RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON,

Publishers in Ordinary to Her Majesty the Queen.

1878.

CONTENTS

OF

THE SECOND VOLUME.

Part III.

THE KEMBLE PERIOD.

CHAPTER I.

THE KEMBLE FAMILY.

The Founders of the Kemble Family-Holcroft's Description of a

Strolling Company-Strollers Entering a Town-Quitting it-

Manager Penchard's Company-Captain Plume with the Gout—

A Protean Company-Working a Benefit-Roger Kemble's

Children-A Juvenile Prodigy-Sarah Kemble and her Lover-

Married .

3

CHAPTER II.

THE KEMBLE FAMILY (continued).

MRS. SIDDONS.

Early Struggles-At Cheltenham-Engaged for Drury Lane-

Her London Début-Failure-At Bath-Her "Three Reasons"

for quitting it-Back to London-Preparing for the Event-

Success-Irish Ridicule-Hèr Reception at Edinburgh-A Canny

Scot-At an Evening Party-A Fashionable Mob

83874

13

CHAPTER III.

MRS. SIDDONS (concluded).

Studying Lady Macbeth-The Sleep-Walking Scene-The Con-

servatism of the Old Audience-Her Arrogance and Avaricious-

ness-Unpopularity-A Stormy Reception-In Private Life-

Her Prudery-Realised Wishes-Time the Destroyer-Her

Farewell-Hazlitt's Description of her Acting-Anecdotes of

her Extraordinary Powers-As Volumnia, Calista, Mrs. Beverley

-Queen Catherine-Her Final Performances

CHAPTER IV.

THE KEMBLE FAMILY (concluded).

JOHN PHILIP, STEPHEN, CHARLES AND FANNY KEMBLE.

26

John Philip intended for a Priest-Forsakes the Cassock for the

Buskin Anecdotes of his Strolling Days-An Old and Young

Stager-At Dublin-First Appearances in London-His Hamlet

-Strange Courtship and Wedding-A Bed of Thorns" Old

Madame Drury"-The New Theatre-Manager of Covent

Garden The Fire-The O. P. Riots-Kemble's Companies-

His Farewell-His Retirement-An Analysis of his Acting-

Stephen-Charles-Fanny Kemble

CHAPTER V.

GEORGE FREDERICK COOKE.

40

His First Penchant for the Stage-Early Strolling-Preaching

and Practice-A Pleasant Tête-à-Tête-Dissipation and Misery

-His First Appearance in London-His Richard and Shylock-

Compared with Kemble-His Sir Pertinax Macsycophant-

Neglect of Study-His "Old Complaint "-An Expensive

Display of Loyalty-Declining Popularity-The First Great

English Actor who visited America-In the States-Gasconad-

ing-A Bloodless Duel-Failing Health-Death-Post Mortem

-Two Grim Stories

67