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Leader (1850-1860), 29th November 1851, Edition Town of 1, Page 1142

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      Untitled Article

      MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR . I have always considered the Merry Wives one of the worst plays , if not altogether the worst , that Shakspeare has left us . The wit for the most part is dreary or foolish ; the tone is coarse and farcical ; and the characters want the fine distinctive touches he so well knew how to give . If some luckless wight had written such acomedyinour time , I should like to see what the critics would say to it ! I know what one would say . But of course protected as it is by the reverence all Englishmen feel for " the Swan , " critics leave it in peace . Let me , however , qualify my objection by confessing that here and there in the dialogue and in the characters , the delicate and powerful handwriting of Shakspeare is recognizable . In the first place , poor as the characters mostly are , they are all consistently drawn ; there is no confusion , no equivoque possible . In the next place , Ford is a creation . If you wish to appreciate the art manifested in it , compare Ford ' s jealousy with that of Othello , or that of Leontes ; and it will then become evident that Shakspeare ' s mastery lies in depicting jealous men not abstract jealousy . Slender , Bardolph , Pistol , Nym , and Caius , are all exaggerations that have not the excuse of vraisemblance . But they are so marked in their peculiarities that the actor finds little difficulty with them .

      If the Merry Wives deflects from the standard of Comedy , still more did its performance , on Saturday last at the Princess ' s , deflect from the standard of comic acting . Immense pains had been taken ; the " strength of the company " had been collected ; the dresses were picturesque and splendid ; the scenery excellent . I saw everywhere intention ( an excellent thing in management ) , but the effect ill responded to the labour . The piece was overdone with " business " : almost every one—even to the very

      servants—striving " to " make much of his part ; and this constant stiaining after effects which were not reached , became positively wearisome . Still more wearisome was the incessant laughter , where nothing laughable justified it . It was as if they had said to themselves , "This is a Comedy , and we must he comic—so we must laugh ! and be noisy gesticulate and slap each other on the back , when not nudging each other ' s ribs ! " Instead of being comic they were dreary ,

      That was my general impression : the language may sound harsh , especially in these days of sugared criticism , but 1 cannot honestly soften it . Let me touch upon a few details . Bartley returned to the stage to play FaLstuii . An excellent actor , Bartley , in some characters ; but as he never could play Falstafi' when in his prime , it is too much to expect that his having left the stage would he suflicicnt to qualify him for the part . The humour , — the unction , -the fat mirth of . Sir John lies beyond bis

      personation . He touches some points with iincsse and intelligence ; but , on the whole , his loudness , incessant laughter , and want of humour , make his performance tedious . Why does he emphasize so strongly p hrases tbat are not emphatic ? Why , or example , must be say , or scream , " Well , gentlemen , by your leave , ' as if it were some immense joke , when it is the mere adieu of departure ? Why , in the scenes between Sir John and Mrs . Uuicldy , must he and Mtk . Winstanlev rival each other in

      loudness , laughter , and nudging ? When I objected to that in the hearing of a friendly critic , be answered , " Oh , it ' s the conventional . style . " But docs that make it more admirable ? Nothing could bu worse than llarley ' s Slender . It was buffoonery , and not amusing . Instead of Slender , we saw before us Mai ley as the Chamberlain in I he Sleeping Beauty . Addison \\ h Mine Host wan noisy , turbulent , and laughing where be nhould have acted . For the first time in my life I could see no excellence in Keeley ' s acting — be

      played sir Hugh Kvans as if sill his faculties were gathered up in the one effort to pronounce Welsh , ( which he didn ' t ) , : unl us if the character were left to shift for itself . Or was it , a new rending ? II no , I cannot comp liment him on it . Instead of the irritable , choleric , pedantic , Welsh parson , be p resented a feeble , lackadaisical , cowardly , little man— underntandintf Sir I inc h's " Ucmplmgs ol mind" as referring lo fear , when the whole , context shown that the hot * Welshman was excessively bellicose . I repeat , never before did Kceley seem other than a most humourous and iate . ltvjent comedian ! The bent of the male characters were Chai le » Kuan ' s

