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Leader (1850-1860), 5th December 1857, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1171, dT *ltl> 9lvfw v vf*Jv A,\,\ , \rA * *

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      Leicester asked us to come down to his box / that very evening—Thursday . I thought Lawford spoke as if he naust use some effort to bring his beauty to the collection at his house ; Leicester seemed to be quite ready ! Istppointed to meetLawford at the Waterloo station ; butwhen I got there he had not arrived * and I waited some time in vnin . At length 1 thought he must have gone on ; and I waited no more ; but when I got to Barnes , Leicester ' s man , who was waiting patiently , told me that no Lawford had been there , and * in fact , lie did not come at all . I . had noticed that he was dull and abstracted when we were -with him , and I ascribed it to political business ; but considering the state of trade , I cannot help suspecting that the house is in some difficulty . Leicester thinks not : but who can tell ?

      We had agreed to . go rather later than , before , so as to avoid the banquet ; Baddeley was there already , and-we had a consultation as to proceeding in LavVford ' s absence . Baddeley would , not hear of a postponement ; the ximpires were present , andwhy not proceed to business ? : Leicester ushered me by another door in the wall of his library up another stair into bis smoking-room , divanj or whatever he may call it ; as we took our seats ; , he clapped his hands , and again the three' Graces brought us coffee / and pipes . 1 have told you aboutthem before , but I had scarcely done justice to their beauty— -so perfectly regular and smooth was every Jmeament , so waving every outline ,, so graceful every action—in figure they were really f twigs of the oriental willow . ' "So far good ! " said Baddeley , when the girls had gone ; . •' but this , of course is only the overture . " ¦ . / :. ; . ¦ v- ; 1 -. ' ¦ ¦•¦' - . ' " .- / '¦ ¦ :- - ' - : , ¦¦¦" . . ¦¦" : ¦ < Y- . '¦ : X ¦ .. ¦/¦ •¦ . - . ¦ .: . " .

      Leicester said nothing ; he seemed lost in the idle labour of smoking ; iinct he continued so for sonie time , and then he clapped his hands again . This time appeared , I cannot say three other young ladies , but one of most exquisite beauty , followed by two others ; and I assure youj in plain prose , that I do not know what to liken them to , except the fullmooh , attended by twin , evening stars . Theprincipal brought in her hands a little salver , oh which were smidl bottles and glasses ; one of the others carried a strange sort of basket , made of pearl , and fashioned like a huge rose , with a variety of small biscuits and bonbons between the petals ; and the third carried two flagons , slungtoherarms bysilken ^ scaffi , with four tall glasses on a salver of gold . After © fiering us these : dainty viands in turn— -the bottles contained precious liqueurs , and the flagons a light red and white winethe fair angels left them on thefloor in- . the midst of the room and disappeared . ¦¦"¦¦ ¦ ' < - . ^/ X ¦ '"¦' : ¦ \^ ' - ; - - ¦ '• : ¦ ¦>¦ ¦ ¦" ¦¦' . " : - : '¦'¦ ' . ' , ¦¦¦ Yv ¦ "' : ¦ ¦ . ¦¦ ' . ' ' ¦ .. v Y v ' - ' M lord ' s purseiis feller than I thought it w ; as * '' said ^ addeley . 'VLawford will Lave some trouble to beat that—or any one of thenau "

      • Leicester was still silent ~ -I never knew him . so taciturn , and I could hot talk with Baddeley . Is it riot difficultto bold ^ converse with a strikingly inferior mind , in the presence of a superior , " especially when , the higher mind is sQent ? It is like making oneself an accomplice in foolishness or bad taste . After a little time / Leicester clapped his hands again , but he did it in . a peculiar fashion—in two- strokes , repeated three times . ; ;; Thesilence dwatinued unbroken , and the air of the-room was nnstirredj sa ^ ye by the wreathing of our smokey—^ 01 : rather , of their smoke , for my pipe was idle . " '' . ' ¦'• - : ' - " .: ¦ - . " ¦; ' ¦ - ¦' ¦¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ - ¦ : "¦¦ ' -v >•• ¦¦ . ¦ . V- ; ' :: . : L . /¦ v \ - .. - ¦;¦ ' . - - ¦ . '¦ ¦ - ' :- ; \ :: z - \ - ¦ . . ^ -: '

