The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-09 00:00:00

THE LATE THOMAS MORTON.

We have lost unquestionably one of the brightest ornaments
of our dramatic literature, and a man who was the delight of
every company into which he entered. He was of course de-
voutly beloved by the various members of his very united and
amiable family. He has left behind him a widow and, we
understand, three sons and a daughter. One of the sons holds
an office in a public department, and is besides the author of
several excellent farces; another is an artist of distinguished
talents, and among his performances we may point out the
portrait just published of Charles Kean, as " Hamlet," which
he drew upon stone from Chalon's design. The eldest son
was for some years in India, whence he returned not very
long since in bad health ; and his daughter was married in that
country.
Morton was one of the most successful dramatists that ever
lived ; had the Copyright Act been in existence twenty years
before it was passed, he would have realised a fortune by Ins
writings. To show the confidence placed in his abilities by
the managers of our theatres, we need only state, that when
his " Town and Country" was to be brought out, in March,
1807, Mr. Harris, of Covent Garden, before the parts had
been written out for rehearsal, agreed to give him a draft for
1,0001. for it, the theatre taking all risks of success or failure.
How well Mr. Harris was rewarded for his liberality we need
not say, for " Town and Country" is one of the stock pieces
of every theatre in the kingdom. John Kemble was the ori-
ginal Reuben Glenroy, but it was also a favourite part with
Kean. Morton had previously written " Columbus," " The
Children in the Wood," " Zorinski," " The Way to get
Married," " A Cure for the Heartache," " Speed the Plough,"
" Secrets worth Knowing," " The Blind Girl," and " The
School of Reform." Every one of these, except-
ing " Columbus" and " Zorinski," still keeps possession
of the stage, or at all events did so while we had
actors for them, and until their place was wrongfully
usurped by translated trash and modern monstrosities. " Co-
lumbus" was produced as long since as 1792, and often has
the author been heard to regret that it was not hissed from
the boards; it changed the cjlour of his future life, and drew
him from a profession in which he might have acquired fortune
and distinction. That which was matter of sincere lamenta-
tion with him will be a subject of permanent rejoicing with
the public, too often benefitted at the expense of individuals,
and too seldom grateful for the advantage.
Among Morton's later productions were, " A Rowland for
an Oliver, acted for the first time in 1819, and the " Invinci-
bles," brought out in 1828. Of the one Miss Foote was the
heroine, and Madame Vestris of the other. His judgment
was so good, his skill so great, and his popularity so general,
that he was always the " surest card" in the hands of a mana-
ger ; and his " School for Grown Children," which is by no
means one of his best Comedies, was played twenty-four times
at Covent Garden in the season of 1826-7.
At the time of his death he was in his 74th year, having
been born in Durham in 1764. The early death of one or both of
his parents placed him under the care of an uncle of the name
of Maddison, after whom he named his second son, and by
whom he was provided for when young. He was sent to the
then celebrated school in Soho-square, which is remarkable for
having produced several popular actors and dramatists. Homan
was Morton's class-fellow, and had the character of " Alonzo" in
his first play, " Columbus," in which the father of the present
lessee of Covent-Garden had likewise a part. Morton acquired
his earliest theatrical taste while at school, but at the proper
age he was entered by his uncle a student of Lincoln's-inn,
but ho was never called to the bar. While keeping his
terms ho was a constant play-goer, and it ended in his own
experiment as a play-writer, and his abandonment of the pro
fession for which he was destined, but for which he had no
predilection. He accordingly became a dramatist, and for
many years added considerably to his income by the singularly
successful efforts of his pen. He was always a man of re-
spectable and regular habits, and he kept the best company,
his society being sought by persons of the first distinction,
who had either taste or talent. Morton's conversation was
full of anecdote and sprightly humour, never deviating into
grossness, and never overlaying the solid foundations of ex-
tensive knowledge, good sense, and sound discretion. He
made no obtrusive pretensions, and sometimes allowed other
people a larger share than the rest of his auditors were willing
to give them in his company. To the younger aspirants of
the stage, whether as authors or actors, he invariably attri-
buted their full proportion of merit ; and his charitable esti-
mate of others, and too severe criticism of himself, was now
and then carried almost to a fault. Yet he was as sincere a
man as ever lived, and if he did not constantly say all he
thought, he never uttered what he did not think. He was
not only steady but ready in his friendships, and never forgot,
when it was in his power to give, that assistance which he had
sometimes needed himself.

