The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-16

could most easily do-to initiate his hoarse utter
ances but no human organ but his ever gave
such inconceivable harmony 70 the passage be-
ginning with Farewell the plumed troop" Il
was tremblingly full of exquisite tenderness, a
passionate tenderness and sad calm sorrow,
that used TO make the hearts OF his hearers be-
tray themselves at their eyes The actors lips
seemed to shed musc-such music never so
attuned on human lips before or since. There
was no initiating such quality as this still, imi-
tators abounded, and players whose delivery of
the Farewell" was like sweet bells tangled,
failed quite fully when they tried Kean's
great points made by the utterance
of few monosyllables or single
word. OF Lthese were, well, as you gJIesSy"
"ls that the tdto?" the Good night, my Lords"
on waking from the revery in which, az Richard
he drew the plan of the battlefield with the
point of his sword; and, we may add, the look
of impOtent hatred with which, as Shylock he
swept his enemy when ordered to refund the
money, give up half his estate, and become
henceforth Christian. These points were tried
by Keans imitators. We still see them tried
by respectable actors, but they are points which
now make no impression; whereas, in the old
days, audiences used, rs it were, to lay in wait
for them, prepare for their reception, and eagerly
seek to be thus pricked into ecstacy. But these
were not what constituted Kean's greatness.
lie had mind akin to the poets, and there
lore was among actors what Shakespeare was
among dramatsts. This was the reason why,
even in the last sad days of ftful briluancy,
even then impressed his audiences with the con-
victiOn that his like would never be seen again
by them, or perhaps by succeeding generations.
Managers grew rich from the very exhibition of
the glorious wreck; and it might be said of Kean
what Martial said of the favorite gladiator
of the amphitheatre, "Hermes divitiG loca-
riorum." The final wreck might have consoed
the Kembles for all their jealousy when the
argosy was first afoat in triumph on the waters.
Mrs. Fanny Kcmble is here to be excepted.
She rendered some justice to the actor who
overthrow the Kemblc school. The creed of her
family, she said, would not let her believe in
kean as Il great actor; but she confessed that
his genius great, his powers original and
striking, his finest effects once seen were never
to be forgotten. She thought, indeed, that he
lacked perfect conception of a part rested on
points, and so left his characters without con-
sstency and unity This is quite erroneous; but
Mrs. Fanny Kemblc is perfectly just when she
says:-"Kean is gone, and with him are gone
Othello, Shylock, and Richard"
Among things to be corrected in Mr.. Haw-
kins' work is the old legend of Kean having
been educated at Eton. When that young wan
dering Arab was fixed there, the author cannot
determine; but application to the books
would undoubtedly show that the story is
groundless Another lault to be amended is a
certain confusion of terms. Mr.. Hawkins, mar
rating the actors cvcntful debut as Shylock
notes his line Italian countenance, the light
ness OF his step, the piercing brillancy of his
eye; and adds thereto that 'hs personal
disadvantages were so great as to render
cess dependent on ''sheer excellence"
Often, too, the passages are over-ong and in
defect which may be made good in IL
second edition. With this, there is disposition
TO dlsparage actors contemporary with Kean,
whose equals would now be accounted on the
stage as rare phenomena. No one who remem-
bers Goung will agree with the author that Kean
eXtingulshed him whcn they played together, as
he did put out the light of Lucius Junius Booth
Young Kept his ground till he gracefully retired
with all his well-earned honors still about him
and his lago was net Of the quality which Mr.
Hawkins describes it, though it was not equal to
keans gayer, franker villain. 1t was after kean's
manner, but something overdone, that Mr.. Stuart,
played lago when Mr.. Gustavus Brooke flashed
his brilliant false prOInise the agreeably sur
prised town, as Othello.
Like Pope and others, who saw both Betterton
ana Garrlck, there were many persons who saw
both Garrick and Edmund Kean; among them
Mrs Garrick herself
"Octogenarans may remember the face so
faithfully delineated by Mr.. Cruikshank appear
ing in box at Drury Lane or Covent Garden on
the occasion of a new actors first appearance,
the manager prompting her to say that the de-
6Wdhte reminded her of David, in order that
the representation might impress itself favorably
on the audience; but in the case of Edmund Kean
she spoke sincerely; he did remind her of Gar
rick, and resembled him in manner more than
any actor she had ever seen. She Immediately
pronounced him her husbands legitimate sue
cessOr sent him fruit from Hampton, and re-
warded him for the impression which his Richard
produced upon her by presenting him with the
Garter, stage jewels, and various paraphernalia
worn by Garrick in the character. Nor did the re-
spect she paid Edmund Kean stop here. When he
iined with her at Adelphi Terrace she assigned
him, with grave soemnity of manner, particu-
lar chair for his accommodation. why this one
in particular he asked, and the old lady in
reply informed him that it was Garrcks favorite
sir, Davids fayorite chair, his chair
think of that. You are the only person think
worthy of sitting in it, A firm friendship be-
tween the old lady and the young actor speedily
took place; and to Mrs. Garrick, who was
often to be seen welcome visitor at the
actors house, Kean was wont to communicate
his professional troubles. On one occasion
he complained to her of the inaccurate
observation OF the critics in their notices of his
conceptions, readings, points and other pecu-
liarities. These people, he said, don't under
stand their business; they give me credit when
don deserve it, and pass over passages on which
l have bestowed the utmost care and attention
Because my style is easy and natural they think
don't study, and talk about the Sudden i'm
pulse OF genius" There is no such thing as i'm
pulsiye acting; all is premeditated and studied
beforehand. A man may act better or worse
on particular night, from particular circum-
stances; but although the execution may not be
so brilliant, the conception is the same. have
done all these things at country theatres and
perhaps better before / was recognized as
a great London actor; but the applause
l, received never reached as far as London
You should write your own criticisms, replied
the old lady; 'D0Uid ol,cdys did, so far from
maintaining the authority of his statement that
there was no such thing as impulsive acting
hean frequently proved exactly the contrary
He studied his characters with the greatest
anxiety and care; but he frequently rejected the
premedtated course and played in manner
that even his wife, before whom he constantly
Tehearsed, had not the least conception Of
When asked his reason for so doing, he replied
i felt that what did was right. Before / was