The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-11-07 00:00:00

DORCHESTER LECTURE 80CIETY.

WAS ISABELLA BATEMAN.

'rho eminent London actress, bliss Isabella Bate-
man, charmed and delighted a large and influential
audience at the Town Hall, on Monday evenirg last,
In connection with the D•orcheater Lecture S.aiety.
Without .1 'OA Miss Bateman is one of our finest
English aetresee*, and ae a reciter she ale o bids fair to
oosnre for hersel • reputation equally famous. The
pr, gramme one, and included works
well calculated to display das olous peculiar powers
of the reciter.
The Rev. T. Itriettt,Wetout oc-upied the ohair
and introduced Miss Bateman in plesoing and graceful
terms. He did not expect, he said, s 'me years ago,
when he had the plessura of hearing bilsi Bateman in
the character of Ophelia, ti part orm the part of chair.
man on an owed on like this, and to have the add Vona"
pleasure of introducing to e Dorchester audience a lady
so eminent as bliss Bateman bad made hers.lf. He
ramembere I not only Miss Bateman on the occ maim to
which he alluded, but also her father very well. lie
remembered it very well, because Mr. Bateman kindly
showed him considerable hospitality, and he &leo had
the 'demure of an introduction ti Mr. Henry Irving,
who was at the time playing the character of Hamlet,
and who mammas.' Mr. Bateman to place a box at his
disposal in the occasion, which he very kindly did
with his usual good nature. Mr. Bateman WA/ a blunt
man, but a very god natured one, and be insisted
upon showbiz him some additional hospitality which
one rather wished to decline. But he 'erste.' upon it,
anl said in hi. blunt way "That is my way—l'm an
American, and when I do anything I like t do it
thoroughly.'' They had very little doubt bliss Bate-
man, who ha I made for hermit quite an alnicoe name
the in profession. had inherited some of those qualities,
which so distinguished her father. They mud
remember her father was a man who, by his enter-
' prise. and by his skill and business habit', found out
Mr. Irving and presented him to a London audience.
and there was no doubt whatever that a good deal ,of
the BUCCeSO Of that eminent actor must be Pet down
to the discrimination of the father of the lady who
was to entertain them that evening. There was
very little doubt Mr. Irving might have remained for
some time in the provinces without making so groat a
name to himself had it not been for the discrimination
of Mr. Bateman. There was nod übt Miss Bateman
was very well known to many of those present. He
then with very great pleasure introduce' Miss Bate-
man.
Miss Bateman is especially adapted by her pecu'im
talent to interpret the tragic works of Shakespeare and
other dramatists, and we were exceedingly glad to find
that the programme included the two most powerful
scenes from Mac bah. The other selections comprised
pathetic and humorous poem., in the rendering of
which Miss Bateman proved herself a most delightful
reciter, and well worthy her name. The first item was
a 'election from Sh•korpeare's Twelfth-Night, rle.crip-
tv of the well.k no wn scene between Vi and .77oentem
Oliva. This amusing interview was admirably por-
trayed, the by.play of the characters beinz thoroughly
artistic. The wit piece was G. R. Sims' pathetic poem
" Billy's Rom." Theme verses have gained for their
author an enviable reputation, and not undeservedly,
for seldom have we heard a more touching and sim-
ple composition. They first appeared some two years
ago in the London paper Referee, a publication in which
from it. associations, one would least expect to find
such a poem, and in which the author writes under the
nom de plume of Dagonet. Poor little Nell's idea of
heaven .

"With • little bit invented,
And • little bit Inferred,"
with it. playground, hop-scotch. and games un-
trammelled by policemen and beadles, might
perhaps be somewhat contrary to the orthodox notion
of the "place beyond the stars," and her other notions
of spiritual things were somewhat hazy; but her
devotion and love for her little dying brother
were true Christian attribute, at all event& The
pathos and feeling which Miss Bataan infused
Into the verses rendered them doubly effective, and at
the class she was rewarded by the warmest applause.
" Davta Copperfield on his way to School" was then
recited, the humorous scene between David and the
kind waiter at the inn causing much amusement. "The
Flying Dutchman" (Willa), with its terrible incidents,
so vividly dearihed, concluded the first part. The
scenes from Macbeth, the murder and sleep walking
scenes (the latter being kindly added by Mir Base-
men) commenced the second portion of the entertain.
ment. As • tragedienne Mien Bateman'a talents are
undoubted, and her powers were well brought out
in the declamatory passages of the two scenes
mentioned. Often hem she anstained the rok
of Lady Macbeth, it is therefore unnecessary to
criticize her recitation on the present occe. ion. The
terrible features of the tragedy were terikingly repre-
sented, and in the impersonation of Macbeth's wife
she MY remarkably good, Kleine an !ideal portrayal
of thin bloodthirsty wi.rn ono. In pinioning contrast
canto 'sir Walter Scott'. "Young Lochinvar " and
Lady Bun area's " Auld Robin Gray." Thee including
piece woe an amusing poem, Barry and I are out,"
full of lagoons to oil married couple,.
, At the close, Miss Bateman was mot heartily
applauded, and, before leaving the platform, she
expressed her thanks for the very kind manner in
which she had been received, and to the Chairrsa for
the charming way in wh'ch be had alluded, not only
to herself, but to her dear father. (Applau.e.)
Throughout the evening was very pluemant and
enjoyable, and the C >lamina of the Lecture Society
deserve many thanks for securing no o ac!llent an
entertainer.