[Illustration: WILLIAM E. BURTON.]
WILLIAM E. BURTON
ACTOR, AUTHOR, AND MANAGER
A SKETCH OF HIS CAREER
WITH
RECOLLECTIONS OF HIS PERFORMANCES
BY
WILLIAM L. KEESE
_ILLUSTRATED_
NEW YORK & LONDON
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
The Knickerbocker Press
1885
COPYRIGHT BY
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
1885
Press of
G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
New York
TO
THE DAUGHTERS OF WILLIAM E. BURTON
THE AUTHOR'S FRIENDS OF MANY YEARS, THIS MEMORIAL OF
THEIR DISTINGUISHED FATHER IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED
PREFACE.
The present volume was prompted by the thought that no adequate account
of the late William E. Burton had been given to the public. During his
life no man was better known, and his death called forth a universal
expression of admiration for his genius and regret for his loss. In the
many obituary notices by the press some brief details of his career were
given; but the narrative was necessarily confined to the narrow limits
of a newspaper article. An actor so eminent--one of the greatest in his
line the stage has known,--whose name is identified with certain
delineations of character that died with him; whose renown stamped his
theatre with a celebrity distinct and remarkable; a Shakespearian
scholar, whose devotion to the poet, attested by the incomparable
library he amassed, was only equalled by his interpretation of the
master's spirit, surely is entitled to a more painstaking and a more
extended record. An endeavor is here made to supply such need; and in
the view taken of Burton as Actor, Author, and Manager, the relation is
from birth to death.
In the preparation of this volume, the author owns his indebtedness to
Ireland's "Records of the New York Stage," Wood's "Personal
Recollections," Wemyss's "Theatrical Biography," Hutton's "Plays and
Players," Phelps's "Players of a Century," Clapp's "Record of the Boston
Stage," and Stone's "Theatrical Reminiscences." The writer also
gratefully acknowledges the assistance given him by members of Mr.
Burton's family, and their loan to him of old play-bills, engravings,
letters, etc. Mr. Matteson, of New York, may also be mentioned in
acknowledgment of friendly aid.
The illustrations accompanying the memoir will be viewed with interest.
The frontispiece is from a daguerreotype, and has been chosen as a
faithful likeness of the comedian. The _Bob Acres_ is from a painting by
T. Sully, Jr.; the _Dr. Ollapod_ from a portrait by Henry Inman; the
_Captain Cuttle_ and _Aminadab Sleek_ from daguerreotypes; the _Timothy
Toodles_ from a photograph. All the above were family possessions. The
picture of the Chambers Street Theatre is from a water-color drawing in
the collection of Thomas J. McKee, Esq.
Many shortcomings will doubtless be found in this book, and readers of
it who are old play-goers may think of many things the author has
missed. But we are told by Ruskin that there is "no purpose so great but
that slight actions may help it," and by Wordsworth that
"Small service is true service while it lasts."
DECEMBER, 1884. W. L. K.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
WILLIAM E. BURTON _Frontispiece_
MR. BURTON AS BOB ACRES 10
MR. BURTON AS DR. OLLAPOD 24
PALMO'S OPERA-HOUSE, AFTERWARDS
BURTON'S THEATRE 34
MR. BURTON AS CAPTAIN CUTTLE 56
MR. BURTON AS TIMOTHY TOODLES 94
MR. BURTON AS AMINADAB SLEEK 154
CONTENTS.
PAGE
WILLIAM E. BURTON, 1804-1834 3
WILLIAM E. BURTON, 1834-1848 8
BURTON IN NEW YORK, 1848-1856 33
BURTON IN NEW YORK, 1856-1860 100
LIST OF CHARACTERS 111
RECOLLECTIONS 121
MR. BURTON IN FARCE 128
MR. BURTON IN PARTS HE MADE
SPECIALLY FAMOUS 141
MR. BURTON IN COMEDY AND
SHAKESPEARE 158
MR. BURTON'S LIBRARY 179
CONCLUSION 207
INDEX 213
WILLIAM E. BURTON.
1804-1860.
"_He was famous, sir, in his profession, and it was his great
right to be so._"--SHAKESPEARE.
WILLIAM E. BURTON.
1804-1834.
WILLIAM EVANS BURTON, the son of William George Burton, an author of
some repute, was born in London, September 24, 1804, and died in New
York, February 10, 1860. His father was a printer, with a bent of mind
toward theology, and gave expression to his views in a work entitled
"Biblical Researches," published in the close of the last century. The
son was classically educated in St. Paul's School in London, an
institution where, before his day, Elliston and the elder Mathews were
instructed; and the father's design was to prepare him for the ministry.
The parent's death, however, summoned him from his studies, and, at the
age of eighteen, he assumed the direction of the printing-office, which
he managed for the maintenance of his mother. It may be observed that
one of the specialties of the elder Burton's business was the printing
of classical works, and the son's knowledge had often been of service in
the matter of proof-reading. From the printing-office he was led to the
experiment of editing a monthly magazine, thus early revealing an
inclination toward the profession of letters which never wholly deserted
him; fostered by sundry efforts of authorship in his native land, and
appearing subsequently, in this country, in his conduct of "The
Gentleman's Magazine" and "Literary Souvenir," and in the compilation
known as "Burton's Cyclopædia of Wit and Humor."
