CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 MUSIC 
 
Cornell University Library 
 ML 420.B41A3 
 
 Recollections and wanderlnas of Paul Bed 
 
 3 1924 022 419 810 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
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RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 OF 
 
 PAUL BEDFOED. 
 
 FACTS, NOT FANCIES. 
 
 LONDON : 
 ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, & ROUTLEDGE, 
 
 BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL ; 
 NEW TOEK: 129, GRAND STBEET, 
 
§{Hatj!tr 
 
 HIS PATRONS, 
 
 THE BEITISH PUBLIC. 
 
gissotiaks. 
 
 Edmund Kean. 
 
 SCHBOBDER DeTBIENT. 
 
 Incledon. 
 
 Miss Stevens. 
 
 Madame Thillon. 
 
 Lablaohe. 
 
 Webee. 
 
 Pkimce Lotjis Napoleon. 
 
 Tyeone Power, 
 
 Macready. 
 
 Lord Btron. 
 
 Sir John Stevenson. 
 
 Frederick. Yates. 
 
 Sims Eeeves. 
 
 J. L. Toole. 
 
 Edward "Wright, 
 
 Miss Woolgab. 
 
 Madame Gatalani. 
 
 Madame Malibban. 
 
 Braham. 
 
 Miss Baton. 
 
 Madame Albertazzi. 
 
 Balfb. 
 
 Horn. 
 
 Count D'Orsay. 
 
 Egbert Keeley. 
 
 Elliston. 
 
 Sib "Walter Soott. 
 
 Daniel O'Connell. 
 
 Benjamin "Wbesteb, 
 
 T. P. Cooke. 
 
 John Billinoton. 
 
 John Templbton. 
 
 Mes. Keeley. 
 
 Cum mullv< aliia. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In relating a few incidents and adventures 
 of my infantine, my manhood, and matured 
 career, I am vain enough to imagine it may 
 amuse my numerous friends and multitudinous 
 acquaintance, and may be the medium of 
 passing a weary half hour agi-eeably, either by 
 mil or boat. With this laconic prologue I 
 will commence my battle of life. 
 
RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 PAUL BEDFORD. 
 
 rpHE classical city of Bath is the spot of 
 my birth. I was a very chatty child, and 
 frequently made my little schoolmates laugh in 
 book-time, for which offence I was punished 
 by being put in the corner, decorated with a 
 fool's-cap on my head, which operation caused 
 great merriment among my young schoolmates. 
 Well, up I shot to my tenth birthday, when 
 my honoured father resolved to send me to a 
 boarding-school ; and, as a farewell treat, I was 
 taken to Lansdown fair, which is held in the 
 month of August annually. It was there I 
 first beheld the wonders of Kichardson's Show, 
 
2 EECOIXECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 and I believe it was then I imbibed my love of 
 the art dramatic that became my guiding 
 star in after-life. I should not have recorded 
 my visit to the rustic gathering, had it not 
 been to relate an incident that drew from 
 obscurity a recently deceased celebrity — John 
 Gully, Esq. Some of the most eminent pugi- 
 lists of bygone days were natives of the West 
 of England — the Belchers, the Game Chicken, 
 &c., &c., and one other one that shall be 
 noticed hereafter. In those days the fistic 
 art was regarded as a science, and patronised 
 by the great and wealthy of the land. There 
 always existed a jealousy between the cities of 
 Bristol and Bath as to the pre-eminence of 
 *^he heroes of pugilism, and it was always the 
 justom to test their respective qualifications by 
 a passage-at-arms, or a tournament pugilistic, 
 on the evening of the fair-day < before-men- 
 tioned. On that day, there was a trial of skill 
 between the Bath and Bristol champions. 
 
 The Bath man was called The Flying Tin- 
 man, a fine, well put together young fellow, 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 3 
 
 ranging from eleven to twelve stone. The 
 
 Bristol man was a monster of eighteen stone ; 
 
 his cognomen was Sixteen String Jack. The 
 
 ■combat took place, and in the course of twenty 
 
 minutes The Flying Tinman was polished off. 
 
 The shouts- of the Bristol men were terrific, 
 
 and the hero was carried round the riag in 
 
 triumph. After that ceremony, the brute 
 
 made a bouncing speech, saying, if there were 
 
 any more Bath squirts that wanted polishing 
 
 off, he was quite ready for a dozen of 'em, and 
 
 that he'd send 'em home to their mothers in his 
 
 <;art, for he was sure they wouldn't be able to 
 
 walk. Among the spectators were a father and 
 
 Ms two sons, as fine specimens of the human 
 
 form as eyes e'er gazed on. The father's name 
 
 was Gully, and his son John said, " Father, let 
 
 me have a set-to with that great brute." " No, 
 
 John," said his father, " suppose he should kill 
 
 thee, boy, 'twill be the death of thee dear 
 
 mother." "Never mind, father," said John, 
 
 " I shall know when I have got enough ; " and 
 
 with these words he threw his hat in the ring, 
 
 B 2 
 
4 RECOLLECTIONS AXD WANDERINGS 
 
 which betokens the acceptance of the chal- 
 lenge. When this fine young fellow stripped, 
 he was a model of the human anatomy. The 
 monster saw this comparatively fragile figure 
 before him, and the brute cried out in derision 
 to his man Jack "to get the cart ready, 'for in 
 ten minutes he^ should send this babby home 
 to his poor mother a crying." Well, the fight 
 began, and it resulted in the defeat of the 
 Bristol brute, who had to be carried to his 
 own cart, amidst the joyous shouts of the 
 people, who were bearing on their shoulders 
 young Gully round the ring in triumph. 
 
 The father of our hero was a country butcher 
 and innkeeper at the beautiful village of Wick, 
 seven miles from Bath. The fame of young 
 Gully in having defeated Sixteen String Jack, 
 the Bristol champion, soon reached the great 
 metropolis, and emissaries arrived with tempt- 
 ing offers to induce him to visit London, and 
 enter the prize ring. For a time all tempta- 
 tion was rejected, in deference to the feelings 
 of his parents. At last, however, he obtained 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOED. 5 
 
 permission to visit London, and his most bril- 
 liant achievements were in defeating the giant 
 Gregson twice. His straightforward and manly- 
 conduct obtained for him the patronage of the 
 highest of the land, by whom he was introduced 
 to another and much more agreeable ring — 
 I mean the race-course — and where, by his 
 honourable conduct, he became the most dis- 
 tinguished member of the Comer — commonly 
 called Tat's. He bought racers, he bred racers, 
 and truly ran the beautiful animals, whereby 
 he amassed a splendid fortune, ultimately be- 
 coming member of Parliament for Pomfret, in 
 Yorkshire ; and when he passed from among us, 
 he was sincerely regretted by aU classes who had 
 the pleasure of his friendship or acquaintance. 
 Having paid this tribute of respect to the 
 brave departed, I now return to myself. At 
 the age of fourteen I left school, and still 
 retaining my chatty qualifications, my father 
 determined on making me an auctioneer, and 
 I was placed with the distinguished firm of 
 English and Co., known as the George Eobins 
 
6 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 of the West of England. I adorned that 
 establishment four years. At that period 
 volunteering was all the rage. An officer 
 who had served his country with distinction 
 in the West Indies, being invalided, returned 
 to England, and took up his quarters in Bath, 
 for the purpose of profiting by the medicinal 
 qualities of its celebrated waters. The wearied 
 soldier soon recovered health, and became up- 
 right as a dart, and when on the eve of depar- 
 ture to rejoin his regiment in the West Indies, 
 an order was sent down from Government to 
 form a battalion of volunteers, and this ex- 
 rienced officer was appointed to the command. 
 
 When he, by his military skill, perfected the 
 corps in the use of arms, and they became the 
 admiration of all beholders, more particularly of 
 the fair part of creation, and I being somewhat 
 envious of this military adulation lavished on 
 the other lads of the village, I obtained the 
 parental consent, and joined the staff. In the 
 company to which I was attached, we had a 
 comrade who was an object of great laughter 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOED. 7 
 
 among us, lie being fully developed, canying 
 an immense bow window at the front part of 
 his person, and a corresponding development 
 at his rear ; and when our chief, with the drill- 
 sergeant, inspected the men, these obstacles to 
 the line of beauty presented themselves, and 
 as our officer passed in front, he'd lay his cane 
 gently on the obtruding figure of our full-blown 
 comrade, saying, " Dress back ! " The order 
 was obeyed, but the movement made his ana- 
 tomy more conspicuous to the military eye of 
 the commander as he passed down the line in 
 the rear, and again he gently placed his cane 
 upon the projection, saying, " Dress up ! " so 
 that our comrade was continually bobbing 
 backward and forward, to the great merriment 
 of the whole corps. 
 
