm i rers . The second time w a s at HarvardUn i vers i ty

,dur in g M r . I rvin g ’

s second Am e r ican t our and the thirdwa s at Oxford , at the n ew U n ivers i ty Schools i n the H ig h Street .I t is a m istake t o suppose that the She ldo n ia n Theat re w a s eve rrefused for the pu rposes of M r . I r v ing ’

s lec ture . H e mig ht have a pp e a red t here had i t not been con s idered that t he handsome n ew Univers i ty Schoo ls w a s a more fi t t ing p lace for the br i l l ian t as sembly tha twa s cer tain to g ather t og ethe r to do honou r t o this m ost respec teda nd g eneral ly popular ar t is t . I t is qui te certa in that nothin g couldhave been be t ter manag ed . M r . I rvin g w a s the g ues t of M r . Jowett ,the Mas ter of Balliol , and the then Vice -Chancellor of t he Un i vers ity,and w a s by him and the Un ivers i ty P roc tors and the leadin g headso f houses escorted t o the rost rum , from which he lec tured to o n e ofthe mos t rep resentative audiences that could have been selected fromthe U n ivers i ty . All prej udices w ere put as ide , and al l did theirutmos t to m ake the occas ion dig n ified and notewor thy . The lecturei tself

,a s ou r readers very well know— for i t is pr inted and is , of

course,in t h e hands of all dram at ic student s , and safely s tored o n the

shelves of all dramatic l ibrar ies—w a s an in teres t in g and eloquen ts ummary of the l ives of the fou r celeb rated actors —Burbag e , Bettert on , David G arr ick , and Edmun d Kean . The in terest of t he subjectw a s prog ress ive and the a t ten t ion of all w a s keen ly stimulated un t i lthe very end . As t o the man ner of the del ivery of the lecture therei s no need t o speak . I t w a s in M r . I rving '

s very best and most characte rist ics tyle . But few expec ted the trea t t ha t w a s to fo llow . T o

the surp r ise of eve ryone,M r . Jowet t , in his vote o f thanks t o MrI rvin g , indulg ed in an eloquen t and in teres t in g defence of t he drama .I t w a s

,i t is needless t o s tate , lear ned , app rop r ia te , and scholar ly.

This done , the Vice-Chancellor int roduced his “ young fr iends , ” a s

1 1 2 THE THEA TRE . [AUGUST 2,1886 .

he called them , and the leading represen tat ives of underg raduate lifein the m at ter of li terature , art , t he drama , and athlet ics , presen tedMr . I rv ing publicly w i th an i l luminated address extoll in g his m er i ts ,and a l ife of Shakespeare , handsomely bound , a s a keepsake . Thencame t he cheers that a re on ly heard w i t h such force and earnes tnessat public schools or Un ivers i t ies , and the in terest ing even ing cam e toan end . Dur ing his v is i t to Oxford M r . I rv ing wa s hosp i tably enterta in ed a t several of the Colleg es , and had an opportun i ty of at tendingo n e of the celebra ted Sunday evening concerts at Ball iol tha t o wethei r success t o the dominan t i nfluence of Mr . Jowett and the art is t icenthus ia sm of M r . John F arm e r, who ha s left Harrow and its p leasant associa t ions to ident ify him self w i th Oxford and Univers i tylife .Surely a g reat deal of exag g era ted and i rreparable nonsen se ha sappea red in several Amer ican papers concern in g the recept ion of

several compan ies of Am er ican ac tors and a rt ists in L ondonAccording to t hese Si lly commun icat ions a L ondon theat re wouldappear to be a kind of bear-p i t echoing w i th savag e g row ls , and w i th fairp lay cons is ten tly denied to a ll a rt is ts who are not of Eng l ish orig in .All this is absolu tely and palpably un t rue . The excellent comedycompany of M r. Daly ha s from the very fi rs t been received w ithm arked courtesy and unusua l en thus iasm . I do n ’ t believe there is as ing le mem ber of M r . Daly ’ s com pany who would endorse one isolatedword that ha s been spoken concern ing the unfai rness of En g l ishaudien ces . I should very much like to know in wha t count ry in theworld they are l ikely t o p lay t o m ore appreciat ive and enthus iasticpeop le , t han have welcomed them at the St rand exact ly a s theywelcomed them tw o years a g o a t Toole ’s Theatre . M r . D ixey andhis compan ion s were taken for exac t ly wha t they were worth . Theycame w i th a bad , rubbishy p lay and a clever young ac tor . The p laywa s condemned , a s i t deserved to be , for i t w a s t rash t he act or hasbeen app lauded and feted , extol led and w r i t ten abou t even ext rav a g a n tly, althoug h his g reat success w a s m ade in an im i tat ion of oneof t he mos t respected actors in En g land . M r . D ixey’

s I rving im i tat a t io n is talked about everywhere . Peop le have been to the G aie tyto se e tha t and not the p lay called Adonis , ” which w a s al l very wel lI n I ts w a y, bu t wa s found unpalatable here

, where that k ind of aimless,formless , and w i t less burlesque ha s been done t o death . But surelyt here ha s been no need t o s t retch internat ion al courtesy by prais in gentertainm en ts that have no s tanding or charac ter in thei r o wn coun try .Why should L ondon p layg oers be asked t o g o and se e what is in trins ica lly fool ish and art is t ically bad . I t is not enoug h in L ondon t op lacard an American company i n order to draw a crowd . Bu t g oodAmerican art is a s welcome here a s is t he art of any coun t ry undert he sun . Send us a Jefle rso n , a Salv in i , a Bernhardt , a Hading , or aD elaunay, and We are not l ikely to rej ec t them because they are n o t

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1 14 THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2 . 1886 .

Sig nor C ristofaro is an excellen t m andol in is t , and the m os t interes t ingi tem s of the concert were tw o m andol ino sol i , g iven for the fi rs t t im e .Bolero ”

(De C r istofaro) is an effec t ive p iece ; bu t the n ew valsearrang ed by him on De n z a’

s charmin g song , Under G reen L eavesis especially p leas in g , and proved a g rea t succes s exceeding ly wel lp layed and accompan ied by Sig nor Denza , it g ained a hearty encore .The on ly other encore dur ing the afternoon wa s reaped by De n z a

’

s

Good Morrow .

" I t wa s n icely sung by Miss Adele Myers , bu t itwa s m ost eviden t that i t wa s t he song which the audience wanted t ohear ag ain i t is pret ty and uncommon . Ma rechia ro ,

” by Tos t i ,also deserves a special word of commendat ion this Neapoli tan son g ,which ha s a ll t he character o f Arab music , is ve ry g ood and pretty ;i t wa s sun g by Sig nor F inell i de Vallet ta . This , l ike the s trains ofthe m andol in e (an ins t rum en t m uch loved by the Arabs) found afi t t in g hom e in the beaut i ful Moor i sh Hall , whe re the concert tookp lace . Mas ter Cesar ino G aleot t i g ave som e excellen t p ianofortep layin g ; and t he other art istes were Mdlle . Dufour , Madam e TheaL a ude rin i , Sig nor E rba , and Sig nor Ro m ili . The a t tendance wa sg ood ; the audience eviden t ly p leased w i th thei r afternoon ’ s enterta inm e n t .

All who a re o ff for thei r hard -ea rned hol idays should pu t in thei rpockets for lig ht reading “ The R iver of L ife , a L ondon rom a nce ,by John L atey, j unior , the clever so n of the accom pl ished and ve teranpoet and edi tor of “ The I llust rated L ondon News .

" I t is j us t thebook to beg uile a long railway journey, or t o put in the pocke t whenidling on a se a -s ideclifi' in summ er wea ther .Our photog raphic port rai ts this m onth represent L ady Monckt onin the character of the injured w ife in Sir Charles Young ’

s p lay o f“ Jim the Penman , and those exceeding ly clever p layers fromAmer ica , M r . James L ew is andMrs . G i lbert , in “ A Nig h t -The

n ew D ru ry L ane drama w i l l‘be produced before the end of Aug us t .Many ofour readers w i l l be g lad to know tha t when the reg ular season a tt he Haymarket commences in September the par t of Jam es Rals ton ,

a lia s Jim the Penman,w i ll be ac ted by M r . E . S . W i llard , who ha s

severed his long connect ion w i th M r . Wi lson Barrat t .New p lays produced , and importan t revivals , in L ondon , theprovinces , and Par is , from June 2 2 to July 20, 1886

(Revivals are marked thus? )LONDON

June 29“ Frivo l i . Co mico pera, in three acts ; lyrics by \Villia m BeattyKing s to n mus icby Herve’ . Drury L a ne Thea tre.Ca ug ht . Co medy, in three acts ; adapted by Stanislaus

C a lha em a nd The Ro yal Berkshire Reg iment . ” Drama, in o n e

act, by H . T . V a n L a un a nd Fel ix Rém o . Comedy Theatre .

(M a tinee— Sing le pe rfo rmance . )

AUGUST OUR'

OMNJBUs -BOX. 1 15

June 28July 8

14

I O”

Hazel Kirke.” D o mesticdrama , in fo ur acts, by Steel Mackaye .Va udevi l le Theatre . (Matinee—first perfo rmance in L o ndo n .

The L ittle Pilg rim .

” D rama , in tw o acts , ada pted fro m Ouida’sTwo L ittleWo o den Sho es ,” b yW. G . Wi l ls a nd L ife’s Martyrdo m .

”A tra g edy, in o n e act ; by A lfred C . Ca lm o ur. Criterio n

Theatre . (Matinee—sing le perfo rmance. )Na ncy a ndCo .

” Farcical play, in fo ur acts ; adapted a nd a ug

m e n ted fro m the German, by Aug ustin Daly. Strand Theatre.(Firs t perfo rmance in L o ndo n . )Nel l ie’s F l ig ht .” Co medy , in three acts by SutherlandEdwards

a nd Brando n Th o mas . Crys ta l Pa lace . (Matinee—s ing le perfo rm a nce .)

PROV INCES

Hel ter Skel ter . Farcical play, in fo ur acts b y IVa lte r Bro wn .A lexandra Theatre, Sheffield.

“ The G o ld Sla ve .” Drama , in five acts ; by T . G . Barclay.Theatre R o yal , L o ng to n .

“ Bank Ho l iday. C omedy-drama , in two acts ; by Herbert B.

C o o per . Prince o f Wa le s Theatre , L iverp o o l .

PAR ISL e Vo yag e en Chine, co mico pera in three acts

,by MM .

Eug ene L abiche a ndA lfredDe laco ur, musicby M . Fra nco is Bazin .

Chateau d’

Ea u .

I f)" L e s Rameaux,” by M . Faure . Chateau d’

Ea u .

22

22”

23it

25

12"

L a So rt ie de Saint-Cyr , ” co medy in o n e act , by M . Eug eneV e rco n sin . Theatre Francais .

Zai re ,” trag edy in five acts , by Vo l ta ire . Theatre Fra ncais .

L ucie de L ammerm o o r, ” co micOpera in fo ur acts b y D o nizetti .Chateau d’

Ea u .

“ L e s Hemmes qui n e fument '

pa s ,”co medy in o n e act , by M

.

Gast o n-Pe lo ux . Menus-P lais irs .

“ L e s F acheux,” three-act co medy in pro se, by M o l iere . TheatreFrancais .

“ L e s Bo ttes , vaudevi l le in o n e act,by M . V ict o r K erva in

Chateau d’

Ea u .

“ Martha , ” o pera in fo ur acts a nd s ix tableaux, l ibretto by M .

de Saint-Geo rg es a ndmusicby F l o to w . Chatea u d’

Ea u .

“ L e Vieux Capo ral , ’drama in five acts , by MM. d

’

En n ery a nd

Dum a n o ir. Ambig u .

“ D o n Pasqua le , ” co mico pera in three acts , l ibre tto by MM. A .

R o yer a ndG . Va e z , musicb y D o nizetti . Chateau d’

Ea u.

1 16 THE THEATRE . [AUGUST 2. 1886 .

De a r L a dy D isda in .

Wha t my dea r L a dy D isda in. a re yo u stil l l iving ? —SHAEBSPEARE.

I .

HE’

S a sweet l i t t le damsel of twenty,A mixture of sadness and fun ;

Of lovers I know she ha s p lentyTh is sorrowful rhym er is one.

And i f upon me she ’d take p i ty,My hig hes t delig h t I ’d a t tain,F o r I

’

m bu t a clerk in t he C i ty,And She is—dear L ady Disdain .

I know very well she ’ s above m e ,

As far a s the sun or the moon ;T o think such an an g el could love m eWould be far to o m uch of a boon .I f I w rote her a n amorous di t ty,She ’d burn i t , I know , in a flam e ,

F o r I'

m bu t a clerk in the C i ty,And she is—dear L ady Disdain .

I I I .I think of her when I a m wr i t in gOr po r ing o ’er som e leg al fla w ,

When Blacks tone my eye is invi t in g ,She com es betwixt m e and his la w.I dream over pag es of Chi t ty,T i ll to shut up the book I a m fain ,

F o r I’

m but a clerk in the C i ty,And she is—dear L ady D isdain .

lV.

Alas ! this sweet d ream ing is idleI t is for the moon t hat I Sig hThe bells r ing aloud for her bridalW i th one who is r i cher t han I .Yet she is so dainty and pret ty

,

That Queen of my heart she m ustTho

’ I ’m but a clerk in the C i ty,And she is—dear L ady D isdain .

F ERGUSW . HUME.

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x18 THE THEA TRE . (Sun . 1 , (886 .

Between the Parts o f the Concert wi ll be presen ted, g ra tis . A celebratedH istorical Play (neverperfo rmedhere) called

CHARL ES THE F IRST ,

The Chara cters to be dressed in An tien t Habits, accord in g to the fa shio nof th o se t imes.

The part of King Charles, Mr . Jones ;Duke of Richm ond, M r. Siddon s ;Marquis of L indsey, M r. Salisbury ;Bishop Juxon , Mr. F owler ;G eneral F airfax , Mr . KembleColonel I re ton , Mr. C rump ;

Col o nel T o m l inson, M r. Hug hesThe part of Ol iver Cromwell , M r. Vaug han

Serva n t, M r . ButlerJames Duke of York (afterwards K ing o f En g land),Mas ter J . KembleThe Duke o f Gloucester (Kin g Charles’s yo ung er So n ),Miss F an ny Kemble

Serjean t Bradshaw (Judg e of the pretended Hig h Court of Just ice) ,M r . BurtonThe Youn g Princess El izabeth, Miss Kemb le

La dy F a irfax , Mrs . Kemble ;The Part Of the Queen , M rs. Vaug han .

Sin g in g between the Acts by Mrs . F owler a ndMiss Kemble.To wh ich wil l be added a Co medy, called

T H E M I NO RAndon Saturday next , the I 4th inst . , wil l be ag ain presen ted the above

T rag edy. with a F arce that will be expressed in the Bi lls for the day.

The days of Performa nce are Mondays. Thursdays, a ndSaturdays .

John Kem ble,then about ten years old , i t w i l l b e' noted , wa s

described here as Master J . Kem ble , but in a few weeks becam eMr . Kem ble . ”No probationer cou ld have worked harder, and went throug hsuch privations , but the seventeen years ’

g rind ing of provincialp ract ice he enj oyed wa s of the m ost s i g nal and valuable use .This training , alas m odern actors seem

,in the future

,never

destined to benefit by .WORCESTER , April r6th, I 767 .Mr . K ELI BLE’

S Company of Comedian s .

At the THEATRE at the KING ’

S HEAD , on Monday even ing next, bein gt he 20th of Apri l in sta nt, wi ll be performed a CONCERT of MUSICK , t ob e g in at exactly half-a n -hour after six o’clock. Tickets to be had at theusual places. Between the parts of the Concert will be presen ted, g ra tis,a celebrated COMEDY, called

SEPT . 1 , 1886 ] F I RST APPEARANCES . 1 19

THE TEMPEST ; OR THE I NCHANTED I SL AND .

(As a lteredfrom Sha kespea re by Mr . D ryden a ndSir W. D’

A vena nt.)Wi th all the Scenery, Machin ery, Musick , Monsters,

a nd otherDecorations proper to the p iece, ent irely n ew.

Alonzo (Duke ofMantua), M r . Kemb le .Hyppo li to (a Youth who never saw aWoman) , M r . Siddon s .

Stephano (Master of the Duke’s Sh ip) , M r. Kemb le .Amph i tri te by Mrs . Kemb le .

Ariel (the Ch ief Sp iri t) by Miss Kembl e .AndMilcha by Miss F . Kemb le .

The performances wi l l Open wi th a Represen ta t ion of a Tempestuous Se a(in perpetual ag itat ion ) a nd Storm , in which the Usurper ’s Sh ip isWrecked ; the Wreck ends wi th a Beaut iful Shower of F i re . —And thewhole to conclude wi th a CALM SEA , on wh ich appears Neptune , Po e tickG o d of the Ocean , and his Royal Consort Amph it ri te , in a Chariot drawnby Se a—horses, accompan ied wi th Mermaids, Trito n s, &c.I n his early days , J ohn Kem ble , the g i fted brother of a g i fted

s ister , wa s of a form al , but w i thal correct , safe tem peram ent,nei ther l ikely to succeed , nor to fail g reatly . He showed very m uch

the sam e steady perseverance , that b iding of one ’s t im e , ” and confide nce i n oneself, which is one of the g rand elem ents of Sig nal succ ess , and which so disting uishes the g reat actor of our day, HenryI rving . L ike his s ister, he wa s trained in a s troll ing corps , and onthe boards of sm al l provincial houses , s o that he m ade no form alfi rst appearance , nor challeng ed a leg i t im ate publi c verdict unti lhe cam e to L ondon . H is first serious trials

,however

, were on theboards of the Sm ock Al ley Theatre i n Dubl in . He m ade a veryg reat sensat ion , playing a round o f Characters , and , therefore , hisvarious n ew reading s and scholarly i nterpretat ion excited thecurios i ty and adm i rat ion of the j udic ious . There arose m uch discussio n over young Mr . K em b le ’

s i nterpretat ion,and the im pression

h e m ade travelled before him to town . When the tim e , therefore

,cam e for his attem pt i n L ondon , he wa s cons i dered to be aplayer whose abi l i ty wa s sufficiently recog nised , and there w a snoth ing i n peri l . Hence , his firs t appearance had none of the

rom ance and uncertainty which waited on others of the kind .The nig ht w a s Septem ber 30, 1783 , and the play chosen wa sHam let . The bil l wa s a s fo l lows

BY H I S MAJ ESTY’ S COMPANY,At the THEATRE ROYAL in DRURY LANE ,

Th is presen t TUESDAY, Septemb er 30 , 1783

120 THE THEA TRE . (Sun . 1 , 1886 .

H A M L E T(As o rig inally wri tten by Shakespeare) .

Ham le t, by M r . Kemble(F ro m the Theatre Royal, Dubl in , bein g his fi rst Appea rance upon thi s

Stag e).Kin g , by M r. Packer ;Horatio, by M r. F arren

Polon ius, by M r. BaddeleyLaertes, by M r. BarrymoreOsrick, by M r . R . Palmer ;

Rosencran s, by M r. Phillim o re ;G uilden stem , by M r. Wil liams ;Ma rcellus , M r . Wrig hten F rancisco, M r. Wa ldron

Gravedig g ers, by M r. Parso n s a ndM r . Burton ;And the Ghost , by M r . Bensley ;

Ophel ia,by Miss F ield ;

Player Queen , by Mrs . Hedg esAnd the Queen , by Mrs . Hopkins.

To which wil l be addedT H E Q U A K E R .

Lub in, by M r . Sue ttSo lo mon , by M r . Parsons ;Easy, by M r. Wrig hten

AndSteady , by M r . StauntonGill ian , by Miss F ield ;C icely, b y Mrs . L ove ;

AndF loretta ,by Mrs . Wrig hten .

Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr . F osbrook at the Stag e Door.The Doors will be openedat HAL F after F I VE o’clock ,

T o beg in at HAL F after Si x . Viva n t REx ET REG INA .

There wa s no tum ultuous success or acclaim ing of a n ew g loryfor the stag e . I t wa s felt that they were in presence of a welltrained and well -g raced actor , j udicious , and who m ade every stepsafe before he took it . John Taylor wa s present , and noticed thealm ost laboured character of his perform ance—whi le m ost of thecritics dwelt on the abundant n ew reading s , which were reallythe feature of his perform ances , to sa y nothing of certain oddities ,such a s “

A lee—tle pipe , ” and the “strucken deer . ” He wa s

pronounced on the whole to be a very painstaking and interest ingyoung m a n,of g entlem anly and even handsom e presence , thoug hhis courtes i es were too elaborate . Wi th this m odest beg inningset in the career of this rem arkable perform er, who wa s des

tined to have an extraordinary influence on the Eng l ish stag e ,

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1 22 THE THEA TRE . (Sun . 1 . 1886 .

stru g g le ag ainst adverse fortune, the house sinking g ra dually intoa worse and worse condit ion of debt and em barrassm ent . I nthe year 1829. m atters had becom e alm ost desperate . There wa san enorm ous debt of about f no one attended to see theplays for paym ent , and in two m onths the unprecedented num berof eleven thousand orders were issued l According to Mr . Bunn ,

the g a y m anag er , who w a s of rather epicurea n tastes , did notdistress him self as to the disastrous state of the enterprise ; nordid he abridg e his pleasures . He and his fam i ly a re describ ed astaking the ir daily rides in the Park . I n the m idst of th is pressurehe set off to fulfi l an eng ag em ent in Dubl in , l eaving hi s w i fe andhis dau g hter , a brig ht , handsom e , and interest ing g irl , behind himto look after the theatre . The latter noted her m other’s g rowingdepression a s the da ng ers and di fficulties increased . F annyKem ble wa s then a brig ht and thou g htful creature , w i th a Sing ularpower of i nteresting people . She had already , by correspondence ,reading , and study , created a l i ttle world for herself, and nearlyevery one She m e t wa s i nterested in

,and w i shed to se e ag ain , thedau g hter ofCharles Kem ble . A few years a g o ,when g rown a veteranlady

,the m em ories of these old days cam e back upon her and

prompted her to take up her pen and record thei r impression .

This she has done in a charm ing ,vivacious , and picturesque

style .I t wa s in the autum n o f 1829, she tells us , that the affairs ofthe theatre cam e to a cris i s . He r m other com ing i n one daythrew herself into a chair and burs t i nto tears . Oh ! i t has com e

at last , she cried , our property is to be sold ! She describedho w she had seen the walls covered w i th placards and bill s of sale .A distraint , i t seem s

, had been put in for the King ’

s taxes , andi t Shows ho w utterly denuded the resources of the establishm entwere , when m atters had com e to that pass . These am i able wom enonly fel t for the hum ble creatures who were dependent on thetheatre . There were over seven hundred persons em ployed

,bes ides

an arm y of supernum eraries eng ag ed on special occasions , and thethoug ht that these poor people would be turned adrift w i thoutem ploym ent distressed them exceeding ly. Sei zed w i th a sort o fterror the young g i rl tried to com fort her m other, and w i th m orea fl

’

ect io n than know ledg e of the world wrote to her father by thatpost beg g ing him to let her g o and earn her bread a s a g overness . This schem e seem ed to sug g est an idea to the m other, who

Sm F IRST APPEARANCES . 123

next day asked her didShe think she had any talen t for the stag e .I could only answer w i th as m uch perplexi ty as g ood fai th , thatI had not the sl ig htest idea whether I had or not .He r m other beg g ed of her to learn som e part and say i t to her,and F anny chose Port ia , and recited i t . Mrs . Kem ble , however ,thoug ht there wa s not sufficient pass ion i n the character to be atest , and su g g ested J ul iet . He r dau g hter pat iently learned thepart by heart

,and reci ted i t , wh i le her m other a g ain l istened

w i thout m aking cri t i c ism . But her father had n o w returned , andone evening the young g i rl wa s asked to stand up before themboth,and recit e her Jul iet , which she di d “ w i th i ndescribabletrepidation . ” They nei ther of them said anything , ” the Sim ple ,unaffected narrat ive g oes on , beyond Very well , very nicely,

m y dear, ’ w i th m any ki sses and caresses , from whichI escaped to si t down on the s tairs , and g e t rid o f thesuppressed nervous fears I had strug g led w i th ; al l which wa sdone

, a s i t i s told , i n a natural , unaffected wa y, w i th the w ishof doing som eth ing to please her parents . But n o w wa s to com ea surprise . The parents j udicious ly said nothing to her on thesubj ect , but a few days later her father took her down to thetheatre to t ry if her voice w a s strong enoug h to fi l l so g reat aspace . She describes the first im press i on of the house— “

Thatstrang e- looking place the stag e , w i th its racks of pasteboard andcanvas—streets

,forests

,dung eons—wa s em pty and silent . I n

front,the g reat am phitheatre , equally em pty and Si lent , wrappedi n its g rey holland covers , would have been absolutely dark bu tfor a long , sharp , th i n shaft of l ig ht that darted here and therefrom som e l ig ht above m e . Se t down in the m iddle of tw i l ig ht

space , w i th only my father’s voice com ing to m e from where hestood , hardly dist ing u ishable i n the g loom , I wa s s ei z ed w i th thespirit of the thing . My voice sounded throu g h the g reat vaul tabove and before m e

,and

,com pletely carri ed away by the inspira

t ion of the wonderful play ,I acted J ul i et as I do not bel ieve I ever

acted i t ag ain . ” The j udi cious father, w i thout tel l ing her, hadposted a crit ical and experi enced fri end , one Maj or D . ,a m a n about

town,and a g ood actor him sel f, i n the dark recesses o f one of theboxes , and he heard the whole trial , unknown to the youngpostulant .

“Bring her out at once !” wa s his Opinion ; i t w i l l be a g reatsuccess .

124 THE THEA TRE . [SEPT . 1 . I SSO.

This step it wa s determ ined to take , and w i thin the Short spaceof three weeks . Du r ing that t im e She had to learn everything—thebus iness , ” walk , the elocut ion . The preparat ions were hurriedon . A st iff and rather m ature Rom eo wa s found in Mr . Abbott ,a respectable actor and

,to honour the occasion , her m other , theform er piquant M iss De Camp , wa s to return to the stag e for theoccas ion , whi le her father wa s to support the play w i th hisunapproachable Mercutio . On principle , this clever , j udicious

g irl determ ined that there Should be no interruption of her reg u larstudies and pursu its,rig htly conceiving that th is would dim inishthe nervousness attendant on the trial . On the day of her first

appearance She had no rehearsal,s o as to avoid fatig ue , practised

on the piano , a s usual and spent the m orning rea ding Blunt ’sScripture Characters , which She rem em bers qu ite absorbedher , possibly from the nervous tension of her m ind .At last the m om entous hour arrived . “We drove to thetheatre very early indeed

, whi le the late autum n sunl ig ht yetl ing ered i n the sky, and as I screened m y eyes from i t mym other said , Heaven sm i les on you

,my ch ild . ’ An imm ense

audience , fi ll ing the place to the roof, wa s g athe red , and scanningthis old Si lver paper ” bill,n o w g one for ever

T H E A T R E R O Y A L , C O V E N T G A R D E N .

The public is respectfully inform ed that this TheatreW I LL BE OPENED

On MONDAY Nex t , Oc tober 5, 1829,When w i ll be performed Shakespeare ’s Trag edy of

R O M E O A N D J U L I E T .

P r ince Escalus , M r . Horrebow. Par is , M r . Duruse t .Mon tag ue , Mr . Evans . Capulet , M r . E g erton .

Rom eo , M r . Abbott(H is firs t appearance a t t h is theat re these fi ve years).Mercu t io , M r . C . Kemble

(H is firs t appearance in t h is character) .Benvol io , M r. Baker . Tybalt , M r . D idde a r.

F r iar John , M r . Mears.F r iar L aurence , M r . Warde

(H is firs t appearance in this character).Apothecary , M r. Meadows . Pag e , Miss F ortescue .

Ba ltha z z a r, M r . I rw in.

Abram , M r . Heath . Sam son , M r . A tkins .

G reg ory, M r. Norris . Peter,M r. Keeley,

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126 THE THEA TRE . [Sun 1, 1886 .

My aunt g ave m e a n impu lse forwa rd , and I ra n straig ht acrossthe stag e , s tunned wi th the trem endous Shout that g ree ted m e, myeyes covered w i th m i st , and the g reen ba ize flooring of the stag efeel ing a s i f i t rose up ag a inst my feet ; but I g o t hold of my

m other , and stood li ke a terrified crea ture at bay , confronting thehug e theatre full of g a z ing hum an be ing s . I do not think a word Iuttered during this sce ne could ha ve be e n a udible . In the next , theBall-room , I be g a n to forg et myse l f ; i n the follow ing one , theBalcony Scene

,I had done so , and , for a u g ht I know , I wa sJuliet . After th is I did not re turn into m ysel f unti l al l wa s over ,and , am id a tum ultuous storm of a pplause , cong ratulat io n , tears ,em braces, and a g eneral j oyous explosion of unuttera ble rel ief atthe fortunate term ina tion of my attempt , we went hom e . ”

The analysi s of em otions in thi s interest in g picture is g iven w i tha n exqu is i te del ica cy and nature

,to say nothing of i ts l iterary

g race . We follow the while a nd share in the g eneral nervousness .

She sat down to supper that nig ht w i th her “ poor, rej oic ingparents , ” whom She saved from ruin , sti l l better pleased , She adds ,w i th a lovely l i ttle G eneva watch

,al l enri che d w i th j ewels , whichher father laid by her plate

,and which she laid tha t n ig ht underher happy pillow .

The success of the experim ent wa s sig nal . The young , brig htg i rl attracted all hearts . She played the character a hundred andtwenty t im es

,an am az ing , indeed , an unprecedented , run inthose days . F rom an insig nificant school g irl I suddenlybecam e an obj ect of public interest . I wa s a l ittle l ion in soc iety,and the town talk of the day. Approbation

,adulat ion , adm i rat ion

were showered on m e .

”

He r picture , by L awrence , wa s in theShop w indows ; plates and saucers showed her deli cate fi g ure asJ uli et ; while pocket-handkerchiefs even were sold dotted all overw i th m inature l ikenesses . And She went down , she tel ls us , thefirst week to draw her salary, fixed at 30 g uineas a week—a sm allfortune .

sEm . I , 1886 .AN OPERA TI C RETROSPECT. 1 27

A n Ope ra t icR e tro spect .

BY CHARL ES HERVEY .

0 not for a m o m en t im a g in e , i ndulg ent reader ofTHE THEATRE ,that the heading of the present paper betokens any intent ionon my part to g o over old g round , and on the fallacious plea of “ hisrepe t ita placent ” to infl ic t on you supplem entary rem in iscencesof art ist i c celebrit ies connected w i th the Aca dem icRoyale deMusique . This t im e we have l i ttle or nothing to do w i th theactors

,but w i th the audience assem bled to hear and adm i re them ,at a period when L ou is Philippe st il l ruled—w i th a Shaky hand , i t

is true— over the dest in i es of F rance , or , i n other words , i n theyear of g race 1 845. I have m ore reasons than one for select ingth is parti cular epoch ; first,because I have not only m y o wn

recol lect ions , but also those of contem porary chroniclers to drawupon and secondly

,because i t affords m e an opportunity of

g rouping tog ether a variety of notable personag es , few of whomare n o w l iving , and of thereby g iving an idea of Paris ian soc ietya s i t existed during the reig n of the C i t i z en King .

L e t m e therefore briefly recal l to your m em ory that at the datei n quest ion M . L éon P i l let held the reins of g overnm ent i n theRue de Pelet ier , and in Spite o f the m us i cal crit ics who , w i thscarcely an except ion

,system at ically proclaim ed his i ncom petency

week after week , took m atters very coolly, and phi losophicallydecl ined to abdicate ; that opera wa s represented by Duprez ,Ba rro ilhe t

, Masso l , Mesdam es Stoltz , Dorus G ras , and Na u , andballet by Car lotta G ris i , Maria , and the Sisters Dum ila tre ; andthat H a b e n eck,w i ckedly styled

,bourru

,m ais peu bienfaisant ,conducted the orchestra ; and this done , al l that i s needful w i l l

have been said respect in g the l i ttle world behind the cu rtain .We w i l l n o w suppose ourselves com fortably recl in ing i n an exce lle n t stall , from which co i g n of vantag e we enj oy a vi ew of thee ntire sa lle , at the present m om ent—four stag e box es excepted

128 THE THEATRE . (SEPT . r, 1886 .

fi lled to overflow ing . The vacant apartm ents all uded to a re thoseform erly tenanted by the Duke of Orlea ns, M . de C la pa réde , a ndthe two m i l l ionaires , the banker Ag uado and Baron Schickler, allrecently dead

,and

,a ccording to a s ing ular hypo thesis broachedby M . AlbéricSecond , ow ing to an involuntary g esture of thebaritone Massol . I n the th i rd act of Halevy ’ s Re ine de

Chypre , the follow ing not o ve r bril l ia n t l i nesCe Crésus qu ’on rem arque ,T ient-il

Plus que no us de la ParqueL e fil

fell to the share o f th is clever a rt i st , who na turally accom pan iedhis sing ing by po inting to a n im a g ina ry C ro e sus w i th h is rig ht orleft hand , as the fancy to o k him . I t se em s tha t during the earlyperform ances of the pie ce he cha nced to use the la tter, extendingi t exa c t ly on a level w i th the b o x occupied by M . Ag uado , who i na very few days wa s the first vict im o f the unconscious j ettatore . So m e weeks la ter, the rig ht ha nd ha ving bee n brou g hti nto play , the Duke of O rle a ns wa s a l so num bered w i th the deada nd

, before the run o f the opera had com e to a close , Messieursde Cla pa rede a ndSchic kle r m e t w i th a sim i lar fate . I t wa s sub .sequently noticed that , whether fro m prudence or supe rsti t ionm atters l i ttle

,Doctor Véro n ,

fo rm erly m ana g er of th is theatre ,i nvariably qu itte d his box at the comm encem ent of the third act ;whi le M . Thi ers , sa g ely g uarding him se l f ag a inst any possibleconting ency, never entered the Opéra when L a Reine deChypre wa s in the bi ll s. I am n o t aware i f the report of hi ssupposed “ evi l eye " ever reached Ma sso l

’

s ears, and g ive thestory a s i t wa s current at the t im e , m erely venturing to sug g es tthat se non é vero,é ben trovato .

T o -nig ht , however, there is no cause for apprehension , for theo verture to G u il laum e Tel l has j ust concluded , and Duprez , theinim i table Arnold , is a sufficient attraction to ensure the presenceo f every adm i rer of the favou rite tenor. L ook round the hou se ,and vou w i l l recog nise in al l d irect ions, from the g rand t ier to theba i g noires , ” som e well-known representat ives of the variouscoteri es of society . L eg it im i st a nd Orlean i st , g lancing supercilio usly at each other , and interspersed w i th the pick of theforeig n res idents a nd birds of passa g e tempo rari ly so j ourn ing inthe g a y city. The exclusive ladies of the F aubourg , the Pri ncess

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130 THE THE/1TRE . [Sig n I , 1335 ,

The tall , cadaverous m a n imm ediately behind him is a notedl itera ry character, whose fert i le brain is perpetually i nventing them ost intricate plots , teem ing w ith thri ll ing adventures and hairbreadth escapes ; in a word , M . L eo L e spés , who w i l l one daystyle h im self T im othee Trim m , and m ake the fortune ofthe Peti t j o urna l w i th his i nterm i nable “ Rocam bole . ” He i sdescribed by a fantast ic contem porary a s having “ the nose ofHoffm ann , the sm i le of Pag anin i , the eye of Anne Radcliffe , them outh of Cag l iostro , the chin of the Count St . G erm ain , and thehair of the wandering Jew .

”

Why is he always called Comm ander ? I asked one of hiscolleag ues the firs t t im e I beheld th is s ing ular ind ividual .

Because he wa s once serg eant i n a reg im ent of the l ine , wa s

the am big uous reply .F l i tt ing about in but terfly fash ion from stal l to am phitheatre ,

a nd back ag ain to stall , is the rem a rkably g ood-looking Rog er deBeauvoir, author of the “ Chevalier de St . G eorg es ,” who i s notyet the husband of pretty Aim ee Doze , of the F rancais , but whovery soon w i l l be . He i s talking to Victor Hu g o ’s brother-ih -law ,

Paul F oucher , the ug l iest m a n of letters i n F rance or out of i t ;they are j o ined by M . An tén o rJ o ly, the founder ofco un tle ss lite ra ryspeculations all m ore or less unsuccessful , and affl i cted w i th incurable deafness . Nodding g raciously to the g roup from the g randt ier, we notice a very showy and splendidly-atti red dam e , no otherthan Madam e ‘Very , of Palais Royal celebrity , w i th a bouque t ofg ig antic dim ens ions entirely covering the front of her box . Be

tween her husband ’s establishm ent and that of an alm ost equallywell-known rival resta ura teur rag es a bitter anim os i ty ; and she hasassuredly not yet forg otten the m o rt ifica t io n experienced by her afew m onths a g o ,

when , on entering the sa lo n of a lady friend ,notorious for her love of t i ttle-tattle and m ischief-m aking , she heardherself announced—whether by accident or des ig n never transpired- a s Madam e Véfo ur !On e of to -nig ht ’ s audience , invariably at his post wheneverGu illaum e Tell is in the bi lls , is the Herm i t o f the Chausee

d’

An t in ,

” M . de Jouy, the successor of Pa rny at the Academ y, andj oint author w i th M . H ippolyte Bis of the l ibretto o f Ross in i ’sm aster-piece . No t that he cares an iota for the m us ic

,or troubles

him se l f, a s doe s M . Cast i l-Blaz e, whether the orchestrat ion beabsolutely faultless or not ; on the contrary , he reg ards them

SEPT. r,r886 , ] AN OPERA TI C RETROSPECT. 1 3 1

m erely a s a pleas ing accom panim ent to his reci tat ives , of wh ichhe is inordinately va in , a s an anecdote current at the t im e w i l lshow . After the first perform ance of the opera i n 1829, the m em

bers of the orchestra assem bled under the com poser ’s w indows ,a nd played the overture by wa y of a serenade , to the del i g ht of athrong of people attracted th ither by the unusual spectacle . Whenthey had finished , the surrounding crowd insis ted on its repet it ion ,and loud cries of Bis ! b is 1 rent the air . M . de Jouy

, who hadbeen in conference w i th the m aestro respect ing som e s l ig ht m odifica tio n s i n the l ibretto , l is tened w i th rapture to the popularenthus iasm and , stepping out on the balcony, m ade a sig n thathe w ished to speak . Si lence having been at leng th obtained , het reated those present to the follow i ng harang ue , which probably nota l ittle astonished them “ My g ood friends , ” he beg an , i n a voicetrem bling w i th em otion , M . H ippo lyte Bis , whom you so eag erlydes i re to se e , and who ,

I a m convinced , would be g reatly flatteredby your approval

,is not in Paris , and cannot , therefore , personally

respond to your i nvitat ion . I a m M . de Jouy, his collaborator ,and in his nam e and my o wn I b e g to thank you for this sp o n ta

meou s express ion of hom ag e , which we shal l ever reg ard as them ost precious and g rat i fying i ncident in our l i terary career . ”The curtain has fallen on the act preceding the ballet , and theprivi leg ed frequenters of the co ulisses, Jockey club exqu is i tes ,

a tta e/ee’

s d’

a m o a ssa a’e and m un ifice n t patrons of the choreg raphi c art

are hurrying throug h the l i ttle door conducting to the sanctuary ofTerps i chore

,where the pretti est coryphées

,Mdlles . O lym pe

St . G eorg es , Heloi’ se F lorentin , and Palm yre Pet i t at their head ,are putt ing the finishing touch to thei r toi lette ; whi l e the m errys isterhood of rats are pirouett ing and chattering am id a Babelo f tong ues , g iving an idea of Pa ndem o n ium b ro ke n loose . L e t us

m eanwhile adjourn to the publ ic foyer , where we are certain to findourselves i n g ood com pany . Se e

,there is Janin

,surrounded by

his satell ites , and exchan g ing l ive ly repa rteesw i th Balz ac , the latter,a s usual , leaning on his g o ld -headed cane ; Al exandre Dum as isrelat ing to Auber his interview w i th Porcher

,thechef decla que o fthe Porte St . Martin , who had asked him a s a special favour to

address him in future by the fam i l iar tu .Which you could hardly refuse , ” said the com poser of L a

Muette . ”

132 THE THEA TRE . (SEPT . x, 1886 ,

Of course not , repl ied Dum as , laug hing heart i ly . Porcher,

m o n am i,

”I said , prete -m o i cinquante lou i s .”

And did he ? ”Pa rbleu I

The principal fig ure in yonder g roup , a tall i sh, s l ig htly bu il tpersonag e , wearing the ribbon of the L eg ion ofHonour, is G aetano

Donizett i , whose faci l i ty of com position i s proverbial , and whonever,perhaps , g ave a m ore astonishing proof of it than in wri t ingthe m ag nificent fourth act of “ L a F avorite in a s ing l e nig ht ;of al l m us ic ians he is the m ost ubiqu itous , n o w here , n o w at Rom e,

F lorence,Venice

,or Turin - wherever a theatre and an operati c

com pany are to be found , he is sure to turn up sooner or later w i tha n ew work ready for product ion . Alm ost equally prol ific

,but of

far inferior m erit , is Adolphe Adam , peering about throug h hisspectacles in search of his ordinary librett ists Barbier and M iche lCarré and behind him , seated in m elancholy sol i tude on a cornerbench

,i s the hitherto unappreciated com poser of L a Reine Mab

,

”

Hector Berl ioz , the tardy recog nition of whose g enius he , alas !w i ll not l ive to see . Sauntering to and fro w i th am bl ing step , hi sblack w ig bobbing up and down , and his hands encased in imperfectly cleaned white g loves , the Vicom te d’

Arlinco urt s id les alongtowards Ba l zac and J anin , who return his effusive g reet ing w i th as l ig ht incl inat ion of the head , and continue their conversation asi f unconscious of his presence . No t i n the least daunted by thisfrig i d reception , the author of L e Soli tai re turns g racefully onhis heel , and accosts the m oody Berl ioz , who ,

evidently bored bythe renco n tre , rises from his bench , and beats a hasty retreat ; aprudent pol icy which , a s the irrepress ible Vicom te is com ing ourwa y, we had better im i tate , and re -enter the sa lle .

By th is t im e the ballet is in full sw ing , and M . Achille Vig i er,the proprietor of the floating baths on the Se ine bear ing his nam e,i s leaning forward in his box , and cri tically surveying throug h ag ig antic opera-g lass the seductive evolut ions of the da nseuses, m anyof whom every n o w and then bestow a g lance of recog nit ion o nsom e favoured adm i rer . A t the entrance to the stalls s tand a g roupof reg ularha bi tués . M . L autour-Mezeray,wi th the inevitable cam elliain his button-hole ; the once incorrig iblefa rceur Rom i eu , n o w g raveand sedate as befits the Prefet de la Dordog ne ; M . Perpig nan ,whose sole m i ssion on earth appears to be the suppression of the

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134 THE THEATRE . [Se rra r , 1886 .

pe a red from their box on the th ird ti er, and the solem n-visa g edacadem i c ian V ie n n e t , his scanty hair brushed up into a peak onthe top of his head , is pol itely—for he is a m odel of court esydem anding his overcoat from the o uvreus e of the am phitheatre .We l ing er a few m om ents at the foo t of the staircase , and arej ust in t im e to behold Mr . and Mrs . Thorn , the orig i nal foundersof the Am erican colony in Pari s , stepping into their luxuriouslyappointed equipag e ; whilst , g l id ing one after the other throug h aside door, the lustrous-eye d dam e auxca m él ias Marie Dupless isa nd her future representat ive , Madam e Doche , are spirited awayin their respect ive broug ham s . The two natives of Marsei lles , L éonG o z la n and Am edee Achard , walk o ff a rm -in -a rm , the form er , asi s h is wont , a picture of extrem e depression , and the latter g e sticulat ing and chattering w i th ultra-southern vivacity ; Alphonse Karr ,taking forcible possession of the reluctant En g in e G uinot , persist sin d ilating on the quali t ies of h is favourite NewfoundlandF re ischut z ; while the Vicom te d'Arlinco urt , his ha nds im beddedin the pockets of a nondescript g arm ent supposed to represent apaletot , bends his steps towards the Boulevard , possibly m ed itat ingon the cos t of h is even ing ’s entertainm ent , and doubting—for heis a thri fty m a n—whether it would n o t ha ve been better to havekept his m oney .Travers i ng the sparely l i t Passag e de l’Opéra , we pause aninstant w i thin view of the stag e door , and catch a flyin g g l impseof Mdlle . O lym pe St . G eorg es issu ing from thence , and bearing achoice bouquet left for her i n the charg e of the portress , Mdm e .

Cro sn ie r. A m om ent later poo r l ittle Sidonie Toussaint , towhose share no such tributes of hom a g e have hitherto fallen ,appears em pty handed

,and trudg es g ai ly along to her s ixth -flo o rattic , consol ing herself for her lack of adm i rers by repeating th el ines attributed to her equally unappreciated colleag ue , Mdlle .

L aure L echén eL e fiacre m e dépla it , l

’

o m n ibus m e fait m a l

C e qu ’ i l m e faut c ’est un briska—plus , un chev a l l

SEPT. r ,SAM UEL PHELP S . 135

Sa mue l Phe lps .

A BIOGRAPH ICAL SKETCH .

BY RICHARD L EE .

(Co ncluded.

HE m odest , earnest tone of th is address , simplex emmditus i nits hom ely phraseolog y , g ave a fai thful forecast of the qual i ty

which throug hout its prolong ed existence characterised the m anag em ent of Sadler ’s Wells . The tentat ive prom i ses contained in theaddress

,so condit ionally dependent upon the g oodw i l l of thepubli c that they scarcely am ount to pledg es , were nevertheless , a s

th e theatre steadily advanced in popular favour, redeem ed a u piedde la lettre . This fact is avouched by the ensu ing record of Sadler ’sWells , whose fortunes from that t im e becam e s o bound up w i ththe art ist i c career of Phelps that the sto ry of one is m ainly thethe his tory of the other . On the a 7th of May , 1 844, cam e thefirs t nig ht of the n ew m anag em ent , discovering the auditorium ,

a s the g reen curtain rose upon the opening scene of Macbeth,

”

crowded from basem ent to roof. I t wa s felt by the exci ted throng ,of whom the present writer wa s one , whose hearty plaudits o fwelcom e g reeted the principal actors as they firs t appeared uponthe scene , that , whe ther by accident or des i g n , the rig ht chord hadbeen struck

,and that the not less felt because unseen electri c

current of sym pathy wa s se t up for g ood , so to speak , between theoccupants of the theatre on both sides of the footl i g hts .The firs t hearty salutat ions over

,the audience

,thorou g hlytypical of those which for a g enerat ion afterwards fi l led the house ,

wa s hushed by its attent ion to the action of the trag edy to suchperfect sti l lness as qu ickened the sense to hear the faintestwhisper from the stag e , even when it fel l to a sound so fine thatnoth ing cam e tw i x t i t and s i lence . ” Should these l ines be read ,perchance , by any old playg oers present upon that m em orable nig ht ,they w i l l recal l the spontaneous cheers which , as i f by a comm onaccord

, g a ve an imm ediate personal interpretation to the he sita tin gL 2

1 36 THE THEA I RE . (SEPT . x. 1886,

doubt expressed by Phelps a s the faltering Thane of Cawdor , andrej ected alm ost before i t wa s uttered by the undoubted m ettleof his partnerMacbe th I f we sho uld fa i lL a dy Macbe th : We fa i l

But screw yo urco ura g e to the s ticking place ,Andwe

’ ll n o t fa il .Appl icat ions of the a rg umen tum adho m inem upon the scene itself,from the character to the actor a ssum ing i t , are m ost assuredlyapart from the purpose of playing ; but nice custom s curtsey tog reat king s , and a suprem e occasion , such a s that here i nstanced ,involving the inau g urat ion o fa sterl ing leg itim ate theatre , excuses ,i f it does not absolutely j ust i fy , the passing kindly reference to theindividual propria persaud.

I t m a y be of interest to the reader here to note the cast ofMacbeth in respe ct of the princ ipal characters of the trag edya s presented on the opening nig ht ofSadler’sWells as a leg i t im at etheatre

Dunca n , K ing o f Sco tla nd Mr. Wi l l iamsMa lco lm Mr. Hie ldMacbe th Mr. Phe lpsMacduff Mr. H . Ma rsto nBa nquo Mr

,H . L acy

L a dy Macbe th Mrs . Wa rn e rG entlewo ma n Mrs. H. Ma rsto n

Mr . H . L acy , the im personator of Banquo , is the sam e whoafterwards becam e the wel l known theatrical publ isher in theStrand , the predecessor of Mr . Sam uel F rench .Another im portant personag e in the trag edy , not included , ho wever, in the foreg oing l ist , the appa ritio n of a child ris ing to addressMacbeth w i th shrill infanti le voice from the w i tches ’ cauldron , wa senacted by a pretty we e m orsel of fem inin ity , then j ust old enoug hto lisp the words of warning , but afterwards rendered popular by

m any a g raceful stag e assum ption—the late W insom e and acco mplished actress , Miss Patty O l iver .The init ial representation of Macbeth proving to be a success

a s com plete as i t w a s unexpected , m elodram a wa s j oyfu llyel im inated from the schem e of m anag em ent at once and for ever,and henceforth the leg i t im ate dram a reig ned in its stead . D irectlyOthello could be adequately rehearsed , i ts production followedupon that of the C eltic trag edy, w i th the Moor cast to Phelps ,I ag o to Mr . H . M a rston , Cassio to Mr . Hudson (afterwards well

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THE THEATRE . (Sm ! r, 1886 .

call ingto m ind the play as a whole , and not any part icular scene

or person in i t .Working from the outset upon the sound princ iple , adva n

ta g e o usal ike to actors and audience , of a constant chang e ofperform ance— a plan n o w unfortunately qu ite g one out of fashionin Eng l ish theatres—the Sadler’s Wells com pany , after the production of Macbeth and O thello , ” represented in succe ssion ,according to the order in which they a re here set down , thefollow ing pieces , i n each of which Phelps sustained the leading

m ale character The Strang er, ” “

j ealous Wi fe , ” Werner,Merchant of Venice , V irg in ius ,”

R ivals , ” Ham let ,Provoked Husband , ” School for Scandal , ” Wi fe , ” Bridal ,NewWa y to Pa y Old Debts ,” Road to Ru in , ” King L ear, ~

Wonder ,” L ady of L yons , ” “C i ty Madam

,and “

R ichardI I I

.

”

This success ion carried the com pany on from the openingn ig ht , towards the end of May 1844, w i thout interm iss ion rig ht upto Christm as ; when , true to the t radit ions of the theatre in conn ectio n w i th the form er trium phs of G rim ald i , G reenwood producedhis pantom im e . In conj unction w i th the entertainm ent ofthe g reat Eng l ish carnival , The I ron Chest wa s g iven , followedlater on by Henry V I I I , and Wi ld Oats . Wi th th is revival ofO

’

Ke e fe’

s com edy the first season of the leg i t im ate dram a atSadler’s Wells , carried throug h w i th unabated success , cam e to anend . The theatre closed for the summ er vacation at Easter 1 845,after rem aining open nearly a year when Phelps o n the occas iono f.his benefit s ig n al ised the event by appearing in the charactero fNicho la s F lam i n the farce of that nam e .At the outset of the second season in the early autum n m onthso f the sam e year “ Hen ry V I I I ” wa s resum ed , speedily followed by“The F atal Dowry of Mass ing er, and R ichel ieu , ” w i t h

Sheridan Knowles ’ p lays \Villia m Tell,

” and L ove . ” Theseduly g iven , Phelps and his partners , inc ited at th is t im e by thePress to produce orig inal pieces , broug ht out a n ew play enti tledThe King ’

s F riend ,” written by Sullivan ; the sam e dram atist i tw ill be rem em bered who afterwards furn ished an excellent com edyto the Haym arket called A Beg g ar on Horseback ." His Sadler ’sWells venture , however, proved a fa ilure , a nd nothing da un ted, them anag em ent tried a second n ew play, written by Searle , called thePriest ’s Dau g hter . ” This proving a s unsuccessful a s its imm edi

ate predecessor, the indom itable partners placed a third dram at ic

Sam . 1 , SAM UEL PHELP S . 13g

novelty upon their stag e , u nder the nam e of The F lorentines ,which , l ike those foreg oing i t , fai l ing to attract audiences, speedi lyfollowed them i nto the l imbo of dead and forg otten dram as . Wi ththe dog g ed tenaci ty of Eng l ishm en not {know ing when they arebeaten

,or at any rate refus ing to acknow ledg e defeat by resolvingto retrieve su ccess throu g h the m edium of orig inal plays, the trio

o f m anag ers actually put yet another n ew dram a into rehearsal .H istory repeats itse f upon the m im i c s tag e as well as i n “ th is w idea nd universal theatre of the world . The sel f-sam e accidentwhich on the threshold of the ir enterprise impel led the Sadler ’sWells partners to foreg o m elodram a and take refug e i n le g it im ate product ions n o w turned them back from n ew plays to oldo nes . Thrown fig urat ively speaking upon their haunches by th eimm ediate col lap se of the third orig i nal p iece , and the fourth notbeing ready , Phelps and his fri ends , m erely a s a s top g a p ,

a n

n o unced and broug ht out the G am ester . ” As i f by the touch ofProspero ’s m ag i c wand the entire aspect of the Sadler ’s Wel ls,a uditorium wa s instantly chang ed . I nstead ofthe m iserable array o fem pty benches

,which in face of n ew pieces the theatre of late had

presented, w i th a treasury to m atch , before the doors were open ed

fo r the first perform ance of the G am ester enoug h people hadpat iently bes ieg ed them to occupy every place in the house . The

old play which g ives O thello a nd I ag o over ag ain in prose , w i th avivid exemplifica tio n i n i ts catastrophe of the dire effects consequentupon indulg en ce in the desperate vice of g am bl ing ,continued so

a ttract ive that , l i ke m elodram a at the outset , M .S . pieces weren o w se t as ide

,for a leng thened period , and a s heretofore the

fortunes of Sadler ’s Wel ls were ag ain trusted to revivals the principa l of which were Venice Preserved , ” Macbeth ,” KingL ear, ” and P i zarro

, Phelps playing Rolla .At the term inat ion of the second season

,Mrs . Warner seceded

from the m anag em ent ; not throu g h a ny disag reem ent w i th herco -partners , but purely for the purpose of repeat ing on her o wna ccount at the Marylebone Theatre the experim ent wh ich hadbeen crowned w i th such s ig nal favour and success at Sadler ’sWells . The forem ost actress of her t im e a s th is lady undoubtedlyw a s a s representat ive o f the m at ronly hero ines of tra g edy, he r w i thdrawa l from the tri une m anag erial confederacy at I s l ing ton w a s

felt by both Phelps and his rem aining partner to be nothing l essthan the abstract ion of a support ing pil lar from the ir dram at ic

140 THE THEA TRE . (Sam . 1 , 1886 .

tem ple ; for dowered by nature wi th ra re class ic be auty and g raceof person in addit ion to her unrival led histri onic g ifts , Mrs .Warner had becom e a favouri te elem ent of attraction at Sadler ’sWells. To supply her place wa s im po ss ible, for she wa s unrivalledin quali ty ; as com pensation fo r her loss , i t wa s therefore deem edadvisable to streng then the company in other ways . To this endovertures were m ade first to V a nde nho ff and then to Jam esWallack . The art ist ic conditions upon which a n eng ag em ent wa soffered to each of these actors in success ion bear eloquent test im ony to the fact that Phelps wa s m ore than ordinarily free fromthe professional j ealousy proverbially affl icting players as a class .A l ist wa s drawn out of popular plays severally containing tw ocharacters of equal prom inence , i ncluding am ong st others “ J uliusC e sar, ” O thello , ” Venice Preserved ,” a nd the first part o fHenry IV . ” This l ist wa s forwarded to both V a nde nho ff andJ am esWallack w i th the Option , Offered first to one and then tothe other of the part in each piece he would elect to play , Phelpsundertaking to susta in the alternat ive character . The neg otiationin each case after essent ia ls had been fully ag reed upon brokedown at the last m om ent , upon som e petty quest ion of personalprecedence . J am e sWa l lack cried o ff because h is n am e

,already

printed in the sam e sized letters as Phelps the actor ’s in the bodyof the prog ramm e , wa s in lesser type than that of Phelps them anag er at the head of the bi ll ; and Va nde nho ff w i thdrew uponthe show ing of a n equally trivial concei t . F ail ing these veterans ,Mr . Will iam Cresw ick

,then a rising young actor, wa s eng ag ed , a tthe sam e tim e that a youthful actress wa s secured for the theatre

who , thoug h crude , imm ature , and untrained , possessed w i th thephys ical attributes of an exquis i tely sym pathetic voice and s ing ula r personal beauty the feu sacré of histrionic g enius i n a m ore exalted deg ree than any other lady who since her day ha s m ade adebut upon the Eng l ish stag e . This actress wa s Miss L auraAddison , in speaking of whom to the present writer but a few briefm onths before he passed away Phelps in a g enerous rhapsody o fpraise declared that she had the sweetest voice G o d ever g aveto wom an . ”Early in the third season of Sadler’s Wells , Miss L aura Addison

m ade her first appearance upon the L ondon Stag e a s L ady MabelL yn te rn e , in Dr. Westland Ma sto n

’

s noble play the Patrician ’ s

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142 THE THEA TRE . [Su n 1, 1886 .

m oot quest ion whether the p ieces of any m odern a uthor, be thei rqua l i ty what i t m ig ht , presented upon the sam e stag e at that t im e,would ha v e succe ededin bring ing g ri st to the m i ll . The s imple truthi s

,that the frequenters of Sadler’s Wells theatre were quite excep

t io n a l, having sal ient features and chara cterist ics peculiarly theiro wn . More than any other they were an a ud ience of students , whocam e to se e prese nted upon the s tag e thatwhich they had read andreflected on at hom e . I n the b o xe s , the pit , and eve n in the g allery ,numbers a lm ost am ounting to a m aj o ri ty o f those pre sent , we renig htly to be seen che cking the te x t a s i t fell from the a ctor’s l ipsby reference to their Ope n Sha kspe a re , w ith a s m uch devo t ion , andperhaps m ore , than i f they had bee n at church . The cha rmwhich drew them to the theatre wa s not the ir unfam i l iari ty, but ,o n the contrary , the ir perfect i ntim acy w i th the pla ys they went tosee ; novelty in their sense m e aning n ew reading s , not n ew plots .

I t w i l l be readily unde rstood the n that th is class of playg oe rswould take no m ore i nte re st i n m odern plays than a black-let terbookworm would i n m odern novels .I t wa s not unt i l after the cession of Mrs . Warn er in the thi rdyear of the ir m anag em e nt that Phe lps a nd G re enwood beg an toe xerc ise that a rcha o lo g ica l corre c tne ss in respe ct of s o e ne ryand costum e which afterwards becam e so noteworthy a feature ofthe ir revivals . To reca pitulate these , in the order o f productionseason after se ason a s aca ta lo g ue m iso nne , would b e only tedious tothe reader . L e t i t suffice that from fi rst to last Phelps and h i sfe llo w o m a n a g e rs presented w i th in “ this wooden O of Sadler ’sWells stag e th irty-one of the th irty-four plays of Sha kspe a re , thee xceptions being the tri log y of Henry Troilus andC ressida , and R ichard I I . The last of these wa s actually i nrehearsal when Phelps

,hearing that Charles Kean wa s about tobring out the sam e play at the Princess ’s, rather than provoke a

comparison ret ired the p iece , leaving the field open to h is brotheractor and m anag er , undisputed . Such conduct wa s the m orem ag nanim ous in view of the c ircum stance that , so far a s outwardevidences went , i t w a s a fair presum ption that Charles Kean hadfollowed in the art isti c wake o f the Sadler ’s Well s m anag em entfor it wa s not unti l after the success of the Is l ing ton theatre a s aSha kspe a re a n play-house had been establ ished , and Kean by t epe a tedvis i ts had w i tnessed the fact that he g ave up acting com edyand m elodram a at the Princess ’s , and there produced the seri es of

SEPT , 1,

SAM UEL PHELPS . 1 43

splendid Sha kspe a re a n pag eants by wh ich he u lt im ately so sig nal lyd ist ing uished h im sel f and his m anag em ent .Phelps and Charles Kean never acted tog ether but i n one p ieceat the Haym arket years before they becam e m anag ers , i n a n o wforg otten play by Sheridan Knowl es, called “ The Rose ofArrag on . ”

Al thoug h Kean a s the favoured lover Alonso appealed to the sympathy of the audience , and Phelps a s the vi l la inous rival Alm ag r o ,excited popular ant ipathy, the form er found i t convenient to ret irefrom the cast after a very few representat ions . R ivals on thes tag e , they were fated to be so Off i t . On the occas ion Of them arriag e Of the Princess Royal of Eng land to the C rown Prince ofPruss i a , a g rand s tate Sha kspe a re a n perform ance by comm and OfH e r Maj esty wa s g iven at the Haym arket Opera House i n presenceof the Bri t ish Court, and the bril l iant array Of fore ig n soverei g nsand princes const i tut ing the nupt ial g uests . The conduct of theentertainm ent wa s entrusted to Mr . Mitchell , of the Bond -streetL ibrary , which s o offended the pride of Charles Kean that b e declin ed to play . M itchel l thereupon appl i ed to Phelps who accordin g ly, i n honour Of the au g ust occas i on , g o t up Macbeth ,m ainly cas t i n his o wn com pany . So g rat ified were the Queenand Pri nce Albert w i th the m ag nificent resul t that the orderin gof the annual dram ati c perform ances atWi ndsor C astl e heretoforeentrusted exclus ively to Charles Kean w a s thereafter g iven altermately to Phelps and him sel f. A further recog nit ion of the Royalsat isfact ion wa s i nc identally accorded to Phelps i n the profess ionalv is i t soon afterwards m ade by the Sadler ’s Wells com pany toBerl in , prom pted i t wa s said by the expressed w ish of the am iableC rown Princess Of Pruss ia to renew the pleasure rece ived by hers el f and her husband from the m em orable state perform ance g ivenin celebrat ion of thei r m arriag e .Success is its o wn herald . Such im pl ic i t confidence d id theartist i c org anisat ion of the Sadler ’s Wells m anag em ent inspire i nthe m inds of theatri cal propri etors that Phelps and G reenwoodwere m ore than once invi ted by the E x ecut ive Comm i ttee Of DruryL ane to re - open that theatre . A s im i lar request wa s also repe a tedly p referred to them w i th reference to the L yceum by itsowner, Mr . Arnold . But a s vis i tors from the West End n o w

flocked to Sadler ’sWells its prudent m anag ers s aw no reason whythey should speculat ively travel elsewhere to seek what they hada lready found

,an audience .

144 THE THEATRE . (Sm . r, 1886 .

The world -wide triumph of the G reat Exhibi tion of 1851 ,temporari ly eclipsed all m em ori es of the strenuous individualefl

’

o rts previously m ade to secure its success . Am ong these disintere sted endeavours that of Phelps and G reenwo od i s worthy ofspecial record . Throug hout the leng th and breadth of the UnitedKing dom they were the only m anag ers a t whose theatre a benefitwa s g iven in aid of the Exhibition . This event took place j usttwelve m onths before the opening day , i n May 1850, when HenryV I I I . wa s represented , w i th Phelps as Ca rd inal Wo lsley, MissG lyn as Queen Katharine , and Mr . G . Bennett as the King . The

hig h esteem i n which Sadler ’s Well s theatre had then com e to b eheld by the social and intellectual lea ders of Eng l i sh Soc iety, thebest blood and the best brains of the country , i s eloquently attestedby the l i st of fam ous personag es who prom oted the benefit .

PRESIDENT.

H .R .H. The Duke of Cam bridg e .C o n sum e s .

Charle s Dicken s L o rd Nug en tL e ig h Hunt L ord Dudley C . Stuart , M .P .

Charles Kem ble R . Monckton M i lnes (afterwardsL ord Houg hton) .

Doug las J errold \V. M . Thackera yJohn F orster J ohn Ox enfordCharles Kni g ht Daniel Maclise , R .A .

Sheridan Knowle s H . F . ChorleyR . H . Hom e J . H . HeraudJ . Westland Marston F . G . Tom l insT . K . Hervey G eorg e DanielC . Cowden C larke C larkson Stanfield , R .A.

