1832.

Walter Scott's Death.

261

half an hour. Nerves not able to bear it; came away. Bought dressing-box for Lotty. Clock for kitchen.

September 3rd.-Brewster sent a wig for Lear.

September 4th.-Mr. Chalk churched my dearest Catherine, and named my dearest infant, William Charles.* May God protect and bless him! Read Juvenal, ‘Hudibras,' Nardini's 'Roma Antica.' September 7th.-Looked through 'Hamlet.' Read some of Barry Cornwall's poems.

September 12th.-Lord Grimston and friend to canvass. Promised not to vote against him, but refused to vote for him. Alston and friends called. Vote declined.

Mr. September 18th.-Read Harris's' Hermes.' Much pleased with it. September 20th.-Theatre. Settled plays, &c. Gave in 'Antony and Cleopatra.' Called on H. Smith. Met Cooper, Harley.

September 22nd.-Drury Lane opens. Quod felix faustumque mihi sit.

September 23rd.-Went to church in the afternoon. Packed up property box. Arranged and settled papers for my departure. September 24th.-To town. Theatre at two.

25th.-Newspapers. Read of Walter Scott's death on Friday last. Whatever his defects, a very great man, whose loss brings sorrew with it. χαῖρε, μεγάλη ψυχή ! † Walked with Mr. Cooper to my chambers, 61, Lincoln's Inn Fields. Signed agreement, 21. 5s. per week. Came home by Reeves' coach outside. Ordered rick to be cut. Walked over garden.

September 28th.-Rehearsed 'Pizarro.' News of robbery of geese at Elstree. Dined on sausage, brown bread, and soda-water. Lay down on bed. Acted middlingly. Very much cut in the arms. September 30th.-Read Colberg. Discovered that my room has echoes.

October 1st.-Breakfasted at Garrick Club. Colberg. Acted partially well. Mr. Bunn gave out.

October 2nd.-Newspapers, middling, middling. They persecute me. Why should I regard them? Acted indifferently-Wallace, O'Hanlon, Talfourd came to my room.

October 3rd.-Left chambers. Came to Elstree by Crown Prince. Moored my boat in deep water to secure it from the ruffians of the neighbourhood.

October 4th.- Listened to Mr. P's play. Looked at him attentively as he read, considering what is genius; what, vice; what, virtue ?

October 9th.-Read Mr. Oakley the whole afternoon. Played it a little better than before.

October 10th.-Read over 'Rolla.' Slept. Acted, not well-no.

*Afterwards in the Ceylon Civil Service. Died November 26th, 1871, at Puttalam, Ceylon, and was buried at Kandy.-Ed.

† Farewell! great spirit!-ED. TRANS.

In Serle's play, called, 'The House of Colberg.'-ED.

collected-not taking time, and very stiff. Why do I not break myself of this horrid habit?

October 13th.-Dined at Garrick. Saw Fladgate, Calcraft, Finch, &c. Saw Miss A. Smithson, who made offers for Paris. Answered Pocock, declining a "Scott" character. 'Rob Roy.' Acted tolerably well and well received. The procession a most stupid business ; carried through by the feeling of the audience.

October 15th.- Macbeth.'-Acted, how? took pains and tried to be earnest, but the audience was dull. Was it not my fault? I am inclined to think, partially, yes. But it was a pageant

audience. I roused them at last.

October 17th.—Came by Crown Prince to Elstree. Meditated on the nature and end of life. On the beauty and vivifying qualities of the physical world. Who dares say it is not undesigned or unsustained; looked over the fences, &c., of the fields, and gave directions about farm, &c. Read some of Wycherley's playscoarse and obscene.

November 26th.-Read Iago in bed. Rehearsed Iago. Met Kean. Lay down on bed. Acted, not satisfactorily, nervous. Called by the audience. Bourne, Braham, and others came to congratulate me.t

November 27th.-Looked at Iago. Played well. Chaise to Elstree.

November 28th.-Pleasant and grateful day of relaxation.

November 29th.-Acted Iago better than first night. Called for by audience.

November 30th.- Rehearsed Hotspur. Wrote to Marianne Skerrett. Letter from Horace Twiss. 'William Tell.' Acted my best.

