The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-04

Thanks 10 Fanny Kemble Butter, we have bees
sssely conducted through another new excitement
She has sos only gwen large portion Of the com
musity. whose education has been shockingly neg
lecsed. q gi,nmenne apprehens on otthe beauties
and Mysteries Of Shakespeare and the fem ale voice.
bot she has withdrawn from their retirement great
suasbers Of that interesting class who patroaize
centred rhgios, and esohew the vain and carnal
delights OF the aiddy fashionable world In both
r,p-c,s, this pretty ard gifted woman has rem
dered essential service to the English drama, and
the Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian fashion ables
Of New York. We have cordially extended a
helping hand IN this great elocutionary and
fashionable movement Of the day; and now that
the Shakspearean readings have been. tor the pre-.
sent concluded, it may not be smiss to make Thorn
The subject Of brief review.
The excitement occssloned by Mrs. Buffers
readings did not at oil surprise u.s. To the great
mass OF her auditors. the works of Shakespeare
had been a sealed book. In general, the we'll
dressed, quiet young ladies, and their sedate
msmmas, who crowded the room at the Stuyvesant
Institute, enduring, night after night, tho martyr
dom Of an atmosphere like that Of bakers oven,
heard the plays OF the great dramatist for the first
them-had been danced, Frenched, and taught
the use Of the globes, but their pure minds
had been relgiously guarded against the con.
domination Of the drama. Occasionally, they
might have heard a stray quotation from
Hamlet or Macbeth, In the fashionable Sunday
harangues Of some daring KIRK, or Potts, or Chez.
ytr but with the pages o. Shakespeare them selves,
their darling lttle fingers were not to intermeddIe
As tor the male human beings who paid tor the
tickets, and bargained with the hackmen, they
had had more interesting and more profitable sub
jects Of study than, those to which the melodious
voice OF Fsnny Kemble now invited them. Not
few OF them had first seen the light Of day in little
country villages, where their ingenious youth had
npened into manhood, untroubled by any literary
labors save those Of the day books and ledgers In
which were recorded the first results OF that ex-
allied genius which now enables them to buy the
best French furniture, and doze every Sunday
in the most fashionable churches Of the great city
OF New York. A few, indeed, with cemmeuda.
bic zeal, had. late in life, when enriched by sue
cessful trade taken to tho study OF polite lltera.
ture; and thus, on seme OF Mrs. Buffers nights,
there might have been seen several fine old gen.
lie men, with white heads and gold spectacles,
each holding IN his hand volume of Shakespeare,
superbly bound In red morocco, with unexcep-
uonable gilt edges. But the audiences, as We
have said. came, generally speaking, profoundly
and amiably ignorant OF Shakespeare. They were
subjected, therefore, to an entirely new excite
ment. They shared, for tho first time in
that delicious enjoyment, In which so many OF
the sons and daughters Of Adam-earned and
ilterate, polite and vulgar-have alike revelled
since the days of Queen Elizabeth. In truth, there
was something exceedingly amusing, in the ma.vett
and innocence with which these New York fash.
lonable audiences manifested their feelings Of sur
prise and admiration on hearing for the first time,
the plays of Shakespeare. The rude, rough natures
Of mercantile men, accustomed all their days to
mclassee, stocks, pork, cutlery and broadcoth;
and the more susceptible, but equally uninformed
minds Of sweet young ladies', whose thoughts had
been heretofore divided between the latest spring
goods and the newest fashionable preacher, alike
owned the power of the immortal poet. 1t was IN
truth, most interesting psychological study. How
exquisltely significant were the charming exclama.
nations, and starts, and smoihered little screams
of delight, with which the ladies betrayed their
submission to the new and potent spell How en-
couragiDg the blank stare Of wonderment, and the
gaping mouth, OF many Of the men.
The influence Of this Shaksperean excitement
ON fashionable society and fashionable man.
ners, cannot fail to be extremely wholesome.
PROFESSIONALLY, tie most opulent and respect.
able portions Of this community have not min.
ged with the pseudo tashlonables who have
.ured at the Aston Place Opera House, and the
fancy balls at the watering places. The latter
casses have very little influence in society. They
have great pretenslons and great imoertinence,
but little opulence or solidity. It 10 amongst the
PLAIN retiring. substantial families, who distribute
tracts, get up Dorcas societies at the fashionable
churches, and flock to Mrs Buffers readings, that
we must look for the real aristociacy of our
commercial community. Hitherto, this interest
ing class have been too much IN the background
They have been too much controlled by oily
preachers, with rosy cheeks, and neck. cloths
of Irreproackabe witness. Now that they have
taken to the study of Shakespeare there Is hope for
them. Their minds will become llberalized
their prejudices will be gradually broken down,
and their intolerance Of rational and reaed public
amusements, will at length yield to the gentle infu-
ence OF the greatest OF dramatic writers.
We are also encouraged, by the success Of Mrs.
Butler, to hope for favorable effect upon the style
Of fashionable preaching in this metropolis. Our
temples of religion are numerous and magnificent;
but 1t is to be feared that the elegant audiences
that congregate within them are butslightly moved
by the spirit of the true faith Our preachers are
wellpad, but they are shockingly dull. The con-
sciences of men and women are not to be touched
by a feather. Mere moral harangues. however
grammatical and smooth, will not arouse, alarm,
reform, the frall and errlng. The pulpit, IN our
larger cities, has lost much Of its power. ltoaght
to be the great agency of the TRUTH the midst OF
a wicked and perverse generation. Bat it mas be-
come shockingly "gentee.". II Aatte rs where it
should condemn; and the welLdressed congrega.
ton retlres in excellent spirits, with conseiences
and sins and toles uprebuked. Let
our "genteel" preachers take Lesson from the
success Of Mrs. Butler's readings. Let them pre-
ri