New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-04

Sheridan. the father OF Richard Brinsey Sheridan,
gave rectatIons upon the same occasion, in voice
/ which Churchill describes as irregular, deep and
shrill by fits The sOoer old traeedlan did not
! like Ilendrrson's fun. Sir said he. | wanted
tie readings to De rather instructive than divert
/ ing; but Mr.. Henderson has frustrated my inten-
| ton by bringing IN me Who'e torn" OF John kembic'
Taylor tells a good auccdote illustrating the great
trapedian's dramatic cafefulne-s. Taylor objected
to the usual delivery of the wc!l-known reply Of
Hamlet: Thrift, thrift. Horatio the funeral
baked meats Did cody furnish forth the marriage
table" 81 Observed" he saws " that this passage
WAS always given in anger. whereas in my opinion
| it ought to be delivered with irOnical praise
! Kemble Immediately took down Polyplot DIcti"n-
| ary, and examined the derivation ana accepted
meaning of the word thrift in all the languages ;
| and finding that il was always given in comIncn-
datory sense. he thanked his critic and aftcrward
gave the passage in the manner suggested
! Kemble told Taylor that he had copied the part OF
Hamlet forty times While we are, as 1t were. thus
| IN dramatic connection, like to reproduce what
| TAYLOR saws of Garrck's mcauncss in money
matters which, somehow, has become traditional
in theatrical annals. There was Mr.. Berenger. a
particular friend of Gauick and described as a
! man of learning of elegant manners and of literary
| talents" Such man naturally got himself into
| ia ana was likely TO stay there under great
| press of bonds and notes Garrick went about with
| a subscription to buy up these and did not iaii
| himself to contribute large sum. The prison
! doors opened for poor Mr. Bereneer, who was in
| vted to dine with GarIick and hrs friends. when
the company had assembled, the great actor de'aTod
that there should be ft-dcoic upon such an occa-
sion and threw all Brrcncers notes and bonds, in
clnding one for $500 which he himself held against
this fortunate debtor into the CRATE, and then set
H., he n he
Garrick was able to do these things occasionally
because he husbanded well his money. Somebody
said ceverly of him that " if he was saving. 1t
was for the purpose of enabng himself to he gem
erous"
TAYLOR knew George Frederick Cooke, the actor,
when he was " a hcavy-Ooki q lUbhcrly boy" and
the last person who might he expected to tnrn ms
attention 10 the stage particularly to the aSsumi-
ton of heroic characters Cookies mother was
crazy old woman, and Il inconsistent and eXtraya-
CANT conduct OF the tragedian may be traced back
to her mental inGrmity After he had become dis
tinguishcd. Taylor found him one night in the
rreen-room mourning over The fact that John
Kcmblc han lust become partner IN the theatre.
OF course he said 4" shah be deprived OF my
characters There IS nobody hut Black Jack
lKemblei whom | fear to encounter Taylor
assured him that he mistook Mr. kcmble, VINO
knew his value too we'll to deprive him Of any
part. ." For his interest" said Taylor, " be would
rather bring You more forward lie Will revive
Antony and Cleopatra he will be Antony and yon
Neutidius. He will be OthcllO. you Pierre: YOU
Richard he the Prince Of Wales; you Shylock, be
Bassanio" These remarks chccrcd Cooke, who
exclaimed: " If So we will drive the world before
US" Meanwhile Taylor piled him with tumblcrs o.
water. and recommended forbearance of the bottle
but Cooke returned to his wine. and in consequence
for two days was compelled TO keep his bed.
There are no more interesting pages n Taylor's
ALWAYS amusing book than the few which be de-
votes TO Edmund Kcan, of whom he says frankly
The truth is that | never could perceive III him
those high professional merits which the public
have not only evidently, hut most fervently |
Acknowledged" The truth is that Taylor was |
disciple of the stately Kcmble school, with ITS
majestic mannersmS frequent pauseS ana perpetual |
method He adds with some slyness: " Mr.. kcan |
performs with muCh energy it must be readily
admitted, and it is TO be hoped that he will in
ocnlate some of his professional brethren with the
same tervOr."
There are a good many interesting notices ol
Sheridan III this volume When Richardson who
was an intimate friend of Sheridan, died IT is not
surprising to find that he was late at the funeral
the service being over before ho arrived. After
his usual manner Sheridan inconsolablc, ana
said to Taylor: This will be imputed 10 me, and
it will be said in town by all our mutual friends
that it was owing to Sheridan's id negligence,
which he could not shake of even 10 pay bis re-
spects to the memory Of his dearest friend" Such
was Sherldan's regret that Taylor went OF to ask
the clergyman if the funeral ceremony could not be
repeated. Sheridan joined his persuasions with his
usual success. The curate actually went through
the funeral service again and highly scandalous
proceeding consider it to have been. Sheridan
declared that he would write poor Richardson's
epitaph; DR.. COombe who wrote " Dr. SyntaX'
and was there promised, as he had particular
knowledge Of stones that he would selcc; a durable
one for the inscription: but" says Taylor. the
epitaph was never written and the stone was never
found" Richardson used to say OF Sheridan that If
he could be touched by talisman into man Of
fortune he would Immediately become a man Of
integrity and nice honor All that one can say of
this is, that the talisman mad need to be very
potent and the fortune which il created very large
There are some curious anecdotes Of Burke in the
Records" which throw light upon the minor per |
sonal characteristics of tha5 great man. Taylor |
once dined with him at Chelsea, of which ne was |
pawn astcr, and Burke having to walk to the dinner
hall distance of ton yards, in the open air. de- |
sired some brandy 20 rub upon his elbow as he |
feared bo might otherwise suffer from cold. He |
pulled of his coat. gave the coat to an attendant,
dipped his fingers INTO brandy held by another, and |
contrvcd TO employ everyone somehow or other all |
the time he rubbed his elbow. And this the
man who wrote the Letter TO "A Noble Lord" and |
that other letter on A Regcide Peace -! For some
reason aud probably for some re@son which is not
apparent in his pages. Taylor docs not appear to
have liked Burke He says very plainly that Burke
" did not possess the feelings OF liberal and gen.
temanly mind" | am tempted to pause and to ask
what ir our own age is considered gentemanly"
Perhaps well bred people and i'll bred people have
been the same in all ages. All this matter Of man
ners is so much matter of temperament that if we
could be projected INTO the next ceotury we should
grow at the way in which received, dIs-
missed and entertained. Manners mere myth.