The Palmy Days of Nance Oldfield

love, and of more use than conduct is in war; for the bravest fellow i

rn to be

e forward a

nge as it may seem, the "Careless Husband" is a vast improvement, in point of decency, on many of the plays that preceded it, and marks a turning point in the moral atmosphere of those that came after. "He who now reads it for the first time," says Doran, "may be surprised to hear that in this comedy a really serious and eminently successful attempt to reform the licentiousness of the drama was made by one who had been himself a great offender. Neverthel

and adultery. But it is a fine work for all that; there is a delightful flavour about it, as of old wine, and we feel in reading each successive scene that we are uncorking a rare literary bottle of the vintage 1704. How much of the vintage of 1898 will stand, equally well, the uncorking process if applied in a centur

to suit the exacting requirements of nineteenth

pages of the old play in unsympathetic mood and they may look musty and worm-eaten, but imagine Oldfield as the sprightly Lady Betty Modish, the elegant Wilks as Sir Charles Easy, and Cibber[A] himself in the empty-headed r?le of Lord Foppington, and, presto! everything is changed. The yello

OVE .... M

NGTON ....

S EASY ...

ODISE .... M

.... Mrs

AIRS ....

NG .... M

epresenting the graces of nature; Cibber the

in. The "Apologist" has been speaking of Oldfie

own aside in despair of having justice done to the character of Lady Betty Modish by any one woman then among us; Mrs. Verbruggen being now in a very declining state of health, and Mrs. Bracegirdle out of my reach an

WILKS After the Painti

h a fine lady of comedy been seen, said the critics; never had an actress (who was not expected to be over-versed in the affairs of the "quality") displayed such gentility, high-breeding and evidence of being-Heaven knew how-quite "to the manner born." Never was woman so bubbling over with humou

field; not only from the uncommon excellence of her action, but even from her personal manner of conversing. There are many sentiments in the character of Lad

that vivacity and na?

well as on. Can it b

s dashing bit of dial

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u! I am strangely happy to-day; I have just received my new scarf from

e, I am a very indifferent judge,

, my dear; I believe there's six thousand yards of edging in it-then such an enchanting slope from t

; I am resolv'd to mortify you for

now, my dear, yo

ly concerned in the care of her outside; for when we have taken our best pa

se indeed, that know so little of the taste of mankind. Take my word, a new fash

e men, nothing's more ridiculous than a new fashion. Those

hion, would not be allowed in it by the men, and consequently not followed by the women; so that to be successful in one's fancy is an evident sign of one's being

you would rather be tho

of a fool, but the veryest fool of a beauty shall make an ass of a statesman; so that, in short, I

his is a principle the men o

uffer any man to like my person, he sha

n of sense are not

ear, make the best fools in the world: their sincerity and good breeding throws them so entirely into one's powe

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our ancestors, yet where are the new comedies that might hold a candle to the "Careless Husband," the "Inconstant," or the "School for Scandal?" We may be presumptuous enough, nevertheless, to hold up that much-quoted candle, but the light from it will burn pale and dim when placed n

ps forgetting that her very descent entitled the poor sewing-girl to a position which poverty denied her, "she had certainly appear'd in reality what in this play she only excellently acted, an agreeably gay woman of quality a little too conscious of her natural attractions. I have often seen her in private societies where women of the

se, the literature of his age. As Macklin so well said of him, Nature formed Cibber for a coxcomb, and it is quite probable that he took greater delight in being thought a leader of fashion than a writer of charming plays. Indeed, he was careful to cultivate the society of young noblemen, and this he was able to do by virtue of his theatrical successes, and, more helpful still, by a levity of character which stuck to him despit

nd somewhat later. A most egregious fop, according to all accounts, he was, but a very pleasant one notwithstanding, as your fop of parts is apt to be. Pope gained but little in the warfare he waged with him, for this plain reason-that

school for deportment, and, though one has the bluest blood in Christendom, humble surroundings may keep it from flowing very freely. Still, Anne was naturally a thorou

reathing creature, had at one period of her career been a tavern girl. Abington it was who seemed the very incarnation of

eath of Oldfield. She had the honour of being the original Lady Teazle, a part which she rehearsed under the direction of Sheridan, and she

are frequently the products of the lower or middle class. On the other hand, the dame de société who trips lightly from the drawing-room to the stage,

s of the eighteenth century, has a name that signifies his character. Easy, Sir Charles is in every sense of the word, particularly easy as to morals, for the possession of a lovely wife does not prevent him from prosecuting an amour with a woman o

almost everything was a pleasure to me, because most things then being out of my reach, I had always the pleasure of hoping for 'em; now fortune's in my hand she's as insipid as an old acquaintance. It's mighty silly, faith, just the same thing by my wife, too; I am told she's extremely handsome [as though the sad devil didn't know it], nay, and have

centre of stage and the foll

*

can take as little notice of him. [She walks by him gravely

-I'll humour it-what's the matter, c

ch me if I do. [Here was a

anything put thee

e her dog, or had no more concern with you-I declare I won't bear it and she shan't think to huff me. For aught I know I