This m eed of hom ag e of aristos , the best in every sense , tothe histrionic ex cellence akin to i tself which , despi te every disadvanta g e Of local ity and antecedent , had placed Sadler’s Wel ls i nthe forefront ofEng l ish theatres as the acknowledg ed typical tem pl eof dram atic art , is probably the hig hest credential of quali ty everaccorded to an actor and a m anag em ent. Andwhen it i s consideredthat so exalted a recog nit ion al ike of art ist ic em inence and intell ectual equali ty w a s earned in what has been cyni cally called aProvincial ” playhouse having but a sixpenny g allery, a shil l ingpit , and two -shi ll ing boxes , the slig ht m aterial m eans by which

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146 THE THEA TRE . (SEPT . I. 1886 .

that the dram atist of Richel ieu , and the L ady of L yons , t e

qu ired m any hundreds of pounds for an orig ina l play from h ishand,to be paid m oreover in hard cash prior to the production of

the piece .A circum stance connected w i th the revival of A New Wa y to

Pa y OldDebts ,” w i ll , however, serve to i llust rate the g eneros i ty ofthe Sadler’s Wel ls m anag em ent towards those who , unl ike SirBulwer L ytton , were not in a position to nam e and claim thei r o wnterm s. New scenery being required for Massing er's play a sce neplot wa s drawn out by Mr . G reenwo od and sent to a poor butclever young scenic art ist , who , howeve r , s ince that t im e hasm astered fam e and fort une i n h is cra ft , request ing him

to state the lowes t price for ca sh at which he wouldexecute the specified work . The next m orning early theart ist called at the theatre , saw the two m anag ers , andw i th hesitat ing diflide nce which heig htened ra ther than conceale dhis anxious desi re to secure the comm iss ion , na m ed his term s .

After a brie f consultation w i th Phe lps , G reenwood , turning to theexpectant art ist , told him , i n so m any words We cannot payyour price ” I a m very sorry , but I assure you I couldn ’t do thework for less , wa s the reply . NO ,

” answered G reenwood ,and you couldn ’ t do i t for tha t, unless you scam per the work . \Ve

want it well done , and i f you like to do it so , we ’ l l g ive you 30

m ore than you a sk .

” I t scarcely needs to be 'said that theco mm ission wa s g ratefully accepted . Andthose who recall the beautiful scenery at Sadler’sWell s i l lustrat ing A New Wa y to Pa y OldDebts , ” m ost part icularly an Eng l ish landscape over which theg low of a Danby- l ike sunset g radually g lo a m ed into the sem i -darkness of a summ er nig ht , w i l l bear wi tness to the fact that in ackn o wledg m e n t Of the frank l iberal ity the m anag ers had extendedto him the painter nobly expressed his g rati tude throu g h hiswork .Of the plays from the E l i zabethan and Jacobean dram atists ,excluding Sha kspe a re , revived at Sadler ’s Wells the m ostsuccessful wa s the Duchess of Ma lfi, due m ainly to the hig hlywroug ht im personat ion of the Duchess by Miss G lyn , thefavourite pupil of Charles Kem ble, an artist who owed her introduction to a m etropol itan audience to the m anag em ent of theI s l ing ton theatre . Apropo s of the production of “ The Duchessof Malh,” the puncti l ious consc ientiousness of Phelps i s g ratefully

SEPT.SAM UEL PHELP S. 147

a ttested by Mr . R . H . Hom e who had broug ht h is ripe powers asa scho la rly dram at ist to bear i n the necessary reconstruct ion ofJ ohn Webster’ s trag edy for the stag e. F ully approving the alteredvers ion , Phelps said to him Mr . Horne , the g reatest possiblesuccess here would by no m eans be of such value to you as adram at ist a s i f th is trag edy were broug ht ou t at Dru ry L ane :Mr

. ha s n o w g o t Drury L ane , and i t i s only rig ht that I shouldsay you had better m ake him the firs t offer . I f h e does not produce i t

,I w i l l . ” Presented , and rej ected at OldDru ry a s imprac

tica b le , a piece as to which nothing cou ld be done w i th i t , or forit,

”The Duchess Of Ma lfi wa s brou g ht back to Phelps , whotrue to his word , produced the trag edy and thereby stultified theoracularly pronounced verdict of the Drury L ane m anag er .

The t ing e of m utual j ealousy which s l ig htly asperated the earlyh istrionic associat ion of Macready and Phelps softened into agenerous rivalry a s t im e wore on and each artist learned to a pprec iate and respect the m erit Of the other . I n the farewel l speechof Macready

,on the occasion of his ret irem ent from the stag e i n

1 851 , the veteran actor g enerously referred to the m anag em ent ofSadle r

’

sWe lls i n these words , O thers w i l l take up this uncom pletedw ork of m ine ; and i f inqu iry w ere set on foot for one best qual ifled to undertake the task , I should seek him in the theatre whichby eig ht years ’ labour he ha s from the m ost deg raded condi t ionraised hi g h in publ i c estim at ion , not only as reg ards the intel l i g enceand respectab il ity of his audiences , but by the learned and tastefu l spiri t Of his product ions .”Ho w bounteously g enerous Phelps could be even towards theonly com pet itor whose rivalry he had cause to fear, the follow ingm em orandum standing on Macre ady’

s diary serves to showF orster called , he told m e of the offer of Mr . Phelps

,thinking

m y nig ht wa s postponed for want of a com pany, to close histheatre and place his com pany at my disposal . I t does him g reathonour .”But m ag nanim i ty such a s th is , m asked behind a shy, reserved ,

a nd alm ost brusque m anner to stran g ers , wa s not the lessfrequently exerc ised because never publ i cly exploi ted : i n so sens it ive a nature lurked no s train of the charlatan , who system aticallyadvert ises his charity a s a m eans to enhance his popularity . The

present writer had i t from the l ips Of a fri end of Phelps that on acrucia l occasion when i t wa s subm i tted that he who told the story

148 THE THEATRE . (Sm . r, 1886 ,

lacked the m eans to start i n his profess ion , the old actor said tohim : I f you want m oney , com e to m e and have i t . ” The offerinvolved several hundred pounds , and there wa s no Oblig ation tom ake i t save dis interested friendship . Many a needy curate andaspiring actor l ives to bea r w i tness to the advantag es he soug htand found from the elocutiona ry teaching of Phelps , but not onecan truly sa y that the fee tendered by him wa s ever accepted .Pronounced to be the best m anag er on the stag e , Phelps wa sthe worst m anag er o ff i t , for a t all t im es he wa s t oo e n thusia stically eng rossed by his art to b e a g ood m a n of bus iness . Shrewde vidence of th is wa s g iven towards the close of the Sadler’s Wellsreg im e . So long as the vig i lant eye of his partner superv i sed thedirection the theatre proved rem unerative to both . But whenafter an assoc iat ion of s ixteen years i n the spring of 1860 , G reenwood finally seceded , the profits rapidly dw indled and sank intolosses

,althoug h the receipts proved as g ood , i f not better, than theyhad ever previous ly been . The consequence wa s that at the end

Of his second season of una ssi sted m a nag em ent Phelps broug h this long association w i th Sa dlers \Vell's theatre to a close .H is subsequent career Of alm ost uni form prosperity proves , asMr . I rving i n turn has so sig n ally proved at the L yceum ,

that,

g iven a player equal to the character , an arti st worthy of his art ,capable of rising to the heig ht of its g reat arg um ent , the hig hes tproductions of the dra m a n o w a s ever have an enduring attract ionfor the public .A m inute crit ical analysis of the h istrionic quali ty of Phelps is

Obviously beyond the scope Of th is paper, which ' cons iderations ofspace necessarily l im i t to the narrative of his art istic endeavoursw ithout seeking to ascertain and form ulate the m ethods by whichhe expressed them . Suffice i t n o w to sa y that in the m ass ivebreadth and severity of its outl i ne hi s acting m a y be best defined assculpturesque rather than pictorial ; and a s a consequence , noactor s ince Macready left the stag e needed to depend so li ttle asdid Phelps upon the adventit ious aids of scenery and costum e .His face , thoug h w i thout beauty , wa s v e ry expre ssiv e i ts featuresin their varied m obil ity follow ing every phase of his thoug ht andfeel ing . The sole phys ical advantag e in his art Phelps owed tonature wa s a v o ice of sing ularly full diapason articulate , resonan t ,and sympathetic . I t wa s m us ic, said , not sung . Denied the outward advantag e o f a dig nified form and a g raceful presence, Phelps ,

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150 THE THEATRE . [Sm r, 1886 .

bitte r expe rience . L ear a ddressing the F 001 a s Bo y i s a m ereterm of conde scendin g endea rm ent.A histrionic style in his g raver qua lity founde d upo n tha t ofM acrea dy stamped Phelps by virtue o f ince ssa nt study ill um in edby hig h intell ig e nce a s a fa ul t le ss elocutio n ist , a nd a n actor onlys hort of the g rea te st . As a tra g edia n inve st ed wi th the highe stt ra ditiona l powers, the pro duct o f suprem e ta le nt he owed m ore toa rt than to na ture but a s a co m e dia n , in stinct wi th orig ina lhumour, the outco me o f inhere nt g e n ius, he o wed m ore to n aturetha n to art .His portra i t sta nds l im ne d in e loq ue nt wo rds , a s if by anticipa

t ion , in the chara ct e rs of SirThom a s Ov e rbury under the fit tingt i tle , a n excellen t acto r. Wha tsoeve r is co mm enda ble in the

g rave orato r, is m o st exquis itely pe rfe ct in him . By h is a ct ion hef o rt ifies m oral precepts with e xample ; for what we se e him perso nate , we think tru ly do ne befo re us . He a dds g race to thepoet's labo urs ; fo r wha t in the poe t i s but pha n ta sy, in the acto rbe come s re a l i ty . He enterta ins us in the be st le i sure o f our life ;and when he die sweca nno t b e persua ded any m a nca n do his partslike him .

Sam uel Phe lpswa s ma rrie d eve n be fore he went o n to the sta g e ,a nd found the ha ppiestca use in his hom e fo r the dom e st iclife hei nva riably led. A g rea t walker, a nd a kee n spo rtsm a n , he carrie dhis g un to the cove rt a nd his ro d to the trout-stream to the la st .He died a t his country quarte rs , An son ’s F a rm ,

nea r Epping ,Novem ber 6th , 1878, a g e d 72 .

The ruling pas s ion wa s stron g in him , eve n in dea th . The re

cord here g iven would b e inco m ple te w i tho ut the statem e nt thatj ust prior to his fatal ill ne ss he had e n g a g e d h im se l f to a ppea r ina n orig ina l com edy ent itle d Cent per Cen t ," wri tten especia llyfo r him by the a uthor of thi s m em o i r.

SEPT . r, SAM UEL F OOTE . 1512

Pla ye rs o f the P a st .

BY AUST IN BRERETON.

— S A M U E L F O O T E .

(Co uclusi o u .)

OOTE wa s a bsent from L ondon betwe en 1749 and 1752 , i nwhich latter year he presented to G arrick a li ttle com edy,

called “ Taste , ” for wh ich the Drury L ane m anag er both wrotea nd spoke the prolog ue . But he did not re -appear on the stag eunti l the autum n of the follow i ng year, when he acted at DruryL ane , Sir Charles Buck , i n The Eng l ishm an in Paris, a com edywri tten by him for Mackl i n and h is daug hter , and played by themwi th s ing ular success six m onths previously at Covent G arden .The prolog u e wri tten for th is piece by G arrick wa s encored nig htlyduring the long ru n of the play . Here , also , F oote appeared inhis

“Te a , i n his play of “

The Knig hts , ” a really adm irablecom edy produced by F oote after the run of The Auct ion atthe Haym arket ; a s F o ndlewife and Sir Courtly Ni ce ; and headded to his l ist of parts Be n , i n Cong reve ’s “ L ove for L ove , ”a ndCaptain Brazen , i n F a rquha r’s Rec ruit ing Officer . ” Duringthe fol low ing summ er he went to the Haym arket , where helaug hed at the quarrels of Mrs. Bellam y and Mrs. W o ffin g t o n .

I n 1756 , he eng ag ed h im self at Covent G arden from F ebruaryto May

, where he produced his Eng l i shm an Returnedfrom Paris ,” which m ade another g reat success . Duringthis eng ag em ent he also acted F o ndlewife , Captain Brazen , andSir Penurious Trifle ; L ady Pe n twe a z e l, i n a l i ttle play ofhis o wn ,of the sam e nam e ; Sir Paul P l iant , i n Cong reve ’s “ DoubleDealer ” ; and he advert ised him self for Polonius in Ham let ,”but before the nig ht of perform ance w i thdrew from the part .Meanwhi le , OldMacklin had se t up a tavern in C ovent G arden ,where he alternated a three shill ing ordinary w i th a shill inglecture upon oratory . These lectures of Macklin ’

s supplied g oodfood for F oote ’ s hum our, and the sat i rist set up a counte r lecture

152 THE THE/l TRE. r, 1886 .

at the Haym arket , where he ridiculed Macklin ’

s absurdit ies . I t

i s recorded that he m ade a hundred pounds a nig ht by his counteroratory, while poor Mackl in had to shut up the Piazza coffee -houseand fig ure as waiter, co fle em a n

, and Chapm an,

” i n The

L ondon G azette . ”On e of F o o te ’

s m ost i ntim ate acqua inta nces wa s ArthurMurphy

,the dram at ist . Murphy ’s letters are full of anecdotes o f

F oote ’s sprig htly nature and keen wit . Murphy , for instance , isat Br is tol , i n the lowest possible spirits , when a splendid equipag ea rrive s at the ho tel . F oote , splend idly atti red , al ig hts, and , whileI a m wr i t ing th is, he i s g r inning at m e from a co rner of the ro o mwe ha ve had Mr. Punch a lrea dy , and his company ha s l i fted myspirits

,and that is what m a kes m e g o on at th is rate . Ag ain ,they a re tog e the r a t a c o untry house , and Murphy is sa dly pre

paring him self for a journ ey to L ondon in order to g e t ready forpres s a num be r of “ The G ra y ’ s Inn Journal , ” when F oote sayshe need not g o on that a ccount , a nd, pro ducing a F rench m ag az ine

,te l ls him that he wi ll find ih i t o ne of the prettiest oriental

tales imag inable , which he has only to tra nslate and send to theprinter. Mu rphy ta kes his co mpa nion ’s a dvice , and s o g ets prom oted to the notice of Johnso n . who se o wn tale i t turns out hadi tself been t ranslated into F re nch from a num be r of The Rambler.On another occas ion F oote and Murphy are in the g allery of theHouse of Comm ons , when Pi t t is putting forth al l his oratoricalpower ag ainst Murray . Shal l we g o hom e n o w asks Murphybefore P i tt had concluded his speech . No ,

” repl i es F oote,

“ le t

us wai t unti l he ha s made the l ittle m a n vanish entirely . ”In September , 1756 , he beg an an eng ag em ent at Drury L ane ,

where , after playing several of his o wn characters and of Co ng reve ’s , he p roduced , on F ebruary 5, 1757, his l i ttle com edy o fThe Author, rich in character and bri ll iant in w it . The playbecam e g reatly popular . Kitty C live ’s Becky wa s a com panionpicture to F oote ’s C adwa lle r

, which , says Ho race Walpole , hadnever been equalled in its kind . I t ran the rem ainder of theseason , but wa s suppressed on F oote’s attem ptin g to revive i t, asthe central fi g ure wa s a palpable and ridiculous caricature of awell-known Welshm an , of larg e fortune, by nam e Ap-Rice

,wi th

whom F oote wa s fam i liar .Next cam e a j ourney to Dubl in

,and the real introduct ion

,by

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154 THE THEATRE . [Sl im 1 , was

doubled the pa rt of Mr . Sm irk , in addition to dre ssing at andimita ting Whitfield to the l i fe whe n he spoke the epilog ue . His

hit’ a t the Tott enham Court Road preacher provoked a controversyin whichWhitfie ld’

s fri ends g o t worsted , and it a lso drew fromF oote an a dm irable defence of the stag e , a nd his defini tion ofco medy . What inst i tution , hum a n o r divine , he a sks, ha s n o t

be en pe rverte d by b adm e n to bad purpo se s ? I w ish we had nota notorious i nstance be fore us . Me n ha ve bee n drunk w i th w inemust , then , every vine b e destroye d ? Re l ig ion ha s been m ade acloak for de ba uchery a nd fraud : m ust we , the n , exti rpate a llreli g i on ? While there a re such citie s i n the world as L o ndon ,a m usem e nts m ust b e foun d out , a s occupation for the idle , a s

rela xa tion for the a ct ive . All that so und po l icyca n do i s to takeca re tha t such only a re e stabli shed as a re , i f not use ful i n theirtendency, a t lea st ha rm le ss in their conseq uence .

”

He thenvindica tes The Mino r fro m the desig n a tion of i t by his assai la nta s a fa rce . He defines co m e dy a s a n exact represe ntation of thepecul ia r ma nners of tha t pe ople a mong whom i t i s pe rform ed . I ts

pro v i nce is to pun ish folly a s the State punishe s crim e , by m akingits fa i thful rid icule of pa rt icula r o fl'e nders an example to theco mmunity . This, he points out , he had a im ed a t in The Minor,”be lie ving i ts characters to b e not stra ine d a bove the m odesty ofna ture , n o r the trea tm e nt of them unsuitable or inconsistent . I t

is n ot ,

” he adds,

“the extent , but the obj e cts of a piece that m ust

e sta bl ish “ its ti tle ; a piece of one act m a y prove a n excellentComedy, and a play of five a m ost execrable farce . ”

.F o o te’s increasin g popularity induced him to becom e jointma n ag er , with Murphy, ofDrury L an e , for the summ er season Ofthe .ye a r following , when he produced [his adm i ra ble com edy ofi“

'

The L iar.

” I n The O rators F oote nex t cari catured G eorg eF a ulkn er, a Dublin g entlem a n , unhappily possess ing only one le g ,. a n infirm i ty which m ig ht have spared him from F oote ’s ridicule .tHo w e ver, he wa s transferred to the Haym arket stag e , wooden le ga nd all . Encourag ed by L ord Chesterfield , F aulkner broug ht ana ctio'n in the'

Dub lin L aw Court s ag ainst F oote , and secured averdict,a l thoug h he Obtained only nom inal dam ag es . But the withadhis reve ng e, for two m onths later he put j udg e a nd j ury,counse l and all, into a com i c scene, which he played at the Ha yLma rke t i AThe sam e sea son produced the enjoyable farce of The

Mayo r fo f Garrett .” F oote had n o w re a ched the heig ht of hi s

SEPT . r,

SAM UEL F OOTE . 155

popularity . He held his o wn_

i n '

a ll cl asses of society,drove a s

splendid horses as any m a n i ntown , kept up m ag nificent establ ishm ents both i n L ondon and the country, and wa s fam ous for his .

dinners and w ines . Ye t w i thal , to his credi t be i t said , he alwaysg ave the best place i n his reg ard to the l ig hts and followers of,l i terature . On e nig ht , when peers had been unable to obtain a dm i ss ion to the overcrowded theatre , he put h im sel f t o g raveinconvenience to g e t G ray and Mason into a side-b o x ; and when aflippa n t , fine lady of the theatre complained of the hum -drum m a n

Goldsm i th wa s i n the g reen-room com pared to the fi g ure he m adein his poetry , he explained to her w i th del icate wit tha t the reason .

of i t wa s that the m uses were better com panions than the players .A t th is very t im e the return from the Continent of the King ’

s

brother is described : “The Duke Of York , on his arrival , wentfirst to his m other, then to his Maj esty, and directly from them to

Mr . F oote . ”The first real shadow n o w fell on F oote ’s l i fe . In riding a toospirited h om e , while on a vis i t to L ord Mexborou g h , he wa s :thrown and so severely hurt that hi s left le g had to be a mpu

fated . No w I shal l i ndeed take o ff old F aulkner to the life,

”

wa s his first rem ark when what he had . to suffer wa s announced .to him . But he keenly felt h is affl i ction , despite h i s assum edcalm ness . His l etter to G arrick, bes ides displaying the real g oodfeel ing which exi sted between these two m en ,

shows this . He

praises Mrs . G arrick, and says , from what he has seen and a ll he .

has heard , G arrick w i l l have m ore to reg ret when e ither of them .

d ies than any m a n i n the king dom '

And then he fe a rs ‘

he hasexplained himself but im perfectly : I do not know whether theexpression be clear in the last period but one , but I m ean yoursepa rat ion , whichever occasion s it—but , i n truth ,” he adds , -I

a m very weak , i n pain , and can procure no sleep save by the a id'

o f opiates.” He'concludes by hoping that he m a y be spa red to “

express in person . som e part of hi s thankfulness to dea r _Mr

G arrick for al l h i s attent ion and kindness. .As som e sort ofco mpe n sa t io n for hi s affl i ction , the King , at the reques t of. the Duke o fYork , g rant ed him a n exclus ive patent for perform ances at the .Haym arket Theatre from May 14 to Septem ber 14 every year.He thereupon alm ost entirely rebu i l t the house , erect ing a ha nd * .

so m e,

n ew, fro n t ' t o it, a nd, on Ma y 14, 1767, opened i t w i th a .

‘

fPrelude "! of infin itg wit . From th i s date until 1776 he _kept, th‘

ea

156 THE THEATRE. (Se n . 1 , 1335.

theatre Ope n every summ e r wi th pieces writte n a nd mainlysupported by him self—a wonderful record i n the history ofthe stag e . During these nine ye a rs he visi ted Dubl in a nd

Edinburg h frequently, a nd he produce d nine o ri g inal plays,ei g ht of which we re three -act co m edies . Most fam ous of theseplays are : The Devil on Two St icks “

The L am e L o ver,” “The

Maid of Bath , “The Nabo b The Ba nkrupt ," The

Cozeners , and The Ca puchin .

The bitterest blo w which F o o te ever rece ived—a blow whichcru shed and sho rte ne d his l ife—wa s de a lt by a wom an's ha nd ,or

,rathe r, by o ne who had lost a ll claim to the dig n i ty a ndhonour of womanhood by her n o to rious vice . The Duches s ofKing ston he a rd , thro ug h the L ord Cha m berla in ’s office , tha tF oo te had sa t i ri sed he r i n the cha ra cter of L a dy Kitty C ro co di lei n a play e n t i tled “ The Trip to C a la i s ,” the n in the l icen se r’shands. After a ttempt in g to bribe F o o te to suppre ss the play,she use d her influe nce w i th L o rd Hertfo rd, a nd the li ce nse wa srefuse d . A bitte r wa r ra g ed be twee n this infamous crea tureand the brilliant w it , i n which the Duche ss g o t the worst of i t atfirst . But she cal led to her a id a m a n a s utterly devoid of principle , a s vicious a s herself, a nd m ore re ckless . This fellow, oneJackson , a n I rish parso n , i t is worth noting , afte rwards becam einvolved in tre aso na ble practices be fore the outbreak o f the I rishRe bell ion , and poiso ned him self i n pri so n on the eve of the dayappointed for his execut ion . Suppo rted by a supply of unl im i tedm oney from the Duche ss of King ston, th is unscrupulous ra scalpoured forth volley Upon volley Of l ibel upon F oote . “ I t i s a ppall ing even yet ," says a w ri ter in 1854, “ to turn to the newspapers and pam phlets of that day and see the cold and cruelpersistence in the attacks ag ainst the g reat hum ourist , into whosevortex even journ als call ing them selves respectable were drawn .

”

There is on record a letter from the Duchess which appeared inone of the publ ic prints , which , tog ether w i th its sequel, i s thusdescribed by Walpole Drunk w i th t rium ph , she would g ivethe m ortal blow w i th her o wn hand

,but as the instrum ent she

chose wa s a g o o se-quill , the stroke recoi led upon herself. She

wrote a letter to The Evening Post ” which not the lowest of herclass who tram p in patterns would have set her m ark to . Bi l ling sg ate from a ducal coronet wa s invit ing ; however, F oo te , w i th a llthe del icacy she should have used, replied only w i th wit, irony,

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158 THE THEA TRE . [Sup-r , 1 , 1886 ,

fam e is unsull ied,his ol d wit st il l assert ing i t . He played for the

last tim e at the Haym arket Theatre i n May , of this year, i n“The Devil on Two St icks . But his cheeks were lank a nd

w i thered , his eyes had lost the ir fire , and his person wa s sunka nd em aciated . F ive m onths lat er he le ft L ondon for Dover

,on

his wa y to F rance . He a rrived there on October 20,1777, a ttended b v one serva nt . Next m orning , a t breakfast , he wa s seized

w i th a shivering fi t , under which he sank in three hours . His

faith ful tre a surer and fri end , J ewel , conveyed the body back totown . But be fore leaving Dover he de s i red to leave behind so m em em orial of the m a n he knew so well . So he ordered an epitaphto be placed in the Church of St . Mary , which Speaks volum esin favour of the w it . The inscription says nothing of his humouror his g enius , his wr it i ng or hi s act ing , but it m entions that hehad a h a n d open a s the day to m e lt ing charity . ” He wa s buriedin the cloisters of We stm inster Abbey, n ear Henry L awes , “ onewho cal led M ilton frie nd ,” To m Brown , Anne Braceg irdle , a ndThom as Be tterton . NO m em o ri al m arks his las t rest ing -place .

®ut flb ustca Ir-JBo r.

UT a few week s a g o i t wa s my p leasurable duty t o record inthe co lumns of THE THEATRE a few of t he leading inciden ts of

F ran z L isz t ’ s brief, but t r iumphal , sojou rn in this met ropol is , dur ingwhich En g l ish mus icians—and, indeed , the Br i t ish public in g eneral—did a ll that wa s w i thin thei r power t o m ake amends t o the g reatcomposer and execu tan t for the coldness of his recept ion in thiscoun t ry five and forty years a g o . At the sam e t im e w a s published inthis m ag azine a humble met rical tr ibute to L is z t ’s g reat g enius andmany noble quali t ies , the verses having been reci ted to him by askilled elocu t i onis t on the occas ion of his las t public appearance inL ondon. I rejoice to think—n o w t hat that sa dword last ha sacquired addi t ional m ournfulness from the fact that F ran z L iszt is nom ore- that my F arewell ” g ave him some s l ig ht p leasure ; at leas t ,s o he told m e ; for n ei ther I nor any of those who , l ike myself, adm i red,venerated, a nd loved him , can , or shall ever ag ain be able to , .doaug ht to g rat ify or amuse him . He ha s been taken from a w o rld thathe adorned , and in which , when he w a s am ong st us the other day, hecons t i tuted the only living mus ical l ink betweenBe etho v e n '

a ndBrahm s .

Byhis death the n ineteenth century, n o w draw ing towards its close onlytoo g loo mily, from an artistic point. of view, ha s lo s t : its . typ ical

Sm I,

OUR MUSI CAL -BOX. 159

mus ical representative . Throug hou t s ixty-six years— two -thirds of'its total span- L isz t wa s iden t ified w i th its .m us ical his tory a s ap ian is t of su rpass ing capaci t ies , and for more than fi fty i o f thoseyears a s a composer no less versati le than or ig inal . He w a s aWunderkind

,and m ade his débu t a s a p ianist at Oede n b urg in

1820 , when nine years Old his fi rst m us ical com pos i t ion that foundits wa y into p r int w a s published at Vienna three years la ter in aco l lection of p ianoforte works w r i t ten by the most eminent art is ts oftha t day . At the a g e of fou rteen he composed an Operetta , which ,under the t itle of “ D o n San che , w a s broug ht out a t the F renchAcadém ie Royale , and very favou rably received . L udwig vanBeethoven

,to whom he repeatedly p layed i n t he year 1 823 , recog

n isedhim a s a m us ical g en ius of the firs t fl ig h t , a nd character isedhis executan t powers a s marvel lous and unpreceden ted . F rom histenth to his seven ty-s ixth yea r his ca reer w a s one lon g un in te rruptedser ies of a rt is t ic tr ium phs and social succes ses . The ar is tocracies ofG ermany, F rance , and Russ ia were at his feet ; reig n ing sovereig nseag erly soug ht his personal fr iendship , which a few of them sharedth the leading poets , composers , au thors , c r it ics , painters , sculptors ,and s ing ers of the Continen t. Amon g st the shin ing l ig h ts of l iteratureand art adm itted to his in timacy dur ing his salad days —m ore thanhalf a century a g o —were A lphonse de L amartine , Heinr ich H eine ,Victor Hug o , Jacob Meyerbeer , G eorg e Sand , Alfred de Musset ,

F rédér ic Chop in , Delacroix , Hector Ber l ioz , Honoré de Balzac , andEug ene Sue . By t hese leading sp ir i ts of the a g e he wa s reg ardedw i th an admi ring affect ion almos t amounting to worship . L ike hisfr iend Chop in— the on ly p ian ist at that t im e who could emulate hisfeats Of extem por isat ion , and who lived for some years ma rita lemm twi th Madame Dude v a n t fi he cont racted a lia iso n w i th a lady of conspicuo us l iterary ability, the Comtesse d’

Ag o ult (her n o ”: depluma w a s

Dan iel Stern), who bore him tw o daug hters and a s o n . Of theseonly one survives him , Cos ima Wag ner , formerly Von Buelow , thew idow of the m a n whom of al l men L isz t m os t deep ly reverenced .His only so n and his elder daug hter , who marr ied M . Em i le O l l ivier ,once a Min ister of Sta te under the Napoleonic reg ime , died dur i ngtheir i llus t r ious father ’s l ifet im e . Som e years after hisconn ect ionw i th Madame d’

Ag o ult had terminated , he wa s im pelledby ci rcu ms tances o f a very cur ious and romantic nature to take holy orders inthe Rom an Cathol ic Chu rch , thereby binding him self to cel ibacy forthe

‘

rem a inde r of his days . He never,however , became an officiatin g

pr ies t , al t houg h the late Pope P ius IX. advanced him to the rank ofCa uo uieo in the eccles ias t ical hierarchy, and Cardinal P r ince Hohenlo b e endowed him w i th the small b e n efice of A lbano—1a s inecu re towhich a small res idence w ithin easy reach of the E tern al C i ty w a sa ttached . I v is ited him at Albano in the spr ing of 1870 , whe n éhe to ldm e that in all probabil i ty he should contin ue to dwell there for the rest

. o f his l ife ; but ,he quitted his p retty little cano nry sho rtly aft er; his

1 60 THE THEA TRE . (SEPT.

fr iend the Cardinal left Rom e , and thenceforth resided successively inWeim ar and Pes th . After entering the Church he devoted hiscreat ive g enius exclus ively t o the com pos i t ion of sacred m us ic .I t is , perhaps , worthy o f m entio n , a s an illus t rat ion of the steadfastconservatism animat ing British journalism , that L isz t ’ s proper eccle

s ia stica l t i t le of Canon , which he held fo r n ea rly twenty years ,a l thoug h acknowledg ed a nd acco rded to him in the co lumns of theG erman , Aus t r ian , and I tal ian press , wa s pe rs isten t ly ig no red by a llthe leading L ondo n newspapers , which con tinued t o desig nate hima s the Abbé L isz t t o the end , and even descr ibed him thus incorrectly in their obi tuary not ices . During his s tay here last Apri l hewa s chat t ing to m e in the hig hest Sp ir i ts one nig h t a t Henry I rving ’sro om s a t the L yceum Theat re , and c ross -exam ined m e w i th hum oro us earnes tness a s t o the poss ible reason s tha t could have inducedm y colleag ues t o persevere in s tyling him the Ab be ”

when hiscorrec t predicate wa s the Cano n . W i th us in Hung ary andAust r ia, he sm i ling ly o bse rved, “ qui te a different custom obtains .

We are apt , out of exag g erated pol i teness , to confe r a step of rankupon the person w i th whom we happen t o be convers ing . I f he be aCaptain , we address him a s Herr Major ; ’ i f an Aul ic Councillor(H o fra th) a s Her r G ehe im ra th ’

(P r ivy Counci llor) i f a Canon , a sM r. Dean .

’

The w ife of a g rocer is spoken to a s G ra cious L ady 'b y he r acquaintances . H o w often have I had breve t rank bestowedu pon me by my inter locutors in my o wn country l But here—and inParis t oo , where you g ent lem en of the fourth es tate claim to be betteri nform ed and more accu rate in your s tatem en ts than yourco nfreres o fAus t ria and G ermany—the reporters are un an imous in in sist ing thatI am on ly an Abbé . Explain to m e why thi s is so .

” I poin ted outt o the venerable Canon tha t certain tradi t ions were hallowed inL ondon newspaper offices ; that for s ixteen con secut ive years theTimes, know ing be t ter all the while , had deliberately m isspel t thename of the firs t s tatesman in Europe ; that anot her g reat m etropol itan journal had observed a s imilar course of act ion w i th respect tothe pat ronym ic of P r ince. G o rtcha k o w , al thoug h i t had a s cons istentlys pel t C racow correct ly, instead of alter ing i t to Craco ff ; that thep r incip le observed (i f any) in descr ibing eminent men wa s to do s o in am anner to which the g eneral public wa s accus tomed , unfe t tered bya ny m ere actuali t ies ; and , finally , that—jus t a s Napoleon the G reatcontinued to be spoken and wri tten of by his m os t fervent adm irersa s L e Pet it Caporal long after he had ascended the Imper ialthrone of F rance—he , Can on L isz t , had taken root in the popularmind of Eng land a s the Abbé L isz t , which ci rcum s tance he mus t beg ood enoug h to put up w i th a s one of the penal t ies of g reatness . He

laug hed , and said, Nothing can be m ore satisfac tory to my vani tythan your exp lanation , my dear fr iend, for you have associated m e

with Bism arck , G o rtcha ko w , and Napoleon I but I a m Canon

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THE THEA TRE . [Sm-r . r, 1886 .

L iszt’s p ianofo rte playin g seven teen ve a rs a g o , when I first l istened toit, a we

-st ricken a nd en raptured, wa s in m o re than o n e respec t abso lutelyun ique . Besides hav ing overco me every techn ical difficul ty exco g itatedby composers for that in st rumen t up t o his t ime, he had in ven tednumberless n ew ones, some few o f which n o perform e r b ut himself ha sa s yet succe eded'

in vanquishin g . Of these the m o st labo rio us a nd ia

trica te were to him ‘

man ifestly mere past ime, costin g him n o effortwhatsoever. His l o n g da pper fing ers unravelled their tan g led skein s ofn otes a s eas ily a s tho ug h they had be en dia ton icscales or plain -sailin garpeg g i . His force a ndflexib il i ty were alike in im itable a ndthe m iracleshe worked upo n the key-bo ard were so in trin sica l ly bea ut i ful, a s well a samazin g , that—comparedwi th them—a ll I had thereto fore heard a nd

seen in the way o f first-class p ianism a ppea red to m e a s naug ht. Theabnormal leng th a ndela st ici ty o f L iszt’s fing ers enab ledhim , in part icular,to outdo a ll o ther executan ts in what I will ta ke leave to desig nate a s“ orchestra l ”p ian o fo rte p layin g . Ten ths were by him a s easi ly compareda s are octaves by o rdinary p ian ists ; he could play them ra p idly in sequence,tog ether with a s many in termediate n o tes a s he had fin g er-t ips to touch .Wi th relat i o n to Tee/mik—a Ge rm a n term inadequately rendered in En gl ish by the word execut io n—he appeared to plung e his h a nds in to thekey-board at rando m , a s thoug h he were vag uely bent upon wrest in g fromi t passa g es of inco nceivable difficul ty, which he then scattered about himwith easy and g racio us l iberali ty. I t wa s, however—a s I po inted out ina short treat ise o n his playin g which I publ ished two years a g o , a ndfromwh ich I wi ll cra ve pe rm ission to quote a few passag es of which thevenerable Canon wa s plea sed to express his approval last Apri l—whenextemporisin g that L iszt wa s won t to le t h imself g o , g ivin g full veinto his fancy or humour of the momen t , and indulg in g to the top of hisbent in exag g eration s o f techn ica l complicat i o n . At such t imes, stimulated b y stron g psychica l exci temen t, he wouldput forth t o the i r utm ostexecut ive limits the exceptional physical resources wi th which nature hadg ifted h im, and would ach ieve—faultlessly a nd with a n indescribab ledesin o o lture—what to a ny other p ian ist had been impossib le . Pract iceand vol i tion had so stern ly discipl ined his fin g ers, a nd accustomed themto fulfi l so unfailing ly the orders t ran smittedto them from his brain, that,in a ll probab i l i ty, the word difficulty ”

(in connect ion wi th Tecl mik) hadcea sed to possess a ny exact sig n ifican ce, a s far a s L iszt the execu tant wa sconcern ed. Nobody who heardhim improvise , a s I did in Vienna, a nd

subsequen tly in Rome, coulddoubt that—ab solutely free from a ny kindof preoccupation a s to the ab ili ty of his hands to execute whatever hemig ht ca l l upon them to do—he g ave play to the creat ive and con st ruct ivefacult ies of his intellect wi thout t roubling him self in the least about thetrained m echan ism s attached to his wrists. However unexampledm i g htbe the sequences or stran g ely in term ing led the g roups of n otes sug g estedby his imag ination, he unhesi tat ing ly g ave them expression , being perfectly certa in that his executant mach inery co uld a nd wouldcar ry themo ut forthwi th, in obedience to a n unconscious exercise of wi l l o n his part .Th is is indisputably o n e of the m ost extraordinary powers that ca n b e

Sm . I,

OUR M USI CAL -BOX. 1 63

acquiredand wi elded by a human b e in on To be able, wi thout an instant'swarnin g or preparat ion—for, in these cases, execut ion i s exactly simultan e o us wi th concept ion—to repro duce in org anised com b inations orsuccessions of sounds the phantasies of g enius or problem s of science isa capaci ty o f such superhuman seemin g to those who possess i t not thati t m ust , I should think , be u tterly incomprehen sib le—even incredib leto the vast majori ty of m ankind. Were the marvels of L iszt’s improvisat ion described in cold b lood to a ny unmusical person of fair averag eintellect, i t would not surprise me at a ll i f his or her only comm ent uponthe narrative should be “ I do not believe a word of it , because i t isimpossible l ” As a matter o f‘ fact, extemporisat ion of t h is except ionalclass—l ike the t ransposit ion of an orchestral score at si g ht by a personplayin g i t on the p iano, a feat which I have seen performed by Rub insteina ndRichter—is, and m ust ever remain , a more than Eleusin ian mysteryto the ch ildren of m e n in g eneral .At the time to wh ich I refer it wa s—a t least , to a m ediocre but con

scie n ti o us p ian ist l ike myself—a t once supreme joy a nd abject despair tol isten to an extemporisat ion by L iszt , when he happened t o be exci tedby some more than usually sympathet ic them e or happy fancy. I t wa sin imitab ly b l issful for the m oment but i t b l ig hted one’s self-appreciat ion ,a nd sug g ested dread vows of renunciat ion , a s far a s p ianoforte-playingwa s concerned, for ever a nd ever thereafter . H is p lurali ty of touchesp ian ists wi l l unders tand what I m ean—wa s an inexhaust ib le source ofrapturous surprises to m e . No w, his touch wa s a s l ig h t a s the fal l of asnowflake or the flutter of a butte rfly’s win g ; n o w a s rich a s three-p i ledGenoa velvet n o w a s cl in g ing a s a lover’s k iss an o n a s hard and brig hta s the b low of a diamond-headed hamm er . Under his fing ers the in strum ent—to others a m ach ine of readily exhaust ib le tone- resources—sang ,talked, laug hed, wept, and m imicked orchestral effects wi thout number.I t wa s more than talen t— it wa s h ig h g enius , of the executant order, thatwa s possessed by the tal l , slender, Dantesque Mag yar priest , once them ost successful subduer in Europe of the fair sex, and the object of a nadorat ion that too frequen tly lured him into stran g e, t rag ical adventures,expressin g i tself (on the part of his fair votaries) in a ll manner of extrav a g a nce s o f act ion— some , by the way, no less com ical than eccentric .No t the on ly damsel of h ig h deg ree, by many an o n e , whose head wa scompletely turned by the prince of z'mprow'

sa to rz'

wa s that infatuated m aidof honour at the Court of Saxe-Weimar

, whose stron g personal flavour ofstale tobacco mystified her fam ily, friends, a ndfel low-courtiers fo r severalconsecut ive months . On e day

,an accident revealed the amazing factthat F ra ue le in von perman ently wore in her bosom , a s a sacred

rel ic, an o ld cig ar-stump wh ich L iszt had thrown away in the street underher eyes . She had reveren tly p icked up the unsavoury m orsel, enshrinedit in a massive g olden locket enrichedwith the monog ram “ F . L .

”in

br il l iants , a nd suspended i t round her v irg in neck , whence i t steadfastlyemitted the s ickly reek that so lon g perp lexed the Grand-Ducal household. 1 have seen the proudest dam es a nd dam sels of the Austrian

THE THEA TRE. [Se rra r, r886.

aristo cracy crouching round L iszt on the bare boards of a co nce rt-roomplatform ,in att i tudes wi th wh ich the twen ty love-sick m aidens of F a tim a

have fam il iari sed the British publ ic, a nd g loat ing fondly upon his expressive, an imated countenance. I n my presence sta tely Roma n princesseshave seized his ha nds, a nd k issed them ra pturously ag ain a ndag ain . No

other art ist whom I have ’ ever known wa s so passionate ly pet ted bybeaut iful and h ig h-born wom en a s was F ranz L iszt ; b ut successiveg eneration s of lovely enthus ias ts stro ve in va in to spo i l him . He alwaysheld his o wn wi th them ; the only m istress to who m he was inflexib lyfai thful wa s the Art of Music, with wh ich he kept up the tenderest oflia iso ns throug ho ut , at least , half-a -century.

I n Vienna a ndRo me , at different t imes, I heard L iszt play some o fBeethoven’s masterp ieces, a s well as severa l of his o wn composi tionsand transcript ions moreo ver, he extemporised twice in my presence,the first t ime at g reat len g th upon Schubert’s “ Sta e ndche n , and thesecond, m ore briefly, upon Moza rt’s Batt i , batti .” I wa s thereforeenabled to ta ke stock, so to speak. of his vari o us qua l it ies a s a p ianist inthei r three principal developmen ts a nd in a ll th ree he a ppeared to m en o t on ly un rivalled, but unappro achab le. His interpre ta t ion of Beethoven ’

s works, wh i le dist in g uished from that of welln ig h every otherem inent cotemporary solo ist by devout fideli ty t o the temp : ' and wo rdedor marked inst ructions of the compo ser, wa s at once romant ic,passionate, and dig n ified. All the mean in g s of the Master’s concept ions

were intell ig ibly expounded. I knew the notes o f the “ Appassionataand the Adieu by heart , havin g played them myself scores of t imes,a nd l isten ed to in teresting render in g s of them very frequently ; but I hadnever understoo d their full sig n ificance unt i l i t wa s revealed to me byF ranz L iszt . E i ther he merg ed his o wn individuali ty in that of the deadcomp o ser, or the sp iri t of Beethoven m oved him for the t ime bein g . Atany rate, the result of ei ther psych ical process was o n e never to beforg otten by any musician whose ears i t m a y have reached. RichardWag n er, whose capaci ty for enthusiasm wa s always under the control ofhis crit ical faculty, frequently confessed that words failed h im to expresshis admi ration of the un ique g ift that empowered L iszt to invest h im selffor the t ime being wi th the personali ty of any composer whose works hemig ht be en g ag ed in renderin g . In relat ion to th is speciali ty of hisi llustrious father-in - law Wag ner once wrote a s follows He who ha senjoyed frequent opportun i t ies, particularly in a small in t imate circle, ofhearing L iszt play Beethoven ’ s music must have realised the fact that theplaying in question wa s not m ere reproduct ion, but actual product ion .The real boundary- l ine between these two achievements is not so easi lysett led a s most people believe ; but th is I have ascerta ined beyonddispute—th a t in order to reproduce Beethoven o n e must be able to produce with him . I t would be impossible to make this comprehensible tothose who , a s lon g a s they have lived, have heard n oth in g but ordinaryperformances and professional rendering s of Beethoven ’

s p ianoforteworks. In the course of t ime I have g ained so m elancholy an in sig ht

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166 THE THEATRE . (Sm , x. 1886 .

o ne even in g during the (Ecum en ical win ter at a musica l so irée g iven bythe Princess 0 L iszt’s Sympho n ic Poem Tasso ,” arran g ed fo rtwo p ian os, happen ed to be lyin g o n o n e o f the mag n ificen t in strumen tsthat sto od side by side—hea d a nd tail—ln the Prin ce ss's music-ro om ,

where some sixty or seven ty perso na g es o f Ro man so ciety were a ssembled,among st them the Cano n o f Alban o . Whi lst chat ting wi th his hostess ,L iszt pickedup the “ Tasso arran g emen t by cha nce , a sked her whethershe had heard i t, a nd o n receiving a reply in the neg a tive, said that hewo uld g ladly make i t known to he r, i f she co uld finda ny o n e amon g st he rg uests to play i t wi th him . There were several I tal ian p ian ists, virtuosia nd amateurs. presen t, but n o ne of them wo uld venture to attempt sodiffi cul t a work at sig ht, espe cially in co njunct io n with its co mpose r, o fwho m one a ndall evidently sto od in awe . Archb isho p Hayn a ld(he hadn o t then received the redha t) , wh o se roo m s were n ext to m ine a t theAlberg o di Ro ma, a nd who had placed his excellen t g ra nd pian o at mydispo sal immediately upon his a rrival in the Etern a l C ity, came up to mea ndsaid—“Hom er: Sicma l, main L ieder ! yo u have played a g o od manyhard p ieces (st/m ere Sl im

-t e) at sig h t wi th m e durin g the past six weeks .

Are yo u a fraid o f L iszt ? He wan ts so m ebo dy to ta ke the seco nd p ian owi th him , a nd try his Tasso .

’ I sh o uld l ike to do i t myself, b ut am a fraidof the fat ig ue . What do yo u say Wi l l yo u make the a ttempt ? The

thin g is difficul t en o ug h—m o re than en o ug h. ” I tho ug ht of L iszt'sdubita tive sm ile, when Herbeck had in tro duced me to him a s a n

Eng l ishman who knew music, ” a ndat o nce replied “Wi l l yo ur Grandeu rvo uch fo r m e ? I am n o t a fraido f the g rea t m a n , fo r the truly st ro n g a re

g enerally merciful a nd if I break down , n o t b e in g a pro fessi o nal p ia n ist ,I shall man a g e to survive the disg race o f fa ilure .

”Ha yn a ld too k me by

the a rm a nd ledm e up to the il lustrious co mpatriot, saying F ranz,thoukn o west this young m a n . He ca n read music well he has d o n e so wi th

m e ag ain a ndag ain . He is amb itio ns to play wi th thee, a ndha s theaudacity to essay thy ‘Tasso Wil t thou try him o n my reco mm e ndation ? ” “ Certain ly I wi ll,” repl iedL iszt a nd, afte r addressing a fewkindly, reassuring wo rds to m e , forthwi th too k his seat at o n e p iano,

m otion ing m e to the other . I fel t a s I suppose m e n feel when they havebeen told o ff for a forlorn hope and are awai tin g the sig nal to advance .However, I contrived som ehow to follow the Canon’s superb leadin g ,

a ndn o t to put him o ut ; the “ fearsome foursome ” went o ff wi thout ahi tch , a ndwhen i t wa s over L iszt held o ut his hand to m e , sm i ledbenig n ly, a nd saidonly three words Herbeck avai t raison . The otherday

,when my London home wa s h o noured by his presence, he rem inded

m e of o ur quatre-mains in Rom e, more than sixteen years a g o , a ndtoldm e that he had written to Cardinal Hayn a ld the sam e day, tellin g hisEm inence that he (L iszt) wa s g oing to lun ch wi th the En g lish amateurwho used to play p ian oforte duets with the Archbishop of K a locz a duringRom e’s last winter under the Papal rc’g z’me. I men t ion this fact a s a ninstance o f the clearn ess a nd tenaci ty of his memory at the a g e o f

seven ty-five , on ly three mon ths before his death . On the same occasionhe alludedto several musical a nd of that mem o rab le win ter, incidents

Sm . r,OUR MUSI CAL -BOX. 167

which I had completely forg otten, a nd especially -recalled to my

rem embrance the excellent p laying of a Po l ish pup i l of his, then a

stripl in g of twenty, n o w a prosperous P.F . teacher, and the father ofhalf-a -dozen chi ldren ; also o f his (L iszt’s) ha vin g p layed o n e even in g a t

poor HarryArn im ’

s to Prince F reder ick of .Hohenzollern, the Kin g o f

Roumania’s youn g er brother, uponwhom L iszt’s inim itab le extemporisin gpro duced no visib le impression whatever. An dno wonder,” added theg reat w’

rtuo sa , forall the Hohen zol lerns I have ever known cared nothin gfo r music, wh ich o ldPrince Albrecht o nce told m e he reg arded a s ‘

a n

e xpensive noise . ’ That wa s the m a n who on ce said about his o wn so n ,

Albrecht the youn g er, n o w Reg en t o f Brun swick, He cann ot be a truePrussian Pr ince, for he does n o t adm i re wom en, never g ets drunk, ande ven p lays the org an ! ’ (spiel: sog a r dieOf the g raceful and thoug htful kindness which I and m ine received

a t differen t tim es from Canon L iszt I could wr i te enoug h to fill a ll thepag es of this m ag azine ; but wil l forbear , having al ready occupiedn ear ly the who le space p laced at my disposal fo r the current m on th .I cann ot , however, b r ing these notes to a con clus ion w i thoutrem inding their readers that the dead com poser to whom they referw a s one of the m ost dis interested , g enerous , and char i table m e n who

e ver l ived . At least o n e -half of his en orm ous earning s , whi ch m aybe reckoned by hundreds of thousands of pounds , ha s been g ivenaway to the poor, the suffer ing , and the unfortunate ; to encourag estrug g l ing talent and comm em orate surpass in g g enius ; to furtherthe cultu re of art , spread its doctr ines far and w ide , and promoteits intellig ent worship in every c ivi lised European country . To

F ran z L isz t , in comm on w i th the late L udw ig von W i ttelsbach ,belon g s the honou r of having extricated R ichard Wag ner from as loug h of desp ond and dilated his heart w ith joyful hope when itw a s all bu t broken by despair. When L iszt didWag ner the g reatestserv ice one com poser could do 'another he knew full wel l that thedisappointed

,soured Saxon m us ician disl iked and distrusted him ;but that know ledg e did n o t deter him from carrying out his m a g

n a n im o us purpose . F o r this alone m ankind wa s his debtor—and fo rho w m any m ore noble deeds ? F o r scores which have reachedpublic cog n isance , a nd hun dreds of which he never breathed a.word , even to 1118 m ost intim ate fr iends . What l ife had to g ivew a s his—love , fri endship , popular i ty, dig nities , distinct ions , anda m p le mean s , which last he held in trust for the deserving po or.F ran z L isz t ’s w a s a beaut ifu l career, teeming w i th lig ht, sweetness,and b e n efice nce .

“ Take him for all i n all, we shall not look .upon

his l ike ag ain .

”

A few words must here be said abou t som e of the n ew m us icforwarded t o me dur in g the past m onth . The veteran CharlesSalam an— a cotem pora ry of L iszt , and , l ike him , a Wunderkind inthe first quarter of our century—ha s produced three works ofrem ark

168 THE THEA I RE . (Sm . r, 1886.

able merit Murm ured Music , a tender sett ing o f a g enuinelypoetica l so nn et, written by his g ifted so n Ma lcolm ; L ate , L a te , so

L ate, a so prano so n g , to which the Poet L a urea te ha s suppli edverses of g rea t beau ty ; a nd My Star (wo rds by Edwin Arn old) , am elodious rhapsody, the two Opening ba rs of which indicate thatthe do yen of En g lishcom po sers ha s unconsciously b een influenced bythe spir i t of Wa g n er , who co mm enced Wal ter v o n Sto lz in g

’

s firs tso ng with a s im i lar m us ical phrase. My Sta r w ill assuredly shinein many a concert ro o m nex t se a so n. All these no velt ies a re publishedby Stanley L ucas , Webe r a ndC o . Mr. G era rd Co bb , alwaysmelo dious and scho larly, ha s a dded to hi s l is t of so n g s two cleverse tting s of a se t o f verse s , wri t ten by Mr. F rank Demps ter fo r the“ Cen tury . Mr. Co bb ca lls these “ A i rs de Ba l let—Po lo n ai se e t

Schottische but he in tends them to be sung , desp i te thei r sa lta to ryt i tl es . They are b o th very pre t ty , a nd furn ishedwi th intere s tingacco m panim ents—n o t meant , I sho uld think , to be played at s ig h t bythe drawing -ro o m pianis t. The L o ndon Mus icPub l ishing C o m pa nyhas bro ug h t them out ta s tefully eno ug h. Mr . Erskine Allo n, underthe sa m e ausp ice s , ha s put fo rward se tt ing s o f six ryth Centuryso n g s , the va lue o f which (se ttin g s) is unequal , whilst his Sketchesin Dance Rhythm s

"a re a ll three wo rthy ofco rdial pra ise , the waltz inpart icular bein g charm ing ly fre sh and flo wing . Of the rubbish sen t

to m e fo r n o t ice I will sa y n o thing . There wa s a g ood deal of it ;m o re tha n usua l. Truly, the ways o f so me music publishers a re

in scrutable !XVu . Be a n v -c sro n .

®ut flblavs‘

lBo r.

THE J IL ’I‘ .

An en tirely new Eng lish co m edy, in five no te , by Di o n Bo unca tm t.

Pro duced, fo r the first tlm e in Eng la nd, a t the Prince ’

s Thea tre , o n Thursda y, July 29, 1836.

Kyle O’Ha ra Mn . D10! Bo ucxcw t r. Wilco x Ha . 8m m unco ve r

SirBudle ig h Ms . J . 0. Om a n Crippe Mu. Dem o n .

L o rdMa rcus Wylie Ma . H. J . Ln uo o unr . Kitty Wo o dstock Mm‘

l‘

uo ax o ru .

Co lo n e l Tudo r Ma . Jo a n Blu wo 'ro x. Lady n i lllce n t Mll e Mu s Ho w l .

mt. Fu s s Ro ux“ . l i re . We lte r Mu . ”All ! Bu n s.

Mr. J am es Da isy Ma. J . G. a n. Phyllis We lte r Mine Wi lm a .

Rev . Mr. Ms. E. w. 0m m m a Plno o tt Mi ss L l Tum

Wi th every desire to speak in all kindl iness of so accompl ished a nacto r a ndclever dramat ic author a s M r . Dion Boucicaul t, i tca n hardlybe said that The J ilt is worthy of the wri ter of L o ndon Assurancea nd The Col leen Bawn. ” Even Mr . Bo ucica ul t’s best p ieces are stag ey,that is to say, they smack m ore of the footlig hts than of nature, b ut theya re so cleverly constructed, a nd the dialog ue is so neat and ep ig rammaticthat they win acceptan ce even wh i le we are perfectly co nscious of thei rfaults. The J il t ” is by no mean s a g ood specim en of M r . Bo ucica ult’swork , a nd this Las t frui t 03 a n o ldtree wi ll not advan ce his reputa ti o n .

The sto ry is a simple o n e . Lady Woodsto ck ha s married a Yo rkshi re

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170 THE THEATRE : (Sm , x, 1836,

FAIR ROSAMUND.

”

This summer o nce more the Pas to ra l Players renewed, to o ur enj o yment

a ndadvan tag e, the delig htful cus to m o f playin g pastora ls under real isticco ndit ions.

”The scen e wa s shifted fro m C o ombe to Wimbledo n , where.

in a fair a ndtran qui l b it of wo o dthat loo ked l ike o ne of the o pener a ndlesstan g led g lades of the New F o rest, wa s pre sented the l o ve- idyl l o f Ro samundClifio rda ndKin g Hen ry. I t wa s a n adapta tio n fo r pas to ral purpo se s,a nd in a form a s cl o sely past o ra l a s po ssib le, fro m L o rd Tennyso n ’

s fine

a nd sp i ri t-sti rrin g play of Becke t ” ; do ne with ski ll , tact , a ndsympa thy,byM r. E.W. Go dwin , the a rtdirecto r o f the society. The co n tra st with thep lay acted under l ike condit io ns at Co o mbe la s t yea r was a s a bso lute a s

po ssible . I n pla ce o f the Thessa ly o f a ny a g e that fan cy cho se to a ssig n ,

we had a p icture in l ittle o f Planta g enet En g la nd. The cha n g e invo lveda n ecessa ry sa crifice of so me of tho se elemen ts o f the picture sque whichwere used to such excellen t a nd exquisite purpo se in the pro duct io n o f" The F a ithfull Shepherde sse .

"The g o ssamer g a rb , brig ht-he ed, a nd

deftly-dra ped, o f the Greek shepherde sse s wa s here replaced by the dulla nd lum pishco stum e o f the Bri tish yo ke] in the n th cen tury. Oneco uldn o t but miss the trippin g m ea sures , rhythm icat o nce a nd bli the , whichthe Thessa lia n pea san ts tro d ro und a ndab o ut the hig h alta r o f Pa n , tothe music o f shee p-bells a nd o f p ipe s. Co n sideredm e re ly a s a p icture ,F air Ro samund was in n o wayco mpa ra ble to

“ The F a ithfull She phe rde sse

”

; but, this much adm i tted, le t us haste n to sug g est that thep icto rial charm is n o t the o nly kind o fcharm o ne lo o ks fo r in past o ra ldram a . The po etical sp iri t is the rea l esse nce o f a ll such plays, a nd

when there is questio n o f pure a nd l iving p o e try (co ns idered apart fro mthe quest io n of the m erely techn ical me rits o f the professi o na l playwrig ht)few o f us, I imag ine, wo uldcho o se to be charmed by the oaten p ipe o fF letcher to whom the al ternative wa s g iven of l isten in g to the lute ofTennyso n . Indeed , o n a questi o n o f po e try, the co n test between thesetwo wo uld be somewhat less equa l tha n the compet it io n be tween Marsya sa ndApo llo ; a nd the reward of Midas would be the fit reward o f thejudg e who should pro n o un ce for F letcher. But in th is sphere , the po eti cg ift a lon e is very r i g htly held to be le ss than all-sufficie n t, a nd nothin gwas more certa in than that the choice o f a play by the Laureate wo uld b erepro ved, alm o st befo re the curtain had been raised, o n the ancien tplea (g rown somewhat va p id) that Tennyson is no dramatist. Thishas been employed so often that i t ha s become a sort of ready-madefo rmula for anyo ne a nd everyone who wi ll st o o p to use i t, a ndi t was p icked up a nd bandied freely enoug h by some who discussedthe performance at Wimb ledon the other day. This, of course, isn o t the place

,and qui te a s certain ly m ine is not the autho rity,to arg ue a quest ion which ha s vexed the wits, a nddivided the judg men tsof reputable cri tics in more coun t ries than o n e . But i t m ay be hin ted, ifon ly parenthet ically, that in dism iss in g Ten nyson a s a dramatist there ha sbeen a too-g reat readiness to overlook or make l itt le of the dist incti o n

which every studen t of l i terature must draw between the drama t ist a ndthe

SEPT . r,OUR PLAY—BOX. 1 71

playwri g ht. A playwrig ht Tennyson is n o t, but there seem s a certaintem erity in the posi t ion of the cri t ic who would withhold a dramat ic cro wnfrom the author of “ Queen Mary,” of Harold,” of Becket, ” and—toSpeak of isolated studies—o f The Northern F armer, and St. Sim eonStyli tes .

” But let the "quest ion pass, fo rwe have here no special concernwi th i t. Enoug h that there is no lack of passion and act ion com b ined,a ndof individual i ty (what more shall a drama yieldP) in Becket ” a ndthat the excision of some o f the m ost masterly and masterful scenes, including the m ost masterful and masterly of all, left s t i l l a g em - l ike l i ttlestory of love and pathos and passion , such a s Tennyson alone among stm odern poets could have wri tten for us . I t should be superfluous to tellthe tale of Rosamund Clifi’

o rdand her love for Henry, and the love ofthat strang e compoundof kin g ly manhood, and sensuality, and stren g th ,a ndweak petulance for Rosamund ; and of the Woodstock bower, wi th “

its labyrinth ine approaches, wh ich none but Henry knew, but whichEleanor the Queen , insp ired by jealousy and hate, discovered . The bowerof Rosamond is the centre of the pastoral version of “ Becket , a nd

Rosamond hersel f is the central fig ure . M r. Godwin’s a im wa s to sub

ordinate everyth in g in the orig inal to the love story which in re a lity is butan ep isode of Becket , and th ishe ha s very adroit ly and acceptably doneThe whole o f the act ion passes in the outskirts o f the bower, th o ug h ofdramat ic act ion proper there is, o f course, not much , for i t is avery simple tale that ha s to be unfolded . There is one love scene betweenthe King and R o samund, fresh a nddewy in its poetry a s the woodlandverdure i tself. Then , in the succeedin g scene, the shadow of her com in gtrag edy is cast upon Ro samund ; a nd from that we pass quickly to thetense and fervid scene between Rosamund a nd the Queen , in wh ich thesin g le pass ion of mali g nant a ndmurderous hate in one woman is matchedag ainst the doub le passion of love and matern ity in another woman , withall the force, variety, and concentrated energy of expression and sug g e st ion wh ich a g reat poet could bring to bear on such a situat ion . No r didth is fin e scene lose anyt h in g—o u the contrary, i t g ained imm ensely, bythe m anner in which i t wa s acted . I t would have been difficul t to find am ore acceptable exponent , physically and intellectually, of the part ofQueen Eleanor than Miss Genev ieve Ward . She looked what she wa s

,the ev i l g en ius of the p lay ; a da rk and t rag ic fi g ure . On e almost fel t thatthe sun oug ht to cease sh in in g when she appeared from behind theth icket at the entrance to the bower, a ndwi th her first word she spl it thelove-harmony of the scene . There is, perhaps, no l ivin g En g l ish actresswho can g ive fi tter or more real ist ic expression to words of hate, scorn , oran g er b l ind a nd unrestrained ; who can g loat so terribly over a fallenvictim, or act o ut m ore consistently a schem e of horrible reven g e . He r

m ethod, wh ich is peculiarly that of the theatre, fo und i tsel fwell in keep ingwi th the part of Eleanor—a n actress to the t ips of her fin g ers . And yetone wa s pricked every n o w a nd then by a th o ug ht that th is stron g andresonant declamat ion , th is excellent by play of e ye a nd hand, and a llthese cunn in g a ndwell used a rtifice s of the pract ised player would havebeen seen to better advantag e between the paintedwing s of the stag e

1 72 THE THEATRE . [5m , 1 , 1886 .

pre per. A note wa s struck a ndsusta ined which Seemed scarcely to tunewiththe rest . But perhaps the scen e i tself wa s to blame it wa s so essen t iallydramat ic. As a p iece of act ing , MissWard’s Eleanor wa s pe rfect, and Iam not sure b ut that actin g , abo ve everythin g else , was what the part o fthe Queen calledfo r. I t is n o t, however , the g rey, g rim fi g ure of theQueen that haunts the mem o ry so much a s the soft, dream l ike , a nd halfphan tasm ic fi g ure of Ro samund. Pe rig o t, the shepherd prince ofThessa l ian pastora l , has tran sfo rm ed him self into a m edize va l princess ,a nd the tran sformation wa s so co mplete that in the princess the prince wa sa ll fo rg o tten . The fig ure wa s a s ideally g raceful , g racefully ideal, a s beforeb ut in the lineamen ts o f this year's hero ine there wa s no trace o f thel ineaments o f last yea r’s hero . Ro samundhad been Ro samund alwayswe a ll felt that ; a nd this wi l l be the Ro samund o f our m emo ries fo r a ll

t ime. This is the be st skill o f the player. tha t n o o ther embo dimen t ofthe part is soug ht a fter o r seem s po ssible than the one wh ich is beforeus. The del ica te blue dress made Ro samund o n e wi th her surroundin g s,a nd in the lo ve scen e she m o ved a nd spo ke J ike the fair , g ent le creaturewho l ives so dist inctly in Ten nyson ’

s play. But Rosamund is so methin gm o re than the mere ro man tic sweethea rt of a k in g the ta un ts ofEleano rbrin g o ut the wo man a nd the m o the r in he r a ndhere i t wa s that , p i ttedag ainst o ne o f the m o st acco mplished a ctresses o n the sta g e , the amateurshowed hersel f o f equal reso urce ; n o t a wit inferior in her understanding o f the si tua tio n , a ndwell a ble to act a s finely a ndtruly as she felt.The main charm o f Lady Archiba ld Campbell ’s playin g is its v o racio uss impl icity, its ing e nuo usness, a ndfreedo m fro m the convent io nal i t ies a ndinsinceri ties of the stag e . There is o nly o n e actre ss (a nd she is the m o st

natural ) of who se style he r o wn is in the lea st deg ree rem in iscen t ; butshe showedin th is la st a ndm o st t ryin g act of F ai r Rosamund,” a s she

had sh o wn befo re in the m o st tryin g act of The F a ithfull Shephe rdesse ,"thatwhen occasi o n calls fo r its display she is n o stra n g er to the techn iqueo f the acto r’ s a rt . I think the professio na l stag e ha s lost in her a na ctress who wo uld have ranked hig hly. I am none the less g lad thatthe professi o nal sta g e is n o t destined to spo il her infin i te a nd in im ita blecharm .

