New-York tribune., 1892-11-27
Mr.. HENRY IRVING.

London. November II.


in truth seen only series OF pictures, Mr.. lrv-
ing himself said, with much force: " | must le've
it, and leave il willingly 10 the memory and judC
ment Of Our audiences" So long as they are on
his side and continue TO fill his theatre. and 70
applaud him what docs criticism matter to him
Yet il appears that il doe. matter, and he some
times even replies T. it.
More than that may be said. He has become
what in America sometimes call an lnstltu-
ton. His authority and Influence are cnHh that
/ say in all scriousncSs-an attack Mr. Irving
seems to many persons an attack on IN" Stage
itself. lie is the embodiment Of dramatic art
the impcrSoiaiOn of whatever makes the Theatre
irresisthy attractive to multitudcs OF people IN
England and in America. That is a state OF 'hlng'
Of which Journalism in this country takes ac-
count To print a harsh criticism Of Mr. Irving
would seem to certain editors like speaking diSrc-
specially of the Equator, or Questioning the
financial soundness OF the Rank Of England. 80
they somehow cause it 10 b, understood that,
while leaving their critics entirely free 10 express
their real opinions they do not expect thos"
opinions TO run counter in too marked a dcgrc"
to the General opinion Of their readers And
they Go not.
The production Of KIM Lear" at the LTcenm
last evening is good illustration Of all these
propositions II was an event not second IN IN
tercst 70 an ordinary Lord Mayors Day. and
much superior u The one which actually occurred
the night before, when all Her Moi"sys Minis
ters from whom the country wished to near
speeches were, uuhappily and unavoidably, absent
from the Guildhall Banquet There was the
usual first night audience at the Lyceum; the
usual lists of celebrities appeared in next days
papers: the usual elaborate accounts OF III" per-
formance hut more elaborate than ever; the
usual speech from Mr. Irving; and the perform
ance of u King Lear" takes IFS place as topic at
dinncr-tal les for the rest of the winter. Nh'-
ever reads these long columns Of criticism In the
usual papcr-readinS way-that Is to say
has,iy-will leave them with the impression
that Mr. Irvinls King Lear is an altogether adj
mirablc piece Of acting; that the audience was
enthusiastic throL ghout: and that the success OF
the production was complete. But If there he
anybody who takes tie trouble 10 scan these
sentences more closely or 10 read, if need TO,
between the lines. he will suspect thar. in the
minds of the critics themselves, there were con
siderable reservations
As a piece OF acting, Mr. Irving's Lear deserves
what it receives high praise. AS rendering of
Shakcspcare's conception, the merits Of it have 10
he considered from a different point OF view
Mr. Irving is clearly entitled 70 his own nay, he
is bound = have his own view, ana to express 1t
as vividly as h. can. II you deny him that you
raise the further question whether he onght TO act
Lear az all tie question whether having regard
to the true nature Of his eenius-whch in It's
own line is beyond dispute-having regard also
to his methods TO his former experiences with suca
tragedies as macbeth" and Othcllo.' the more
difficult tragedy of Lear" lay necessarily within
his sphere of duty whether as actor or actor
manager He has determined that il did. He
resolved TO he Lear and | don't know that any
body is called upon to go behind that resolve, or
to consider any Of the abstract problems above
stated, or limited at. 1t is quito troublesome
enough 70 deal with things as they are. Thngs
as they might have been may be left to the cX-
animation OF critics with moro tune and space at
their dsp sal than the daily Journalist can claim
Still less need he consider whether Lear ought
to be acted at all. Perhaps he may b, permitted
TO say that he agrees with Charles Lamb. and
other judicious persons with delicate instincts,
who hold this play to be unfit for tho stage. Or
perhaps he may put it in the words ~ per
son of distinction, present on this occasion and
conspicuous for the fervor Of his applausH,-who
nevertheless remarked when all wae over. tha:
he did not think Lear and lis family and court
pleasant people TO sperd an evening with Nor
are they.
The picturcslucne,s Of Mr. Iryincs personality
and of his whole impersonation i its mos. s'r,-
Ing Qu1IllN. ne appeal 10 inc eye never lI.IS
and the appeal TO the Imagination depends
largely on this. In appearance, in bearing. in
gesture, in movement he is from beginning 10 end
the cOnsummate actor. Tho resources Of his art.
or many Of them, are entirely within his control
/ imagine the strongest impression left on the
mind of tie spectator that; and the remark
Of every spec at0r would he, How we'll he acted
If tnat is what Mr. Irving aimed al, his success
was brilliant. But is that the ain? viii an
audience be moved TO tears or horror, 70 sympathy
or haze, 10 pity or rage, long as they are al
lowed TO remember that the iUaging Of these pas
sions is acting and nothing more? Did anybody
forget Mr. Irving and remember only Lear? There
were moments when perhaps they did: above all,
in the first act, and in the beginning Of the fourth
He began indeed so admirably that tho house
nskcd nothing more than that he should continue.
1t was only the hardened playgoer who shook his
head, ard said 10 himself that the first note hal
been struck too high. There is an uniailing rule
in such matters II there is no climax, there
will De an ant-climaV The second and third
acts were felt 10 be less effective than the first
The end Of The fourth was less good than the
beginning. Tho physical powers OF are
equal to a uniform strain during the whole OF a
tremendous tragedy like this. Ic must choose
where and when he will be at his best The
tragedy OF Lear" is one long explosion Of passion
and Of deep emotion. But the passion, the rage,
the fury OF the king are human They are,
ppite of his senility, kihgly and manly. Those
were no the aspects which Mr. Irving chose to
make most evident He tender, pathetic.
sympathetic. But the noto which was heard most
often was not regal and not virife.
II il failed 20 be, il was partly from over
elaboration. lie has carried out in its most
literal sense the very doubtful maxim he Lii
down in his article in the October Nineteenth
Century on Some Misconceptions About the
Stage In the expression of character" says
Mr.. Irving. rhythm is subordinate TO dramatic
significance, and except in the most rhetorical
passages, every ecntence should be expressed as
new thought, and every thought with a varied
irtn IL fhnt