Part 9 (1/2)

When he engaged haht I sahat I shall always consider the perfection of acting It had been wonderful in 1874; in 1878 it was far more wonderful It has been said that when he had the ”advantage” of my Ophelia his Hamlet ”improved” I don't think so; he was always quite independent of the people hoht he kneas there He played--I say it without vanity--for me We players are not above that weakness, if it be a weakness If ever anything inspires us to do our best, it is the presence in the audience of sos, know more completely than any one e intend, e do, e feel The response frohts to us like a flame I felt it once when I played Olivia before Eleonora Duse I felt that she felt it once when she played Marguerite Gautier forthat Henry did in it seeht at the tiive much to be able to record it all in detail, but--itis not the ht of giving readings of ”Hamlet,” for I can remember every tone of Henry's voice, every e that he saw in the lines and ive some pale idea of what his Hamlet was if I read the play!

”Words, words, words!” What is it to say, for instance, that the cardinal qualities of his Prince of Denth, delicacy, distinction? There was never a touch of co pervaded it

THE ENTRANCE SCENE IN ”HAMLET”

His ”make-up” was very pale, and this made his face beautiful when one was close to hiard look Sooing at the same time--the antic madness, the sanity, the sense of the theatre The last was to all that he iht what, in the New Testament, charity is said to be to all other virtues

He was never cross or moody--only melancholy His , too, rather than defiant

You never thought that he antonly sad and enjoying his own lected no _coup de theatre_ [theatrical artifice] to assist him, but who notices the servants when the host is present?

For instance, his first entrance as Hamlet e call, in theatrical parlance, very much ”worked up” He was always a treh suchof the public andunderstood this Therefore, to music so apt that it was not reeneral excited anticipation, the court of Dene I understood later on, at the Lyceu of that procession

At its tail, when the exciteure of Hahts were turned down--another stage trick--to help the effect that the figure was spirit rather than round He did not wear the miniature of his father obtrusively round his neck! His attitude was one which I have seen in a common little illustration to the ”Reciter,” co's old schoolht to have taken it, to have been indifferent to its hu could have been better when translated into life by Irving's genius

The hair looked blue-black, like the plu--two fires veiled, as yet, by le, straight, or obvious, as it is when I describe it, any hout the play were I only remember one htforward unmistakable emotion, without side-current or back water It hen he said:

The play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King

and, as the curtain caainst one of the pillars

”0 God, that I were a writer!” I paraphrase Beatrice with all ether about Henry Irving's Ha

”We ,” he used to say at rehearsals, and he worked until the skin grew tight over his face, until he beca lines said with individuality, suggestiveness, speed, and power:

_Bernardo_: Who's there?

_Francisco_: Nay, answerlive the king!

_Francisco_: Bernardo?

_Bernardo_: He

_Francisco_: You come most carefully upon your hour

_Bernardo_: 'Tis now struck twelve: get thee to bed, Francisco

_Francisco_: For this relief much thanks: 't is bitter cold

And all that he tried to make others do with these lines he himself did with every line of his own part Every word lived