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Rh came heavily indebted to Levy, who took over the newspaper in settlement of his claims. On 17 Sept. 1855 it was issued as the ‘Daily Telegraph’ by Levy at a penny, being the first London daily newspaper produced at that price. It was in a very bad financial position at the time, and the proceeds of the first day's advertisements are stated to have been 7s. 6d. The appearance, however, of a well-edited daily paper at a penny excited great attention. Levy devoted all his capital to the enterprise, and induced many members of his family to follow his example. The circulation rose very rapidly, and on the repeal of the paper duties, which Levy did his best to obtain, the profits grew to be very large. Levy devoted himself entirely to his newspaper. He collected round him a band of able writers, including [q. v.], Sir Edwin Arnold, Mr. G. A. Sala, and many others. Until the last years of his life he daily visited the offices in Fleet Street, and supervised the management in the minutest details, invariably giving much attention to artistic and theatrical articles, for which he held himself especially responsible. The politics of the paper were liberal until 1886, when the principles of the liberal unionists were adopted. Levy was privately very charitable, and was a generous patron of music and the drama. He died at Florence Cottage, Ramsgate, on 12 Oct. 1888, and was buried at Balls Pond cemetery, London. He married in 1831 Esther, daughter of N. G. Cohen, and she died in 1883, leaving a large family. The eldest son, Sir Edward Lawson, was created a baronet in 1892.

 LEWES. [See also .]

LEWES, CHARLES LEE (1740–1803), actor, was born, according to his own account, in New Bond Street, London, 19 Nov. 1740 (O.S.) His father, a hosier, who subsequently became a letter-carrier, was of Welsh descent, and through his mother, the daughter of William Lewthwaite of Broadgate, Cumberland, he claimed connection with some families of distinction. From seven years of age until fourteen he was at school in Ambleside, Westmoreland. About 1754 he returned to London, and seems to have assisted his father in his work as a letter-carrier. His first performance, presumably as an amateur, was about 1760 at the Haymarket, as Cash in ‘Every Man in his Humour.’ Matthew Mug in the ‘Mayor of Garrett’ he subsequently gave at Chelsea. After playing at Chesterfield and other country towns, and experiencing at Sheffield a disabling accident as harlequin, he was engaged at Covent Garden as second harlequin to Woodward. Small parts were occasionally entrusted to him, his first recorded appearance at Covent Garden being 26 Sept. 1763, as Bardolph in the ‘First Part of King Henry IV.’ His name then, and for a short time subsequently, was spelt Lewis. After the departure of Woodward for Edinburgh he became principal harlequin, and played the character in ‘Harlequin's Jubilee,’ 1 Oct. 1770. Young Cape in the ‘Author,’ Bowman in ‘Lethe,’ Lord John in the ‘Englishman returned from Paris,’ Lord Bawble in the ‘Country Madcap,’ Montano in ‘Othello,’ Squire Groom in ‘Love à la Mode,’ Prattle in ‘Deuce is in Him,’ and Marplot in the ‘Busybody’ were assigned him during the season. On 3 Dec. 1772 he was Bertram in ‘All's Well that Ends Well,’ and played subsequently Cloten and other parts. On the first production of ‘She Stoops to Conquer,’ 15 March 1773, Smith refused the part of Young Marlow, which Lewes played so much to the satisfaction of the management as to secure him a position as leading comedian. Goldsmith, pleased with his performance, wrote him an epilogue, which, in the character of Harlequin, he spoke at his benefit. With summer visits to Liverpool he remained at Covent Garden until 1783, playing parts so varied as Gratiano, Roderigo, Jeremy in ‘Love for Love,’ Lorenzo in ‘Spanish Fryar,’ Sir Novelty Fashion in ‘Love's Last Shift,’ Lord Foppington in the ‘Man of Quality,’ Young Wilding in the ‘Liar,’ Sir Anthony Absolute, Mercutio, Slender, Bobadil, Trappanti, Clown in ‘Winter's Tale’ and in ‘Twelfth Night,’ and many other leading characters. He was the original Fag in the ‘Rivals,’ Justice Credulous in ‘St. Patrick's Day,’ Meadows in the ‘Deaf Lover,’ Flutter in ‘Belle's Stratagem,’ Squire Turnbull in Holcroft's ‘Duplicity,’ Lord Sparkle in ‘Which is the Man,’ Grog in O'Keeffe's ‘Positive Man,’ and Welford in the ‘Capricious Lady,’ Cumberland's alteration of the ‘Scornful Lady’ of Beaumont and Fletcher. Quarrelling with the management of Covent Garden he accepted an engagement at Drury Lane, where he appeared on the opening night of the season, 16 Sept. 1783, as Marplot. The change was wholly disadvantageous. He played during the season, among other parts, Touchstone, Perez in ‘Rule a Wife and Have a Wife,’ Lucio in ‘Measure for Measure,’ Witwoud in the ‘Way of the World,’ Falstaff in the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor,’ and Tattle