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 OLD DRURY LANE
 
 OLD DRURY LANE 
 
 FIFTY YEfiRS' RECOLLECTIONS 
 
 OF 
 
 AUTHOR, ACTOR, AND MANAGER 
 
 BY 
 
 EDWARD STIRLING 
 
 - 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES— VOL. I. 
 
 £ on toon 
 
 CHATTO AND WINDUS, PICCADILLY 
 
 1881 
 
 [All Rights Reserved]
 
 lit,. 
 
 ■
 
 
 . ■ . 
 
 CONTENTS OF VOL. I. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR FROM 
 SCHOOL-DAYS TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 IX. 
 
 X. 
 
 XI. 
 
 XII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 3 
 
 12 
 
 37 
 44 
 55 
 7i 
 
 39 
 114 
 
 130 
 
 J 5 J 
 172 
 
 197 
 
 4C4K
 
 VI 
 
 Contents. 
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 RECORDS OF DRURY LANE AND ITS LESSEES AND 
 MANAGERS, WITH A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY 
 OF HER MAJESTY'S OPERA. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 I. 
 
 II. 
 
 III. 
 
 IV. 
 
 V. 
 
 VI. 
 
 VII. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 IX. 
 
 l'AGE 
 
 213 
 
 226 
 
 238 
 
 2 55 
 
 2 ?3 
 289 
 
 318 
 
 3 2 4 
 344
 
 OLD DRURY LANE. 
 
 BOOK I. 
 
 PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR FROM 
 SCHOOL-DAYS TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Author's birthplace — School-days at Southwark 
 — Southwark Fair — Samuel Pepys' account — Bul- 
 lock's Booth — Original Bill of 1728 — Fielding and 
 Reynolds's Great Theatrical Booth — The Author's 
 first appearance on the Stage — Samuel Phelps — 
 The 'Temple of Arts' in Catherine-street — 'Tom 
 and Jerry ' — The ' Brown Bear,' and its landlord, 
 Ikey Solomons — ' A New Way to Pay Old Debts.' 
 
 I was born at Thame in Oxfordshire in 
 the year 1807, and received my education 
 at Oueen Elizabeth's Latin School, South- 
 wark, the ancient Southwark of our Saxon 
 forefathers, a famous place for hostelries 
 and inns — the old ' Tabard ' of Chaucer's 
 Canterbury Tales and Sam Weller's quar- 
 ters, the ' White Hart' Inn, ranking first 
 in the affection and regard of lovers of the
 
 4 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 olden time. Here was held annually the 
 
 famous fair so graphically described by 
 
 Mr. Samuel Pepys in his Diary, and once 
 
 resorted to by Court and City. Charles II. 
 
 and a bevy of royal favourites shared in 
 
 the fun and merriment of this popular fair. 
 
 Theatrical booths filled a prominent place 
 
 in the festivities : first among the number 
 
 was 
 
 Bullock's"' Booth, 
 
 of which the following is an Original Bill, 
 
 bearing date 1728 : 
 
 ' During the time of Southwark Fair will 
 
 be held, and presented an excellent Droll, 
 
 called 
 
 ' " The Perjured Prince, 
 
 Or the Martyred General" 
 
 with the humours of Squire Calveshead, 
 his Mother and Sister Hoyden, and his 
 man Aminadab. The part of the 
 
 * Bullock was an actor at the King's Theatre.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 'Squire, Mr. Bullock ; 
 Hoyden, by Mrs. Willis ; 
 
 and all the parts by persons from the 
 Theatre in Drury Lane, with several 
 entertainments of Singing and Dancing, 
 particularly the Fingall Dance by Mr. 
 Smith and Mrs. Ogden. 
 
 ' N.B. The clothes are entirely new as 
 well as the Scenes, which are painted in an 
 excellent manner by an Artist' 
 
 'At Fielding and Reynolds's 
 Great Theatrical Booth, 
 
 in the Talbot Inn Yard* by the Company 
 
 of Comedians from the new Theatre in 
 
 Lincoln's Inn Fields, during the time of 
 
 the Fair, will be performed at Twelve 
 
 o'Clock 
 
 ' " The Beggar's Opera." 
 
 All the son^s and dances, set to music, as 
 * Chaucer's 'Tabard.'
 
 Old Drzuy Lane. 
 
 performed at the Theatre in Lincoln's 
 Inn Fields.' — The Daily Post, August, 
 1728. 
 
 My first advent on the stage, though it 
 could hardly be called a public one, was at 
 the mature age of fourteen, in the year 
 1 82 1, at a small Thespian Temple in 
 Rawstorne-street, Goswell-road. The late 
 Samuel Phelps was one of the amateur 
 actors in our motley troupe. We paid to 
 act. Prices ran high for Shakesperian 
 heroes. Thirty shillings enabled the for- 
 tunate possessor to strut and fret his hour 
 as Othello or Macbeth. Fifteen shillings 
 was the price paid for the Thane of Fife. 
 Malcolm went at seven ; Lady Macbeth 
 fetched high prices, according to the ladies' 
 purses. Edward Fitz- Ball's then popular 
 drama, ' The Innkeeper of Abbeville,' 
 being selected for representation, I paid 
 seventeen good shillings for the privilege
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 of enacting an innocent ostler, wrongfully 
 accused of murder (Ozzrand). Unfortu- 
 nately the piece was never destined to 
 reach its conclusion, our curtain dropping 
 at one in the morning on the first act, not 
 to rise upon the second ; cutting me out of 
 a desperate combat with the real murderer, 
 Dyrkile, and a sensational death in a vir- 
 tuous cause. The manager vouchsafed 
 but a surly and cynical reply to my remon- 
 strances at thus being deprived of dying : 
 
 ' Stuff ! the lamps are going out — who's 
 to see a chap die in the dark ?' 
 
 This was unanswerable. Nothing ap- 
 peased, however, I tried another stage, the 
 1 Temple of Arts ' (now the Echo Office) in 
 Catherine-street, Strand. Here economy 
 ruled ; the market was cheaper, and prices 
 much lower in the dramatic scale. For 
 eight shillings I purchased an old man 
 (Waldemar in ' William Tell ') and Tommy 
 (low comedy) in ' All at Coventry.' At the
 
 8 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 conclusion of our performances, kindly 
 Smithson, the manager, patted me on the 
 shoulder, saying : 
 
 ' You'll do better, my boy, next time ; 
 try tragedy — you shall have a "cock of the 
 walk" for a pound — Octavian in the 
 " Mountaineers." ' 
 
 My finances, however, never reached 
 such an eminence as a ' cock of the walk.' 
 I played the Hon. Dick Trifle in the then 
 great attraction of the day, ' Tom and 
 Jerry,' dramatised from Pierce Egan's 
 ' Life in London,' and first produced at 
 Astley's in an equestrian shape with real 
 horses, donkeys, etc. The renowned 
 pugilists, Tom Cribb and Spring, boxed in 
 the circle. Tyrone Power (an unrivalled 
 Irish comedian) was the original Corin- 
 thian Tom. This extraordinary piece 
 made the fortunes of half the managers in 
 England : for three successive seasons it 
 kept the Adelphi stage with houses
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 crowded nightly. A fine cast helped it 
 greatly : Corinthian Tom, Wrench ; Jerry, 
 Burroughs ; Logic, Wilkinson ; Jemmy 
 Green, Keeley ; Trifle, Bellamy ; Dusty 
 Bob, Walbourn ; Sue, Mrs. Waylett ; Kate, 
 Miss Scott ; African Sal, Saunders ; etc. 
 
 The ' Brown Bear ' in Goodman's Fields 
 next opened its claws to grasp my slender 
 means. A Jew, one I key Solomons (lineally 
 descended from Shylock), the landlord of 
 the ' Bear,' fitted up a dirty club-room with 
 a few paltry scenes, and a ragged green 
 baize curtain, and illuminated the floor with 
 half-a-dozen oil-lamps. This Ikey called a 
 ' Thc-a-tar to hact in,' that is, if you could 
 pay. Lord Lovell in 'A New Way to Pay 
 Old Debts ' cost me two-and-sixpence, 
 dress included. This at night, to my horror, 
 I found to consist of my own frock-coat, 
 russet boots, a torn scarf, and a bearskin 
 grenadier's cap. It is said that dress makes 
 the man, but it never made a 'lord' like this.
 
 io Old Drury Lane. 
 
 I key's room was rilled with an uproarious 
 assemblage : sailors and their female 
 friends, Jews, lascars, workmen with their 
 wives and families ; pots of beer and ' goes' 
 of gin, tobacco and pipes were in constant 
 request, and went the round of the com- 
 pany to any amount, whilst Ikey Solomon's 
 voice was always in the ascendant, crying out 
 * Give yer orders,' and scolding his waiters, 
 Moses and Aaron. I need not say our 
 efforts on the stage could not be heard 
 without some difficulty and under con- 
 siderable disadvantage amid this universal 
 din. Just at the critical moment when 
 Lady Allworth, the rich widow, cries out 
 as wicked Sir Giles Overreach draws his 
 sword, and the audience are worked up to 
 agony-point, Ikey bawled out in a tone 
 more of sorrow than of anger, ' Aaron, 
 there's that 'ere sailor, and a go of rum, 
 a-bolting without paying. Stan' afore the 
 door.' Not another syllable was heard;
 
 Old Drury Lane. 1 1 
 
 the ragged baize dropped amidst yells of 
 laughter, and cries of ' Go it, I key.' No 
 more Brown, Black or White Bears for my 
 money, depend upon it, reader, after this 
 escapade !
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Bartholomew Fair — Crawley's Booth — Lee and Har- 
 per's Great Theatrical Booth — ' The Beggar's Opera * 
 — Fun of the Fair in 1822 — Richardson's Show— 
 Gyngell the great Conjuror — Jack Saunders — 
 Wombwell's Menagerie — Richardson's Theatre — 
 ' The Tyrant of the Eagle Castle on the Rhine ' — 
 A Norfolk Giant— Little Miss Biffin— A Real Mer- 
 maid — A Smithfield Ball. 
 
 My next venture was at Bartlemy Fair, 
 the cockney saturnalia of high and low 
 degree. Gentle and simple flocked alike 
 to worship at old St. Bartlemy's shrine. 
 
 ' Come, bustle, neighbour Sprig, 
 Buckle on your hat and wig, 
 In our Sunday clothes so gaily, 
 Let us strut up the Old Bailey. 
 O ! the Devil take the rain ! 
 We may never go again ; 
 See, the shows have begun : — oh, rare oh !' 
 
 Old Song.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 13 
 
 This renowned fair had been held for 
 many centuries, by royal grant from Henry 
 I. It was always inaugurated with civic 
 pomp and pageantry. In old Rowley's 
 days of general revelry puppet-plays held 
 high place in public estimation. Court, 
 city, and mob went hand-in-hand to old 
 Bartlemy's festival — Jack was as good as 
 his master. The following is one of the 
 old bills of a century and a half ago : 
 
 ' Crawley's Booth, 
 
 Over against the " Crown," in Smithfield. 
 During the Fair-time of St. Bartholomew, 
 will be presented a little Opera, called 
 
 ' " The Old Creation of the World," 
 
 yet newly revived, with the addition of 
 
 'Noah's Ark. 
 
 Also several Fountains playing real Water 
 during the time of the Play. 
 
 ' The last scene does present Noah and
 
 14 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 his Family coming out of the Ark ; with 
 all the beasts, two by two ; and all the 
 fowls of the air, seen in a prospect, sitting 
 upon the trees. Likewise, over the Ark is 
 seen the Sun rising in a most glorious 
 manner ; moreover, a multitude of Angels 
 will be seen in a double rank, which pre- 
 sents a double prospect, one for the Sun, 
 the other for a Palace, where will be seen 
 six Angels rinoqn£ six bells. Likewise 
 machines descend from above, double and 
 trible, with Dives rising out of Hell, and 
 Lazarus seen in Abraham's bosom, besides 
 several figures dancing jigs, sarabands, and 
 country dances likewise, to the admira- 
 tion of all spectators, with the merry con- 
 ceits of Squire Punch and Sir John 
 Spendall.' — Daily Post, 1728. 
 
 'At Lee and Harper's 
 Great Theatrical Booth, 
 
 over against the Hospital Gate, in West 
 Smithfield during the Fair of St. Bar-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 15 
 
 tholomew, will be presented that celebrated 
 entertainment, called 
 
 '"Hero and Leander," 
 
 with all the proper decorations of scenery 
 
 and machinery, particularly the sea, 
 
 Leander and Hero, Tritons, Neptune and 
 
 Mermaids, with comical humours of Otter 
 
 and Nurse, and several entertainments 
 
 called " Leander and Hero." Singing and 
 
 dancing performed by persons from both 
 
 Theatres, beginning at ten in the morning 
 
 and continuing playing till three in the 
 
 afternoon and no longer, because of the 
 
 vast concourse of people which crowd to 
 
 see 
 
 ' " The Quaker's Opera, 
 
 Or the Escape of Jack S/ieppard," 
 
 will besfin at four o'clock in the afternoon, 
 and continue the remaining part of the 
 evening, and any person may come before
 
 1 6 Old Drtiry Lane. 
 
 the last show, not to be crowded, by pay- 
 
 ing more. 
 
 'At Fielding and Reynolds's 
 Great Theatrical Booth, 
 
 in the George Inn Yard, in Smithfield, by 
 the Company of Comedians from the New 
 Theatre in the Haymarket, during the 
 Fair, will be represented 
 
 ' " The Beggar's Opera." 
 
 All the songs and dances set to music, as 
 performed at the Theatre in Lincoln's Inn 
 Fields. N.B. The clothes are chiefly new, 
 as well as the scenes, which are painted by 
 excellent artists, and approved of and com- 
 mended by the best masters. 
 
 ' The Noted Yeates 
 
 and the famous Posture makers is at the 
 
 ' Great Booth 
 
 in Smithfield Pound, facing the end of Cow 
 Lane, where during- the Fair-time will be
 
 Old Drury Lane. i 7 
 
 presented that most entertaining play 
 
 called 
 
 ' " The Beggar's Opera," 
 
 wherein is shown the vile practice of 
 Peachum and his wife, and the out-of-the- 
 way management of their crew, the pleasant 
 and melancholy strains of Polly Peachum 
 and Lucy Locket ; the merry and half- 
 tragic flights of Captain Macheath, with 
 the humorous dialogue between the Cap- 
 tain and his Seraglio of dainty Doxies — and 
 his parting with his dearly beloved Lucy, 
 also the passages between the honest 
 gaol-keeper, Locket, and his daughter, 
 almost all the songs by men and women ; 
 likewise his famous two posture-masters, 
 who perform such surprising postures, that 
 they are really esteemed the wonder of the 
 world and age. Concluding with a curious 
 representation of his Sacred Majesty, and 
 the present most illustrious House of 
 Lords as sitting in Parliament, with curious 
 vol. 1. 2
 
 1 8 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 machinery representing it. Begin at 10 in 
 the morning, ending at 10 at nioht.' 
 
 Fun of the Fair in 1822. 
 
 ' All is flurry, hurry, skurry, 
 Girls squalling, show-men bawling, 
 Cats throwing, trumpets blowing, 
 Rattles springing, monkeys grinning, 
 Rope-dancing, horses prancing, 
 Slack wire, eating fire, 
 Funny clowns, ups and downs, 
 Round about, all out, 
 Just in time, that's prime.' 
 
 Old Song. 
 
 Prominent amidst the Q-lories of the fair. 
 
 stood 
 
 ' Muster '" Richardson's 
 
 Great Theatrical Show, 
 
 the largest itinerant theatre in England, 
 and both within and without the best. 
 Country fairs, statute and pleasure, were 
 important matters in the days of our 
 ofrandsires. 
 
 ' Bartlemy ' was always the ' Ultima
 
 Old Drury Lane. 19 
 
 Thule ' of all wandering show-folk. Muster 
 Richardson's establishment stood boldly 
 out, defying competition — in proportion 
 gigantic — superb in drapery, illumination, 
 lamps, fat-pots, and glitter ! add to these 
 brass bands, gongs — and to these Chinese 
 lanterns, and grandly -dressed performers. 
 Tragedy inside, real ghosts, blue fire. 
 Outside comedy : rollicking fun ; awful 
 combats ; columbines ; harlequins and 
 clowns. At night all this o-randeur was 
 multiplied tenfold. Tinsel tells always 
 better by lamplight. The momentous 
 gong sounds, and juvenile hearts beat, as 
 they rush up the broad steps, to pay only 
 sixpence — reserved seats, one shilling. 
 What excitement, pushing and crushing 
 to pay first ! one scarcely knew how best 
 to invest money ; there was so much to see 
 in the fair. Pig-faced ladies eating out ot 
 solid silver bowls (so we were told) ; a two- 
 headed calf; giants and dwarfs by scores ; 
 
 2 — 2
 
 20 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 strings of sausages all hot, six for a penny ; 
 savage Indians from Timbuctoo ; horses 
 that could play a game at cards ; conjurors ; 
 scratch-cradles ; gingerbread-nuts ; rows of 
 inviting stalls for eating, drinking, toys, 
 cakes, and merriment ; sheep-pens fitted 
 up al fresco; oysters, real substantial 
 oysters, large as cheese-plates, with a good 
 strong flavour of long absence from their 
 marine abode, stifled by copious doses of 
 vinegar and pepper. Mutton-pies reeking 
 hot, only a penny. On market-days the 
 drovers, their dogs and bewildered cattle, 
 rushed about like mad, upsetting stalls, 
 men, women, and children, creating a 
 scene of confusion and fright scarcely con- 
 ceivable ; a very Babel of voices, loud 
 swearing, screams, prayers, butchers yelling, 
 dogs yelping. Frequently rain and shoals 
 of mud added not a little to the joy of the 
 rude boys, of whom there was always a 
 legion.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 21 
 
 ' When the fair is at the full, 
 In gallops a mad bull, 
 Puts the rabble to the rout.' 
 
 ' Mad Bull !' became a watch-word with 
 wicked urchins bent on mischief. 
 
 Dancing was a leading feature of the 
 fair. Every conceivable nook and corner 
 was converted into an ' assembly-room,' 
 enlivened with a few tallow-candles and 
 mostly a drunken fiddler. The price of 
 admission to these primitive ' Argyle 
 Rooms ' was generally most modest — rang- 
 ing from twopence to a shilling, with a 
 penny to the fiddler. 
 
 Magic and legerdemain held its own 
 amidst its many rivals. Monsieur Gyngell, 
 emperor of cards, arch-shuffler, wizard-like, 
 held his pack, cutting, dealing, shifting in 
 his delicate hands sparkling with diamonds 
 (as we thought them, but which were cut 
 glass in reality). With what a courtly air 
 did Monsieur request the loan of a hat.
 
 22 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 merely to boil a pudding in ! Sometimes, 
 in dulcet tones, he would entice a shilling 
 or half-crown from a fair lady's purse to 
 be cut in half by his mighty magic, and 
 then to be reunited before our very eyes. 
 Incomparable Gyngell ! why, if you talk of 
 attire, neither Worth nor Poole ever 
 dreamt of so much elegance. Real ostrich 
 feathers, three in a jewelled cap — three ! 
 like a Prince of Wales ; silk and satin 
 dress, spangles, lace, pink legs, milk-white 
 face, with a touch of rose-colour ; smile 
 bewitching, voice enchanting. He never 
 asked for money, it flowed into the ample 
 pockets of his silken jerkin willy-nilly ; 
 such were the necromancer's powers of per- 
 suasion over juvenile hoards and savings. 
 
 'High Metalled Racers. Jack Saunders's 
 Equestrian "Tally Ho!" Circus. 
 
 Cream-coloured steeds, with pink eyes ; 
 just arrived from the King's own stable,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 -o 
 
 lent to his friend Jack Saunders for that 
 day only by his Majesty.' 
 
 Here was an announcement calculated 
 to draw the sightseers. Jack's booth filled 
 nightly, and his pockets filled too. Clever 
 Jack had a spice of the hunting squire, after 
 his rough fashion. His scarlet coat, buckskin- 
 breeches, top-boots, spurs, white cravat 
 and white hat ; add to this a long whip, a 
 snatch of a song, ' Tantivy ho ! A hunting 
 we will go,' formed to us simple beholders a 
 picture of the chase — a Nimrod, a squire of 
 high degree, 'decked out' in his Sunday 
 clothes. The whip that he used to whip 
 them out and in at e;ich performance, at 
 times operated on enterprising youths 
 short of cash, who were trying to cut holes 
 in Jack's canvas walls to see the bare- 
 backed riders for nothing:. Alas! whack 
 whack ! came the whip and the burden of 
 his song, 'Tantivy, Tail)' ho!' on the ears 
 and backs of the non-payers.
 
 24 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Fire-eating appeared to be a favourite 
 sport, supplemented with sword-swallowing. 
 Gambling stalked rife abroad day and 
 night ; thimbles and peas, prick in the 
 garter, black cock and white cock, etc., 
 lured the unwary to their ruin. 
 
 Natural History was well repre- 
 sented by Wombwell s Royal Menagerie y 
 a perfect travelling Zoological Institu- 
 tion, at once instructive and amusing. 
 Long lines of yellow-painted caravans 
 carried the captive kings and queens 
 of the forest and jungle, collected 
 from every quarter of the globe, to be 
 exhibited for sixpence. A brass beef- 
 eater's band into the bargain, outside in 
 scarlet and gold ; oil paintings, gems of 
 art and nature, hung before, behind, and 
 on every side, a real Royal National 
 Gallery gratis. The artists employed by 
 Wombwell were left entirely to their own 
 imagination, no narrow rules or art dogmas
 
 Old Drury Lane. 25 
 
 fettered or cramped the free play of their 
 ideas or brushes. Boa-constrictors swal- 
 lowed negro families wholesale ; Bengal 
 tigers ate up British officers and natives 
 for luncheon ; lions seemed to devour 
 everything and everybody. Such is the 
 power of art skilfully developed. Inside, 
 beautifully framed in royal purple and gold, 
 hung a statement that his ' Majesty had 
 received Wombwell and his happy family 
 in the court-yard at Windsor Castle, by 
 Royal Command.' In fact, most of the 
 crowned heads, European and Eastern 
 potentates, including Hokey-pokey, King 
 of the Cannibal Islands, had been on 
 visiting terms with ' Nero' the lion, his wife 
 and cubs. Such honours mi^ht well fill 
 all the yellow caravans to overflowing. 
 
 To enjoy Richardson s Theatre, there 
 was nothing like torch-light. There was 
 no gas then. The dresses and features of 
 4 Muster' Richardson's actors came out
 
 2.6 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 more strikingly by oil-light. What a 
 marvellous parade it was ! What fairy 
 forms and chivalric knights, ghosts, goblins, 
 clowns and dwarfs, disported in the shadow- 
 ing gleams of moonlight and fat-pots, — 
 curious to see and contemplate. A robber 
 from the Rhine (a long way from it) arm- 
 in-arm with an Archbishop of Canterbury ; 
 a laughing siren coaxing a monk to send 
 for something nice ; a Grand Sultan, with a 
 beard, fondling a child, its mother a tragic 
 young person with severe look and long 
 raven tresses (tragedy heroines generally 
 have a plentiful display of black hair) ; a 
 real noble Baron in gold and silver robes 
 and coronet, actually drinking (on the sly) 
 something that a rosy milkmaid gave him 
 from her pails in a suspicious-looking 
 bottle. Dancing was the order of the 
 night until Richardson's gong beat us all 
 out. One ethereal creature — a Columbine — 
 in thinnest pure white gauze, embellished
 
 Old Drury Lane. 27 
 
 with roses, and with her auburn hair float- 
 ing in the wind, a ' Venus' in figure, her face 
 divine ; such was the impression on my 
 young brain (if I had any), for the most 
 striking telling features of this lovely being 
 were her pink legs ! Bewildered, I offered 
 to pay twice over, and ran against a panta- 
 loon, who told me ' to mind what I was up 
 to.' Seated in the first row of the pit, I 
 was roused from a reverie of bliss by a 
 loud thump of a large* drum, sounded by a 
 black man. Three fiddlers, two French 
 horns and a fife completed the music — the 
 drum doing the most. Tinkle, tinkle, 
 sounds a bell, up goes the curtain to a 
 short and deeply romantic play, in one act, 
 and with 'a striking title (often the most 
 important part of a play). 
 
 * The Tyrant of the Eagle Castle on 
 the Rhine !' 
 
 Here was food for imagination ! Such 
 horrible events stained the banks of the
 
 28 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 beautiful Rhine (called Rind by the ladies 
 and gentlemen acting), that I shudder now 
 to recur to them. Anything that happened 
 was through ' love ' — the old story. A 
 very sour old Baron, christened ' Herr Graf 
 Skemerhausenberg,' lived in this eagle's 
 nest, his principal employment robbing 
 passing travellers, drinking hard, and 
 wronging his only c-h-i-1-de (so pro- 
 nounced). The Herr Graf's fortunes being 
 at a low ebb and his temper at high tide, 
 there were but two resources left to him — 
 bankruptcy, or selling his daughter Ethel- 
 inda's hand (her heart might take care of 
 itself) to an old crony and fellow-robber 
 living hard by on the ' Teufel's Mount/ 
 old enough to be the young lady's grandpa, 
 but rich as a Jew. The idea pleased the 
 sour Baron, but not the fair one with the 
 golden locks. She loved another (not wisely 
 but too well) — her gentle page. This a 
 wine-bibbing serving-man told us over his
 
 Old Dntry Lane. 29 
 
 cups. There was an awful kick up between 
 father and c-h-i-1-de when she flatly refused 
 to marry the Duke of the Devil's Mount. 
 Exit pa, swearing and cursing. Enter 
 hastily the page, to comfort the weeping 
 Ethelinda (this he did, kneeling in the usual 
 method for stage comfort). Cruel parent 
 re-enters, catches them ' spooning,' seizes 
 Master Page and throws him out of the 
 window into the Rhind. Ethelinda faints, 
 Baron rejoices : sudden blow on the big 
 drum : agitated retainer rushes in ! ' The 
 Devil's Duke is on the stairs,' loaded with 
 money-bags. Pa drags his poor c-h-i-1-de 
 up. ' To-night she shall be a Duchess, or 
 join her page in the Rhind! Scene changes 
 to a chapel, with altar, a book, and five 
 candles, prepared for a nuptial ceremony. 
 Procession — sour Baron dragging in his 
 reluctant daughter, and two retainers as 
 witnesses. The Duke of Devil's Mount 
 appears with his money-bags and three
 
 30 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 followers, armed to the teeth. The mar- 
 riage ceremony is all on one side — the 
 bridegroom's ; for the bride is insensible. 
 The priest joins her stone-cold hands in 
 the Duke of Devil's Mount's guilty grasp. 
 Hold ! — big drum again ! — rolls of thunder 
 upon it — the black man wildly throwing his 
 arms and sticks about — blue fire ! — altar 
 opens up — rises gracefully a ghost in white 
 — mother in the flesh to Ethelinda. ' Stop, 
 ruthless man !' cried the spirit. ' My 
 mother's voice !' cries the daughter. ' 'Tis 
 false !' roars sour Hausen. The bride- 
 groom says nothing. Tableau of terror. 
 I n front of the show the audience crying, 
 and wondering what would come next. 
 The deceased Baroness makes short work 
 of it, by taking her wicked husband down- 
 stairs in red fire. Trumpets, shouts, our page 
 (not drowned) rushes in with an army. He 
 kills Devil's own, kisses Ethelinda, and 
 makes the priest marry them off-hand, to
 
 Old Drury Lane. 31 
 
 loud applause, enlivened by the big drum 
 and celestial violet-coloured fire. 
 
 Pantomime. 
 
 Harlequin Hoax, or Fairy Silver 
 Bell, living in some Golden Lake. Jigs, 
 dances, knocking down and picking up> 
 red-hot pokers and sausages, formed the 
 staple of this merry harlequinade. 
 
 There was no speaking ; it was all 
 action. Time flew merrily on. My 
 parade-beauty gracefully displayed her 
 pink legs in pose and jigs. Her fami- 
 liarity with Harlequin became unbearable. 
 Twelve minutes soon passed. Gong with- 
 out sounds ' all out.' Big drum beats us 
 out through the canvas doors into the 
 thick of the fair. One more gaze on 
 pink legs — ye gods ! what did I see ? My 
 ethereal fairy drinking with Harlequin out 
 of a pewter pot. ' Take a good pull, 
 Susey,' says Motley. I heard no more :
 
 2,2 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 my first love disappeared for ever in that 
 fatal pot of beer. 
 
 A Norfolk Giant, ten feet high, invited 
 us to visit him for a penny, in the place 
 of invitation cards. This very promising 
 youth of seventeen, so said the showman, 
 ' never growed a " hinch ' since he was 
 fourteen.' The dwelling of this ten-foot 
 youth puzzled me ; it was not lofty enough 
 to allow him to stand upright in ; how 
 about his sleeping accommodation ? per- 
 haps Nature provided for this by construct- 
 ing his body on the telescopic principle, to 
 draw in and out. Suffice it, there he 
 stood, ten feet in his shoes — if you liked 
 to believe it. 
 
 Little Miss Biffin, a real Norfolk 
 Biffin, born in Norwich, dwelt in a smart 
 red-brick-coloured miniature mansion of 
 the Queen Anne style, perhaps a yard in
 
 Old Drury Lane. 33 
 
 elevation, width three quarters, real door 
 and four windows, white steps, brass 
 knocker, curtains painted deftly on the 
 tiny panes of glass. This small lady, 
 elegantly attired, received her numerous 
 visitors through the roof of her house, 
 raised by the obliging showman's wife ; 
 Miss Biffin's head, her face radiant with 
 smiles, replacing the chimney-pots and 
 tiles, her graceful legs dangled from the 
 parlour windows, her arms displayed them- 
 selves from Miss Biffin's bed-chamber; 
 one small hand grasped a bell : this she 
 rang at the request of the show-lady, to 
 prove there was no collusion between them. 
 This we saw outside. Our penny paid, we 
 met Miss Biffin inside, seated for our re- 
 ception. Her manners were most affable 
 and communicative ; her family history 
 was rapidly revealed. She then blandly 
 intimated that she received no wages, de- 
 pending on the liberality of her guests, at 
 vol. 1. 3
 
 o 
 
 4 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the same time politely presenting a waiter. 
 To this appeal we, of course, responded, 
 Miss Biffin curtseying us out for others 
 to walk in. ' What can she do with her 
 money ?' I asked myself ; ' she can't walk 
 about the streets to spend it, or go shop- 
 ping.' This riddle was explained to me 
 by a retired dwarf crossing-sweeper years 
 afterwards : ' Vot, us have pocket-money ? 
 Humbug ! all tips goes into the showman's 
 pockets ; we gets more kicks than 'apence; 
 this 'ere church-crossin's a better game on 
 Sundays — coppers I nails myself. There's 
 the horgan a-blowin' — good-day, sir ; the 
 old uns are comin' out.' 
 
 1824. A real Mermaid, caught in the 
 South Sea Islands, combing her hair, one 
 Sunday morning — vide Bill. This siren 
 of the Ocean turned out to be manufactured 
 in Ratcliffe Highway, and to be neither 
 more nor less than a monkey's head cleverly 
 joined to a fish's body and tail. This ruse
 
 Old Drury Lane. 35 
 
 deceived thousands, gentle and simple. 
 Nothing bites so eagerly after novelty as 
 your English gull, especially cockneys. 
 Such, at least, was the opinion of Barnum, 
 the great American showman. 
 
 A Smithfield Ball. — A scrap of dirty 
 paper posted on a door in Cock Lane gave 
 this invitation : ' Up stairs, top floor, 
 whilst the Fair's on ; tup-pence a head. 
 Penny the musicianer, to be paid when 
 you comes in ; no dancing without shoes, 
 smoking, or swearing. Courting goes for 
 nothing. It begins with a jig at 8, shuts 
 up at 3.' 
 
 'Mike Murphy, 
 
 Him t licit j "ought the Game Chicken at 
 Mouseley, year before last. 
 
 A ruthless Act of Parliament swept 
 Saint Bartlemy into oblivion ! All its 
 coarse fun, high and low jinks, are passed
 
 36 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 o 
 
 for ever away ! Yet its name is perpe- 
 tuated for all time by gossiping Pepys, and 
 in that racy old comedy written by ' rare 
 Ben Jonson,' entitled ' Bartholomew Fair.' 

 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Sketch of Richardson's career— The Author intro- 
 duces himself and is engaged — Edmund Kean. 
 
 Muster Jack Richardson, first and last of 
 showmen, was born in a village work- 
 house, — a mere waif and stray, cast with- 
 out care or education upon the world, to 
 live or die, as chance might arrange. This 
 honest, charitable man began his remark- 
 •able career by exhibiting a little child with 
 a spotted skin, called ' the Spotted Boy/ 
 This small beginning proved profitable. 
 Richardson made money, and saved it; but 
 his pet died, to the great grief of his 
 kind-hearted master. Our showman then 
 travelled with a booth and a few show-folks, 
 
 404105
 
 38 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 in the small towns, performing at wakes 
 and fairs, and establishing a good name 
 for honesty and conduct. His theatre was 
 enlarged yearly, until it became the largest 
 in the kingdom. During St. Alban's Fair 
 a fire consumed many poor people's 
 cottages and furniture. A subscription 
 was raised in the town for their relief; to 
 this fund Richardson gave ,£200. This 
 generous act won golden opinions from 
 the nobility and gentry throughout the 
 county. The Earl of Verulam gave him 
 permission to perform plays for three 
 weeks after the yearly fair. These per- 
 formances paid well. For this especial 
 purpose he always engaged regular actors 
 from the London theatres to play the 
 principal characters — ' parts that his chaps 
 warn't up to.' I applied to the old gentle- 
 man to act Romeo, George Barnwell, etc. 
 His ' at home ' was a caravan pitched in 
 pretty fields, now Horsemonger Lane, 

 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Southwark, but in 1826 it was still country. 
 At my interview with him, with pardon- 
 able pride, I gave some bills from Hast- 
 ings with my name in for capital business. 
 Richardson looked at them with great 
 gravity. 
 
 ' Yes, I sees, young gentleman, you've 
 been a-doing wery nice parts.' 
 
 He had read them upside down. 
 
 ' I'll give you twenty-five shillin' a week; 
 such as you, sir, keeps my fellows in order. 
 Walk up ; Lewis [his manager] shall give 
 it you in writin'.' 
 
 I followed him into the prettiest home 
 on wheels that could be conceived, con- 
 taining every requirement for utility and 
 comfort on the smallest possible scale. 
 Apple-pie order prevailed. For cleanli- 
 ness no Dutch house-wife ever excelled it. 
 Doll's-house windows, with snow-white 
 curtains, looped up with cherry-coloured 
 ribbon ; bright papering, rural scenes,
 
 4-0 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 sheep and shepherds ; pictures, the ' Pro- 
 digal Son ' and ' Jacob at the Well ' ; 
 Moore's Almanack and a likeness of his 
 Spotted Boy ; a tiny bed of the daintiest 
 pattern, quilt of many colours in patch- 
 work ; Lilliputian table and chairs, shelves 
 embellished by willow-pattern plates and 
 brown jugs ; a brass stove, shining like 
 gold ; a carpet, rug, and cat ; kettle 
 singing, canary - bird chirping, Dutch 
 cuckoo-clock ticking, an easy chair and 
 well-used pipe, — formed a picture of home- 
 life worthy of illustration by a Teniers. 
 His travelling theatre had from time to time 
 proved a welcome refuge to the brethren 
 of the sock and buskin, their precarious 
 life too frequently forcing them to seek the 
 old showman's employment for their daily 
 bread. To his honour be it said that he always 
 treated such comers with consideration and 
 respect. Oxberry, a first-rate comedian, 
 trod his parade ; W. H. Payne, Anderton,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 41 
 
 Huntley, and last, but not least, the crown- 
 ing star, Edmund Kean. This celebrated 
 man travelled with ' Muster ' Richardson 
 several years, playing tragedy, and com- 
 bining with it comic singing and Harle- 
 quin's business. When Kean made his 
 wonderful hit at Drury Lane, our ' genial 
 showman ' went to see him act Richard 
 the Third. After the performance he 
 crossed over to the O.P. and P.S. Tavern, 
 Russell Street, to take his modest half- 
 pint of porter : a bystander at the bar 
 asked him if he liked Kean's acting. 
 ' Like him, muster ? why he nearly lifted 
 me off my seat in his tent scene. Ah, but 
 that's nothing to his Harlequin. See him 
 hold Columbine on his leg, pitch up a bat 
 and catch it ; there was nature, if you 
 like, and real acting. Good-night, muster.' 
 Exit O.P. the old showman. 
 
 The rule laid down by ' Muster' Richard- 
 son was ever to keep his motley troupe re-
 
 42 Old Dniry Lane. 
 
 spectable : regular payments before leaving 
 a town, decent clothes, etc., well knowing the 
 value of a sfood name. On his first exhi- 
 bition at Canterbury he called his manager 
 Lewis to his assistance. ' See that my 
 people, Lewis, dresses in their best clothes 
 when they enters the wenerable city — mind, 
 all clean linen. You take 'em round the 
 town to see the sights, above all the old 
 ancient cathedral. Don't let 'em play up 
 no tricks in the Solomon building ; it arn't 
 right.' 
 
 At the death of this kindly old man 
 he willed to be buried in the same Qfrave 
 with his early pet, the ' Spotted Boy,' 
 in a rural village in Essex ; in death as in 
 life, still clinging to first impressions. ' One 
 touch of nature makes the whole world 
 kin.' 
 
 Anonymous Letter. — One of his com- 
 pany in fun sent the guv'nor a letter, threat- 
 ening to set fire to his caravan and smother
 
 Old Drury Lane. 43 
 
 him. This struck terror to the poor old 
 man's heart. He confided in Paul Herring, 
 his favourite clown, and asked him to read 
 the ' apostle ' (epistle), saying : ' This here 
 omnibus letter corned last night, and I seed 
 a willin', arter dark, a creepin' under my 
 caravan, with a box o' prosperous matches ; 
 he wanted to blow me up like a Guy Faux. 
 Oh ! dearie me, Paul !'
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Pavilion Theatre — 'Props'— Richmond, Surrey- 
 Ware, Hertfordshire— Ellen Tree— The Bargee's- 
 Methodist Wife— Margate— The ' White Hart ' in 
 Drury Lane— The ' Red Cow ' at Chiswick— The 
 Brothers Strickland and their Company— Sheridan's 
 'Pizarro' — Vagaries of Hodson, the Lawyer's Clerk. 
 
 Pavilion Theatre, 1829. — Resolving to 
 try real acting, I applied to the manager, 
 Farrell,for an opening. His first inquiry was : 
 ' Have you acted in public ?' ' Yes, in an 
 amateur theatre.' Reply : ' No use — what 
 do you expect ?' Answer : ' Nothing/ 
 Manager : ' You are engaged, sir ; come 
 on Monday to rehearse. Mind — no salary, 
 and find your own " props." Bowing, I 
 departed. ' Props,' thought I, ' what are 

 
 Old Drury Lane. 45 
 
 they ? crutches or walking-sticks ?' An old 
 actor relieved my mind, over a glass of ale, 
 as to the nature of ' props ' or properties — 
 boots, shoes, collars, wigs, feathers, tights, 
 etc. I made my ddbtU under manager 
 Farrell in twelve characters in the comic 
 scenes of a pantomime, simply to be kicked 
 and cuffed by Clown and Pantaloon. Re- 
 monstrating with my manager, he told me 
 4 I was learning the A B C of my profes- 
 sion.' I thought differently, and left to 
 improve my spelling at Richmond, Surrey, 
 to play speaking parts at a guinea per week. 
 Here Ira Aldridge acted Othello and 
 Muneo in ' The Padlock ' — a Qrentleman of 
 colour, once servant to James Wallack, a 
 clever man, decorated by most of the 
 European Sovereigns for his ability in 
 Shakesperian personations. 
 
 The season concluded, I proceeded to 
 Hertfordshire to act with Ellen Tree at
 
 46 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Ware, a temporary Theatre at the ' French 
 Horn' Inn; proprietor, Bullen ; my role, 
 light comedy ; twenty-five shillings (if paid) 
 weekly, finding my own wardrobe. I could 
 not invest in ' consols ' out of this. A cheap 
 lodging at a bargee's cottage, cheaper 
 living, dining frequently upon hope, diges- 
 tion seldom disturbing my sleep. Sara, 
 the bargee's wife, a rigid Methodist, styled 
 in those parts a ' Pantiler,' eked out a 
 small income by selling sweetstuff and 
 baked pigs with currant eyes and hollow 
 stuffing. Disappointed urchins nicknamed 
 her ' Piggy' Wilks (her matrimonial name). 
 Sara, who was an elder at a small ' Bethel ' 
 up a court, ' tea'd ' and dined itinerant 
 preachers, to the great disgust and loss of 
 her better half, ' Bargee Tom.' The poor 
 woman thought she had a call (she had 
 many, indeed, for rent and taxes), and 
 prayed earnestly in the hours of night to 
 quell Satan ; and I, who to my annoyance
 
 Old Drury Lane. 47 
 
 was her next-room neighbour, found it 
 anything but pleasant to be awaked with 
 hymns, oaths, and struggles with Old 
 Nick ! One night she shouted out : 
 
 ' I've got him.' 
 
 ' Keep him,' I rejoined ; ' hold on by his 
 
 tail.' 
 