T. H.

w—l fl -fi

®ut ®mntbus=JBo r.

Am erica ha s se n t us this summ er clever Mr. Henry E . Dixey andMr . Aug us t in Daly’s talented com pany of com edians . Both Mr.D ixey and M r . Daly’s l i t t le ban d have been cordially received andappreciated in the m et ropo lis , and , by wa y of return fo r the entertainm ent which we have der ived from our Amer ican cous ins , no less tha nfour theatri cal com panies are on the point of start ing for the UnitedStates. The m onth of October wi ll se e Mrs . L ang try and MissF ortescue , Miss Violet Cam eron and Mr. L ion el Broug h , p laying in

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174 THE THE/1TRE. (Sm . x, 1385 ,

com edy-actresses . He r first a ppea rance on the stag e wa s m ade a tthe Haym arke t Theat re , when she wa s scarcely fifteen years of a g eAt this t ime she p layed Aug us ta in Our Am er ican Cousin , Mar iain “ The School for Sca ndal ," O l ivia in “ Twelfth Nig h t , ” j ulia in“ The R ivals , ” Z am ora in The Honeym o o n , a nd other part s .

She t hen wen t for a br ief en g a g em en t to the O lym p ic Theat re , underthe man ag ement of t he late Horace W ig an , where she wa s theor ig inal Aco ulin a in The Serf. Re turning t o the Haym arket , sheremained there unt i l her m a rria g e , playing a var ied round o f com edypart s.In May

, 188 1 , she return ed to the s ta g e t o act Mrs . Blyth inthe provincial t our of “ The Colo n el , in the course of which sheacted before the ‘

jQ ue e n at Ab e rg e ldie . On lea ving “ The Colonel "com pany she p layed Kate Veri ty (the hero ine) in the count ry t ou r o f“ The Squire . I n

'

j a n ua ry, 1883 , she a cted Adria na in Mr. j ohn S.

C larke ’ s revival of The Co m edy of Erro rs ” at the Stra nd Thea tre .In September of that year she went to the C o u rt Thea tre , where sheacted Mrs . Cho m o nde ley Brown in The Milliona i re. ” She wa snex t seen at the Haymarke t in Apri l of this year, when she actedL ady Dunsco mbe in “

j im the Penman . Recent ly, during theabsence of L ady Monckto n , she p layed the part of Mrs. Ralston w i threm arkable fideli ty to nature , a nd made a dist inct success in a nundertakin g of a difficul t n ature. Miss L indley ha s a refined, ladylike s tyle which makes her invaluable in m o dern co medy.Mr. Hen ry A rthur ] o nes , the subjec t of o ur other pho to g ra ph, wa sborn on Septem be r 20 , 1851 . My first hom e, he recently s ta ted,

“ wa s a Bucking ham shire farm -house my fa ther is a Buckin g hamshire farm er, and my m other a farm er's da ug hter . My childhoodwa s wholly spent in the country , and I had g olden oppo rtuni t ies forstudying and observing every phase of old vi llag e l i fe in Eng landbefore its transform ation by rai lroad influences . I t is , perhaps , tothis accident that I o we , in a m ea sure , the success of those ske tcheswhich my cri t ics have been g ood enoug h to praise for their fai thfulness . I did my u tmost to g e t a ll the g ood I could out of the m iddleclass schoo l to which I wa s sen t , but I wa s barely thirteen when Iwent into the world to shift for myself. I so on beg an to pester theedi tors of m a g azines w ith essays , tales , and poem s , but they werealways returned wi th thanks. When I wa s eig hteen I went to a theatrefor the fi rst tim e , and cam e away sta g e -struck . H o w well I rem em berthe evening ! I t wa s the p i t of the Haym arket before the reig n o f

the Bancrofts . Miss Bateman wa s p laying L eah, and Messrs .

Com pton and Kendal sus tained the leading cha racters in an afterp iece called His F i rs t Champag n e . Then the edi tors ofmag az ineshad a resp ite, and I t ransfer red my attent ions and importunities t othe L ondon m anag ers . Dur ing the da y I worked ha rd in a C i tywarehouse ; my evenin g s were passed in theatre-g o ing and p laywritin g . The m anag ers , however, made no s ig n years went by, and

FROM A PHOTOG RAPH SPEC IALL Y TAKEN F OR“THE THEATRE BY BARRAUD , 263. o x s o xn

STREET ,w .

I 74

t

Pa w s / u v u u v xihad a resp i te , and I t ransfer red my attentions and im portun i-t ies t othe L ondon m anag ers . Dur ing the day I worked hard in a C i tywarehouse ; my evening s were passed in theatre-g oin g and p laywritin g . The m an ag ers , however , made no s ig n years went by, and

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SEPT 1 . OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 175

at last I accepted , alm ost in despai r, a p lace in a Bradford office .Here I p ined for a country life and fresh ai r am idst the smoke anddi rt of a m anufactu r ing town , and I rejo iced most hearti ly when atlast I m oved to the west of En g land , where I could in m y leisu rem om ents continue my study of hom e life . In the summ er of 1 879 Ihad the g ood fortun e to send a little com edy, t o which I had g iventhe name of “ A C ler ical E rror,” to Mr . W i lson Barrett , who wa sthen the m anag er of the G rand Theatre at L eeds. Almost by retu rnof pos t he w rote to sa y that he had taken the Court Theatre inL ondon , and would produce my p lay during the com ing season . He

wa s a s g ood a s his word , and thus commenced in earnest my careera s a dram atic author, and my fr iendship and association w ith W i lsonBarrett. ” Since 1879 M r . Jones ha s , either s ing ly or in collaborat ion ,written m any p lays “An OldMaster ,” for the P r incess ’

s , in 1880 ;

His W ife, acted at Sadler ’s Wells in the year follow ing “ A Bedof Roses ,” produced at the G lobe in January, 1 882 ;“ The Si lverKin g ,” broug ht out at the P r incess ’

s in November of the same yearin 1 884,

“ Breaking a Butterfly ” at the P r ince ’s Theat re , “ Chatterton a t the P r incess ’s , a nd Saints and Sinners at the Vaudev i lle quickly fo llowed each other ; Aug ust , 1885, s aw Hoodm anBlind,” a nd F ebruary last The L ord Harry , both represented atthe P r incess ’s Theatre . Chr istm as next w i l l se e tw o m ore of Mr.Jon es’s p lays before the public—a roman t i c m elodrama , w i th M r .Char les Warner a s the hero , at the P r incess ’s , and a com edyat the Vaudeville. I t is the a im of Mr.Henry A . Jon es , and rig htly s o ,to portray Eng l ish l ife in his p lays. T0 do this a s faithfully a s m a y beis his object , and it ha s , so far , been g enerally successfully acco mplished. In addition to a vast skill in draw ing character , he ha s anabili ty to w r i te strong , vig orous dialog ue , too seldom , alas heard i nm odern p lays.

New p lays produced, a nd im portant revivals, in L ondon ,the provinces,and Paris, from July 20 toAug ust 2 3, 1886

(Reviva ls are markedLONDON

July 23“ Knig ht Ag ainst R o o k ,

”n ew a nd o rig i nal co medy, in three acts ,

b y Owen Do ve a nd J . G . L efebre . Gaiety Theatre. (Matinees ing le perfo rma nce .)

“ The J i lt ," co medy, in five acts , by Dio n Bo ucicault . Prince’sTheatre. (Firs t perfo rmance in L o ndo n . )

Aug . 16 “ L ife o r De a th , ” drama, in five acts , adapted by Frank Ha rvey.Gra ndTheatre .

“With the Co l o urs ; o r, A Black Seal , n ew a nd o rig inal drama ,

b y El lio t Galer a ndJame s Mew. G randTheatre. (First time inL o ndo n . Previo us ly pro ducedat L e iceste r o n Aug ust

176

Aug . 2

THE THEA TRE . (Sm . 1 , 1886 .

Pa o v mcss“ Out fo r the Da y,” farce, in three acts, by \V. E. Mo rto n. New

Theatre, Oxfo rd.

N0 Ro seWitho ut a Tho rn , co medy, in o n e act, byMark Melf'o rd.

Theatre Ro ya l , No tting ham .A Ch ild o f Cha nce , ” a da pta tio n , byW . Ho we ll Po o le

, o f Ouida’s

Trico trin .

”Co urt Thea tre , L iverpo o l .

The Gra ndDuke ," extravag a nza , by Geo rg e L a sh Go rdo n , musicby J o hn Greg o ry. HerMa j esty's Theatre , Dundee .

G o ne Awa y, ” n ew a nd o rig inalco medy, by Edwa rdRig hto n a nd

Da l to n Sto ne . Co medyThe a tre , Ma nchester.

“ Vanity, dram a , in fo ur acts , a da ptedby Justin Mcca rthy fromthe French o f Sa rdo u. Thea tre Ro ya l, Plymo uth .

Wi th the Co lo urs .

”Opera Ho use, Leicester. (Se e LONDON,

Aug ustSweet I nn isfa i l , ” drama , in fo ur acts, byWa lter Reyno lds . Q ueen ’sThea tre, Ma nchester.

“My Co urier, ” fa rcica l co medy, in fo ur acts , ada pted fro m theGerman . Co medy The a tre , Ma nchester.

Pa n tsLe Ma ri a la Campa g ne . co medy in fo ur, acts , b y Ba yard.

Co médie Fra nca ise .

La Pe tite Fa dette , ” co mico pera , in thre e acts a ndfive ta bleauxwo rds by Ge o rg e s Sa nd musicby M. Theo ph i le Seme t. Chatea ud

’

Ea u .

Le s Dang e rs de l'lvre sse .

" drama, in five acts, by M . L a to uche .

Be l leville .To rquem a da

,co m ic0pe ra , in o ne act ; wo rds byM . De sn a r ; music

byM . Po rche r. Chate a u d'Ea u .

La Serva nte de Ra mpo nnea u,

"co mico pe ra, in two acts wo rdsby M . Rodenbo urg mus icby M . Ca rma n . Chate a u d'Ea u.

L a Po upée du Nuremb o urg , co mico pera in o n e act wo rds byMM . De Leuven a ndDe Beaupla n ; musicby M . Ado lphe Adam .Chi te a u d’Ea u.

Luther de Cremo ne , o ne -act co medy in verse , by M . Fra nco isCo ppée . Co medicFra nca ise .

L’Ava re ,

” Mo liere ’s five -actco medy. Co médie F ra n ga ise .

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THE THEATRE .

A Pe n n y Pla in : Tw o pe nce C o l o ure d .

BY GODFRE Y TURNER .

OL L ECTORS know the difficult ies which they have to e ncounter

,andwhichv a ry in accordancew i th the nature ofsuchthing s as they are accustom ed to collect . F o r exam ple , snuff

b o xe s,pipe s , m in ia ture s , swo rds , fans , rat-tai l spo o n s , Pa ul L a m e rie

ta n ka rds , a ndconsole clocks of the best periods of F rench m a nufacture are hard to com e by ; but the obstacles to thei r acqu isi t ion ares im ple enou g h . All these th ing s really are treasures , and in thatword l ies the sufficient explanat ion of their rarity . Oldplate wa svaluable even when i t wa s n ew plate

,and so i t had a g ood chance of

being preserved , even throu g h troublous t im es , when the cups andg oblets on m any a g reat m an ’s buffet went to the m elt ing -pot .The labour of col lect ing is m ost com pl icated where the obj ectshave l i ttle or no intrins i c value

,or where com m on and careless

u se has dim in ished the l i kel ihood of their survival . Old Delfware , a century a g o or l ess , w a s looked on w i th contem pt ; norwa s i t probable that “ the cat ’s dining -d ish ” would be carefullypreserved for an a g e of nicer art ist i c valuat ion . Paste buckles ,being se t i n s i lver, stood a better chance of being handed downthroug h hal f- a -dozen g enerat ions but where are the hats or shoesi n which they were som et im e worn ? I have heard that o n estudent of Old habits and custom s

,Mr . Joseph G reg o , has, w i thdi l i g ent pains and labour, succeeded i n form ing a fai rly g ood his

t o rica l collect ion of shoes and sandals ; but im ag ine the diffi culty !A g ain , i t would be a far harder task to collect a score of t inderboxes , such as were i n use fi fty years a g o , w i th thei r proper supplyof fl int , steel , t inder , and m atches , than to m ake up a sideboardful l of Queen Anne candlest icks . When we com e to horn-books

,

NEW SERIES—VOL . V I I I . 0

THE THE/1TRE . (Ger . 1 . 1886 .

prim ers , nursery-tales , and such destruct ible posse ssions of ant iqua tedyouth , we approach a class of subj ects l i kely to da unt thesp iri t of the boldest collector .Som ething akin to nursery l i te rature of a past g enera t ion arethose characters publ ished , for the delectat ion of our l i ttle

fathers and g randfathers , by Mr . “l est . Ho w ig nora n tly havethey been depreciated ! Ho w unj ust , ho w foo l ish has been thescorn heape d upon tha t phrase , “

A pe nny plain : twopencecoloured I shall unde rtake to sho w,

even by the ado ption of apretty hig h standa rd , that a colle ction of \Ve s t ’s Theatrical Po rtra its

,

”

would b e not o nly curious in the dilettante sense , butworthy the critica l heed of the arti st and the a m a teur. To be g i n—there is the shop -adve rtisem ent , not the front i spiece , be i t Oh

serve d , fo r i tcontains the s ig nifican t words , Sold He re , ” whichrefers to the m a ny shee ts of scene s a nd chara cters that erst weresuppl ied across theco unters o f ding y but del ig htful shops in Dru ryL ane . This shop-a dvert i sem e nt , neve r pri nted i n any g reatn um be r , i s n o w e xce e din g ly sca rce . I ha ve a copy before m e , asi nde e d I a m wri t in g fro m a ren ewe d a cqua inta nce w i th the etching s , pla in and c o lo ure d , tha t g a ve m e so m any happy hours whenI wa s a b o y. I t is ple asa nt to se e tha t a ll wa s no t i l lu sion ; thatthere wa s true m e rit in wha t I a dm i red ; n a y tha t , wi th a ll mylove o f these staring , e xa g g erate d , conve ntiona l de sig ns, I did notsee ha l f, n o r a fi ftie th pa rt of half, the i r t rue art i sti c ski l l .Who , doe s the reader suppose , drew that sa m e shop-a dvert ise

m ent o f \Ve st ’ s The a trical Po rt raits I a m able to tel l himw i th posit ivecerta inty . I t wa s Wil liam Blake . A pa i r of Punchin e llo s a re the supporters of a g rote sque device on which thet i tle i s embla zone d , a ndover e ach of the drol ls i s a float ing fa i ryfig ure , to uched wi th a dexterous a nd easy but by no m eans careless g ra ce . In the backg round , ha lf-hidden , i s Harlequ in , in Harlequ in ’s m ost striking a ndchara cterist ic atti tude . Blake wa s one ofWest ’s m ost industriou s lim ners . The m onog ra m combining thetwo le tters, W.B. , a ppea rs ag ain and a g a in , o n these penny sheets ,that were twopen ce when coloured . But the m anneri sm ofBlakeis alm o st a sufficie n t sig nature ; for rem ember, i t was a sig nature inspite of itsel f, and wa s not l ikely to be obtruded . West ’ s purpose wa s to subdue a ll these desig ns to one style, a n ide a l of hiso wn . West inv .

” i s inscribed on the sam e plate, the shop-advert isem ent, with Bla ke’sconvoluted W.B.

”The ente rpri sin g pub

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We a re a lways so plea sed to we lco me pro m ine ntAmerica ncrtwe ns .

1m 7m : Pa nam a .

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH SPEC I ALL ‘I TAK EN F OR“rm ; THEATRE s ir m a n o r) , 263 , o xro xn

sm e a r . w .

06 f

.

Z 9

t h a v e.

n ea r a s Dr"

NW he s* I n

t

I n ldd rel ati o nship 1 trcefl !

i‘t flt l n t e a c'.

D i !

‘ r D'

Orsa v

a n d word o r two a t .

t o e very w r. has pa in teportraits , i of a sclnm iwhe the r he - . e r I l l

b y h e lp ) f l pcn ny 1a l

l'i '

mcy of Ll‘cshe e ts tha t l so ug ht t . . i re d .n o t the trick of it . They were sadly want i ng i n nuance, and event o his eye they m a y have had a flar ing look . But for all that ,their fascinat ion wa s i rres ist ible , and the boy need have felt nom isg iving of his proneness to acknowledg e the charm . Of a truth ,the art ists were unem barrassed by any refinem ents of theory sucha s i nfluence the Michael-Ang elo-fo r-the-Mill ion school . West ’sworkm en took the readiest m eans of pleasing the school-boy taste ;a nd wh ile i t wa s not their vaunted purpose to elevate that taste ,they d id nothing , I am sure , to deg rade i t . One favourite colou r

0 2

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180 THE THEATRE . (OCT . 1,1886 .

used byWi l l i am Heath wa s ca rm ine , which the boys were nevera ble to g e t . To heig hten i ts bri ll iancy, he m ixed i t well w i thsug ar, a nd thus prepared i t wa s kept in a bottle . This and a blue ,which to the educated eye in the se ae sthetic days m a y seem far tooReckitty, but which , nevertheless, i s true Navy blue , and stands inadm i rable re lat ion to bla ck , a re a s vivid to -day a s when they werefirst laid on in 18 15, or fro m tha t to 1835, when t insel l ing wa s ati ts heig ht . G am bo g e wa s also use d , and this too wa s enrichedw i th sug a r , which g a ve it a fat unctuous depth very tell ing i nsha des of g old . I n the use of all the se colours , and of an in im itably ripe russet bro wn , g ene rally appl ied to the coa ts of elderlyor rust ic perso ns , a nd the bo o ts of unprincipled and bloodthirstym e n ,certain conventiona l a ndoft-repe ated effects were produced

which ne ve r pa l led . I t wa s the nice apposi tion , l ike the seasoningof the ki tten-pies m entio ned by Mr . Sa m ue l Weller, tha t d id i t .There wa s l i ttle or n o attem pt a t g ra dat ions , the black shadowing of the print , throug h the colo ur , serving for the i ndica t ionsof folds or ro unde d sha pes a nd surfaces . I n fact

,nothin g wa s

a ttempte d beyo nd the re a ch of re a dy m eans . Ducro w as St .G eorg e ,

Ya tes a s the RedRover , T . P . C o o ke as F id in the sa m epiece

,M a rt in the l ion ta m e r , who precede d Van Am b urg h by m anyyears

,these a re all drawn on a la rg e scale , a nd boldly coloured by

Hea th .I f these and sm al ler draw in g s a re looked at , down to the l i ttle

two -inch fig ures , m e a nt to b e cut out , sti ffened on cardboard , andset on sl ide s for the stag e s of toy the a tres, a curious m ing l ing o fm elodram atic e xag g eration and historical accuracy w i l l be perce iv ed. F o r instan ce , in the Ro b Ro y

” she ets , where som e of theportrai ts are wonderfully anim ated and characteristic in thei r l ikeness and dram atic express ion , there a re allus ions playful or g rim ,or both

,to ci rcum stances such as are m entioned in the notes of

Sir Wal ter Scott ; and i n som e fig ht ing g roups , where Eng l ishsold iers w i th the m usket and bayonet , are opposed at closequarters , a s at Culloden , to H ig hlanders w i th the Claym ore andtarg e , a not too well -known historical fact is directly and vig orouslydepicted . At first , the bayonet thrust be ing directed fu ll at theswordsm an , the latter m e t i t w i th hi s targ e , and dealt the swashingdownward cut , so that for a tim e the Southerner had the worst of i t .Afterwa rds the m en were taug ht to depend each on his nextco mra de , who would divert the g ua rd of the Hig hla nder, whi le the

G e r. 1 ,PENNY PLAIN TWOPENCE COL OURED . 181

bayonet -prod wa s del ivered under the targ e a nd th is is prec i selywhat is being done in West ’s hand-to -hand eng ag em ents . I a mnot forg etful of the fact that G eorg e C ru ikshank , while adm i tt ingthat he did a few thing s forWest , spoke of them a s casual and umfrequent but rece ipts w i th his s ig nature , which were sold ascurious autog raphs even in his l i fe t im e , show that h i s work forWest wa s reg ular and continuous for a period of at l east two years .O nce at least , and I know not ho w often the incident wa s repeated .he etched

,i n his rapid

,vig orous m anner, two plates , or sheets ofcharacters

,i n one day . Wes t paid his art ists , all round , the sumof tw o pounds for each plate , i f approved . This wa s the price

re ce ived by Blake,F laxm an

,and the rest . In 1 824 a se t of thecharacters i n “

The Miller and his Men appeared in West ’ss eri es and i t wa s so poor a perform ance that we neednot wonder to see i t followed next year by a n ew

and vastly m ore spirited se t . Evidently , West hadthou g ht i t worth whi le to expend a s m uch m oney over.a g ain a s he had paid for the first , and to secure , this t im e , thea id of G eorg e C ru ikshank . The unco lou red sheets

,ful l of l i ttl e

fi g ures , are , I confess , my favourites . Nothing could be better o fi ts kind than the s tory of The Bottle I m p ,

told i n tw o plates .

The l i keness of Oxberry, the orig inal Wi l l ibald , a part in whichh e w a s succeeded by Keeley, is a m ost hum orous piece ofs u g g ested portra iture . Then there are the crowds of tw o - i nchcharacters i n The Children of the M ist and T im our theT artar

,

” al l adm i rable . I do not sa y that these , or The Bottl eI m p

” characters,are G eorg e Cru ikshank ’s work ; inde ed, I know

t hat T im our the Tartar ” w a s Heath ’s . But by whom soeverthese l i ttl e fi g ures were etched , whether F laxm an , Blake , F inden ,e i ther of the Heaths

,or Cro wquill— a n elder art ist

,so styled , thanthe Mr . F orrester, who drew for Hone and Cham bers , and whohad nothin g whatever to do w i th West or his theatrical portraits

—I sa y, they are m ost conscient ious b i ts of work . I ndeed , Westt ook care they should be a s g ood a s the artists could m ake them .

He ins isted that everyth ing should be drawn “ from the front , ”a nd hence the real ity of al l the fig ures , even in their theatrica le xag g erat ion . I recog nise in m any of th e personag es , even wherel i keness w a s not strictly necessary

,the faces o f Oxberry , Wi lkin

s o n ,Miss Boden , Jack Saunders , and ever s o m any m ore , I cou ld

o nly have seen as a chi ld , perm i tted , al l too soon , to g o to the

THE THEATRE . (On . 1 , 1886 .

play. Many of West’s character-sheets were publ ished yearsbefore I wa s born . But others belong ed to my t im e, and I amg lad n o w that I loved them .

There cam e , anon , one Skelt , whose theatrical sheets were soldat a lower price tha nJWe st’

s—a hal fpenny, instead of a penny . I

know not whether th is “ com petit ion , ” as i t i s called , wa s thecause of lang u ishing and final cessation of West’s desig ns ; bu tthey did lang u ish and they did cease . I have called them etching s , a term which w i l l perhaps be quest ioned nowadays ; butetching s they were . Art i n a ll i ts m ani festat ions i s worshipped bythe Eng l i sh people ; but i t is worshipped m ore or less bl indly, a sby a race tha t worships som e hazy idea beyond its reach , beyo n di ts comprehension eve n . What we do m ainly see , and touch , a ndcomprehend in works of art i s the fact that they are comm erciallyexpensive ; or we th ink i t educa t ional to fabricate by hundredsof thousa nds at a price so m arvel lously cheap as to m ake themworthless

,m e cha nical copies of orig inal works . The pennyplain and twope nce coloure d prints byWest , which had orig inal

m eri t and Oo pie d or im i ta te d noth ing , have been ig nora ntlydespised .

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184 THE THE/1TRE . (Oct .

a s long as the Pyram ids . I t i s n o t o nly, ho wever, in the m a tterof i ts publ ic and dom e st ic a rch itecture tha t Ha m burg m ay j ustlyclaim a forem ost place a mong st the m o re a dva n ced ” c i ti es ofNew G erm a ny . I ts locom ot ive fac il i t ies—from which , however,cabs m ust b e excluded , a s the Ham burg fiacre i s the m ost in effic ient and co ntemptible vehicle o f i tscla ss i n Europe—have beeni ntell ig ently deve lope d un t i l they lea ve l i ttle ro o m for im provem ent , a ndm ay fea rlesslycha lleng ecri t ic i sm . The whole c ity a ndi ts e no rm ous suburbs a re fitte d o ut w i th a n e la bo rate network oft ramcar l i ne s that ena ble the Hamburg e r or the st ra ng er wi th inhis g ates to t ranspo rt h im se l f from well n ig h a ny g iven po int toany o ther, w i th in a fo u r-m i l e rad ius , swiftly a nd sm o o thly for thesum of o ne pe nny . That i s a ll he ne e d pay to tra vel from the

Bourse (Ham burg ’s socia l a s wel l a s comm ercia l ce ntre , thedaily re ndezvo us o f docto rs , lawye rs , a nd a rt i sts , a s of m e rcha nts ,banke rs , a nd bro kers) to St. Paul i o r Al tona whi lst a perky littleflee t o f ba tea ux-mo ucher i s a t his di sposa l from 6 a m . to m idn ig htt o co nvey him fro m the J ung fe rnst ieg to a ny of the g a y lea fyVo rsta edtctha t fring e the g lorious Alste r wi th luxurio us villa s, g reenlawns , umbra g e o us co pse s , a nd g a rde n s g lo w ing w i th a ll the

colours o f the ra i nb o w . The t iny pyro sca phe s da rt fro m land ingsta g e to la n ding -sta g e w i th the ve loci ty of drag onfl i es , a nd dai lycarry tho usa nds of we l l-t o o do c it izen s backwa rds a nd forwa rd sbetwe e n the i r o ffice s a nd the verda nt re trea ts in which the Hamburg stock-j obber a nd comm i ss ion -ag ent love to dwell . No ci tyw i th wh ich I a m a cqua in te d , sa ve thechef-lieu of the Hanse a t icL eag ue , can b o a st o f so m a g nifice nt a sheet of water a s the statelysparkl ing Alste r , which looks l ike a va st lake , but i n real i ty i s ariver cunning ly em b a sin ed and reg ulated , so that i t s surface-levelnever varies m ore than an inch or two w i th in the four-and-twentyhours .Ham burg , I a m bound to say, has i ts drawbacks as well as i t s

a dvantag es . In the first place,the paving of i ts roadways i s forthe m ost part as bad a s that o f Berl i n use d to be twe nty years

a g o , being composed of jag g ed and voci ferous stones that , unde rthe pressure of an enorm ous wheeled traffic , m urder sleep qu ite a seffe ctually as thoug h they were so m any petrified Thanes o fCawdor . Whilst I i nhabited a th ird-flo o r front overlookingthe J ung fernstieg—that is to say, throug hout a week of weathertha t would ha ve done credit to the Soudan in hig h summ er-t ide

OCT. 1 ,GERMAN ODDS AND ENDS. 185

my slum bers were cont inually broken , n ig ht after nig ht , by thes trident rattle g iven out by the street under m y w indows ; unt i lo n e

.

m orning , having com pletely lost my appet ite and spiri ts, andbeing i n a condit ion of nervousness that threatened m e w i thdem ent i a

,I packed my portm ant'eau and fled to Berl in , wi l dlyresolved to sleep or perish in the attem pt . Ag ain , Ham burg i sone of those unfortunate places inwhich i t i s uncomm on ly d ifficu l t

to dine . I t only possesses one g ood restaurant—Pfo rdte ’

s—a t

which the food is of excellent qual i ty and artist i cal ly prepared,

Whi ls t the w ines— perhaps the m os t com prehensive col lect ion offine vintag es and rare brands to be found in any European hostelry ,i ncluding the F our Seasons at Munich— are one and al l supermacular. But Pfo rdte

’

s is very dear ; a s dear a s Big n o n ’

s i n Parisfa r dearer than any L ondon or Vienna dining -room and one whois poor thou g h honest finds h im self called upon to th ink tw i c ebefore entering its com fortable precincts , unless at the sol ic i tat ionof som e wealthy and hospitable acquaintance . The cost of “ ali t tle d inner ” at Pfo rdte ’

s,translated i nto Bri t ish currency, m eans

fiv e -and -twenty shill i ng s— a m ere bag atel le to a m ag nate of theHansa

, who has i nheri ted an unknown num ber of m i l l ions fromh is slave -deal ing or sm ug g l ing ancestors , or haply has bu i l t up acolossal fortune upon the broad and sol i d bas is of wholesalea dulterat ion but a proh ibi t ive outlay to a hol iday-m aking L ondonj ournal ist , endowed w i th a m onth ’s leave and hal f- a -dozen fiv epound notes wherew i th to defray his expenses during that bl issfu l 'interval of rest and recreat ion . Andyet

,i f a tourist of th is class

,

a ffl i cted w i th an educated palate and a health i ly recurrent hung er ,does not d ine at Pfo rdte ’

s i n Ham burg , he m ust m ake up h is m indto batten upon inferior food,and to shudder over caricatures o f

w ine in any one of the i nnum erable g a rg o ttes that prosper on thebanks of the A lster,each of these establ ishm ents being a s barbarou s

a s another I w a s i nvited the other day to dine w i th a local“ personag e at a restaurant known as Ehm ke ’

s , of cons i derablebut wholly undeserved renown . The dinner,a s im ple one of three

courses , took an hour and forty m inutes to serve ; soup , cons i st ing ofd irty, warm water,and shiny but unsavoury g rease s tale turbot ,boiled to rag s, and g arnished by sm al l potatoes resem bling spheres

Of hig hly-po l ished Dutch cheese ; and , finally,a brace of over

roasted partridg es , served w i th cranberry j a m ,cucum ber salad , andstewed plum s . Of the three bottles of Rhine w i ne successively

186 THE THEA TRE. (Oa r . 1, 1886.

suppl ied to us the first wa s vehem ently corked , the second unreasonably acid

,a nd the th ird curiously m awki sh . At the close of

th i s noisom e repast we quitt edHerr Ehmke ’

s e stabl ishm ent hung rya nd athirst

,invoking m ale dict ions on his head , a nd vow ing thatneverm ore would we cross his inhospitable threshold .

During a bri ef vis i t which I pa id to Hamburg four years a g o Ihad occasion to cal l a ttenti o n to the extraordinarily hig h qua l i tyof the opera t icperform ances a t the Stadt Thea ter, the n supporte dby the s tro ng e st compa ny of vo cal a nddram atica rt ists in G erm a n y- a com pa ny the pe rfect e fficie ncy o f which had ta ken m usica lL ondon by surpri se a t Drury L ane whe n the “ Meistersing er ” and“Trista n a nd I so lde” were so supe rbly execute d under the direct ionofHans R ichter—a la s ! w i th such infe l ici to us pe cuniary resu l ts .Since that t im e , I re g ret to say, the Stadt The a ter ha s lost se vera lof i ts fine st sin g e rs a ndacto rs a nd, but fo r i ts a dm ira ble orchestra ,st ill ledby the g i fted a nd g enia l F ra nz Suche r, could scarcelycla im to ra n k a m o ng the lea d ing o pe ra ho uses of the F athe rla nd .True , i t st il l posse sse s a n i nim i ta ble dra m atic pn '

ma do nna i n thepe rso n o f Ro sa Suche r, the first o f l ivin g \Va g ne ria n heroine s ,whose sple ndid pre se nce , g lo rio us vo ice , a nd faultless intonationneve r fai l to thro ng the g re a t Ham burg ho use whenever her na m efig ure s in the bill but Wi nke lm a nn ha s m ig rated to ViennaG ura , the unrivalle d Ha ns Sachs and Ho lla e nde r,

" i s atMunich ; Pe schka -L eutn e r, Neubauer, and several other stars o fthe conste llat io n tha t shone so brig htly during the sea son of 1882n o w sparkle i n o the r thea trica l firm am e n ts, a ndhave bee n replace din Ham burg by lum ina rie s of a fa r le ss lam bent lustre . On e g oodrecru i t , a F raule in Klafi

'

sky, ha s j oin ed the Poll in i colours ; butWe ltlin g er, the heroi c te no r ” who ha s succeeded Winkelm ann ,i s an alm ost inconce ivably bad sing e r and actor, and Bo e te l, thequal i ty of whose upper reg i ster rea l ly lea ves nothing to be desired ,does not appear to be over-burdened wi th ei ther m usical ordram atic intell ig ence . I t i s fortunate for the lessee of the Sta dtTheater—who , by the wa y, practi ca l ly m onopol ises the theatri ca lbusiness of Ham burg , having recently taken po sse ssion of theThal ia as well a s of the pretty house i n Al tona—that he has beenable to retain the inest im able services of Kapel lm e ister Sucher,whom Hans R ichter has Often desig nated to m e a s the firstorchestral conductor in G erm any. Such a rendering of the“Ta n nhéiuse r

” overture a s I heard the other nig ht under his

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188 THE THEA TRE. (OCT . 1 , 1886.

course of everyday out-o f-door l i fe , such a s railwa y officials ,pol icem en , teleg raph clerks , cabm en , and comm i ssionaires .Duri ng my eig ht years’ res idence on the left bank of the Spree , Ifound these people always s tiff, frequently d isag reea ble , and som et im es rude . No w—as far, at lea s t , as my recent experiences ofthem have g one—they a re pl iant , pleasant , and studiouslycourteous . The I ta l ia n a g ent of se cu ri ty him self i s not m orebland and deferential in h is be a ring towards the publi c than is theBerl iner Schutz ma nn of 1886 ; a nd a s for the Dro schkcnkutschcr,whose inc iv i l i ty use d to b e proverbial—who wa s wont , i n myt im e , to rece ive h is instruct ions w i th a surly sniff, and pocket h istrinkg eldw i th an o ffens ive g runt—he has be en tra n sm o g rified bysom e potent spel l i nto a n atte nt ive , sm il ing chariot eer, eag erto p lace hi s local info rm ation at the d isposal of his fare , towardswhom he observes a n a tt i tude tha t i s thoroug hly respectful , w i thout being servile . The a nim al he drives , too , i s an unquestionablehorse—not a doubtful fra me

,as form erly ; and h is vehicle i s a

l ig ht but strong victo ria , ve ry sm a rt a nd n eatly finished,which

rolls sw i ftly and e a si ly ove r the sm o oth a sphalt of Berl in ’ sm a g nificent streets. I t i s i n these latter . of course . tha t the stu ~pendons developm ent of Be rl in , in reg ard to wea l th , taste , andpubl ic sp iri t , under the Em p i re i s m ost conspi cuously m ani fest .The G erm an capi tal—ln i ts exclusively Prussian state of be ingone of the u g l i est , wo rst-pa ved , a nddrained , unhealth ies t towns i nEurope—is becom e a C ity of Palaces , luxuriously paved andl ig hted , swept as clean a s a n ew pin , absolutely free from evi lodours ; a bri l l iant exem plar of c ivi l isat ion , order, and intell i g enta dm in istrat ion . Som e of i ts Chie f thoroug hfares are i llum inateda fter dark w i th electri c l ig ht ; i t owns the finest system of urbanrai lways (all above g round) that has ever com e under my notice ,a s well as t ramway l ines in g reat profus ion ; i ts Platze are tastefully adorned w i th fountains

, s tatues and g a y flo we rb eds fram edi n em erald turf ; i ts hotels, especially the n ew Central and Cont in e n ta l, are colossal ed ifices of rem arkable arch itectural beauty ,a bounding i n every convenience and com fort sug g ested by latterda y ing enu i ty i n short , Berl in i s in all respects worthy of the hig hs tat ion i t holds am ong m odern cit ies a s the capital of an empirepeopled by the m ost powerful

,intell ig ent , and hig hly educated

n ation of Continental Europe .I hear, however, from com petent authorit ies that , in one reg ard

OCT . 1,

GERMAN ODDS AND ENDS . 1 89

of no inconsiderable m om ent , Berl in ha s d ist inctly deterioratedw i thi n the past e i g ht years . The g lory of the Royal Opera Housei s departed

,and its perform ances , which used to be characterisedby a hig h standard '

o f all -round efficiency, are said to be la m entablyunequal. Where L ucca , Mall ing er, and L i ly L ehm ann form erlyrei

gned

,L ola Beeth and Sachse -Hofm e ister rule the roast E rns t

i s a feeble subst itute for Albert Ni em ann , who seldom s ing s savei n the purely declam atory ro‘ les of Wa g nerian opera ; F rau vonV o g g e nhub e r

’

s once flawl ess voice reveals alarm ing s ig ns of wearand tear ; the orchestra is not what i t wa s i n the days of Eckart ,and there are m ore g randm others than g randdau g hters i n theco rps de 6n llet. F ricke , the g enial F alstaff and im press ive Marcel ,ha s ret ired from the stag e on a pens ion splendidly earned by fi ftyyears ’ uninterrupted service to the king and the publi c ; F ranzD i ener is dead , G ross i is m arri ed , and several excellent sub o rdinate art is tes have bettered them selves , ” to the m ani fest disadvantag e o f the operat ic ensemble , for which Herr von Hue lse n i srespons ibl e . No r is operetta , I a m assured , as wel l susta ined i nthe m inor theatres of Berl in as i t wa s of yore . By the wa y, thel ighter lyric dram a i n this ci ty has recently sustained a g rievousloss throug h the su icide of its brig htes t ornam ent , F raule i n

Erdo sy, who shot hersel f in the Thierg arten a few days a g o . The

story of the sorrow that drove her to desperat ion is a very sadone

.I t appears that she wa s a g i rl of irreproachable conduct ,

who had for som e years past earned a larg e salary, out of whichshe had saved up and profi tably i nvested no sm al ler a sum thanfour thousand pounds . Being beauti ful a nd accom pl ished , as wel la s possessed of a com fortable com petence , she w a s repeatedlysou g ht i n m arriag e by g entlem en of g ood birth and pos i t ion andof her m any su itors the one fortunate enou g h to secure her a ffect ion wa s a Count von Strachw i tz , according to one account thatha s reached m e according to another, a certain Herr vonWernig erode . To whichever of these caval i ers wa s really the m a n ofher cho ice she wa s form ally betrothed , and had arrang ed toespouse him on the term inat ion of her Berl in eng ag em ent , whenshe intended to g ive up her profess ion definit ively . F rom a detailed statem ent which she addressed to the State Attorney o fBerl in , and which reached him on the m orning after her death , i thas been g athered that , a short t im e a g o , herfia ncé conceived som e

wholly unfounded suspicion of her virtue, which b ecomm unica te d

190 THE THEA TRE . (ca . $86 ,

to her,i nt im ating his intent ion to retract h is pl ig hted troth . She

took his accusat ion so deeply to heart that , after revolving i t i nher m ind for a few days , she resolved to put an end to a l i fe which ,blig hted by a taint on her fai r fam e , she reg arded as valueless .According ly, she drove out to the Thi erg arten one nig ht after thetheatre

,dism i ssed her fiacre , sat down on a bench in a retiredportion of the park

,and d ischarg ed a pistol i nto her rig ht tem ple .

The bullet passed throug h the uppe r part of her face , forc ing therig ht eye out o f i ts socke t , travers ing the nasal bo ne , and finallylodg ing i n the l eft j aw. \Vhen she wa s found she wa s quite conscious a nd g roaning pi teo usly—so terr ibly d isfig u red a s to be unrecog n isable , but , in the Opinion of the surg eons who e x

a m in ed her, not wounde d to dea th . She d ied . howe ver. earlyi n the m orning , and he r la st words were a n a g onise d entreaty totho se around he r n o t to sa ve he r. ” I n the letter which she

wrote to the Sta atsa nwa l t she implore d that official to g ive ordersthat he r body should b e subj ecte d to a post-m ortem exam inat ion,

in order tha t her reputation m ig ht b e cle ared of the hideous imputation which had rendered ex istence intolerable to her . The

fa te of th is lo ve ly a nd g ift e d cre a ture , who preferred a dreadfu ldeath to a l i fe da rke ne d by the sha dow of d ishonour, ha s st irredpopular sympathy ve ry stro ng ly o n be ha l f of the innocent victimo f ca l um ny, a nd has a ro used g eneral indig n at ion ag ainst the m a n

of l i ttle fai th , who l ent h is e a r to so vile a sca ndal concern in gthe wom an he had swo rn to lo ve a nd prote ct . Whoever he m aybe

,he w il l do w isely to va nish from Berl in for som e t im e to com e .

Schloss D iepe nse e .

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192 THE THEA TRE . (OCT . 1 , 1886 .

First A ppe a ra nce s .

KEAN,MACREADY, M ISS O

’

NE IL L .

BY PERCY F ITZGERALD.

HE stag e can show m any strang e , i rreg ular fig ures , whose em to have belong ed , at one tim e or another, to Sca rro n ’

s

odd troupe . Am ong all our Eng l ish players , the m ost extraordinary care e r i s surely that o f Edm und Kean and,could i t b e

related w i th a pla in , bruta l candour , would offer the m ost startl ingcom binat ion of g enius and d isorder . In m any points,i n hi s

al ternate m o ods of sott i shness and electri fying exhibit ions o fart,he su g g e sts F redericL em aitre . I n an auctioneer ’s

room catalog ue m any yea rs a g o—th ing s which often reveal thesecrets of the ir prison house—were printed a num ber o f the m ostextraordinary letters , i l lustrat in g his wi ld and reckless nature .Kean wa s one of those who had be en l iteral ly reared on the stag e .He played Child parts ; perform ed the young Arthur to Mrs .Siddo n s

'

s Constance ; had starved as a stroller ; then “ j oinedthe C i rcu its , ” and g ave variety entertainm ents o f his o wn . L ikeMrs . Siddons , he obtained a L ondon eng ag em ent for a season ,and had vi rtua lly fa iled from being put i nto unsu i table parts .Before m e n o w l ies open the b il l of these first perform ances

THEATRE ROYAL , HAYMARKET .

This even ing , \VEDNESDAY, July 3oth , 1806,

w i l l be presented a F arce , in two acts,calledF O R T U N E

’

S F R O L I C K .

Robin Roug hhead , M r. MATHEWS.

Snacks , M r . HATTON. F rank , M r . WHITFIELD.

C lown , M r . KEAN. Rattle , Mr. PALMER , Jun .

Servant , Mr. JOHNSON. Countrym an , M r . PARSL OE.Marg ery, Mrs . POWEL L . Miss Nancy, Mrs . MATHEWS.

Dolly, Mrs. G IBBS.This wa s followed by two other pieces—“ F ive M iles Off a nd

O CT . 1 , 1886 ] F I RST APPEARANCES . 193

The Ag reeable Surprise . I n all three the Mathews ’, husbanda ndw i fe , had parts but the obscure Kean had to content him selfw i th the sing l e one of the clown in the first .Som e years went -by, during which the future trag edian , havingto return to “ the country , ” drudg ed on w i th l i ttle recog nit ion .

H e g radually, however, beg an to m ake som e im press ion ; histem pestuous s tyle m ade him acceptable , and soon w a se ntrusted w i th the leading round ” of Characters .

The unpretending town of Dorchester wa s destined to be theplace where th is g reat trag edian wa s discovered . ” He hadaccepted an offer from E l l iston to play at one of the L ondonm inor theatres , but , by a happy chance , Dr. Dru ry

,of E ton

, whohad form ed a favourable opinion of him when a lad,chanced to

see him play, and recomm ended him to Drury L ane , on which acomm issioner, Mr . Arnold , wa s despatched to report on his m eri ts ,j ust as Mr . Bate had been em powered by G arrick . The eventfu ln ig ht of trial wa s Novem ber 14, 1813 , and the play wa s The

Mountai neers .

”

When the curtain drew up , Kean tells us , I saw a wretchedhouse ; a few people i n the pit and g allery and three person s i nthe boxes showed the qual i ty of attract ion we possessed . I nthe stag e box , however , there wa s a g entlem an who appeared tounderstand acting ; he wa s very attentive to the perform ance .See i ng th is , I wa s ’determ ined to play my best . The s trang e m a n

d id not applaud,but his l ooks told m e that he wa s pleased . After

the play,I went to m y dress ing -room under the sta g e

”

(ho w sig n ificant this loca le !) to Chang e m y dress for the savag e (Kanko , acharacter i n a pantom im e) , so that I could hear every word thatwa s said overhead . I heard the g entlem an of the stag e box askthe m anag er the nam e Of the perform e r who played Octavian .

Oh,’ answered L e e , his nam e is Kean—a wonderful cleve r

fellow .

’

(This would seem to show that there wa s no bi l l for then ig ht . )‘ I ndeed , ’ said the g entlem an , ‘ he i s very clever

,but he i s

very sm all . ’H is m ind is larg e , ’ said L e e so no m atter for his heig ht . ’By th is t im e I wa s dressed for the savag e , s o I m ounted the

s tag e . The g entlem an bowed to m e , and com pl im ented m e

s l ig htly on my playing .

Well , ’ he said , ‘

w i l l you breakfast wi th m e to-m orrow ? INEW SERIES.

—VOL . VI I I p

THE THEA TRE. (OCT . 1 , 1886 .

shall b e g lad to have som e conversation w i th you . My nam e

i s Arnold . I a m the ma na g er of D rury L a ne Thea tre

I stag g ered as i f I had been shot . My acting as the sa vag ewa s done for . I , however , stum bled throug h the part . ”His favourite Child , Howard , wa s at the tim e suffering from

water on the brain , and in a dang e rous wa y, and a g lance at i tdestroyed his happine ss . He rall ied w i th the speech,i fHoward

g ets well , we shall al l be happy yet .This a ppari tio n of a L ondon m a na g er in the boxe s used toflutter the he arts of the compa nie s on the C i rcu i t , for i t led to the

a rdently-des i red L ondon eng ag em ent . \Vho knew th i s so well,

or ha s touche d it so adm irably , as D ickens in his vivac ious sketchof such a sceneAt the inte rview w i th Arno ld the m a tter wa s arra ng ed , and he

wa s eng a g ed . But his so n n o w die d . His g rief wa s such thathe did not care for the brill ia nt opening .

“The j oy I felt

, he

wrote to the m ana g e r , “ three da ys since at the flattering prospects of future prospe ri ty i s n o w obl itera ted by the unexpectedloss of my Child . Ho ward , sir, die d on Monday m orning la st .This he art rend ing eve nt m ust de la y m e long er in Dorchesterthan I intended . Imm edia tely I reach L ondon , I w i ll ag a in ,I hope , w i th m o re fort i tude address you . ”The re wa s som eth ing i n the n ew a ctor that wa s not l ikely toaid the effort s of a candidate . He wa s defiant

,suSpicio us ,j ealously independent , very poor, alm ost to squalor , whi le h i sve ry appea ra nce , m ean and short to a deg ree , wa s ag ainst him .

When the m em bers of the comm i t te e saw the l istless , shabby po stula n t , they repented of their barg ain , and at one of their m eeting sseverely rebuked thei r m anag er for his prec ipitancy. When it wa sdiscovered that he had actually ag reed w i th another, th i s excusewa s seized on , and he wa s accused of double deal ing . Bydesperate exertion he succeeded in g ett ing released from his rashundertaking , and it wa s said E ll i ston wa s ra ther g lad to be free .During this period of suspense , i t i s said , he wa s treated wi thindig nity and insult by the comm i ttee and his fel low-actors . Ra e ,

a m ediocre perform er who had known him i n h i s stroll ing days ,would not recog nise him ;

“ and the pale , restless l i ttl e m a n,

”

says Mr . Hawkins , wa s daily to be found standing i n the hallclothed in the frock w i th sm all capes,” which concealed the

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196 THE THEA I RE . (Om . 1836 .

I r ishm an , Mr. F ISHER. Scotchm an , Mr. CARR.

Porter, M r . BuxTON. Watchman , M r . CHATTERL EY.Spo uters , Mes srs . EVANS, WEST, &c.

Charlot te , Mrs. OROER .

The house wa s th in—boxes nearly em pty , and about fiftypeople in the pi t . The perform a nce ha s o ften be en describedho w ,alm ost on hi s fi rs t uttera nce s , his friend , Dr. Drury , declaredhe is safe a ndthe g re at , e ncoura g in g burst of a pplause on the

words “ I w i l l assume I m a y !”

which , as he h im self said , g avehim the assurance of success . Then I knew I had them w i thm e .

” By the end of the first act i t wa s known in the g reen roomthat a g reat success wa s a ttained . The pla yers beg a n to g atherround him a nd cong ratula te . But he shrank from them w i th al ook . L ater on , the theatre beg an to re -echo w i th shouts . Ho w

the devil so few of them k icked up such a ro w ,

” said a hum orousactor , “

wa s som ething m a rvellous . The sta g e m anag er, whohad told him he would never do , tha t h i s readin g s would not g odown , cam e obsequ io usly to o ffer him a n orang e . The m anag erwho had contemptuously a ddre sse d him as young m a n cam e

w i th some ne g us . As he passed to his dressing -roo m he wa sa ssured that he hadm ade a g re a t h it . H is o wn well-rem em beredspeech wa s

,The pit ro se a t m e . Then throug h the we t and

slush he rushe d hom e , cla spe d his w i fe in hi s a rm s . Thenfollowed the supper—the calm of tri um ph .Mary

,he cried

,you shal l ride in your carriag e ! Charley ,

my b o y,you sha l l g o to Eton l”

But he then thoug ht of h is othe r Chi ld , and the tears cam e intoh is eyes .I t has often been noted what an imm ense contribution to the

Eng l ish stag e ha s been furnished from the Sister isle . Of thethree em inent perform ers whose de’buts we are recounting , twowere natives of Ireland , whi le Ke a n ’

s m other wa s of I ri sh extract ion . Macre ady’

s father w a s an obscure country m anag er , and ,i t would appear, som ewhat eccentric . H is son wa s one of thosethou g htful , deliberate characters who follow the stag e w i th a calmcertainty of success, and have restraint enoug h to wait the favourable opportunity , when they are ready . I t i s often forg otten thatan important elem ent in the actor’s success is the weig htyinfluence ofcha racter . A g reat player—as we know from a con

OCT ,F IRST APPEARANCES.

Spicuo us l iving instance— i s alm ost as powerful and the i nterestfelt i n him a s strong , o ff the boards , as when he i s holding al lspellbound by the enchantm ent of his art . There wa s a g ooddeal i n Macready that sug g ests Kem ble .He had g one throug h the usual preparat ion and tra I n In g i n thecountry ; but his father did not approve of his finally adopting the

s tag e a s a profess ion , and there wa s a serious difference betweenthem on th is score . The g reat actor wa s indeed affl i cted w i th aterrible tem per,outbreaks of wh ich he would bewai l ag ain andag ain , only , unhappi ly, to relapse . He offers , i ndeed , what i sperhaps the only instanc e of an‘ em inent trag edian beat ing his

m anag er in his o wn theatre .H e obtained an offer of an eng ag em ent at Covent G arden i n

1 8 16— apparently w i thout m uch diffi cu lty , perhaps because he d idnot seek i t too eag erly ; bu t he confessed to h im self later tha the had been prem ature

,and m ig ht have waited w i th 'advantag 'e .

There wa s really no place for him . Young held al l the leadin gt rag i c characters as of rig ht ; to Charles Kem ble belong ed all theg al lant parts . I should have we ig hed all this before ,” he adm i tsdespondently

,even after h i s g reat success ; I had m ade ’m yventure too soon . ” And he saw clearly that he would have either

to sink into despondency or dw indle into respectabi l ity— that -i s,i nto m ediocre parts , or work his wa y up . H o w successfully hecarried out the latter alternat ive is known to the world . The

nig ht fixed for h is firs t appearance at Covent G arden wa s Sept .1 6

,1 81 6 and the play “ The D is tressed Mother . He recordsthat a special eng ag em ent wa s m ade w i th a celebratedperform er

,s o as to g ive him every advantag e . This wa s Mrs .

G lover . “The best com i c actress on the stag e , ” he tel ls us ,sarcast ically, w a s to play the w eeping Androm ache . The bil l

of the nig ht w a s a s followsTHEATRE ROYAL , COVENT GARDEN .

This p resen t MONDAY, Septem ber 1 6 , 1 8 16 ,

W i l l be acted the T rag edy ofT H E D I S T R E S S E D M O T H E R .

Pyrrhus by M r . C . KEMBL E .

O restes by M r . MACREADY(F ro m tfie T/zea lre R oy a l, D ublin ) , bein g his fi rs t appearance in L ondon.

Pylades by M r . ABBOTT .

Ph o en ix by M r. CHAPMAN .

Officers , Mess rs .W . CHAPMAN, G EORGE , G ODW I N, GRANT , HEATH, &c.

1 98 THE THEATRE . OCT, 3 , 1836 ,

Herm ione by Mrs. EGERTON.

Andromache by Mrs . G LOVER

(17 0first Appea ra nce a t {I n! T/Ica fre tim e ten yea rs).

C leone by Miss L OGAN. Cephisa by Mrs . STERL ING .

After which (3rd t im e) a NEW BAL LET DIVERT I SSEMENT calledT H E S E R A G L I O ,

W hi ch wa s repeated o n F riday a m ids t the acclam a tions of acro wded house .

The Miss DENNETTS , the SPANISH DANCERS, Mr. NOBL E a nd MissL UPPINO each received the se veral t r ibutes o f app lause in their

se veral styles of dancin g .

He him se l f tell s us in a n e ng ag ing wa y ho w he felt on th isa lwa ys try ing occa s ion , a nd i t i s interest ing to find that so m anyp la ye rs ha ve left us m inute a cco unts of the i r feel ing s, hopes, andfea rs at these crit ical m om e nts;

Se veral t im e s i n my l i fe , he sa ys , i t has falle n to my lot toe nco un ter a crisis of this sort , where all se em ed at stake , and oft hem a ll th is wa s one of the m o st form idable ; but the day arrived ,a nd the ve nture m ust b e m a de . Unaccustom ed to the Size o fthe se la rg e theatres , i t wa s w i th a fe e l ing l i ke dism ay that I enteredo n the stag e but , to all appeara n ce , I m a nag ed to keep unde rco ntrol the flutter of my spiri ts , we nt throug h my rehearsa l ,inspe cte d my room , a nd g a ve a ll directions necessary . Everyco urtesy wa s shown to m e , and , a s an ordinary C ivi l i ty to adébuta nt, whatever orders or free adm i ssions I m ig ht w i sh for m yfrie nds were l ibera lly set at my disposal by the m anag ers ; but Ihadthen no friends , not even an acquaintance that I could callupon . Afte r my early dinner, I lay down , endeavouring to co mpose m yself t i l l the hour appointed for my sett ing out to thet hea tre . The hackney coach—a conveyance

,happily

,in the

a dvan ce of C ivi l isa tion,m ing led w i th thing s o ’

e rpa st—wa s called

,

a ndI can alm ost fancy in reco l lect ing i t that I feel every disqui et ingj olt o f the ram bl ing vehicle , a s i t Slowly perform ed the office of ahurdle in carrying m e to the place of execution . The silentp rocess o f dress ing wa s only interrupted by the callv o ice , Overture on , sir which sent a ch il l to my heart . The

o fficial rap at the door soon followed , and the summ ons , ‘ Mr.Macready m ade m e instantly rally all my energ i es , and wi th afi rm s tep I went forward to m y trial . But the appearance o fr eso lute com posure assum ed by the player at this turn ing pointo f his l i fe bel i es the internal strug g les he endures . These eventfu l

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200 THE THEA TRE . [OCT. 1 , 1886 .

But when he cam e to read the critic ism s his feel ing s m ust havebeen of a m ixed character . The T im es held that he had acertain am ount of abi l ity, but did not conceive i t suffi c ient to shakeYoung , or m uch to int im idate Charles Kem ble . They thoug htthat he wa s a m a n of cl ever conception , ofm uch energ y , and som e

ski ll . The G lobe indulg e d in a rather g rotesque style o fcri tic ism We think Macrea dy requ ires features of a m oreprom inent and s trong ly m arked de script ion than those which hepossesses . When they m arked the flashing of his eyes in theparoxysm s of passion , our attention i s w i thdrawn from the fla tnessof the fea tures they irradiate .Here wa s the fatal blem ish . He wa s natural ly pla in , i f not u g ly .I t wa s g o o d-naturedly repeated to him that som e one in theboxes wa s heard to say I

’

m told he is a capital actor, but a devi lishug ly fellow . They sa y he is a n ug ly l ikeness of L i ston whi leKem ble

,taking a pinch of snuff, wa s reported to have excla im edto his brother

, O Charles !co n que l v isa !” The newspapers dwel ton the sam e im perfect ion , a nd o n e sa id rudely, Mr. Macready is

the pla inest a nd m o st a wkwa rdly-tirade acto r tha t ever tro d the sta g e .

”

This wa s not encourag ing . But he trium phed over all obstacle s—the ug ly features i ncluded—and , after alternate fai lures andsuccesses

,ret ired w i th a n indepe nde nce—always a fair test of

character and abil i ty .Readers and adm i rers of Mr . Thackeray ’s Pendennis pe rhaps rel ish m ost what is one of the m ost effectual and well -drawnchara cters in the whole—viz . , Captain Costig an—father o f TheF othering ay. ” This am us ing yet od ious fi g ure , however, w i ll be a pprecia tedby the I rish , who adm i t w i th a ston ishm ent the knowledg eof del icate pecul iarit ies and native touching s , which seem difiiculti f not im poss ible for an Eng l ishm an to note . I t is well knownthat these tw o characterswere drawn from Miss O ’

Ne ill,the fam ou s

actress , and her father . He m a y have m e t the worthy father ,and heard him talk of m e daug hter and “ the hundre r poundsduring the years between 1 8 16 and 1820, when she flouri shed,for

he wa s then j ust com e upon town . I t i s another quest ion as tothe del icacy or taste of hi s proceeding , for Miss O ’

Ne ill wa s alivewhen the uncom plim entary portrai ts were published . I t wa s saidthat O ’

Ne illpére and the fam i ly of brothers and s i sters held firm bytheir sister, the one g i fted m em ber of the fam i ly, and that she ,

OCT. 1 ,F IRST APPEARANCES . z o r

g ood -naturedly , st ipulated i n her success that som eth in g m ust b edone for them— j ust as Mr . Crumm le s declared , i f the Phe n o m e

non were eng ag ed , her fam i ly m us t be also eng ag ed .H o w l i ke he wa s to the Captain som e touches which Mr . C lark

R ussell ha s furn ished w i l l show . I f any m em ber of his com panyd isappointed him

, O’

Ne ill had one speech Confus ion burs t h i sskull

,a blackg uard What w i l l I do ? Here

, g ive m e a g reatcoat,and I ’l l double his part w i th m y o wn .

” I f the G host i nHam l et com plained t o Mr . O ’

Ne ill of the lack of arm our in thewardrobe

,the m anag er would shru g up his shoulders

,and after a

pause exclaim,

“Oh, bother ! sure i f ye 'l l put on a g reatcoatye ’ l l do very w ell . Once proceeding by a barg e along a sm al lriver

,the captain and O ’

Ne ill quarrelled,and in the scuffle

O’

Ne ill wa s knocked overboard . He swam to shore , and calledout, “C onfus ion burs t your soul ! I suppose you thou g ht Icouldn ’ t sw im .

”A knot of novices once j o i ned Mr . O ’

Ne ill,and having pla yed som e t im e w i thout rece iving their pa y ,they resolved to take proceeding s ag ains t him . He m e t the

charg e w i th a counter-claim ag ainst them for a cons i derable sumdue to him by them for spoil ing all the plays and farces they a ppe a red i n .The person who orig inally recog nised her talent wa s CharlesMathews the elder . He wa s playing i n the North of I reland , a t

som e obscure theatre,when he wa s m uch struck by her perform ance

of Cows l ip,and warm ly recomm ended her to Harris

,the Dubl in

m anag er, who eng ag ed her . Strang e to say, he seem ed to th inkher g i ft wa s com edy .I t wa s i n 1 8 14 that she wa s d iscovered at Dubl in and eng ag edfor Covent G arden . “

The D o g of Montarg is ; or , The F orestof Bondy, wa s then in hig h favour, and at the foot of thebi ll of Oct . 5, 1 814, after describ ing the “ enthus iast ic burstsof approbation which had g reeted the do g , i t wa s announcedm odestly that On to -m orrow w i l l be perform ed Shakespeare ’strag edy of ‘ Rom eo and Jul iet , ’ i n which M iss O

’

Ne ill (of theTheatre Royal , Dubl in) , w i l l m ake her firs t appearance in thecharacter of J ul iet . Rom eo by Mr . ’

Conway .This Conway

,a player o f extraordinary heig ht but otherw i sepleas ing , had g ained the heart of old Mrs . P ioz z i at Bath

,and her

letters to him were publ ish ed som e years afterwards to the am us em ent of the world . He had rather a sad career, stru g g l ing always

202 THE THEA TRE . [Ocr . r, x886.

a g ainst j ealous i es, as he thou g ht them , and ag ainst the ridicul ed irected ag a inst his leng t hy person . He claim ed to be connectedw i th the Hertford fam i ly, and applied to the head of that noblehouse for recog nit ion , which w a s refused . His sad story endedin suicide , he having thrown him self overboard when on his wayto Am erica .The bill of the nig ht wa s as fol lows

THEATRE ROYAL , COVENT GARDEN.

This presen t THURSDAY, Oc tober 6 , 18 14,

W i l l be acted Shakespeare ’s Trag edy ofR O M E O A N D J U L I E T .

P rince Escalus by M r . CLAREMONT . Paris by M r . HAMERTON.Montag ue , M r. CRESWEL L . Capulet , M r . EGERTON.

Romeo by M r . CONWAY .Me rcu t io, M r. JONES . Benvolio , Mr. JEPPER I ES .

Tybalt , Mr . BARRYMORE . F riar L aurence , M r . MURRAY .

F r ia r John , M r . HOWELL . Apo t hecary, Mr . TREEY.Pag e , Master Chapman . Balthazar , Mr. Duruse t .

Abram , Mr . Sa rj a n t . Sam son , M r . Atkins . G reg ory, M r . Crumpton .Peter , Mr . Simmons .

L ady Capule t by iMrs . RENAUD.Julie t by Miss O ’

NEI L L(Of the Thea tre R oya l , Dublin) , being he r firs t appearance in

L ondon .

Nurse by Mrs . DAVENPORT.I n Act I . ,M A S Q U E R A D E A N D D A N C E ,

INC IDENTAL TO THE PLAY.In Act IV . , The F uneral Process ion of Juliet and a Solemn D irg e .

The vocal parts by Messrs . Broadhurst , Brown , &c.She wa s at th is t im e only nineteen ye a rs'

o ld. He r fig ure wa s ofthe finest m odel,her features beauti ful , yet full of expression , dis

playing a t once puri ty of m ind and lovel iness of countenance .He r dem eanour is g raceful and m odest , her vo i ce m elody itself inall i ts tones . A full -leng th picture of her i s to be seen on the g reatstair at the G arrick C lub

,the work of G eorg e Jones , i n

which she is portrayed in a dram at ic and inspired att i tude ,resting on a harp , the reason for the introduction of such aniustrum e n t not being very obvious , as She wa s i n no wa yconnected w i th the lyrical s tag e . I t probably wa s i ntroduced tobetoken national feel ing . She had a curious l ikeness to thefeatu r es of the Princess Charlotte .

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204 THE THEA TRE. [Ocr r, 1886.

