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¦ ¦ ¦ ;¦ : ; ' : ¦ :: No. ' 402, ;I)i^k^...
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•¦ ¦¦ ¦' ' ¦ ¦ ' , . : ? ' ROYAL PRINCES...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Leicester asked us to cpine down to his box / that very evening—Thursday . I thought , Ijawford spoke as if he naust use some effort to bring his beauty to tae collection at his house ; Leicester seemed to be quite ready ! I appointed to - meet Lawford attheWaterloostation ; but when I got there lie had not arrived } and I waited some time in vnin . At length 1 thought he rnust have gone on ; and I -waited no more ; but when I got to Barnes , Leicester ' s man , who was waiting patiently , told me that ho 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 ' busiaesSi but considering the state of trade , I cannot help suspecting that the house is in some difficulty . Leicester thinks not ; but who can tell :-r-We had agreed to . go rather later than before , so as to avoid the banquet ; Baddeley waB there already , and we had a consultation as to proceeding in Lavfford ' s absence . Baddeley would not hear of a postponement ; the ximpires were present , and why not proceed to business ? . Leicester ushered mehj'another door in thewall ofbis library up another stair into his smoking-room , divan , 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 about them before , but I had scarcely done justice to their beauty—so perfectly regular and smooth was every lineament , so waring every outline , so graceful ; every actiofl—in figure thej were really ' twigs of fee oriental willow . ' ; te So far good ! " said Baddeley , when the girls had gone ; but this , o : ¦¦
- course , is only the overture . '; . ¦ .. ¦ . ¦' : ¦• : /¦ ¦ : . ¦¦ . ¦ - . - . /' ¦ .:- , . ; ., . ;¦ [ ¦ : . , ' - - : ¦ - , :. - ' - ¦ ' IJeicester said nothing ; he seemed lost in the idle laiour of smoking , and he continued so for some 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 you , in plain prose , that I do hot know what to liken them tb ^ except the full moon , attended by twin , evening stars . Theprincipal brought in her hands a little salver , on which were smiill 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 , slung to her arms by sU ^ salver of sold . After © fferinor 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 the floor in the midst of the room and dis-¦• ' ' - ¦ : ' - '" ^ appeared . - ' - -V ' ' '¦ ' . ¦ •• ' ¦¦ ¦ ¦ •• ¦ . ' ¦¦ ¦ ' ¦'¦ . . '¦ : ¦ . ' ¦ ¦ ¦ . : i "''' ¦"¦ ¦ - '¦ ' - ; ¦ --. ¦ '•¦¦'¦ ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' . '¦ . ' ¦ ¦ . ¦ : ¦ ' :. ¦ . , : v ¦ ¦ ¦ ; ' ¦ ' . ¦ . ¦ ¦ - ¦ ¦¦' . ¦¦¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ; "My lord ' s piuse is fuller than I thought it * ras * " said Baddeley . < e Lawibrd will have some trouble to beat that— -or any one of them ; " __ _ _ Leicester waa still silent—I never knew hint so taciturn , and . I could not talk with Baddeley . Is it riot difficult ' .-to hold converse with a strikingly inferior mind , in the presence of a superior , " especially when the higher mind is silent ? It is like niakirig oneself an accomplicem foolishness or bad / taste . A ^ er a little tim e Leicester clapped his hands again , but he did it m a peculiar fashion—in two > stroikes , repeated three times . ^ ^ ;' -v . The silence dcmtinued unbroken , and the air of the -room was unstirred , save hvthe wreaihine of oursmdke ^ br rather of their smoke , for my pipe
*• was idle . ¦'• ¦ : /; ., '"/¦ ' " ¦ . ' ¦ - ¦ ¦ ¦ :- ''' :- '¦* ' ¦•" : / . ¦ •> - ' . ' :: " - -: V ' ' :: , ¦' . ¦ '¦ " : ^ . '' - \ - y O ' .. - ' ¦¦' '¦ ¦' I was looking intently towards the aide from which the ^ omeivhad ^ qme , and knownot what softsoundmade me turn and perceive a lady who was takin" her seat asTturaed . How can I describe her . Silence , they say , is the bnlv fanguage 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 , Xfeel almost as dumb and spell-hound 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 , beautifully poised , with tapering limbs . Her action was so quiet and graceful ; that her very movement -was 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 o ^««™ i ;^ . n , -uMtK nlrtht Hpr lvnirAvaa black , waviner . and escapuiorm ringlet s
,, fronfaplain 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 . Lcannol 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 ' Book of Beauty / or some such collection of insipidities , but not the face so exquisite , so lovely , so sad , — raakinrr * sorrow more beautiful than beauty ' s self , '—which smote my heart with a tender affection and a wish to serve for the simple sake ot 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
