The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-12-04
ACTOR AND NOBLE.

On leaving school Charles Mathews was
articled to Pugin, the celebrated architect.
He also studied and did regular work un-
der Nash, an architect famous in quite
another style. As a young man he FREE
quently joined in private theatricals, and
was just twenty when he appeared in
benefit performance given at the SO called
English Opera House-the Lyceum of the
present day. Here he took the part Of
Dorinal, in "Les Comediens d'Etampes'-
a piece which, some years after, he adapted
for the English stage, under the title of
HE would Be an Actor"
His performance in the French work is
said to have been SO good that he ut once re-
ceived an offer Of an engagement from the
management of the French Theatre, at TINT
time permanently established in London.
In 1898, the young architect who, it
seemed, "would not be an actor" went
with the Earl and Countess of Blessington
and their faithful attendant, Count d'Orsay,
to Italy, where lie was to make designs for
mansion which Lord Blessington pro-
posed to build on his estate of Mountjoy
Forest, in the county of Tyrone. The
mansion appears never to have been built.
But the appointed architect took some
steps toward qualifying himself for the
work he was never to achieve. He visited
many Italian cities, made an excursion to
the island of Capri and spent mis- time
pleasantly, less in perfeeting himself as an
architect than in cultivating generally bis
artistic tastes. During this Italian tonr he
| is said to have had difference with Count
dOrsay, which was nearly ending, accord
| ing to the custom of those times, in duel.
1t had occurred to the Count that young
Mathews, when he started on an artistic
excursion, carried with him a great number
If sketch books, but d very few
,ketches, and instead of addressing this
not very injurious remark to the art stud
| mt himself he made it to his patron.
.hereupon Mathews took offence. The
Jount, when demonstrated with, replied in
ude terms. A challenge followed, and q
lostile meeting would have taken place
out for the interference of Of Lord Bless
ington, at whose instance Count d'Orsay
made an ample apology.
One of Charles Mathews biographers
had laid stress on the fact that Count
iOrsay waived the difference of rank
which it seems to been thought might have
entitled him to treat the young architects
provocation wife disdain. Such an idea,
however, would scarcely have occurred to
IA Frenchman. Under the ancient regime,
poet, as we know from an incident in the
life of Voltaire, might be insulted with inn
punity by grand seigneur. But in
France, since the days of the Revolution,
it has always been considered bad taste,
aud even sign of cowardice, on the part
of the superior t6 refuse satisfaction to an
inferior for any serious affront. In one Of
Paul de Rocks frequently coarse but gem
orally truthful novels, water carrier
challenges, and finds his challenge accepted
fby gentleman of the fashionable world,
at whose hands he has sustained q deadly
injury; and it could never have ACQUIRED
to a man of wit, of good breeding and
common sense, like Count d'orsay, to as
sumo that his birth placed him, for ordi
nary social antisocial purposes, on a higher
level than that on which Mr.. Charlel
Mathews stood. London World.