New-York tribune., 1900-03-20
THE DRAMA.
,u ROBSON AS OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

,opsoN as OLIVER GOLDSMITH.
os. suuy,,native remark that has been pre-
.u-vse as 10 the character OF Oliver Goldsmith Is
srk made BY himself 70 the effect that when
80 sloae he always got the better OF the
s,, He lived In q world OF his own thoughts
- seeIingx and. although HE company was al
- Iked he wes not man for society and he
"a -, show for HIS real worth in the companion
"a, AZ other able men. He simple. awkward,
-. clumsy and he acutely sensitive.
,-rol5s thought that his extreme absurdity OF
s,,or ,,-as 10 some extent intentional, but that
!. conjecture. He required an occasion, and, SIS q
- he always rose 10 81. There are few things
a, ..s language more felictous than his dedication
= rsbA stoops 10 Conquer TO DR.. Johnson. Els
-, ~ Wakefield and Deserted Village
or.si classics Boswell who generally under
zee him has nevertheless. by mere record Of
-,sss.s shown him Of the gentlest, most
rsnsrent and most Iovnbe of men. Dr. John
= nlaced him In the first rank. whether
-. a r--ter Of comedy. historian. His
e,,us said the Doctor, is great but his knowledge
= srneD Let not hts frailties be remembered
1so wrote thar same noble and tender fr1end). "he
7ras very great man.
wr. Robson who appeared last night at the Fifth
A-s,re Theatre in the character of Goldsmith, is
-s,,rary sympathetic with the part and he
,,s-esses many qualifications for adequate in
.o--e.stion Of r. not the least OF which gentle
,sss NJ temperament. sincerity OF purpose. intel
-,-- mt ruade-aud a certain quaint and homely
.-oentricity Of derneenor. TIE comedy, ingenious
= constructed and egresably written by Mr.. Au-
v,,s-us Thomas. a playwright whose exceptional
-slerts have long beer recognized and deeply
-ssreefed presents Goldsmith q lover OF one Of
- -rro FIorneck er,s who are mentioned IN the
biographies Of the poet prominent among his
friends and whom certainly he held IN high es-
.sar, One Of those girls became Mrs Funbury
and IRE other became Mrs. Gwyn There Is no
-r-oc .ar7or7 Fr-ad0 0f Mary
Eorneck or Of any woman. Mrs. Jameson, who
bestowed much expert attention upon the Loves
n. the Poets. says that of the loves or Goldsmith
ve know nothing. and she conjectures that they
r-obablv were the reverse Of poeticaL When he
-as On his deathbed he said that his mind was
N, ~ ease ard II has been surmised that he
was thinking u unhappy attachment or lost
love Il may be So Everything is possible But,
as he died in debt. for about ten thousand dollars
and had not sixpence. il seems probable that his
distress was an honorable solieitude rather than
a, arnato-v grief He had raised money and
sgusudered It said DR.. Johnson. "by every artiice
Of acquisition and folly Of expense" II was en-
trelv legitimate however, that the dramacst
should exercise his fancy in the treatment Of this
subject and he has done so 10 a good practical
urrpose The play may not be credible as history
or biography. but Il is a faithful and touching
presentnent Of the ambitions, emotions foioles
vicisstudes and disappontments of a man OF
genius and. incidentally. II suggests picture OF
was the centre with Burke. Gibbon. Sheridan.
Csarrfck war-ou, Reynolds, Goldsmith and Bos-
well ranged around him. giving lustre 10 the ear
lier period OF George III and leaving 10 poster1ty
legacy OF imperfshable beauty and everlasting
renowl.
-Tf-it be true as said by Dr. johnson, that the
great end Of comedy is TO make audience merry,
Mr Thomas has attained 20 the great end or
comedy IN this play: for Il kept numerous audi
ence continually amused. and furthermore II inter
,E~.1a a,TF and of ten
their hearts Mr Robson Is more apt IN the ex-
preston OF drolery than in that Of tenderness but
he knows that true love is always reverent, and
ne expressed with pathetic fidelity the piteous en-
durance Of a noble gentleman who must conceal
his and reject his happiness because he thinks
himself Ungainly and unattracttve, unfortunate and
poor and because he knows himself foredoomed
70 an early death That is the pivotal idea Of
NJ Thonas's play. In act first Goldsmith, flying
from the image OF Mary Horneck blunders into
the country house OF London cit;zen.-mistaIng
It for an fun.-whers Mary is q guest, and where
johnson. Burke, Garrick and others also par
ticipants IN the owners hospitality. In second
he conducts z rehearsal OF the comedy that he
hRs written around this incident OF his personal
experence.-the comedy which Is then and there
named she Stoo1s TO Conquer.'-and he strikes
down the HbellCus scribbler Kenrick. who has
Tilhed Mary Eorneck and himself in OF the
dirty journals OF the day. In act third he is
arrested for debt, summoned TO fight duel IN
Maryis cause. indicated against calunany, and,
least momentartly. blessed with the open approval
Of the woman whom hs loves. This thread Of story
is very slight aud fragile. These incidents very
simple Il is the sweet spirit with which the theme
IS treated that invests the play with charm. and
that ought TO endear IL TO every body who cares
for beautiful things The great literary Of the
Johnson period treated with familiarity (as
Mr- Robson truly and facetiously said. IN OF
the best speeches that have been made before the
curtain since the days Of John Broughan),
and in fact, IL would not be ungracious TO
say that, aside from Mr weaver's impersona-
don Of DR.. Johnson and Mr. Robson's Goldsmith.
they have been rather ruthlessly distorted; but
something has been preserved Of the feeling Of the
Johnson era. and something has been suggested OF
the style of its gentry and its domestic life Indi
cations abound in Mr. Thoras's text Of familiarity
with Boswels Life with Moores Sheridan with
Washington Irving's lovely biography OF Cold
srith. and OF course. with the plays OF the eigh-
ieenth century. Mr. Dixey not in the least Ike
Garr7ck' and Mr.. Walter Hale was not in the least
Ike Edmund Burke; but Mr. Dtxey was
exceedingly sprghtIy and gleeful and anus
ing himself, and he gave faithful and
isnghable performances Of e cabrnHn and q
SalIH There is a touch, in this episode of
pretty little story, published last year called
The Jessar1y Bride; but OF course Il is well
knoVn that Garrick, in actual life. often resorted
70 pranks Of this order Mr.. Weaver gave the
most substantially true embodiment Of an historic
character. DR.. Johnson, and II was great pleas
le TO see the splendid triumph OF this noble
veteran. and the public pleasure with which II
was hailed. Mr.. Weaver has a right IDEAL Of the
sFano Old Doctors massive personality-r7lgged
'oiniaant. potential the outside but all hu-
Hlsnlty and gentleness within. George Coi-uan was
IaFesteo- The play becomes dirruse in the last
Oy reason Of too much trivial irciGcnt-re-