Kemble) and afterwards he went into the country. He was the Master Walter to the Lady Julia. We had before seen the Author's "Hunchback," which was the best thing he did. Mr. Creswick lost nothing in the comparison. We will here notice a peculiar excellence as an instance of his taste, judgment, and true artistic instinct. Mr. Knowles always appeared in a puce-coloured velvet doublet while discharging the part. Mr. Creswick wore a suit of solemn black, which all who know the play will at once admit to be the more correct and suitable to the character and circumstances of his position. Mr. Creswick is a tasteful and appropriate dresser. The habit oft proclaims the artist as it does the man. At the Princess's Theatre he was engaged with Mr. Macready and played along with him in "Macbeth," "Werner," and "The Bridal," affording that gentleman efficient support; nay in "Werner," we gave preference to the young tragedian. He looked his part (Ulric) better, dressed it better, displayed more fire and energy, and was more of a hero of romance. In the last scene he had by far the best of it, and elicited a very fair share of approbation, though Werner was considered one of Mr. Macready's "top parts." Mr. Creswick then became a member of the Haymarket Company, Mr. Benjamin Webster being Lessee of that Theatre at the time Lady Boothby (Mrs. Nesbit) returned to the stage, and was cast with that inimitable actress in the twin comedies of Richard Brinsley Sheridan-"The Rivals," and the "School for Scandal," of course filling the rôle of Falkland and Joseph Surface. We had seen him before in the former, in which he had caught the right tone (no easy thing to do). Afterwards he played leading parts with Miss Helen Faucit and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean, and did not discredit the companionship On the termination of this engagement, he became manager on his own account in partnership with Mr. Shepherd, which continued with an interregnum for a protracted period. The domination of the fortunes of the Surrey Theatre by these gentlemen had a satisfactory result; they raised the character of the house by always providing their audiences with an intellectual banquet. Their plays were well selected, well acted, and well "put on." They did much to elevate the taste and morality of the denizens of the locality. Their repertoire comprised, of course, many classical productions, and among the original ones are especially prominent-" The Woman in White," and T. P.

Cooke's memorable prize drama-" True to the Core." In the former, Mr. Creswick's Count Fosco created an immense sensation. "True to the Core" was strongly cast, but, as usual, Mr. Creswick carried away the bell. On his second retirement from the Surrey, after a little "starring" in the country and the metropolis, he made a second venture to the United States, the chief of a triumvirate of tragedians, the other two being Mr. James Bennett, and the late Mr. Walter Montgomery. They succeeded in filling the theatre in Boston (U.S.A.) to an unprecedented extent. On his coming back to his native land he was engaged by Mr. Chatterton for Drury Lane as a coadjutor to his old friend, Mr. Phelps. After bidding farewell to "old Drury," he decided upon a visit to the Antipodes. When his intention became known, his friends determined to memorise the event by a benefit, with a dinner to follow. A committee was organised, and the benefit took place at the Gaiety Theatre on the 23rd May, 1877, "Macbeth" was the play. The representative of the Thane, of course, need not be named. The ladies who devoted their assistance on the occasion were Mesdames Stirling, Bateman, and John Wood, and the Misses Constance Loseby, Kate Field, Cicely Knott, Maud Howard; the male supporters being Arthur Stirling, Henry Marston, W. H. Stephens, F. H. Celli, Wilford Morgan, F. B. Chatterton, John Hollingshead, and Charles Wyndham. The banquet which succeeded was graced by the presence of many eminent representatives of art and literature, presided over most happily by poor Dr. Doran.

Mr. Creswick's visit to Australia marks an important epoch in his life. We must bear in mind this pregnant fact. In London fashion guides and dominates taste. In the principal cities of Australia, the play-goers there (intelligent, intellectual and highly educated) are independent of such influence, consequently their criticisms are likely to be more profound. In this case they are obviously so, the people not allowing themselves to be imposed upon because it is "the rage of Society." In support of our theory, we remind the reader that we have already quoted a very significant judgment which we have to support by another equally important one from the other end of the world, emanating from the pen of Mr. David Buchanan, of the Middle Temple, Barrister at Law, and Member of the Parliament of New South Wales. He writes-"I am sure it would be difficult to find in any part of New South

Wales any place where any thing approaching to so high a moral and intellectual entertainment was served up for public gratification as that which interested and enlightened the crowds assembling nightly for the last five months at the Victoria Theatre under the magic of Mr. Creswick's great dramatic genius, illustrating the grand and immortal productions of Shakspeare. This long engagement of Mr. Creswick's has not only been a great success, but has done much for the education of the people in disclosing to them many of the beauties of Shakspeare, hitherto unnoticed, and familiarising them with a genius so commanding and exalted that all ranks and classes bend under its fascinations, proudly acknowledging the pre-eminence and power of the unrivalled poet. How few, if any, remain insensible to the irresistible fascination of Shakspeare. There is no ignorance so dense that the rays of his powerful genius do not penetrate, carrying even to the most benighted a pleasure and a comfort they cannot account for. But surely that man is not to be envied who fails to discover a deep and profound meaning in the stormful agonies and mournfully pathetic wailings of Lear, whose heart does not vibrate in deepest sympathy with poor Othello, as he sees him, with fatally erroneous guidance, launched out of that raging sea of doubt and darkness, where he sinks and perishes, dragging down with him the sweetest innocent that ever man's imagination pictured; or whose wisdom and power of thought is not increased and stimulated by the deep, far-reaching philosophy of Hamlet; or who could not extract a moral, and a striking one, from contemplating that burning hell of remorse and bitterness that poisons the life and lays waste the peace and happiness of Macbeth wringing from him in the depths of his desolation and despair, the mournfully pathetic confession-' Macbeth shall sleep no more.' This was the great author whose magnificent genius Mr. Creswick has been illustrating with unrivalled power at the Victoria Theatre, to the edification and delight of thousands of the people!"