December 1st.-Acted Hotspur. Hissed by a Wolf, as I suspect, in my first speech. Played with much spirit at the end. Supped with Wallace at Piazza.

December 2nd.-Dined with Harley, 6 o'clock, Bannister, Cartwright, C. Mathews, Hill, Laporte, &c.

December 3rd.-Went to see carriage at Houlditch's. Garrick Club. Theatre. Rehearsed, not well. Went home. Read Iago. Not well. Played well and ill. With more self-possession, but less finish and ease. Home to Elstree.

October 21st.-Read Mr. Oakley.

*A procession of the dramatic characters in Scott's novels, was introduced upon the stage in honour of the great author, recently deceased, and is alluded to on 13th October, above.-Ed.

† On this occasion Kean and Macready acted together for the first time. They had been announced to alternate the parts of Othello and Iago, but did not in fact do so. Kean played Othello only, and Macready played Iago only during their joint performances.-Ed.

+ The "Wolves was the name given to a club, or supposed club, composed of Kean's supporters and admirers, as already mentioned in the Reminis cences.'-ED.

1832.

Kean's Hamlet.

263

November 1st.-Rehearsed 'School for Scandal.' Joseph Surface and Kitely. Acted pretty well. Came home to tea. Introduced to Captain Marryatt.

November 6th.-Heard that I had been announced two days for Iago. Angry: foolishly so.

November 10th.-Lost much time and thought in useless, vaîn, and bad imaginations referring to people indifferent to me, not turning my eyes to the good I possess, but lashing myself into a state of irritation which, if it were wise or just to despise anything in humanity, should awaken my contempt. Let me be wiser, O God!

November 12th.-Saw two acts of Kean's 'Hamlet.' Imperfect, spiritless, uncharacteristic recitation.

November 15th.-Read Iago. Bought toys for children. Dinėd at Garrick Club. Kitely. Acted very well.

November 22nd.-Rehearsed Iago. Very nervous, in extremely low spirits. Came home. Thought over Iago, a very unhappy state of mind. Little beyond my home to comfort me-but much there.

November 24th.—Went to town by Billing's. Rehearsed Iago in saloon.

December 10th.-Iago. Acted well when Kean did not interfere with me. Called for by the audience.

December 11th.-Acted, or rather repeated, the common-places of poor Don Trueban,* for whom I felt great sorrow

December 12th.- Wrote to the City of London Literary and Scientific Institution declining to lecture.

December 15th.-' Men of Pleasure.' Acted very tamely.

19th.-Rolla. Acted tolerably, considering I had no previous thought upon it.

December 23rd.-Talfourd, Serle, Fred. Reynolds, &c., at Elstree. Went to St. Alban's in carriage. Spent a pleasant holiday, but omitted prayers in the evening-wrong.

December 24th.-Talfourd and I went up by coach. Party went in carriage to town. December 27th.-New cow bought. (Cost £13.) 28th.-Read over lago. Acted very well. Kean quite strong on his legs and in his voice. Called for by the audience and much applauded. L. D. Returned to Elstree in carriage. December 31st.-' Jane Shore.' Acted indifferently from want of previous study.

[The total receipts of the year 1832 passing through Messrs. Ransom and Co.'s books appear to have been £1,680 1s. 9d.; and the expenditure, £1,423 3s. 5d.]

* A contemporary criticism states that "The Drury Lane management gave a specimen of their short-sighted judgment by an attempt to revive that senseless production of Don Trueban, called 'Men of Pleasure.' Its production was an insult to the audience, and the piece was condemned at once." Macready's part was Lord Bellenden.-ED.

1833.

Elstree, January 1st.-With God's merciful help I trust to make my conduct and use of time during this year more acceptable in His sight than that of my previous life has been; and I enter upon it with prayers for His blessings on my children, my wife, friends, and myself. Amen.

January 2nd.-My performance this evening of Macbeth, afforded. me a striking evidence of the necessity there is for thinking over my characters previous to playing, and establishing by practice, if necessary, the particular modes of each scene and important passage. I acted with much energy, but could not (as I sometimes can, when holding the audience in wrapt attention) listen to my own voice, and feel the truth of its tones. It was crude and uncertain, though spirited and earnest; but much thought is yet required to give an even energy and finished style to all the great scenes of the play, except, perhaps, the last, which is among the best things I am capable of. Knowles is ravished with his own acting, and the supposed success it has met with. I wish I was with mine.

