New-York tribune., 1905-06-18
LONDON hRANA.
Sir Henry Ir5ing's Trinmph-T7eo
Nezc MeIorframas for the Galleries.

London. June .
Sir Henry Irvings season At Drury Lane is
brought TO an end this week with an unprece-
dsnted record ot public support and enthusiasm.
The old theatre has been crowded for every
performance and every audience has take2 nre
IS soon as lhe master of The modern stage ar
peared. and has overwhelmed him with honor
and affection at the fall of each curtain Stalls
galleries and pit kave seemed bent upon letting
hin Know how deeply ne loved and r.
sIected, ard that other actor could ever have
l is place in the hearts Of paygoeTs He has
been profoundly moved By these evidences CT
public regard and at each performance has
heen stimulated to draw upon his reserves anu
to make the finest display Of his art. The most
powerful OF his four impeTsonations has been
Louis XI While TIE voice is fainter than Il
was years ago. the facial expression and byplay
sre more wonderful than ever before. AdVanc-
ing years have heightened the effect OF the en-
feebed yet stealthy movements. the pallid face
and sunken eyes the restless gestures and the
sardcnc snIfle; and the death scene has become
grim and mpressive-something to haunt ths
spectator's memory as an exhibition of stage
craft While the method remains SubSie anu
complex the inpersonation has never been more
picturesque and human. Sir Henry ShylocN
ard CORPORAL Brewster have not lost any OF
lorn and bafied money lender excites more COM
passion than formerly in lhe crisis Of his fort
unes: and certainly the portrayal of seniiity III
the veteran of Waterloo is more realistic poIh
in hurrlor and pathos. Beckett offers less scope
for fine acting than the parts which nave
named; yet it is an impersonation OF nooie, ne
roic character. in which his intellectual pre-
eminence shines out and it is well adapted loi
his closing years Of stage work These louI
the last four weeks and there has been no lack
of enthusiasm on any night The great actor
has baen received from beginning to end with
transports Of loyalty and devotion
Mr. Otho Stuart with his company OF snake
sneare trained BeaSonans at the AdeiPhl' mas
-nada a timely concession to the traditions o,
that natural home OF melodrana. OhdeF " "4i.~A
E;ng7, bv Mr. James Bernard Pagan Is reio-
drama reeking with romance. and the galleries
have received it gratefully as an oldtime enter
tainrnent brin1rring over with excitement ana
c,,lr,inating not only in the happiness OF a pair
of lovers but also IN the redemption Oh tne
villain Hcentious rake. While the hrst IlsHI
audience was well satisfied, as it could haroly
fail to be when the acting was eXceIleht anu 'i
staging picturesque and effective judlclous cru
les were not convinced of the consistency OF SNe
drama The scenes are laid near inverness anu
+ir,ed for 1746, when Prince Charles the huh'e0
r,-o+.rder is hiding in the heather and waiting
for A French ship which will carry MIN 10
haven of refuge. Cameron of Moidart and ms
: a.ueb+er Helen are loyal Jacobites in comnunl-
"a +;or with the Prince and his faithful Hgnand
followers. but the girls lover, Lieutenant
C1raen7e is in the service of the Georges, ana so
also Is Colonel Eversdale, VINO loves her pas
sionately. crisis arises at the close OF the sec
ond act when Cameron learns that a spy mas
| witnessed an interview between the Prince ana
| his followers at Moidart and that messenger
| is to reach the house before midnight WITH
! disuatch and to change horses there The mes
| senger is Graeme, and while waiting Tor a fresh
horse he tells the girl that he will be shot If he
| does not deliver the dispatch. Cameron acung
under the advice of willy Frenchman, drugs the
1 vine and the messenger falls in stupor with a
horse at the door; and Highlander has been sta
toned in the glen to shoot him If by any chance
| he revives and rides AT midnight Wheh aA
the lights are out the girl disguised in her loV-
| er's military cloak, takes the dispatch ana
leapfng on the horse. goes on to deliver 1t to
| Colonel Eversdale and before the curtain 1aIls
| a shot Is heard. Love has triumphed IN the
struggle with loyalty to the Prince and while
the Highlander has been exhibited as terrible
warrior who never misses his mark the galleries
! have the comfortable assurance that the heroine
/ cannot nossiblv be killed off halfway in the
J
! play
| In the third act the Jacobite girl with a
| wounded arm delivers the dispatch to Colonel
Eversdale who recognizes her. and after dress
| ing the wound reminds her that she is in the
mower of a notorious rake, and threatens to re-
| mort her lover and to have him shot for neglect
| of duty She refuses sacrifice her virtue as
the price of her lovers life: but when the colonel
| reads the dispatch and lets her know that the
| Prince will be captured if the orders are car
ried out she Yields reluctant consent. 10y
atty in this way triumphs over love, and sac
| rihce which was impossible for the lover, whose
life she had sought to save by the midnight ride
is considered necessary for the protection of the
| Prince The sacrifice is prevented by little short
| of miracle EversdaIe is suddenly overwhelmed
| with a sense of shame, burns the dispatch be-
fore the girls eyes and releases her. after prom
| Using her that the Prince shall not be hunted
| down The way is now open for fourth act.
| in which Craeme awaits in Camerons house TO
learn that the missing dispatch has been deliv-
| cred and his honor saved: and when the lovers
| have been united and the Prince has escaped TO
| the French ship Eversdale assumes full respon-
| sitaIity for what has been done. and carries out
| his mission OF renunciation by taking an over
| dose OF the Frenchman's medicine and ending
| his life. The happy ending is secured by the