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

ecorded Mansfield f L, business in tho scene;
His pause upon the threshold, his /ar.dn^ of
his hands ct the lire, his careful erran&ement
of himself in a posts against thu wall at the
heaa of the King's oed, Jiis deliberete drav.ing
of his s .ord, and the teetinc of the tip, were
ell so many t-icks, pcriorned with t cieaoly
precision in v;hich ttiere we.s no : uiver of liiu
or emotion.
(MeA; York aveninK Post. 17 ueceraber I6bs for the poor kine's ae.th.
The second act began ith falbin's set of the road to
Chertsey: and rticherd's interruption of the funeral procession*
The scene T.S "beautifully psinted'r :
Upon r rising mound of ground ri^.ht under
the shado ; of & tree Gloster is ciocove cd, lo
him enter l.astings ana followers, eric thea
the sound oi muffled drums is heard and
wondering villagers enter a.d crowd behind
a * oocen fence cio n left* Then from the
right enters the funeral procession, headed
by soldiers end boys waving, incense *.. :hile
attendant upon the coffin are Lady Anne am
her ladies, who *-re in turn folio oc by priests
and more soldie:s; the sight is e most iaposin^
one, and the general str^e rkint-^entent of tl^is
scene is excellent.
(The ata^a)
This splendour hardly fuliillcc the ctenuntio of historical
accuracy - Hell ascribes tne austerity of the procession -
or of Shakespeare's text, ^/;ich ctlls only for enough men to
bear " ;tr.- he or so oi Kerry the 6", but t^o demanos of st.- go
effect v;ere not easily i^norea->J> . In his acting oi this scv,ne
Mansfield's aptitude for "facieil action" and "slight, but
positive and cle&rly doiinec rnooificetions of e:; ::ression n seomec
to the oerturt..' y_ aevie; critic to htve found their best use:
His meekness under Lady Anne*s cenuncieti ns,
iiiu ilaiih of impudent liy ocrisy in "The fitter
for the Kiiio oi'Keeven that hath him 1-, his
solendici rouorr,oat=' oe and lover-like _>erauc.siV'--
ness in "ti.ine eyes, s e^t laoy, htw infected
mine", are excellent, ena propers us lor the it
rnc; auplicity of the