      Ford and Wigan ' s Caius , and they were really excellent . In serious comedy and melodrame Charles Kean is decidedly gaining the suffrages of those who even refuse him any qualities as an ideal actor . His Ford is the best Ford I have seen . The jealousy was sharply defined , the despair and rage were kept within bounds , so as not to trench upon tragic emotion , and produced a high comic effect . But I would hint to him that in one place he transgresses the limit set by good taste , and passes into displeasing farce—I mean where he kicks the old woman of Brentford . Let him avoid that , and his performance will be remembered as a true bit of comedy . Wigan ' s Doctor Caius was without blemish . His accent was French , his look was French , his rage was French : in dress , bearing , conception he so realized the part , that he made human and interesting what Shakspeare has left as a caricature . Let me note also for praise the extremely picturesque appearance and unburlesque acting of Ryder in Pistol . The Merry Wives were played by Mrs . Kean and Mrs . Keeley . The former ' s conception was excellent , and much of it distinctly realized ; but here and there I noticed a little over intention" something too much" gesticulation and effort at being comic . Mrs . Keeley was comic—quietly , unobtrusively , irresistibly . Her reading of Falstaff ' s letter was delightfully joyous . Mrs . Winstanley laughed her part , and emphasized it : act it she certainly did not . It is not often I enter thus into details ; but the very severity of my general verdict forced me to point more definitely to those particulars which justified it . TENDER PRECAUTIONS . The little one-act comedy produced at the same theatre on Monday , showed Keeley in the plenitude of his unexaggerated drollery . If I rated him for his Sir HugS Evans—rated him with compunction , remembering as I did the tears of laughter he has wrung from me on so many occasions—I must search my vocabulary for words to express the peculiar and refined humour of his Samuel Gosling . Keeley as the romantic poet and uxorious husband—Keeley as the moral critic of bis erratic friend . Jack Sparks —Keeley as the kicked and indignant go-between—Keeley as the diffident duellist—I have only to hint the . se situations , and you picture him in them ! Go and see him . The piece is somewhat old in idea , and the texture is that of numberless farces ; but the dialogue is smart , pointed , and close , and the incidents laughable . Mrs . Keeley as the loving wife , and finally as the jealous wife , playcl like the consummate actress we all know her to be—without a rival on our stage . Ausonius , could the worthy Bishop have seen her , would have called her"Pulchra , proeax , petulante raanu , " and I have too great respect for his authority not to bow to it . Wigan in a small part was careless and feeble . VlVJAN .

      Untitled Article

      It would be useful now if this address , or sumo Minilar one , were adopted by the Branches ot tit National Charter Association . It would be ti > e opening of a communication with the Middle LUhs Kefonners on explicit and honourable grounds , < a illicit lead to some response which might be mo beginning of a better understanding . At Ie ,, ' irk adoption of some such address generally ¦ w »" ™ 5 a new tone in the agitations ot the people . 1 announce the change from counter to «> Vlcr " n « nL ' which iu the first btep in national political F «^ '

      Untitled Article

      The KosHuth Committee sat at 10 , Wcllmg ^ Btrcet , Strand , on Wednesday , to wind up ' ^^ Several contributions were reported , Htiw , u t ly leaving an « rr ,-ur of £ 20 . Thi » «« h 1 U " ^ ' vJ advanced as > t loan by a member of the conn ttu ^ ^ had already contributed liberally ; and i » - ^ doubt that the deficiency will he maun up . ¦ . n t () position for estat . liHhing a permanent org . « - ¦ a promote the alliance of the lY'op U'B anO ^ b ^ HtfaiiiBt the Hy . stem of Hccret diplomacy , ^ l . efonj the committee . A Mib-commUtcc o ^ . ^ appointed to examine th « ]» roi > o » ili «>> i »•» " | . ft . > IIlb < i . ter Khiipe lor tin- consideration ol u » - h . lll (; H . , ni , , r ( . . Tin : n . i . » niU" « ( hen ad journed till

      day next , the lird of December . ull ( i ltKUKM .-T . ON SoCIKTV . r -Wo « « ' ^ f ^ " ^ n < " ' fuiiiisliii . K our new piemiheH an . l » " W ([) lllVi ll Cuo |> e . aUve Store next , ir . rk . il p . ^ H . b - " ( Th ^ „¦„• lirm . ord , r lor k oo « 1 h to Uh- ( ,,-n d ^ ,,. ^ ,,,, ' h ! . •«¦ was u K o « . a deal of d . HCU . ssion at W » I ' j , sllI ,,.. s <»' ,.,, «¦» i » Mandate ,, owm to hoiih- ' | oWH r <" „ ,,. lnill , lH ol » ... ' .., o . the No ,, al . » , ^ ^ „ , |)( ., U , , !„¦ constitution and uyv rat <>«• h (;( Um 1 „ , » The ol j , e . uonH , or H U ,. |» oH , d objeel . « » .. * , " ,,,. 11 , » " ' ::: ; :: U-::.-r r ; ,.: ; : r ^ , ^ V :, ^ : r ^ i rf ^ -t ^ r ^^^^ -a ^ ,: - - , ;¦«¦ ; - ; , ' ¦¦ ,:. X : ^ % ^; z ^ l & Ah «< 1 . r . O |>» K "" llHt Fu » d , 0 » .- •> ¦ 102 , liritfgute , Lccdn .

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      Untitled Article

      1142 CD * ILeaitt V * [ Saturday ,

      Ddrgnrajnthnni Of Tjj? I&Oplf,

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      Untitled Article

      POLITICAL AND SOCIAL .

