Pictorial Shakespeare, 1880-1890 - eTheses Repository - University ...

published a collection of Essays in Theatrical Criticism*
In the introduction he expressed his concern at the kindness
with which Irving*s Romeo was received: this he construed as
a "lamentable want of balance, of repression, of sanity" and
an equally lamentable "exaltation of the individual at the
expense of his work" (p.11). Percy Fitzgerald, an Irving
acolyte, had suggested that the expense of a production at
the Lyceum placed the reviewer under a moral obligation to
praises
...this is plainly to make of criticism only
form of theatrical advertisement; and seeing
how large a space is already given to these
interesting and ingenious documents, this is
surely a little superfluous. The critic's
proper business is to be the mouthpiece to
the actor of intelligent and impartial opinion;
if f'r Fitzgerald's view be the correct one, he
can be no more than the mouthpiece of the actor
to a slavish and unthinking public. /
In the editorial "Omnibus-Box" of The Theatre, Scott described
Jorris's as "a silly prejudiced, unnecessary and misleading
work, evidently written by a soured and oicap;j minted man" 9
,
and the essays were not generally y/ell-received, but some of
the mud stuck.
In America the accusations were more serious and more
difficult^of proof or disproof. In addition to his customary
wining and dining of public figures and the representatives
of the press, Irving may have used underhand means to clear
the field of rivals, \7ilson Barrett, .hose financi, 1 difficulties
made him preternaturally suspicious, told v.illian inter
in 108? that bad notices of his American tour had been cabled
to the British newspapers, and good ones had been supressed:
This my dear .'.inter is not accident, nor ic
it unimnortant. ";Iy theatre i.e.. the Priiicocc's
in London is taken from me "; I am fighting
heavy oc.ds - but I see ay place in the world -
I ne;n to '.in, £ to hole! it. I have never tried
to injure those who pro striking at me - & the
truth, not they - v.ill prevail,,Q
From a letter written later in the year it np c re that a
ruiaour was current that v,inter himself "coxicjdrccl wijj_ J.
Hot ton" to '-./rite against" Barrett, but the actor dissociated