The youthful experiment was not a substantial success, and did not long
continue; but his editorship brought him into connection with certain
members of the dramatic profession, and he was persuaded (we wonder if
persuasion were really needed!) to make a trial of his stage ability by
playing with a company of amateurs. His success in this venture
foreshadowed his destiny, and we find him in 1825 performing with a
provincial company on the Norwich, Sussex, and Kent circuits.
We cannot help the indulgence, at this moment, of a playful fancy
regarding Burton's early efforts. Did he, in the exemplification of
tragedy, which he then aspired to, reveal by a single facial example the
dawning of a future _Toodle?_ Could imagination discover in the dagger
of _Macbeth_ the hook, and in the Thane himself the features, of _Ed'ard
Cuttle, Mariner of England?_ Did the thoughtful countenance of _Hamlet_
suggest in any possible way the lugubriousness of an incipient _Sleek?_
Did he make his Majesty George IV. laugh at Windsor, where, as tradition
has it, he played before the king at this stage of his career? We know
not; but the mask of Melpomene had been thrown aside when, after another
round of the provinces, with varying success, but gaining celebrity
through an unusually wide range of parts, he made his first appearance
in London in 1831, as _Wormwood_, in "The Lottery Ticket," a character
that became famous in his hands. This engagement was at the Pavilion
Theatre, and was a highly successful one. The great Liston, just twice
Burton's age, was then at the Haymarket, and we can imagine with what
emulous admiration the young comedian regarded the veteran actor. He
little dreamed that many of Liston's renowned characters would descend
to him by right of ability and comic power! In the following year (1832)
Liston retired from the Haymarket, "through a pique," as they say, and
Burton succeeded him; but the audiences retained too vivid a
recollection of Liston's performances, and the engagement was only
moderately successful. Recovering suddenly from his disaffection, Liston
returned to the Haymarket, and Burton in his turn retired, to once more
make the rounds of the provinces. But he bore with him one remembrance
in connection with the Haymarket that consoled him for many a
disappointment; and that was the thought of having played _Marall_ to
Edmund Kean's _Sir Giles Overreach_. The story runs that Mrs.
Glover,[1] a leading actress of the company, objected for some reason to
the _Marall_, and declared that she or Burton should be omitted in the
cast. Kean, despite irregularities, still retained a remnant of his old
sway, and he insisted on being supported by Burton. The result was that
Mrs. Glover was compelled to yield, and in due course _Marall_ appeared
before a full house, containing many celebrities of the day. It was at
this time, too, that a production of his pen--the play of "Ellen
Wareham,"[2]--enjoyed the unusual distinction of being performed at five
London theatres on the same evening. A year and a half went by in
efforts to enhance his reputation, and it may be said that his career
was not free from the vicissitudes that frequently attend dramatic
itineracy. But through it all he gained ground and advanced steadily in
his profession. He played almost every thing; his industry was
indefatigable, his will indomitable. The lamp of experience never waned;
and that knowledge gained from contact with the world and human nature,
was a preparation for events and emergencies in another scene and
another land. For now his thoughts were turned toward the United States,
and in 1834 he determined to cross the ocean, and to take the chance of
fortune and of fame.
[1] Dr. Doran, in his "Annals of the Stage," referring to Kean in
various parts, says: "Among these, _Sir Giles_ stands pre-eminent for
its perfectness, from the first words, 'Still cloistered up,' to the
last convulsive breath drawn by him in that famous _one_ scene of the
fifth act, in which, through his terrible intensity, he once made so
experienced an actress as Mrs. Glover faint away,--not at all out of
flattery, but from emotion."
[2] First produced, May, 1833.
1834-1848.
Burton landed on our shores unheralded, to begin the twenty-five years
of the artistic career which holds so conspicuous a place in the annals
of dramatic achievement. He was not "brought over," and he came at his
own expense. He came, indeed, with the prestige of having written "Ellen
Wareham," and of having made a comic character[3] famous by fifty
consecutive representations; but he was simply announced as coming "from
the Pavilion Theatre, London," and he made his first appearance in
America at the Arch Street Theatre, Philadelphia, under the management
of Maywood & Co., on September 3, 1824, playing _Dr. Ollapod_, in
Colman's "Poor Gentleman," and _Wormwood_, in "The Lottery Ticket."
_Ollapod_ always remained one of Burton's most effective parts. The
portrait, on another page, of the comedian in that character is from an
engraving by J. Sartain of a picture painted from life by Henry Inman,
in 1840.
[3] _Wormwood_, in "The Lottery Ticket."
There lies before us a bill (elsewhere reproduced) of the above theatre,
dated Wednesday, September 10, 1834, being the fourth night of Burton's
first engagement in this country. The plays on the occasion were
Sheridan's comedy of "The Rivals" and the farce of "The Lottery
Ticket,"--which last seems to have met with great favor, as the bill
states it to be a repetition, owing to "numerous enquiries having been
made at the box-office"; thus beginning the train of similar "numerous
enquiries" with which, in the years to come, his own box-office became
familiar. Burton was the _Bob Acres_ of the comedy and _Wormwood_ in the
farce. Then at the age of thirty, we can believe that the comedian's
unfolding genius gave full promise of the delightful humor which clothed
his _Acres_ at a later day; and that in the _Wormwood_ of the farce he
afforded glimpses of that wealth of comic power which thereafter, and
for so long, he lavished for the amusement of the public. Miss Pelham
was the _Lydia Languish_ and Miss Elphinstone the _Julia_, English
actresses of no special distinction; but it is interesting to note that
Miss Elphinstone became the second wife of Sheridan Knowles, the author
of a celebrated and far more popular _Julia_ than the lady of "The
Rivals," and who appeared on the Philadelphia stage of that year.