J ul i et . She is not a m ere m aker of detached points , a s trongm arker of individual passag es ; She does not point a word intosom eth ing that sounds l ike an epi g ram , and which , by dazzl ingyou for a m om ent , leaves you in doubt whether i t be rig ht orwrong , but her excel lence consists i n exhibi ting a reg ular ,unbroken

,and consistent character

,from which She never depart s

for the purpose of bring ing down a huzza . She cannot be co mpared w i th Mrs . Siddons at present, but she i s m uch nearer to heri n excel lence than any o f the others are to M iss O ’

Ne ill.” Whil e

later,at Bath , Mrs . P iozz i wa s enraptured Our ladies are all

in hysteri cs , our g entl em en ’s hands qu ite bl i stered w i th clapping ,and her stag e com panions worn to a thread w i th standing up l ikechains i n a chi ldren ’s country dance , while she alone comm andsthe attention of such audiences a s Bath never w itnessed . The

boxkeepe rs said last nig ht that the num bers Kean drew after himwere noth ing to it . ”The announcem e nts that followed in the bi lls are am u s ing , andindicate the crescendo of success The publ ic are respectfullyi nform ed that

,i n consequence of the flattering and universalapplause which attended the perform ance of M iss O ’

Ne ill’

s Julie t ,she w i l l repeat that character to-nig ht . ” Mi ss O ’

Ne ill’

s secondperform ance Of J ul i et wa s g reeted w i th the m ost rapturous andunprecedented applause from an overflow ing aud ience . ” Thenfollowed I sabella and Be lv ide ra . The first perform anceof M iss O

’

Ne ill’

s Be lv ide ra having been honoured w i th theenthusiasti c and long -continued acclam at ions of an overflow ingaudience , she w i ll repeat J ul iet on every Monday nig ht ti ll furthernotice . ”This form cont inued ti l l No v . 1 . I sabella she played w i tha success perfectly unprecedented

,

” having perform ed i t for thesecond t im e to an audience whose num bers and whose rapturou sexpress ions of del ig ht adm i t not of increase . ” In this tri um phantcourse she continued for about s ix years , when she capt ivated SirWri x on Becher, an I rish baronet , and an excellent am ateur actor.This g entlem an she m arried i n 1 820. I t wa s said that during hershort career she had accum ulated a sum of about J£20,000,

outof which she filia lly provided for Captain Costig an , taking careof her brothers and sisters also . She died about twelve years a g oat nearly eig hty years of a g e .

Ocr . r,

A BAYREUTH PI L GRIMAGE . 205

A Ba yreuth P i lgrim a ge .

BY HERMANN KL E IN.

HERE are two ways of “ doing Bayreuth . On e i s tom ake a s straig ht a s you can to that out - o f-the -wa y

Bavarian town , box yoursel f up in i t for a week or so, l isten to a sm any of the Wag ner perform ances a s m a y be g iven i n the t im e ,a nd then g o hom e ag ain . This is the real form of pilg rim ag e .The other is to g o on a hol iday tour which takes i n Bayreuth enro ute , and enables you to pay the necessary vis i ts w i thoutco mpell ing you to stay there an hour long er than is absolutelyrequ is i te . This i s the im i tat ion form of pilg rim ag e , and Irecomm end i t , w i th al l confidence , to weary m us i c ians g enerallyand overworked crit ics in particular . The tw o courses werebefore m e i n Aug ust last , when I had m ade up m y m ind to hearthe Wag ner P lays , and I did not hes i tate which to choose . Va

po ur l’

im i'

ta ti o n

I w a s one of a num erous party , which , after all , wa s onlycorrect . A pilg rim ag e , real or otherw ise , should , to be worthanything , consist of m ore than a sol itary pi lg rim . Our plan wa sto m ake for a villag e called Rupprechtsteg en , abou t twenty-fiv em i les “ th is s ide of ” Bayreuth , on the l ine between that placea ndNurem berg . We had been told that g ood hotel accom m odat ion

,at reasonable prices , could be had there , and that the vi llag elay in the m idst of extrem ely rom antic scenery —advantag es cer

t a in ly not to be obtained at Bayreuth . In our j ourney thi ther wem ade the m istake of hurrying s l ig htly, but those who follow ourexam ple another year—and a s the Wag ner P lays bid fair tobecom e of annual recurrence , I a m hoping these notes m a y notbe w i thout practical value to som e who read them—need ' notim i tate us in this . Nevertheless , we spent a few pleasant hoursi n Brussels and slept overnig ht at Colog ne . F rom the latter cityto Rupprechtsteg en the rai lway j ourney occupies an entire day ,a nd we m ade i t w i thout break, save chang ing trains a t '

Wfirz

206 THE THEA TRE . [Ge r 1, 1886 .

burg and Nurem berg . No w the preferable plan , to my thinking ,would be to take the Rhine steam er from Colog ne to Mayence ,sleep there

,take the train ag ain to Nurem berg nex t day, and theneither g o on direct to Rupprechtsteg en , only another hour ’ sj ourney

,or else m ake a short stay in that rem arkable old c ity

which is j ustly deem ed one of the s ig hts of Europe . We electedto pay our vis i t to Nurem berg after we had finished at Bayreuth ,but that wa s s im ply because our seats at the theatre had beenbooked for certain dates , and we should have m ore t im e to Spareafter wards . F o r the present , therefore , I had , perforce , to becontent wi th a d istant g l im pse of the quaint spires and wonderfulroofs of the anc ient c ity , l ig hted up by a lovely sunset , as thetrain went past a seri es of painfully m odern suburbs towards thatparadise in the plains of Bavaria—that g em o f F ra nco n ia nSw i tzerland—the Peg nitz-Thal .I t wa s late on a Sunday evening when we arrived at Rupprechtste g e n ,

but , thanks to a ful l m oon and cloudless sky, atolerable idea could be form ed of the beauty of the , to us, termine o g n ita upon wh ich we were entering . Charm ing , thoug h , as i tappeared on a m oo nlig ht nig ht , the scene that m e t our g aze aswe looked out of the hotel w indows i n the brig ht g lare of them orning sun wa s infinitely m ore superb. We were i n a g reen andpicturesque valley , am id lofty h il ls , n o w rich w i th firs and fol iag e ,n o w clad w i th bold m asses of dolom i te rock , while at our feet ranthe narrow stream of the Peg nitz , flow ing sw i ftly on its wa y toNurem berg . Here wa s a lovely spot , indeed , to m ake our headquarters what t im e we should be fulfi ll ing our pilg rim s ’ task athot

,dusty , uninterest ing Bayreuth ! I t wa s no deception : thecountry wa s beauti ful , the hotel com fortable and not dear, andthe train servi ce tolerably g ood . On one point we had been

m is inform ed . I t had been stated that free conveyance by thespecial t rain to and from Bayreuth would be accorded to holdersof t ickets for the F est ival perform ances . By the t im e we cam eupon the scene this privi leg e , i f i t had ever been g ranted , wa s nolong er in force , and we had to pay our fares . Ye t l iving at Rupprechtste g e n wa s so m uch cheaper than it would have been atBayreuth that the addit ion of the few m arks for the short railwayjourney stil l left us cons iderable g ainers , apart from the incalcula b le advantag e of s taying at a place where we had only tocross the threshold to find any quantity of del ig htful walks, or, i f

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208 THE THEA TRE . [Ocr . r, 1886 .

the earnest fervour w i th which the artis ts do their work , the irutter forg etfulness of sel f, the ir absolute proficiency in the dutiesallotted to them . They are the leadin g art ists of the G erm anlyric stag e , and it i s the i r del ig ht to com e here and labour for theg lory of the revered m aster whose cause they m ade their o wn i nthe days when he wa s l iving and m oving i n the ir m idst . Theyrem ain to reflect the spiri t of h i s works , and wel l do they ae complish their m i ss ion . L i ttle wonder i s i t that in such an atm osphere

,and under such cond itions , Wag ner ’s m usic-dram as

create an im pression wholly d i fferent to what ha s been fel t whenthey have been perform ed in ordinary opera -houses . Even theclassic stag e of Munich cannot impart to them that subtle , i ndefin a b le qua l ity the secret of which ha s been m astered at Bayreuth .This com parison does not , of course , apply to Pars i fal , ” whichhas not been g iven elsewhere—yet and no one possess ing a g rainof art ist ic feel ing ca n have w i tnessed the deeply solem n andimpressive perform ance of \Va g n e r’s swan-song wi thoutinstinct ively trusting that the opportunity for such a com pari sonm ay ne ver a rrive . Should i t do so , there can he no questionthat the true rel ig ious and poet ic sig nificance o f the work w i l l be ,for the t im e being , destroyed , even as the rendering of thatstrang ely different m asterpiece , Tristan und I solde

,for the

first t im e at Bayreuth , has j ust served to reveal therein phases ofbeauty and m eaning which had never been perce ived before .The perform ance s which I saw in Aug ust were the concludingones of the series that comm enced on July 23 . The town wa s asfull as i t had been at the outset , and the houses were not lesscrowded on each occasion . I wa s struck

,however, by the alm osttotal absence of Eng l ish and Am ericans . At the beg inn ing hundreds had been there , but by deg rees they had all g one , and le ftthe field free for the G erm ans—and F rench . Ye s , quite a num eroussprinkl ing of F rench . No t a l ittle am us ing w a s i t to hear thei r

comm ents , spoken , as a rule , in irreproachable Paris i an , or toobserve the inward chuckl ing of the nat ives a s they bethoug htthem of the m any m i les their ne ig hbours had travelled to hear them us ic of the m a n whose operas they refuse to have m ounted attheir o wn theatres . One G all i c enthusiast wa s laden w i th a scoreof Pars i fal ,” which he had evidently broug ht w i th the intention offollow ing i t during the perform ance . He m ig ht have saved him sel fthe trouble ; not a note would he be able to discern so soon as the

OCT . 1 . A BAYREUTH PI L GRIMAGE . 209

final warning m o tive had sounded , and the electric l ig ht wa s lowered.I have only heard of one individual who wa s able to follow aperform ance here from a score, and that wa s a dist ing u ishedm us i cal countrym an of our o wn , who had perm iss ion to sit on thesteps l eading down to the orchestra ; but what he g ained in onerespect he lost in another, for he wa s unable to obtain the sm alles tg l im pse of the stag e . I t i s the sense o f entire isolation and theabsence of all d isturbing i nfluences that renders the i llus ion of thescene com plete ; and s o com plete wa s i t i n my o wn case that i nthe first act of Pars i fal ,” when the m arvellous panoram ic chang efrom the interior of Castle Mo n sa lv a t to the Hal l of the G rai l tookplace

,and the g ig antic landscape im perceptibly beg an to m ovebodi ly from rig ht to left , I fancied i t wa s the theatre that wa s

m oving , and involuntari ly clutched my seat for support . Take i tfor all in all

,despite the tediousness of the m onolog ues uttered by

Gurn em a n z,the first act of Pars i fal is

,in its m us ical and

rel i g ious aspect , the m ost overwhelm ing ly g rand concept ion thatlyric art can boast . I know nothing in the dom ain of opera thatha s m ade the sam e ineffaceable im press ion on m e a s the scenewherein King Am fortas adm i n isters the rites of the G rai l . I canonly com pare i t to the effect of the Halleluj ah Chorus sung ata Handel F est ival , or a perfect rendering of the s low m ovem ent inBeethoven ’s Bro1ca sym phony .After such an act as thisWag ner ran the risk of an ant i -cl im ax .

He s im ply avo ided the catastrophe by supplying a contrast . And

what a contrast l— from the sacred functions appertaining to theKnig hts of the G rail to the tem ptation of Pars i fal by Klin g ro r’sm aidens and the inscrutable Kundry ; from the dim

,rel ig iousl ig ht of a noble edifice to a m ag i c g arden fi l led w i th hug e flowersof every dazzl ing hue . Then, after a long period of storm and

stress,

” back once m ore to peaceful Mo n sa lv a t , the exqu isite softness of the Char-F re i tag ’

s Zauber,

” the recog nit ion of Parsi fal,and the j oyful praises of the voices from the m i ddle and extrem eheig hts a s the white dove descends and hovers over the head ofthe new ly-m ade king . F rom a dram at ic point of view the construct ion of all th is is perfect , whi le m uch of the m us i c i s extrem e ly beautiful , the orchestrat ion especially being i n the hig hestdeg ree m asterly. Nothing , i n the m ag nificent perform ances atwhich I wa s present wa s m ore rem arkable than the del ic iouslyNEW SERIES.

—VOL . VI I I . Q

210 THE THE/1TRE [OCT. r, 1886 .

refined a nd subdued rendering of the instrum e nta t ion ; not apoint,not a nua nce wa s lo st , yet i t wa s ever the voices , not thei nstrum ents, that predom inate d whe n the two were co m bined .

The sa m e fea ture struck m e m ore forcibly st ill in Tri sta n . As

I hadpreviously hea rd this work , i t hadseem ed a physica l impo ss ib ility for the s ing ers to e ver ha ve the be st of itwith the orchestra .

The cha ng e wa s a g ra te ful surpri se . No t only were those excellenta rtists , Vo g l a nd Rosa Sucher, e nabled to m ake them se lvesheard w i thout scream ing at the to p of the i r voices, but their finephra s ing i nve ste d po rt ions o f the voca l m usic w i th acha rm i t hadn o t be fore posse sse d . In m a n y re spects the Bayre uth perform a nceo f Tri stan wa s a re vela tio n , a nd in an a rt ist ic sense i ts choice a so ne of th is ye ar’ s F es tiva l Plays wa s amply j ust ified , althou g h itdid not draw so larg ely a s Pa rsif To the two works Die

Meistersing e r ” wi l l b e a dded fo r the series that i s to take placen ext summ e r .I t wa s a tre a t , a fter a n exha usti ng da y at Ba yreuth , to return to

the tra nqui ll ity a nd repo se o f Rupprechtsteg en . L i fe there wa ss o delig htful tha t I fe l t ha l f so rry when the m ain obj ect of ourp ilg rim a g e had be e n achie ved , a nd the t ime cam e t o m ove on .Wi l l ing ly would I ha ve m a de a n othe r excursion to Velde n—j ust sucha qua in t Oldvilla g e a s Nurembe rg i s a C i ty—o r visi ted for a secondt im e the stala ctite caves at Kro ttense e , which oug ht to be m uchm ore fam o us than they are . But our plans were m ade , and wewere due in Nurem be rg . The nce one se ction of our party, not havinghad enoug h o fW'

a g ner, went on to Munich and heard Der R ingde s Nibelung en on the opening nig hts of the opera seaso n there .The others went direct to I nnsbruck , start ing from there on awalking tour throug h the Austrian Tyrol , taking Salzburg , Munich ,and Colog n e a g ain on the way hom e . Al tog ether i t wa s a m odelpilg rim ag e of i ts kind , and let m e not om i t my expressions o f g ra titude for one g reat a nd ra re bless ing—in course of the three weekstha t we were away we only had two days’ b adweather .

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2 1 2 THE THEATRE . [0cr . r, 1886 .

g o t heavi ly into debt , and g iven pos t -Obi ts on the death of his father ,Squi re Selby. He is in the hands of a coup le of rascals , CaptainTrevor , an ar istocra t ic vi llain , and Charli e Sandown , a ver i tablecockney

, w i th a turn for m isquot ing F rench and L at in phrases,acharac ter p layed to t he life by M r. Nicholls . G eorg e Selby is e n

g ag ed to his cous in , Mabel Selby , a weal thy hei ress , when i t com esto the knowledg e of T revor tha t Harry COpsley ha s no claim to thenam e he bears . He uses this kno w ledg e to force COpsley t o res i g nhis C laim s t o Daisy’s hand , thus to make room for G eorg e Selby , andso to clear the wa y—a s he is in the squire's g ood g races—for his o wnm arriag e w i th Mabel Selby. Harry COpsley does not ret i re beforethe Charg e o f i l leg i t imacy , but boldly faces the m at ter, and discoversthat he is the s o n of Squi re Selby , whom he confronts . The secondact bring s us to L ondon , where Daisy COpsley is decoyed t o a houseof ill-repu te by Mrs. W i llmore, an a g ent of Captain Trevor ’s , whopretends that she is taking Daisy a s a com panion to a lady, when shewell knows tha t she is co m pass ing her m oral des t ruc t ion . Anelabo rate ball-room , fil led w i th over -dressed fem ales and their lovers ,g ives place to a boudoi r , where Daisy, who ha s been drug g ed , is accosted by G eorg e Selby , who , half intox icated wi th champag n e , ha sbeen m is led by finding the g irl in such a house . When the t ru th isexp lained to him , he b o ldly rescues the g irl from her peri lous condit ion , a nd the scene , ag ain chan g ing , presents the outs ide of the houseand the escape of Daisy. The exterior of Selby Hall is the scene o fthe third ac t . Here the m achinations of Trevo r and Sandown appea rt o prosper. They m ake t he old squi re believe that G eo rg e is thebetrayer of Daisy , bu t the squire ha s become aware of his son ’

s conn ectio n w i th the pos t -Obi t s , and quarrels wi th him jus t before s tar t ingfor the hunt . Wha t follows is alm ost expected by everyone . The

squi re is broug h t hom e on a hurdle , ser iously hurt by a fall from hishorse , and is thou g ht to be on the point of death . T revor inform sG eorg e Selby t hat the docum ents he had s ig ned were t ransfers to himof the estate which he seem s on the point of inher i t ing , when HarryCOpsley proclaim s that he is the hei r to Selby Hall . In the four thand las t ac t the exci tem ent is adm i rably worked up . G eorg e Selbyhas become owner of a favour i te race-horse , Daisy," which isentered and heavily backed for an im portant race . Trevor and Sa n e

down ha ve an order to take possess ion of the horse for a debt of youngSelby’s , and their endeavours to secure the an imal so that it m a y notrun

,and that Selby m a y thus be disg raced , are cleverly che ckm atedby Harry Selby , who sends the blackg uards career in g over the coun t ryafter an o ld farm horse . Daisy ” is : broug h t safely to G oodwood ,

saddled and m ounted , is j ust about t o start, when Trevor and companyarrest her . Happ ily,old Squire Selby com es to the rescue , borrows

the m oney on the race -course wherewi th to discharg e Georg e ’s debt ,Daisy ” is freed, and w ins the race in a canter. The honour of theSelby fam i ly is retained, and Harry is un ited to Daisy Co psley.

O CT. 1 ,OUR PLAY-BOX. 213

The acting of “ The Run o f L uck is'

g e n e ra lly excellent . MissAlma Mu rray is the m ost sym pathetic of heroines , and M r . E . W.

G ardiner is fresh , easy , and ag reeable a s G eorg e Selby. M r. J . G .

G rahame fi l ls the ra ther un sa t isfactory part ofHarry C o psley w i thu ncommon abi li ty . He succeeds in m aking the part acceptable ,t hanks to his fine style a nd power of express ion , whereas a lesss uper ior ac tor mig ht eas i ly have m ade COpsley a bore . M r. HarryN icholls , the delig ht of a Drury L ane audien ce , is immensely amus in ga s the sporting Charl ie Sandown , and M r . Char les Cartwr ig h t isinci sive a s T revor . Miss Com pton is not well suited a s an ing énue ,a ndMiss Sophie Eyre is a l ittle too melodramat ic in her part . Mr.W i l l iam Rig n o ld, M r . John Beauchamp , M r . Vic tor Stevens , a ndM iss Edith Bruce ass ist the play by t hei r careful ac t i n g .

AUST IN BRERETON.

SISTER MARY .A pla y, in fo ur acts, written byWILSONBARRETT a ndCLEMENT SCOTT.

Produced fo r the first tim e , in L o ndo n , a t the Co m edy Thea tre , o n Sa turda y,Septem be r 11, 1886.

C apta in Wa lter Mr. LEONARD BOYNE. Mi ss Ma ry L isleSa ndy

”Dyso n Mr. J . H. DARNLEY. Ro se Re ade

C o lo n e l Ma lco lm Mr. P . PERCEVAL -CLARK . M188 K a te Ma lco lmHa rry Re ade Miss RUBYMAUD. Mi ss Lucy Ca rro l "J ack Maddiso n Mr. C . DALTON. MISS Ara be lla Pe rkinsJ ack Da v is Mr. HARRY FENWICK. MI SS Ag a tha Ma lco lmB i ll Dredg e Mr. H. V. LAURENCE. Cha ri ty Bi n ksC o rpo ra l Mo llo y Mr. R. HI CKS. Susa n

The ever roll ing wave of t im e bears cur ious chang es on its bosom .

O n ly a few weeks a g o , at the Comedy Theat re , we were l isten ing tot he pret ty fr ivol i ty of comic opera , w i th its g li tter , its merr iment , itss entim ental ballad anent the s tars , or the moon , or some such atmosphe rica l inhabitan t ; its dr ink ing chorus , g i ven by the inevi tablev i l lag e throng , to the puns and ready g ag s of a popular lo wcomedian and to -day the panorama ha s m oved, and we have anotherscene.A pictu re of human life no ext ravag ances , no absurdities , no

g org eous puppe ts , but real fig ures , i llumin ated w i th all the purposes ,the hopes , s t rug g les , pass ions , fears , joys , and happ iness that fi ll thehuman breast . The sparkle of the tin selled burlesque ha s fl ickereda way, the dance is over , the son g s are done , on ly the mus i c remains- mus ic of wo rds and thoug hts , the wailing melody of m utual love,

o f human weaknes s , of woman ’s self-sacrifice and suffer in g , of man’sdespair ; and m in g lin g in towards the end the deep , harmon iousn otes o f t rus t , forg ivenes s , and future g ladness , t ha t come soft ly a sthe s t rain touches t he s i len t chord of death . Such a p lay a s SisterMary ” cannot be judg ed or c r i t icised in one vis i t its mot ive , itspu rpose , its t ruth must be C learly learned and thoroug hly understood .I t i s essen t ially a p lay that appeals to wom en ; i t t ouches on a pointtha t for ag es ha s been a subjec t for arg ument , for con t roversy, evenfo r content ion , and it seems very probable that only a t the hands of

214 THE THEATRE . (OCT. 1, 1886 .

wom en will i t receive its real verdict . The story of Sister Marymust by n o w be more than well known , so it w ill not be repeatedhere indeed, i t would b e a di fficult task to condense in a few wordsa p lot apparent ly so s im p le , and yet s o com p lex. There is m ore t otell than the brief ou t l ine of a m an ’s downward career checked by awoman ’s pure influence , and the g hos t of that m an ’

s pas t ris ing a s abarrier in the very m om ent of his g reatest happ iness. This m a y b e

sketched , and eas i ly, to o ; but the thoug hts that com e a s our heart sal tern ately throb w i th their joy and ache w i th thei r m isery are n o t sol ig htly to be dism issed .To touch , however, briefly on the construction of the p iece . Therecan be no hes i tat ion in saying that the first act, althoug h m ost n ece s

sary a s a key-note , almost a s a prolog ue t o the three follow ing , is theweakes t , both dram at ically and li terally speaking ; old acqu a in tancescrop up here a nd there , such a s the very apt entrance of Davis j usta s Rose Reade ha s told her secre t , and the quick and ra ther ext raordina ry resem blance t raced by Walter L eig h in the boy’ s face b utwe forg ive a ll this , and m ore , for the beau ty and poe t ry of the secondact (al thoug h the climax co m es alm ost w i th jarrin g effect after theexquis i te deli ca cy of the lo v e o sce n e ), the dram a t ic g randeur and powerof the third ac t , a nd the p ictu resqueness of the las t . No strong er o rm o re t ruthfully patheticscene than that which takes p lace in thethi rd ac t ha s ever been wi tnessed , and eve ry word , every syllable , isfollowed w i th a rapt , hushed at tent ion , tha t m us t be even m orewelco m e to the au tho rs ’ ears than rounds of applause .The charac ter of Mary L isle is one of the m o st delica te , yet hum an ,

sketches that ha s appeared on the s tag e of late yea rs . Th roug houtthe enti re delinea t ion of their heroine ’s na ture , the au t hors havebeen marvellous ly cons istent ; the sm allest touch ha s not been forg otten . Even ia the m oment of her g reatest ang uish , when he rb ra inreels before the m isery she is called upon to bea r , her p i ty st i l l l ivesfor the flowers that in her frenzy of pain she ha s half des t royed .When the blow falls from Rose ’s lips , the nam e of her lover is t evealed a s the boy’s father , and she g azes at the p ic ture that testifiesdoubly to the horr ible t ruth , i t is on ly for a m om en t she is chan g edthe s ig ht of Rose ’s misery wakes her from her dazed condi t ion , a ndonce m ore her sympat hy g oes to her Sis ter and her fr iend . I f, a s ha sbeen stated so o fte n , the s tag e holds the p o we ro f g iving forth influencesfor g oo d or bad , then m ost surely m ust a character like this leave itsm ark for pu ri ty

,s im p l ici ty, and w o m an ’s love , added t o determ inat ion , s treng th of w i ll , and courag e . I t ha s not its equal for beauty,

a nd cannot be su rpassed . And yet Mary is real ; she exists , shelives . She is not the em bodim ent of something t oo g ood for thisworld ; She vis i ts the s ick , yet can enjoy a joke ; she can m oralise,a nd yet indulg e in very ordinary female supers t i t ions ; she ha s anang el ’s m ind , yet a woman ’s heart , and this touch of nature is thestron g est charm that both t he hero ine and Walter L eig h possess .

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216 THE THEA TRE. (OCT. 1, 1335 ,

p ity. This scene, a s played by Miss L ing ard a nd Mr. Boyn e , ism ag n ificent in its com prehens ive detai l , in its s trong , yet na tu ral ,po wer in the art istic com p leteness that prevails throug hout . Toconclude w i th one rem a rk on the br ief sketch of Walter L eig h’scharac ter

, m any have said , a ndm any doubtless think , that when heha s discovered from Mary's l ips that Rose s t i ll l ives and is unm arr ied ,there is but one thing fo r him t o do , and that is to make her his w ife .T o this , however, there is an answer . Unti l he w a s broug ht face toface w i th his child, we a re not g iven to understand that Wal ter hadthe sl ig htes t kno wledg e or susp icion that Rose wa s a m other to himshe wa s but the m em o ry of a pas t pass ion p laced in the categ ory offolly and reg ret , a nd that w i th the advent o f love had faded in tom isty forg e tfulness . Wo uld it be justice to the m a n or to the wom anto bring them to g ether ? An unhappy m a r riag e wo uld be no atonem ent fo r a wron g tha t did not ex ist , nor could it g ive the chi ld aleg i t imate s tatus . W i th his heart yearnin g for his pure , sweet love ,the wo m an who had l ifted him from the slo ug h of despair and let himta ste the joys of fam e and happ iness , what would have been hisfuture and the future of the wo m an whom he could n ever love , andwho a s t ime passe d would g ro w unbearable to him a s the perpetualrecord of his presen t m isery and his w re tched past ?Miss L ing ard ha s broug ht to L o ndo n a com pany that ha s alreadymade a cquaintance w i th the provinces ; the m inor characters are a llcarefully p layed, m ore part icularly the Char i ty-g irl , and Mrs.

C a n n in g e'

s m a iden elderly lady, which she inves ts w i th quaint,hum orous touches tha t m ake the sm all part stand out the laug hing ,chatter ing bridesm aids , full of exci tem en t and ing enuous concei t , area s real a s thoug h they had been transp lanted from a ver itable m a r

ria g e feast and Sa ndy Dyson , the half-lazy, indifferent m a n offashion , wi th an eye -g lass and a drawl , and a heart full of Br i t ishp luck and vig o ur , who wakes up from his ordinary saunter th roug hli fe to tell the s tory of his pa l ’s cou rag e and success—have we notm e t him everyday, and do we not recog nise in him the stuff thatm akes Eng lan d what she is , the quiet determ inat ion and courag ethe endurance and the pr ide—that sum s up the nature of ourso ldiersT o speak of the dialog ue is a delig htful and g rateful task . At oncepo l ished and refined ; fresh and natural a t poin ts , i t rises to therealm s of poetry—and there c r i tic ism ceases . To o often , alas ! are

g ood actors and actresses sentenced to u t ter l an g uag e that defies them ost strenuous endeavours to be endowed w i th beauty of dict ion ordelicate thoug ht , but in this case the lines have each a special andthoug htful m eaning , and , spoken a s they are by Miss L ing ard ,receive the at tention and praise they m eri t . Never before ha s MissL ing ard appeared to such advantag e ; she ha s here n o wander in gm ind to portray, no further exercise of her ski ll in dep ic t in g men talaberrat ion ; she ha s a wo man beneath her touch , a loving , g racious ,

G er . 1,

'

OUR PL A Y-BOX. 2 17

sweet-natu red wom an , whose very sm i le b r ing s happ iness to thosea round ; she ha s claim s , too , on her power , and ho w well she succeedsw e have already said . I t takes two to act a difficul t scene well , andM iss L ing ard is to be cong ratulated on havin g s o able a collaboratora s M r . Boyne , whose clever delineation from first to last is a sdelig htful a s i t is artistic— indeed , those who mis s seein g the thi rdact of Sister Mary, n o t to mention the whole p lay

, w i l l have los ta t reat , both a s reg ards artists , . descr ipt ive poet ical writing , andd ram atic power ; bu t i t is n o t l ikely that man y w i l l suffer this loss.fo r , from all s ig n s , ear ly a s i t is , the p iece ha s s tarted on a long ands uccessful career .

E . R.

HARVEST .

A n ew a nd o rig in a l pla y, in a pro lo g ue a ndthre e acts, b y H. HAMILTON.

Produced, under the m a n a g em en t o f C. H. HAWTREY, a t the Princess ’

s The a tre , o n Sa turday,September 18 , 1886.

Sir No e l Musg ra v e Mr. ARTHUR DACRE. No ra Fitz g e ra ld Miss FANNY BROUOH.

o n el TreSSIder Mr. BRANDON THOMAS. L e tt ice Va n e Mi ss EDITH CHESTI R.

Bevi l Bro o ke Mr. C . 11. HAWTREY. MISSMacle o d M ISS CARLOTTA ADDISON.

R o y Ma rsto n Mr. YOREE STEPHENS. Mrs . Ma rsto n Mi ss AMY ROSEIILE.

Mr. W. H . DENNY.A thoroug h ly sym pathetic , popular p lay, is the verdict of a L ondon

m orning journal on Harvest. I f there is one thin g wanting in thisp iece it is sympathy, sympathy in its mot ive , sympa thy in its charact e rs , and the populaceca n hardly be expec ted t o take much in terestin that which is distinctly unsym pathetic . The cent ral fig ure of thep lay, she who poses a s a hero ine , is m erely the embodiment of a cold ,calculatin g , relen t less , reven g eful woman . Brenda Musg rave ha sbeen cruelly w ron g ed she therefore takes i t upon herself t o executeven g eance upon the m a n who ha s inj ured her . H e r mode of carryin g ou t her scheme is a s cur ious a s i t is o b v i o u sly

"

un n a tura l . She

hides herself for twenty years , wai t s un t i l her hai r is s i lvery white ,and then den ies her so n the Chance of obtain ing a nam e from his

father , and , also , takes him from the g i r l he loves . So that herreven g e does not fal l on the w ron g -doer , but upon the innocent . L e t

us g lance at the story Noel and Brenda Musg rave are l ivin g a s m a nand w ife in a cottag e in Wales . Their un ion of s ix years ha s tu rnedo ut unhapp i ly . The m a n reg rets a marr iag e which ha s preven tedh im from enjoying the ease which a weal thy w ife would have securedhim the woman s ig hs for the love tha t is hers no more . Rel ief forthe man is presently broug ht by Captain Tre ss ide r, who discoversthat the Scotch m arr iag e of his fr ien d , Noel Musg rave , w a s i lleg al ,and that , a s a con sequence , Noel is at l iberty to m arry whom hechooses . An affect ionate let te r from a w eal thy W idow (who , by thew a y , is ig n oran t of Noel ’s connect ion w i th Brenda) decides the m eanfellow . H e den ies j us t ice to the mother of his child , and refuses hera ppeal on bended knees to make her his w ife . She warn s him thath is s in w i l l come home to him

,and s o ends the prolog ue to this

s t rang e s tory, the man g oing one w a y , the w oman and her child theother . Twenty years elapse , and in a beau t ifu l g len in I reland the

218 THE THEA TRE. [Cc-r, x. 1886.

b o y, G e o fl'

ro y, n o w developedin to a rising youn g art ist , m eets L etticeVane,a pretty

,eng ag ing g i rl , the owner of the p la ce , and—thedaug hter of the wom an for who m No el had fo rsaken Bren da . Noel,

n o w a w idower, w ishes to disco ver Brenda a nd m arry her—not fromany idea of repen tance , be i t n oted , but m erely that he m a y l eg i timi seG eo ffroy, and so g a in an heir t o his es ta tes a ndti t le , fo r he ha s n o wbecom e Sir No el Musg ra ve , Bart. The lo ve of G eo ffro y a ndL etticefo r each othe r sta nds co nfessed. Bre nda le a rn s i t , a ndshe a lso kno wsof No el's in ten t io n in re g a rd to he r. She co n sequent ly binds her so nt o a pro m ise tha t he w i l l im p l ici t ly o be y he r in a cer tain reques t , a ndat the crucia l m o m e nt She exacts the fulfilmen t o f the oath , tearsG eoffro y fro m the g i rl he lo ve s , a nd o nce m o re hides herself fro mNo el . A ye ar passe s , a nd a ll the intere sted perso ns m ee t o nce more ,and theconclus ion , which is in evita ble under the circum stances , isrea ched : Bre nda re turns to Noel , a nd the lovers a re reun i ted .Eno ug h ha s bee n a lrea dy sho wn to pro ve that the character of

Brenda is en t irely unsym pa the t ic. \Vo m e n a re not, a s a rule , sovindictive a s to wa i t twenty yea rs fo r the accompl ishm en t of a cruelreveng e . They suffer a nd a re si len t . Brenda Musg ra ve is not trueto na ture . On e ca n unders ta nd he r pa ss io nate outburst when shehears tha t No e l inte nds t o a ba ndo n her , bu t i t is difficul t to fathom ,

a nd impo ssible to sympathise w i th , her la ter a ctio n . One would havetho ug h t tha t her so rro w and g rey ha i rs wo uld have broug ht softnessa nd fo rg ivenes s to her hea rt , ins tea d o f which she is a s co ld but lessyielding tha n stee l . Even suppo s in g her ha te co uld have lasted solo ng , surely the love o f her so n fo r a de l ig h tful g i rl wo uld have turnedher fro m he r purpose . On theco ntra ry , i t seem s to harden her m oreand m ore. She se pa rates the lovers fo r a year , a nd then only consents to the m arriag e after the duty of un se lfishne ss ha s been taug hther by the g irl . She is perpetua lly prat ing of her love for her so n ,

b ut I have ye t t o lea rn that i t is a mark of affec t ion for a m other toendeavour t o blas t the happ iness of her chi ld . I f Brenda Musg ravehad hada scrap of real love for her so n in her com pos i t ion she wouldhave m e t No e l's w ishes w i thout 'delaying a year before she did s o , andthus caus ing pain t o two yo ung people . She is a s unladylike a s she

is unnatural , a s w i tness her insulting m anner and words to L etticeVane in the second act . ‘

The other chief characters are a s l i t t le enti t led to sym pathy a s theso -Called hero ine . Of Noel Musg rave , who deserts the m other of hischild in order t o buy a pos i t ion in the world , nothing need be sa id .Tre ss ider is alm ost a s g reat a blackg uard a s his fr iend Noel. Hepoin ts the 'wa y for the separat ion , and afterwards appears a s aretainer on the estate of Sir Noel Musg rave, Bart . On e Character ,however, in the p lay is interes t ing , sym pathetic , and natural . This isL ettice Vane , an ing énue of a m ost delig ht ful type . M . Sardou himself, who is so proud of the young g i rls he kn ows so well ho w todep ict , m ig ht have drawn her . Un afl

'

ectedly open and g enerous in

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would drea m of using , and Miss Bro ug h ’s accent wa s m uch t o o pron o unced; so that thecharac ter wa s n o t always s o acceptable a s i tm ig ht otherwise have been . Miss Macleod , a g en t le , kind-heartedlady, who ha s nothing whatever to do wi th the p iece , wa s presentedw i th g race and fin ish by Miss Carlotta Addison . M r . W . H. Denny,in the sm all part of a crusty Sco tch servant, Ham ish , ac ted w i th ca rea nd showed a g ood idea o f cha ra cter ; bu t his accent wa s a s m uchI rish "a s Sc o tch . I have left to the la st m ention of Miss EdithC hester , a young a c t ress n ew to the sta g e , who p layed L e t t ice Vane .Miss Chester ha s tha t ines t im a ble qua li ty in an actress of beings imp le and natu ral ; she a cted en g a g in g ly throug hout , w i th no s ig no f affec tat i o n. He r playin g in a scene in which L e tt ice con fesses herlove t o G e o fl'ro y wa s m arked by the g rea test poss ible refinem ent a nding enuousness . Miss Chester is a welcom e a ddition to the ranks ofo ur young ac t resse s . The m o unting o f the p lay is r ich a nd tasteful ,a l thoug h wha t is the precise va lue o f the ela bo rate scenery of thelast ac t—represe nt in g the ivy -co lo ured ruins of a n old cas t le—I cannotimag ine. Ho wever, i t m a y be a rg ued , if M r . Hawt rey chooses tospend his m o ney in scenery tha t is his business , not m ine.

Ausrm BRERETON.

®a r ®mntbus=IBo r

Bitter expe r ience tea che s us that the F rench , falsely renowned fortheircourtesy , a re at a ny ra te , so fa r a s the conduc t of their theatre sa nd p laces of am usem e nt are concern ed , the m os t unci v i l peop le onthe fa ce of the ea rth . Whenever F rench p layers com e to L ondonthey are treated w i th the utmost deference and respec t . They area pp lauded and feted , a ndwhen free from labo ur at the theatre theyca n g o when they like and occupy whatever seats they choose at theEng l ish theat res . No m ana g er in L ondon ha s ever refused a se at toF rench art is t or journa list whenever they or thei r com panions care tom ake t hemselves acquaintedwi th o ur thea tres and our artistic m ethod .On the occas ion of the m em orable visits of the Com édie F ra nca ise

t o Eng land, both before the F ranco-Prussian Wa r and afterwards, theutm ost con s iderat ion wa s shown to one and a ll. A breakfa st wa so rg anised at the Crystal Palace , pres ided over by L ord Dufl

'

e rin a nd

L ord G ranvi lle . Various com p l imentary speeches were m ade, andthe r ig ht hand of fellowship w a s freely extended to M . G o t and hisclever com pan ions . M . Sarcey, on a subsequent occas ion , wa s m adewelcom e at every L on don theatre at which he presented him self,a nd, thoug h he n o w professes to be ig noran t of Eng l ish , he thenfreely cri t ic ised Eng lish ac t ing . F ree passes and boxes wereshowered upon h im , and our peop le were a s hones t ly g lad to be seenby s o bri ll ian t a w ri ter a s he wa s to cr i t icise .

Ocr . I , 1 8862] OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 22 1

'I t is imposs ible t o s a y that these comp l iments or cou rtesies are everreciprocated. I f a L ondon dramat ic cr i t ic , when in Par is , des i res t oV i s i t the Theat re F rancais , to view its treasures and to con sul t itsinvaluable library

,he Wi ll find i t more difficult to ob tain admi ss ion to

them than into a Royal Palace . H e m a y be a rmed w i t h let ters ofint roduction, b ut every effort w i l l be made t o keep an En g l ishman out ofa F ren ch theat re , ins tead of des i r in g to se e him happy ins ide . I don ’ t

suppose that half a dozen En g l ish actors or w r i ters for the s tag e ca nboast that they ever received a s m any passes for a F rench theat rein the cou rse of thei r n atural l ives . I t is not tha t one or the othe rever des i res to sh i rk the respons ibil i ty of payin g . I ndeed , they wouldverymuch rat her pay t han not , bu t t here are t imes when , a s for examp leon the p roduct ion of a n ew p lay in Par is , 3 booked seat is essent iallyrequi si te for a n Eng l ish jou rnali st . F avou r i n Eng land oftenprocu res what money cannot ob tain . I t is not s o in Par i s . I f youtake over letters of recommendat ion they are ig nored if you requi rethe courtesy of a rep ly it is den ied t o you .The very las t occas ion on which I vis i ted Par is on bus in ess wa s t o

s e e the las t failure a t the Vaudeville by Sardou . A teleg ram w a sdespatched from L on don before I s tarted to secu re m e a sea t,a s tim e

w a s precious . I t w a s ig nored. On arr ivin g in P a ris I presentedletters from mutual fr iends exp lainin g my s i tuation . T o not one o fmy m essag es w a s an answer vouchsafed. I n aturally imag ined thatthe theatre wa s c rammed full , a nd not a seat w a s t o be had for love o rm oney. Dur in g t he din ner hour I sen t out a messen g er for a seat a sone of the paying public ; g o t i t w i thou t the least difficul ty, and foundt he theat re half empty , for the p lay w a s a fai lure

,absolu teand comp lete . An En g l ish act in g m anag er would have an sweredteleg ram a nd letters from a recog n ised F rench jou rnalist in fiv eminutes.

But here is an older exper i ence . In the year 1 868 I vis i ted Pa r is ,arm ed w i th a budg et of letters of int roduc t ion t o F rench au thors andm anag ers s ig ned by Char les F echter, and delig h tful le t ters t heywere ,such a s he could w r i te so well . On e wa s a letter to the elder Dumas ,and he received me very g raciously. I found the veteran novel istwork in g i n his shi rt s leeves o ne br ig ht May afternoon , at tendedby his daug hter , Mar ie Dum as , sur roun ded by p retty g i rls whocalled him Papa affectionately, bu t he could do very li t t leexcept pass me o n to others . Eventually I discovered that thedelivery of t he let ters of in troduction t ook s o long a t ime , andresul ted so feebly and unsatisfactor i ly, that it w a s then , a s n o w , thefar better plan to take a ticket and leave the m anag ers to thei r o wndevices. The sys tem of res istance is carr ied to a r idiculous point byPar is ian m anag ers , even if you g o over w i th your pockets full ofEng l ish g o ld , prepared to pay for whatever m a y be suitable for the

222 THE THEA TRE . (OCT . 1, 1886.

Eng lish market . No one in his senses g rudg es ten francs or so for as tall at a F rench theatre , bu t cons idering the m anner in which F renchartists are habitually treated in this count ry som e l i t t le c ivili tym ig ht be extended to those whose duties lead them to vis i t ing F renchthea t res . I wonder tha t F ren ch ac tors and actresses ever think itworth while to s tar in En g land or Am erica if they reg ard so cheaplythe op inions of Am erica a ndEng land .This induces m e t o discuss the scandalously ung enerous trea tmentextended to the ladies and g entlem en of M r. Aug us t in Daly’s com pany

in Paris the other day. I ca re n o t whose fault i t wa s , or for whatpurpose i t wa s done , but I venture t o sa y tha t such conduct inL ondo n would have been im po ss ible had the c o m pany been com pos edof the veries t tyros a nd impo s t o rs that could co m pose a dram atict roupe . But i t wa s n o t so . No candid or disin teres ted judg e ofactin g—co m pare i t by whatever standard you w i ll—would fai l to seein M r . Daly’s c o m pany m er i t of a very remarkable kind. I f them odern Par is ia n s ta g e is o verburdened wi th j am es L ew ises and Mrs.G i lbert s, a ndAda Reha n s and Ma y I rwins , a nd John D rews , then Ishould very m uch like to se e them , that is a ll. I fa i l myself to discoverthem . The Theatre F ra ncais is on its las t leg s. Delaunay ha sretired . Ba rte t , who p la yed Z icka in D o ra a t the Vaudeville , isthe leadin g lady of the h istorical house of Mol iere . Sara Bernhardtis on the ram pag e. Co quelin , the fi rst a rt ist in Pa ris , is about tofollow her eccen tric examp le. G o t , n o w that his “ lovely companions ”

are n early a ll g o ne , is l ike the “ las t ro se of summ er left bloom ingalone ." The g lor ies of the da ys of Dressant and F a v a rt , and Reg n ierand P lessy, are departed , and it is a mat ter of the g reatest difficul tyto m o un t a class ical p lay to co m pare even dis tan t ly w i th those seenten or fifteen yea rs a g o . Where , then , do we find these wonderfulactors who are so m uch be t ter than our last Am er ican fr iends ? Are

they t o be found at the m odern Vaudeville or Gym nase , where theam ateu r ac tor , M . Damala , is accepted a s the leading lover Are

they to be discovered in the sho ulde r~ shrug g in g g entlem en whog es t iculate according to pat tern , and one and all make all their pointsby address ing t he audience , and breakin g down the celebrated “ fourthwall," of which we have heard s o m uch.Mr.Aug ustin Daly ’s company wen t t o Par is arm ed w ith testimonialsfrom Am er i ca , Eng land , Hamburg , and Ber l in , if, indeed, they were

n eeded . Paris oug ht to be able to j udg e a work of art , p icture orp la y, w i thout being taug ht ho w to do i t . But what did Par isand her journalis ts do ? Se t about to r idicule the Am ericans a nd toroar w i th laug hter at the Am erican ladies s im p ly because they weren o t Par is ians, a ndbecause it is arrog antly assum ed that n obody but aF ren chm an or a F renchwom an can act . I refuse t o acce pt thesolution of the difficulty put forward by the Parisian journalists them

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224 THE THEA TRE . [Ge n 1 , 1886.

m ent ion of the ladies , and discreet ly enoug h , no doub t . But i f Par iscan boast a p let hora of E l len Terrys and Mrs . Kendals , and Nelli eF arrens and Kate Phillips ’

s , or such clever novices a s MissWebster ,Miss Millward , the Misses Rorke , Rose No rreys, or Dorothy Dene , Iwonder ve ry m uch that they are kept s o relig iously in the backg roun d .Art oug h t to be cath ol ic , not exclus ive. There w a s a t ime—and i nm y m emory—w hen En g l ish cr i t ics were how led a t for think ing therewa s any mer i t in L afont , Reg n ier , De sclée , or Mar ie L auren t . I canrem em ber the t ime when F echte r , the bes t s tag e -lover of our t im e ,wa s called “ a d - d F renchm an and r idiculed because he spokew i th an accent . The F rench journalists are revert ing to our insularprejudice of 1863 .

Here is a specim en of m odern cr i t icism . A young fellow who is

g oing fas t to the devi l is sudden ly broug ht into a pure atm osphereand under the influence of a g ood woman. I n his despair anddespondency, he descr ibes himself a s a “shadow fa ll ing across thefields and flo wers . Because the actor who in terprets the character

is not a s thin a s Sara Bernhardt , the m etaphor is r idiculed a s

preposterous a nd excess ive . The vulg ar i ty of m at ter-o f-fac t couldnot g o much further t han tha t , surely . Heaven protec t the li terarydrama from such g uides a s these ! Who can wonder that the honestwork of conscient ious and imag inat ive art is ts is r id iculed by canta nke ro us disputants in the p i t ? Who can wonde r tha t our bestac tors and ac t resses t remble when they appear on the s tag e whenthe chorus of vulg ar ians , the howl of cheap sat i re , the discordan tjarg on of realis ts , is led by such false prophets a s t hese ? Whenare they to be pu t down and summar i ly t rampled onBoulog n e -sur-Mer is such a favour i te resort for persons connected

w i th the dram at ic world , be they m embers of the profess ion or of theP ress , tha t its doing s during t he bathing season m ust be of som einteres t t o the theat re -loving public . The Conseil Mun icipal havelately recons idered an unj ust decis ion s ince the n ew m anag em en t a tthe Cas ino , t he Thea t re Mun icipal wa s only opened for t he w interseason , wh ich the manag er had no opt ion to prolon g . F o r tw o sum

m ers t he theat re ha s , t herefore , been closed , except on one or tw ooccas ions when tour in g com pan ies g ave a s ing le perform ance andpaid a fixed sum t o the town for the h ire of the theatre . \Vin ter isnot t he best ha rvest t im e in a water ing -p lace , and it wa s rather hardon the m anag er to be com pelled to close his doors dur ing the br ig htseason . The Conseil have n o w decided that , for one year at least ,the m anag er w i ll be free to g ive perform ances in summ er a s well' a sw inter , and next season vis i tors w i ll find the Boulog ne Theat re g ivingperform ances a s in t he g ood old t im es . At the Cas ino thing s havebeen a s uncom fortable a s ever s ince the n ew m anag em ent . The

g ambling wa s resum ed in defiance of the law , which wa s only enforced

OUR O'

MNIBUS-BOX. 225

a very short tim e back , when other Cas inos (D ieppe am ong them , Ibel ieve) protested , and declared tha t they also would se t up g amblingtables if they were allowed at Boulog ne . The manag emen t is doingall it can to disg ust vis i tors . At the children ’s costum ed balls oneheard nothin g but comp lain ts r ig ht a nd left . On one occasion whenI w a s present , peop le who had come on purpose to se e the childrencould find nei t her seats nor standing room , while some of the boxesremained empty . I t is t rue these boxes belong ed t o subscribers , andt he box -keeper had no r ig h t to dispose of them ; but this confirm s

what I had said before , tha t subscr ipt ion to any seat or box for theent ire season is quite a mis take in a water ing -p lace (when the acco mm o da t i o n of the house is l im i ted), for a t this rate almos t the entiretyo f seats are secured to the inhabitan ts , whi le vis i tors are left out inthe co ld . As i t wa s , before the end of the ball the boxes had to bethrown open , for the public w a s wax in g w roth. The m anag ementha s also in t roduced a re

’

g lemefl t,"which one can not bu t look upon

i n the l ig ht of an impos i t ion . The admiss ion to the Cas ino is n o w

paid for at the outer g ate of the g ardens. The s imp le admiss ion tothe Cas ino and readin g - room fo r the afternoon wa s one franc, a susual ; the adm iss ion , including the ball , wa s tw o francs . But those

who had not m ade up thei r minds at the g ate , and decided t o g o intothe ball -room a s an afterthoug ht , after enter in g the Cas ino , whent hey tendered thei r second franc , were t old this would n o t do ata ll , and they m ust pay two francs , reg ardless of what they had g ivena t the g ate . I f they protested, they were an swered rudely that thiswa s the rég lemm t .

” Indeed , one ha s g enerally m e t w i th pet tya nn oyances and incivil i ty w i thin the Cas ino . The bathing arrang ements have fortunately been left in the hands of officials of the o ldrég z

'

me , who have kept up the traditions of c ivi lity and attent ion .

But for the Cas ino , dear o ld Boulog ne is a s charmin g a s ever thep icturesque t own , s o 'jfull of colour and subjects for the ar t ist thebroad expanse of sands , daily thron g ed by the happy childrenbui lding their fortresses and dig g ing t renches , while the babies airtheir p ink toes w i th scream in g delig ht the ladies’ summ er dresses ofa ll hues and the m en ’s white fla n n e ls g iving the beach the appearance of having burst ou t into bloom — this , one is thankful to s a y, isnot a thing of the past . The fai r this year wa s a very g ood one ,a nd the shows above the averag e , the best being t he G la ssSp inner and; the Thea t re Ma rcke tti . Only two tour ing ] com paniesvis i ted Boulog ne and appeared at the Thea t re Mun icipal—Baron ,w i th L e F iacre and Achard , w i th Martyre. " Achard wa sv ery g ood a s Sir E l ie D rack , and M . Rameau made a firs t-rateRober t Burell but Mdlle . Pazza wouldn ’t compare w i th Mrs . Kendal.I n the par t ofPaulette I saw , for the fi rs t t ime , a young act ress from theP orte-St . -Mart in . Mdlle . Henr iette Becker . Thi s young lady eclipseda ll by her admirable act ing ; pretty and interesting , she ha s the fi reNEW SERIES.

—VOL . V I I I . R

226 THE THEATRE . [OCR x, 1886 ‘

a nd g enius of a true artist , and sho uld do g rea t thing s if she g oes ona s she ha s beg un . In the course of an interest ing lecture on scie ntificinven t ions , g iven here by M . Edm . L am bert -Thib o ust , L ’

I g mfi g ewa s experim en ted m ost successful ly. The most conclus ive test wa s

‘

this : A lady cam e on the sta g e clad in a m usl in d res s , which hadbeen dipped in the xgmfug e down t o her fee t , but the long t rain ofwhich had been left in its natura l s ta te. This wa s se t on fire andburned fiercely, bu t , a s so o n a s i t reached the part that had beendipped, the fla mes we nt ou t . L

’

Ig mjfilg e should be welcom ed by a llladies on the sta g e .The Prince s' Hall , P iccadilly, is n o w occupied by Mr. Charles Du

V a l, who , in the space o f two hours , am p ly ve rifies the tru th tha t“o n e m a n in his t ime p la ys m any parts . G ifted w ith a clear and

sono ro us vo ice a ndco n s idera ble po wers of elocution , a s is evinced byhis delivery of The Be lls a nd Sham us O ’

Brie n ,

” he ha s mobilefea tures a nd eye s tha t twinkle a nd lend them selves readily to thehum o ro us ski ts he presents of every-da y l ife . C rus ty a nd pepperyo ld India n s o fiice rs , lang uidm a shers , I rish laundresses , and drawingroo m belles , j ockeys a nd racin g swells , pros ies t of professors , andbro ths o f bho ys , the m o nolog is t a ssum es them a ll, fi t t ing tom a ny o f them his o wn a ppro priate song s , which he s in g s w i th sp i r i tand expre ss ion , a ndcha n g es his vo ice to sui t thechara c ter a s ra p idlya nda s well a s he does the co s tume tha t befi ts his repre se n tation .Am usin g a s a sho wm a n , he is a m o s t g en ial compa n ion andraco n teu r o ff the b o a rds , a nd reca lls his expe riences when amongthe Bo e rs a nd g o ld a nd d ia m o nd seekers , of v is i ts to Ea s te rn potenta tes and wea l thy and indolen t p lanters I f his forthcom ingPun kah Waft in g s a re bu t a s a m us ing a ndtru thful a s his Wi th a

Show thro ug h Southern Africa , ” a m os t readable book is in s tore forus ; for M r . Du Va l, thoug h appa ren t ly on ly skimming the surface ofsociety a nd it s do ing s , form s a ra p id a nd shrewd j udg m ent , of whichhe prese nts a rea lis t ic , i f hum orous , p icture .Our correspondent in marvellous Melbourn e w r i tes His

Natural L ife , ’ M r . G e o . L e itch's clever adapta t ion of a well -knownAustralian novel , by an Australian author , w a s p layed to fou r weeks ’

g oodbusiness at the Thea tre Royal. M r . G e o . L ei tch ha s wr i ttenfor him self a g ood lo w-com edy part , the Reverend Jos iah Meekin ,and wa s the one brig ht spo t in a necessar i ly som bre drama . A conside ra b le am oun t of controversy ha s arisen a s t o the r ig hts of theau thor-w idow over the adaptation ; and a Mr. In ig oTyrre llWe eke s , am inor a ctor , claim s that , a s he adapted a dram a from the same work,Mr. L ei tch is in fring ing his copyrig h t . An ac t ion wa s broug h t t otest the ques t ion , bu t Mr.Weekes lost the day. I a m g iven t o unders tand that M r. A Gat ti , who is at p re sent in these colonies , ha sbo ug ht M r . Weekes ’

.dram a w i th a v iew t o its product ion a t '

yo ur

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228 THE THEATRE . [Ocr . r, 1886 .

of ‘ F a lka ,

’ in which he p layed Tancred. H e alleg es tha t whi le o nhis w a y hom e , at 3 a .m . ,

a cons table nam ed Pat terson assaulted himin a violen t and unprovoked m anner. He took out a summ ons and ,m z

'

ra bi/e (firm,the pol iceman wa s proved in the w rong , and fined 403 .and cos ts . Miss Annet te Ivanova sued M r . Moore , the m anag er ofthe ‘ F a lka

’ opera season at the Opera House , for sala ry, on thesudden termina t ion of t he season , and recovered i t . M r. Phill ip Da y

wa s tendered a benefi t at the Theat re Royal on Saturday afternoon ,July 10, when he wa s ass is ted by a num e rous body ofhis fellow-act orsand friends. M r . W ill iam E l ton a ndMiss Young have arrived, andw i l l appear in the n ew product ion at our Theat re Royal . Mr . T . B.Moroney, a well-known basso , who wen t t o Eng land som e years a g oto try his fo rtune , bu t who had to retu rn on account of weak health ,died on July 2nd of Brig ht ’s disea se . The Melbou rn e L iedertafel , ofwhich he wa s a prom inent m em ber , sang ‘ Event ide ’ a s he wa slowered into his g rave . M r . Jus t in H . McCa rthy

’

s adaptat ion , The

Candidate , ’wa s produced a t the Ope raHouse , Sydney, on July3 r by theexcellent com edy co m pany org anised by Messrs . Garner ,Wi l liamson ,and C o . M r. Harry St . Ma ur m ade his first colon ial appearance inthis p iece , and ha s wo n g o lden Op in io ns. Mr. G e o . L eitch producedhis dram a , The Pear l D i ver , ’ a t the Theatre Ro yal , Sydney, on thesam e date . ‘ F un on the Br is tol ’ ha s had a very successful threem onths ’ run a t the Gaiety Thea t re in the sam e c i ty , and is n o w t e

p laced by a n or ig in a l comedy , Na p,’

w r i t ten by Messrs . John F .

Sheridan and J . A . Meade . A colon ial at roci ty , en t i t led Voices ofthe Nig h t , ’ is the piece dcrész'sta nre a t the Standard Theat re . M r. G e o .

Rig n o ldis concluding a very successful New Zealand t ou r in Dunedinhe g oes next to Br isbane . Our Royal Opera Com pany are p layingthe G i lbe rt and Sull ivan Operas in Adelaide , the conduc tor , M r . AlfredCellier, being the g ues t of the G overnor . Tasman ia is happy in bein gw i thout a theatrical com pany of any note in the who le is land . M r .W . J . Holloway is p laying F rank Harvey ’s dramas at the Theat reRoyal , Brisbane . ”

I am con fidently inform ed by those who , full of self- satisfact ion andassurance, o ug h t of course to know what they are ta lkin g about, that theauthors of “ Sister Mary have appropriated the story of that dram a.from a novel called Hidden Depth s .

” I t is a matter of sl ig ht concernto these lively g ossippers that the authors of Sister Mary ” have alreadydeclared their work to be a s orig inal a s any play can be ori g inal in .

these days ; that i f they hadborrowed or stolen from a woman ’s novelthey wouldhave confessed their indebtedness, and that in thei r estimat ion a dramatic author, however protected by the law, who steals a plotfrom a novel , does a distinctly dishonourable th in g . All th is is immate ria l. G iven a successful play, a nd there will ever be a pack ofa nonymous pupp ies bark ing at the heels of the authors of the work.On e at least of the authors of Sister Mary ”

ha s n ever read Hidden

G e r . 1 ,OUR OMNI BUS-BOX. 229

Depths ,” nor ha s he the least incl ination to do so ; b ut the auth o r orauthoress of that novel finds himself or herself in th is di lemma . He orshe must be the plag iarist, not the authors of Sister Mary.” The storyof Sister Mary wa s

’contained in a two -act drama wri tten fifteen o r

sixteen years a g o , lon g before H idden Depths” wa s born or thoug h t o f,so we are forced to the conclus ion ei ther that H idden Depths ”

emanated from a two -act play bu ried in a trunk full of papers that neversaw the dayl ig ht t il l i t wa s unearthed in 1 886, or that M r . Wi lson Barret t,the author of the old two -act drama, by a s in g ular g ift of foresig ht .anticipated a plot that wa s only invented for a novel sixteen years afterwards.

F o r my o wn part, I do not se e ho w i t concerns the outside pub l ic ho wa p lay wa s wri tten , when i t wa s written , the meth o d of its concept ion,or the manner of its execut ion . I t is presented wi th the names of thewriters who are responsib le for i t attached a s a g uarantee of g ood faith .

That oug ht to be enoug h . But when g ratui tous and impertinen t charg esof p lag iarism are bandied about and cop ied into hundreds of papers a llover the world, i f they remain uncontradicted they m ay possibly bebel ieved. There ex ists a l ively trade in false news ; statementsdeliberately false are put forward in order th at a contradiction m ay bemade or a Spurious controversy started . Th is is one of the cheap tricksof modern journalism . Suffi ce i t, then , to say that , in the Sprin g o r

summer of last year M r . Wi lson Barrett discove r ed the skeleton of a twoact drama that he had arran g ed for his wife, Miss Heath , when act ingtog ether in the prov inces . I t had remained for years buried in a heapof papers saved from the burn in g of the o ld L eeds Theatre . In th isroug h l itt le drama wa s the g erm of the present p lay Sister Mary.

”I t

is in ex istence, a nd anyone can se e it who is curi o us about suchm atters . I t c o ntains the dramat ic ideas found in Acts 1 a nd 3 o f“ Sister Mary, a ndwa s the basis or g roundwork of the present p lay.After due consul tat ion wi th his col laborator, Mr . Barrett constructedtwo more acts, a nd the whole play wa s rewri tten on the reconsideredp lan , a nd to sui t a modern comedy audie nce . Ho w, then , “ Siste rMary,” dating back from M r. Wi lson Barrett ’s caree r a s a provincialactor lon g before he came to L ondon , could have been stolen from a .

novel that wa s publ ished a few years a g o is one of those mysteries thatmust be solved by the mendacious parag raph ist who put forward a statem ent a s unwarrantable a s i t wa s ridiculous . The authors of “ SisterMary claim no particular or ig inality for a story that is a s o ld a s the

h i lls, but they certain ly did not require the assistance o f a ny novel ist inaiding them to build or wri te thei r drama. The wors t place to look fora g ood drama is a modern novel,the feeb lest g uide to success on the

stag e is the m odern novelist . And i t may be remarked that i t wouldhave been a more g enerous th in g to formulate th is charg e before M r.Wilson Barrett left En g land for America, and not afterwards.

Another puppy do g must have his bark . Because a few month s a g o a

230» YHE THEA TRE . [Cc-r, 1 , 1886 ,

drama wa s wri tten called “ Sister Grace, i t is instantly assumed thatSister Mary is the same play or sug g ested by the same play wi thoutacknowledg men t or l icence . A more ridiculous and preposterous charg e

wa s n ever made . I t had scarcely appeared before Dr. Scott Ba tta m s,

one of the authors of “ Sister G race, wrote to say that he wa s n o t re

sponsible for so frivolous a nd empty an accusat ion .

I t is quite ce rtain that i f the story conta ined in “ Sister Mary hada ppeared in any novel , the permission of the author of that novel beforedramat ising i t would have been asked for . I t is equally certa in thatif a play l ike Sister Mary ” had ever been writ ten before, SisterMary would never have been produced . But l ife is too short tohunt throug h the circula t ing l ibraries or to endure the tediousness ofmodern fiction before a play is arran g ed for the stag e that m ay have adim affi n ity to an ex ist in g n o vel .There is noth ing n ew in the story of “ Sister Mary . I t m ay havebeen told a thousand or ten thousan d t imes. But it ha s never beforebeen told in th is form , and the p lay such a s i t is and a s i t stan ds,is due to the inven t ion of no one b ut the authors of i t .

Mr . Wi llard ’s performance of the leading character in J im the Penman is one o f g re a t meri t, a ndwi l l considerably a dva nce h im in publ ic t eputa tio n a s a s tudent o fm a n n e r and an art ist of fine feel ing . The part is nota g o odone : there is no doubt about that . Of all the characters in the play,i t is the least satisfactory for the executant . The audience is alwayswai tin g for some fine scene in wh ich the forg er, Jim , shall be concerned,b ut i t never comes All the actor can do is to convey by facial express ion what is passin g in the mind of the man who is bein g hurriedby fateto inevi tab le despair a nd destruct ion . F rom the outset , when justice,law, a nd the truth encircle J im the Penman and enmesh him in thein inev i table toi ls, his face is a study of deep interest . I t is not the face of acoward. there is no shuffl ing or wincing , but the pale features, the outs tart ing eye , the g r im determinat ion on the features, tell of a man whoha s played his last card, but ha s been t rumped by calm a nddeterminedfate . I t is all up wi th h im . The inevi table ha s come at las t . A few stereotyped sm i les may be assumed, a false socie ty air m ay be put on , b ut them a n on whose face is dep icted so much concealedterror is hunted down .