      I was looking intently towards the side from which , thefw ^ men cqnie , and know not what soft sound- made me turn and perceive a lady who was taking her seat as 1 turned . How can I describeher . Silence , they say , is the only language of a man , when what he feels outstrips the ordinary measure of his impressions , and in attempting to tell you what her beauty is like , I feel almost as dumb and spell-bound as I did the first moment I saw her . Well , then , to describe an angel in mortal words , she was a woman of the most lovely figure—tall , lithesome , beautifullypoised , with tapering limbs . Her aetion was so quiet and graceful ; that hervery movement x / eta a favour to the beholder . She was dressed in a dark dress of soft lustrous silk , in which blue seemed to mingle with purple and black , like a summer sunset sky struggling ^ with night . Her hair was black , waving , and escapingin ringlets from a plain gold fillet , which glistened all over with diamonds so small , that

      they gave a lustre without glare , a gentle angel glory over the sweetest , softest , saddest countenance it ever "was my fortune to look upon . I cannot describe it . If I were to tell you how beautifully oval was her cheek , how the black line of her eyebrows brought forth the lustre of her deep eyes , you would conjure up a face from the ' Boole of Beauty , * or some such collection of insipidities , but not the face so exquisite , so lovely , so sad , — making * sorrow more beautiful than beauty ' s self /—which smote my heart with a tender affection and a wish to serve for the simple sake of so much loveliness . She held in her hand a guitar . She seated herself in Eastern fashion , with her feet drawn up under her , on one of the lowest seats opposite to Leicester , and awaited his pleasure . I was so engaged with

      watching the lady , that I did not notice the signal Leicester gave her ; but he must have made some sign , for she started as from a dream , and began to prelude on her guitar . There was a certain leisui'ely calmness in all that slie did very different from the blindly obedient movements of a slave , and she behaved with all the dignity of a princess conscious of power . The instrument , like everything m Leicester ' s house—except his guests—seemed perfect—powerful , sweet , and full \ but above it , like the sun rising above the clouds he * has enriched , rose the voice from that lovely throat , and I felt my soul—like Endymion's at the sound of his sister ' s lute—melt away and ' thaw ' before the * deep enchantment . Kot to lessen my surprise * the words were sung not only with the utmost expression , but with an evident intention . The song was English , but pronounced with a slightly foreign accent , which , added emphasis to its meaning . ,

      ^ Her beautiful eyes were fixed upon ker master , as with an almost passionate bitterness the words fell from her lips . She sang in Italian , and I cannot remenxbec the -words . They expressed the most absolute devotion , content to serve for the payment of a look—as he who -watches the sun shall . see it vrhen tibe clouda part even , for a . moment . She ceased , the instrument dropped upon her lap , and slipped off , neglected , to the floor ; axid she remained motionless as a statue , with , her head hont forward , her eyes cast down . Notwithstanding the sndncsa of her song and the emotion it evidently caused her , her cheek did not lose its bloom—a bloom -which contrasted

      strangely vvith the dark night of her hair , the dead brightness of her brow , and the shade of lier eyelash scarcely stirring on her cheek . At a motion from Leicester , more felt than seen , I handed him the neglected guitar , and turned , in surprise , to see what lie would do with it He laid it carelessly across his knee , dashed out of it sounds brilliant and loud , and then answered the fair slave in these four lines , which certainly might prove an abstract solace , but not an answer to her own appeal : — .. . - ¦; : ' . :. ¦ ' "¦ " I feel it when ^ X sorrow most , ' X / -- - : - '"'¦ . ¦¦ , ¦ . " ¦ X liold it true wUate ' er befal , 'Tis better to lave loved and lost , Than never to have loved at all . "

      I had resumed gazing on the loveliest woman tlat ever blessed the earth with her presence , arid again missed the signal at which , gracefully taking the guitar from the hands of Leicester , she bore it from the room . ° "By ^ Jove ! " exclaimed Baddeley- —— - ^ 1 will take you back to town myselfi" said Leicester . And in a few minutes we were spinning along the road . It was strange that his summary dismissal did not strike me as inhospitable . Our mission was over- —he assumed our wish to leave—that was all . ' : Lawford ' s party cam or time to describe it . Foak ^ iow the sw ^ place- —the drawing-roorns thronged by an incessantly i moving crowd , with people in a certain set freedom , a bland indifferencealmost equally devoid

      , of trouble ^ and enjoyment ; occasional bursts of aceomplished musicironi the truly grand piano ,, the tolerated pro > fessionals helping out amateurs who are equal to professionals except in genius ; the stairs thronged , like the passages of " an ants ' -nest , . with ^ ever-moving ^ ^ never-hurrying idlers ; and the supperroom , —where servants do the duties o ( hospitality for the host , himself reducea to the position of a guest in his own hotel . " Celui q . ui recoit ses amis et ne donne aucvm spin personnel aurepasquileurest prepare , n ' est pas digne d ' avoir des amis , " says Brillat Savarin ; but the ; higher class of JEnglish get their hospitality done by contract , and reduce it to the merit of an ostentatious expenditure . This style of thing is not new to you , and Lawford is as like any host in Eatoh-place as one house is like another , one