January 3rd.—Went home to breakfast. Spent an idle but, in all other respects, a happy day. A well-spent day is pleasing while it lasts, and pleasant to remember when for ever gone; a day of mere pleasure is agreeable in its passage, but regret attends its close in the reflection that time which God has given for employment has been squandered or lost in idleness. Compunction is injurious, if unproductive of improvement. Let my revision of this day enable me to be more resolute in my resistance of future temptations, and teach me, for my own and my children's good, the necessity of blending activity with enjoyment. In my absence from home I am sometimes inclined to question the prudence of living so far from town; but when on reaching home I taste the fresh air of the country, look over its extent of prospect, feel in a manner the free range of thought and sense through the expanse of earth and sky surrounding me, I confess to myself, in the delightful sensations I experience, that such enjoyment is worth some sacrifice.

January 4th.-My acting to-night was coarse and crude-no identification of myself with the scene, and, what increased my chagrin on the subject, some persons in the pit gave frequent vent to indulgent and misplaced admiration. The consciousness of unmerited applause makes it quite painful and even humiliating to me. I thought this day of taking the Bath and Bristol theatres: it will probably go no further.

January 5th.-I have made a proposal to take the Bath and Bristol theatres for a short season during Lent. I hope my vanity, or sanguine desire of gain, has not misled me in my anticipations

1833.

Mr. Heraud and Southey.

265

and dependences. I wish to procure an independence for my dear children, and I think this speculation likely to be productive of good in itself, and to offer me a certainty of remoter benefit.

I have had some doubts as to the sum in which I should subscribe to Mrs. Jackson's print: but I have decided upon the larger, which is still much less than I wish to give. I know that I expose myself to the charge of imprudence and extravagance, but am I to endeavour to feed the widow and the orphan literally with the crumbs that fall from my table? I cannot so interpret the text of that Teacher, Whose name be blessed by all who have hearts to feel the love He taught.

London, January 8th.-Paid some visits of ceremony-unmeaning hollow practices, irksome and embarrassing in act and productive of no good result. I allude entirely to the G--s, who are incomprehensible to me: if they like me, why do they not cultivate my society; if they are indifferent, why not relinquish my acquaintance? "What art thou, thou idol, ceremony?" Why is it that my spirits, rather depressed before, rose when I saw an expression of discontent on the face of Mrs. at the retired life she led? Is it an evil feeling? I think not—or that principle of our nature that makes all human happiness comparative.

January 9th.-In attending the book-club last night, I was furnished with another instance of that silly and unamiable ambition so common in men, particularly little men, of directing and legislating for others. Observation of the errors of others is wise or uncharitable according to its result-either as it affords us a practical lesson or a subject to descant upon. This morning I rose betimes, and rode outside to Elstree. I felt pleasure in this little instance of economy both in time and money. A beautiful morning, and, though misty afterwards, giving me the opportunity of a delightful walk with my wife and sister. In the afternoon I read much of Frederick II.'s life: an evidence of selfish vanity abusing great abilities, and brutal subserviency in the men who tolerated his dominion over them.

January 11th.-Little to comment on to-day beyond my own loss of it. Rose late, and omitted, dinner, in order to have my powers more at command during my performance, which was certainly better for my abstinence. I find the good effect of that natural manly tone of dialogue, with which I must endeavour to improve the colloquial ground-work of my acting. This evening I left at the theatre for the managers a tragedy by a Mr. Heraud, a dramatic poet, in his own confident opinion, secure of success; perhaps misled by the injudicious recommendation of Mr. Southey, which led him to experiment in tragic composition. Such advice leads me to a reluctant doubt of the Laureate's sincerity, for it is scarcely possible in this case to suppose defect of judgment. Can that be called good-nature which shrinks from inflicting a slight pique to the amour-propre of a friend, with intent to cure his mind of a dangerous and still strengthening delusion? it is selfishness