4 Durham Place,
Chelsea, London.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| I. | Earliest Recollections of Henry Irving | [1] | |
| Earliest recollection, Dublin, 1867—Captain Absolute—Impersonation—Distinction—Local criticism—“Two Roses,” Dublin, 1871—The archetype of Digby Grant—Chevalier Wikoff. | |||
| II. | The Old School and the New | [8] | |
| Irving’s early experience in Dublin—A month of hisses—The old school of acting and the new—Historical comparison—From Edmund Kean to Irving—Irving’s work—The thoughtful school. | |||
| III. | Friendship | [16] | |
| Criticism—My meeting with Irving—A blaze of genius—The friendship of a life. | |||
| IV. | Honours from Dublin University | [22] | |
| Public Address—University Night—Carriage dragged by students. | |||
| V. | Converging Streams | [27] | |
| A reading in Trinity College—James Knowles—Hamlet the Mystic—Richard III.—The Plantagenet look—“Only a commercial”—True sportsmen—Coming events. | |||
| VI. | Joining Forces | [35] | |
| “Vanderdecken”—Visit to Belfast—An Irish bull—I join Irving—Preparations at the Lyceum—The property master “getting even.” | |||
| VII. | Lyceum Productions | [45] | |
| VIII. | Irving Begins Management | [46] | |
| The “Lyceum Audience”—“Hamlet”—A lesson in production—The Chinese Ambassador—Catastrophe averted—The responsibility of a manager—Not ill for seven years. | |||
| IX. | Shakespeare Plays—I | [53] | |
| “The Merchant of Venice”—Preparation—The red handkerchief—Booth and Irving—“Othello”—A dinner at Hampton Court—The hat. | |||
| X. | Shakespeare Plays—II | [59] | |
| “Romeo and Juliet”—Preparation—Music—The way to carry a corpse—Variants of the bridal chamber—“Much Ado About Nothing”—John Penberthy—Hyper-criticism—Respect for feelings. | |||
| XI. | Shakespeare Plays—III | [68] | |
| “Macbeth”—An amateur scene-painter—Sir Arthur Sullivan—A lesson in collaboration—“Henry VIII.”—Lessons in illusion—Stage effects—Reality v. scenery—A real baby and its consequences. | |||
| XII. | Shakespeare Plays—IV | [76] | |
| “King Lear”—Illness of Irving—A performance at sight—“Richard III.”—A splendid first night—A sudden check. | |||
| XIII. | Irving’s Method | [82] | |
| “Eugene Aram”—Sudden change—“Richelieu”—Impersonation fixed in age—“Louis XI.”—“Up against it” in Chicago—“The Lyons Mail”—Tom Mead—Stories of his forgetfulness—“Charles I.”—Dion Boucicault on politics in the theatre—Irving’s “make-up”—Cupid as Mephistopheles. | |||
| XIV. | Art-Sense | [91] | |
| “The Bells”—Worn-out scenery—An actor’s judgment of a part—“Olivia”—“Faust”—A master mind and good service—A loyal stage manager and staff—Whistler on business—Twenty-fifth anniversary of “The Bells”—A presentation—A work of art—“The Bells” a classic—Visit of illustrious Frenchmen—Sarcey’s amusement. | |||
| XV. | Stage Effects | [101] | |
| “The Lady of Lyons”—A great stage army—Supers: their work and pay—“The Corsican Brothers”—Some great “sets”—A Royal visitor behind scenes—Seizing an opportunity—A Triton amongst minnows—Gladstone as an actor—Beaconsfield and coryphées—A double—A cure for haste. | |||
| XVI. | The Value of Experiment | [112] | |
| “Robert Macaire”—A great benefit—“Our genial friend Mr. Edwards”—“Faust”—Application of science—Division of stage labour—The Emperor Fritz—Accidental effects—A “top angel”—Educational value of the stage—“Faust” in America—Irving’s fiftieth birthday. | |||
| XVII. | The Pulse of the Public | [120] | |
| “Ravenswood”—Delayed presentation—The public pulse—“Nance Oldfield”—Ellen Terry as a dramatist. | |||
| XVIII. | Tennyson and his Plays—I | [128] | |
| Irving on Tennyson—Frankness—Irving’s knowledge of character—The “fighting” quality—Tennyson on Irving’s Hamlet—Tennyson’s alterations of his work—As a dramatist—“First run”—Experts on Greek Art. | |||
| XIX. | Tennyson and his Plays—II | [136] | |
| Before “Becket”—Irving’s preparation of the play—Re “Robin Hood”—Visit to Tennyson at Aldworth—Tennyson’s humour—His onomatopœia—Scoffing—Tennyson’s belief—He reads his new poem—Voice and phonograph—Irving sees his way to playing “Becket.” | |||
| XX. | Tennyson and his Plays—III | [146] | |