Something akin to his reception by the audiences at the Haymarket in
London, was for a time Burton's experience in Philadelphia.
[Illustration: MR. BURTON AS BOB ACRES.]
As the recollection of Liston by the London audience dwarfed the efforts
of the youthful aspirant, so the memory of Joseph Jefferson, senior,
(who played in the city as late as 1830,[4]) diluted the interest felt
in the new actor by the Philadelphia benches.[5] But the native force
and humorous capability of the comedian were destined to conquer
indifference; and, although the creative genius which informed his
subsequent delineations was yet to be made clearly manifest, he soon had
a secure footing; and a belief was strengthening in the public mind that
an actor of rare endowments and promise had come from the land of
Munden, Elliston, and Liston, and one who might, it was not too much to
say, worthily perpetuate the traditions of Jefferson.
[4] He died in 1832.
[5] So the memory of Burton in New York to-day may still be a warning
ofthe danger of inviting comparison.
On the fifth night of his engagement (September 12, 1834) he played
_Timothy Quaint_, in "The Soldier's Daughter," and _Tristam Sappy_, in
the afterpiece of "Deaf as a Post," and so on through a round of
characters in comedy and farce--_Daffodil Twod_, among the latter, in
"The Ladies' Man"--written by himself--was a great favorite. And it may
here be said, in passing, that the farce, which previous to Burton's
advent had sunk into lethargy, revived under his touch and became a
vital point of attraction. He made a great hit as _Guy Goodluck_, in
"John Jones," in which part he sang a comic song--"A Chapter of
Accidents"--and the fact leads us to remark that very few of those who
saw the comedian in his ripe prime were aware of the musical talent he
exhibited in earlier years, and that he made a specialty of introducing
humorous ballads in his pieces, and sang them with marked effect. A
collection of such songs, entitled "Burton's Comic Songster," was
published in Philadelphia in 1850; and we were surprised, on looking it
over, at the quantity of mirthful verse he had written and sung. The
well-known ditty of "The Cork Leg," it may be mentioned, was written
expressly for him.
[Illustration: Arch Street Theatre Poster]
The engagement of Burton with Maywood & Co. lasted two years, and was
renewed for two more, during which period the comedian's powers greatly
developed, and displayed remarkable versatility and dramatic resource.
He widely extended his repertory, and was seen at the Arch and Chestnut
Street theatres in a variety of comedy rôles and in innumerable farces.
Among the many noted parts performed by him at various times we may
name: _Ollapod_, in "The Poor Gentleman"; _Doctor Pangloss_, in "The
Heir at Law"; _Farmer Ashfield_, in "Speed the Plough"; _Goldfinch_, in
"The Road to Ruin"; _Billy Lackaday_, in "Sweethearts and Wives"; _Tony
Lumpkin_, in "She Stoops to Conquer"; _Maw-worm_, in "The Hypocrite";
_Sir Peter Teazle_ and _Sir Oliver Surface_, in "The School for
Scandal"; _Mr. Dove_ and _Mr. Coddle_, in "Married Life"; _Dogberry_ and
_Verges_, in "Much Ado About Nothing"; _Launcelot Gobbo_, in "The
Merchant of Venice"; _Bob Acres_, in "The Rivals";--the last-named
character he played on one occasion with the conjunction of the elder
Wallack as _Capt. Absolute_, Tyrone Power as _Sir Lucius O'Trigger_, and
Mr. Abbot (an actor celebrated in his day) as _Falkland_; truly a
striking distribution. A few of the farces out of the many were "The
Lottery Ticket," "Sketches in India," "The Mummy" (so famous in Chambers
Street), "No Song No Supper," "John Jones," "Deaf as a Post," "The
Ladies' Man," and a piece called "Cupid," which had won renown in
England through the acting of the famous John Reeve.
Burton's growing popularity was substantially shown in the attendance at
his regular benefits. They were always bumpers, and occasions of warm
demonstrations of regard. He was always ready, too, with his sympathy
and support where the claims of a professional brother were in question.
William B. Wood, in his "Personal Recollections of the Stage," to which
work we are indebted for much useful information, refers to an
occurrence of the kind as follows: "I must apologize for the mention
here of a circumstance purely personal, which proved one of the most
gratifying events of my life. During the month of December, 1835, while
acting in Chestnut Street, Burton called me aside between the acts, and
with an expression of great pleasure, informed me that a meeting for the
purpose of giving me a grand benefit had just adjourned, after
completing the necessary arrangements. This was the first hint I ever
had of this intention. The object was at once carried into effect, and
on the 11th of January, 1836, I was honored by the presence of one of
the most brilliant audiences ever assembled.... The following
entertainment was offered: 'Three and Deuce,' two acts of 'Venice
Preserved,' 'John of Paris,' 'Antony's Orations,' and a new song, and
'How to die for Love.' I was favored in these pieces with the valuable
aid of Mr. Balls, Mr. J. Wallack, Mr. Abbot, Mrs. and Miss Watson, Mr.