 Next morning I removed my quarters - 
 pious lodgings did not pay. Ellen Tree 
 acted in a room fitted up at the inn, six 
 nights. Lady Teazle was her opening 
 character, and Charles Surface mine. The 
 stage consisted of planks laid on the floor ; 
 the scenes, of calico painted by the 
 manager ; the screen, a clothes-horse with 
 a table-cloth pinned over it. The part of 
 Lady Sneerwell was allotted to Mrs. 
 Manageress Bullen, who, decked out in 
 faded satin, rouge and feathers, wisely took 
 money (no checks) in the passage. Miss 
 Mordaunt (Mrs. Nesbitt) acted here for a 
 time. I had a weary walk to London, 
 sans coin !
 
 4 8 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 My next peregrination was to Margate, 
 joining Saville Faucit (father of Miss Helen 
 Faucit), and receiving twenty-five shillings 
 per week for acting juvenile heroes in 
 comedy and tragedy. One labourer in this 
 dramatic vineyard, known as Beresford 
 (whilom an officer in the Life Guards, 
 brought to grief and poverty by Madame 
 Vestris), acted here for a guinea a week. 
 His nephew being drowned at Eton, Beres- 
 ford succeeded to a baronetcy as Sir William 
 Anstruther, hereditary standard-bearer of 
 Scotland. To his credit be it said that he 
 never neglected the followers of the sock 
 and buskin or their benefits. 
 
 Too frequently l out-at-elbows,' I now 
 applied to Ben Smithson's agency for 
 actors, the 'White Hart' in Drury Lane. 
 Kind-hearted, considerate Ben ! a real 
 Samaritan, ever ready with food and kindly 
 words to cheer and encourage the poor
 
 Old Drury Lane. 49 
 
 stroller. Ben, strongly impregnated with 
 the ' Mysteries of Udolpho' school, was 
 wont to use rather grandiloquent words for 
 every-day purposes. His hostel — a very 
 obscure one — became a ' castle ;' back- 
 parlours smelling strongly of ' baccy,' 
 tapestry chambers ; dilapidated staircases, 
 lumber-closets and dark landings, ' galleries, 
 crows'-nests and eagle-towers ;' his beer- 
 cellars were known as ' dungeon-keeps ;' 
 Barclay's Entire, at fourpence per pot, 
 became ' Nectar,' like Mr. Dick Swiveller's 
 ' rosy wine ;' and his two serving-men, 
 plain Bob and Dick, were transformed into 
 ' Ricardo' and ' Roberto.' Every poor 
 player that arrived, foot-sore and hungered, 
 he styled according to their role — Kemble, 
 Kean, Munden, or Siddons, knowing full 
 well how pleasantly a little flattery tickles 
 the palate. There was always a bed, 
 supper and breakfast, money or not, in this 
 Meccafor wanderers. This liberality brought 
 vol. 1. 4
 
 50 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 failure in its train, and the ' White Hart's' 
 doors speedily closed on kindly Ben and 
 his good intentions. 
 
 I next tried the ' Red Cow' at Chiswick 
 for employment. The Brothers Strictland 
 were lessees of a large Odd- Fellows' Lodge- 
 room, called a Theatre. ' Brother' Bob 
 Strictland became an actor at the Hay- 
 market, leaving his mark for old men, 
 especially ' My Lord Tom Noddy.' To 
 save expense, I trudged to Chiswick on 
 foot, accompanied by an eccentric lawyer's 
 clerk of the name of Hodson, who was 
 bitten with the Kean mania, and neglected 
 briefs and writs for ' Brutus, Richard and 
 Macbeth' — studies, alas ! not so remunera- 
 tive to poor Hodson as the Courts of King's 
 Bench and Common Pleas. Suffice it, we 
 arrived at the ' Cow' about tea-time, and, 
 asking for Strictlands, a pot-boy pointed 
 where to find them. ' In the kitchin,' with a 
 grin, said Pots. On the door a bill an-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 5 1 
 
 nounced a London Company for ten nights 
 only, to act at the ' Cow.' First night 
 Sheridan's famed play of 
 
 ' Pizarro, 
 
 as played at the Theatre Royal, Drury 
 Lane, London, with elaborate scenery, and 
 heart-rending effects ! Pit, only one shil- 
 ling ! Boxes, two shillings seats; sixpence 
 standing places. Seats booked at the 
 44 Cow" from 10 till 4 daily. Schools and 
 children half-price.' 
 
 A farce, singing and dancing, concluded 
 the Messrs. Strictlands' attractive pro- 
 gramme. We made our way to the snug- 
 kitchen of the ' Cow,' and in it found 
 assembled the company, dressed for their 
 evening's performance, ' Pizarro.' At a 
 table, superintending the tea, Elvira sat 
 in faded black robes. This unfortunate 
 Spanish lady wielded the tea-pot with 
 much dignity ever and anon scowling at 
 
 4—2
 
 52 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 her base betrayer, Pizarro. He sat aloof,, 
 encased in rusty tin armour, a ferocious 
 wig, and look to match ; no warlike trun- 
 cheon did he flourish, but a long pipe, and 
 what had been gin, now represented by 
 an empty glass. Cora, lovely Peruvian 
 maid, employed her soft hands in toasting 
 muffins, assisted by her renegade husband,. 
 Spanish Alonzo. Their child, Peru's 
 future king, innocently amused himself by 
 crawling on the floor after a kitten. 
 Rolla — heroic Rolla, first of patriotic 
 warriors — was playing at dominoes with 
 the high-priest, Orozembo. Valverde, in 
 a corner, snored in trunks and boots, bereft 
 of jerkin. Such was the heat of the climate,, 
 combined with the effects of something 
 short, that Peruvians and Spaniards sat 
 socially together, doing their pipes and 
 beer. Ataliba — good monarch — was ab- 
 sent, evidently ' cut out,' as were all 
 Pizarro's small fry of officers. Old Oro-
 
 Old Drttry Lane. 53 
 
 zembo doubled the sympathetic ' Sentinel ;' 
 a buxom chambermaid devoted her atten- 
 tions to 'Brother Bob' (Strictland). Having 
 an eye to business (good parts), our mis- 
 sion was soon fulfilled. Hodson was 
 engaged to play Richard, and myself 
 Richmond, on the Monday following, with- 
 out fee or reward. We trudged back, 
 highly elated, towards town, our way en- 
 livened by sundry visits to public-houses, 
 and any quantity of Hodson's imitations of 
 popular actors. This produced such ex- 
 citement in the lawyer's clerk that at 
 Turnham Green he wildly jumped on a 
 horse-trough, raving for a horse — offering 
 to give his kingdom for one (a la Richard). 
 This mad act mightily diverted the by- 
 standers, an old ostler sagely remarking 
 that ' the chap was off his nut ' (head). 
 When we reached Hyde Park Corner, 
 Brutus addressed his Roman mob (be it 
 remembered there were no police then),
 
 54 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 1 Romans, countrymen, and lovers,' to an 
 audience of carters, idlers, boys, women, 
 etc., who enlivened the scene by shouts 
 and cries of ' Go it !' Our hero's frenzy 
 culminated at Battle Bridge — he lived near 
 the gigantic ' Dust Heap.' Rudely seizing 
 
 a passing female, he d d her for a lewd 
 
 minx, and wanted to smother her, ' Othello' 
 fashion. Dreadfully alarmed, she cried for 
 help ; it came. Hodson was knocked 
 down, his clothes torn to tatters. Raving, 
 struggling, shouting for his sword and 
 buckler, he was carried to the Watch- 
 house to ruminate on his folly. We did 
 not enact at the ' Cow,' poor Hodson 
 (Othello) being heavily fined for inebriated 
 assault and battery.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Brooke's Circuit — Tenterden— Hastings— A Moon 
 on Fire — Klanert's Company at Richmond — The 
 Author's Departure for Scotland — The Auld Hen- 
 wife and the Player — Vandenhoff and the Thane 
 of Fife— Sam Penley's Theatre at Windsor — Dalby's 
 Theatre at Chelsea — Staunton, the Chess-player — 
 Deptford Fair — Henry Neville and his Father — 
 Olympic Theatre — The Author's Interview with 
 Monsieur Leclerc — Chelmsford Races — Billy Hall, 
 the Surrey ' Beauty ' — Gravesend — The Author's 
 first Essay in Dramatic Composition. 
 
 My wandering career led me to Master 
 Brooke's pretty circuit — the small towns of 
 Kent and Sussex — commencing at Tenter- 
 den, in the Weald of Kent. Brooke in his 
 1 salad ' days had played kings, nobles, 
 peasants, etc., at Dairy Lane, minus 
 words. He married a lady vocalist, and
 
 56 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 set up business on his own account, play- 
 ing your Macbeths and Romeos himself. 
 
 The Theatre Royal, Tenterden, was 
 situated in a stable-yard ; the entrance to 
 the boxes was through a cottage kitchen, 
 with scenes painted on both sides ; these 
 did for everything, thus wisely economising 
 labour. Our wardrobe was well worn, 
 scanty, and of antique cut ; our lights oil- 
 lamps. Our band numbered four ; the 
 leader, first violin, played second old man, 
 sang Irish songs, and attended to the 
 lamps : these important offices brought 
 poor Harvey one pound per week, not a 
 large salary for this village Costa. Our 
 prompter acted tyrants, and painted when 
 required, at the moderate rate of eighteen 
 shillings. The highest salary in this very 
 primitive concern only reached one pound 
 five, finding your own dresses. We 
 opened with the ' Foundling of the 
 Forest,' to an audience of one boy in
 
 Old Drury Lane. 57 
 
 the Gallery ; his sense of solitude caused 
 him to fall asleep. Business improved, 
 however, and ' Hamlet ' brought us six 
 pounds odd. During our few weeks' 
 season, the theatre was well attended by 
 the resident gentry, farmers, hop-growers, 
 etc. Nelson's neglected daughter (the 
 vicar's wife) came frequently to witness 
 our performances. 
 
 Hare and Hounds, Hastings. — Brooke's 
 Theatre Royal (Rural). A converted barn 
 — converted, not in a religious point of view, 
 but by whitewash, canvas, and wreaths of 
 paper flowers into some sort of shape ; our 
 stage, rough deals lent by a friendly 
 theatrical enthusiast, a neighbouring 
 builder ; boxes, chairs ; pit, benches ; 
 gallery, standing-places ; prices high, two 
 shillings, one shilling, and sixpence. 
 Strange to say, the place was nightly 
 crowded with the first families in Hastings 
 and for miles round, and vastly they 
 enjoyed the fun.
 
 58 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 On one important occasion we were 
 playing ' Pizarro ' with extraordinary splen- 
 dour and expense (so said our bills). Six 
 Virgins of the Sun, procured with difficulty 
 from the Hastings fishing population; eight 
 Peruvian armed soldiers, farm-labourers, 
 enticed by sixpence each and an order for 
 their sweethearts to see our acting. ' Tem- 
 ple of the Sun,' resplendent with gold and 
 silver foil ; 'altar sacred to the god of Peru/ 
 a tea-chest, covered with calico. The vir- 
 gins in pure white, with golden suns (paper) 
 hung round their fair necks, symbols of 
 virginity ; High-priest Brooke, robed and 
 bejewelled up to his eyes ; army, virgins, 
 court, Rollo, perjured Alonzo, King Ataliba, 
 Orozembo, Cora, Elvira, concealed in white. 
 A few in cloaks swelled our chorus, in- 
 voking the heathen gods. All this parade 
 was by moonlight, a large hole cut in the 
 temple, covered with gauze ; behind this 
 luminary a country boy, perched on a
 
 Old Drury Lane. 59 
 
 ladder, held two large candles. The 
 solemn procession entered, a death-like 
 silence prevailed in the front of the house, 
 and the rustic visitors in the gallery were 
 struck with wonder and delight. A wire 
 extending from the roof of the barn, to 
 guide a bit of sponge dipped in spirits of 
 wine, at a given signal descended to light 
 the altar ; that is, if the god assented, and 
 the man above held the wire tight. The 
 invocation to the Sun-god commenced ; 
 High-priest Brooke, with an awful and 
 powerful voice, sang all the parts — out of 
 tune. After much kneeling, crossing of 
 hands, throwing up of arms, and sundry 
 other movements, the priest and chorus 
 burst out : ' Give praise, give praise, 
 our god has heard!' (He must have 
 been hard of hearing if he had not.) Lo 
 and behold ! the moon instead of the 
 tea-chest was on fire, displaying the boy's 
 face grinning through it. Alarm seized
 
 60 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the audience — screams of ' Fire ! fire !' A 
 stampede took place, everyone rushing 
 to the barn-doors — virgins, army, and spec- 
 tators — in one wild terror. Brooke rushed 
 up the ladder, was seen cuffing the boy's 
 head; he quickly descended, and heroically 
 taking his place at the tea-chest, sang 
 ' Give praise, give praise, our god has 
 heard !' This calmed the affrighted people, 
 and our play proceeded amidst thunders of 
 applause. 
 
 Encouraged by the ' Hare and Hounds ' 
 success, Brooke built a theatre in Hastings, 
 and failed. We played there, a good 
 company, with Charles Kemble as star, to 
 £20. Rayner drew £$, etc. Wisely, the 
 theatre was changed into a chapel, paying 
 its owner. 
 
 Richmond, Surrey. — Joined Klanert's 
 company, playing tragedy, comedy, etc., to 
 our veteran manager's Macbeths, Romeos,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 61 
 
 at the ripe age of sixty-four. An actor of 
 small parts at Covent Garden, Klanert, on 
 his own ground, Richmond, became an 
 actor of great proportions — so at least he 
 thought. Always letter-perfect himself, he 
 imagined everyone else ought to be so. 
 Unfortunately, on one occasion I was 
 very imperfect when playing Malcolm to 
 Klanert's Macbeth. I failed to speak the 
 tag perfectly, not getting further than 
 
 ' My Thanes and kinsmen, 
 Henceforth be — ' {a pause). 
 
 I had forgotten what they were to be. 
 Dead tyrant lying at my feet : ' Go on, 
 sir.' I tried in vain to raise my kinsmen 
 and Thanes to peerages. 
 
 Irate Deceased : 'Will you go on ?' 
 
 I whispered, ' I cannot.' 
 
 Up jumps the dead king : 
 
 ' I'll speak for you, sir : 
 
 * u Henceforth be Earls, 
 
 So thanks to all at once, and to each one, 
 Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone."
 
 62 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 And calmly lying down, he died again, 
 loudly applauded and laughed at. I re- 
 ceived my congd on the following Saturday. 
 Exit from England for Scotland. Hamil- 
 ton, Inverary, Stirling ; William Ryder 
 manager. Hard work and small pay, 
 with the advantage, however, that living 
 was cheaper then. My board and lodging 
 seldom exceeded twelve shillings per week, 
 and this with no stint. New-laid eggs 
 were abundant in the Burgh of Hamilton. 
 Mistress MacFarlane, the hen-wife, sup- 
 plied me with them, bringing them to my 
 lodging at twelve for a shilling. I tried 
 one day to get fourteen. This highly 
 incensed and offended the ' puir body,' and 
 she cut off the supplies ! I went to the 
 market, endeavouring to re-establish my- 
 self in the ' gude wife's ' opinion. Alas ! 
 I failed. ' Dinna ye fash, Mister Stirling ; 
 ye'll ha nae mair o' my hen's eggs. They 
 .shall nae tak' the trouble to lay 'em for
 
 O.ld Drury Lane. 63 
 
 fourteen a shillin', laddie. If ye maun 
 hae cheap eggs, mon, lay 'em yourselV 
 
 I next entered into an enofa^ement with 
 Bass and wife, or rather with wife 
 and Bass, for she ruled the roast — in 
 Edinburgh, Dundee, Selkirk, and Perth. 
 My reward for playing second tragedy, 
 first comedy, and melodrama, amounted 
 to thirty shillings weekly (when paid, 
 which too often it was not). Nearly 
 five hundred miles to travel, all comedy 
 dresses to furnish, and to live on such a 
 stipend ! Rather different an actor's posi- 
 tion nowadays, in this year of grace, 
 1880, with pieces running hundreds of 
 nights, and salaries fabulously high for very 
 little real work. A weary journey by the 
 ' High-flyer ' coach, starting from the 
 'Saracen's Head,' Snow Hill (Mr. Squeers's 
 London quarters), on a cold November 
 morning. It rained, snowed, and hailed
 
 64 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the whole way, three days and two nights 
 — outside ! I opened in Dundee as Mer- 
 cutio, playing every night, tragedy or 
 comedy. Books being few, we had to 
 write out our parts, conveying the books 
 to each other — always ladies first. Bass 
 never paid regularly ; a few shillings 
 QTudgfinQfly doled out from time to time 
 scarce kept life and soul in us. In 
 sober literal fact we were well-nigh 
 starved. And let the reader recollect that 
 escape was not easy — there were no rail- 
 ways or cheap steamers running then. Our 
 labours were divided between Perth and 
 Dundee for three winter months, a wretch- 
 edly horsed coach conveying us to and fro, 
 a distance of twenty-five miles. Acting 
 Macduff to Vandenhoffs Macbeth in 
 Perth, during our desperate combat my 
 plaided kilt fell down, exhibiting my flesh- 
 tights, to the disgust of many and to the 
 delight of the gallery, McDonalds, Dun-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 65 
 
 cans and Sandys. Confused beyond belief, 
 I snatched up my garment, fighting Mac- 
 beth rapidly, encouraged by the gods' 
 applause. 
 
 ' Gi' it him, laddie ; strike hame. Gi' 
 him his parritch !' 
 
 Vandenhoff declined my Thane of Fife 
 ever after. 
 
 Returning per Leith smack southwards, 
 I found a temporary engagement at Wind- 
 sor, with Sam Penley, of Drury Lane, as 
 manager. It was Race week. Eton boys 
 were admitted for two shillings and six- 
 pence each, from six until eight ; the signal 
 for their departure was the ringing of the 
 college bell. A pretty game they had, 
 laughing and talking to the actors and 
 actresses during their performance, shoot- 
 ing peas at the heads of the unfortunate 
 fiddlers, sliding down pillars from gallery 
 to boxes, etc. Penley, however, made 
 
 vol. 1. 5
 
 66 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 money by this, and his regular audience 
 came in at eiofht from the races. 
 
 *& 
 
 Chelsea, Sloane Street. — A person 
 named Dalby opened a small theatre in a 
 garden, and engaged a company on the 
 share system. My share for acting three 
 parts in one evening — the Stranger, Philip 
 in ' Luke the Labourer,' etc. — resulted in 
 twopence, and a walk home to Mile- End. 
 In his younger days Staunton, the famous 
 chess-player and editor of Shakespeare, 
 essayed acting here, but wisely abandoned 
 it. Othello was not his forte. 
 
 Deptford Fair. — Marquis manager. A 
 very old hand at taking money at the 
 doors, and, moreover, at keeping it. 
 ' Merchant of Venice.' Stage over a 
 canal. Result : Marquis ran away with 
 the treasury ; we, poor gulls, tramped 
 home in high dudgeon. Harry Neville
 
 Old Drury Lane. 67 
 
 and his brother date from Deptford ; their 
 father, John Neville, became lessee, and 
 educated his clever sons for the stage at 
 Deptford. 
 
 Olympic Theatre. — ' Dr. Blue Pill ' 
 Scott, lessee. On my applying to the 
 doctor for employment, he referred me to 
 his manager, Monsieur Leclerc, father of 
 Carlotta and Rose Leclerc. After wait- 
 ing a long time on the stage the great 
 (small) man approached me, decked in a 
 Turkish robe, with slippers and fez to 
 match. My business stated, Leclerc 
 asked me to recite Shakespeare's ' Seven 
 Ages.' This done, I was dismissed with 
 an abrupt and authoritative ' It won't do, 
 sir, stick to your business ;' and he disap- 
 peared, robe and slippers. A little discon- 
 certed, I groped my way out at the dingy 
 stage-door, reilecting that I had no busi- 
 ness to stick to. In after-life Leclerc 
 
 5~2
 
 68 Old Drttry Lane. 
 
 and I reversed positions. He became the 
 applicant and I the employer. 
 
 Chelmsford Races, Essex, 1829. — 
 Quakers' metropolis for grain and malt. 
 The Aminadabs and Obadiahs had chosen 
 a pretty place for their 'thys' and 'thous.' 
 Billy Hall, nicknamed ' the Surrey Beauty' 
 for his extreme ugliness, filled the 
 managerial throne. We had sorry houses 
 up to eight, when the racing-folks came in 
 at half-price. A severely contested County 
 Election helped us considerably. Hall 
 paraded the town with a band, utilising 
 both the candidates' colours — orange and 
 pink — on a large flag, inscribed ' Vote for 
 Billy Hall at the Theatre. Billy is for 
 Whig and Tory and his pockets full of 
 money. God save the King. Come 
 early. Good luck to you.' 
 
 Gravesend, 1829. — A good theatrical 
 town. Ships going out and coming in 

 
 Old Drury Lane, 69 
 
 filled the small theatre with sailors and 
 their sweethearts. These, together with a 
 few townsfolk and a sprinkling of fisher- 
 men, formed a lively audience, easily pleased 
 with my first essay in authorship — a piece 
 founded on Scott's ' Kenilworth,' artfully 
 rechristened ' Tilbury Fort, or the Days of 
 Good Queen Bess!' It drew a house. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Keeley and Mrs. Fitz- 
 william ' starred ' with us. A sister of 
 Mrs. Orger acted in the company, and 
 obtained for her benefit stars from Drury 
 Lane, to outshine us poor planets — Mrs. 
 Waylett, Mrs. Nesbitt (then Miss Mor- 
 daunt), Wallack, Harley, and the autocrat 
 of Drury, Alexander Lee, composer of ' I'd 
 be a Butterfly/ ' Blue Bonnets over the 
 Border,' ' Meet me by Moonlight Alone,' a 
 suggestive ballad for young ladies. We 
 played a comedy, and ' A Roland for an 
 Oliver.' Maria Darlington, Mrs. Way- 
 lett; Alfred Highflyer, E. Stirling. Sad
 
 jo Old Drury Lane. 
 
 to acknowledge, I knew little about High- 
 flyer ; in theatrical parlance, ' I broke 
 down,' whispering to our celestial vistant : 
 
 ' You must finish ; I don't know another 
 word.' 
 
 Maria laughed, sang a ballad, and pleased 
 everybody, none being the wiser for the 
 cutting out. She kindly urged Lee to 
 engage me for Drury for my impudence. 
 He thought better of it. 

 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 At Croydon — Buckstone's ' Wreck Ashore ' — Edmund 
 Kean — His letter to the author— The author's 
 engagement with Farrell at the Pavilion — 
 Douglas Jerrold's ' Martha Willis ' — The author 
 marries Miss Fanny Clifton — Liverpool and Man- 
 chester — Great success of the author's piece, 
 ' Sadak and Kalasrade ' — Paganini's visit to Man- 
 chester — Stalybridge — John Neville — Primitive 
 1 Properties ' — Local Post-Office, curious direction 
 of a letter — Oldham — ' Black-Eyed Susan ' — 
 Bolton — Macbeth without Macduff — Harriet 
 Mellon, afterwards Duchess of St. Albans — -War- 
 rington — ' Sadak and Kalasrade ' again — Ashton- 
 under- Lyne — Preston — ' Mrs. Wolf — Early 
 struggles of Phelps — Theatre Royal, Birmingham — 
 Sheridan Knowles — Anecdote of an Actor and his 
 dog— Alfred Mellon — Miss O'Neil at Belfast- 
 Division (not according to Cocker). 
 
 My next destination was Croydon. \\ e 
 buried the poor Surrey ' Beauty ' at 
 Gravesend, and opened with his widow at
 
 72 Old Drttry Lane. 
 
 Croydon, then a small place, with but few- 
 inhabitants. Miss Foote bade farewell to 
 the country stage here. I played in Lord 
 Glengall's comedy, ' Follies of Fashion,' 
 with her. The Adelphi company came 
 with Buckstone's ' Wreck Ashore.' After 
 this excellent drama had been rejected by 
 half the managers in London, it found a 
 home at the Adelphi.* Original cast : 
 Miles Bertram, Yates ; Grampus, O. 
 Smith ; Walter Barnard, Hemming ; 
 Magog, John Reeve ; Jemmy Starling, 
 Buckstone ; Alice, Mrs. Yates; Bella, 
 Mrs. Fitzwilliam. 
 
 Edmund Kean acted two nights with 
 raised prices, and to overflowing houses, 
 in the ' Merchant of Venice,' and the 
 4 Iron Chest.' Gratiano in the '' Merchant,' 
 and Wilford in the ' Iron Chest,' were 
 allotted to me. Having arrived at the 
 
 * Represented for the first time 21st October, 1830.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 73 
 
 troublous but coveted honour of stage- 
 manager, Kean wrote to me thus : 
 
 'St. John's Wood, Nov. 8, 1829. 
 'Sir, 
 
 ' I shall not require rehearsals for 
 my plays ; but be particular in your selec- 
 tion of Wilford. He is all-important to 
 me. I will run through the Library scene 
 with him when I come down. He must 
 be young, mind. 
 
 ' Yours obediently, 
 
 1 E. Kean. 
 ' To Mr. Stirling, 
 
 ' Theatre, Croydon.' 
 
 When Kean arrived, he sent for me to 
 his dressing-room. 
 
 ' You are rather tall, sir.' 
 
 Rejoinder : — ' Yes, sir. What do you 
 wish me to do ?' 
 
 Kean: 'Why, in the Library scene,
 
 74 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 sink gradually on your right knee, with 
 your back to the audience. When I place 
 my hand on your head to curse, mind you 
 keep your eyes fixed on mine.' 
 
 (No very easy task to look steadily at 
 such eyes.) 
 
 ' Is that all, sir ?' 
 
 Kean : ' Yes — do whatever you like 
 after that ; it will be all the same to me.' 
 
 This was not quite so elaborate an affair 
 as some of our modern tragedians' re- 
 hearsals. I pleased Kean and the audience 
 by my acting of Wilford, and the great 
 little man was pleased to say that ' I did it 
 well — very well.' 
 
 Farrell made me an offer to act at the 
 Pavilion. Tempted by the salary — two 
 pounds a week — I agreed, playing first-rate 
 comedy and seconds in tragedy. Charles 
 Freer, our leading man, brought from Not- 
 tingham, was thus modestly announced : 
 ' Garrick came from the East, why not
 
 Old Drury Lane. 75 
 
 another star from the same hemisphere ? 
 See Freer and judge for yourselves. At 
 six our new Roscius appears in a great 
 character ! Come early to secure good 
 places, but don't come with children in 
 arms.' 
 
 Cobham, a capital actor, was in the com- 
 pany. He was howled down by wolves 
 at Covent Garden — a club of Keanites. 
 Junius Brutus Booth shared the same fate. 
 
 Douglas Jerrold produced his ' Martha 
 Willis,' illustrative of London life in the 
 seventeenth century. Our manager dressed 
 the piece in the costumes of 1830. The 
 author of 'Mrs. Caudle's Lectures' resented 
 this anachronism by bitter sarcasm, telling 
 
 Farrell (who wore Hessian boots), ' D n 
 
 it, sir, I expected brains, not boots !' 
 
 Before I quitted the Pavilion, I found a 
 better half in Fanny Clifton. We married 
 at once ; started for Liverpool with Davidge, 
 at the Amphitheatre ; London Company,
 
 76 Old Dmry Lane. 
 
 Watkin Burroughs stage-manager ; Batty 
 furnished horses and his equestrian troupe. 
 Burroughs resigned, and I accepted the 
 
 management. 
 
 Queen's Theatre, Manchester. — Harry 
 Beverly's direction. Myself and wife were 
 engaged to lead the business ; this proved 
 very bad — salaries stopped, no resources. 
 What was to be done ? It occurred to me 
 to try my hand at writing a piece for a 
 benefit. The subject I chose was ' Sadak 
 and Kalasrade.' It was beautifully placed 
 on the stage, and the scenery painted 
 by William Beverly, the eminent artist. 
 Beverly cleared one thonsand pounds by 
 this piece : I received sixty. Fortune 
 smiled ; my pen now went at tip-top speed 
 — pieces written and produced plentiful as 
 blackberries — quantity rather than quality 
 was the order of the day. 
 
 Paganini came to Manchester during
 
 Old Drury Lane. J? 
 
 our season ; his wonderful performances on 
 the one-stringed violin created a furore — a 
 single night produced £\ 100. His appear- 
 ance and manner were unearthly. Having 
 no expenses, except a pianist (Miss Watson), 
 he speedily amassed a large fortune, retired 
 to Italy,* and died before he could enjoy it. 
 
 Staleybridge, a factory village near 
 Manchester. — During our vacation, our 
 Company engaged to play with John 
 Neville, a popular actor and manager, at 
 second-class towns in Cheshire and Lanca- 
 shire. The Staleybridge Temple of the 
 Muses was a large room in the Town Hall. 
 Two or three scenes served every purpose, 
 much being left to the fancy and imagina- 
 tion of the ' factory hands,' who were our 
 chief supporters. An egg-chest extempor- 
 ised did duty for defunct Ophelia's coffin. 
 
 * Or rather, to what was then Italy. He died at 
 Nice, May, 1840.
 
 78 Old Dmry Lane. 
 
 Juliet's balcony was a large kitchen table 
 covered with carpet. 
 
 At the small post-office, a cottage, the 
 custom was to place all undelivered letters 
 in the window to be claimed. The direc- 
 tion of one ran thus : ' To Biddy O' 
 Shaughnessy my wife works at some Fac- 
 tory in some Bridge close upon Manchester 
 in Great Britan — England — pies tell Biddy 
 to call for it.' Post-mark New Orleans, 
 America. 
 
 Our shares grew 'beautifully less ' nightly, 
 Manager Neville sedulously looking after 
 himself. We tried Oldham, 1834. Here 
 I played William in ' Black-Eyed Susan.' 
 Court-martial : a table, big drum, cocked 
 hat, and manager's son — a boy. All the 
 witnesses and captains were spoken of, not 
 seen ; the boy admiral, or I should rather 
 have said cocked hat, tried and con- 
 demned me off-hand, telling me ' I need
 
 Old Drury Lane. 79 
 
 not trouble about witnesses.' He, the hat, 
 knew all about me ; further, having con- 
 sulted with the captains, they all agreed I 
 ought to be hung, and hung I should be at 
 the yard-arm. ' This court now dissolves ' 
 {loud noise on drum). I was removed by a 
 marine in a hussar-jacket. The ridiculous 
 could go no further ; I quitted Oldham 
 forthwith in great disgust, and with small 
 gain. 
 
 Bolton. — Another of Neville's Theatres, 
 in this case a real one. ' Macbeth ' acted 
 without Macduff; Neville played Macbeth 
 and Hecate (in a cloak), singing well. His 
 family doctor kindly fought the tyrant in 
 the absence of the Thane of Fife, at Man- 
 chester. Neville spoke his own part and 
 Macduff's, addressing the astonished medi- 
 cal gentleman : 
 
 ' You would say, then ' (Shakespeare's 
 words), • you're not of woman born.'
 
 80 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 He seized the trembling actor (a very 
 old one). 
 
 ' Damn'd be you if you call out enough.' 
 
 An awful fight, on Neville's side. Mac- 
 duff cautiously held up his sword, to protect 
 his gray head. 
 
 In the house where I lived there once 
 dwelt a poor strolling actress, named 
 Mellon ; her little child, a pretty girl, daily 
 left to the kindly protection of the landlady, 
 who fed Harriet Mellon with her own 
 children, principally on porridge. Mrs. 
 Mellon, ill-paid, ill-fed, could scarcely keep 
 herself. ' Many and many a meal I've 
 given the poor child, when its mother was 
 a play-acting up at play-house,' said the 
 good woman in her garrulous fashion. 
 This little starveling lived to be Duchess of 
 St. Alban's. When fickle Fortune smiled, 
 be it recorded to her honour that Harriet 
 Mellon did not forget the humble landlady 
 at Bolton-le-Moors.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 81 
 
 Warrington, Lancashire. — Our Pro- 
 tean Neville appeared again on the scene : 
 he seemed to possess the genius of ubiquity. 
 The sagacious Neville very reasonably 
 thought that ' Sadak and Kalasrade' having 
 brought money in Manchester, would draw 
 in Warrington. Borrowing the dresses, 
 banners and finery, to Cheshire I proceeded, 
 forwarding the luggage a day or two before. 
 To my horror, when I arrived our British 
 Barnum had hung out the banners, dresses, 
 etc., from the Theatre windows in a public 
 street, a poster explaining to the admiring 
 crowd outside that he wished to satisfy 
 them that the great Manchester drama 
 with its author, Edward Stirling, was 
 coming. No increase of prices ; advising 
 factory lads and lasses to come early, and 
 in their Sunday clothes. A gentle re- 
 minder accompanied this polite invite, viz., 
 that bad language and short pipes must be 
 suspended. One sensible factory-hand, 
 
 vol. i. 6
 
 82 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 vacantly looking at this Oriental tawdry, 
 was heard to say to his mate, Jock-o'-the 
 Street, ' We'll spend our shilling in some'at 
 that '11 do us good, lad ; Master Neville's 
 outside is better than his inside by a long 
 chalk.' 
 
 Ashton-under- Lyne. — Neville's towns 
 were legion, great and small — this enter- 
 prising man took all, haphazard. If they 
 paid, well and good ; on the contrary, fail- 
 ing, he shut up ; his actors going penniless. 
 His system, too often practised on the 
 ignorant natives, was to put out a bill of 
 astounding novelties, never before seen or 
 dreamt of, generally issued on a Saturday 
 (the pay-day at the cotton-mills), thus en- 
 trapping the lads and lasses. At night 
 came an apology — sudden death, ship- 
 wreck, non-arrival of actors from London — 
 anything ; the wily manager blandly telling 
 his disappointed hearers that he would act
 
 Old Drury Lane. 83 
 
 and sing to them in the highly entertaining 
 piece of ' The Two Gregorys, or the 
 Orphan of Geneva.' This happened so 
 frequently in Stockport, that whenever 
 Neville attempted to apologise, the lads in 
 the gallery stopped him : ' Noa, noa, Master 
 Neville, we won't ha' "Two Gregorys" 
 th' night.' Drinkwater Meadows (Drink- 
 water ! what a name for a Temperance 
 Society!) came for six nights, and played 
 one to eight shillings, sharing after five 
 pounds. With tears in his eyes he offered 
 Neville the five pounds to let him go back 
 home to London. The delighted manager 
 joyfully consented. Three Mondays we 
 dismissed — no receipts. Resolved if the 
 living would not come, I would try the dead, 
 on the walls of a churchyard I had pictures 
 and posters pasted for my Benefit. This 
 had some effect. Seventeen pounds five 
 shillings was received at the doors — good- 
 ness knows how much more! Neville 
 
 6—2
 
 84 Old Drary Lane. 
 
 being money-taker, without checks or ac- 
 count-books. 
 
 At Preston I resided with a Mrs. Wolf. 
 Samuel Phelps, then a poor actor, not after- 
 wards unknown to fame — whose name has 
 already appeared in these Recollections — 
 had formerly occupied my rooms in the 
 Wolfs Den. She was a perfect Sycorax, 
 with one eye that invariably scored double 
 her lodgers' chops, potatoes and sundries ! 
 She had many traditional anecdotes to 
 tell of players' privations, and of her own 
 Christian feelings — of Phelps among the 
 rest ; — his salary small, little to spare; — his 
 wife and children lived on a meat-pie for a 
 week ! Mrs. Wolf had a remarkable 
 aptitude for forgetting small change and 
 for sharing the contents of the tea-caddy 
 with her lodgers. Determined not to be a 
 loser by these little peculations, I repaid 
 this attention by forgetting her last week's 
 rent.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Theatre Royal, Birmingham, 1835. — 
 A rare jump, in earnest — five pounds per 
 week, and manager ! Capital season — 
 Yates with the 'Jewess' and a hundred 
 suits of real armour ! Rachel, Mrs. Yates; 
 Eleazar, Yates. Sheridan Knowles in his 
 own play of ' William Tell,' a Swiss patriot, 
 with an Hibernian flavour and accent. 
 Kind crentle Knowles ! he did nothing 
 wrong, and very little right. Macready 
 gave six performances, and a seventh 
 gratis for my Benefit. An actor at a small 
 theatre in the Bull-ring tried a novel ex- 
 periment to gain a Benefit. Round the 
 neck of his dog he tied a label, ' Come and 
 see to-night f Bow, wow ! ' Only six- 
 pence.' This and the actor dressed in 
 Shylock's gaberdine paraded the streets, 
 drawing attention if nothing else. 
 
 Alfred Mellon played triangles in our 
 orchestra. Born in Birmingham ; his father
 
 S6 Old Drtiry Lane. 
 
 a French emigrant. On this stage he first 
 saw Sarah Woolgar, whom he wooed and 
 married. Clever and industrious, he rose 
 from the triangle to the baton of a leader 
 and composer at Covent Garden ; but un- 
 fortunately speculating in pantomime and 
 concerts, lost his money ; and, sad to record, 
 died at an early age, much lamented. 
 
 Miss O'Neil, at Belfast, playing her 
 famous 'Juliet,' in the final tomb-scene the 
 property-man had forgotten to place a 
 dagger for Juliet to stab herself. When 
 she finds her Romeo slain, what was she 
 to do ? how kill herself ? She clenched her 
 hand, feigned to stab her fair bosom with 
 an imaginary weapon, dying with her lover. 
 Such was their respect for the great actress, 
 that the audience took no notice of this 
 until the curtain fell. Then and only then 
 the long pent-up laughter burst from boxes, 
 pit, and gallery.
 
 Old Drury Lane. Sy 
 
 Nottingham. — Division (not accord- 
 ing to 'Cocker'), 1790. — 'Jemmy White/ 
 manager of a very primitive theatre in 
 this now nourishing town, was famous for 
 his eccentricity. He played all the best 
 parts in everything (managers generally 
 do). When he enacted ' Othello,' Zanga in 
 'The Revenge,' or Mungoin 'The Padlock,' 
 he uniformly coloured himself black from 
 head to foot. This, he said, gave him a 
 better idea what a black man should feel 
 and be. Jemmy dressed for his characters 
 at home, walking through the streets to the 
 theatre perfectly unconcerned and un- 
 noticed. There were no rude boys to 
 shout, and no policemen to interfere with 
 his singular arrangements. The following 
 was Mr. White's manner of payment on 
 Saturday nights at his treasury, where the 
 assembled company were anxiously waiting : 
 ' There's so much for me, for acting and 
 management,' — counting money. ' Then
 
 88 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 there's so much for rent, oil, and candles. 
 Then there's so much for scenery and 
 dresses — a trifle for wear and tear. Then 
 there's so much left for you : take it, divide 
 it among yourselves — mind, all fair — and 
 thank God you've got it. Good-night !' 
 And thereupon the treasury closed, too 
 frequently on the poor players' aching- 
 hearts for their miserable pittance after so 
 much labour.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Adelphi — Yates's Company, 1836 — Kenneth's corner 
 Shop — ' Jim Crow ' Rice — Yates on the Hustings — 
 The Author's adaptation of 'Nicholas Nickleby' 
 —'Siege of Jerusalem' — Theatre Royal, Dublin — 
 Yates and the beautiful Laura Honey — Theodore 
 Hook's Bon-mot — A Baptist Minister quoting 
 Shakespeare- — Chester Theatre — ' Ten Thousand a 
 Year' — Letter from Buckstone — Gainsborough — 
 — Tom Robertson and the Beer Barrel — The 
 Author's Drama of the ' Demon Dwarf ' —The 
 Gnome Fly — Old Mrs. Baker (Canterbury Theatre, 
 1800) — Newcastle-under-Lyne — Havoc caused by 
 a Bull-dog — Hereford Race and Assize Week — 
 Leominster — Adelphi, 1841 — ' Tower of the Rhine ' 
 — Carles the Clown as an Undertaker's Mute — At 
 the White Lion, Kidderminster — False Alarm of 
 Fire — Mrs. Waylett and Alex. Lee — Lee's Duel 
 with the Author as Mrs. Waylett's champion. 
 
 At the Adelphi, in 1836, Yates collected a 
 company seldom if ever surpassed for
 
 90 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 talent, including T. P. Cooke, John 
 Reeve, Buckstone, O. Smith, Hemmings, 
 Wright, Lyon, Yates; Mrs. Yates, Mrs. 
 Fitzwilliam, Miss Fortescue, Mrs. Keeley, 
 Mrs. F. Mathews, Mrs. Stirling (E. 
 Stirling, Stage- Manager). Among our 
 novelties ranked a burlesque, styled 
 ' Quadrupeds,' — animals personated by 
 various bipeds. The Lion, John Reeve. 
 This transformation he objected to. 
 
 ' I won't wear a lion's skin, to make an 
 ass of myself, for love or money.' 
 
 He yielded to the latter temptation, 
 however, in the shape of an increased 
 salary. On one more condition the royal 
 beast consented to roar. 
 
 ' Mind, Fred, I must have a lioness.' 
 