      footman like anotheiy or one supper like another . He lounges about his own rponi ^ ,. the statesman coming put at , intervals , quite comme , itjfawt Mrs . Lawford is a perfect lady ( Miss Lawford is Lawford enjiipons . I ^ seemedto meet Baddeley by accident , as one always does at such places ; we soon found Leicester ; and while we were consulting as to Lawfbrd-s arrangements for doing his duty by us as umpires , the man . hiinsehi came up , and told us that the Countess Jiadp ^ r was about to sing . ^ He led us to a spot where we could see the piaiio , which was so : placed that the singers faced the ^ company * A : gentleoian in blaci , > vith . white waistcoat and choker , ^^ his hands oil the keys , wa ^ looking baekjAyaiting for the singer . She was a little way 63 " , giving her shawl to some assiduous gentleman , and then she approached to take her place ; V , ¦ ¦

      : "B y Jove ! " cried Baddeley , with his customary expression for the inexpressible / - - - : . ' . '¦'" , ¦ ¦ .. ' ¦ ¦¦ S ¦ ¦ % X-Xy- , .. '¦ ; , ; . v- -. - ' }¦; , _; : ; ' :- ' : y ¦ . ;¦ ¦;¦'¦ ' :. ' - ¦' . ¦ ¦ '' . ¦'¦¦ ¦ . It was the same woman—Leicester ' s slave ; : : : v The piano ' struck up , and she bursfc forth in Bossini ' s most reckless bravura , ' Una voce . ' JSTeyer was there so much , dash , gaiety , or will . " Who the devil is ste ? " -whispered Baddeley i : o Lawford . . " . The Countess ? Oh I she is a girl of fortuned Don * t you wish you may-get her . The Emperor did ^ but it is riot true that he triuraphed / Still she is a perfect farorej " ' ¦ . - "I-shbuld-think - so . " ' . . ; . /; ¦' \\ y ' : -y ] -:. ' -: ' . i ' - - ^ " . ' ¦¦ ' :- , ' y . ' " / ¦ ¦ : , : •¦;/ . _ .. ; ¦; Hooked at Leicester . ¦ : ; ' , . : ¦> ¦ ...: ' . . ; ' \ -. " : ' ¦¦ ' ;'¦ . - . ¦[ ' ¦ , •; , '¦' /¦ . ¦ ¦'¦¦ . ¦ ; . ¦' ¦ : ¦ ¦; *' The likeness is great , " he said , coldly . " But which of us has won ? " asked Lawford . ' .. ¦¦ ' Baddeley laughed , ¦¦ ¦ ¦ " / have . "' ¦ ¦ v . -- -- ,, , - ¦ . " ¦ , ¦ ¦¦ . ¦ ¦ .- . ' : ¦' ¦ . ' : - ¦ ' . /¦

      "Oh , no 1 I did not mean that . It is a drawn bet . " " And what do you think ? " asked Lawfoz * d of me . I thought of the sad song , arid I said , "Leicester has won . " " What do you mean , Baddeley ? " asked Lawford . " The two beauties are twins—' Day and Niglit . ' But we must have an inquiry , and investigate , my boy . " The Countess ceased from flinging , and retired . Baddeley stuck to what he had said ; and we told Lawford there was a difficulty , and we would consult . Yours always affectionately , J . A . W .

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      ' : : VNo ; 402 v Be ^ ''' ' ^ - i ' ^^

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      ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE— « RICHAKD H . Among the many Shakspcarcan revivals which liave made a sort of dramatic epoch of Mr . Charles Kuan's management of this theatre , we think JXicMrd the Second may be regarded as the most unexceptionable illustration of the principle which he very spiritedly defends on the fly-leaf of the playbill . Surely Hie says ) tin nttempt to render dramatic representations conducive to the diffusion of knowledge—to surround the glowing imagery or tlio great poet with accompnnimonts true to tbe time of which ho writes— realizing the scenes and actions wlijch lie describesex-hibitiug men as they once lived . —can scarcely detract from the enduring mftnenco of his

      genius . ...... When plays , which formerly comnramded bnt occiisional repetition , nro enabled , by no derogatory means , to attract awdiencea for successive months , I cannot bo wrong in presuming that the course I have adopted is supported b ^ t he . irresistible forco of public ojtinion , cxi > ressed in the suffrages of an ovcrwlwlinnig majority . Now , tet the purists attack the realists as they may , it is certain that Richard the / Second is made for the first time a reaHy successful acting- play . Great actors have , before novr , lent it a few nights' eclat , > nt tlie performance , when the principal actor was off the stage , has moved heavily . Aa Richard the Second is now pWed at tlio l ' lemcBsfl ' Tbeatbb , it is not a mere monotony of scenic show » n « i splendid costwme , it is rather a magnificent succession of historical pictures , conscientiously and reverentially attending upon the genius of the poet , and iullUli » tf Ms creation with all the resources

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 5, 1857, page 1171, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2220/page/19/