ther explanations, however, took place; the unconscious libertine was acquitted, and, provided with fresh disguise, was again forwarded on his flight. [Henry Twisleton Elliston, born Jan. 14th, 1802-godfather, Hon. Charles James Twisleton.] CHAPTER IX. Elliston's tragedy, a critical notice on his quality-Hamlet― The Stranger-Rolla-Orestes-Edgar-Amintor-Romeo —A benefit-Humorous letter of Colman-Journey to London-A break down, &c.-Elliston meets with his first love-Misfortunes and tears-The history of poor AliceStrange recognition-Elliston acts Richard III. at the Haymarket-"Love laughs at locksmiths"-Rupture with Colman-Domestic calamity-Elliston "at home"-The Three Graces-Elliston a maitre de danse. As the subject of these memoirs is now about to bid farewell to the home of his dramatic youth, in which he had been nurtured for ten years, having attained the manhood both of his art and stature,-a city, second only to the metropolis in histrionic science, and pre-eminently distinguished as a school of actors*-it may be expected that we should bear some testimony to the public opinion of Elliston in a few of those leading parts of tragedy to which by this time he had put forth such high pretensions. * Bath produced Siddons, Henderson, Edwin, and others. 216 ELLISTON'S TRAGEDY. ELLISTON was an actor of what may be termed the Romantic School. Unlike in style, either of his great contemporaries, Kemble or Cooke, he was yet distinguished in some of those delineations of tragedy, by which the names of those two actors have become so justly memorable; and whatever deficiency attached to him in respect of their appropriate excellences, was in a great measure supplied by that demonstration of the picturesque which, when germane to the character, never fails to impress the spectator with delight. Of the commanding presence-the passionless stoicism-which characterized so much the style of Mr. Kemble, and of that classic bearing which, on the Roman scene, rendered him incomparably greater than any English actor history may have handed to us since the days of Betterton, Elliston had no perception. The metaphysical ponderings of Brutus, the inspelled imaginings of Macbeth,* were read in the very form and aspect of Kemble; but the fire of Hotspur and chivalry of Henry V., bright as they * The following is an abstract of the account, which Tom Davies gives in his "Miscellanies," of various actors in this part. Betterton is celebrated in the "Tatler" as being excellent in Macbeth, but Cibber makes no particular mention of him in that character, which he acted on the very verge of life. Mills afterwards obtained it of Wilks, but he was heavy and dull; Quin was monotonous; Mossop wanted variety; Barry had too much amenity for the terrible agonies of Macbeth; Garrick alone could comprehend and execute the complicated properties of this cha racter. C were in his beautiful portraiture, did not extinguish the burning of his fellow light, which lost none of its brilliancy by a near propinquity to that great master of his art. Elliston in both of these parts displayed a romantic gallantry of tone and action, foregoing no lien on the dignity of either, which rendered his impersonations equal to any comparison. He was distinguished for flexibility and variableness of voice, which produced powerful effects-now "the silvertoned Barry," and now again the manly intonations of Booth-which always being judiciously employed, tended greatly to that amount of fame which attached to him as a tragic actor.* The mental abstraction which belongs to the character of Hamlet, not calm and stoical, but tost and turbulent, met with a happy delineation in Elliston's efforts his tremulous awe, his impressive accents, when in the presence of his father's spirit, produced on his auditory a cleaving sympathy—like Betterton," he made the ghost equally terrible to the spectator as to himself." Mr. Kemble was here too much the "Prince of Denmark,❞—his awe too much at court, as though he might have uttered, Angels and ministers of * "The learned Selden," speaking of tone, pointedly asks, "If a man were to cry out Murder! in the accents of making love, would any one run to help him?" state, defend us!"-not so, the subject of our present inquiry: the animal passions were naturally portrayed, while at no sacrifice of essential grace; and though Elliston by no means retained for any length of time, this ability in the part in question, yet in its brief possession he was popularly considered to have had no superior. In the chastening interview with the players, Mr. Kemble's style of instruction and manner, rose far above the attempts of his young rival; and in the closet scene, Mr. Kemble was equally his master. At one moment Elliston seemed almost affected to tears-he appeared to take too literally "si vis me flere, dolendum est, primum ipsi tibi"-the effect was bad, and altogether inconsistent with the tenor of the scene. The expression of grief on the stage should ever be manly—a sob, however natural, is more likely to produce a smile than any sympathetic emotion. Notwithstanding Elliston's popularity in this part, we incline to think Hamlet was not amongst his most felicitous tragic attempts. The character of Hamlet is not that of tenderness; had the "royal Dane" been living, and Claudius guiltless of his blood, it remains still a question whether the young prince had proved himself really a lover. When he finds himself even at Ophelia's grave, he merely utters, "What! the fair Ophelia!" and although |