He must put his back to the wall n o w, a nd fi g ht i t o ut with dest iny. N0

o n e b ut an actor of very superior intellig ence , no one b ut an art ist oforig inali ty a nd thoug ht can 'convey these im pressions to an audience .Act ing is not m erely a matter of learn ing words, a nd fl ing ing them o utat the head of an audience—any parrot can do that . We want brai ns a swell a s words . The actor must have lived in the character before b e presents i tself. A pret ty g irl m ay look Juliet, a nd make a handsomephotog raph or p icture , b ut she cannot be Juliet un less she ca n understando r ha s felt love . N0 pretty parroting wi ll do for the balcony scenen o simula ted e a r wil l do for the potion scene . The most intense studya ndappl ication are requisite for such dramat ic moments a s these, b ut at

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232 THE THE/f TRE . [OCT. 1 , 1886 .

favour i tes , and treasure t he counterfeit presentm ent of those wi thwhose art they were familiar at this im portan t per iod of the ninet e e n th centu ry. Thanks to m y g ood fr iend , Mr . Herbert Barraud ,who ha s done s o m uch for us in m aking the m ag azine popular by hisbea utiful p ictures , we are enabled t o publish this m onth the firs t of as eries of port rai t g roups in connec t ion w ith a play n o w runnin g inL ondon . M r. Thomas Thorne and the clever ladies and g ent lemen ofhis company have sa t in the costum es they wear in H o lcro ft ’

s fineo ldp lay of The Road t o Ruin . Here , therefore, o ur fri ends andsubsc ribers g ain seven p ic tures instead of two , and have , bes ides thefam i l iar port raits , an accurate sketch of costum e, that w i ll be valua ble for s tudy, and show ho w an o ld com edyw a s revived, p layed , andd ressed in 1886 . I t w i l l be som e t im e before the s tag e can boasts uch careful representat ives of O ld and Young Do rn t o n a s Mr . Jam esF ernandez and M r . Charles Warn er, who enter heart ily into thes p iri t of old comedy , and fill the s tag e w i th their exuberant sp irits soi nfectious w i th any audience . The pretty face of charm ing MissKate Rorke is , of course , to be seen , whi ls t Mr. Thom as Them e and hisbrother w i l l be eas i ly recog n ised in the charac ters to which they havedevoted so m uch a t tention . We start the series w i th a p ic ture of thecharacters in a fam o us old com edy, but ar rang em en ts have been m adefor photog raphing a g roup or scene from L ondon ’

s last m odern success , “ The Run of L uck , a t D ru ry L ane—thanks t o the energ y andk indness of the popular manag er, M r . Aug ustus Ha rri s . This p i cturew e hope to publish in our No vember number , and i t is believed thatthe n ew departure w i ll be apprec iated by a ll who have so steadilya nd g enerously suppo rted THE THEATRE in t im es of anxiety anddisappointm en t such a s few exist ing periodicals have encoun tered .

OCT .OUR Ofll BUS-BOA

’

. 233

New plays produced, a nd important rev ivals, in L ondon , the provinces,a ndParis, from Aug ust 2 3 to September 24, 1 886

Aug . 24”

26

(N

1!

3fi

(Revivals are markedL ONDON

A Run o f Luck , a n ew a nd o rig inal sp o rting drama, in five acts ,b y Henry Pettitt a ndAug ustus Harris . Drury L a ne Theatre .M acbeth , ” Shakespeare's trag edy. O lymp icTheatre.Sister Mary, a play, in fo ur acts , byWi ls o n Barre tt a ndC lementSco tt . Co medy Thea tre. (Firs t t ime in L o ndo n) .Curio s ity ” farcica lco medy, in three acts , by J o seph De rrick .

V a udevi l le Theatre. (Ma tinee— sing le perfo rmance ) .Ha rve st ,” n ew a nd o rig ina l pl a y, in a pro l o g ue a ndthree acts , byH . Hami lt o n . Princess’s Theatre .

PROV INCESG lam o ur ,”co mico pe ra , in three acts, by H . B. Fa rnie a ndAlfredMurray, musicby Wm . M . Hutchinso n . Thea tre R o yal

,Edin

burg h .

V e ta h ,n ew a nd o rig ina l I ndianco mico pe ra , in three acts , byKate Sa n tley, musicarra ng edby Jaco b i. Theatre R o yal , Po rtsm o u th .

“ On e Of Them, fa rcical co medy, in two acts , by C . Haddo nChambe rs . Thea tre R o ya l , M a rg a te .

“ The Churchwarden ,” fa rce , in three acts , ada pted fro m theGerma n o f Rudo lf Kneise l . Theatre R o yal , Newca stle - o n -Tyne .

PAR I S

Jag uarita l’ I ndie n n e , a co micOpe ra , in thre e acts a nd fiveta bleaux , wo rds by MM . de Sa int Geo rg e s a nd de L euven , musicb y M . F . Ha le’ vy. Chateau d’

Ea u .

L a M iniature , ” co medy in o n e act , by MM . Charles Clairvi l le a ndErnes t D epre t . Gymna se .Martyre drama in five acts, b y MM . Ado lphe d’

Enn e ry a nd

E . Tarbe . Ambig u .

Cha rles V I I . che z se s Grands Va ssaux, co medy in verse in fiveacts,b y A . Dumas . Odéo n .

Sta nces a Chevreui l ,” a p o em by M . Emi le Guiard. Odéo n .

L e Fiacre co medy in three acts , by MM . Emi le de Na jaca ndA lbert M i l land. Va rié tés .

L e Barbier de Sevi l le, co mico pe ra , by R o ssini . Opera-Co mique.L e No uveau Seig neur du Vi l lag e , ” co mico pera, by Bo ieldieu .

Opéra Co mique .

L e Sing e d’

une Nuit d’ete, a n o pe rette in o n e act , wo rds by M .

Edo uardNo el , mus icby M . G a s to n Se rpette . Bo uffe s-Paris iens .

A a nd L o ve o n Crutches , by the Da ly Co mp a ny. Vaudevi l le .L a Gueuse, a drama , in three acts a nd eig ht tableaux, by M.

Ge o rg es J a py . Chatea u d’

Ea u .

A Nig ht Off , by the Da ly C o mpany. V a ude vil l e .

Un Tro upier q ui suit le s Bo nnes , ” aco medy-va udeville , in threacts , by MM . C lairvi l le , Me rcie r, a ndL éo n Mo ra nd. C luny.

234 THE THEA TRE . [Oct 1 . 1886.

Nancy a ndCo .

"a nd“ The Co untry Girl," by the Daly Co mpany.Va udevil le .

F la -F la ,”

a co medy-va udevi lle , in three acts , by M . Gasto nHirsch ; musicby M. Herve. Menus-Plaisirs.Le Suppl ice de Tanta le,” a co medy byMM . Ba ve rt a ndL a uz a nne .Menus-Plais irs.Do n Jua n ; o u, le Fe stin de Pierre , co medy by Mo l iere . Odéo n .

Brig uedo nda in e ,”a m e t , in a pro lo g ue a nd fo ur acts, by MM.

Pa ul F a rrier, Ga sto n J o llive t , Cha rle s Cla irvi l le , a ndErnest Depre .

Pa la is Ro yal .Ho race, tra g edy in five acts, by Co rn eille. Odéo n .

La Fa usse Ag nes,”co medy in o ne act, by Mo l iere . Odéo n .

Le s Aventure s de M . de Crac,” a fée rie in fo ur acts a nd twentyfive ta ble a ux, b yMM. Ernest Blum a nd Ra o ul Toche . Chate le t .No s Deputés e n Ro be de Chambre,” co medy in three acts, byM . Pa ul Pe rrie r. Rena issa nce .

Bam boche,” vaudevil le , in fo ur acts, by MM. Va st Rico ua rd a nd

Ch. de Tro g o ff. Déj a z e t.

Eula l ie,” va udeville, in o ne act, b yM . Pa ul Da ra s se . Déj a z e t.La Pa rt ie de Cha sse dcHenri co medy in three acts , by M .

Co llé. Odé o n.L o uis XI dra ma in fo ur act s, by M . Ca simir Delavig ne.Odéo n .

Andro ma que,” tra g edy, in five acts , by Racine . TheatreFra nqa is .

Le s Plaide urs,” co medy in verse , in thre e acts , by Racine .Theatre F ra nqa is .

Le s Cha mpa iro l ,”drama , in five acts a nd six tableaux

, by M.

Aug uste Fra isse . Chate a u d’

Ea u.

Le So us-Pré fe t,"co medy, in o ne act , by M . Albin Va la b reg ue .

Menus-Pla isirs .

L’

Ho mme de Pa ille, co medy, in three acts , by M . AlbinVa la breg ue . Menus-Pla isirs.l l n

'

y a plus d’

En fa n ts ,” ba l let-pa nto mime , in o ne act, by Miss

Bridg es ; wo rds by M . Ma rio tti . Eden .

La Fille m a l Ga rdée ,” ballet-panto m ime, in fo ur acts ; musicby

M . Heurte l. Eden .

La Bra sserie,” ba l let, in o ne act,by M. Cha rles Na rrey ; musicbyM . Lé o n Va sse ur. Eden.

Gerfa ut,”co medy, in fo ur acts, by M . Emile Mo reau. Va udeville.

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236 THE THE/1TRE . [No v . 1 , 1886 .

The young er g eneration of playg oers rem em bers wel l thefratern al feel ing of g o o d-w i l l , the alm ost affectionate expressiono f sym pathy , that wa s extended towards the players of Paris byL ondon and its i nhabitants at the t im e when the g a y ci ty w a sheld capt ive by the Comm une and the doors of the TheatreF rancais were closed during the d isastrous sieg e . They canrecall

,however d im ly , that interesting t im e when G o t and F a v a rt ,

Delaunay and Bre ssa n t , C oquel in a ndPlessy , w i th al l the talentedsocie’ta ires and pensimma ircs , were to be seen at the Opera Com iquenig ht after n ig ht eng ag ed in the various works of thei r d ist ing uished ripcrto irc, from the com edies of Mol iere to the poem s ofAl fred de Musset . They can conj u re up the imag es of Delaunaya nd F a v a rt i n the Nu i t d’

Octo b re ” and On n e Badine pasavec l’Am o ur, playe d w i th such special d ist i nct ion on the lastn ig ht of the eng a g em ent , after the compl im entary breakfast g ivento the F rench a rt ists a t the C rystal Palace , under the g enialpre sidency of L o rd Dufi'e rin , n o w Viceroy of India . Since thatdelig htful t im e the a nnual vi si t of the best F rench actors anda ctresses ha s bee n o n e of the features of the L ondon summ erseason . Tw ice ha s the Com ed icF rancaise vis ited us i n full force .We have seen that fam ous so c iety , com bined or detached ,throug hout that im portant pe riod between the fading days ofF a v a rt and the declin ing days of Bernhardt . But , the Com édieF ra ncaise apart , w i thout sett ing foot in Paris i t has beenpossible

,i n a course o f yea rs

,to becom e fam i l iar w i th such

varied and spec ial talent as that o f Reg nier a n fl L afont , ofL acre sso n iére and Geoffroy , of Ravel and Berton , of Dupui sand Baron and L eonce w i thout even visit ing the Boulevards wehave been able to discrim inate between Aim ee Deso lee andF arg ueil , and Schneider and Chaum ont , and Blanche P i erson andBa rte t , and L eonide L eblanc and Pasca , and G ranier and J udie ,a ndwho shal l sa y ho w m any m ore of the sm aller fry of com i co pera representatives who have thei r l i ttle da y and disappear ?But ho w few of us there are who , thoug h perfectly fam i l iar w i ththe F rench play seasons at the o ld St . J a m es’s

,at the old

Princess ’s , at the defunct Ho lborn , at the Opéra Com i que , atthe G aiety, and the Royalty , are aware that in the yea r1 848 one of the m ost im portant com panies i n Paris , that ofthe Theatre H istorique , cam e to L ondon to play MonteChristo at Drury L ane, a ndwa s l i terally hissed and hooted off

No v . 1,

F RENCH AND ENGL I SH . 2

the stag e by a body o f rou g hs and enthus iasts , who cam e ful lypersuaded that Eng l ish art would be ru ined at once and irretrie v a b ly i f F rench play s were ever to b e perm i t ted at any theatresave the St . J am es ’s , where they were to be g rac iously tolerated ,bu t there and there alone ? Rachel had , i t is true , playedPhedre and Adrienne at the St . Jam es ’s ; De v rie n t had therebeen perm i t ted to play Ham l et i n G erm an ; but these performa nce s were for the aristocracy , not for the people , and when onefin e day the Nat ional Drury L ane wa s to let , when not a soulcould m ake the white el ephant ” o f L ondon pay, when Shakespeare and Byron com bined had spelled som ething worse thanruin and bankruptcy, when the doors of the national theatre wereclosed and an innocent F rench m anag er and speculator proposedto Open old Drury for a few nig hts purely as a comm ercial speculat ion to play “ Monte Christo ” i n F rench , there arose such anuproar and hubbub in l i terary and dram at ic L ondon as had neverbeen heard before . Drury L ane m ig ht be let for a circus , a concert ,or a conj urer

,but for the purpose of producing F rench plays never .

L i terary L ondon w a s up in arm s, and i t i s am u s ing after so longa lapse of t im e to note the nam es of the prom inent bell ig erents .The protect ion ists , or g ood old conservat ive defenders of the dram afrom th is i nsidious foreig n attack , were , am ong s t others , CharlesKean

, Benj am in Webster , Charles Mathews , J . B. Buckstone—thelast three of whom earned the best part of the ir l iving fromappropriat ing and playing i n F rench plays w i thout contributing onefarthing for the privi leg e—W. F arren , Harley, Wrig ht, Meadows ,OldG ranby—who recently d ied i n Dubl in—Pau l Bedford , F rankMatthews

,L eig h Murray , Roxby, O . Sm i th , Cresw i ck , and Mr.

Howe, n o w act ing—and long l i fe to him—a t the L yceum . Opposedto them as the chief defendants of dram atic l iberty and fair playwere Albert Sm i th , D ion Boucicault, Charles L am b Kenney, andthe concert-g iver J ull ien .The s ituat ion at the comm encem ent of hosti l i t ies i s accurately

g iven in the L i fe of Charles Mathews,

” by Charles D i ckens , whoprints the authentic docum ents circulated by either party at thet im e , and appends , from The T im es newspaper, a descript ionof the d isg raceful scene enacted at Drury L ane, when M . Hostein

,of the Theatre H i storique in Paris announced a publ ic performance in F rench of Monte ChristoThe r iot which took p lace on the ra th of June , 1848 , on thes 2

238 Tl THEA TRE . [No w I , 1886 ,

a t tem pted product ion of Mon te Chr is to by the com pany of theThea t re H istorique , w a s one of the m os t ser ious , and one o f the leas tjus t ifiable , that ever occu rred in the hi s tory of the Eng l ish stag e .Every effort had been made for days before to exci te a feel ing ofanim os i ty ag ainst the F rench p layers . Ev e artful appeal t o thenarrow -m indedness of the m os t narrow-m inde am ong the public andthe profession had been indus t ri ous ly ci rcula ted before the opening ofthe theat re . I t wa s understood that a ca reful org an isa t ion ex istedw i th the Objec t of crushing the audacious foreig ners once fo r all , andof effectually prevent in g any fur ther attem p t to interfere w i th n ativetalent . A spec imen of the l itera tu re of this cam paig n w i l l show thesor t of a rg ument which w a s used on the protec t ion ist s ide of theques t ion , and which m e n of em inence and pos i t ion were not asham edin some measure to endorse by thei r subsequent ac ts

“ Bri tons , Stand By the Br i t ish Dram aand help to restore i t to its pr is t ine heal th and vig ou r . Shall theland tha t g ave bi rth to tha t wonder of the world , Shakespeare ,be rem embered for its dram at ic excellence in t he era only of E l izabeth ? Shall the Theatres Royal (P) D ru ry L ane and Covent G arden ,erected and patented for the Bri t ish dram a , be the m eans ofcrushini t by being devoted t o I tal ian effem inacy and F rench imm o ra litygI s our nat ive dram a , l ike Mary Queen of Scots , to be los t by m odernDavid R i zz ios ? H o w is art in Br i t ish act ing and w r i t ing to becul t iva ted and encou ra g ed if thei r temp les a re thus to perve rt theta ste of the publi c from wha t is Eng l ish ? And these theat res w i l lnever be le t t o Eng l ish specula tors on m ode ra te term s w i tness thet reatm en t Macready exper ien ced from the prop r ietors of oth whileg ra sp ing m us ic -mong ering foreig ners can be found t o o utb i them .

L e t t he fo reig ners keep to their s t rong holds , He r Majesty ’s I talianThea t re in the Ha

'market , and the royal pa t ronised F rench theat rein St . Jam es ’

s , an welcom e. L e t this very his tor ique t roop ac t t ot he lat te r theatre on those n ig h ts not app l ied t o the Palais Royalt roop , and t heir reception W i ll be all they could des i re ; bu t do not lett hem invade the mos t sacred domain of the Bri t ish au thor a nd ac tor .What would those iden t ical F rench ac tors sa y i f t hei r g rand Thea t reF ran a is , a t Par is , b ecam e the aren a fo r horse r iders and Cobu rgm elo ram as ? But in F rance reciproci ty w i th En g lishm en is hopeless ; not so their feel in g towards I talians , G ermans , a nd Spaniards .

The ever-vary in g Times, in m os t p i tyin g and p i t ifu l s tyle , would , a susual , m islead the public by im p lying t hat t he dem on strat ion isag ains t a ll foreig n ers , instead of t ruly s tat ing tha t i t is on ly a g ainstt hei r occupat ion of our nat ional theat res , and to confine theirexuberance w i thin its n a turalised sphere of alienated Eng lish hearts.

A s for those n u -Eng lish small fry of our ven al part of t he Press ,A lbert Sm i th , Boucicaul t (the ac t ing -mana g er , by-the-bye , of thisF rench com pany) , Kenney , and CO . , whose s l imy wander ing s m a ysom e t im es be t raced even in the m ost respectable of newspapers ;who suck F renchm en ’s bra i n s throug h a quill , and vo id the dilutedm at ter fort h a s specim en s of Br it ish society and m anners—cons ig nt hei r imm oral p lag iar ism s to the flame, and let i t be the funeral p ileof t hei r ephemeral fam e ! But who , after a ll , ha s headed and aided

M o nte Christo " m ig ht , o n e wo uld think, ha ve b e en le ft to its fa te . It wasde scrib ed a s a g randdrama in te n acts a nd e leven ta b le aux, occupying two evening s inthe perfo rm a nce .

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240 THE THEA TRE . [No v . 1 , 1886.

H is torique of Par is , a nd g o t up the m os t disg raceful exhibit ion o fi ll iberali ty that can be conceived. W ere we not convinced t ha t theconduct of these persons wa s reg arded w i th d i sg ust by the be t terportion of the audience , we should feel ashamed a t the prospec t ofthe D rury L ane disturba nce bein g known to t he residen ts of Pa r is .

The “ro w we have to record is a s tup idz“ ro w not on ly show in g theill iberali ty of the r ioters , bu t thei r pauci ty of invention . In the o ld

O . P a ffai r there w a s som e hum ou r . A g ood joke n o w and thenfound i ts w a y in to the uproar ; bu t here w a s a long , dull , dism al ,dreary displa y of nat ional i ty, which wa s effec t ive from the m ere fac tthat i t wa s wea risom e . The ro w wa s a s low ,

” t i resom e “ ro w .

"

On e could not have conceived so m uch noise m ixed up w i t h a disp layof s o po rificcharac te r . F ussell would have desp ised such heavytapa g eurs . The poor F renchm en did al l the could t o conciliate thisam iable spec im en of the Br i t ish public . hey opened by p layingG o d Save the Queen ,” and when , two or th ree t imes afterwa rds , ther ioters , who were loyal to a faul t on this occas ion , demanded arepe t it ion of the an them

,they pol i tely compl ied w i t h the request . Thep lan of s ing ing “ G o d Save the Queen , a s a s ig nal for uproar, isborrowed from the old O . P . days , and is another m ark of the

want of or ig inal ity which s ig nalised the proceedin g s of las t n ig h t .The r ioters went on halloaing , hoot ing , whis t l ing throug h t hei rwhis tles

,and ut ter in g dull exclam at ions for upwards of three hou rs

w i thou t any reason , and we wonde r in what condi t ion thei r lung sm us t be at the present moment . M . Jull ien , a s lessee of the house,attem pted t o restore order , bu t not a word of his speech wa s hea rd ,and the noise pursued its d reary course to the term ination of thep iece. So me of the “ demonst rators wore thei r p lacards , whichdisfig ured thei r hats , and which recorded som e th ing abou t the wan tof enco ura em e n t t o the En g l ish d ram a in Pa ri s . Two or th reeindividuals i n the p i t t houg h t i t the heig h t of hum our to put up thei rumbrellas ; bu t t he o lice deem ed i t s t i ll a be t ter joke to conduc tthese persons ou t of tiie house , which pre ven ted a repeti t ion of t hep leasan try . A person in the boxes wa s g oing to take Off his coa t andfig h t som ebody, and thus , probably for t he fi rs t t im e in his l ife , obtaineda pp lause . Never did we se e a number of persons s o busy in at tem p tin g to deg rade them selves in the eyes of all ra t ional being s . We

have reason to think tha t som e of these zealots , m ore worthy ofbet ter exp lo its than those of las t n ig ht , we re really persons of s tandin ga nd respectabil i ty in the his t r ion ic profess ion , and these , we are su re ,when they r ise t h is morn in g w i l l look w i t h reg ret on the s tup id sceneof yes terday , a nd take especial care not t o let t hei r fr ien ds know theywere concerned in such an exhibi t ion . At t he conclus ion of thistedious “ r iot the m o b repeated thei r chant of G o dSave theQueen , prom ised t o repeat t he “

ro w on Wednesday (t o -morrow)n ig h t , and g ave three g roans for A lbert Sm i th . What this g en t lemanhad to do w i th the affai r , or why he incurred his heavy penalty, wedo not know ; but w e should cer tain ly sa y that under the ci rcumstances three g roans were more flat ter ing than three cheers wouldhave been .I t is n o t surpri sm g that Macready, a t this t ime , by the public votesat all even ts , a t the head of the profess ion , should ha ve been mor t ifiedalmos t beyond express ion a t those m iserable proceedin g s . Undertaken avowedly i n t he interes t s of t he Br i t ish drama and in the nameof Shakespea re h imself, t he r iot a t D rury L ane Theat re w a s a s mucha n i n sul t t o t he profess ion a s an out rag e on publ ic morali ty , and

No v . F RENCH AND ENGL I SH . 241

Macready w a s not s low to g i ve express ion to his views on the subject .On the 1 3 th of June he w rote a s fol lows to M . Hos tein

,the manag e rof the F rench com pany, w i th whom he had pre v iously had an interview , t o whom he had expressed , in F rench , his “ concern a ndindig nation at the outrag e offered them

Theatre Royal ,“ D rury L ane.

Sir,— I have the g reates t p leasure in assu ring you o f the g ra tefulrecollect ion I en ter tain , and shall always cher ish , of the very fla t ter ingreception I m e t w i th in Par is on the three several occasions of mymaking profess ional vis its to that city. No t on ly on t he stag e and insociety, but from m any artists of the var ious theatres of P a ris

,Iexperienced the m ost g ra t ifyin g and liberal attent ions. I t is w ithequal pain and surp r ise I have heard of the disreputable proceeding sat D ru ry L ane las t nig ht.I have the honou r to be , Sir,Your very obedien t servan t

,

W . C . MACREADY .

13 th June , 1 848 .

A Mon s . Hostein .

I t m ig ht have been supposed that nothing could have been betteror m ore appropr iate than this . Macready well knew the absu rdi tyof the reciprocity cry . On three occas ions he had appeared in Par is ,and had been received w ith courtesy and kindness , and he wa s notthe m a n to forg et i t . No m a n could more approp r iately haveexpressed wha t should undoubtedly have been the feel in g of the bestamon g the En g l ish act ors . But this s imple matter el ici ted an almos tincomprehens ible outburst of exci temen t and an g er— a n ou tbu rs tthat would be qui te incom prehens ib le i f the personal an imos ityag ainst Macready , which wa s very prevalen t in the profess ion , andthe ext raordinary jealousy w i th which he wa s reg a rded at that t ime ,be not taken into con s iderat ion . Mathews, at least , could have n o

g rounds for j ealousy, and i t is absurd to suppose t hat a m a n of hisantecedents a nd educat ion could for one momen t have bel ieved inthe reciprocity ” idea , or could have coun tenanced such act ion a sw a s taken in his name. But som ehow Mathews and Macready hadalways found i t difficul t to g e t on tog etherThe s tup idi ty, if not m alevolence , of an i nven tor and propag ator of

scandal had carr ied to Mathews , while he w a s s t i l l a t Coven t G arden ,an absurd s tory abou t Macready, on whichMa thew s’

s commen ts werem ore free than respectful . The vehem ence w i th which Macreadyt ook up the cudg els , and the impetuos ity w i th which Mathewsaccepted the challen g e , for a lon g t im e obscured the real m er i ts ofthe case . I t w a s not un ti l ream s of paper had been Was ted , notun t i l many hard words had been em p loyed on both s ides , and a g rea tdeal said t ha t could never be qui te forg ot ten , t hat a li t t le j udiciousexaminat ion into the fac ts by a coo l -headed fr iend , and the subsequentconfes s ion of the ori g inal culpr it , proved Macready t o have been inthe r i g h t t h roug hou t , and the words at t r ibu ted t o h im t o have beennothing bu t an infamous inven t ion . Mat hew s , bein g in the w ron g ,frankly ow ned i t , and t he breach appeared to have been closed . Butla ter, when Mdme . V e stris and her husband were under t he t rag edian ’

s

m ana g em e n t a t D ru ry L ane , t here were all sorts of difficult iesrefusals on the lady’s s ide to accept the part s allot ted t o her , fierycham p ionship a nd Outcr ies ag ains t t he mana g er ’s tyranny from

242 THE THE !1TRE [No v . 1 . 1886 .

Mathews .I t m ust have been a happy day for a ll three when the

part in g cam e .No doubt a m orbid recollect ion of these prev i ous passag es wa s inMa thews ’

m ind when he consen ted t o join the on slaug h t which wa sm ade upon Macready in th is mat ter of the H i s tor ique com pany, andwhen he allowed his nam e t o be used by Messrs . Hodg son and Bu rton ,

sol ici tors , who were em p loyed t o call Mac ready t o accoun t Whyt he in tervent ion of solic i tors wa s cons idered necessary on th i s occas ion i t is difficul t t o se e . P erhaps i t w a s because i t wa s fel t that ag reater share of the respons ib i l ity of the ext rem ely s t rong lang uag et ha t wa s to be used—a nd there is no m i s take abou t its s t reng thwould at tach t o the ac tual w r i ters than to anybody else , and t ha twherea s that sort of thing would natu rally on ly com e into the day ’ swork of a solici tor , i t m ig h t have ser ious consequences to others .

Macre a dy ’

s an swer sufficient ly indica tes the tone of the quest ionsaddressed to him20, “

’ ellin g ton St reet , L eeds ,June 17 , 1848.

Ma ssns . Ho ocso n AND BURTON,

Gent lemen ,—Upon my a rr ival here this evening , yourlet ter w a s delivered t o m e .You address m e , I presum e , a s sol ici tors instruc ted by Messrs .

Webster , C . Kean , C . Mathews , F arren , Harley, Bucks t one , &c. ,&c. , &c. , and num erous other perform ers t o inqui re whe ther the wordsat t r ibuted t o m e by M . Hostein on the occasion of my vis i t of condolence t o him ,

on what he s tates I cal led the dis reputable conduc to fmy o wn coun trym an , were ac tually u t tered by m e

’

; and , if so used ,you a sk the n a m es of those m em bers of the profess ion by whom Iw a s author ised to make such protes ta t ion . ’

“ You w i l l allow m e , in the fi rs t p lace , t o observe tha t I do no tadmi t the r i g h t of those g ent lem en t o m ake such inqui ry of me ; nordo I understand w i th what purpose you address those ques t ions t ome in thei r n am es , fo r, i f n o t conce rned in t he disturbances referredt o by me , my express ions , whatever they may have been , cannotapp ly to them and if, di rec t ly or indirect ly, im p lica ted in the i lleg ala nd unworthy proceeding s that t ook p lace a t D rury L ane Theat re ,they r ig h tfully fall under the remarks , however severe , of every loverof order and fai r dealing .

“ There seems to m e,also , no reason why I should have been

s ing led ou t and except ions taken to my observat ion s on a publi coccurrence , wh ich ha s been comm en ted upon w i thout reserve bothby our dai ly press and in our Houses of Parliam en t . I n a leadin gar t icle of F r iday’s ‘ Times , ’ t he part ies eng ag ed in this oppos i t ion arerecorded a s ‘rufli a n s and blockheads , covering t heir count ry w i thdisg race in the eyes of Europe ’ ; and by the noblem an who spokeupon th e pet i t ion in t he House of L ords , ‘ the attempt to put downthe perform ances at D ru ry L ane Theat re w a s charac ter ised a s infamous , ’ barbarous , ’ i l l ibera l , ’ disg us t ing ,

’ ‘ discredi table , ’ &c. , &c.These g ent lem en certainly s t rain a t a g na t and swallow a cam elwh i ls t under such express ions t hey select my w ords for the object ofthei r special inquis i t ion

“ I w i l l not , however , refuse you t he sat isfact ion you seek. M .

H o ste in’

s let ter I have n o t seen , but , if cor rect ly quoted by you , i tconveys the full sp ir i t of my conversat ion w i th him ,thoug h n o t reported in the precise words I used . I told h im that I called on himt o exp ress the disg ust and indig nat ion which , a s an Eng l ishman a nd

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244 THE THE/1TRE . .886 ,

i n the dai ly papers the account of the indig n ity put uponthe F rench art ists , w i thout consult ing anyone , but actuatedalone by his o wn g ood feeli ng and horror of inj ustice , heput on his hat and walked down to Drury L ane Theatre toexpress his reg ret at what had occurred , and his sym pathy w i ththe wretched people who had been l i terally b o o ted o ff the s tag e .In these predicam ents there are plenty of kind fri ends who w i l lapply every m ot ive but t he rig ht one to the acts of a publ ic m a n .

Som e declared that Macready espoused the cause of the F renchart ists because the Paris ians had been c ivi l to him when he playedin their capital—which they had. O thers i ns isted that i t wa spol icy on the part of the leading actor of Eng land to be c ivi l tothe F renchm en in case he wanted to vis i t Pari s ag ain . But thesewere not the true reasons . Macready d id as he would be doneby . He saw i n th i s conspi racy a very si lly , undig n ified,

andcowardly proceeding . The inanity of the dram atic protect ion istswa s further shown by thei r deplorable act ion in sending Macreadya lawyer's le tter , i n which they put the ir pos i t ion in the veryfeeblest l ig ht . Macready had done nothing actionable . H is i nsul tto the profess ion , a s i t wa s called , wa s a m ere m atter of op in ion ,and the round robin , si g ned by Charles Kean and the i ndig nantadaptors of F rench dra m as and fa rce s ,wo uldhave h ad j ust as m uchweig ht w i thout the official im prim atu r of Mess rs . Hodg son andBurton , the sol ic itors to the disputants . That Macready wa snot very m uch affected by the inc ident one wa y or the other i sshown by the tem perate m anner in which he dism isses i t in h i sdiary . Only tw o extracts refer to the m atter at all , and it is clearthat the Monte Christo scare did not m uch trouble him

,nor did

the act ion of the Charles Kean and Charles Mathews ’ party disturbh is tem per or ruffle the serenity of the att i tude he had taken .Macready alludes to the occurrence as fo l lows7mm r3th.

- L ooked a t paper sorry and ashamed to read accountof the out ra g e offered t o t he F rench ac tors las t n ig h t at Dru ry L aneTheat re . The m anag er seem ed alarm ed a t m y p resence . I to ldhim in F rench I had called t o express my concern and indig nat iona t the ou t rag e offered them last nig h t , &c. They were very g rateful ,and asked if I had not been con ten t w i th my recept ion in Pa r is . I t oldthem ho w g ratefully I remembered i t , a nd ever should. They askedif I would w r i t e a lin e to that effec t . I sa t down , and in t he m ids tof t hei r hurr ied conversat ion w rote a note t o M . Hos tein , t he di rec tor .They were profuse in thei r acknowledg ment s , Jul l ien obser v ing two orth ree t imes , C

’es t dig ne de vot re ca rac t ‘ere . ” M . Hos tein , in g rea tjoy, in troduced me to two ac tors a s I pas sed , and they were very g ra te

No v . 1 ,F RENCH AND ENGL I SH . 245

ful and respectful. Called on Hen ry Taylor ; Mrs . H . T . very unwell .Com ing hom e , w rote a correc ted n ote to M . Hos tein , requestin ghim in F rench to substi tu te i t for that which I had left w i thhim . The D ickens ’

s and Hi ll iard dined w i th us . Answer from M .

Hos tein .

L ONDON TO HEREFORD , 7mm 15tk .—Read the “ Tim es , in which

my letter"‘ to M . Hos tein appeared , and a further condem nation of thedull b ru tality ” of the w retched ruffia n s who so disg raced them selvesin last n ig ht ’s disturbance a t the theatre. At Sw indon saw W i lson ,the Scotch m elodis t he w a s open -mouthed above these vi le rascals .

Talked w i th dea r Katie , who is the mos t eng ag ing chi ld . G o d blessher ! At G loucester , I took her to s e e the cathedral ; we could on lytake a has ty g lance at i t . Sa w an other chu rch ; showed her the viewfrom the terrace at Ross . Reached Hereford at five,and cam e to ou rexcellent fr iends , the Tw isse s . F ound them in g ood sp ir i ts ; found

Arthu r and G odfrey here . Spent ache e rful e v e n in g .

L EEDS, yum: 1 7th.- F oun d at m y lodg ing s let ters from Messrs .

Hodg son and Burton , I presume sol ici t ors , inqui r ing of m e—in thenam es of Messrs . Webster , C . Kean , C . Mathews , F a rren , Har ley ,Buckstone , W r ig h t , Meadow s , Granby, P Bedford , F . Matthews ,L eig h Mur ray , R . R o xley, Hug hes , O . Sm i th , L amber t , W o rre tt ,

C resw ick , Howe , and numerous other m embers of the profess ion whodo not concu r in the course you have adopted , &c. -whe ther thewords used by you t o M . Hostein were actually uttered by m e , a nd

the names of the members of the profess ion who author ised m e t oprotest , ” &c. Occup ied dur ing the evening in m aking a copy of areply to these person s .

The vulg ar rioters , however, had thei r w a y. The F renchm entri ed to g e t a hearing for tw o nig hts and fai led co mple te ly. Monte Christo wa s never heard at Drury L ane .The national theatre wa s not pol luted by Ale x andre Dum as ,and a few days afterwards , w i th the consent o f the protectio n ists, Mr . Mitchel l wa s g raciou sly allowed to openhis hospitable doors at the St . J am es ’s

,and “ Monte Christo ”

wa s perm i tted to be played by these deplorable dog s i n them ang er, who s o sulk ily and savag ely had upheld the rig hts of thepatent and national theatre in the m atter of F rench art . But le t

us se e what the Sunday T im es of 1848 , a noted protect ion andant i-F rench org an , says when it sum s up the m atter i n dispute , andsneering ly snuffs out poor Monte Christo when acted at the St .J am es ’s Theatre

ST . JAMES’

S.

The D rury L ane T roupe.Those who ei t her did not or wo uld n o t unde rs tan d t he pr incip le o fthe successful oppos i t ion to t he F rench company a t D ru ry L aneThe le tte r re fe rred g ra te ful ly t o the k ind rece pt io n he had thre e t im e s e nj o yed

when acting in P a ris , a nd re g re tted tha t s im ila r co urte sy wa s n o t sho wn t o theFrenchco mpa ny in L o ndo n — ED .

2 46 THE THE/I TRE . [No v . 1 , 1886 .

Theat re ins isted that the drama of Monte Chris to oug h t to haveb een heard a ndj udg ed accordin g to its mer i t s . The T im es ”

saidif i t were imm oral t he L ord Chamberlain had t he rem edy in his o wn

hands , and should i t p rove a s tup id p lay i t would eas i ly be pu tdown . But the oppos i t ion wa s n o t based ei ther upon the imm orali tyor s tup idi ty of the p lay, thoug h both these po in ts were inciden tallyu rg ed ; bu t upon t he i lleg a l a t temp t of a company of F re nch acto rsto occupy an En g l ish na t i onal t hea t re a t .

a t ime when the prmcrpa lm et ropol i tan thea t res were in the p o s se sswn of forei g ners . Upont h is g round we t ook ou r s tand . Public op inion w a s w i th us , and weh a d t he g rat ifica t ion ofw i tness in g the unmistakable express ion of t ha top in ion on the two even ing s that t he foreig n a rt i s ts va i n ly endeavouredt o obta i n a hear i ng on t he stag e a t D ru ry L ane. H a d t hey beenl istened to , i t would have been a tac it admiss ion to their r ig ht t operform ,and , th is point g ran ted , the Oppos i t ion would have reg en eratedfrom a nat ional to a c r i t ical quest ion . The v ic tory achieved , andthe defea ted com pany being com pel led to m arch ou t of the thea t r ical

g ar rison , they soug h t and obtained from M r . M i tche ll , the lessee ofthe St . j am es ’

s , perm iss ion t o g ive on his s tag e t he two perform anceso f “ Monte Chr is to which they had a n r o unced, bu t not unt i l thefollow ing a polog et i c, deprecatory let te r had been w r i tten andpublished in the dai ly papers by M . Hos tein , the di rec tor of thetro upeM . L E REDACTEUR,Mons ieu r ,—j e v iens en qual ité de directeu r du Thea treH istor ique de Paris expr im er lo vif reg re t d’

a v o ir é té la causein volontai re du t rouble su rvenu a D ru ry L a ne , pendan t le s deuxre prese n ta tio n s données pa r n o s a rt is tes . Mais , s i j

’

a v a is pu un

m om ent concevoi r 1a pensée que cet te oppos ition avai t un caracterede na t ional i té , m e s dou tes a cet ég ard tomberaient d'une m aniereabsolue en presence de l 'odre tou te a micale qui vient de m ’

et re fai tede M r . Mitchell , di recteu r du Thea t re F rancais de St . j am es , deprete r sans aucun in térét de specula t ion sa salle Mercredi e t Sam ediprochains po u r y dormer le s deux de rn iere s represe n ta t io n s an noncéesa D ru ry L ane , e t qui pa r co n seque n t n ’

a uro n t pa s l ieu sur cet tescene. C et te offre cordiale a é té accue illée pa r nous avec cordialité ,e t nous se ro us heu reux de n ous t rouver a u Thea t re de St . Jam es ,comme sur n u ter rain de conci l iat ion .

“

j’

a i l'

ho n n e ur d ’etre , Mons ieur ,Vot re obe 'i ssan t servi teu r ,16 , Norfolk St ree t , St rand . H o sr sm .

Ce 17 j uin .

”

Recog nis in g the prescr ipt ive r ig h t of M r . Mi tchell t o represen t theF rench drama at t he St . j am es ’s Theat re, and having no host i le feel ingt owards the indiv iduals compos ing t he company of the Theat reH i s tor ique , we rejo iced at the opportun i ty wh ich the g enerous offerof M r . Mi tchell afforded t he public of tes t in g the quali ty of the la teimporta t ion s . The excitemen t and a g i tat ion caused by the determ ined oppos i t ion t o the company a t D ru ry L ane would , i t wa st houg ht , bring a crowded audience t o the j ames ’

s , bu t the reversew a s t he case , and t he house , which w a s not half fi l led a t a ny t ime ,b eg an to thin a t the end of t he second ac t , and before the curtainhad fallen upon the mos t wea r isome a nd absurd melodram a everb roug ht upon t he st a g e t he audience had dw in dled to a ve ry sm allremn an t . All that ha s been said of the stup idity of “ Mon te Ch r isto

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YHE THEA TRE. [No v . 1, 1886 .

postponed the prom ised appearance of Phelps and M ontg om eryThe relations between F echter and Phelps had becom e som e

what st rained , and they approached a clim ax during an interviewin wh ich the form er, after int im ating that the next product ionwould be Ham let , ’ blandly inqu ired what part Phelps wouldp lay in the piece .

\Vhy,Ham l et , of course , ’ he repl ied .

Oh, but I play Ham let , m ysel f, ’ responded the F renchm an .The devi l you do ! ’ g rowl ed Phelps .

Ye s so I thoug ht perhaps you would play the G host . ’Yo u thoug ht that I would play the Ghost to your Ham let

y ours . Well , dam n your im pudenceWhy i t should have been im pudent on the part of the m anag erof the L yceum Theatre to play Ham l et , a part i n wh ich he hadpreviously d ist ing uished him sel f, in preference to Phe lps ,who nevercould play Ham let , i t is d iffi cult to se e . But this is the story asJ ohn Colem an tel ls i t . \Ve shall never

,however, g e t at thetruth of theatrical anecdotes . According to Mr . C olem an , Phelps

told F echter to h is face that he wa s im pudent , and expressed hims el f som ewhat strong ly . The biog raphers of Sam uel Phelps saythat he did nothing of the kind . A t last , be ing t ired of payinghim for doing nothing , says Mr . \V. May Phelps

,and hoping to

g e t rid of him thereby , F echter asked him to play the G hos t i nHam let ’ ; but this wa s rather too m uch even for his g ood nature ,

a nd he g ave him a pretty sharp reply thro ug h his acting m a n a g er ,

a nd F echter , i n consequence , refused to pay him his salary unlesshe did what wa s a sked . The m atter w a s at last referred

,by

m utual consent , to the arbi trat ion of Charles D ickens , who soong ave i t i n Phelps ’s favour . But there is a vas t difference betweeninsult ing a m a n to his face and reprim anding him throug h ana ct ing m anag er . According to the h istorian Col em an , Phelpsdid not stop at that . A fter a convivial m eeting at the house ofC harles Reade , F echter i s reported to have said of Phelps :

Ah, Mista re Reade , he is a g rand old m a n and I lo a fe him l i kea brother but , en tre n o us, he cannot play Ham le t .O n the other hand , as he g o t i nto his cab, Phelps g rowledAfter a ll, John , he ’s not a bad fellow for—for a F renchm a n ,

b ut , by G o d, he can ’ t act ShakespeareEven John Ryder, according to Mr . Colem an , had his anti -G all ic

p rej udices , independent of the fact that he and F echter played

No v . 1,1886 ] F RENCH AND EArGL I SH . 249

Shakespea re tog ether at the Princess ’

s , alternating the charactersof O thel lo and I ag o .No ,rej o ined Honest J ack i n the vig orous verna cular of

which he had always a c0p io us supply on hand ; “ I ’ve shoutedm yself hoarse let the purpurm l F renchm an try a l i ttle shout ingon his o wn hook . ”I t is to be hoped John Ryder said noth ing of the k ind .But the prej ud ice ag ainst F rench actors i n Eng land thathad existed from t im e im m em orial g radually decl i ned , andeventually d ied out . Twenty odd years a g o there rose upcertain g allant and dou g hty cham pions for F ree Trade , and m any alance wa s broken in defence of F rance . F orem ost i n the fi g htwere Joseph Kn ig ht and L ew i s Win g fie ld, and Herm an Merivaleand John C layton

,and Palg rave S im pson and J . W . C la rke , of

Trin i ty C o l leg e , Cam bridg e , whose n am e is a “ household word ”at the an enthusiast who never failed to s e e a premiérei n Paris,althou g h he w a s one of the editors at a larg e publ i shinghouse on L udg ate H i l l . Ass isted , am ong others, by such l iberaland g enerous newspapers as the Daily Teleg raph ,” the youngcham pions continually and bravely d irected publ i c attent ion to

the excellence of F rench art and the s lovenl iness of th e Eng l ishtheatre,althoug h i n doing s o they g o t som e u g ly knocksfrom the upholders of the old protectionist school . But the batt le

wa s worth fi g hting n o w that we see that for the m os t partact ing nowadays i s as g ood , i f not better, i n L ondon than i nParis . I t wa s not so then .

250 THE THEA TRE . [No v . 1 , 1886.

My Fa ncy ’s Q ue e n .

”WIL L not say i f she be dark or fair,

Or i f her eyes he haz el,black

,or blue

I w i ll not dwell upon her wealth of hair,

Or on its si lken g lossiness or hue .I know not i f to other m e n she seemThe sweetest wom an earth has ever seen

,

The incarnation of a poe t ’ s dreamBut this I know she i s my F ancy's Queen .

Be thou for ever blest , propit iou s day,-Vhen firs t I saw her, robed in cream y white .

I so u g ht to Speak to her—she would not stay,But , l ike a startled wood -bird , took to fl ig ht .

The fairies knew her as she swi ft ly steptAlong the forest pathway arched w i th g reen ,

And from the i r flower-fastnesses out crept ,To weave n ew love -spells for my F ancy ’s Queen .I fol lowed hard at heel—she knew i t not ,F o r never once she turned her lovely face

No r paused , but onward sped towards the spotWhereon were housed her innocence and g race .I rested not unti l I learned her nam e ,Andwooed her—aye , and m ade her m ine , I ween

And n o w she is a g rave and stately dam eBut none the less is she m y F aney ’s Queen .

WM. BEAT’

I‘

Y-K INGSTON.

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THE THEA TRE . [No v . 1, 1886 .

He r first appearance out of her teens too k place at Drury L aneOctober 16 , 1 829, asWidow C heerly, in the Sold ier’s Daug hterand so flattering wa s the reception she m e t w i th that the cont inuat ion of her débuts as M iss Hardcastle and L ady Teaz le followeda s a m a t ter of course . In Decem ber of the sam e year M issMordaunt wa s selected a s the representative of a leading characteri n L ord Gle n g a ll’s F oll ies of F ashion , ” thus alluded to by Mr .C harles G revi lle i n h is Mem oirs ” On F r iday went to se e L ordG le n g a ll

’

s com edy , w i th a prolog ue by F . Mills , and an epi log ueby Alvanley. I t succeeded , thou g h the firs t two acts went offheavily ; not m uch novelty in it , but the characters well drawn ,a nd som e of the s i tuat ions very g ood it am used m e very w ell ,and wa s exceeding ly well acted . ”F o r the summ er season she went to the Haym arket , where she

m ade the acqua intance of Captain J ohn Alexander Nisbett , whomshe m arried in J anuary , 183 1 , and seven m onths later becam e aw idow ,her husband having been thrown from a pha z to n ,

andkilled on the spot . He r cla im to his estate being contested , aChancery sui t fol lowed ; and , com pelled by necessity to resum e herprofession

,she rea ppeared at Drury L ane in October, 183 2 , suc

ce ss iv e ly perform ing Rosalind , Beat r i ce,and o ther leadin gcharacters i n com edy . Towards the close of that year her

young er sister, Miss J ane Mordaunt , m ade her début, also at DruryL ane

,as Ag i b i n T im our the Tartar she wa s a pretty and

ladyl i ke g i rl , but never aspired to anything beyond m inor partsexcept on one occas ion , when her J ul iet wa s a s ig nal fai lure . I n

1 834, Mrs . Nisbett created ” Bel inda in Beau Nash ” at theHaym arket , and in the ensuing year , after a s tarring excurs ion toL iverpool

,s ig ned an eng ag em ent at the Queen ’s Theatre , where

she wa s the orig inal representative o f Esther, i n the “ Schoo lfellows .

”

There I first sa w her,tog ether w i th E l ton , i n a vers ion of

“E lle est F ol le , called the Delu s ion

,

” a piece by no m eanscalculated to bring into play he r pecul iar qual i t ies , the plotlachrym ose from beg inning to end , b in g in g on the idea of am adm an that he h im self is perfectly sane , and that the personreally affl icted w i th a m ental d isorder is his w i fe . On the sam eevening — a benefit n ig ht - I heard Braham for the last t im e a sT o m Tug i n the Waterm an , ” a part in which , at all eventsvocally

,he ha s never been surpassed .

I n 1835 our heroine m ig rated to the Adelphi , where she played

No v . L OUI SA NI SBETT. 253

Ma b e lla h i n Doves i n a Cag e and Bi ddy Nutts in Bucksto n e ’

s

Dream at Se a ; ” I w i tnessed her excelle n t perform ance of thelatter, a part , i f I recollect rig htly, sub sequently taken by Mrs.Stirl ing . Hamm ond next secured her for the Strand , whereseveral am using trifle s , notably Poachers and Pett icoats

,

”were

m ainly i ndebted for their succe ss to her archness and never-fla g g in gvivaci ty . I t wa s not , however, unt i l 1 837 , that she fairly took thetown by s torm ; the production of Sheridan Kn o wles ’s “ L oveChase at the Haym arket wa s an epoch in hercareer, the pa rt o fConstance having been expressly wri tten for her, and so happi lyi nspired a s to display to the ir utm ost advantag e every charm andfascination she possessed . Wi th a cast i nclud ing Webster asWildra ke , and Mrs . G lover as the W idow G reen , i t is not surprisin g that th is excellent com edy enj oyed a run of nearly a hundrednig hts— no comm on occurrence in those days—and at once entitledMrs . Nisbett to rank am ong the m ost deservedly popularactresses of her t im e .After reaping fresh laurels i n the provinces and in I reland , wefind her i n 1 838 at the O lym pic , eng ag ed by the tem porary

m anag er Planche’ , during the absence i n Am erica of Madam eV e stris and Charles Mathews i n the ensu ing year she j oinedMadam e ’s com pany at Covent G arden , and appeared on theopening nig ht (Septem ber 30) i n L ove ’s L abour L ost . Duringher stay at this theatre she added g reatly to her reputat ion by hercharm i ng perform ance of Pam ela Spre a dwe a se l, i n Doug lasJ errold ’s Bubbles of the Da y,

” and (March 4, 1841 ) by hercreat ion of L ady G a y Spanker in L ondon Assurance . I n1 842 she p layed Rosal ind at Drury L ane to Macre ady’

s Jaques ,recorded a s fol lows i n the trag edian ’s d iary : Wa s called for afterthe play

,and led on Mrs . Nisbett and two years later becam e

the w i fe o f Sir Wi l l iam Boothby, her consequent ret irem entfrom the s tag e g iving rise to a playful rem onstrance , addressed tothe spo so by L am an Blanchard , two stanzas o f which I subjoin

NEW YEAR ’

S ODE .

To the win n er of Sf. [ thirtieth—Sam o a 1 844.

F o r b rave W idow M icha l no more may we burn ,As bl it he W idow M '

sbeft she fl ies from the scene ;But le t , Sir , oh , let I/Vz'do w Cheer/g r re turn ,And her who contras ted w i th r ipe IVz'd'o a r Gwen

THE THEATRE . [No v . 1 , 1886 .

Enclose n o t t he orchard wh i le g a ther ing i ts frui ts ,The g a rden ’

s your o wn , Sir, ye t Spare us som e flowersL e t mar r iag e ne ’er p luck up w i ld m i rth by the roots ,The w idow is thine—bu t the ac t ress is ours.

Who w eds a m ere beau ty doom s doze ns to g rieve ,Who marr ies an hei ress leaves hundreds undone

“’ho bears o ff an act ress (she never took leave)Depr ives a whole c i ty of rat ional fun .

But fa rewell the g lances and nods of St . Nisbett ,W'

e l ist for her short r ing ing laug hte r in vainAndyet b e reaved L ondon l what think you of this be t ?

A hundred to one we shall se e her ag ainAs i t ha ppened, the poet wa s correct in his prediction , for i nless than a yea r after thei r union SirWi l l iam d ied , and his w idow,

who wa s not left so w ell o ff as had been expected , wa s com pelledin 1846 once m ore to resum e her profession , and becam e aleading m em ber of '

\Ve b ste r’

s com pany at the Haym arket .There she successfully a ppe ared as L a dy Teazle , Charlotte i n theHypocri te , ” and Katha rine in the Tam ing of the Shrew thelast-nam ed character , according to Planché , never having had sope rfect a representat ive since Mrs . Charles Kem ble . The sam e

wri ter i n his Recollections relates a characteristi c anecdote ofher

,which I th ink no one w i ll find fault w i th m e for i nsert inghere .We w ere si tti ng i n the G re en Room one evening during theperform ance , chatt ing and laug hing , she having a book in herhand which she had to take on the stag e w i th her in the nextscene , when Brinda l, a useful m em ber of the com pany, but notpart i cu larly rem arkable for wit or hum our, cam e to the door , and ,lea ning ag a inst i t in a sentim ental m anner, draw led out

I f to her share som e fem ale errors fall ,L ook in her face

He paused . She raised her beaut iful eyes to him , and consciouslysm i led—her sm i le i n anticipat ion of the well-known com plim entaryterm inat ion of the couplet , when , w i th a deep sig h , he g ravelyadded , and you believe them a ll !

The rapid chang e of that radiant countenance , first to blanksurprise a nd then to fury, as, su it ing the action to the loo k , she

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256 THE THEA TRE . [No v .

t rag edy, that Talm a i n his o wn est im at ion wa s superior to Brunetin J ocri sse, a nd that Rachel ob stinately decl ined to acknow ledg e

her i nferiori ty as Marinette such i l lusions , however, m orecomm on tha n i s g enera lly supposed , are m ostly o f short dura t ion ,a nd in the ca se of our heroine were exceptionally and sparing lyindulg ed in . He r natu ra l e lem ent wa s com edy, every requ is i t efor which she posse ssed in a n em inent deg ree ; she had a keensense of hum our , tem pe red by a n inst inct ive g race , and neveroverstepping the l im i ts of leg i t im ate g aiety, a n excellent delivery ,a nda w i tchery of fasc ina t ion of wh ich she and V e stris alone knewthe secret . I m i ssed seeing her L a dy Tea zle , but she wa s a nexqu isite Ro sa lind a nd a cha rm ing ly petula nt Katha rine ; i nneither of these , however, nor i n any other of the num erouschara cters sustained by her, did she so trium phantly chal leng ecom pa riso n w i th the m o s t h ig hly g i ft ed of her contem poraries asin her two orig in a l creat io ns of Constance and L ady G a y

Spa nker, i n wh ich , i t m a y b e sa fely asserted , we shal l m osta ssuredly n ever see he r l i ke a g ain .The po rtra i ts of Mrs . Ni sbett which have com e under my not ice

a re five i n n um ber , na m ely , one—by no m eans fla tte rin g—(a sMiss M o rda unt) i n the F oll ies of F ashion ," eng raved for athea tri ca l m a g a z i ne ; two i n the cha ra cter of Zara h , one of whichappea red in Cum berland's Brit ish Theatre ; a fourth representin g her, M a dam e Ve stris , a nd Mrs . Honey a s the “ Dram at icG races a nd, la stly , one by Arm yt ag e , published i n Mrs . C . BaronWi lso n ’ s Our Actresses , a n a dm i rable li keness a nd a g em ofeng ra ving .

No v . 1 .“OUR EMPRESS Q UEEN !

”257

'7 )Our Em pre ss Q ue e nA JUBIL EE SONG .

SET T o MUSIC BY HENRY RUSSEL L .

Victoria ! Q ueen of a nat ionThat g overns the heart of the world

Thy Em pire of love is the stat ionWhere L iberty ’s fla g i s unfurled .What son would not d ie to defend thee ,Who ruleth our loves and our l ives

The heart of our m anhood we send thee ;The bless ing o f m others a ndw ives .Victori a Hark to our sing ing ,Awake to our Jubilee Song !

At the foot of thy throne we are fl ing ingThe hearts that have lo v ’

d thee s o long .

The ch i ldren of T im e that surround thee ,The cup o f thy j oy shal l refi l l ,

A m aid in thy beauty we found theeAs Mother we honour thee st i l lVictoria Nam e that a nat ionHa s written in lett ers of g old ,

L ook down from the pride of thy stat ion ,The wealth thou hast g a rn e r’d behold !I t i s rarer than j ewels or treasure ,I t i s pure as the starl ig ht above ,

I t is richer than g old w i thout m easure ,The hearts of a people who love

CHORUS.

Victoria ! Star of our storyThou l ig ht of the days that have beenWe cheer for thy reig n and its g lory ,We pray for our Country and Queen !

C L EMENT SCOTT .

258 THE THEATRE . (No v . 1 , 1886 .

A n Ep ito m e o f the Drama .

Bv R ICHARD L EE .

That w i th delig h t jo in profi t , and e nde a v‘

diii'T o bui ld men ’

s minds up fai r , a ndon the s tag eDecipher to the l ife wha t ho n o urs .wa it

On g ood and g lorious ac t ions , a nd the sha m eTha t t rea ds upo n the heels of vice.

Mam’

ng er’

s Roma n A (fo r .

ITH a pen swi ft a s the pinion whence i t g rew i t i s hereessa ye d to g ive a panoram i c purview of the dram a a b o voad a vcm , thro ug hits m ea ning , orig in , a nd prog ress .

A dram a,

" sa ys Johnson , in a definition plag iarised from Arist o tle , is a poem accomm oda te d to a ction , i n which the action i snot related

,but represente d . ” O therw ise , a play m a y be definedas an episo de of hum an l i fe wherein every deed , thoug ht , senti

m ent , a nd fancy i s an integ rat in g pa rt of a ll, foreg oing and followin g i t , aiding to unfold a nd advance the story concurrently wi ththe characters throug h who m i t i s told .F reed from the exacting constraint of log i cal definition , l et thereader esca pe w i th m e untramm elled to the trad it ionally fam oussprin g hea d of the dram a .T o reach this classic source the im ag i nat ion m ust take w inginto Att ica : the period , 2300 years a g o ; the scene , a vintag eharvest-hom e . The rustic g am es are over. The G reek youthsand m aidens dance around a votive altar

, whereon a g oati s sacrificed to Bacchus , while the g rateful G reeks chaunt j ubilantchoral hym ns to the g o d of w ine. As repeti tion i s the parent ofo rder, the recurrence of th is rite induces m ethod in its o b se rv

a nce by m eans of a trained chorus,speedi ly supplem ented by a

second or respo nding chorus , sustaining wi th the first lyri c dialo g ue s term ed Dorian Dithyra m b ics ,which were ag ain aug m entedby the Ionian Rhapsodists—m instrels who chaunted Epic poem s .Thespis has the credi t of thus uni ting the chora l ode w i th theheroic na rrat ive .

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THE THEA TRE . (No v . 1 . 1886 .

has im i tated the other ! By a fine i rony of fact , rebuking thePuri tanical C a n twe lls who , in decrying the dram a as a device o fthe devil

,th ink they ’ re pious when they’re only bil ious

,

” thesole extant frag m ent of the plays wri tten by the father of purecom edy com es down to us enshri ned in Scripture as a m oralapophtheg m quoted from Me n ade r by St . Paul —“

Evi l comm unicat ions corrupt g ood m anners .

Tracking the dram a from Ionia along the westward l ine o fcivi l isation the rea der takes h is onward fl ig ht away to reg al Rom e ,where , toward the close o f the second Punic Wa r, were foundPlautus w i th his hearty , sturdy farc ica l fun , and m ore keenlypol ished Terence delig ht ing the denizens of the Eternal C i ty w i thcom edies obviously founde d upon , i f not adapted , from G reekorig inals . Sim ulta neously cam e Rom e ’ s first Trag ic Era ; bornthroug h the m inds of L ivius Andronicus ,Na zv ius , Ennius, Pacuv ius ,Atticus , a nd Seneca . The i r pieces , form ed , l i ke the Rom anCom edy, upon the G reek m o del , were characterised by m orepol ish but far less vig o ur than the orig inals .Two ce nturies g l ide past , and Rom e ’ s second trag i c period isreached, i l lum i ned by the exposi tory g enius of Roscius , under

whom C icero h im self deig ned to study the art of declam ation—a

rem arkable evidence of Rom e's g reates t actor’s exalted perfection ,when we cons ider the eg reg ious pe t ty-vani ty of her m ost ae complished orator . W i th these , and the decadence of the em pirethroug h luxu ry and indulg ence , declined and finally ended theF i rst Epoch of the Dram a in its classic form .

Nig ht cam e down—a s tarless nig ht of fourteen centuries—whenat leng th day dawned upon the Second Era of the D ram a in itsRom antic developm ent , d iscovering a s they swelled forth from theeccles iast ical spring s of the m i racle plays and m ysteries the m inorstream s of Calderon and L ope de Veg a ’s prettinesses , w i th the i rsickening i ntrig ue a s the apolog y for every vice , and their overweening pride of blood and lineag e a s the sum of all virtue .Ye t a brief while and from Marlowe flowed his m ig hty line , preceding the broad river of o ur Sha kespeare ’s g enius, sweepingonward in its suprem e m aj esty of intellectual and m oral m ig h t ,side by s ide w i th the secondary a ffiuen ts of M a ss ing er, F letcher ,Beaum ont , J onson , Webster, Marston , Decker, F ord , Chapm an ,Middleton , and Shirley , w i th thei r hum bler tributaries i n thedram atic t ide—Heywood , Munday , G reene , Skelton , Peele , L yly,

No v . 1 ,AN EP I TOME OF THE DRAMA . 26 1

Chettle , Drayton , Hou g hton , Rowley , F ield , Da b o rn e , and therest , al l pourin g on to form i n thei r confluent uni ty the w ideocean of the E l i z abethan Dram a . Shakespeare i s a law unto 'h im sel f aswell a s to others

,forasm uch a s from his plays is deduced

the code of art by which cri tic ism tests the works o f al l succeedin g dram atists . Tried by this standard

,the qual i ty of the g reat

m aster’s contem poraries and com pet itors m a y be bes t apprec iatedthe d ig nity, m oral purity , and m ellow flo w of Mass ing er ; the conce n tra ted pass ion and g enial exuberant wit g l eam ing throu g hthe bold and varied characterisat ions o f F l etcher, set to nobleact ion by the construct ive ski ll of Beaum ont the del icate fancyand exqu is i te rhythm of F ord ; the class i c rendi t ion , quaint , ra rehum our, bit ing irony and subtle del ineation of character andperiod of Ben Jonson the g rim ,

trag i c earnestness ofWebster andMars ton the ru g g ed m ig ht of Marlowe ; the w eird picturin g s o f

M iddleton ; the viri le g rasp of Decker ; and the com prehens iveorig inal i ty anim ating the product ions of them all . Wi th a g rateful salute to the m ost wonderful product of g enius yet evolvedfrom m ankind in a sing le g enerat ion , w e pass on . At the close o fthe sam e era F rance welcom ed her Corneil le , the m ost i llustriou sinstance recorded of g enius on st i lts . H is “ C id

” affi rm s ho wnoble were its author ’s trag i c powers, also ho w far nobler theym ig ht have been but for the constraining influence of class i c precedent which rendered his com pos i t ions art ificially g rand in theirm ag ni loquence , but at the cost of natural tenderness and sim pl ic ity . Cornei lle ’s plays m ust , nevertheless , be ranked a s the m asterpieces o f F rench tra g edy . Racine , i n the nex t g eneration , aim ingto rival Cornei ll e

,becam e his fol lower , excell ing his m aster i n o n equal i ty only—hum our

,a s developed throug h his s ing l e com edy ,

L e s Plaideurs but his pom pous trag edy queens should neverdeclaim the ir j ing l ing alexandri nes save in hoop , patch , andpowder, pe rriwig ’

d half a s hig h as them selves . This pass ing pro ~test applies w i th even g reater force to the works of Créb illo n ,

which , having al l Racine ’s parade of verbiag e , lack the epig ramm atic “ point dist ing uishing his lang uag e . Contem poraneousw i th Créb illo n w rote Metastasio , who serves to faintly rem ind usofCornei lle . He and his fo l lowers received their im press ions a t

second hand from A rt but there cam e one am ong them who drewhis inspirat ions d irect from Nature—Mol iere , F rance ’s m asterdram atist , pa r excellence . H o w g raph ically b e depicted poor

THE THEA TRE . [No w 1 , 1886 ,

Hum an Nature ’s vanities L e Bourg eoisG enti lhomm e bears witness ho w pung ently her affectat ions , quackeries , and sel f-delusionsL e Misanthrope and L e Malade Im ag inaire ” Show ; w i th

w hat skil l her sordid vices and pretentious conceits L’

Av a re

and L e s Précieuses R idicules declare ; while his fearlessnessin expos ing her rank hypocris i es find thei r hig hes t e xemplifica tio ni n his m as terpiece , Tartuffe . ” The creator of F rench com edy

,he

m a y j ustly be esteem ed the keenest and m ost searching dram at icsatirist of the m orals and m anners of h i s o wn t im es the world ha sknown . G oldon i adapted and followed the g reat F renchm an ’sm anner, but m erely reflected the surface of society, whereas hism aster subtly shows u s its inm ost depths and under-currents , th every spring s of hum a n action . The I tal ian scarcely m eri ted thet itle by which Voltai re—whose didact ic plays are the poorest ou tcom e of his censorious g enius—so hig hly di st in g uishes him—TheM ol iere of I taly . Afte r him cam e the second g reat wri ter ofF rench com edy

,Beaum archais, who ,

i n his m arvellous pieces ofi ntrig ue , perfected the lessons he l earned so well from L ope deVeg a and the Spanish school of dram at ist s . L ater than they , lndeed alm ost w i thin the m em o ry o f our passing g eneration , wroteAlfie ri, I taly ’s best dram atic poe t ; his fierce , passionate , rug g edd ram as forcibly rem ind the reader of Marlowe , thoug h not in aw a y to cause a ny quest ion of Alfie ri s orig inal i ty . Harking backto our Eng l ish dra m a—the sole tra g ic wri ters worthy of note (forD ryden surv ives least as a dram atist) l ivin g during and after theRestorat ion we re O tway and Rowe . Em bers of the old E l izabe than fi re g lowed w i th in them whil e severally com posingVenice Preserved and the F ai r Penitent , but Otwa y’

s

O rphan too sadly w i tnesses ho w g eniu s m a y be deg raded bythe influence of an im pure a g e , the sam e that g ave Eng land herdazz l ing but depraved C om edy o f Manners , w i th Cong reveF arquhar, Wycherly, Vanbrug h , Steele , C e n tlivre , Aphra Behn ,a nd the rest , to form and illustrate it . I t is not easy to dist ing u ishwhich elem ent predom inates in the productions of these dram atists :the l icentiousness or the wit . Very certain i s i t that in theirplays, flashing l ike a diam ond and no less hard , there exists not as ing le type of true m anhood—one s im ple honest m a n or wom an .I n their cynical rendering of g ood for evi l by revers ing the relat ivepos i t ions of rig ht and wrong , these plays typify a period theb rilia ncy ofwhich cannot com pensate for i ts heartlessness . During

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2 54 THE THEA TRE . [No w 1, m o .

