The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-27
BYRON'S SARDANAPALUS S.
DIFFERING TIEws BYTRE COUNTJO-
1NNEs AND MONSIEUR \.

wherein the Two Distinguished Critics Dis |
,uree a.. to the Quality of the Production |
that 4. on the Boards In Booths Theatre
Tho uistory Of the Great Tragedy Recited. |
To THE FptroR OF THE SUN-Str |. The |
Romans had, a. you know, a motto which has |
become a shield In our jurisprudence against
tyranny, and Q protection against injustice
FYat JustuLi, tIidt e0lum! Let there be
Justice, though the heavens fall" The criminal
fears Justice the honest man, never The true
.rtist, like the honest man. has no fear Of JUS
lice but Invites nay solicts, true criticism, and
Tor that he or she studies night and day to i'm
personate character In the various tragedies
and comedies OF the stage, In full belief OF ap-
probation by the public. and due reward by the
,ober, scholastic, and just critic. True CRITICISM
should not ouly be Just, but generous 10 mao
and chiy r,c a. woman, as encouragement to
their mental eIertions. Whom otherwise In
public Journal the editor-in-chief Is wronsfully
condemned for that ne knew not Of until
brought to his notice by the Injured party. or
nome friend, az an advocate for the right against
the wrong This last position is mine, and for
those who have Justly complained against the at
tack Of" Monsieur X In last Sundays Sun. my
reply has been tbati edtor-in chief Is like unto
Aristides OF ancient Athens, a lust man and citi
rem who will render the right without fear or
favor to friend foe. My interview In behalf
of the corps hstrionaue and lessees, prove that
only did you Justice, MI Editor. by my respon-
ii. ii Is now nfty-six years ago dsa0) since
Lord Byron. at Rouenna Italy wrote the trasedy
resided the wondrou~ Italian blonde beauty, the
Toung Countess Gulccol nee GAMBIA, VINO pc
pame tue itoizci " the poet. nd he her per
mitted cdrdlt.r Srrgttc, according to the Gus
tom Of Italy. she cert ,inly must have been;
when Byron first knew her, the premiere pelle OF
beauty however cnarmingy adorned bN Venus.
Upon the naked breast " Lord byron at his
a. f. 80 lock -
miniature Of the Countess sus pended around his
meek by an entwined tress Of her golden hair;
Some wears after this event, wnen In London,
was introduced to TINS Byronic beauty b, Lidy
Harrington | accompanied the Countess Guic-
10 view the former home OF Cardinal woolsey,
the cartoons bv Raphael, g.. Returning from
the palace, We visited he oraneery. the trees OF
vhich were then Ia tue open air. and the setting
incloudrd sun cast its glowing beams upon the
golden fruit. Beside one OF these orange trees
stood the Countess. and the sunbeams shining
ipun hor flowing hair, II seemed 10 rival the
fruit by II brilliant cO.or.
Ii was during TINS visit 10 the palace that, In
Speaking VI the poet. delcately expressed sur
prise that he had not introduced her In some
Of his substantial writings when she instantly
responded that he had In the tragedy OF Sar-
DANA alus as Mpi1 llHi aud all the love scenes
his solitary de'Otion To her and the absence
from the Queen-as written were tributes to
bel, IL btlk Gu, c.oi; ana TINT she would, un-
Ger stmil!r ci,cumstunces. nav used the fata
torch Us hWrhd did, aud that Lord Byron knew
1t anu believed It. Subsequently the poets sis
ter. the Hon. Lady Augusta Leigh, confirmed
the above TO me. From these incidents there
Will naturally lie additional interest IN viewing
ana reading D." Sard an ipaus, VINO WIS, in several
points Of character Lord Byron himself. The
king showed suddenl, heroic braye5y as an IN IN
heroic impulse 10 and the modern Greeks to OBJ
tain their freedom.
III. Lord Byron inscribed this tragedy ito
the illustrious Goethe,' proving thereby how
highly he esteemed II a. literary production
Tue poet, Immediately after the inscription,
writes, In publishing tue following tragedies
have only TO repeat that they were not com;
saea, 99ws,er bas been TOE regulation 81 the
fred" and this tragedy Of the last DAYS OF Nine
ven have been produ ed upoa the stage.