 1836.— There was a corner shop, with 
 one window in Russell-street and the 
 other in Bond-street, filled with play- 
 books, bills, and portraits of favourite per-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 91 
 
 formers of that clay. Its proprietor 
 Kenneth, agent, and small edition of 
 gossiping Pepys, without his ' Diary.' 
 His shop lived and thrived on chit-chat 
 and gossip generally, liberally supplied by 
 both sexes of players, those in and those 
 out of engagements, who met at Kenneth's 
 corner to learn what was Qr inor on in their 
 mimic world, the stage. Authors, idlers, 
 critics (that would be), artists, assembled to 
 chatter and to buy small stationery (an 
 excuse for loitering). Every scandal, true 
 or false, found its way to the ' corner,' 
 nothing reduced or omitted, depend upon 
 it, by the carrying ; divorces (then a rare 
 luxury), elopements (frequent occurrences), 
 Gretna Green helping the runaways 
 vastly. Kenneth, an oracle in his 
 iashion, usually decided any difficult [joint 
 when hotly disputed, somewhat in the 
 style of Captain Cuttle's sailor friend, 
 Jack Bunsby, by simply saying nothing.
 
 92 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Money was made by agency and tittle- 
 tattle. Kenneth quitted the ' corner ' to 
 hatch chickens at Hammersmith, embark- 
 ing his capital in a bubble joint-stock 
 scheme, viz., to hatch chickens in ovens, 
 without hens. This failed ; eggs declined 
 to hatch ; shareholders had counted their 
 chickens before hatching. The result was 
 Basinghall-street for poor Kenneth, and 
 the 'corner' that had known him knew him 
 no more. 
 
 Jim Crow Rice, 1837, notable as the 
 first nigger singer and actor whom Brother 
 Jonathan introduced to us, long before 
 Christy, Dumbletons, or Moore and Bur- 
 gess thought of it. Rice appeared first at 
 the Surrey, where he drew large audiences. 
 He was let to Yates by Davidge for a con- 
 sideration, to appear in a piece written by 
 Leman Rede, called a ' Trip to New 
 York.' In this he introduced his cele- 
 brated song, 'Jim Crow.' This comical
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 effusion became the rage. Organs, street- 
 singers, concerts, were all 'Jump-Jim- 
 Crow ' mad. A massive silver snuff- 
 box being presented to Rice by Yates, 
 the latter asked Jim Crow ' for his 
 crest. 
 
 ' Same as " Spring Rice,"* to be sure, 
 was the reply. 
 
 Yates on the Hustings. Westminster 
 Election. — Yates voted for the Conserva- 
 tive candidate early in the morning to 
 escape recognition. But his precaution 
 was all in vain : the Covent Garden 
 porters, mob, etc., quickly espied their 
 favourite. 
 
 ' Halloa, Yates, voting for the Tory 
 against us ! Oh, oh !' 
 
 Yates bowed, placed his hand on his 
 bosom, vowed his heart was with them. 
 
 * The Rt. Hon. Spring Rice, then Chancellor of 
 the Exchequer.
 
 94 
 
 Old Drnry Lane. 
 
 1 Won't do ; vote for Liberty and Hunt!' 
 'Ladies and gentlemen' {Hear!). 'On 
 this joyous occasion pray be merciful — on 
 this my first appearance on a political 
 stage, and I promise you the last ! You 
 may return Old Nick if you like ; my 
 wish is ever to please my best supporters, 
 the people.' 
 
 (' Hurrah ! bravo ! give us "Jim CrowP") 
 
 In an instant Yates, to the immense 
 
 amusement of all and everybody, whistled 
 
 the tune and danced a breakdown round 
 
 the hustings, singing : 
 
 1 Wheel about, 
 Jump about, 
 Vote just so ; 
 Let your bobs 
 Be spent 
 On my Jim Crow.' 
 
 Thunders of applause, and encores, and 
 exit Fred down the steps from the boards 
 of Westminster's political stage.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 95 
 
 For the Adelphi Company I adapted 
 Dickens's 'Nicholas Nickleby' in 1838. 
 It was performed at that theatre for the 
 first time on November 19, 1838. The 
 piece had a long run, one hundred and 
 sixty nights. The following was the 
 original cast :* 
 
 * 'He (Dickens) had been able to sit through 
 Nickleby, and to see a merit in parts of the represen- 
 tation. Mr. Yates had a sufficiently humorous mean- 
 ing in his wildest extravagance, and Mr. O. Smith 
 could put into his queer angular oddities enough of a 
 hard dry pathos to conjure up shadows at least of 
 Mantalini and Newman Noggs. A quaint actor, 
 named Wilkinson, proved equal to the drollery, though 
 not to the fierce brutality of Squeers ; and even 
 Dickens, in the letter telling me of his visit to the 
 theatre, was able to praise " the skilful management 
 and dressing of the boys, the capital manner and 
 speech of Fanny Squeers, the dramatic representation 
 of her card-party in Squeers's parlour, the careful 
 making-up of all the people, and the exceedingly good 
 tableaux formed from Browne's sketches. Mrs. 
 Keeley's first appearance beside the fire, and all the 
 rest of Smike, was excellent." ' — Forster's Life of 
 Charles Dickens, Book II.. §4.
 
 9 6 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Ralph Nickleby . 
 
 Nicholas Nickleby 
 Newman Noggs 
 Mantalini 
 Squeers 
 
 SCALEY . 
 
 Smike . 
 John Browdie 
 Mrs. Nickleby 
 Kate Nickleby 
 Madame Mantalini 
 Miss Knagg . 
 Miss Squeers 
 Miss Price . 
 Mrs. Squeers 
 
 Cullenford. 
 . John Webster. 
 
 O. Smith. 
 
 Yates. 
 
 Wilkinson. 
 
 Sannders. 
 
 Mrs. Keeley. 
 
 H. Beverly. 
 . Miss O. Neil. 
 
 Miss Cotteril. 
 
 Miss Shaw. 
 
 Miss George. 
 
 Miss Gower. 
 
 Miss Grove. 
 . Mrs. Fosbroke. 
 
 A dramatic version of Tasso's ' Sie^e 
 of Jerusalem ' introduced a great man to 
 the English public, the ' Belgian Giant.' 
 Not very complimentary this to Italy's 
 great poet, to render him the vehicle for a 
 showman's ware.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 97 
 
 Dublin Theatre Royal. — Hither we 
 proceeded with our giant and a troupe 
 of performing monkeys. Yates loved ex- 
 tremes. ' Othello ' and the Giant and 
 Monkeys were honoured by a Vice-regal 
 command from Lord Ebrincrton. Doup-las 
 Jerrold always styled Yates ' Punch,' and 
 perhaps the term was not misapplied. Any- 
 thing to attract, from a tame elephant to a 
 gnome fly, nothing came amiss, to draw 
 the public, with Yates. He always strove 
 for three figures — a hundred pounds per 
 night. Yates, alive for attraction, especially 
 if it happened to be of the female gender, 
 lost his theatrical heart when the beautiful 
 Laura Honey appeared at the Adelphi ; 
 he was fairly caught in the siren's net. 
 The Marquis of Clanricarde gave a 
 bachelors' dinner-party, to which Yates, 
 with other celebrities, was invited. The 
 guests assembled, of whom the famous 
 wit, Theodore Hook, happened to be one ; 
 
 VOL. I. 7
 
 9§ Old Drury Lane. 
 
 and dinner served, the noble host, looking 
 
 round, missed Yates. 
 
 ' Not here ? where can the fellow be ?' 
 Hook : ' Pardon me, my lord, he's 
 
 studying Dr. Watts's well-known hymn : 
 
 ' " How doth the little busy bee 
 Improve each shining hour, 
 And gather Honey all the day 
 From every opening flower.' " 
 
 When the Adelphi magnate did arrive, 
 he was received with a hearty burst of 
 laughter. 
 
 Bristol, Avon-Side. — At a chapel I 
 heard a Baptist minister in his sermon 
 quote Shakespeare's ' Tempest ' verbatim, 
 illustrating the fallibility of all human and 
 worldly projects, by repeating the speech 
 of Prospero to Ferdinand : 
 
 ' The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, 
 The solemn temples, the great globe itself, 
 Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, 
 And, like this unsubstantial pageant faded, 
 Leave not a rack behind.'
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 99 
 
 Chester Theatre. — Adelphi Com- 
 pany. One performance, 'The Wreck 
 Ashore,' and my farce, ' Bachelors' Buttons. ' 
 O. Smith being ill, I doubled ' Grampus ' 
 and the ' Smuggler,' and Walter Barnard 
 (Lover) played the ttvo parts in duo voices ; 
 our discerning auditory never discovered 
 O. Smith's absence. 
 
 Warren's ' Ten Thousand a- Year.' — 
 Dramatised from his novel, by the author, 
 for the Adelphi. Buckstone, then in 
 America, wrote to Yates on the subject : 
 
 ' New York. 
 ' Dear Yates, 
 
 1 Here's a chance for you ! " Ten 
 Thousand a- Year" — take it at once ? What 
 a poster you'd make — red, blue, and white — 
 " Adelphi, every night ! Yates and Gam- 
 mon !" — with I can't tell the number of 
 notes of admiration ! Do it ! 
 
 4 Yours, 
 
 ' Bucky.' 
 7—2
 
 IOO 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 He did do it most successfully. 
 
 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. — Acting 
 with Robertson, father of Tom Robertson, 
 afterwards the distinguished author of 
 ' Caste' etc. On the arrival of Robertson 
 and his company about once in two years, 
 it was customary for the landlord of the 
 ' Bull Hotel ' to present him and his 
 numerous family with a large cask of home- 
 brewed ale for their Christmas enjoyment. 
 Old Mrs. Robertson, noticing that the 
 ale disappeared uncommonly fast, resolved 
 to watch Master Tom at the barrel (it was 
 his office to draw the ale for dinner and 
 supper). She found him drinking heartily. 
 An ingenious invention of the old lady's 
 stopped Master Tommy's indulgence. She 
 always waited at the top of the cellar-stairs, 
 and if she heard a pause, called out : 
 
 ' Whistle, Tommy, whistle !' 
 
 The poor lad was done. Many a mourn- 
 ful ditty answered grandmother's ' Whistle !'
 
 Old Drury Lane. 101 
 
 Gnome Fly, at Canterbury. — A drama, 
 the ' Demon Dwarf,' written by myself, 
 introduced this nondescript to the Kentish 
 metropolis. Our Fly proved a failure. 
 Nothing daunted, the little man, habited 
 as 'Napoleon' in grey coat, 'Marengo' 
 cocked-hat, mounted on a large grey horse, 
 paraded the streets. Folks wondered, 
 boys shouted ; to the cavalry barracks he 
 galloped, soliciting a ' bespeak ' for his (the 
 Fly's Benefit. Answer, ' No.' Napoleon's 
 cocked-hat could not rouse their military 
 ardour to part with coin. We quickly 
 returned to town in the Fly's cab, minus 
 expenses. 
 
 The Gnome Fly's next appearance was 
 at the Egyptian Hall, Piccadilly. Notices 
 had appeared in all the daily papers for 
 some weeks before, announcing a forth- 
 coming wonder (of natural history), and 
 posters had been stuck on every wall, with 
 this curious question, ' What is it 7 Here
 
 102 Old Dniry Lane. 
 
 was a real puzzle for the wonder-seeking 
 public ! Exhibition — large room — at one 
 end an iron cage kept dark. In this cage 
 could be seen a strange object, neither man 
 nor beast, crawling, jumping, and howling 
 frightfully ! Unearthly utterances came 
 from ' what-is-it's ' throat — a shaggy black 
 skin, claws, and a head like nothing seen 
 before or since. Crowds flocked to see 
 ' what-is-it ;' wise and simple paid their 
 shillings, with the same result, ' What is 
 it ?' At last, one fatal day, before a 
 crowded room, poor Hervio Nano, the 
 Fly, was caught by an envious spider (a 
 rival showman), w r ho, marching up to 
 ' what-is-it's ' den, called out, ' Now, Mr. 
 Harvey Leach, come out of your hole ; the 
 game's up. Ladies and gents, you're 
 paying to see an impostor. He's done 
 this here gammon in my travelling show 
 many a day years ago — first a wild wolf 
 then a H Iceland bear, or anything yer
 
 Old Drury Lane. 103 
 
 liked. He did me once, now I'm even with 
 him. Good-day.' And our Fly's evil genius 
 departed. Harry Leach's trick vanished 
 with him — his last show, alas ! in the 
 University Hospital, where he died penni- 
 less and friendless. 
 
 Canterbury Theatre, 1800. — Old Mrs. 
 Baker, manageress ; an excellent woman, 
 but totally uneducated. Her company — a 
 small one — played many parts (doubled). 
 The leading actor, staQfe-manaoer and 
 prompter, Mr. Gardener, one night 
 playing ' Hamlet,' forgot the words at 
 ' To be, or not to be.' — After a long pause 
 he imploringly pointed to the book, Mrs. 
 Baker standing by, whispering to her : 
 ' The word, the word.' 
 Mrs. Baker : 'What word, Jack ?' 
 Hamlet : ' I can't go on.' 
 Mrs. Baker : ' Come off, then." 
 Tragedian : ' The text, the text, woman.'
 
 104 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ' You fool, what's a text to do with play- 
 houses ? Here's the book ; take what you 
 want ;' — throwing the play at him. 
 
 Newcastle-under-Lyne. — ' Valsha,' 
 spectacle, Aclelphi company, preceded by a 
 farce, ' Day after the Wedding.' A cha- 
 racter, old Mrs. Davis, quitting her service, 
 takes leave of her mistress, loaded with 
 pets, birds, cat, parcels, and a dog. A 
 butcher in the town lent his ' Bob,' a bull- 
 dog, well-known to the boys. On being 
 introduced to the stage by a string held 
 by Mrs. Davis, not liking the lights, he 
 rushed forward, pulling the old body, 
 birds, cat, etc., down. ' Bob,' espying the 
 cat, sprang after her, upsetting everything. 
 Lady Freelove screamed, her husband ran 
 away, boys hurrah'd in the gallery ' Go it, 
 Bob,' whistling and encouraging him. Our 
 canine performer acknowledged their ap- 
 plause by wagging his tail, and barking at
 
 Old Drury Lane. 105 
 
 the band. They speedily fled, the curtain 
 descending to shouts of laughter, and ' Go 
 it, Bob !' 
 
 Hereford Race Week. — Country en 
 fete / Crowded houses assembled to wit- 
 ness our performances. Our party con- 
 sisted of Mrs. Waylett, the Leclerc family, 
 Wright, Paul Bedford, Alexander Lee and 
 myself. Assize Week followed. Serjeant 
 (afterwards Judge) Talfourd helped us 
 greatly. The bar, witnesses, plaintiffs, and 
 defendants, impartially patronised us. Gar- 
 rick, be it remembered, was born at 
 Hereford. 
 
 Leominster, Herefordshire. — Arrivine 
 late in the evening at dark, I had to play in 
 the after-piece. Our coach from London 
 stopped at the ' Crown Inn.' Inquiring of 
 the landlady my way to the theatre, she 
 asked if I had been in the town before ? 
 My reply, 'No.'
 
 106 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ' Then, sir, you would never find our 
 tumble-down old theatre ; it is in a bye- 
 lane up a stable-yard.' Ringing a bell, the 
 ostler appears. ' Light your lantern, Jim, 
 and show this gentleman the way to the 
 playhouse.' 
 
 ' I wool, missus. Muster Cowper's 
 players begins to-night.' 
 
 Aided by the friendly lantern, I reached 
 ' Muster ' Cowper's theatre in time to play 
 in a farce, ' Murder and Mystery.' Ostler 
 Jim insisted on waiting to see me back to 
 the ' Crown.' In this hole of a building, 
 Lord Foley, Sir Edward Standish, and 
 Earl Somers gave bespeaks and patronage. 
 
 Adelphi, i 84 i. — ' The Rhine,' imported 
 by the aid of a Tank and New-River pipes, 
 from Germany to the ' Strand.' ' An- 
 nouncement : ' Real water. The Rhine 
 flows into the Adelphi every night at eight 
 o'clock.' In the bills a German title, trans-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 107 
 
 lated into English, ' Tower of the Rhine! 
 A rapid river calm as a duck-pond ; 
 a frowning castle perched on a steep 
 rock ; the home of one of those terrible 
 robber- knights that in the good old days in- 
 fested the Rhine, subsisting on the plunder 
 and murder of unhappy wayfarers. Drama 
 written expressly for the Tank (a la 
 ' Crummies Pump' in 'Nicholas Nickleby'). 
 Plot short and easily followed. Love, 
 travelling out of the right path, the conse- 
 quence of a too familiar servitor, pitched 
 into the ' Rhine ' (by moonlight, of course, 
 for effect) — splashing and kicking in the 
 water, to let the audience see that it was no 
 sham ! Sometimes the spray reached the 
 Pittites. A faithful friend jumps into the 
 river to rescue the page ; two awful-looking 
 guards throw themselves headlong into the 
 troubled waters to drown the two first 
 plungers. A desperate struggle ensues in 
 the water, to the amazement and delight of
 
 ioS 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 gallery, pit, and boxes. The bereaved 
 daughter stabs her cruel papa. The page 
 climbs to her bower window, having 
 drowned the pursuers who would have 
 drowned him if they could. Beautiful 
 tableau of the lovers seen fondly em- 
 bracing on the castle battlements. Moon 
 beams full on their happy faces. 
 
 Lady Brougham came to see this water- 
 wonder. Her husband followed her lady- 
 ship ; just after the water-fight, entering 
 the stage-door to cross to his box, he nearly 
 walked into the tank. Starting back, the 
 Lord Chancellor made use of a naughty 
 
 word — ' No, d if I do ! tell Lady 
 
 Brougham 1 came. (To coachmaii) Drive 
 home !' 
 
 Adelphi Theatrical Mute. — Thrown 
 out of his pantomimic employment by 
 bad times, Carles tried many callings 
 without effect ; poverty clung to him. A
 
 Old Drury Lane. 109 
 
 friendly undertaker offered him an opening 
 in the ' mute' line. This was thankfully 
 accepted by our friend Motley. His first 
 black job happened to be a funeral in 
 Clerkenwell, at a baker's, on a cold snowy 
 morning. After a slender breakfast, Carles 
 and a regular mourner mounted o-uard at 
 the baker's door. After an hour's duty, 
 Carles, growing desperately cold and 
 hungry, rang the baker's bell. Down 
 came a servant-girl. 
 
 < Well !' 
 
 ' Good luck to you ; give us a drop of 
 something hot, my dear.' 
 
 'Well, I'm sure, here's imperance^ slam- 
 ming the door in our ci-devant clown's 
 face. 
 
 Presently out came the baker himself in 
 a towering passion. 
 
 ' Which of you chaps asked my girl 
 for ' 
 
 1 A drop of some'at hot ? I did, guvnor;
 
 no Old Drury Lane. 
 
 try how you like standing here, nursing 
 this black thing,' holding up the crape 
 staff. 
 
 Slam goes the door again. Driven to 
 despair, to divert his mind he whistled 
 ' Tippit-te-witch-it/ doing a bit of break- 
 down. This attracted the notice of an 
 errand-boy ; in an instant he recognised our 
 Adelphi clown. 
 
 ' Oh, crikey ! here's Carles playing a 
 mute.' 
 
 ' Go away, there's a good boy. I'm 
 somebody else now.' 
 
 Not a step did the urchin budge, but 
 laughingly called out for a tumble. Others 
 gathered round the terrified mute. The 
 fun increased ; loud applause and shouts of 
 ' Bravo, Harry !' Carles took to his heels, 
 followed by his tormentors, leaving the 
 baker to bury his better-half himself. 
 
 Acting at the White Lion, Kidder-
 
 Old Drury Lane. in 
 
 minster. — Mrs. Waylett, Wright, Bedford, 
 Lee and myself played to good audiences 
 in the assembly-room. One night, after 
 the performance, an alarm of fire awoke 
 the 'Lion' and its 'cubs,' brin^inc: all the 
 terrified inmates out in their nicdit-crear — 
 men, women and children. Paul Bedford 
 rushed out with a water-bottle ; Wright 
 tumbled literally downstairs ; Mrs. Waylett 
 fainted in Lee's arms ; her old aunt tried to 
 perform the same experiment in mine, but 
 I ungallantly let her drop. The confusion 
 and terror reached fever-heat. What was 
 it all about ? Nothing. It proved to be 
 after all a false alarm. The night porter 
 had dropped asleep ; one of the com- 
 mercial 'gents,' finding himself shut out, very 
 naturally knocked and rang to obtain ad- 
 mission, and failing in this he tried crying 
 ' Fire !' at the top of his voice, and so suc- 
 ceeded at last in rousing the porter and 
 the house.
 
 ii2 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Stratford-on-Avox. — Pretty theatre in 
 the ' Falcon ' Garden. We did well here 
 for two nights. 
 
 Warwick Race Week. — A seedy neg- 
 lected theatre, evidently seldom used. 
 With our entertainments, it proved attrac- 
 tive. A silly fracas was caused by Mrs. 
 Waylett's name not being printed large 
 enough in the bills. I was the culprit, and 
 Lee, her champion, challenged me to fight a 
 duel. By Wright's persuasion I accepted 
 the challenge. Paul Bedford was Lee's 
 second, and Wright mine. Pistols were 
 borrowed, but not loaded. Paul asked Lee 
 to make his will before he went on the 
 ground — a marshy field in the outskirts of 
 the town. We met at six o'clock in the 
 morning. The ground having been mea- 
 sured and our places taken, Wright gave 
 the signal to fire. Bang went the powder — 
 down fell both our seconds as if mortally
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 113 
 
 wounded. This caused a hearty laugh, a 
 general shaking of hands, immediate return 
 to Warwick, and a jolly breakfast at the 
 combatants' expense. 
 
 vol. 1. 
 
 8
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Worcester — Manager Bennett — Mrs. Gummage — The 
 Jackmans at Northampton — Clarionet Band, War- 
 wick — Macready and the Mop — The ' Custos 
 Morum ' of Romford— Walmer— The Duke's Head- 
 Gardener — Sheridan Knowles — Letter from him 
 to the Author— The Owls' Nest— The Cheap Jack 
 and the Plush Waistcoat — Curious Instance of 
 absence of mind — Miss Sarah Cushman — The 
 real and the sham Sailors. 
 
 Worcester, Manager Bennett. — This 
 versatile man did everything- himself, 
 assisted by an old party styled Mrs. Gum- 
 mage, never seen in summer or winter with- 
 out pattens. Bennett commenced theatrical 
 life with a puppet-show — saved upon that ; 
 started a theatre ; acted all the best parts 
 himself, in Worcester, Coventry, Shrews-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 115 
 
 bury, etc., and prospered. His travelling- 
 boxes formed city and castle walls (painted 
 stone) ; chairs became stools by removing 
 their backs ; helmets, canvas folded up, and 
 a cork put in the crown for feathers to stick 
 in. Every property corresponded in its 
 double or treble utility. If by chance 
 Bennett employed a scene-painter (a rare 
 chance it was), he filled up the artist's 
 leisure hours at his own dwellingf. Tables 
 were transmogrified into highly-coloured 
 flower-beds; cupboards, cornices, etc., by the 
 painter's skill became iron safes or jewelled 
 caskets, and ceilings azure blue covered 
 with roses. Illustrations from Shakespeare, 
 history, and the ' Pilgrim's Progress,' 
 adorned the walls of every chamber. But 
 his kitchen was the masterpiece of artful 
 deception — sides of bacon, hams, hung 
 beef, danofled, (Tarnishing the walls. One 
 room, sacred to privacy, he named Temple 
 of Venus. Two old ladies (the Misses 
 
 8—2
 
 n6 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 James) presided over this pictorial abode, 
 utilising their evenings by taking money at 
 the theatre; Mrs. Gummage attending to 
 the lights (oil-lamps), and keeping an eye 
 on noisy half-price boys, etc. In the day- 
 time she cooked and cleaned up at home. 
 Old ' Gummy ' was a special favourite with 
 gallery customers : Bennett's band — a 
 leader, violin, French horn, drum — all the 
 rest young shopmen leaving early to play. 
 This naturally produced discord ; they 
 never played at follow my leader. Bennett 
 dressed splendidly by day, workman-like 
 by night, always avoiding the principal 
 streets on his way to the theatre. He 
 died a churchwarden, respected and rich ! 
 
 Northampton, 1827. — All the players 
 but two were ' Jackmans.' The family 
 wrote plays, acted the best parts, delivered 
 bills, painted scenery, in fact did all and 
 everything. Jackman pcre played principal 
 characters, to the great delight of the fol-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 1 1 7 
 
 lowers of St. Crispin ; Northampton's staple 
 being shoemaking. In 'Jobson and Nell' 
 (a cobbler and his wife), when Jobson beat 
 his turbulent wife with his strap, the 
 ' gods ' in the gallery applauded approv- 
 ingly; it touched their feelings in reality. 
 On one occasion, Cobbler Jobson had for- 
 gotten his strap, Nell's tongue going nine- 
 teen to the dozen ; a long pause. An 
 observant cordwainer jumped up in the 
 gallery, calling out : 
 
 ' Here, Master Jackman, take mine ; 
 leather her with this ' {throwing a strap on 
 the stage). 
 
 Clarionet Band, Warwick. — Assize 
 week, London company. When we arrived, 
 all the musicians were engaged — for balls, 
 fetes, etc. ; not a fiddle to be had ; what 
 could be done ? I was helped out of this 
 dilemma by a friendly citizen suggesting 
 a blind clarionet-player, living in the town,
 
 1 1 8 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 and known as 'Wandering Bob.' Forth- 
 with I availed myself of Bob's services, 
 and placed him in the orchestra. He 
 played on his cracked instrument right 
 heartily, blowing away irrespective of the 
 actors' dialogue, to the profound gratifica- 
 tion of our visitors. Many gentlemen of 
 the bar came after dinner to see some of 
 their London favourites, Mdlle. Jenny 
 Prosper, a French actress, one of the 
 number ; her pretty songs ' Bob ' ac- 
 companied willy-nilly with ' Wapping Old 
 Stairs,' ' Sally in Our Alley,' making his 
 old clarionet screech again. This set 
 Oueen's Counsel and learned barristers 
 mad with laughter ; cruelly they insisted 
 on an encore ; then ' Bob' struck up ' The 
 Roast Beef of Old England.' I had some 
 excellent dancers in my troupe, totally use- 
 less without music ; Bob supplied this 
 loss by ' Twenty-four Tailors all in a Row.' 
 Soliciting a 'bespeak' from the judge, Sir
 
 Old Drury Lane. 119 
 
 James Parke, and the Bar, Mr. Chandos 
 Leigh, the High Sheriff, kindly asked Sir 
 James, promising on my part an efficient 
 band from Birmingham. 
 
 ' No, no, Leigh,' laughing, said Sir 
 James ; ' we'll have nothing but " Bob " 
 and his clarionet. I've heard all about it ; 
 capital fun.' 
 
 On the night of ' bespeak,' blind Bob 
 outdid himself, to the uproarious merriment 
 of a crowded house, the learned judge in- 
 cluded. 
 
 Macready and the Mop, Nottingham. 
 — The eminent tragedian opened in 
 ' Lear ;' our property-man received his 
 plot for the play in the usual manner, a 
 map being required among the many 
 articles (map highly necessary for Lear to 
 divide his kingdom). The property-man 
 being illiterate, read ' mop ' for ' map.' 
 At night the tragedy commences; Macready
 
 1 20 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 in full state on his throne calls for his map, 
 a ' super ' noble, kneeling, presents the 
 aged king a white curly mop. The 
 astounded actor rushed off the stage, 
 dragging the unfortunate nobleman and 
 his mop with him, actors and audience wild 
 with delight. 
 
 Romford, Essex. — Applying to a local 
 magistrate for permission to perform a few 
 nights in the Town Hall during a London 
 vacation, the ruling Dogberry met my 
 humble request in this fashion : 
 
 ' What, sir ! bring your beggarly actors 
 into this town to demoralise the people ? 
 No, sir ; I'll have no such profligacy in 
 Romford : poor people shall not be wheedled 
 out of their money by your tomfooleries. 
 The first player that comes here I'll clap 
 him in the stocks as a rogue and vagabond. 
 Good-morning-, sir,' motioning his servant 
 to usher me out.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 121 
 
 Essex always had a reputation for pro- 
 ducing ' calves ;' here I found one to my 
 heart's content. 
 
 Walmer Assembly Room. Wellington, 
 Lord Warden. — W T almer Castle was a 
 favourite residence of the great Duke's ; 
 it was there that he died. I wanted his 
 patronage, which an introduction from 
 Lord William Lennox would have secured. 
 Unfortunately the Duke was in London. 
 The gate-keeper — an old Coldstream 
 Guardsman — kindly asked me to sit down 
 in his ' natty ' lodge. We had a chat, the 
 soldier telling: me how he came there as 
 head-gardener and gate-keeper. When 
 the Duke became Lord Warden, he pro- 
 posed the situation to the Guardsman, a 
 favourite. Sergeant Adams bluntly told 
 his Grace : 
 
 ' I can't take it ; don't know a rose from 
 a cabbage — never was in a garden.'
 
 122 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 'What's that to do with it, man?' re- 
 plied Wellington ; ' you can get some one to 
 help you that does understand it — do it.' 
 
 The sergeant did, and a jolly life he 
 found it — living in clover, well paid by 
 visitors' offerings and q-ood wa^es. 
 
 Dover. — Charles Kean, William Farren, 
 business good. Sheridan Knowles played 
 in his own 'William Tell/ Jolly Sheridan 
 was the essence of good-humour and wit ; 
 his sole weakness was the amiable one of 
 an attachment to an extra festive qlass or 
 two. He occupied numerous chairs at 
 merry meetings, clubs named after various 
 fishes, beasts, and fowls of the air. Among 
 the number one called ' The Owls,' held 
 at the ' Falstaff,' opposite Drury Lane 
 Theatre. I, for a time, at his suggestion, 
 perched in the Owls' nest. 
 
 The following is a reminder which 
 Knowles sent me of an Owls' qatherinor :
 
 Old Drury Lane. 12 
 
 o 
 
 1 Dear Stirling, 
 
 'Come to our Nest next Tuesday; 
 I shall mount my perch at nine sharp. All 
 our old Owls and several unfledged 
 Owlets will be there. Jolly whooping, 
 and woo-woo-ing, depend. Did you get 
 my father's dictionary ? I left it at the 
 Adelphi for you. Dad's work is well done 
 and cheap — six shillings and sixpence. 
 Remember Tuesday ; " we lly by night." 
 ' Yours, my boy, truly, 
 
 ' Sheridan Knowles. 
 
 'Owl's Nest, Anno Domini, 1847. 
 
 ' P.S. — Nine, Tuesday — woo-woo.' 
 
 Sheffield F ai r W e e k. — i\ 1 y n a m e 
 announced at the Prince's Theatre, to act 
 in my own pieces, ' Rag-Picker of Paris,' 
 ' Raby Ratler,' etc. When I arrived in 
 the Cutlers' town, I found the Prince's 
 closed, and the manager flown. Strolling
 
 124 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 through the fair — a very Babel of sounds 
 unearthly — I came upon a pitch of cheap- 
 Jacks and their wares displayed in a line 
 of carts, forming a small street. Jacks 
 and Gills, eloquent and pressing, gave 
 articles away, so they led one to infer — 
 ' saws that could work without hands,' so 
 sharp were they. One buxom seller of the 
 fair sex informed us that their teeth, when 
 used up, would supply our dental defects 
 in old age. One sharp Jack dealt largely 
 in tailoring-cords, navvies' jackets, colliers' 
 frocks— nothing but the very best West-of- 
 Enoland cloth and London fashion. He, 
 Jack, dealt only in nobleman's misfits, hard- 
 up swells' ' toggery ' his chief attraction. 
 Among other wonders of his stock-in-trade 
 was a large yellow plush waistcoat, with 
 double rows of mother-of-pearl buttons, large 
 as crown-pieces. Holding this startling 
 vest up aloft with a triumphant cry : 
 
 'Here! here! here! Lads, look at it;
 
 Old Drury Lane. 125 
 
 don't it make your two eyes water ?' — 
 {turning it round) — ' here — look inside, 
 outside, all sides — here's workmanship, 
 good as Rodgers's best cutlery — a stunner 
 — real silk-plush, yellerer than a new guinea! 
 — pearls, thick as plums in a pudden — cool 
 in summer, save blankets in winter ! Why, 
 the ugliest chap in the fair would look 
 'ansom' in it — all the gals 'ud run arter 
 this waistcoat ; it's iroinor f or nothing, or 
 next door to it. When you're done with 
 it, cut it up for your first lad's Sunday 
 breeches' (loudshotiting). 'Ah, that tickled 
 you, did it ? Who'll have it ? ' (A hun- 
 dred voices : '/,/,/ /') ' Stop a bit, it 
 won't fit you all — going, going for a pound.' 
 (' Oh, oh, ohP from the mob). ' Oh, oh ! 
 that's too little — eh, lads ? Nineteen — 
 eighteen — seventeen — sixteen — fifteen — 
 fourteen shillings. Will that do for you ? 
 Come,saytenbobandakick'- — (sixpence) — 
 {a pause). ' No bid ? — come, I'll let you into
 
 126 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 a secret. This 'ere waistcoat was made 
 for Prince Halbert himself — {crowd laugh). 
 ' My first cousin, a tailor up in Lunnon, 
 made it to the prince's horder ; took it 
 home to Windsor Castle late one Saturday 
 night, knowing Royal Halbert wanted it to 
 go to church with next day, Sunday, with 
 the Oueen — bless her ! Dick orot down 
 late from Lunnon ; Halbert was in bed ; 
 none of the riyal servants diist wake him. 
 " Leave it," says Johnny. " Valker !" says 
 Dick. Eack he walked with the garment 
 like a fool ; and he sold it to me a bargain. 
 Won't you 'ave Prince Halbert's own ? — 
 ten — nine — eight — seven-and-sixpence — 
 no less. Say six bob. No bidders ? I'll 
 sarve you all out — wear it myself. Mother ' 
 {to his wife) ' bring 'em out some files — 
 they're deep enough !' 
 
 Macready's Farewell, Brighton. — 
 'Macbeth.' I acted in the last piece, my
 
 Old Drury Lane. 127 
 
 writing — 'Anchor of Hope' — or rather 
 ought to have done so ; but, strolling on the 
 beach, I forgot the time. A farce was sub- 
 stituted, and I was politely told to go. 
 
 Miss Sarah Cushman (American 
 actress) played with me at the Surrey in 
 the part of Romeo; I played Mercutio; and 
 her sister, Juliet. She was descended from 
 Robert Cushman, one of the Pilorim 
 Fathers, who landed from the May Flower 
 at Boston. Sarah Cushman was a native 
 of Boston, where she was born in 18 16. 
 Her American career had been brilliant ; 
 for years she was admitted to be the lead- 
 ing native actress. She offered her services 
 to me at Covent Garden for eight pounds 
 per week, to open in ' Fazio,' as Bianca. 
 This modest proposal Laurent, the 
 manager, refused, and Miss Cushman 
 found a home at the Princess's. Maddox 
 gave her twenty pounds a week, and
 
 128 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 cleared five thousand pounds by her 
 talent. She retired on an ample fortune ; 
 dying in America, regretted and admired 
 by all who knew her. 
 
 Liverpool Amphitheatre, forty-five years 
 ago. — Playing a popular drama, entitled 
 ' El Hyder, Chief of the Gaunt Mountains,' 
 a famous old Cobourg favourite, written by 
 W. Barrymore ; my role a British tar, 
 one of the old school, who only had to 
 look at a Frenchman on the stage to 
 frighten him into fits. Turks or niQ-orers 
 collapsed at the very sound of his 
 ' Shiver my timbers !' ' Britons never will 
 be slaves !' or ' Come on, you lubbers !' 
 Tom encounters a party of the enemy in 
 a rocky defile ; nothing daunted, at them 
 he goes ; a desperate combat of eight — 
 seven to one ; awful struggle ! yet, strange 
 to relate, no one appeared killed or 
 wounded. During the mclce, a. real sailor,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 129 
 
 half-seas-over, slid down the gallery and 
 box pillars, jumped into the circus, climb- 
 ing over double-basses, fiddlers, French 
 horns, and reached the scene of action on 
 the stage, placing himself by my side, 
 threw down his jacket, calling out, ' Mess- 
 mate, I'll stand by you ; seven to one ain't 
 fair noways. Pour a broadside into the 
 blackamoor lubbers. Hurrah!' he knocked 
 two down, the others wisely taking to their 
 heels. Cheered by the house, Jack Tar 
 No. 1 left the boards with Jack Tar No. 2, 
 glad to get rid of him. 
 
 vol. 1.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Madame Sala and the Duke of Wellington — Manager 
 Maddox and 'Wild Ducks' — Mark Lemon and 
 Punch — Moncrieff's ' Cataract of the Ganges ' — 
 Worthing — Thornton — George III. and his 
 favourite actor, Cobham — Comical vagaries of 
 Archer, an actor — The Worthing ' Figaro ' and 
 the Scholars of Dotheboys Hall — With Robertson 
 at Leicester and Sheffield — Tom Robertson — Two 
 letters from T. W. R. — Ingenious ruse of Huntley 
 May, a Hibernian manager — A Fete interrupted by 
 the falling-in of the Roof — Jeannette and Jeannot 
 — Haynes Bayley, his Musical Comedietta ' Light 
 as Air ' — His letter to the Author. 
 
 Madame Sala and the Duke of Welling- 
 ton. — Madame Sala, an excellent singer 
 and teacher of music, had been engaged to 
 teach the Ladies Pierrepont, nieces to the 
 great Duke. A long lesson, given on a 
 very hot July day, exhausted Madame so
 
 Old Drury Lane. 131 
 
 much that she was compelled to hurry into 
 a tavern in Brook-street, on her way home, 
 to take a glass of ale. Leaving the house 
 hastily, she ran against Wellington, who was 
 passing : dreadfully alarmed, she exclaimed : 
 
 1 Your Grace, I know you saw me come 
 out, but I could not help it, upon my word : 
 I was so thirsty.' 
 
 The Duke, smiling : 'My dear madame, 
 if I had been in your position, I should 
 have done the same; quite right. Good- 
 mornine, madame.' 
 
 J t>> 
 
 Manager Maddox and 'Wild Ducks.' — 
 ' Wild Ducks,' a farce of my writing, was 
 offered to the shrewd director of the Prin- 
 cess's. Having read it — ' Well, my boy, 
 what's the price ? — mind, a low figure.' My 
 rejoinder : ' What will you give ?' Manager: 
 1 Five pounds — no — well, six !' ' Can't take 
 it, sir.' ' Seven — pay you at once, mind/ 
 ' It is worth much more,' thanking him for 
 
 9—2
 
 132 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 his offer, and preparing to quit his room. 
 1 Stop, I'll give eight pounds — not a farthing 
 more.' ' Good-day, sir ; I must try another 
 market for my Ducks.' ' What ! refuse 
 ready money ? why you must be a Roths- 
 child. Keep your Ducks, if you won't have 
 my stuffing. Good-day.''" 
 
 Mark Lemon, editor oi Punch, was a clever 
 author and a kindly man. The idea of this 
 world-renowned periodical emanated from 
 Douglas Jerrold. He wrote and pub- 
 lished three numbers of a halfpenny Punch, 
 during the time that he worked at Dun- 
 combe's Printing Office, Queen-street, 
 
 * Maddox was much addicted to wearing jewellery 
 and fine clothes, and paid special attention to his 
 shining boots. An actor in his company eclipsed 
 him in polish : this vexed Maddox. What could be 
 the secret ? Resolved to discover it, he searched the 
 dressing-room. In the actor's place, he found a bottle 
 of patent polish. Delighted Maddox : — ' This is it, 
 eh ? Wasteful extravagance ! he gets too much salary. 
 I'll stop it ' — polishing his own boots. ' There, I've 
 saved twopence to-day, and reduced a salary.'
 
 Old Drury Lane. 133 
 
 Holborn. But the venture was unsuccess- 
 ful for the nonce. The first staff of Punch, 
 when at last it was fairly started, consisted 
 of Mark Lemon, Gilbert Abbott a-Beckett, 
 Stirling Coyne, Douglas Jerrold, Landells 
 (a printer and wood-engraver), and Horace 
 'Mayhew. These were the original pro- 
 jectors of Punch, and they were speedily 
 reinforced by Albert Smith, Leech, Doyle, 
 Thackeray, and others. Mark Lemon's 
 first start in life was with an uncle of his, a 
 brewer. Disliking business, however, he 
 tried his hand at dramatic composition, his 
 first venture being a piece called ' The 
 Avenger,' produced with my version of 
 ' Pickwick ' at a new Theatre in Norton 
 Folgate, Bishopsgate-street, in the City of 
 London, on the opening night, April 27th, 
 1837. Encouraged by success, Mark's 
 pen furnished pieces to all the best London 
 theatres for many years. Marrying Miss 
 Romer, an actress, he settled down in the
 
 i34 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ' Shakespeare's Head,' a tavern in Wych- 
 street. Strand. This became head-quar- 
 ters for poets, players, painters, and press- 
 men — a rare assemblage of wit and humour 
 met in good fellowship nightly at the 
 ' Shakespeare's Head.' Mark's bland man- 
 ner and hearty welcome to all comers made* 
 his house popular ; money realised by his 
 connexion with Punch enabled him to quit 
 business and devote himself entirely to 
 literature. With Dickens he carried the 
 ' Art Guild ' prosperously through, although 
 its object failed in spite of its being aided 
 by such men as Lord Lytton, Dickens, 
 Lemon, John Forster, Wilkie Collins, Jer- 
 rold, F. Yates, and Hood. His Lectures on 
 Falstaff ; London; Acting — were all more or 
 less clever and attractive. One of his most 
 telling pieces was originally played at the 
 Olympic, ' The Ladies Club :' the chair oc- 
 cupied by Mrs. Glover — the members, a 
 bevy of well-known actresses. Lemon died
 
 Old Drury Lane. 135 
 
 in harness, his active brain could not rust in 
 idleness. The 'Shakespeare's Head' stood 
 near those famous ^Elizabethan taverns — 
 the ' Devil,' and the ' Mermaid.' Shake- 
 speare, Ben Jonson, Herrick, Sir Walter 
 Raleigh, the Earls of Essex and South- 
 ampton, Greene, Marlowe, Burbage, 
 Spenser, Peele, and a host of actors, wits, 
 and poets, met to enjoy a social glass, and 
 to taste Raleigh's newly-imported Virginia 
 weed, brought by him from far over seas. 
 Our early navigators were boon com- 
 panions at these jolly meetings held in the 
 street of ' Flete ;' Drake, Gilbert, Fro- 
 bisher, with tales of storm and wreck, 
 Spanish towns sacked, fleets destroyed, 
 pouches well-filled with Spanish dollars of 
 the ' Don,' to be spent in good fellowship 
 at the ' Mermaid,' or with the ' Devil.' 
 