Wemyss, and Mr. Burton."
In the years while the comedian was advancing in his profession, and
acquiring that knowledge of the stage which distinguished his
subsequent management, his pen was not idle. He wrote several farces,
and contributed stories and sketches to the periodicals of the day.
These articles were widely read, and a collection of them was published
by Peterson at a later date, with the title, "Waggeries and Vagaries"--a
volume that has afforded entertainment to many readers of light
literature. The literary taste referred to at the beginning of this
narrative now sought indulgence, and in 1837 he started "The Gentleman's
Magazine," a monthly publication of original miscellany. Articles of his
own appeared in it from time to time, among others a graceful and
appreciative sketch of his friend, James Wallack. He continued the
editorship until July, 1839, when he associated Edgar A. Poe with him in
the control.
To those who have paid any attention to the career of the gifted author
of "The Raven," as depicted by various pens in recent years, it need
scarcely be said that, though a man of genius, he was not without
frailties; and his warmest defenders will not deny that his life was
marred by many irregularities of conduct. He was appointed editor of the
magazine at a fixed salary, and the arrangement was such as to give him
leisure to contribute to other periodicals and to produce many of his
famous tales. "Happier now," says one of his biographers,[6] "than he
had been for years past, for his prospects seemed assured, his work
regular, interesting, and appreciated, his fame increasing, he writes to
one friend that he 'has quite overcome the dangerous besetment,' and to
another that he is 'a model of temperance and other virtues.'" For
nearly a year he remained with Burton; "but," continues the same
biographer, "so liable was he still to sudden relapses that the actor
was never with confidence able to leave the city. Returning on one
occasion after the regular day of publication, he found the number
unfinished, and his editor incapable of duty. He left remonstrances to
the morrow, prepared the 'copy' himself, and issued the magazine, and
then to his astonishment received a letter from his assistant, the tone
of which may be inferred from Burton's answer: 'I am sorry you have
thought it necessary to send me such a letter. Your troubles have given
a morbid tone to your feelings which it is your duty to discourage. I
myself have been as severely handled by the world as you can possibly
have been, but my sufferings have not tinged my mind with melancholy,
nor jaundiced my views of society. You must rouse your energies, and if
care assail you, conquer it. I will gladly overlook the past. I hope you
will as easily fulfil your pledges for the future. We shall agree very
well, though I cannot permit the magazine to be made a vehicle for that
sort of severity which you think is so "successful with the mob." I am
truly much less anxious about making a monthly "sensation" than I am
upon the point of fairness. You must, my dear sir, get rid of your
avowed ill-feelings toward your brother authors. You see I speak
plainly; I cannot do otherwise upon such a subject. You say the people
love havoc. I think they love justice.... But I wander from my
design. I accept your proposition to re-commence your interrupted
avocations upon the _Maga_. Let us meet as if we had not exchanged
letters. Use more exercise, write when feelings prompt, and be assured
of my friendship. You will soon regain a healthy activity of mind, and
laugh at your past vagaries,'" We think nothing can be clearer than that
Burton had good cause for fault-finding, and that he was more than
considerate and just in his frank expression of feeling.
[6] Henry Curwen, "Sorrow and Song." London, 1875.
We do not intend to pursue the ill-starred connection further. A more
glaring offence on Poe's part severed the relationship, and not long
thereafter the magazine was sold out to Graham and merged in his
"Casket," the consolidation ultimately to become "Graham's Magazine."
"The Literary Souvenir," an annual published by Carey & Hart, was
edited by Burton in 1838 and 1840, and its pages contained many of his
entertaining sketches. He also contributed to the "Knickerbocker
Magazine" a series of theatrical papers styled "The Actor's Alloquy."
Occasional starring tours belong to the chronicle of these years, and
there lies before us a bill of the American Theatre, Walnut Street,
dated October 14, 1839, announcing "First night of the re-engagement of
Mr. Burton," and also that "His Excellency Martin Van Buren, President
of the United States, will honor the theatre with his presence." The
President must have been greatly amused, for not only did he see the
comedian as _Tom Tape_ and _Peeping Tom_, but he also saw him "dance
with Mrs. Hunt the Minuet de la Cour and Gavotte de Vestris." Burton was
fairly well known now throughout the Union--except in the town of
Napoleon, on the Mississippi River, where, if we may believe Mr.
Davidge, he found his Waterloo. The engagement had not been profitable,
and his only hope was by personally drumming for his benefit. So he
deposited a goodly number of tickets with the bartender at the hotel
where he was staying, with a polite request that he would use his best
endeavor to get rid of them. The benefit came off, and the attendance
was very flattering. After the play the comedian invited several friends
up to the bar, and there had the satisfaction of learning that the man
had managed to dispose of all the tickets entrusted to him. This was
very gratifying; but no offer of settlement being made, he ventured to
suggest that, as he was on the point of quitting the town, he would like
to have the pleasure of receiving the insignificant amount of
seventy-five cents for each piece of pasteboard deposited. Mr. Davidge
says it takes a great deal to astonish a barkeeper in Napoleon; but this
one was distanced. He surveyed Burton for a quarter of a minute, and
seeing not a muscle move in the comedian's expressive countenance, he
said: "Look here, Mr. Billy Burton, none of your infernal Northern
tricks here; it won't do, no way! You told me to get rid of them
tickets, and as I had promised I was bound to go straight through with
it--_and by thunder, I was obliged to stand drinks to every man to take
one!_" An audience may be uncultured if not lukewarm; and the
unimpressible community of Napoleon reminds us that the "Antigone" of
Sophocles was once produced under Burton's management, and, on loud and
repeated calls for the _author_, the comedian presented himself before
the foot-lights and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, it would give me the
greatest pleasure to introduce the author of the play; but,
unfortunately, he has been dead for more than twenty centuries, and I
shall have to throw myself upon your indulgence."
