The Theatre—Number of theatres in London—Famous actors and
actresses—Disturbances at a theatre—Master Betty, “The Infant
Roscius”—His country experience—Puffs preliminary—His first
appearance in London—Crowds to see him—Presented to the King and the
Prince of Wales—Acts at Drury Lane—His subsequent career.
IN THE Dawn of the Nineteenth Century, the theatre was a favourite
amusement for the good folks, probably because there were no other
public forms of amusement, if we except an occasional concert or
masquerade. The stage supplied this want, and the people took due
advantage of it. The audience, through much frequenting, were
critically educated, and demanded good acting. This, as a rule, they
obtained, partially, as I think, because there were fewer actors, and,
consequently, not so many mediocre performers as now, and partly owing
to the constant change of performance—there being no “long runs,”
as we know them, where an actor mechanically goes through the same
part for hundreds of nights, until, like Sothern, he absolutely, and
unconsciously, adopts his own mannerisms, and spoils himself for a
fresh part.
The richer, and titled classes, were not content with witnessing
professional skill, but strove to emulate and surpass the performers at
their own amateur entertainments, and the most notable of these private
societies was the Pic Nic Society.
There were eight Theatres in London, _i.e._, when one or other was not
burnt down—namely, The King’s, Haymarket; Covent Garden; Drury Lane;
Theatre Royal, Haymarket; The Royalty, in Goodman’s Fields; Sadlers
Wells; Astley’s; and the Royal Circus, now the Surrey, on the other
side the river.
Of course, as would be only natural, the best actors were at the
West-end Theatres, and to show their calibre, one has only to mention
such names as John Philip Kemble, Munden, Bannister, Dowton, Elliston,
Liston, Mrs. Siddons, Fawcett, Mrs. Jordan, Kelly, Johnstone, Young,
Cooke, &c. No wonder, that with such actors, the stage was popular.
Their names are still a tradition of excellence to the profession, and
the performances, with one notable exception, in the O. P. Riots, were
listened to with great decorum, and there was a vast improvement upon
the rougher manners of the previous century.
I can only find the mention of one _fracas_ in the whole ten years,
and the report of that, in the _Annual Register_, December 26, 1801,
shows how very far the audience were from sympathizing with the
offender. “At Covent Garden Theatre the holiday folks were inclined
to be mischievous. As soon as the curtain drew up to commence the
play of ‘Richard the Third,’ a wine glass was thrown on the stage by
way of prologue, but without exciting much observation; a few minutes
after, determined to attract notice, a quart bottle was thrown from the
two-shilling gallery on the stage; it grazed the hat of Mr. Betterton,
who was playing Tressel to Murray’s Henry VI., knocked out some of the
jewels, and, falling on the stage, rolled down to the lamps unbroken.
The audience were thunderstruck, the play stood still, and, for a few
seconds, every one gazed with amazement. Satisfied of what had been
done, a general burst of indignation broke out over the house, and
‘throw him over!’ ‘turn him out!’ were vociferated from all quarters.
The villain was pointed out by his neighbours, sitting in the front
row of the two-shilling gallery. He was seized, the people in the pit,
and the boxes, rising up, and considerable agitation prevailed. The
fellow, who was drunk, held by the iron railing, and refused to retire.
This provoked the resentment against him still more, and the cries of
vengeance were loud and general. Three or four laid hold of him, and
seemed as if they would drag rail and all away; at last, they succeeded
in taking him out of the theatre.”
In this decade appeared a theatrical phenomenon—the like of which
has never been seen since; in the shape of a boy, who was endowed
with a truly marvellous gift of acting—one Master William Henry West
Betty, surnamed “The Infant Roscius,” who was born at Shrewsbury,
September 13, 1791. His parents were extremely respectable, and in
easy circumstances—so that it was not from need, but from pure
inclination, that he adopted the stage as a profession. Whilst yet
a child, he was fond of declamation with action, and, before he was
twelve, he acted the part of Osman in Voltaire’s tragedy of Zara, at
the Theatre, Belfast. He was, at that time, residing in Ireland, and
the theatres, having been closed for some time previously, owing to
the disturbed state of the country, were glad of any attraction when
they did open—so Betty took an engagement at the above theatre, for
four nights, on the understanding that he was to share the house, after
deducting twelve pounds, for the expenses of the house. His first
performance was on the 19th of August, 1803, when he was not yet twelve
years old. Next day he was the talk of Belfast, and on the other three
nights he played Norval, Rolla, and Romeo.