| “Becket” for the stage—My visit to Farringford—“In the Roar of the Sea”—Tennyson on “interviewers”—Relic hunters—“God the Virgin”—The hundred best stories—Message to John Fiske—Walter Map—Last visit to Tennyson—Tennyson on Homer and Shakespeare—His own reminiscences—Good-bye. | |||
| XXI. | Tennyson and his Plays—IV | [156] | |
| “Becket” produced—Death of Tennyson—“Irving will do me justice”—“The Silent Voices”—Production of the play—Irving reads it at Canterbury Cathedral—And at the King Alfred Millenary, Winchester. | |||
| XXII. | “Waterloo”—“King Arthur”—“Don Quixote” | [161] | |
| Acquisition and production of “Waterloo”—The one man in America who saw the play—Played for Indian and Colonial troops, 1897—“King Arthur” plays—Burne-Jones and the armour—“Don Quixote” plays—A rhadamanthine decision. | |||
| XXIII. | Art and Hazard | [169] | |
| “Madame Sans-Gêne”—Size, proportions and juxtaposition—Evolution of “business”—“Peter the Great” “Robespierre”—“Dante”—The hazard of management. | |||
| XXIV. | Vandenhoff | [180] | |
| XXV. | Charles Mathews | [181] | |
| In early days—A touch of character—Mathews’ appreciation—Henry Russell—The wolf and the lamb. | |||
| XXVI. | Charles Dickens and Henry Irving | [183] | |
| XXVII. | Mr. J. M. Levy | [185] | |
| XXVIII. | Visits to America | [186] | |
| Farewell at the Lyceum—Welcome in New York, 1883—A journalistic “scoop”—Farewell. | |||
| XXIX. | William Winter | [189] | |
| XXX. | Performance at West Point | [191] | |
| A National consent—Difficulties of travel—An audience of steel—A startling finale—Capture of West Point by the British. | |||
| XXXI. | American Reporters | [195] | |
| High testimony—Irving’s care in speaking—“Not for publication”—A diatribe—Moribundity. | |||
| XXXII. | Tours-de-Force | [200] | |
| A “Hamlet” reading—A vast “bill.” | |||
| XXXIII. | Christmas | [203] | |
| Christmas geese—Punch in the green room—A dinner in the theatre—Gambling without risk—Christmas at Pittsburg. | |||
| XXXIV. | Irving as a Social Force | [204] | |
| XXXV. | Visits of Foreign Warships | [208] | |
| XXXVI. | Irving’s Last Reception at the Lyceum | [211] | |
| The Queen’s Jubilee, 1887—The Diamond Jubilee, 1897—The King’s Coronation, 1902. | |||
| XXXVII. | The Voice of England | [218] | |
| XXXVIII. | Rival Towns | [220] | |
| XXXIX. | Two Stories | [221] | |
| XL. | Sir Richard Burton | [224] | |
| A face of steel—Some pleasant suppers—Lord Houghton—Searching for patriarchs—Edmund Henry Palmer—Desert law—The “Arabian Nights.” | |||
| XLI. | Sir Henry Morton Stanley | [232] | |
| An interesting dinner—“Doubting Thomases”—The lesson of exploration—“Through the Dark Continent”—Dinner—Du Chaillu—The price of fame. | |||
| XLII. | Arminius Vambéry | [238] | |
| A Defence against torture—How to travel in Central Asia—An orator. | |||
| XLIII. | Early Reminiscence by C. R. Ford | [239] | |
| XLIV. | Irving’s Philosophy of his Art | [244] | |
| The key-stone—The scientific process—Character—The Play—Stage Perspective—Dual consciousness—Individuality—The true realism. | |||
| XLV. | The Right Hon. William Ewart Gladstone | [260] | |
| Visits to the Lyceum—Intellectual stimulus and rest—An interesting post-card—His memory—“Mr. Gladstone’s seat”—Speaks of Parnell—Visit to “Becket”—Special knowledge; its application—Lord Randolph Churchill on Gladstone—Mrs. Gladstone. | |||
| XLVI. | The Earl of Beaconsfield | [266] | |
| His advice to a Court chaplain—Sir George Elliott and picture-hanging—As a beauty—As a social fencer—“A striking physiognomy.” | |||
| XLVII. | Sir William Pearce, Bart. | [270] | |
| A night adventure—The courage of a mother—The Story of the “Livadia”—Nihilists after her—Her trial trip—How she saved the Czar’s life. | |||
| XLVIII. | Stepniak | [276] | |
| A congeries of personalities—The “closed hand”—His appearance—“Free Russia”—The gentle criticism of a Nihilist—Prince Nicolas Galitzin—The dangers of big game. | |||
| XLIX. | E. Onslow Ford, R.A. | [280] | |
| Fatherly advice—The design—The meeting—Sittings—Irving’s hands. | |||
| L. | Sir Laurence Alma-Tadema, R.A. | [284] | |