 About that period, an event occurred that 
 put ^our military ardour to the test. In the 
 city of Bristol there is a bridge, that spans the 
 river Avon and connects the counties of Glouces- 
 tershire and Somersetshire. On the centre of 
 that structure the authorities had established a 
 
8 EECOLLECTIONS AND 'WANDERINGS 
 
 turnpike gate, which was the cause of great 
 discontent for years. At last it became alarm- 
 ingly serious, for it was the highway from the 
 Black country, where the coals come from, and 
 when the pike-toll was demanded, it so irritated 
 the purveyors of that useful domestic blessing, 
 that, ultimately, it produced an open rebellion 
 — a sort of Rebecca Riot. The rioters burnt 
 down the obnoxious gate, and committed other 
 enormities ; for be it understood, when the 
 children from the Black country once get their 
 monkeys up, they are not easily controlled ; and 
 the consequence was the military were called 
 out, behaving with great forbearance, and for 
 some days, by way of alarming the natives, 
 fired blank cartridge over their heads. How- 
 ever, matters became so serious, the soldiers 
 being pelted with volleys of stones, that the 
 general ordered a volley of the raw material 
 to be dispensed among them. This movement 
 caused a panic among the discontents, and a 
 somewhat comic incident occuiTed. One of 
 the poor fellows caught pepper, and as he was 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 9 
 
 hobbling away from the scene of action, he was 
 met by a reinforcement of country lads, hurry- 
 ing to the battle ground. He hailed 'em, and 
 warned 'em of the danger they were running 
 by going towards the bridge. 
 
 "Why, what's upl" said one of the new 
 comers. " They be only a firing o' paper." 
 
 " They have changed their minds," said the 
 wounded one. "I tell 'e they be a firing a 
 ball!" 
 
 "How do thee know they be a firing a 
 ball?" 
 
 "How do I know? Oh, I do know well 
 enough, for I ha' got one in my leg here 
 behind, and I be guane home for my Sally 
 to dig 'im out wi' a fork." 
 
 However, a few days after the above event, 
 affairs became still more serious, by the re- 
 ported uprising of the people in the coal 
 districts, so that the general commanding in 
 Bristol feared his military force would not 
 prove strong enough to oppose the threatened 
 invasion of the city by the country people. 
 
10 EECOLLECTIOJSrS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 Therefore an order arrived in Bath for the 
 assistance of the celebrated volunteer corps 
 of that city; and at four o'clock on a fine 
 summer's morn we were awakened by the 
 drums beating to arms, and at six we began 
 our march amidst the hurrahs of the people, 
 the band playing the martial air of " March to 
 the Battle Keld." We arrived at the village 
 of Keynsham, within five miles of Bristol, 
 where we halted to refresh. When the bugle 
 sounded to fall in, and we were about to start, 
 a dragoon came galloping in with a despatch 
 from the general of the district to our chief, 
 thanking him and the regiment for the prompt 
 manner they had obeyed the call to arms, but 
 in consequence of the country people returning 
 to their homes, he (the general) should not 
 require our martial assistance. The officers 
 held a parley, and it was resolved, that, having 
 turned out for a day's pleasure, we should 
 finish the campaign in rustic games — cricket, 
 trap-ball, &c., &c. ; and instead of firing balls of 
 destructioji upon the unruly, we were engaged 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 11 
 
 in the more pleasurable occupation of dispensing 
 the hails of recreation in the games above men- 
 tioned. We astonished the natives by devour- 
 ing all eatables and drinkables to be obtained 
 in the village ; and foraging parties were 
 despatched to neighbouring farms for fresh 
 supplies. Having enjoyed a most delightful 
 day, the bugle sounded to fall in, and as the 
 shades of evening closed in upon us, we en- 
 tered oui" native city, amidst the joyous shouts 
 of the populace, who assembled to welcome the 
 return of their boys from the battle field, the 
 band playing "See the Conquering Heroes 
 come." 
 
 The only military demonstration that re- 
 minded me of my early martial life was the 
 welcome given to the brave Guards on their 
 return from the Crimean War. By-the-by, I 
 forgot to mention that the brave boy, our com- 
 mander, who put us in such splendid military 
 form, was the honoured sire of my present 
 governor, Benjamin Webster.] 
 
 About that period I became a member of 
 
12 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 the celebrated amateur theatricals, and the fol- 
 lowing year I plunged into the regular profes- 
 sion of dramatic art. My first start was at 
 Swansea ; from thence I luxuriated at South- 
 ampton, Winchester, Chichester, and Ports- 
 mouth. The following season I was fortunate 
 in obtaining a position at Bath, as a member 
 of the Theatre Koyal. During my novitiate 
 at that establishment, an event occurred that 
 might have obliterated my dramatic prospects 
 for ever, had it not been for the kindness of 
 the individual concerned in my misfortune. It 
 runs thus : — My manager, with whom I was a 
 great favourite, called me to his room one 
 morning, and informed me that the celebrated 
 Edmund Kean was engaged, and would make 
 his appearance in "Richard the Third." I 
 said I should be delighted to see that wonder 
 of the world, and he (my manager) replied 
 by saying, "But, my dear,"' — he always called 
 me dear ; he was so very kind, — " we want you 
 to enact the Duke of Norfolk with that celebrity." 
 At first I refused, saying I could not undertake 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 13 
 
 a Shakespearean character. He then said he 
 would teach me the part, and would have a 
 splendid new dress made for me, and that the 
 ladies would admire me. That was enough, 
 and I was doomed. The opening night was 
 fixed, and " Richard the Third " appointed for 
 the first appearance of the coming star. 
 
 At that period we had not the advantage 
 of transit by railroad ; consequently, after the 
 performance was over at Drury Lane, our hero 
 posted off, arriving in Bath on the morrow 
 morning. He could not attend rehearsals, but 
 to obviate that difficulty, he always sent for- 
 ward his friend and secretary, Mr. John 
 Hughes, to arrange the stage business for 
 him. Therefore, I saw him not untU I met him 
 on the Battle Field of Bosworth; and when 
 the diamond eyes of that wondrous genius met 
 my view, I became terror-stricken and talked 
 anything but Shakespeare. 
 
 When Richard said on Bosworth battle-field, 
 Has any careful friend 
 Discover'd yet the number of the rebels ? 
 
14 KECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 Norfolk — ^My lord, as I from spies am well 
 informed, 
 Six or seven thousand is their utmost power. 
 Richard. — ^Why our battalia trebles that 
 account ; 
 Besides, the king's name is a tower of strength. 
 Which they upon the adverse faction want. 
 Norfolk. — ^Their wants are greater yet, my 
 lord, those e'en 
 Of motion, life, and spirit — ^Did you but know 
 How wretchedly their men disgrace the field ; 
 Oh, such a tattered host of mounted scare- 
 crows ! 
 So poor, so famished ; their executors. 
 The greedy jaxih daws, fly hovering o'er their 
 
 heads. 
 Impatient for their lean inheritance. 
 
 Now, for my misfortune. When I uttered 
 the words, " Jack Daws," the audience were 
 convulsed with laughter, in which mirth the 
 wondrous " Kichard " joined. I could not ima- 
 gine what caused this merriment, but was very 
 
OF PAUL BEBFOED. 15 
 
 soon illuminated on tlie point, for on quitting 
 the stage my patron manager came to me in 
 terroij saying, " My dear, you committed a 
 great error." " Why, so, sir ? " said I. " Why, 
 my, dear, you mistook the name of the bird. 
 It should have been the ' greedy crows.' " 
 " Oh, pray, sir, forgive me," said I, for my 
 alarm was so great at the moment, I knew not 
 what I said. " But, my dear," said my ma- 
 nager, " what will the great Mr. Kean say to 
 it 1 " I said, " I am sure I don't know. I 
 suppose I shall have my marching ticket 
 signed." When the tragedy ended amidst a 
 hurricane of applause, I rushed to my dress- 
 ing-room, and commenced changing my gar- 
 ments, hoping to escape from the theati-e 
 unnoticed ; but before I had completed my 
 toilet, a knock was heard at the door. " Who 
 is there ? " said my attendant. A voice from 
 without replied, by saying " Mr. Kean re- 
 quested Mr. Bedford would come to] his dress- 
 ing-room before he leaves the theatre." At 
 that summons I became nervously excited. 
 