Then he went to Dublin, Cork, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Birmingham, at
which latter place he was heard by Mr. Justice Graham, one of the Board
of Management of Drury Lane Theatre. He reported about the infant
genius, and proposals were made, which were too low to be acceptable.
He was afterwards engaged to play at Covent Garden, and, owing to
an informality in the agreement, Drury Lane got hold of him on the
intervening nights, at the same salary.
[Illustration: THE YOUNG ROSCIUS, AS FREDERICK, IN “LOVERS’ VOWS.”]
Whoever was his _entrepreneur_, he did his work well, and the puff
preliminary was very delicately administered. The first notice of this
kind that I can find, is in the _Morning Herald_, August 6, 1804. “A
very extraordinary phenomenon has lately burst upon the _theatrical_
world. A boy of the name of Beatie, not exceeding twelve years of age,
reads and enacts all the principal of Shakespeare’s characters, in a
stile of superiority that astonishes the most experienced Actors. He
has performed in Ireland, and is now exciting general astonishment at
Edinburgh. Off the stage his manners are puerile, as he is often seen
playing at marbles in a morning, and Richard the Third in the evening.
He is rather short of his age, slight made, but has great expression of
countenance. The moment he begins to converse upon stage business, he
appears an inspired being. He has a pleasant turn for repartee, which
makes his company much sought for. The Edinburgh Manager expressed his
fears, at first rehearsal, that his voice would not fill the house. ‘My
dear Sir,’ replied the little hero of the buskin, ‘I beg you will be
under no apprehensions upon that score, for, if my voice does not fill
your house, probably my playing will!’”
Here is an anecdote of him, probably got up to suit the public.
_Morning Herald_, November 16, 1804: “The _Young Roscius_, who is in
all respects _play ful_, lately hesitated in going on the stage when
he was to perform _Richard_. Young, the chief Liverpool actor, told
him the stage was waiting, and urged him to appear. The boy declared,
that, unless Young would bend his back, that he might have _one jump
at leap-frog_, he would not appear. After some demur at this whimsical
request, and some useless remonstrance, Young was obliged to submit;
and the little fellow then went upon the stage, and performed his part
with admirable spirit.”
Kept always before the public, in this manner, no wonder curiosity
was stimulated to the highest pitch, and that when he did appear, he
received an ovation. The mildest contemporary account of his _début_ in
London, is in the _Morning Herald_, of the 3rd of December, 1804, and
I extract a portion. “On Saturday evening (December 1st) this prodigy
of early excellence, whose merits have been as much extolled in the
provinces, as they have been sceptically regarded in the Metropolis,
met the _fiery ordeal_ of a London audience. There has not been, within
our recollection, any manifestation of public anxiety which can be
quoted, as equalling that displayed on this occasion. At one o’clock
the doors of the Pit and Gallery were besieged with expectants. At
five, the outer doors of the box passages were forced open, and the
boxes were occupied by an immense crowd, who forcibly ejected the
persons stationed to keep places. The numbers still poured in with such
rapidity, and pressure, that some hundreds leaped from the Boxes into
the Pit, which was so crowded by this accession, that numbers must
have perished, but for the humane attentions of some Ladies in the
Boxes, who assisted in raising them, and passing them to the lobbies.
The number outside the House and in the passages still continued to
increase, though every effort was made to assure them that their
exertions must be unavailing. We have not heard of any fatal accident,
but the faintings, bruises, and minor contingencies are beyond all
enumeration.”
The play was “Barbarossa” (by Dr. Browne), and Master Betty took the
part of _Selim_. In the second scene—“Where he sounds the feelings of
_Othman_, he showed exquisite judgment and sensibility. In the close of
the scene when he says:
‘Oh! thou hast rous’d a thought on which revenge
Mounts with redoubled fire!’
his fine blue eyes lighted up a countenance full of expression—his
attitudes were graceful and appropriate, and the strong emotion seemed
to pervade every fibre of his frame. The applauses which greeted his
entrée were redoubled, and loud _huzzas_ and _bravos_ resounded through
the Theatre. In the third act, with his mother, his _pathos_ and his
judgment were both transcendent. When to the caution of _Othman_ he
replies, ... the energy of his delivery was such as to leave all
description at a distance: but the closing soliloquy was the very
climax of excellence....
