Memoirs of Charles Mathews, Comedian, Volume 4R. Bentley, 1839 - Actors |
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Common terms and phrases
actor Adelphi Theatre admirable affectionate amusing appeared arrived asked assured attended audience beautiful Belcombes believe Brighton Bryce called carriage character Charles Mathews cheerful Comic Covent Garden dear Charles delightful Devonport dine dinner Drury Lane effect England entertainment eyes Fanny Kemble father Fawcett feel felt Garrick Club gentleman give GYLES happy hear heard heart honour hope HORATIO SMITH hour humour husband imitation JOHN FAWCETT Kemble Kentish Town kind knew lady last night Lee Sugg letter licence Liverpool London look Lord Lord Chamberlain Mathews's mind minor theatres morning never occasion patent theatres perform person piece play Plymouth poor present racter recollection servant sincerely Speidell spirits stage suffering talent Tate Wilkinson tell thank theatrical thought tion to-day to-morrow Verjuice walk week wife wish write Yates yesterday
Popular passages
Page 67 - However, there was no help for it ; the servant had admitted him, and he was introduced in form to Mr. Godwin. The moment Mr. Jenkins (for such was his name) discovered the distinguished person he had so luckily for him dropped in upon, he was enthusiastically pleased at the event, talked to Mr. Godwin about all his works, inquired about the forthcoming book — in fact, bored him through and through. At last the author turned to my husband for refuge against this assault of admiration, and discovered...
Page 290 - The dawn is overcast, the morning lowers, And heavily in clouds brings on the day, The great, the important day, big with the fate Of Cato and of Rome.
Page 478 - England mourned when her comedian died, A public loss that ne'er might be supplied; For who could hope such various gifts to find, All rare and excellent in one combined? The private virtues that adorned his breast, Crowds of admiring friends with tears confessed.
Page 452 - Mathews is like the rest of his excellencies, perfectly unaffected and correct ; the appearance of years he manages so well, that many of his admirers, who have never seen him off the stage, insist that he is an elderly man, and the reason of this deception is evident : most of our comedians in their representation of age either make no alteration of their voice, and, like antiquarian cheats, palm a walking-stick or a hat upon us for something very ancient, or sink into so unnatural an imbecility...
Page 452 - Mathews never appears to wish to be old ; time seems to have come to him, not he to time, and as he never, where he can avoid it, makes that show of feebleness which the vanity of age always would avoid, so he never forgets that general appearance of years, which the natural feebleness of age could not help.
Page 135 - He found her surrounded by many persons, some females! One pinched her, another walked round her ; one gentleman poked her with his cane ; and one lady employed her parasol to ascertain that all was, as she called it,
Page 103 - A MIMIC I knew, To give him his due, Was exceeded by none, and was equalled by few. He could bark like a dog:, He could grunt like a hog, Nay, I really believe he could croak like a frog. Then as for a bird, You may trust to my word, 'Twas the best imitation that you ever heard.
Page 142 - (as some friends of ours christened Mr. Mathews, from his love of late hours) felt it time to retire, and leave Mr. Kemble, which he did as he saw him fall asleep, in the act of representing his idea of the scene of the sick king in Henry IV...
Page 139 - Mus. was sleepy and inattentive, and his master resumed his criticisms upon the different readings of Shakspeare, talked also of Lope de Vega, and was again interrupted by a mew, as he believed, from the dissatisfied Mus. "What," asked his fond master, looking down upon him, " what is it you desire, my good friend?" (Mus., alias Mathews, mewed once more, in a more supplicating and more touching tone.) "Well, well ! I understand you : you want to go to bed. Well, I suppose I must indulge you.
Page 135 - John Kemble entered the room. As he did so he paused at the door, with his eyes fixed upon the object of his visit, and advancing slowly to obtain a closer view, without speaking to my husband, he gazed at the woman, with his under-lip dropped for a minute. His beautiful countenance then underwent a sudden change, and at length softened almost into tears of compassion. " Poor, poor creature !" at length he uttered in his peculiar tone, — " very, very extraordinary, indeed !" He then shook hands...