Mathews

“ Mathews played some 240 characters, very many of them in his own pieces. His most conspicuous successes were obtained in light comedy and farce. Passion and pathos seemed wholly alien from his nature, and even on those occasions when he obtained the most flattering homage an actor can receive and found himself compelled to speak words of gratitude, he remained ‘cool as a cucumber,’ conveying sometimes the idea that the seriousness of those around him perplexed as much as it pleased him. ”

“ Mathews; “but I am sure you will not be hard upon poor Captain Mathews’ frailties. ’Tis his misfortune to be over-susceptible to the charms of new faces. Who can blame him when the trait was born with him? After all, constancy is an acquired virtue.”
“True, madam, quite true,” said Major O’Teague. “But, Mrs. Mathews, I beg of you to permit me to say that if a gentleman who is fortunate enough to be married to so charming a lady as yourself does not acquire constancy, we may well distrust your theory.”
“I vow, sir, you overwhelm a simple country-bred woman with your flattery,” said she. ”

“ Mathews speaks of him as ‘an admirable actor, quite in the style of the old school.’ A prudent and a reserved man, he mixed little in the pleasures of his fellows, and though much respected had few intimacies. ”

“ Major O’Teague, mystified to a point of distraction, turned to Mathews; but he failed to catch his eye, the fact being that Mathews was gazing at Mr. Long as a man gazes at another who has just amazed him by a sudden revelation.
“Am I asleep or awake—that’s what I want to know?” cried Major O’Teague. “And I want to know it badly too, for what’s the drift of all these hints and all this aimless talk baffles me. Look you here, Mr. Long, you tell me you crossed swords with Captain Mathews quite lately; well, sir, if that is the truth, will you tell me why you should object to fight with him now?” ”

“ After reaching his sixty-sixth year, Mathews set out on a tour round the world, in which was included a third visit to America, and on his return in 1872 he continued to act without interruption till within a few weeks of his death on the 24th of June 1878. He made his last appearance in New York at Wallack’s theatre on the 7th of June 1872, in H. J. Byron’s Not such a Fool as he Looks. ”

“ Mrs. Mathews, who had retired from the stage in 1810, survived her husband, whose ‘Memoirs’ she edited, and wrote ‘Anecdotes of Actors, with other Desultory Recollections, &c.,’ 8vo, 1844, and ‘Tea-Table Talk, Ennobled Actresses, and other Miscellanies,’ 2 vols. 8vo, 1857. She died, 12 Oct. 1869, at Chelsea Villa, Fulham.
Without rising into the highest rank as an actor, Mathews was in his way inimitable. He had genuine power as a comedian, and as a mimic he had no equal. ”

“ This it was Mathews's obvious duty to prevent. It was therefore impossible for him to allow the allies to get away to the south while he was waiting for Lestock. He was obliged to fight, and at once. About one o'clock he made the signal to engage; and in the Namur, closely followed by Captain James Cornewall [q. v.] in the Marlborough, ran down towards the rear of the allies, and brought the Spanish admiral to close action. ”

“ I fall down on my knees by his side. Wattie! . . . Wattie! . . . God has taken all else on earth from me, and now he is beckoning you . . . my darling! . . . my darling! . . .
Half an hour later and a man has returned from Pimpernel with the doctor; an hour and he is gone again. He can do no more for the only son of Paul Vasher than the son of a cottager; a few days, or hours even, will determine the issue.
"It is in God's hands," say the servants, as they move to and fro, and the words sound to me in my agony like direst mockery. ”

“ MATHEWS, CHARLES (1776–1835) , English actor, was born in London on the 28th of June 1776. His father was “a serious bookseller,” who also officiated as minister in one of Lady Huntingdon’s chapels. Mathews was educated at Merchant Taylors’ School. His love for the stage was formed in his boyhood, when he was apprentice to his father, and the latter in 1794 unwillingly permitted him to enter on a theatrical engagement in Dublin. ”

“ I say, looking forward with dismay to that dreadful engaged period of "pecking" that I have until now successfully evaded.
"Your governor and mine get on splendidly," says George, in a hopeful voice. "That would surely go for something?"
"That is one of those things no one can understand," I say, shaking my head. "My father has known your father for four years, and they have not quarrelled yet! Mr. Tempest must have the temper of an angel, or papa has never kicked him, because he thought he was so little, and old, and frail!" ”

