The New York herald., 1872-12-15
MISS NELSON'S JULIET.
A Shakspearian Scholars Estimate OF
Her Acting.

A Shakspcarian Scholars Estimate OF
Her Acting.
To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD:-
Than that OF Juliet and her Romeo,
The cause Of this effect was the unpropitious
course Of soul-devouring love, inspired by beauty's
SPELL for it is upon the altar Of Juliet's beauty
that Romeo sacrifices his sighs, his fears,
his heart, his very life. His love for her was
conceived instantly. The very moment he saw
her he felt her perfectons by an invisible and
subtle stealth to creep in at his eyes and take
possession OF his very soul. In rapture he eX-
claimed
Her beauty hangs upon the cheek Of night
Beauty too rich for USE for earth too dear
Did my heart love till now forswear it, sight,
For ne'cr saw true beauty till this night
When he had ventured on dangerous ground and
was warned by the fair Juliet to beware Of the
sword Of his enemy. he declared himself proof
against all their power 10 harm; but In homage to
her beauty cried
Aack there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their swords
When he had tamcly submitted to Tybat's SIAN
der, and his friend Mercutio got mortal hurt in
his behalf, he amented his vile submission, and set
1t down to Juliet's beauty
Thy beauty hath made me efeminate,
And in my tempcr sOftened valOr's steel.
Even ''in the borrowed likeness OF shrunk deathn
the loveliness OF her person as she lay upon her
bed under the influence Of the rlar's poison moved
her cruel father to excalm-
n Death lie lies on her like an y animely III rely rDst
When the enamored Romeo believed that Glove
devouring death" had veritably cooled and ar.
rested the sensible warm motion OF her sweet
body and it lay as "a kneaded clod" in dismal
tomb, he would not allow her last resting place to
be called grave-"oh no;"
For here lies Juliet and her beauty makes
This vault feaslng presence full OF light
Beauty, then, is the head and front Of Juliet's
power and the first and most essential quality OF
her representative; and as Miss Nelson's personal
charms can only be truly denoted by the exquisite
passages above quoted, she Is In person ShaKs-
peare's Juliet. The lady also has the manners and
bearing OF refined. high-bred ladyhood, as becomes
the daughter OF the NOBLE Capulet.
A Juliet must be able to paint love In Its most
tender, sad and passionate moods. 1t is Just here
that Miss Nelson excels, for In the lighter love
scenes passion and tenderness find expression in
tongue OF such silver sweetness as to bring all
attendant ears into bondage, while she does her
sad talk In tones that grieve the very heartstrngs
which n weigh down the tongue speak out
in the heavenly rhetoric Of her eye. with
her art 1t Is nothing TO be bereft OF words for she
can indeed denote her hearts construction In her
face and make silence the 'perfectest" herald OF
tender passion that find the only other essential
in making up Shakspeare's Juliet.
The frst notable piece OF dramatic excellence in
the lines
Go ask his name; II he be married,
My grave is like to be my wedding bed,
and In her management OF the scene when she
learns that he who has so evidently pierced her
heart is Romeo, the only son OF her great enemy.
Here her idivinlng soul seems to whisper that the
"bud OF ove' just springing in her heart Will never
"prove beauteous nower," p" but is already 'bit by
an envious worm" and must convert to woeful
end; for, under the influence OF OverpOwering
emotion, she, iaintng, falls into her nurses arms.
In the balcony scene (Which women never like,
from the seeming f0rwardness OF Julets speech A
nothing can be more captivating than the plain
and holy innocence wherewth she invests her part
OF the dialogue. Here there is no affectation OF
bashful cunning, but, indeed, maiden m0desty
and earnestness which makes one ready to believe
her wnen she says
I'll prove more true
Than those that have more cunning to be strange.
In this scene, when she retires from the glare of
the caciums and stands for a moment in sub
oS 70 ass asi oSk a. nr
the cheek of night like rHh jewel in an EthiOp's
ear"
representation, and one which meets with cordial
recognition from those who witness It, is that be-
tween the % irar and Juliet where she Graves .some
her life II "he speaketh not OF reme-
dy.' with greedy ear she takes in the
an air or apprehension, but at the mention OF
Romeo's name she eagerly takes the phial OF saliva
tion In her hand, presses II to her lips and with
mortal Joy beaming in her eyes, cries out In thrill
ing accents 'Givel oh give mel Tell me not OF
fearp How touchingly she here proves the depth
OF her love- and shows that to her ear "every
tongue that speaks but Romeos name speaks
heavenly el0quence.v
The scene in the chamber where Juliet drinks
the friaris sleeping potion, is calling for the
most frantic exhibition of fear and horror, and
imagination, wrought up "by the horrible conccit
OF death and night" cannot conceive ! more per-
feet picture OF frenzy than Miss Nelson paints when
she sees her cousin Tybalrs ghost. Those who
cannot appreciate at first this deneation df any
such there bel had better make IL a study until
their dull faculties can comprehend It's wOndrous
eOwer and sublimity
In this scene again is exqusitely set forth the
Romeo ali fear and doubt vanish, "a with a valiant
smile she raises the poison 20 her lips and raptur.
ously exclaims, "Romco. come 1his | drink 10
thee.v
Miss Nelson's conception and management OF
the death scene is q startling ana touching ex-
hibition OF heaven-born inspiration.
on waking in the tomb after ner long Sleep
craving her soul's food she asks,
Where ia my Romeos
with a psRg unutterable she discovers "that
poison hath oecn his timeless endu Sigha tears
words fail here. She knows her DER -raugtt he art
must break that death alone can end her woe.
with comiortless Kiss Ginding no poison on his
lips, and the tender remonslranCe,
0 churl drink all. and leave no friendly drop
To help me aftcrl
abe atches Romeo's dagger, plants IL deep ITO
her breast, and falling at the feet oil her dear
lord" expends her dying efforts in reaching bis
bosom, where she Graves heaven TO let her die =
'the rest Ia stlence.' w. A W.