16 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 I approached the dreaded chamber, under the 
 impression of instant dismissal But not so ; 
 for on entering the room and imploring for- 
 giveness for the mistake I had committed, the 
 kind and wondrous tragedian said, "Make no 
 apology, my young friend, for you made me 
 laugh more heartily than I have done for 
 years." He concluded by inviting me to dine 
 with him the following day, which event 
 commenced a friendship that ceased not dur- 
 ing the lifetime of that inspired dramatic 
 genius. 
 
 Whilst upon this subject, I will relate a 
 few vicissitudes concerning the great Kean, 
 not hitherto recorded, and which I have no 
 doubt will be read with great interest by all 
 lovers of the dramatic art. The following 
 incidents were imparted to me by his early 
 friend and companion, the before-mentioned 
 John Hughes. 
 
 Kean the Great was bom in London. His 
 aunt (Miss Tidswell) was an actress of some 
 standing, and was a member of the Drury 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 17 
 
 Lane company. In early life she adopted the 
 boy Edmund, and he was sometimes engaged 
 to represent children, such as "Cora's Babe," 
 in Pizarro, &c., &c. Time rolled on, and the 
 first mark he made as a boy lad was under the 
 distinguished management of the celebrated 
 Richardson, of Bartelmy Fair notoriety. After 
 some time matriculating with that prince of 
 showmen, he departed to the provinces, jour- 
 neying to Scotland and to Ireland, &c. ; and at 
 Cheltenham he wedded one of the fair daugh- 
 ters of the^Emerald Isle, who was also a member 
 of the company, and the issue of that union 
 resulted in the birth of two children — ^the first 
 died in infancy, the second is the world- 
 renowned Charles. 
 
 Well, after having made the tour theatric of 
 Erin, with varied success, he was engaged as 
 leading man at the Theatre Royal Exeter, 
 where my informant (John Hughes) was 
 engaged as low comedian, and it resulted 
 in establishing a friendship that existed till 
 Fate removed fi^m among us the inspired child 
 
18 EECOLLECTIOifS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 Edmund, who had, in lifetime, disseminated 
 the language of the world's wonder and' ad- 
 miration — the Bard of Avon. At the period 
 of my friend's (I may say, my theatrical 
 patron's) novitiate in the fair city of the West, 
 rumours reached the great metropolis of the 
 existence of a dramatic nugget, that might 
 resuscitate the decaying fortunes (if wisely 
 handled) of any theatrical establishment in 
 such a dilemma. About this period Drury 
 Lane was under a cloud of misfortune, that 
 threatened destruction to that temple of 
 dramatic art. It was at that time under 
 the management of the company of pro- 
 prietors, among whom were enrolled the names 
 of my Lord Byi-on, Mr. Whitbread, the eminent 
 brewer, &c., &c. The acting manager was 
 Mr. Samuel Arnold, the father of the present 
 respected proprietor of the Boyal Lyceum. 
 Rumour, with her hundi-ed tongues, penetrated 
 the walls of old Drury, like an electric spark, 
 touching the comet of the "West. Lord Byi'on 
 had the council assembled, and it was resolved 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 19 
 
 unanimously to despatch their acting manager 
 (Mr. Arnold) to Exeter, to judge of the merits 
 of this reported wonder. On the night of his 
 (Mr. Arnold's) arrival in Exeter, he visited the 
 theatre. It happened to be the benefit night 
 of our hero. The play was the Merchant of 
 Venice, and the pantomime of Mother Goose : 
 Shylock, in the play, and Harlequin, in the 
 pantomime, represented by the little wonder. 
 He had no idea that a metropolitan eye was 
 gazing upon him, or he might have felt 
 somewhat nervous. However, Mi*. Arnold 
 returned to town, and when he was questioned 
 by the committee as to the merits of the indi- 
 vidual, he replied by saying that if the Shylock 
 of the West was right, the Shylocks of the 
 Great Metropolis had been all wrong ; but he 
 urged the committee to obtain another opinion. 
 Lord Byron therefore solicited his college 
 superior, the celebrated Dr. Drury, of Har- 
 row, to journey to Exeter to witness a re- 
 presentation by the inspired marvel of dra- 
 matic art. Othello was the play on that night. 
 
 c 2 
 
20 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 The Doctor returned to London full of glowing 
 praise, and it resulted in the offer of an 
 engagement of eight pounds per week ; which 
 I need not say was accepted with joy by the 
 West country Shylock, who, after taking a 
 farewell benefit, journeyed to London, to abide 
 the fate that was either to make or mar him, 
 leaving Mrs. Kean and child in Devonshire to 
 await the result of his d^ut at Drury. It is 
 necessary to mention that his salary was not to 
 commence until he made his first appearance. 
 Day after day did he endeavour to obtain an 
 intemew with the stage-manager, who, by-the- 
 by, was a severe task-master, luxuriating in 
 the cognomen of Blustering Eaymond. The 
 haU porter was a fac svmile of the elegant 
 stage-manager, and when our young friend 
 used to be waiting in the haU, hoping to be 
 summoned into the managerial presence, the 
 porter would sing out in a rough tone, " Now, 
 you young 'un firom the country, with your 
 white coat, stand back, and make room for the 
 ladies and gentlemen to pass." Threp months 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOED. 21 
 
 of anxiety rolled on without any satisfactory 
 result, and the poor country actor's exchequer 
 became nearly exhausted. What was to be 
 done 1 About this period the celebrated Ellis- 
 ton became lessee of the Olympic Theatre, and 
 he (Elliston) hearing of this rustic Eoscius, 
 offered him a three years' engagement at eight, 
 nine, and ten pounds per week, and to make 
 his first appearance the following Monday. 
 This tempting proposal was eagerly accepted, 
 but again the poor player was doomed to disap- 
 pointment. The news having reached the con- 
 clave at Drury of this contemplated engagement 
 at the Olympic, they obtained an injunction to 
 prevent our hero acting at the Olympic or any 
 other establishment. In despair and mortifi- 
 cation he sought his friend Hughes, and urged 
 him to advance enough cash to take him back 
 to the country. Hughes replied by saying, 
 "No, dear Ned, you shall not leave London 
 until you have had your chance at Drury ; 
 and I will endeavour to facilitate that event 
 by calling on my Lord Byron, and solicit 
 
22 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 his interest on your behalf to obtain for 
 you a final interview with stage-manager 
 Raymond." The concession being obtained, 
 the day was appointed for the meet, in the 
 dreaded managerial chamber. The stage door 
 was approached with feelings of mingled hopes 
 and fears, and after waiting for the dreaded 
 signal more than an hour, our hero heard 
 a bejl ring twice, which denoted a preconcerted 
 telegram arranged by the brusque manager, 
 and understood by the amiable porter, for the 
 admission of the anxious stranger. 
 
 " Now," said the porter, " here you ; bundle 
 in, young 'un, and don't you be chaffing long, 
 for there's lots of ladies and gentlemen a 
 waiting their turn, by-the-by." 
 
 To the superiors of the establishment, this 
 elegant extract of a porter would rush and 
 open the entrance door for their ingress ; the 
 motive-power of that action being the remem- 
 brance of the annual spangle-guinea, usually 
 tipped on or about the festive day of Christmas. 
 
 Well, our stranger approached the dreaded 
 
OF PATJIi BEDFORD. 23 
 
 managerial chamber, and timidly knocking, a 
 Blue Beard voice replied by roaring out, 
 " Come in." The manager was seated at his 
 business table, and at the window of the 
 apartment was also seated a gentleman scan- 
 ning a newspaper. 
 
 "Well," said the manager, "you're a nice 
 young youth to enter into another engage- 
 ment with Elliston, knowing at the same time 
 you were under articles here." 
 
