The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-29 00:00:00

EDMUND KEAN.

If, as was asserted at the time, his acting differed from
that of all his predecessors, so may it assuredly be said, the
none of his successors in the remotest degree resemble him.
Now and then his son, Charles Kean, in some isolated look,
or tone, or gesture, recalls for a moment his tilted father to
remembrance—but the illusion is but transient. Of Ed.
mund Kean, in his entirety, it might truly be affirmed
that—

"None but himself could be his parallel."
He was alone—equally alone in force,
energy, and power,
originality and conception. Every impersonation was
instinct with truth, and bore evidence of the
highest genius. What perhaps was his most
remarkable distinctiveness was his perfect transfusion, as
it were, of himself into, and life-like embodiment of, the
character he represented. For the time being he was wholly
and absolutely the person he enacted. It was this complei-c
identification of his own nature with, and his absorptiort
into himself of, the woes and wrongs, the feelings and
actions of the part ho was playing, which was the secret of
the riveted attention and quite unparalleled sway he exer-
cised over the emotions, hearts, and sympathies of his
audience. In " Othello," for instance—amongst ninny of his
most marvellous delineations—where each throb of passion,
each pang of torture, was indicated with unerring and sur-
passing fidelity and minuteness, you had the same tears,
compassionateness, and pity—the same intense and burning
indignation for what you witnessed—your susceptibilities
as strongly and vividly responded to the appeal made to
them—as if, instead of simulated suffering, you were spec-
tators of, and participators in, some mournful tragedy in
domestic life.

•
His height and figure were not unfavourable to the as-
sumtion perhaps of stateliness—yet I never can admit
that p
there were not passages in his acting c,f native and
superlative dignity.
His rebuke to Cassio in " Othello" was pre-eminently so.
He crossed the stage with calm, majestic tread to where the
culprit stood convicted of inebriety, and in a voice of stern,
inexorable authority, which had an awful grandeur in it,
repeated—

" Cassio, I love thee,
But never more be officer of mine."
None surely that ever heard him say those words could
accuse him of want of dignity. His pauses were long, and
perhaps too frequent. One of his peculiarities was—thit;
however intimately and familiarly acquainted with his act-
ing you were, you never could tell before hand how ho
would treat and interpret any new part. In most actors
there is such a conventional style, such a general and sus-
tained mannerism, that when announced for any novel cha-
racter, you can form a pretty shrewd and accurate idea of
how it will be rendered by them. This was never the case
with him. In conception ho was so perfectly and appa-
rently impulsive, that every fresh embodiment exhibited
some startling unconceived surprise never realized before.
He might literally be said to " paint the violet and gild re-
fined gold." The most devoted Shakespearian, who had
pored and pondered over the words of his idol for years; re-
ceived the impress of a new light thrown on their meaning
by Kean's reading of the parts assigned to him.
The oft-repeated quotation, " One touch of nature makes
the whole world akin," might not inappropriately be ap-
plied t' his acting. The startling originality, the intense
energy, the subtle power, the novel conceptions, were ad-
juncts and accessories undoubtedly to the colossal fame
which, as an actor, ho enjoyed • but the great secret of his
success was that he was simply, wholly, truthfully, and
really natural.
Ho exhibited humanity as it is—in all its aspects, varieties,
and conflicts of passion. Hence his supreme ascendency
over the feelings of his audience—the hearts of thousands
beating as ono man beneath his faithful and marvellous
portraitures of emotions, affections, and infirmities of a na-
ture common to all.
We commend these agreeable volumes to the
general reader, assuring him that, whatever their
shortcomings or defects, he will find ample enter-
tainment for a leisure hour in contemplating these
varied and life-like photographs.

