The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-19
THE DAILY GAZETTE.
MISCELLANEOUS.
pUHH AND xA0REApY.

with the great tragedian, was anxious
70 cancel L. He therefore resolved to
provoke the irritable actor into q
breach Of the agreement.
After reading it over again, to lind
some loophole to escape, ne found
there was nothingto prevent his play
ing farce before the tragedy, and that,
consequently, he could annoy Maerea
dy BY making him perform in al after.
piscs. He therefore coolly advertis-
Cd him to perform Hamlet after a
pet;ts comedy. Macready saw through
the artifce, and much to the surprise
and disappointment Of Bum, made
no objection. Foilsd in this at tempt
to irritats the theatrical autocrat into
throwing up his engagement, he read
over the contract once again. a bril-
liant thought struck him. He saw
that he was not bound to perform an
entire play Of Shakespeare. He there
fore announced Richard the Third and
! the new pantomirne. Macready went
through the first four acts Of that mag.
niAcsnt play, reserving himself, as
usual, for the grand fifth act.
He was sitting in his dressing room
awsiting the call-boy, aud nursing his
energies for the closing scenes, when
he heard the bell tinkle. To his as
touishnent the orchestra commenced
the overture to the pantomime. Call
ing one of tbs attendants he inquired
what II meant. He was told that the
pantomime was sbout.to begin.
. .But,' gssped out Macready, 'the
Afth act Of Richard the Third is not
yet played
sOh!' said the man. 'Mr. Bum
says there is no time to play the fifth
sa TO night, and he says you may 60
home, sir-he only advertised the
first four acts OF the trag ,dy'
Thersge Of Macready boiled over.
but he swallowed it, and putting of
the tyrant's habilimsnts, he prepared
tolsave the thsater.
Passing the door of the managers
poom. he saw himself chuckling to
Eimsslf on the success OF his dodge
This was more than the tragedian
could stand; he rushed at Bum, and
pommellsd him 80 he was confined
to his bed for week. Bum conse-
quently brought action, and laid his
damages at q very heavy amount
The attack was apparently so unpro-
voked that the actor made up his
mind to pay swinging sum.
The ingenuity Of Sergeant Talfourd
however, saved him, for in his de
Ssncs, he said:
& ..0sntleman Of the Jury, you arc
al proud Of Shakespeare; he is your
iavorits poet, and worthy OF such an
enlightened jury. He is confessedly
the greatest dramatist the world has
ever seen. We all know how he af
fects us--that We laugh at his wit and
weep at his pathos-what must not
his marvellous genius effect ON man
like Mr.. Macready, who devotes all
his time the study Of our great nation
d postl Poet, did | ssy:--magician!
he waves bis hercromatic wand over
-, and we are, as it were, the slaves
Of his wilt This will naturally lead
YOU to excuse the accident that has
happened to Mr.. Bum, who insulted
the majesty Of England's greatest poet
by cutting of the fifth act Of one of
his immortal tragedies, for acommon,
vulgar pantomime!
'Gentlemen, Mr.. Macready could
no more help doing whathe did than
can the thunder. cloud, which dischar-
ges its electric fluid at the object that
lies in its path. The cases are paral-
lei. Mr.. Macready had worked him
self up to perform that mighty part
that triumph Of genius--the closing
scene Of the mighty tyrant Of Eng
land-the smotherer OF the babies
the murderer o. the king--ths destroy
er Of his wife.
Yes, gentleman of the jury, Mr..
Macready had concentrated within
his bosom the pent.up volcano of
Richards soul, and unfortunately
happened to meet Mr.. Bum, he dis
charged upon that unhappy gentle
mans head, tho Fifth Act Of Rich
ard ths Third, the results Of which
are more to be attributed to the i'm
mortal Shakespeare than to my client.
q Gentlemen, ! leave the case in your
hands, convinced that you will not
punish my client, Mr.. Macready,
whom l am happy to call my friend, I,
for this overpowering instance of the
genius of our immortal poet Shak-
speare.' lE A&E-3
The result is well known, Macready
got of with the moderate damages Of
n \ 4s