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

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who did can hardly have been unaware of his influence. Daly
employed Scott as an advisor in the selecting and editing of
plays, and correspondence between the two shows the shrewdness
of such a move. In 1886 Daly approached Scott with the suggestion
of collaboration. In his letter of acceptance Scott wrote:
I can say between ourselves that I did not
have the first say about your plays and your
admirable company but I have clone what I
could conscientiously in several places and
I will write another article for the September
number of The Theatre.
In a letter of July 2, 1886 Scott agre«d to a draft contract,
adding:
The reports on the plays will be ready very soon.
Look at Illus t rat ed L ond on News today.,,.
A succession of letters in which Scott comments on plays
submitted to him by Daly is followed by a request for a favour:
Don't forget me if you ever hear of a newspaper
e itor requiring a London correspondent.
I should like to sign my name to a good letter
that might be mailed to a score of towns by a
clever agent in New York. Think of this,,,-
Scott waa a sincere adsairer of Daly and his company - to
Ada Relian he wrote in 1890 that his work was a "weariness",
but that he could "pick up courage when our opinions are stren-
17
gthened by such an art as yours" ' - but it was easy to take
advantage of his enthusiasm.
It is important to boar in mind the practical origins
of the parti; llity of some critics when ^p^roc c'^ing the
descriptions of Irving's work published in his lifetime, ,'ildc,
who wrote flattering vorses to Ellen Terry and to Irving (whom
he advises to return from aiclodrama to Shake-per re), lived in
hone of seeing his play produced in a theatre which had been
- ~ "i Q
for aim "the one linl between our stage and our literature" .
Even Shaw, whose campaign age int.-1 the Lyceum in the Saturday
AGVJCVV was relentless and sincere, hoped to have the forces
of the Lyceum placed in service of The_ Man of Destiny,, and it
is unlikely tii, t Buchanan, who praised Irving for his "vitalising
the energies of the stage and absorbing its noblest
traditions" did not entertain cinil; r r opii- tions1^.