The Letters of Charles Dickens Volume I Part 32

[Sidenote: The same.]

"ALL THE YEAR ROUND" OFFICE, _Friday, 25th October, 1867._

MY DEAR LYTTON,

I have read the Play[88] with great attention, interest, and admiration; and I need not say to _you_ that the art of it--the fine construction--the exquisite nicety of the touches--with which it is wrought out--have been a study to me in the pursuit of which I have had extraordinary relish.

Taking the Play as it stands, I have nothing whatever to add to your notes and memoranda of the points to be touched again, except that I have a little uneasiness in that burst of anger and inflexibility consequent on having been deceived, coming out of Hegio. I see the kind of actor who _must_ play Hegio, and I see that the audience will not believe in his doing anything so serious. (I suppose it would be impossible to get this effect out of the mother--or through the mother's influence, instead of out of the G.o.dfather of Hegiopolis?)

Now, as to the cla.s.sical ground and manners of the Play. I suppose the objection to the Greek dress to be already--as Defoe would write it, "gotten over" by your suggestion. I suppose the dress not to be conventionally a.s.sociated with stilts and boredom, but to be new to the public eye and very picturesque. Grant all that;--the names remain. Now, not only used such names to be inseparable in the public mind from stately weariness, but of late days they have become inseparable in the same public mind from silly puns upon the names, and from Burlesque. You do not know (I hope, at least, for my friend's sake) what the Strand Theatre is. A Greek name and a break-down n.i.g.g.e.r dance, have become inseparable there. I do not mean to say that your genius may not be too powerful for such a.s.sociations; but I do most positively mean to say that you would lose half the play in overcoming them. At the best you would have to contend against them through the first three acts. The old tendency to become frozen on cla.s.sical ground would be in the best part of the audience; the new tendency to t.i.tter on such ground would be in the worst part. And instead of starting fair with the audience, it is my conviction that you would start with them against you and would have to win them over.

Furthermore, with reference to your note to me on this head, you take up a position with reference to poor dear Talfourd's "Ion" which I altogether dispute. It never was a popular play, I say. It derived a certain amount of out-of-door's popularity from the circ.u.mstances under which, and the man by whom, it was written. But I say that it never was a popular play on the Stage, and never made out a case of attraction there.

As to changing the ground to Russia, let me ask you, did you ever see the "Nouvelles Russes" of Nicolas Gogol, translated into French by Louis Viardot? There is a story among them called "Tara.s.s Boulla," in which, as it seems to me, all the conditions you want for such transplantation are to be found. So changed, you would have the popular sympathy with the Slave or Serf, or Prisoner of War, from the first. But I do not think it is to be got, save at great hazard, and with lamentable waste of force on the ground the Play now occupies.

I shall keep this note until to-morrow to correct my conviction if I can see the least reason for correcting it; but I feel very confident indeed that I cannot be shaken in it.

_Sat.u.r.day._

I have thought it over again, and have gone over the play again with an imaginary stage and actors before me, and I am still of the same mind.

Shall I keep the MS. till you come to town?

Believe me, ever affectionately yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. Fechter.]

PARKER HOUSE, BOSTON, _3rd December, 1867._

MY DEAR FECHTER,

I have been very uneasy about you, seeing in the paper that you were taken ill on the stage. But a letter from Georgy this morning rea.s.sures me by giving me a splendid account of your triumphant last night at the Lyceum.

I hope to bring out our Play[89] with Wallack in New York, and to have it played in many other parts of the States. I have sent to Wilkie for models, etc. If I waited for time to do more than write you my love, I should miss the mail to-morrow. Take my love, then, my dear fellow, and believe me ever

Your affectionate.

FOOTNOTES:

[82] The Hon. Robert Lytton--now the Earl of Lytton--in literature well known as "Owen Meredith."

[83] Mr. Henry W. Phillips, at this time secretary of the Artists'

General Benevolent Society. He was eager to establish some educational system in connection with that inst.i.tution.

[84] The remainder has been cut off for the signature.

[85] This and all other Letters to Mr. J. T. Fields were printed in Mr.

Fields' "In and Out of Doors with Charles d.i.c.kens."

[86] A ridiculous paragraph in the papers following close on the public announcement that Charles d.i.c.kens was coming to America in November, drew from him this letter to Mr. Fields, dated early in October.

[87] As to subjects for articles in "All the Year Round."

[88] The Play referred to is founded on the "Captives" of Plautus, and is ent.i.tled "The Captives." It has never been acted or published.

[89] "No Thoroughfare."

1868.

_3rd February, 1868._

[90]Articles of Agreement entered into at Baltimore, in the United States of America, this third day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, between ---- ----, British subject, _alias_ the man of Ross, and ---- ---- ----, American citizen, _alias_ the Boston Bantam.

Whereas, some Bounce having arisen between the above men in reference to feats of pedestrianism and agility, they have agreed to settle their differences and prove who is the better man, by means of a walking-match for two hats a side and the glory of their respective countries; and whereas they agree that the said match shall come off, whatsoever the weather, on the Mill Dam Road outside Boston, on Sat.u.r.day, the twenty-ninth day of this present month; and whereas they agree that the personal attendants on themselves during the whole walk, and also the umpires and starters and declarers of victory in the match shall be ---- ---- of Boston, known in sporting circles as Ma.s.sachusetts Jemmy, and Charles d.i.c.kens of Falstaff's Gad's Hill, whose surprising performances (without the least variation) on that truly national instrument, the American catarrh, have won for him the well-merited t.i.tle of the Gad's Hill Gasper:

1. The men are to be started, on the day appointed, by Ma.s.sachusetts Jemmy and The Gasper.

2. Jemmy and The Gasper are, on some previous day, to walk out at the rate of not less than four miles an hour by The Gasper's watch, for one hour and a half. At the expiration of that one hour and a half they are to carefully note the place at which they halt. On the match's coming off they are to station themselves in the middle of the road, at that precise point, and the men (keeping clear of them and of each other) are to turn round them, right shoulder inward, and walk back to the starting-point. The man declared by them to pa.s.s the starting-point first is to be the victor and the winner of the match.

3. No jostling or fouling allowed.

4. All cautions or orders issued to the men by the umpires, starters, and declarers of victory to be considered final and admitting of no appeal.

A sporting narrative of the match to be written by The Gasper within one week after its coming off, and the same to be duly printed (at the expense of the subscribers to these articles) on a broadside. The said broadside to be framed and glazed, and one copy of the same to be carefully preserved by each of the subscribers to these articles.

6. The men to show on the evening of the day of walking at six o'clock precisely, at the Parker House, Boston, when and where a dinner will be given them by The Gasper. The Gasper to occupy the chair, faced by Ma.s.sachusetts Jemmy. The latter promptly and formally to invite, as soon as may be after the date of these presents, the following guests to honour the said dinner with their presence; that is to say [here follow the names of a few of his friends, whom he wished to be invited].

Now, lastly. In token of their accepting the trusts and offices by these articles conferred upon them, these articles are solemnly and formally signed by Ma.s.sachusetts Jemmy and by the Gad's Hill Gasper, as well as by the men themselves.

Signed by the Man of Ross, otherwise ----.

Signed by the Boston Bantam, otherwise ----.

Signed by Ma.s.sachusetts Jemmy, otherwise ----.

Signed by the Gad's Hill Gasper, otherwise Charles d.i.c.kens.

Witness to the signatures, ----.

[Sidenote: Mr. Charles Lanman.]