 "Well," said the nice young youth, "I 
 cannot live on air, therefore I embraced the 
 first offer that presented itself, to replenish my 
 long-exhausted exchequer." 
 
 " Well," said Mr. Manager, " we will appoint 
 your ddbut for next Monday. What have 
 you thought of to open with, eh?" said the 
 manager. 
 
 " Shylock," said the trembling actor. 
 
 " Shylock ! " repeated the manager, with a 
 derisive laugh. " Why, my good young man, 
 you had better put your head in a sack 
 and throw yourself in the Thames than run 
 
24 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 the risk of such a dangerous experiment as 
 perpetrating Shylock." 
 
 " Why so, sir ? " said the actor. 
 
 "Why so, sir?" replied the manager. "I 
 will tell you why so. The town has been 
 surfeited with Shylocks. The great John 
 Kemble tried it at Covent Garden, and it 
 failed to attract. Then the celebrated Mr. 
 Huddart and others experimented on it here, 
 and the result proved disastrous to the trea- 
 sury. Now, my good young man," said Mr. 
 Raymond, "if you will take my advice, you 
 will make your appearance in the character of 
 Octavian in ' The Mountaineers.' " 
 
 The good young man from the country 
 refused the advice of the manager, and bang- 
 ing his hand upon the table of this modern 
 Solomon, declared in the most emphatic tone 
 that it should be Shylock or nothing, and 
 immediately, with drooping spirits, left the 
 apartment ; but before he had quitted the 
 theatre he was summoned back to the late 
 vacated office, and the gentleman who, during 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 25 
 
 the parley with the manager, was seated in the 
 window, advanced, and said in the kindest 
 manner to the would-be Shylock, "My good 
 young man, after what you have heard from 
 Mr. Eaymond of the fates of the recently 
 bygone Shylocks — and remember the celebrated 
 John Kemble was one among the number — I 
 say, after that example before you, do you 
 feel fuU confidence in your powers to venture 
 an experiment that might be designated as a 
 dramatic forlorn hope ? " 
 
 The actor said, " Only give me the chance ; 
 I will rush to the breach." This, the last 
 sentence, was conclusive. The opening night 
 was appointed — the day came — and on the 
 morning of that day the rehearsal took place, 
 many of the leading actors being absent, in 
 consequence of their having so recently at- 
 tended the call^which resulted with little or no 
 effect from the efforts of the bygone Shylocks 
 of standard celebrity. 
 
 They, therefore, could not think of wasting 
 their morning by attending the repetition of 
 
26 RECOLLECTIONS AND WAiTDEKINGS 
 
 this Rustic Jemmy Green, and those who were 
 present looked with pitying eye upon the 
 dreaded demonstrator of the most noted ema- 
 nation of the Bard of Avon. However, 
 morning past, night came. The attached 
 friend Hughes attended our Shylock in his 
 dressing-room, until the strains of the orchestra 
 indicated the anxious moment was fast ap- 
 proaching. Hughes said, "Keep up, my dear 
 Ned." And Ned replied by saying, "This is 
 the night that either makes me or undoes me 
 quite." 
 
 Hughes departed, and took up his station in 
 the slips, where he could have an uninterrupted 
 view of the censors in the pit. It was the 
 custom at that period for the critics to occupy 
 the front rows near the oirchestra. Among 
 them was seated the celebrated critic Hazlitt 
 (the John Oxenford of our day), whose pen 
 was the dreaded instrument of all new as- 
 pirants. The house was scantily attended, the 
 greater portion of the audience being pitites. 
 Up went the curtain. The play commenced. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 27 
 
 Onr hero, on his entrance, -was greeted witli a 
 slight recognition of welcome. Nor did he 
 produce any visible effect until he uttered the 
 passage, " If you tickle us, do we not laugh ? 
 If you prick us, do we not bleed ? " &c., &c. 
 
 At the conclusion of that scene, the dreaded 
 children of the pit mounted their seats, waving 
 hats and handkerchiefs. Nor were they con- 
 tent until they had the Shylock three times 
 before the curtain. The success was an 
 accompUshed fact. Friend Hughes rushed 
 round to congratulate the hero, and was de- 
 lighted by seeing my Lord Byron in close 
 conversation with the rustic actor, expressing 
 his dehght at the representation he had that 
 night witnessed. 
 
 Well, the play proceeded, and when they 
 came to the celebrated Trial Scene, ia the 
 fourth act, such was the astounding effect 
 produced, that the audience, to compliment 
 the new comer, would not allow the fifth act 
 to be represented, as Shylock finished at the 
 end of the fourth. What a triumph, after all 
 
28 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 the great guns had failed, that this epitome 
 of human greatness, this miniature of rustic 
 artillery, should have taken all London by- 
 storm? 
 
 However, the result of that night restored 
 old Drury from bankruptcy and ruin to luxu- 
 riance and prosperity. As Hamlet says, " Look 
 upon this picture, and on this." And so with 
 our hero ; for on his anival at the theatre 
 on the following day, the before-mentioned 
 rude hall-porter jumped from his seat, rushed 
 at the door, and was about to open it, when 
 our Eoscius gently put his hand aside, say- 
 ing, "Pray do not trouble yourself; I am quite 
 perfect in this part. You have given me re- 
 hearsals enough." 
 
 Well, our yotmg friend next played Kichard, 
 Othello, &c., &c., and the advent of this little 
 wonder, this marvellous lump of genius, re- 
 sulted in toppling from their thrones the 
 Kembles, Siddons, Young, and all the nota- 
 bilities of that period. 
 
 At that time Mrs. Garrick, the widow of the 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 29 
 
 great David, resided at No. 5, Adelphi Terrace, 
 Strand. Lord Byron was a constant visitor of 
 this accomplished lady ; and one morning she 
 said to his Lordship, " I read that you have a 
 wonderful young man from the country, de- 
 lighting all beholders." 
 
 "We have, madam," replied his Lordship. 
 " I wish I could induce you to pay us a visit, 
 and judge for yourself." 
 
 "No, my Lord, no," said she. "I have 
 never visited a theatre since the departure of 
 my loved David ! " 
 
 WeU, however, after many solicitations from 
 his Lordship, — and it was not until the second 
 season of our Roscius, when he awaked the 
 world anew by his marvellous representation 
 of Richard the Third, — Mrs. Garrick consented 
 to visit the scene of her loved husband's tri- 
 umphs. That lady. Lord Byron, and a gentle- 
 man (my informant), were the occupants of 
 his Lordship's private box on the interesting 
 occasion. Mrs. Garrick made no particular re- 
 mark during the progress of the play. After 
 
30 RECOLLECTIONS AND WAifBEEINGS 
 
 the fall of the eurtain, amidst a whirlwind of 
 applause, — the Bichard summoned twice to 
 receive the gratulations of the public, — and 
 before the interesting trio vacated the box^ my 
 Lord Byron said, " Well, my dear Mrs. Garrick, 
 what is your opiaion of our new ' Richard ' 1 " 
 
 The interesting dear old lady burst into 
 tears, and said, " Oh, my Lord, it is my loved 
 David come to Hfe again ; " and she requested 
 that his Lordship would induce the Richard of 
 that night to visit the sorrowing widow of the 
 Richard of bygone days. 
 
 The visit was made, and on that interesting 
 occasion the dear old lady requested our hero's 
 acceptance of the jewels worn by her departed 
 David. And often have I seen those same 
 jewels adorn the breast of the "Richard" of 
 my time. 
 
 Some years after, when Lord Byron bid 
 adieu to his native land, and devoted his Hfe 
 and fortune to the Greeks (who had some 
 slight difference of opinion with the Turks), 
 he presented to his dramatic idol, his pet lion. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOED. SI 
 
 Nero — nui-sed and matured by his lordship 
 
 from its infancy, until it became as docile as a 
 
 lamb. During the frequent visits of our hero to 
 
 his Lordship, the magnificent beast was always 
 
 one of the party, and therefore was under 
 
 the control of the actor as it had been of the 
 
 lord — and frequently, on occasions of dinner 
 
 parties given in Clarges Street by the modem 
 
 Eroscius, he suihmoned this king of the woods 
 
 to the presence-chamber, creating great terror 
 
 among the assembled guests, some jumping on 
 
 chairs, others rushing in dismay from the room. 
 
