Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 35.djvu/285

Macready in Banim and Sheil's 'Damon and Pythias,' 28 May, were his original parts during the next season, in which a partial restoration of Shakespeare's 'Richard III' was substituted for Cibber's, and Macready was seen to advantage as the King in 'The Second Part of King Henry IV;' he also played Prospero and Iachimo, and, for the first time in London, Hamlet.

In 1821 his engagement at Covent Garden was renewed for a further term of five years, and he appeared as Cassius in 'Julius Cæsar' to the Brutus of Young and the Antony of Charles Kemble, now the manager. When he returned in 1822 from a tour in France and Italy he found the company materially reduced and matters in a state of difficulty, which his own quarrel with Charles Kemble did not tend to diminish. Sheil's 'Huguenot,' in which Macready presented Polignac, was a failure; some success attended Miss Mitford's 'Julian,' in which he played Julian, but it led to a coldness between author and actor. Wolsey, King John, and Shylock followed. But in the meantime Macready's relations with all concerned in the management had become so unpleasant that his engagement was cancelled, and on 13 Oct. 1823, at a salary of 20l. a night, he made, as Virginius, his first appearance at Drury Lane. Here he remained, with some breaks, thirteen years, without adding materially to his reputation. After playing Rolla, Hamlet, Macbeth, &c, he appeared for the first time as Leontes. Knowles's 'Caius Gracchus,' in which, 18 Nov. 1823, he played the hero, was a failure. Kean, on his reappearance, refused to act with Macready, whose only other new part during the season was the Duke in 'Measure for Measure.' On 24 June he married, at St. Pancras Church, Catherine Frances Atkins, who, after playing in Bristol many leading parts, had migrated with her father and mother to Liverpool. The marriage was accelerated by the death of her father, who was drowned, 26 March 1823, off the Welsh coast in the Alert. Massinger's 'Fatal Dowry,' altered by Sheil, showed Macready, 5 Jan. 1825, as Romont, but this success was interrupted by serious illness. Knowles's 'William Tell,' in which, 11 May 1825, he played Tell, was perhaps the greatest success of his Drury Lane engagement, extorting the reluctant praise of Genest and the unstinted eulogy of a critic so difficult to please as Samuel Rogers. On 2 Sept. 1826 Macready, with his wife and sister, started from Liverpool for New York, where he arrived on the 27th. He appeared as Virginius at the Park Theatre, New York, on 2 Oct., was well received in many American cities, took his farewell benefit at New York, 4 June 1827, as Macbeth and Delaval, and reappeared at Drury Lane 12 Dec. as Macbeth. 'Edward the Black Prince,' by Reynolds, in which, 28 Jan. 1828, Macready played Ribemont, and 'Don Pedro,' by Lord Porchester, in which, 10 March 1828, he was Henry, brother and rival of the king, were failures. On 7 April 1828 Macready appeared in Paris with the company at the Salle Favart (Théâtre Italien) under Abbott as Macbeth to the Lady Macbeth of Miss Smithson, then in the height of her Parisian popularity. He also played Virginius, eliciting from Jules Janin the criticism that 'for twenty-four hours Macready was found the equal of Talma.' Returning to Paris on 23 June he was seen as William Tell, Hamlet, and Othello, and was received with enthusiasm. Actors being forbidden by police ordinance to appear before the curtain, his admirers seized him and by force carried him on to receive the applause of the public. In October 1830 he returned to Drury Lane, where he appeared, 15 Dec., in his great part of Werner, perhaps the most powerful of his impersonations. He also played, 8 April 1831, Don Leo in the 'Pledge,' Kenney's poor adaptation of 'Hernani,' and 28 April Alfred in Knowles's play of that name. Mr. Oakley in the 'Jealous Wife,' one of Macready's few comedy parts, was first seen this season. Macready appeared as Iago, with Kean as Othello, 26 Nov. 1832, and complained bitterly of the behaviour of his associate, whom he called 'that low man.' This performance was several times repeated, but the two actors did not appear together again, and on 8 Feb. 1833 Macready was a pallbearer at Kean's funeral. Kean appears to have reciprocated his rival's contempt, and Elliston to have shared Kean's sentiments.

On 21 Nov. 1833 Macready played Antony in 'Antony and Cleopatra,' under the management of Bunn, who had then control of both the leading houses. Disliking the association, he vainly offered Bunn a premium to be let off his engagement. 'Sardanapalus,' Byron's tragedy, was given after the following Easter; and on 23 May he played for the first time in London 'King Lear,' in a version from which the Fool was banished. He had first played Lear a few months earlier in Swansea. The 'Bridal,' his own adaptation of the 'Maid's Tragedy,' to which Sheridan Knowles contributed three scenes, was given in Dublin with Macready as Melantius. At the close of 1834 Macready undertook with a Mr. Woulds the management, of the theatres, generally combined, of Bath and Bristol. He engaged Mrs. Lovell, Mr.