Pla ye rs o f the Pa st .

BY AUSTIN BRERETON.

V I . ROXANA .

Of the trag ic a ctresses who flourished before the appeara nce ofS ara h Siddo ns , the g rea te st wa s El izabeth Barry . Born i n 1658 ,she w a s first seen on the theatric boards fi fteen years later, andshe d id not l ea ve the sta g e unt i l 1710, having orig inated onehundred a nd twelve characte rs in the plays of Dryden , O tway ,Cong r eve , Va nbrug h , So uthe rn e , C ibber , Rowe , and Na t L e e .

She wa s the daug hter of Robert Barry , a barrister who raised himself to the rank of colonel a nd ru ined him sel f financial ly by prov idin g and m aintaining a reg im ent in support of K ing Charles .The loyal subj ect havin g thus beg g ared him sel f, his children werescattered , and E l izabe th found a hom e w i th L ady Davenant , arelation of the poet-laurea te 's . The g irl wa s well educated , andthe pol ish she acquired from m ix ing in g ood society wa s afterwards o f i nest im able service to her . She wa s by no m eans abeauty , but she had a voice which soon attracted attention , andprocured her an eng a g em ent at L incoln I nn F ields under them anag em ent of Sir \Villia m Davenant , i n 1673 . But , alas !the g i rl had no ca r, and i t wa s found im poss ible to fi t heri n the m eanest part . Three t im es wa s she tried andthree t im es w a s she rej ected Then

,as the story

g oes , E l i zabe th Barry w a s taken under the protect ion o f thew icked ” Earl of Rochester, who undertook to m ake he r anactress in s ix m onths . He taug ht her the part of the l i ttle g ipsy ,

i n Mrs . Aphra Behn ’s com edy of “ The Rover,and I sabella in

the Earl of Orrery ’s trag edy , Mustapha , m aking her rehearsethe latter character no less than th irty t im es on the stag e , and adozen t im es i n the costum e in which she played i t . Such extraord inary pains did he take wi th his pupil that the pag e wa s carefully taug ht to m anag e her train in such a m anner as to g ive eachm ovem ent a pecul iar g race . On the first nig ht of Mrs . Barry’s

N o v . 1,

P L A VERS OF THE PA ST. 265

a ppearance i n Mustapha , Charles the Second and the Dukea nd Duchess of York were present and loud in thei r pra ise of theyoung actress . The Duchess o f York wa s , i ndeed , m oved tom aket he representative of the Hung arian Queen a present of herwedding costum e . I n Otwa y’

s Alc ibiades she m ade a hit,i n

1 675, and , a year afterwards , played Mrs L ovitt i n Sir G eorg eE the re g e

’

s com edy , The Man of M ode ; or, Sir F opl ingF lutter.”E l izabeth Barry m ade her g reatest success i n the seasons o f

1 680-82 , when she played Monim i a i n “The Orphan ; or, the

U nhappy Marriag e ” of O tway , Be lv ide ra i n the sam e author ’sVenice Preserved , and I sabella in “The F atal Marriag e , ” of

T hom as So uthe rn e . He r act ing of these three characters g ainedh e r the t itle of fam ous Mrs . Barry Al exander the G reat ; or ,the R ival Queens,” by Na t L e e , wa s a play to which E l izabethBarry g ave l i fe . This is probably the best play produced by them a d poet . ” The characters are adm i rably contrasted in i t : the

m i ld and secure Sta tira w i th the d isappo i nted , haug hty , m al iciousRoxana

,and the steady C lytus w i th the fiery Al exander . I t also

contains som e passag es of g reat beauty and lofty im ag inat ion ,al thou g h i t is frequently extravag ant and bom bast ic . The plays ucceeded when i t wa s fi rst acted , but i t rem ained for Mrs . Barryto bring out to the full the character of Roxana . On her firs te ntrance i n the part , she m ade a success where others had failed .R ox ana

,tortured w i th j ealousy , g ives vent to her feel ing s thusMadness but mean ly represen t s m y t oi l .

“ Roxana and Sta tira They are n amesThat mus t for ever jar ; eternal di scord,F u ry , reveng e , and indig na t ion ,Tear my swol ’n breas t , make w a y for fi re and tempes t .My b rain is burs t , debate and reason qu e nch’d.

The s team i s up , and m y ho t , b leedin g hea r tSp l i ts w i th t he rack.

T he actress wa s enveloped w i th the fire and passion of the speech,

a ndw a s secure i n the favour of the audience from the m om ent o fits del ivery . When Roxana m eets Sta t ira , and in su lts he r aboutthe loss of Al exander , a pecul iar , co ld , m al icious sm i le w a s vis ibl eon the face of the act ress , and th is , a g ain , wa s chang ed to ‘ one o fin fi nite softness when Roxana takes Alexande r by the hand,s aying

No w for a las t look .

And t hat t he m emory of Roxan a 's w ron g sMay be for ever p r i n ted o n you r m i nd.

266 THE THEATRE . [No v . 1, 1886 .

The rival stag e queens were also riva ls in private l i fe . On e nig ht ,when Mrs . Barry wa s playing Roxana , her Sta t ira wa s Mrs .Boutel , who g enerally acted the i nnocent young heroines . Sta t ira

had been fa voured by the property m aster w i th a handsom e ve i l ,which so excited Roxana tha t she to o k adva ntag e of a m im i c sceneto plung e he r da g g e r w i th a ll her force i nto the body of Sta tira .

Happily, o nly a scra tch wa s the resu lt o f thi s act , but the townwa s provided wi th a ve ry ne at bi t o f scandal , i t be ing affi rm edthat Mrs . Boutel had weaned L ord Rochester from the affectionhe held fo r Mrs . Barry .I n addit ion to tho se pa rt s already e num e rated , Mrs. Barrye xcelled a s the tra g ic hero ines of Na t L ee ’ s “

The odosius andDryden ’ s Cle o m e ne s . I n his preface to the latter play Drydensa ys M rs . Ba rry , a lways e xce l lent , ha s in this trag edy excelledhe rsel f a nd g a in ed a reputa tio n beyond a ny wo m a n I have everseen in the thea tre . Colley C ibbe r a l so prai se s her act ing i nthis part , a nd g oe s o n to sa y that in characters of g reatness she

had a prese nce of e leva ted d ig ni ty her m ien a ndm ot ion superba nd g ra cefully m aj e stic; he r vo ice full , clea r , a nd strong , so thatno vio lence of pa ssion could b e to o much for her and whendistress or tendern e ss po sse sse d he r she subsided into the m ostaffect ing m e lody a nd so ftne ss . In the a rt of exci t i ng pity she hada po wer b eyond a ll the actre sse s I ha ve yet see n , or what yourim ag inationca n conce ive . ” Of these excelle ncies she g a ve m ostdel ig htful proo fs i n ne arly a ll the hero icplays of Dryden a ndL e e .

In scenes of ang er o r resentm ent she wa s impe t uous a nd terrible .Even crabbed old Anthony Aston could find nothing worse to sayof her in tra g edy beyond that she wa s “ solem n and a ug ust ,wh ile he adm i ts tha t i n com edy she wa s alert , ea sy, and g enteelpleasant i n her face and m anner, and fi l ling the stag e w i th avari ety of action .Mrs . Barry ’s last n ew part wa s the he roine in Phaedra and

H ippolytus,” a trag edy , by Edm und Sm i th , broug ht out at theHaym arket in 1709 . He r final appearance on the stag e wa s m adeon J une 13 , 1 710,

when she acted L ady Easy in Cibb er’s CarelessHusband . Thereafter she ret ired to the then pleasant v il lag eof A cton , where she died on Novem ber 7 , 1713 , the cause of herdecease being attributed to the bi te from a favouri te lap-do g ,which , unknown to i ts owner, had been seized w i th m adness .She wa s buried in the south a is le of Acton church

, where the

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268 THE THE/4TRE. (No v . 1 , 1886

®ur musica ls iBo r.

Durin g the pa st m o n th I hea rd very l ittle music, g o od o r bad, but rece iveda g rea t dea l o f bo th so rts fro m vari o us publishin g firm s. Theautumnal flo o d of so -ca l led n ovelties—alas, ho w o lda nd hackneyed fullmany o f them a re l—se t in with its custo mary se verity ea rly in October.a nd its waves have surg edup to my do o r, assisted by the Posta l a utho rit ies, wi th almo st daily reg ula ri ty. There is eu axiom to the efi

'

ectthat “ every m a n kn o ws his o wn business be st .” a nd I suppo se that musicpublishers do n o t co nsti tute the on ly except ion to the rul e thus esta bl ished.

The g enera l publ icpre sumably l ikes the so rt o f matter they pro duce insuch in o rdin a te quan t ity ; were this n o t so , they wo uld ha rdly print a ndo ffer i t for sa le . I am told tha t a vas t am o unt of i t g oes to the Colon ies,a ndthere finds buyers, o ur kin sfo lk acro ss the ocea n bein g m o re eag er forqua n t ity than qua l ity, so fa r a s their purchase of musical compositi o n s isco nce rned. F ro m a musician’s po in t o f view, i t is simply inco mprehe nsib le , ho wever. tha t fo ur-fifths of the son g s a nd p ianofo rte piecesprin tedevery yea r in Lo ndo n sho uld o btain publ icity a t all . I am awaretha t very few of them ever put a shill in g in to the pockets o f their co mpo se rs , a nd tha t a g o o dma ny of t hem a re the ca use o f actua l pecun ia ryo utlay a nd lo ss to th o se un fo rtunate perso n s ; but , a dm i tt in g a ll this,their a ppearance in type w i th the m a n ifest preten sion to being boug h ta nd paid fo r wi th co in o f the rea lm, is a n ever-recurring marvel , fo rwhich I am a t a loss to accoun t to myself. F o r they are utterly worthless .

People do n o t del ib erately buy b ad leg s of mutton , or b ad bo ots. or badto b acco f; why, then , sho uld they—n o t bein g compelled to do so bya ny leg a lsta tute or moral obl i g a tion—b uy b ad son g s ? Ye t they do—they o b v io uslydo

—for if theydid n o t, the number o f b ad son g s publishedannuallywouldn o t b e ten t imes a s g reat a s that of the g oo d son g s published,which it unquest ionably is. Stran g er stil l, so ng s of g enuin e m eri t a refrequen tly offered by thei r co mpo sers to several publ ishers in succession

,

who , o n e after an other, decl ine to pub l ish them , somet imes alleg ing thatthey are over-done wi th son g s,” somet imes that the part icular composit ion subm i tted to them is scarcely suitable to the ta ste of thei rclientélc. som e times that their en g ag emen ts do n o t perm i t them tounderta ke the publ ication of a ny m ore son g s at presen t .” What ispart icularly m o rtifyin g to the recip ien ts of these formula is that, a fewdays after thei r rejec ted manuscripts have been returned to them . thepub l isher who ha s refused their m eri torious ballad or mo rcea u dcSa lo nbrin g s out a batch of son g s a ndp ieces, o n e m ore rubbishin g than an other ,a ndadvert i e s them in the po pular press with all the laudatory adject ives inthe dict ionary. I feel sure that the majori ty of music-loverswho , l ike my

No v . 1,1886] OUR M USI CAL -BOX. 269

self, often come into contact with earnest, hardworking youn g composersa s yet unknown to fame, are cog n isant ofm a nyexce lle n t son g s, melodious,ag reeab le to the ear, a nd harmon ised in a thoroug h ly workman l ikem anner, wh ich have been bandied about from p il lar to post by the Petersand Pauls of thepub l ish in g t rade, invariably findin g the ir wayback to theirm o rt ified composers, a ndwh ich are st il l in manuscript , thoug h from twoto five years have elapsed since they were fi rst se t down upon paper . Allth is is discourag in g , and the reverse of what i t should be . But the publishe rs are man ifestly not a s much in faul t a s the pub li c. They, not unnaturally, will on ly b uy what they can sell ; the publ ic consp icuouslyprefers b admusic to g ood, and therefore is suppl iedwith i t admfim’

tum

b y the pub l ish ers, to the g reat profi t of emp irical son g -manufacturers ,and to the correspondin g detriment of many meri torious musicians .

L ibm wi a n imam L e t me n o w fulfi l my duty to my edi tor by callin g a t

tention to a few of the many n ew composi tions forwarded to me fornot ice . P lace a ux illustres étm ng ers !

When I called on Mor itz Moszkowsk i the other day in Berlin he hadthat very morn in g received a few Specimen cop ies of ap ianoforte arrang ement—completed since his return from L ondon—o f the z’m‘

ermez z o fromhis first Orchestral Sui te (Opus 39) wh ich wa s perform ed here under hisdirect ion with so much success last season . Of these cop ies (pub l ishedby Ha in aue r, of Breslau), he wa s g ood enoug h to g ive m e one . wi th a briefment ion of which I can do no less than head my l ist of inst rumentalnovelt ies . The arran g ement in question is just what m i g h t have bee nexpected from so accomp l ished a p ian ist a s Moszkowsk i ; brilliant,effect ive

,and conven ient to the fin g ers. I t is , indeed, a sin g ularly in

g e n io us reduct ion for the clav ichord of the m ost attractive number inth e suite—the o rchestrat ion o f wh ich , i t wil l be remembered, abounds insubtle comb inat ions of wood a nd strin g—and displays the th ree al ternatin g melodies wi th remarkab le clearness a nd del icacy. Professional andamateur executants alike wi ll find i t a valuable addit ion to their n iperto ire .

F rom M . Joseph Wien iawski, a brother of the g reat Pol ish viol in ist, a ndh im self an eminen t p ian ist , domiciled for some years past in Brussels, Ihave received several of his m ore recen t composit ions, some of them bein gworks desig ned a ndcarried o ut upon a larg e scale a s , for in stance, a triofor Pianoforte, Viol in , a ndVioloncello,(opus massively const ructedonthe o ldclassical l ines, and teem in g wi th finely fin ished detail a somewhat leng thy and supremely difi

’

icult F antaisie pour deux p ianos(Opus exact in g an ab solute mastery of technique fro m its perform ers,b ut of intrinsic quality excellen t enoug h to amply reward them for theirtrouble in learn ing i t ; a nda ballad dedicated to Saint-Sa 'ens, wh ich , a si t bristles wi th formidab le contrivances for g ravel lin g a nd disco mfit in gthe expert p ian ist

,must have proved a rare treat to that superb player,

who delig hts in intricacies of execut ion that drive promisin g students tog rim despair . L ess alarmin g in their difficulty, a ndtherefore more l ikelyto acquire populari ty amon g st En g l ish diletta nti are M . Wie n ia wski’s

g raceful Barcarolle in Bfla t, melodious a ndChOpin e sque Nocturne in EU 2

270 THE THEATRE . [No v . 1, 1886.

m inor , stil l m o re Cho pine sque Mazurka in D maj o r, a nd six p iecesroman t iques,” all o f which are unden iably clever a nd musicianly, whilstsevera l o f them a re g enuin e ly andpre tt i ly me l o di o us . Besides a ll theseinterest in g instrumen tal wo rks, M . Wie n iawski ha s recently producedacharm ing a ndextremely sympathet ic son g under the t it le o f Extase(Schott a ndCo . ) which, with excellen t judg men t , he ha s dedicated to tha tadmirable vocal ist, Ma rce lla Sembrich . Ico rdia lly reco mmend Extase,”to the betterclass o f drawin g -ro o m sin g er, m ez zo -so prano o r ba ri to ne .I t ha s been ca refully, if so mewhat la b o ri o usly, fitte d wi th Eng l ishwo rdsby M r. B. F . Wyat t-Sm ith.

Am o n g st the recently publ ishedpian o forte musico f n ative g ro wth tha tmay be co ns idered e specia l ly wo rthy o f favo urab le mentio n is a m inueta ndtrio , in tituled, Sun shine ,” by Mr. Al fred Co llie r(Chappell a ndCo .)in stinct with the g raceful fan cy tha t g e nerally an ima tes the wo rks of thatexpe rien cedco mpose r. “ Sun shine is n o t ove rwe ig hte d wi th techn icaldifficult ies a ny ama teur p ia n istca n play i t who ha s attained fair executan t pro ficiency, a nd is g ifted with g o od tas te . An o ther novel ty published by the same firm is The New Club Qua dri lle,” which is n o bet tera nd n o wo rse tha n co un tless m a nufactured a rticle s of the same classthat have g o ne be fo re i t . I ts t itle may possibly reco mmend i t to a fewpeo ple o f fa sh i o n, a nd to a g o o d many of their im i tato rs . Severaldrawin g -ro o m p iece s a ndda nce s have been b ro ug ht o ut durin g the pastm o n th byM r. j o sephWi lliams , o f 24 , Bern ers Stree t. Of the mom m a

do sa lo n the cleve re st a ndprett ies t is a n Idée Dan sa n te ,” by M r. PercyRee ve . Th is “ Da ncin g No ti o n is brig ht ,crisp , tuneful, a ndtho ro ug hlymusicia n ly in co n st ruct io n. Mr. Hen ri Ro ub ie r’s Psyche a nd

Sa raba nde ” bea r n ew test im o ny to this g entlem an’s well-kn o wn talen tfor utilisin g a ndm o dern isin g themes writte n by compo se rs who have lon gs ince j o ined the m a j o ri ty. Psyche revives the st rains o f a g oo d o ldpo lka -mazurka that wa s extremely po pula r abo ut thirty years a g o , a nd theSara bande is a ma jor versio n o f o ne of Bach’s sarabandes, wri tten ina m inorm o o d, a udbe lo n g in g , i f I remember arig ht, to o n e o f the En g l ish o rF rench Sui tes. Mr. A.H. Bo n se rsta nds acco un ta nt fo r a “Dance of Sprites,”apparen tly wri tten for the delectation o f fie shly a ndeven som ewhat ponderons elves . I t is, in fact, a n o rdin a ry human p o lka. Mr . Co nradHuber ha s arrang ed a s a wa ltz a very pretty so n g ca l led the “ Si lver Star,wri tten in four-t ime by F lor ian Pascal, a ndpubl ished under his name inthe form of a ballad . I believe i t to have been sun g in the incon ceivablyinept burlesque “ Jack Sheppard by that acco mpl ished vocalist MissWadman . A m elodious waltz, Rosal ind,” by Miss Elean o rRobertson , oug ht to be popular—the m o re so a s its t i tle pag e is adorne dby a charm ing portrai t of Mary Anderson in the character of the exiledDuke’s daug hter.Messrs. Chappell a ndCo .

’s l ist of vocal publ icat ions for the m o nth of

Octo ber included two n ew so n g s by Sig n or Paolo Tost i , both of whichare tuneful a nd refin ed co mpo si tions. They are respe ct ively intituled

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272 THE THEA TRE . [No v , 1 , 1886,

g iven three farewell co ncerts. Two adm i rable sister-p ian ists , Mdlles.

L o uise a nd Jeanne Do uste de F o rt is, starte d a fo rtn ig ht a g o fo r NewYo rk, o n a sta rrin g to ur throug h the Un io n . I wa s privileg ed to hearthem play to g ether a few days befo re they sta rted, a ndca n co n scien ti o uslysay that they more than just ified a ll the favo urab le reports o f their fineexecuti o n , exquisi te ta ste, a nd kee n musica l intell ig ence that had reachedme from m a ny quarte rs be fore I had the pleasure o f listen in g to theirperfo rmance. They played to g e the r a 4-m a ins a rran g emen t of M o sz ko wski’s “Aus allen Herren Laende r " with unsurpassa ble spirit a nddelica cy.a nd the yo ung er sister, a child o f dim inutive stature, who se l i ttle handsca n barely span a n o cta ve , aston ished me by a renderin g o f Bach'sChromaticF an ta s ia which wo uld have do necredit to a ny mature p ian isto f the first flig ht. These g ifted g irls wi ll re turn to En g land n ext May,

when they propo se to g ive a sh o rt se ries o f p ia n o forte reci ta ls, which,un less I be much m ista ke n . wil l rank amo n g the m o st in te res t in g even tso f the 1887 se a so n . An o ther eve n t , to which the musica l publ ic m aylo o k fo rwa rdwi thco nfide nce—a t lea st so I am t o ld—Wi l l be the productio n o f Mr. De La ra’s sa credca n tata, the wo rds o f which have bee nselected, wi th the pe rm issio n o f M r . Edwin Arn o ld , fro m tha t n o blest ofm o dern poems. “ The L ig ht o f Asia . I ha ve heard so me of the mus icof this wo rk, n o w we l l adva nced t o wa rds co mple tion , a nd have beendeeply impressed by its m elo dicb ea uty, m a sterly co nst ruct ion , a nd

strikin g o rig ina lity. I t wi ll , I be l ie ve. ta ke a hig h stat i o n amon g st themore rema rka b le Eng lish co mpo sit io ns o f the day.

Wu . Bu 'm -K i zvcsro xv .

DOROTHY.A nn md oW Cm d y Opem ln thm wh , wa n e-ro a n .“ a ndAa o Cn u u .

Produo d a t thecdeq e

Do reth Ba n tam l l r. C . Bu rm a Co m a .

15min wtho rue Sq uire Ba n ta m Mr. Put n a m Go o n.

llls‘

l‘n tt Jo hn Tuppl t t Mr. Eris/a w G a nn o n.

Mrs. Pri v Hi Ha u a-r Co n a n . Lumbe r Mr. AI ‘

I BUI Wuu n u .In dy in. N am e BI ALI . To m struts Nr. Je na 1. a n.

(m a n y'

ildcr Mr. Bu rn s Ho m e.

Doro thy, co n sidered a s a musical wo rk, is cha rm ing throug hout .There is n o t a n ug ly o r t ireso me bar in a ny o n e o f its num bers . F rom theOpen in g of the excellen t o verture to the closin g phrase of the sparklin gfinale ofAct I I I . , the cheery li ttle Opera never once bores its hearers, n o r- if I m ay judg e others by myself—ceases to g ive them plea sure. Every

n o w a ndan on o ne of Al fred Cellier’s pretty mo tiw' rem inds people a fflictedwi th musical memories (wh ich , by the way, are apt to cause their own ersmore an n o yan ce than g rat ificat ion) , of som e old fam il iar strain . But thetune thus recal led is always a pleasin g o ne and why should we g rumbleat the composer for “

summoning up remem brance of the pas t to thesession of our thoug ht, so lon g a s that thoug ht be sweet M r . Cell ierma y be cordially felici tated upon the trifle s of his borrowing in Dorothy”

a s well a s upon the more impo rtan t o rig inal matter wi th wh ich his scoreteem s.

No v . 1, 1886 .OUR [MUSI CAL -BOX. 273

The overture, wh ich Opens with an a lleg ro vivace m ovement in the min t rm ood, a nd contains a well -chosen recuez'l of the principal m elodies in theopera, is cleverly put to g ether and most g racefully orchestrated—a s are,indeed, the accompan iments, z

'

ntermez z i, a ndballet ep isodes throug houtt he work . Every number of Act I . is g ood- so g ood a s to call fo r e n

thusia sticplaudits at the close of each successive solo and concertedp iece . A trio, h ig ht Be wise in t ime, wa s loudly redemanded on theo ccasion of my hearin g Dorothy , a nd deservedly so , for i t is a delig htful composi t ion so is the quartet followin g it, We’re sorry, ” wh ich wa ss im ilarly honoured by a crowded house , a s were furthermore the songa nd t rio , I am the Sheriff ’

s fa ithful man ,” a nd the admirab le quartet ,“ No w swear to be g ood,” precedin g a bri ll ian t and effect ive finale . The

son g wi th wh ich the lyrical portion of Act I I . opens (“ Thoug h born am a n of h i g h deg ree ” ) also obtainedan encore so did the quartet , On emoment , pray,” a nd M r. Hayden Godi n ’s interpolated song , Queen ofm y Heart , ” an extremely sympathet ic composi tion . I n th is act, too , area lovely part - son g for full choir, a nd a roll ickin g hunt in g chorus wi th aSoprano so lo in g en iously dovetailed into i t , of wh ich I can con scient iouslysay that noth in g a s clever, musician ly, a nd g en ial o f En g l ish orig in ha sbeen heard upon the L ondon lyr ic stag e since the product ion of TheMikado .

”Act I I I . opens wi th a g em of a little ballet—mus ic, fi g ures,

dresses, dancin g , are all perfect ion—followed by a tuneful ballad, “ The

t ime ha s come,” wh ich is n i g htly re -demanded ; a nd closes wi th a brig hta ndjoyous chorus wri tten in M r . Cell ier’ s very best manner . “ Dorothyfin ishes a s i t beg ins, melodiously, g aily, a nd p leasantly to the ear . All

music- lovers should g o a nd hear i t ; to those who rejoice in concordso f sweet sounds ” i t cannot fail to prove a continua l feast .Before I attended a perfo rmance of th is fascinat in g li ttle opera, so m ebody for whose dram a t ico - l iterary Op in ion I entertain a sincere respec t

t oldme that the book ”wa s a poor one—dull , pondero us, a ndclumsily

constructed. Th is v iew of Mr . Stephenson ’ s share in Dorothy I cann o t endorse . The l ibret t ist , a s I understand, wa s severely h a ndicappedin more than one respect wi th reg ard to his p lot a ndhis lyrics, a nd onthe whole I am of op in ion that he ha s very sa tisfacto rilv fulfi lleda difficul ta nd un g rateful task . Some o f the son g -words are considerab ly abovethe averag e of such work, when it ha s to be fi tted to a composer’s readyrn ade music the dialog ue is frequently funny w ithout bein g vul g ar ; andt he int rig ue is not more improbable than beseems comic Opera, inwh ich noth in g is impossib le except a log ical seque nce of ideas or events .

Somecarp in g , petty—minded people m ay insist that i t is unusual , not to sayi ntolerab le , for a g entleman s tayin g in an En g lish co untry-house to singa two w e rse love- song at the top o f his vo ice in the hall five m inutes aftera ll the other g uests have ret ired to the ir bedro o m s. But I would cravepermission to remind such ill-condit ioned cavil lers that is st i l l more n uusual for a dist in g uished pub licfavouri te , the leadin g bari tone of theL ondon comic-opera sta g e , no t to sin g a song in the course of his n i g htlyimpersonat io n of his part ; a nd that he ha d far bet ter expose h imself tothe repro ach o f wak in g up the characters in the p iece from their fi rst

274 THE THEATRE [No v . 1 , 1886 .

stag e-slumb ers than fai l to wake up the audience with a ditty that earn sa rapturous encore n ig ht after n ig ht. I t bein g manifestly the commonobject of M r. Hayden Coffi n a nd the Gaiety manag ement that he shouldappropriate the b iscui t ” wi th a charm in g ballad, quite delig htfully sun g ,what can i t possibly mat ter to his hearers when a ndwhere he delivershimself of the song in quest ion ? On e t ime a nd place are a s l ikely a sanother, if yo u come to that fo r in real l ife, which one should be g rateful to leave behind one when enterin g a theatre, people do n’t sin g abou ttheir feelin g s a nd intentio ns at a ny hour of the day or n ig ht, or in a nypo rt ion of their o wn or their friends’ dwell in g s . I hold that, in com icOpe ra, wha te ve ris, is rig ht ; andwhen I hea rdMr . Coffin strike up a vig orousstave outside a youn g lady’

s bedroo m doo r, for doin g which in th e sanct ityo f private l ife he wo uld ei ther be g iven in charg e or kicked in to the

street, I wa s g lad; fo r I delig h t in his sin g in g , a nd—in such casesreg a rd the un ities wi th bland indifference.The performance of “ Do ro thy ” at the Gaiety is of unusually hig hquali ty thro ug ho ut, with the except ion of Miss Ho od's sin g in g , which istruly unpleasa n t . This lady’ s sta g e appearance is so prepossessin g ‘that,

by the fo rce o fco n tras t, it a b so lutely enhances the distress ca used to he rmusical hea rers by he r ha rsh vo ice a nd false in to nat ion . I n theco mpa ra tive ly small vocal pa rt o f Lydia Hawtho rn e Miss Dysart revea ls sin gin g a ndact ing talen t o f g rea t value . This youn g lady ha s everythin g inhe r favo ur : a sweet , round, full vo ice, a co rrect ear, a man ifest sen se ofhum o ur a ndno incon siderable drama t ic instinc t, bes ides remarkable personal attract ions. The Gaie ty impresa is to be sincerely con g ratulate dupo n havin g secured he r service s . M r. Ho l lins has a n ice l ittle vo ice, a ndsin g s perfectly in tune ; he is especially useful in co ncerted music, whichhe takes part in wi th laudable stea diness a ndg ood taste . M r. Wi ll iam s isqui te irresist ib le in the scream in g part ofLurcher, a n amatory a ndebriateshe rifl’ s o fficer, whilst Miss Coveney is an ne peut plus arch and maturelyski tt ish a s Mrs . Privett , the widow of fo ur . Dorothy ” is exquisi telyse t a ndmoun ted; it has furnished Mr. Charles Harris wi th a n Oppo r

tun ity for coverin g himself wi th g lory: The cho rus-sin g ing is faultlessthe o rchestra, underHe rrLutz’s m asterly leadin g , does its work superb lythe dresses are charm in g , a nd wo rn by except ionally pretty g irls, in thecase of the vocal and choreg raph ic supers. In short , throug hout th is delig htful work, “ every pro spect pleases .

” My advice to the readers o f

THE THEATRE lS un reservedly “ Go a nd se e it.WM. Bu m -Krncsr o u .

LA BEARNAISE.

A New Co micOpera , fro m th e French o f m L it-m i n im a nd Va xwo , writte n by At rium him “,co mpo sed by MI SSAGBR.

Pro duced, fo r the first time mo oL o ndo n , a t the Prince o f Wa les's Thea tre , Octo ber 4, 1886.Ca pta in Perpi g na n Mr. G. H. Ssm uu . Miss B. Ga nno n .

ni o . Mr. J . J . Da nn a . Ca rlo Mr. Luvuam .

The e o f"

Como Mr. 81mm Humo u r. J so q n ette Miss m scn St. Jo ux .

Cade t Mr. C . Bo m rm . The C ountess Binnen

" :Miss Ma n i : Tu rner.

Mr. W. Ch a sm . Bettina Miss L INDA VERNKR.

Gira to . . Mr. E. J . Lo a n s . Landlady Miss L ESLI I BELL.I f “ L a Beam aise ”were dependen t for its populari ty upon the in

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276 THE THE/1TRE [No v . x, 1886 .

discre tion F rankly speakin g , ‘ every number in La Béarn aise is worthyo f special laudatorymen tion . I o n ly ven ture to po in t o ut by name thosethat seem t o m e al tog ether supe r-excellent . Amon g st these are Bianca’sson g Act I . , Hast thou in the fo rest mazes ," the refrain of Jacquette’sl ively solo

.

“ Althoug h I am a yo uth bucol ic," to which M. Messa g er ha sfi t teda most ing en ious a ndtellin g accompa nimen t Po mpo n io’s plain t ,Yo u’ re often rounda past ryco o k ” (Act the clever m elody of which

is underlaid by another chef d'

u mre of harm on isa t ion the deliciousberceuse , Hush a ndSleep,"with cho ral accompan iment , a musical g emof the first water ; the t rio, “Asleep ,” wri tten o n the l ines of g rand opera,with a Sp iri t a ndmu stn '

t: of which Do n izetti o r Verdi m ig ht have beenproud ; j acquette’ s pa s tora l di tty, “ I am a simple villag e lass,” immedia tely follo wing a n a dm irab le cho rus displaying a t least one en t irely n o veleffect ; the orchest ral in troduct io n (tempo di Ma z urka ) to Act I I I . pu ttog ether wi th consummate a rt, so mewhat 1) la Bizet a nd, finally, the soca lled Dri ll in g Duet , ” a bri g ht example of g enuinely humorous music ,the innate fun o fwhich requires n o text to co nvey its comic sig n ificance tothe audience .M r . Bruce ha s been n o less wise than fo rtunate in securing the services

o f two such accompl ished vocal ists a s Miss St . j ohn and Miss Tempestfor the fine sopran i miles createdbyM . Messa g er in L a Béarnaise .” MissSt . John ha s certa inly never fi lled a pa r t more sui table to her than that ofj acquette , in which she ha s once more proved herself to be the first ofl ivin g co m ic Operaprim damn a nd o ne o f the cleverest com ic actresseson a ny sta g e . I ca n pay he r n o hig her compl imen t than b y sayin g thatshe vividly reminds me o f the M a rie Geist in g er of twenty years a g o , o f

whose in imitable natural g ifts she is the art ist ic inheri trix . I t is always at rea t to l isten to Miss Tempest ’s faul tless sin g ing , never yet heard tog reater advanta g e tha n in the g rateful 707: of Bianca. More than oneencore den o ted the fi rmness of the hold th is adm irable voca l ist ha s establishedupon publ ic favour. M r . Sn a z e lle sing s well, a nd looks sufficientlydebo nna ir a s the g allan t g ay L uthe ria n , Captain Pe rpig n ac. The

Duke of Como (or Parm a ; which is i t —the playb i ll says one a nd thebook of words t he other !) is cleverly impersonated by Mr . Harcourtwhose careful study of chron ic infirmity deserves cordial recog n i tion ; ag ood deal o f conventional buffoonery, welcome to the g roundl in g s, ischeerfully rendered by Messrs . Dallas a ndBowland, in the characters ofPompon io a nd Cadet ; wh i lst M r . L o n n e n provokes repeated bursts oflaug hter by convert ing a Ch iefCommissioner of C o m o e sqe (or Parm esan )Pol ice into a Jack Pudding of the obsolete Richa rdso n ia n pattern . The

o rchest ra, ledb y M r . Slaug hter, does its work featly and sympathet icallyso do the chorus sing ers, whosecrescendi a nddz'm z'n uendi leave noth ing tobe desired in the way of effect iveness . O f the scenery, dresses, appointm en ts, a nd sta g e-manag ement I can on ly speak in term s of unqualifiedpraise . F o r g eneral picturesqueness and special felicity, wi th relat ion tocolour comb inations , the open ing ta blea u of Act I I I . m ay fearlesslychallen g e past a nd present compet ition . Wi th in my remembran ce , n o

No v . 1 ,OUR MUSI CAL -BOX. 277

prett ier scene ha s been se t upon the sta g e of com ic or any other sort ofopera . L a Béarnaise” is a shin in g and well-deserved success . Iprog nost icate that its public l ife wi ll be a long and merry one , a nd I hopethat M . Messag er wil l soo n let his En g l ish admirers hear from h im ag ain .

WILL IAM BEATTY-KINGSTON.

IND IANA .

Ope ra Co m ique , in three acts, by FARNI E a nd AUDRAN.

Produced, fo r the first tim e in L o ndo n , a t the Av e nue Thea tre , Octo be r 11, 1886 .

PRINCI PAL CHARACTERS

Ma t 0’

the Mi ll Mr. A. ROBERTS.

L o rdDa yre ll Mr. CHARLES RYLEY. Mi ss M. DUOOAN.

Phi l ip J e rva ulx Mr. HELMSLEY. Miss P . Ba o ue nro N.

SirM. Mr. H. ASHLEY.Althoug h the p lot of Indiana is not remarkab ly in terest in g , wh ilstthe dialog ue a nd lyrics are decidedly weak, th is unpretendin g l ittle workwi l l probably draw a g ood many remunerat ive audiences to the AvenueTheatre , for the fo llowing reasons . I n the first place , the p iece isbeaut ifully put on the stag e and dressed w i th excellent taste . Secondly,i t is effect ively cast , our first fantast ic comedian a nd our leadin gg rotesque —Messrs . Ash ley a ndRoberts—both fi g uring conspicuouslyin i ts l ist of g reat attract ions, ” a nd the t itle -77315 bein g brill iantly sus

ta in edby that able actress, and accomplished son g stress, Miss Wadman .

Thi rdly, the music of Indiana, thoug h far from being up to the markof L a Mascotte ,” into wh ich delig htful Operetta M. Audran put all theb est musica l ideas that have heretofore sug g ested themselves to h im , ispretty a ndcatch in g , here and there risin g to m eri t con siderab ly abovethe averag e i t ha s the advantag e , moreover , of bein g played a nd sungth roug hout by a n intellig en tly led o rchestra, a nd by competent vocalists.I f, a s appears to be bel ieved by som e experien ced theatre-g oers ,Indiana be unmistakably funn ier than her immediate rivals “ Dorothy”a nd L a Béarnaise ,” that advantag e must not be attributed to the authorO f the l ibretto , but to the humorous g entlemen entrustedwith the leadingcomic parts, who have liberallystren g thened these latterwi th their o wn particula r jokes and catchwords, everyone of wh ich appears to tell ; whereasthe jests of the orig inal dialog ue display a settled tendency to fall flat .I t ha s been lucky fo rone or two of the p ieces in which M r . Roberts ha srecently played that his capaci ty for g ag g ing is pract ically unl imi ted, ’

a nd that his quaint fun n im e n ts exactly sui t the pub l ic taste . H is readywit a nd thoroug h commandof the resources of a peculiar vein of humourcertain ly saved L url ine from disastrous failure , a nd have probab lybeen the ch ief ag ents in establish ing the success o f Indiana. ” I haveheardM r. Roberts—very erroneously, in my Op in ion—stig matised a s avulg ar buf’foon , whose v iscom im is of the same order a s that of a circusclown , exp ressin g i tself in facial contortions a nd senseless sayin g s , sucha s Al lsopp , two with yo u ! —a recondi te observation , the Sparkl in gesprit of wh ich custom, apparently, cannot stale . T o m y mind, Mr .Roberts is an extremely clever actor a nd com ic sin g er, among st whosemany natural g ifts is the h ig h ly valuab le one of instinct ively kn o win gwhat the pub l ic wi ll laug h at . Wi th th is commodi ty he lavishly supp lies

278 THE THEATRE . (No v . x, 1886.

the audiences o f Indiana n ig ht after nig ht ; and everybo dy interestedin the fortunes of that opera oug ht to be deep ly g rate ful to him fordoin g so .

Pretty a nd l ively numbers a bo und in M . Audran ’s score

,the prevail in gcharacter of wh ich , a s I have al ready poin ted out. is med iocri ty. Theoverture is noug ht . I n Act I . there is a cheery song ab o ut Adam a nd

Eve , with the burden of Cherchez la femm e, ” fo llowed by a sti l lcheerier lay “ The Hospi ta l Bride , alias , Poo r Young Thing ! The

wo rds o f this latter deserve Special attention, by reason of their frankcyn icism . A wal tz in t i tuled “ Love wi ll g uide (the mo tive of whichcrops up m o re than o nce in sub sequent port ions o f the Opera) is tun efula nd ta kin g ; its key is a g reea b ly a nd in g en iously varied Miss Wadmansing s i t adm ira bly. Brig ht a ndchi rpy, to o , is the quin tet , “ Ah l le t us

see .

”Act I I . Opens with a clever pat ter-cho rus Of al ternate female a nd

male vo ices, hig ht “Skirts a re fuller,” but , in other respec ts , is musicallyweaker than its predecessor . The rust icditty which fig ures a s its mostimpo rtan t numbe r, a nd is afterwards util ised fo r the fin a le s of both ActsI I . a nd II I . , is a feeble im i ta t io n of the ro bust old Eng l ish g lee (I cannotrem embe r its n ame) that winds up wi th Humphrey wi th his flail, a nd

Do ro thy Drag g le-tail .” Obvi o usly. the co mpo ser thinks particularly 'wello f this tun e ; but i t is n o t stro n g eno ug h to do what is expe cted o f i t.There at the drea my hour is a brie f but rea l ly pretty due t for mezzo

so pran o a nd bari tone . wi th wo rds the po e tica l feeling o f which, un

restrained byg rammat ical fe tters, seems to po in t to the probab i l i ty thatthey have been written by some an o nym ous author . Act I I I . ha s oneg raceful a nd fan ciful a ir, Oh, Sunny South," with banj o obblig ato , a ndone brisk bustl ing so n g a ndchorus, full o f g o . Open the shutters wide ” ;the rest is lea ther a ndprunella.Al thoug h I ndiana, ” from a musica l a s well a s a li terary po in t of view,leaves a g o o d deal to be des ired, I enterta in n o manner of doubt that i t

wi ll run thro ug h the win ter months wi th profit to its joint auth o rs. I t isjust the so rt o f en tertainmen t which “so ciety delig hts in, a nd o ur

g i ldedyouth m ay be co un ted upon to patro n ise i t . As , after all, i t isexceedin g ly well sun g a ndplayed, acted a nd dan ced , m o un ted and se t,dresse d a nd stag e-manag ed, I , for o n e , am n o t restrained b y a ny scrupleworth m en tion ing from recommendin g my fellow-creatures in quest ofpost-prandial amusem ent to lend thei r coun tenance for a n even in g toIndian a . Verb . sa t sap.

WM . BEATTY-KINGSTON.

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280 THE THEA TRE . (No v . 1 , 1886 .

the door, a ll g oes well ag ain , a nd the curtain fal ls on deserved a ndhearty applause . The act ing , except in the case of M r . Arthur

W i lliam s , who is excellen t , a ndMiss F lorence Beale , who is rea llyfunny, do es n o tca ll for m uch n ot ice .

MY LORD IN L IVERY.

"

A new a nd o rig ina l fa rce , b v S. Ti l l “ !

Pro duced a t the Prince-ts Then tre, o n Sa turday , Octo b er 9, 1886.Lo rdThirhnere Mr. Wrt n uo DRAYG 'H . Miss Erin-n Cum

Mr. e n t ra n t b u se s . Min Gu st ARNOLD.

Mr. H. mi n u s Min Em u Cnuu n .

M r Co o rn .

I t m a y be the fa ul t of the st a g e -m an a g er or o f the a uthor , but thefa ct rem a in s tha t the n ew a nd orig inal fa rce called My L o rd inL ivery is dist inc t ly vu lg a r a nd deplora bly dull . The inciden t of ayoun g la dy of the ho use m a squera ding a s a servant is a s o ld a s thehills , a nd n otw i thsta ndin g tha t in this c a se three g i rls be come th reedomest ics and indulg e in the usual improba ble blunders , co ns ideredt ra di t ional under such ci rcums ta nces , their effo rts a re n ei ther am usingn o r interest ing . a nd thei r ext ra ordina ry g ym na s t ic a t t itudes make o n eim a g ine that , l ike a crab , we have g one ba ckwa rds , and a re seeing ape rverted pan tom ime of Pa t ience . Extravag an t ac t ing is n o ta n ecessa ry essen t ia l t o a fa rce , and the parts of the but ler (w i tha ca tchword a bo u t his fig ure) , so unlike a ny head dom estic ina re s po nsible ho use ho ld , and the three young ladies w i th thei rw i ld g es t icula t ions and their over-em phas ised reading s of t inypa rts , beco me n o t o nly a nnoyin g bu t t i resom e . In this bewi lderin gatm o sphere of flops a nd shr ieks the easy , na tural bear in g of L ordThi rlm ere in the pe rso n of Mr . W i lfred Draycott is posi t ivelyrefre sh ing , for he kn ows ho w to g ive po int t o his l ines , and yet t ostee r clear o f a ll vulg ar i ty in fac t , to p lay in a farce and yet rem ain ag en t lem an . My L ord in L ivery hang s on a frag i le thread . I t tellsof t he proposed inten t ion a nd be t of a young naval peer, t o win a ringfrom the hand o f Syb i l Amberley , the said rin g being pu t there by am essmate , Miss Am ber ley’s cous in . Of cou rse , a n ew footm an isprese nted to Sybil and her com pan ions (who have been warned of thebet), disg uised a s L ord Thi r lm ere , they having taken advantag e ofthei r kn ow ledg e to dress them selves up respectively a s cook, housem aid, and lady’s m aid . The real Hopkins not unnaturally imag in esthat he ha s taken service in a lunat i c asylum from the extraordinaryant ics that follow on this , and consents m ost w i l ling ly to sell his p lacet o L ord Thirlm ere for half an hour in return for a ten-pound n ote .The rest is s imp lici ty i t self. The young sa ilor m an ag es to securethe ring from Sybil , who , wi th her com pan ions , is g ulled intobelievin g L o rd Th i rlm ere t o be one of a party of burg lars , and afterdiscover ing the m istake , and return in g the ring w i th an apolog y , the

No v 1 , OUR PL AY-BOX. 28 1

curtain drops on this s l ig ht sketch , which en tails so m uchunn ecessary hard work to all concerned , w i th the except ion of M r .D raycot t , M r . H . Char les , and Master Cooper , leaving them breathlessw i th thei r exertions , which m a y provoke som e to laug hter , b utcann ot fail t o depress the many. Tha t the s tag e of the P r incess ’

s isvery larg e w e g rant , a nd delicate touches m ig h t or m ig h t not be los ton t he audience , but in j us t ice t o the au thor, who ha s done suchg ood work a s “ U ncle’s W i l l ” and “ A Happy Pai r , the s tag em anag er should check the exuberan t sp i r i ts of M r. Stewart Dawsonand the three youn g ladies before they g o m uch further .

THE NETTL E .

A n ewco m ediett a , b y ERNEsr WARREN.

Produced a t the Co urt The a tre , o n Wedn esday, Oct o ber 13, 1886 .

Dulcie Me redith Miss CUDMORE. Guy Mr. F . K ERR.

Duolog ues mus t necessari ly run on the same lines , therefore it isnot surp r is in g t hat in The Net t le — a n ew comedie t ta that n o wprecedes M r . P inero ’s Schoolmis t ress a t the Court Theat re—w eshould imm ediately be in t roduced to tw o young peop le who , nothavin g had the sl ig htes t kn ow ledg e of one anothe r p reviously, fra terni se so warmly t hat they quarrel w i th all t he warm th of Old acquain tauces, indulg e in sharp , rude repar tee that i t is to be hoped is rareOu ts ide a duolog ue , a nd,

la stly , end up by p l ig h t in g a has ty and som ewha t injudicious t roth . M r . Warren ’

s comediet ta is worth seein g onaccoun t of t he ac t in g . I n the part of the i rate youn g m a n, whoflou r ishes his wh ip and vows veng eance on a hap les s w r i ter for a sm ar tart icle that he t h inks refers t o him self, M r . F . Kerr is down rig h t g ood .

H e takes a s m uch t rouble w i t h this small part a s t houg h i t were thefines t ever w r i t ten his com edy is quite Of the modern school,but there

is a n eat ness and a fin ish abou t i t t hat is delig htful . Miss Cudmorebr in g s her p retty face and fresh manner t o bear up o n the ing enuousm aiden who t r ies hard to entertain he r brother 's supposed cap italist ,for Whom she mistakes Guy Charl ton , the i rate young man . There isa charmin g earn estness abou t Miss Cudmore , bu t she m us t be warnedag ain s t allow in g her voice to g row m onotonous , a faul t too common w i ththe youn g actresses of the day , and also ag ain st t he t rick of tw ist in gand g est iculat in g w i t h her mouth when she w ishes to express emot ion .

The Cou rt manag emen t is proverbial for its care and at ten t ion , there .fore i t g oes w i t hou t saying t ha t M r . Wa rren ’s unpretent ious l i t t lep iece is a s well rehearsed and a s w ell s tag ed a s thoug h i t were a n ewthree-act comedy calcula ted to run a full three hundred n ig h ts . I t isa very harmless nett le,” and owes any smart or s t ing i t possesses t othe br i sk, p leasan t act in g of M r . Kerr and Miss Cudmore ,

282 THE THEA TRE . [[No v . 1 , 1886.

THE HOBBY-HORSE .

An o rig innlcomedy, in three acts, by A. W. Prun e .

Rev . No e l Brice Mr. Hu m Wa l l s . Hewe tt Mr. AL BERT Sum.

Mr. 8 nce r Jermyn Mr. HA“ . Tiny Lo ndo n Ma ste r Ru n .

Mr. neh in g l lr. C. W. 8m m “ . Mrs. Spe nce r Jermyn Mrs. K I NDAL.

Mr. Mm Mrs. Po rche r Mrs. GASTONMURRAY.Mr. Pew: Mr. Hm Mi. Man o n Mrs. B. Ta n .

Mr. Mr. W. ht. Cn ucu r. Be rtha Miss e na .

Mr, Mr. Tue -u . I n . Lo ndo n Miss B. Hum " .

To m Cla rk Mr. ru m Alm a .M r . P inero is a s fortun ate a s he is indispensable . I t would seema s thoug h the public were dest ined to have its “ only dram at ist , j usta s in another departm en t (less amus in g ) i t can rely upo n its “ onlyg enera l . L ike tha t em inent pe rso n , Mr . P inero is safe andworkman ~l ike , wi th a pro found knowledg e of his craft—a ndis there , alwaysto be depended upon . He enjoys m uch populari ty—evidenced onthe first nig h t of “ The Ho bby-Horse by bursts of enjoym entwhich g ree ted what o ur au tho r him se lf must confess were butm o dest and unpretendin g quips ; indeed , wi th s o m e en thus iasts i twa s sufficien t to have the a ir of m a kin g a joke , thoug h the wordswere n o t dis t inc t ly hea rd . Messrs . Sim s and Pett itt are wri ters ofa so m ewha t transpo n t in eca st , and dra w hug e audiences , and thus thep layg o e r is left to these two chefs , a nd m ust choose from the dishesthey prepare . On this occas ion there ha s be en a m iscalculation ,and po ss ibly a dain ty m ea nt for adm irers of The Schoolm istress orThe Ma g istra te ha s been se rved a t a ta ble where the g uests are

a ccust o m ed to so me thing m o re subs tant ial . There were a ll thesymptom s of a sued: fo rce, bu t there wa s an instinc t that the enjoym ent w a s forced ; whi le , fro m g oo d nature and respect , so m e t rulystag g ering incidents—such a s the squi re ’s o wn wi fe , perfect lyrecog nisa ble th roug h a thin veil , a t tending him to the t rain disg uiseda s a lady com p a n ion—were accepted w i thout ques t ion or disa ppro b at ion . The St . j am es ’

s Theatre and its excellen t company is fi t ted form at ter of m o re p i th and m om ent . “ The Hobby-Horse is the storyof a phila n thrOpiclady, diverted from her proper dut ies by a fa ncyfor lo o kin g after waifs and strays . She leaves her husband on anexpedit ion to the Eas t End, a nd takes a s i tuation in a curate ’sfam i ly, where var ious adventures a nd com pl icat ions occur, and isfinally res tored t o he r or ig inal pos i t ion and to a m ore sensibleview of hum an nature. M r. P inero ha s deal t w i th this subjec t inhis usual lively s tyle, and , i t m ust be said , had the p lay been theworkof Sheridan ,

i t could not have been m ore enjoyed by the audience .There is one t ruly humorous s i tuation in the second act , wherethe am iable curate is offered the pos t of chap lain t o a Hom efor Decayed j ockeys , actually founded by the lady ’s husban d .H e dictates a let ter indig n an t ly spu rnin g the offer , but Mrs .

j ermyn con t r ives to wr i te another accept in g i t in warm andg rateful terms . A really droll pos it ion is caused by his bewi lderm entwhen the founder of the Hom e, having received the let ter, hearti ly

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284 THE THEATRE . (No v . r, 1336 .

happ iest o f histrionic g ifts—a ndwins interest , by her bea ring even .She ha s a p leasan t tone o f co m edy, and can play a lover vivaciously .That so und , well-trained pe rform er, Mrs . G a s to n Murray, wa s arec tor ’s w ife of the Pro udie type , but so m ewhat over-emphasi sed thetyrannical elem ent. A pe rso n o f her natu re has a conscio usness o fpo wer, which pro m pts he r to co nceal her o dio usn ess, and m akes herto b e co ldly po l ite . Mr. Mell ish, a s a n o bstrepe ro us lover, a nd MissWebster, were excellent , a ndwo n the fa vo ur of the a udien ce , a s didM r . So m erset a s a stol id so l icito r. This new co m edy ha s been de altwi th very ca n didly by the cri t ics , who o bject reaso n ably t o theun certa in key ” in which the p iece is written , which is n o w farcica la ndn o w se rio us .

Ps acv F i r zcs a a w .

®ur ®mnibus=1030r

I ha ve to tha nk the leadin g m em bers o f theco mpany at DruryL an e Thea t re fo r the trouble they ha ve taken in s i t t ing for the p ic tureof the cha racte rs in A Run o f L uck that fo rms the se cond of thep icture g ro up se ries tha t i s published in the m a g azine this month . Ourrea ders a nd subscribers also w i l l thank them fo r their unse lfishne ss,fo r they w ill b e a ble to turn back in a fte r yea rs a ndse e our ac tors a nda ctresse s a s they dres sed a nd lo o ked in o ne o f the m o st famous a nd

po pula r dra m a s o f the da y. \Vha t wo uld n o t o ld p la yg oers g ive forso m e such p icture o f the a rt is ts they reve ren ced in thei r youth , andto b e a ble to refe r immediate ly to so me p lay o r scene tha t fascinatedthem when a ll the wo rld wa s young ”

? Think what p leasure itwo uld b e to po sse ss a sce ne fro m the or ig inal perform ance of L ondonAssu rance ,” n o w fo rty-fiv e yea rs o ld ; ho w we should l ike to hav eprese rve d sk etche s from the Adelphi Col leen Bawn and thePrincess ’

s Arrah -n a -Pog ue ho w valuable w o uld be photog raphsperm an ently se cured of Kate Terry and HenryNev i lle in old O lym p icdays ; of Miss Bateman in L ea h of Benjam in Webster in theDead Heart of Miss Herbert ’s co m pany a t the St. j am es ’

s whenI rving first j o ined i t ; and, perhaps m os t in terest ing of a ll , a scenefrom the orig n al ca st of Society or Caste at the li t t le Prince ofWa les’s Thea t re, when the bijou p layhouse firs t becam e fam ousunder the Bancrofts , and Robertson g ained his fa m e . D isag reeableand tedious i t mus t be , no doubt , to have an appo in tmen t w i th thephotog rapher in the early m orning , w i th its necess ity of chang ingdress and wast in g precious t im e . Next to a v isit to the den t ist ’s , thisof a ll thin g s is the mos t i rkso m e .But po steri ty w i ll thank them all for i t when the pag es of THE

THEATRE are revisited, a nd the o ld pla yg oer wil l po int out the

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No v . 1 , OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 285

characters to a stil l young er g eneration , w i th som e such comm entsa s these Ah , that is g entle and hig hly intellectual Alm a Murray,w ith her n er vous temperam ent and her keen art istic sense she

i s the daug hter of L eig h Mu rray, one of the m ost refined anda ccom p l ished ac tors of his tim e. She flou r ished , alas in ana g e when the poet ical dram a w a s a l ittle under a cloud , butlearned societies and enthus iastic l iterarym e n caug ht at her a ndavailedt hem selves eag erly of her unquestionable talent . She i t wa s who

p layed Constance in Browning ’

s I n a Balcony ’ for the BrowningSociety ; she i t wa s who w a s perhaps the on ly Beatr ice Cenci wes hall ever se e , for the I sling ton exper im ent by the Shelley Society w i l lp robably never be repeated . Up on that bookshelf,my b o y ,yo u w i l l finda bound copy of the g reen -covered ac t ing edi t ion of Shelley’s Cenci

,

’

which caused such a scandal at the tim e . I t is valuable n o w ,and I

w ould not part w i th it for anything . Next to A lm a Murray is hands om e Sop h ie Eyre . She always rem inds m e of Rose Cog hlan , the.g ifted act ress who left L ondon just a s she wa s distin g uishing herself,a nddevoted her talent to Amer ica. H o w charm in g ly Rose Cog hlanp layed years a g o at the Holborn Theatre , when John C laytonp roduced All for H e r

,

’ and sent away every audien ce in tears . SophieEyre

, who owed her ear ly enthus iasm to the valuable ass istance ands incere fr iendship of Char les Reade , wa s also very popular in Amer ica ,a nd is a sp lendid fig u re on any stag e . The tall , bluff fel low w i th thew hi te moustache is W i l l iam Rig n o ld, b ro the r of G eorg e R ig n o ld, whoa s Henry the F ifth made all the youn g ladies in Amer ica head overe ars in love w ith him . An excellent actor wa s G eorg e R ig n o ld ande xt rem ely popular at the Queen ’

s Theatre in L ong Acre in the dayso f ‘ Amos C larke ,’ by Wat ts Phi ll ips , and C romwell , ’ by BatesR ichards . ButAmer ica and Australia stole G eorg e Rig n o ldfrom En g

land . H is b rother W i l l iam is a fine fig ure of a m a n ,

’

is he not H e

wa s sp lendid a s the brutal , hector ing , handsom e brother in The Two

O rphan s , ’ the bes t probably that we shal l ever s e e , and am ong sto ther des i rable qualifications ‘ he p lays on the fiddle l ike an ang el .’

The funny little m a n on the floor is Harry Nicholls,the popular

favour i te of D ru ry L ane . No pan tomime or drama is comp le tew i thou t him . H e never forces his fun or throws i t a t the headso f the audien ce , a s t oo m any lo w comedians do, but is g enerallya dmi red for his dry

,quain t ly hum orous and incis ive s tyle . The

youn g fellow ho lding A lm a Murray ’s hand is J . G . G rahame , a m an lya ctor of t he Hen ry Nevi lle school , who speaks wells , bears h imselfg allant ly, and is a model melodramat ic hero . A very useful anda lways in teres t ing actor , h e m ade h is firs t s t rong melodramatics uccess in a Span ish p lay, The Woman and the L aw ,

’ in wh ich hebecame an immense favou r ite in the provinces . On the left -hands ide of the p ic ture is youn g G ardiner, who m ade his fi rst strongs uccess in ‘ A Run of L uck , ’ and w a s then cons idered one of the

V 2

THE THEATRE . (No v . 1 , 1886 .

mos t prom ising of the youn g er scho o l of actors . But where isAug ustus Harris Everywhere . But not in this p icture , becausehe does not happen to act in this pa rticular play. He ha s enoug h todo in directin g the fortunes o f his successful dram a, in select ing a ndrehea rs ing co unt ry co mpa n ies, a nd in prepa ring for certain approvalhis po pular pa nto m im es .

"A succe ssful m a n Aug ustus Harris

Anddeservedly so , for he is the bes t m a na g er that Drury L a ne everhad . He ha s g o t a hea d o n his sho ulders , a nd the true m eaning ofhis pro verbia l g o od luck is comm o n sense. ’ His industry andenerg y a re rem a rka ble, a nd such a ma n would have succeeded in anyla rg e bus iness requirin g tact a nd discrim ination in the direction of amul t i tude o f interests. "

Goo d news fo r the lo ve rs o f so und , swee t , a ndpopular pa n t om im em us ic . \Vhe n Bo xing -Nig ht co mes ro und , we shall see a t his o ld

p lace , pres iding o ver Drury L a n e o rche st ra , tha t acco m pl ishedm usicia n , F erdina nd Wa lle rs tein , who ha s b een tem pted fro m hislo vely ho m e in the Austri a n Tyrol to a id the g a l lery boys in exercis ingthei r lun g s o ver popula r m elodies. Dea r m e ! tha t fa miliar nam e o fF erdina ndWa llers te in t a ke s me ba ck in to the plea sa n t pa ths of lo nga g o . I reca ll da ys a t the old Strand Thea tre when F ra nk Ta lfo uedwa s wr i t ing burle sques a ndwe b o ys were always playing t ruan t fromscho o l to see them . I reca l l days a t the Ha ym arket , C o n sulcBucky, when Wa lle rste in

’

s orche s tra discoursed swee t m us ic .I recall the St . Ja m es '

s Theatre , when the fair and beautifulMiss Herb e rt wa s m a na g e ress , a nddelig h t ing the t own wi th her fin erender ing of L a dy Audley'

s Secre t . Dea r o ld Mrs . F rankM a tthews wa s in theca s t , the ve ry so ul o f hum o u r and so wa s thein im ita ble F rank , who pla yed L uke Marks , if I m ista ke not . Therewa s a celebra ted exi t fro m the villag e public -house , a nd I can hea rthe vo ices a s i f i t were yes terday G o od-nig h t , L uke Goodnig h t ea ch in a different to ne a nd key . And Ada Dyas ho wexcellent she wa s a s the pale-fa ced, ha un tedo lo o k in g woman . Andthen the days when Ka te Terry sudde n lycam e to the front o n e nig htwhen Miss Herbe rt wa s ill, a nd played the principal , and not thesubo rdinate , in “ F r iends o r F o e s . And the n , la te r o n ,whe n CharlesMathews and Mrs . Char ley ” were the s tars of the St . Jam es ’

s ;days ofArthur Ske tchley's Dark C loud and H o w W i l l They G e tOut of I t and Palg rave Simpson’s Sibylla ; or , Step by Stepdays when the re suddenly cam e in to not ice an earn es t actor w i th asa d face—a n ac tor who , a s Rawdon Scudamore in Hunted Down ,"w a s talked of in art ist ic and li terary circles a s a su rpr is ing ly cleverfellow ,an actor who wa s , after a roug h and weary pilg r imag e , des t inedto becom e the g rea t es t of his t im e—Henry I rving . These were the

p lays , these the careers , these the ac tors and ac t resses of the pastthat F erdinand Wallers tein watched , and whose m emor i es , I feelcertain,he kee ps in warm esteem . Wallerstein w a s not one of the

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288 THE THE/4TRE . (No v . x, 1886.

L ife ofSamuel Phelps, a nd se e what his bio g raphers have to sa y o nthe subject . Having describ ed the di fference of Phelps wi th F echter,who eng ag ed the cele bra ted acto r, but n e ver a llowed him to act, weread a s follows As so o n a s his nam e wa s taken out of the L yceumbi lls he had fo ur offers m ade him , am o ng st them one from F alconerand Chat terton , who were then le sse es a ndm anag ers of Dru ry L ane .His n ephew a dvised him stro n g ly to enter in to a rrang em ents w i ththem ; a nd this t ime—the se co n d in his l ife that he ever t o o k thea dvice o f anyo n e—he follo wed i t , a nd the result proved the correctn ess o f his a dviser's views , fo r he wa s se ven yea rs the m ain pr0p oftha t es ta blishme n t . Altho ug h he had then b een b efore the L ondonpublic for ve ry nea r ly th irty years , he wa s so po pular that he drew,

we believe , a s m any peo ple to tha t thea tre dur ing those seven yearsa s Edm und Kea n did the first se ven yea rs he appea red in L ondon .Ea rly in Octo be r, 1863 , L o rd Byro n ’s Manfred wa s pro ducedunder his directi o n with immense success, a nd had a lo ng m m.

"Ho w

Byro n thenco uld ha ve “‘spe lled bankruptcy if Manfred," by L o rd

Byron , when pro ducedby Cha t tert o n- the putter-forth of the imm ortalphra se—wa s a n imm ense success a ndhad a lo ng run is o n e of tho semys ter ie s tha t pro ba bly wi ll n ever be s o lved . There wa s one o therp la y by L o rd Byro n , pro duced by Chatterto n a t Drury L ane in 1867—Byro n '

s M a rin o F a l iero , under the ti t le o f The Dog e ofVenice. This a lso . acco rdin g t o the biog raphers of Phelps ,wa s a no ther very succe ssful a nd g reat pe rfo rmance o n his part . Andyet in '

1868 we find Bo ucica ult's F o rm o sa ”

a nd Hall iday’sF o rtunes o f Nig e l in stea d o fSha kespea re a ndByron .

