New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-13
GEORGE WILLIAM CURTIS on LORD DUN
DREARY.
From Harper's Magazine.

From HdrperS MdJd-ine.
LOrd Dundreary IS gone. mere will be actors
VINO Will represent HIM and initiate his
tones, and his looks aud his move
ments. there will be laughter and applause,
but Lord Dundreary is gone. How many thousands
of friends he had who cannot BOW recall him with
out smile, who remember the evenings that he
Cheered the Yapors that he COnjured away, the ir-
rcsstbe drolery of his aspect. the subtle satire of
hls whole impression 1t was the same everywhere.
We have seen him in wretched playhouse in
small city, crowded and OVERLOOKING and we
laughed all the evening long. There no
respite 1t was a continuous hYsteric. The stage
was small the scenery ludicrous, everything at
siXoS and sevens and his lOrdahp took 1t all in and
used IT, II was only fuel to his ire, We all agreed,
in the iailtness of universal and prolonged laughter
that there was never anything 80 laugba6le. The
roaring old farccs, Raising the Wind" and Others,
good az they are and were ldOo3 I 10 kind reader,
does MIR. Congdon. remember Browne as Jeremy Did
dier at the old National 4 seemed in the comparison
of The moment little inadequate. For how could
cup be fuller than full How could we possibly do
more than laugh OYeTy mOmenti
subsequently 1t appeared that mono Of us recalled
any play We only remembt red Lord Dundreary. He
filled the scOno If he had SAID nothing, If he had
done nothing, 1t would have been tho same. We
should have sat shaking and aching, and wbile we
Qggled and snICkeTed wo should have wondered
how anybody could possibly be so foolish The jokes
seem lltle fiat n they are recalled. Man made to
walk upright and to strike his head against the stars
may be little ashamed 10 have found an eXlraYa-
ganza 50 lITcslstbly comic, but could Lord Dan.
dreary come again the hatncSs Of the jokes would
vanish, and the star-sirklng head would qulver
with gl0e, the heart now beats with greatiul
pleasure aud with sOrrOwiul regret.
LORD Dundreary was fun lncarnate, like PlCkwiCk.
Every attempt OF a spectator to deal with him, to
classify him. TO interpret him, made the enjoyment
only moro overwhelming We once heard critic
attempt to explain hin, to reduce his ordshIp to II
consistent theory, TO cxpOund the law Of
his beng" Such q proposition made grayey
was worthy Of his lurdsmp himself 1t was
gliding the gold and painting the lily OF sheer
fun. There was only one thing to do with such
man. had hysterical prestratiou permitted and that
was to light a candle and ask TO see his bumps, as
Charles Lamb asked to see those OF the other man
whu said that he thought Milton was a good poet.
OF course his lordshp had a consistency and a rule
Of his own. and had be violated It, should prob
ably have felt IT, But it InstnctlYe, and as
elusive TO himself As To the rest of Us. That COM
Dlacent yacuty, IT, t hating and imperfect ratiOci-
nation, hko Goorg, the Thirds over getting the
apple into tho dumping. we could all observe il /;
but to attempt It's analysis, 10 dcduce the iun or IT
1t was sinking "A sOap-hubble with n baseball bat
Lord Dundrcary was the acquaintance OF night
but he Will DO always gratefully remembered by
those who saw HIM. His departure has not, indeed
cclpscd the glycty Of nations but one If the SPRINGS
Of laughter - dried mp. and those who did not see
hn, although they may 500 him represented, VIII
never uuitc understand how much IS SAID IN saying
Lord DuuareaTy n gone.