Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-10-06
Actors and their Salaries in Pas
Times.

4
| Times.
Formerly the actor had to contend
with prejudices which stripped him Of
his place in society and degraded his
profession. This was assuredly worse
evil than perishable fame, but all this
has, happily, passed away. The taboo
is removed, and he takes his legitimate
place with kindred artists, according t1
his pretensions. His large salary ex.
cites much wonder and more jealousy,
but he is no longer exposed to the in
suit which LIE Kain, the Roscius OF
France, once received, and was obliged
to swallow as he might Dining one day
at a restaurateur's, he was accosted by
an old general officer near him: All,
Monsieur lie Kain, is that your Where
have you been for some weeks2 We have
lost you from Paris" II have been act
ing in the south, may it please your
Excellency," replied LIE Kain. "Eh
bien and how much have you earned2'
I'm six weeks, sir, have received four
thousand crowns" "Diable" exclaimed
the general, twirling his mustache with
a truculent frown. What's this l hear {?
A miserable mimic such as thou can
gain in six weeks double the sum that /,
nobleman of twenty descents, and a
Knight of st. Louis, am paid in twelve
months. Volta une 0rdie irVamie|
And at what sum, sir, replied LIE Kain
placidly, do you estimate the privilege
of thus addressing me2" In those days,
in France, an actor was denied Christian
burial, and would have been roue vif
if he Had presumed to put himself on an
equality with gentleman, or dared to
resent an unprovoked outrage. The large
salaries of recent days were even sur
passed by the sncients. In Rome, Ros-
cius and also Esopus, his contemporary,
smassed prodigious fortunes by their
professional labors.
Roscius was paid at the rate of 945
day, amounting to more than Gl5,000
per annum of our currency. He became
so rich that at last he declined receiving
any salary, and acted gratuitously for
several years. A moderan manager
would give something to stumble on
such Roscius. No wonder he was
fond of his art, and unwilling to relin-
quish its exercise. Esopus at single
entertainment produced single dish
stuffed with singing.birds, which, accord
ing to DR.. Arbuthnot's computation,
must have cost about 94,993 sterling.
He left his son fortune amounting to
e200,000,, British money. 1t did not
remain long in the family, as by the
evidence of Horace and Pliny he was a
notorious spendthrift, and rapidly dissi-
pated the honest earnings Of his father.
Decimus Liberius, Roman knight, was
induced, or, as some say, compelled, by
Julius Caesar to appear in one OF his own
mines, an inferior kind of dramatic
composition very popular among the
Romans, and in which he was anrivaled
until supplanted by Publius Syrus. The
said Liberius was consoled for the de-
graduation by a good round SUM, as
Caesar gave him 10000 crowns and a
gold ring for this his first and only ap-
pearance on any stage. Neither was he
"alone in his glory" being countenanced
by Ferius Septimus and Quintus Cal
penus, men of senatorial rank, who, on
the authority of Suetonius, fought in the
ring for prize. l can't help thinking
the money had its due weight with
Laberius. He was evidently vain, and
in his prologue, preserved by Macrobius
and translated by Goldsmith, he laments
his age and unftness as pathetically as
the disgrace he was subjected to. "Why
did you not ask me to do this when
was young and supple, and could have
acquitted myself with criditY" But, ac-
cordiug to Macrobius, the whole business
was regular contract, with the terms
settled beforehand.