 " Don't be alarmed, my friends," said the host ; 
 
 " come back, and you shall see a performance 
 
 that will astonish you ; " and after going 
 
 through all sorts of gambols rampant, the two 
 
 wonderful animals would roll upon the cai-pet, 
 
 to the surprise, terror, and amazement of the 
 
 beholders. The performance over, the noble 
 
 creature, at the master's signal, would retire to 
 
 his den as obediently as any pet dog of a lady's 
 
 boudoir. When the master left Clarges Street, 
 
 and was absent from town on a lengthened 
 
32 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 visit of provincial engagements, he sent his 
 pet out to nurse, under the fostering care of 
 Mr. Cross, of Exeter Change, who was the pro- 
 prietor of that academy for the education of the 
 four-footed children of the woods. Well, time 
 rolled on, when our tragedian was overwhelmed 
 by an aldermanic Coxonian tornado, to recover 
 from which visitation he was ordered by his 
 forensic doctors to breathe the air of the broad 
 Atlantic, and visit the then happy New country. 
 Upon his arrival there, the first visit of interest 
 he made was to the last resting-place of the 
 renowned tragedian, George Frederick Cooke, 
 and, finding the tomb tablet in a neglected and 
 dilapidated condition, he, to the honour of the 
 great departed, had erected over his I'emains 
 a handsome mausoleum indicating the spot 
 of the almost forgotten one. A somewhat 
 curious anecdote is associated with the recol- 
 lections of the departed George Frederick, who 
 was the idol of the children of the New country. 
 It happened on one occasion that he was invited 
 by his admiring friends to a testimonial banquet. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 33 
 
 given in his honour, at which ensemble he was 
 presented with a magnificent gold snuff-box, 
 as a memento of their admu-ation and esteem ; 
 but, unfortunately, it so happened that he 
 (George) had imbibed too freely of that in- 
 sinuating fluid that takes the reason prisoner ; 
 and having to demonstrate that night — the 
 play being "Kichard the Third," beginning 
 with the well-known and time-honoured phrase 
 of " Now is the winter of our discontent," — 
 he paused, hiccupped ; tried again, with the 
 same disastrous result ; and was then assailed 
 with a volley of hisses, and cries of " Off, off ! " 
 " Shame ! " Having stood that fire of disap- 
 probation, he staggered, after a pause, to the 
 foot-lights, resting on his sword, and waved- his 
 hand, pantomimically pleading for silence. It- 
 had the effect of restoring order ; he then der- 
 livered the following laconic but pithy sen- 
 tence, saying, " And is it thus I am rewarded,, 
 after braving the perils of the broad Atlantic 
 to come among you 'To hold as 'twere the 
 miiTor up to Nature,' and by so doing endea- 
 
34 EECOLLECTiaNS AND WANBEEINGS 
 
 TOur to enlighten you benighted children? 
 This you call gratitude 1 " and he finished his 
 rebuke by placing one wrist across the other, 
 saying, "'Look on this picture;"" and con- 
 cluded by roaring out, "TeU me, what have 
 you done with your family bracelets, you un- 
 grateful thieves?" All was over — he being 
 hooted and pelted off the stage. As perhaps 
 many of my readers may not understand the 
 meaning of the before-mentioned family braces- 
 lets, it may be daily illustrated by a stroll 
 along the classical precincts of Bow Street, 
 about three o'clock, P.M., where they will see, 
 emerging out of the swell beak's office, our 
 naughty children, decorated with the bracelets 
 before-mentioned, and politely elbowed into a 
 splendid chocolate-coloured carriage, the panels 
 of which are emblazoned with the letters 
 V. R., surmounted , by an illustration of the 
 regal crown, and attended by a posse of flun- 
 keys, dressed in blue. The wrist decorations 
 are called darbies among our stray sheep. 
 But to return to George Frederick, who, on the 
 
OF PAXIL BED-FOED. 35 
 
 day following his disastrous retreat, sent forth 
 in the papers a letter of apology, pleading for- 
 giveness. It had the desired effect, and to the 
 end he remained the admiiDed of all admirers. 
 Now to return to. the great Edmund, who 
 had completed his tour of the States with 
 marvellous success, accompanied, as his tra- 
 velling companion, secretary and friend, by a 
 gentleman named John Lee, weE known and 
 esteemed in theatrical circles; and Mr. Lee 
 remained the devoted friend of the great one 
 until the, cue was given for the finaJ. exit. 
 On the ajrival home,, the aldermanic fog having 
 evaporated, the re-appearance of the^ great one 
 was hailed by the admiring crowd with salvos 
 of applause and congratulations, and every un- 
 pleasant recollection of the civic tornado — as 
 Richard said that, night — "was in the deep 
 bosom of the ocean buried.!' Time rolled on 
 prosperously, but about the beginning of the 
 year '32. there were symptoms and indications 
 of declining healthy and he was advised by his 
 intimate friend and ardent admirer, the then 
 
 D 2 
 
36 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 c^ebrated surgeon, Cai-pue, to reside in the 
 country. About that period the Theatre Royal, 
 Eichmond, was to let, and Edmund became 
 tenant, residing in the dwelling-house adjoining 
 the theatre, where he occasionally acted amidst 
 his regularly engaged company. 
 
 He also performed in town three nights a 
 week, at fifty guineas for every representation. 
 And to prove the kind forgiving nature of the 
 great one towards his blundering Bath boy (of 
 jackdaw celebrity), I will relate an event that 
 will speak volumes as to his kindness and con- 
 sideration. His early friend Hughes and my- 
 self took a joint benefit at Drury Lane, and 
 Hughes journeyed to Richmond to ask the great 
 one if he would demonstrate on the occasion. 
 The answer was — with pleasure. The night 
 was appointed. The play was the Merchant 
 of Venice. Hovise crammed. The next day 
 Hughes visited Richmond, with fifty guineas 
 in his purse ; and on his presenting the coin to 
 Shylock, with our united thanks, he said, " Put 
 up thy purse, John, and I will prove to the 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 87 
 
 world that avarice is not the guiding star of all 
 the children of Israel. No, John, tell Jack- 
 daw Paul it was a labour of friendship and 
 affection, not to be obliterated by the accept- 
 ance of filthy lucre." 
 
 During his residence at Richmond, nothing 
 gave him more pleasure than a visit from his 
 select ones. I remember, on one occasion, the 
 party assembled were Surgeon Cai-pue, Andrew 
 Ducrow, John Cooper, G. Stansbuiy, Lee, 
 Hughes, Mrs. Glover, and the jackdaw Boy, 
 (myself). In the course of the evening, Mrs. 
 Glover said, " Now, Edmund, give us a treat by 
 repeating to us the Litany, and the Lord's 
 Prayer. I shall never forget the impression 
 it made on me, when I first heard you read it, 
 Edmund." He consented ; and had the de- 
 livery of those sacred words been heard by our 
 ecclesiastical brethren, it would have proved to 
 them a lesson on elocution beyond all price. Be 
 it understood this occuiTed on a Sunday evening, 
 therefore that event will demonstrate to the 
 world, more particularly to the strait-laced 
 
38 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 portion 'of ihe creation, that we are not the 
 thoughtless children they consider us to he. 
 
 The last appearance of our modem RosciTas 
 was at GoT:ent Garden in Othello., his son iCharles 
 sustaining the part of lago. On arri\iEg at the 
 third act, he (the father) became faint, and 
 swooned away in the arms of his son. On that 
 day I dined in the company of my friend 
 James Prescott Warde. A messenger hurried 
 in from Covent Garden, announced the sad in- 
 teEigence, and summoned my friend Warde to 
 the theatre to finish the part. On that sad 
 occasion all was consternation; and the de- 
 parting one was removed for the night to an 
 hotel in the neighbourhood, and the next day 
 taken to Eichmond, where he lingered for a 
 short time, and then departed for that "bourne 
 whence no traveller returns." Before the 
 funeral obsequies took place, his lamenting 
 friend, Surgecai Carpue, and others 'of 'his scien- 
 tific class, held'.a post^Daortem examination on 
 the dear depaxted. I was invited by my asso- 
 ciate, John Lee, to take a last look at our 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOEB. 39 
 
 lamented one ; and, before the arrival of the 
 learned ones of anatomy, I was taken to the 
 chamber of sorrow. Stretched on his humble 
 couch, lay the remains of the world's admira- 
 tion — ^the body being ungarmented, awaiting 
 the operation of the skilful surgical knife. On 
 looking upon the remains of the dear departed, 
 I observed on the left knee a large blackened 
 bruise. Inquuing of my friend Lee the cause 
 of that blemish, he said, that having attended 
 the bedside of the suffering one for many 
 an anxious night, and, being, on one occasion, 
 overcome by sleep, he was awakened by hearing 
 him utter the well-known passage from the 
 tent scene in Richard, " A horse ! a horse ! — 
 my kingdom for a horse ! " and at that moment, 
 he sprang from off the couch, falling on his knee, 
 which produced the discolouration of the limb. 
 That event occurred about two hours before 
 the final moment. It was the farewell dream 
 of his earthly greatness. 
 