On ly a few wee ks since , in a n a cco unt o f this yea r's pa storal playo f F a i rRo sam o nd,

”co rdia l and well -dese rved pra ise wa s g iven toMr.E . W . G o dwin for the sympathet ic ski ll w i th which he had adapted i tfrom L ord Tennyso n ’s histo rica l play of “ Becket ." No t long after that,the news wa s received of his sudden dea th on the 6 th of Oc tob er,a fter a prot racted and painful i l lness , under which a less ardent andcoura g eo us nature would have succumbed m a ny m on ths ea r l ier. He

died at the early a g e o f fifty-two , the vict im of an internal disea se,

which from t im e t o t im e during so m e years pas t had ca used himextrem e sufferin g . He leaves so m e p leasa n t m emor i es to his fr iends,by whom his dea th is s incerely m ourned, a nd of whom there arem any who would g ladly have penned {this b rief tribute to the m a n

a ndhis worth . In his profess ion proper of architect he had doneso m e adm irable work at an a g e when m any are s t i ll enslaved at thedesk

,and a s the frui t of his ripe r years he ha s left such a g racefulp iece of arch i tec ture a s D romore Cas t le in I reland . Archi tecture isbui lding refined in to a fine art , where a st ruc ture that is necessary for

a ny g iven purpose—a palace , a dwelling , a cathedral , a thea tre—ism ade precious by the addi t ion of ar t istic beau ty. A true and de epsense of beauty, added to technical kno wledg e a s wide in ran g e a s i t

No v . 1 , OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 289

wa s accurate and intim ate , m arked a ll the achievem ents of M r.G odw in , whe ther in architecture or in the varied work tha t he did forthe stag e . H is combination of architectural and archaeolog ical learnning w i th a fine sense of the requirem ents of art, showed itself strikin g ly in the G reek theatre which he built at He n g le r

’

s C i rcus a fewm onths '

a g o , where , dur ing the t oo br ief perform ance of Mr . To dhunter ’s class ical p lay of Helena in Troas , we were enabled to formfor the tim e , from actual s ig ht , som e notion of the s tag e and its surrounding s whereon the p lays of Sophocles were enacted in Sophocles ’

o wn day. In the con struction of this g em -l ike l ittle theatre—a

m em ory of the Hellas of history—the claim s of archae olog y and ofart were honoured in equal m easu re , and the result wa s certainlyunique in the annals of Eng l ish dram atic art .I t would be superfluous to speak of M r . Godw in ’s connection w iththe Society of P astoral Players , whose chief perform ances , and M r .

G odw in ’ s larg e share in the g rat i fying -success which attended them ,have been noticed m ore than once in these pag es . The Society wa sfounded some tw o years and a half a g o by L ady Archibald Cam pbell ,who w a s fortun ate in secu r ing from the first the m ore than w il l ing cooperation o f M r . G odwin in the delig h tful ser ies of Open -air entert a inm e n ts which have m ade the past three season s m em orable in sociala s w ell a s in theatr ical records . We had alm ost forg otten that wehad a pas toral d ram a unt i l Mr. Godw in produced the F a ithfull

Shepherdesss ,” for us at Coombe last summ er , and L ady Archibaldshowed us that a Thessalian shepherd could look and m ove and speakl ike one descended from the g ods; Mr . G odw in , a s Art Director ofthe Society , wa s everything t o the Pastoral P layers : b e adapted thep lays , des ig ned the costum es , rehearsed the p layers , and m ade him selfrespons ible th roug hout ; and when we have added t o the practicalskill of the Art D i rector in p lanning and conductin g a perform ancethe rare exotic charm of the P res ident ’s acting , we need seek nofurther to account for the fame which the Pastoral P layers and theirp lays have w o n these past three summ ers . Young men of all deg rees ,to i l ing on the steep and narrow path tha t le ads to g reatness and renown in art , have lost a g enerous fr iend and a sound counsellor inMr . G odwin , who would him self have left us work of endur ing valuehad streng th of body been g iven him in proportion to his streng thand or ig inali ty of m ind .Miss Em i ly F ai thfull ha s long borne a favou rable reputation a s anelocut ion is t possessed of much sympa t het ic express ion , and her talen tsin this di rect ion were very adva ntag eous ly pressed in to service by theManchester Vocal Society at a service of song recently g iven in the

Broug hton Park Cong reg ational Chu rch. The fi rst part of the perfo rm a nce con s isted of Ross ini’s Athalie,” the text of which isrendered into Eng l ish byW . Bartholom ew. I t wa s in the interm ediate

THE THEA TRE . (No v . 1, 1886.

passag es of this that Miss F a ithfull’s aid wa s needed , and herein shediscovered a g race and dig ni ty which lent a novel charm to t he work .Mr . Hen ry Watson is the conduc tor of the society , while among stt he art is ts who len t thei r services were Misses Pat t ie Standen , JessieMoorhouse , Wols tenholme , and Pendlebu ry .Madam e Tre be lli is n o w am ong ou r Amer ican cous ins . The

g rea t deep seem ed loa th to let her depart from our shores ,where she ha s so m any friends , for the ea rly part of thepassa g e wa s of the ro ug hest ; bu t, with due courtesy , the suncame out and shone br ig h t ly t o welcom e her on the other s ide of theAt lan t ic . The popular con tral to w ill m ake her headquarters i n NewYork , where her fr iends are very num erous . On Oc tober 18 she leftfor Canada , where she wa s to s tay for one week t o fulfi l concert e ng a g em e n ts . She w i ll n ext s in g a t a g rand co ncert in Boston , and onhe r return to New Yo rk she is to be heard in several class ical andphilha rm on icc o ncerts M a da m e Tre be lli is so well apprecia ted inAmer ica tha t i t is t o be feared the Eng l ish public w il l be depri ved ofhear ing her for m any months .

The fanciful im a g ination and g raceful pen of M r . H . Savile C la rkehave bee n em ployed in the co m p let io n of an ext ravag anza , t o beca lled Al ice in \Vo nde rla nd, the first ac t based upon tha t boo k ,a nd the se cond upon Throug h the L ookin g -

g lass . This ha s b eendo ne wi th the full sa n ction and perm iss ion of the author , M r . L ewisCarro ll, and t he a im of the a dapt o r ha s been to be a s loyal a s poss iblet o these class i cs of the nursery. Ml .Wal ter Slaug h ter ha s composedthe m us ic where it is needed , fo r we unders tand that by the expressw ish of M r . Carroll , where he ha s parodied a n o ld son g—such , forexam p le , a s in Beaut i ful Song s —the old tune wi ll be preserved .The extra vag a nza w i ll be p layed at a se r ies of m orn ing perform ancesat the P rince of Wales's Thea tre at Chr istmas , and i t is said that onH.R .H . a nd the P r incess of Wales recently vis i t ing that house to se ethe successful opera , L a Béarnaise ,” M r . Edg ar Bruce m en t ionedthe forthcom ing extra vag anza to them , the idea el ic i t in g hig h approvaland a prom ise of their presence . The p iece w il l be p layed byg rown -up actors and by children , and should cer tain ly be one of them ost attractive entertainm ents ever offered to the public.L e t m e w ish a ll heal th , happ iness , and many a bless ing to myfri end and able col leag ue on THE THEATRE—Austin Brereton , who , on

October 1 1 , wa s m arr ied a t the Church of Our L ady, G rove Road, St.John's Woo d, to Miss Edi th Blande .Andwo uld’

st tho u to the sam e a spire ,This is the a rt tho u must emplo y

L ive rig htly so sha l t tho u acquireUnkn o wnca pacities o f j o y. "

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October u , wa s ma rried a t the Church o fOur L a dy, GroveAudw uld’ct' thou to the m e g-pin .

Thin k the m tha n must emplo yUnkno wn a paci ties o f j o y."

Every m a ri is the s o n o f his o wn W o rks .

C a nva s f irs

M o m A PHOTOGRAPH sracra rw TAKEN FOR“THE THEATRE a v BARRAUD. 263. o xr o nu

STREET. w .

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THE THEA TRE . (No v . r. r836 .

Sept. 25' Le s Pi ra tes de la Sa va ne. drama , in five acts a nd eig htta blea ux, byM. Fe rdina ndDug ué . Be auma rcha is .

La V ie de Bo hem e ,”co medy, in fo ur acts , by M . Henri Murg er.

Odéo n.4 8

° Hamle t, a da pted by A lexa ndre Duma s , pere, a nd Pa ulMeurice. Thea tre Fra nca is.Uh Paris ien ,"co medy, in fo ur acts , by M . Go ndine t. Thea tre

Reo pening o f the No uvea u Cirque in the Rue St. Ho no re.

L i l i, " co medy, in three acts , by MM. Hennequin a ndA lbe rtMilla nd. Va rié tés .

Juare z ; o u . la Guerre du Me xique , ” drama . in five acts a nd

nine ta b lea ux, by M . AlfredGa s sie r . ChAtea u d'

Ea u.

6 Ada m e t Eve .

"o pere tte, in fo ur acts . by MM. Ernest Blum a nd

Ra o ul Toche musicby M. Ga s to n Se rpette. No uve a utés .

6 Da n s un e Lo g e ,

”com edy, in o ne act, by M . Ludo vicDe nis deLa g a rde . Déj a z e t .Fro u-Fro u,”co m edy, in five acts , by MM . Hen ri Me ilhaca nd

Ludo vicHa levy. Gymna se .

La To ur de Ne sle ,

"drama . in five acts a nd n ine ta blea ux , by

MM. Ga illa rde t a ndDuma s, pere . Po rte -Sr. -Ma rt in .

9 Le s Tro is Noce s ,” va udeville , in thre e acts, by MM. Emile a ndEdo ua rdCle rc. Ren a issa nce .

Le s Pe tite s Ma ne uvre s."co medy, in three acts , by MM. A lfred

De laco ur a ndEug ene Cha rtipve rt . Men us-Pla isirs.L a Crevett e .

" co medy-va udevi lle , in o n e act , by M . Willia mBusn ach. Men us-Pla isirs.Le s F i le de J ahe l ,” drama , in a pro lo g ue a ndfo ur acts , in ve rse ,byMada me Simo ne Arna ud. Odéo n .Nin icb e

,

" vaude ville,in three acts , by MM . Alfred Hennequin

a ndA lbe rt Milla nd. Va riétés .

Le s F emme s Co lla ntes,"co medy-b o ufi'e , in three acts , by M .

Leo n Ga udillo t. Déj a z e t.Les De ux Pig eo ns ," ba l le t , in two acts a nd three ta bleaux , b yMM. Hen ri Reg n ier a nd L o uis Mera nte ; musicby M . AndréMessa g e r. Gra ndOpera .

Ma da me Ca rt o uche,” co mico pera , in three acts , by MM.

Wil liam Busnach a nd Pie rre Deco urce lle ; musicby M. Léo nVasseur . Fo lie s Dramatiques .

THE THEATRE .

The L i o n ’

s M o uth .

BY J . PAL GRAVE SIMPSON.

[ Innum e ra ble re ade rs o f THE THEATRE,who fo r m a ny ye a rs ha ve e nj o ye d the

st o rie s , sk e tche s , e s sa ys , a nd the a tr ica l a necdo te sco n tr i b u ted to the m a g a z in e b ym y o ld frie nd, Pa lg ra v e Sim pso n , w il l re g re t t o re a d the sa d w o rds tha t acco m pa n yh is la st m a n u script. “ A s I sa id a t a Fa rew e l l D in n e r g iv e n t o m e a t E a s tb o urn ela te ly , O the l l o ’

s occupa tio n'

s g o ne I ca nno t w rite . My ha nd re fuse s its o ffice(a s yo u s e e ), a ndm y m ind ha s l o st the im a g ina tio n a nd in ve n tio n which fo rm e rly ita ffo rded m e so re a di ly . I a m reco ve ring t o a ce rt a in de g re e fro m m y la st i l ln e ss ,b ut I a m s til l a wfu l ly w e a k a nd he lple ss G o dble s s y o u ,

a nd a id yo u in a ll yo urw o rk , de a r Oldb o y

“ The L i o n’s M o uth ”sca rce ly j ustifie s the se sa d a nd de spo ndin g w o rds

,a nd Itrust t o prin t m a n y m o re co n trib u tio n s fro m o n e o f m y O lde st frie nds — C . S. ]

HERE are few who have entered the Dog e ’s Palace i nVeni ce , and m ounted tha t histori cal fl ig ht o f m arble stepscal led The G iant ’s Sta ircase , down which , a s w e are told

,rolled

the head o f the Dog e Marino F al iero , decapz'mtus pro crim im ’

b zts,

who have not pa u sed , w i th som e deg ree o f a w e , before thata perture i n the wal l of the g allery above , known in the annals o fth e Venetian R epubli c u nder the des ig nat ion Of “

The L ion ’ sMouth . ”I t w a s i n th is aperture that secret denunciat ions were depos i ted ,and the dreaded C ounci l o f T e n thus i nfo rm ed o f unknowncrim es

,for the m os t part unsubs tant iated or based on the feebles t

suspicion . G reat w a s th e Opportunity thus afforded to the j ealou srivals e ither on the field of love or that Of place and pow er .What a direct w eapon i t offered to cowardly envy , when an enem yw a s to be sw ept from the path O f the unscrupulous I H o w m anybase hearts m a y have been eag e r to avai l them selves of th ist em pt ing road to undetected reveng e The C ounci l o f Te n hadtheir efficient spies i n every part Of Venice . But the sec retdelator w a s , none the less , acceptable to that j ealou s and eversuSpicio us tribunal . He could m ount the G iant ’s StaircaseNEW SERIE S .

— VOL . V I I I . x

THE THEA TRE . [D£c. r, 1886.

unobserved , shrouded in mystery and h is cloak , drop the den o uncin g packet i n the g aping aperture , a nd sli nk away, w i th theconviction that the dee d of tre achery wa s safely done

,and h is

reveng e i n al l probabi l i ty assured ; for the Council seldom fai ledto act on the inform a t ion thus conveyed , and the arrest of theobj ect denounce d fo llowe d a lm os t a s a certainty .To th is day , althoug h these dark deeds are done no m ore , a ndno secret tri buna l of j udg m ent s its wi th in those wa l ls , i t isalmost impo ssible for any stran g er, even lo o sely acquainted w i ththe (history o f the Vene t ian Republi c , n o t to lo ok on this g rinningope ning i n the wall , a nd hear i ts a pa llin g nam e , w i thout a shudder.The Vene t ia n L ion ’s M o uth carries on i ts dark mysteries nolong er no w . But c ivi li sa t ion ha s st i l l i ts L ions ’ Mouths ” i n everycapita l , everyci ty , e very town , eve n e ve ry vi l lag e which prog resshas reached in m o de rn t im es . True , the se L ions ’ Mouths " are fa rfrom be ing use d e xclusively for the denuncia t ion of envy or reveng e .True , theyco nst itute o ne o f the g re atest and m ost extensive boonswhich m ode rn civi l i sa t io n has be stowed on ung rateful m a n . But

sti l l m a ny o f the a ttribute s andcharacteristics of the old L ion ’sMouth of the Dog e ’s Palace in Ve nice cl ing about them . At

l east , I for o n e ca n seldom loo k on a ny L i on ’ s Mouth ” o f thepresent day—myria ds a s the re a re of them—w i thout feel ing ho wm uch

,i n m any respects , the com parison m a y be dra wn .

Our L i on s ’ Mouths , at the prese nt day, a re the apertures bywhich letters are dropped into the innum e rable post-boxes . Thatof the pilla r-post a lways a ppe ars to m e to we ar an especial lymysterious g ri n .To th is day the L ion ’ s Mouth g apes to receive delat ions ,accusat ions, scandalous threa ts . To this day a nonym ouswarn ing s ,anonym ous denunc iations, anonym ous h ints affect ing the charactersof our nearest and dearest , sm i ting hearts w i th strang e suspic ions ,and ruin ing the peace of m ind of m others , husbands, lovers , or

whole fam i l ies , can sti l l find easy transm iss ion throug h these silentreceptacles o f al l wri tten comm unications, g ood or bad . The

m odern L ion ’ s Mouth sti ll holds i ts m ig hty power of m isch iefand evi l-doing and al thou g h it m ay not lead to arrest , and finallyto the scaffold of a Counci l of Ten , or cruel im prisonm ent , i t m ayentail,and does st i ll entai l , m i sery and m isfortune , shattered heartsand crushed l ives . I t m a y m ort i fy the susceptible by unm eri ted

abuse,and unhing e m i nds hitherto calm and unwrung . The

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THE THE /l TRE . [Dec1, 1886 .

m ind appears to be m ade up beforehand . She has no hes i tat ionin accom pl ishing her task ; but she dreads the m om ent of m akinga g reat sacrifice . She l ing ers over the s ig ht of the superscriptionof her letter. She s ig hs heavi ly, and s lowly , thoug h del iberately ,she allows the m iss ive to s l ip from her fing ers . Another heavys ig h . Then she pulls her vei l has ti ly over her face . The tearsare cours ing them selves down her cheeks ; and her weaknessm us t not be seen . She slow ly d isappears am ong the crowd ofpassers-by. W'hat is her story ? L e t us conj ecture it . She lovesloves w i th al l her heart and soul . She ha s pl ig hted her trothto the Obj ect of her a ffec tions . But parents , or harsh relat ives ,have opposed the m arriag e . She ha s long resisted and refusedobed ie nce to the i r d ictates of exped iency—di ctates em anatingfrom worldly-w ise heads , not loving hearts . She has endured

daily pe rse cut ion and petty tyranny . But her spi ri t has a t lastbe en broken . and she ha s g iven w a y. Rather than allow herlover to be s tricken do wn by the harsh reproaches or cruel sl ig htsof the hard ones at hom e , she ha s hersel f written the torturingwords by which she renounces him for ever . He r l i fe

,she knows

,

ha s been sha ttered he r hopes in happiness i n fond affect ion havebeen crushed for ever . The L i o n's Mouth ha s absorbed theletter which decides her dest iny. Hence those tears .

This is evidently a bu si ne ss m a n . He is shabbily dressed,yet

wi th a certain deg ree of neatness and care , and an evident desireto attain the prouder epithet of re spectable , ” althou g h Obviouslypoor . There can be no sentim ent about him , one m ig ht th ink .Who knows ? H is expression is stem and resolute . But thereare the indications of trouble , and sorrow, and sore strug g l e on h i sface . He walks firm ly to the L ion ’s Mouth . He drops his letterw i thout a m om ent ’s hes i tat ion . His m ind ha s been evidentlym ade up . H is “ courag e has been “

screwed to the st i ckingplace to despatch that letter. But yet he s ig hs heavily, andwalks away “

w i th a troubled brow and a bended neck . ” Poorm a n ! Al thoug h he has not hes i tated , he has accom plished abitter sacrifice

,a sacrifice m ade to affection . He does not reg ret,but he deplores i t . He i s wretchedly poor . The firm i n which

he wa s em ployed as clerk has fai led . But he has been Offered alucrat ive appointm ent in a distant colony. I t wa s his duty tohim sel f to accept . But his poor l ittle w i fe has clung round hisneck . He r bitter entreat i es, D o not leave m e , Charl ie—do not

DEC. 1, THE L I ON’

S M OUTH . 297

l eave m e,or I shal l d ie 1 have rung i n his ears . He had prom ised

her reg ular rem i ttances from his far-off desti nation ; he had placedbefore her eyes a vis ion of future pleasant com petence,when they

can l ive happily tog ether , and never part ag ain . But the sa dcry,

0 ,do not leave m e— do no t l eave m e

,or I shal l d ie ! ” could no t

be res isted . He ha s clasped his w i fe i n his arm s,and s obbed

forth,NO

,no there , the re , I w i l l not leave you The bri g htprospect o f future fortune ha s been swept from his hopefulmind .

He ha s written to decl ine the Offer m ade him ; and he returns tohis poor hom e , his stru g g l e w i th poverty and his g row ing cares ,to assure his anx ious w i fe that al l is over

,and repeat his words ,

“ No,no ; I w i l l no t lea ve you !

She is g org eously dressed , that splendid wom an who i s n o wapproach ing the L ion ’s Mouth w i th a letter in her hand . She

ha s no air of hes i tation about her, but rather of w i ld defiance .He r head is tossed back , her cheeks are flushed . Hes i tat ion ?No ! He r m ind is evidently m ade up a s to the transm iss ion o fthat letter . Ye t she looks around her caut ious ly before she depos i tsit i n the aperture . I f n o t hes i tat ion , there is evidently anxietys tam ped on her face . No one whom she knows is w i th in s ig ht .The letter is flun g into the b o x w i th a back-handed toss of recklessdeterm i nat ion , but , a t the sam e t im e , w i th a s ig h of rel ie f, a s i f aload were taken Off her m ind ; and she walks proudly on . She

,

too,ha s determ ined her dest iny by that one act D id you se e thering on the fing er of that one un g loved hand ? Ye s ; she is am arri ed wom an . But she ha s fal len . He r lover ha s written tohe r

,im p loring her to qu it her hom e , her hu sband , and her ch i ldren ,and elope w i th him . Pass ion ha s prevailed over al l sense o fduty ,honour

,and m aternal love . She ha s Wri tten to sa y that she w i l l

m eet the m a n,to whom she sacrifices everything ,

and that theyw i l l fl i t away tog ether . She ha s closed her perverted m ind to al lr epentance or rem orse . Ye t , perhaps , and even probably , rem orseand repentance are sti l l to com e and cry aloud to her . Meanwhilethe L ion ’s M outh ” ha s absorbed that fatal m iss ive , which w i l lbring m isery and sham e , a shattered household , the ag ony o f afond hu sband , and the w ai l ing s o f tw o poor innocent l i ttle g i rls , towhom she leaves a des tiny of d ishonour i n the world ’s eyes , and afuture of sham e in the m em ory O f their err ing m other .That is a handsom e young fellow who com es dawdl ing and , atthe sam e t im e , swag g ering along i n the ful l atti re of elaborate

THE THEATRE . LDsc. x, 1886.

swelldom . Yes , a g o odly you th and decidedly handsom e . The

faint , fair m oustache o n his upper l ip proclaim s that he is youngvery young ; and , alas ! the express ion of that fair face , w i th i tsblue eyes and its wea kness o f pouting m outh , proclaim s, at thesam e t im e , that he i s fo olish—ve ry foo l ish ! He sta nds by the

post-box and whips h is n eatly-fittin g trousers w i th his natty cane .Wi th del iberate ea se he takes a l etter from his breast-pocket ;wi th equally de l ibe rate ease , and a sm i le on h is sil ly l ip , he lets i tfa l l i nto the “

L ion ’ s Mouth , a nd walks on w i th that m a nner.which com bine s so curi ous ly the dawdle w i th the swag g er, as i fhe had done so m e dee d of note which enti tle d him to a civiccrown a nd the g ra teful recog nition o f m ankind . Andwhat hashe done ? He i s i n the to i ls o f a wom an of bad repute—beaut iful ,adroit , cunning . She ha s lured the m oth to the brig ht , daz zl ingca ndle of her bea uty . His w ing s have been cruelly sing ed ; heno long er feels the force to fly awa y. But she has affecte d thecoyn ess o f stri c t a nd i ndi g n a nt virtue . Never—no , never—wouldshe yield to him bu t a s h is law ful w i fe . She had ba i ted her hookw ith every poss ible allurem ent ; she had enticed her poo r fishround and round in her vile eddy of fasc inat ion and flattery . The

fish has been caug ht at last . He has wri tten to O ffer her h is hand ,wi th a pro m ise o f hono urable m arriag e . The L ion ’ s Mouth ha s

swallowed i ts prey ; a nd then what is l e ft to the wretched vict im ?He binds him sel f for l i fe to a n abandoned wom an he has entai ledon him sel f a future of m i sery , when , at last , his eyes a re openedto the true cha racter o f his wretched w i fe ; the wrath and scornof h is fami ly

,the abandonm ent to h is fate by all whom he has

hi therto cons idered near a nd dear to him . What a pro spect !There is but o n e alternative

,but that only i f h i s eyes should b e

opened in t im e , and his fooli sh in fatuation have been dispelled ;the alternat ive of an act ion for breach of prom i se , ” w i th al l i tsscandals and deg radin g publ ic ity and heavy dam ag es ; for thedeed has been done , and his prom ise w i l l be , in a few short hours ,i n that wom an ’s hands . Truly,thou s i len t aperture

,thou has t

swallowed m ore prom ises than one . The prom ise of a m iserableexis tence has com e into thy possess ionA very d ifferent Obj ect is the youth who next com es sneakingup to the all-absorbing aperture . He is s lang ishly, thoug h shabbi ly,dressed . H is cap is j aunti ly s tuck as id e on his roug h shock ofcurly hair . He is young , scarcely yet arrived at the a g e Of m a n

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THE THE/1TRE . (Dec. 1 , 1886 .

charg e of em bezzlem ent m a y next g reet our young aspirant on theturf ? But all those who comm it thei r destinies to the awful postbox are not evi l-doo rs . Here we have the ing enuous youth , thek ind

, g enial , t ru sty friend , who , entreated by a com rade to put hisnam e to the back of a bill—j ust fo r the form , you know ,

and e nta il ing no consequences , a s the bi l l is sure to be m e t—ha s not theheart to refuse . He i ndorses his nam e and sends back the bill tohis dear friend , w itho ut o n e s ing l e doubt or shadow of fear for thefuture . Ye t friends are treacherous som etim es and the poorco nfidin g fellow m a y ha ve broug ht on h im sel f a long period ofm isery and privation to m eet a no ther ’s debt , and have to endurefor the bette r part of h i s l i fe persecution

,and thre a ts , a nd disg racefrom pi t i less cred itors to whom he owes really no thing . May not

his whole l i fe' be thus bl ig hted ? Here , n o w , we have the si lly ,pretty housem aid she has a a charm ing fellow ,quite

a g entlem an , she tells her fel low-servants . He ha s written topropose to her an appointm ent . She m eans no i ll . She simplysees a chance of se t t l ing i n l i fe , and she wri tes to accept the rende z v o us he asks . She w i l l m eet th is m a n . She does not see inany prophetic “ m i nd ’s eye the m i serable fate which m a y awai ther by that sim ple act—theco nfidin g of those few brief words tothe pos t-box . Ye t i n the future m a y loom the spectre o fseductio n ,

desert ion , and sham e , a nd a l ife of squalor in the m ost h ideousform ,to wh ich poor wom an m a y fal l in her trustfulness i n the faithof m a n . 0 yes ! the “

L ion ’s Mo n th i s ful l of the mysteries ofdes t iny .Types to whom the post -box aperture i s a L i on ’s Mouth as

fatal a s that of Venice are innum erable as the variet ies Of hum annatu re in m ind , heart , feel ing , and physiog nom y . To attem pt tode scrib e them all would be an endless task . On e m ore only

,as

m ore closely identified w i th the ancient prototype , shall be ci ted . A

staid fem ale in prim black att ire , o fm ore thanm iddle a g e , approachesHe r arm s are crossed sanct im oniously before her ; on one shecarries an old-fash ioned ret i cule . He r face i s cold and express ion ,less , al thoug h her thin l ips are drawn down at the corners w i th anair resem bl ing that Of determ inat ion . She takes thre e o r four lettersfrom her ret icule , exam ines the ir superscription carefully, andthen drops them calm ly i nto the box . There is no sm i le on herl ips , but yet a defiant look in her eyes—even a g leam of sa tisfact ion . “’hat an infini ty of m ischief a ndm i se ry ha s she sown broad

D Ec. I,

THE L I ON’

S M OUTH . 301

e a st i n those letters T o the w i fe she ha s i nsinuated the i nfidel ityo f her hu sband to the m other the m i sconduct of her only s o n tothe father, the lost purity Of his dau g hter ; to the poor g i r l , theattachm ent Of her a ffia nced lover to another . T o i ns i nuat ions sheha s added obscure facts o f her o wn i ng enious i nvent ion . Scoutedi n her society a s a scandal -m ong er, she seeks reveng e by taking onhersel f the pleasant occupat ion of an anonym ous s landerer . The

type is the m os t odious,a s the m ost comm on , of all . Who is

there of us who ha s not rece ived som e s ting from the anonym ouscorrespondent ? Who ha s not known the m isery entailed on others ,i f not on him sel f ? Truly her type com es m ore closely to theshrouded denunciator of Old. And i n no case does our m odernpost-box resem ble m ore com pletely the ancient L ion ’s Mouth . ”

THE THE/4TRE . [DEG r, 1886 .

The First N ights o f My Yo ung Da ys.

Br GODFREY TURNER .

T wa s e ithe r to the larg est or to one of the sm allest theatres i nL ondon that I wa s taken as a ch ild betwe en five and

.si x years Old,

fiv e -and -fifty ye ars a g o . My purpose in this and i n other paperswhich m ay fol low i s to wri te my recol lect ions of first n ig hts as firs tn ig hts , i n the sense comm only unders tood ; but I shall be pardonedif I m ake a sta rt w i th my o w n part icular fi rst n ig ht in front of a playand I strong ly incl ine to the bel ie f that thi s event m ust have occu rredwhen I wa s taken to se e \Va llack i n “ The Bri g and . ” I t is true thatmy ea rly rem em bra nce of the old Strand Theatre , whithe r I oftenwent a s quite a l ittl e boy , is m ore va g ue and indist inct than thi s t em in isce nce of Drury L ane . On a hasty cons ideration , its vag uenessm ig ht be ta ken for proof of rem oter j uvenil i ty . I m u st have beenvery young indeed when I burst into shri ll , g lee ful laug hter as thecurtain rose upon a ludicro us scene i n The Turned Head , ” al l th eaudience except mysel f preserving a decorous s i lence . But the m erefact tha t I carried away w i th m e im press ions that were faint co m “

pared w i th those I derived from the perform ance of Wallack on thelarg er stag e is , on second thoug hts , no proof that I w a s older oryoung er at the t im e . I ndeed on that very ni g ht Of The Bri g andI m ust have seen other th in g s which I have clean forg otten .Probably these were The Belle ’s Stratag em and Deaf a s aPost ” ; and i f such wa s the case , I saw D o wto n i n th e first andL iston in the second

, w i th Wallack as Do rico urt , and Mrs . Wa yle tt

a s L et it ia Hardy,and M iss M ordaunt (after wards Mrs . Nisbett , after

wards L ady Boothby) a s L ady F rances Touchwood , and Mrs . Org etas Mrs . Racket,and COOpe r a s Sir G eorg e , w i thout being durably impressed by any one Of them ,

thoug h I w a s i n later t im e to m ake acquaintance w i th nearly all . O f L iston , at any period , I rem em bernothing , of D o wto n next to noth ing , of Mrs . Waylett l ittle else thanher s ing i ng of “ The L ig ht G u itar ” and Meet m e by Moonli g htalone . ” I t wa s the n ew dram a of The Brig and that fi ll ed myl i ttle m ind , to the exclus ion of all bes ide , thou g h it wa s the last thingi n the bi ll , and by rig hts I should have been as leep .L Eastlake had pain ted for the Royal Academ y two pictures in the

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THE THEA TRE . [DEC . 1 , 1886 .

bri g ands and the Papal troops , the latter be ing repulsed . There is aravine at the back Of the stag e , the fi g ht g oing on b elow ,

and Mariawatching i t a s she s tands on the edg e of the heig ht , holding on by atree . Mrs . Barrym ore w a s e xcellent i n th is . She wa s one of the oldschool of pantom im ists , n o w quite g one out . I can call to m ind herface when I se e an art ist ’s m odel , or a g i rl pulling along a piano -org an ,poor wench

,habi ted i n the peasant costum e , wi th the fla t folded whitel inen head -g ea r , and the larg e hoop- earring s . F ai r Maria G raz ie !

Courag eous Mrs . \V. Barrym ore ! I se e you n o w a s wel l as i f I hadbefore my eyes the picture by Eastlake . As well ? Ho w infinitelybetter !I t is not w i th absolute certainty

,thoug h w i th som eth ing nearconvict ion , that I spe ak of Mrs . B. a s the orig inal Maria . The piece

m ust have run a m onth , and m a y perhaps have had a rest , when Isaw i t i n the autum n of 183o . But of course I know , as everyoneknows

,that \Va llack wa s the orig inal Ma ssa ro n i. What a thoroug hlysatisfying actor he wa s i n parts such a s th is Te n ,

or twelve , or i tm a y be fi fteen years afterwards , I sa w him play a superfine brig and .a rather weak im i tat ion of Ma ssa ro n i and F ra D iavolo m ixed up ,i n a piece from the F rench

,temp. L ou is XV . , at the Princess ’s . What

there wa s to m ake of i t he m ade , l i ke a thoroug h stag e -g entlem an , thebest of his vig orous type at the t im e , thoug h he wa s then alm os t i nthe sere,the yellow lea f. I can im ag ine that those who were Old

enoug h then to have seen Jack Bannister could p ick holes i n thecoat of Jem W'allack,j ust a s I , who saw J . W . i n his prim e , m ig ht

speak w i th s ti nted and qualified praise o f X. Y. Z. But ho w do wereally kn o w tha t Bannister ’s sailors , for in sta nce , we re s o m uch superiorto Tippy C ooke ’s , or that Mrs . C rouch and the syren Bi ll ing tonwere unapproached by L ou isa Pyne The second act of “ TheBrig and , ” w i th wh ich dram a we are n o w concerned , introduces us tothe Splendid saloon of Prince Bianch i

,who i s g oi ng to hold a receptionand g ive a b a ll in celebration Of his dau g hter O ttavia’s birthday . He

presents her w i th a casket of beauti ful d iam onds , w i th which she is

of course del i g hted and the pleased express ion of M iss F a ucitseem ed to m y ch ild ish tas te very natural , a s I have no doubt i tseem ed to older jud g m ents a s well . O n e of the travell ing s tudentsi s O ttavia ’s draw in g m as ter and he shows her the l ikeness of theterrible brig and , t id ing s of whose victory over the troops have reachedthe G overnor, g reatly to his ang er and m o rtifica tio n . Am ong theg uests , Ma ssa ro n i h im sel f com es , under a feig ned nam e and in the m ostpat r i cian att i re . He ing ratiates him self w i th the Prince and O ttavia

,

his m anners,of course

,be ing such a s to charm everyone . He adm ires

O ttavia ’s j ewels , having a taste for such thing s , and exam ines them

Dec. F I RST NI GHTS OF MY YOUNG DAYS . 305

curiously—w i th som e dry rem arks which t ickled the aud ience—beforereturn ing them w i th a g raceful ho w . The conversation turns onMa ssa ro n i , and , the sketch being talked of, O ttavia runs off to fetchi t , to the confus ion and dism ay of the a rt ist , pledg ed in g rat itude notto betray the m a n who saved him from the brig ands . All areastonished by the resem blance of the drawing to the d ist i ng u ishedg uest , who , however , passes the thing off w i th eleg ant effrontery .I have seen Ma ssa ro n i

,

” he says , and I cannot sa y this is a g oodportrait I ndeed , n o w I look at i t closely , I really th ink i t is m orel i ke m e . Ma ssa ro n i takes a hand at cards w i th som e hig h officer o fthe Vat ican , and w i ns throws d ice and w ins ; excels i n everyth in g .

O ttavia ha s asked him to s ing . He takes a g uitar, and s ing s a l i ttl ebal lad .This song ,

G entle Zitella , a s sung and acted by Wallack , w i ththe qu iet , express ive by-p lay of M iss F a ucit to m ake i t , i n pantom im e ,a duet , took the town by storm . Everywhere G entle Zitel la ”wa s sung ,

played , hum m ed , whistled . The tune is n o w o ld enoug hto be alm os t n ew ; and when I hea rd i t played , tw o or three daysa g o ,by a street-clarinet , the old t im e cam e back to m e

,a s to C laude

Me ln o tte , at the sound of a voice . Ma ssa ro n i s tops short at th e endof a s tan za which does not close the song . He is pressed by O ttaviaand others to s ing on to the conclus ion . I t is an awkward thing to do ,but he puts a bold face on the m atter

,and cont inues thus

G ent le Z i tella ,Beware , ah , beware !

L i s t ye no di t ty,G ran t ye no prayer .

T o you r l ig h t foot stepsL e t terror add w in g sTis—Ma ssa ro ni

H imself who n o w s ing sGen t le Z i tella ,Ban ish all fea r ;

L ove ’ s rito rn e lla

Ta rry and hear .I t i s imposs ible for m e to doubt that Wallack im p ressed thehouse even a s he im pressed the young est o f his audience

m ysel f. The thunders o f applause ring i n m y ears n o w . Youw i l l observe that after the alarm ing d isclosu re o f terr ific pe rsonal i ty

,the s in g er re -assures the dam sel by a return to the soft and

soothing accents of the song . W i th his m ost dulcet and ins inuatingtones,the actor m u rm ured the ph rase , Banish al l fea r , ” and M iss

F a ucit , having but the m om ent before shrunk , w i th a very g enu inelook of terror,fro m tthe m a n who had frig htened her by feig ning to behim self, seem ed to lead in applauding the s ing er’s dram at ic abil ity .

THE THEA TRE . [Dac. .886 ,

The scene proceeds . I n the m idst of dancing and the hum ofco nv e i'sa t

’

io n, the Oldm a n whose conce aled ducats had been strewn o nthe m ountain road , by the breaking of hi s hol low staff, enters thesa l o on w i th a m essag e , a nd i n as ton ishm ent and dism ay a t'

s ig ht of the brig and ch ie f e xcla im s aloud, Ma ssa ro n i

There is a scream a nd a g ene ral rush for the doors, the 'room being qu ickly em pt ied , and the locks a ll fastened onthe trappe d ch ief. I n h is endeavour to escape , he draws aside acu rtain which m a y, a s he hopes, b e the po rtiére screening som e forg otten outlet . I t conceals no doo rway , but only a picture , a portra it .St ruck w i th the g e ntle ,com passio nate lo ok , he snatches the m in iaturefrom his bre a st and compa res the faces . They are the sam e . So m e o n e

, Ith ink i t i s the kind a rt ist , n o w steals i nto the ro om and hasti ly conce rts w i th Ma ssa ro n i a plan of retrea t . The re is no t im e for expla nat ion , but , spea king e ntire ly fro m m em ory, a nd not having see n theplay o r the play-book s ince I wa s in the ug ly dre ss of a l i ttle boy inthose days

,I fancy the brig a nd g e ts som e inkl ing of h i s parentag e .

He takes to fl ig ht throug h a side -window . Then the door at theba ck is flung ope n , a ndso ld ie rs in white '

un ifo rm—yes , white un i form lI cannot forg et them or theirco a ts- draw up to the w indow, a nd,taking the wo rd ofcomm a nd fro m the ir office r, m ake ready, present ,fi re . A few m o m e nts m ore , a nd Ma ssa ro n i sta g g ers on the stag e ,falls , and d ie s , the d isclo sure of h is sto ry be ing m ade in the presenceo f h is rem orse ful father .I ha ve n o w reca l led , do ubtless im perfectly a ndw i th som e un a v o id

a ble erro rs , the skeleton o f a ro m a nt ic dram a which I sa w,and

which g ave m e ple asure , i f no t profit , whe n I wa s a very young chi ld ,fifty-fiv e years a g o . Perhaps I should not m uch care to see i t ag aini n i ts i nteg rity , however well m ounted and well played . Mercyforbid I should eve r see i t a s i t would m ost probably be presentedn o w ,that is to say , as a burlesque , under som e such t i tle as L i ttl e

Ma ssa ro n i, the Bo y Bri g and or, The Maid , th e Masher, the Mystery ,a ndthe PennyDreadful , ” Ma ssa ro n i be ing perform ed (for the m ost partextem pore) by som e popular actress popularly spoi lt for acting , a ndthe pri ncipal fem ale characters being m e n . I can im ag i ne that insom e such vers i on the g u itar song would b e altered 'to su i t a breakdown and a banj o , that an imm ens i ty of fun would be g o t outof the card-table bus iness , that the picture of Ma ssa ro n i

’

s m ammawould be m ade a practicable caricature w i th roll ing and squint ingg og g l e eyes , that the fi le of white -coated sold iery would be com posedof g irls i n g aiters , w ith toy g uns from the L owther Arcade , andthat all the m ean in g o f the orig inal rom ance (which I have essayedto summ on from the past) wo uld be carefully knocked o ut of i t to

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THE THEA TRE . [Dec1 , 1886 .

nig hts running , the c ircum stances being som ewhat rem arkable . Onthe form er of these consecut ive occas ions—the g reat actor ’s g i ftedand am iable dau g hter be ing the J ul iet—there w a s so bad a Rom eothat he only l asted one nig ht , and wa s replaced , the fo l low ingevening , by a novice , who could not be worse , had he tri ed , but wa sscarcely bette r . The firs t of these Montag ues roared llke a bull ofBashan the second cooed a s m i ld ly a s a sucking dove , and at t im esw a s not to be heard at a ll. Their nam es I know not . Accidentthe accident of kinship—m ade m e a reader and spectator of playsat an extrem ely j uven i le period of my existence and I m a y a s wel lsay that when Charles Kem ble wa s playing Mercutio at CoventG arden , w i th a fut i le chang e of Rom eos , an uncle of m ine wa s casti n the m odest relicof old Montag ue . The cat is fairly out of the b a g ,and n o w you know ho w I cam e to be such a very young playg oer .That g ood uncle , and bad actor, l ived an odd sort of l i fe , but settleddown at las t i nto a snug i ndependence , and d i ed com parat ively richfrom houses and m oney luckily left him ,

or he would never have hadei ther . I spea k of him w i th honou r

,a s of a m a n o f th e warm es theart a nd kinde stdiSpo s it io n ,

w i th only one unfl inching ,rem orseless

,

irreco ncile a b le enem y in the world .Thou g h so m a ny o f the g ood actors rem aining over from the lastcentury had beg un to drop a way , from the s tag e when I , i n the

’ thirties , had entered my early course of del ig ht in thi s m im i c l i fe ,others were com ing on to fi ll their orbits . I have always reg re ttedthat I never sa w Edm und Kean . That he would have fascinated m e

m ore than any other trag ed ian I have g ood reason to th ink . He wa s ,i f I m istake not , the only l iving m al e actor, when I wa s a child , andwhen my father ’s , my uncle ’s , and m y o wn dear friend , L eig h Hunt ,wa s w ri t ing , s in g le-handed, The Tatler , ” to whom th is pas t -m asterof theatrical cri tic ism accorded the full honours of g en ius in thecapac ity o f a dram atic exponent . No w ,

L eig h Hunt wa s fairly Opento the charg e of being an inveterate la uda to r tempo ris acti . H is earlycrit iques

,first in “ The News and then in The Exam iner

,written

a g ood m any yea rs— s ixteen to twenty,that is to sa y—before I wa sborn

,and when he h im sel f wa s youthful , were , of course , pretty freefrom byg ones . Ye t , when he cam e to look back , i n after years , at

Bannister and Mrs . Jordan , ho w m uch m ore affectionately he spokeo f them than when he had had them i n actual view ,

when G eorg e theThird wa s King ,

or than he could find i t in hi s heart to speak ofl iving players ! But of Kean , and of Kean alone , he wrote w i thunqual ified praise in the nig htly and dai ly records of that unrivalledactor’s achievem ents . L e ig h Hunt never , he declared ag ain andag ain , saw Kean w i thout being m oved , and m oved , too, i n fi fty

F I RST N I GH TS OF M Y YOUNG DA YS . 309

different ways—by his sarcasm ,his sweetness , his pathos , his tra nqui ll i ty, his m easureless dig nity , his e xceeding g race , his g allantlevi ty, his noble sel f-possess ion . I t is a calam i ty to have m is sed

Opportunit ies , even in childhood , of seeing an actor who could thusbe described and thus rem em bered .While for m e stars of the fi rs t and second m ag nitudes were dyingout , there were m any to take thei r places i n m y young im ag ina t ion .

H ad I not Wallack , first g o d of m y ido latry ; had I not Macready ,Phelps , Harley, Wrench , ~ the Keeleys , F arren , Mrs . Org e r, MissKelly (of the d ivine plain face Mrs . G lover

,Miss Helen F a ucit ,and m any, m any m ore I cannot hope to se e the l ike of, s im ply because ,i f the l i ke were to com e indeed , they could not br in g to m e the e n thu

sia sm of my youth ? I t wa s when I wa s yet a child that a youngcountry actor beg an to m ake his m ark by playing in farce and lo wcom edy,and anon by wri t ing m elodram as and pieces o f that stam p .

The first I sa w of him wa s at the C i ty Subscription Theatre , i nM i lton Street,at the East End. He played a character called F o xeyJackson in a n ew dom est ic dram a , which I saw on the nig ht when it

wa s first brou g ht out . I t wa s ent itled “E i ly O ’

C o n n o r ; or, TheF oster Brother, and wa s founded on G erald G riffin ’s novel , The

Colleg ians , from which also The Colleen Bawn w a s taken aboutth irty years later . I n i t were M iss E l len T ree , Mr. and Mrs .

Chapm an,Jam es Vining , and M iss F orde . Thei r relat ive charac

ters were E i ly O ’

C o n n o r, Mrs . C reg an , H a rdre ss , Anne Chute , andDanny Mann . There wa s no Myles -na -C o pa le e n ; but the represe n ta tiv e of F o xey, who , l i kely enou g h , w a s the author o f the piece ,wa s nam ed John Baldw i n Buckstone . G entles , my tale is so farsaid . Va le te etpla udi te .

NEW SERIE S.

—VOL . V I I I .

The L a st M a tch .

Br F RANK A. MARSHAL L .

ES,we fam i ly so l ic itors do com e a cross som e queer e xperiences

n o w a nd the n ; a nd I do n o t m i nd tel l ing you one whichhappened to m e twe nty yea rs a g o , a s all the part i es concerned aren o w de a d .Thus Spo ke my o ld fri end Ja m e s L ewso m , as we sat over our w inetog ethe r a t his cha rm in g country house i n Kent . I g ive the story

a s nearly a s possible i n h is o wn words , om i tt ing the quest ions ando bserva tions w i th which I i nte rrupte d him .

I t wa s , I th ink , i n the summ er of 1864 , that I wa s walking i n theRo w o n e da y, i n the sea so n , w i th a fri end , when a wel l-appointedstanhope passed us , driven by a young m a n who n odded veryg raciously to m e . By his side wa s sea ted o n e of the m ost cel ebratedAnonym a s o f the da y ; I th ink that wa s thecant word then used for

ladies of that descriptio n . W'

ho is that ? my friend asked Im ea n the m a n , not the wom a n . ” “

Tha t i s young Charles Dun sta n ley,the son of a n old cl ient of our firm . I a m a fraid he is g oing to thedevi l a s fast a s heca n ; a ndh is com panion is j ust the person to he lphim . He w i l l not be the firs t young m a n that L iddie May hashelped to ruin . ”I did not hear or see anyth ing of young Dun sta n ley t i l l theautum n o f that year

,when I heard that he had g one to the Sou thof F rance . There wa s som eth ing w rong w i th his chest , as poor

Theodore Hook said when he cam e bac k from th e Mauri tius ; forw i th the help o f M iss L i dd ie

,he had g o t rid of a cons iderable sumof m oney , m ore than h is father, who wa s very indulg ent, would bel ikely to pay .

Early next year—I th ink about the m onth of F e b rua ry—I g o t ale tter from old Mr . Dun sta n ley asking m e , a s a special favour, to g odown on a vis i t to him at Dun sta n ley Park , which , as I daresay youknow ,is i n Sussex

,about fi fty m i les from L ondon . I t happened that ,thou g h com pa rat ively young , I w a s the m em ber of the firm who

t ransacted al l his bu s iness ; and , rig htly or wrong ly , he had g reatconfidence in my i ntell ig ence . I settled w i th m y partners to take a

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TI IE THEA TRE . [De e

of course, would take som e t im e . Meanwhile I m ade so m e inquirie sabout Wi l son . I found that he had been corresponding lately withbetting m e n , which t o m e wa s a very suspic ious circum stance ; for I

g enerally find that se rvants who take to bett ing end , a s a rule , byrobbing thei r m aste rs . I asked Mr . Dun s ta n ley i f he ever left hiskeys a bout . He sa id tha t he had been in the habi t of leaving them i nhis pocket before the first robbery occurred ; but after that he hadalways place d them under h is pi llow . I t wa s the old story of course ;shutting the stable do o r after the horse wa s s tolen . There hadevidently been plenty of tim e for his valet to take the m odel of any keythat he wanted . Howeve r, \Vils o n ’

s character wa s very m uch in hi sfavour . He had l ive d fi ft een yea rs w i th his m aster, had been m ostimpl ic itly truste d , and wa s deeply atta ched both to him and to CharlesDun sta n ley. In fa ct i t appe ared tha t he had nursed the latter asdevotedly a s a ny wom an could have done . Evidently , i t would notdo for m e to hint a t any suspicio us I m ig ht entertai n ag ains tWi l so n I sho uld probably only ang e r my cl ient , and , i f mysuspicions wereco rrect , g ive the th ief a warn ing to be on his g uard .All tha t I could advise Mr . Dun sta n ley to do wa s , to g ive m e all h i spapers a nd securit ies of a ny value which he had i n the house , and toplace them in safety by taking them Up next day to L ondon mysel f,and deposi ting them w i th his bankers. I n the m eanwhile I sug g estedthat he should put som e m arked m oney and som e num bered n o te s inthe sam e drawer from which the others had been sto len locking thedrawer , of course , a s before . This he did in my presence .That even ing , a t dinner, to the as tonishm ent both of hi s fatherand m yse l f, Charles Dun sta n ley put in an appearance . He lookedvery i l l

,but he m ade him sel f very ag reeable . He wa s Ig e n tle and

a fiectio n a te to his father , and rem arkably attent ive to m e . The nextm orning I s tarted for L ondon about ten o ’clock . I placed thesecuri t ies i n a sm al l travell ing b a g ,

which wa s fas tened w i th twopatent locks . J ust before i t wa s t im e for m e to start, Charles

Dun sta n ley cam e downstairs . He said he had com e to s a y g oodbye,and asked m e to execute a sm all com m iss ion for him

,viz .

,to

procure him a n ew patent m edic ine for inhaling . This I g ladlyconsented to do . J us t at th is m om ent the do g -cart drove up,and

my cli ent cal led m e i nto the l ibrary . I le ft my b a g on acha ir in thehall . When Ica m e back , two or three m inutes afterwards , CharlesDun sta n ley wa s s tanding w i th his back towards m e

, exam i ning theb a g . When he sa w m e

,he s tarted : I wa s only looking at your

b a g ; i t seem s a very convenient one , wel l secured . ” Ye s,

” Irem arked

,I have g o t a rather valuable charg e i n i t . ” Saying that ,and shaking hands w i th him , I took the b a g , and j um ped in to the

DEC. 1,

THE LA ST MA TCH . 3 13

cart . The firs t th ing I d id , when I g ot into the ra i lway ca rriag e , wa sto unlock the b a g and se e that the valuables were all rig ht . This Id id m erely a s an ordinary precaution . I reached L ondon al l rig htdepos i ted the securi ti es , &c. , w i th Mr . Dun sta n ley’

s bankers ; andreturned , a s- I had arrang ed , by the evening train , i n t im e for dinner .My host had asked m e to cal l at the post-oth e e for the letters,which

would not be del ivered in the ordina ry course t i l l ne x t m orning .I

d id SO , and took the l iberty to exam ine them . The re were two forWi lson— one in a bus iness hand , the other in a wom an ’s scrawl ; therest were all for m y cl i ent ; for his s o n there were none .That evening C harles did not d ine w i th us , and his father took theopportuni ty, when we were alone , o f talk ing very seriously to m eabout him . I m ust sa y that i t w a s a m os t pain ful conversation ;for I cannot bear to se e a s trong m a n i n tears

,and my dear o ldfri end— for he really wa s m ore a fr i end than a cl ient— could som et im es hardly speak , ow in g to his em ot ion . He had hea rd

, som ehowor other, of his son ’s g o in g s on in L ondon last season , and o f hisi nsane attachm ent to L iddi e May . On e rum our w a s that he hadbeen m a d enou g h to m arry her . This report I ventu red to contra

d ict ; I said I bel i eved that that estim able lady had one or twohusbands already l iving . However , there wa s no doubt that theyoung m a n had ru ined his health and his reputa t ion,and had

i nvo lved him self to an extent which,probably

,he him sel f even didnot know . No w

,m y dear L ews o m ,

said m y host , “ I want youto speak to him ; he seem s to have taken a l iking to you . You knowyoung m e n never w i l l tel l their fathers the truth . Dr. Jam eson sayshe fears that som e secret d istress is ag g ravating the disease ; and that ,unless his m ind can be se t at ease , there is very l ittle chance of savinghis l i fe . W i th m e he is , I reg ret to s a y, ve ry rese rved but do , m ydear fellow ,

assure him that m y only des ire is to rel ieve him of al lanx i ety,at whatever cost to m y pocket . Tel l him not to be afraid ,but to g e t r id o f every claim upon him ,

n o w and for ever . I neednot sa y that I prom ised , m ost s i ncerely , to do my very best to carryout M r . Dun sta n ley

’

s w ishes .

The nex t day happened to be an exceptionally fine one for thet im e of year ; s o I went up to Char les ’

s room,and p roposed that we

should g o out for a d r ive tog ether . He consented readily , but seem edterribly n ervous . Du r ing the d r ive I i nvi ted his confidence in them ost del icate m anner , and hinted g ently that I knew all aboutL idd ie May . Upon this he bu rs t forth into the m os t enthus iast icp raises Of that expe r i enced s iren . I t w a s evidently an infatuat ion ,a delus ion I m a y sa y,

alm ost enoug h to convince anyone of hisi nsanity . She wa s“ the m ost inj ured of wom en ” ; “ her l i fe had

TI I E THEA TRE . [Dec1 , 1886 .

been unhappy she had been “ deeply wrong ed , &c.,&c. He ended

by assuring m e , m os t earnestly, that he loved her , and should neve rlove anyone else . Of course I could say nothing to that ; so ,to chang e the subject , I reverted to the quest ion of m oney. I toldhim that , thoug h his father had suffered several severe losses lately,he wa s ready to d ischarg e , i n full , al l h i s son ’ s bo nd fide debts .

\Vha t , ha s my father lost m oney he asked He ha s not surelybeen speculat ing No ,

” I a nswered b ut he ha s beensystem atical ly robbed for the last tw o m onths . \Ve did not want toupset you by tell ing you anything about i t ; but , perha ps , you ou g ht toknow . F o r my part , I have my suspicions as to who the thief is but,at present , they a re o nly suspic ions a nd not proofs .

” I turned roundto look a t my com pan ion , who wa s driving , and saw that he lookeddeathly pale , and that hi s hands were trem bl ing . I wa s sorry that Ihad m ade a ny allusion to the subj ect , a s his nerves were evidentlyi n a very exc ita ble condi tion . Shortly after

,we cam e to a place

where the roa d pa ssed a very ste ep em bankm ent which wa s notfence d . \Ve had scarcely g one twenty yards , when the two cobstha t Cha rles wa s driving—whe ther in his nervousness he pul led thewrong rei n or not , I ca nno t sa y—swerved viol ently , and we werew i thin an ace of g o ing down the em bankm ent ; in which case I th inkthat we should have arrived a t king dom com e , i f I had not se ized there ins j u st i n t im e to save our l ives . My com panion looked l ikedeath , a s wel l he m ig ht and for the rest o f the wa y hom e I drove ;no m ore conversation passed between us . “’hen w e g o t hom e ,Charles declared tha t he felt unwell

,and that he should g o to bedat once , which he d id , so that h is father and I had another tri te

d-tfi e that evening . I told him the resul t o f my conversation w i thCharles ; and expressed my convict ion that , unless som eth ing wa sdone , he would end by m arry ing that m uch -wrong ed wom an , L iddieMay , who wa s said lately to have developed a pass ion for g am bl ing .

I t wa s my im press ion tha t a g reat port ion of Charles ’s l iabi l i ti eswould prove to have been contracted on her account

,and not on his

o wn a conj ec ture which, a s you w i ll presently se e , wa s pretty nearthe truth .

After dinner we went into the l ibrary , where I w a s allowed to sm okemy cig ar . I t wa s not the custom ,

a t that t im e , to sm oke al l over thehouse , a s i t is n o w . The l ig hting , even of a cig arette , i n the d iningroom would have been cons idered , then , a very il l-bred proceeding .

Before m y host left m e , we unlocked the drawer where the m arkedm oney had been placed

,and found that both notes and g old were al lthere . My host bade m e g ood nig ht ; and I ret ired into a li ttl eroom which opened out of the l ibrary

, w ith only a draped archway

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THE THEA TRE. [ I ) sc. 1, 1886 .

m om ent m ore distressed . T im e enoug h , my answer wa s , totalk about that to-m orrow . I think that I shall adv ise your fatherto let som eone s leep in your room for to wander about w i th barefeet at this t im e of nig ht is , t o one in your s tate of health , dang erous .C om e , le t m e he lp you to your room . I took hold of h is a rm hesnatched i t from m e rather roug hly . “

Thanks,I can find my wa y

m ysel f. I thoug ht i t be st to leave him ,but I need scarcely say I

d id not take o ff my clothes t i l l I had heard him g o by , his brea ths ti l l painfully labo ured , to h is o wn room . F ortunately Mr . Dun sta n leys l ept on the o ther side of the house

,or we m ig ht have disturbed

him . I sat quie t for about te n m inutes , th inking over the unhappydisco v e ry l had m a de . This w retched young m a n had evidentlybee n ro bbing the m o st lo ving a nd indulg ent of fathers for the sakeof a worthl ess wom an , who had enthralled him heart and soul . Irem em bere d the n tha t in a ll the club g ossip , however il l-natured , Ihad he a rd a bo ut Charles Dunsta n ley, there had never been a ny storywhich a t tribute d to the young m a n anything worse than folly andex tra va g ance . He hadbee n the vict im of m any schem ers , m ale a ndfem ale , b ut I had ne ver he ard of onecase i n which he had been thevict im iser . I c o nsidered tha t I oug ht to tell h is father what I haddiscovered ; and yet I felt that i t wa s a duty too cruel even for alawye r to fulfi l . Howeve r I wa s t oo t i red to think anything m oreon the subject then ; so I undressed as qu ickly as I could , and g o tinto bed . I never co uld bear a l ig ht in my room when I slept , but i tw a s my i nvariable habit to put a candle and a m atch box close tothe bedside . This I did a s usual blew out my l ig ht , and , i n sp i te o fthe painful scene I had just g one throug h and the m ore painfulreflect ions thereon , I wa s soo n asleep .Ho w long I s lept I do not know ; but I wa s awoke suddenly by theno ise of som eone m oving abo ut m y room . I t wa s a larg e bedroom .

a nd the fire which had been l ig hted on the previous evening wa s notyet qu ite out . There wa s not sufficient l ig ht for m e to dist ing u ish anyobj ect . I l istened ag ain , and saw that there wa s som eone m ovingacross the room . I s tretched out my hand to the m atch box , andopened i t ; there w a s only one m atch left . I took i t out and s trucki t on the box . I could not m ake i t l ig ht at firs t , but at las t Isucceeded

,and by the faint l ig ht I dis ting uished a fig ure crouch ing

down close to the dress ing table . J us t as I wa s putting the m atchto the candle i t went out , and I wa s ag ain i n darkness . I supposethat m y nerves m ust have been unst rung , ow ing to what I had g onethrou g h in that eventful nig ht for the terror that I experienced inthe next m inute or s o seem ed to last for hours . I wa s consciousthat the fi g ure w a s a dvanc ing towards the bed , and yet I had no

DEC . 1 , THE LAST MA TCH . 3 17

power to escape . I had no weapon o f any kind w i th which todefend m yself. I can never convey to you any idea o f the horrorthat thri lled throu g h m e

,a s I felt an icy cold hand g rasping mythroat . Then the point of som e co ld

, sharp weapon s truck m e j ustbelow the neck . The next m inu te a warm stream of blood seem edto pour over m y chest , and I heard a sound like the fal l of som eheavy body on the floor by the beds ide . Then I becam e unconscious .=l<

When I cam e to m yself, there wa s a li g ht in the room ; and Irecog nised Wi lson standing at the foo t of the bed w i th an exp ress ionof horror on his face . I saw that m y nig htshirt and the sheet , whichwa s partly over m y breast , were both covered w i th blood . I bel i eveI m us t have scream ed before I fainted ; forWi lson , whose room w a sfurther down the passag e , had been roused by a scream . At firsth e thoug ht I wa s dead , and horror at the s ig ht had paralysed him .I g o t out of bed and the firs t obj ect I saw on the floor w a s the bodyof poor Charles Dun sta n ley . Pale and trem bl ing , we l i fted him uphe wa s quite dead .We laid him on the bed

,and tri ed every m eans to restore him tol i fe , but in vain . As I wa s rais ing his head

,i n order that W i lson

m ig ht bathe his forehead m ore eas i ly , I felt , am ong the bed -clothesunder him , som e hard obj ect— it wa s a sm al l dag g er . I took theopportuni ty ofWi lson ’s back being turned for a m om ent to conceali t beneath the pillow , and , fortunately , he never knew the discoveryI had m ade . The cause of death wa s soon p retty clear : Cha rlesDun sta n ley had broken a blood-vessel in the very act of attem p tingto m urder m e . The latter detai l w a s one that I only knew ; I a mhappy to sa y no one but yourself, to this day , ever knew i t .The wound infl i cted on m e by the unhappy young m a n w a s so

Sl ig ht that i t wa s eas i ly concealed . I have the dag g er , which I shallalways keep ; but n either his father nor Wi lson ever saw i t . Mr .Dun sta n ley bel ieved that his s o n ,

feel ing him sel f worse , cam e tom y room for assistance ; and that , a s he wa s tryin g to rouse m e , alarg e blood -vessel had Suddenly g iven wa y, and that he died of thehem orrhag e before any help could be sum m oned . I alone knew thatthe wretched young m a n m ust have com e to m y room w i th the hal fi nsane idea o f taking m y l ife , and of s o dest roying the sole evidenceof the c r im e into which his in fatuation had led him .

I t wa s to supply the wants of L idd ie May that he had robbed hisfather of those various sum s ; and I have not the sl ig htes t doubt thatW i lson w a s totally innocent o f any com p l i ci ty i n his g u il t . Devotedto his young m aster, he had consented to receive letters directed

THE THEA TRE . [c. 1 , 1886 .

under cover of his nam e , and to post various letters for CharlesDun sta n ley d irected i n his o wn handwri ting . I b e lie v e there w a snothing that h i s young m aste r could have asked him to do that h ewould not have done

, short of any crim e .\Ve broke the news to my dear old friend and cl i ent as g ently as

we could but he neve r recovered the blow . In less than three yearsfrom the trag i ca l e nd of hi s so n he him sel f d ied , and the estatespassed to a d istant rela t ion .I m ade i t my business , when I returned to L ondon , to visi t M iss

L iddie Ma y . She had rea d of poor Charley’s death in the papers .To do her j ust ice , I m ust say she seem ed m os t s incerely distressedat h is loss . I wa s , a s you m a y im ag ine , i nc l ined to be tolerablysevere w i th he r. She co n fessed tha t she had for som e t im e indulg edi n bett ing t ra nsa ct ions . Som eone, who had the very best inform at ion , kindly g a ve her t ips a nd she w a s always backing horseswhich never succe ede d even in be ing placed . I a m not a bet ting m a n

m yse l f, but , i f I were , I sho uld ce rtainly bet ag ains t every horse whichthose who know a ll a bout i t a ssure you w i l l w in . As far as myexperience g o es , excepting those imm ediately connected w i th thestable to which a horse belong s—and they never once i n a blue m oon ,except by accide nt , ever te ll you the t ruth—there i s no class of pers o ns who are less able to g ive you a ny trustworthy a dvice a s to any race ,about which the re is the s l ig htes t doubt , than those know ing personswho pass the g rea ter part o f thei r ex istence i n the society of racingand betting m e n . However this m ay be , M iss L idd ie certainly neve rhad succeeded in pull ing o ff any g reat or sm al l event . She l ived i nthe hope of doing so som e day but , m eanwhi le , her losses had to bepaid , and the m oney wa s supplied by poor Charles Dun sta n ley ; bywha t m ea ns you n o w know . \Vhen I told her that he had beenrobbing h is father to pay her g am bl ing debts , she seem ed g enuinelyshocked she declared that she never knew but that the m oneywa shiS o wn

, believing that he had any am ount of coin ,” and ,when she did pull fo ff a b ig thing , she fully intended to pay him backHo w true this m a y be I do not know ; but I l eft her in a state of whatseem ed to be g enuine sorrow ; and I m ust s a y that the result of myi nterview wa s a convict ion that the devil—even when of the fem al esex—i s not qu i te so black a s he ’

s painted .There , my dear fel low ,

you have my m ost sensat ional experience ;and I assure you that I never take a box ofm atches to lig ht mybedroomcandle w i th , but I feel a shudder a s I recall that terrible i nc ident o fTHE L AST M a r e n .