What immediately follows is also from the pen of Mr. David Buchanan, referring to Mr. Creswick's Othello. "In this great play, Mr. Creswick has undoubtedly made his greatest impression, and this is said with a full appreciation of the grandeur and glory of his Lear, and of the magnificent power of his Sir Giles Overreach. At the end of the third act, the great trying, testing act of the drama, the

enthusiasm of the large audience knew no bounds, and the actor was called before the curtain with long continued shouts of an approval that was heartfelt and unmistakeable. In this character, as in all the other characters he had appeared in, Mr. Creswick displays in his appearance the same high art and skill that have so often challenged public admiration. He looked the Moor to perfection, and his easy, dignified grace set off his picturesque garb admirably. The early scenes of the play were finely done by Mr. Creswick. There was a calm nobility about his every gesture in exact harmony with the character, and so easy and natural, that the idea of effort scarcely entered any one's mind. His speech before the Council-Chamber in his defence most potent, grave, and reverend seignors'was a splendid piece of elocution, all the meaning of it beautifully drawn out and delivered with a calm dignity and manly sense. In the great third act, the insidious and dastardly work of that unmitigated ruffian Iago begins, and will attract the world's admiration to the end of time for the skill and marvellous ingenuity by which the whole infernal scheme is managed and worked out. In this third act Mr. Creswick made an impression that will not soon be effaced from the memory of those who witnessed it. For energy, force, thrilling tragic power, and grandeur, it has not been surpassed on the stage in our day, and this is said with a very vivid recollection and true admiration of the splendours of Mr. Phelps in the same scene and character. The true and fine genius of Mr. Creswick was seen when the first horrible imaginings of his wife's pretended infidelity began to dawn upon him, and became more and more confirmed under the poison of Iago's superhuman and black-hearted villainy. When poor Othello finds himself 'perplexed in the extreme,' on the rack, tortured, and unsatisfied, I do not believe there ever was seen on any stage a more deeply pathetic, mournful, or tragic picture, than Mr. Creswick displayed. Physically broken down, haggard and wretched in look, the tones of his voice sounded every note of human misery and woe, and every cry of passionate distraction and despair, while occasionally blazing into a passion, for vengeance, so fierce and overwhelming, and so ungovernable in its wild fury, that the expression of it was absolutely appalling in its grandeur and power. In this third act there were so many beauties that to enumerate them would be impossible in a notice like this; but the fine,

touching pathos that Mr. Creswick threw into that noble passage beginning, 'Oh, now for ever, farewell the tranquil mind!' went to the very heart of the audience, and moved it perceptibly. His voice trembled with the deepest emotion as he bade farewell to his profession, and all its glorious accompaniments:

'Farewell the plumed troops, and the big wars,
That make ambition virtue! Oh, farewell!
Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner; and all quality,

Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
And oh, you mortal engines, whose rude throats
The immortal Jove's dread clamours counterfeits,
Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone.'

"There was a world of woe and desolation in the voice of Mr. Creswick as he repeated this noble passage with a pathos so sweet and melodious, while at the same time so heart-breaking in the depths of its wretchedness and misery, that all spectators acknowledged with enthusiasm an effort so true to nature and so touching in its fine expression. The whole scene from this point to the end of the act was a masterpiece of the very highest tragic power, and stamped Mr. Creswick as an actor of the first rank. The mournful close of the play, ending in the frightful catastrophe of the murder of Desdemona and the suicide of Othello, enabled the audience to breathe freely; and then could be heard on every side, the warmest eulogies of this, perhaps, the grandest exhibition of Mr. Creswick's genius as an actor of unexampled power. There was no doubt about the verdict -men vied with each other in extolling the performance to the highest, and doubtless it will be long remembered as one of the finest things ever seen on the colonial stage."

We now extract a few remarks from the Victoria L'Entr Acte: "The name of Mr. William Creswick will go down to posterity, in theatrical records, as that of a tragedian who did a great deal to perfect Shakesperian reading, and to rescue the works of the immortal dramatist from vain and stupid misrepresentation. He is eminently identified not only with the most commonly produced plays of Shakespeare, but with legitimate dramas of the modern school. În Sydney we regard Mr. Creswick with an enthusiastic admiration of his professional worth, and with high personal esteem, and his engagement cannot fail to be a glorious success. Shakespeare's play of the 'Merchant of Venice' has been repeated last week to overflowing houses. Mr.