The New York herald., 1879-10-15
LONDON LETTER.
Irving's Appearance in "The
Iron Chest"
MR.. BRASSEY'S NEW BOOK.
The Bishop of Manchester on American
and English Education.
LONDON. Oct. 2, 1879.

LONDON. Oct. 2. 1879.
Saturday night at the Lyccum Theatre will form
Another memorable date in the minds of Mr.. Irving's
many admirers large number of whom helped to
form the brilliant house which greeted his appear
lnce new part. He had selected for representa-
Non an old play. "The Iron Chest" in which Ed
mund EoIl and Macready produced remarkable
ccts in their respective days of greatness 1t Is,
therefore. not little pleasing with such a high
standard for comparison to be able to congratulate
Mr.. Irving having added another to the number
Of his already many laurels. AS is pretty well
known ''The Iron Chest" is one of the works Of
George Colman the younger and is adapted from
Godwins novel, ''Caleb Williams" The story is
this Sir Edward Mortimer Oakland in the novel;
has had the misfortune to kill man while smarting
from an insult which had been put upon
him. He was arraigned for the murder. but
was acquitted. Under the stings of re-
morse. however, he becomes the victim Of
melancholy and despair. His secretary, Wford (the
Caleb Williams of Godwir). young man to whom
he has been benefactor impelled by curiosity.
prizes into the cause of Sir Edwards trouble. and
looks into iron chest which his master invariably
kept locked, but which he has inadvertently left
with tho keys in. Sir Edward surprises him in tho
act and seizes pistol to shoot him. He. however.
another crime. STILL fearing wilford has learned
his secret. he confesses his guilt but makes Wford
take . solemn oath not to abuse the confidence re-
posed in him. The youth overcome with terror,
dies and falls into the hands of robbers. Sir Ed
ward bearing Of ibis whereabouts, has him seized.
and lays plot to ruin him. He is charged with
theft. and. on his trunk being opened. there Is
!ound in it family ewelry which has been taken
from the iron chest wiford protests his innocence.
but stands condemned by appearances. Feeling sure
that he is the victim of plot and that he is in
possession of secret which would tend to clear
him. he nevertheless remembering his oath. re-
solves to abide the issue of tho accusation rather
than betrny his former benefactor At this juncture
Sir Edwards brother Captain Fitzharding. looking
further into wilford's box. discovers some family
parchments, and IS he unrolls dagger, stained
with blood, falls out of it. With cry OF horror Sir
Edward who has hitherto in this been the pic
ture OF calm impassibity rushes to seize it, but
prevented. Then comes the denouement. Sir Ed.
ward confesses that he placed the articles in his
so he has overreached himself having unwittingly
also slowed there silent witness to his guilt He
has no sooner uttered his confession than he dies
IRvING's WEIRD GIFT.
1t will be from this sketch of the story that
there Ia lack of material for the display Of Mr.
Irvings peculiar genius Neither in "The Bells"
nor Louis XII" was he offered better opportunity
Of & appearing p ring to advantage than IS presented to
day fail to take advantage of the occasion. Never
Perhaps his display of hisrionic power greater
In the wherein Sir Edward makes confess
zion to Wiford Of his guilt he produced most pro-
found impression. His solicitude for his good name
and the agony of his remorsetorn conscience were
surely. but master OF the tragic art could bring
about such =, telling effect in SO subdued
undoubtedly the most powerful. In the latter
especially where Sir Edward is bafied
airly electrified the spectators. He sits there calm,
apparently impassive, almost statue like. with
aye. which has but cold stern look for tho victim
whom his pride is cruelty pursuing to his ruin. But
with suddenness that is quite startling this forced
composure is changed into wild. quivering agony
~ the fatal knife. with its "gouts of Blood falls to
the floor. and Mortimer springs forward to get it,
and then, foiled falls back into his chair the pic
ture of abject despair Then follows the struggle
between pride and right. in which virtue triumphs
through the confession OF wrong doing toward Will
ness. and his death in tho faithful Lady Helen's
arms. displayed In the finest manner Mr. Irving's
Indeed. such is Mr.. Irvings weird power to depict
the most terrible passions Of the human mind and
ords for the display Of that talent that rhs Ray roy
Chest will doubtless enjoy certain run of popu-
larity, but it is difficult to conceive its retaining
place on the stage by its own inherent qualities
alone. At the conclusion of the play MIR. Irving ap-
poared at the footlishts where he obliged to a
pear in response to the rounds of applause which
greeted him and his colleagues. Mr.. Irving ex-
pressed his delight and qualification at the manner
In which the play had been received. and said "The
Iron Chest would take it's place in the Lyceum re-
peroye along with other old English plays which, he
hoped before long. to place before tho public. He
Venice. in which he will appear for the first time
shylock. Miss Ellen Terry will be the Portia.
AMERICAN AND ENGLISH SCHOOLS.
The Bishop or Manchester has paid high COM
pliment to tho American school system in his in
augura address. delivered before the twenty third
annual Congress Of the National Association the
Promotion OF Social Science, ut Manchester on the
1st inst. Speaking on the educational question he
said: 1.-THE next step onward which think ali the
earncst friends of education 10 tax
Is that which struck forcibly the strongest
merit of tho great American system of public schools
aud which recommended to the consideration OF tho
Schools Inquiry Commission in the report on the
American system which addressed to them in the
year 1865. refer to tho graduation OF schools Both
Mr.. w. L. Forster and Lord George Hamilton havo
recently expressed themselves warmly favor of this
higher Board schools which nave been in
Bradford. in Yorkshire Mr.. Forster said the other
day:-'In my opinion we should have to grade our
schools to give an opportunity to the poorer chill
dren to pass from the cheaper to the more expen-
sivc schools In my report. written in 1865 to
which have referred. said The gradaton OF
schools is just the strength of the American system
II have succeeded In tho previous pages
IN making myself understood, any ono with expert
cnce in educational matters will ut once see
that IL is the ono thing which elemcn-
tary schools have not. and which they most
need With us each school In q separate aud dis
jointcd unit; in the United States it part of COM
pact. co-ordinated, homogeneous system. with u.s.
when "a boy has passed Standard VIA very low
measure OF attainment IL IL is to bo considered the
complete intellectual outfit for lifo-his education
generally stops. or II 1t Is TO be continued IL can
only be with difficulty and at the cost of consider
able sacrifices to his parents. In the United states
he would pass naturally and free of cost from tho
primary school to the grammar school and from this
to the high school, and from this again. though not
quito naturally. because it is longer part of
the public school system, but yet without
any insurmo untable difficulty, to the university.
remember well the honest pride with which tho
admirable master of the Latin High School at Boston
pointed to his head boy. who was hoping to proceed
TO Harvard University with the help OF that munf-
cent liberaty which is characteristic of rich
In the United States and which is scarcely with
held from real desert-who. he told me. was the
OF an Irish brickayer. You can easily understand
how the possession OF advantages OF this kind
Giles even the humbcst citizen to his lot. when he
iecls-which was the theme OF numberess addresses
that heard delivered to pupils in the public
schools--that his boy has tho chance OF be-
coming President Of the United States, the
very height Of human ambition; or, to put
tho idea in more modest FORM that in
the great Transatlantic Republic there is career
opened to talents"
The present depression has called attention to con-