第7章

Topublishsuchmaterials\"withoutalteration\"，wassimplyimpossible。ButfindingeverywhereinternalevidencethatMr。

Townshend’sReligiousOpinionshadbeenconstantlymeditatedandreconsideredwithgreatpainsandsinceritythroughouthislife，theLiteraryExecutorcarefullycompiledthem（alwaysinthewriter’sexactwords），andendeavouredinpiecingthemtogethertoavoidneedlessrepetition。HedoesnotdoubtthatMr。Townshendheldthecluetoapreciseplan，whichcouldhavegreatlysimplifiedthepresentationoftheseviews;andhehasdevotedthefirstsectionofthisvolumetoMr。Townshend’sownnotesofhiscomprehensiveintentions。Proofsofthedevoutspiritinwhichtheywereconceived，andofthesenseofresponsibilitywithwhichheworkedatthem，aboundthroughthewholemassofpapers。Mr。Townshend’svariedattainments，delicatetastes，andamiableandgentlenature，causedhimtobebelovedthroughlifebythevariouslydistinguishedmenwhowerehiscompeersatCambridgelongago。TohisLiteraryExecutorhewasalwaysawarmly—attachedandsympatheticfriend。Tothepublic，hehasbeenamostgenerousbenefactor，bothinhismunificentbequestofhiscollectionofpreciousstonesintheSouthKensingtonMuseum，andinthedevotionofthebulkofhispropertytotheeducationofpoorchildren。

ONMR。FECHTER’SACTING

ThedistinguishedartistwhosenameisprefixedtotheseremarkspurposestoleaveEnglandforaprofessionaltourintheUnitedStates。Afewwordsfromme，inreferencetohismeritsasanactor，Ihopemaynotbeuninterestingtosomereaders，inadvanceofhispubliclyprovingthembeforeanAmericanaudience，andIknowwillnotbeunacceptabletomyintimatefriend。IstateatoncethatMr。Fechterholdsthatrelationtowardsme;notonlybecauseitisthefact，butalsobecauseourfriendshiporiginatedinmypublicappreciationofhim。Ihadstudiedhisactingclosely，andhadadmiredithighly，bothinParisandinLondon，yearsbeforeweexchangedaword。Consequentlymyappreciationisnottheresultofpersonalregard，butpersonalregardhassprungoutofmyappreciation。

ThefirstqualityobservableinMr。Fechter’sactingis，thatitisinthehighestdegreeromantic。Howeverelaboratedinminutedetails，thereisalwaysapeculiardashandvigourinit，likethefreshatmosphereofthestorywhereofitisapart。Whenheisonthestage，itseemstomeasthoughthestoryweretranspiringbeforemeforthefirstandlasttime。Thusthereisafervourinhislove—making——asuffusionofhiswholebeingwiththeraptureofhispassion——thatshedsagloryonitsobject，andraisesher，beforetheeyesoftheaudience，intothelightinwhichheseesher。ItwasthisremarkablepowerthattookParisbystormwhenhebecamefamousinthelover’spartintheDameauxCamelias。Itisashortpart，reallycomprisedintwoscenes，but，asheactedit（hewasitsoriginalrepresentative），itleftitspoeticandexaltinginfluenceontheheroinethroughouttheplay。Awomanwhocouldbesoloved——whocouldbesodevotedlyandromanticallyadored——hadaholduponthegeneralsympathywithwhichnothinglessabsorbingandcompletecouldhaveinvestedher。WhenIfirstsawthisplayandthisactor，Icouldnotinformingmylenientjudgmentoftheheroine，forgetthatshehadbeentheinspirationofapassionofwhichIhadbeheldsuchprofoundandaffectingmarks。Isaidtomyself，asachildmighthavesaid:\"Abadwomancouldnothavebeentheobjectofthatwonderfultenderness，couldnothavesosubduedthatworshippingheart，couldnothavedrawnsuchtearsfromsuchalover\"。IampersuadedthatthesameeffectwaswroughtupontheParisianaudiences，bothconsciouslyandunconsciously，toaverygreatextent，andthatwhatwasmorallydisagreeableintheDameauxCameliasfirstgotlostinthisbrillianthaloofromance。

Ihaveseenthesameplaywiththesamepartotherwiseacted，andinexactdegreeasthelovebecamedullandearthy，theheroinedescendedfromherpedestal。