 Mr. Carpue and his sdiBntifie friends having 
 arrive^, they commenced the post-mortem ope- 
 
40 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 ration ; and, when I heard the anatomical saw 
 applied to the skull of the departed, I felt 
 a sensation of faintness. I withdrew to the 
 door. I listened, but looked not. In a short 
 time after the grinding sound of the dissecting 
 saw had ceased, I heard Mr. Carpus demon- 
 strating to his friends on the wondrous appear- 
 ance of the brain, saying, that " in the whole 
 career of his professional life he never wit- 
 nessed such a development of brain as that 
 which now presented itself. In fact, gentlemen, 
 my dear departed friend exhibits functions of 
 long life beyond any subject of my experience. 
 In truth I may say, the talented deceased 
 was his own executioner, by destroying the 
 functions of digestion. He, therefore, gentle- 
 men, died of starvation." And so it was ; for 
 he could not retain an ounce of nutritious food 
 administered to him for the last three or four 
 weeks of his earthly career. 
 
 The funeral day arrived — and such a day of 
 sorrow exhibited by the moui'ning throng con- 
 gregated from all parts of our country, was a 
 
OF PAXIL BEDFORD. 41 
 
 sight never to be forgotten. The beautiful 
 Green of Richmond, across which the funeral 
 cortege passed, looked like a splendid carpet 
 studded with black. Boats from London, bearing 
 admirers decorated in deepest mourning, re- 
 minded the beholder of huge black beetles 
 floating on the water. Mansions with close 
 drawn down blinds ; aU business suspended ; 
 and every demonstration of mourning dis- 
 played towards one who left not his parallel 
 behind. 
 
 Now again to myself, about the termination 
 of my novitiate at Bath. 
 
 The celebrated Henry Harris, Esq., proprietor 
 of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, obtained 
 a patent for the erection of a new theatre in 
 the city of Dublin; he therefore dispatched to 
 Bath his stage manager (Mr. John Fawcett), 
 to cull from the then existing celebrated com- 
 pany reci'uits for his new establishment in 
 Dublin. About twenty were enlisted in the 
 cause, myself among the number, and the 
 other children of dramatic fame included : 
 
42 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 Warde, tragedian ; Conway, ditto ; Stansbury, 
 Alexander Lee, gentlemen ; Green, Miss Jar- 
 man, the funny Mrs. Humby, Ac, &e., fee; -and 
 the result of that migration displayed itself by 
 the decline of the Bath nursery of art 
 dramatic, from which visitation it has never 
 yet recovered. Away we sped, and during the 
 erection of the new theatre in Dublin, there 
 was fitted up a temporary establishment in the 
 Rotunda Rooms. 
 
 On the morning after my arrival in the 
 beauteous city, I was with a friend crossing 
 Carlisle Bridge ; we halted — ^my friend pointing 
 out to me that splendid street of SackviUe, and 
 on turning to the right, looking towards the 
 beautiful Custom-House building, we observed 
 a crowd of both sexes lamenting over a fallen 
 brother; he was a six-foot coal porter — a 
 fine specimen of the human family ; and at that 
 meet I imbibed the first flash of the wit and 
 humour displayed by the children of Erin. 
 Women were crying over hisfprosteate form, and 
 saying, " Sure we'U never hear the dear Mick 
 
OF -PAtrX BEDFOKD, 4.S 
 
 sing 'MoEy Malone'smy moire." At that moment 
 up came another of the craft, crying out, 
 " S'blood, what's the matter 1 " " Oh, sore— oh 
 sure," said the women, "the poor boy Mick's 
 dead." The newly arrived one went on his 
 knees, and then, taking hold of Mick's nose 
 and chin, expanding the aperture, and sniff- 
 ing to catch an odour therefrom, he sung out, 
 "And is it dead you mean? Oh, sure, if my 
 poor Mick's dead I'd Hke to be troubled with 
 half his complaint." (Mick was brim full of 
 whiskey). 
 
 Some time after, I was taken by my friend 
 to the Four Courts, and on entering that 
 forensic building I heard the tone of a magnifi- 
 cent voice addressing the jury. "Who is that 
 speaker ? " said I. " It is our leading counsel," 
 rephed my friend, "the great Daniel O'Con- 
 neU." We entered. The presiding judge was 
 the facetious Lord Norbury, and the particular 
 trial on at that moment was betweem two 
 builders. The plamtrff's name was Magnire, 
 the defendant's cognomen being Macaxthy. 
 
44 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 Daniel was advocate for defendant, and when 
 we entered he was pleading the cause of his 
 client most eloquently. The plaintiff sued for 
 damages from defendant because he, Maguire, 
 fancied Macarthy had encroached on his land. 
 They were simultaneously erecting two dwell- 
 ings adjoining each other. Daniel, addressing his 
 lordship, said, "Is it not a melancholy sight,, 
 my lord, to behold these two men, who at the 
 beginning of manhood life were staunch friends ? 
 They are, my lord, and gentlemen of the jury, 
 architects of their ovm fortunes, but the curse 
 of riches severs early friendship. Many a bright 
 morning have these two met on Carlisle Bridge, 
 and enjoyed together their humble breakfasts, 
 consisting of potatoes and buttermilk, and on 
 parting shook the hand of brotherhood and 
 bade each other good-bye ; but Mammon obli- 
 terates the remembrance of early days of 
 friendship. Now, my lord," said Daniel, "I 
 will ask the plaintiff a question, and I expect a 
 direct and positive answer. Is it true, Mr. 
 Maguire, that instead of enjoying your humble 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOKD. 45 
 
 breakfast of buttermilk,. you are now become 
 so elegant a man that you drink cream in your 
 tea?" 
 
 The plaintiff looked daggers at the counsel, 
 and muttered an indistinct answer between 
 his teeth. 
 
 " My lord, and gentlemen of the jury," said 
 the learned counsel, " this may appear to you a 
 frivolous question, but it's important to my 
 client that I should get a distinct reply." 
 
 " Put the question again, my learned brother," 
 said his lordship. 
 
 He did so, but with the same result ; upon 
 which his lordship, addressing the plaintiff, 
 said, " Unless you give a distinct and audible 
 answer to the question, I shall commit you to 
 prison for contempt of Court. Repeat the 
 question, my learned brother." 
 
 "Is it true," said the great Daniel to the 
 plaintiff — " I ask you for the third and last time 
 — ^that you are become so elegant a gentleman, 
 that you drink cream in your tea — is it so, 
 sir?" 
 
46 EECOLLECTIOirS AND WAOTJEEINGS 
 
 " Ax my eye, Mr. O'GonneiV roared out 
 plaintiff;- "did ye hear me that tima? I told 
 you twice before." 
 
 His lordship and the court were convulsed 
 with laughter.. It. resulted in a verdict for 
 defendant, who requested leave to thank his 
 counsel in open court, saying,. "Long life and 
 happiness to you, Mr. O'Connell;" and then 
 adding this benediction on him, " May every 
 hair upon your forensic wig turn to- a mould 
 candle, to hght your sowl to eternal glory." 
 
 This was about the period of the visit of his 
 Majesty George the Fourth to Ireland. All 
 was joy and merriment ; and at a party to 
 celebrate the occasion, given by a lady who led 
 the ton, by name Magan, there was seated on 
 her right hand at the supper-table the only son 
 of the great Sir Walter Scott,, and who was a 
 captain in a dragoon regiment, stationed at 
 Dublin. In the course of conversation MrSi 
 Magan remarked to the captain that it was a 
 great day for Ireland, this visit of the king's ; 
 but, she added, "I would rather be your 
 
OP PAUL BEDiFOED. 47 
 
 koaoured father than the king of the uni- 
 verse." 
 
