The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-05-26
THE JUNE MAGAZINES.
"THE ATLANTIC.,,

Thomas Betterton was the first great artist
after Burbage in the character of the ''mad
ioyer." Once, during Betterton's day, Colley
Olbber and Joseph Addison, sitting together in
the PIT, saw some rObustious, periwig-pated fell
low throw himself into rage at the sight OF the
ghost, and the spectator" modestly asked his
player companion if he thought IL natural Tor
Hamlet" to fall into such passion with MS
fathers spirit, (which, though IL might have
astonished, had not provoked him. Both Clooer
and Addison joined all contemporary, writers IN
chanting Betterton's praises. ALAS" mourned
Cibber, after his death, 81 never see Shake
Rpeare's plays played by any other but it draws
from me the lamentation of Ophelia-
%, woe is me,
To have seen what have seen, what seo"
Yet Betterton is described by the pre-Raphael-
ite pencil of old Anthony Aston as having ian
i'll figure, large head, short, thick neck, stopped
shoulders, and long arms. He had little eyes
broad face, a little pock-marked, corpuent
body thick legs and large feet His actions
were few, but just. His voice low and grum-
bling yet he could tune it, by some artful de-
vice, so that ii surprised universal attention
even from fops and Orangc-girls." This was the
"Hamet" over whom all London went mad.
Did ever many imperfections come into one
grace? What genius must have lived in a man
who could so transform and conceal such an array
of disadvantages. Betterton was the son ola cook
in the service of Charles |. He went on the stare
in 1859, when he was twenty-four years old. He
first played Hamlet" two years after his debut.
His "Ophelia' was the charming Mistress Sander
son. OF whom he was known to be enamored
and the town much interested in the real
as the mimic lovers. They were married shortly
after, and the young Hamlet" found i'm his
"Ophelia' a sweet and devoted wife. She is said
to have been the first woman who appeared upon
the public stage.
Up to her time feminine parts were played by
boys and as late as January 1861. Pepys re-
cords:-"At the theatre, where was acted The
Beggdr's Bush, it being very well done And
here the first time | ever saw women come upon
the stage"
On'g l,,,.,
in cOunterfeiting rather exhibiting the
stronger emotions The most impressive points
OF his Hamlet were in the closet scene, parti-
cularly where the prince sees the ghost While
he talked to his mother i'm tones of mex
pressible tenderness, his horror and his eager
desire to learn what the distressed spirit wished
him to do "made the ghost equally terrible
to the spectator as to himself" Though his
complexion was naturally ruddy and san
guine,' when his fathers shade appeared
he turned instantly as ''pale as his neck
cloth. His whole body seemed affected by
tremOr ineXpressible, which was felt so strongly
by theI lookers-on that the blood seemed to
shudder in their veins likewise" In the first
scene with the ghost no ranting marred his
tones, but they seemed to rise from breatbless
alnazeinent INTO the most tender impatience and
the most Louchlng pity, restrained all through
by deep hlial reverence" But he omitted manv
beautiful and effective lines as
angels and Ulnist0"s ~ -, 5.t,r,
'What may this mean,
That thou, dead corse, again. in complete steel,
Revistst thus the glmpses Of the moon,
Making night hdeous?'
These were clearly injurious omissions
but that was the age in which Cibbcr
patched up Richard III for the stage, and Dry
den retcrOte the Tempest.
AT first Betterton played Hamlet in the dress
Of A courtier of Charles II. Afterwards in .he
costume of William of Orange, with streaming
shoulder-knots cooked hat and enormous pow
dered wig, walked his short, portly stoopng
H. l,1, nf mOul1
form" Yet he held spectators in tears, IN awe,
in breathless expectancy too intense ivr cg-
plause. "And for my part" he said, Il think
no applause equal to attentive silence"
For many years he was manager as well as
tragedian. When Coey Cibber first appeared
before a London audience, he had the misfortune
to annoy BettertOn by some delinquency or act
of careessness At the end of the performance
Batterton inquired the name and salary of the
offender, and learning that as yet the young
actor was receiving no pay, he directed the husi-
ness manager 10 put him down at ten shillingsa
week, and fine him five as n punishment No
wonder Colley always praised the ladder upon
which he first climbed to fame. Betterton was
notably kind and encouraging to young and
obscure actors. When Robert Wlks went up
to London to try his fortune on the stage at a
salary OF fifteen shillings n week. he was so over
come by the power and dignity of Bettertons
'Melantius, in The Maids Tragedy, that he
trembled and stammered in his part. After the
scene was over, BettertOn taking his hand said
become you; horse that sets out at the strength
OF his speed will soon be jaded"
Even experienced actors were oyerpowered by
the genius of Betterton. Barton Booth, on first
attempting the part of the ghost, with Betterton
for Hamlet" was struck with such horror that
he could not speak the part"
For fifty years, Betterton adorned the stage,
and raised ii to Il higher repute than it had ever
borne. He was frugal well generous; ana
though his salary was never more than four
pounds a week, he saved several thousand
pounds for his declining years. But speculation
was rife in those days, and he was induced to
risk his property in a commercial venture to the
East Indies. He lost it ALL and old age found
him needy. At seventy-tOur, benefit was given
him, and Mrs. Barry spoke an epilogue by Rowe.
From her sweet lips rippled the lines:-
'What he has been, though present praise be dumb,
Shall hapy be a theme in times to come"
"Had you withheld your favors on this night,
Old Shakespeare's ghost had risen to do him right
ain Just remembrance Of your pleasures past
BE kind and give him discharge at last;
In peace and ease lifes remnant let him wear,
And hang his COnSeCrated buskin there,
lP0ilaiaJ to the top Gt the stdge.'
The next year, 171O, he had another benefit,
which yielded one thousand pOunds-an enOr-
nous sum for those days. He appeared in his
favorite character OF 'Melantius," and played
almost with his youthful power but he was
suffering so much from gout that he was com
PEELED to wear slippers. To lessen the swelling
he used an application, which drove the disease
to his head, and three days after, the grand ole
actor was dead. Mrs. BettertOu was Immediately
allowed pension from the crown; but sht
was quite crushed by her bereavement
after fifty years OF happy welded life
and did not survive to draw her pension
Betterton's great genius, pure character
and devotion to his chosen art, rendered hin
worthy of a resting-pace among the lllustriou