InRuyBlas，intheMasterofRavenswood，andintheLadyofLyons——

threedramasinwhichMr。Fechterespeciallyshinesasalover，butnotablyinthefirst——thisremarkablepowerofsurroundingthebelovedcreature，intheeyesoftheaudience，withthefascinationthatshehasforhim，isstrikinglydisplayed。Thatobservermustbecoldindeedwhodoesnotfeel，whenRuyBlasstandsinthepresenceoftheyoungunweddedQueenofSpain，thattheairisenchanted;or，whenshebendsoverhim，layinghertendertouchuponhisbloodybreast，thatitisbettersotodiethantoliveapartfromher，andthatsheisworthytobesodiedfor。WhentheMasterofRavenswooddeclareshislovetoLucyAshton，andsheherstohim，andwheninaburstofrapture，hekissestheskirtofherdress，wefeelasthoughwetoucheditwithourlipstostayourgoddessfromsoaringawayintotheveryheavens。Andwhentheyplighttheirtrothandbreakthepieceofgold，itiswe——notEdgar——whoquicklyexchangeourhalfforthehalfshewasabouttohangaboutherneck，solelybecausethelatterhasforaninstanttouchedthebosomwesodearlylove。Again，intheLadyofLyons:thepictureontheeaselinthepoorcottagestudioisnottheunfinishedportraitofavainandarrogantgirl，butbecomesthesketchofaSoul’shighambitionandaspirationhereandhereafter。

PicturesquenessisaqualityaboveallotherspervadingMr。

Fechter’sassumptions。Himselfaskilledpainterandsculptor，learnedinthehistoryofcostume，andinformingthoseaccomplishmentsandthatknowledgewithasimilarinfusionofromance（forromanceisinseparablefromtheman），heisalwaysapicture，——alwaysapictureinitsrightplaceinthegroup，alwaysintruecompositionwiththebackgroundofthescene。Forpicturesquenessofmanner，notesotrivialathingastheturnofhishandinbeckoningfromawindow，inRuyBlas，toapersonagedowninanoutercourtyardtocomeup;orhisassumptionoftheDuke’sliveryinthesamescene;orhiswritingaletterfromdictation。InthelastsceneofVictorHugo’snobledrama，hisbearingbecomespositivelyinspired;andhissuddenassumptionoftheattitudeoftheheadsman，inhisdenunciationoftheDukeandthreattobehisexecutioner，is，sofarasIknow，oneofthemostferociouslypicturesquethingsconceivableonthestage。

Theforegoinguseoftheword\"ferociously\"remindsmetoremarkthatthisartistisamasterofpassionatevehemence;inwhichaspectheappearstometorepresent，perhapsmorethaninanyother，aninterestingunionofcharacteristicsoftwogreatnations，——theFrenchandtheAnglo—Saxon。BorninLondonofaFrenchmother，byaGermanfather，butrearedentirelyinEnglandandinFrance，thereis，inhisfury，acombinationofFrenchsuddennessandimpressibilitywithourmoreslowlydemonstrativeAnglo—Saxonwaywhenweget，aswesay，\"ourbloodup\"，thatproducesanintenselyfieryresult。Thefusionoftworacesisinit，andonecannotdecidedlysaythatitbelongstoeither;butonecanmostdecidedlysaythatitbelongstoapowerfulconcentrationofhumanpassionandemotion，andtohumannature。

Mr。FechterhasbeeninthemainmoreaccustomedtospeakFrenchthantospeakEnglish，andthereforehespeaksourlanguagewithaFrenchaccent。ButwhosoevershouldsupposethathedoesnotspeakEnglishfluently，plainly，distinctly，andwithaperfectunderstandingofthemeaning，weight，andvalueofeveryword，wouldbegreatlymistaken。NotonlyishisknowledgeofEnglish——

extendingtothemostsubtleidiom，orthemostreconditecantphrase——moreextensivethanthatofmanyofuswhohaveEnglishforourmother—tongue，buthisdeliveryofShakespeare’sblankverseisremarkablyfacile，musical，andintelligent。Tobeinasortofpainforhim，asonesometimesisforaforeignerspeakingEnglish，ortobeinanydoubtofhishavingtwentysynonymesathistongue’sendifheshouldwantone，isoutofthequestionafterhavingbeenofhisaudience。