 " Why so, madam 1 " said the captain-. 
 
 " Why so 1 Because when all the kings of the 
 earth ai-e gone and forgsotten, your wondrous 
 father's works will be remembered to the end 
 of time." 
 
 " Yes, my dear madam," said the captain j 
 " I am told they are very clever, but I never 
 read them." 
 
 " Never read them ! " said the lady. " I'm 
 astonished. Then I'll teU you what to do, 
 captain., To-morrow morning, after drill, you 
 begin at the beginning, and embrace every 
 opportunity of perusing them until you come to 
 the end; and by so doing, you will become a 
 wiser man and brighter soldier." A home- 
 thrust, that, for the noble captain ; and Httle 
 did I imagiae at that time that it would ever 
 have been my good fortune to see, and to 
 shake the hand of, the admired of the world' — 
 the sire of the crestfallen soldier ; but by-and- 
 by you shall know how that came about. 
 
48 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 My Dublin existence was to me a new life. 
 I felt as if I had been newly born. I had hosts 
 of friends, and multitudinous acquaintance — 
 the Morrisons, the Greshams, and among my 
 noble patrons were his Grace the Duke of 
 Leinster, my Lord Viscount Combermere, the 
 then Lord Lieutenant, Lord Talbot, &c., &c. My 
 musical patron was Sir John Stevenson, by 
 whom I and my young friends, Stansbury, 
 Alexander Lee, and Pat MacKeon, were intro- 
 duced as honoraiy visitors to the celebrated 
 Beef-Steak Club, its members being the great 
 and noble of the land. It was at one of these 
 reunions, the Lord Lieutenant presiding, that I 
 heard little Tom Moore breathe foi-th two of 
 his beautiful melodies. "Oft in the Stilly 
 Night" was one, and "Does not a Meeting 
 like this make Amends ? " was the other ; and 
 certainly, without possessing a voice of much 
 power, he rendered his inspirations with more 
 sympathy and effect than the finest singer I 
 ever heard. This was at the period of the 
 king's visit, when the poet issued forth his 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 49 
 
 celebrated "Twopenny Post Bag." At that 
 time joy reigned triumphaiit, and each one 
 tried to outvie his fellow by displays of 
 hospitality. At a reception given by the Kev. 
 Mr. Maturin (the author of the tragedy of 
 "Bertram," "Melmoth the Wanderer," " Albi- 
 gensis," &c., &c., &c.), a concei-t, in the 
 drawing-room, was given to commence the 
 evening's pleasure ; Mrs. Maturin, a most 
 accomplished pianist, and very delightful vo- 
 calist, presiding on the occasion. The concert 
 over, we were summoned to the supper-room. 
 On my right was seated my musical friend, 
 Alexander Lee ; and he having been reared 
 and educated by the celebrated Lord Barryinore, 
 imbibed notions of table etiquette not generally 
 observed in crowded assemblies. Having par- 
 taken of the first dish he called the footman, 
 who was a funny fellow, and he said, " Will you 
 change my plate and knife and fork?" The 
 footman whispered in my friend's ear, saying, 
 " Has your honour finished your meal 1 " " No," 
 was the reply. " Then, sir," said the attendant 
 
50 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 " unless yoTi complete the qperatioa with the 
 instraments you have before ye, in all human 
 probability you'll retire to bed hungry:." My 
 friend followed the advioe given, -and completed 
 a very satisfactory meal. 
 
 Soon after that event;, we were all invited to 
 a soiree musicale, given at the residence of 
 Daniel O 'Connelly in Merrion Square — one 'of 
 our party .being Patrick MacKeon, who sang 
 lite an angel. The wife of Patrick was a 
 prudent, economical woman. It was the fashion 
 of that time for young swells to decorate them- 
 selves in light pantaloons, buttoned at the 
 ankles ; and, for evening dress, black pants, 
 white silk hose, polished shoes sunnounted 
 by a -large bunch of broad black ribbon. On 
 looking over the wardrobe of my firieaid Patrick, 
 Mrs. MacKeon discovered that hesr dear boy 
 was minus the black pants. What was to be 
 done 1 The prudent wife said, " It's not worth 
 while to go to the expense of a new pair for 
 one night, so I know what I'll do ; I'll have a 
 pair of your light ones dyed, and they wiU 
 
OF VJlXTL BEDFORD. 51 
 
 serve for the occasion." The process of the dye- 
 pot having been completed, the night arrived 
 for the ensemhh in Merrion Square. We 
 decorated ourselves in our best, and looked as 
 gay as larks. It was a very crowded gathering, 
 and the weather suffocating. Well, after en- 
 joying a most delightful meet of song and 
 dance, we retired to our respective locations, to 
 sleep and dream of the pleasures of the past. 
 It being twilight about the time we reached 
 our homes, a curious incident was observ- 
 able in the homestead of our musical friend 
 MacKeon, he having disrobed himself, and, 
 with one limb on the matrimonial couch, was in 
 the act of resigning himself to repose, when 
 the prudent and economic wife opened her eyes, 
 and viewing the darkened hmb, rendered more 
 observable by the rays of the rising sun 
 peeping through tbe shutters, exclaimed, " Pat, 
 dear, you are not coming to bed in your panta- 
 loons : take them off." 
 
 The experiment of having white dyed 
 black turned out a complete failure. At that 
 
 E 2 
 
52 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 period the dyers had not arrived at the secret 
 
 of fixing colours, and in consequence of the 
 
 crowded state of the apartments at the 
 
 O'Connell gathering, the atmosphere became 
 It 
 intense, and was the innocent cause of the 
 
 discolouration of my friend's lower limbs. 
 
 In the year 1823 the celebrated Madame 
 Catalani commenced her farewell concert tour, 
 previous to her final retirement from public 
 life, and on her visit to Dublin, she was so 
 pleased with the vocalisation of this child 
 (Paul), that she obtained a C07ig4 of four 
 months from the head of the firm, that I 
 might accompany her to Scotland ; and on that 
 very interesting occasion, we began in Glas- 
 gow, then to Perth, Aberdeen, Dundee, and 
 finishing the Scotland tour in the beautiful 
 city of Edinburgh. Here we remained six 
 weeks, giving three concerts per week to 
 crowded audiences, at one guinea a ticket. 
 The leader of the band was a resident pro- 
 fessor, by name Yanawich. The year before 
 this period, his Majesty George IV. visited his 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 53 
 
 Scottish capital. Why I mention that event 
 is, to thoroughly understand the following 
 anecdote. In the course of the first act of the 
 concert, I had to appear twice. On the first 
 occasion it was to sing part of a duet with the 
 vocal wonder of the world, Catalani, beneath 
 whose fostering wings I first made my bow to 
 the children of the northern metropolis. On the 
 second occasion I entered the orchestra alone, 
 to breathe forth a beautiful song by Dr. Call- 
 cott, entitled "Angel of Life;" the symphony 
 to which composition being rather lengthy, 
 I ventured to cast my eye around the vast 
 assembly, and was astonished to see men 
 decorated in red coats mingling among the 
 company, and conversing familiarly with the 
 ladies. It struck me with surprise to see the 
 fair creatures parleying with what I imagined 
 to be the beadles of the parish, and what 
 brought the movement more vividly to my 
 recollection was, that a few weeks before, I 
 heard the crier at Aberdeen, similarly deco- 
 rated, hold forth at the sound of his bell. 
 
54i EECOLLECTIONS. AND WAUDEEIKGS 
 
 procladmiiig a reward for the recovery of a stray 
 babe. On the conclusion of the first part of the 
 concert, we withdrew to the retiring room, and 
 there I. expressed to my friend Yanawich my 
 wonder and amazement at seeing the beadles 
 chatting so familiarly with the liadies* 
 
 " Beadles !" said my astonished friend ; " why, 
 my dear Paul, you are mistaken. They are 
 the great ones of the land — the; gentlemen of 
 the Caledonian hunt." At that moment some 
 of them entered to address their compliments 
 and congratulations to la belle Madame, and 
 her husband Monsieur Yallabruegue. At the 
 other end of the room I perceived Mr. Yanawich 
 and one of the gentlemen in red, in close con- 
 versation> and I imagined my friend the leader 
 was jocosely imparting to him the error I had! 
 committed in supposing they were beadles. 
 