Burton made his first appearance in New York October 31, 1837, at the
old National Theatre in Leonard Street--then under the management of the
elder Wallack--for the benefit of Samuel Woodworth, the poet, playing
_Guy Goodluck_, in "John Jones"; and his first appearance as a star was
made at the same theatre February 4, 1839, when he played _Billy
Lackaday_, in "Sweethearts and Wives," and _Guy Goodluck_. A
complimentary benefit was given to Mr. Wallack in the same year, when
Burton played _Sir Simon Slack_, in "Spring and Autumn." The opera of
"Amilie; or, The Love Test" was produced on the same occasion. If we
mistake not, he was connected with the management when the theatre was
destroyed by fire not long after. He also appeared at Niblo's Garden as
a star in this year, opening June 25th, and was seen in a round of
parts, including _Gregory Thimblewell_, _Euclid Facile_, _Ignatius
Polyglott_, and _Tobias Munns_, in his own farce of "Forty Winks." He
first appeared on the Park stage June 2, 1840, playing _Sir Timothy
Stilton_, in "Patrician and Parvenu," the occasion being a complimentary
benefit to Peter Richings; and in the same month acted at Niblo's
Garden. At his benefit (July 6th) he played _Brown_, in "Kill and Cure,"
and _Fluid_ in "The Water Party." The participation of the Cushman
sisters in this entertainment greatly enhanced its interest and
attractiveness. In this year he fitted up Cooke's circus-building in
Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, calling it the National Theatre. He
gathered a fine company and was very prosperous. Charlotte and Susan
Cushman appeared there, and the sterling comedians Henry and Thomas
Placide were among the force. The fairy piece, "The Naiad Queen," was
there presented for the first time in the United States, and brought
wealth to the manager's coffers. A large amount of his earnings by this
enterprise he invested in Nick Biddle's United States Bank, and in the
downfall of that institution suffered severely.
[Illustration: MR. BURTON AS DR. OLLAPOD.]
In 1841, after a brief engagement at the Providence theatre, he returned
to New York, and leased the rebuilt theatre corner of Leonard and Church
streets, where his first appearance in New York had been made; brought
on his Philadelphia company, and there established himself. This was
April 13, 1841, and his first essay as manager in New York. He
transported all the beautiful scenery of "The Naiad Queen," and
reproduced the piece with gratifying success. But a dread fatality
seemed to attend this temple of the drama. As, while under Wallack's
management, it was destroyed by fire, so the same doom befell it under
Burton. In the height of prosperity the building was again consumed, and
with it the elaborate and splendid scenery of "The Naiad Queen." Of this
calamity, F. C. Wemyss, in his "Theatrical Biography," remarks: "On this
occasion a magnificent and extensive wardrobe, the property of Mr.
Burton, was consumed, together with his private wardrobe, manuscripts,
books, and other articles of considerable value. He was not insured to
the amount of a dollar. The citizens of New York expressed their
sympathy with the manager; and a complimentary benefit at the Park
placed a handsome sum at his disposal." Undaunted by a disaster which
would have utterly discouraged most men, Burton again sought
Philadelphia, and after starring for a brief season leased the Chestnut
Street Theatre for a fresh essay. There for a while he continued with
good fortune, until better prospects invited him to Arch Street, where
at last he located with a view to permanency. Meeting now with rich
success, he determined to extend his sphere of operation, and added in
turn to his lesseeship the Front Street Theatre, Baltimore, and the
theatre in Washington; so that in 1845-6 he was guiding the destinies of
three dramatic houses, distinguished for well-chosen companies and for
the admirable manner in which the plays were mounted and cast. But again
the fiat of destiny was written in words of flame. The Washington
theatre, for the first time in many years, was handsomely rewarding its
manager, when one night, during the performance, the scenery caught
fire, and the building was burnt to the ground. The Baltimore theatre
was continued; but the lion's share of attention was given to Arch
Street, and there for several years Burton enjoyed a flow of
prosperity; his fame increasing in public estimation; surprising and
delighting all by his wonderful acting, and by the knowledge, taste, and
liberality, with which he catered for his patrons. But New York was in
the manager's thoughts and seemed to beckon him Northward. Perhaps
Burton's prophetic gaze discerned in the great city a field that would
respond to careful tillage, and that the rapid growth of the metropolis
could not fail to give momentum to enterprise. Whatever the motive
spring, the step was taken, and in 1848 the building known as Palmo's
Opera-House became Burton's Theatre.
