The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-04-21
A FAMOUS PLAYHOUSE
Old 0rury Lane Has 0utIived
Many viCissitudes.
A PHENlX AMONG THEATERS.
London's Home Of Pantomime Has
Been the Scene of Many Conhagra-
tions-Attaeks Upon Royalty Within

Londons Home OF Pantomine mas
Beer the Scene of Many Confagra-
tions-Attaeks Upon Royalty Within
Its WaIis-The Rejected Addresses"
On the night of FEB. a, 1909, as the
house Of commons was engaged upon
the members observed through the
windows faint red glow which even.
tually became so alarming in its In
tensity as to interfere with the order
ly course of the discussion. 1t was
not long before the news ran round
the benches that Drury Lane theater
was allght, and SO great was the gen.
eraI concern ut what was considered
almost national disaster that mo
lion was made to adjourn the sitting.
Sheridan, however, as Moore tells us
in his life of the great orator, fmme
diately expressed the hope-with an
air OF detachment that did him the
greatest credit, considering his posi-
ton AS principal shareholder In the
thcater-that whatever might be the
extent Of the present calamity IL would
not interfere with the public business
of the country That his courage was
not daunted by so serious personal
disaster was proved by the fact that
he reopened week later at the Ly
ceum
The destruction Of "fhe I.ane"-the
third building since It's foundation In
l6G3-was one of seven familiar dis
asters To London theaters In twenty
wears; but whatever else happened
Drury Lane must be rebuilt. Nor was
the decision on the part OF the pro-
prietors unbusinesslike In the least
degree, for Horace Walpole, under the
date Of 175f, tells us how on the day
appointed for the naturalization bill
"thc house Of commons adjourned to
attend at Drury Lane. where .Othello'
was acted by Mr. DebanaI and his
family.
Drury Lane has passed through many
yicissitudes In the course OF Its exist
enee The first building was very un-
favorably described by Pepys. who
writes OF the discomfort caused by
rain that found its way through the
roof and drenched the occupants OF
the pit and also the bad acoustic quail
ities OF the place. Fire put an end 10
these Inconvenience In 1872 The sec
end theater. which was designed BY
Wren and opened In 1874, had a much
longer life, but was on two occasions
the scene Of attempts upon the royal
family In 1716 Freeman tried to shoot
the Prince 81 Wales, who afterward
became King George H., and In 1900
George III. was the victim OF similar
unsuccessful attack at the hands Of a
lunatic. II was this same building
which, as Walpole relates in one OF his
letters. was the scene of lively dis
turbance in 1744, when an attempt
was made TO introduce pantomime for
the first time So great has been the
change of popular sentiment on this
point since that far off date that today
winter In London without pantomime
at Drury Lane is almost incredible.
The third building, which was open
ed III 1894, came to an untimely end,
MS we have seen, In 1900, and the inau-
guration OF its successor three years
later was marked by an event of con-
siderable literary Importance. The
managers of the theater, being desir-
GUS of giving their new venture good
sendoff. invited the public to submit to
competition suitable prologues, the
prize poem to have the honor of being
publicly recited from the stage upon
the day OF opening. A host OF writer's.
Including many Of the best known
names in contemporary literature, re-
sponded to the invitation, and this
fact fortunately suggested to two
brothers, James and Horace Smith,
who were beginning to acquire repu-
tation In the world of letters, the no
ton of publishing anonymously a col
lection of prologues parodying the
styles of various living writer's of re-
putc. As II was necessary that the
little volume should be Issued in time
for the opening of the theater, the au-
thors were compelled to complete their
task In six weeks, but 1t is doubtful
whether the quality OF the work suf-
fered much ON this account Indeed, in
the preface to the eighteenth edition.
published in 1898, 1t il suggested that
the parodies gained rather than lost in
effectiveness by being struck of. rs 1t
were, mt n white heat.
The success of "The Rejected Ad-
dresses was immediate and lasting.
The two brothers found that they had
leaped into fame at Il bound. and the
famous authors whom they had so sue
cessfully held up To kindly ridicule
expressed their establishment at the
accuracy with which their peculiari-
ties of style and expression had been
reproduced II was a notable achieve
ment. Byron. whose prologue won
the prize and was delivered In due
course on the Drury Lane stage writ
Ing TO Murray. expressed his apprecia-
ton of the little volume that had made
such a stir in the world and in n sec
ond letter told him that he liked il
better and better" Jeffrey in 1913
wrote tina, he took THE Rejected Ad-
dresses" TO be the very best imita-
tons (and often OF difficult originals)
that ever were made. But perhaps the
comment which pleased the authors
the most was that of a Lincolnshire
Clergyman quoted in the preface of
1888 to the effect that he did not see
why they should have been rejected.
Indeed, he thought some Of them very
good. The reverend gentleman dis
played "a plentiful lack" OF humor In
this pronouncement but there will be
few even today to quarrel with his
Judgment. - London Globe
The healthy old man wears his gray hairs
like n silver crown What ii he be threescore
and ten If there is still fire in his eye. frmness
in his step, command in his voice and wis
dom in his COUNSEL He commands love and
reverence Yet how few wear the mantle OF
age with dignity. Dim eyed, querelous OF