A. "Do they?"
Y. "Yes, sir;—the paragraph runs thus:—'Among the numerous visitors at Drury Lane Theatre last night, we observed the Duke of Queensbury and the veteran Macklin, whose ages together amount to one hundred and ninety-six."
Mr. Macklin. "The Duke of who?"
A. "The Duke of Queensbury, sir."
Mr. Macklin. "I don't know that man. The Duke of Queensbury! The Duke of Queensbury! Oh! ay, I remember him now very well:—The Duke of Queensbury old! Why, sir, I might be his father! ha! ha! ha!"
Q. "Well, sir, I understand that you went to the Haymarket Theatre to see the 'Merchant of Venice?'"
A. "I did, sir."
Q. "What is your opinion of Mr. Palmer's Shylock?"
[This question was answered by a shake of the head. Being desirous of hearing his opinion I asked him the second time.]
Mr. Macklin.—"Why, sir, my opinion is, that Mr. Palmer played the character of Shylock in one style. In this scene there was a sameness, in that scene a sameness, and in every scene a sameness: it was all same! same! same!—no variation. He did not look the character, nor laugh the character, nor speak the character of Shakspeare's Jew. In the trial scene, where he comes to cut the pound of flesh, he was no Jew. Indeed, sir, he did not hit the part, nor the part did not hit him."[297]