In Both Entertainments, The Reader Was Naturally
The Central Point Of Interest.
But in the case of Dickens,
when curiosity was satisfied, he alone possessed one;
Pickwick and Mrs. Bardell were put out of court.
Was it not Charles Lamb, or was it Hazlitt, that could not
bear to see Shakespeare upon the stage? I agree with him. I
have never seen a Falstaff that did not make me miserable.
He is even more impossible to impersonate than Hamlet. A
player will spoil you the character of Hamlet, but he cannot
spoil his thoughts. Depend upon it, we are fortunate not to
have seen Shakespeare in his ghost of Royal Denmark.
In 1861 I married Lady Katharine Egerton, second daughter of
Lord Wilton, and we took up our abode in Warwick Square,
which, by the way, I had seen a few years before as a turnip
field. My wife was an accomplished pianiste, so we had a
great deal of music, and saw much of the artist world. I may
mention one artistic dinner amongst our early efforts at
housekeeping, which nearly ended with a catastrophe.
Millais and Dicky Doyle were of the party; music was
represented by Joachim, Piatti, and Halle. The late Lord and
Lady de Ros were also of the number. Lady de Ros, who was a
daughter of the Duke of Richmond, had danced at the ball
given by her father at Brussels the night before Waterloo.
As Lord de Ros was then Governor of the Tower, it will be
understood that he was a veteran of some standing. The great
musical trio were enchanting all ears with their faultless
performance, when the sweet and soul-stirring notes of the
Adagio were suddenly interrupted by a loud crash and a
shriek. Old Lord de Ros was listening to the music on a sofa
at the further end of the room. Over his head was a large
picture in a heavy frame. What vibrations, what careless
hanging, what mischievous Ate or Discord was at the bottom of
it, who knows? Down came the picture on the top of the poor
old General's head, and knocked him senseless on the floor.
He had to be carried upstairs and laid upon a bed. Happily
he recovered without serious injury. There were many
exclamations of regret, but the only one I remember was
Millais'. All he said was: 'And it is a good picture too.'
Sir Arthur Sullivan was one of our musical favourites. My
wife had known him as a chorister boy in the Chapel Royal;
and to the end of his days we were on terms of the closest
intimacy and friendship. Through him we made the
acquaintance of the Scott Russells. Mr. Scott Russell was
the builder of the Crystal Palace. He had a delightful
residence at Sydenham, the grounds of which adjoined those of
the Crystal Palace, and were beautifully laid out by his
friend Sir Joseph Paxton. One of the daughters, Miss Rachel
Russell, was a pupil of Arthur Sullivan's. She had great
musical talent, she was remarkably handsome, exceedingly
clever and well-informed, and altogether exceptionally
fascinating.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 183 of 208
Words from 93418 to 93941
of 106633
