Cibber's first establishment as a hired actor at Drury-lane Theatre runs thus: He was known only for some years by the name of "Master Colley." After waiting impatiently a long time for the prompter's notice, by good fortune he obtained the honour of carrying a message on the stage, in some play, to Betterton. Whatever was the cause, Master Colley was so terrified that the scene was disconcerted by him. Betterton asked, in some anger, who the young fellow was who committed the blunder. "Master Colley," was the reply. "Master Colley! Then, forfeit him." "Why, sir," said the prompter, "he has no salary." "No?" said the old man. "Why, then, put him down ten shillings a-week, and forfeit him five." But better times were at hand for poor Master Colley. Congreve's play of "The Double Dealer" was to be acted by command before Queen Mary, when one of the actors was prevented by illness from performing his part of Lord Touchwood. In this emergency, Congreve suggested that the part should be given to Cibber. His performance pleased the great author, and, we suppose, the audience into the bargain; for next pay day Mr. Cibber found his salary advanced from fifteen to twenty shillings a-week. Want of confidence in his own powers was not one of Cibber's weaknesses; so when, shortly after, "The Old Bachelor" of Congreve was put into rehearsal, there being some difficulty in filling up the several parts, Colley volunteered for the character of Alderman Fondlewife in that play. Some of the other members of the company were not quite so sanguine as Cibber himself as to his fitness for the part, one quietly remarking"If the fool has a mind to blow himself up at once, let us even give him a clear stage for it." But Cibber had no such intention; on the contrary, he made an unequivocal success. Cibber, in his "Apology," gives us a very good insight into the small jealousies which stood in the way of a young actor in his day; and we are sure-such is human nature-that the same little weaknesses are occasionally developed behind the scenes even in these latter days. The following is worth repeating:- myself from this unexpected success, I found that was no rule to other people's judgment of me. There were few or no parts of the same kind to be had; nor could they conceive, from what I had done in this, what other characters I could be fit for. If I solicited for anything in a different manner, I was answered, 'that was not in my way;' and what was in my way, it seems, was not as yet resolved upon. And though I replied that anything naturally written ought to be in every one's way that pretended to be an actor,' this was looked upon as a vain, impracticable conceit of my own." Colley Cibber was no great poet, but we must give him the credit of being able to write good practical sense in prose. In 1696, his first dramatic effort, entitled "Love's Last Shift," was placed upon the stage. He represented the principal character himself, and after its performance Lord Dorset said to him "that it was the best first play that any author in his memory had produced." His next piece was "Love in a Riddle." It was not a success, and Cibber attributes its failure to the prejudice existing at that time to the author of the "Beggars' Opera"-his own play being of an exactly. opposite character. His dramatic celebrity, however, is based chiefly upon "The Careless Husband," which even his sworn foe, Pope, felt compelled to praise. There is not much in the piece, certainly: there is no novelty in the characters, and but little invention in the plot; but it is a good picture of the manners and follies of the time. His comedy, "The Non-Juror "- since acted under the title of "The Hypocrite"-appeared in 1717. The play is an adaptation of "The Tartuffe" of Molière, adapted to English manners, and was directed against the Jacobites. It had a great run, and procured him a pension from Court. But, as may be easily understood from the feverish state of political parties at that time, it earned for its author scores of enemies, who left no stone unturned to depreciate the merits of the Whig dramatist. But its popularity may be judged of from the fact that Lintot gave a hundred guineas for the copyright of "The NonJuror," although Rowe's tragedies of "Jane Shore," and "Lady Jane Grey"-only a few years previous to this purchase-had jointly produced but one hundred and twenty-two pounds. The price that Cibber received for his most successful play does not, perhaps, appear so extraordinary when judged by the standard which regulates the receipts of successful play-writers and novelists in the present golden times of men of literary merit. But it was a large sum for that day. The average price given for the copyright of a piece which had secured a fair run may be estimated by what Cibber received for some of his other successful dramas. "Perolla and Isidera" fetched thirty-six pounds; "The Double Gallant," sixteen pounds; and "The Lady's Last Gallant," thirty-two pounds. In 1730, Colley Cibber was foolish enough to accept the Poet Laureateship. If Cibber had been content to confine himself to his own proper province, namely, light comedy -for his attempts at tragedy were about as creditable as his poetic effusions-he would most likely have escaped much of the storm of public ridicule which even yet clings to his name with a too indiscriminating injustice. From this time Cibber ceased to be a public character, save as the object of a continuous torrent of attack. He had the good nature, however, to join in the laugh against himself. But he soon after sold out his share of the patent in Drury-lane Theatre; and, having saved a goodly competence, retired into private life. He reappeared on the stage, on rare occasions, subsequently-once