The Dolores star., 1905-12-01


have not always been open to actors
after the final shifting Of the scene
Betterton was buried at the south end
Of the east cloister when he died q mar
tyr to gout, after acting with a slipper
On one foot. AS Steele described the
service in the Taller. it was decent
interment rather than an impressive
function; and Bettertor's friends in
the profession were lucky to obtain
funeral honors for him in the abbey.
for he was an inferior playwright and
lad nearly outlived his reputation as
an actor. Possibly there were friends
at court who remembered that his IA
ther was an under cook in the service
OF Charles l. and that he himself was
born under the shadow Of the abbey
towers. He was allowed to take his
liant sleep there In the cloisters, and
near him was buried Mrs. Bracegirdle
long time after, when she had been
forgotten on the stage and was re-
nembered mainly for the duels which
had been fought on her account. She
also was fortunate in her tenure Of
sacred ground, for her rival, the dash
Ah6 WI D OAuhClu, WIZ diONC hCi oh
the stage, was not buried there, nor
was Peg Wofiington, although she had
lived in Westminster not far from Bet
terton's birth house: nor was Mrs.
Siddons herself, although through the
exertions of Macready Chantrey's
statue OF her, designed from the IA
nous Reynolds portrait of the Tragic
Muse, was set up in st. Andrews
chapel behind statements row. Mac
ready himself was buried in Kensal
Green. and SO were Charles Kemble
and Charles Mathews.
Edmund Kean was refused the hon
ors of burial in the abbey when, in the
fourth act of "Othello," he had fallen
into the arms of his son Charles with
/ the tragic whisper, 81 am dying; speak
tc them for me-" The dean and chap
ter closed their ears to the appeals
Of the players and grave was found
for him in the quaint little church at
Richmond.
| Honors Paid to Garriek.
Garrick, however, was buried in the
abbey, as well as Betterton and Mira
/ Bracegirdle. He had suffered from .
sudden seizure of illness while making
holiday visit to Althorp. the home Of
the Spencers, and had died soon after
his removal to the famous house in
Adelphi terrace; and there was neither
resistance nor hesitation in the deans
yard when statesmen, painters and
men of letters demanded with one ac-
cord that he should be buried with the
highest honors in the greatest of
Anglo-Saxon temples.
II Betterton's had been a decent
burial, Garrick's was solemn and
impressive ceremonial, attended by
the famous Englishmen of his day and
by host of sorrowing friends; and
the quaint record was left in the An.
rual Register for 1873: Leaving be.
bind him the character Of friendly,
humane, charitable and (notwithstand
ing many idle reports) we may add
liberal man; one who felt for distress
and relieved It; cheerful companion,
o pleasing writer and the first actor
=. this or any other age" That is
record which might be repeated Of
Sir Henry Irving, albeit, without the
rarenthesis, for there has never been
any doubt respecting liberality that
was fairly prodigal. The doors Of the
abbey have been opened as easily for
him as they were for Garrick. and the
solemn service there was attended by
as great company of mourning
friends. Because Garrick was buried
there, with a large group in relief
showing the actor as he stepped out
behind the curtain, there could be no
ether place for Irving. Each in his
time purged the stage of grossness.
! dignified the actors art. introduced