The most successful WAS Werner, owing o.
tie mastery imyeronation by MIR. Macready,
and certainly the best Of all his performances
"sardanapaus was produced - London,with
MIR. Macready at the King and Miss Faucet Us
AyrThd, with Indifferent success and also by
Mr.. and Mrs. Charles kean, at he Princess Tue
atre, with similar result; In the United state.
the play was hrst performed, at the National
Theatre IN TINS city. by Mr. James W alack, ST.
as the monarch, and the beautiful Mrs; Flynn .,
the Ionian Myrrhd. Upon that occ asion there
was no attempt at scenery or dancine; hence
profitable" had just returned from England
and saw and heard the performance. All ths
artists wrongfuly pronounced the names sar
ddnapalus and SeniIdmis. The former Is classic
ally and correctly pronounced Saridnq-PAY-llt
also proves it. 'Ihe blood OF simrod snt
enaness 'I true eqi,e'sm. Hsues Mr.. ' WALLACE
and Others changed the wrong manner OF pro
Iragedian, Nj. +. C. bangs, certain word in "Ju
Illus Caesar" and without doubt Mr.. Louis Aid
ing The nSme Of the maj. queen" semiramis|
that Of the King being already correctly enun
clated.
~. The remote antiquity OF the scene aud
time VI Uneven would seem almost fabulous
but for the records In Holy Writ, and the re
nowned discoveries OF the Hon. Austin Layard
now tish Minister TO spain. The Ninevei
statues Ia the B.itish Museum attest the cit
aud kingdOu's existence. and sustain tue rec
ords and the ruth If tue Bible. The nrs, men
tion Of Nirrveb Is In the BOOK OF Genesis, chap
tSbinar) went forth Asshur, and builded Nine
web now more than 4,OOO years ago land fo
l,3OO Years that great kingdom existed. erowins
Ia power, enlarged by conquests, eliminating IL
kings-sardanapaius-whe the city and kins
dom persisted upon the same night by treacher,
Of friends and skilful foes, aided by "a sud lei
Eruption OF the EuDhrates. undermining part o
Che palace valis and also the enemy caus M
new wsterconrse for the river whereby tn
bed OF the stream became partially dry, an
ceased 10 lie the water moat protecting tina
Eide OF the metropolis.
Seeing that all was Lost, the King We tina
fatal command. which mas lived In history u
the present DAY, viz, the destruction by IRE q
his palace, himself, aud haren ana all artice
OF value, consumed IN vast funeral connisra
ton. and the ashes Of hundreds OF hum a
beings coIninRled III Que mighty mausoleum u
ths dead! Moscow was voluntarily destroys
by nre TO save an empire. Ninsyeh was con
King and Kingdom Such Is It's orief history
revived by the poets tragedy, Austin Layard'
ton at Bqoth's Theatre IN TINS city, under III
artistic direction Of Mr.. Charles A Calvert, an
acer OF the theatre ne lessees, Messrs. Jarrei
Palmer, Ia Producing " Sardanspalus" bav
Initiated the King in lavish expenditure, fUI
the monarch himself could not have been NOR
iuxuiiant III producing any brilliant festiva
mental or otherwise, within his y lace.
MR.. CHARLES A. CALVERT AS DIRECTOR.
" This educated gentleman and dramati
artist has been unjustly aousei IN a leadin
journal for the manner In which he has pr'
sentod tbis play al Booths Theatre. He
charged with "a crime against art" and wit
making the play the mere frame TO contain tn
ballet picture, and seems TO bJect to any DANE
Ing whatever, as II there had Deen no such az
complainant IN ancient days. why, class
history IL full Of such records, as well as ScriI
turo, old and new. apart from the poetic fat
\that OF the Nine Muses. OF Apollo Ierps
cuore, Ia tho goddess OF dancing. Jephtn
Judge OF Israel met his daughter and oth'
uaidens dancing, with timbrsl music, N n
ceive Inn to his odlatia home, from his victor
aud fatal vow. I'M the iliaptist was beheade'
iu fulnlnent Of King Herod's oath to bis wifi
HetOulas, as u promised reward for her dauRt
ters sklli Ia dancing before him.
In the drafAdtts persOnR OF this play, write
bS the poet as direction, is this line, viz. " We
men composing the harem OF Sardand palus,
and there are 40 other ladies' In the tragedy ell
cept the Queen and Myrrhd And what are II
ha m al - ina M l.,.t