scats opposite to Leicester , and awaited his pleasure . 1 was so engagea wnu 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 leisurely calumess 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 , lhe instrument , like everything m Leicester ' s house—except his guests—seemed perfect-powerful , sweet , and full : but above it , -lie the , sun v , *^ « bove iuai ujv ^ iy
tho clouds h <* has ennched , rose tuo voice jrom *^«»" , «»« * felt my soul—like Endymion ' s at the sound of his , sister s lute—melt away and ' thaw ' before the deep enchantment . Not 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 her master , as with an almost passionate bitterness the words fell from her lips . She sang in Italian , and 1 cannot remenibei : the words . They expressed tho most absolute devotion , ^ , ~~ + „• , !• 4-r . v , ra A » tlin . miu » ian . ti n 4 ' n \ ns \\ r ( IS h « wllO "WatCUCS tllC SUn Snitll 4 % # »»— — — —
VjUflVUIAM * i \* OVA H V * VA v »« v * Jtf J »*»•*¦« x- *> mm * -w- *^^— . - - £ se it -when the clouds part cvea for sl moinent . , She ceased , the instrument dropped upon her lap , and slipped oil , neglected , to the floor ; and ehe remained motionless as a statue , with her head hont forward , her eyes cast down . , -in Notwithstanding tho sadness of her song and the emotion it evidently . caused her , her cheek did not lose its bloom—a bloom -which contrasted
strangely with the dark night of her hair , the dead brightness of her browy 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 7 / e would do with it . He laid it carelessly across his knee , dashed out of it sounds brilliant and loud , and then apswered the fair slave in these four lines , which certainly might prove an abstract solace , but not ananswer to her own ' appeal :- — ; ; '' .: -. ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ - ¦ ¦ . •" . . - . ; . ' :. ' ¦ "I feel it-when t sorrow inost , V .. ' : ; ' : >;• ¦ : ¦ ; " ¦ , ¦ v / ' . - . . . -V ¦ Iliold 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 ssignal at which , gracefully taking the guitar from the hands of Leicester , she bore it from the room . " By Jove ! " exclaimed Baddeley- ——— V v . ; ¦ :. ' * ' : I will take you back to town myself , " said Leicester . And in a few minutes we were spinning along the road . It was strange that his summary : - 1 dismissal did not strike ihe as inhospitable . Oar mission was 6 ver--he assumed our wish to leave—that was all . ^ T Xawfbrd ' s party came off last niglit ; but I need not take up either space r or time to describe it . ^ is in ELatonplace—the drawmg-rdonis thronged by an incessantly-moving crow ; d , with f people in a certairi set freedom , a bland indifference , almost equally devoid
of trouble and enj pyment ; occasidnal bursts of aceomplished music irom tne truly grand piano , the tolerated professionals helping out ajnateurs who are equal to professionals except in genius ¦• the stairs thronged , like the passages ofan ants ' -nest , with ever-moyingj never-hurrym ^ g idlers ; and the supperroom , —where servants do the duties of hospitality for the host , himself . rev ¦ ¦¦ .- ;' duced to the position of a guest in hisf owii hotfel . 'VGelui qui rec ^ it-ses ; amis et ne donne aucun spin personnel au repasrqui leur est prepare , n'est ; pas digned ' avoir des amis , " says Brillat Savarin . ; but the higher class of English get their hospitality done by contract , aud 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 Eatoa-place as one house is like another , one footman like anothei % or one supper like another . He lounges about his
own rooms ,. the statesman coming out at intervals , quite comme , ilfawt . Mrs . Lawford is a perfect lady | Miss Law ford is Lawford en jupons . I seemed to meet Baddeley by accident , as one always does at such places ; : yte ^ pon found Leicester ; and while we were consulting as to Lawfbro ? s arrangements for doing his duty by us as umpires , the man himsehi came up , and told us that the Couutess Badoer was about to sitV ^ . , He led us to a spot where we could see the piaaio , which was so placed that the singers faced the company ^ A gentleatan in black , with white ( ; \ waistcoat and choker ^ his hands on the ke the singer . V Shewas a . little way off , giving her shawl to some assiduous : n-entlemati , and then she approached to take her plape ; ° "By Jove ! ' * cried Baddeley , with his customary expression for the inexpressible , " - - . . ;• ¦ . " , .. . •¦ : ;¦ . ¦¦' . ' ¦ : ¦ ' < : \ " ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦¦ : . ; ¦ ; . ¦' . . ' . ' :. ' ¦ ¦ ¦ . ' ¦ - ¦ -. ¦ ¦ - : ¦¦ ¦ ¦• ' - ?" ' ¦ ¦/ - . ¦ - - ' - . ' . :- -- ' ; ¦ ¦; ¦ . '"¦"¦; ¦ :- ;" : - ^ .