“ Mathews, with wonderful celerity, altering 490his hair, countenance, hat, &c., took a large gravy-spoon off the dinner-table, ran instantly into the street, entered one of the little dark doors leading to the pawnbroker’s counter, and actually pledged to the unconscious A—— his own gravy-spoon. Mathews contrived with equal rapidity to return and seat himself (having left the street-door open) before A—— reappeared at the dinner-table. As a matter of course, this was made the subject of a wager. ”

“ Mathews and Briggs.—A highly imaginative and somewhat absurd romance entitled “Behemoth, a Legend of the Mound-Builders” (1839) was the work of Cornelius161 Mathews (1817–89) , a New York dramatist and magazine writer. His “Career of Puffer Hopkins” (1841) set forth some phases of contemporary political life; it first appeared serially in Arcturus, which Mathews edited in 1840–42. Another novel of his was “Moneypenny, or The Heart of the World” (1850) , a story of city and country life. All of Mathews’ stories, however, have a journalistic flavour. ”

“ We come next in order to the poems on 'Man, in his Various Aspects under the American Republic;' a very comprehensive title to much incomprehensible rhyme with little reason. As a poet, Mr. Mathews cannot reasonably expect to take the exalted order of rank which he holds as a dramatist. ”

“ It is not a difficult thing to do, to change one's mind, is it?"
Their eyes met; ay, these two were hot lovers once, but what are they now?
"You have laid me under a great obligation, Mr. Vasher," she says, in her proud young voice. "Pray understand that I am grateful. Good night, Mr. Frere, and forgive me, if you can, for startling you so much."
"Good night! good night!" he says, and so with a hand-shake she goes, and the two men accompany her to the gate.
Now if Mr. Frere had possessed the most rudimental idea of his duty on this occasion, he would have stopped behind with me. ”

“ The North American Review slid from my guilty fingers, and I almost lost my balance as I stooped to recover the magazine. Then I composed my features, folded my own hands and listened to the leader of the meeting. Once I raised my eyes, and through the door that led into the hall I saw Bob Mathews standing. He was staring into the parlor with an expression of arrested protest and strangled mirth upon his nice, homely face. At that precise moment the worthy leader was besieging the throne of grace with intercessions for “the one new come among us,” and I felt vulgarly prominent. ”

“ He felt that it was his duty to cause to be apprehended a young man who had up to the present time borne a spotless reputation; who had been a fellow student at college; whose social position was that of a leader, and who was soon to marry one of the most charming girls in the town. The situation was painful, but Fred Mathews felt that his own honor was at stake quite as truly as was that of his old schoolfellow. ”

“ He draws my hand across his lips. How hot they are! how they quiver!
The church bells ring out sweet and cheerful across the fields; the peal rises and falls gaily. Can any sound be sweeter than Christmas bells when one is happy?
"Paul," I say in a whisper, "did you see that wicked paper? I might have known you would not believe it."
"It is cold here," he says; and I lift my head suddenly, and look into his face.
Is this my Paul—gaunt and worn, and pale as death, with deep burning eyes? He looks like a man just risen from a bed of illness. ”

“ A little later he appeared at the Lyceum in comedy, playing Monsieur Tonson, Caleb Quotem, &c., and in one of the ‘monodramatic’ pieces in which he was successful, ‘The Polly Packet.’ The ‘Trip to America’ was the subject of his next entertainment, Lyceum, 25 March 1824. In this he imitated various types of Americans, black and white, causing some little irritation in the United States, from which he afterwards suffered. ‘Mr. Mathews's Memorandum-Book’ followed in 1825, ‘Mr. Mathews's Invitations’ in 1826, and ‘Home Circuit, or London Gleanings,’ in 1827. ”

“ But he would never have sent me this challenge had it not been that that fire-eating Irish adventurer got hold of him and talked him into a fighting mood. What chance would a weak fool such as Mathews have against so belligerent a personality as O’Teague? Heavens, sir, give the man an hour with the most timorous of human beings, and I will guarantee that he will transform him into a veritable swashbuckler. Mathews is a fool, and he is probably aware of it by now—assuming that an hour and a half has elapsed since O’Teague left him. ”

