New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-12
AN ACTORS LIFE OF HIMSELF
MEMOIRS OF THE YOUNGER MATHEWS.

THE BLEssINGTONs AND COUNT u ORsAY-LIFE IN
ITALY WITH THEM-NAPLEs AND VENICE FIFTY
YEARS ACCIDENTS AND BAILlFFs-IMPRIsoNED
FOR DEBT IN JOHN OF GAUNTs ANCIENT CASTLE
-MATHEws's BRIEF CAREER AS AN ARCBIrECr-
sPRIGHTLY LETTERS FROM THE sPRIGHTLIEsT OF
COMEDIANS
No actor of comedy in the last generation
secured irner hold upon the English public than
Charles James Mathews, and he was known aud adj
mred in many countries besides England. Twice
he visited America, and to France, where the only
drama thought great is the National. his acting was
revelation In his last days he carried Lis conqnest
with him in n tour around the world. taking captive
even the people Of the Sandwich Islands, where ''o
Kanakas, "u lately caunlba" filed the pit ne saiu
showing their white teeth, grnning ana enjoying
Pater V. Clatter' as much as fow years ago 'n''
would have enjoyed the roasting OF missionary OF 'o
baking of a baby" Mathews, It is well KNOWN lei'
mass of material for life Of himself, and twas an
nounced some time ago that Charles Dickens was putting
IT into shape for handsome work in TWO Volumes Ino
publishers Macmillan Co., OF London, nave Sent u MI
George T. Brett their manager in this city, single COPY
of the advance sheets, from which THE TRIBUNE is per
mitted TO abstract a number of interesting ahecuoes VI
Mathews well as passages from his uVeiy le'le,s'
nearly or quite all Of which viii he new to this pubic
The first volume and part of the second are an auto
biography which comprises yGve Of the actors
e terra mating with his marriage In Ne"-1otk 10 MIS-
Davenport on the 18th OF February, ls3s. IL begins
with an apology and II any mans life needed an
apologv" his he SAYS is the one Then lac eon'lnue''
Iboye flown IN the face of the world and ts prendlceS
have folowrd my own course through good ana cyl
i'm my own WaV-hlVc set AZ defiance Wlal are St
Accumulated the laws of prOUrletv, ana haNtloilttu WI
cai,n y, "a by the world rcsprrtably nave
been uut down for reckless, cNildN tdht, vs i',
care t,Ilow without principle feeling. Thai
have laughed ana stil laugh az the poor timid eohSel
lional notions of large portion OF my GiloMnVn Ill
iess but have the highest respect for all mat IS rs
good and worthy Of admiration. ana never nave ioi
moment lost SIGHT what have CONSIDERED essSnt'
to the position OF q gentleman. WIN Hsli, aanj
good Digestion a cheerful mind, excellent heath, a
an independent spir have been abe 10 t0ne WIN az
The small his OF life mat are so often i ~
tlievablc mIsiuTtunes, and preserve my tluOi Ia
the the many social earhgaaEes Tiy Would
most probably have driven me 10 despair
When three years old waggsh friend OF the
Mathews family having heard Charles called 'ie h'''o
par son." owing, il may be suppo-ed' 10 the tr'N''
his bearing or the intention Of his parents To euu'a
MIN f,r the church. presented him on his birthday win
con,nlo,e Ittlc parsons salt Of black, "odfashoh'o
.ou,reeut coat long tapped vaistco't, kneepfeceHe'
worst,d stockings, shoes and buckles WHO JANUS
etc -" attircd in which lie was placed on Tue ''oo "
drink the health of the "tOmpauy" ms nc o'''I''
NAV safely be taken as his earliest appearance In char
actor In the course OF time he was paced a' scno'
where he became flag" cleaned three or four pairs oil
h,ois every morning. washed the tea-hngs, and ala
dutv ne yarmipg-pan to my young MASTER by Hlng IN
his he'd ON cold nights till he required 1t ana then Delhe
turnel into my OWL" Early IN his school days ne ac
oured love for the old English poets, Chaucer Cover
and Spenser, love which continued through me-
GOTTEN among the worries OF life" he writes, "when
neople have thought thatI was coseted with my dlh
entities engaged as perhaps ought 10 have BEEN Win
ina hattie If cures have taken down the tall foO OF
Gover or the huge quartO OF Piers Powmans Nsion'
