New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-16

0ht manifested and known: and as whipple trench
antly said Of the critics Of Shakespeare those lte
persons who skip about with tvo-foot rule and thnR
they are measuring him. only succeed IN measuring
themselves by him. To possess not merely text ana
stage business the action and the ncn and complex
variety Of thought ana passion that appertan to up
ward twenty OF the greatest characters In the poetic
drama, be equipped in magnificent ainpltuue
for profession of acting. This 10 win Booths pre-
euineDce; and it, through repeated EFFORT be shai sue
ceed, in "tbe comipg Of time" IN bringing such
parts as Lear and Macbeth to equal perfection OF Ut
terance and bodmon with his present presentations OF
Hamlet aud iehele logo, Richard, and Wotsey he VIII
have done enough aud thau enough for bis fame
his generation, and the art that he 30 noDy repre-
sents such intellectual obligation meantime, az may
happen TO EXIST any-is on the side OF the pubic
and not the actor Edwin Booth has done great thhgs
in his day and has always done good and never harn
II may said of him. with truth. that be docs not d.
WAYS reach the highest heights in Shakespeare but
what actor does? or what did, THIS genera
ton az all events, has reason TO murmur NO othor
Hamief-l may trust the written record VI no'e '"
two cenfurieshas eQualed that OF Booth No actor oi
cur time has approached him in that part or III e"e
lien So far from mpE,inng that such man does not
tenn, ,uo,e tins uubllc NAV well be thankful that
he attempts 50 much. It will be long enough when
Edwin Boob has gone before eur stag" again presents
an actor whose range extends-not threeshee posters,
but IN mmd spirit aud facuty-irom Hamlet To fc""-
chIO from RtCbCtleu TO Don cesar DeTfHcC" w
Lruus since Garrick, who equally great IN Lear
and Don Felir there has been equavcombinanon OF
seplus and versatility with scholarship and fine taste
Almost every great ACTOR of whom we read was
III sense, specialist JOhn homo'e was
superb IN COTiOiGnuS, but stIh ana mpous III
Hamlet. and when he acted Charles Surface, II was
called "CharIes's martyrdom :" aud when he ap-
peared as Don Feir the performance was recorded as
very much Don aud very little Felix Barry exc He'd III
Houeo Macklin IN ShylocE, Henderson In fdStoU'
Cooke IN Sir Giles Lewis MercutiO Junius Booth IN
Richard Edmund Kean-becarse his heart tran
sctnded mlnd-in Oheiio and the Stranger Macready
in Macbeth and Werner and 7c the elder WSllack ID
Reuben GLenroy aud the Brigand. and Don Cesar
and Forrest in Ohetlo and Spartaens. Ed
win Booth ia a specialist aIso-beng at us
most natural pOise IN passionate melancholy ana poeF
zeal deirium; and, doubtless, his genius has been
eoualled or surpassed the long annals OF 800 years
of the English stage; bur Edwin Booth is broader
actor In temperament and adapabiity, than most OF
his predecessors the usrious line of Engsh9peaR-
ing tragcdians; and his excellence in several directions
Of artistic effort without precedent In recent stage
history and without parallel on the theatre OF toyi
and this fact places him at the head OF the tragic stage
During his gagement AT tue Fifth Avenue Inc
atre his performances have not received the attention
Of the multitude The prpseDt caprice OF local taste II
not for tragedy Mr. Booth ought 10 visit England and
Germany, before he again plays in New-Iork He wouh
surprise and delight London ana Berlin; and his coun
trymen would better appreciate his value when de-
prived of immediate contact with his works The words
In which on Sltufday night he took leave OF this COM
munity were wen expressive OF the simplicity OF his
character and modcsty oi his attitude toward the
public: Ladies and gentlemen" he said, IL thank You
with al my helrt. Good night until meet again J.