“ The world will be candid enough to judge properly (I make no doubt) of any private abuse on this subject for the future; as nobody can defend himself from an accusation he is ignorant of.
"Thomas Mathews."
On a remonstrance from Miss Sheridan upon this outrageous proceeding, he did not hesitate to assert that her brother Charles was privy to it;—a charge which the latter with indignation repelled, and was only prevented by the sudden departure of Mathews to London from calling him to a more serious account for the falsehood. ”

“ Mathews,’ 1822, followed each other at the Lyceum. Among his friends at this period were Coleridge and Charles and Mary Lamb. In August 1822 Mathews started for New York, where he arrived 5 Sept., making his first appearance in Baltimore, 23 Sept., in his ‘Trip to Paris.’ He subsequently played in the regular drama Lord Duberly in the ‘Heir-at-Law,’ Solomon Gundy in ‘Who Wants a Guinea?’ Goldfinch in the ‘Road to Ruin,’ &c. As Goldfinch and Monsieur Tonson he appeared in New York. His artistic and social successes were equal, though he was more popular as an actor than as an entertainer ”

“ The reverent, simple voice ceases for a moment. "And now," he says, drawing my hands gently away from my eyes with one hand, while he gathers me to him with the other, "I have my reward; have I not, my darling?"
Ay! he has his reward, as I recoil from his embrace, slip away out of his arms, and stand looking at him with a measureless suffering in my eyes, with a deadly pallor on lips and cheek. A faint dread comes into his face, and dashes the surpassing brightness out, a terrible suspicion grows in his eyes, and dwells there. ”

“ Have I not got my Christmas morning at last—real, golden, perfect? In the whole wide world does there beat such a happy heart as mine? I have not asked George how it happens that Paul never wrote: he shall tell me that himself, and I will be so angry with him, lazy, naughty, careless fellow. As I turn the corner of the meadow I see him standing with his back to me, leaning over the stile, and for a moment I stand still—the absolute delight of seeing him in the old familiar place is so keen, that it leaves me no immediate longing to touch his hand or hear his voice. ”

“ In 1820 Hazlitt criticised Mathews’s third entertainment, “The Country Cousins,” a mélange of songs, narrative, ventriloquism, imitations, and character stories. He had left Covent Garden on the ground that he had not sufficiently frequent opportunities for appearing in legitimate comedy. The severe critic says, “Mr. Mathews shines particularly neither as an actor nor a mimic of actors; but his forte is a certain general tact and versatility of comic power. You would say he is a clever performer—you would guess he is a cleverer man. His talents are not pure, but mixed. ”

“ That play is sure to run."
Charles Mathews was originally an architect of considerable skill and promise. Although he did not go upon the stage until he was thirty, he became one of the most beloved of the public's favourites. Mathews was distinctly an actor of manners: it was beyond his range to portray emotion. Later on, Charles Wyndham, at one time in his career, had some of his attributes, and so, very strongly, had Kendal. Nowadays, the actor who at times recalls him to me in the delicacy and refinement of his comedy is Gerald du Maurier. ”

“ Mr. Mathews smiled. “I am afraid, Mr. Opp, that your opinion is overruled. Mr. Clark is a recognized authority, although,” he added significantly, “of course the most expert make mistakes at times.”
“That ain’t the point,” persisted Mr. Opp; “it’s the conflicting difference in what he said to me, and what he’s reported to them. He told me that he didn’t consider our prospects was worth [p285] a picayune, and if the wells were drilled, they probably wouldn’t run a year. I didn’t believe him then; but you say now that he is a expert and that he knows.”
Mr. Mathews’s tolerance seemed limitless. ”

“ It seems sufficient ‘doom’ for an honest English gentleman, who has met with a mishap, to be brought to a nobleman’s threshold and get foul treatment rather than welcome. Pray for me, Sir, an you will, there’s none so much deserves or needs it. Pray on!”
“Frewen!” beckons His Lordship, as he watches the ’ostlers rubbing down the restored Homing Nell, and confers with Mr. Biggs as to the plunder and the meting out of justice. “Frewen, gain the wretch’s confidence an you can, the whereabouts of all the gold and jewels he has stolen ”