122 MADAME MALIBRAN. "suite mes intentions, pour ne pas perdre de temps "en correspondences ou en conférences, qui ne "changeraient rien à mes intentions. "Recevez mes compliments empressés. "Le 21 Juin, Saturday Morning. "M. F. MALIBRAN. "P.C.-Un oui, ou non, de suite, s'il vous plait." "To MONS. MONS. BUNN. "Dans le cas où vous accepteriez, veuillez men"tionner les termes contenus dans la presente lettre?" Here is the copy of a letter which she sent me, announcing her arrival to fulfil her last engagement; and on coming to the theatre in the evening, she said, "I wrote it in the hall while they unpacked the carriage, and signed it De Beriot, to tell you from "myself that I was married: "Here we are "A' l'instant j'arrive, à votre disposition, et bien portante. Je désirerais bien aller ce soir au théâtre "dans le dressed circle, ou box. Croyez-vous que je pourrais y aller? Un mot de réponse; mon rôle, "s'il vous plait. "je What greater insight into the mind and character of such a being can be furnished than evidences MADAME MALIBRAN. 123 such as these, emanating from her under different excitements, all indicative of those various feelings by which the whole tenor of her life was regulated. Truly indeed has it been written, "Women with painted forms, "They may deceive men, but cannot deceive worms;" and though the charge conveyed herein be not brought against her, the moral is the same; for those "posthumous rascals" have long since been banqueting on the cheek that was once so full of bloom, and the voice of lament has succeeded to the voice of music, and-and-" Eheu fugaces, Posthume, Posthume, labuntur anni"-and-and "How are the mighty fallen, and the beauteous passed away!" CHAPTER VI. Disadvantages of a clean over a dirty house-Monody on Madame Malibran-View of her resting-place-Death of Mr. Braham inspiring new life in Mr. Sinclair-Madame Schroeder and Madame Schneider-Forrest's last address in America, and first appearance in England-Difference between the performers of the two countries -Mrs. Norton-Deaths of George Colman, George Harris, and John Bannister-Lord Byron's opinion of Colman-Another poet's opinion of himself-Correspondence with a variety of people in a variety of ways-Moore, Wilkie, Chantrey, Parker, Ries, Leigh Hunt, Webbe, Jenny Vertpré, Mademoiselle Duvernay, &c. ANOTHER, among the many disadvantages under which the manager of one of the Theatres Royal labours, is the heavy tax of beautifying the interior of the building-a tax that was at this time doubly onerous, from the dirty state of the rival house: and the worst part of this duty is, that all the "golden opinions" the decorations of a theatre may win, will not add a single one to the treasury. The embellishments of Drury Lane Theatre, on its opening for the season of 1836-37, cost more than 1,500l., and are the very same to be seen there at this present writing, enter DECORATIONS OF DRURY LANE THEATRE. 125 ing now on their fourth year of service. The reader shall have a full detail of them, that he may know what money has been spent to sustain the olden glories of this establishment, and to enable him (if he will have the kindness to take so much trouble) to give the lie direct to those slanderous magpies who talk of my having made Drury Lane Theatre a beargarden, and having left it a dust-hole. I was told that my successor grumbled at having had literally to take out twenty-eight cart-loads of rubbish from the house, before he could begin to put it in order, and my reply, on hearing this, was, that he would bring as many into it before he opened, and leave double the number behind him when he left-and seeing what has been done, and what is likely to be done, I think so still. But to the ornamental department: DECORATIONS OF THE THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE, The Ceiling-Light gold colour enrichments supporting emblematical cameos, radiate towards the centre, and are connected by slender festoons of flowers; intersecting these at the base are eight bold semicircular panels, representing openings in the ceiling, showing the sky, with groups of children, allegorically illustrating the drama and the sciences connected with it. The ground is a soft cream colour. The Cove is separated from the ceiling by a white fret enrichment on a lavender ground, and is divided into compartments of various tints of colour, orna 126 DECORATIONS OF DRURY LANE THEATRE. mented with emblematical devices, bands of flowers, &c., and slightly relieved by gold. On the Gallery Front are tastefully drawn dancing figures holding wreaths and festoons of flowers, interspersed with musical trophies, forming a sort of continuous frieze, of a novel and pleasing character. The second circle is divided by gilt enrichments into panels, in each of which is a raffle foliage scroll containing birds of rich plumage; and between these are smaller panels containing grotesque masks, on a maroon ground. The First Circle is also formed into panels containing cameo paintings, surrounded by arabesque ornaments, and between these again are medallions containing heads of Tragedy, Comedy, &c., on a clear blue ground, and surrounded by sparkling gold ornaments. The Dress Circle.-The panels of this circle contain well-executed paintings illustrating the best known subjects from the acted dramas of Shakspeare. These panels are separated by rich gilt dwarf pilasters, which form the base of the elegant white and gold columns of the box fronts. The Proscenium.-The columns of the proscenium are again burnished gold relieved by white. In the box fronts, between them, on a crimson velvet ground, are richly gilt ornaments. The general style of the decorations is after the Halls of the Vatican, painted by Raffaelle, though not at all copied from it. |