New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-03-19
ANCIENT AND MODERN ROMEOS.
From The Theatre.

From The Theatre
The two most celebrated Romeos of those prov
erbial palmy days" of the drama-the middle Of
the last century-were David Garnck and Spranger
Barry, and at the time when their representations
of the young NerOnese noble were exciting the
greatest admiration, Garrlck was thlrty-tOur and
Barry thirty-One years Of age.
silver tOngued" Barry, whose personal attrac-
tons have seldom been equalled, was of course an
ideal lover. Lord Chesterfield SAID of him: He Is
SO handsome he will not be long Oh the stage; some
rich widow will carry him OFT = and in addition TO
his good looks he POSSESSED voice OF such UNI
rivailed sweetness and tenderness, that OF his
contemporaries wrote All eXqusltely tender or
touching writing came mended from his mUut h ;
there was a pathOs, sweetness, dellcacy i'll his
utterance, which stole upon the mind and forced
conviction the memory. Every sentiment of
honor and virtue recommended to the ear by the
language of the author was rigeed to the heart by
the uterance of Barry"
Naturally, such charming fellow was admirable
in the love scenes OF the tragedy Garrlck was not
50 successful IN these; but III the impasslOned
scenes with Frar Lawrence and the ApOthecary, he
was excellent. M9cklin, who played Mercuto to
Barry, emphatcally declared him &c be superior to
Garrck throughout the play; while Mrs. Bellamy
gave the palm To GaTrlCk only in the scene with the
Friar. A very expressive criticism was made by
lady who saw both performances. She said; Had
/ been Juliet to Garrck's Romeo. 50 ardent and im
FASHIONED was he, should have expected that he
would have come up to me in the balcony; but had
| been Juliet to Barry's Romeo, tender, so elO-
gucnt, seductive was he, should certainly have
gone down to him.
Barry died on the 10th of January, 1777, and
buried III the ClOSIerS aJ WESTMINSTER. AS MS
ola Mercuto, Macklin. was looking into the grave,
murmurng, :" Poor SPRINGER u gentleman at
tempted to lead him away, 10 whom the old actor
said sadly: " Sir, | am at my rehearsal; do not
disturb my revcrleD
The name of Thomas King, the original Sir Peter
Teaze, is generally associated with very different
range of characters to that OF the Oye-sck Romeo.
Nevertheless, the lnimtabe representative of PUT.
Lord Ogleby. Or. Cantwell, Ranger aud TOuchstone,
played the yOung lover, and played 1t successfully
too, I'm his early days In l7I9. year after his
first appearance at Drury Lane King was acting at
the Old Jacobs Well Theatre, Bristol, Mrs.
Pritchard being a member of the company at the
same time. The stout but tragic lady insisted that
young Tom the was only nineteen them should be
Romeo to Der Juliet, and the disparity between the
age and appearance of the lovers (which, TO make
matters worse, was all on the wrong side) must
have been comical enough. However, King did
very well In the part.
A still more youthful Romeo was the famous
Master Betty" The Infant ROsciuS "-about whom
the playgong public of the three kingdoms went
mad ut the beginning of this century The furore
lasted about four years during which period Master
Betty (whO made his debut at Belfast, in 1903,
when he was IN his twelfth year. had q triumphal
progress through England. Ireland ana Scotland,
and made often faOO week Charles Young
played subordinate parts TO him; Home wept over
the boys representation of Young NOrVal In his
own play, Douglas ~; in Glasgow, one independent
soul who refused to bo@ before the popular idol,
raised such u storm OF indignation against himself
that he was compelled to leave the city Royal
dukes expressed their delight in him, grateful man
ayers loaded INN with silver cups, and John Kemble
wrote to Mr. Betty pere to express the happiness no
aud Mr. Harris would have in welcoming the entn
wonder to COvent Garden Theatre, at Goo per night
and half IA clear benefit Subsequently Drury Lane
and Covent Garden shared him between them. In
twenty -three nights at the former house he drew
above tl7,0OO, and this double work 50 doubled his
popularity that one night, having to play Hamlet,
the House OF Commons, on u motion By Pitt. ad-
journed and went down TO the theatre to him.
The mania died natural death In q short time,
however and Master Betty never fulfilled the pro-
mise of his early years. lie babe farewell TO the
stage when he was on y thirty-two years of age.