New-York tribune., 1880-03-01
A BRILLIANT TRANsFORMATlU2.
TIE STAGE CHANGED INTO A PAYIIoN-PRfCE
pFNcE DIsREGAGDrD, ASD GOOD FELLOWSHIP


A BRILLIANT TRANSFORMATIUf.
THE sr.cp Cgsycrp INTO A PAvuIoN-PRFcE-
pRNCE DISREGARDTp, ASD GOOD FELLOWSHIP
ENCOURAGED
lrsoW THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TUE TRIBUNE
LONDON. Feb IG.-In the social entertainments
OF London there is much uniformity t|at many
people are always ready to thank the inventor VI
a novel sensation. All these spoiled ehhuIen VI
fortune are under obligation TO MI irving 10,
bis supper Of Saturday night. 1t they dd NO, ~,
co. they all read about 1t. and Wisheu t"e1 10"
coue which is pretty much the same th'ht ~ WIS.,,
inc they had been asked. But Mr lrvine'It may DC
coijectured. had other objects IN vie" "'"
providing fresh excitement for "oin-ou'
meu-about town. His festival was give"
in cmumcmoration Of an event unique IN
the history cf shalespeaIcau performances, the
hurdred.l consecutive representation Of Inc
Merchant OF Venice" | don't know that there is
any record of any play Of ShtkeSpeaEe' having
had a rnn Of 100 nights, Hamlet excepted; hof
Of any HoItjG Mr.. Iryiugs excepted " Ihe MeI-
chant Of Venice" has hitherto been reckoned an nh-
popular d cce: as NJ. Irving, with tonch oi Jnsti-
hshlc pride himself remarked IN the course OF tue
evening won repeat villa. have SAID before ol
,be astonishing success. financial and Otherwise
which has attended Mr. living, revival Of the play
at the Lyceun i is astonishing only to those
and spiendor with which il is produced.
and the rare perfection OF NJ. lrying imporsonaton
of Siglocl | have DeThlpS said enough about that
ALSO ara mention II again only because the extra
ordinary popu arity Of tuc Merchant OF Venice as
now acted appears 60 hnyc suggested 10 MI. irving
ihat he might mark I;s Lmdr,dh night win
white stone. We asked about 800 oi hs H'Ed' 20
take supper With him AZ the theatre on the conc'u-
sion of the evening pcri3mauc'; and about 800
caI,r
The hour named IN the invitations was aalf-pa-t
1. people said Bur the play does not end n,l ] l.
How and where can bir Irving receive hls guests
bali an hour later :" They wrIeto learn that Mr.
Irving inel with his dramatic Genius talent
'for h,l,ur>, and a uit for organization. since he
has had the Iyocum. the once famous haunt oi tie
Bce..tcak Club. more socnlly known as tht Snh-
lime Societ, of E,aft"aAs. has been USED as
- lumber room. lie Cleaned II out. drc'-
rated it.. aud it became reccpuon-room.
AZ one ,ud hung MI Lou.'- brilliant portrait oi the
hos; rs I;cbard H. Before mln.cit thr room YVES
crowded with guests Not long after, Nr. Irving
uarDhai.ci his company and bed the way to Size BAN
ouct bag. some OF them bad bc~u hrard lamrutin-
that no Indies were of the party There Wcr ia1icS
but tirv had lot been biddou 90 tie feast. As we
pa..ed along the corridors. some of Us were per
itird cliut.r of Ni-, Ellen crIy, and oi Deer still
moro famous sister, ono, NJ hate I,irT, and the
mon, ,i.,.lcerI .look hoad7 with one of t.ue
+ l,li,-. or with bc.l. Eu, neither oi tcm ST ~
fable or s1 much a- entered he pavilion 20 which
The men hockcd.
This pavilion belonged 20 iLe world Of cuciau;-
| Inent We had been ;od we were 90 have superior
the Stage But there was nothing here 20 remind
Won OF the stage WehAd Co take M lrying's word
for it, The floor. / suppose, was really the stage
floor though looked about for traps and found
none Everytbug else was inproyisrd for ihe occa-
sion. The Stage bad become pavilion OF good pro-
portious lofty al crIu.s0n and white stripes lG-
minated by hucc chandeliers. crowded with tables,
/ the tables covered with flowers aud wax lights
! such q pavilion a- you may sec when
! some hospitahlc poblrman asks twice
~ many guests a. ii. castle will hold. and culargcs
/ hi, space by pitching ma'que" ou h' lawn What
/ had become OF Venice ana Belmont. the moonlight
beueath which Las.1uio rcioincd ioihd. tho terrace
the fairy realm on which people had been gazing
little while bcforeI I; had iat cn just tfly minute.
to transform it all into tue other and hardly less
/ real world IN which we !ourd our,ciyes !
said last week that army ot 800 uaEiriaus
had been enlisted for this work. Alr. Irving tells
| me il was done with lcss than 200, which Is the
material of pretty good battalion as times go in
! tins country. There table Of honor and
! there were perhaps ten lower tables. A plan of
/ them had been sent TO each person, with his own
! place marked; 80 that the ceremony OF seating
! people va, got through with but iittle delay or
confusion.
! A catalocuo of Mr.. Irving, guests would ill half
a column. / must be content TO mention few of
/ the best known There was nothing which went
| further to convince you that yoa had quilted the
conventional London familiar to you. and were in
the midst Of a new society though cOnpo-cd Of the
same clements-Of fashion OF art, and literature
and science and good-icliow.'up- The iunoyo-
! tion upon social laws which occurred. On MIR.
Irvinp's night sat Lord Houghton Below Lord
! Honghton were two Peers OF rank much .uperior
! 10 LorG Houghtons-h Earl OF Dunraycn aud lhc
| Earl Of Fife Admiral Sir Henry keppI was on
! Nh irvinu's left and below the Admiral came the
! Earl Of On,low and Lord LoudesborouCh. Whether
! ,he British Constitution would stand another
wrench like this may be doubted. l never saw any
thing like il save on that memorable eYcHinF wh,n
| Mile sarah Beruhardt was taken down to diuncrby
her host with an escort of couutcsses andOthcr ladies'
of high degree mcckly bringing no the rear. Com
pilors of ped grees and writer's uu precedence en-
durcd untold agouie, ihat aud other s.ini-
| lar occasions but astronomers have reported 10
material disturbance Of he solar system.
Nor bas am strange natural Phenomena been
| heard of since Saturday, though al about the
tables that evening mi ght remark celebrities
| IN She oldest positions: or what then seemed odd.
! MI Irving appears To- have rem"mDcrci-uor did
ever know him care 60 forgot-that be- :n actor.
he took the liberty 10 consider h, supper a gath
rring of personal iIlcuds Of his own and other
| professions. / don't know who distributed lhe com
pany III their pl.ces. nor what principle II was
DONE II ON any. Bu; I saw members oi Paria
meut ia remote corners and bHonets WHO had
had 10 give precedence 90 actors ard Journalists
and other pfrson7 of no cons, queuce. 'r.- pity
that Lord Bcdconsict. who has lately been anus