our record. With all his faults, he was ever the idol of the people; he cared nothing for rich, fashionable or "critical" audiences, but preferred the Bowery to the Park; the applause of the pit to the plaudits of the boxes. He died December 1st, 1852, and lies buried in Baltimore.

During Mr. Booth's Albany engagement, he appeared in twelve different characters. It was not the custom then for the star to play every evening, but there were "off" nights, as there are now in grand opera. Mr Booth was announced to play as follows: Richard, May 21st; Sir Giles Overreach, May 23d; Reuben Glenroy, in "Town and Country," May 24th; Sir Edward Mortimer, in "The Iron Chest," May 28th; Hamlet, June 1st; Pescara, in "The Apostate," June 3d; Macbeth, June 6th; The Stranger (for his benefit), June 8th; Lear, June 15th; Shylock, June 17th; Othello, June 20th, and Brutus, June 24th.

Richard was his most popular personation; in it he made his first appearance in America, and he usually began his engagements with it. Its announcement was sure, at any period of his life, to crowd the theatre, in almost any city in the Union. He played Cibber's version. Probably he was the best Richard this country ever saw. "His Sir Giles," says Gould, "stands in our memory as a representation of singular solid force." The same critic, writing of his Sir Edward, says: "If it had been the actor's purpose to combine in one representation all the daring and difficult and terrific feats in look, voice and action, of which his supple frame was capable, he could not have selected * better field. The veins of his corded and magnificent neck would swell, and the whole throat and face become suffused with erimson in a moment, in the crisis of passion, to be succeeded on the ebb of feeling by an ashy paleness. To throw blood into the face is a comparatively easy feat for a sanguine man, by simply holding the breath; but for a man of pale complexion to speak passionate and thrilling words, pending the suffusion, is quite another

a

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thing. On the other hand, no amount of merely physical exertion or exercise of voice could bring color into that pale, proud, intellectual face. This was shown in Shylock, Lear and Hamlet, where the passion was intense, but where the face continued clear and pale." Hamlet was Booth's favorite part, although in after years he played it but seldom. Pescara was written for Booth by Shiel. Macbeth found in him one of the few capable, not only of representing the character, but of being it. Lear he attempted at the age of twenty-three. Whether influenced by accident of birth — for he had Hebrew blood within his veins-or carrying out an artistic design, he made Shylock a representative of the Jewish race, a character of grandeur and fiery energy. His Othello has seldom been equaled, and in Brutus he interpreted some passages in a manner unsurpassed by his rendering of any lines of Shakspeare.

His engagement was rendered especially brilliant by the appearance in the stock company of Mrs. Gilfert (wife of the manager), who supported the star in the characters of Portia, Lady Macbeth, Mrs. Haller, etc. She made her first appearance at this establishment Monday, May 30th, as Lady Teazle, in "The School for Scandal," there being many ladies in the audience to see her. Our readers will remember that, as Miss Holman, she was briefly mentioned as playing one or two engagements at the Green street theatre, with her father, in 1813 and 1815. She came to this country in 1812, and for many years ranked as the first actress of genteel comedy in America, while her merit in tragedy was nearly as great. In 1814, her services commanded $200 a night, she being the first actress who ever received that salary in this country. She had married Gilfert in 1815, and stood faithfully by him till in 1829 he sank, ruined by managing the Bowery theatre, and went down to an untimely grave. She then abandoned the stage and taught school, but without success, and died in Philadelphia, in extreme poverty. Her greatest character, and one in which she was unrivalled, was Lady Townley.

"The School for Scandal" was severely criticised at this time by a correspondent of The Advertiser, who, to prove his position, quoted all the objectionable passages without abridgement!

We have previously mentioned Mrs. Stone, who was in the cast on the opening night. Her husband, John Augustus Stone, was the eccentric old man of the company, and neither was a stranger to the Albany public. He was born in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1801. and made his first dramatic appearance in Boston. He possessed considerable merit in certain humorous parts, but had hardly force and body enough for the rough and bluff old men whom he commonly represented. He was at one time quite a favorite at Chatham Garden and Bowery theatres, in New York, but acquired his greatest fame from being the author of the tragedy of "Metamora," for which Mr. Forrest's prize of $500 was awarded in 1829. He also wrote several other dramas, which have been acted with success. "Faunteroy," "Tancred of Sicily," "Larogue, the Regicide" and Yankee Hill's famous drama, "The Knight of the Golden Fleece," are all attributed to his pen. His unhappy death, by suicide, occurred at Philadelphia, June 1st, 1834, and his friend, Edwin Forrest, erected there a handsome monument to his memory. He left two sons, Christopher Lucius, and Henry F., both of whom were

actors.

On the 25th of May, Charles Young, from the Boston theatre, made his Albany debut as Captain Faulkner, in "The Way to Get Married," and played second to Booth. In New York, he was never called a firstclass actor, even in the parts which were in his line. He had been for several seasons at the Charleston theatre, and was a fair representative of tyrants and other stage blusterers. He went to the Bowery with Gilfert in 1826, and was its first stage manager. In 1833, having buried his first wife, a beautiful blonde, he met Mrs. Mary Duff, the celebrated tragic actress, on Broadway, New York, and saluting her with the courtesies of the day, begged permission to escort her

to her lodgings. As they were walking along very quietly, Mr. Young, after a few moments of mental abstraction, said: "Mrs. Duff, you are a widow and I am a widower, suppose we get married."

"With all my heart," replied Mrs. Duff, and accordingly they were united, the rite being solemnized both by a Protestant and a Catholic clergyman, in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Hilson, as witnesses. Prior to the ceremony, it was agreed that the marriage should not be consummated till the lapse of six weeks, and, meantime, Mrs. Duff was to go by her former name, in order that she might secure professional preferment. Thus far, matters worked well, but Mr. Young, wishing in a few days to take his wife home, called at the lady's house, and learned that she had gone to Philadelphia. She declared that she had perpetrated the act of matrimony only by being persuaded to it during a temporary aberration of mind, caused by the use of opium, while plunged in domestic trouble, and they were soon after legally separated. Not long after, Young died at Norfolk, Virginia.

On the 11th of June, Lafayette, on his second visit to Albany, attended the theatre, which was illumined and decorated, and a transparency of Washington exhibited. The plays were "Love Laughs at Locksmiths" and "The Irishman in London.'

CHAPTER VII,

1825.

The South Pearl Street Theatre, Under Gilfert.

The departure of the elder Booth, was followed by the appearance of the second star, Frederick Brown. He was the son of D. L. Brown, the artist, and had played in Liverpool, Boston and New York. He opened in "Damon and Pythias," which was announced to be the first time it had been played here. Coming on the heels of the greatest actor of the day, he failed to make much of an impression.

On the first of July, Miss Tilden, one of the stock company, who had been ill since the theatre opened, made her first appearance as Volante, in "The Honeymoon." She is remembered as a beautiful girl, who speedily gained hosts of admirers. Several months later, when she took her benefit, "She Would be a Soldier" was played, and Captain Hendrickson's company of artillery appeared on the stage, attended by the band, and Miss Tilden went through the manual with the troop, amid a perfect storm of applause. She went with Gilfert to the Bowery, and afterward became Mrs. Bernard, marrying a son of Albany's first manager. So successful was the season, that hot weather had no effect upon it, and performances were kept up through the summer. On the 4th of July, Burke's sensational play of "Bunker Hill" was produced, and met with great applause, although utterly without merit.

Mr. Arthur Keene, a vocalist, appeared as Count Belindo, in "The Devil's Bridge," on the 9th of July,