The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-14

of the fact, IL evidence il can be called.
is the tradition that the part of Adam
was taken by the dramatist himself
Oldys, who died in 1861. was collecting
materials for life of Shakespeare. In
his manuscripts we find the statement
that one of Shakespeare's younger
brothers. who lived to good old age.
used to tell of his visits to London, and
of going to see his brother Will play.
He said that he recollected his appear
l ing in one character as a decrepit old
man, who was so weak that he had TO
be supported and carried by another
person to a table, at which he was
seated among some company who were
eating. and one of them sung song
This seems like a genuine reminis-
cence of the seventh scene of act H. If
it had been an invention. the author
would naturally have mentioned the
name of the play, or would have given
further details of the scene.
There was also a story told in STRAIT
ford that a venerable citizen of that
town remembered seeing Shakespeare
, once brought upon the stage on an
other mans back. The story could be
traced through good authorities TO the
very days of the poet, and is not I'M
probable on the face of it. 1t is in
keeping with the tradition that Shakes
peare acted the Ghost in Hamlet"
.
10 his acting that have come down TO
US. we may infer that, though. he was
perhaps good in these minor parts, he
certainly was not great actor. Ii may
be that he would have gained distinc-
ton in that profession had not his in
SEPARATIONS as a poet led him to give
himself TO. the writing of plays rather
than to acting in them.
1t was not until 1928, so far as the
trio nd for
ton. that las You Like IT. was re-
yived, and then it was only in wretch
eddy corrupted form-a piece prepared
by certain Charles johnson and called
Love in a Forest. Many portions of
the original play are omitted or trans
ferred 10 other characters. Speeches
and scenes, or parts of scenes, are in
terpolated from Richard Ill.," Much
ADO Twelfth Night" and the Mid
summer Nights Dream" The wrestling
in act I. is made a knightly combat in
the lists. and Charles accuses Orlando
of treason. The characters of Touch
stone. Audrey, William, CORN, Silvius
and Phebe are omitted. Jaques makes
love to Celia and marries her in the
end, etc. This vile patchwork and per-
version. however. had a run of only
six nights.
In 1140 the original play was reinstat-
ed on the boards and was performed
for twenty-five nights-a good run fC>.
that day. 1t was performed again in
1I42 and in 1747. when Peg Wellington
played Rosalind. with Kitty Give as
Celia and Macklin as Tombstone 1t
was while acting in this play that Peg
Wellington was struck down with par
alysis.
1867, III, 1775, 1779. 1888 and 17S5. AT
this last named reproduction Mrs. Sid
dons 'essayed the part of Rosalind. The
opinions of the time concerning her
success Were divided. Boaden, her BIZ
ographer, says: ''Rosalind was one of
the most delicate achievements of Mrs.
Siddons. The common objection to her
tragedy. made the express charm of
Rosalind-her vivacity is understand
ing, not buoyant spirits This seems
TO me a misrepresentation Of the char
acter. Rosalind is clasSed by Mrs.
Jameson among characters of intel
lect." but the genial critic none the less
recognizes the brilliancy Of her wit. her
''saucy playfulness." and her ''vivac-
ity," characterized by "sensibility'' and
sweetness" rather than by under
standing" Miss Anna Seward Q747-
1900, noted literary woman of her
day. and native. like DR.. Johnson, of
Litchfield, though often astray in her
critical opinions. was probably nearer
right than Boaden when she wrote in
superJohnsonian phrase: For the first
time / saw the justly celebrated Mrs.
Siddons in comedy, in Rosalind; but,
though her smile is as enchanting as
her frown is magnificent, as her tears
are irresistible. yet the playful scin-
tillations of colloquial wit, which most
mark that character. suit not the dig
nifty of the Siddonian countenance."
Similarly Genest. IN his Account of the
English Stage. 1660-1S30." says: Mrs.
Siddons did not add to her reputation
by her performance of Rosalind, and
when Mrs. Jordan had played the char
acter few persons wished to see Mrs.
Siddons in it,"
Mrs. Jordan. indeed. must have been
veritable Rosalind as the dramatist
depicted her. She first appeared in the
part for her own benefit April 10, 1887,
and was ''triumphantly successful"
The poet Campbell declared that