The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-04
RECOGNIZED BY ROYALTY.
The Kniehting of Henry Irving Is dc
lnyed Measure OF Justice. but How
Abont the Women Of the StngcP


Apropos Of the knighting of Henry
Irving the Chicago Times-Herald says:
For the first time in English history the
profession OF acting Is recognized as
worthy. It's ascent has been arduous,
lcnS and slow, 1t was In the golden
age of English literature that the actor
was most despised Under Elizabeth
a statute was enacted reading that all
common players ''other than players
belonging to any baron of this realm"
"all jugglers. tinkers. peddlers and pet
ty chapmen shall be taken, adjudged
and deemed rogues, vagabonds and
sturdy beggars.' and 1t was further or
dered that they should sustain payne
and punyshment," as follows: "To be
stripped naked from the middle up
ward, and shall be whipped until his or
her body be bloudye, and shall be
forthwith sent from parish to parish by
the officers of every the same the next
stregkte way to the parish where he
was borne. After which whipping the
same person shall have Testimonyall
tes'ifying that ne has been punyshed
according to law"
The statute was slightly modified in
the reign of Anne and again under
George the Second. but the actor re-
mained a criminal liza BILE to be publicly
whipped, up to the fifth year of the
reign of George the Fourth, during the
period, therefore, which witnessed the
noblest development of English drama.
The cable reports that Lord Rosebery
feared the queen, in her characteristic
adhesion to precedents. would not con-
sent to give even q Sir to an actor,
which would indicate that the premier
had small confidence i'm a sovereign who
had lavished titular favors on every
other sort of subject, from dramsellers
up. Henry Irving has so keen sense
OF humor that when his Sir sword
shall entagle his heels he will smile
to think that such an encumbrance had
It been vouchsafed to them. would add
nothing to the fame of Betterton, Gar
rick, Quin. Barry, Focte. Macklin, John
Kembla, Cooke, Edmund Kean or
Macready.
How About the Women?
But II the man player is to be hon
Ored of the court, shall the woman still
go without honor? She, too, was
whipped in public for her playing. Shall
she have no "testimonyall"? Scarcely
from Queen Victoria, nor generation
Of Englishmen. When neither Mary
Somerville nor Caroline Herschel could
obtain membership in learned society,
nor George Eliot be received at Wind
sor. 1t Is folly to hope for justice or de-
cency to women players. The English
stage would be barren indeed without
Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Oldfeld Mrs. Prit-
chard. Mrs. Bellamy, Miss Farren,
Sarah Siddons, Miss O'Neill Mrs. Jor-
dan, Helen Faucit and Adelaide Neil
son. The queen may let the bar down
for the man, as she does in a inorganic
tic marriage, but she will continue TO
keep it up for the woman, as she does
In the case Of divorce. Her majesty
should not. however imagine that such
discrimination lends luster to her court.
The players, despite the bar, are we'll
represented in the aristocracy. The
dukes Of St. Adams had Nell Gwyn for
their foundress. Mary Davies supplied
the Lords Petre: the houses of st.
Germaine and Abercorn go back to Miss
Santlow: the Gadogans recall the re-
lations of Mrs. Oldfield and a Marl-
borough: Mrs. Jordan and William
Fourth are responsible for earls of
Munster and Lords de L'Isle. An Earl
Of Derby married Miss Farran six
weeks after the death of the countess.
and one of their children became wife
Of the Earl OF Wilton. A sister of Peg
Wellington married a Walpoe.. When
the earl went to Peg to complain of it,
she declared 1T was she who had most
reason to be offended. because 81 had
one beggar to support, and now shall
have two"