Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-03-15
From the Neao York Mirror.


think the following particulars worth the space
they will occupy in your excellent journal, per-
hapS you will not object to their insertion.
was in one of the boxes of Covent garden thea
tire, on Monday twenty-fifth OF March 1885, the
last night that great actor, Edmund Kean, APP
peared on the stage. His health, for months,
had been so rapidly declining and his physical
energies become SO visibly impaired by those
long INDUCED Irregularities, which had broken
down a naturally vigorous but abused cOnstltu-
ton, that his acting was rendered generally lee
BILE, unsatisfactory, and often painful; ana even
his inability to appear at all when announced,
was by no means rare occurrence. Inc last
effort he made, at all worthy Of his former lame,
was in the early part of the winter, when the inn
portance of having his Othetlo brought for the
first time in conjunction with the rival talentS Oh
Mucready in Idgo, gave stimulus to his powers
of body and mind, Sufficient to sustain him
throughout the character. 1t was universally
admitted, that never did his genius display itself
more triumphantly. On this occasion, howev-
err, he was advertised for the same favorte part
to the Iago of his son. Charles, who, having ne
yer before acted with him on the London boards,
was warmly greeted on his entree by a'tolerably
numerous audience; but when in the second
scene the father entered as Othello, followed by
the son, as Idg0, the house rung with reiterated
acclamations. The father continued bowling
for considerable time without producing any
diminution in the enthusiastic and loud cheering
which prevailed when, if suddenly awaken
ed to sense of the circumstance, he turned, and
taking his son by the hand, led him step or
two forward. and, with a graceful bow, ana one
of his most fascinating and characteristic smiles.
presented him to the audience. The waving OF
hats and handkerchiefs, and the doubly redou-
bed plaudits which ensued checked for an unusu-
ally long period, every attempt made by them to
proceed with their parts There was nothing
distingushable in keans performance OF the
first and second acts, from his usual persOnlh-
cation of Othello, except more than ordinary
feebIeness in his voice, action and gait; which
as he had not many weeks previous broken
down in the midst of the part, was imputed to
designed reservation, or perhaps the fear of too
early eXhausting what physical strength he
might be enabled to call up in order to sustain
the third and latter acts: when however he came
to that memorable apostrophe-"No forever
farewel' etc. the whole of it was breathed forth
with all that melodious melancholy, so noted IN
brighter days, and so happily described by the
critic, Hazlett, as striking upon the heart and
imagination like some divine music only min
gIed with far greater degree of feeling" than
had ever before observed, in fact, so deeply
affecting were his tones, that as he half SoDOed
out the last line, Farewell-OtheoS-o
pation's-gonen'
remarked to friend near me, Poor fel-
low! fear that consciousness ofOthello's des-
sonally, has touched his own feelings" seldom
remember Kean's failing, in this particular point,
to elicit less than three hearty rounds on ordlna-
ry occasions but on this, they were increased
in number and duration. He remained abstract
ed and motionesS, his chin resting on his breast,
and his eyes fixed on the ground for many Sc
condS after every murmer OF applause had sub
sided, then raising his head from his chest,
from forgetful slumber, he seemed partially
aroused into sense of his situation with the au-
dience and the necessity OF proceeding; but IN
stead of that sudden and infuriate alteration
that towering passion which used to threaten
the destroyer of his peace with irresistible and
immediate annihation, he turned slowly and
feebly, tottered a few steps towards Iago, (who
seeing his sinking state, approached him. and,
leaning on his arm for support and unable to
seize him by the throat, he uttered IN dis
jonted accents, only audible to those quite near
him. Villan-be -sure-yOu-prove
throwing himself upon bis sons neck, in faint
and faltering voice, added, Oh God! | am dy
ing! speak to them, Charlesm The house,
though somewhat prepared for a result Of the
kind, did not anticipate such decided prostrd-
ton of his faculties, and kept up their applause
for nearly minute, endeavOring to cheer him
by showing every mark Ofipdugence: at length,
Charles made attempt to assist his father for
ward, wl1en his look and manner indicating the
most pitful helplesness, it became evident he
could no longer stand alone, and the audience
with one accord rose and cried, "Take HIM off!'
Whereupon, one ofthe performers came on from
the wing, and poor kean, who was trying TO bow,
was borne off and carried to a house in the vi
cinity for the night and the next day removed
to his own residence at Richmond, where he
fingered about six weeks before he expired
Thus terminated the ftful career of an actor
take him for all in all, eve nee'r shall look upon
his like again!" have the honour to be, gen.
tlemen, very respectfully your friend and ODE
dent servant JAMES II. HAcKETr
g We understand that seren of the Ohio hnnkS