New-York tribune., 1901-09-01
THE DRAMA.
MR.. MACK AS TOM MOORE.
HERALD SQUARE THEATRE.

Mr. Andrew Mack appeared last night at the
Herald Square Theatre. which thus was opened
for the season. and TO the obvious satisfaction
OF genial audierce displayed himself a per-
sonality that is supposed 10 resemble that OF the
rare, delicate. most melodious. most bewtching
Irish poet, Thomas Moore-"the poet of all circles
and the idol OF his own" Mr.. Mack. who
ambitious ill the void left by Barney Williams
and W. J. Florence is interesting actor, sincere
in feeling graceful in manner. mirthful in tempera
ment. and capable of indicating character by the
authority of repose and by the inspriting vivacty
Of quick turns OF expression. both lingual and
visual But Mr.. Mack IS not possessed OF either
the intellect, the deep emotion. the elegance. the
refinement, the exquisite taste the almost phenom-
email sensbllty, the superb inherent dignity, the
personal fascination that characteristic of
Thomas Moore. and his emergence that poet
however agreeable in personal sense, to his ad-
mrers.-s. intellectually. somewhat more ludlcrous
than Impressive.
Contemporary testimony 2 10 Moore is volurn-
inous and particular. all students OF literature
have. OF course the means Of knowing his char
acter his personality, his and the story of
his life. II a good life, and Moore
sentially noble person: in whose socety.-as
provided by his poems. HIS letters HIS journals. and
his fragment of autobiography is delight and
a blessing TO dwell Modern criticism,-like that
for instance, OF Nj. Jeafreson and Mr.. Henley
has undervalued him; but his songs, once heard.
lose their clutch upon the heart, and It seems
very little likely that the time will ever come when
his poetry will cease to be cherished. In the ele-
ents OF loveliness and OF felictous lyrical dicton
he has never been surpassed, and he has seldom
been eQualled. As man, he was faithful to every
duty and bameless IN every relation OF lfe he had
hosts OF friends: he had enemies that were
honor 10 him; and he esteemed. admired. and
loved by Lord Byron an6 Sir Walter Scott. Among
all the literary shrines Of England there IS no one
of them stimustive of soothing memories,
gentle thoughts and high resolves than that
questered cottage BromhaTn where Thomas
Moore lived and died.
There was nothing dramatic in Moore's life. He
migrated from Dublin TO London, to seek his fort
une as man OF letters and, after some trials and
vicisstudes, he succeeded. He asked Mary Dyke to
become his wife but. failing win her. he mar
ried her sister Bessie with whom he lived all her
days. In perfect happiness. MARY married John
Duff, and came TO America, and. as the wonderful
actress and erratic woman, Mrs. Duff, had her
great career our stage, died, in New-York, In
1851 aged sixty-three and is buried in Greenwood
After his marriage Moore lived for While In
Brompton and then at Hornsey (where his little
daughter Barbara lies buried, in the same church
yard with the old poet Samuel Rogers) but later he
removed into the country. and in 1917 he established
his residence At Bromham. near Devices, ~here MS
death happened in 1852. In making play about him
if play II be called which has little or no story
and action but is prattle interspersed with
song.Mr T. b. Sayre has fabricated sort of draw
ing-room episode in the poets experience (and OF
course. Moore was at times, prominent figure in
the drawing rooms of Dublin and London), and has
associated him with various notable individuals o
/ Moira. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Beau Brum-
mel and Mrs. Fitzherbert For the purpose Of
, contrast foreground Of comparative squalor has
been constructed trivial in itself and Incorrect as
10 the matter OF fact-because. although Moores
| parents were poor there was nothing squald IN
his juvenile surroundings pitful in his education.
! or INDECENT in his early career. MY youth
| so he himself said,-"was in every respect.
most happy one At Maone's school he
a favorite: whytes school,-then the
best in Dublin he had everything his way;
/ he n precocious scholar; he prospered
| the University, from which he was graduated at
twenty, with an honorable degree; and after that
he made literature his vocation and carved out
| his success with his pen lie a Roman Cath
| olic in religion, and he true Irishman; but
| he never favored revolutionary schemes and al
| though he loved Robert Emmett and Lord Edward
Fitzgerald (is Life Of the latter is capital piece
Of biography. he participated in any Of the
''shindies' OF the time. IN any OF the plots TO
free Ireland by delivering her into the hands OF
| that arch military despot Napoleon Bonaparte
| In this dearth OF theatrical material there was
| no alternative for the dramatist but 10 toss the
| biography of the poet Of the window and in
| vent incidents at pleasure This alternate has
| been chosen by Mr. sayre. Bessie Dyke is
| school mistress. in an Irish village, and Tom
| Moore is her sutor- Lovelace lures her to Lon
| don; installs her actress at Drury Lane
| and strives TO seduce her. Tom Moore follows
her the capital; in garrett is befriend
| ed by Lord Moira; wins eminence and social favor
by his poetry; interferes, save Bessie from her
licentious prosecutor defeats that wicked aristo-
crafts evil purpose and sinister, though completely
| transparent. plot; and after enduring unmerited
| ignominy and temporary disgrace. In order to
| shield Bessie's father from trouble is rewarded
| with a complete triumph over his adversary and
| with Bessie's love- All this. a story of Moore
| IS manifestly preposterous the incidents with
| which this thread of trite and haekneyed narra-
| tive is garnished appropriately and consis-
| teutiy absurd,-only ceasing 20 be silly when they
become impossible The general result is a dreary
| earicature. Moore becomes a sonsy young Irish
| man. impudent with the bucks, frolicsome with
| the boys. gay with the girls. and melodiousIv
| vocal upon all occasions. Mr.. Mack can readily
present this type OF Irish character, and he pre-
| sented IL well this occasion. He sang Loves
! Young Dream" ''Evelyns Bower" and other
songs and his vocalism was sympa-
thetic IL not always sweet HIS illustrious proto-
| type used TO sing those songs,-as recorded in
| Scott's journal. and by n. p. Willis and others
who heard him,-in such way as 10 move his
audience of the drawing tears: but Mr.
| Mack has facility rather than tenderness and he