Captain Brand of the Centipede. By Lieutenant
H. A. Wise, 3.5. N. Trubner and Co.
Although this work purports to be the history of
a pirate of eminence in the West Indies, and a
record of his loves and exploits, and the singular
manner by which he departed this life, he takes by
no means a leading part in the story. He may be
the hero, but the reader is introduced to none of
his lady loves or victims until long after their
decease. This is, however, just as well, for certainly
the author has a talent for describing the horrible
and revolting. Captain Brand is a clever noun:
drel, of good address, undaunted .daring, an
a
fiendish cruelty. His evil genius is a doctor who,_o_
having been snared into his gang, and sailed
of
annu
voyage in the schooner, and saving the lit
infant, refuses to accompany the pirate anyo
. nof the
Captain Brand, fearing the deterrniFadelbauchery,
doctor, whose character is made up
hand o,
and piety,
murder, and profligacy on the oneother,
causes hint
humanity, and generosity on. the longer.
manner which he
to be surprised and secured
however, by a
escribe-d. Thethscahnotowneerntiys
lingering death,
saunises departswill Here follows a spirited
United States'
thleeadisitaonad_crpuTelEnidd,
and is lost sight of until
b y t h ebbedeioncitgivard
chase, and it is
tale, when more
the conclusion of the
He is at length discovered
s have elapsed-
destroyed but Brfarwnigdealeltsecaapes,
Sears having escaped from his
enas the
of o
theut-
his life to re
suffered at thevenhga
on devoted
pris 1
followedwho by him to their former
rage
pirate--
place of abode, and expiates his crimes by the hor-
rible death he proposed for the doctor. Such is
bauntda
thy
earset nius number oofr inno-
dthiveidouotallisnaeroof
itohteroadtuoroyed;,
plot. The best part of the work is that which re-
lates to the sea and the American navy, although
Lieutenant Wise makes the mistake common to
most nautical writers, of setting sail, reefing, going
about, and bringingup, &c , &e., at !east twenty
times too often ; and although the gallant lieute-
nant may be justly proud of the navy of his coun-
try, he has no need to expatiate quite so often upon
it, as the reader will find to his cost. Taken as
a whole, " Captain Brand of the Centipede" is
amusing, but it contains too much of the revolting
and too little romance for the present age.

DEATH OF LORD FFRENCH—The Galway papers
announce the death of Charles Lord Ffrench, who expired
on the 25th inst., at Tarver-hall, in the county of Mayo.
The deceased nobleman, who was in his 75th year, was a
zealous Roman Catholic, and follower of Mr. O'Connell
throughout that gentleman's long career of Irish agitation.
Lord Ffrench was the first magistrate in Ireland to whom
Chancellor Sugden directed his celebrated missive notify-
ing the intention of her Majesty's Government to remove
from the commission of the peace any person who took
part in furthering the visionary scheme of a repeal of the
Legislative Union.
COUNTERFEIT COIN AND THE LICENSED
OirlhC;
TtvALLEas.—Last night information reached Lon::: of London
of a London smasher, named Thomr
ham, who had passed counterfeit coin at about ten
of
houses, but was at last apprehended
by
1‘
nn s.
town last
the Sailors' Return Hotel. A. Mint ofinioce.n_.
night on the affair. The bad coins
DTs.
11 '
—The ten
George-
METROPOLITANpubIic-
IMPROVE 3:
hEhouses are now finally
street, Euston -road, baths and
wai-his mark on the fittings
closed, and the auctioneer the whole being marked in &-
as well as on the building,,,
1 30u lots, for sale. It appears
lotments, numbering en.
_. i' IT& apparatus, are to be disposed
present position, the whole to
that the building, w.t-ilir
of by the hamme n_
si detr to give place to another class of
rot the baths have not been a wilt-
lt
whichhelan de
extends
dlTailldoinn:
bpyurthp purposes.
pang "ladles not appear, but the New River Com-
bb
ue
icidl cleared o ffl,
ableinvestra n
pany is gate
The long 1310
• the 1.1 t d-road amps ea , and whiseroir in ch stands in gloomy
i to the opposite side of the road, where all is life
eol tnyt°dereagdu,itvrale
contras
and bustle, buying and selling, is to make way for a row of
houses—no doubeshops, and the land is now offered to let
on building leases. Likewise an entire new street is stated
to be in contemplation, extending from Hampstead-roacltu
George *tett,