New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-10-14

Many Years BY walter Ierries Pollock
VIII preface by H. B. Irving, limo PIP VII
14o- Longmans. Green Co
This little volume forms valuable and de-
lightful tribute to the memory Of Henry Irving
II is the rk Of 5ldicious man Of letters who
knows how 70 distinguish between intimate per
sonslia md the things that may legitimately be
given 10 the public MI Pollock, formerly the
editor Of The Saturday Review" was one OF
the great actors Oldest and warmest fr1enos'
An ardent lover Of the theatre and connolsSeur
o. good acting, he not only loved and admired
Irving but constantly met the latter on the
common ground Of DISTINGUISHED enthusiasm
fl- all things relating TO the stage These pages
are written therefore not so much + order to
describe purely personal traits to commemo-
rate an artistic genius. II they show US irving
The man as well Irving the actor 1t Is De-
cause the two were in very peculiar sense
Nj Pollock recoIlects finding his friend filling
out Z printed form "A new question from
mos Who" said Irving-'ones favorite rec
restIon. I have filed 1t in acting, and thlnk
You'll are with me tat is the only answer
In sheaf Of impressions that could only nave
been written by a comrade. the salient matters
Of interest are nevertheless such as could only
have been dealt with by a critic.
IRVING had himself the critical faculty very
strongly developed, and was quick to pront oy
its operation in the minds Of those VINO colil-
rrlanded his respect. We gather from MI POL
lock that .leir talk was often f the play at the
moment being presented at the Lyceum' aio
that they had many argument over some
rotut of business Always Irving listened al
tentively TO his interIocutor's criticism When
he adopted a new reading In the burial scene IN
Hamlet" saying the cat will new the cog
will have his bay instead Of his day ne met
his friends protest with non-conmittal phrase
but a + v nights later he abandoned the pay
Nothing could move him, however Wheh 'iie
subject Of discussion was some episode that was
Electrically effective. Mr. Pollock objected 10 d
certain massage in Faust" which he and others
considered incongruous- y gave my opinion
doubtless too strongly" he says, for ought
10 have known very well that as the thing mao
made a decided mark with the audience mere II
would stay He was, Of course the last man
in the world to sacrifice art TO popular taste oul
neither IS he a self-villed pedant. When he
was preparing to play "Othello' he gave ilu0Ii
thought - the question of the Iloors costume.
In spite Of tradition he was inclined to go for
accuracy and TO wear the garb Of a Venetian
general The upshot of his decision is thus de-
scribed:
The effect on the audience, however was nor
iaentical VIII IdI 8iV1ays to have apart from
what reached him by hearsay, KIND o. SKI 1
sense as TO what audience was lALlhlHs az
feeling-a component part no doubt OF {lsg mad d
nerc contact he established between uSL. , a-G
himself: or If you will corpllarE TO II -Eqt .ois
Sls inIrednced dedediy marked hints Of Oriental
60Iy Wear He Explained this 10 me ley saving
The fact Is they eHpeGt 10 o1sferiois: they've al
wavs thought Of him in that way: ana Lng{ uo -
at al pnoeTssano mn tba NAV ought TO have
thought Of that and given up the laea , MEii The
S02 nsde We're no doubt judcious from
.s point Ct rs eTa Rp5 a aFT of i2Teparabe harm
the productions suc,s5s Rge oe Of spectators
VINO had expected to see thoroughly Aooi's ISL
Moor
. The a,eodote shows his 1exibility and reaol-
d ness. the adaptability of the born pubic enter
tainer. But Nj. Pollock IS also at pains TO sho"
= -,a+ good faith. and how searchingly, Irving
WAS given TO criticism Of his own performances
regardless Of what any one else might think OF
+he-, Here Is an interesting note the spirit
Of doubt in which he approached the production
Of Romeo and Juliet:
After he had made up his mind he came one
evening my wife ,5 59yseF 9Gd T my R !sss
down and read 10 US many Of the scenes IN which
ifs mi force and meaning 10 every character. and
evident throughout that ms coh I %
truth He indicated fully all the passion; al the
the e0 9ar a and IN subtle fashion brought all
ones minds eye. l doubt Il he ever NAG IIloLe
rant audience ard certainly not the least Tapt or
me three Nk e When he glamour Of the
reading had all 700 soon 70 an end the reader
put down his book, looked round at US: ana san
snGaf to make Of Romeo. UnUclziy know that on
the stage cannot come anywhere neaT II re
waved awny al attempts at protest ana ellea{ed
No no. ] know ] can't do Il. How Wish
corId5 But ! must do the best ] can When ne
nae e3n me feeling Of eli three hearers in the
words IF only he could play Romeo as he read
II he would set the town ablaze- But what Mer-
cutie he would make
Not all OF Irving's representations are trav-
ersed in this book but so many Of them are
touched upon that Mr.. Pollock gives US fairly
broad impression Of his friends artistic charac-
ter He is the more Illuminating because he
has not attempted to write a mere eulogy- He
IS quite prepared &c debate those phases of the
question on which the critics have disagreed
and he does this with admirable good temper
His chapter or the familiar charge Of mannerism
brought against Irving is especially TO be
nended. This is in no sense biography. but
There ought TO be some good material in the
book on oxford in the Eighteenth Century"
which the Putnams have in press The author
MI a D. Cooley. has shown other occa-
sions special sympathy for university life
and in this he has to deal with inter
esting period. He will all the phases Of
his subject not even heglecting the anusenents
Of undergraduates, and he Will say something
about the attitude Of oxford toward contempt
ra-y politics
Many a reader will cheerfuy echo the plea