In this brief survey of fourteen years, the absence of detail in many
instances will be pardoned, we hope, on a reflection of what it may
suggest. We are aware of the interest attaching to strength of
companies, citations of casts, and notes of special performance; and in
all theatrical histories such details should evoke the most careful
consideration. The Philadelphia record, however, is not always full and
clear on those points, as respects individual careers, even in one so
active and fruitful as our subject's; for, so far as we know, there is
no history of the stage of that city which pretends to do for its
dramatic life what Ireland has done for the New York stage--regarding
which monument of painstaking fidelity, William Winter, in the preface
to his recent admirable volume on "The Jeffersons," truly says: "Every
writer who touches upon the history of the drama in America must
acknowledge his obligation for guidance and aid to the thorough,
faithful and suggestive records made by the veteran historian, Joseph N.
Ireland. "Yet, in depicting the career of a great actor, many things are
rendered subordinate which in a history of the drama of any given period
would receive due prominence. That the career of Burton in Philadelphia
from 1834 to 1848 embraced much of its stage history during those years,
will, of course, be understood; and we shall be sorry if our readers, at
the same time, fail to discern the industry, sagacity, courage, and
varied powers--with which the actor, author, and manager, illustrated
those years--suggested by this recital.
We now approach a period within the memory of many persons now living.
Some few octogenarians may survive who can recall Burton's performances
of over forty years ago; but they must be few indeed; and their
recollections cannot be otherwise than dim and uncertain. But the
achievements of Burton in Chambers Street; the unexampled popularity of
his theatre; the unequalled company he gathered there; the indisputable
creations of character that there originated; the birth of a revival of
Shakespeare, with a felicity of conception that revealed the
appreciative student, and with a beauty and minuteness of appointment
unprecedented at the time;--all this, through a decade of years, forms
an enchanting reminiscence vivid still in the retrospect of numberless
New Yorkers. It is not surprising that we of the city of New York forget
that the comedian so long belonged to Philadelphia. So brilliant was
his success in Chambers Street that all other theatres where he
flourished seem to be viewed by the reflected light of that; and we
think there will be no question that there were clustered his rarest
triumphs and there blossomed the flower of his fame.
BURTON'S THEATRE,
CHAMBERS STREET.
_"There is the playhouse now, there must you sit."_
--SHAKESPEARE.
BURTON IN NEW YORK.
1848-1856.
Palmo's Opera-House was built in 1842, and, according to Wemyss'
Chronology, was the sixteenth theatre erected in New York. It was built
by Ferdinand Palmo, and designed for the presentation of Italian opera.
To Palmo, it is said, belongs the honor of having first introduced that
department of music in the city. In 1844 he opened with "Lucia di
Lammermoor"; but the support given to his venture was not generous,
notwithstanding the fact that wealth and fashion still resided in
Warren, Murray, and Beekman streets. The time apparently was not ripe;
the experiment ended in financial ruin to Palmo, and the unfortunate man
never wholly recovered from the blow. The house passed into divers
hands, and was the scene of a variety of entertainments for two or
three years afterward. The writer remembers distinctly going there of an
afternoon, when a boy, to a circus entertainment. The place was at a low
ebb in point of popularity and attraction when the comedian fixed upon
it as his future professional home. He rearranged, fitted it up, and
adorned it, and called it BURTON'S THEATRE.
[Illustration: Palmo's Opera-House, afterward Burton's Theatre.
(After a water-color drawing in the collection of Thomas J.
McKee, Esq.)]
It had no doubt long been a dream of the manager to attain as nearly as
possible to perfection in the organization and direction of a
first-class theatre. His varied experience in Philadelphia and elsewhere
constantly suggested an administration composed of members equally
valuable in their respective lines, and forming an harmonious whole
under an efficient executive, as the best system of government for the
growth and development of dramatic art; and perhaps during his reign in
Chambers Street he came as near the realization of that dream as is
permitted to human aspiration. In confirmation of the foregoing, we
quote a passage from William B. Wood's Recollections, where, writing
in 1854 of the evils of the star system, he says: "Let me here remark,
that I am happy to see of late times--I mean within the last few
years--that the pernicious system of which I speak, by carrying itself
fairly out, and by so breaking up all sound stock companies, has finally
destroyed itself.... To that intelligent manager, Mr. Burton, the
first credit is due. He has been striving for a number of years in New
York, as he had been doing here in Philadelphia, to bring his theatre to
a proper system, based on the principles of common sense and experience.
With talents of his own equalled by few stars, he has preferred to
ascertain whether the public could not be better attracted by a good
stock company of combined talent, and every New Yorker knows with what
excellent effect he has labored. His success, I am happy to learn, has
amply confirmed his reputation for dramatic judgment."
We may supplement this by a paragraph taken from Laurence Hutton's
entertaining volume of "Plays and Players." Describing in glowing terms
the production of Buckstone's comedy of "Leap Year," at Burton's, March
1, 1850, Mr. Hutton says: "That our readers may fully comprehend the
subject and period of which we write, it will be well to remind them,
perhaps, that the art of acting had arrived at such a point in Burton's
Theatre, that, to play a comedy well, was not enough. Every thing was so
well done, so perfect in every respect, mere excellence was so much a
matter of course, was so positive, on the Chambers Street boards, that
there was but little room for the comparative, and the superlative
itself was necessary to create a sensation."
