All who are interested in the theatrical celebrities of past times
will do well to read a brief, indeed, a too brief paper, about DOROTHY
JORDAN, written by FITZGERALD MOLLOY, for _The English Illustrated
Magazine_ of this month. The Baron does not remember if THACKERAY
touched on the story of this talented Actress in his Lectures on "_The
Four Georges_;" but the sad finish to the brilliant career of Mrs.
JORDAN could hardly have escaped the great Satirist as being one
instance, among many, illustrating the wise King's advice as to "not
putting your trust in Princes;" "or," for the matter of that, and in
fairness, it must be added, "in any child of man." Poor DOROTHY, or
DOLLY JORDAN! but now a Queen of "Puppets," and now--thus, a mere
rag-dolly. Ah, CLARENCE!--"False, fleeting, perjured CLARENCE!" as
SHAKSPEARE wrote of that other Duke in Crookback'd RICHARD's time, for
whom the "ifs" and "ands" of life were resolved for ever in a final
"butt."
In the issue for 1891 of that most interesting yearly Annual, _The
Book-Worm_, for which the Baron, taking it up now and again, blesses
ELLIOT STOCK, of Paternoster Row, there is a brief but interesting
account of _The Annexed Prayer-Book_, which, after some curious
chances and changes, was at last ordered to be photographed page by
page, without being removed from the custody of Black Rod. "By means
of an elaborate system of reflecting," the process of photographing
was carried on in the House of Lords. It is satisfactory to all
Book-worms to know that so important a work was not undertaken without
even more than the usual amount of reflection.