59 CHAPTER XVII. Season of 1800-1-Kemble opened with his Hamlet-Probable result of his purchasing-The Indian-Dr. Houlton's prologue-Innocent operas-Vauxhall Hooke-The PlowdensVirginia, an opera-Kemble ready to withdraw it-Bold Stroke for a Wife, the stop-gap-Antonio, another sacrifice-The procession of tragedies-Mrs. Siddons-Shakspeare revivals-Hopes of the renters-Want of colours and canvas in the painting-room-Aversion to modern plays-Even Colman not engaged to write comedy-Apparent jealousy-Mrs. Jordan, even Cumberland short of her powers-The modern writers ignorant of female characterCumberland and Burgoyne-The latter would have written for Jordan-Jealousy of Kemble-Cooke invited to Covent Garden-Sketch of that strange being-Made a rival to Kemble in Richard-Permitted a year's triumph-Kemble and Cooke as Macbeth-Cooke's true power-His dislike of Kemble-Dines with him, and reads him a lecture-The Author present at it-Mrs. Montagu dies-French discernment as to Shakspeare-Guernier's designs for Macbeth The wine-glass-Life and Il Bondocani-Holcroft marries M. Mercier's daughter-Deaf and Dumb, how acted-Kemble-Miss Decamp-Wroughton-The dragon and the rattle-snakes-The Country Girl returns to the stage in March. THE season of 1800-1, commenced at Drury Lane theatre on the 16th of September, 1800, under the management of Mr. Kemble, and he played his Hamlet on the first night. The notion that he would purchase a fourth of the property was again current, and he spoke of his management no longer as that of a deputy, but as one having authority, such as the property only can bestow. The sum he was to give was agreed upon; all that remained was to satisfy his legal friend that the title was a good one. In the theatre itself, any prospect of a change was desirable. Peake, the treasurer, was as kind a man as ever secured a chest; but it was often empty. The performers had running accounts instead of weekly payments, and his desk was crowded with billets importing the absolute necessity of relief, or the actors would no longer play; which in that profession alone, means they would no longer work. But the Kemble and the Siddons, it was wellknown, were always superior to irregularity. A debt was a horror to them. The very connexion of such people with the house secured its punctuality; and the common desire and the common belief of the company ran closely in the language of Shakspeare, "That by the help of THESE (with Him above To ratify the work), we may again Give to our tables meat, sleep to our nights, Do faithful homage, and receive free honours ;- Macbeth, fol. 1623, p. 143. At the commencement, Mrs. Siddons was observed to play with singular firmness and effect. Jordan was effective at least for a month or two. When the usual cause might be expected to produce the usual defect, her nearly annual confinement. Kemble had some old engagements to dispose of; I mean pieces accepted, which he would himself have refused. The first of these was a farce called the Indian, owned at least by a Mr. John Fenwick. It was the French Arlequin Sauvage, and Charles Kemble acted it. It was an American Review of European manners. A weak man, with an Edinburgh degree in physic, who wrote for a morning paper, called Doctor Houlton, contributed a prologue to introduce the savage ignoramus, or critic, which contained the following clear nonsense, spoken by Bob Palmer. "Quick on the infant's brain perception's ray With gradual force impress'd the lucid beam, Now a ray may be perceived, but perception has no ray; and if from scientific day the ray breaks quickly, its force cannot be gradual. Age will never improve science like this. When such stuff as the present was shewn to Kemble, he used to say, "Aye, it may be all very right, but I don't understand it." The licenser alone saw something in it, a FEE of two guineas, which should be abolished at once. Though it has been done in substance, for we have banished the prologue itself from the modern stage. The doctor was an admirer of Bickerstaff's innocent operas, and persuaded himself that the good old style might be revived; this he tried in an entertainment, called Wilmore Castle, but he had omitted every sort of interest, except what the Marrowfats might produce at a wedding dinner; and they were acted by Bob Palmer and Miss Tidswell. The Vauxhall Hooke composed the music of this opera. He was an excellent musician, but he wrote too fast, and his fabric was too slight for the most part. Yet his subjects were familiar and popular. He had been accustomed to compose for Vernon and Wrighten, and in the open air he had no fellow. In some way or other the Plowdens had got into a certain theatrical notoriety-they were a weighty but good-looking couple, and rather adorned a private box. Mrs. Plowden absolutely undertook, not only to write, but to compose a full opera called Virginia; I went to see it, knowing decidedly the fate that awaited it. Kemble was called on at the close, and made one of those speeches, which we used to consider as revealing more than met the ear-namely, that the piece had been obtruded on him. He totally forgot the proprietors of the theatre, and spoke only of himself and the author. |