The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-07-13 00:00:00

momm.ml

w

MR. KEAN.

—wwww—
•B6 TO RDITOR Op TUB SATIOWAL ADYOCATIL
" I have yet some months to reseals in this coon-
ss7, it is all earnest wish to preserve the good opinion of
those fries& who have so generously and nobly manifested
their apprilliaßon of toy character and talents. As the tier-
Vii." tingle, lam aware that lam amenable to public
opinion • crasnre; sad if the public voice declare that
I have been in error, I am ready to apologise with all due
submission. But, Sir, is it nut extraordinary, that the of-
fense with which I am charged took place at Boston, with
tlso emscurresce of the managera; with the approbation of
friends, with whom I afterwards spells the evening, gentle-
men of Cortese and literary acquirements; and that I should
not hear any dissatisfaction expressed until I arrived in this
city I passed the following morning at Boston tranquilly;
sod on soy arrival in New York, murmurs of disapproba-
tion were heard, which appeared to me like an siverwhelm-
lag niviancha at the termination of a brilliant harvest.
" At am immoderate expense, and with all thatadditiosal
cost which falls to the lot of a stranger, I repaired to Bom
ton to felfil my engagements. Had I been acquainted with
the customs of the country, I should have made different
arrangements; bat my advisers sever intimated to me that
theatres were only visited in certain months of the year;
that wlhis curiosity bad subsided, di emetic talent was not in
estisnation. ]'sever could or would believe that the arts is
this event'', were may encouraged periodically, or that there
could be any season in which Fhakspeare was diminished
in value; but as Ism now initialed iss these mysteties, I
shall hereafter profit by my experience.
"Sir, I lite any professioual exertions. loosaterable
family claims are satisfied by each munth's slishuroementa I
cameo, afford to give thuse talents away. I had performed
Iwo of toy principal characters without hopes of remunera-
tion is that town, where my effdris had, two months before,
contributed largely to augment the public charities. 1 repeat,
1 bad acted two ehara rrrrr to the very extent of my abilities
without molt. On looking through the curtain, at seven
?stock, oil the sight I was >o represent Richard ike Third
Not character which has bees the fusiudatiou of my fame
mid fuetase), I counted twenty persons in front of the
theatre. I then derided, hastily if you please, that it was
timer M Istitsbamel my resumers-fora more favourable season,
Glad, in this decision, nu disrespect was contemplated to the
sinditmar, *leader as it was. The massagers apparently con-
carted with me, deplored the unfortunate state of the time.,
mad we parted in perfect harmony and eunadenee.
" It was my intention to leave America on the close of my
southern engagements. I sow think it my duty to return
stain to Boston, mod, in person, vindicate my cause at the
season when those who most palrosise the theatre are as-
sembled. The public have treated me with the greatest libe-
rality, and I shall ever acknowledge is. favour* with pride
and gratitude. As the latest hoar I shall remember those
friemds by whom 1 have been encircled, and whose amity
earl coalidenee lam convinced 1 have nut forfeited. But I
may be permitted to say, that the present hostility is lot the
voice of the public; it is that spirit of deractim ever at-
tendant tom little minds--a spirit which watehes for its prey,
had seises upon transient and accidental occurrences to de-
fame sad destroy. That respectable presses In this country
should have beta lulluenre t by such feeling., *ad denounce
with such acrimony and bitterness, is to me extraordinary.
`There is soniethiug in it more than salami, if philosophy
could lad it oat.'

" I undentand some gentlemen have asserted that L have
acted to equally bad bosses is England. I lamest that they
are drives to such extremities, or rather, that they should
compel me to declare that their assertions are untrue. The
privaent existence of the first theatre In Enrope is founded
on Ike iteitittes which they affect to despise. The provincial
eassagers of England, Scotland, and Ireland, have thank-
fella.rewarded nay,efforts by sums equal to what I receive
front my friend Mr. Price, the worthy and efficient manager
of the theatre in this city. For the ant three years of a ca-
reer tattpietedented in dramatic annals, I was in receipt of
double that slum is every theatre in which I acted, and even
allowing a trilling diminution in the space of years,
what em Ito think of a city in which I have bees received
with equal enthusiasm, and viceless a total desertion in the
space of three months? Nut the public say I was too pre-
cipitais.l—that I should have.. performed that evening, and
then closed my engagement. Granted. Our feeliap fre-
quently'assr our better judgesent•, and from trifling canoes
lead to results which we subsequently regret. The error was
venial., for who is exempt from error Nut all unprejudiced
people will, I trust, take intuvousiderotion the u•prufitable
labour of acting Richard aka Third to a solitary few, who
subsequently acknowledged themselves perfectly contested
with the gentleman who represented the character.
4I ant now convinced that the line weather was my chief
enemy, and shall again resume my station iu the Boston
theatre before I return to England.
4 beg have,' Sir, to submit this 'round u ished
tale' writhe consideration and decision of the public; and I
have W. exalted an opinion of their justice and liberality
toot to issicipate a Verdict in my favour.
" EDMUND KEAN."