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THE THEA TRE . (Dec. 1, 1886 .

wast ing d isease , which , althoug h the doctors d id not seem to nudersta nd, those who knew him best attributed to the inwardworking s of a g ri ef which wa s breaking his heart .This wa s the firs t Boxing -nig ht since he had entered the theatrethat he had not been at h is post on the stag e . F o r days past hehad been g ett ing weaker a ndweaker, and h is state had becom e socritical during the last four-a nd-twenty hours that the doctor hadforbidden him to rece ive any of the m any vis i tors who had flockedto his bedside Si nce i t wa s known he wa s dang erously i l l . Neverthe le ss , m any of his adm i rers and wel l-w i sherswould not be denied ,a nd al l day long , i n spi te of the doctor ’s orders , a stream offrie nds c o ntinued to ca l l , leaving beh ind them som e trivialpresent or kind word of sympathy a nd encourag em ent . Everywhe re about the room could be seen fru it , sweet sm ell ing flowers ,and other del icate tokens which plainly showed ho w the sick m a n

w a s esteem e d by his fel lo w-em ployés and acquaintances . But allth is—intende d to softe n a ndsoothe the ag ony of the sufferer, and toShed a ray of l ig ht on the darkest hour of h is existence—appearedonly to intensi fy h is pain . Everything had been done for himthat could be done a nd whe n Dr. Sm i th , who prided h im sel f onbeing the honorary and official adviser of the theatre , found hisskil l unavai l ing he bro ug ht one of the m ost em inent am ong them e dica l faculty to se e h is patient . Matters , however, only g rewworse . Wh en the do ctor called tha t evening he wa s m uchannoyed to find his i nstruct ions had been disobeyed , for thesefrequent vis i ts from day to day had had a very bad effect on J im ,

who wa s n o w i n a m ost desperate state and at t im es qu itedel irious . J im knew that he wa s dying .

Minnie Johnson wa s the daug h ter o f one of the “ dressersshe had been eng ag ed in m any pantom im es ; had , so to speak , g rownup in the place , and wa s at last prom oted to the b a lle t . She w a s

one of the best dancers and pretties t fig ures i n the theatre and aboute ig hteen years of a g e . He r eyes were beauti fully brig ht andsparkled w i th intell ig enc e her hair w a s long , plent i fu l , and fair ;and her rosy cheeks and perfect com plexion required no roug e pot .He r hands and feet were sm all and well-m ade , and her arch express ion seem ed to conspire w i th her pouting l ips to tantal ise J im ,

who evidently had a sneaking affect ion for her, which she

encourag ed only by laug hing at him . J im appeared a g reat dealolder than he really wa s , but he certainly w a s not a bad- looking

D EC . 1,

A SORR Y F TTVTSH . 32 1

fellow . He did no t m i nd M innie ’s chaff s o long a s she wouldspeak to him ; i n fact , nothing pleased him better than to run onerrands or perform any other Service She m ig ht a sk of him .

J im had always been a confirm ed Benedick— not that he did n o tadm i re the fair se x—but becau se he bel i eved in' having his l iberty .He would shake his head .and express asto nishm ent'whenever hes aw any of hi s companions taken to book by thei r better halves

,

”

who not unfrequently, s o to speak , wore those nether . g arm entswhich are som et im es denom inated inexpressibles . But , a s i thappens w i th m os t confirm ed Benedicks who are cau g ht at last ,and when they least expect i t , so i t wa s w i th J im ,

who n o w beg a nto m ake him self very ag reeable . His atti re wa s as spruce a s hisi ncom e or credi t would perm i t , and he Showed the g reatest anxietyto find favour i n the eyes of M innie . Every day he would vis i tthe m arket at Covent G arden and purchase som e cho i ce flowers ,cons idering him self wel l rewarded for hi s pains i f she would onlyaccept them . Minnie 'paid very l ittl e heed to the devot ion o f them a n , who som et im es neg lected his work to be near her . I t wa sevident enou g h that this kind of th ing could not g o on w i thoutreaching a cl im ax of som e sort or other, and one day, after rehearsal ,when J im m e t Minni e J ohnson alone on the staircase leading fromher dress ing -room ,

he asked her to becom e his w i fe . The g i rl lookedat him w i th an express ion of m ing l ed astonishm ent and am usem ent , and then burst out in such a shout of laug hter that i t attractedth e attent ion of the other “ ladies of the ballet , who ins is ted uponknow ing the cause of her m errim ent , and , having heard what hadtaken place

,they all j o ined in a hi larious chorus which s o alarm ed

poor J im , who wa s deep ly d isappointed and crest fallen , thathe fled precipi tately down stairs . He resolved never to Speakto M inn ie ag ain ,

and for tw o or three days kept away fromher entirely ; but her m ag net i c influence soon att racted himto the stag e , where he would ensconce him sel f i n the w ing s , towatch her at rehearsal . Minnie w a s not a bad -hearted g i rl , andwhen She heard that J im w a s so lo w Sp i ri ted over her unce rem oniousbehaviour

, She felt sor ry she had acted s o unkindly . O n e day see in ghim behi nd a w in g , ” she Sl ipped round to the back unobservedand

, suddenly com in g behind him , said in her sweetes t vo ice , G ood

m orning , J im . What a re you do ing there J im d rew him sel fup

, grew very red in the face , then , turning his head away, helooked on the g round and answered , Noth ing .

”

She then asked

THE THEA TRE . [Dsc. 1 , 1886.

him whether he wa s ang ry w i th her, and J im ,rais ing his headand w i th tears in his eyes , reproached her for her incons ideratebehaviour . Minnie w a s vexed to th ink she had hurt the poor

fellow’

s feel ing s , and , offering her hand , asked him to forg ive her .As her hand touched h is , a th ri l l seem ed to pass throug h his ent irefram e , and he stood hold in g i t i n bo th of his for som e seconds .Why, M innie , ” he asked , “

w i l l you not be m ine M innied id not kn ow what an swer to m ake ; she told him ,

however,that

althoug h she l iked him very m uch as a fri end , she did not m eanto m arry ; anyhow,not for the present , and that i f she ever d id

wed i t would b e w i th a g e ntlem an . Ye s ,” said J im one of thoseto ffs who w i l l be kind to yo u for a t im e , and whe n they g rowt ired of yo u w i l l leave yo u to the tender m erc ie s of the world . ”Minnie did her best to bring th is awkward interview to an end ,but J im wo uld n o t l et he r g o unt i l she had prom i sed to reconsiderh is offer . So they parte d , and J im went ba ck to his work .

Once m ore he pa id h is daily floral tribute to M innie,and

a g ain be ca m e her c o nstant attendant , tak ing l i t tle note of therebukes he re ce ived for neg l ect ing hi s work . This went onfor som e t im e , t i l l M innie com plained bitterly of his too persi stenta ttentions

,a nd she d id a ll she could to elude him . I f he wa s

wai ting at the stag e-door she would escape throug h the front , ori f he too k h is sta nd on o n e stairca se she would cross throug h thepaint-room and g e t down by a no ther . Qu ite a l it tle conspiracywa s form ed by M innie and her com pan ions to sel l poor J im , who

wa s sent on m any a w i ld-g o o secha se i n consequence . He tooki t al l g ood-naturedly enoug h , a nd did not seem to m i nd , unti l onenig ht , a s he wa s passing throug h the s tag e -door, a boy fromCovent G arden m arket , le ft for M innie , roll ed in blue paper, am ag nificent spray of flowers , which she wore that evening , g ivingJ im ’

s offering to one of her friends . J im wa s s tung to the qu ick .He tried to hold his tong ue , but at las t he could bear i t no long er,so he enqu ired of M inni e whose flowers She wa s wearing , andwhat she had done w i th those which he g ave her . Minni e toldhim i t wa s no concern of his , and , as reg ards his flowers , she didnot w ant to be worried wi th them , any m ore than she did w i th h isattentions .

The next n ig ht she rece ived a Splendid bouquet , and on thefol low ing one a basket of lovely flowe rs , and J im , hearing o f th is ,m ade up h is m ind to find out who wa s the sender of them .

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THE THEA TRE . [D£c. r, 1886 .

to all appeara nce dying . J im wa s by her side imm ediately, alm os tfrantic w ith despair, a nd when she g a ined consc iousness andrecog n i sed him , a s we l l a s her fr ig htful inj urie s would pe rm i t her, sheuttere d a wo rdof thanks for

.b is ass i stance . The poor g i rl wa s takenho m e , and for thre e we e ks she l ing e re d , enduring al l the whi le a g onyof an inde scribable cha racter . J im l eft h is work , a nd g ave up hi st im e to re ndering her whate ver se rvices he could ; but i n tha tshort period his ha ir be ca m e blanched a nd white as snow !

His eye s we re sun ke n into his g hea d, a nd he wa s reduced tothe sha do w of hi s form e r sel f. Dea th ca me to the reli ef ofM innie , a nd ever s ince that day m a tte rs went worse a nd

worse w i th J im .-Al tho ug h eve ryb ody w ished him wel l o n

account o f his un e xam ple d devotion to the poo r g irl , and sympa thised si nce re ly wi th him for the lo ss he had sustained, yetda y by da y he exh ibite d a ll the s ig ns of fai ling hea l th , and wa s a tla st co mpe l led to ta ke to his b ed. As he lay the re on th is Boxingnig ht a t the po int o f de a th , a nd j ust as the overture across theway had finished, a nd the curta i n wa s rising to revea l to eag ereye s the bea uteo us scene s o f a nothe r pa n tom im e, J im Taylor roseup i n his b ed, his ha ir sta nding alm ost uprig ht , and his eyesfea rful ly d ila te d , a nd excla im ed , in accents choked by the fi nalstrug g l e : G re a t_G o d forg ive m e .

’

Twas I I ’

Twas I ! I who

cut the wi re He fe ll b ack'de ad, a nd a ll wa s over.

DEC. 1, OUR MUSI CAL -BOX. 325

® a r mus ica ls lBo r.HE m usical even ts of consp icuous interest wh ich cam e o ff duringthe past month were the fi rst L ondon product ion of Sull ivan ’

s

Golden L eg end ” at the Albert Hall , and the series of operat ic perfo rm a nce s g iven at He r Majesty’s by a F rench scratch company. I wa s

n o t fortunate enoug h to hear the can tata, wh ich drew an audience tenthousand stron g to the larg est a ndug l iest of En g l ish concert - rooms, andcannot therefore express a ny op in ion relat ive to its meri ts a s a composition . Several excellent musicians of my acquaintance who at tended itsperformance on the i sth ul t . have assured me that i t is a work of e xcep‘

t io n a l beauty—which I do n o t doubt, a s I hold its composer inca pable o fwrit ing un lovely music— a nd that i t wa s surpassing ly well rendered bysoloists, chorus, and o rchestra al ike . Madame Alb a n i’s part laida heavys train upon her vo ice

,owing to the hei g ht of its p itch , b ut she sang i t

m ost g allantly a nd effect ively th roug hout . Mrs. Patey a nd M r. L loydboth surpassed themselves , and M r. Ba rn by’s admirable choi r coveredi tself wi th g lory. All the journalist ic authori ties whose op in ion is wort hhav in g predic t a long and prosperous career to the Golden L eg end,wh ich , according to their accounts of i t, is dest ined to enhance thereputat ion of Sir Arthur Sullivan a s the fi rst of l ivin g En g l ish composers.

M . Mayer’s experimen t at the g reat house in the Ma rket ha s been lesssuccessful than , in some respects, it deserved to be, owing to the seriousnature of its shortcomin g s wi th relation to scenery, a ppo intments, chorussin g ers, and inst rumentalists . All these were ei ther po si t ively or co mpa ra tiv e ly b ad, a nd, worst o f a ll, thechef d’

o rchestre displayeda painful a ndbewi lderin g incapaci ty fo r keepin g touch with his feeble or erratic subordin a te s . On the other hand, some ofM .Maye r

’s principals were aecom

plishedvocal ists, a nd nearly a ll of them excellent actors. A more intellig e n t a nd in te re stin g impe rso n a tio n of Marg ueri te than tha t of MadameF idés-Devr ies ha s never been seen on a L ondo n stag e a nd the g entlem en who sustained the ro‘ les of F aust a ndMeph istophele s, thoug h so mewhat portl ier in fi g ure than beseemed an ardent lover a nd a denyin gsp iri t

,left l i ttle to be desired a s far a s thei r sing in g a nd act in g wereconcerned. The feats of the chorus in the way of what the Germanscall detonation ”

were of unexampled turp itude there is not anOperetta manag emen t in L ondon wh ich would venture to assaul t i tspatron s’ ears wi th such abominable untunefulness . Ha pp ily for theimpresa , those g athered tog ether wi th in the wa lls of He r Ma je sty’

s o n theoccasion I refer to belon g ed to the pat ient a nd lon g -sufferin g categ oryof music- lovers . An I talian a udience wouldhave hooted a nd pelted theNEW SERIES.

—VOL . VI I I .2

THE THEA TRE . (Dec. 1, 1886.

offend ing chorists OR“ the sta g e, a ndcalled the man ag er a do zen timesbefore the curtain to hurl at him the so mewhat cont radictory ep i thets ofassass in a nd “ execut ioner .” We ta ke manag erial outrag es m o recool ly in '

the se brumous isles than they do in the sunny so uth—too coo lly,I am inclined to th ink, in respec t to applause a s wel l a s to condemnat ion .Our Operatic audiences rarely a ccord a ny recog n it ion whatsoever to them ost b ri ll iant a nd effect ive “ po in ts made by sin g ers and acto rs wi thwhom they ha ppen to b e un fam il iar . They al low to pass unnot icedsparkles of g e n ius tha t wo uld b ring down the house in Paris, Ro me , orMadrid, e ither thro ug h lack of atten t ion o r throug h the obstinate con se rv a tism tha t induces so many En g l ish pe o ple to co ndemn—o r, at the veryle a st , to undervalue—anyt hin g th a t they reg a rd a s an innovat ion . MadameOath-Marie'

s superb perform ance ofIthe t it le-refs in Carmen—by far thefinest ever here to fore witnesse d in this co un try—afforded a dozenins ta nces of the stra n g e impa ssiveness wi th which Bri tish audiencesreceive strikin g reve la t io ns of dramat ic abil i ty. To a few—but a veryfew, judg in g by the evidence o f eye a ndear—o f tho se presen t, the g iftedF rench prime -do n ‘t (fo rwho m Bizet wro te the part of Carm en , a nd towhom he h imself ta ug h t i t) impa rted sen sa t i o n s of the keenest a ndmostexquisi te pleasure by a renderin g of the pa rt that is a t once del ica telyda in ty a ndst irrin g ly vig o rous, a nd must , m o reove r, have been abso lutelyn ew to the vas t m aj o ri ty of the specta tors . But som e o f the best th in g sshe did—her in g e n io us displays of co quetry, for instance , in the fi rst act ,a ndhe r fa scinat in g tricks in the dancin g ep isodes of Act I I .—failed toelicit a sin g le outburs t o f a pplause . The house , to o , wa s thin ly attended ,wherea s I had expec ted that musica l L o ndon would have thron g ed it tose e a g reat a rt ist perfo rm a pa rt which she ori g inally created—the leadingpa rt in a n Opera firm ly a nd deserv edly established in publ ic favour. A

sat isfa cto ry fea ture in the represen ta ti o n of “ Carm en , a s g iven by M .Mayer'sco mpa ny, wa s the o m issio n o f Micaela’s superfluo us and rathertedi o us so n g in Act I I I . , usually sun g when she emerg es from thesmug g lers ’ ca ve wi th every reason for keep in g a s quie t a s possible thatco uldsug g e st i tself to a tim id a nd vi rtuo us g i rl . I have Observed thatthis son g , thoug h pret ty eno ug h in i tself, invaria bly bores the audience,who take l i ttle in terest in Micaela, a nd, o n the whole, wish she

wouldn ’ t. ” I ts excision ha s always st ruck m e a s desirable, and I hOpethat the Ma ple so n a ndCarl Rosa manag ements wi ll follow the judiciousexample se t them a fortn ig ht a g o at He r Majesty’s Theatre . The parto f Ca rm en , I cann ot help thinking , m ig h t have been streng thened cons ide ra b ly a ndwith advan ta g e in the thi rd act of the Opera . Bizet m isseda fine dramatic opportunity when he omi tted, at the close o f the fortunetel ling episode , to wri te a powerful sca m for his fate-striken heroine, thetext of wh ich m ig ht have appropriately been a self-torm en t ing retrospecto f her wasted l ife , term inating in a (musically) florid outbreak of characteristicrecklessness and dev i l ry. To return to the F rench performanceof Carmen .

" Madam e'

G a lli-Marié is fa rilis prz'rza '

perm o f al l theCarmenci tas I have ever seen or heard ; M . Duchesne (Do n José) is a

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THE THE/1TRE . {Dre 1 , 1886 .

Son g , the st i rr in g words of which, by C lemen t Scott , are wedded tocon g enial music fro m t he pen of that brave o ldco mpose r, Hen ry Russell .The po em ,

every line of wh ich breathes fe rvent patriot ism and enthusiast iclo yal ty to the a ug ust La dy who insp i red i t, wa s first publ ished in las tm on th’s issue o f this m a g a zine , a nd its h i g h meri ts have al ready foundcordia l reco g n i t ion in the columns of the daily press . The melody is avig orous o n e , easily to be remembered, a nd lending i tself, a s is the dutyo f all patri o t ic so ng s, to thecheery custom of “ jo in in g in chorus ”

st illaffected by a la rg e cla ss of the Brit ish publ ic . “ Our Empress Queen(Weekes a ndCo . , 16 , Han o ver St reet) bears upon its t itle ~ pag e a ple a sin gport ra it of He r M o st G ra cious Ma jesty, which cannot b ut add to thepo pularity this exce l len t so n g is boundto at ta in . Another pa t riotic son g ,The Un io n of the F mpire ,” by Messrs . Stevenso n a nd Pa upia h, ha srecen tly been publ ished by Messrs . Wi llcocks a ndCO . , of Berners Stree t .I ts text do e s n o t, ho wever, a llude to the a pproachin g jub i lee, and savourssl ig ht ly of party po l i t ics, bein g apparen t ly written in the Conservat ivein terest . M r. Pa upia h’

s share in th is work is a thoug ht to o commonpla ce incha ra cter to ca tch the publ icca r and hold i t. I have heard o fye t a thirdpa t rio t icso n g , in t i tuled Victoria ’

s Jub ilee, composed in theearly part Of la s t m onth by M r . Leonhard Bach . a nd sun g wi th g reatsuccess a t Windsor ; but the name of the publ isher ha s n o t rea ched myCo g n isance . I m a y ment io n that the hum o ro us Scotch son g —wh o llyun in tellig ible to the be n ig hted Sassenach , but none the less fun ny o nthat acco un t—wi th which M r. Ramsey Danvers m a de all London laug hi tself sore las t May a t the Ave nue Theatre, ha s been “

ada pted a ndarran g ed fo r vo ice a nd pian o by M r. Georg e Beddie , a nd pub lished inG lasg ow by Jose ph F e rric. The l i lt ing tune is in i tself i rresist ibly provocat ive o f m irth, a nd the words, read wi th the aid of a g lossary, aredoubtless n o less so . The name of th is so n g is Ta C lerk in ta Ofli sh,"and its refra in run s a s fo l lo ws (I wish I understoodGaelic l)

Wi' my b i hu ho n e l a n'

my ho ne l hu hi ,Ca m lachie , Auchte rm uchty, Ee e le fe e ha n , a ndMi lng a vieShe

'

s a praw la d, ta cle rk in ta o tfisb .

RHODA.

On Sa turda y, No v em be r 13, a t the Co medy The a tre (first tim e a t th is ho use ). a n e ntire ly newa nd o rig ina lco m ico n , in three s et s. Libre tt o by Wa lte r Pa rke .

Mus icco mpo sed by An to n o L . Mo re . Co nducto r, Mo n s. Aug tu te Va n Blen e .Pete r Bo om "e n tro Mr. "Ann Mu m s .

Ca rlo s G ri llo Mr. Co n n o r: C o rn s.

Ba ro n Po ncho Rht do bl iss K a n C lu uo .

Ado lphe Martel Te resa Mia Ao uu Ou vu .

But for the excellen t s in g ing of Miss Chard a nd M r. Deane Brand, Ifancy that the above comic opera ” (I quote the b i ll wh i le disag reein gwi th i t) would scarcely have m e t wi th the favourable reception accordedto i t on the occasion of its production at the Com edy Theatre . I t wa sori g inally, a s I unders ta nd, broug ht o ut at C roydon some t ime a g o , a nd

had done well in the provinces before its proprietors con veyed i t toL ondon , deem in g i t stron g enoug h to run upon m etropol i tan boards .I n th is view of Rhoda I cannot conscient iously con cur. The music,here a nd there pretty enoug h , lacks ori g inali ty a nd vig our of con strue

DEC. 1, OUR P I A Y-BOX. 323

t ion ; the dialog ue is vexat iously di ffuse ; the youn g est of the jokeshadat tained maturi ty about the date o f the Peace of Amien s. I n thesedays o f-subtle a nd rich in strumentation , i t is seldom g iven to the freq ue n te r o f musical entertainmen ts to hear anyth in g s o th in and sketchya s Si g nor Mora ’s orchestration. O f the perform a nce—always exceptingthe accompl ished and tuneful vocal isat ion o f the two art ists referred toa bove—the less said the bet ter . M r. Walsham wa s o ut of voice ; M r .Martel l ’s style o f sin g in g is bet ter sui ted to a music-hal l than to atheat re ; the other g entlemen en g ag ed for lyrical parts had man ifestlym istaken thei r vocat ion . The audience on the open in g n i g h t impressedme a s bein g less cri t ical than wa s al tog e ther credi tab le to thei r m usicaltaste. The v displayed no wish to redem a nd the best number of thewhol e opera —a melodious a nd fairly dramat ic due t in the th irdact —b ut en thusiast ically encored a drivell in g di tty wi th the offensiverefrain of “ I g hty t ig hty, tig hty,” wh ich , had i t ob tainedits deserts, wouldhave been received in s o rrowful s ilence . I t wa s fol lowed, I should add,

by a deeply depressin g dance . lV'

n e n th is latter wa s also repeated, att he imperat ive request o f the p i t a nd g allery, the musical persons presen tfelt that they had drained a b i tter cup to the dreg s , a nd sadly g lidedfrom the house . C L AV I CHORD.

®ur [pla y- 58033

THE DRAMATIC STUDENTS.

T it s S ix th Pe rfo rm a nce g iv e n b y the Drv rn t ie Studs i t s a t the Va ude t ille The a tre ,the L th da y o f No v emb er, 18 36 , a t G o ldsm ith'

s C o m edy ,

THE GOOD -NATURED MAN.

&I o i i eywo o l Mr. Fla re L a wns. Dub a r l i eu Mr. J. D. Bo vv s a rs .

C ro sk e r Mr. W. L003 . Po stbo y Mr. F ULL s n MELLISH.

L o fty Mr. Ma w Ausrs v r. Se rva n t Mr. BERNARD GOULD.

S i r Wi lli tm H m ay“ Mr. G . R. Fo ss . Miss Richla nd Miss No na svs .

L e o '

i t in e M r J . Dv xv Yo uxa . O li vm M i ss Ne v a Bo nn .Ja rv is M r. G tw s a r T s s y r. Mrs . Mi ss M. Av RTOUN.

Butle r Mr. H. Ev a (Bi G a rn e t Mi ss L i nu x CARR

Ba i l i ff Mr. H . H Mw e hu. L u idlady Mi ss MARY Bissau .

F o ll o we r Mr. C . Do nswa a r i r.

The sixth performance of the Dramatic Students on Tuesday, the 1 6 thNovember, can scarcely be credited w i th the same successful resul t a sha s attended their former efforts. The ca use o f th is is not diflicult t ofi nd. The play o f The G o od-Natured Man —not to put too fine apoint upon it— is tedious and dull . M o dern audiences have no sympathyw ith a hero who spouts plati tudes a nd Sp ins o ut moralising sent imentsb y the yard; a nd the difference between Honeywood a ndyoun g Marlowin “ She Sto o ps t o Conquer ” m ay perh a ps b e taken a s a very g o o dreason why th is fi rs t com edy o f O li v e r G s ldsm ith

’

s i s perm itted to l ieh idden on the shelf by the manag ers o f the presen t day. Young Marlowi s a man—a very human m a n into the barg ain b ut H o neywood i s

n oth in g more or less than a sentent ious preach ing fool .The second reason that th is admirable b o dy o f youn g students did not

s ucceed a s well a s their earnest endeav o urs meri tedmust be put do wn to

THE THEATRE . (o ne . r, was».

their errors o f judg men t in ca st in g the pu ts . Miss No rreys cann o t:actually fa il in a nythin g . She is too cleve : ; bu t she certain ly sho uldn o t have underta ken the sen timen tal cha ra cter o f Miss Richland. I t i sn o t in he r l ine ; she ha s n o t t he physique of em o tio nal heroines. He r

small fig ure a ndwo nde rfully exprrssive face lend them selves to the g rave,quain tcomedy t o uches wi th which she ha s alrea dy sco red a m a rvello usreputa ti o n fo r s o yo un g an ac tre ss . M r. Eric Lewis a g a in did nothin gto help the tireso me hero by his imperso nat i o n . Mr. L ewis is a n enterta in e r a nd a co media n , andutterly o ut of place a s the mawkish Hon eywo o d ; while Mr. G . R. F o s s a s the disg uise d uncle (a fac-sim i le o f SirOl iver Surface , by the way) g ave a l ife like im ita t ion of his late manag er,Mr. Wilso n Ba rre tt , even to the in to na t io n o f the vo ice .Of the m o re successful pe rfo rm a nces co mes Mr. Charles Dodsworthfirst , who in the sm a ll pa rt o f the ba il iff’s fo l lo wer, proved himself to b e

a m o st e xce llen t a nd hum o ro us actor. his quiet , a rt ist ically funny pe rfo rma nce pro vo kin g the hea rt ie s t laug hter a nd a pplause of the afte rn oon .Mr. Ma rk Am b ien t, to o , had a very fair knowledg e of the a ll-importan tL o fty tho ug h his perso n a l a ppea ra n ce wa s rather that o f a va let tha na wo uld-be fo p a ndco urt ie r. M r. T. Dunca n Youn g , a pa rt from so me

a ffecta tio ns a nd a sl ig htly e ffem in a tcvo ice (which he must al ter withoutdelay) , bo re himse l f with ea se a ndmuch g race, which ca n hardly be saido f the rest o f his compa n io n s . Mr. W. Lug g a s C roa ker, the typ ica lbluste rer o f o ldco medy.

’

wa s to o lo ud a nd empha t ic ; his wi fe . MissMarg a ret Ayto un , to o simpe rin g . Mrs. Cro a ker ha s to la ug h a s hearti lya nd a s much a s Lady Tea z le, a nd a na tura l laug h is one o f the m ostdifficul t tr icks o f the dram a t ic a rt. As fo r the o thers. the i r actin g ca l lsfor n o rem a rk sa ve tha t the ea rn e stn ess which wa s the fo undat io n o f thisso cie ty wa s n o t lackin g , a nd tha t o ne a nd a ll did thei r best in theirrespect ive pa rts .

Befo reco ncludin g , i t wo uld be well to po int out to these youn g e n thusia sts the m ista ke they make in n o t studyin g the differen t effects of th eindividual ity o f the characters they represen t . I n other words , to devo teso m e thoug ht to “ makin g up .

”There wa s scarcely o ne face, wi thperhaps tlze exceptio n of Miss No rreys a nd M r. L ewis, tha t wa s n o truined by the b a d a nd un ski lful use o f the cosmetics ; a nd even Miss

No rreys blundered in coverin g he r o wn lovely red locks with such ahideo us white wig . Miss Richland would in a ll pro bab i l ity havewo rn her o wn ha i r, a nd no thin g could have looked prett ier tha n MissNo rreys auburn curls , with the p icturesque a nd becom in g yellow g o wnshe carried wi th such dain ty g race .

fi léa“

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THE THEA TRE . (Dec. r, 1886.

Sadler's Wells had n o m o re effect upo n the dram a t ic critics of 1856tha n do es ch icken a ndchampa g n e on those of 1886 .

But old To m G ree nwo o d, who wa s the factotum of Sam uelPhelps . n o m ore ke pt the Press at a rm ’

s leng th than doe s BramStoker. the inde fa tig a ble fact otum o f I rving a t the L yceum . Therewa s n o need to do so then . There is n o nee d t o do so n o w. Thebiog ra phe rs of Sa m uel Phe lps “ pro tes t to o m uch . I f i t be truethat Phelps never co urted l i tera ry cl iques ” or pa ndered to theP ress : i f i t b e a ccura te to sa y that he se ldom rea d anything thatwa s sa id for o r a g ainst him , why then do his bio g raphers fi l l their boo kw i th ext racts fro m press cri t icism , ra n g ing fro m j ohn Oxenford a ndHenry M o rley down to the Is l in g t on G a zet te ? Why do they m akesuch a fuss abo ut the m a tter, a nd reg ret w i th sens itive scorn anythingtha t wa s hone st ly sa id a g a inst their fine o ld friend ? What is theg o o d o f sa ying tha t b eca use Phelps never pande red to thePress ” co n sequen t ly its m o re ig nob le m embe rs and perky l ittlewhipste rs . whe n he pla yeda t Drury L a n e in 1865, penned words ofdispa ra g em ent . trim : they da red, a ndca l led i t i ndepe nden t c r i t ic ismSurely we ha ve theclove n fo o t pe e p in g o ut here . “’hy sh o uld am a n who ha bi tua lly kept the Press “

a t a rm '

s leng th ca re for the“ ig n o ble m em b e rs o f the pro fess ion he never reco g nised , o r for theperky whipste rs wh o m he de sp ised ? I t is a ll n onsense . Phelps

wa s a s fairly a nd tem pe ra tely judg edby the c r i t ics of his t ime a s bytho se o f any o ther a g e or pe rio d . I t wa s qui te possible to adm ire hisvery rem a rka ble ta len t , a nd to a pprecia te his g reat g ifts wi thoutswallo w ing a t o n e g ulp e verythin g he did. F o rmy o wn poor pa rt , Ihave ever co ns ideredhim o n e of the m os t adm i ra ble comedians ofour t im e , a nd in ce rtain cha ra c ters , such a s Richelieu , a bs o lutelyw i th o ut a riva l . Would , indeed, tha t I co uld se e a g a in his Wolsey,h is Malvol io , his Jo b Thorn bury, in “

j ohn Bul l ,” his Be rtuccio , inA F oo l ’s Reven g e , ” his Bully Bo t t o m , bu t if I were to be shot for itto m o rrow I sho uld not ca re to se e ever ag ain his Ham le t or his

O thello .

Miss Mary Moore , wh o se photog ra ph a ppears in this num be r , ha sn o t been on the s tag e two years , bu t she ha s already m ade herself afavour i te wi th a la rg e sect ion of the p layg o ing public of L ondon byhe r im pe rsona t ion of the Quakeress in Mr. Cha rle sW

'yndham ’

s recentrevival a t the C rite rion Thea t re of O ’

K e e fe’

s com edy , Wi ld Oats .

’

He r acting’ of this part wa s dis t ing uished by much natural cha rm ,del icacy, and sweetness. Miss Moore ’s first a ppea rance on the s tag ewa s m ade in March , 1885, a s a m ember of M r . VVyndha m ’

s

Candidate com pany. I n the adapta t ion of L e Dépu té de Bo mbig nac she p layed L ady Oldacre , and , afterwards , L ady Dorothy .I n Octobe r of the sam e year she cam e to L ondon , p laying L ady Oldacre a t the C r i terion . He r nex t part wa s Mary in Cup id i n Cam p ,”

I f l'

Mendyo u no t , kiss -

pra ise eno ugh

.

ADD I SON.

st adiu m mm : F OR “e m en u

"sirma u ve 363, o xro xnsn e er. w.

big n ac she pla yed L ady Oldacre , a nd,

a cre at the Criterio n. He r next pa rt wa s Mary in

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DEC . 1 , OUR OMNIBUS -BOX. 333

and she afterwards acted successful ly a s the br ide in The Man w i thThree W i ves .

”

But , a s ye t , her most ambi t ious a t temp t in comedyh a s been Ada I n g ot in the recen t ly revi v ed “ David G arri ck , ” aswee t and sym pathe tic character which she ha s i nvest ed w i th he ra ccus tomed g en t leness a nd charming manne r.

Austin Brereton , the subjec t of our second photog raph, w a s born a tL ive rpoo l on July 1 3 , 186 2 , bein g t he eldes t and fourt h surv i v in g s o n

o f W i l l iam F . Brere ton , His fa the r belon g s to a n old Cheshi refam i ly, his mothe r t o a L ancash i re one. He w a s educa ted a t t heC ol leg e of St . F rancis Xav i er

,L iverpool

, wh ich es tablishmen t he leftw hen t h i r teen and a -half years of a g e . T o the teachin g of t he Jesui tF a thers there he att r ibu tes much of his success in his l i terary effort s ,bu t he is also g reat ly indeb ted t o his mother , whose love of l i teratu re he in her i t s . Immedia tely on leaving col leg e , he entered theoffice of Mess rs . Reyno lds and G ibson , one of t he larg es t , mos tdis t ing ui shed , and mos t honourable fi rm s of cotton brokers in

e x is ten ce . There he ser ved an appren t iceship of five years , worki n g hard and g ai n in g much valuab le bu siness knowledg e. Beforehis appren t icesh ip w a s over he had taken to the pen of t hej ou rn a l is t , and had wr i t ten on ar t and t he drama , in L ondon andlocal jou rnals , for two years before comp let in g his en g ag emen t i nt he cotton office . Oddly enoug h , his fi rs t cont ribut ion , a br i ef let teron t he port rai ts in “ Hamle t , appeared , in May, 1879 , in THETHEATRE . Since Oc tober , 1 88 1

,he ha s cordially ass is ted the Edi to r

of this Mag azine . L eav ing L iverpool i n July of the yea r las tm en t ion ed , he came t o L ondon , a nd w a s immedia tely appoin teddramat i c c r i t i c t o “ The Stag e, a pos i t ion which he s t i ll holds .

H e ha s edi ted “ D rama t ic Notes , an i l lus t rated year -book of t hes tag e , of w h ich he is n o w t he propr ie tor, s ince 1 880 , and h e ha sbeen a frequen t con t r ibu tor to THE Tn EATRE mag azine dur ingt he las t s ix years . H e successfully orig inated and worked as cheme of teleg raphin g t o coun t ry papers on importan t fi rs t n ig h ts ,a scheme wh ich w a s broken up in the au tumn of 1883 , when hev i s i ted Amer ica for the purpose of w i t ness in g M r. I r v in g '

s fi rs ta ppea rances t here. H e ha s g enerally confined him self i n his w ri t in gt o d rama t ic notices , biog raph ies of act ors , and other subjec ts pertain in g to t he s tag e . He is at present eng ag ed upon an importan tb ook

, wh i ch , i t is hoped , w i l l be ready fo r publica t ion early nexts p ring . H is w orks al ready publ ished are Hen ry I rv ing , aB iog raph ical Sketch , 1 883 ;

“ Some F amous Hamle ts , from Burbag et o F ech ter

,

”

1884 ; a nd,“ Shakespearean Scenes and Characters ,

1 8 86 .

The admi rable note by M r. Moy Thom a s on the subject of the play ,David G arr ick , ” oug h t to be preser ved for future reference, for

THE THE/1TRE . (Dec. 1 . 1886 .

he re we find m uch useful and valua ble in formation packed up in avery small parcel The history of the late Mr. Robertso n ’s DavidG arrick is curi o us eno ug h to deserve a note . The play is a n

acknow le dg ed version o f De Me le s v ille'

s‘ Sull ivan , ’ one of a long

series o f dra m as turning upo n the sa m e idea , which wa s describ ed byTheophile G aut ier a s ‘ the everlas t ing story of Garrick , Talma , orKea n curin g so me fo o hsh g irl o f a pa ss ion for them a s ac t ors by' exhib it in g them selves in pr ivate l ife under the m o st repuls ive condi t ions .

’

This descript io n occu rs in a cri t icism by G a u t ier in 1842 on a vaudevi lleca l led L e Docte ur Ro bin , ’ which happens t o be the orig inal o fthe li t t le piece c a lled Doct o r Da vy, ’ in which Mr . Her mann Vezinha s wo n reno wn . G a u t ier further tells us that this p iece wa s ba sedo n a sto ry by his friend a ndco m ra de o f the famous ‘ G ile t -roug e ’frate rni ty , J o se ph Bo ucha rdy, a nd tha t seven or eig h t p la ywrig hts hada t tha t t im e a lready la id thei r ha nds upon i t . We have b ee n at so m epa in s to trace the s to ry he re referred to . a nd have fo und i t in anovelet te ent it led G a rrick Medicin ,

’ published in Pa r is in an obscu reweekly pa per ,ca lled L e M o nde Dram a t ique , ’ in Apri l , 1836 . Som ewhere a b o ut the sa m e ;t im e M . F o u rnie r pro duced a one-act p iececalled Tirida te ,

’

which is founded o n the sa m e n o tion the on ly differe nce b e ing tha t in thisca se it is n o t a n act o r , but a n a c t ress , who ,a t the sacrifice of dig nity and perso na l incl ina t ion s , undertakes thewea ning process . I t wa s in this p iece tha t Mr . Char les Rea de foundthe subst a nce o f his n o vele t te a ndpla y ent i t led Art ,

‘

wherein Mrs .

St i rl in g ha s so often pla ye d the pa rt o f the hero ine , Mrs . Braceg irdle .Se vera l o the r vers io n s o f ‘ T irida te

’ ho ld the st a g e , tha nks to theen erg ies o f Mrs . J o hn M iss G enevieve “’a rd, a nd o ther impe rso n a t ors o f the hero ine ; a nd t races , m ore o r less dis t inct, of thed ra m a t ic idea worked o ut in G a rr ick Médec in are to be found innum erous m o dern p ieces . M r. Ro bertson’s pla y wa s produced at the

Ha ym a rke t in the summ er of 1864, w i th Mr. Sothern a s Gar r ick, MissNelly M o o re a s t he lo ve-s ick a nd s ta g e -struck he ro in e , a ndMr . Buckstone a s Squire Chivy. I t ha s ,we a re awa re , b een said that Sull ivan , ’the di rec t or ig inal of David Garr ick , ’ wa s i tselfm erely a trans lat ion ofa G erm an p lay ; bu t in this there is , we believe , so m e confus ion of fact .The G erm an p lay referred t o is probably De inha rdste in ’

s Garrick inBris tol . ’ Of this p iece we a re not able , unfor tuna tely, to g ive a nyaccoun t ; but i t is ce rtain tha t there is an acknow ledg ed trans la t ionof Me le sv ille

’

s Sullivan ,

’ by the d ram a t ist Edouard Je rm a n n, which

is well kn own on the G erm an stag e—a fact which would be hardlyposs ible if ‘ Sull ivan had been only a F renchm an ’s vers ion of aG erm an p lay .A m ost p l easant hour or two of quie t recreation m a y be passeddur ing the w in ter season in the well - l ig h ted room s of the Hanove r

G allery , New Bond St ree t , where Messrs. Hollender and C rem e ttihave g athered tog ether a collec t ion of o il a nd water-colou r pain ting s

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THE THEA TRE . (Dec. 1 , 1886 .

of a farm -house ba rn—warmed by the rays of sun l ig h t stream ingthroug h the chinks of the half-opened s hutte r—we are almos t inclinedt o envy the cosy res t in g -p lace of this t r io of whi te lambs , o ’e r whosew ell -being the watchful eye of the shepherd is oft direc ted , j udg ingby the coa t and ha t hun g a g ains t the wall , which s i len t ly seem t o tellhis speedy re turn . Two del i g h tful s tudies by D iaz subsequen t ly claimo ur pass ing a t ten t ion , no les s than a ca refully worked-ou t representat ion of Eas tern l ife by T . A . Bridg man , en t i t led The Pacha and hisC ouncil lors .

” Words fa i l us in enumerat in g the m a rvellous shadesof blue , orang e , and red he re broug h t t o bear in perfect harm ony oneupon the other . An adm i rable likeness ofSara Bernhard t , byBas t ienL epag e , r ivets ou r not ice upon g rounds s trang ely differing from thelas t -m entioned work , so en t irely ha s the art is t here pu t on one s idethe aid of any defi n i te colour in g iving us the em bodim ent of one ofthe b es t -known women of the t imes . Ye t the long er we look at thiss tudy t he more forc ib ly we a re broug h t t o se e ho w the m as te r ’ s handha s d rawn , a s i t we re , m any colours ou t of one colour , s o dis t inc tlydo es the r ich texture of the white velvet d ress con t ras t wi th the palerlig h ts th ro w n a c ross the rug of the sam e tone , which a re a g ain cas t’

into vi v idly oppos in g cont ra st by the dea d whi te flowers , fain t ly indica ted amids t the t ra n sparen t folds of m us l in encircl ing the th roa t ofthe g ifted ac t ress . Two m ore s tudies ye t remain t o claim from us

s om ething m ore than a pass ing g lance a s we close a cu rsory view ofthis mos t interest in g l i t t le collec t ion .

“ The F isherwom an , ” byL e ro lle , is nevertheless j us t one of t hose works m os t exquis i tely satisfyin g t o look upon , bu t w ithal m os t difficul t t o descr ibe . A lonely ,desolate s tretch o fse a , ha lfe n v e lo ped in g reyish m ist ho w stran g elyi t se em s to harm on ise w i th the ben t form of this poorly -clad woman ,whose tat tered g a rm en ts are blown hi t her and t h i ther by the p i t i lessw ind a s i t sweeps over the g rassy cliffs o

'

e rha n g in g t he vas t space ofmeasu reles s ocean . All is s o bleak , so lonely, so s t i l l—earth , se a , andsky appea r to un i te in wh isper ing us the oft -spoken tale of l ife ’s endless to i l and labour ; and does not t he very s impl ic ity of t he scenereveal t o ou r m inds the art is t ’ s thoug h ts w i th tenfold power of sympat het ic a t t raction ? I n l ike man ner The VVido we r,

” by SonzaP into , whispers to us in mos t te nder manner of l ife beyond the g rave ,a s we look upon th is old man , g azin g w i th calm , s teadfas t eyesto wards the land , for him , not very far o ff . The reddi sh g low of t h edying embers—seen be tween the ba rs of the quaint ly-fash ioned g rate—momentar i ly ar rest our g lance , otherw i se there is noth ing to dispelt he sadness of the g loamin g hour , save the las t rays of daylig h t whichcen t re a roun d t he fig ure of the lonely wa tcher . The full sen t im en t of

such works a s the above can in no wa y be conveyed to our readerst h roug h the medium of pen and ink . We can bu t fe e by enumeratet he hidden t reasures t hey con tain , des i r ing t ha t lovers of art shouldbes tow on them the individual praise and a tten t ion they m os t nu

ques t ionab ly deserve .

DEC . 1,1 886 ] OUR Off/AUBUS-BOX. 337

On Thursday even ing , the 19th inst . , the L yr ic C lub opened itsdoors for its secon d g eneral en ter tainmen t of t he presen t season,and , to j udg e by the c rowd tha t surg ed in the pret ty room s in New

Bond St ree t , the Comm i t tee ’s hosp i tal i ty wa s most warmly respondedto . E very thin g t ha t could be thoug h t of to en su re com fort andp leasure to the fai r g uest s wa s done by M r . Robert Gardiner

,M r

.

G eorg e Powe r , who commenced proceedin g s w i th a song , delig htfullysung , a ndM r . Herber t G eorg e , and the complete success of the e veni n g wa s due enti rely to thei r exert ion s . I f t he L yr ic C lub's fa mspreads more rap idly, or even a s rap idly a s i t is doin g n o w ,

i t w i ll bea ser ious cons idera t ion for the di rectors to know where t hey are. t oput the c rowd when i t a rr ives , for its populari ty is so g rea t t ha t thein v i tation s are always immediately accep ted and eag erly an t icipated .The W i tch ing hou r of midn ig ht s a w t he a rri val of many an actor andac t res s who had just fi n ished their n ig ht ’s work . Miss Mar ieTempes t , a vis ion of s imp l ici ty and p ret t iness , in a thick wh i te s i lkg own , looking a s i f t he word fat ig ue were unknown to her , assen tedg racefully and w il l ing ly to add her share to the performers , and sang ,a s she alon eca n s ing , w i t h pur i ty and pa thos power , ye t exquis i tefin ish . On e never t i res of hearin g Miss Tempes t , nor , indeed , M r .H a yden Coffin , who g ave a s an encore the ever -popu la r My L ovea nd I , ” by Tos t i , and could have remained s ing ing on for an hour i ft he pang s of hung er would ha ve allowed h im . As i t wa s

,however , M r.

Coffin soon foun d his wa y ups tairs to do jus t ice , l ike eve rybody else ,t o t he excel lent supper . The other la die s . who con t ributed song swere M iss Siedle , Miss Moody, Miss Rosa L e o , Mis s F ors te r , andMiss C hap l in p layed delig h tfully on the violin . The dramat ic port io nw a s found in a reci tat ion by Madam de Na uca z e , who wore her paleyellow dress mos t reg ally, and recei ved much app lause , and in theH elen and Modus scene from “ The Hunchback ," g iven by MissNo rreys and M r . E r ic L ew is , who both demons t ra ted , by theira m u sm g performance , t ha t peop le w il l laug h , and laug h mos t hea rt i ly ,a t t h is old and well -worn -duolog ue . Miss Dorothy Dene , in ap ic tu resque g reen g own , w i t h he r s is ter were much admired ; andMi ss Jane t Steer , s o soon to become a member of a burlesque co mpan y , Miss F ortescue Harr ison , Miss Carlot ta E ll iot t , Miss L ucyRoche , a ndMiss Hope Temp le may be p icked out from t he mass ofl i terary

,d ramat ic

,and m us ical celebr i t ies t ha t filled t he ro o ms .

A l tog et her , t he L yr ic C lub is to be cong ratulated on a successful andcharming even in g .

The fi rs t of M r . P . J . K irwa n ’

s autumn series of reci tals to be g ivena t t he Marlboroug h Room s , Reg en t St ree t , wa s g raced o n Sa turda ya fternoon , November 13 , by a fash ionable at tendance , and one in everyw a ycalcula ted to en ter in to t he mer i t s of t he prog ramm e se t befo re

them,and to wh ich t he reci ter's sonorous yet flex ible vo ice a nd

v ersa t i l ity in deli very enabled h im t o do , in almo s t a ll case s , full

7 175 THE/1TRE . (Dec. 1 . 1886 .

j us t ice . Mr. K irwan chose a s his open ing i tem C lem en t Scott'sheart -stirr ing and truly poe t ic Story of a Coas tg ua rdman ,and theadm i rable m anner in which the noble a nd heroi c conduct of Reg an

w a s desc r ibe d visibly affected a ll prese n t . I n Edinburg h afterF lodden (Ayto un ) the m elancholy pathos of the disaster w a s excelle n tly conveyed , and in the scene from L ord L ytto n ’

s Richel ieu,

"

where Julie seeks shelte r w i th the Cardinal , and the Churchm an a tleng th enci rcles her w i th the protec t ion of the Chu rch , a g randnessa nd sense of power wa s thoroug hly appa ren t . But i t wa s inPhcedra , taken from L ew i s Morr is ’

s“ Ep ic of Hades , ” that M r .Kirwa n m ost disp la yed his unques t ionable talent . Pho edra

’

s g lory inher love for H ippolytus , he r passion , her reveng e , and her abandonm en t of despai r when the G ods whom she cu rsed g ranted the fulfilm en t of her pra yer to them , were po rt rayed in a mann er tha teviden ced m a rked d ra m a t ic power and a t rue pathetic feel ing . Bre tHa rte ’s A G re ypo rt L eg end and Jean I n g elow’

s Hig h T idewere g i ven in tha t ho m ely yet tender manne r t hat the subject sdemand . There wa s a quaintness a nd i rony in the render in g ofC a lve rley

'

s“ On the Br ink a nd Chang ed that revealed a st ron g

s ense of hum our in the reci ter, which wa s further m ade apparent inL ucien Puech'

s L e M o ns ieur qui n’a im e r ien , g i ven in the or i g inalw i th an excellent accent , the blasé m’

I adm ira r i tone b e ing delig htfullya ssum ed . O n e of the “ Ske tches by Bo z ”

(“ Sent im ent b roug htthe prog ramme t o a c lose , and enabled M r . K i rwan to assume thevar ious cha rac ters w i th a fa i r ly happy effec t , thoug h he certainly

m issed the requis i te pom pos i ty of Cornel ius Brooke D ing wall , Esq . ,

M .P . M r . K irwa n ’

s mem o ry is perfec t , for du r ing tw o hou rs 'recitat ionshe n ever referred to a book , a nd, save that there is a tendency to rol lthe let ter “ r " unduly, a nd in the G reypo rt L eg end , where wa n wa sm a de to rhym e w i th ma n , and in L e Mons ieu r , ” where a s l ip occu rred ,a ndla jeu wa s spoken of, the a pp lause he g ained wa s ri chly deserved .The P a ula t im A .D . C . g a v e o n e of thei r p leasan t en tertainm ents at St .

G eorg e ’s Hall on Sa tu rday, Novem be r 13 , choos ing a s thepik e a ’e racista nt : of the even in g t h e com edy ofTo m Taylor ’ s , well loved by am ateurs ,‘ St i llWa ters Run Deep , t he fi rs t represen ta t ion o fwhich car ries o n eback to May 14 , 1855, when Alfred VVig a n w a s the John Mildmay

,in

the palmy days of the O lym p ic . The p lay i tself bein g so well known , i tis necessary on ly to rev iew ho w the differen t charac ters were re presen ted , and i t is a p leasure t o sa y tha t seldom have they had bet teramateur exponen ts . P lace a ux dames. Miss Maud St rudwick , whoundertook t he part of Mrs . Hec tor Ste rn ho ld a t very short not ice

,looked charmin g , and infused g enerally into its port rayal a just sufficie ncy of dic ta torial m anner wi th t he amoun t of pass ion requi red in herscene w i th Hawks ley. Miss I van Bris t ow wa s , a s usual , excellen t a sth e s i l ly M iss Mildmay . John M i ldw a y w a s p layed w i t h ease andqu iet force

,and ye t w i th no lack of energ y , by M r . J . M . Powell , but

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THE THE/1TRE . (Dec. r, 1886 .

whose charac ter Mr. Arthu r ”Wi thers did n o t quite unders tand .Young Ma rt in's bashful scene w a s cap i tally acted by M r. D .

Beveridg e , but he wa s to o m odern in hi s s tyle in his woo ing of thedisg uised fa i r one . Miss Sybil Vane would have made a clever MissH ardcas t le had she spoken a l itt le m ore s low ly. Miss Phill is Nelsonwa s p iqua n te a nd a t t rac t ive a s Mis s Nevil le

, a nd her by-play wa sexcellent. Mr. H . W . Smi th lo oked a very handsom e Hast ing s .

The Jackdaw o rches tra m ust certain ly be comm ended for thei r excellen t p la yin g that ve ry ag reeably fi l led up the waits be twee n the ac ts .

Thanks t o M r. G eorg e A . Topl is 's g ood s tag e mana g em ent , thesewere not prolon g ed .Miss C a rlot ta L ecle rcq recen t ly g ave a "m ini : a t the L adbroke

Hall for the pu rpose of br in g ing forward several of he r pup ils , som eofwhom m ade on the occa s io n a fi rs t a ppeara nce . The prog ramm econs is ted of the “ ten t scene from the F lowers of the F ores t ,"The L i t t le T reasure , a nd the sca nda l scene from The Schoolfo r Sca nda l . I n the fi rs t -named i tem Bess w a s cha rm ing ly p layedby Miss Alex is P o recky ; Mis s Ida Meller w a s a p ic tu resque a ndeffe c t ive Cyn thia and L emuel wa s powerfully and pa the t icallyenac ted by Miss Ina Ca ss i l is , whoseperso n nel a lso wa s well fi t ted for thepa rt . In The L i t t le Treasu re Miss F lorr ie G raha m e m ade a veryprom is ing debut a s G e rt rude ; Miss C onway wa s a successful L adyF lorence ; M r . G ib so n looked the part of Sir Cha r les ; and M r . Heyrick wa s a ca p i tal “’

a l ter Ma yde n b lush. Mrs . Middleton wa s allottedto M iss L isa L eona rds , who p la yed not on ly w i th excellent finish , butin a true sp i r i t of com edy , m aking the l i t t le fai ling s of the m ischiefm aker s tand out clearly, ye t wi thou t any over-colou ring . In thescandal scene the dresses were very handsom e and appropr ia te , andin one or two case s the act ing wa s ex t remely g oo d , notably the Mrs .

Candour of Miss Dora Da y and the C ra bt ree of M r . H eyrick. MissDoug las m ade a s t r iking a ppearance a s L a dy Sn e e rwe ll, and thesam e m a y b e said for the L ady Teazle of Miss L i lian E ll is . The

m inue t wa s danced g racefully and in correc t tempo . Al tog ether, MissL ecle rcq m ust be comp l im ented on the evidences afforded of heradm i rable t rain in g , a nd some am ong the youn g perform ers oug htone day t o m ake thei r m ark on the s tag e .F o r many a long year pas t—ho w m any I do not care to rem ember ,nor is i t p rofi table t o inqui re , s ince t he s ing e r in quest ion is g ifted

w i th perpe tual youth—Mr. Ashby Sterry ha s been s ing ing t o us .

There never wa s such a son g s ter. He ha s sun g of the Tham es andits backwaters , its water li l ies and m e rm aidens ; sun g of the o ldfashioned g en t i l i ty a t Tunbr idg e Wells ; sung of Br ig hton a nd itsschool -g i rls , its s hops , and p iers , and prom enades ; sung of oldL ondon and old wor ld archi tec ture sung on board s team ers , am idst.the cushions of a pun t , and lazi ly sw ing ing in a summ er hamm ock.

OUR OMNIBUS-BOX. 341

I t would have been a thousand p i t ies i f t he son g s of the “ L a zyMinstrel had not been col lected in a “ dainty ” edi t ion. Tha t isem phatically the word . No

'

da in tie r l i t t le book of verse th a n Mr.

Ste rry’

s L azy Minst rel , g o t up in b lue ’

a nd g old edg es a nd Ha ndm ade pape r and r ivulets of marg in , ha s recent ly been sent from' thepress . Sir Ben jam in Backbite would have raved abou t i t to thesociety assembled in the School for Scandal. ” M r . F isher Unwin is’

v e ryr

rn uch to be con g ratulated . But M r . Ashby Sterry ha s in a dam an y of us dreadfully jealous . I , t o o , have wr i t ten a few '

v érses’

in

my t ime , and they are scattered abou t he a v e r’n kn o ws ’

where .Ithoug ht I would make a desperate effort and collect them ,

in order 'to'

g ive t o my fr iends a s a pretty Chr istmas p resen t? But publishers ,one a nd all , laug hed m e t o scorn . They r idiculed the not ion of anymore poet ry boo ks , and poli tely put m e down . I t served me rig htfor b e in g ‘

s o presumptuous , and so I supp o se the proposed boo ko f poems mu‘

st awai t that indefin i te t ime when t he ship co meshom e .The benefit of the St . Vincen t Hurr icane F und, which took placeon November 1 7, at the Novel ty Theat re , under the pat ronag e of the

Secre tary of State for the Colon ies and t he H o n . Mrs . Stanhope , wa sthe occas ion selected by M r . R i chard Davey for the produc t ion ofhisn ew p lay , “ Paul and Vi rg in ia. ” This had bot h its advan tag es a nddisadvantag es . M r . Davey had thus secured a selec t audience

,oneappreciat ive of a ll the poet ry and refinemen t in the author ’s wo rk ;but

,on the other hand

,a com pany m ade up in g reat part o f ama te urs

or n ovi ces hardly showed him at his bes t . M r . Davey ha s followedclosely the p lot of Bernardin de St . P ierre’s book , the innovat i o nsbeing but few ,

’ one,for instance , bein g the int roduct ion of the o ld

m a n , who in the or ig inal relates the s tory under the name o f theauthor. Who ha s not read Paul e t Vi rg in ie I t would be a work

of supererog ation to g o into the details of t he plot beyond what isneedful t o show the few departures of the dramat ic author . Mdm e.de L atou r is presen ted to us a s being in bet ter c ircumstances than inthe novel,for here she is the owner of a few s laves— free s laves , b e it

said . This rather lessens ou r interest in her , m aking her appea rm ore worldly when at first she con templates accept ing her aunt 'soffer to m ake Vi rg in ia her hei r . St i ll , the necess i ty of in t ro ducingm ore drama tz's perso na: for stag e effec ts warrants th is . The Marquisde Beaureg ard , kinsm an of Mdme. de L a tour , is int roduced in theI sle of F ra nce

fl

a s the owner of the s lave woman saved by Vi rg in ia ,

and is then already in lea g ue w i th t he P r incesse de Bo uillo n t obecom e Vi rg in ia's husband . I t is he who inci tes the G overnor o f theI sle t o e n fo rce t he youn g g irl ’s depar ture fo r Paris , where he fo llo wsher ingood t im e . The one act of the p lay which takes place here istaken up by the P r incess ’s endeavours to force Vi rg in ia into th i shateful m arr iag e , and her ends are defeated by the arr iva l ofBerna rdin

NEW SERIES.—VOL . V I I I . A A

THE THEA TRE. (Due . r, 1886.

de St. P ierre , to who m a reveng eful va let disclo ses the pro o f thatBeaureg ard wa s o n e of the chiefpro m o ters o fan a ttempt t o assa ss inatethe king . These pro o fs a re se nt to the Duke de Richeli eu ,Beaure g ard is se n t t o the Ba st ille, a nd Virg in ia , diso wned by hera un t , return s to the I sle o f F ra nce . The cruel wa ves ca st her dea da t P a ul 's fe et, a ndhe is suppo sed to die o f a bro ken hea rt .As prese n ted o n the st a g e , the s to ry runs very sm o o thly, but n ado ubtedly wa n ts co mpress io n. This idyll . wi th a ll its cha rm

,is

g rea tly devo id o f s e tie n . This , o fco urse . is not Mr. Dave y’s fa ult ;but the que st io n rem a ins—I s i t wise to dra m a t i se a subj ect which ha sl i tt le dram a ticin terest ? The to uching sto ry m ust a ppea l to

a certa in portio n o f a n a udience , but wi ll the g en e ral; public beco ntent w i th a n acted po em As it sta nds, I fe a r n o t. St i ll , i f Mr.Da vey ha s theco ura g e to use the prun ing kn i fe—to cut out suchscene s, fo r insta nce . a s the n ig g e r so ng . o r the m e rcha n t scene , whereVi rg in ia inn oce n tly wo unds her lo ve r's fee ling s by he r a dm ira t io n o fthe rich fa b rics—a nd to st reng then the in te rest o f the st o ry byco mpress i o n , I see n o rea so n why his pla y sho uld n o t be well received. In o wco me to the m o st plea sa n t pa rt o f my ta sk , whe n m ent ionin g thes tyle o f the dram a tist. Mr. Da vey ‘s la n g ua g e is bo th po eti ca l a ndrefined ; the wo rds spo ke n by Vi rg in ia a re especially descript ive ofthe puri ty a ndcharm o f inn oce n t m a ide n ly thoug h t ; the love scenesa re m o st te nder. a nd the dia lo g ue wo uld b e a r the tes t o f rea ding , a wayfro m the influence o f the s ta g e . As a who le , the ac t in g dra g g ed, a ndthe re were o ne o r two li t t le m isha ps incide n ta l to first n ig h ts and ascratchco mpa ny. I n his speech a t theclose o f the perform ance , Mr.Davey sa id he hadto tha nk Miss G ra ce Haw tho rn e fo r co m ing to hisre scue in a m o me n t of tro uble a ndcre a t in g the pa rt o f Virg in ia atscarcely a week

‘s n o tice . Miss Ha wtho rne wa s s o tho roug hlyat ho m e in he r pa rt tha t o n e ca n fai rly pro n o unce o n themerits o f he r im perso n a t io n w i tho ut bring ing this into cons iderationIn the fo u rth act she lacked po wer, a nd her excla mati o n of disg ustwhen a bo ut to sig n the co ntract wa s n o t ha ppy ; otherwi se , she wa se xcehen tNew plays pro duced, a nd impo rta n t revival s, in Lo ndo n , the pro vinces,

a ndParis, from Octo ber 25 to No vem be r 24, r886(Reviva ls a re ma rked

LONDON :

Oct . 25 Co ura g e.” drama , in fo ur acts , by He nry Ga sco ig ne . Marylebo neThea tre .

27 No a h's Ark . co medy, in three acts , by Harry Pa ulto n, Ro yaltyThea tre. (Ma tinee , s ing le perfo rm a nce. )

28 Our Diva , co mico pe ra , by Pa ul Pe rrier a nd Fa brice Ca rré , theEng lish ve rsio n by C . M . Ra e, musicby Victo r Ro g er. OperaC o mique Thea tre .A Da rk Secret o r, A Ta le o f the Thames Va lley,” melodrama ,in pro lo g ue a nd fo ur acts , b y J ames Willing , j un . , a nd J o hnDo ug lass. Sta ndard Theatre.

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THE THEATRE . (Dec. 1 .

27 M o ns ieur Scapin ,”co medy, in three acts , in we r e , by M . Jea nRicb epin .

'

Co médie F“mea ls ~

Le s Ho nnetes Femmes , ”co medy, in o n e act, byM. Henri Becque.Co medicFra nca ise .Vivia ne ," b a lle t-(ee rie , in five acts a nd n ine ta ble a ux, by M .

Edmo ndGo ndine t ; mus icby MM. Ra o ul Pug n o a nd Clemen t

L ippacher. Eden .

29 J acque s Bo nho mme .

"dra ma , in five acts a nd s ix ta ble a ux ,by M .M . A. M a uj a n . Thea tre de Pa ris .

L'

Arlésie nn e ,

”

dra ma , in five acts , by M. A lpho nse Da ude t ,mus icby Biz e t. Odéo n.

“ La C ig a le e t la Fo urm i , ” co m ico pe ra , in three acts a nd te n

ta b lea ux, by MM. Cb ivo t a nd Burn , mus icby M. Edmo nd

Audra n. G a ité .

Amo urct Pa tric. dra m a , in five acts a nd s ix ta ble a ux , by M .

La ure ncin . Bo ufi e s sdu-No rd.

Pie ux Me nso ng e s ," co medy, in o ne act,byM. Jul ien Bcrr do

Turique . Gym na se .

No v . 4‘ Le So ng e d'

tfi e Nuit d’

fité ,” co mico pera , by M . Ambro ise

Tho ma s . Opera Co mique .

Le Co nse i l j udicia ire ," co medy. in thre e acts,by MM. Jules

Mo ina ux a ndA le xa ndre Bissa u. Va udevi lle .

1 1‘ “ No s Do me st ique s ,"co medy. in thre e acts , by MM. Ra ymo ndDe s la ndes a ndG ra ng e . Men us-Pla is irs .

12 Le Fils de Po rtho s ," dra ma , in fire acts , a nd fo urtee n ta ble a ux,a da ptedfro m Pa ulMa ha l in’a n o ve l by M. P.

‘

m ile Bla ve t . Ambig u.

“ G a va ut , M in a rd, e t Co mpa g n ie ,”co medy, in three acts , by M.

Edm o nd C o adine t. Re na issa nce .

Le Pa nache ," co medy, in three acts , by M . Edmo ndG o ndine t.Gymna se .

La Femme Jug e e t Pa rt ie .co m ico pera, in two acts , wo rds by M .

j ule s Ade n ia . mus icby M. M is sa . Opera Co mique.“ Le Sig n a l ,” co m icOpera , in o n e act, wo rds by MM . ErnestDubre uil a nd Will ia m Busn acb ; musicby M . Pa ul Pug e t.Opera Co m ique .

18 Ren ee Ma upe rin ,”co medy, in three acts . in pro se , ada ptedfro mthe n o ve l o fMM . Edmo nd a nd Jules dcGo ne o urt by M. Hen ri

Céa rd. Odéo n.Ma ltre Co rbea u ,co medy. in two acts, in pro se , byMM.Hippo lyteRa ym o nd a ndMa urice Ordo nn e a u. Odé o n .

‘

19 L e Pere Cha s se la s ,” drama , in five acts , byMM. J e a n A this a nd

L o uis Pe rica ud. ChAte a u d'Ea u.

20‘ “ L a To ur du Mo nde en 80 J o urs , co medy, in five acts a nd

fi fteen ta blea ux, by MM. Ado lphe d'

En nery a nd Jules Verne.Cha tele t .

“ L a Belle Helene ." co mico pera , wo rds by MM. Meilhaca nd

Ha levy, mus icbyOfl'

en b ach. Variétés .

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