New-York tribune., 1907-01-19
QUEENS OF COMEDY.
A Brilliant Group of Departed
Days.


store of material for this volume of sprightly
personal sketches The list of mis- heroines, be-
ginning with Lavinia Fenton is a familiar one
and he has added little that is fresh 10 oft told
stories But there is taste nowadays for such
picturesque chronicles and done carefully and
with zest they never lack for readers In use
ful introduction the author deals with the status
or actors and actresses in eighteenth century
England. with it's theatrical methods the char
acter Of its plays, and the behavior of its audi
ences. All We're alike deplOrable The people
Of the stage had hardly ceased TO be considered
rogues and vagabonds. and the plays were more
or less immoral. for dramatic taste was low
We are reminded that until Garrick brought
back Shakespeare a ''pompous piece, filed with
rant and butchery and bloOdthirstineSs" was the
century's ideal Of tragedy. The Beggar's
Opera" nasty but satricaliy effective satisfied
all English longings for comedy For its time 1t
had success equivalent to that OF the earlier
Gilbert and Sullivan operas. AS Mr. Fyvie SAYS
Its moral influence may be estimated from the
fact that Sir John Fielding, the magistrate, pub
liciy demonstrated with Garrick against it's re-
vival. and that ne showed Kelly his record books,
which proved that after every successful run
OF the piece. from its first representation there
had been a proportionately large number Of
highwaymen brought to his court" So extraor-
dinary was its that II killed for its first sea-
son at least, the Italian opera which It bur-
lesqued.
II confirmed in the enthusiastic liking Of the
public one Of the cleverest actresses OF the early
part Of the century Lavinia Fenton. This girl
had natural gift for the stage, which was no
doubt cultivated during a precocious childhood
spent in amusing the frequenters Of her mothers
coffee house. She had little education. but her
stepfather provided her with some instruction
81,
Peachum she rose from comparative obscurity
into being the most celebrated toast in London,
and Manager Rich actually raised her salary
TO the amazing Of thirty shillings week.
II is recorded that for fear she should be
away with she guarded home from
the theatre every night. She stayed on the
stage only two years, and died a duchess
Polly. Duchess Of Bolton" Horace waipole
called her. Her Dukes previous matrimonial
experience was peculiar His father compelled
him 10 marry an exceedingly ugly heiress. and
the young parted from his bride at the
church door AS for Lavinia, told by
Warton that she was not a beauty. But she
had the sparkling graces which compel admi-
ration. She had wit and sense and literary tastes
she knew how to talk and to sing: she was an
Irresistible companion for dull days If may
believe Hogarth she not exactly plain
certainly her large. dark eyes and her rich hair
were good 20 see.
One of the most fortunate actresses OF that
queer century-one who also played Polly
Peachum upon occasion-was Kitty Raftor. af-
terWard Kitty Give. She went on the stage at
eighteen. at once successful. and when.
after forty years. she retired. she still "the
spoiled darling Of the public" She had real
humor high spirits that never failed her. plenty
Of brains indefatgable industry, and mOnr
strous temper. Sharing public favor with Gar
rick she was often in a rage with him and the
story of their quarrels is of the comic chap
ters of theatrical history She was too clever
herself not 10 acknowledge her rivals gifts.
quaint little episode is described by John
Taylor. zone night as Garrick performing
King Lear. she stood behind the scenes to OBJ
serve him. and in spite of the roughness of her
nature was so deeply affected that she sobbed
one minute and abused him the next, and at
length. overcome by his pathetic touches. she
hurried from the place with the following
trsordinary tribute to the universally OF his
powers-'D- himl / believe he could act
gridiron"" Kitty was. IL is said. the terror Of
the whole greenroom she was the delight Of
the stage in the parts best suited 10 her He
must have been more or less than man. IT was
said who could be grave when Give was dis
posed to be merry" Dame Give in her old age
as Walpoles tenant and neghbor at Twicken-
ham. remained the same hot tempered. generous.
cheerful. witty and unconventional parsonage
she was in her youth. walpole knew quite well
what he was about when he offered a pretty
cottage rent free for life. to the old woman.
For she was a perpetual entertainment TO him
as many references in his letters show. Her
quality OF brain is well defined in the two sem
tences quoted by Mr.. Fyvie: "Dr. Johnson said
Of her: Give, sir, is good thing to sit by, she
said 10 him: 4 love 20 sit by DIR. Johnson he
always entertains me-
Mr.. Fyvie devotes much space TO Gives chief
aversion, the brilliant. beautiful Peg Wellington,
whose one drawback as an actress an in
harmonious voice. Her sense Of humOr rose
superior 20 her vanity on one occasion The
first time she played Portia in The Merchant OF
Venice when Lorenzo said: This is the voice,
or I am much deceived OF Portia. and she had
to reply He knows me as the blind man knows
the cuckoo. by her bad voice. the whole audience
laughed outright, and she being perfectly con-
sr,ou. Of her natural deficiency. Joined in the
general merriInent." From Give and Wellington
the author passes 90 a consideration of the
careers Of many Of their contemporaries and sue
oes.ors the list ending with the name of Harriet
Mellon. The life OF this good-humored, shrswd
and vulgar beauty was strange one. Starting
On extreme poverty, she became first popular
actress. then the wife Of the enormously wealthy
banker. Mr. Coutts. then the Duchess OF st.
albans. When Thomas Coutts died he left his
whole fortune TO his widow, and she fnel!y re-
turned il TO his family. In the Will beqreathing
IL TO hts granddaughter Angela Burcet'. Il was
,hss Angela who. Baroness Burdett-CoUtts,
NO. ,s,s 10 rest In westminster Abbey the other
d.v The old Duchess much attached to the
g,l declaring that she had been singuariy fort
,,na,a in her baptismai appellation. since she