 Cataract of the Ganges, Drury Lank. — 
 Produced by Elliston, written by Moncrieff,
 
 136 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 touched up by Reynolds ; finally George 
 Colman had a finger in the pie. Moncrieff 
 was greatly vexed with this interference. 
 Some one addressing him at a rehearsal as 
 Mr. Moncrieff, he angrily replied : 
 
 1 My name is not Moncrieff, sir ; I am 
 Susannah between the two elders.' 
 
 Worthing, Sussex, 1843. — A highly- 
 proper seaside resort was quiet Worthing, 
 renowned for dulness, health, and rigid 
 propriety. Loose fish found little en- 
 couragement here. Bijou Theatre ; owner, 
 a justice of the peace, 'with eyes severe 
 and beard of formal cut,' — Thornton, a self- 
 raised man by marriage ; his plastic tongue 
 wooed and won an ancient widow, titled 
 and rich, no children ; thus a poor country 
 manager drew a prize in the matrimonial 
 lottery — Motley became a rich man. In 
 Richard Thornton's early days King 
 George III. patronised him liberally
 
 Old Drury Lane. 137 
 
 at Windsor ; the good-natured monarch 
 delighted in plays, frequently selecting his 
 favourites in the Windsor Theatre to play 
 particular characters. Cobham ranked 
 high in royal estimation : a capital per- 
 former in everything, a good singer and 
 an expert dancer. If his name happened 
 to be out of the bill, Thornton was sent 
 for to the Castle. 
 
 King : ' Eh, eh, Thornton ! how, how is 
 this ? Why leave Cobham out ?' 
 
 Manager: 'Your Majesty, there is 
 nothing in the piece for Mr. Cobham 
 to do.' 
 
 George: ' Nothing to do, man? Here's 
 an old woman, let him do that ; must have 
 him in when I come. Yes, yes ' — laugh- 
 ing — 'ha, ha ! he'll look well in petticoats ; 
 ha, ha! Charlotte' [the queen] will enjoy 
 it too, yes.' 
 
 On another occasion, ' Rosina,' a ballad 
 opera, was selected by the king. The lady
 
 138 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 vocalist was suddenly taken ill. What was 
 to be done ? George a^ain settled the 
 difficulty. 
 
 ' Cobham — let him sinsr the music at the 
 wing. I can always hear him.' 
 
 It was so : a lady spoke the words, Cob- 
 ham sang the music, every note, the king 
 encoring and laughing heartily. 
 
 I took the Worthing Theatre for six 
 weeks for Henry Spicer, and engaged a 
 good company, Archer of Drury Lane 
 being the leading man. Unfortunately he 
 drank too much. He sent his wife and 
 children on in advance to ' pickle ' them- 
 selves (such was his expression), a week 
 before he came. Archer's pockets were 
 ever scantily filled with coin ; when he 
 reached Brighton, per rail, the supplies 
 were exhausted, and the poor player had 
 to trudge on to Worthing under a burning 
 hot sun and along dusty roads ; add to
 
 Old Drury Lane. 139 
 
 this a large brown-paper parcel, containing 
 his ' props ' (wigs, collars, boots, etc.). He 
 had lost his wife's address, and to crown 
 his troubles, all the public-houses were 
 closed. His first misadventure was at a 
 turnpike, two or three miles from Worthing. 
 Hearing a loud knocking and bawling, the 
 pike-man, rushing out, asked him what he 
 wanted. 
 
 ' My wife, kids, and a drink. 
 
 The indignant and irate gate-keeper 
 slammed the door in his face, muttering 
 ' Fool !' as he did so. To make matters 
 worse, down went his 'props,' bursting their 
 paper covering. Swearing, stuffing his 
 wigs, tights, etc., in his pockets, our un- 
 fortunate actor resumed his way. It was 
 church-time, and everything was quiet ; not 
 a soul was to be seen in the streets. Tom 
 found himself in an open space, under a 
 large lamp, mounted on steps, just opposite 
 a church. He sat down grumblingf. de-
 
 140 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ploring his lost family, and by degrees 
 dropped into a doze. With his 'props' 
 peeping out of their hiding-places, he 
 presented a somewhat startling figure. 
 Service over, the square was filled with 
 worshippers returning homewards. The 
 noise awoke Archer. Up he sprang, and ad- 
 dressed the astonished people as follows : 
 
 ' Romans, countrymen, and lovers, don't 
 stare ; I'm Tom Archer, from Drury 
 Lane, come here to astonish you. See 
 me act hump-backed Dick. Where's my 
 wife, partner of all my joys ? Let me 
 catch her, lewd minx. Lend me a horse, 
 I'll ride to ' 
 
 A crowd surrounded the madman, a 
 constable was sent for, and Archer shut up 
 with his 'props' in the lock-up, protesting by 
 Magna Charta, and all the Acts of Parlia- 
 ment, that he would ruin Worthing for 
 this. Thornton, the local magistrate, 
 liberated him with a caution to mind here-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 141 
 
 after what he was about ; and Mrs. Archer 
 led him home pacified, his 'props ' included. 
 
 For my benefit 'Nicholas Nickleby ' was 
 announced. Without the 'Dotheboys-Hall ' 
 scholars, this performance could not, how- 
 ever, take place. And here was the 
 awkward dilemma. Worthing mothers of 
 the poorer class did not countenance play- 
 acting, believing Old Nick to be in some 
 way connected with it. A local Figaro 
 helped me out of my difficulty. This pro- 
 fessor of the razor did a bit of most things 
 at his odd and leisure moments. He was 
 a performer on the French horn, a 
 bird-fancier, newsvendor, corn-cutter — 
 heaven knows what besides — a regular 
 Caleb Ouotem, in short. " I'll get you 
 fifty, sir, never fear.' And he was as 
 good as his word. Lured from the by- 
 streets and alleys by his horn, like the 
 children in the ' Pied Piper of Hamelin,
 
 14 2 Old Drttry Lane. 
 
 the small fry followed him to the theatre 
 yard ; once there, Figaro closed the gates 
 upon Mr. Squeers's pupils. Amidst crying 
 and moaning they were placed on the 
 stage, sitting on benches, and kept in 
 order by Figaro's cane — poor children, 
 completely bewildered. When the treacle 
 was administered, most of them cried. 
 This delighted the audience, thinking it 
 so natural (so it was). At nine o'clock, 
 the act over, our cruel barber threw open 
 the gates, driving his flock out, with a 
 pleasant intimation of what they would 
 catch when they arrived home. Mothers, 
 fathers, sisters, in wild disorder, had been 
 scouring the town for their runaways, and 
 the police were completely puzzled, and at 
 their wits' end, at such a wholesale kid- 
 napping. Figaro was nearly torn to pieces 
 when the ruse was discovered. 
 
 With Robertson at Leicester and Shef-
 
 Old Drury Lane. /143 
 
 field I played in my own pieces, ' The 
 Ragpicker of Paris/ and ' The Wandering 
 Jew.' At Sheffield my benefit was to be 
 half the receipts of the night. Mrs. 
 Robertson kindly invited me one evening 
 to tea in a family way. Very pleasant it 
 was — a multitude of little ones, a baby in 
 arms, Master Tom, then about twelve 
 years old, and so on, up and down — a large 
 family. The repast over, Mr. Robertson 
 quitted the room with all his children, 
 leaving the baby, Mrs. R., and myself, 
 tcte-d-tcte. She could talk, as will be seen. 
 She painted a mournful picture of bad 
 business, expenses of a home (this I 
 believed), difficulty in paying the actors, 
 and winding up with many anticipatory 
 compliments on my kindness of heart 
 (heavens ! what for ?), she asked me to 
 leave my half due to me for the benefit in 
 their hands until the following week, when 
 Robertson would send it to me, after his
 
 144 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 own benefit had taken place. This con- 
 cession would save them from ruin. Who 
 could withstand such an appeal from a 
 handsome woman and a smiling baby ? I 
 consented, and after receiving a shower 
 of thanks, returned to town, minus 
 £\% 10s. Next week came, followed by 
 another, but no tidings from Sheffield. I 
 wrote to Robertson. His son Tom, after- 
 wards the famous author of ' Caste,' 
 answered for his father : 
 
 'Sheffield, October 2nd, 1846. 
 
 ' Dear Sir, 
 
 c My father regrets that he could 
 not keep his promise, but his benefit did 
 not turn out as well as he anticipated. 
 His friend the sergeant-major brought the 
 soldiers, but he was obliged to trust them 
 for admission. He now finds great diffi- 
 culty in getting the money. In a few days 

 
 Old Drury Lane. 145 
 
 father will send it. With grateful thanks, 
 mother's best regards, and all. 
 ' Yours, etc., 
 
 ' Tom Robertson. 
 ' E. Stirling, Esq., 
 
 ' Theatre Royal, Covent Garden.' 
 
 This was pleasant. Weeks quickly 
 passed over. At last I wrote to Sheffield 
 another reminder for my cash. The reply 
 was from Tom, junior, again : 
 
 'Sheffield, Nov. 10th, 1S46. 
 
 ' Dear Sir, 
 
 ' Father desires me to say, that he is 
 in so much distress that he cannot at 
 present send you a shilling — in fact he is 
 giving up management to take a situation. 
 The sergeant-major never paid the soldiers' 
 money ! — Mother is greatly grieved about 
 it, and wishes to know if you will take the 
 
 vol. 1. 10
 
 146 Old Dniry Lane. 
 
 money out in knives and spoons ? A friend 
 of hers would send them to you. 
 
 ' Yours obediently, sir, 
 
 ' Tom Robertson, 
 1 E. Stirling, Esq., 
 
 ' T. R. C. Garden.' 
 
 In a mercantile point of view, knives 
 and spoons were better than nothing. But 
 I thought it best to abandon the matter, 
 leaving the manager and ' sergeant-major ' 
 (who had sailed with his regiment for 
 foreign parts) to settle the matter between 
 them. Moral — Never listen to a pretty 
 woman's pleadings with a very pretty baby 
 in her arms. 
 
 Exeter (Huntley May). — An Hibernian 
 of the first water — a Tipperary boy. 
 This man was the incarnation of deception ; 
 part of his daily occupation was to issue 
 bills of large dimensions, with most attrac-
 
 Old Dniry Lane. 147 
 
 live pieces never to be performed. At 
 last the people became restive, demanding 
 their money back. One night they threat- 
 ened to pull up the benches ; May, quite 
 equal to the emergency, rushed on the 
 stage in his shirt-sleeves : 
 
 ' What's up now, boys ?' 
 
 ' Money, money, swindle !' 
 
 ' Hark at 'em now ! Murder and Moses, 
 there's broth of boys for ye ! — money's just 
 what I want myself!' {Mournfully) ' Think 
 of your cathedral ground : who lies in it ? 
 My sainted wife, Norah ; poor sould ! she 
 loved Exeter so that she would come here 
 to be buried among ye. We all love ye, 
 myself, and little Pat. Aisy now, I'll give 
 you a trate ! To-morrow night's my benefit 
 ■ — make me a thumping house ; Norah 
 won't forget you in heaven. Behave like 
 gentlemen — come early to-morrow night, 
 good-luck to ye !' Exit manager ; re- 
 enters, carrying a towel. ' Boys, don't cry 
 
 10-
 
 148 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 after poor Norah ; enjoy yourselves; leave 
 all the crying to myself — Och a hone 
 a ree !' 
 
 Mrs. Davidge — Surrey Theatre en fete. 
 — A droll circumstance, connected with a 
 garden ball which took place in a long 
 space inclosed by walls. This the thea- 
 trical employes speedily converted into a 
 ball-room superbly decorated with flowers, 
 painting, chandeliers, and with a roof of 
 canvas stretched on rafters from wall to 
 wall. A numerous company were assem- 
 bled ; the orchestra included Balfe and 
 Vincent Wallace. All were very jolly and 
 festive ; everything went happily and joy- 
 ously as wedding-bells, when suddenly 
 ensued consternation, fright, faintings, and 
 tableau of horror ! The roof fell in, with its 
 chandeliers and floral offerings, and a page 
 from next door dropped upon the affrighted 
 guests. Buttons had inquisitively climbed
 
 Old Drury Lane. 149 
 
 on to the roof to peep at their ' goings on,' 
 was the cook's explanation. Albert Smith, 
 one of the visitors, used this incident in his 
 ' Ledbury Papers.' 
 
 Strand Theatre. — Hooper, manager. 
 — I wrote a musical drama, ' Jeannette and 
 Jeannot,' founded on the popular ballad of 
 that name; Compton and Miss Rebecca 
 Isaacs acted and sang in the piece. 
 
 When Mrs. Honey managed the City of 
 London Theatre, or rather when I managed 
 it for her, Haynes Bayley wrote a musical 
 comedietta for the lady, entitled ' Light as 
 Air ;' lively and sparkling, and withal some- 
 what too refined for the East- end of Lon- 
 don forty years ago. At that period they 
 had not been accustomed to genteel 
 comedy — startling, sensational dramas 
 formed their usual entertainment. The 
 following is a letter I received from the 
 clever poet :
 
 150 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 'Dorset Square, May 6, 1838. 
 
 ' Dear Stirling, 
 
 ' Will you kindly tell Mrs. Honey 
 that she shall have the words of her two 
 ballads to-morrow ? If you will call 
 rehearsal at eleven,, I will be with you. 
 I fancy the piece will go well. Of one 
 thing I am assured, that it will not be 
 your fault if it does not. " Light as Air" 
 will not be treated as " a trifle" by Edward 
 Stirling. 
 
 ' Yours most faithfully, 
 
 ' Haynes Bayley.'
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Frederick Yates— Yates and Napoleon — Jock Wilson 
 and the ' Shipwreck of the Medusa ' — ' I'd be a 
 Butterfly — Scotch Actor and his Stick — Covent 
 Garden with Laurent — The Author's adaptation of 
 ' Pickwick — Bath — Liverpool — The Irish Exponent 
 of Tableaux from the Antique — Yates and his Com- 
 pany at Glocester — A Staffordshire ' Mrs. Mala- 
 prop' — Olympic Theatre burnt — Cheltenham — 
 Royal Assembly Rooms — The ' Berkeley Hunt ' — 
 The Fair One with the Golden Locks — The Author's 
 Benefit at the Victoria Theatre, 1841 — Yates and 
 his Nautch Girls at the Adelphi. 
 
 Frederick Yates, actor and manager, was 
 one of the most versatile actors that ever 
 trod the boards. Tragedy, comedy, farce, 
 burlesque — everything Yates personated 
 was well done, many perfectly. This 
 talented man, educated at the Charter 
 House, had for his school-mates Thackeray
 
 152 Old Drttry Lane. 
 
 and General Havelock. He entered the 
 army, and he was afterwards laughingly 
 wont to say, ' I served under Wellington, 
 not at the battle of Waterloo, but in Paris, 
 after it' Yates speedily quitted military 
 life ; promotion came too slowly in those 
 days of patronage for our clever artiste. 
 He tried the stage ; opened at Edinburgh 
 as Shylock in the 'Merchant of Venice/ 
 and played a round of leading characters so 
 satisfactorily that Kemble at once engaged 
 the new actor for Covent Garden. His 
 first appearance in London was in the part 
 of Richard the Third ; Iago, Hamlet, etc., 
 followed. Eventually he deserted the tragic 
 muse for comedy ; here he was thoroughly 
 at home — Charles Surface, Copper Captain, 
 Doricourt, etc., being some of his principal 
 characters. A part — Count Carmen — 
 in a new play, ' Pride shall have a Fall,' 
 completely established his supremacy as a 
 light comedian. This was the part of a
 
 Old Drury Lane. 153 
 
 foppish cornet, a satire on the officers of 
 the 10th Lancers ; this regiment being 
 quartered at Brighton, at a ball the officers 
 refused to dance, one of the noodles (a 
 cornet) drawling out, ' The Tenth don't 
 dance !' This effusion of stupidity became 
 the joke of the day. Yates hit the public 
 taste by a capital imitation. Uniting with 
 Terry he settled at the Adelphi in manage- 
 ment, Sir Walter Scott lending his friend 
 Terry ten thousand pounds, unfortunately 
 to be lost. With the best of acting and 
 the best of pieces and in spite of unremit- 
 ting industry, the venture, sad to record, 
 resulted in failure. Terry retired, to be suc- 
 ceeded by the elder Mathews. This venture 
 also turned out badly : a third partner, 
 Gladstone (not connected with the member 
 for Mid Lothian), bought himself in and 
 Yates 021 1. The power of changing voice 
 and feature that our popular favourite 
 possessed, amounted to the marvellous.
 
 154 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 In his solo entertainments he would talk 
 to his audience as manager Yates ; turning 
 up the stage, by altering his hair he pre- 
 sented himself to the wondering lookers-on 
 as Braham, or Kemble — such were his 
 facial resources. Generous to a degree, 
 although his whole attention was engrossed 
 
 o o 
 
 by the Adelphi, and notwithstanding the 
 production of many first-rate dramas by 
 Buckstone, Poole, Jerrold ; actors of fame, 
 T. P. Cooke, Wrench, Paul Bedford, John 
 Reeve, Buckstone, Wright, Power {Rory- 
 d-More), Wilkinson, Mrs. Yates, Honey, 
 Keeley, Fitzwilliam, Fortescue, Miss 
 Kelly, Mrs. Stirling, and himself, he left 
 the Adelphi without a shilling. This is a 
 notable instance of fickle Fortune's freaks. 
 Another man (Gladstone) took the reins, 
 and by sheer luck made money. My 'Bohe- 
 mians,' ' Miser's Daughter,' and 'Christmas 
 Carol' helped him to do this. The stage 
 I managed for some years. Yates out of
 
 Old Drury Lane. 155 
 
 harness quickly died. His death was 
 caused by an old rupture of a blood-vessel 
 in the throat ; all that is left of this kindly 
 man and incomparable performer lies in 
 the vaults of St. Martin's-le-Grand. 
 
 Yates and Napoleon (not at St. Helena). 
 Atkins, Zoological Gardens, Liverpool. — 
 The Adelphi season over for the six 
 months from November until Easter. 
 Yates generally gave fetes. His company, 
 and any monstrosity that could be procured 
 to attract, for large provincial towns. A 
 French mechanic persuaded Yates that he 
 had constructed a gigantic figure of Napo- 
 leon, painted in the habit that he wore 
 living. This figure, inflated by gas, was 
 to ascend perpendicularly into the air at a 
 sienal. Here was a chance for the clever 
 manager. The exiled hero just dead, his 
 glorious deeds fresh in the public mind. He 
 arranged with Monsieur Antoine instanter. 
 A massive canvas tomb, erected on a rocky
 
 156 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 island in a muddy pond, pelicans, swans, 
 and wild-fowl, tricoloured flag, old guard, 
 twelve pensioners in real French uniforms, 
 everything to do honour to the illustrious 
 dead (painted fish-skin). I suggested that 
 one of Atkins's tame eagles should be 
 chained to the rock, emblematic of the 
 Emperor's captivity. This was done, 
 much to the discomfort of the kingly 
 bird (several times he attempted suicide, 
 trying to hang himself by the leg). Fete- 
 day fixed, colossal posters invited the 
 Liverpool public to witness this novelty. 
 Untoward rain came down for three suc- 
 cessive appointed days. The old guard 
 grew tired of smoking short pipes, the 
 eagle screamed awfully, the disturbed 
 pelicans, etc., deserted their home — save 
 one grave bird ; he revenged himself by 
 swallowing a large paintbrush left on the 
 island. The sun consented to show him- 
 self on the fourth day (iMonday). The
 
 Old Drury Lane. 157 
 
 gardens were thronged with people, and 
 the place was equally crowded outside. 
 There was a discharge of artillery at 
 nine (hour of ascension), great excitement 
 inside and out ; drums beat to arms, old 
 guard fall in ; red fire ; cannon ; drums ; 
 screeches of terror-stricken birds ; roars of 
 animals ; hurrahs outside from the mob 
 tomb bursts its marble (canvas) walls 
 flight of skyrockets — they did ascend 
 Napoleon did not. The Victor of Auster- 
 litz refused to move. Monsieur Antoine 
 was simply frantic ; Yates terrified ; visitors 
 groaning ' Shame, shame ! swindle !' etc. : 
 outsiders yelling for ' Boney-party F en- 
 livened by showers of turf and bricks. 
 This drove the ' old guard,' that never 
 fled before, to run away through the 
 muddy pond. All was confusion and 
 despair. Hundreds of voices demanded 
 their money back. At this juncture .111 
 idea struck me. I made Monsieur
 
 1 58 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Antoine tie the flabby Emperor by 
 his cocked hat to a long pole, and hold 
 him up to convince the people that he 
 was really there. Shouts of derisive laugh- 
 ter rose when they saw the effigy of the 
 Conqueror of Europe in fish-skin ; the 
 Frenchman had used bad gas, the figure 
 was only half-filled ; this caused the 
 disaster. The money had to be re- 
 turned, and the people gradually dispersed ; 
 the mob, grumbling, pelted everybody. 
 Yates rushed home frantically to bed. 
 Moon rose, banished pelicans returned 
 placidly to their island home, Monsieur 
 Antoine vanished to Paris or into the 
 Seine. 
 
 Swansea. — An old actor in our com- 
 pany, Jock Wilson, whose memory was 
 much impaired, had a small part in a new 
 melodrama allotted to him. The few 
 lines he had to speak ought to have been 
 spoken at the opening of the Third Act.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 159 
 
 He is discovered tied to a barrel, floating 
 on the sea ; his words run thus : 
 
 1 For fifteen hours I have been floating 
 on this dreadful sea, tossed to and fro,' etc. 
 
 Poor old man, his memory failed him 
 (as it will fail us all sooner or later) ; music, 
 thunder and li^htninof calm. 
 
 Victim on the Barrel : ' For fifteen 
 years I've been tied to this tub, tossed up 
 and down by the relentless waves.' 
 
 A Voice from Gallery : ' Stop, stop, 
 Mr. Wilson, look you ; tap the tub and 
 let's have a drink.' 
 
 This decided the career of our unfortu- 
 nate drama, the ' Shipwreck of the Medusa.' 
 Poor Wilson had repeated the speech of 
 Reginald, an ancient prisoner in Earl Os- 
 mond's dungeons in Monk Lewis's ' Castle 
 Spectre,' a popular drama once in town and 
 country. 
 
 'I'd be a butterfly, born in a mower.' —
 
 160 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 This very successful ballad — Alexander 
 Lee, composer — owed its musical existence 
 to chance. Lee and his brother, music- 
 sellers and publishers in Regent-street, 
 wanted something racy for the London 
 season. Natural History had been ex- 
 hausted for titles : puzzled which or what to 
 select, a friend luckily proposed a butter- 
 fly's ephemeral existence. Lee saw it at 
 once, and composed the music to Hayn.es 
 Bay ley's words : ' I'd be a butterfly born in 
 a bower.' This happy idea cleared up- 
 wards of ,£1,000 (Lee's statement to my- 
 self), and turned the heads of half the 
 young ladies in and out of London. 
 
 Scotch Actor and his Stick. — Mac- 
 donald, one of our actors in Bass's troupe, 
 Dundee, always carried a large-sized bamboo 
 cane, at all times his companion. We were 
 crossing the river Tay in a ferry-boat from 
 Dundee, careworn, hungry, and tired ; no
 
 Old Drury Lane. 161 
 
 money, salaries unpaid ; yet Jemmy Mac- 
 donald seemed little to feel it. There came 
 no repinings from him ; this was a riddle 
 to us starvelings. Aboard the boat he 
 whispered to me : ' Laddie, come abaft.' 
 Sotto voce, ' Not a word, laddie,' unscrew- 
 ing his bamboo, the top a cup, the stick a 
 whiskey bottle. ' Tak' a drink, laddie — 
 real Glenlivat ; nae exciese-man ever took 
 gauge of this whiskey.' This I believe ; it 
 was I don't know what above proof. In 
 the stick lay 'Jemmy's' hilarity. Doubt- 
 less many of us find comfort in the stick at 
 times. 
 
 1844. — Covent Garden with Laurent, 
 Manager of Her Majesty's Opera. Season 
 rendered notable by the production of 
 Sophocles' ' Antigone' for the first time on 
 a European stage. Creon, Vandenhoff; 
 Antigone, Miss Vandenhoff. This classical 
 revival told well, attracting learned and un- 
 learned alike. Sir Martin Archer Shee, 
 
 vol 1. 1 1
 
 1 62 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 President of the Royal Academy, was 
 pleased to praise my work in placing it on 
 the stage. Talfourd's ' Ion,' with Master 
 Betty. Rip-van-Winkle awoke from his 
 Sleepy Hollow in the person of Hackett, a 
 capital American actor. A five-act play 
 ' Honesty,' written by Henry Spicer, and 
 well acted by Vandenhoff, Wallack, J. 
 Vining, Miss Vandenhoff, etc., a Chinese 
 spectacle, and Nelson Lee's pantomime, 
 ' Harlequin Quiver and Quaver,' brought 
 Covent Garden to a close. Laurent did 
 not venture again. 
 
 City of London Theatre, built by 
 Beasly, opened for the first time April 27th, 
 1837, with the original adaptation of the 
 * Pickwick Papers' by myself. 
 
 Pickwick, Williams (of the Haymarket). 
 Sam Weller, Wilkinson (Adelphi). 
 Fat Boy, Tully (composer). 
 Jingle, Fitzpatrick.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 163 
 
 j 
 
 Mark Lemon's drama, ' The Avenger,' 
 concluded the night's entertainment. 
 
 Bath.— City of Thermal, wigs, brocades, 
 stately peers, fair dames, waxlights and in- 
 trigue. Assembly-rooms, Beau Nash and 
 high card-playing made Bath famous. It 
 always ranked as the first of provincial 
 theatres. London managers did not go to 
 Bath to get their heads shaved, but to 
 recruit their foremost talent for the metro- 
 politan boards. Mrs. Siddons, Miss 
 O'Neil, John Kemble, Quick, Elliston, 
 Jones, Cooper, etc., came from the 
 Somersetshire capital. My season, 1840, 
 for Davidge paid well; a novel announce- 
 ment for him, his first under his own 
 management resulted in two thousand 
 pounds loss. 
 
 Amphitheatre, Liverpool : Classical 
 Orthography. — A lessee of Sadler's Wells 
 commenced his theatrical career on these 
 
 1 1 — 2
 
 164 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 boards with me. At a local benefit, among 
 many attractions, Tableaux from the Antique 
 filled a large space. The statues were 
 living models, the exponent to the public 
 a gentleman from Dublin city, rich in 
 brogue. First Tableau — ' Ajax defying 
 the lightning ;' music. 1st Group — Expo- 
 nent : ' A-Jack defying of the lightning.' 
 2nd Group — ' Hercules killing the Nemean 
 lion.' Exponent : ' Herclass killing a name- 
 less lion' (considerable merriment in front, 
 accompanied with my anger at the wing, 
 telling the exponent to come off — -not he !) 
 3rd Group — ' Caius Marius sitting among 
 the ruins of Carthage.' This was inter- 
 preted, ' Caus Morimes sitting on' — refer- 
 ring to the list — ' I can't make out what he 
 sat upon, bedad !' House in a roar, down 
 came the curtain, away ran the exponent, 
 I after him. Years after he became a 
 London and provincial manager, aided by 
 a clever wife, Miss Marriott, to help him.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 165 
 
 Glocester, Yates and Company, 1835. 
 — We were acting in Cheltenham and tried 
 a night with the Adelphi company in this 
 fine old city. Much to our manager's 
 chagrin, it failed ; this annoyed him, but 
 still more so at not bein^ acknowledged 
 when he came on the stage. Advancing 
 towards the foot- lights he addressed his 
 auditors as follows : ' Ladies and gentle- 
 men, I am Frederick Yates. Possibly I 
 may be unknown to you ; in town, at my 
 own theatre, they do recognise me ; ap- 
 plause always accompanies my acting, in 
 fact, it would be dull and vapid without ; it 
 is like salt to meat to an actor. The house 
 to-night is badly supported — I am a loser; 
 let me ask you to applaud and I will act, 
 thus accommodating each other.' They 
 clapped their hands at everyone and every- 
 thing after this appeal. 
 
 Stafford. — Mrs. Smedley ruled the 
 roast — verily Mr. Smedley's much better
 
 1 66 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 half! This good lady out-malapropped 
 Mrs. Malaprop herself. Being asked after 
 her good man, she shook her head : 'He's 
 been at his old tricks, too much vale ; now 
 he's laid by the heels, an absence [abscess] 
 in his back.' 
 
 I commiserated him. 
 
 'Ah well,' observed Mrs. S., 'he bears 
 it quiet enough ; he's got manured [inured] 
 to it.' 
 
 Olympic (Spicer, manager) burnt, 1846; 
 a gas-man's neglect caused this calamity. 
 Gustavus Brooke appeared here in 'Othello' 
 — his advent in London. Mrs. Mowatt 
 and Davenport, American artists, made a 
 highly favourable impression on the public 
 by their excellent performances. The 
 lady, an authoress of repute in the United 
 States, produced several of her own 
 plays. 
 
 Cheltenham, Royal Assembly Rooms.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 167 
 
 ■ — The theatre burnt, then under the man- 
 agement of James Anderson and Penley. 
 Boucicault was an actor in their com- 
 pany. A temporary theatre fitted up in a 
 fine large room at the ' Plough ' answered 
 our purpose, highly patronised by the 
 ' Berkeley Hunt.' A performance of 
 Richard the Third was given at the 
 Rooms. 
 
 Cast : 
 
 Duke of Gloster, Colonel Charitie. 
 Richmond, Lord Seagrave. 
 Buckingham, Grantley Berkeley. 
 King Henry, Lord Ellcnborough. 
 Tressel, Hon. F. Barrington. 
 Catesby, Sir Harry Darrcll. 
 Ratcliffe, Mr. Stavely. 
 Norfolk, Hon. Chandos Leigh. 
 Oxford, Captain Hammersley. 
 Queen Elizabeth, Mrs. Glover (specially 
 engaged).
 
 1 68 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Lady Anne, Miss Jackson. 
 
 Duchess of York, Mrs. Chamberlain. 
 
 Fair One with the Golden Locks. — 
 Miss Sally Booth, of Drury Lane, paid us 
 a 'starring' visit at Stafford. Among the 
 fair artiste's many requirements, a dressing- 
 room to herself ranked first. Our small 
 theatre could not furnish one : a lono- room 
 sufficed for the ladies of our regular com- 
 pany. To accommodate fair Sally, this 
 was made into two rooms, by simply put- 
 ting up a canvas partition. One of the 
 pieces selected by Miss Booth was 'The 
 Romp.' She was famous in Priscilla Tom- 
 boy. At night shrill screams were heard 
 in the star's dressing department. 
 
 ' Jane, how can you be so care- 
 less ? You've run the comb into my 
 head.' 
 
 Ladies, on their side, a titter. Sally's hair 
 was universally envied by her theatrical
 
 Old Drtiry Lane. 169 
 
 sisters, — long flowing auburn locks ; ill- 
 nature said they were dyed. Repeated 
 squeaks from Miss B., with : 
 ' You hurt me, Jane. Oh, oh !' 
 One lady, inclined to be inquisitive, cut 
 a slit in the canvas, through which she 
 peeped, and saw her golden locks on a wig 
 block and Sister Jane combing them; Miss 
 B., perfectly bald, standing before a glass, 
 colouring, at the other side of the room. A 
 burst of laughter ensued from the delighted 
 ladies. Miss Sally saw the hole in the 
 canvas. Her secret was out — so was she, 
 and Sister Jane. Next morning, by first 
 coach, ' the Golden-haired Fair One' de- 
 parted from the odious place and people, 
 never to return. 
 
 Victoria Tin: aire, 1841. — At a benefit 
 that I had, the following ladies and gentle- 
 men kindly gave their services : 
 
 Mrs. Keeley. Mr. Keeley.
 
 170 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Mrs. Waylett. 
 
 Mr 
 
 F. Mathews. 
 
 ,, Stirling. 
 
 
 Wrench. 
 
 ,, Yates. 
 
 
 Elton. 
 
 „ F. Mathews. 
 
 
 James Bennett. 
 
 „ Fitzwilliam. 
 
 
 Paul Bedford. 
 
 Miss Fortescue. 
 
 
 Wright. 
 
 
 
 T. P. Cooke. 
 
 Nautch Dancers, Adelphi. — A troupe 
 of what Yates thought ' Nautch girls' arrived 
 from India in 1836, a veritable bevy of 
 dusky beauties from ' Eastern Ind.' The 
 house over the Theatre in the Strand con- 
 verted into a bungalow for their arrival. 
 They came — ugly, aged, and awkward ! 
 Poor Yates was tricked. Their performances 
 had nothing attractive in them. Music, 
 a reed pipe and tom-tom. They were 
 laughed at publicly, and ridiculed by press 
 and people. Their names were perfectly 
 unpronounceable : fancy this one, ' San- 
 deinainsmooroo,' abbreviated by our call- 

 
 Old Drury Lane. 171 
 
 boy into ' Old Sandy-Cat.' Yates lost 
 ^800 by this importation, and nearly all 
 our manager's hair was torn off in his daily 
 fits of passion.
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Yates in a Law Court — The Author's adaptation of 
 Dickens's ' Old Curiosity Shop ' — A Travelling 
 Booth in distress — Andrew Ducrow — ' The Wicked 
 World' at the Haymarket ; Letter from Buckstone 
 to the Author — An old 'Super '-master's Stage in- 
 structions — Turkey and Truffles — The Author's 
 version of Dickens's ' Martin Chuzzlewit ;' Letter 
 from Robert Keeley — Letter from Albert Smith — 
 Macready and the Citizens of Ghent (Philip Van 
 Artevelde) — Real and Artificial Thunder — Jenny 
 Lind and the Manchester Manager— The Duchess 
 of St. Albans (Harriet Mellon) and the Duke— The 
 Author's adaptation of Dickens's 'Christmas Carol' 
 — Characteristic Anecdote of Dickens — Note from 
 Charles Dickens to the Author — Wolverhampton ; 
 'Othello and the Senators'— Sir Francis Chan trey's 
 First Love — Somerset, a dramatic hack-writer — 
 Hull : Pasteboard ' Mazeppa '— Douglas Jerrold's 
 'Black-Eyed Susan' — Miss Pyne and Harrison at 
 Covent Garden ; their failure — Fishing in troubled 
 waters — Punch's Play-House. 
 
 Yates in a Law Court (Queen's 
 Bench). — An action for breach of contract
 
 Old Drury Lane. 173 
 
 was brought by Levy, of the Victoria, 
 against Yates, and tried before Lord 
 Denman. Counsel for plaintiff, Sir William 
 Follett; counsel for defendant, Sir Fitzroy 
 Kelly. The cause of action was as 
 follows : Yates had bargained to take 
 his company and Adelphi pieces to the 
 Victoria in the summer. Davidore of 
 the Surrey, alarmed at this arrangement, 
 offered Yates better terms. Unjustly he 
 broke with Levy, under the plea that it would 
 have been illegal to perform pieces licensed 
 by the Lord Chamberlain in an unlicensed 
 theatre. I negotiated the terms, pieces, 
 actors for Yates, reading a list to Hill 
 and Levy, the proprietor and the stage 
 manager. I came to 'Crichton,' then acting 
 with the Eglinton Tournament dresses, at 
 the Adelphi. 
 
 ' " Crichton," what's that ?' asked Levy. 
 
 ' Admirable Crichton,' was my reply, 
 turning to Hill. (This happened to be
 
 174 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the only piece in which Yates did not find 
 the costumes.) 
 
 Levy : ' Admiral ? I see. Hill, he can 
 have the captain's coat I bought last week 
 — gold epaulettes and facings will do for 
 the Admiral.' 
 
 At the trial one witness only was ex- 
 amined — ■ myself. Among many cross- 
 questions, Follett asked me the meaning 
 of ' burletta,' wishing to prove Levy could 
 not play musical pieces, so called, without 
 a Lord Chamberlain's license. 
 
 ' Well, sir, what is it ?' 
 
 ' Of French origin, containing necessary 
 sinking and music' 
 
 ' Pray, is Mrs. Fitzwilliam an actress, or 
 singer ?' 
 
 Answer : ' Both.' 
 
 ' Perhaps you can inform us if it is 
 essential that Ophelia should sing in 
 "Hamlet"?' 
 
 Reply : ' Pardon me, Sir William, I
 
 Old Drury Lane. 1 75 
 
 think that Shakespeare settled that 
 question before we were born.'- — (Loud 
 laughter in Cotirtl) 
 
 Irate Counsel : ' Stand down, sir.' 
 I did, gladly ; Sir Fitzroy Kelly remark- 
 ing to his learned brother, ' The witness, 
 Mr. Stirling, knows more about Shake- 
 speare than we do.' 
 Levy lost his action. 
 
 ' Old Curiosity Shop.' — I adapted this 
 for the Adelphi. Quilp, Yates; Little 
 Nell, Mrs. Kelly. I received a note 
 from Yates on its success: 
 
 1 Dear Stirling, 
 
 ' Ouilp's up in public estimation ; 
 
 Nell's down — I'll keep her there. 
 
 ' Yours truly, 
 
 ' F. Yates. 
 * E. Stirling, 
 
 ' Theatre Royal, Bath.'
 
 176 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 A Travelling Booth in Distress. — 
 ' Pickup's Grand Temple of the Drama,' 
 Lancashire and Cheshire. Muster Sami- 
 vel Pickup had laid violent hands on my 
 pieces for many years, defying the Act of 
 Parliament and myself. If a writ went 
 to one town, he moved to another. At last 
 he was caught in Cheshire, betrayed by a 
 discharged actor. Being served with 
 notice of action to some amount, Pickup 
 wrote to me. His letter was as follows 
 — I crive it verbatim et literatim : 
 
 ' Doory Lane Play-house London 
 * Mister Starlin — Sir — 
 ' i am a travellin Thater — only made of 
 canvass, was struck last night in the market 
 place with lightnin — i was blowd down by 
 wind, my roof tore off — my both sides 
 druv in so you see's my hactors is a doing 
 nothing i am a poor man with heap of 
 children, all young-uns my wifes going
 
 Old Drury Lane. 177 
 
 into the straw again i opes you'l look hover 
 your sea Kings, son and air lilly dawson 
 this ere time 
 
 ' Your humble sarvunt 
 
 ' Samivel Pickup. 
 
 ' I'll write when I gets to rochdale fere, 
 good luck to you, give us a leg up.' 
 
 I did, remembering the lady in the 
 straw, and his ' heaps of young-uns. 
 
 Andrew Ducrow. — Anions a large col- 
 lection of valuable presents were Byron's 
 pistols ; a couple of Florentine casts ; boars 
 from the famous Florentine bronze group. 
 Astley's being consumed by fire, Ducrow's 
 dwelling with his collection was entirely de- 
 stroyed. A friend condoling with him on 
 his loss, Andrew, with a long-drawn sigh — 
 ' Shouldn't have cared a straw for all the 
 rest, if I could have saved the blessed pigs.' 
 
 VOL. I. 12
 
 i 78 Old Dniry Lane. 
 
 The Wicked World, 1873. — Hay- 
 market. I wrote to Buckstone for a box 
 — with it came this effusion : 
 
 ' Dear Stirling, 
 
 ' Written downstairs in " Belze- 
 bub's " kitchen ; or, if you like it better, up- 
 stairs in the " Wicked World." Here's the 
 box in a warm place, near chandelier ; 
 sorry I can't give you a better. 
 ' Yours truly, 
 
 1 J. B. Buckstone, 
 
 ' Haymarket. 
 
 ' N.B. Look to my advertisements : the 
 end of " The Wicked World " is soon 
 cominof !' 
 
 Stage Instruction. — An old super- 
 master at Drury Lane (once a soldier) had 
 an odd way of expressing himself, outmala- 
 propping ' Mrs. Malaprop' in her vernacular. 
 Preparing 'Julius Caesar' for Brooke,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 179 
 
 he gave his supers these directions at a 
 rehearsal : — ' Now you first twelve chaps 
 are electors, mind carry them bundles of 
 sticks tied round the choppers pecumdickerly 
 over your right shoulders. When you see 
 Mister Davenport (Mark Antony), get into 
 that stone pulpit (Forum)— hollo out " Hear, 
 hear, Mark ' ; {pause) — ' never mind his 
 tother name. You're supposed to be Rumtin 
 roughs, that's the same as our London 
 mob. When he tells you about a corpse 
 laying before you — was killed by daggers 
 stuck into him by hispa/s — I mean friends — 
 you shout out " Siezer, Siezer," and " down 
 with " somebody else in the play. I'll ask 
 who it is, boys.' 
 
