New-York tribune., 1888-04-15

| ing House, Philadelphia
| This sufptuous and beautiful book will be
eagerly welcomed, especially by the collectors OF
theatrical works 1t Is a magnificent piece OF
printing and it is exceptionally rich in portraits
while as O biography it contains all the essentlai
facts and possesses the advantage Of light breezy
nervous STYLE evidently natural to the author and
animated by his desire and purpose not to snow
himself but to show his subject Perhaps little
wholesome sel1shness in this respect would nave
led the writer to exercise more severe taste IN
| phraseology, and TO discard such words rs lily
| and such dubious terms as in this c0nnecton
| There is certain slap-dash manner here ana tnere
IN the language Of the book which indicates care
lessness OF stern revision and Of sclf-crltclsm On
the other hnnd, the absence of sef-consciousness'
| save in these cases. is most refreshing ana COM
mendable. The spirit in which Mr.. DAILY has writ
ten his Life of Wellington Is indicated In his sub
title and motto He calls the biography a trib-
| ute" and he quotes from Shakespeare's " Cymbe-
linen the words, "Whose remembrance yet lives
In mems eyes, and will to ears and tongues be theme
and hearing ever" His view Of his heroine Is ex-
ceedingly sympathetic and charitable. Her life
had not been without blemish,' he remarks, but
it was also full Of deeds of goodness; and happily
Providence holds the scales" This kindly bias
toward magnanimity pervades the narrative and
awakens and steadily retains the readers good
will There has been liberal abundance Of de-
traction OF Peg Wellington. 1t is comfortable to
read the story Of her career as told by an en-
thusiast who yet is man Of the world. My
purpose" says Mr. DAILY, " is TO set this figure be-
fore you in its true proportions" and he premises
that there is not really authentic biography
OF her in print" That his work will be done
gayly is also promised. There is no pretence Of
ponderous solemnity. Biogaphers, it is remarked,
" are a serious lot" and they have generally de-
voted their attention to the tragedians. Mr.. DAILY
thinks, and rightly too, that the naturalness de-
manded in comedy taxes the resources Of genius to
the utmost, and that the comedians are quite as
well worthy Of attention perhaps more worthy OF
il: and he maintains, by example as well as pre-
ccpt that this attention should not be stilted.
Peg Wellington was born October 1s, II (her
cravestone saws 172O) and she died March 20,
1860 Mr.. DAILY makes it evident that he has con-
suited numerous authorities with regard to her
history and diligently explored, by personal OBJ
servaton. the important places with which she
was associated. The book is written out OF full
mind No one who had not been at great pains to
collect facts, verify details and digest the various
existing accounts of the Garrick period OF stage
history into one clear and succinct outline could
u
account as Mr. DAILY gives of the state Of theatrical
affairs in Dublin when Wellington came upon the
scene, together with the changes which ensued
there and later the complicated rivalries and vicis
situdes OF the great theatres in London.
IIitchcoclx's History of the Irish Stage now
rather a scarce book here, has been taken as a
good basis of study Lee Lcwes, Chetwood, Muir
phy, Davies O'Keefe Mackliniana, Genest tthe
name should not be spelled with n final e., Doran,
Fitzgerald, Tate Wilkinson, Bellamy and Victor
are among the authorities cited. and the author
gracefully acknowledges the help that he derived
from the researches OF Miss Jean Gordon and Mr.
Hillary Bell The materials have been well used,
and perhaps no single feature Of the book is more
striking than the felicity with which bits OF sig
nifcant evidence or citations and remarks con-
frmatory of certain favorite views or theories or
the writer are dropped into their appropriate places
in the text. An exceptional piquancy crops out at
intervals, likewise, from the fact that 1t IS
theatrical manager who writes as well as the liter
ary man and the admirer Of actors and acting.
Nineteen years of experience as manager must
necessarily enable this shrewd and capable OBJ
server to appreciate, in lively manner, the rea-
tions of the stage and the public, the caprices of
performers, the inside truth, and the motley cir
cumstances Of any period in stage history to which
he NAV please 60 give his studious attention Such
an experience sharpens the insight and broadens
the view. Mr. DAILY, in his oG-hand analysis Of
the characters touched in this biography, shows n
keen knowledge of human nature, and upon public
taste criticism, the difficulty of handling organized
labor and kindred playhouse themes his remarks
are frequently those of wisdom touched with hui
nor. The book was intended 70 display charm
ing, O dazzling a wonderful actress 1t does this,
and with its copious facts, its fine portraits eleven
in number and some Of them very rare) and its
many anecdotes, it gives most positive and hu-
man impression of an actual woman; but it also,
quite unconsciously, shows an author OF lnde-
pendent mind and srrightly mood.
Mr.. DAILY places Wellington at the head of the
stage in comedy and considers that she was also
entitled to high rank in tragedy. Her defective
voice is admitted Her astonishing beauty Is de-
picted in detail and with emphasis. Pegs father
was a bricklayer and her mother a washerwoman,
but Peg herself was angelic-so that she conquered
everybody including Garrick and DR.. johnson.
She acted 13O parts and her versatility was indi-
Gated by the simple fact that in the final nights
Of one season she impersonated Mrs. Ford, jane
Shore, Sir Harry Wildar and Lady Macbeth. De-
tailed examination of her method rs an actor Is
not offered, but Of her special faculties and
qualities there is abundant specification She WAS
on the stage almost all her life, having been car
ried ON it first in basket when infant, by
Nine. Violante-a fact made known in Mr. Days
narrative which we do not remember to have seen
stated anywhere ese Upon her intimate rela-
tions with Garrick this biographer comments in
strain somewhat adverse to the great actor.
That old story OF the intercepted wig and the en-
ragged and hoodwinked nobleman, which appears
in the Life of Macklin, and which implies, as
there related, such a state Of affairs would
readily explain why no marriage ever took place,
or ever could take place, between Garrick and
Peg Wellington, takes an entirely different and
innocent form as told by Mr.. DAILY. A certain
coarse but clever retort upon Peggy, about Sir
Harry Wldair hitherto generally ascribed to
Quin is here credited to Kitty Give. Wellington.