      Untitled Article

      the ciiautim's and the parliamentalty rkioiimkrs . Tn a recent discussion upon the relation of the Chartist to the Parliamentary Reformers , 1 promised to give a document which J prepared and read to Sir Joshua WaluiMley . Hir Joshua was deniroiiH ot knovvintr what attitude would he assumed by ihe

      working clans . 1 answered , thai , would depend very much upon their good nen . se . It . was too early to tell what position they would assume ; but one could tell what poaiiion \ . \ wy owj / it to assume . 1 expected lo attend a m « et . hig at which that , point would be discussed , and I had drawn up a paper which 1 intended lo Mibmit for their adoption , and a . s it . expressed my view , L would read it .. 1 accordingly read the following : - —

      Untitled Article

      " ADDUKNH O 1- ' Til K WOK KINO (! I , ASST <) Till ! MIDHI . K ( , 'l . ANH . '' ( ' i- nii , i : ^ i I ' - . n , — -A |> i ( il ; i amiiK" of union between the people and tlic Middle CIuhm r < quircN no jn ^ 'iunlile . Tliotse ^ A ¦ ll (> \\ iu \ i out iilli ; iiiee will know how t . i > « : oniniaii < l it . 'i ' hey can liurh uh t . n le ^ ard tlieni liy what , tliey propos' - io do , and to tiu > l . them by wliat . tliey cxeculc . H > the : Middle (> liin . dcin ; iu ( liti |> tWe full ( MpirK'r , which we are agreed will i , cj vi' uh uh well n ;< tlieni , it would lie a direct i rcof > nilion of our mlciehts which we could mil inihuiidci . stand , and nhould not uis ; e ^ artl . Hut l > y t he Middle ( JIiihs c'oiifiniu ^ theii deinanil ^ to their own i <¦ <| i > ii c ni < oui t . li < -y incur no luboui and no iuiUh lor iw , nor create between uh any reciprocity of sei vice on iheir part uiid obliKJlllou on ouiu . It duett not appear , therefore ,

      in any practical shape , that the Middle Cla ^ TT ^ wilhngnessthey may manifest to accept our am , ' seek to serve us , excepting so far as -they mav do ^ serving themselves . Our union with themf theTe fori - in its present aspect , not one of inspirator baton W calculation Neither on our part nor on thefr ' s does Sf exist great love or great confidence with respect to ^ othei-. Until lately , inveterate hostility andf ill iL ^ vaih d between us . That has ceased , partl y becJuse V *" has weakened ant . ipaUiics , and e xperience has JpJ i"S some mutual good intention which past strifes nW , a and partly b , cause neither party haS P found antagon I ^' to answer . The alliance we may now form mav ^ J grandeur about it , but it will have good sense V * l will profit by mutual help , or continue to lose bv ' < i , « s . ons . The sober light in which we seek to nrespm alliance , divests it of the h yperbolic pretenE ^ c h usually accompanies political fedf ration ; but its frank may attract men of purpose and perhaps awaken mnl confidence in our movement , since it will be morereartn believed that we shall not deceive others since we do n t begin by deceiving ourselves .

      " We ask the Suffrage for all who are rationally and morally eligible , because we have no other way of proving that we are animated by a patriotism above class distinc tions . We exclude none who ought to be included " because to none who may possess or attain power ' would we afford , in their turn , the justifica'ion of excluding us . Doubtless we somewhat perplex the concession of our claim by its apparent wideness ; but believing in the equal claim of all men ( and even ' cf all women ) to a voice in the disposal of their personal energies and the national fortune , we cannot be silenton ihat claim without discredit . Duty is a higher name than Difficulty ; and though embarrassments may attend the vindication of duty , yet we ought to remember that there are no embarrassments like those which tread un the heels of dishonour and timidity . " We take our own course , because we must work out

      our own destiny . The traditions of the rich are their triumphs—the traditions of the poor aie their sorrows . Our attempts at political emancipation are the sacred things in our historv—no wonder then that we cherish thtm . The instincts of a political party such as ours , arc no mote to be extirpated by alliances than the characteristics of a race by annexation . We therefore continue the condi'ions of our own development ; but we will do it in harmony with your de ^ elopInent also . We give up our antagonism . It is all you can expectit is all you need . It we gave up our nature , you yourselves would cease to respect us . " We require : —

      " I . The access of Labour to Power . " II . The access of Labour to Land . " III . The access of Labour to Knowledge . " Our first requirement is the Charter—our second , thorough facilities for stlf-sustaining Social lndcpendence—our third , the repeal of all taxes on Information , that there may no longer exist what Louis Blanc well terms the dangerous monopoly of Intelligence .

      " Such is the history ot our position and needs . A di-ainei class , we experi . nee distinct wants , have a distinct activity , and piefei distinct , demands Yet we no longer make wars that were suicidal . We will eooperate-tor our interests are mutual , and our requirements are coincident up to a certain point—beyond that they extend and arc independent , Hence our own independence aa a party 13 a necessity of our conduon . "

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 29, 1851, page 1142, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1911/page/18/