 Turkey and Truffles. — Mitchell, the 
 Court librarian, invited Ebers, the musical 
 bookseller of Bond-street, to dine with 
 him on turkey and truffles, sent by their 
 mutual friend Mdlle. Plessy, from Paris.
 
 i8o Old Driiry Lane. 
 
 Dinner was served, and the turkey 
 seemed excellently cooked, till Mitchell, 
 carvinsf found the bird stuffed with 
 potatoes instead of Perigord truffles ; here 
 was a culinary crisis ! The bell was vio- 
 lently rung. 
 
 ' Send the cook up.' 
 
 She came — a rosy native of ' Ould 
 Ireland.' 
 
 ' What does this mean, Mary ?' 
 
 ' Sure, sir, them's taters.' 
 
 ' Where are the truffles that came with 
 this turkey, woman ?' 
 
 ' The what, sir ?' 
 
 < Truffles, idiot !' 
 
 ' Is that their name ? bad luck to the 
 dirty muck, they're in the sink ; I took 
 'em for rotten, and chucked 'em away.' 
 
 Mitchell rushed down to the kitchen and 
 recovered his truffles, to be eaten next day 
 with the remains of the turkey hashed. 
 
 Lyceum. — Having proposed a version
 
 Old Drury Lane. tSi 
 
 (the first) of ' Martin Chuzzlewit' to the 
 Keeleys for their theatre (Lyceum), I 
 received the following letter from Keeley 
 on the subject : 
 
 ' 10, Charlotte-street, Bedford-square, 
 1 Dear Stirling, 
 
 1 Mary [his wife] and I have read 
 carefully Dickens's work ; we cannot see 
 our way in a piece from it. But if you 
 like to go on, do [at my own risk, of 
 course]. You have done so much with 
 Dickens's works, try again. 
 
 ' Yours truly, 
 
 ' Robert Keeley.' 
 
 I went on, luckily for the Keeleys. 
 The piece ran 280 nights, clearing ,£8000. 
 
 Cast. 
 Young Martin Chuzzlewit, Mr. F. 
 
 Vinin<r. 
 
 o 
 
 Old Martin Chizzlewit, R. Younge.
 
 1 82 Old Drnry Lane. 
 
 Pecksniff, F. Mathews. 
 
 Tigg, Alfred Wigan. 
 
 Jonas, Emery. 
 
 Tom Pinch, Meadows. 
 
 Megget, Turner. 
 
 Bailey, Mrs. Keeley. 
 
 Mrs. Gamp, Keeley. 
 
 Betsy Prig, Collier. 
 
 Mrs. Todgers, Mrs. F. Mathews. 
 
 Mercy, Miss Woolgar. 
 
 Charity, Miss Pincott. 
 
 Albert Smith sent me the following 
 note before the commencement of one of 
 the seasons of his famous Ascent of Mont 
 Blanc, at the Egyptian Hall : 
 
 ' Percy-street. 
 ' Dear Stirling, 
 
 ' Before I climb up Mont Blanc, 
 for the season, send me a box. I want to 
 see " Punch's " Playhouse. Let me have a
 
 Old Drury Lane. 183 
 
 place to stretch my legs in — no rabbit- 
 hutches. 
 
 ' Yours, 
 
 ' Albert Smith.' 
 
 Macready (Siege of Ghent), Princess's. 
 Maddox, lessee. — -New play, ' Philip van 
 Artevelde,' exceedingly well mounted ; 
 large number of supers, for Flemings ; 
 white hoods, French nobles, citizens, etc. 
 The house being badly attended, the first 
 economy resorted to was to cut out half 
 the supers. This was repeated nightly, 
 until the starved men and women of Ghent 
 were reduced to ten. Macready groaned 
 (his accustomed habit when vexed). 
 
 ' Down to ten, eh ? I see famine has 
 done its worst ' — groan repeated to 
 Maddox's chuckle. 
 
 Real and Artificial Thunder. — 
 Boucicault produced a drama at the 
 Princess's (under Kean's management),
 
 184 Old Dmry Lane. 
 
 'Der Vampyre:' one of the scenes, summit 
 of the Alps by moonlight, a raging storm 
 — thunder and lightning. The Vampyre is 
 supposed to be lying dead on a mountain 
 peak ; thunder-claps at given signals 
 herald the return of the monster (Bouci- 
 cault) to life. A tremendous clap of 
 thunder, startling the audience, and stop-' 
 ping the Vampyre's -speech, Boucicault, 
 looking up at the flies: 
 
 ' Very well, 'Mr. Davids, you are making 
 more mistakes ; that clap of thunder came 
 in the wrong place.' 
 
 Davids, bawling to the monster from 
 the flies where he worked his thunder : 
 
 ' No fault of mine, sir ; thunder's real 
 out of doors ; perhaps you can stop it 
 there.' 
 
 Our Vampyre felt satisfied. 
 
 Jenny Lind and Knowles. — The 
 Swedish Nightingale, travelling with
 
 Old Drury Lane. 185 
 
 Knowles (Manchester manager) on a 
 concert tour, receiving very high terms, 
 objected to singing occasionally in the 
 mornings, having her evening perform- 
 ances to fulfil. She applied to Knowles 
 on the subject. 
 
 ' Cannot be helped, my lass ; think of 
 the heap of money I pay you. Bills are 
 all out; it mun be done' (Lancashire dia- 
 lect for must). ' My Bank of England 
 notes won't fall into your purse, unless you 
 give me your notes, my lass. It mun be 
 done.' 
 
 The Duchess of St. Alban's (Mrs. 
 Coutts) and the Duke. — She gained a 
 strawberry coronet by this marriage ; he 
 ,£70,000 a year — a pretty good exchange. 
 His Grace was rather weak on one 
 point (acting), in which he cut but an in- 
 different figure. At every opportunity, 
 when he could do so unknown to the
 
 1 86 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Duchess, he indulged in Shakespearian 
 recitals. When we were in Cheltenham, 
 the Duke and Duchess were staying at 
 Pittville. In a large private room, with 
 the proprietor (Seymour), his Grace of 
 St. Alban's spouted to his heart's content 
 ' Julius Caesar,' a favourite study : Brutus 
 St. Alban's ; Cassius, Seymour. One un- 
 ucky day in flounced the Duchess, just at 
 the words ' I'd rather be a dog,' etc. A 
 loud voice was heard, ' I wish you were. 
 Mr. Seymour, I am vexed that you 
 should encourage the Duke to make a fool 
 of himself; he knows no more of acting 
 than a goose ! No repetition, I beg ! 
 Your Grace, the carriage is at the door' — 
 escorting the poor Duke out entirely chap 
 fallen. 
 
 1845. — Engaged to manage the Adelphi 
 for Gladstone. Among the many dramas 
 that I produced and wrote, ranked first
 
 Old Drury Lane. 187 
 
 Dickens's ' Christmas Carol,' dramatised by 
 his sanction. Dickens attended several 
 rehearsals, furnishing valuable suggestions. 
 Thinking to make Tiny Tim (a pretty 
 child) more effective, I ordered a set of 
 irons and bandages for his supposed weak 
 lee. When Dickens saw this tried on the 
 child, he took me aside : 
 
 ' No, Stirling, no ; this won t do ! re- 
 member how painful it would be to many 
 of the audience having crippled children.' 
 
 < Gadshill Place, 
 1 Higham by Rochester, Kent. 
 'Wednesday, Fourteenth November, 1866. 
 • Dear Sir, 
 
 'I shall be happy to come to "Faust" 
 next Saturday evening. My address in 
 town is (as I dare say you know) 26, \\ el 
 lington-street. 
 
 ' Faithfully yours, 
 
 'Charles Dickens. 
 
 1 Edward Stirling, Esquire.'
 
 1 88 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Wolverhampton Town Hall. — With a 
 good selected company, I ventured to open 
 this amateur theatre. It paid well. Mrs. 
 Fitzwilliam and Buckstone played five 
 nights. Barnet, Suter, Henry Webb, 
 Cowle, Miss K. Howard, etc., etc. 
 My great difficulty was to find sub- 
 ordinates to fill up the scene. Pitmen 
 and colliers refused ' to go 'pon play- 
 house.' ' Othello ' without the grave 
 senators would not do. Six young fellows 
 were at last tempted by beer and coin to 
 come : one of them unfortunately met an 
 ' old hand by the theatre. 
 
 ' Ho'a, wheare best goin', Tom ?' 
 
 'To play-act the night.' 
 
 1 What, lad, mak a fule o' thyself ! What 
 do they gi' thee for't ?' 
 
 Reply : l A bob a night, and beer arter- 
 wards.' 
 
 Old hand : ' 'Tain't enof ; thee ought to 
 ha' two bob, and beefsteak for supper.
 
 Old Drtuy Lane. 189 
 
 Come yer ways ; bring the lads to the Lion, 
 I'll stand a gallon o' yale.' 
 
 This proved irresistible. Othello ad- 
 dressed no ' potent, grave, and reverend 
 senators ' that night. 
 
 Sir Francis Chantrey's Firs.t Love. 
 — During my stay in Sheffield, I was 
 introduced to a lady — Byng the singer's 
 mother. She related her course of true- 
 love, that unluckily for her did not run 
 smooth. Frank Chantrey, son of a small 
 dairy-farmer, living at a village near 
 Sheffield (Norton), carried milk every 
 morning to supply his customers in the 
 town, among them, Byng's father, a 
 well-to-do pawnbroker. His daughter, 
 pretty Jane, never missed taking in the 
 milk; and a pleasant chat, sundry squeezes 
 of the hand, perchance a kiss, attended the; 
 morning milk. If by chance Frank had 
 to wait, he amused himself by scratching
 
 190 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 faces and figures on the doorposts with his 
 knife (was not this an indication of his 
 future ?). Some prying neighbour watched 
 pretty Jane and Frank's tender meetings, 
 and told her father of their goings-on. 
 Our wealthy pawnbroker sternly forbade 
 their meeting — changed his milk-man — 
 forbade his daughter ever to think of a 
 poor milk-boy. Better if she had. Lady 
 Chantrey would have suited pretty Jane ; 
 and a gifted husband instead of her equal, 
 according to pawnbroker Byng's ideas of 
 propriety ! 
 
 Somerset, 1835, dramatic author, clever 
 and well-educated, translator of a series 
 of German operas for Elliston's Juvenile 
 Operatic Company at the Surrey, and 
 author of a piece that ran for some 
 weeks at Covent Garden, entitled ' The 
 Early Days of Shakespeare.' Charles 
 Kemble played Shakespeare ; Ellen Tree,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 191 
 
 Anne Hathaway. Somerset supplied the 
 Surrey, Cobourg, Sadler's Wells, etc., with 
 ' The Sea/ ' Mistletoe Bough,' and a series 
 of effective dramas — on terms that would 
 startle dramatic authors nowadays. Five 
 pounds to poor Somerset was a windfall.* 
 Twenty-five shillings in his later days for 
 a two-act piece, he gladly received, Re 
 duced to the last extremity, I saw him 
 standing before the Mansion House, with 
 a printed label hung round his neck, 
 inscribed thus : ' Ladies and Gentlemen, I 
 am starving !' Think of this, followers of 
 the gentle craft! you that receive thousands 
 for productions in numerous instances 
 not superior to those of unfortunate 
 Somerset. 
 
 Hull. Pasteboard ' Mazeppa.' — Yates 
 and his company. Downe's actors at 
 
 * Benjamin Webster, who wrote cleverly, was once 
 content to dramatise ' Paul Clifford ' for Davidge for 
 a remuneration of five pounds.
 
 192 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Hull. The venture proved a decided 
 failure. Driven to his wit's end, he sent 
 for me to come from London to give him 
 a helping hand in his trouble. My first 
 idea was to hit upon a piece that had 
 been popular in the town. All spoke of 
 ' Mazeppa.' They, the townsfolk, had 
 seen it produced by Ducrow with great 
 splendour and real horses. 'You shall 
 see it without,' said I. A wild horse of the 
 Ukraine, made of pasteboard to gallop 
 over rocks, deep ravines, and roaring 
 torrents, with poor Creswick (Mazeppa in 
 effigy, pasteboard again). A cab horse — 
 hired nightly — dashed on the stage from 
 the wines, with the real Creswick tied to 
 him. This cunning device completely 
 bewildered crowded audiences. They 
 came in shoals, neglecting really good 
 acting and legitimate plays for paste- 
 board ! 
 
 ' Black-Eyed Susan,' the best nautical
 
 Old Drury Lane. 19 
 
 drama ever written, produced to Douglas 
 Jerrold, the author, £50, from Elliston, at 
 the Surrey. No Dramatic Authors' Bill to 
 protect his rights in country or town. 
 T. P. Cooke made .£10,000 by ' Black-Eyed 
 Susan,' playing it all through Great Britain 
 for years. Elliston cleared a large sum by 
 it. Original Cast : Dograss, Dibdin 
 Pitt ; Captain Crosstree, Forrester ; Twig, 
 Rogers ; Admiral, Gough ; Gnatbrain, 
 Buckstone ; Ploughshare, Webb ; Lieu- 
 tenant, C. Hill; William, T. P. Cooke; 
 Black-Eyed Susan, Miss Scott; Dolly 
 Mayflower, Mrs. Vale. 
 
 For Seven Seasons I was at Coven t 
 Garden Theatre, managing for Louisa 
 Pyne and William Harrison (vocalists). 
 These clever artists endeavoured, not 
 wisely, to establish English Opera perma- 
 nently in London, engaging the best 
 singers and English-Irish composers — 
 
 vol. 1. 1 2
 
 1Q4 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Balfe, Vincent Wallace, Mellon, etc. ; a 
 magnificent stage, scenery, appointments 
 and costumes perfect. Balfe gave two 
 new works, ' The Bravo ' and ' Satanella ;' 
 Wallace two, l Lurline ' and ' Forest 
 Flower ;' Mellon, ' Victorine ;' panto- 
 mimes at Christmas, with the Payne 
 family, Boleno Flexmore ; Grieves and 
 Danson to paint : all to one end — failure. 
 At her Majesty's Theatre, I had the pain- 
 ful duty to tell the assembled company 
 that the treasury had stopped with a loss 
 of ,£20,000 from Harrison, and £"12,000 
 from Miss Pyne, the earnings of their 
 lives. Sims Reeves, Santley, Mazzoni, 
 Madame Kenneth, acted and sang in 
 4 Faust,' to a house of £&i. This was 
 not encouraging or profitable to a laud- 
 able enterprise, undertaken to supply the 
 public with native talent at moderate 
 prices. 
 
 Balfe Fishing in Troubled Waters.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 195 
 
 — The treasury at Drury Lane occasionally 
 was unable to meet the salaries. Dunn, 
 the treasurer, invariably disappeared when 
 the cash ran short, leaving a subordinate 
 to meet the irate company, instructing the 
 sub-treasurer to tell them that he had gone 
 on a fishing excursion. This fishing an- 
 noyed Balfe greatly. When he engaged 
 at the Lyceum to produce a new opera, 
 one of the conditions was, that the 
 treasurer should not be allowed to fish on 
 a Saturday, until after treasury hours. 
 
 Punch's Play House, Strand. — Re- 
 christened ' Punch ' by Copeland, the Liver- 
 pool manager, in 1851 (year of the Great 
 Exhibition). This change of name, in- 
 tended as a compliment to Douglas Jerrold, 
 Mrs. Copeland's brother, proved a failure. 
 The pit ascending to the gallery, gallery 
 descending to the pit, thus reversing their 
 positions, displeased the public and emptied 
 
 13—2
 
 196 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Copeland's treasury. It was my task to 
 conduct the establishment for the year. 
 Charles Reade wrote several pieces for 
 ' Punch,' adapted from French sources, — a 
 ' Village Tale,' one of the best, done into 
 English from ' Claude the Reaper.' I 
 played ' Patrick, an old soldier,' the Claude 
 of the French version. Luckily our 
 season paid at the close, from the number 
 of provincial visitors, who flocked to 
 London to see the world's fair in Hyde 
 Park.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Ellen Tree (Mrs. Charles Kean) and the Man-monkey 
 (Monsieur Gouffe) — Elliston and Archer — Prince 
 and Player — Mrs. Penson and the Duke of Clarence 
 — Tyrone Power — Letter from him to the Author 
 —His sad fate — The French Horn and 'Willy 
 Shakespeare ' — Curious Mistake of a Methodist. 
 
 Ellen Tree and a Man-monkey (Mon- 
 sieur Gouffe). — Miss Tree played with 
 us six nights in her leading characters. 
 She was always a favourite in Birmingham, 
 and she drew p-ood houses. Gouffe, a 
 clever imitator of the monkey tribe, acted 
 in the after-piece, ' Jack Robinson and his 
 Monkey.' Gouffe's career was short, but 
 curious. Originally a pot-boy, he amused 
 the customers of the house by climbing 
 and running round ceilings, shelves, and
 
 198 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 every available place in tap-rooms, and 
 imitating in a most natural manner monkey 
 tricks, utterances, and habits. Davidge 
 heard of him, and engaged him for the 
 Surrey. Sam Todd, transformed into 
 Monsieur Gouffe, just arrived from South 
 America, appeared in a new monkey piece 
 at the Surrey, and made a real hit, for 
 months drawing large sums to Manager 
 Davidge's treasury. Provincial managers 
 bid highly for the new monkey, I among the 
 rest for Birmingham. Gouffe, a coarse, 
 uneducated fellow, fell deeply in love with 
 Miss Tree. Sedulously he watched her 
 nightly performances. At the wing, on one 
 occasion, he declared his passion after the 
 performance of ' The Wife,' Miss Tree 
 sitting alone in the green-room. Down 
 our monkey (dressed to go on) threw him- 
 self at her feet. 
 
 ' I likes you, miss — yes, I does — better 
 than nothing else in the vorld.. I'll marry
 
 Old Dvury Lane. 190. 
 
 ye, if ye likes. Mind, I ain't always a 
 monkey ; earns lots o' money — fifty and 
 sixty puns a week : you shall have it all — 
 goold real earrings, saton gownds, an a one 
 oss shay to ride up and down in.' 
 
 Miss Tree, perfectly astounded at this 
 odd declaration, laughingly declined Mon- 
 sieur's liberal offer, preferring Charles 
 Kean to a man-monkey. Gouffe unfortu- 
 nately found a lady who did listen to his 
 'goold' and 'salons,'' and that to his cost. 
 She spent his money, and when the poor 
 monkey's attraction ceased, eloped, and left 
 him to die in a workhouse. 
 
 Cock of the Walk. — Elliston, starring 
 at Birmingham (Bunn, manager), played 
 his famous character of Rover in ' Wild 
 Oats.' Harry Thunder, the second part 
 in the comedy, was allotted to Archer, then 
 leading man, who accepted Thunder with a 
 very bad grace. At rehearsals he per- 
 sisted in keeping up the stage behind
 
 2oo Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Elliston, who remonstrated with him for 
 this, telling Bunn to order Archer down the 
 stage. Not an inch, however, would the 
 first tragedian budge. Elliston, exceed- 
 ingly vexed, said : 
 
 ' Sir, do you know who and what I am ? 
 — Robert William Elliston, sir, and lessee 
 of Drury Lane.' 
 
 Reply : ' Oh yes, I know all about it : 
 every cock can crow on his own dunghill ; 
 this stage is mine, and here I can crow as 
 loud as you.' 
 
 Strange to state, Elliston engaged him 
 for Drury Lane, so amused was he by the 
 actor's impudence. 
 
 Prince and Player. — When the Duke 
 and Duchess of Cumberland lived at Kew, 
 they were frequent visitors to the Rich- 
 mond Theatre, managed by Klanert. On 
 one occasion they commanded Poole's 
 4 Paul Pry,' then extremely popular, through
 
 Old Drury Lane. 201 
 
 Liston's wonderful acting. Of course our 
 manager played ' Pry.' Prince George of 
 Cumberland (afterwards King of Hanover) 
 was then a handsome boy of ten. The 
 play over, our company, headed by ' Paul 
 Pry,' waited on the stage to make our bow 
 to their Royal Highnesses at their depar 
 ture. Prince George ran up to Klanert, 
 seized his hand, laughing : 
 
 ' Oh, I did like you so ! you are the 
 ugliest man that I ever saw.' 
 
 Duchess : ' George, hush ! thank Mr. 
 Klanert and the ladies and gentlemen for 
 the amusement they afforded us, sir.' 
 
 Prince : ' I do ; but, ma, he is ugly, say 
 what you will.' 
 
 His royal papa led the boy away, laugh 
 ing, to our delight, and to Paul Pry's no 
 small discomfort. 
 
 Lymington. — Shalders and Penson, or 
 more correctlv Mrs. Penson, managed
 
 202 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 our littlecircuit — Portsmouth, Southampton, 
 etc. The old lady, rather illiterate and 
 very eccentric, attended rehearsals, made 
 out the bills, paid our salaries, and took 
 money at the one door for boxes, pit, and 
 gallery! Naval officers frequently came 
 from Portsmouth during our stay, prin- 
 cipally to have a bit of fun with the old 
 lady ; among the ' middies,' Prince Wil- 
 liam Henry (afterwards William IV.). 
 Mrs. Penson beine near-sighted had been 
 tricked with bad money : the Prince tried 
 the experiment with her; throwing down 
 a crown-piece, he quickly passed on. 
 
 'Stop, stop, your Royal Highness! I 
 must put my spectacles on to see if your 
 crown's a good one. I know your royal 
 father — Heaven bless him ! — wears one' 
 {turning over coin). ' This won't do — none 
 of your sailor's tricks for Sally Penson. 
 If you try this fun again, I'll write to your 
 father.'
 
 Old Drury Lane. 203 
 
 Boys frequently came to her during the 
 evening : ' Please, Mrs. Penson, mother's 
 sent you some cabbages ; may I go in ?' 
 
 ' Eh ! what ? let's look at 'em ; how 
 much money have you brought ?' 
 
 Reply : ' Tup-pence.' 
 
 ' Oh, very well ; give it to me and the 
 cabbages. Go up, and mind and behave 
 yourself.' 
 
 New-laid eggs, pears, and other fruit, all 
 came as grist to Sally's mill. In the most 
 affecting scenes of a tragedy, if she heard 
 a noise in the gallery, she rushed into the 
 pit to scold : ' Now, you boys, keep your 
 ugly mouths shut' {selecting one). ' Master 
 Billy, your father shall hear of this to- 
 morrow. No more play-acting for you, my 
 lad.' Tyrone Power, one of our company. 
 was very shy and bashful — not a common 
 failing with Irishmen by any means. 
 Power invariably turned his face from the 
 audience. This annoyed Mrs. P. Re- 
 peatedly she told him of it, to little pur-
 
 204 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 pose. She hit upon another method ; one 
 night she called out to him before every- 
 one : ' Power, you shamefaced lout, turn 
 your face to the people that pay to see it ! 
 It's ugly enough — they won't want to 
 see it twice, I swear !' 
 
 Tyrone Power. — When the St. James's 
 Theatre, under Braham's management, 
 failed in 1839, Mrs. Braham consulted me 
 relative to her proceedings under such 
 trying circumstances. I suggested Power's 
 engagement, with Lover's new Irish piece, 
 ' Rory O'More.' At the lady's request I 
 saw Power on the subject. He asked for 
 some days to consider, having previously 
 received an offer for the Adelphi. A 
 brief letter explained his refusal : 
 
 ' 20, Albion-street, Hyde-park, 
 
 ' 13th inst. 
 ' Dear Sir, 
 
 ' I must decline your proposition ; 
 
 in truth, I would rather "whistle" " Rory
 
 Old Drury Lane. 205 
 
 O'More" at the Adelphi than play it at 
 
 the St. James's. 
 
 ' Yours obediently, 
 
 ' Tyrone Power. 
 ' E. Stirling, Esq. 
 
 ' John-street, Adelphi.' 
 
 Poor Power was drowned in the Pre- 
 sident, on his homeward voyage from 
 America, in the prime of life and pleni- 
 tude of fame. 
 
 Stratford - on - Avon, Shakespeare's 
 Churchyard. — Watching a sexton, re- 
 moving an old gravestone bearing the 
 date 1 66 1, my abstraction was disturbed 
 by a hand on my shoulder. 
 
 ' Excuse me, sir, I see by your face you 
 like my fellow-townsman, Shakespeare. 
 I'll show you a relic of him.' Here was 
 a real surprise. ' Walk with me.' 
 
 I did, to his lodgings. Carefully 
 wrapped up, he brought forth — what ? — 
 a rusty old weather-cock, inscribed ' 1573.'
 
 2o6 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ' This vane,' said he, ' blew down last 
 year. I luckily picked it up. If it could 
 speak, wouldn't it tell us how often and 
 often sweet Willy looked up at it to see 
 which way the wind blew ! ' (a very natural 
 deduction). ' I dare say you wonder who 
 I am ?' [boiviiig). 
 
 I did. 
 
 ' A French horn.' 
 
 < What ?' 
 
 ' Yes, I travel with a menagerie up and 
 down the country, blowing my inside out 
 for twenty-two shillings a week. I'll turn 
 it up, and go on the stage. Shakespeare 
 did, and he went to the same school that I 
 did.' 
 
 After so much confidence on the part of 
 my new acquaintance, I ventured to state 
 that I was connected with Drury Lane, and 
 thanking him for his interesting communi- 
 cations, bade him good-day. To my no 
 small astonishment, a few weeks after
 
 Old Drury Lane. 207 
 
 came this proposal from the ' French 
 horn :' 
 
 ' Stratford on Avon 
 ' Dear Sir 
 
 ' According to promise i rite and 
 if you can do anything for me i am 
 not afraid but what i can give you satis- 
 faction, i can imitate the Cornet Saxhorn 
 Clarinet Harp Violoncello &c. can sound 
 four octaves sing old Jowler with imita- 
 tions of the huntsmans horn hounds in full 
 cry death sound at the distance i was with 
 Offemans in the name of Herr Herlong 
 two months left not likeing the party i 
 took the lead in the first March song bass 
 in the glees played second in the rest of 
 the tunes i was born in the same street as 
 the immortall Bard had hold of a deer in 
 the same park that he stolen is from the 
 day after last Christmas have never been 
 in London yet but thought i should have
 
 20S Old Drury Lane. 
 
 liked to have come with the deer if you 
 can do anything for me you will oblige 
 your humble servant 
 
 ' John Kemp 
 No. 15 Scholars Lane 
 Stratford on Avon. 
 ' ' Sine Comic or sentimental ' 
 
 I immediately replied to ' Herr Herlong,' 
 advising him to replace the deer in Lucy's 
 park, forget ' Will,' and stick to the French 
 horn and Old Jowler. 
 
 Miss Heron, the eminent American 
 actress, gave a musical entertainment from 
 Longfellow's ' Hiawatha.' At her first 
 recital at Covent Garden Theatre, I had 
 the stage enclosed, and all the lights ex- 
 tinguished behind the scenes, except the 
 Moat. Our chorus, in evening garb (tradi- 
 tional faded black), assisted Miss Heron 
 by singing melancholy choruses at certain 
 parts of her recital, to an organ accompani-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 209 
 
 ment. At her first representation, every- 
 thing was noiseless — not a soul to be seen. 
 The hall-keeper was away, and Miss 
 Heron, in deep black velvet, stood or 
 sat at a desk before the chorus, reciting 
 in measured tones much about the ' West 
 Wind,' to very few hearers. Solemn peals 
 of the organ succeeded. Standing at the 
 wing, I became aware of a stranger, who 
 touched my shoulder, politely asking if 
 ' the service had begun.' This rather 
 astonished me at first — not upon reflection. 
 
 ' What do you take this place for, 
 pray ?' 
 
 Timid little man: 'A "chapel," sir' 
 (he had entered by the stage-door, always 
 gloomy). 
 
 Struck by this odd mistake, I carried 
 the joke out. 
 
 'Yes,' I said, 'it is; and there's the 
 preacher ' (pointing to Miss Heron). 
 
 VOL. I. 14
 
 ■2io Old Drury Lane. 
 
 In the light he recognised a theatre, and 
 rushed out, exclaiming : 
 
 ' A House of Satan ! You'll all be 
 d d ! Avaunt ! avaunt !'
 
 BOOK II. 
 
 RECORDS OF DRURY LANE AND ITS LESSEES AND 
 
 MANAGERS, WITH A SKETCH OF THE HISTORY 
 
 OF HER MAJESTY'S OPERA. 
 
 14—2
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The theatres soon after the Restoration, 
 revived. Two patents were granted by 
 Charles II., one to form a company to be 
 called the King's ; the other, the Duke's. 
 They were severally granted to Sir William 
 Davenant and to Mr. Killigrew. But 
 both these patentees found it prudent to 
 take some of the principal actors into 
 shares with them ; accordingly, Mohun, 
 Hart, Kynaston, and other actors, became 
 partners with Killigrew. Thomas Killi- 
 grew, the first patentee of Drury Lane, 
 appeared at Whitehall, dressed as a 
 pilgrim, before Charles II., at one of the 
 merry monarch's revels. The king, sur- 
 prised, asked him whither he was going ? 
 
 '3
 
 214 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 4 To h 1,' bluntly replied the wag. 
 
 ' What can your errand be to that place, 
 Killigrew ?' 
 
 ' To fetch back " Old Noll," that he may 
 take some care of the affairs of England ; 
 for his successor takes none at all !' 
 
 Charles made him ambassador to Venice. 
 Sir John Denham thus humorously draws 
 our lessee's character in verse : 
 
 ' Our resident Tom 
 
 From Venice is come, 
 And has left the statesman behind him ; 
 
 Talks at the same pitch, 
 
 Is as wise, is as rich, 
 And just where you left him, you find him 
 
 For who says he's not 
 
 A man of some plot, 
 May repent this false accusation ; 
 
 Having plotted and plann'd 
 
 Six plays to attend 
 The farce of his negotiation.' 
 
 Drury Lane was destroyed by fire in 
 1 67 1, and was re-built by Sir Christopher 
 Wren.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 215 
 
 Original Play Bill. 
 
 8th April, 1668. — The king's servants 
 commenced their performances with Beau- 
 mont and Fletcher's 
 
 ' Humorous Lieutenant.' 
 
 The King, Mr. Winter set, 
 Demetrius, Mr. Hart. 
 Silveys, Mr. But. 
 Lieutenant, Mr. Clon. 
 Celia, Mrs. Marshall [the first female 
 actress]. 
 
 The play will begin at 3 o'clock, exactly. 
 Boxes, 45. ; pit, 2S. 6d. ; middle gallery, 
 is. 6a 7 . ; upper gallery, is. 
 
 The King's and Duke's Companies 
 united and played in Drury Lane ; — Killi- 
 grew, Hart, Mohun, Dryden, and Wilks, 
 the great comedian. His nose (a very 
 large one) seen at the wing, was sufficient 
 to set the house in a roar. His drollery 
 and genuine humour were unrivalled.
 
 216 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 1690. — Sir William Davenant sold his 
 patent to Rich and Langley, lessees. Sir 
 Thomas Skipwith afterwards became a 
 partner. 
 
 1703 and 1709. — Wilks, Cibber, and Est- 
 court, lessees. 
 
 1709. — Doggett (of coat and badge 
 memory), Cibber, Wilks, joint lessees. 
 The theatre revived, and the actors began 
 to know the sweets of being honestly and 
 regularly paid. 
 
 1 710. — Rich and Cibber. Cibber turned 
 Rich out, and became sole lessee. 
 
 1 71 3.— Booth, Cibber, and Doggett 
 were managers ; Fleetwood and Rich suc- 
 ceeded them. 
 
 1 7 14. — George I. granted Sir Richard 
 Steele a patent, as Governor of his 
 Majesty's Company of Comedians ; and 
 Messrs. Wilks, Cibber, and Booth were 
 made joint directors with him. Steele died 
 in 1729.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 2 1 7 
 
 1732. — A new patent was granted to 
 Cibber, Wilks, and Booth. 
 
 1 744. — Green and Archer purchased the 
 patent of Fleetwood for ,£3,200, and sold a 
 third to John Lacy upon his undertaking 
 to manage the theatre. The purchasers 
 (bankers) failed ; Lacy purchased their 
 shares, and obtained a new patent. 
 
 1745. — Lacy sole lessee. 
 
 1 748. — Garrick and Lacy were the rulers 
 of his Majesty's servants. On the abilities 
 of Garrick, both as an actor and as a mana- 
 ger, it would be superfluous to dwell here. 
 
 1749. — Garrick sole lessee and manager ; 
 and well he catered for the public, so 
 subordinate to the power of fashion, that 
 every whim, every word, every vice, every 
 virtue in its turn became the rage, and was 
 followed for a time. 
 
 1776. — Richard Sheridan, Ford and 
 Thomas Linley (Sheridan's brother-in-law) 
 were partners in old Dairy's fortunes.
 
 2i8 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 John Kemble ruled for a few months, 
 with indifferent success. 
 
 1788. — Sheridan sole lessee. Richard 
 Brinsley Sheridan, orator, wit, and drama- 
 tist, was born at Dublin in 1 75 1, and 
 educated at Harrow. He became a student 
 of the Middle Temple, but was never 
 called to the bar. In 1775 he brought out 
 the ' Duenna,' and the ' School for Scandal ' 
 in 1777. Heenteredthe House of Commons 
 for Stafford in 1780, and rapidly became 
 distinguished in debate. His speech at 
 the trial of Warren Hastings was con- 
 sidered a masterpiece of eloquence. 
 
 A new theatre was built by Holland. The 
 old one closed in 179 1. It was re-opened 
 in 1793, with John Kemble as Macbeth 
 and as stage manager. 
 
 Sheridan was a rare boon companion, with 
 his unflagging spirits, wit, and hilarity. The 
 Prince Regent sought his society : at the
 
 Old Drury Lane. 219 
 
 orgies held at Carlton House, Sheridan 
 reigned supreme — his life a perpetual round 
 of pleasure and indulgence. Married to an 
 exemplary lady, Miss Linley, he speedily 
 spent her fortune, and began to subsist 
 chiefly on credit. His supreme indiffer- 
 ence for creditors, his prolific promises 
 (made only to be broken) became notorious : 
 marvellously persuasive, the most turbulent 
 tradesfolk had little chance with ' Sherry.' 
 
 A bill standing for years with one 
 Jones, a fashionable boot-maker, provoked 
 the incensed and irate creditor to call on 
 Sheridan personally, determined to have 
 his money. One morning a loud knock at 
 Sherry's door was speedily answered by 
 a demure -looking footman, inquiring his 
 business. 
 
 'Your master : I must see him.' 
 
 Mild rejoinder : ' Sorry to say he is out, 
 sir.' 
 
 ' Won't do for me !'
 
 220 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 A push, and Jones was in the hall. 
 
 ' Here I sit until he comes home.' 
 
 James : ' You can't stay here.' 
 
 'Can't I ? you'll see. I'll sleep here; 
 I'm a fixture.' 
 
 Sheridan meantime was chuckling over 
 this episode in the breakfast-parlour ; loud 
 words passed and repassed, interrupted by 
 Sheridan's bell, and his voice, inquiring, 
 ' What is all that uproar about, James ?' 
 
 Jones (loud) : ' Boots, sir — Jones of 
 Bond-street.' 
 
 Sheridan rushed out, seized both his 
 hands. 
 
 ' My dear Jones, how are you ? de- 
 lighted to see you !' 
 
 ' Fellow (to demure James), how dared 
 you detain my friend Jones in the hall ? 
 Walk in, pray.' 
 
 Arm in arm, Spider and Fly enter the 
 parlour together. 
 
 ' Chair, Jones.'
 
 Old Drury Lane. 2 2 1 
 
 They sit. 
 
 ' Breakfasted ? Of course you have. 
 Twelve o'clock (sighs): Ah, my dear sr, 
 legislating is no joke ; late hours, wear 
 and tear. By-the-bye, how is dear Mrs. 
 Jones ? any increase of the family ? When 
 I last called, one of your olive branches 
 had — had, dear me ' 
 
 Jones : ' Measles, sir.' 
 
 ' That's it. And pray, why am I hon- 
 oured by this call so early ?' 
 
 Reply : ' Three years' boots and shoes, 
 sir.' 
 
 Sherry : ' Three years ! How time 
 flies ! Our brief hours soon slip away, 
 Jones.' 
 
 ' Yes, sir, but credit don't.' 
 
 Sheridan: 'No, certainly; I'll write 
 you a cheque.' 
 
 ' Thank you, sir.' 
 
 ' Glass of wine ?' {pours one out). 
 
 Then a chat, embracing every conceiv-
 
 222 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 able subject, concluding with 'Sherry's' 
 last play ' Pizarro ' {writing a box order) : 
 
 'Bring your wife and children. Kemble, 
 Siddons, Jordan, all in it. {Rings bell.) 
 James, carriage — due at the House. Good- 
 bye, Jones ; regards to Mrs. J. Stop, now 
 you are here, measure me for half-a-dozen 
 pairs of top-boots. [Jones did.) Thank ye. 
 Always delighted to see you, — mind that, 
 James.' Door closes upon mystified Jones: 
 he had two orders, one for boots, the other 
 for the play. 
 
 Immense success attended the produc- 
 tion of ' Pizarro.' With Sheridan's usual 
 negligence, the play was not all written at 
 the first representation. The fifth act was 
 sent down to the actors from his room bit 
 by bit. Rollo, John Kemble ; Alonzo, 
 Charles Kemble ; Elvira, Mrs. Siddo7is ; 
 Cora, Mrs. Jordan. 
 
 Sherry being asked to give a guinea 
 towards the funeral of a worthy but poor 
 solicitor :
 
 Old Drury Lane. 223 
 
 'Certainly,' said the wit, 'I'd willingly 
 give twenty to bury twenty lawyers at 
 any time.' 
 
 Drury Lane Burnt to the Ground, 
 February 24th, 1809. When the fire 
 broke out, Sheridan was in the House of 
 Commons. Sympathy for him induced the 
 members to move an adjournment ; this 
 Sheridan respectfully declined. He has- 
 tened to the fire, tried to force his way 
 through the crowd, pushed back by soldiers 
 (called out to keep order) : 
 
 ' Stand back, sir.' 
 
 ' My friend,' said the wit, ' surely a man 
 may warm himself by his own fire.' 
 
 Sheridan and his Architect. — Hol- 
 land and Wyatt, architects to the new 
 Theatre Royal, Drury-lane (the present 
 one),* could never get Sheridan to pay, but 
 
 * Opened on the 10th of October, 1812. Mr. 
 Whitbread and a committee built the theatre at a cost 
 of^2oo,ooo.
 
 224 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 were met with constant excuses. Holland 
 resolved to call at a rehearsal on the stage. 
 Before he could utter a word, Sherry 
 rushed to him, taking his hand : ' Dear 
 Holland, the very man I wished to see. 
 You want a cheque, of course ? Beautiful 
 building ! everything one could desire, 
 save a trifle, but important to me. My 
 shilling gallery customers can't hear a word 
 on the stage.' 
 
 ' Impossible !' exclaimed Holland. 
 
 'Is it ? You shall judge — remain at 
 the footlights.' 
 
 Scampering upstairs to the gallery, he 
 began to gesticulate, widely extending 
 his mouth (but not uttering a word) to the 
 great confusion of the poor architect. 
 Descending to the stage, he inquired : 
 
 ' Well, my boy, did you hear me ?' 
 
 ' Not a word !' 
 
 ' Are you convinced ? No? Well, then, 
 go up yourself — speak, and I'll listen.'
 
 Old Drury Lane. 225 
 
 Holland climbed to the upper gallery ; 
 while Sheridan rushed out at the sta^e- 
 door, leaving his dupe to talk to himself. 
 
 Fortune withdrew her smiles from 
 Sheridan, leaving him with broken health 
 and steeped in poverty. Cold neglect 
 followed this sad change ; those whom he 
 had so much delighted by the brilliancy of 
 his wit, deserted him in the hour of misfor- 
 tune. The Prince Regent gave neither 
 sympathy nor money — such is the fickle- 
 ness of royal favour. Sheridan died July, 
 1816. 
 
 VOL. I. 15
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Present Drury Lane Theatre 
 was opened in 1812, under the manage- 
 ment of Arnold, by a committee, of noble- 
 men and gentlemen : the Earl of Essex, 
 the Earl of Derby, Lord Byron, Samuel 
 Whitbread, M.P., Douglas Kinnaird, and 
 others. Very indifferent success attended 
 the efforts of the Honourable Board, 
 verifying the old adage, ' Too many cooks 
 spoil the broth.' An empty treasury, 
 deserted benches, rebellious actors, brought 
 New Drury Lane into difficulties. What 
 was to be done ? Chance did what mana- 
 gerial judgment had so signally failed to 
 do. Dr. Arnold, travelling to Exeter,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 227 
 
 strolled into the theatre, and saw Edmund 
 Kean. Struck with his wonderful power 
 and originality, he forthwith engaged him 
 to appear at Drury Lane at a salary of £% 
 per week. Even this modest sum was 
 accorded with great displeasure by the 
 reigning magnates. Kean's personal ap- 
 pearance did not add to their satisfaction ; 
 and most of them considered that Arnold 
 had fooled away the money. Kean, meanly 
 clothed, short in stature, peculiar in manners, 
 compared disadvantageously with the 
 actors employed at Drury Lane. With 
 great difficulty did Dr. Arnold obtain the 
 appointment of a night for Kean's appear- 
 ance. At length it came, yielded unwil- 
 lingly. The rehearsals were conducted 
 by Rae, the stage-manager, in a very 
 slovenly manner : performers absent, 
 notably Mrs. W. West. Kean's dc'but 
 was fixed for Friday, 26th January, 1814. 
 The poor itinerant strolling player found 
 
 15 — 2
 
 228 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 himself on the boards of Old Drury. 
 Announcement : ' Merchant of Venice.' 
 Shylock, Mr. Kean (from the Theatre 
 Royal, Exeter, his first appearance) ; 
 Portia, Mrs. W. West. 
 
