The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-22

robe to relieve himself from the sight His terror,
he tremblingly removes his mantle to see II the
spectre had vanished, was . new, nice, and dscri-
minating point, because, notwithstanding the firm.
ness which Macbeth summons into his defiance of
this fightfu "pain.ing Of his fear" it is not to be
while he utters it. Mr. Nesie does not overlook
the essential diff that exists between the feas
of doing wrong and the fear of external harm-oe-
tween the blind animal ferocity that goads the
brute, and the noble motive that inspires the
tional intrepidity of man. This was chef
d'dppre of artistic acting and good reading
In the scene where Macbeth and Macduff en-
counter each other in battle, Mr.. Neafe equal
lytrue to his author The yrant, repre- sentsd by
him, does not resort to that power his life with
which he believed himself gifted, but evincing a
noble compunction for the inhuman wrongs he had
of adding the blood of Macduff to that already
spilled in the slaughter of his dearest connections.
1t was not in the tone Of coward, but with the
expression OF penitent, Mr. Neafe said to Macduf-
"0f all men else, have avoided thee
But get thee back; my soul is too much charged
With blood Of thine already"
But, urged on by Macdufs. taunts and scorning,
and the predictions of the Juggling fends who had
deceived him. he boldly trusts his fate to that Unborn
intrepdity on which he knows he can rely, and
concludes his impersonation Of Macbeth with an
unyielding though hopeless struggle against the
only enemy he wishes to avoid.
We have thus given review OF Mr. Neahes
perfoI unbiased by the preudices OF private
friendship, or even personal acquaintance We
tinguished ornament to the dramatic profession,
and an honor to his country. We do not intend to
say he is, superior to Others Of the prOfessionnor
would we clog his natural desire to become more
perfect than he is, by endeavoring to persuade him
that he is their equal. We can, however, justly
say that if he has not yet attained to great emf
nence, he is even now free from the mannerisms of
many master minds.
Mr. John Andrew Jackson Neafe was born in
the city of New York, in November, 1915, and is,
consequently, in the thrty-sxth year Of his age.
At an early period Of his life, in very boyhood he
discovered restless inclination for the stage, and
attended some amateur performances, which took
place in an old watchhOuse in Spring street, until
most completely absorbed every other feeling He
was sent to Newark, New Jersey, to school, where
he remained till he was fourteen years of age He
then returned home, and was apprenticed as a car
penter to MIR. Geer, father OF the present Coroner
of our city. He worked assduously until 1899,
when he determined to follow the dictates of his
lest and continued ruling passion--the substitution
Of the sock and buskin for the and jack plane.
He subsequently appeared at the Park theatre as
Othello, which was creditably performed by him.
He then played in Richmond, and was afterwards
engaged at the old National, in this city, and at
Niblo's, then IN Philadelphia, where he remained
two years, and after the many vicssitudes to which
aspirants to the histrionic art exposed, Mr..
Neafe, vascillating between a bare subsistence
and actual want, "buffetted the pillows" with a
of upwards of twelve years, throughout the States
where he has gained many admirers-reached a po-
sition at once honorable and profitable. We un-
derstand that Mr. Neafie is al present studying two
new tragedies, which have been written expressly
for him by American authors.