New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-30
OBITUARY.
WILLIAM CHARLES MACREADY.

Weston, Super Mare England aReo ~ !oais' INV ~"
mediate cause Of his death disease Of the brain
.Mhon0h I'm the oourse OF nature, his time had fully
come and he may be said TO have expired simply OF old
age His life was laden with inhrmtes, and no sympa
tAec soul will regret that at last he has been permitted
10 lay down hs burden. Yet the Withdrawal OF so IA
nous a man is q momeutous incident, and II will not
fa 70 stir the emotions Of the pube-snce 1t naturally
invites thoughtful attention TO ilustnous career com
pletd aud sealed DEATH and the time enforces
abe always solemn and impressive lesson OF tho
syaneacence OF everything in this world "The bells oil
time are ringing changes fast" -
The story of Macready's life, far as its -arface
facts and vicisstudes concerned, readily be
taId He was the son OF an actor. and born in
Chares ST., FzroyEQuare. London, the sd OF March,
1SsS. His father. O of intellect and WORTH nau
from Bristol 20 London in 1885, with recoi 'nehu
AtlOn from old Mackln to Mr.. Harris then m' mayer
Of Covent Garden and had procured employment anu
won good and profitable position in that theater THIS
gentleman dscerned the unusual brightness OF MS boy
and determined 10 secure for him the means OF a
thorough edueation and young Macreauy was senV W
Rugby School 20 be fitted for the pulpit. mus at INC
outset OF life he enioyedand 1t may be added 'ha1 he
faithfully improved-the best available opportunities Oh
.earnine and cnture But these privileges did not last
hong Adversely overlook father and at the age OF
seventeen the was obliged to relnqulsh cohegae
pursuits and embark upon the stage lie appeared as
Romeo at provincial theater in 1910, and he made
respectable hit; and this he followed up by six years
castle, Bath. Dublin, Liverpool, Birmingham, and other
cities On the 10th OF December 1876 he made his first
appearance London at COvent Garden, acting OreSS
in "The Distressed Mother" very heavy tragedy by
Ambrose Philips happily gathered 70 It's peaceful
mausOeum. He chose the part, it is said, in order to
avoid comparison with established favorites,-JOhn
Phihp Kemble. Edmund Kean. and Miss o'Nei being
fan possession OF the public favor. His success
moderately good, writer VINO saw the perform
wrote of that The frantic beauties in which the
part tOrcsSl abOund displayed his powers in grand
though perhaps unequal light OreSteS stood beneath tho
beam OF genius rradated ike wild rock, by the meri-
dian His form aud face were convulsed with the
Iavages OF insanity, and finer picture OF dramatic mad
before exposed 10 the OF critical in
vestgaton." Performances of Oheto, Gambia in " The
slave," Roo Roy and Richard Ill.,, followed that OF
OTestssthe chief success being Rob Roy, in which Mr.
Macready always accounted great actor This en-
gagement Goes have been brilliant one in
either achievements results though gained great
deal Of intellectual esteem for the tagedan, and opened
the subsequent and renOwn These came
an ample fullness, four years later, whenin ls20on
the same stage, Mr. Macready appeared as Vugintus.
Veteran judges Of acting, both the stage and OF,
claim that this character he has had equal
knowes's tragedy Of "Vrgnius" it should be said
then performed for the first time; that Mr. Macready
the original representative Of the grand and pathetic
Roman centurion, lust in after days, he was the
sngnal representative OF the imperial astute, tender
hearted and picturesque ReheIieu other characters
that h. played at this time Damon, Shells Hugue
not, and Prince Julian Miss Mary Russell Mitfords
tragedy Of that This latter piece was done In
March, 1873 and the author received s,00O for It, Mr.
Macready's acting saved IL from positive failure as,
little later in the Autumn Of 1922 at Drury Lane, It
saved Knowles Caius Gracious" and gave dignity
aud prestige 20 his William Tell" This Drury Lane
engagement full OF noble effort and high accomplish
Ipent and il secured the actor thousands Of ad
Inrers vnd placed him on firm footing with the fore
most favorites Of the time,
In 1870 Mt Macready made his first visit to America
appearing on the % OF October Of that year. the
Park Theater as YirgniuS, and subsequently, as Wam
Tell The next year he again in London, and, at
DuTy Lane he said TO have attained OF the
conquered in acting, by his impeT
soDatiOn OF Macbeth. little later he played in Paris,
aud there also be found bOunteous public admiration.
In October $780, acting at Drury Lane he added Lord
Byrons Ber 70 his repertOry, and IN this he has not
only been equaled but has been approached
In Is6 he acted, at the Haymarket. Aeiantus in
adaptation OF The Maids Tragedy" by Beaumont and
Fletcher made by himself and entitled The Bridal"
Thus far he mad served dramatic art exclusively
actor be TO it, and to adorn and elevate
the stage manager. IL in October, 1887. that
Mr. Maeready took the management of Covent Garden
lie kept It for seasons and during that period the
English pnbNc witnessed the most gorgeous stagepa
geauty that had ever been Beauty and accuracy
went baRd in hand IN those pictures and equal care was
taken 10 robe good plays in correct garments 70 real
1se the dreams OF poetic imagination and TO insure ade
quate acting for every part that undertaken. Mr..
SaDfold the scenic artist The opening piece "a
winter Tale" with Mr. Haoready LeOntes and Mr..
Anderson Fori,eL One Of the new pieces produced
IN the first Tie Lady OF Lyons :" another
was Woman's Wit" by sheridan Knowles and a
ful trial made Of ByrOns The Two FOscari." In
The second season, beginning Sept a. 1889, Rcheeu
acted, for the first time with that included
the of Ar Macready, Mr.. Anderson Mr.. Warde,
Mr. Phelps, Mr. Elton, Mr.. George Bennett and Miss
Helen Faucit The shakespearean reyivals made 10y Mr.
Maeresdy counted the best that Graeed the
stage He brought out, among other Of shakespeares
works, "A Winters Tale The Tempest" "COriOlanus"
and Henry "" 1t customary TO say that his noble
feTpTse unsuccessful and shopkeeping managers,
of period without 1.-THE OF Mr. Macready's intel
lect OF hberahty-have been known 10 explain their
abstinence from worthy and high undertakings by
reference the alleged failure Of this actor and
uDsullied gentleman In these fine Efforts. He himself
sad the Covent Garden episode that
bis ambition 70 establish a theaer worthy OF England,
and 70 leave shskepeares plays in it hty illustrated
Wss frustrated by whose duty 1t was in virtue
Df the committed them. themselves have
dertaken the task"
On leaving COvent Garden. Mr.. Macready appeared
az the Haymarket a OnetO, and subsequently IN
Bulwer Lyttons sea Captsin"-which latter piece,
revised. and rewritten in part has been done
IN London within few years, with Mr.. d. i.
BaDdmann as the hero. In 1910. at Drury Lane, he
was aeain seen as Macbeth, and also as RulIUen in
tragedy called MARY Stuart" by Mr.. j. Haynes
A htae later he emerged az the Hsymsrket in Tsfourds
Glencoe" played Richard ,CrOmioeH in Mr. Series
>'Master Clarke" and acted, for nearly a hundred
nights Ltrod Eretyi, in -Money"-Bulwer LyttOns
best comedy, then first represented On the 9th OF
December 1910, he essayed management again. opening
1lrury Lane with Merchant of Venice" him
"a. .FCgA NNaua he ~ a