| “Coriolanus”—Union of the Arts—Archæology—The re-evolution of the toga—Twenty-two years’ delay—Alma-Tadema’s house—A lesson in care—“Cymbeline.” | |||
| LI. | Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Bart. | [289] | |
| “King Arthur”—The painter’s thought—His illustrative stories from child life. | |||
| LII. | Edwin A. Abbey, R.A. | [293] | |
| “Richard II.”—“The Kinsmen”—Artistic collaboration—Mediæval life—The character of Richard. | |||
| LIII. | J. Bernard Partridge | [298] | |
| Lyceum souvenirs—Partridge’s method—“Putting in the noses”—The last picture of Irving. | |||
| LIV. | Robert Browning | [300] | |
| Browning and Irving on Shakespeare—Edmund Kean’s purse—Kean relics—Clint’s portrait of Kean. | |||
| LV. | Walt Whitman | [302] | |
| Irving meets Walt Whitman—My own friendship and correspondence with him—Like Tennyson—Visit to Walt Whitman, 1886—Again in 1887—Walt Whitman’s self-judgment—A projected bust—Lincoln’s life-work—G. W. Childs—A message from the dead. | |||
| LVI. | James Whitcomb Riley | [313] | |
| Supper on a car—A sensitive mountaineer—“Good-bye, Jim.” | |||
| LVII. | Ernest Renan | [314] | |
| Renan and Haweis—How to converse in a language you don’t know. | |||
| LVIII. | Hall Caine | [315] | |
| A remarkable criticism—Irving and “The Deemster”—“Mahomet”—For reasons of State—Weird remembrances—“The Flying Dutchman”—“Home, Sweet Home”—“Glory and John Storm”—Irving and the chimpanzee—A dangerous moment—Unceremonious treatment of a lion—Irving’s last night at the play. | |||
| LIX. | Irving and Dramatists | [325] | |
| Difficulty of getting plays—The sources—Actor as collaborator—A startled dramatist—Plays bought but not produced—Pinero. | |||
| LX. | Musicians | [331] | |
| Boito—Paderewski—Henschel—Richter—Liszt—Gounod—Sir Alexander C. Mackenzie. | |||
| LXI. | Ludwig Barnay | [338] | |
| Meeting of Irving and Barnay—“Fluff”—A dinner on the stage—A discussion on subsidy—An honour from Saxe-Meiningen—A Grand-Ducal Invasion. | |||
| LXII. | Constant Coquelin (Ainé) | [341] | |
| First meeting of Coquelin and Irving—Coquelin’s comments—Irving’s reply—“Cyrano.” | |||
| LXIII. | Sarah Bernhardt | [343] | |
| Irving sees Sarah Bernhardt—First meeting—Supper in Beefsteak Club—Bastien Lepage—Tradition—Painting a serpent—Sarah’s appreciation of Irving and Ellen Terry. | |||
| LXIV. | Geneviève Ward | [347] | |
| When and how I first saw her—Her romantic marriage—Plays Zillah at Lyceum—“Forget me not”—Plays with Irving: “Becket”; “King Arthur”; “Cymbeline”; “Richard III.”—Argument on a “reading”—Eyes that blazed—A lesson from Regnier. | |||
| LXV. | John Lawrence Toole | [353] | |
| Toole and Irving—A life-long friendship—Their jokes—A seeming robbery—An odd Christmas present—Toole and a sentry—A hornpipe in a landau—Moving Canterbury Cathedral—Toole and the verger—A joke to the King—Other jokes—His grief at Irving’s death—Our last parting. | |||
| LXVI. | Ellen Terry | [362] | |
| First meet her—Irving’s early playing with her—His criticism—How she knighted an Attorney-General—A generous player—Real flowers—Her art—Discussion on a “gag”—The New School—Last performance with Irving—The cause of separation—Their comradeship—A pet name. | |||
| LXVII. | Fresh Honours in Dublin | [373] | |
| A public reception—Above politics—A lesson in hand-shaking—A remarkable address—A generous gift. | |||
| LXVIII. | Performances at Sandringham and Windsor | [375] | |
| Sandringham, 1889—First appearance before the Queen—A quick change—Souvenirs—Windsor, 1893—A blunder in old days—Royal hospitality—The Queen and the Press—Sandringham, 1902—The Kaiser’s visit—A record journey—An amateur conductor. | |||
| LXIX. | Presidents of the United States | [384] | |
| Chester Arthur—Grover Cleveland—A judgment on taste—McKinley—The “War Room”—Reception after a Cabinet Council—McKinley’s memory—Theodore Roosevelt—His justice as Police Commissioner—Irving at his New Year Reception. | |||
| LXX. | Knighthood | [389] | |
| Irving’s intimation of the honour—First State recognition in any country—A deluge of congratulations—The Queen’s pleasure—A wonderful Address—Former suggestion of knighthood. | |||
| LXXI. | Henry Irving and Universities | [393] | |
