Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 30.djvu/381

 had a drunken quarrel in the street, he was invited to solemnly promise never to play Charles Surface again—a promise that he made and kept (, Life and Times, ii. 356–7). Kemble was the original Saville in ‘Better late than never,’ by Reynolds and Andrews. In 1791–2 he went with the company, while Drury Lane was rebuilding, to the Haymarket Opera House, where he played Hotspur and Oakley, and was the original Huniades in Miss Brand's play so called. In 1792–3, at the same house, he was the first Pirithous in Murphy's ‘Rival Sisters,’ to which he contributed a prologue, spoken by Wroughton, and was Horatio in the ‘Fair Penitent.’ In 1793, at the other Haymarket house, he was the original Octavian in the ‘Mountaineers’ of Colman the younger, in which he obtained a noteworthy success.

In the season of 1791–2 he accepted a challenge from James Aickin, stood the fire of his adversary, and then fired in the air. New Drury Lane opened 21 April 1794 with Kemble as Macbeth, and closed on 2 July. ‘Lodoiska’ (8vo, 1794), adapted from the French by Kemble, with music by Storace, was played 9 June. When the theatre reopened next season he was, 28 Oct. 1794, the original Prince of Guastalla in ‘Emilia Galotti,’ played Heraclius in the ‘Roman Father,’ and, 12 Dec. 1794, was Bertram in his own rendering of ‘All's Well that Ends Well’ (8vo, 1793), probably played previously, and, 10 March 1795, Shylock in his own adaptation of the ‘Merchant of Venice’ (8vo, 1795). On 30 Dec. 1794 he was the Duke in ‘Measure for Measure’ to the Isabella of Mrs. Siddons. During the season he was the first Penruddock in Cumberland's ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ and Edwy in ‘Edwy and Elgiva’ by Mme. d'Arblay, and played Zaphna in ‘Mahomet.’ Towards the close of 1795 he published an apology in the newspapers for having made amorous, unwelcome, and even violent advances to Miss De Camp, then acting with him, and subsequently the wife of his brother Charles [see ]. Original characters of small importance preceded his appearance as Sir Edward Mortimer, 12 March 1796, in the younger Colman's ‘Iron Chest.’ Kemble, who was ill, and taking opium, failed to score in a part in which other actors subsequently made a success. Colman printed his play, with a preface, afterwards suppressed, which was very severe upon Kemble, and rendered the editions containing it much in demand. On 2 April 1796 Kemble played Vortigern in Ireland's tragedy of that name, fraudulently assigned to Shakespeare, and is said by his acting to have aided the exposure of the deceit [see ]. Alonzo in Miss Lee's ‘Almeyda’ was also played for the first time by Kemble, who in this season appeared in the ‘Plain Dealer.’ On 23 May 1796 his wife made her final appearance on the stage as Flavia in the ‘Roman Actor,’ an adaptation from Massinger. Kemble took part in the same piece, and his unprinted comedy, ‘Celadon and Florimel,’ based on the ‘Comical Lovers’ of Colley Cibber, was performed for the only time. Sextus in Jephson's ‘Conspiracy’ is the only original character assumed by Kemble in 1796–7. In 1797–8 he was the first representative of Percy in the ‘Castle Spectre’ of ‘Monk’ Lewis, and of the ‘Stranger’ in Benjamin Thompson's version of Kotzebue's play of the name. His arrangement of the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor’ was printed in 8vo in 1797 and 1804, and probably acted in the former year. He appeared as Aurelio in ‘Aurelio and Miranda,’ a dramatic version of the ‘Monk,’ when it was first produced, 29 Dec. 1798; as Rivers in the ‘East Indian’ of Lewis, 22 April 1799; as the Old Count in Whalley's ‘Castle of Montval’ on the following evening; and as Rolla in ‘Pizarro’ on 24 May 1799. Kemble's adaptation of ‘Much Ado about Nothing’ (8vo, 1799 and 1810) was probably played 12 Oct. 1799. On 25 Jan. Kemble was seen to small advantage as the original Prince Richard in Pye's ‘Adelaide,’ and, 29 April 1800, as De Montfort in Miss Baillie's play, adapted by himself. Kemble's alteration of the ‘Way of the World’ was given 22 Nov. 1800, and he was Antonio in Godwin's ‘Antonio,’ 13 Dec. 1800, and De l'Epée in Holcroft's adaptation, ‘Deaf and Dumb,’ 24 Feb. 1801. On 25 March 1802 he was Leontes. Kemble also adapted ‘Hamlet’ (printed in 8vo, 1800 and 1804), ‘King John’ (8vo, 1800 and 1804), ‘King Lear’ (8vo, 1800 and 1808), ‘First Part of Henry IV’ (8vo, 1803), ‘Macbeth’ (8vo, 1803), ‘Measure for Measure’ (8vo, 1803), ‘Othello’ (8vo, 1804), ‘Second Part of Henry IV’ (8vo, 1804), ‘Henry VIII’ (8vo, 1804), ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ (8vo, 1805), ‘Richard III’ (8vo, 1810), ‘As you like it’ (8vo, 1810), ‘Double Dealer’ (no date), and arranged the pantomime of ‘Alexander the Great’ (8vo, 1795), assigned to D'Egville. In 1796, after being arrested for a debt incurred by the proprietors, Kemble resigned the management of Drury Lane, but returned to it in the season of 1800–1. At the close of the season of 1801–2 his connection with Drury Lane ceased. His salary at Drury Lane as actor and manager had been 56l. 14s. per week. At the time of his withdrawal he was seeking