at the age of seventyfour, when he played Pandulph in "Papal Tyranny," a tragedy of his own composition. He wrote some other plays previous to his death, which occurred on the 12th of December, 1737, when he was found dead in his bed. shrill and discordant, and altogether he To which the would-be exquisite replied- A work entitled the "Biography of English and Irish Poets" was published under the name of Cibber as the author; but it was really from the pen of Robert Shiels, a Scotchman, who purchased for ten guineas the right of prefixing to the book the name of Cibber, then in prison for debt. Theophilus Cibber's wife, Susanna Maria, born in 1716, was one of the best actresses on the English stage. She was the sister of the celebrated Dr. Arne, the composer, who taught her music, and introduced her in one of his operas at the Haymarket Theatre. She was Cibber's second wife, and the alliance was far from satisfactory in its results. Theophilus himself came to an untimely fate. He was engaged by Sheridan, in 1758, to go over to Dublin; but the vessel in which he sailed was lost off the Scottish coast, with all hands on board. GUMMER'S FORTUNE. CHAPTER VII. MR. GUMMER TAKES THE CHAIR. To sum up the merits of Colley Cibber NO sone spread about, than everybody N° was the news of our good for in brief. He was a good actor, and in every branch of the art seems to have been at different times successful. As an author, he was by no means the unsuccessful hangeron to the skirts of genius which literary and political virulence have tried to make him; and even in his conflict with Pope he showed himself by no means an insignificent opponent. Cibber left a son, Theophilus, of whom a few words remain to be said. The younger Cibber was born in 1703, and, on the strength of his father's great influence on the stage, followed his footsteps as an actor by profession; but he never gained any great success with the public. His person was far from pleasing, and his countenance was rather repulsive than otherwise. His voice was tune was anxious to give us credit. The girls bought dresses, and they were sent home without the bill. Our butcher, who had stipulated for weekly payments, asked the favour of quarterly or half-yearly accounts. Well, this is an odd world. Let any one want credit, and he can't get it. Let any one have a large fortune, and not want credit, and people will hardly take his ready money. "Tom," said Mrs. Gummer, "when salmon is cheap, and not like eating money, we have it, and also shrimp sauce; but when our fish is plaice, we have no ticer, and the melted butter is plain. Yet, Tom, salmon is by itself rich enough for any palate; whilst plaice is sloppy, and tastes only of the water, ONCE A WEEK. and wants the sauce that salmon does not The Green Lanes gentility-which, as Mrs. I was asked to take the chair at a lecture at the school-rooms, and I had a grand reception: shouts of applause when I appeared, more shouting when I was moved into the chair, and a roar of applause when I called on the rev. lecturer to begin. The chairman at a lecture may be useful, and he may be ornamental, but his position is not enjoyable. If he faces the lecturer, he is too near for effect. He sees the nervous twitchings of the lecturer. If the chairman is behind, he has to watch the movements of the lecturer's coat-tails, and can count how often the pocket-handkerchief is taken out. circumstance about my first appearance in There is a public that is perhaps worth mention. I am not first chop at oratory, and that night I was particularly nervous. I stammered out was-"I beg to call on Every syllable the Rev. Mr. Blinkem to begin." And when the vote of thanks was moved to me for my conduct in the chair, I said: "I beg to thank you for-for-for the way in which you have been good enough to propose it; and you, ladies and gentlemen, for the way in which you have responded to the toast -that is-I mean, for my conduct this night." And down I sat, growing hot and cold, amidst loud applause. [March 16, 1872. Green Lanes Herald: "Mr. Gummer, who was loudly cheered, the echo." anything of the sort." flurry, which made my heart go a million to being appointed one of the judges of the A more trying job than the lecture was Green Lanes Flower Show. In our Bow William, and heart's-ease, and that is all I garden we grew roses, London-pride, sweet knew about flowers. At Tudor House I did not learn the Latin names of flowers, and in my opinion they ought to be abolished. It is no shame for a man-leave alone for women-not to know Latin; and learned folks tongue. Calling flowers by their English ought to be familiar with their mothernames would be a convenience to the milwho talk Latin. Dead languages ought to lion, and it would not be any loss to those be buried, and not kept above ground to annoy respectable people. I went to the flower show, and this is how I managed. I told Colonel De Crespin, the president, that I was not quite well, and he replied, I need not bother myself. He pointed out certain groups of flowers, and remarked that they were the best or the second-best. I dittoed and dittoed his observations. The wonderful Green Lanes Herald announced that "Mr. Gummer was very particular in his examination, and evinced the finest horticultural taste and irreproachable judgment in selecting the prizes. His awards gave unlimited satisfaction to the competitors, and to all concerned." I learnt that day, if a man has a fortune of £100,000 he can do anything. Money perhaps counts for knowledge. CHAPTER VIII. IN THE POLITICAL ARENA. my going into Parliament, and it puzzled me. "Gummer, you may look innocent as a lamp-post on a moonlight night, but it don't take in Matilda Gummer. The Elector's Spur may be uncommon