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

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actor; never yet that Nature had endowed him with the
magnetic force of a great actor*
(7 April 1666)
Scott was dismissing Tree on the grounds which Irving's critics
had based their attacks on the Lyceum manager • the more
perceptive critics acknowledged Tree's prowess, but pointed
out that he was dealing with a poor play and that the part of
Narcisse, the deranged violinist, was not suited to his robust
talents* It was also suggested that, having peopled their
drama with the celebrities of the Enlightenment - including
Grimm and Voltaire * the authors had found themselves incapable
of giving these choice intellects anything good enough to say*
But the play was a worthy attempt, and its staging was * taken in
itself - excellent*
The manager moved in the high artistic worlM - Lady Tree,
who married him in 1662, remembered "beautiful dream-like parties
in the great studios of Tadema, Leighton, Millais, Watts,
Poynter, Burne-Jones and Alf&ed Gilbert" where "in grand and
mystic setting, one listened to the divine discourse of music,
one nestled in the vory heart of culture and learning and
society"
2O
• Max Beerbohm, the actor's half-brother, remembered
a "great day" spent with him in March 1662: The lunched at the
actor's club:
fcas it the "Arundel" perhaps? The "Savage"?
I know not* I cared not. It was Herbert's
club, and 1 lunched in it, and was presented
to the great Mr Godwin in it. At first 1
thought he must be a "conspirator", for he
wore a large black cloak and a large soft
black hat. But he had the !-ost charming
manners, and treated me as an equal, and 1 quite
agreed with the opinion, so often expressed by
Herbert in those days, that Godwin was a Master. 2^
In 1901, when he was already the effective successor to Irvin^
as e London manager, Tree recalled the 1674 Merchant of Venice.
produced by Bancroft with Godwin's assistance:
.. .1 do not remember since to have seen any
Shakespeare an presentation more satisfying
to my Judgement.*,It was the first production
in which the modern spirit of stage-managemlmt
asserted itself, tr nsporting us as it ciid into
the atmosphere of Venice, into the rarified
realms of Shfckespearean comedy. 22