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24 MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE OF MALIBRAN.

An event occurred at this time, in the final result of which the feeling of all the playgoing population of the world were deeply interested. The engagement which had been some time since concluded with Madame Malibran, was within a few weeks of its beginning; and from motives best known to herself, and of very little moment to any one but the parties concerned, she entered into the ceremony of marriage with Monsieur De Beriot, in ratification of the friendship that had long existed between them. As an item of some curiosity, a copy of the annulment of her former marriage, procured in the previous March, and extracted from the judgment of the Tribunal de Premiere Instance at Paris, is subjoined: "Déclare

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nul, et de nul effet, le mariage contracté le 23 "Mars, 1826, à New York, entre Marie Felicité Garcia, née à Paris le 24 Mars, 1808, et François Eugène Louis Malibran, né à Paris le 15 Novem"bre, 1778, devant Charles Louis d'Espinville, Con“sul de France à New York, y remplissant les fonc"tions attribuées à l'officier public chargé de con"stater l'état civil des Français Autorise, en conse

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quence, la Demoiselle Garcia à faire insérer le pre"sent jugement en marge de tous actes, de tous registres, où aurait été inscrit le dit mariage."

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The result of her double engagement, theatrical and matrimonial, will soon have to be scrutinised and recorded, in the beautiful but fatal truth laid down by the poet,

"All that's bright must fade,

"The brightest, e'en the fleetest."

CHAPTER II.

Overclouding of the horizon-Refusal of a good part, and acting of a bad one-Difference between pageantry and performance-The Bridal Contract-Breach of promise-Reading a new piece-An actor's benefit and a manager's benefit by no means the sameVarious views of degradation-"The ruling passion strong in death"Pieces and after-pieces-Temper, and the effects of a bad onePractice and preaching-Mr. Macready's quarrels with all his managers-No one's opinion of him equal to his own-Mr. Grattan's nose-Mr. Serjeant Talfourd-Mr. Macready's appearance and speech at Covent Garden-Presentation of Ion-Talfourd's law a libel-Difference of attraction between Malibran and Macready as great as between their talents-Talfourd's ideas of himself and his tragedies.

THE spirit of dissatisfaction had overclouded the goodly fellowship existing for many years between Mr. Macready and myself the greater part of this season. It began to manifest itself with the unprecedented success of the Jewess, (the leading character in which he had refused to play,) which was a source of not altogether unnatural annoyance to a performer, the public appreciation of whom did not keep

VOL. II.

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pace with his own ambition. The total absence of all attraction in any pieces he played in, and the unequalled attraction of the one he had declined playing in, were matters of galling reflection. But a calm survey of the case ought to have convinced him, as I am sure it will every considerate mind, that no blame herein could by possibility be fixed on the management. Talk what you please, and write more than has ever yet been written, there is no means of maintaining the argument, that a manager can control the public taste. He may try to direct it, but it will return at last to its own natural tendency. That Mr. Macready is a man of considerable abilities is unquestionable; but (and I deliver my opinion without any feeling of acrimony arising from our altered position) that he is not an eminent Shaksperian actor, is equally unquestionable. His order of acting belongs to another school, nor will the public at large ever be made to think to the contrary, despite the profound eulogy of a few foolish parasites. The power vested in him by virtue of his recent station as a manager has not been able to substantiate this aim of his professional existence, for the false credit attached to his production of some of the great bard's plays, betrayed the truth it was intended they should illustrate in a different manner. Coriolanus was prepared with elaborate care; but while thousands formerly flocked to see the late Mr. Kemble in that play, without such advantageous

REFUSAL OF A GOOD PART.

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preparation, very few hundreds came to see Mr. Macready, though surrounded by all the glories of stage accomplishment. A perseverance in the representation of such dramas as were best suited to his feelings and his pride, would be fatal to any manager; and my own impression is, that Mr. Macready would have continued one, had he found it otherwise.

The uninterrupted "run" of the Jewess, and the opera it was played in conjunction with, naturally debarred from any participation in the nightly favour of the public those performers not included in the representation of either; and, as I have before observed, this extended to a period of thirteen weeks. I can understand that it must be annoying, especially to an irritable man, to see one-third of a season occupied with performances in which he does not assist, and which without such assistance are still highly attractive; and at the same time to know that all the pieces in which he did perform, possessed no attraction whatever. It was, beyond a doubt, a sore point, but not one of my establishing; for had Mr. Macready accepted the fine part of Eleazar, the complaint could not have been preferred. It will be recollected, in this person's articles of engagement there is an express stipulation, that Beaumont and Fletcher's tragedy of the Bridal should be produced

*Those who are disposed to think this expression is a contumelious mode of defining one moving in the society of gentlemen, are referred to Mr. Macready's preface to the tragedy of the Bridal.

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"THE BRIDAL CONTRACT."

"immediately after Christmas," for the performance of which Mr. Macready, as the adapter, or in part arranger, was to receive 331. 6s. 8d. per night for the first nine nights, and 1007. more on the twentieth ; a sum, I should imagine, about four or five times more than the great poets who wrote the tragedy ever made by it. But let that pass. The cause of the marked expression "immediately after Christmas," though as well known to all other practised stagers as to the one who made the stipulation, may not appear manifest to a novice; and it is as well therefore to state, that by playing a piece supported by the pantomime, (which would be sure to keep the people out of the house, without that support,) not only would "the twentieth night" be reached, and the sum of 400%. be realised, but the popularity of the actor would be maintained. Mr. Macready has, in the preface alluded to, stated that this agreement was not fulfilled-I will say WHY. I felt as assured as a man can feel of anything, that if the performance of the Jewess were suspended, the fate of the season would be sealed; and that I should, in that case, be prevented altogether producing the play; whereas, by a slight delay until the fever for seeing that popular-novelty had partially subsided, I should be enabled to do it every justice. On Mr. Macready's demanding the production of the Bridal, and consequent suspension of the Jewess, this state of things was pointed out to him, but he seemed disposed to

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