The Chambers Street Theatre opened July 10, 1848, with "Maidens,
Beware"; "Raising the Wind," and "The Irish Dragoon." These were
succeeded by "New York in Slices," "Dan Keyser de Bassoon," and "Lucy
Did Sham Amour." The work was slow at first, but the disappearance of
money was rapid. We have seen, however, that there was no limit to
Burton's energy and perseverance. He played in New York, Philadelphia,
and Baltimore, week after week; managed, in conjunction with John
Brougham, an engagement with Mr. W. C. Macready at Ford's Theatre,
Boston, October, 1848; was announced, on Macready's departure, to appear
himself; but the intention was unfulfilled, and so it chanced that he
never acted there until the last years of his life. He played for the
benefit of the widow and family of Edmund Simpson, at the Park Theatre,
December 7, 1848, in referring to which event Mr. Ireland says: "We
insert the entire bill to show the forgetfulness of self evinced by the
volunteers, and their willingness to assume any character to insure the
best result, there being no less than five gentlemen in the cast who had
played, and might justly have laid claim to the principal character of
the play." The play was "The School for Scandal," cast principally as
follows:
SIR PETER TEAZLE Mr. HENRY PLACIDE.
SIR OLIVER SURFACE " WM. E. BURTON.
JOSEPH SURFACE " THOMAS BARRY.
CHARLES SURFACE " GEORGE BARRETT.
CRABTREE " W. R. BLAKE.
SIR BENJAMIN BACKBITE " PETER RICHINGS.
CARELESS " C. M. WALCOT.
SIR HARRY " H. HUNT.
MOSES " JOHN POVEY.
TRIP " DAWSON.
LADY TEAZLE Mrs. SHAW.
LADY SNEERWELL " JOHN GILBERT.
MRS. CANDOUR " WINSTANLEY.
MARIA Miss MARY TAYLOR.
This deed of charity was followed by others for the same object on the
part of New York managers, and among them Burton contributed a night at
his own theatre, on the 5th of March ensuing, in which the full strength
of his company appeared.
The burning of the Park Theatre in 1848 left Burton without a rival. The
Olympic was of the past; Forrest thundered at the Broadway; Wallack's
and Daly's were yet to be. It was not long before the public discovered
the genius that presided in Chambers Street, and recognized the unusual
excellence which characterized the performances. The location was
favorable for Brooklyn people, and from first to last the theatre
enjoyed a monopoly of their patronage. "For several years," says
Ireland, "Burton's Theatre was the resort of the most intelligent class
of pleasure-seekers, and there beauty, wit, and fashion, loved to
congregate, without the formality or etiquette of attire once deemed
necessary at the Park." Its fame was really phenomenal. Leaping
metropolitan bounds, it spread to distant states and neighborhoods, and
became, one might almost say, a familiar and welcome contribution to the
social and intellectual communion of the time. For a stranger to come to
New York in those days and omit to visit Burton's, would imply an
obtuseness so forlorn, or an indifference so stolid, that in the one
case he would be an object of compassion, and in the other a grave
offender of public sentiment. But in all probability he looked forward
during his journey city-ward to his evening in those halls of Momus; and
we may be certain that the
"Quips, and cranks, and wanton wiles,
Nods, and becks, and wreathèd smiles"
of that night lived in his memory for many a long day.
It is not too much to say that this attraction was almost wholly due to
the extraordinary powers of Burton himself. True, his company embraced
the finest artists in their several lines of any stage in the country;
and it was well known to all lovers of refined drama that the Chambers
Street Theatre was the home of English comedy, and that any given play
could be there produced with a cast entirely adequate, and with a
perfection of detail ensuring to the auditor an artistic delight and a
representation of the highest class. But there are many who, while
appreciating the delineation of manners and character, seek amusement
pure and simple, and who believe that good digestion waits on hearty
laughter. To this large constituency Burton was the objective point, for
his humor and comic power were a perennial fountain of mirth. His
appearance, either discovered when the curtain rose, or entering from
the wing, was the signal for a ripple of merriment all over the house.
Every countenance brightened, the dullest face glowed with gleeful
expectancy. No actor, we believe--unless possibly Liston,--ever excelled
Burton in humorous facial expression. Tom Hood, in referring to certain
pastimes of a London evening, says in his felicitous rhyme:
"Or in the small Olympic pit sit, split,
Laughing at Liston, while you quiz his phiz."
Read the couplet thus:
"Or in the _Chambers Street_ snug pit sit, split,
Laughing at _Burton_, while you quiz his phiz,"
and we have the nightly situation. It was a common circumstance for the
theatre to receive accessions toward the close of the performance, the
new-comers standing in line along the walls, drawn thither by the potent
magnet of the manager in the farce. Thus it was that, though the theatre
furnished constantly a rich feast of comedy, and was more widely known
than any other, still more celebrated was the great actor whose name it
bore; and it was the magic of that name that drew the people, and it was
he whom the people went to see. It seemed to make little difference what
the bills announced; Burton would play,--and that was enough.
It was the privilege of the writer of these pages to have free access to
the Chambers Street Theatre, and to know personally its manager, and his
recollections are such as to induce him to believe that in no better way
can he perform his task of completing Mr. Burton's career than by
employing his own knowledge and recording the impressions he received.
In so doing, the opportunity afforded for special reference to members
of his company will be improved; and perhaps our retrospection may
arouse in other breasts a remembrance of past delight.
Alluding to the comedian's first appearance in New York, October 31,
1837, Joseph N. Ireland, so often quoted, remarks: "The advent of Mr.
