New-York tribune., 1915-12-18
pEERAGE AND STAGE
English Social Life at the End OF
the Eighteenth Century.

NllA ~ ,siNNtAlAA
TIE JOLLY DUCHESS. HarrO' Mellon. Aner-
wards Mrs Coutts and the Duchess o, 81. AlbAaS.
A Sixty Yeas. GcssDins Record o. Stage ana
soce'y il7-lss7. By Chsres =. fsaies. t. tho-
$40. ~. Al. 332. Bren;uhoa
"A gossiping record" The author
himself has supplied the best possible
description of his entertaining book. 1t
is a good specimen Of a class Of litera-
ture which England has been producing
in great numbers in recent years, be-
cause it neither exaggerates the i'm
portance of the parsonage around whose
career il is written, nor neglects her
for the sake Of the gossip. And the
gossip itself is worth our while, since
it gives a vivid picture of the social life
Of London during the period with which
IL deals. of the condition OF the stage
and the status of the player in the Eng
land Of the time, and Of the incon-
ceivable scurrility Of its society jour
nalism" and its caricaturists. OF this
we have had evidence enough else
where. Still, Mr.. Pearce's new con-
tribution to the subject has Its value
Harriet Mellon COR Malone) was the
daughter of an Irish strolling actress
and a mysterious supposed British
army officer, who deserted them and
never was heard of again. The girl
followed her mothers career, was taken
up by people TO whom her beauty and
her talent for broad comedy appealed
succeeded in gaining a footing at Drury
Lane under Sheridan. and in course of
time married Thomas Coutts, the rich
est banker in England. an elderly and
lonely man. Harriet, according 20 gos-
sip, had entered into an agreement with
him 10 remain single until his first
wife's death. On his demise she found
herself in possession of an enormous
fortune, which enabled her to give free
rein to her love of pleasure, display
and unsystematia charity. II also
brought her an oHer Of marriage from
the insignificant Duke Of St. Adams,
her junior by twenty years, which she
accepted. Curiously enough. her social
standing as a rich widow was far bet
ter than the one she was able TO gain
as a duchess, Notwithstanding the stag
gering lavishness of her entertain
ments. The end of the pro6igscy and
mad hunt for pleasure of the Regency
was also the end of her fashy career.
vi uE INK SIG AN1I utA 1OA NAhCt NhANi'
had constantly increased, notwithstand-
ing her extravaganza, to her first hus-
bands niece, the late Baroness Bur
dett- Coutts. Harriet Mellon was not
great actress, but popular one. And she
never succeeded in shedding the evil
dence, in her manners and carriage, OF
her humble early environment, so she
was told when her friendship with
Coutts first became known, in as typical
an example Of the journalistic inde-
cency Of the day as the book contains.
Reviewing a performance of "The Coun-
try Cir" ," THE Satirist" said in 1905;
We shall only observe that the
character was meant for a gentle
woman and that it was played by
Miss Mellon. Nothing need be
added, for 1t is as impossible for
an owl to fly in the face Of the sun
as IL is for Miss Mellon TO look
anything but q Sunday dressed
cook or bouncing barmaid at fair
time. Her faults formerly
were natural; wilful carelessness
is now added TO them, and since
she has obtained prize in the lot
terry the stage is looked upon as
secondary object, and rather used
as an ostcnsible than a necessary
profession.
The period Of Harriet MELONS con
nection with the English stage was also
that Of Garrick In his closing days; OF
the Kembles. Edmund Kean, Macready,
the Matthewses, of Eliza Farren (who
became Countess of Derby, Mrs. Jor-
dan, Mrs. Siddons. Miss Foote, Mrs.
Arlington, Becky Wells and many
others. Of oil Of whom there Is some
interesting gossip here. The pictures
of theatrical life and theatrical eondl-
tions on the road, as we say nowadays.
are curious, and so are the accounts OF
the behavior Of theatre audiences, even
in the large cities, Of the attitude OF the
aris+ocracv and Philistia toward the
plaver-even Garrick was habltually
insulted by fellow guests at the houses
Of his noble friends-and OF the scan
dal that almost automatically attached
itself to every woman who entered the
profession. Among the illustrations
there are eight caricatures Of Harriot
Mellon out Of the eighteen known TO
be in existence to-day. Mr.. Pearce dis
cusses them a. n his introduction. As
AN artist she evidently not OF sum
Gent importarce TO attract the atten-
tion of the cartoonists. In fact, they
did not attack her with their customary
indecency. cruelty and vulgarity until
the first gossip Of her coming marriage
with 81. Albans. One Of their delicate
tricks was 10 exagyerate the growth OF
hair on her upper lip and to depict the
dDke with n razor. Harriet Mellon
k1ew the power of wealth and used II
~ the utmost to gain what she desired:
She also lived 20 discover what II could
not buy for her. A most entertaining
volume about decidedly interesting
character and period.
A PROPHECY.
- =, -. H. dav IL the evil