 This lady looked down upon the little 
 man in the capes (a nickname bestowed 
 upon Kean, on account of his wearing a 
 coat with many capes — the existing fashion 
 — a second-hand purchase to conceal his 
 shabby clothes). His startling innovations 
 upon the ruling Kemble school of pompous 
 delivery were received with suppressed 
 sneers. Raymond, the acting manager, 
 spoke very strongly on this new style, 
 wishing Kean to alter it. 
 
 'Never,' said the tragedian, 'never! 
 The public will soon let me know if they 
 think it wrong.' 
 
 Coldly received at first by a poor house, 
 the 'Jew ' gradually won his victory : first in- 
 attention, followed by intense silence ; then
 
 Old Drtiry Lane. 229 
 
 absorbed attention, worked up into absolute 
 rapture with the progress of the play. 
 Drury's walls rang again and again with 
 hearty cheers. The Trial Scene brought 
 the applause to a culminating point ; the 
 play was stopped ; Kean called and re- 
 called. Since Garrick's days such a hit 
 had never been made without the aid of 
 puffing or of friends. Edmund Kean 
 stood alone, master of the scene, a recog- 
 nised genius. Dr. Arnold's bad bargain 
 filled the exhausted treasury, in one season 
 ,£25,000. Kean's salary was at once 
 raised to £20 per week. He never for- 
 gave the unfeeling treatment that he had 
 received from the company in his days of 
 adversity. 
 
 Stephen Ki.mi.i.e, one year manager of 
 Drury Lane Theatre, was totally eclipsed 
 by the transcendent talents of his sister, 
 Mrs. Siddons. Stephen merely took a
 
 230 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 second-rate position as an actor, though 
 well educated, as all Roger Kemble's 
 children were. Falstaff was played by- 
 Stephen without stuffing or padding. 
 Henry Kemble, Stephen's son, made his 
 appearance at Drury Lane during his 
 father's reign. Romeo was his opening 
 character. Endowed with a fine figure 
 and powerful voice, he made himself well 
 heard in the galleries, thereby much pleas- 
 ing its occupants. A friendly critic, a 
 dustman, was heard to say to his wife, on 
 their leaving the theatre : 
 
 ' My eyes, Sal, there's a woke. I could 
 } ave 'eard him on the barges, £ other side o' 
 the water. That's what I calls real hading, 
 old gal, any how, eh ?' 
 
 Robert William Elliston, a scholar 
 of Paul's School, accomplished and well- 
 connected, encouraged by his managerial 
 success in the provinces and at the Olympic
 
 Old Drury Lane. 231 
 
 Theatre, cast his fortunes into the whirlpool 
 of Drury, which he conducted with extreme 
 liberality and excellent taste, engaging the 
 best of actors and actresses, and scenic 
 artists of the highest rank — David Roberts, 
 Clarkson Stanfield, etc. Standing alone 
 in comedy of the higher class, Elliston 
 continued to spend his own and his wife's 
 fortune, quitting the theatre a bankrupt. 
 One of poor Elliston's weaknesses was a 
 consuming and inappeasable vanity ; he 
 could digest any amount of adulation, and 
 a host of parasites unluckily surrounded 
 him, ever ready to flatter. A piece of 
 Planche's ' The Coronation,' introduced 
 Elliston as George IV. in the Corona- 
 tion scene, at Westminster Hall. Elliston, 
 having dined out, gave the admiring public 
 a taste of his inordinate self-importance. 
 Leaving his throne. King Robert William 
 advanced to the foot-lights, extending his 
 royal arms towards the pit, and in the ful-
 
 232 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ness of his heart graciously exclaimed : 
 'God bless you, my people!' The real 
 king could do no more (query as much?). 
 Elliston pleased his people — George IV. 
 disgusted his. A mounted champion, 
 armed to the teeth, galloped over a plat- 
 form, crossing the pit and orchestra, and 
 threw down his gauntlet on the stage, 
 proclaiming his mock sovereign's right, 
 challenging any that dared dispute it. 
 Here was sensation ! 
 
 Careless habits crept into his manage- 
 ment, fostered by intemperance. This sad 
 failing hastened the fall of a capital actor 
 and polished gentleman. His last per- 
 formance at Drury Lane was in ' Henry 
 the Fourth/ Part the First. 
 
 Cast. 
 
 King Henry, Mr. Barry (his first 
 
 appearance). 
 Prince of Wales, James Wallack.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 0^1 
 
 "JO 
 
 Hotspur, Macready. 
 Poixs, Browne. 
 Bardolph, G. Smith. 
 Northumberland, Archer. 
 Worcester, Bennett. 
 Pistol, Harley. 
 Falstaff, Elliston (first time). 
 Lady Percy, Mrs. W. West. 
 
 Dame Quickly, Mrs. Harlowe. 
 &c, &c. 
 
 This cast, backed by new scenery, 
 costumes, etc., could not fail to prove at- 
 tractive. Elliston played the roguish old 
 knight inimitably in the first two acts. In 
 the third it became evident that Jack Fal- 
 staff had swallowed too much sack. His 
 words were uttered incoherently, and he 
 walked with unsteady gait. The audience 
 began to be provoked. In the fourth act 
 matters became worse. Falstaff rolled to 
 and fro like a ship at sea : hisses and cries
 
 234 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 of 'shame!' were audible. In the scene 
 with dead Percy's body, which he ought to 
 have dragged off the stage, ' fat Jack ' fell 
 over it, not to rise again. The audience were 
 now furious. Wallack vainly tried to speak : 
 ' Sudden indisposition,' etc. 
 ' No, no, Wallack ; he is drunk !' 
 The curtain fell amidst a storm of hisses 
 and groans. Elliston never trod the 
 boards of Old Drury again. He quitted 
 its portals a ruined and disgraced man. 
 
 Elliston, his Secretary, and a Young 
 Author. — A young gentleman who had 
 written a play in five acts, wished to read 
 it to Elliston, and, having some interest to 
 back his request, the great man consented 
 to see him. The author with his MS. 
 timidly enters the theatrical potentate's 
 study, where Elliston and his secretary are 
 seated at a table. A gentle knock is heard 
 outside the door.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 235 
 
 Loud voice {inside) : ' Come in.' 
 Author, trembling, enters ; presents his 
 card. 
 
 ' Oh yes, I see ; be seated, sir. Excuse 
 me a few moments.— Now, Benjamin ' {to 
 secretary*), ' proceed with the potatoes ; we 
 
 left off at "Yorkshire reds," when Mr. 
 
 came in. " Kidneys " {reading a paper) 
 ' " are dear, very ; Suffolks, easy ; but then 
 the flavour — no, no, we'll leave Suffolks out ; 
 kidneys, ah!' {smacking his lips) 'I love a 
 Regent : two sacks of Regents, Benjamin ; 
 picked, mind, picked and floury.— Now, sir, 
 we'll proceed to your tragedy, if you 
 please;' — and Raleigh's healthy esculent 
 gives place to the tragic muse. ' Proceed, 
 sir. 
 
 ' Let not a torrent of impetuous zeal 
 Transport my liege beyond the bounds of reason.' 
 
 ' Your title, sir ?' 
 ' A Tyrant's Curse !'
 
 236 Old Ditiry Lane. 
 
 4 Go on.' 
 
 ' Alvaidez, the tyrant, discovered on the 
 sea-shore ; a violent tempest raging, 
 thunder, lightning, etc. ; the tyrant, pacing 
 the shore, violently agitated : 
 
 ' Tis well, my soul perceives returning greatness, 
 As Nature feels the spring ! Lightly she bounds, 
 And shakes dishonour, like a burden, from her, 
 Once more imperial, awful, and herself. 
 So when of old, Jove from the Titans fled, 
 Treason's rude front his radiate face belied, 
 And all the majesty of Heaven lay hid. 
 At length by fate to power again restored, 
 His thunder taught the world to know its lord : 
 The god grew terrible, as I do now, 
 And was again adored.' 
 
 {Loud thunder ; waves rise, approaching shore.} 
 
 ' Stop, sir, stop!' exclaimed Elliston; ' if 
 the waves drown your tyrant before the 
 play begins, where are you then ? Take 
 him inland, sir. Good-day. — Ben, show 
 the gentleman out ; and don't neglect the 
 " Regents." ' 
 
 Elliston and the Count.- — The Count 
 (a foreigner) incessantly haunted Drury
 
 Old Drury Lane. 237 
 
 Lane, with his MS. plays. Elliston, 
 greatly annoyed, answered his importunity 
 on one occasion : 
 
 ' Sir, I have not time to peruse them ; 
 good-day.' 
 
 ' Stop, sa, do you know that I am a 
 count ?' 
 
 ' Possibly, sir, but you are no account 
 here.'
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Stephen Price, an American, who suc- 
 ceeded Elliston as lessee of Drury Lane, 
 conducted the theatre with judgment and 
 liberal expenditure. Edwin Forrest, the 
 foremost actor in the United States, made 
 his bow here to playgoers in the old 
 country. Forrest possessed a fine figure 
 and powerful voice. He played Macbeth, 
 Richard, Othello, etc., very well, but his 
 best personation was ' Spartacus ': — a play 
 of that name had been written for him in 
 America. In his will he bequeathed his 
 well-earned fortune to establish a home for 
 aged actors and actresses, attached to a 
 college for poor children of players, sup-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 239 
 
 porting and educating them. All honour 
 to his name for this good deed ! Price in- 
 troduced Charles Kean to the boards of 
 Old Drury during his management; tempt- 
 ing him with an offer of £\2 per week; his 
 first appearance as Young Norval, in the 
 play of ' Douglas.' It is with regret that 
 I am compelled to add that Price quitted 
 Drury Lane a considerable loser. 
 
 Brotherly Love. — When Price go- 
 verned Drury Lane he invariably treated 
 Dowton with great kindness. This 
 mightily pleased the comedian ; who was 
 always declaring to his fellow-actors that 
 Price behaved like a brother to him. When 
 Price returned to America, he persuaded 
 Dowton to enQ-a^e with him for the Park 
 Theatre, New York, to play a series of his 
 best characters. The actor appeared, 
 fiilcd, and returned to Drury Lane, com- 
 plaining bitterly of the unkind treatment
 
 240 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 that he had received from Manager Price. 
 The others laughed, and Harley reminded 
 Dowton of his former praise of his ' more 
 than brother.' 
 
 Irate Actor : ' Brother, sir, brother be 
 
 d d ! what's that ? Abel had a brother, 
 
 sir !' 
 
 Alfred Bunn succeeded Price, holding 
 the reins for many years, a man of talent 
 and theatrical experience. Balfe was 
 largely patronised by Bunn ; many of the 
 clever composer's best works were pre- 
 sented to public notice by him — ' Bohemian 
 Girl,' ' Siecre of Rochelle,' ' Bride of 
 Venice,' &c. — with scenic displays by the 
 best masters, David Roberts and Clark- 
 son Stanfield. Wallace produced his 
 ' Maritani ' under Bunn's rule. John 
 Barnett's ' Mountain Sylph ' was imported 
 from the English Opera House (Lyceum). 
 
 Grand ballets produced on a large scale,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 241 
 
 introducing the most famous dancers in 
 Europe. Taglioni, Duvernay, Cerito, 
 Fanny Elsler, Monsieur Leon, etc., de- 
 lighted the town by their graceful talents. 
 His operatic corps boasted names of the 
 highest note — Braham, first of English 
 tenors ; Sinclair, Horn, Pearman, T. Cooke, 
 Templeton; the renowned vocalist, Madame 
 Malibran ; Miss Stephens, Miss Cawse. 
 Sheridan Knowles, Maturin, Poole, were 
 among the authors who wrote for him. 
 His list of actors included Macready, 
 WaJlack, Bennett, Cooper, Dowton, 
 Knight, Jones, Keeley, Harley, Sherwin, 
 Liston, Mathews, etc. ; Mrs. Bunn, Mrs. 
 W. West, Miss Phillips, Waylett, Miss 
 Smithso.n, Miss Kelly, Miss Ellen Tree, 
 Mrs. Stirling, Mrs. Glover, Mrs. Davenport, 
 Mrs. Harlow, etc. Bunn entered into 
 partnership with Captain Polhill, M.P. for 
 Bedford ; leasing Covent Garden Theatre. 
 One would have been enough. As matters 
 vol 1. 16
 
 242 Old Dmry Lane. 
 
 turned out, the Captain retired in three 
 years, minus ,£100,000, paying heavily for 
 his folly. Bunn went cheerily on, well 
 kept up by Balfe's operas, and his pretty 
 corps-de-ballet. A cloud came over the 
 great Alfred's sunny rule ; Macready, 
 deeming himself insulted, came to blows 
 with him. This carried manager and 
 tragedian into a law court. Macready 
 had to pay £"200 damages for assaulting 
 his employer. Mac crossed over to Covent 
 Garden with a new play of Bulwer's — the 
 4 Lady of Lyons.' This introduced that 
 charming actress, Miss Helen Faucit, to 
 the public stage, an ornament on and off 
 the boards. William Harrison made his 
 mark as a tenor singer in Balfe's ' Bohemian 
 Girl,' and Miss Romer's ' Arline ' will be 
 remembered. 
 
 Halevy's opera, ' La Juive,' furnished 
 Bunn with a good spectacle, real armour, 
 boiling cauldron ; Vandenhoff, Cooper,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 243 
 
 Ellen Tree, etc., to support the principal 
 characters. Pantomimes increased in im- 
 portance ; during Bunn's rule a host of 
 pantomimists appeared, including Payne, 
 Mathews, and Wieland. At last — a last 
 must come in all things — Bunn's wits and 
 exchequer failed, and the doors of Drury 
 were closed upon him, to be re-opened by 
 Alexander Lee, composer and musician. 
 Some of the most popular ballads of that 
 day were Lee's. But everything he 
 ventured on failed, not in effect, but as 
 regards the filling of the treasury. He got 
 together an excellent company for English 
 opera, tragedy, and comedy, all to no pur- 
 pose. He quitted the theatre with a net 
 loss of ^10,000. Not very encouraging 
 for the man that followed, to ^uide the 
 helm of the good ship ' Drury ' into a safe 
 port. 
 
 William Charles Macreadv took up 
 this hazardous venture, nothing afeard or 
 
 16 — 2
 
 244 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 daunted. A complete revolution attended 
 Macready's management ; old institutions 
 were swept away, and new rules and regula- 
 tions established, to the credit of the theatre, 
 before and behind the curtain. For two 
 years he wielded his mimic sceptre with 
 honour and skill. His plays were placed 
 on the boards with taste and judgment, 
 with lavish expenditure, with the best of 
 artists, and with untiring industry in pro- 
 duction. As an example, may be adduced 
 the following cast of 
 
 'As You Like It.' 
 
 Scene-painter, Clarkson Stanfield. Little 
 more need be said of scenic art. 
 
 Jacques, Macready. 
 Orlando, James Anderson. 
 Touchstone, Keeley. 
 William, Harley. 
 Oliver, Ryder. 
 Old Adam, Bart ley.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 245 
 
 Le Beau, Howe. 
 Amiens, Allen. 
 Duke, Cooper. 
 Banished Duke, Elton. 
 Rosalind, Mrs. Nesbitt. 
 Celia, Mrs. Stirling. 
 Audrey, Mrs. Keeley. 
 Phcebe, Miss P. Horton. 
 Hymen, Miss Grant. 
 
 'Acis and Galatea,' with wondrous 
 scenery by Stanfield ; pantomimes superbly 
 mounted, with slender results, alas ! in a 
 monetary point of view. Tired with his 
 arduous undertaking, Macready bade adieu 
 to his government after two years' reign, 
 with heavy losses both in health and purse. 
 
 W. J. Hammond, of the Strand Theatre, 
 a popular actor. Thanks to Douglas 
 Jerrold's plays and to his own ability, 
 Hammond made money ; alas ! soon to 
 lose it in the vortex of Drury Lane. If
 
 246 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 he had possessed a little less ambition for 
 plunging into a sea of trouble — much 
 beyond his depth — a fortune awaited him 
 in the little ' Strand' Theatre. But no 
 shadow of success followed him to Drury 
 Lane, where his pieces were not nearly as 
 well produced. Of his actors many were 
 talented, but others very mediocre. Pieces 
 unfortunately not calculated to draw 
 brought the season to a speedy end, and 
 poor Hammond's ruin along with it. He 
 died in New York. 
 
 Bunn again tried his fortunes with the 
 old house — sorry am I to chronicle, with 
 bad consequences. Empty benches, a 
 series of failures, drove Bunn from Drury 
 Lane to die in Bologne, where he was 
 indebted for his support to the kindly aid 
 of a true friend — Cartwright. 
 
 Monsieur Jullien, a Frenchman, of 
 monster-concerts renown, resolved to tempt
 
 Old Drury Lane. 247 
 
 the fickle goddess Fortune : playing a game 
 of hazard with her ladyship, she won, he 
 lost. Mr. Sims Reeves appeared at Drury 
 Lane under Jullien's management, and 
 Alexandre Dumas brought a French com- 
 pany to act in his piece, ' Monte Christo ;' 
 this raised a hurricane among idlers, third- 
 rate actors and dependents. Uproars and 
 unmanly disturbances drove the French 
 artists from the theatre. Disgusted with 
 this disgraceful treatment, they left our 
 shores with curses hurled at ' la perfide 
 Albion.' Monsieur Jullien, having lost a 
 large amount, returned to his more profit- 
 able band — his ' British Grenadiers' paying 
 better than the British drama ! After so 
 many mishaps, he naturally adhered to his 
 gold-mounted baton. 
 
 James Anderson resolved to try his for- 
 tune by leasing the National Theatre. 
 There always exists a large amount of fas-
 
 248 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 cination connected with the management of 
 theatres ; each new-comer believes himself 
 to be the man to win — -so with James 
 Anderson. He stood the hazard of the 
 die ; two years he remained at the head of 
 affairs (1850 and 1851). Unfortunately 
 for himself he gave up the struggle in the 
 Great Exhibition year, sub-letting the 
 theatre to an American equestrian com- 
 pany, McCullock's, who, to use their own 
 dialect, 'made a potof money.' Literally they 
 cleared thousands by dumb show. Riding 
 bare-backed steeds on one leg brought 
 more money than Kean or Kemble's 
 acting. London being so full of country 
 cousins and visitors from every land to see 
 our ' World's Show,' the Crystal Palace, 
 Anderson produced novelty with a liberal 
 outlay — ' Azael,' a spectacle exceedingly 
 well put on the stage, supported by Van- 
 denhoff, Anderson, Mrs. Walter Lacy, 
 etc. ; grand ballet ; tragedy ; a new play,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 249 
 
 Tngomar' — all pleased, but failed to at- 
 tract. 
 
 Frederick Gye, manager of the Italian 
 Opera, Covent Garden, rented Drury Lane 
 a few months. After this followed a suc- 
 cession of misfortunes that reduced the 
 finest of theatres to the lowest state of 
 degradation — its noble traditions disgraced! 
 
 Three lessees in the same number of 
 weeks had the reckless audacity to open 
 Drury Lane without money or brains : 
 ' Mr. Sheridan Smith,' one week lessee ; 
 ' Mr. De Vere,' one week lessee ; 'Mr. 
 Bolton,' one week lessee. These gentle- 
 men fled without paying their actors or 
 rent. Such was the pitiful state to which 
 Old Drury was at last reduced, when luckily 
 a man of enterprise came to the rescue. 
 
 E. T. Smith, [852, elected Lessee by 
 the committee : Earl of Glengall, Lord 
 William Lennox, Lord Tenterden, Sir
 
 250 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Charles Ibbetson, Sir William de Bathe, 
 Captain Painter, C. Coope, Esq., M.P. 
 Rental reduced to ,£3,500 — once ,£10,000 — 
 so had it fallen ! Smith, a man of active 
 habits and vast experience in worldly 
 transactions, with a very limited capital, 
 boldly seized the opportunity and suc- 
 ceeded. On Boxing-night, 1852, the cur- 
 tain drew up to ' Uncle Tom's Cabin' and 
 a pantomime written by Blanchard, called 
 ' Harlequin Hudibras ;' considering the 
 scanty means at Smith's disposal, fairly 
 mounted. A piece of Charles Reade's — 
 1 Gold,' an opportune picture of Australian 
 life, just at the time when gold had been 
 discovered in the colony — proved attractive 
 and Drury Lane rose from the ' slough of 
 Despond.' There was a constant relay of 
 new performers, English and American : 
 E. L. Davenport, Miss Heron, Wallack, 
 Miss Marriott, Betty, Selby, Fanny Vining, 
 Wild, formed a company of fair average
 
 Old Drnry Lane. 251 
 
 ability. I engaged for three years with 
 Smith, as stage-manager and actor. The 
 first season terminated with a handsome 
 profit. The second commenced with a 
 novel attempt to walk on the ceiling of the 
 theatre head downwards — an American 
 venture. The attempt was carried out, 
 impossible as it seemed. Crowds nightly 
 thronged the house to witness this feat. 
 Smith proposed to me a ready way of 
 making a fortune, thus : He could do what 
 Sands was doing, walk on the ceiling head 
 downwards. I thought he was jesting. 
 
 ' No, my boy, the trick's in the shoes ' 
 {producing a small box). ' Sands leaves 
 them here for safety. I've examined them ; 
 they have sockets in the soles that slip 
 into clasps fixed on the ceiling. Nothing 
 so easy : we'll go round the country. I'll 
 walk, you take the tin.' 
 
 I inquired how the shoes could be ob- 
 tained ?
 
 252 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Smith {with a sly wink) : ' Leave that 
 to me; the last night Sands will find them 
 missing.' 
 
 The project was never carried out, for- 
 tunately for the lessee and his shoes. 
 
 Gustavus Brooke, engaged for tragedy, 
 made a genuine hit. This talented man 
 drew good audiences nightly. 
 
 Pantomime, 'Jack and Jill,' produced 
 with increased expenditure. Smith always 
 paid great attention to his Christmas work, 
 well knowing its consequence to his 
 treasury. 
 
 Third Season strengthened our com- 
 pany by the addition of Charles Mathews, 
 Roxby, and the scenic artist William 
 Beverly. I retired, joining the Strand 
 management. Fitzball had written an 
 Egyptian play, entitled ' Nitocrius,' which 
 was accepted by Smith. Much labour and 
 large sums of money were expended, and
 
 Old Drury Lane. 253 
 
 a good company, including Barry Sullivan 
 and Miss Glyn, collected for its production. 
 Rehearsals commenced. Mathews (then 
 stage-manager) thought proper to ridicule 
 and ignore ' Nitocrius ' in toto, scattering 
 Smith's interest to the winds by cutting 
 one act entirely out (there were five), and 
 playing the last act first. Here was altera- 
 tion with a vengeance. The play failed : 
 could it be otherwise ? Two thousand 
 pounds went with it ; — large payment for 
 Mr. Mathews's funny joke. 
 
 Havelock Testimonial. — A meeting 
 to raise to this brave and good soldier a 
 statue was held in Drury Lane under dis- 
 tinguished patronage, the Duke of Cam- 
 bridge in the chair, supported by the Earl 
 of Cardigan, Sir William Williams of 
 Kars, Earl Russell, Sir Macdonald 
 Stephenson, etc. A sum sufficient for the 
 purpose was subscribed, to perpetuate 
 Havelock's gallant deeds in India.
 
 254 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Italian Opera at Drury Lane. — Cheap 
 prices. Mapleson first appeared in Smith's 
 employment as his agent. Verdi, Garcia, 
 Persiani, Gassier, Ronconi, Naudin, Badilla, 
 etc., clever artists, popular operas, very low 
 admission money, failed to induce the pub- 
 lic to patronise this venture. 
 
 Grand Equestrian American Circus. 
 —Ring placed on the stage. An extraor- 
 dinary female rider, ' Mademoiselle Ella,' 
 surprised the town by her marvellous 
 evolutions on two, three, and four horses 
 running at full speed round the ring. The 
 leaps that fair equestrian took, clearing 
 four horses at a time, astonished and 
 attracted large audiences. It was whis- 
 pered abroad that mademoiselle was not 
 really a mademoiselle at all, but a monsieur 
 in disguise. Certainly few persons ever 
 saw the lady's features in the day : they 
 were always closely veiled.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 But the great attraction of Smith's 
 management was the appearance of 
 Mademoiselle Rachel, the celebrated 
 French tragedienne, on the boards of 
 Drury Lane, the last time that she ever 
 acted in Europe. The following was the 
 bill of the performances : 
 
 ' Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 
 August qth, 1855. 
 
 Under the patronage of her most gracious 
 Majesty the Queen, for the benefit of 
 the French Charitable Association, the 
 eminent tragedienne, 
 
 1 Mademoiselle Rachel 
 
 has kindly consented to appear for the
 
 256 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 last time prior to her departure for 
 America, in the second act of Racine's 
 trasfedv of " Athalie." 
 
 'On Thursday, August 9th, 1855, will 
 be performed " Le Depit Amoureux," a 
 comedy in two acts, by Moliere. 
 
 ' After which will be performed the 
 second act of Racine's tragedy, 
 
 ' " Athalie." 
 
 Abner, Madame Randoux. 
 Martha, M. Clere Cheine. 
 Josabeth, Mademoiselle Duney. 
 
 Zachanil, ) Sisters ( Mdlle. Dinah Felix. 
 
 c to \ 
 Joas, ) Rachel. ( Mdlle. Sarah Felix. 
 
 Athalie, Mademoiselle Rachel. 
 
 To conclude with the first act of Wallace's 
 opera of " Maritana." In the course of 
 the evening " God Save the Oueen ' and 
 " Pour la Syrie," a musical melange, in 
 which Monsieur Blondet will sing, in
 
 Old Drttry Lane. 257 
 
 character as a Zouave, the cantata " La 
 Guerre." Stage Manager, E. Stirling.' 
 I had the honour of leading Mdlle. 
 Rachel before the curtain, receiving a smile 
 and a charming ' Thank you,' the last 
 words ever spoken by this celebrated 
 woman on the European stage. She died 
 on her return from America, without per- 
 forming in Paris. 
 
 When Mdlle. Rachel was a child, ad- 
 mitted to the Conservatoire, she besought 
 some private lessons from an artist, justly 
 esteemed and of serious talent, M. Provost, 
 societaire of the Comedie Francaise. On 
 seeing the feeble and unhealthy girl, he 
 told her to ' go and sell nosegays ' (her 
 original calling in the streets of Paris). 
 The young ' Hermione ' charmingly re- 
 venged herself one evening, long after- 
 wards, for the contempt of her comrade 
 who had proved so false a prophet. The 
 theatre was crowded, the boxes filled with 
 
 VOL I 17
 
 258 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the tlite of fashion, ' Hermione ' was called 
 for with great enthusiasm and recalled 
 several times with storms of applause, her 
 Grecian tunic filled with flowers. She ran 
 after her friend, M. Provost, who had 
 advised her to go and sell nosegays. She 
 dropped a curtsey before him with coquet- 
 tish grace. 
 
 ' I have followed your counsel, Monsieur 
 Provost, and sell nosegays. Will you buy 
 one ?' 
 
 This Muse of Israel had graceful 
 
 coquetries at command for other persons 
 
 besides disobliging actors. Early in her 
 
 career Mdlle. Rachel was judged elegant 
 
 and discreet enough in her manners to be 
 
 admitted to Madame Recamier's select 
 
 circle at the Abbey — aux-Recames-Bois — 
 where only that which was finest and most 
 
 orthodox was permitted to penetrate. Dr. 
 
 Vernor tells us when within these holy 
 
 walls, she was ingenious enough to compli-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 259 
 
 ment an archbishop to his liking, and to 
 proclaim herself a Jewess. Reciting at the 
 Abbey some scenes from the part of 
 1 Pauline ' before M. de Chateaubriand, 
 this scene was interrupted by the unex- 
 pected entrance of the archbishop. 
 
 ' Monseigneur,' said Madame Recamier, 
 a little embarrassed, ' let me present to 
 you Mdlle. Rachel, who is just reading one 
 of the scenes of "Pauline" from Polyeucte.' 
 ' I should be distressed,' was the answer, 
 'to interrupt the fine verses of Corneille.' 
 
 But Mdlle. Rachel, in a delicate scruple, 
 would not go on with the scene before the 
 prelate. She would not cry out as a con- 
 verted Christian, ' Je vois, je sais, je crois,' 
 not utter a lie (so to speak). 
 
 ' If monseigneur will permit me,' said 
 she, ' I will recite some passages from 
 " Esther," ' thus remaining, thanks to the 
 drama written by Racine, faithful to the 
 
 Jewish religion. 
 
 17 — 2
 
 260 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 When Rachel had concluded, the arch- 
 bishop praised her most warmly. 
 
 ' We priests,' said he, ' seldom have the 
 pleasure of approaching the great artists. 
 But twice in my life I have had this enjoy- 
 ment. At Florence I have heard Madame 
 Malibran in society, and I am indebted to 
 Madame Recamier for an opportunity of 
 hearing Mdlle. Rachel declaim such fine 
 verses so well — we must feel all the senti- 
 ments which they express.' 
 
 Mdlle. Rachel made the most charming 
 reverence, and looking down, replied gently 
 but firmly : 
 
 ' Monseigneur, je crois.' 
 
 E. T. Smith asked Balfe to write him an 
 operetta with a ballad or two for Drury 
 Lane, over a dinner, at which the guests 
 were Balfe, Mapleson, and myself. Smith 
 produced a cheque for ^200, and placing it 
 on Balfe's plate :
 
 Old Drury Lane. 261 
 
 ' Here's something, old boy, to give you 
 a relish for dinner.' 
 
 Astonished Composer. — ' This is the 
 first time in my life that I ever received 
 money beforehand, gold for my notes.' 
 
 The lessee replied : 
 
 ' My dear Balfe, your notes are always 
 so easily cashed by the public' 
 
 Amateur Aristocratic Matinee at 
 Drury Lane, 1855, honoured by the pre- 
 sence of the Oueen, the Prince Consort, 
 and the Royal children. A musical piece, 
 in which Miss Keeley sang for the first 
 time, aided by her father and mother. The 
 gem of the performances was a real comic 
 pantomime, played by officers and literary 
 men — Biddulph, Lord Mostyn, Twiss, 
 Ponsonby, Albert Smith, Brough, F. Yates, 
 Powell, etc. One scene, the ' Derby Day,' 
 Epsom. The race : basket horses ; gentle- 
 men jockeys : Lord Mostyn, red ; blue.
 
 262 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Albert Smith, won by two lengths, leaving 
 all the horses and riders sprawling on the 
 ground, to the great amusement of the be- 
 holders, her Majesty included. Smith 
 engaged Charles Kean, Webster, etc. ; his 
 pantomimes, written by Blanchard, were 
 pre-eminent for fun and scenic excellence. 
 
 1862. Second Exhibition Year 
 brought Dion Boucicault and his ' Colleen 
 Bawn ' to Drury. A difference with 
 Webster at the Adelphi caused the re- 
 moval of the Irish heroine to the national 
 boards. A new melodrama, the ' Relief of 
 Lucknow,' with a good cast, and Bouci- 
 cault's acting, did well. From Drury Lane, 
 the ' Relief of Lucknow ' appeared in the 
 Court of Common Pleas, held at Croydon, 
 Judge Bramwell presiding. A Mr. Seaman 
 brought an action against Boucicault for 
 piracy, claiming the title and plot of the 
 4 Relief of Lucknow ' as his original idea.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 263 
 
 This plea fell through. I was the only 
 witness examined by Montagu Chambers, 
 counsel for Seaman. Bramwell asked 
 me if I knew the plot of the defendant's 
 piece ? 
 
 ' Yes, my lord, I produced it.' 
 
 Judge {with MS. before him) : ' De- 
 scribe it.' 
 
 ' My lord, it runs thus : Siege of Luck- 
 now, horrors of war, suffering of the gallant 
 defenders, love of course in large quantities, 
 even in that perilous position ' {laughter in 
 court). 
 
 Judge (perusing the MS., smiling) : 
 ' Yes, I perceive there is plenty of love.' 
 
 ' My lord,' I observed, ' we on the stage 
 cannot get on without it ' (loud laughter, 
 bar and Judge smiled). ' Terrible fighting, 
 vengeance of rebel Sepoys ; miraculous 
 escape ; despair of women and children ; 
 Irish soldiers, of course abounding in Irish 
 humour ; English soldiers true to their
 
 264 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 duty ; faithful wives ; devoted sweethearts ; 
 terrible Rajah ! just at the critical point 
 when death and capture lie before the 
 besieged, a Scottish girl, gifted with extra- 
 ordinary powers of hearing, hears in the 
 distance the Highlanders' pipes, 'The 
 Campbells are coming.' Universal joy ; 
 troops rush in to the rescue ; desperate 
 fighting ; old England triumphs ; Have- 
 lock and Outram embrace amidst the 
 burning ruins ; shouts, thunder of cannon, 
 screeching pipes ; red fire ; garrison saved, 
 more firing ; blue fire ; God save the 
 Oueen ! and our curtain falls.' 
 
 This description pleased the court 
 amazingly ; the crier had some difficulty in 
 proclaiming 'order.' 
 
 Bramwell : ' I wish our curtain could 
 descend as rapidly. There is no com- 
 parison between the two pieces.' 
 
 He had Seaman's and Boucicault's manu- 
 scripts lying on the desk.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 265 
 
 ' No, my lord, one is written by a gentle- 
 man, the other ' 
 
 4 Stop, sir,' said Chambers, Seaman's 
 counsel, 'we are not asking your opinion.' 
 
 The learned Judge {looking at the cover 
 of MS., lent by Mr. Lane from the 
 Britannia Theatre, to plaintiff) : ' You 
 swear, sir, that yours is an original compo- 
 sition — your play ?' 
 
 ' Yes, my lord, I do.' 
 
 ' Listen, sir, to this (Bramwell, reading) : 
 ' " This drama is founded on a copy of 
 verses that appeared in the ' Times news- 
 paper,' relative to a Highland girl's hearing 
 the distant bag-pipes" [passing MS.). Is 
 that your writing, sir ?' 
 
 Chap-fallen Seaman : ' Yes, my lord.' 
 
 1 Then, sir, you are non-suited, and I am 
 not sure, I believe I ought to commit you 
 for wilful perjury.' Thus ' Lucknow ' was 
 relieved from litigation. 
 
 E. T. Smith's many ventures kept him
 
 266 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 poor ; the Alhambra Palace, Radnor 
 Tavern, Her Majesty's Opera, Drury 
 Lane, a travelling circus. Then he was 
 auctioneer, wine-merchant, picture-dealer, 
 land-agent, bill-discounter, and Dunmow 
 flitch-of-bacon restorer ; a Jack-of-all-trades, 
 and master of none. A Jew friend observed 
 to me : 
 
 ' Smith, sir, 's a wonderful man, keeps 
 plenty of people in bread, earns lots of 
 money, but can't keep it ; none sticks to 
 his fingers.' 
 
 He started for Bridport, a candidate for 
 Parliament, gave that up for Bedford, 
 actually opposed the Duke of Bedford in 
 his stronghold, contesting Whitbread's in- 
 influence for a seat. He polled 101, lost 
 the election, and ,£2,000. He established 
 a newspaper, the Bedford Times, in 
 which he exposed the abuses of endowed 
 schools and charities, as also in his own 
 paper, the Sunday Times. His Drury Lane
 
 Old Drury Lane. 267 
 
 lease drawing to a close, Smith was anxious 
 to part with it, to avoid the large expense 
 of repairs. He offered it to Boucicault, at 
 a dinner where I myself was a guest, 
 after flattering Dion with certain success. 
 
 ' Only six thousand pounds, my boy. 
 You walk in, I walk out.' 
 
 ' Very good, Smith,' said Boucicault, ' I 
 should want you to give me six thousand, 
 and then I should not walk in, but keep 
 out.' 
 
 Boucicault had learnt wisdom by expe- 
 rience : a burnt child fears the fire. 
 
 Doing a Bill. — Smith wanting cash 
 (who does not?) invited two young guards- 
 men to luncheon (they are now peers of 
 the realm). After a rccherchd repast, a 
 bill-stamp appeared. 
 
 1 Now, my boys, just your names to 
 this for ^500. Three months, ten per 
 cent, interest.'
 
 268 Old Drwry Lane. 
 
 The officers laughed. 
 
 ' By , we came here to ask you to 
 
 do one for us — ^"iooo, three months, at 
 twenty per cent.' 
 
 No more words were exchanged ; they 
 separated, mutually disappointed with each 
 other. 
 
 In one of Smith's Pantomimes ' Jack 
 and Gill,' in a farm-yard scene, children re- 
 presented turkeys, ducks, geese, etc. One 
 evening a small boy — a goose, came crying 
 to me, without his bird's legs, telling a 
 pitiful tale against one ' Billy Brown ' (a 
 turkey-cock), who had ' whacked him, and 
 'stole his legs.' Justice was done to the 
 goose, and the fighting turkey-cock had 
 his comb cut. 
 
 Harlequin Blue Beard. — Bashaw 
 Blue Beard rode in grand procession on a 
 large elephant, in Oriental state. Perhaps 
 it might be well to inform our readers how
 
 Old Dvury Lane. 269 
 
 stage elephants are made. The body is of 
 basket-work ; the legs, canvas ; the feet 
 and head modelled ; tusks, wood ; trunk 
 and tail, wire-work, all covered with 
 canvas and painted. The eyes are glass. 
 Now to give a stage elephant life and 
 motion four men are placed one in each 
 leg. On the present occasion,"" one of the 
 legs had been drinking, and entered his 
 hind-leg in a very quarrelsome condition, 
 talking of fighting the left fore-leg for some 
 imaginary affront. Music, march com- 
 mences, elephant moves, right hind-leg 
 drags — it is sleepy, Blue Beard swearing, 
 manager vowing vengeance. 
 
 Fore-legs to Hind : ' Come on, 
 Wilkins, good luck to you.' 
 
 Wilkins wouldn't stir. Left hind kicks 
 him. Right kicks again, and loud enough 
 for all to hear, swears ' he'll punch his 
 
 * This ludicrous incident occurred at the Adelphi, 
 under Gladstone's management and my direction.
 
 270 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 head.' Front leofs kick out ; at length all 
 get to blows. Blue Beard pitched off; 
 wild yells of laughter ; elephant rolls over, 
 all the legs fighting each other. Burlesque 
 could go no further. The audience were 
 convulsed with laughter, and wanted to 
 encore it. I need hardly add that all the 
 legs were discharged, and the elephant cut 
 out. 
 
 Smith let Drury Lane to Edmund Fal- 
 coner, of ' Peep o' Day ' celebrity, then 
 crossed the water to Astley's and intro- 
 duced the female Mazeppa, Adah Menken ; 
 re-crossed the Thames to the Lyceum, 
 engaged Miss Neilson, the Vokes Family, 
 Bandmann, etc. This speculation failing, 
 he tried the Surrey, with no better fortune ; 
 built a new theatre, ' Elephant and Castle,' 
 but did not succeed in this last theatrical 
 venture. He tried Mining Agency, and a 
 subterranean restaurant in the bowels of
 
 Old Drury Lane. 271 
 
 the earth, under the Royal Exchange. 
 For this a license was applied for, but the 
 application met with a refusal. Ruin came 
 in its train, and sickness, followed by death. 
 Thus ended the career of a clever, shrewd 
 man. He aimed, however, at too much. 
 ' Too many irons in the fire ' are apt to 
 burn one's fingers, as they did poor 
 Smith's. 
 
 ' Hamlet ' at Drury Lane. — E. T. 
 Smith's last season — not a very efficient 
 tragedy company for the minor characters. 
 In the play scene, Lucianus, whose part it 
 was to poison the sleeping king in the 
 garden had only a few lines to speak, and 
 these he had neglected to learn. 
 
 Lucianus enters cautiously. 
 
 'Thoughts black, hands apt, drugs fit, and time 
 agreeing.' 
 
 Pause. Prompter gave the word. Little 
 use : he did not know the rest. He spoke
 
 272 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the speech again, and paused. The audi- 
 ence hissed. {In a strong Irish accent) : 
 
 ' I'll pour the ftison into his ear-hole, 
 that'll do it ' {rushing off the stage). 
 
 It did do for him, depend upon it, with 
 the management. 

 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Edmund Falconer and Frederick B. 
 Ciiatterton, joint-lessees of Drury Lane. 
 Falconer, an Irishman and a clever play- 
 wright, actor and provincial manager, had 
 realised thirteen thousand pounds at the 
 Lyceum, and rashly embarked his earnings 
 in Drury Lane management. He lost 
 every shilling. He was persuaded to take 
 this perilous step in opposition to Chat- 
 terton's more prudent advice. He tried 
 and failed, notwithstanding creditable 
 efforts to attract the public. Plays well pro- 
 duced — company consisting of the foremost 
 tragedy actors — ' King John,' First Part of 
 ' Henry the Fourth,' ' Macbeth,' Milton's 
 VOL i. 1 8
 
 274 0M Drury Lane. 
 