clever, but cleverer than Solomon it can't be; and he could not have guessed that you had said you would go into Parliament, if you had not said it. But it is only an exact match of what your poor snubbed family have had to put up with from their pa ever since he was born." Mrs. Gummer and the girls were perElector's Spur kept me awake for half the suaded that I had deceived them. The night, trying to unravel the mystery. It was pretty well explained the next day, when a gentleman, very stout, very red in the face, hair thin and shiny, who wore a thick gold Albert chain, and town-made black kid French gloves, and whose name is Busted, called upon me. Mr. Busted is not a Green Lanes man, but comes from another quarter of the metropolis. Mr. Busted is a purveyor, which is the genteel word for butcher. Mr. Busted is a vestryman, and also chairman of the Voters' Protection Aspre-sociation. "WELL, pa, you are sly," said Nancy. "Just like you, Gummer-never confiding in the bosom of your family, and making the poor dear girls look like fools." "I am sure," said Janet, "that Mrs. Bungay thought we were fibbing, and just tending we knew nothing about it.". "What is the matter?" I asked. "Matter, Gummer! What is the harm of a man who would be a lord if his family had their deservings going into Parliament, where of course you ought to be? But, Tom, why should you keep it from your own flesh and blood, and be confidential to strangers?" "Going into Parliament! What do you mean?" "Why, pa, Mrs. Bungay told us all about it, and gave us the paper with it in." Nancy handed me the Elector's Spur, and pointed to the following: "At the next general election, it is intended to return Mr. Thomas Gummer, the gentleman who lately succeeded to the largest fortune ever made in India, to the House of Commons as one of our metropolitan members. Mr. Gummer is not only a millionaire, but also a liberal politician, an eloquent speaker, and a munificent philanthropist. We understand that he has intimated his willingness to serve the people in Parliament." I knew no more of Mr. Busted than I did of the King of the Cannibal Islands; yet he was as much at home as if he had been a twin-brother, and he the elder twin. He pulled off his glove, and shook me by the hand for at least two minutes. "Glad to see you, Mr. Gummer; and, sir, I am sure that you, as a public man, with a stake in the country, will return the feelings which warm the heart of Nathaniel Busted!" Mr. Busted flopped down on a fancy chair, which creaked beneath his weight; deposited his hat on the ground, pulled off his other glove, took out a silk pocket handkerchief, wiped his forehead, dried the palms of his hands, and then asked after the health of "my good lady" and the young ladies. If I am not a lamb in temper, I certainly cannot be called peppery; but that Busted enraged me, and it was all the worse because If Busted I could not have my passion out. had intended to be rude, I should have laughed at him; but he meant to be civil. I answered him rather tartly. "I have not the honour of your acquaintance, Mr. Nathaniel Busted. May I ask what business has procured me the honour This was the first time I had heard about of this visit?" ONCE A WEEK. Mr. Busted rose from the fancy chair, put one hand in his waistcoat, and with the other struck the table. "The humble individual before you, sir, may not be known to you, sir, and there aint a handle or a tail to his name, sir; but, sir, he is known in the vast arena of politics; and permit me to inform you, sir, that Cabinet Councils have shook in their shoes at the name of Busted. By trade, sir, I am a purveyor, and by profession a Reformer. Nathaniel Busted, sir, is a vestryman, and the chairman, sir, of the Voters' Protection Association: an institution, sir, that is the bulwark of the glory of the empire on which the noonday sun has never, and will never, sit." Mr. Busted again flopped down on the fancy chair, brought out the silk handkerchief, mopped his face and head, dried his hands, and glared at me defiantly. I muttered that I was much obliged to Mr. Busted for visiting me. "Sir, there is no obligation. I am here, sir, in my capacity as the chairman of the Voters' Protection Association. And now to come to business, as my honourable friend the Home Secretary has more than once observed. Sir, it has been moved, seconded, and unanimously carried that you should be asked to stand for our borough at the next election." I bowed, became very hot, and told Mr. Busted that I could only thank him for the unexpected honour. Being asked to go into Parliament takes the coolness out of a fellow. "And, Mr. Gummer, you can rely upon my word, which is and always will be my bond, that your return is as safe as quarterday, at next to no cost. present members done for us? Nothing, What have our sir. What have they done for the country? Nothing, sir. What have they done for the borough? Nothing, sir. What gratitude do they show to their supporters? None, sir. Call at their houses, and they are not at home. Call at their clubs, and they are in a dreadful hurry to get down to the House. Call at the House, and they are in the very midst of a debate. Our politics are Liberal, Mr. Gummer; and what we want is a member who has the means, and is able and willing, to support the borough and his supporters. Go in for the publican interest and the working class interest. I will return you for less than £1,000. The pledging is rather stiff, but that is of no consequence. [March 16, 1872. If a member sticks to the borough and liament, and told Mr. Busted I would think would smack his lips over; and yet the Mr. Busted praised Corcyra Villa, which "Though I'm not sure, Mr. Gummer, as say that a deputation from the Voters' |