New-York tribune., 1878-06-25
OBITUARY.
CHARLEs LANES MATTHEW'S

| CHARLES JAMES MATHEWS.
! LONDON, June 24.-Charles Mathews, the
actor whose critical illness the Queens Hotel Man
chester was announced last week, died at $40 O'Clock
| this afternoon
Another name that has long been familiar
| in the minds and mouths of men is now written IN the
Charles Mathews expired yesterday, at
Manchester England, In the seyentyfth year OF his
age. His actor has extended over PERIOD
OF than forty years, and it has been continually
active, and has terminated only with his life IL was
career Of remarkable brlliancy and the investigation
OF It reveals ndomitabe in will and sumptuous
in executive faculty Nr. Mathews was unique
| person. He exhibited no heart, and in a spiritual
sense he exhibited no passions. He an embodiment
OF glittering intelect-backed, 1t usually is, by
physical taste for pleasure and luxury His long life
spent the continuous and successful practice OF
an art-that namely, Of the light comedian-whch re-
quires the sheen OF ice. equally with its cOldness its
brtteness and It's refreshing vitality He went through
the world sparkling all the way. He produced at all
times the effect sYmmetry, elegance grace hnsh and
consummate, mischievOus drOlleTy The thing that he
| did Of the least consequence; tie
manner in which he did 1t was invariably de-
ghtful-flling and satisfying for everybody the sense
| OF adequacy, completeness and spontaneous power.
Through all his works and all his ways shOne forth
| the wit and the man Of the world. His very person
have been moulded afer the structure OF his
mind be was slender and 1.-the IN figure rapid IN all
his movements; exquisitely graceful in his gestures:
nervous aud impetuous bis enuncaton steellike in
his hard and shining condition perfect in his personal
adorument; crisp in everything With all the attri-
/ butes and faculties thus suggested, bOweYer-with
inherited dramatic talent, with dne natural wit,
| with n careful and competent education, and
! with excellent social breedng-he never touched
| a human heart, he never gave particle Of happi-
/ ness to anybody, he never left seed Of generous
impulse and noble emotion in any mind, and he
lifted his art 20 the level Of public benehcence. He made
laughter, contributed to the public enjoyment taught
/ his generation how TO trne we'll and carried his
brancy IN state Of the most selfish preservation, 20
late old age IL WAS fault Of his OF course that he
fulfilled himself in this way there nothing in the
man 10 be fulfilled in any other He did all that he
! could. and he got all that he wanted ana all that
! he deserved. His was in an uncommon sense,
rounded aud complete Those who take the trouble to
cite all tho rothy parts that he played and all the
public speeches that no deliyered-those marvels Of
fecous banter and teTEe English bright and charming
/ with unexpectedness, and propusve with sustained
| force and a pungencY often worthy OF Sterne will
readily see that nothing wanting to the consuming
ton Of this actors His name will be remem-
! bered as the synonym Of splendid yiyacity; but
| rs mention thrills chord Of feeling, awakens
10 tenderness OF sentiment. inspires sOlemnity
Of regret The fireworks we're admirable while
they lasted hut they burnt out now they have had
their time aud answered their purpose and the world
turns very lightly away from their cold embers.
Yet OF course he OF SIR. Mathews viii every
where be suitably respected He was very able man
a representative actor; prodigy in his way, and he
has been for long time in the universal public view
The withdrawal OF such conspicuous figure from the
stage OF life leaves. OF necessity, obvious vacuum,
which must in all directions excite regard. Mr.. Mathews
only a short time ago made professional tour OF the
word he was as well known in Calcutta and Melbourne
and san Francisco In London. Parts and New-Iork
He acted every where and always with the same result
He WAS a native OF Liverpool, England, born Deoem
Der 20, 1903 His father was the renowned humOrist
aud actor. Charles Mathews Of London aud
his mother was Miss Jackson, actress. He was at
first designed for the church. but educated an arch
ec and painter He first acquired professional train
@ T - Is4g m at the ionion OiympIe TLeatre as George
Rdtiieio, In a play Of his own, called The Humppack
M the old PARK Theatre New Yorkas Charles SCtt N
Oue Hour, the Carnival Ball aud rs Peter SpV., IN
The Loan off Lover" He nad then just been married
10 Madame Veslrs QGlza BartoOzzl Il woman of great
! beauty aud OF equal recklessness, In the union with
whom Mt Mathews displayed that ptodlgal llberalty
of MORALS and that hgnt5ome nsensbilty OF TASTE for
when e. the last, he renamed peculiarly dis
unguished His secopd appearance in this country was
| made september ii, 1897. when, az the old Broad
way Theatre he acted AOpuS in 'IMarried for Money"
aud Captain Patter. in Patter vs. Catter' Al that
period he again displayed hi5 pecuilar enellTse, anu
| his superiority TO anything Ike moral squeanlsGngss
by alternating rom uer uusp"nu tIy mio % ii Lac
yenpOrt (LlZzie weston, the daughter OF Ouu pdch
! Jackson" OF the Winter Gardenl, whom ne subse-
uueuty married. His first wiie-whO had long been
! separated from hm-died In 1856 His second wife
survives him. As "A commentary on the second mdtfl-
monal alliance eeoJed by dr Matthews, blr Davenport
favored the eminent comedian win an appn-
| cation OF cOw-hide-in front OF that old church
| IN Broadway Whcn Is now ono OF lle Chlel
! ia atrieal nuisanceS Of NewYOrk. Mr.. Matthews,
however gayly conveyed his bride and his hOnors to
London, aud he seen here again TIL March 10,
1872 when he forth the ttith Avenue Theatre,
then In Twenty yourth-st In the course OF that en-.
| pagpment he Wss seen as MOpHs, PdtieT, Sir fTctW
| Piagiary PUB Sir Charles COidsHcGm, Jasper Gathr
tcJ0t Sir Simon Simple. On October 20, The same
YEAR he clme at Wallacks Theatre, and there Dc
was seen ItclggicO Sir AUa6te Hank, AggTdCdttHg
Sam MdfBlOt, IflD, etc. Tue mention OF these char
acters viii remind tue paygUer Of sprghuy ana uaz-
! zung presence, never any more To be seen. MI
Mathews was pretty the individual IN all the
parts that aetcd-from Ddzze ul which he was the
original, through lOuHg Rtdng, COdstredB' ana Mar
DiOt Mr. Pilg and IL SAID by Jefferson, not ln-
aptiy on an occasion when Mr. Mathews had bantered
him on the OF his having diversified ms manner
n Rip Van Wtkte that IL Is cerainV better 10 play one
Tuis latter Is what Mr. Mathews did. Tae component
parts all his works acuteness causto w.t. sense
fancy, eccentric touches OF the nOn-sequtuF, good
natured mpudence and easy drOlery. Tue Odcd-grOnd
was droll sepOsSessiOn and tolerant amiabihty Ine
drawing was always firm anu bod the cOloring was al
ways tasteuy bright. The comedian was never dull
and he always knew when 20 stop. There surely can
be no detail the numerous journeys thal
took fareWels that uo uttered tue Dencns that
lie absorbed; business difficulties IN which he was
forever crushed IL Is SAID whole professional life
was long ago mOrtgaged 10 Knowles, OF Manehestef.
THESE rectals OF dates aud names make but tedious
reading He nnished his work and gone 10 ais rest
Never M All his life he the cause OF tedlousness let
nm moi be the canse OF IL IN hs death. The farce ID
piayed the laugh overs tho man in motley mas dis
Aud somewhere now, IN yOnder stars
He knows, perhaps, what greatness Is"