 ' Comus,' all admirably put on the stage. 
 Scenery by William Beverley. Panto- 
 mimes with costly expenditure, following 
 the example set by E. T. Smith, who first 
 gave an impetus to Christmas novelties ; 
 E. L. Blanchard their clever author and 
 concoctor. Falconer's own productions 
 possessed merit, carefully and scholarly 
 written : ' Extremes,' a comedy ; ' Cajot,' 
 ' Death of Montrose,' etc. Nothing drew 
 good houses. At last the doors were closed 
 on the unlucky lessees. Chatterton dis- 
 charged his own and Falconer's liabilities ; 
 bid for Drury Lane, was accepted by a com- 
 mittee, and commenced in 1866, self- 
 made, reliant, bold and resolute ! For 
 ten years Chatterton ruled, and a further 
 lease of five years was recently granted to 
 him, an instance of a man's cutting his 
 road from the ranks to a foremost position. 
 He began well. Shakespeare : ' Macbeth,' 
 King John.' Old comedies: Phelps, Walter
 
 Old Drury Lane. 275 
 
 Montgomery, Barry Sullivan, Talbot, 
 Warner, Ryder, Swinbourne, Miss Helen 
 Faucit, Mrs. Herman Vezin, Miss Wallis, 
 Miss Neilson, Mrs. Vandenhoff, the 
 Brothers Webb. A version of ' Faust,' 
 poetical and musical, by Bayle Bernard : 
 Mephistopheles, Phelps; Marguerite, 
 Mrs. Herman Vezin. Miss Helen Faucit's 
 special engagement for twelve nights was 
 honoured by the dlite of society. Crowded 
 houses came to witness this talented lady's 
 personations of the highest roles in comedy 
 and tragedy — well were they gratified. 
 Her graceful figure, fine tuneful voice, and 
 refined judgment went far to make her 
 perfection, this our first living actress, as 
 Lady Teazle, Portia, Pauline, Julia, Rosa- 
 lind. Her Antigone stands alone for purity 
 of taste and classic representation. Shake- 
 speare's words describe her : 
 
 'No jewel is like Rosalind . . . 
 All the pictures, fairest lined, 
 Are but black to Rosalind.' 
 
 18—2
 
 276 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Miss Faucit kindly sent me the follow- 
 ing letter at the conclusion of her engage- 
 ment : 
 
 '31, Onslow-square, 
 
 'Oct. 19, 1866. 
 ' Dear Sir, 
 
 ' I regretted on Friday night before 
 I left the theatre that I had not an oppor- 
 tunity of expressing to you personally my 
 acknowledgments for your courtesy and 
 attention to my wishes during my late 
 performances at Drury Lane. 
 
 ' I have been very unwell since Friday, 
 or I should have written earlier to express 
 my thanks to you. Pray accept them now, 
 and believe me, dear sir, 
 ' Yours truly, 
 
 ' Helen Faucit Martin. 
 
 ' Edward Stirling, 
 
 ' Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.' 
 
 The Brothers Webb, remarkable for 
 their resemblance to each other, played a
 
 Old Drury Lane. 277 
 
 few nights. In the ' Comedy of Errors,' it 
 was difficult to distinguish the one Dromio 
 from the other. The eldest, Henry Webb, 
 died during his engagement at Drury 
 Lane, leaving a wife and three children 
 unprovided for. A benefit at Drury Lane 
 produced .£1,200, sufficient to educate 
 the children and assist the widow. 
 Actors and actresses are universally 
 charitable, ever ready to help the sick 
 and needy with personal service or 
 money. All honour to the sock and buck- 
 skin. 
 
 Walter Montgomery supported Miss 
 Faucit in her plays. He was well received 
 by his audiences. Christmas came — as it 
 always will — heralding merry times for 
 home and holidays. The pantomime, the 
 children's favourite dish, was served up 
 daintily by our literary cook, E. L. 
 Blanchard, — ' Harlequin Number Nip.'
 
 278 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 This brought Chatterton's first season to 
 a conclusion with fair results. 
 
 Second Season, 1867-8. — English opera 
 announced, not performed. The cause, 
 Sims Reeves objected to sing in ' Rob 
 Roy,' pleading ill health ; William Harri- 
 son did. ' Francis Osbaldiston,' ' Baillie 
 Nicol Jarvie,' acted to the life by Phelps. 
 ' Rob Roy ' personated by a real High- 
 lander, James Powrie, an Edinburgh actor 
 of high repute. Diana Vernon, Miss 
 Cross. Our great tenor, Reeves, paid 
 for his caprice in the law-courts rather 
 heavily, in the action brought by Chatterton 
 for breach of contract — verdict ,£1,500. 
 
 Third Dramatic Season. — In the 'Sum- 
 mer, Mapleson's Italian Opera.' We opened 
 dramatically with a sensation drama of 
 high and low life, by Halliday, called ' The 
 Great City,' introducing Miss Madge 
 Robertson (Mrs. Kendal) to a London 
 audience. This realistic piece had the
 
 Old Drury Lane. 279 
 
 advantage of a real cab and living 
 horse, thieves' dens, and burglars on 
 house-tops escaping by telegraphic wires, 
 and many other wonders. Money came into 
 the treasury, the best token of popularity. 
 
 An old familiar drama, ' The Miller and 
 his Men,' originally produced at Covent 
 Garden fifty years ago. 
 
 First Cast. 
 
 Grindoff (the miller), Farley. 
 
 Lothair, Abbott. 
 
 Count Friburgh, F. Vining. 
 
 Karl, Lis ton. 
 
 Ravena, Miss. Fattcit. 
 
 Claudine, Miss Foote. 
 
 It fell flat on its revival at Drury, and 
 was speedily withdrawn. 
 
 Bayle Bernard gave us a capital version 
 of Lord Byron's tragedy, ' Marino Faliero,' 
 called ' The Doge of Venice.' Scenery
 
 280 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 perfect, reminding one strongly of Cana- 
 letti's wonderful pictures of the ' Queen of 
 the Adriatic.' Beverley in this drama 
 excelled all his previous efforts. 
 
 When Lord Byron's tragedy of ' Marino 
 Faliero ' was first produced at ' Old Drury,' 
 under Elliston's management, it was cried 
 down by the ' saints,' the Archbishop of 
 Canterbury and Dean Ireland at their 
 head, as the work of an infidel. The 
 following notice explains this intolerant 
 persecution : ' Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 
 Thursday, April 26th, 1821. Lord Byron's 
 tragedy of " Marino Faliero " was received 
 last night with the applause and acclama- 
 tion which had been anticipated from the 
 high genius of its distinguished author. 
 Its repetition would have been announced 
 for this evening, as a matter of course ; but 
 certain persons, on grounds at present 
 incapable of being understood, and which 
 remain to be explained and justified, have
 
 Old Dmry Lane. 281 
 
 thought fit to obtain an injunction in 
 Chancery against the representation of the 
 play. Under these extraordinary circum- 
 stance's, further performance of the tragedy 
 must for the present moment be suspended. 
 It is conceived, however, that the impedi- 
 ment thus thrown in the way not only of 
 the interests of the theatre, but of the 
 gratification of the public, can be but of 
 very short duration, and that the piece will 
 before long be again exhibited with the 
 brilliant success which attended its perform- 
 ance yesterday evening.' 
 
 'Jack the Giant-killer,' Boxing-night, 
 to children's great delight and the manager's 
 profit, invented and written by the never- 
 failing Blanchard. 
 
 Barry Sullivan tried his skill on ' Richard 
 the Third.' Phelps stood out well in 
 comedy : his Doctor Cantwell in the 
 ' Hypocrite ' was a masterly delineation, 
 reminding old playgoers of Dowton. Our
 
 282 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 conclusion of the scene, a drama by Colonel 
 Richards, ' The Prisoner of Toulon,' moder- 
 ately successful. 
 
 On Easter Monday was produced* Victor 
 Hugo's ' Miserables,' introducing Mr. 
 Charles Dillon to Drury Lane : his ' Bel- 
 phegor ' pleased better, a part that he 
 created at the Lyceum. 
 
 Puss in Boots (pantomime) pleased 
 mightily. Blanchard's pen never tires, re- 
 minding us of the negro song of ' Old 
 Virginny never tired '; suffice it to say it 
 never tired the numerous visitors, whether 
 boys and girls or ' children of a larger 
 growth.' 
 
 Third and Fourth Seasons, 1868-9. — 
 Sir Walter Scott's genius furnished Mr- 
 Andrew Halliday with a subject — the 
 ' King o' Scots,' founded on the ' Fortunes 
 of Nigel.' Phelps played two parts in it — 
 the Solon, James I., and the miser of 
 Alsatia, Trapbois, both powerfully and well.
 
 Old Drnry Lane. 28 
 
 j 
 
 Fourth and Fifth Seasons, 1869-70. 
 — A novelty developing the inner life of a 
 questionable class of feminine society, the 
 demi-monde, etc. This idea emanated 
 from Boucicault. It was rather a danger- 
 ous experiment, but it proved a successful 
 one. ' Formosa ' was the title of this 
 drama, taken from the name of an island in 
 the Chinese seas — Formosa, the beautiful. 
 The cast was a good one, comprising such 
 well-known names as H. Irving, D. Fisher, 
 Howard, Bennett, Wright, Rouse, Miss 
 Kate Rogers, Mrs. Billington, Dalton, 
 Hudspeth, which added greatly to its 
 attraction. It had a long run, and proved 
 profitable both to author and manager. 
 
 ' Beauty and the Beast,' supported by 
 the Vokes family, Miss Kate Santley, B. 
 Wright, etc., ran merrily on at Christmas. 
 The Vokes family, with their never-failing 
 humour and activity, caused quite a sensa- 
 tion. This was their first appearance at
 
 284 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Drury Lane ; a step up the ladder of Fame, 
 in the right place. ' Peep o' Day ' revived 
 brought the curtain down profitably. 
 
 Check-taker at Old Drury. — Denvil, 
 once a good actor, was reduced by necessity 
 to accept this humble position. He had 
 been originally an actor and manager of 
 the Pavilion. Bunn engaged him to act 
 Manfred at Drury Lane, having seen him 
 play Shylock at a small theatre in Kensing- 
 ton. He made a good impression in 
 Byron's play, and by a strange coincidence 
 took checks at the gallery when Manfred 
 was revived by Falconer and Chatterton 
 for Phelps. 
 
 A Candidate for the Stage. — Thea- 
 trical managers frequently receive odd 
 applications. The following curious epistle 
 was addressed to myself, and is so odd as 
 to be worth preserving:
 
 Old Drury Lane. 285 
 
 ' No 35 blomsbry stret 
 
 ' Wolverhampton 
 ' dear Sir i wright 
 
 ' these few lines to ask you if you 
 can oblige me With a place in the Stage i 
 can play ither comick or sentinental but 
 cant dance it is years since i played first in 
 Wolverhampton i ave been Burmingham, 
 Nottinam Liverpool an scotlan the last 
 time i played was with Mr. Dillon in 
 hamlet a month ago Sir i ave ritten a play 
 out of my own ead 3 acts an 7 seams i call 
 it ellin brouke the betrayed it is a good 
 play if you will except it you shall ave it 
 on condition that i take ellin in it plase 
 Write an say if you can oblige me or no — 
 an i Wil Wright an say — I 11 send it — an 
 my cart i remain 
 
 ' yours obedient servant 
 
 1 nelly lynn 
 1 to muster Stirling manger 
 1 dury lane play-house 
 
 ' London.'
 
 2 86 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 I did reply (the offer was too inviting 
 to lose), requesting her carte and the plot of 
 the play. In due course they came with 
 the following letter : 
 
 ' dear sir, 
 
 ' You ask me for a plot ofe my play 
 i sent it you first seam a sittin rom With 
 fire an gas ned sitting in a cheer talken 
 to himself Mr. Thorymore a neglected 
 luvyer ofe ellins enters the rom bob back- 
 thorne a villin ellen With her true luv arthur 
 wood — at a glass doare, florence a ladys 
 companion enter — there is a tuzzle With 
 ned she nocks ned down — bob carry ellin 
 ofe — one act. 
 
 ' second act a forset with a river an rocks 
 ellin a lying on the grounded With Mr. 
 Thorymore an bob a stairin over her — she 
 asks for Water Mr. Thorymore go's for it, 
 bob goes an stanins by a tree florence 
 Wanders in finds ellin there is a talk — with
 
 Old Dmry Lane. 287 
 
 bob and florence in wich she pushes bob 
 into the river, then return ellin, they are 
 startled by a Great noys they mak byined 
 — a number of Wild injuns rush in dancin 
 round un ellin crying and grown — they all 
 run ofe bar mary more a lying there 
 ellin speach. 
 
 ' act second — seam a church-yard With 
 graves enter ned then gos too sleep, ellin 
 an flo enter — speach then go a seam — 
 gardin With a gate ellin flo With ellin 
 leaning on her arm flo leave ellin buy 
 the gate an finds arthur an brings him to 
 nell — spach then go. 
 
 ' 4 seam — sane sittin room as the fust 
 ned lyin on a sofa a nock at dor — arthur 
 an ellin an florence the forgiveness an 
 end — if a recption i sings ome sweet ome. 
 
 1 Dear sir if this is the way you mean 
 plase tell me as i dont know any other 
 Way— pleas send me Word if you think it 
 will do an Wen i can come an Wat the
 
 288 Old Dmry Lane. 
 
 Wages are i has — sent you a cart ofe my- 
 self as i played in hamlet as a page last 
 
 Witsuntide. 
 
 1 nelly Lynn. 
 
 caracters 
 
 ned brown ellins father 
 
 Ellen brown 
 
 Mr. Thorymore a neglected luvyer 
 
 bob blackthorne a villin 
 
 florence 
 
 arther Wood ellens tru luv 
 
 an a number of Wild injins — praps you 
 cold put more seams in it — not very short, 
 a bad Writer 
 but good Worder.' 
 
 Could there exist a doubt, poor girl, of 
 her powers of composition ? Writing 
 plays puzzles many wiser heads than Nelly 
 Lynn's.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Fifth and Sixth Seasons, 1870-71. — 
 Scott's ' Kenilworth ' became ' Amy Rob- 
 sart ' under the pruning-knife of Halliday. 
 Much was done to make this fine produc- 
 tion of Scott's genius acceptable in a dra- 
 matic form ; the experiment had been tried 
 before at Drury Lane, by Bunn, properly 
 calling it ' Kenilworth ' (Scott's own title). 
 Queen Elizabeth was then played by 
 Mrs. Bunn. Beverley displayed great 
 taste and talent : the revels held at Kenil- 
 worth in honour of Oueen Bess's visit to 
 her gipsy earl (Dudley) surpassed all his 
 previous doings. Miss Neilson was a 
 charming exponent of the ill-fated Amy, 
 and won all hearts by her graceful acting, 
 vol 1. 19
 
 290 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 The Pantomime, ' Dragon of Wantley,' 
 of truly Old English character, afforded 
 scope for the agile gyrations of the now 
 popular 'Vokes family.' Clowns, colum- 
 bines, and harlequins danced the old year 
 out and the new one in. 
 
 Sixth and Seventh Seasons, 1871-72. 
 — Scott's ' Ivanhoe,' dramatised by Halli- 
 day, a ready scribe at adaptation, dating 
 from the Marischal College, Aberdeen, 
 Dugald Dalgetty's Alma-Mater. Phelps 
 played Isaac, the Jew of York, in a 
 masterly style. Miss Neilson's Rebecca 
 was a picture for a painter's pencil : her 
 lovely features, foreign in cast, graceful 
 bearing, and earnest acting, made the 
 Jewish maiden the main feature of the 
 piece. It was placed on the stage with 
 careful study ; real horses, numerous auxili- 
 aries. The Times kindly said it was 
 perfect. The scenery as usual by Beverley;
 
 Old Dmry Lane. 291 
 
 the mise en scene by Edward Stirling. 
 ' Tom Thumb ' was the Christmas pan- 
 tomime. ' Rebecca ' realised a large 
 sum — some ,£8,000; more than Sir Walter 
 received for the original romance. 
 
 I received the following little billet from 
 Miss Neilson, with her likeness : 
 
 '31, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly, 
 ' Nov. 3, 1871. 
 ' My dear Mr. Stirling, 
 
 4 With the greatest pleasure I enclose 
 you one of my best photos, with my auto- 
 graph at the bottom. 
 
 ' Believe me, yours sincerely, 
 
 ' Lilian Adelaide Lee- Neilson.''" 
 
 * While these pages are being finally prepared for 
 press comes the sad news of poor Lilian Neilson's 
 early death, at only thirty years of age, which took 
 place at Paris very suddenly, when she had just re- 
 turned from her third successful tour to the United 
 Stales, on Sunday, August 15, 18S0, and while she 
 was still in the bloom and prime of her beauty and 
 her genius. Her mortal remains were consigned to 
 
 19 — 2
 
 292 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Fashion and the Ballet Lady. — For 
 the performance of Shakespeare's 'Antony 
 and Cleopatra,' a large number of girls 
 were engaged to dance in an Egyptian 
 ballet. One of these ' Beauties of the 
 Nile' persisted, in spite of my remon- 
 strances, in retaining her English com- 
 plexion. ' The colour was so nasty to 
 put on.' I pointed out to her how pre- 
 posterous she looked, so opposite to an 
 Egyptian's skin. 
 
 ' What's that to do with my skin ?' said 
 she, with the beautiful and amazing absence 
 of logic so remarkable in women. ' One 
 colour's as good as another.' (This was 
 unanswerable.) ' Fashion changes in Eng- 
 land, sir ; why should not the girls in 
 
 their last resting-place in Brompton Cemetery on the 
 following Friday. Her bright face will be missed for 
 a long time by many a playgoer to whom she was 
 unknown personally, but most by those who had had 
 an opportunity of knowing what graces of mind and 
 heart were added to her graces of person. This humble 
 flower is strewn by an admirer on her grave. 

 
 Old Drury Lane. 29 
 
 ?o? 
 
 Egypt change colour like the rest? I've 
 seen girls change the colour of their hair 
 every year.' 
 
 Argument ceased, and I retired, defeate 
 and crestfallen. 
 
 Eighth Season, 1874-5. — Shakespeare 
 came to the fore. ' Antony and Cleopatra ' 
 appeared in the flesh on the mimic scene. 
 Antony, James Anderson ; Cleopatra, 
 Miss Wallis, her ddbiit. Andrew Halli- 
 day was entrusted by the lessee to cut, 
 alter, and abridge this great work of Eng- 
 land's supreme poet. Such is the taste for 
 legitimate plays in our age that managers 
 are obliged to curtail these fine productions 
 simply because the public have neither 
 taste nor patience enough to appreciate 
 them in their integrity and purity. 
 Pageantry, Roman soldiers, Roman 
 galleys, Egyptian soldiers, Egyptian 
 dancing-girls, processions, scenery, noisy
 
 294 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 music, filled up the measure of Shake- 
 speare's mutilation. Summary justice fol- 
 lowed in the shape of bad houses. A 
 revival of an old Drury Lane spectacle, 
 ' The Cataract of the Ganges,' fell fiat, 
 despite its torrents of water, fearless ride 
 up a steep rock, Indian idols, Sepoy troops, 
 a sort of ' Robinson Crusoe ' comedy man 
 continually in the way — all to no purpose. 
 Boxing night — night of all nights in the 
 children's calendar — brought a fairy story 
 by Blanchard. ' Jack in the Box ' popped 
 out in the nick of time to recoup the 
 manager for his Shakespearian failure. 
 
 I proposed to reproduce a favourite 
 melodrama once attractive at Covent 
 Garden, called ' Elizabeth, or the Exiles of 
 Siberia,' founded on Madame Cottin's 
 beautiful story. On inquiry, the play was 
 reported to be out of print, whereupon 
 I consulted a well-known collector, the
 
 Old Drury Lane. 295 
 
 late Dr. Doran, from whom I received the 
 following answer : 
 
 ' Lansdowne Road, Notting Hill, 
 ' January 27. 
 ' Dear Mr. Stirling, 
 
 ' Reynolds's play of " The Exile " 
 was never printed. Harris* bought the 
 copyright, and kept the manuscript in his 
 desk ; but he must have lent it, as the play 
 was often acted in the provinces. How- 
 ever this may be, it was certainly never 
 printed. Kind regards to Mr. Chatter- 
 ton. 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 ' J. Doran. 
 
 Brussels Strouts ! — Robert Brough 
 — genial, kind-hearted Bob ! — always in 
 debt and difficulties — found it necessary to 
 cross the Channel for change of air and 
 to prevent a sojourn in her Majest 
 
 * Lessee of Covent Garden.
 
 296 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 prison (Queen's Bench), so vindictive was a 
 money-lending creditor. E. T. Smith, then 
 proprietor of the Sunday Times, gave our 
 poor exile a commission to write for his 
 paper a series of articles entitled ' Brussels 
 Sprouts.' Bobby, panting for a ' dip in 
 the briny,' went to Ostend with that view. 
 On the first day he took a header from the 
 pier. To his horror, when he came up 
 again he found himself face to face with 
 his cruel creditor who had taken a header 
 too. 
 
 ' This is the way, you rascal, my money 
 goes, is it ? I'll lock you up.' 
 
 Bob dived again, swam ashore ; hastened 
 back to Brussels ; secured his goods and 
 chattels, and left by the first train for Paris, 
 leaving the 'Sprouts' to flourish by them- 
 selves. 
 
 Ninth Season, 1874-5. — Severe losses 
 had been incurred during the three
 
 Old Drury Lane. 297 
 
 preceding years. This season a specta- 
 cular drama was produced, founded on 
 Scott's ' Talisman :' James Anderson, Cres- 
 wick, Miss Wallis, Miss Kate Vaughan, 
 and a troop of acrobats — a Moorish 
 fete, given at Damascus, to please Richard 
 of the Lion Heart ; but a lack of 
 female interest unfortunately rendered the 
 piece a comparative failure. Christmas 
 brought the never-failing Vokes family 
 from an American tour, with golden 
 opinions from our cousins across the 
 Atlantic, and gold in their purses to a good 
 amount. ' Aladdin, or the Wonderful 
 Lamp,' was brought out with e'clat and 
 success. 
 
 Tenth Season, 1875-6. — A slice of 
 luck came from Erin's Green Isle. Bouci- 
 cault ' struck oil,' bringing from America 
 his last success — 
 
 1 The Shaughraun.'
 
 298 Old Dmry Lane. 
 
 This piece, in its dialogue, partakes largely 
 of the author's political feelings. He 
 writes for Ireland and the Irish, as witness 
 his ' Arrah-na-Pogue,' ' Colleen Bawn,' and 
 his ' Flag of Green,' always putting his 
 foot on the Saxon oppressor ; of course, 
 his object is patriotism, not popularity. 
 In this really excellent drama we were 
 introduced to a prison on wheels, that 
 actually turned itself inside out, apparently 
 without human agency. It was first intro- 
 duced in France in the 'Soldier of Fortune,' 
 and cleverly transmitted to Ireland to aid 
 and succour a Fenian prisoner. What a 
 pity such prisons are not realities ; we 
 should then be relieved from Fenian com- 
 plications. 
 
 On August 22, 1875 'The Shaugh- 
 raun' made his bow to the visitors of Old 
 Drury. Conn, the Shaughraun, life and 
 soul of every fair, fun of every funeral, 
 first fiddle at all weddings and parties,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 299 
 
 Dion Boucicault ; Moya, in love with Conn, 
 Mrs. Boucicault ; Shiel, Barry, D. Fisher, 
 Terriss, Miss Rose Leclercq, Miss Dalton, 
 Miss Everard. Messrs. Chatterton and 
 Boucicault netted ,£14,000 by the produc- 
 tion ! Conn's acting was perfection, his good- 
 humour and roguery, deliciously flavoured 
 with the Hibernian dialect, pleased all and 
 everybody. 
 
 ' Whittington and his Cat.' — Who has 
 not heard of the famous Lord Mayor of 
 London who turned again from Highgate 
 stone to some purpose? 'Bow Bells' tells 
 all about it. Blanchard handled his subject 
 with love and reverence towards the fortu- 
 nate merchant and his wonderful cat ; his 
 facile pen inclined to city lore throughout 
 the pantomime. Always the principal 
 object, instruction. A voyage to Zanzibar 
 realised poor Dick Whittington's hopes, 
 wealth, and the hand of fair Alice, his 
 master's daughter.
 
 300 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Complimentary benefit to Edmund Fal- 
 coner. — Morning performance, November 
 24th, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Boucicault in 
 ' Colleen Bawn.' 
 
 Belmore Testimonial Benefit, Dec. 
 15. 1875. 
 
 ' Alas ! all ends not with an ended life, 
 Those children fatherless, that widow'd wife, 
 To each and all cry with a bitter cry. 
 Shall we not hearken ? shall we not reply ?' 
 
 George Belmore, an actor of merit, 
 a capital comedian and delineator of 
 character, acted several seasons at Drury 
 Lane, with credit to himself and advantage 
 to the management. Dry and caustic 
 humour was Belmore's chief characteristic ; 
 he would have shone in the old days of 
 legitimate comedy. After occupying a 
 foremost position for many years in the 
 metropolitan theatres, tempted by a lucra- 
 tive offer, he started for America, poor 
 fellow, only to die (acting in Boston but
 
 Old Drury Lane. 301 
 
 three times), far from those he loved. His 
 brother and sister artists rallied round his 
 wife and children. The public generously 
 answered this appeal, and a large sum was 
 the result of a united charitable movement. 
 All honour to Christian hearts. 
 
 The following is a bill of the per- 
 formances : 
 
 'Third Act, "Married in Haste"— 
 
 Messrs. H. J. Byron, C. Warner, 
 
 Howe, Rogers, Miss E. Thorne, 
 
 Miss Carlotta Addison. 
 ' Song — Charles Collette. 
 ' Second and third scenes, burlesque 
 
 of " Black-Eyed Susan " — Messrs. 
 
 Danvers, Dewar, Miss Oliver, C. 
 
 Weber. 
 "'The Elfin King "—Mr. Herman 
 
 Vezin. 
 'Selection from " Isaac of York " — Miss 
 
 Loseby, and Mr. Righton.
 
 J v 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ' Final scene from " Merchant of 
 
 Venice" — Creswick, Charles Wynd- 
 
 ham, Volan, Miss Hodson, Rose 
 
 Leclercq ; and Original Address, 
 
 Mr. J. Fernandez. 
 1 " Our Boys " (one act of) — W. Farren, 
 
 D. James, T. Thorne, Sugden, 
 
 Amy Roselle, Kate Bishop, S. 
 
 Larkin. 
 ' Selection from " Blue Beard " — Lydia 
 
 Thompson, L. Brough, W. Edoum. 
 '"Area Belle" — Toole, Brough, Mrs. 
 
 Mellon, Leigh. 
 ' " Sairey Gamp and Betsy Prig " — John 
 
 Clarke, Mrs. H. Stephenson. 
 ' " Wonderful Head" — George Conquest. 
 ' An act of " Weak Woman " — Vernon, 
 
 Cox, Graham, Miss Swanborough, 
 
 Marion Terry. 
 ' Sono; — Mr. Anson. 
 '"Nicholas Nickleby" (a scene) — Mr. 
 
 Emery, H. Vaughan, Miss Hudspeth.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 30 
 
 t Song— Mr. J. A. Cave. 
 
 ' " Unequal Match" (an act) — Beveridge, 
 
 Nelson, Barsby, Anne Lafontaine, 
 
 Nelly Harris. 
 
 'Stage-manager, E. Stirling.' 
 
 Shakespeare Memorial School and 
 Theatre to be established at Stratford- 
 on-Avon. Chatterton gave the theatre 
 towards this national object, Friday morn- 
 ing, April 23rd, Miss Helen Faucit kindly 
 giving her services and playing Rosalind 
 in 'As You Like It.' 
 
 Cast : Messrs. Creswick, Warner, Wynd- 
 ham, Fernandez, Rogers, Pensor, Comp- 
 ton, Lionel Brough, Buckstone, Lilly, H. 
 Payne, Chippendale, Miss Helen Faucit, 
 Henrietta Hodson, A Lafontaine, E. Fitz- 
 william. Manager, E. Stirling. 
 
 Royal Dramatic College (Benefit), 
 patronised by the Prince and Princess of 
 Wales. This excellent institution was
 
 304 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 founded to support twenty-four of the the- 
 atrical profession, male and female, after 
 their labours had ended and they were no 
 longer capable of amusing the public. 
 Fortune does not smile on all. The re- 
 cipients of this bounty were among those 
 who had not basked in the sunshine of her 
 fickle smiles. Old age crept on, in its 
 train bringing necessity. To supply these 
 wants the public were invited to Drury 
 Lane. Programme of entertainment : 
 
 ' Married Life.' 
 
 Samuel Coddle, J. L. Toole. 
 Lionel Lynx, W. Vernon. 
 Frederick Younghusband, Kendal. 
 George Dismal, Webster. 
 Henry Dove, Buckstone. 
 Mrs. Samuel Coddle, Miss Htighes. 
 Mrs. Lionel Lynx, Miss Caroline Hill. 
 Mrs. Frederick Younghusband, Miss 
 Madge Robertson.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 305 
 
 Mrs. George Dismal, Mrs. Leigh. 
 Mrs. Henry Dove, Mrs. C. F. Mathews. 
 Followed by the 
 
 'School for Scandal': 
 
 Sir Peter Teazle, Mr. Chippendale. 
 
 Sir Oliver Surface, Addison. 
 
 Charles Surface, J. Anderson. 
 
 Joseph Surface, Alfred Wigan. 
 
 Howley, Barrett. 
 
 Moses, J. Clarke. 
 
 Crabtree, Compton. 
 
 Sir Benjamin Backbite, Buckstone. 
 
 Trip, H. Byron. 
 
 Sir Harry Bumper, Penen. 
 
 Careless, Montague. 
 
 Snake, Sttiart. 
 
 Lady Teazle, A?ny Sedgwick. 
 
 Mrs. Candour, Mrs. Chippendale. 
 
 Lady Sneerwell, Mrs. Mellon. 
 
 Maria, Miss Stuart. 
 
 vol. 1. 20
 
 306 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Mr. Sothern addressed the audience as 
 follows : 
 
 ' Ladies and Gentlemen, — 
 
 ' I am desired by the committee of 
 the Dramatic College to express their 
 warmest thanks for the great kindness 
 shown by their Royal Highnesses the 
 Prince and Princess of Wales, in giving us 
 the valuable privilege of their name and 
 presence this day. I have the pleasure of 
 announcing that the total receipts amount 
 to ^448 1 7 s: 
 
 Royal Dramatic College, November 
 1st, 1877. — Resolved by the Life Gover- 
 nors, ' That as it is impossible to keep up 
 the Royal Dramatic College, and provide 
 for its inmates, through want of proper 
 funds for the current expenses, except by 
 selling out the remaining sum, ^"1,000 
 Consols, the Council do forthwith take such 
 steps as the Charity Commissioners may
 
 Old Drury Lane. 307 
 
 advise to dispose of the property and to 
 provide for the inmates.' Thus terminated 
 an institution, excellently conceived, but 
 very badly carried out. The first stone 
 had been laid by the late Prince Consort. 
 The building was opened by the Prince of 
 Wales, patronised by our Queen, well sub- 
 scribed to by all our leading artists. Fetes, 
 benefits, concerts, were constantly given 
 for its support. A stately building, a well- 
 stocked library, comfortable dwellings, were 
 all provided for those past labour ; yet it 
 failed : the fatal word ' Finis !' inscribed on 
 its doors, with this 
 
 ' Notice of Sale. 
 
 4 The Royal Dramatic College, situated 
 at Maybury, near Woking, in the county 
 of Surrey. An extensive building, pleasure- 
 grounds and garden, ten acres of land, 
 which will be sold by auction 1 1 th July, 
 
 20 — 2
 
 3 oS 
 
 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 1878, under an order of the Charity Com- 
 missioners.' 
 
 This offer produced nothing — no bid — 
 not one shilling, after all the expenditure 
 and the laudatory puffing of the Press ! 
 
 A Batch of ' Complimentary ' Bene- 
 fits. — Why are not commonplace things 
 called by their proper names? Is the world 
 grown so mealy-mouthed ? or are we too 
 vain to declare what we really are ? A 
 benefit means a pecuniary advantage, not 
 the courtesy of compliment. 
 
 Benefit, March 12th, 1875, of Mr. Hing- 
 ston (complimentary). 
 
 Drury Lane. — Philadelphia Centennial 
 Fund. Centenary performance of 'Mac- 
 beth,' to commemorate the Independence of 
 the United States, February 4th, 1876. 
 Macbeth, Mr. Herman Vezin ; Lady 
 Macbeth, Miss Genevieve Ward. Shades
 
 Old Drury Lane. 309 
 
 of George III. and Washington! if 
 in the flesh would you not shrink from 
 this ? The one (king) to give, the other 
 (general) to accept, a complimentary benefit 
 to our rebellious colonies for beating us — 
 casting off the Hanoverian yoke! Burlesque 
 can go very little further than this episode. 
 
 Benefit (complimentary) to Miss E. Buf- 
 ton, on her recovery from a railway accident, 
 from which she obtained damages of ^1600. 
 
 Benefit to James Guiver (late treasurer). 
 
 Benefit to Horace Wigan, for managerial 
 losses. 
 
 Benefit to Alfred Wigan — what for ? no 
 one could tell — Alfred Wigan by his talents 
 having retired on a handsome competency 
 into private life. 
 
 Signor Rossi, Italian Tragedian, ap-
 
 io Old Drury Lane. 
 
 peared at Drury Lane in ' Hamlet,' on 
 Wednesday, April 19th, 1876 — Hamlet, 
 Signor Ernesto Rossi. 
 
 Italian artists supported this accom- 
 plished actor : he made a very favourable 
 impression, and won praise both from the 
 press and the public. Critics carped at 
 his restorations from the original folios — 
 passages with us obsolete. Rossi, how- 
 ever, restored many important lines, quite 
 necessary to carry out the author's intentions 
 — such as the dialogue between Polonius 
 and the King, after the Play Scene, now 
 omitted without reason. 
 
 June 2 1 st, 1876. Rossi's final perform- 
 ance and benefit. 
 
 ' An act of " Romeo and Juliet " — Romeo, 
 Siomor Rossi. 
 
 ' An act of " Hamlet "—Hamlet, Signor 
 Rossi. 
 
 1 An act of " Othello "—Othello, Signor 
 Rossi.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 3 r 1 
 
 ' An act of " Macbeth " — Macbeth, 
 Signor Rossi. 
 
 ' An act of " Merchant of Venice " — Shy- 
 lock, Signor Rossi.' 
 
 Mrs. Billington. — First appearance at 
 Drury in Boucicault's drama of ' Formosa,' 
 in which she played an honest right-minded 
 country body, mother to the wrong-minded 
 beautiful daughter. Mrs. Billinpton is 
 always in earnest, and consequently natural. 
 Heavy tragic business, comedy, elderly 
 ladies, are all cleverly acted. I have known 
 her play Hamlet, in Birmingham, for her 
 own benefit, to the surprise if not to the 
 delight of her numerous admirers. 
 
 Compton's Benefit, 1877. — This clever 
 actor and deserving man, from the pressure 
 of calamitous illness, appealed, through 
 influential friends and his fellow-actors, to 
 the public for a benefit at Drury Lane.
 
 312 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 This produced the largest amount ever 
 collected, ,£5,000, by subscription and per- 
 formances in London, Liverpool, and Man- 
 chester ; so much was Compton esteemed. 
 The Queen sent a kind message to our 
 poor player, with a donation. Death came, 
 terminating his troubles. He left a loving 
 wife and family to mourn for a good hus- 
 band, father, and man. 
 
 Benefit to Mrs. Alfred Mellon. — An 
 Act of ' Green Bushes,' Madame Celeste ; 
 ' Black-Eyed Susan,' Mr. and Mrs. Kendal, 
 Mrs. John Wood. 
 
 The address was written by H. Byron ; 
 Mrs. Keeley, H. Irving, Miss Heath and 
 B. Webster took part in the performance. 
 A goodly sum realised, £ 1,100. 
 
 The ' White Cat ' was the pantomime 
 of this season, written by ever-green 
 Blanchard. Age touches lightly this gentle 
 genial penman ; the cunning of his craft
 
 Old Drury Lane. 313 
 
 remains vivid and fresh as ever. Long 
 may it continue to please and instruct ! 
 
 In 181 2 a ' White Cat ' pantomime was 
 played at Drury Lane — Clown, Kirby. 
 
 Benefit given to Mr. Chatterton at 
 the termination of his season by the pro- 
 fession and public. 
 
 1 Monday, March 4th, 1878, the per- 
 formances will commence at one o'clock 
 with the "Rival Showmen" — Messrs. 
 Terry, H. Paulton. 
 
 1 Mr. Terris will recite the " Fugitive 
 Slave." 
 
 ' Second act of " Our Boys " — Messrs. 
 Farren, Thorne, James, Warner; 
 Miss Roselle, Bishop, Larkin. 
 ' Recitation : " The Whale Fleet," by 
 
 Mrs. Stirling. 
 ' Song : " I haven't the slightest idea " — 
 
 Mr. Righton. 
 ' First act of " Richard the Third "—
 
 3 1 4 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Gloster, Mr. Henry Irving ; Lady 
 Anne, Miss Bateman. 
 
 ' Balcony Scene, " Romeo and Juliet " — 
 Juliet, Miss Neilson ; Romeo, Mr. 
 Conway. 
 
 '"Leah" — Leah, Miss Bateman; Ru- 
 dolph, Mr. Lyons. 
 
 ' Grand March, Two Harps — Miss Mary 
 and Annie Chatterton. 
 
 ' Fourth act of " Jane Shore " — Jane 
 Shore, Miss Heath; John Grist, 
 
 Mr. Emery. 
 * " Celebrated Parrot " — Mr. Conquest. 
 'Fourth act — "Much Ado about Nothing" 
 
 —Benedick, Mr. H. Neville; 
 
 Beatrice, Miss Ada Cavendish. 
 ' Selection from " Nicholas Nickleby " — 
 
 Mr. S. Emery, Mr. Terris, Miss 
 
 Conery, Miss Hudspeth. 
 ' Last Scene of " Robert Macaire " — 
 Martinelle family.' 
 
 This benefit yielded £\,ooo.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 315 
 
 Eleventh Season commenced with a 
 play in four acts, by Wills,* founded on 
 Sir Walter Scott's ' Peveril of the Peak :' 
 1 England in the days of Charles the 
 Second.' Its title did not please, and the 
 venture proved unprofitable. 
 
 Miss Leighton first appeared at the 
 ' Queen's,' then a few nights in leading 
 characters at the Haymarket. Her ddbut 
 at Drury Lane : Haska in a drama of 
 that name, written by Henry Spicer. 
 ' Haska had to go through an ordeal of 
 law-courts before it was acted. Vice- 
 Chancellor Bacon prohibited its production 
 one day, Vice-Chancellor Malins revoked 
 this judgment the next day. Haska, 
 played well by Miss Leighton, ran a 
 month ; Creswick, Count Karolu (no re- 
 lation to the Hungarian ambassador). 
 Wills's play gave Miss Leighton another 
 opportunity for displaying her ability in
 
 3 J 6 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 the role of the Countess of Derby. A 
 new lease for five years granted to Mr. 
 Chatterton, commencing September 1878. 
 
 Drury Lane, Twelfth Season, com- 
 menced with Shakespeare's play, 
 
 ' Winter's Tale,' 
 
 September 28th, 1878. Principal characters 
 by Miss Wallis, Mrs. Herman Vezin, and 
 Miss Fowler; Charles Dillon, Cowper, 
 Edgar, Compton, and Ryder. A comic 
 opera entitled 'Taming of the Shrew.' 
 Phelps was announced to play a farewell 
 engagement, commencing with Cardinal 
 Wolsey. Death unfortunately prevented 
 this arrangement from being carried into 
 execution. A series of tragedies, 'Othello' 
 ' Macbeth,' etc., were tried only to fail ; even 
 Blanchard's pantomime of ' Cinderella ' did 
 not attract. On Tuesday, February 4th,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 317 
 
 1879, this notice appeared on the doors of 
 the theatre : 
 
 1 Owing to a combination of unforeseen 
 circumstances this theatre is unavoidably 
 closed for the present. 
 
 ' F. B. Chatterton, 
 
 ' Sole Lessee and Manager.' 
 
