"Dowton, who hated Kean, used to say "that his Othello reminded him of Obi, "or Three-fingered Jack,-not Othello. 66 But, whatever his Othello might have "been, Garrick himself never surpassed "him in Iago. I am told that Kean is not 66 so great a favourite with the public since "his return from America, and that party 66 strengthened against him in his absence. "I guess he could not have staid long "enough to be spoiled; though I calculate no actor is improved by their stage. "How do you reckon? "Kean began by acting Richard the "Third when quite a boy, and gave all "the promise of what he afterwards be66 came. His Sir Giles Overreach was a 66 66 wonderful performance. The actresses were afraid of him; and he was after "wards so much exhausted himself, that "he fell into fits. This, I am told, was "the case with Miss O'Neil.* 66 66 "Kemble did much towards the reform of our stage. Classical costume was almost unknown before he undertook to "revise the dresses. Garrick used to act "Othello in a red coat and epaulettes, "and other characters had prescriptive "habits equally ridiculous. I can con 66 ceive nothing equal to Kemble's Corio"lanus; and he looked the Roman so 66 well, that even 'Cato,' cold and stiltish "as it is, had a run. That shews what an actor can do for a play! If he had acted "Marino Faliero,' its fate would have "been very different. * And he might have added Pasta. "Kemble pronounced several words "affectedly, which should be cautiously "avoided on the stage. It is nothing that 66 Campbell writes it Sepulcrè in Hohen"linden.' The Greek derivation is much against his pronunciation of ache." 66 He now began to mimic Kemble's voice and manner of spouting, and imitated him inimitably in Prospero's lines: "Yea, the great globe itself, it shall dissolve, 66 'And, like the baseless fabric of a vision, "Leave not a rack behind!' 66 "When half seas over, Kemble used to speak in blank-verse: and with prac"tice, I don't think it would be difficult. "Good prose resolves itself into blank 66 verse. Why should we not be able to 66 improvise in hexameters, as well as the Italians? Theodore Hook is an impro" visatore." "The greatest genius in that way that perhaps Italy ever produced," said Shelley, "is Sgricci." 66 66 "There is a great deal of knack in these gentry," replied Lord Byron; "their poetry is more mechanical than you suppose. More verses are written yearly "in Italy, than millions of money are cir66 culated. It is usual for every Italian 66 gentleman to make sonnets to his mis"tress's eyebrow before he is married,—or "the lady must be very uninspiring indeed. 66 "But Sgricci! To extemporize a whole 66 tragedy seems a miraculous gift. I heard "him improvise a five-act play at Lucca, 66 on the subject of the 'Iphigenia in Tau"ris,' and never was more interested. "He put one of the finest speeches into "the mouth of Iphigenia I ever heard. "She compared her brother Orestes to "the sole remaining pillar on which a "temple hung tottering, in the act of "ruin. The idea, it is true, is from Euripides, but he made it his own. I have 66 66 never read his play since I was at school. "I don't know how Sgricci's tragedies 66 may appear in print, but his printed poetry is tame stuff. "The inspiration of the improviser is quite a separate talent :—a consciousness "of his own powers, his own elocution the wondering and applauding audience, |