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part of diplomacy to hide her knowledge of her master's peccadilloes), and hurry on to the entrance of Lord Morelove, our hero. Morelove, who must have been admirably played by the fiery, impetuous Powell, is neither a libertine, nor, on the other hand,

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Betty?], at least if he dared to tell her so. This provok'd me into her whole character, with as much spite and civil malice, as I have seen her bestow upon a woman of true beauty, when the men first toasted her:[A] so in the middle of my wisdom, she told me she desir'd to be alone, that I would

celebrated beauty of those times was in the Cross Bath, and one of the crowd of her admirers took a glass of the water in which the fair one stood, and drank her health to the company. There was in the place a gay fellow half fuddled, who offered to jump in,

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f form. Lady Betty telling Morelove to go about his business, and that quickly, but doing so with a stately elegance worthy of the great Mrs. Barry; the suitor bowing low

ry of fine clothes, and a great periwig. A very prince of coxcombs, with his soft smile and conscious air of superiority-a mere bag of vanity, whose emptiness is partly hidden by gorgeous raiment, gold embroidery, rings, snuff-box, muff and what-not. W

all meet at dinner with Sir Charles and Lady Easy. Of course the hero makes an unsuccessful attempt to regain the good graces of his inamorata, and, of cour

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he ladies and who now seeks the post-dinner

thout thee, that, stop my breath [what a bloodcurdling oath, so suggestive of the awful curses o

ard indeed, while your

Betty

ht her by the snuff-box, and she pretends to

ly present she ever would receive from me. [As

on't be uneasy. Did she

-pshah-I can't tell thee in French, neither, but Horace touches it to a nicety-'twas Pignas direptum male

ear it. If your lordshi

you in the k

o you, but I am afraid I cannot answer yo

ip has. [Here's a bit of human nature. Morelove stands in awe of that frown, but he doth valiantly pro

as well with her as I am. [Aside.] But here she comes! Charles, stand by m

Nothing so p

attering

LADY

e don't play the fool now, but give me my snuff

ou know I hate

l make me stay still; pr

se me not to go to ch

ng at all, for positively I wil

tively I won't par

gles w

ill'd my arm! Oh! Well-if you'll let

.] O Charles! that has a vie

superlatively. I find the

to give it you. Do you think I wou'd offer such an od

Now it comes a little nearer, methinks i

has not extremely the mode of a lady's utensil

TY. O! yo

to me to have very much the air and fan

can bea

'll step into the company and r

xi

to end the difference? Since the slightness of the thing may let you

, no body sooner. I be

N, who, smiling, gives it to LORD MO

any other trifle of mine your lordship has a fancy to, tho' it were a mistress,

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and Sir John Vanbrugh has himself left it on record that Powell, as Worthy, came well nigh spoiling the original production of the "Relapse." "I own," writes Sir John, "the first night this thing was acted, some indecencies had like to have happened; but it was not my fault. The fine gentleman of the play, drinking his mistress's health in Nantes brandy, from six in the morning to the time he waddled up upon the stage in the evening, had toasted himself up to such a pitch of vigour, I confess I once g

he streets with a sword (sheathed) in his hand; and if he saw any of them at a distance, he would roar out, "Get on the other side of the wa

o far that, in an epilogue to an obscure play, the profits of which were given to her, and wherein she acted a part of impregnable chastity, she bespoke the favour of the ladies by a pro

ve the chara

strongest works of art when

, for instance, would some of the badinage between Morelove and the spirited Lady Betty have been treated in the earlier days of the Daly Company, with John Drew and Miss Rehan

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t ridiculous puppies upon the face of the earth-I have upon my faith! Nay, and so extravagantly such-ha! ha! ha

mptible qualities, as you are pleased now and then to call them), do you know, I say, that I see under all this, you still love me with the same helpless passion; and can your vast foresight imagine I won't

you should, and I expect it whenever

this half-hour without confessing pain. [P

ell and

What did you

Fire an

he's disorder'd. No

ou a mind to your

to an opportunity of entert

oquets with L

ence of this woman might fu

o furnish a thousand such women. Come awa

but speak on

apon you always have the worst at. For I see yo

e the least inclination to stay and rail, you know the old conditions; 'tis but your

-fashioned oath, is it not? "Daggers and death!" W

. Is the man

ak to her now, or

ou'll speak no more of her to

pardon me-I know

u to work, I warrant you. Nay, nay, n

, and I ho

ES pulling away

which several of our refined far

speak to her now,

at you'll not burst here, in t

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odour, which is not that of sanctity, is still perceptible-a potent reminder of the past. And Lady Betty Modish? She must be-well-nigh on to tw

o fall into the arms of Lord Morelove. Sir Charles Easy, touched by the constancy and devotion of his wife, announces that he will mend his wilful habits, and Lor

ith an an

ordain'd

he Siren's

and the

e arts of lo

the fat

e, mistaken

the swain

f Love, en

h defy h

his merci

the haug

h double spee

e room of p

lovers all

virgin le

d to give the tag: "If then [turning to Lady Easy] the unkindly thought of what I have been

greatest, most

ue found, I blus'd

pair of newly-made wings, as he prepares to float away to some better planet; but