 A benefit raised for the Chatterton 
 family ^800. Chatterton's debts amounted 
 to .£36,000. At one period he had netted 
 .£45,000. A sad contrast this profit and 
 loss.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 After eight months' interregnum, Old 
 Drury's portals reopened to Augustus 
 Harris (a son of the talented man who so 
 many years managed the Royal Italian 
 Opera, Covent Garden). Mr. Harris is the 
 youngest lessee that Drury Lane ever had 
 to govern its destinies, being still under 
 thirty years of age. His difficult task 
 commenced well, November 6th, 1879. 
 William Rignold and his company played 
 for a short period in Shakespeare's 'Henry 
 the Fifth,' Rignold himself acting ' Harry 
 of Monmouth ' with great ability. Rignold 
 had previously made a successful tour with 
 ' Madcap Harry ' in America and Australia. 
 His venture at Drury Lane, despite dis-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 319 
 
 couraging reports of Shakespeare's plays 
 bringing ruin and bankruptcy in their train, 
 proved quite the contrary. — Christmas, a 
 capital pantomime, ' Blue Beard,' with 
 novel scenic effects : shipwreck, beautiful 
 ballets, sea-serpent, low comedy, baby 
 elephant, the clever Vokes family. The 
 Great Bashaw died a novel death a la 
 Punch, chanting ' Toot-te-too.' At Easter 
 ' Madame Angot ' made her curtseys from 
 saloons to the Patent Theatre. Made- 
 moiselle D'Anka, Miss Berville, Sullivan 
 Wilford Morgan ; a first-rate band, con- 
 ducted by an able musician. ' Wallenstein. 
 This opera-buffo, preceded by ' Lady 
 Audley's Secret,' with Miss Moodie as 
 heroine ; a grand ballet-d'action, ' Les 
 Sirenes,' produced with new scenery, mag- 
 nificent costumes and decorations, and qtkxI 
 corps-de-ballet, excellent music, Mademoi- 
 selle Palladino, Miss Percival Hudson, 
 Fisher, etc., succeeded in drawing for nine 
 weeks capital audiences to Old Drury.
 
 320 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Miss Litton, and her well -selected, 
 deservedly popular company, together with 
 scenery, dresses, music, properties, etc. 
 from the Imperial Theatre, commenced 
 a summer season most favourably. The 
 boards of the time-honoured Drury seldom, 
 if ever, were better filled than by the per- 
 formances of ' As You Like It,' proving 
 beyond cavil that Shakespeare is not 
 defunct or obsolete. 
 
 ' Then to the well-trod stage anon, 
 If Jonson's learned sock be on, 
 Or sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child, 
 Warble his native wood-notes wild.' 
 
 Milton. 
 
 Miss Litton's company, 'As You Like It.' 
 Duke, Mr. F. Everill. 
 Amiens, Mr. Coventry. 
 Jacques, Herman Vezin. 
 Duke, Frederic Coe. 
 Le Beau, Charles. 
 Touchstone, Lionel Brough. 
 Oliver, E. F. Edgar. 
 Jaques, Stephens.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 321 
 
 Orlando, Kyrle Bellow. 
 Adam, W. Farren. 
 Corin, Bunch. 
 Sylvius, C. Trevor. 
 William, Bannister. 
 Rosalind, Miss Litton. 
 Celia, Miss Creswell. 
 Phcebe, Miss Roberts. 
 Audrey, Miss S. Hodson. 
 
 Miss Litton's performance of Rosalind 
 deserves all the encomiums that have been 
 by press and public so lavishly bestowed 
 on it. It is a personation of one of Shake- 
 speare's best female characters, gracefully 
 embellished by excellent acting, thoughtful 
 study, united to rare tact; a portrait from the 
 Shakespearian gallery not to be forgotten. 
 
 Orlando, Kyrle Bellew, fresh-spirited 
 and manly, is a fitting lover for such a 
 Rosalind. Touchstone's quaint humour 
 lost none of its racy flavour by Brough's 
 interpretation of this first of Shakespearian 
 
 vol. 1. 21
 
 322 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 jesters. Brough's Touchstone tastes of the 
 crude conceit and humour of the jesters 
 Skelton, Tarlton, etc. Miss Litton's per- 
 formances closed July ioth, 1880, with 
 ' She Stoops to Conquer,' Drury Lane 
 concluding the longest season on record. 
 The next Shakespearian revival will be 
 ' Much Ado about Nothing,' to be put on 
 the stage with the same attention to detail, 
 so necessary for the accurate representa- 
 tion of our great bard's immortal works. 
 
 The Saturday morning performances of 
 genuine English comedies — ' She Stoops 
 to Conquer,' ' The Rivals,' ' Beau's Strata- 
 gem,' etc., with powerful casts — Miss Litton, 
 Miss Merrick, and Mrs. Stirling Messrs. 
 W. Farren, K. Bellew, L. Brough, Edgar, 
 Atkins, Charles, Stephens, were patronised 
 substantially by the public, indicating a re- 
 vival of taste for the higher class of drama. 
 
 Drury Lane present season commenced 
 July 31st, 1880, the earliest date on
 
 Old Drury Lane. ^-'S 
 
 record for the opening of a winter season. 
 This event inaugurated a cleverly con- 
 structed sensational drama in nine tableaux, 
 each a piece in itself ; clearly arranged 
 plot, invented by A. Harris ; terse telling 
 dialogue, written by Messrs. Merritt and 
 Petitt ; scenic appointments of great ex- 
 cellence, aided by good acting, a well 
 selected company having been engaged to 
 fill ' The World ' with wonder. Such 
 names as A. Harris, G. Rignold, Harry 
 Jackson, Harcourt, Mathewson, Gibson, 
 etc., Miss Helen Barry, Fanny Josephs, 
 Miss Brough, could not fail to attract. 
 The popularity of this capital realistic 
 drama is attested by the nightly crowds of 
 delighted spectators : the walls of Old 
 Drury re-echo again and again with their 
 applause and merriment. This mimic 
 ' World' (the best of all tests for a manager) 
 fills the treasury. Long may it do su ! 
 Employer and employes deserve it. 
 
 21 — 2 

 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Her Majesty's Opera at Drury Lane ; 
 Director, Mr. Wood. One season. Mr. 
 Mapleson continued Italian Opera per- 
 formances for several seasons, until he 
 re-opened Her Majesty's Theatre : E. 
 Stirling, Manager ; Signor Arditti and Sir 
 M. Costa, conductors. 
 
 Italian Opera and Oratorios. — In the 
 seventeenth century. The earliest attempt 
 to establish it in England was made by 
 Sir William Davenant, in 1658. He pro- 
 duced the first Italian Opera ever performed 
 in this country. After the Italian manner 
 was produced at Drury Lane, 1705, an
 
 Old Drury Lane. 325 
 
 opera called ' Assinoe, Queen of Cyprus.' 
 The first opera performed in the Italian 
 language, and by Italian singers, was 
 ' Almaide,' in 17 10. 
 
 Handel in 17 10 composed for Aaron 
 Hill the opera of ' Rinaldo.' In 171 7 a 
 fund of ,£50,000 was raised by the first 
 personages in the kingdom, to establish 
 a Royal Academy of Music. The Italian 
 Opera in the Hay market failed, ruining 
 the managers, Hill and Handel. In 
 1723, Francesca Cuzzoni came out ; her 
 rival, Faustina Bordoni, two years after. 
 Italian Operas were removed to Lincoln's 
 Inn Fields Playhouse. Here appeared 
 the famous singer Farinelli : Pacchieotti 
 followed. These celebrated artists by 
 turns delighted the town, yet failed to 
 make operatic ventures profitable. Ma- 
 dame Catalani, Madame Bauti, Made- 
 moiselle Grassini, and our own unrivalled 
 Billington, sang from 1793 to 1802, much to
 
 326 Old Drtiry Lave. 
 
 their own profit, with but little gain for the 
 various managers. For many years the 
 Italian Opera was a bad speculation ; the 
 salaries monstrous ; the expenses large — 
 greatly dependent on subscriptions of the 
 nobility and gentry. This fashionable 
 enjoyment partakes largely of the habits of 
 old Plutarch's days, with reference to 
 entertainments in languages unknown to 
 the native public. Such is our English 
 Italian Opera: the audience being gene- 
 rally ignorant of the language, cannot well 
 comprehend the plot. Singers' cadences 
 or dexterity of musicians cannot touch the 
 heart or faculties of thought. 
 
 ' Iphigenia in Aulis,' an Italian Opera, 
 by Paolo Rolli, composed by Nicolo Por- 
 pora, for the British nobility, 1735, at the 
 theatre in the Haymarket. 
 
 Sir John Vanbrugh's first comedy,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 327 
 
 ' The Relapse ; or, Virtue in Danger,' 
 1 69 1, acted with great applause. He was 
 an able architect, and built our first regular 
 Opera House in the Haymarket, for which 
 purpose he raised a subscription among 
 thirty persons of quality of ^100 each; 
 in consideration, every subscriber for his 
 own life was to be admitted to what- 
 ever entertainment should be publicly 
 exhibited there without further pay- 
 ment. The building was finished in 
 1706. 
 
 Puppets and Notions. — Fantoccini and 
 immortal Punch were brought first to 
 England in the reign of Elizabeth. Fan- 
 toccini were life-size. In Charles II. 's 
 time puppet - plays pleased court and 
 city ; actually drew the audiences from 
 the Italian Opera (then established) ; the 
 great singer, Signor Grimaldi, was beaten
 
 328 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 for a time by Punch. Powell, the English 
 puppet showman, made a fortune by his 
 wooden performers. His houses were 
 crowded with his notion of Dr. Faustus, 
 the public leaving tragedy and comedy, 
 flesh and blood actors, for puppets of wood. 
 They were more easily managed than their 
 living brother and sister artists, and far 
 less expensive. 
 
 In ridicule of the taste then prevailing 
 for Italian Operas and singers in 1762, 
 ' An Ode to St. Cecilia,' was performed 
 at her Majesty's Theatre and Ranelagh 
 House, adapted to the ancient British 
 music, viz., the salt-box, Jew's harp, mar- 
 row-bones and cleavers, hum-strum, hurdy- 
 gurdy, by Bonnell Thornton. 
 
 'Yield, yield, ye fiddlers, French, Italians : 
 Yield, yield, I say again, rascalions ! 
 One, two, three times I say, fiddlers give o'er; 
 Yield ye, I now say times one, two, three, four.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 329 
 
 ' Recitative. 
 
 ' The meaner melody we scorn 
 Which vulgar instruments afford, 
 Shrill flute, sharp fiddle, bellowing horn, 
 Rumbling bassoon, or tinkling harpsichord. 
 
 'Air. 
 
 ' Each ruddy-breasted robin 
 The concert bore a bob in, 
 And every hooting owl, around 
 The croaking frogs, 
 The grunting hogs, 
 All, all, conspired to raise the enlivening sound. 
 
 ' Recitative. 
 Now to Cecilia, heavenly maid, 
 Your loud united voices raise 
 With solemn hymns to celebrate her praise; 
 Each instrument shall lend its aid, 
 The salt-box, with chattering and clapping, shall 
 
 sound ; 
 The iron lyre [Jew's harp] 
 Buzzing twang with wavering wire ; 
 With heavy hum 
 The sober hurdy-gurdy thrum — 
 And the merry marrow-bones ring round. 
 
 • Grand Chorus (Female). 
 
 1 Such matchless strains Cecilia knew, 
 When audience, from their heavenly sphere, 
 By harmony's strong power she drew, 
 Whilst listening angels gladly stoop'd to hear.' 
 
 Old Magazine, 1762.
 
 330 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 The destruction by fire of Her Majesty's 
 Theatre brought Mapleson and his Opera 
 Company to Drury Lane. James Maple- 
 son is a noteworthy example of what a 
 man may achieve with talent and in- 
 dustry. He had the tact to 'seize the tide 
 before it ebbed.' Originally in a very 
 humble capacity in the orchestra of Drury 
 Lane, by a chain of fortunate circum- 
 stances he becomes a master ; his vocal 
 advent, Alfonso in ' Masaniello,' did not 
 add to his fame. Count Florenstine in 
 ' The Bohemian Girl ' was his next attempt, 
 at the Princess's. His connexion with E. T. 
 Smith gave him the first rise in the world, 
 coupled with an introduction to Mademoi- 
 selle Teresa Titiens. Instead of serving 
 others he now served himself : became 
 director of Italian Opera at Her Majesty's 
 Theatre, Covent Garden (with Gye) and 
 Drury Lane.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 331 
 
 Mapleson's First Season, Drury 
 Lane, introduced Mademoiselle Titiens, 
 Mademoiselle Kellog (American), lima de 
 Murska, Signor Mongini, Santley, Ronconi, 
 Foli, Bettini, Trebelli ; Sinico, etc., Arditti, 
 conductor ; E. Stirling, manager. 
 
 Mapleson joined Gye ; their united com- 
 panies performed at Covent Garden. This 
 musical harmony speedily produced dis- 
 cords. ' Tweedle-dee ' could not agree 
 with ' Tvveedle-dum.' The duo arrange- 
 ment failed to please either rival star — 
 Adelina Patti, Gye's artiste ; Christine Nils- 
 son, Mapleson's. Such powerful lumi- 
 naries could not shine in the same 
 hemisphere ; one Royal Italian Opera was 
 not large enough for both ! 
 
 John Wood (Cramer and Beale) tried 
 an operatic season. Drury Lane that 
 season cost upwards of .£20,000. Paying 
 monstrous terms to these foreign singers is
 
 33 2 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 not the least of a director's trouble : temper, 
 caprice, feigned illness, must be taken into 
 account, frequently causing the change of 
 opera twice in a day. Nilsson played 
 1 Mignon,' Santley the ' Flying Dutchman ;' 
 Arditti conducted. 
 
 Mapleson returned to his old quar- 
 ters at Drury Lane. Sole manager 
 this time, he wisely secured the services 
 of Sir Michael Costa, the first conductor 
 in Europe, a musician of the highest 
 character — composer of ' Mark,' ' Nathan,' 
 4 Eli,' etc. His control of efficient bands 
 amounts to a marvel — such skill ! such com- 
 mand ! His presence brought frequent visits 
 from the royal family and the dlite of 
 society. 
 
 Mdlle. Christine Nilsson followed Maple- 
 son's fortunes to Drury Lane. Alone she 
 now shone ! a star of the first magnitude, in 
 her own hemisphere, undisturbed.
 
 Old Drury Lane. t>33 
 
 Mdlle. Nilsson's early career was most 
 humble. Her parents were peasants : her 
 home a village or commune in Sweden. 
 Schooled in poverty, compelled to earn a 
 living ; this she did cheerfully. Her future 
 talents were foreshadowed by her excellent 
 voice and natural gifts. Wandering: from 
 
 o o 
 
 town to town, playing on the violin and sing- 
 ing, accompanied by a little brother, worked 
 this subsequently great artist. All honour 
 to her ! Fortunately, a French lady artist of 
 eminence, travelling in Sweden, heard her 
 singing at an inn door ; struck with her 
 manner, and the beautiful quality of her 
 voice, she sought Christine's parents and 
 arranged with them to let her go to Paris, 
 to study music and receive instruction. 
 To this her father agreed. Nilsson was 
 placed in the Conservatoire as a pupil. She 
 rapidly acquired knowledge, and now oc- 
 cupies the highest position in her art— Italy, 
 France, Russia, America, and England
 
 ^4 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 JO 
 
 attest this fact. Socially she is much 
 esteemed, counting among a numerous 
 circle of friends the first personages in the 
 land. With laudable pride her old violin, 
 that she first attracted notice with, is kept 
 under a glass shade in her salon. A loving 
 child to father and mother, a good sister 
 and a faithful friend, is Christine Nilsson. 
 
 Mdlle. Teresa Titiens (Queen of 
 Song). — Titiens was born at Hamburg, 
 Germany. From the earliest age she dis- 
 played extraordinary capacity for music. 
 After a provincial course of practice in the 
 smaller towns, she appeared in Vienna. 
 Here she had a great advantage at the 
 School of Music. A severe course of study 
 and unremitting industry rapidly brought 
 this remarkable artiste to the foremost 
 rank — universally pronounced one of the 
 best European vocalists. This, united to 
 dramatic powers seldom equalled, but so
 
 Old Drury Lane. 335 
 
 essential to produce effect on the lyric 
 stage, rendered the young artist a feature in 
 all the capitals of Europe. Her Fidelio, 
 Norma, Leonora, Lucrezia Borgia, Semi- 
 ramide, etc., stand without rivals on the 
 Italian operatic stage. Titiens was the 
 only legitimate successor to Grisi, and in 
 some performances her superior. 
 
 In 1875 she sailed for America, tempted 
 by a liberal offer. This proved a false step, 
 not professionally, but as regards health. 
 On her return the reception she met with 
 was enthusiastic ; but it soon became too 
 painfully evident that the great artist's 
 powers were declining ; but with the true 
 loyalty of a woman, she resolutely sang 
 through pain and failing health. At Her 
 Majesty's Theatre (Mapleson, director), 
 she sang but four times in 1877 ; sickened, 
 and speedily died, October 3rd, 1877. 
 Curiously, she appeared in Vienna first in 
 1 Lucrezia Borgia,' and that character was
 
 336 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 her last at Her Majesty's Theatre, May, 
 1877. Thus departed Teresa Titiens in 
 harness, loving and loved, ' chief among 
 equals.' 
 
 Mapleson, ever on the alert for novelty, 
 announced a series of Italian and French 
 plays on the off opera nights. This 'arrange- 
 ment introduced that highly-gifted woman, 
 Madame Ristori, and Signor Tomaso 
 Salvini to London audiences, the former 
 after an absence of some years. Ristori is 
 the first living tragic actress in the world. 
 Her Bianca in ' Fazio,' her Lady Macbeth, 
 Mary Stuart, Queen Elizabeth, and Marie 
 Antoinette, were personations of the highest 
 merit — not mere acting, but reality. These 
 opposite personages lived and talked before 
 us in their life, so closely did Ristori 
 imitate nature. Lady Macbeth's sleeping 
 scene was terribly effective — her haggard 
 conscience - stricken look — those little
 
 Old Drury Lane. 2>Z7 
 
 hands stained with Duncan's blood — her 
 intense agony to remove the 'damned spots' 
 depicted in her woe-begone features — it 
 was a fine study of human passion, albeit a 
 painful one — so truthful, so realistic. Her 
 crowning triumph awaited her in 'Marie 
 Antoinette.' This drama was written ex- 
 pressly for Madame Ristori, and well she 
 deserved the honour. In a brief hour or 
 two, a panoramic life of the poor queen 
 passed before us — the time, the place, the 
 events of that wild revolutionary period — 
 France convulsed to the very centre — the 
 dying throes of her ancient monarchy — 
 the triumph of republicanism — the heroic 
 daughter of Maria Theresa lived again to 
 suffer, to die. From Tuileries to Temple, 
 Ristori never omitted the proud Austrian's 
 sense of dignity and high estate — Queen in 
 her prison cell, with an ineffable scorn for 
 the rabble of wretches that surrounded her. 
 As wife, mother, martyr, Marie Antoinette 
 vol. I. 22
 
 338 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 found a faithful exponent in Madame 
 Ristori's splendid conception and truthful 
 delineation of the sufferings of this perse- 
 cuted queen and heroic woman. Ristori 
 came of a dramatic race — her grandfather, 
 her father, and all her immediate relations 
 were on the stage. After many years' hard 
 practice, her fame, great in Italy, reached 
 France, where Rachel was then the idol of 
 Parisian cafe's, critics and salons. Fould, 
 Minister of the Interior, prevailed with 
 Ristori at last, after much negotiation. 
 She appeared at the Theatre Francais in 
 ' Marie Stuart,' and was enthusiastically re- 
 ceived, feted by all the courts in Europe, 
 and decorated by the Emperor of Germany. 
 Medea, Myrrha, and Francesca da Rimini, 
 are high specimens of genius, art, and 
 nature — 
 
 ' For Art may err, but Nature cannot miss.' 
 
 Dryden. 
 
 Prince Pokiatoski, musical amateur,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 339 
 
 gave a morning concert in 1874, presiding 
 in the orchestra for his own compositions. 
 The death of Napoleon III. placed this 
 prince in difficulties ; that which had been 
 merely an amusement now became a 
 necessity. The concert, patronised by the 
 nobility, etc., proved profitable to the exile 
 from Poland, son of the brave soldier 
 who perished in the fatal invasion of Russia 
 by the first Napoleon. On the retreat of 
 the grand army from Moscow, Poniatoski 
 was drowned in the Beresina; his last words 
 uttered for Napoleon, ' Vive l'Empereur !' 
 All honour to the brave ! 
 
 The Duke of Edinburgh in the Dark. 
 ■ — During a performance of ' Marta,' the 
 Duke found himself blockaded by set scenes 
 on the stage ; there was no reaching his box 
 before the act-drop fell. I saw his Royal 
 Highness's dilemma, and asked him if he 
 wished to cross to his box. 
 Yes.'
 
 14-0 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 ' Follow me, sir.' 
 
 I led him through dark passages, until 
 we came to one totally devoid of light ; 
 fearing he might run against the scenery, 
 I inquired if he was afraid of the dark ? 
 
 ' No, I'm used to it.' 
 
 ' I'll be your pilot then,' said I. 
 
 ' All ri^ht, Qfo ahead.' 
 
 o ' o 
 
 We reached his box safely. Bowing, I 
 departed with, ' Your Royal Highness is in 
 safe water now.' 
 
 He laughed heartily, thanking me for 
 my polite attention. 
 
 English Lords (theatrical). — A young 
 man who had seen better days applied to me 
 for temporary employment. I placed him in 
 ' II Talismano,' as one of the English lords 
 attendant on ' Cceur de Lion,' in pursuance 
 of the advice of our super-master, whom I 
 had asked to indicate some position in 
 which he could not possibly do harm, not 
 havinq- rehearsed.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 341 
 
 'Sir,' replied the super-master, 'put him 
 among them English lords ; they're a stupid 
 lot, and have little to do for their money — 
 like 'em all.' 
 
 This I told to a real (Burke's Peerage) 
 lord, then a member of Mr. Gladstone's 
 Government. He gave a faint smile, but 
 did not agree with our super-master's ideas. 
 
 Never leave your Cane. — A celebrated 
 Italian composer and conductor in his 
 early career was greatly sought after by 
 the dlite of society. Paying a tctc-a-tctc 
 visit to a lady of quality, the composer 
 forgot to carry away his cane (a remarkable 
 one, well known to the musical world). 
 The next day his cane was returned by my 
 lord, the husband, with a note : 
 
 ' Str, — When you favour my lady with a 
 visit again, don't forget your cane, 
 
 ' Yours, 
 ' M .'
 
 1A 2 
 
 42 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Charles Santley.- -This clever vocalist 
 came out at Covent Garden, in Pyne and 
 Harrison's Opera ; his first appearance as 
 Hoel in ' Dinorah.' The opening cadence 
 stamped his reputation : Italian or English, 
 he is acknowledged to be the first bari- 
 tone of the time. Sir Michael Costa, no 
 mean authority, told me that Sims Reeves 
 and Santley were equal to any musicians 
 in the world. Santley sang in Italian 
 Opera at Drury Lane several seasons, 
 but gave up operatic for concert singing. 
 He was, and is, one of the brightest orna- 
 ments of our musical world. 
 
 The Shah of Persia at Her Majesty's 
 Opera. — This King of Kings, Lord of Lords, 
 First Cousin to the Sun, Brother of the Moon, 
 this mighty Oriental potentate abandoned 
 for a time his gardens of Shira, Bulbuls, 
 roses, and Peris, to visit grim, dusty old 
 London. The public were dazed by the 
 glitter of his priceless jewels : diamonds,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 34 
 
 1 A t 
 
 j4j 
 
 rubies, emeralds, large as pigeons' eggs, 
 bedecked this ' Light of Light's ' attire, 
 much to the disgust and envy of Jew and 
 Gentile. The Shah took a comfortable nap 
 in the Royal box during the opera, and woke 
 up quite gaily for the ballet. He evidently 
 was more at home at this, and appeared 
 pleased. It was rumoured that he wanted 
 a dozen or two of the ladies of the ballet to 
 emigrate to Persia. Of course this offer 
 could not be entertained for a moment. 
 At all events, the illustrious visitor was a 
 better judge of legs than of notes (musical). 
 
 By Command of Her Majesty. 
 
 First act of ' La Traviata ' — Violette, 
 
 Mdlle. Nilsson. 
 Second act of ' La Favorita ' — Leonora, 
 
 Mdlle. Titiens. 
 First act of ' Mignon.' — Mignon, Mdlle. 
 
 Nilsson ; Frederic, Mdlle. Trebelli 
 
 Bettini. 
 Conductor, Sir Michael Costa.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The following opera season we produced 
 a work of Balfe's — his first and only 
 attempt at Italian Opera composition, en- 
 titled ' II Talismano.' Mdlle. Christine 
 Nilsson played Edith; Mdlle. Marie Roze, 
 Oueen Berenq-aria. 
 
 ' II Talismano,' with superb costumes 
 and scenery, and mise-en-scene novel and 
 extensive, drew good houses and pleased 
 critics and public, always favourable to 
 Balfe's telling music. ' Beverley painted 
 scenery of artistic delicacy and merit. Sir 
 Michael Costa conducted and prepared the 
 opera for production; every possible adjunct 
 the management freely bestowed on this
 
 Old Drury Lane. 345 
 
 work. The stage business is admirably 
 cared for by Mr. E. Stirling, who, not for 
 the first time, has been more or less directly 
 concerned in helping to get up an opera of 
 Balfe's.' So wrote the leading journal. 
 
 This operatic season a vexed question 
 was decided, concerning the Music of the 
 Future, by the production of 
 
 Wagner's ' Lohengrin,' 
 
 which was received with marked enthu- 
 siasm, fully meriting the hearty applause 
 bestowed upon its first representation. 
 Scenery, Beverley ; mise-en-scene, E. 
 
 Stirling. 
 
 Cast. 
 
 Elsa de Brabant, Mdllc. Christine Nilsson. 
 Lohengrin, Signor Campanini. 
 Frederico de Teleamondo, Signor Gal- 
 
 ossi. 
 Enrico, Herr BeJircns.
 
 346 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Avaldo, Signor Costa. 
 Ortruda, Mdlle. Titicns. 
 
 The plot is laid at Antwerp, a.d. 943. 
 The Sultan of Zanzibar honoured us by a 
 visit ; he shone less resplendently than 
 his brother Eastern monarch, but his dusky 
 Highness appeared to enjoy our bill of fare, 
 not rudely sleeping over Verdi and Doni- 
 zetti's strains as the august Brother to the 
 Sun did. 
 
 Tomaso Salvini, Italian tragedian, 
 Italian artiste of the highest grade. The 
 appearance of Salvini on the time-honoured 
 boards of Old Drury marked an epoch in 
 our histrionic annals. Without puff or mana- 
 gerial nourish, this genuine actor came 
 out. A fine figure, regular and handsome 
 features, graceful and easy deportment, a 
 voice most musical (he had originally sung 
 in opera). All these and many other 
 graces were brought to bear in ' Othello.'
 
 Old Dntry Lane. 347 
 
 The public were taken by surprise, never 
 anticipating such a performance — a foreign 
 actor playing Shakespeare's great creation 
 in a language little known. Genius over- 
 came all these obstacles, and his listeners 
 sat spell-bound for three hours to witness 
 this remarkable performance. Again and 
 again he was called and recalled to receive 
 their approbation. Salvini placed the 
 Moor's conduct to Desdemona in a new 
 light ; his motive power love all-ending. 
 Slow to believe Iago's aspersions, still 
 more reluctant to realise them, his clinging 
 to the thought that she could not be false 
 was most natural ; slowly the terrible 
 poison crept into his soul ; then revenge, 
 deadly and direful, ruled his mind. This 
 gentleman proved Mapleson's best card in 
 the season of 1875. He appeared April 
 1 st, and repeated Othello on the 2nd and 
 3rd with his company of Italian artistes to 
 overflowing audiences.
 
 o 
 
 48 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Mapleson announced his last season at 
 Drury Lane, having secured an eligible site 
 for a New Opera House on the Victoria Em- 
 bankment. Anxious to distinguish his last 
 performances at Drury Lane, he produced 
 Wagner's ' Lohengrin.' Mapleson's hopes 
 were doomed to be disappointed. The 
 New Opera House remains still unfinished. 
 He returned to Drury Lane for the season 
 of 1876, with this explanation : ' The 
 Director deems it his duty to explain to the 
 nobility and gentry and the public the 
 reason why the performances will again be 
 given at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 
 pending the completion of the Grand 
 National Opera House, the works for 
 which are in active progression on the 
 site he had the good fortune to secure. 
 Unforeseen causes have militated against 
 the opening of the New Opera House* 
 
 * The 'Victoria Embankment Grand National 
 Opera House ' remains in statu quo, and is likely to do 
 so. Upwards of ,£50,000 lies uselessly expended, 
 exemplifying the fallacy of human promises.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 349 
 
 this year : the unexpected works for the 
 foundation — the second contingency, a 
 winterof very great severity, and which com- 
 pletely stopped the works. Mr. Mapleson 
 is in a position to state confidently that 
 although the coming season will be com- 
 paratively brief, it will be brilliant ; for 
 owing to the unusually late season, he will be 
 enabled to present on the earliest nights of 
 performance the leading artistes of his com- 
 pany : Mdlle. Nilsson, Mdlle. Titiens (after 
 her brilliant tour in America), Mdlle. Chapuy, 
 Mdlle. Varesi, Mdlle. Trebelli, Mdlle. 
 Rodelin, Mdlle. Macritz, Signor Fancelli, 
 Signor Campanini, Signor Dorini, Rota 
 del Puenti, Galassi, Signor Faure, Roki- 
 tansky, Sir Michael Costa.' 
 
 This was the last company assembled 
 for Italian opera at Drury Lane, removed 
 in 1877 to Her Majesty's Theatre in the 
 Haymarket. This circumstance proved a 
 great loss to the lessee.
 
 350 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 o 
 
 Opening night, Saturday, April 29th, 
 1S76, ' Faust.' 
 
 Margaretta, Mdlle. Christine Nilsson. 
 Faust, Signor Stagno (his first appearance). 
 Mefistofele, Mons. Faure. 
 
 Return from America of Mdlle. Titiens. 
 May 2nd, 1876, ' Semiramide.' 
 
 Seriramide, Mdlle. Titiens. 
 Arsace, Mdlle. Trebelli. 
 
 Titiens was received by a crowded 
 audience with rapturous enthusiasm ; but, as 
 already stated, her voice had seriously 
 suffered from her transatlantic tour. 
 
 June 8th, 1876, a matinee was tried — 
 a morning performance of Mozart's great 
 work, ' Don Giovanni.' 
 
 Donna Elvira, Mdlle. Nilsson. 
 Don Giovanni, Mons. Faure. 
 Don Ottavio, Signor Stagno. 
 Il Commendatore, Herr Behrens.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 351 
 
 Leporello, Herr Rokitansey. 
 Masetto, Signor Fiorini. 
 Zerlina, Mdlle. Trebelli. 
 Donna Anna, Mdlle. Titicns. 
 
 This performance realised fully ^"Soo, 
 proving the increasing taste for morning 
 performances, whether operatic or dramatic. 
 It is only a return to the custom of the 
 Elizabethan days. Theatres were then 
 opened at two, and performances com- 
 menced at three o'clock. Our ancestors 
 were wise in their generation. 
 
 ' Truth-telling.' — A Royal Duke's opi- 
 nion of the two Italian directors, relative 
 to speaking the truth : 
 
 G — e and M n. 
 
 M n cannot tell the truth. 
 
 G — e will not. 
 
 Last performance of Her Majesty's 
 Opera at Drury Lane, Saturday, 22nd 
 June, 1876. Benefit of Titiens (her last). 
 
 ' Fidelio.' — Fidelio, by Mdlle. Titiens.
 
 152 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 Overture to ' Leonora.' 
 Ballet divertissement — ' Une Fete de 
 Pecheurs.' 
 
 Farewell Performance. 
 
 Monday, June 24th, ' Don Giovanni.' 
 Benefit of M. Faure. 
 
 The Opera ought to have remained at 
 the National Theatre ; not only was it pro- 
 fitable, but it gave the establishment a pres- 
 tige. Suffice it. 'When the cause is lost, 
 there is enough of words.' During Maple- 
 son's operatic management from time to 
 time, he introduced ballets under the direc- 
 tion of a clever female professor, Madame 
 Lanner. 
 
 Garrick in 1755 tried to introduce a 
 ballet (company, French and Italian) com- 
 posed by M. Noverre. The town had 
 for some time been murmuring at Garrick's 
 avaricious disposition, and his grudging 
 the expense attending the necessary deco-
 
 Old Drury Lane. 353 
 
 rations of the stage, dancers, gay scenery, 
 etc., to please the public. Noverre was 
 engaged ; a ballet entitled ' The Chinese 
 Festival ' was prepared for representation, 
 and much money was expended. The 
 piece was eighteen months in rehearsal. 
 During this time war had been declared 
 between France and England. Here then 
 arose an opportunity for the private 
 enemies of the manager (such every 
 manager must have) to exert their malevo- 
 lence. Paragraphs were repeatedly inserted 
 in the newspapers to the effect that the 
 manager of Drury Lane had engaged a 
 troop of Frenchmen to play at the Patent 
 Theatre in London, at the very time that 
 England had declared war with France. 
 They did not scruple to add that the 
 dresses, carpentry, etc., were French. In 
 consequence of these advertisements, 
 though honoured by his Majesty's pre- 
 sence, the performance was hissed and 
 vol. 1. 23
 
 354 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 hooted ; a contest arose, leading to uproar 
 and blows, for and against the Ballet. In 
 vain the manager protested ; rioting con- 
 tinued for six nights, and considerable 
 damage was done to the theatre, the mob 
 venting their fury also on Garrick's house in 
 Southampton-street : the civil and military 
 authorities saved it from demolition. The 
 Ballet was withdrawn, with a loss of some 
 thousands of pounds. Such was public 
 taste in 1755. 
 
 The Management of Italian Opera. 
 — From its first introduction in 1658 up to 
 the present day, the Italian Opera has 
 never proved very lucrative (Messrs. Gye 
 and Mapleson excepted). 
 
 SirWm. Davenant. Sir John Vanbrugh. 
 
 Hill. Chambers. 
 
 Handel. La Porte. 
 
 Lumley. Laurent. 
 
 Sequin. E. T. Smith.
 
 Old Drury Lane. 355 
 
 Lumley made a lucky hit with Jenny 
 Lind, the Swedish Nightingale, originally 
 engaged by Bunn for Drury Lane. Lum- 
 ley realised vast sums by this extraordinary 
 singer's performances in town and country, 
 but lost many thousands by other specula- 
 tions, though largely assisted by a musical 
 amateur (the Earl of Dudley). All the 
 other directors were ruined, and to them 
 may be added Delafield, at the Royal 
 Italian Opera, Covent Garden, who lost 
 ,£100,000 in two or three years. 
 
 Laurent, a Frenchman, was a dashing 
 
 speculator at one period. He had a theatre 
 
 in Paris, one in Brussels, several in Italy, 
 
 and Her Majesty's Opera House, London. 
 
 All failed, and little wonder ; he had too 
 
 many irons in the fire. Kelly, Gould, 
 
 Waters (an opulent merchant), tried 
 
 their luck in succession ; the last-named 
 
 lost ,£90,000. It is singular that no record 
 
 23—2
 
 356 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 has been published of the speculations and 
 uniform disaster and failure attending 
 directorship of Her Majesty's Opera. 
 Nothing is more unaccountable than the 
 fate of its varied lessees. Mapleson's 
 career up to the present time is beyond 
 doubt (fortunately for him) successful. 
 His enterprise and talent deserve it. 
 
 Opera Singer. — In 1774 Gabrielle was 
 in St. Petersburg ; the price she demanded 
 was ,£1,500 per season, besides a house and 
 carriage ; nor would she take less. She 
 was remonstrated with on the enormous 
 salary ; they assured her that a Field- 
 Marshal had no such pay. 
 
 1 If that is the case,' said the artist, ' I 
 would advise all her Majesty's Field-Mar- 
 shals to sing, and get it. 
 
 The Carriage Entrance to Drury 
 Lane Theatre in 1787 was through a 
 narrow passage leading from the Strand,
 
 Old Drury Lane. 357 
 
 called Drury Court, now paved, opposite 
 St. Dunstan's Church. 
 
 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu writes : 
 ' I intend to go to Goodman's Fields on 
 Saturday to see Garrick act Richard the 
 Third. At night I go to see Mrs. Woffing- 
 ton act Sir Harry Wildair in the " Constant 
 Couple," at Drury Lane.' Her ladyship 
 evidently liked the drama. Our modern 
 ladies of quality would think it rather 
 fatiguing to see two plays in one day, East 
 and West too ! 
 
 Lady Montagu's opinion of the Italian 
 Opera was not quite favourable : ' I was at 
 the Opera on Saturday night, where was all 
 the world. I was very well diverted 
 between the opera and the audience, or I 
 ought rather to say the spectators ; for they 
 came to see, not to hear. I heard that the 
 elephant was the finest thing in the opera ; 
 but that was contradicted, and the burning
 
 [58 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 temple was preferred to it. To accommo- 
 date everything to the absurdity of the 
 town, the dancing is rendered more ridicu- 
 lous and grotesque than ever. I was 
 thinking if the Court of Augustus Caesar 
 could have seen the polite part of our 
 nation admiring a wooden elephant with 
 lamps stuck in his head for eyes, and poor 
 Scipio and Asdrubal could have risen to 
 have seen themselves covered with silver 
 spangles, and quavering an Italian air, what 
 honest indignation and scorn would they 
 have conceived at us ! Scipio would be 
 mighty pleased to see himself represented 
 as the slave to a simple, poor creature made 
 of song, silk, and civility. I think it is 
 monstrous that these people should trifle 
 thus with great names ; it lessens the 
 regard people should have for exalted 
 virtue ; and having filled the large book of 
 Fame, is it not hard they should suffer 
 their names to be squeaked in treble notes ?
 
 Old Drury Lane. 359 
 
 Is it not better to be forgotten than to be 
 remembered in the book of Folly ?' 
 
 4 "Artaxerxes," Opera, 1762. — This 
 piece is set to music in the manner of the 
 Italian Operas, and was performed at 
 Covent Garden Theatre partly by English 
 and partly by Italian singers. It met with 
 good success during the run. Both the 
 
 o o 
 
 words and music are by that great com- 
 poser, Dr. Thomas Arne. The words, how- 
 ever, were no more than a most wretched 
 mangled translation of that excellent piece 
 the " Artaserse " of the Abbe Metastasio, 
 in which Dr. Arne has at least shown that 
 however close an alliance poetry and music 
 may have with each other, they are far 
 from being constant companions, since in 
 this performance the former is entirely as 
 contemptible as the latter is inimitable. '- 
 Flying Post. 
 
 'Arm 1 xius.' Italian Opera, 17 14. — Music
 
 6o Old Drury Lane. 
 
 by Heidegger ; dedicated to Lady Godol- 
 phin, and acted at the Queen's Theatre in 
 the Haymarket. 
 
 ' Arsinoe, Queen of Cyprus.' — An 
 Opera after the Italian manner, by Clayton, 
 performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury 
 Lane, 1707. 
 
 * Amelia.' — An Opera after the Italian 
 manner, by Harry Carey, set to music by 
 Lampe, performed at the French Theatre 
 in the Haymarket, 1732. 
 
 'Wonders in the Sun, or Kingdom of 
 Birds.' — A Comic Opera by Thomas 
 Durfey, 1 706. This whimsical piece was 
 performed at the Queen's Theatre in the 
 Haymarket. It is dedicated to the cele- 
 brated society of the ' Kit-Cat Club,' and 
 illustrated with great variety of songs in 
 all kinds (set to Italian music), by several 
 of the most eminent wits of the age, who
 
 Old Drury Lane. 361 
 
 lent the author their assistance to ridicule 
 Italian Opera. 
 
 'Semele,' Opera by William Congreve. 
 — This musical piece was not performed 
 during the lifetime of the author, but was 
 afterwards set to music by Handel, and 
 frequently played with applause at the 
 Opera House, Hay market, and Covent 
 Garden Theatre. 
 
 Sir Michael Costa, by public opinion 
 the 'first conductor of our day, an able 
 composer and a musician seldom, if ever, 
 excelled. This talented artist was born at 
 Naples. He migrated to England at an 
 early age to seek his fortune ; in this case 
 the fickle goddess favoured Michael Costa. 
 By the exercise of ability and unflagging 
 industry he won his reputation step by 
 step, from playing in the orchestra of Her 
 Majesty's Opera, as a violin, to be its chief. 
 Birmingham had the honour of first recog- 
 nising the young artist's talent. Costa
 
 362 Old Drury Lane. 
 
 never forgot the kindness that he met with 
 there ; his first oratorio, ' Eli,' was given 
 at their Town Hall, and he always presides 
 at the Musical Festivals. When Costa 
 joined the band of Her Majesty's Opera, 
 he was a mere youth, although playing the 
 first violin. Opportunity offered, and he 
 was promoted to wield the baton as con- 
 ductor. This caused much dissatisfaction 
 among the greybeards that had played in 
 the orchestra many years, each fancying 
 he ought to have been selected. Costa 
 received a Lilliputian pair of toy razors, 
 with a note addressed to ' the beardless boy,' 
 ridiculing his promotion. When I with- 
 drew from Her Majesty's Opera, I wrote 
 to him expressing my regret at leaving 
 him ; he kindly replied as follows : — 
 
 '59, Eccleston-square, April 15, 1878. 
 
 ' Dear Mr. Stirling, 
 
 ' I have received your letter, the 
 contents of which have much disappointed
 
 Old Drury Lane. 363 
 
 me. I am very sorry that you have with- 
 drawn from the Opera, and no one more 
 than myself will regret your absence, 
 ' Believe me, dear Mr. Stirling, 
 
 ' Sincerely yours, 
 
 ' M. Costa.' 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
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 THE FALLEN LEAVES. By Wilkie Collins.
 
 CHA7 70 &> W INDUS, PICCADILLY. 21 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 
 
 This hook is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
 MAY 4 1956 
 061 » ° l95S 
 
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 JUN 1 4 1978 
 
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 v.l 
 
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