The Portland daily press., 1894-01-29
EDMUND KEAN.
Some of the Peculiarities of the Famous
English Tragedian.

Some of the Peculiarities of the Famous
English Tragedian.
Edmund Kean was man of little or no
education He was fond of low society and
much brandy and water. During many
years he was a strolling player and in Cir
cumstances SO needy that he often had to
tramp from one town to another in search
of or to fulfill an engagement. On one
such occasion he was tramping, with
Charlie on his back, and entered public
house and asked for half pint of beer.
The landlord, suspecting his customer,
would not serve him until he had first
been paid. Years afterward while starring
in the west of England some of Kean's
admirers got up complimentary dinner,
at which he promised to preside, but when
he went to the place he found it was the
identical inn where he had been so grudg-
ingly served and refused to enter, SO that
the dinner had to be eaten in the absence
Of the president.
we'll remember while the century was
still in its teens the furore excited by
Kean's performances We boys used to act
Hamlet and the Ghost and other charac-
tiers, and I acted with considerable APP
plause before mixed audience portions of
Richard HIP and often quoted myself to
sleep with long passages from Shakespeare.
Kean had house in Dover street, and one
night after the performance of Sir Giles
Overreach he went home and told his wife
that the whole pit rose at him in state
of excited admiration. Mrs. Kean, who
was something of a tuft hunter, said,
"But what did Lord Essex think"
Cd Lord Essexl" replied Kean. 81
played to the intelligence of the pit, not
to that of a lordlingl''
remember many generous tn ough i'm
pulsive acts being recorded of Kean at this
early time, when he was the favorite sub
ject of conversation, such as taking off his
overcoat one frosty night to cover shiv-
ering wretch and emptying his pocket to
supply the supposed needs of a professed
beggar. A poor actor informed me that
on asking Kean to take ticket for per-
Torrance that was to take place in some
public house Kean rendered a sovereign
for a ticket, and when offered change
turned away saying, CD the changed"
Other acts of his were less laudable. Aft
or performance he would sometimes go
to the Cider Cellar or to the Coal Hole and
order bowl of punch for the guests of
every box or table. This made him the
hero of the evening, and as he became more
or less intoxicated he fell prey to rogues
and sharpers, who got him to sign checks
or indorse bills of exchange. At later
period he engaged a minor actor to accom-
pany him to these orgies and on no ac-
count to let him sign his name to any
thing. This guardian used to relate that
when Kean began to quote bits of bad
Latin he knew that he was quite drunk
and must be taken home. In spite, how
ever, of this precaution Kean never knew
the difference between sixpence and a shil-
ling, SO that he always remained poor and
was never able to retire from the stage
with the dignity of Young.
I have often stood at the pit doors two
hours before the opening in order to Sc
cure good place in the best part of the
house at amodest cost, for as yet stalls
had not been invented. I saw Kean in
most, if not alt, of his characters, the last
being Othelle, with Young as Iago and
Charles Kemble as Cassie. Kean was a
great actor of the natural school, playing
Shakespeare, as Byron put it, with flashes
Of lightning surprises. Mrs. Garrick recog-
nized in him a worthy successor to her
David and the only one fit to wear David 8
sword.-Notes and Queries.