It was the same woman— -Leicester s slave ; : ^ The piano " struck up , and she burst forth in Bossini's most ^ ; bravura , ' Una voce . ' Never was there sa much , dash , gaiety , or will . " Who the deyil is she ? " whispered Baddeley ' . " . The Countess ? OKI she is a girl of fortuned Don't you wish you may get herf TheEmperor did , but it is riot true that he triumphed . Still she is a perfect / wwre . ' : "Ishbuld think so . " ; ; . . :-: ; ' ¦;¦/; .: ¦ ¦ •¦ V ' - " - - " ¦' ¦ - ^ " ' ' ¦ ¦ ¦ ' ' . "¦¦ :. '' ' : . ; ¦ ¦; ^ .. v ' . ^ ; - ' ' ¦ ; ' I looked at Leicester . . " . ' ., : ¦ : > / : ¦ ¦ . '¦' ' V . ; ,: ' . - ^ ,. ¦¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . '¦ , ¦ . '¦ . ¦ : : ¦' . ; : ' ' . ¦ ¦ '¦ '' .. " The likeness is great , " he said , coldly . ' ' '' " ¦ But which of us has won ? " asked Lawford . Baddetey laughed . ¦ ' ¦ « rk - ) » fl " ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ . ¦¦•¦ ' ;' v , ¦ . ¦ . ¦ - ¦ ¦ ¦ .:-.. ¦¦ . ¦ . ¦ . .. ; ¦ . . . ; ¦ ¦ . . . , ¦ , ¦ ¦ ¦ . ' ¦; . ¦ : . ¦ . ¦ ¦ .
"Oh , no T I did not mean that . It is a drawn bet . " " And what do you think •? . " asked Lawford 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—' Bay 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 ,
¦ ¦ ¦ ;¦ : ; ' : ¦ :: No. ' 402, ;I)I^K^...
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•¦ ¦¦ ¦' ' ¦ ¦ ' , . : ? ' Royal Princes...
•¦ ¦¦ ¦ ' ' ¦ ¦ ' , . : ? ' ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE—' RICHARD H . Among the many Shakspcarean revivals which liave made a sort of dramatic epoch of Mr . Charles Kkan ' s management of this theatre , we think Rictord the Second may be regarded as the most unexceptionable illustration of the printeat ot tne
ciple which he very spiritedly defends on the ny- piayum . Surely flio says ') an nttompt to render dramatic representations conducive to the diffusion of knowledge—to surround'the glowing imagery of tln > great poet with accompaniments ' true to the time of which ho writes— realizing tho scenes and actions winch ho describesejdribkiurr men as they once lived—can scarcely detract from the enduring mffnenco of lita genius ... When plays , which formerly commanded but occasional repetition , ato enabled , by no derogatory means , to attract audiences for successive monUiM cannot bo . wrongTn presuming that the conwe I have adopted ia B ^ pportod . by the irresiatible force ot public opinion , expressed in the unftrages of an overwhelming majority . _ ..,. „ ., , Now , kt the purists attack the realists as they may , it is certain t \ mtMuMrd .,.. « " „ ., 7 * ' ,,. L fr ^ n . o «^«* tim « n torHv auccessful acting- play . Great actors
„ have ; before now , tent it a few night , ' ' eclat , bnt the pcrforn ^ nce , when the principal actor was off the stage , lias moved heavilr- _ . . I ^^^ s ^^^^^^ ZEBStSi
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 5, 1857, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05121857/page/19/
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