“In passing from particulars to generals, we feel ourselves at a loss
how to proceed. We cannot try him as a _boy_, who comes forward with
such superior pretensions. We cannot rate him as a _man_, when so
many means of future excellence are as yet unripened and undisclosed.
When we mention that his step is firm and manly—his gesticulation
free and unembarrassed—and his delivery and emphasis in general most
correct, we speak of things which might, possibly, through tuition be
acquired. But the intelligence of manner—the eloquence of the eye when
speech was denied—the rapid yet judicious transitions from prostrate
affliction to dignified resentment—are qualities which a GARRICK might
display, but which he never could transfuse. We do not mean to hold
forth this youth as a model of perfection, but that, at his age, and
with so few opportunities, he should approach so nearly to perfection,
is the wonder which it is our province to record.”
[Illustration: THEATRICAL LEAP-FROG.]
The great JOHN KEMBLE was said to have been much put out at the amount
of attention this child received, and Rowlandson caricatured the young
Roscius leaping over “Black Jack’s” head.
The crowding to see him still continued, and there is an amusing
caricature by Ansell of the difficulties to be encountered, in order to
obtain a glimpse of the precocious boy. The scene is vividly depicted.
“Has any lady lost a flannel dickey?” “Who owns a shoe?” “That Dickey
belongs to me, young man,” exclaims a lady whose dress bears palpable
tokens of the fray. A plaintive voice is heard bewailing, “I’m a bran
new hat out of pocket;” whilst a cripple inquires, “Has any of the good
people found a Crutch?”
[Illustration: VAIN ATTEMPT TO SEE YOUNG ROSCIUS.]
All sorts of _ruses_ were attempted, in order to see Master Betty
without inconvenience. Here is one of them—_Morning Herald_, December
14, 1804: “A curious trick was last night discovered at Drury Lane
Theatre. Some of the Performers in the Orchestra had been induced to
yield their places to as many _sprigs_ of fashion, who entered with
their violins under their arms, and with _greased bows_, that they
might not interrupt the harmony to which they could not contribute.
The fraud was discovered in time, and the _falsetto_ fashionables were
civilly ushered back to the _outer door_!”
He was presented to the Prince of Wales at Carlton House; and, on
the 5th of December, 1804, when he was acting at Covent Garden, the
King and the Royal Family went to Drury Lane to see the “School for
Scandal,” and the King having expressed a wish to see the marvellous
boy, Sheridan had him fetched, and hence the illustration of “The
Introduction,” by J. B. Sheridan introduces him to the King as “The
Wonder of the Theatrical World—A Diamond amongst Pebbles—A Snowdrop
in a Mud-pool—The Golden Fleece of the _Morning Chronicle_! The Idol
of the _Sun_! The Mirror of the _Times_! The Glory of the _Morning
Post_! The Pride of the _Herald_! and the finest Cordial of the
Publican’s _Advertiser_.” The young Roscius thus presented, makes his
bow to the Royal Couple, saying, “Never till this hour stood I in such
a presence, yet there is something in my breast which makes me bold to
say that Norval ne’er will shame thy favour.”
He also visited the Duke of Clarence, and Charles James Fox; and, when
he had an illness, probably induced by over excitement, and petting, so
numerous were the inquiries after his precious health, that bulletins
had to be issued.
At Drury Lane his first appearance was as enthusiastically received,
as at Covent Garden; and, if possible, more riotously, for the mob
broke all the windows within their reach, on the Vinegar Yard side of
the Theatre, and, when the passages were thrown open, the balustrades,
on both sides of the staircase which led to the boxes, were entirely
demolished.
[Illustration: THE INTRODUCTION.]
From 1805 to 1808, he principally played at the provincial theatres,
and in the latter year, being seventeen years of age, he was entered
as a gentleman Commoner of Christ’s College, Cambridge, and also was
gazetted as Cornet in the North Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry. His father
died in 1811, and he then left Cambridge, residing on an estate his
father had purchased, near Shrewsbury. Here he stayed till he was
twenty years old, when his passion for the stage revived; and he acted,
with occasional intermissions, until he was thirty-two years old, when
he retired from the stage, and lived a quiet life until his death,
which took place on the 24th of August, 1874.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]