The Sun.
London, England, 1833-05-16 00:00:00

DEATH OF EDMUND KEAN, Esq., THE

TRAGEDIAN.

(From a correspondent of the Morning Chronicle.)
This melancholy event took place yesterday morning,
at twenty minutes past nine o'clock, at his house, at
Richmond, in the presence of Mr. Douchez, his principal
medical attendant, and Mr. Lee, his constant and faithful
secretary. Mr. Douchez postponed several consultations
in town, on Tuesday, for the purpose of attending the
last moments of his friend, and at twelve o'clock proceeded
to Richmond. On his arrival, he found his patient in a
very lethargic state, unconscious of anything passing
around him, and towards evening a large accumulation of
mucus took place in the bronchiae (air passages of the
lungs), vulgarly known by the term " rattles," giving evi-
dent signs of his speedy dissolution. He continued in this
state during nearly the whole of the night, occasionally
muttering religious interjections land here it may be well
to observe that Mr. Kean was a firm believer in the doc-
trines of Christianity].
At 5 o'clock yasterday morning he appeared to re-
cognise Mr. Douchez and Mr. Lee, and grasped the former
by the band, throwing, at the same time, a look of be-
neficent kindness upon them, which can be better imagined
than described. As the morning approached, an attempt
was made to oass something through his lips, but it was
in vain. The poor sufferer afterwards made several inef-
fectual attempts to speak, and at the hour before men-
tioned, still grasping the band of Mr. Douchez, he fixed
his eyes steadily upon him and Mr. Lee for a minute,
heaved one sigh, and expired.
It is the intention of his relatives and friends to apply
to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster Abbey to forego
the customary fees, and to allow his mortal remains to be
placed by the side of his immortal predecessor Garrick.
Doctor Drury, who had admired the growing genius
of Kean from a very early period, was not unobservant of
the progress it was making to perfection. He had lately
seen him in Exeter, and perceiving that his powers were
uncommon, wrote to Mr. Grenfell, the Member of Par-
liament, upon the propriety of bringing him out upon the
London boards. Mr. Grenfell knew the tottering state of
Drury-lane Theatre, and that if chance did not work a
very material change in the business of it, the liberal
spirit and the equal force of talent at the sister Theatre
would be the means of rendering even the wisdom of the
Committee incapable of supporting the concern. Dowton,
Johnstone, Munden, Elliston, Rae, Lovegrove, Braham,
and Dickons, bad all played to empty benches; and the
Jews were already entertaining hopes of getting bargains by
barteringwith he lower servants of the theatre for the wigs,
hats, coats, &c., which they expected to receive in lieu of
their salaries; when Mr. Grenfell took their case into
consideration, and informed Mr. Arnold of the substance
of Dr. Drury's letter. Mr. Arnold accordingly told the
Committee, that though they were groping through the
darknesses of life, there was some beam on its surface,
and some hope of refreshment in its waters. The Com-
mittee were struck mute with joy and surprise, for they
expected no less from the figure through which this light
was conveyed to them, than that their worthy friend and
coadjutor had some darling child of his fancy to regale the
puhlic with—something in the line of Jack, the Giant-
killer, which would be that of passing the ordeal which ge-
nius must go—but Mr. Arnold undeceived them, and, with
the sanction of the Committee, proceeded to Dorchester,
where Kean was then playing. On the night of Mr. Ar-
nold's arrival in Dorsetshire, he went to the theatre, o, here
Kean played the character of Octavian in the Mountaineers,
and afterwards the part of a savage, in a pantomime founded
upon La Perouse, and arranged by Kean himself. Mr.
Arnold saw enough in the performances to convince
him that the assistance of such a man would be likely to
redeem Drury-lane Theatre from the "dread repose" that'
prevailed through its aisles, and invited him to breakfast
the next morning, and, after a little conversation, con-
cluded an engagement with Kean for three years, at eight,
ten, and twelve guineas per week, for the first, second, and
third years. Upon Kean's arrival in town, which was
nearly three weeks after his engagement, Mr. Arnold in-

troduced him to the Committee, who made comments
upon his figure and face with a freedom that could be ill
excused, even in absence—" G.ti bless me ! what a
poor-looking thing!" said one—" He'll destroy the con-
cern !" said another.

