R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

136 Sir Arthur Pinerocontributed towards the printing and general expenses,the idea being that the entertainment would grow into apermanent attraction; but notwithstanding this, whenthe opening night arrived, Robertson and Byron hadspent their last farthing upon the preparations for theimportant event. At the time announced for the commencementof the performance not a soul had turned up.A few minutes later an elderly gentleman in a glow ofperspiration bustled up to Robertson, who was at hisstation in the box-office, and said, 'Are there any seatsleft?' 'Oh, yes,' said Robertson, 'right and left.' Thegentleman entered the empty hall but, nobody comingto join him, his money was returned and the enterprisecame to an end.Up to 1854 there is no record of the production of afurther play from Robertson's pen, though a copy of anAssignment found among his papers gives evidence thathe was still pegging away at dramatic writing. Let mequote the document in full, as showing his market valueas a dramatist at that date. It is headed ' City Theatre'—the City Theatre was at Norton Folgate, in the Shoreditchdistrict:I hereby assign all rights of my drama, entitled ' Castles in theAir,' to Messrs. Johnson and Nelson Lee, making it their soleproperty for town or country, on consideration of receiving thesum of £3.Thomas W. Robertson.March 29th, 1854.'Castles in the Air'! A significant title.It was in the course of this year—1854—that he wasengaged by Charles Mathews and Madame Vestris, whohad succeeded Farren in the management of the OlympicTheatre, to fill the post of prompter. His salary was £3a week. £3 seems to have been an obstinate figure withRobertson in those days. Inconsiderable as was the