AfewwordsontwoofhisShakespearianimpersonations，andIshallhaveindicatedenough，inadvanceofMr。Fechter’spresentationofhimself。Thatqualityofpicturesqueness，onwhichIhavealreadylaidstress，isstrikinglydevelopedinhisIago，andyetitissojudiciouslygovernedthathisIagoisnotintheleastpicturesqueaccordingtotheconventionalwaysoffrowning，sneering，diabolicallygrinning，andelaboratelydoingeverythingelsethatwouldinduceOthellotorunhimthroughthebodyveryearlyintheplay。Mr。Fechter’sistheIagowhocould，anddid，makefriends，whocoulddissecthismaster’ssoul，withoutflourishinghisscalpelasifitwereawalking—stick，whocouldoverpowerEmiliabyotherartsthanasign—of—the—Saracen’s—Headgrimness;whocouldbeabooncompanionwithoutipsofactowarningallbeholdersoffbytheportentousphenomenon;whocouldsingasongandclinkacannaturallyenough，andstabmenreallyinthedark，——notinatransparentnotificationofhimselfasgoingaboutseekingwhomtostab。Mr。Fechter’sIagoisnomoreintheconventionalpsychologicalmodethanintheconventionalhussarpantaloonsandboots;andyoushallseethepicturesquenessofhiswearingborneoutinhisbearingallthroughthetragedydowntothemomentwhenhebecomesinvinciblyandconsistentlydumb。

PerhapsnoinnovationinArtwaseveracceptedwithsomuchfavourbysomanyintellectualpersonspre—committedto，andpreoccupiedby，anothersystem，asMr。Fechter’sHamlet。Itakethistohavebeenthecase（asitunquestionablywasinLondon），notbecauseofitspicturesqueness，notbecauseofitsnovelty，notbecauseofitsmanyscatteredbeauties，butbecauseofitsperfectconsistencywithitself。Astheanimal—paintersaidofhisfavouritepictureofrabbitsthattherewasmorenatureaboutthoserabbitsthanyouusuallyfoundinrabbits，soitmaybesaidofMr。Fechter’sHamlet，thattherewasmoreconsistencyaboutthatHamletthanyouusuallyfoundinHamlets。Itsgreatandsatisfyingoriginalitywasinitspossessingthemeritofadistinctlyconceivedandexecutedidea。

Fromthefirstappearanceofthebrokenglassoffashionandmouldofform，paleandwornwithweepingforhisfather’sdeath，andremotelysuspiciousofitscause，tohisfinalstrugglewithHoratioforthefatalcup，therewerecohesionandcoherenceinMr。

Fechter’sviewofthecharacter。Devrient，theGermanactor，had，someyearsbeforeinLondon，flutteredthetheatricaldovesconsiderably，bysuchchangesasbeingseatedwheninstructingtheplayers，andlikemilddeparturesfromestablishedusage;buthehadworn，inthemain，theoldnondescriptdress，andhadheldforth，inthemain，intheoldway，hoveringbetweensanityandmadness。Idonotrememberwhetherheworehishaircrisplycurledshort，asifheweregoingtoaneverlastingdancing—master’spartyattheDanishcourt;butIdorememberthatmostotherHamletssincethegreatKemblehadbeenboundtodoso。Mr。Fechter’sHamlet，apale，woebegoneNorsemanwithlongflaxenhair，wearingastrangegarbneverassociatedwiththepartupontheEnglishstage（ifeverseenthereatall）andmakingapiraticalswoopuponthewholefleetoflittletheatricalprescriptionswithoutmeaning，or，likeDr。

Johnson’scelebratedfriend，withonlyoneideainthem，andthatawrongone，nevercouldhaveachieveditsextraordinarysuccessbutforitsanimationbyonepervadingpurpose，towhichallchangesweremadeintelligentlysubservient。ThebearingofthispurposeonthetreatmentofOphelia，onthedeathofPolonius，andontheoldstudentfellowshipbetweenHamletandHoratio，wasexceedinglystriking;andthedifferencebetweenpicturesquenessofstagearrangementformerestageeffect，andfortheelucidationofameaning，waswelldisplayedintherehavingbeenagalleryofmusiciansatthePlay，andinoneofthempassingonhiswayout，withhisinstrumentinhishand，whenHamlet，seeingit，tookitfromhim，topointhistalkwithRosencrantzandGuildenstern。

ThisleadsmetotheobservationwithwhichIhaveallalongdesiredtoconclude:thatMr。Fechter’sromanceandpicturesquenessarealwaysunitedtoatrueartist’sintelligence，andatrueartist’straininginatrueartist’sspirit。HebecameoneofthecompanyoftheTheatreFrancaiswhenhewasaveryyoungman，andhehascultivatedhisnaturalgiftsinthebestschools。IcannotwishmyfriendabetteraudiencethanhewillhaveintheAmericanpeople，andIcannotwishthemabetteractorthantheywillhaveinmyfriend。