Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 30.djvu/372

 8vo, 1808, was given at Covent Garden 12 Jan. 1808, with Kemble as Sigismond the hero. To satisfy the requirements of authority the scene was changed from Scotland in the time of the Pretender in 1745 to Sweden. The play as originally written was first given at Covent Garden 26 Nov. 1829. On 30 June 1808 he is said, in the ‘Biographia Dramatica,’ to have made a single appearance at the Haymarket, playing the part of Fernando in ‘Plot and Counterplot, or the Portrait of Michael Cervantes,’ 8vo, 1808, a farce extracted by himself from ‘Le Portrait de Michel Cervantes’ of Dieulafoi, played at the Théâtre Louvois in 1799. Genest does not note this appearance, but assigns the character to Putnam, who was to have played it, and on account of illness was replaced by Kemble. Kemble shared in the unpopularity of his family during, and subsequent to, the O.P. riots in 1809–10 [see ], and like them lived it down. He played in 1810 at the Haymarket with much success Mortimer in the ‘Iron Chest.’ He was the first Knight of Snowdoun in Morton's adaptation of the ‘Lady of the Lake,’ Covent Garden, 5 Feb. 1811. Antony in ‘Julius Cæsar’ was played in the following season. ‘Kamschatka, or the Slave's Tribute,’ an adaptation from Kotzebue by Kemble, who played Stepanoff, was given at Covent Garden, 16 Oct. 1811. The ‘Child of Chance,’ a farce also by him, was performed at the Haymarket 8 July 1812, played thrice and never printed; and on 29 May 1813 the ‘Brazen Bust,’ an unprinted melodrama by Kemble, was given for the first time at Covent Garden with the adaptor as Frederick. It was played four times in all, and appears to be the last of his efforts at adaptation. After this he travelled in the country, performing subsequently in Brussels, Calais, Boulogne, &c., and visited Germany, it was said, in search of plays to be translated. He reappeared at Covent Garden, after an absence of three years, 13 Sept. 1815, as Macbeth, and divided the leading parts with his brother. Doricourt in the ‘Belle's Stratagem,’ in which, 12 Sept. 1817, he followed William Thomas Lewis [q. v.], disputed with Mercutio the claim to be his best comic part. Benedick and Young Marlow were played in this season in London, in which he was, 5 Feb. 1818, the original Giraldi Fazio in Milman's ‘Fazio,’ and on 22 April the original Manfredi in Sheil's ‘Bellamira.’ On 10 Jan. 1819 he was the first Vicentio in Sheil's ‘Evadne.’ Lord Towneley, Tamerlane, Archer, Sir Edward Mortimer in an adaptation of Schiller's ‘Mary Stuart,’ Hastings in ‘Jane Shore,’ Ivanhoe, Icilius in ‘Virginius,’ belong to this season, at the close of which he played at the Haymarket Oakley in the ‘Jealous Wife’ and other parts. He was the original Guido in Barry Cornwall's ‘Mirandola,’ and Don John in Reynolds's ‘Don John,’ adapted from the ‘Chances.’ He also appeared in Bath.

On the death of Thomas Harris [q. v.], J. P. Kemble made over to Charles Kemble his share in Covent Garden, a handsome, but, as the event proved, a ruinous present. His management of Covent Garden began 1822–3. Like most managers, he was accused of sacrificing the higher drama to melodrama and spectacle. ‘Falstaff’ was played 3 May 1824. He was the first Stephen Foster, 9 Nov. 1824, in ‘A Woman never vext,’ altered by Planché from Rowley, and on 20 April 1825 the original Orestes in Bailey's ‘Orestes in Argos.’ At this period he played Othello, Feignwell, and innumerable leading parts in tragedy and comedy, and was, 20 May 1826, the original Louis Kerneguy (Charles II) in Pocock's ‘Woodstock.’ On 4 Nov. 1826 he was the first Francesco Foscari in Miss Mitford's ‘Foscari.’ At the beginning of the season of 1829–30 affairs at Covent Garden were at the worst, distraint warrants for rates and taxes to the amount of between 1,000l. and 2,000l. were issued, and the theatre was in the possession of bailiffs. A subscription was got up, and a performance given at the King's Theatre for the benefit of Covent Garden, and many actors played gratuitously for from three to ten nights. On the opening night of the season, 5 Oct. 1829, Kemble played for the first time Mercutio, perhaps his greatest part. On 29 Oct. he was Shakespeare in ‘Shakespeare's Early Days.’ The appearance of Miss Fanny Kemble (Mrs. Butler), Kemble's daughter, retrieved the position of the theatre, enabling it to pay off a debt of 13,000l. For several consecutive seasons she was the mainstay of the theatre, and Kemble was largely occupied in supporting her. In 1830, while living with his daughter in Great Russell Street, he assaulted Westmacott, the editor of the ‘Age,’ for his comments upon her. He accompanied Miss Kemble to Brighton, Bristol, and other places. He was in 1832 the original Sir Thomas Clifford to her Julia in the ‘Hunchback’ of Sheridan Knowles, and on 15 Jan. of that year took part in the opening dinner of the Garrick Club. On 1 Aug. 1832 he sailed with his daughter for America, and on 17 Sept. appeared in New York as Hamlet. The success of the pair, artistic and social, was great, though Miss Kemble hints that their style was perhaps somewhat too tame for the New York public. Philadelphia, Boston, and other towns in the United States and Canada were visited. On