From early youth to the last year of his life, Morton was
remarkably fond of the noble and manly game of cricket,
and he was a constant attendant at Lord's Ground, being the
senior member of the Marylebone Club. He had seen all the
great players, from the Beldams and Walkers of former days
to the Wenmans and Pilchs of our own, and as he delighted
to talk about their achievements, there was no man living
who could give a more lively and characteristic account
of their peculiar styles and qualifications. He was never
himself, we believe, much distinguished either as a batter
or a bowler, but he was an admirable judge of the best
mode of disposing a field, so that the excellence of the
whole eleven players might he adapted to their situations in
it. About two years ago, he was elected an honorary mem-
ber of the Garrick Club—a distinction the more coveted, as
there never is but one individual so selected, for his high
claims in connection with the stage. Until his late illness, he
was by no means an unfrequent attendant there in the morn-
ing, but in consequence of the regularity of his habits of life,
the evening meetings of the Society, which are said to be very
attractive, were rarely attended by him. His theatrical re
rniniseences extended as far back as the time of Henderson,
and he recollected the first introduction of the Kembles to the
metropolis. We hope that the successor to his place in the
Garrick Club may possess the same amiable and companion-
able qualities. That he had no personal enemies we will not
say, but we will assert that he had as few as was consistent
with that straightforward independence of character, whiclt
too often excites the animosity of those who are loss direct
and fearless, and who generally pay to honesty the attribute
of their rancour.—Sunday Paper.

The illarehioness of Wellesley, who is in a deli-
cate state of health, has left town for Norwood, far the benefit
of the air of that salubrious village.
TIIE BRIBERY ACTIONS (BRISTOL).—The re-
sult of these actions is, briefly, that of the six entered for trial
at Gloucester three have termi iated in verdicts for the defen-
dants, one has gone off for ever by the withdrawal of a juror
by the plaintiff, and two stand over nominally until the next
assizes, there not being a sufficient numly•r of jurors in attend-
ance. We believe our readers may fully consider them at an
end. There is one point which it would be criminal to over-
look—the defendants. As they have been marked out to ba
victimized, because they are Liberals, it is the duty of every
honest Liberal to do his part to save them from pecuniary loss
—Bristol Mercury . _ _ _

The consumption of the finer sorts of gunpowder
in 1836 was less than in the preceding year by about 40,0001 b.
This is attributed to the mifavourable state of the weather
during the. sporting season, and the scarcity of game. The
consumption of the coarser gunpowder for blasting in 1836
exceeded that of 1835 by 111,4241 h., thereby showing an im-
mense increase in the working of mines and quarries.—
Galignani's Ilkssenger.
SERIOUs ACCIDENT.—Last night, between seven
and eight o'clock, as a child, about seven years of age, was
crossing the road at the top of Monmouth-street, Seven Dials,
a gentleman in his gig, driving at a steady pace, ran against
it, the horse of which knocked it down and dreadfully tram-
pled upon it. The poor little sufferer was immediately picked
up, and conveyed to the shop of a surgeon close by, whence
it was re-moved to Charing-cross Hospital, in a dangerous
state, in consequence of the severe injuries it had received,
and it was feared that the skull was fractured.
At Nancy a boy, seven years old, a few days ago,
having committed some fault, was confined by his schoolmas-
ter in an out-house, where a game cock hart taken up his
abode. The pugnacious bird was so enraged at the intrusion
that he attacked the poor child, and wounded him so severely
that he died in twenty-four hours, partly from the effect of the
injuries he had received, but chiefly from the fright he had un-
dergone.
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.—The April number
of this popular monthly publication exceeds in attraction, it'
possible, any of its predecessors. For its richness of humour
and burlesque, the " Modern Eclogue" will he read again and
again, and so will the curious story of " The Snuff-box." No
man who has ever ridden in an omnibus can fail to have 11;s
curiosity strongly aroused by the extraordinary incidents de-
tailed in the narrative called " The Conveyance Company ;"
while the " Nights at Sea" gives us the 'Star" of Nelson's
school in all his queer glory. But though comedy predomi-
nates in this miscellany, the editor has wiscly administered to
the taste of all readers by the insertion of some tales and
sketches of pathos and tragic power. Such are the " Love
Story, in three chapters," a sketch which we must attribute
to the pen of Dr. Maginn ; and " The Narrative of Johl
Ward G ibson," a story of intense passion and terror. Other
productions are included in the number, while, as a crowning
excellence, the reader is presented with some new chapte:s
of the inimitable " Oliver Twist," by the editor himself,
Bez.'