The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-05-29
Nell Gwynne.

Olive Logan writes OF Nell G wynne
in Harper's Magazine for June: She was
a neglected wait, and as q mere child
was sent to has K oranges in the pit of
Drury Lsne, where her pretty ways and
bright sayings always attracted crowd.
Her personal popularity among the
habitues of the playhouse won the
attention Of the manager, and as a
natural transition, by his aid, she passed
from in front of the foot-lights to behind
them. The old diarist Pepys has left
clearer indications of her style of acting
than any one else, and his testimony, as
well as all criticism OF her which have
been able to CLEAN, points conclusively
to the superstition that Nell Gwynne
was an actress much OF the Lolita type
a gay, lively little creature, full of Dash
and spirit, in comic parts, but who
failed altogether in sentiment, and in
heroic tragedy was most abominable.
Pepys notes that he "was most infinitely
displeased with her in "a great
and serious part, which she does most
basely." Dryden took her measure
well, when he wrote the following lines
for her to speak after the burlesque
business OF having stabbed herself
and then come to lie again:
come, kind gentlemen, strange news to tell We:
am the ghost Ct poor, departed Nelly
Sweet ladies, be not frighIed; pll be civil;
Pm what vas-a little harmless devil.
To tell you true, walk because die
Out OF my calling in tragedy.
But in farcical characters she must
have been bewitching. Pepys writes.
when speaking of Dryden's play called
" The Maiden Queen ;" "There is a
comical part done by Nell, which is
Florimel, that never can hope ever to
see the like done again by man or woman
The king and the duke of York were at
the play. But 80 great performance OF
a comical part WIS never, | believe, in
the world before as Nell do this, both a.
a mad girl, then most and best of ali
when she comes like q young gallant, and
hath the motions and carriage of spark
the most that ever saw any man have
1t makes me, l confess, admire her.
l kis' ed her, and so did my wife;
and mighty pretty soul she is"
Talent so decided and personal attrac-
ton 80 marked would win the admira-
ton of any audience, ancient and
modern, and Nelly was always devising
some new grotesqueness in costume to
add to the fun. In one of her parts she
came on the stage Unexpectedly, wearing
hat as large round az cart-wheel, and
which almost entirely hid her. Thiswas
done as "take off, on some pastoral
play which was being performed at the
rival theatre, exactly as in our theatres
to-day Lolita burlesques Modjeska.
Fatal or fortunate, as one LOOKS &C it
from the moral or the worldly point OF
view, was Nelly's famous hat assump-
ton. Her success that night with her
enraptured audience exceeded any she
had hitherto achieved, yet this was her
last appearance upon the stage. When
the curtain fell, the king went behind
the scenes and asked Tor Nelly. Her
stage thereafter was at Windsor castle,
her auditors the court.
Tendon to-day is dotted with monu-
ments, in the shape OF hospitals, relief
rooms, and other places of succor Tor the
poor, which were founded by the muni-
hcence of Nell Gwynne Naturally the
poor people were fond of her, and from
all the scorn and rage which were Law
ished on the licentious court of Charles
III. little Nelly was ever exempt.