and lei the world 60 without me-" The plan OF max
ing him a clergyman was abandoned lie turned ms At
tenon TO architecture instead aud in 1873 Lord Bless
ington wrote to his father that he intended To DuId
house at Mounoy Forest in Ireland and offered 10 give
his son an opportunity TO mako his DEBUT as an are-
tect Charles departed at once for MounJoy' The
faith which can remove mountains easy TO him, and
turning tc course Of rivers unmportan matter for
a month later lie was able TO write home to his mother
OF great plans as follows:
Ibaye set out the plan on the ground, and raised
stOucs to the height o. SIX rect All arou thc puh'
IN order 10 judge of the encc from me 9Wtf 80
When th, Was done, 10 my great mof'lhc NO., VIZ
stone bridge which had calculated upon for owing 10
wind that The water took Il was lost by inc eH.c OF
perspective However all diihcuues are instantly re-
moved here, aud am going 10 get them 20 WORK 10
turn the course OF the river by when means we siaI
Side we have mountain, when IS very lnucn III oIr
way so orders are gwen to shave IL an a"aV Wno'
plantation is already cut down. ana large pare nOu-
tan' 'eIS ui led win fIr and arch al over.
Sbicb uurpose 10000 are already removed from inc
Nursery To- he SPOT. Are not these grand doiugs
The Young man was evidently not much overcome
with the RESPONSIBILITIES Of his position as architect FOR
in the same letter, which is long one, De has time 10
tell the following story:
gentleman here was invited TO large house IN the
neighbour Iod and was offered bed. lie uudIcsscd
himself ID the dressingroom put our ne cudlr hu en-
the room tlmc he could not hnd any Dc' ana
thgr Icug no he'll, he laid himself down on the rug
and slept uil morning. On dWahyhlhE ne LEY
that there most beautiful bed III tho m'0"e ol the
room.
In the Autumn Of 1923. Lord and Lady Blessington
t.I,. f.r t. As
vlfeJ 10 oiu them as their guest On the receipt OF
tb. invitation ms father looked at my MOTHER he
SAYS and my mother looked at my father; then both
Looked al me- aud looked at them bOth and believe
the tears stood all our eyes, In tho latter part OF
srtcnbcr the welIaden travelling carriage, with four
uosthoIs.s ratified us away rom 81 James's Square
Mathews was very happy in Italy, which he had long
b,ned he might some day Lord Blessingun was IN
no hurry Oh the road, that Mathews was aole to
all be cared TO sec, and his eyes he says, Wefe IKE
saucers and his " wide open as those OF Do-
nysus" They found Italy wet and muddy, with the
stlcams about Genoa badly swollen. From BorSheuo
"a sp.zl they proceeded along the most diabOilcal
mass that ever was seen. continually wadng through
torrents descending ana ascending rocks, crossing
streams and the rain pitlessly petlng. without
ut,,s respte the whole day." Count DOrsay the IA
mons intellectual dandy then youth OF nineteen who
had made the acquaintance Of the BessnStons only
year before Joined the party on their way into Italy and
proceeded with them to Naples Or Lady Biess!nston
and the Count, Mathews says
Lady Blessiust then in her zenith, and certainly
one beautiful as wei a. one or the most fas
clnatng women OF time formed the centre figure Of
t IitIe family group assembled within Its tthe Pala2zO
Belyedcre's where they hyed0 precincts. Count
Orsay was tho next OBJECT OF attraction, and have
hesitation i'm asserting was the beau ideal Of manly dig
niiv aud grace. lie had not yet assumed the marked
es If dress and department which the sOphs-
cations Of London life subsequently developed He
was the model of all that could he conceived OF noble de-
,nrarOr and youthful candOr; handsome beyond all
question accomplished to the last degree highly edu-
led and Of great literary requirements with gtycty
Of heart and cheeruncss Of mind that spread happiness
an All around him lie was, moreover, The best icuccr,
DANGER gwlmmer runner, dresser, the best shot,
hesf nr.qmau the best dTaughismIH of his age Pos
n.sed ~ every attribute tnat could render his society