| Dublin—Cambridge—Glasgow—Oxford—Manchester—Harvard—Columbia—Chicago—Princeton—Learned Bodies and Institutions. | |||
| LXXII. | Adventures | [405] | |
| Over a mine-bed—Fires: Edinburgh Hotel; Alhambra, London; Star Theatre, New York; Lyceum—How Theatre fires are put out—Union Square Theatre, New York—“Fussy” safe—Floods—Bayou Pierre—How to get supper—On the Pan Handle—Train accidents; explosions; “Frosted” wheel; A lost driver—Storms at sea—A reason for laughter—Falling scenery—No fear of death—Master of himself. | |||
| LXXIII. | Burning of the Lyceum Storage | [423] | |
| Difficulty of storing scenery—New storage—A clever fraud—The fire—Forty-four plays burned—Checkmate to repertoire. | |||
| LXXIV. | Finance | [427] | |
| The protection of reticence—Beginning without a capital—An overdraft—A loan—A legacy—Expenses at commencement of management—Great running expenses—Sale to the Lyceum Company—Irving’s position with them. | |||
| LXXV. | The Turn of the Tide | [438] | |
| High-water mark—A succession of disasters—Pleurisy and pneumonia—“Like Gregory Brewster”—Future arrangements decided on—Offer from the Lyceum Company—Health failing—True heroism—Work and pressure—His splendid example—The last seven years—Time of Retirement fixed—Singing at Swansea—Farewell at Sunderland—Illness at Wolverhampton—Last performances in London—Last illness—Death—A city in tears—Lying in state—Public funeral. | |||
| Index | [467] | ||
ILLUSTRATIONS
| To face page | |
|---|---|
| Last Portrait of Irving, Pastel | [Coloured Frontispiece] |
| Henry Irving before becoming an Actor | [2] |
| Digby Grant. Drawing by Fred Barnard | [6] |
| Suggestion for Iago’s Dress. Drawing by Henry Irving | [58] |
| Henry Irving as Charles I. | [138] |
| Henry Irving between England and America. Drawing by Fred Barnard | [186] |
| Ellen Terry as Imogen, 1896 | [260] |
| Cast of “Dearer than Life” | [356] |
| Henry Irving and John Hare (last photograph taken) | [456] |
I
EARLIEST RECOLLECTIONS OF HENRY IRVING
I
The first time I ever saw Henry Irving was at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, on the evening of Wednesday, August 28, 1867. Miss Herbert had brought the St. James’s company on tour, playing some of the old comedies and Miss Braddon’s new drama founded on her successful novel, Lady Audley’s Secret. The piece chosen for this particular night was The Rivals, in which Irving played Captain Absolute.
Forty years ago provincial playgoers did not have much opportunity of seeing great acting, except in the star parts. It was the day of the stock companies, when the chief theatres everywhere had good actors who played for the whole season, each in his or her established class; but notable excellence was not to be expected at the salaries then possible to even the most enterprising management. The “business”—the term still applied to the minor incidents of acting, as well as to the disposition of the various characters and the entrances and exits—was, of necessity, of a formal and traditional kind. There was no time for the exhaustive rehearsal of minor details to which actors are in these days accustomed. When the bill was changed five or six times a week it was only possible, even at the longest rehearsal, to get through the standard outline of action, and secure perfection in the cues—in fact, those conditions of the interdependence of the actors and mechanics on which the structural excellence of the play depends. Moreover, the system by which great actors appeared as “stars,” supported by only one or two players of their own bringing, made it necessary that there should be in the higher order of theatres some kind of standard way of regulating the action of the plays in vogue. It was a matter of considerable interest to me to see, when some fourteen years later Edwin Booth came to play at the Lyceum, that he sent his “dresser” to represent him at the earlier rehearsals, so as to point out to the stage management the disposition of the characters and general arrangement of matured action to which he was accustomed. I only mention this here to illustrate the conditions of stage work at an earlier period.