in this part, and all others of artificial comedy. "No man," he says, "could deliver brilliant dialogue half as well." His eccentric pronunciation of certain words is well known. Virtue became vartue, hideous, hijus, bird, beard, earth, airth, mercy, maircy, Rome, Room, aches, aitches. These peculiarities were made the subject of endless satires. Even in his most convivial hours Kemble was solemn and funereal. Reynolds gives a capital description of his behaviour at one of the Theatrical Fund Dinners. Parsons told a story which set off every one in a roar, but John remained grave and unmoved. Immediately afterwards, Dodd sang a pathetic ballad, in the midst of which Kemble burst into a fit of laughter, "I beg your pardon, gentlemen," he said, "but I have just taken Parsons' joke, it is very good." After this he was called upon for a song. Gentlemen," he said, "I will most cheerfully give you the song of The Gods and Goddesses Hunting the Hare;' but if I produce any humorous effects in it, which I think I shall, you will please ascribe it to the hints I have received from one of the best comic singers of the day-I beg leave to state I allude to Mrs. Siddons." Fancy awful Sarah Siddons as a comic singer. She did occasionally favour a select circle with "Billy Taylor," and must have been about as comic, as the memento mori of an Egyptian feast. In society Kemble was perpetually holding forth upon his

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STEPHEN kemble.

63

At a Royal

one all absorbing topic-himself. Academy Dinner he was discussing certain new readings with Scott, who sat next to him, when the great silver chandelier above their heads was seen slowly descending; everybody sprang to their feet except John Philip, who remained immovable, and he afterwards rebuked Scott for interrupting his explanations.

After dwelling so long upon the two great names, the other members of the Kemble family must be briefly dismissed.

Stephen became a strolling manager and went through all the vicissitudes of the actor's life. He made his first appearance in London, at Covent

same time as John,

After his brother's

Garden as Othello, about the but created no impression. retirement from Drury Lane, he played Falstaff three times with some success. But it would seem that the principal merit of the performance was that his enormous size enabled him to play Sir John without stuffing. His son Henry appeared at Drury Lane in 1819 as Romeo, but took no position. Stephen died in 1822. There were three sisters, all of whom made appearances upon the stage, one a not very reputable personage, under the pseudonym of "Anne of Swansea," had some favour in her day as a novelist.

Charles, the youngest, was born at Brecknock in

1775. Like his brother John, he was educated at Douai; he afterwards obtained an appointment in the Post Office. But it was not to be expected that a Kemble could be anything but an actor. So Charles threw up his situation, and appeared at the Theatre Royal, Sheffield, in 1792, as Orlando. His first appearance in London was as Malcolm in his brother's great revival of Macbeth, in 1794. He married Miss De Camp, a French lady who had been brought up as a dancer. John Philip once made such violent love to her that he had to publicly apologise in the newspapers. She is still remembered by an old farce, still frequently inflicted upon the public as a lever de rideau, "The Day after the Wedding," and was a very excellent actress. Charles himself was the finest Romeo of the present century, the most delightful of Mirabels, Petruchios, Doricourts, Mercutios, and the most admirable of Laertes, Bassanios, and Cassios. Macready well describes him as a first rate actor in second rate parts. He was a passable Hamlet; but in the Macbeths and Othellos, which, with the usual perversity of actor-nature he desired to play, he scarcely rose to mediocrity. In tragedy, save in such parts as those named, he was cold and stilted, with all the worst faults of his great brother and none of his grandeur; there was, besides, at most times, a languor in his style which greatly detracted from its merits.

CHARLES AND FANNY KEMBLE.

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In 1821 his brother John made over to him his share of Covent Garden. The gift was not a happy one, for it nearly ruined him. He retired from the stage in 1836; but returned to play for the Princess Victoria. His last appearance was for his daughter's benefit in 1840. Upon the death of Colman, he was appointed examiner of plays. He died in 1854. "Poor Charles Kemble," writes Lady Morgan, when recording his death. "I knew the whole dynasty of the Kembles, from King John downwards; Charles was the last and best of the whole stock, beautiful, graceful, gallant, and a very fine gentleman; such he was when I first knew him."

In 1829 his daughter Fanny made her first appearance at Covent Garden. The inheritor of a famous name, there was a double interest attached to the event when it became known that, not intended for the stage, she had come upon it as an endeavour to save the sinking fortunes of the theatre. Never had these been in so desperate a condition, warrants were out for £896 for parish rates, while the King's tax-gatherer was in possession for £600. A subscription fund was organised, Laporte gave the use of the King's Theatre, and a performance there brought to it £750. But the grand coup was made by the lessee's daughter, who was then only in her seventeenth year. She appeared as Juliet; Abbot was the Romeo, Mrs. Kemble, after

VOL. II.

F

years of retirement, played Lady Capulet, in order to introduce the young débutante to the audience; Charles Kemble performed Mercutio, for the first time. The young lady made a great sensation, the press went into raptures, the houses were nightly filled to overflowing to her Juliet, Euphrasia, Belvidera, Mrs. Beverly, &c., and at the close of the season her father was enabled to pay off £13,000 of the debt that was crushing him. But when the cause and the novelty of Miss Kemble's début had ceased, a juster estimate was formed of her abilities, which far from being phenomonal were only commonplace; people began to perceive that she thought more of a pretty pose than of the words she was delivering, that drawling did not constitute pathos, nor deep tones passion. The lady has since revenged this reversal of public opinion by scornful diatribes against the profession which gave her and her family all their position. But for the stage the Kembles might have been a generation of barbers, instead of the honoured associates of the highest in the land.