They desired to hear him speak, and he spoke; but it
was to assure theta that he came to town to abide by the
j“dgment of the public„andnot to he determined in his

future views bi- theirs. The Committee broke up in anger,
and Mr. Arnold rereivtd a lecture from them upon the
subject of precipitancy of judgment.
Kean waited upon the Treasurer on the Saturday

Mowing, and received from him a week's salary ; but,

upon his application the week after, he was told that he
had no claim upon Drury-lane Theatre. He wished for
a❑ explanation, but was refused it; and after having
waited for upwards of an hour on the landing-place, was
told to depart. With this older be thought it prudent to
comply ; for be saw a phalanx of the bu'kined heroes of
the theatre gathered together, and amusing themselves with
his di,appointment. He at length succeeded in fin4ing out
the cause of his exclusion from the Treasury, by means of
a letter from Mr. Elliston, which toll him that he t, as to
play at that gentleman's theatre according to agreement,
and that he had no connection with any other. This letter
was t ep'ete with high.toned sentences ; and as Kan remem-
bered that he had some time before held a correspondence
with Elliston, with a view to an engagement, he recurred

to the letters on that suhject, but SAW that they
contained nothing that fixed an engagement; he therefore
wrote to Mr. Eliiston under such impression, and having
found it necessary to apply to Dr. Drury, a satisfactory
explanation took place, and Kean was once more received
by the committee. He was by his own desire advertised
for the character of Shylock, and it was reported at the
time that he chose that character for the purpose of
avoiding the ridicule which the committee said would be
vented upon his figure.
To follow Mr. Kean through the characters of Shylock,
Richard the Third, Elude, Othello, lag°, &c., at DI ury-
lane, would be quite superfluous, inasmuch as his perfor-
mance of those and many other characters was the most
triumpban.ly successful ever known, and absolutely saved
Drury-lane from total destruction ; and the latter part of
his history is too well known to be quoted in this
notice ; one fact, however, not generally known, and
which is illustrative of the fickleness of fortune, is
worth recording. Some years since, Mr. John
Hughes, who, for a series of years, has been Kean's
most zealous and attached friend and counsellor, and who
has invariably stuck to him with Christian constancy
" through weal and through woe," through " ill and
through good report," was acting at Tewkesbury at one
guinea per week ; Kean being the leader in tragedy,
comedy, and opera, received one pound five shillings per
week, and they chummed together (as they had done for
years) ; the domestic and pecuniary arrangements, from
motives of frugality and prudence, being always committed
to Hughes's charge. It happened, however, that on a
particular day at the end of a week, they were (in conse-
quence of the exercise of a little prodigality at the com-
mencement of the said week) literally without breakfast or
dinner ; but—mark the reverse of fortune—on that very
day five years Hughes's circumstances were c•rnsiderably
improved, and Kean absolutely received one hundred and
fifty guineas for his day's work, having played at Tewkes-
bury in the morning (the Theatre having been darkened),
at Gloucester in the afternoon, and at Cheltenh am at
night; and for each performance he received fifty guineas

There is a rumour of Sir JOHN HOBIIOUSE
going out as Ambassador to Madrid.—Morning Poper.
The Countess of BLESSINGTON'S new novel
of " The Repeaters," will be soon before the public. The
scenes in Ireland and in London are said to be of a very
extraordinary description ; they will develop not only a
variety of curious facts connected with the " Agitators,"
but di-close some features of London high life, of
which few persons are at present aware.
Lieutenant-Colonel DE LACY EVANS, the
newly-elected M.P. for Westminster, served at Waterloo.
where his gallantry recommended him to the notice of the
illustrious Commander•in-Chief of the Allied Armies.
The promotion of the Colonel is said to have been singu-
larly rapid, having been a subaltern in the month of Janu-
ary preceding the battle of Quatrebras, and a Lieutemint•
Colonel on the 18th of June, 1815. He is at present on
the half-pay of the sth West Indi i Rangers.
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