New-York tribune., 1873-05-16
MR.. BELLEWS FAREWELL READING.

It takes good many persons to fill Stein
way Hail. and the attraction need strong that
draws thther crowd. Last night the spacious hall was
nearly filed with spectators, by the promise OF
more than usually ambitious and spirited Reading by
Mr. Bellew. It was the occasion Of his farewell TO
America at rho close OF his first platform
actor-and therefore it was occasion OF especial in
terest OF unwOnted excitement, and OF than
mon geutleness and sympathy. Mr.. Beew seemed con-
scious OF and possessed by in1uencefor.
while he read with all his usual SKILL he reid with
than his usual feeling. Introduced In few ofhand and
iace;ious remarks by Judge Brady-whose presence
sheds q fcstal light over all places this
side OF a court OF justioe-he received
with glad welcome; and the frequent applause that
afterward followed and rewarded his efforts bore wit
ness not to the friendly disposition Of his auditory
but TO his winning power over their sensibes If
their emotions. He had arranged most exactiug pro-
gramme he carried IL through with fine and graceful
skill and with unfaterng energy. For popular effect
its selections proved wisely They offered the
elements Of weight variety, humor pathos raic force.
martial tumult gious sentiment, paintve soemnty,
and abundant light and shade. With view artistic
results they seemed however the choice Of omnvOr
GUS and audacious ambition-consttuting programme
much too comprehensive complex, and difficult. Mr.
Beew possesses, however great Of physical
strength, and a clear, sOnOrOus farrelohng
voice; and he showed fatigue, what
ever other defect he may have manifested, in
artce nadequacy OF passion and of grandeur.
He began with from All That Glitters," in
which he suggested aforcibe and amusing embodiment
Of the stereotyped stasefaher. This was his Jasper
Plum Then he read Mr. Edwin Arnolds weak descrip-
tive pOem Beshazzars Feast" which contains several
bad rhymes and weak lines and falls far be-
low the simplicity of the Bible narratyei and to
this he impaired great deal Of sOnOrty and the charm
OF the rhetorical pause. This followed by Leigh
Hunts wel-knOwn poem OF The Glove and the Lions"
the work Of poet who knew how 70 give description
the zest OF dramatic movement Mr.. Bellew used his
opportunity His reading OF this faultless. and
the ssplendid spirit with which he dashed to the eli
max took the audience with breeze OF pleasure In his
subsequent selection from Dickeds, he made Pickwlck
perky and mpacen rather than simple and odd;
but he succeeded admirably in giving the speeches on the
hustings at the Eatansw election. This the eocu
ronary hit OF the night. The humOr was spontaneous
the character wac English; and there was delicious
mobility OF face and gesture in the action or Mr.
Bellevs Kong Lear there was enough to inspire Gu
rosity but on the whole, this effort a failure No
man can expect in instant TO the hight OF that
tremendous passion. MI Below suggested the monarch
az mumbng dOtard, and gave the flashing curse with
much vehemence but it was the passion Of arce and
not the passion OF nature touch more Of simplicity
in the reading Of Dickens's poem OF The Children
would have commended that as the gem OF MS WORK IL
WAS AN unusual flight of natural feeling though for this
artist who succeeds with the humorous, the ornate
and the effective rather than the homely and quiet
Mr. Belew has exerted beneficial influence upon the
class OF entertainment which he 50 ably represents-su
rounding 1t with the attributes OF popularity, and gV-
ing il the needed element Of ginger TO temper its cns
tomary tameness; and the well begun In TINS
country has doubtless ripper successes IN store Tor S
picturesque, vigorous, and clever actor