W. E. Burton, the most renowned comedian of recent days, demands more
than a passing notice. For nearly twenty years no other actor
monopolized so much of the public applause, and popular sentiment
universally assigned him a position in broad low comedy entirely
unrivalled on the American stage." It was a little over three years
between his arrival in America and his New York débût; about eleven
between that appearance and his lesseeship in Chambers Street; and
eleven more remain to be taken note of. Of these, eight belong to
Chambers Street, two to the uptown theatre, and one to starring
engagements in various cities--the last being in Hamilton, Canada, and
abruptly terminated by the malady of which he died.
* * * * *
The company at Chambers Street now demands our attention; and the wish
to suitably recognize the talents, and to chronicle, however simply, the
triumphs of that famous array, has constrained us to widen the scope of
our original design, and to extend somewhat our notices of certain
individual actors. We shall in nowise regret this; for in recalling past
delight it is a pleasure to dwell on those who caused it; and we may,
perchance, awaken thereby a happy thought of them in other hearts. The
departed years are full of memories, and the turning of a leaf may lay
bare a volume of reminiscence. It forms no part of our purpose, however,
to follow individual careers, and to trace their course on other boards
than those of the Chambers Street Theatre. Many of them, indeed, after
Burton removed uptown, and after his death, continued their successes
and won renown in other scenes and under other management; and our
readers may feel that but scant justice is done many meritorious names
familiar to the present generation, in confining mention of them to a
period when their talents and capabilities had not ripened to that
excellence which afterward gave them fame. But we are concerned with
them only as they figured as members of Burton's company, and as such
contributed richly to our fund of memory. They stand in the dramatic
Pantheon with their great chief; and in approaching that central and
dominant figure we pause to bend delighted gaze upon the admirable group
surrounding it.
From 1848 to 1856 the following names were numbered on the muster-roll:
Henry Placide, Blake, Brougham, Lester, T. B. Johnston, Bland, Jordan,
Barrett, Dyott, Fisher, Thompson, Holland, C. W. Clarke, Norton,
Parsloe, Jr., Holman, Charles Mathews, Setchell, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs.
Russell (now Mrs. Hoey), Mrs. Skerrett, Mrs. Rea, Miss Raymond, Mrs.
Hough, Mrs. Buckland, Miss Weston, Miss Devlin, Miss Malvina, Miss Agnes
Robertson, Fanny Wallack, Mary Taylor, Miss Chapman. This is by no means
intended as a complete enumeration--"but 't is enough, 't will serve."
Many names have been forgotten, and some remembered but omitted. It may
be of interest to note at this point the fortunes that awaited at least
five of the actresses above named--viz.: Mrs. Russell, Miss Weston,
Miss Devlin, Miss Malvina, Miss Agnes Robertson.
Mrs. Russell, while at Burton's in 1849, and a great favorite, was
married to John Hoey of express fame, and shortly thereafter retired
from the stage, the manager doing the honors at her farewell, and
presenting her on the occasion with a valuable testimonial of his
regard. Long afterward Mrs. Hoey was induced by the elder Wallack to
forsake her retirement, and for many years was the leading lady at his
theatre, her refined manners, correct taste, and exquisite toilets,
exciting anew public esteem and admiration. She quitted the stage and
returned to private life in 1865.
Miss Lizzie Weston, whose beauty, dramatic aptitude, and versatility,
won nightly plaudits, and whose performance was not without much that
was highly meritorious, signalized a career more or less checkered by
uniting her fortunes with those of the late Charles Mathews, during his
starring tour in 1858, and is now the widow of that famous actor.
Miss Malvina, a sister of Mrs. Barney Williams, was a _danseuse_ at
Burton's,--for it was the fashion in the old days to beguile the lazy
time between the pieces with a Terpsichorean interlude; and we remember
but one instance of her appearance in any other character, and that was
a minor part in the farce of "A School for Tigers." She became Mrs. Wm.
J. Florence in 1853, and has since shared her husband's fortunes and
honors. Miss Agnes Robertson made her débût in New York at the Chambers
Street Theatre, October 22, 1853, as _Milly_ in "The Young Actress," and
has since been well known as the wife of Dion Boucicault.
A more illustrious alliance--so soon to end in piteous sorrow--was the
portion of Mary Devlin. She was a minor actress at Burton's, but a woman
of rare and lovely character. So much so, that she won the heart of
Edwin Booth, and became his wife, and the idol of his home, till death
early called her from his side. It was in memory of this sweet and
gentle lady, that the poet Thomas William Parsons penned the following
exquisite stanzas:
"What shall we do now, Mary being dead,
Or say, or write, that shall express the half?
What can we do but pillow that fair head
And let the spring-time write her epitaph?
"As it will soon in snow-drop, violet,
Wind-flower, and columbine, and maiden's tear,--
Each letter of that pretty alphabet
That spells in flowers the pageant of the year.
"She was a maiden for a man to love,
She was a woman for a husband's life,
One that had learned to value far above
The name of Love the sacred name of Wife.
"Her little life-dream, rounded so with sleep,
Had all there is of life--except gray hairs:
Hope, love, trust, passion, and devotion deep,
And that mysterious tie a Mother bears.
"She hath fulfilled her promise and hath past:
Set her down gently at the iron door!
Eyes! look on that loved image for the last:
Now cover it in earth--her earth no more!"