Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-06-10
MEMOIRS OF O'KEEFE.

before the puhlic. folloWlpS 'ms eAanipie, 'oHN
OKEEFE, a dramatist. and author Of several
popular operas, has favored the world with II bio
graphy of himself. From this performance the an
nexed article is extracted, and although it does not
contain so much interest MS we could wish, we doubt
not it will be read with satisfaction, as it delineates
some of the vexations and mortifcations incident
to an author.
In the whole range Of Literature, there are no
compositions which are so uncertain Of success, and
so liable to condemnation, as are dramatic perform
ances. This does not however originate so frequent
ly in the author, as it does in the tyrsnnical stupidity
of those who have the management ofTheatres: and
pieces presented to them, are frequently, by their
superior judgment, mangled and cut up in such a
manner, as to he rendered absolutely disgusting and
unfit for the public eye. These sages of the Thea
tire, in the fulness of their modesty, set themselves
up as sole judges of m effect, and in attempt
ing to cut for the stage. nine times out OF ten cut
the play out of existence and the throat Of the au-
thor. HOMES tragedy of Douglas, and than
which few tragedies are better, has suffered inn
mensely in this way, and Mrs. INCHBALD, who per-
hap, wa. one of the best judges of dramatic effect,
observed, in her remarks on a late edition fthis
well known and admired drama-"Cut up, as it Is
at present, by the austerity Of managerial conceit,
| pedantry and coxcombry, it does no credit to the
| able and distinguished author, who, ifhe had lived
to have seen his favorite performance thus NAL
treated and broken upon the rack, would have
destroyed himself in Madness
JoHN O'KEEFE had the modification Of he
holding two or three of his productions damned, and
,lisgracei, on the first light Misrepresentation, but
when he succeeded in getting them performed as he
had written them, they met with decided success,
and ultimately became popular. Mr.. OKEErE
was a rare and an original genius. He was held in
high estimation by the poets and wits Of the time III
which ne nourished, and lis notices OF Garrick, the
late Duke Of Cumberland, the account of his own
introduction to the drama, and the description of the
celebrated Nan Galley, are very forcille. The
opera which is mentioned as having fpiled, is now
often acted, under the title Of the Castle Of .Andalu-
Sa.
During my two years residence III london, | oft
en- saw Garrick: the delight lis acting gave me was
one VI IL SllNtn NIOtuS nat u|t" "c a
Theatre. liked him best in Ledr.-His saying,
in the bitterness of his anger, IL will do such things
what they are know not, and his sudden recol-
lection OF his own want of power, were so pltiable
as to touch the heart}of every spectator. The SIM
plicity of his saying " Be these tears wet? yes,
faith ~ putting his finger 10 the cheek f COrdeita,
and then looking at his finger, was exquisite. In
deed he did not get his fame for nothing. | saw HIM
DO Abel Drugger the same night; and hisapralled
look of terror, where he drops the glass globe, drew
AS much applause from the audience as his Lear
had done. Some years after, hearing Lord Mans
field On the Bench, his voice and manner brought
Garrick forcibly to my recollection. Ia l779, !
saw Garrick's funeral procession pass to the Abbey;
a short time before, | had seen him walking very
quick This wayJ on the Terrace of the Adelphi, be-
fore his own house (the centre of the Terrace.)-
He caught cold sitting in the orchestra, at a night
view Of the scenery preparing Tor X. b. Sheridan
opera of The Camp.
In 1892, | saw at St. James, William of Cullo-
den, the Duke of Cumberland. was close to him;
lie walked, leaning with his hands stretched out
upon the shoulders of two gentlemen; | thought
him the latest man had ever seen. The Kings
three brothers lived in Leicester-felds Edward,
Duke of York, VINO died at Monaco, in Italy, lived
in the house up high steps Oong afterwards a carpet
warehouse } the Princess Dowager of Wales IN a
house behind it and the Dukes of Gloucester and
Cumberland (not Dukes them lived together in a
small house In The square, turning 10 the ieit from
Cranbourne-alley. In the same year saw Jean
Jalues Rousseau, in one of the upper boxes at CO.
vent Garden ; ! was in the pit he wore his sort
of Armenian dress, a dark gown furred, and fur cap,
and attracted greatly the attention of the audience.
wrote Tony Lunpkin in torn or The Ollie
dnte a sort ofsequel to Goldsmitb's She Stops 10
Conquer, in i772. Coming to L.ondoa the Christ
mas in 1777, aud, fearing the notifications that an
author must Of course feel on his compositions being
rejected by Managers, | sent my play to Mr.. Col
man, with a letter, requesting that, should he d,s-
approve Of il, he would have it left at the bar Of the
Grecian Coffee House, directed to A. b.. and II
he liked it we'll enough to promise he would bring
il out, he would send an answer as above and the
author, on his mentioning a time, would wait upon
him. The next day | called at the Cofee-House,
where | found a jocular, yet polite, and indeed
friendly letter from Mr.. Colman, directed to A. b.
with his appreciation Of the piece, a promise to
bring it out the following summer, and his wish TO
see the author at Soho Square the next day at ele-
ven o'clock. A joyful letter to meas, previous
to my sending my play to Mr.. Colman, | showed 1t
to nv early friend, William Lewis, who told me it
was not worth two pence.
The next morning | was punctual to appoint
ment, and posted to Soho Square, where, at the left
hand corner Of Bateman's buildings, l knocked at
the uoor of a fue-looking house, and was ushered
into the library. Seated in cap and gown ut break
Fast, | there, for the first time, saw the Manager OF
the Haymarket Theatre, author OF The English
Merchant, The Jealous VIE, &c. &c. who received
me with all the frank good nature Of his character,
laughed heartily at the within Of the piece, and re-
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