 I was about retiring fi-om their presence, 
 when my friend Yanawich advanced, saying, 
 "Paul, I wish to have the pleasure of intro- 
 ducing you to Sir Malcolm " — I forget, his sur- 
 name — ^he was one of the gentlemen in red. 
 
©I -TAm^ BEDFORD. 55 
 
 Welli after a brief conversation, I was about to 
 retire, when Six Malcolm said, 
 
 " I bope yoii'U not be offended, Mr. Bedford,, 
 at the observation I am. about to make, but 
 when you first appeared to-night, all my 
 friends were, struck with the wondrous like- 
 ness you are of his Majesty the king." 
 
 I said, " Yes, Sir Malcolm, I have often heard 
 that remarked, and feel highly flattered." 
 
 He then said, " WiU you forgive me if I ask 
 you a very delicate question ? " 
 
 " Certaialy, sir," said I ; "pray what is it ?" 
 
 "Then, Mr. Bedford," said the Baronet, "I 
 have been told that you are a stripling of that 
 royal stock."' 
 
 I quietly enjoyed the idea, and to keep up 
 the delusion, replied by saying, 
 
 " Now, Sir Malcolm, can you keep a secret if 
 I impart, one 1 " 
 
 " Certainly," said the Baronet. 
 
 " Then, Sir Malcolm, I confess to you that I 
 am an offshoot of that royal oak."" 
 
 At that moment the second part of the- 
 
56 EECOLLECTIONS AKD WANDERINGS 
 
 concert was about to begin, and the Baronet, 
 after shaking my royal hand, retired amid the 
 gay throng, and when I appeared in the 
 orchestra, all eyes and glasses were levelled at 
 me, which demonstrated evident proof that 
 the Baronet had not divulged my secret to 
 any one, but to a great many. Well, on 
 the morrow, which I consider one of the 
 proudest days of my life, I enjoyed the never- 
 to-be-forgotten honour of an introduction to 
 the world's renowned bard. Sir Walter Scott, 
 who was an ardent admirer of the gifted 
 daughter of song, Catalani. Sir Walter on 
 this and many other visits was accompanied by 
 James BaUantyne, the eminent printer, and he 
 (Sir Walter) requested James to show me — 
 the wandering boy — ^the wonders of the beau- 
 tiful city, at which I was entranced. The 
 first admired object that struck my view was 
 the Castle. He afterwards conveyed me to Par- 
 liament House, in which the Court of Session 
 is held, where I saw Sir Walter in his 
 robes of law. On the ever-to-be-remembered 
 
OF, PAUL BEDFOBD. 57 
 
 occasions, wlien I had the honour to enjoy the 
 society, and to shake the hand of this modest 
 great one, and at every honoured meet, my 
 thoughts reverted to the proud, foolish soldier 
 in Dublin, who ought to have gloried in 
 being the offspring of so much greatness and 
 goodness, and to have decorated his martial 
 breast with the miniature of his renowned sire, 
 as a badge of honour. In after years, on visit- 
 ing Edinburgh, the first object of my adora- 
 tion was to take a view of the magnificent 
 memento erected to perpetuate the memoiy 
 of the great departed Walter. There he sits, a 
 /(XC simile of the benign and benevolent coun- 
 tenance that I have gazed on with wonder and 
 admiration in his lifetime. There is a curious 
 but melancholy anecdote connected with the fate 
 of the uncultivated bairn who erected the Scott 
 Memorial, and who must have been possessed 
 of an inspiration of architectural beauty. 
 
 There was a prize of five hundred guineas 
 offered by the projectors for the accepted plan, 
 and it fell to the lot of a mechanic architect. 
 
58 EECOLLECTIOiN'S AM» WANDERINGS 
 
 who became so overpoweredi with joy an(J 
 amazemeitfc at his unexpected good fortcmej 
 that, in the confusion of his glory, he imbibed 
 habits ^ of luxuriating too extensively in his 
 relish for the insinuating native, fluid,, and the 
 melancholy result of the indulgence was the 
 drowning of that gifted one before the ceremony 
 of inauguratiag the. laying of the foundation 
 stone. 
 
 The inspired architect was by trade a journey- 
 man wheelwright. Why not copy that gifted 
 creature's design, and erect it in- the centre of 
 Trafalgar Square, and devote its. architectural 
 beauty to the memory of our own great 
 dramatist — William Shakespeare? Or, how 
 beautifully would it adoi*n the plateau in Hyde 
 Park, where stood the exhibition of 1851 ; if 
 dedicated to the memory of its great projector, 
 the ever-to-be-lamented Prinee Albert, in that 
 position admiring millions could gaze upon it.; 
 whereas now the memento to his memory is 
 erected in a melancholy and secluded spot at 
 South KensingtoDi 
 
OW PiLUX, BEDPQBDt, 39' 
 
 The ScQttisB tour having temiiiiated, I re- 
 tunned to my dramatic du,ties in Eublim, and 
 the following year obtained from) my manager 
 another four months' leave, and rejoined mj 
 musical patroness; Finally, bidding her adieu 
 at Liverpool, I again returned to Dublin, and 
 my kind benefactress retu-ed with her family 
 ta her beamtifal chateau near Florence, where 
 she reposed fuU of honours and happiness for 
 years. But the sad event that removed this 
 amiable lady from among the human family 
 was universally regretted by all nations. The 
 melancholy tale runs thus : — In the jekx 184i8, 
 when time was out of joint, and revolutions 
 were rife throughout Europe, Florence did not, 
 escape the^ conAagion ;■ and the wretches, in their 
 mad fury, stormed the; chateau of that benevo- 
 lent lady and then sorrowing widow, who in 
 her terror fled ta- Paris, seeking the protection 
 and consolation of her beloved son. Captain Paul 
 VallabruBgue, then holding a commission in 
 the' army of Louis Philippe, and who, on the 
 restoration^ of the empire, was appointed aide- 
 
60 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 de-camp to the emperor, Louis Napoleon. At 
 the period of the distracted mother's arrival in 
 Paris the cholera was raging furiously, carrying 
 off old and young. Our dear, matured, loved one 
 did not escape the fury of the contagion, and 
 fell its victim. What a sad and melancholy 
 end of one so admired, whose only earthly 
 happiness was in dispensing her, benevolence' to 
 those in distress ! Angelica she was by name, 
 and angel by nature. 
 
 WeU, during my musical tours, I had many 
 tempting offers from the manager of Drury 
 Lane ; but, being so fascinated with my Dublin 
 society, I refused all offers to leave the darlings. 
 But at the end of 1824, I received an invi- 
 tation, through that great composer, Henry 
 Bishop, to join the forces at Old Drury — 
 Ml'. Bishop pointing out the great advantage 
 I should have in demonstrating in the opera of 
 "Der Frieschiitz." The engagement satisfac- 
 torily arranged, I made my first bow to my 
 future patrons as Hawthorn in the opera of 
 " Love in a Village." I, like a green one. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 61 
 
 fancied that I had taken the town by storm. 
 However, when I made the engagement, I was 
 under the impression that I should have to 
 represent Caspar in the celebrated opera of 
 " Der Frieschiitz :" but I was disappointed, for 
 through the chicanery of Tom Cooke and 
 Charles Horn, the wandering boy, Paul, was 
 " done brown," as we say in the classics ; Horn 
 being cast for Caspar, and poor me for the 
 Head Ranger. At this conduct I was disgusted, 
 and wanted to range back again to my Dublin 
 boys. But, no ; they, the Drury lads, had hold 
 of me too tight. However, I soon had my 
 revenge ; for after a few weeks' representation, 
 one fine morning Sir Nicholas Borrowbody, 
 alias a sheriff's officer, called^ on my friend 
 Caspar, inviting him to take a promenade to 
 the forensic locality of Chancery Lane. 
 
 At that period, the children of misfortune 
 were lodged and boarded at an establishment 
 called a "sponging house," where, believe me, 
 jou did not eat, drink, or sleep for a trifle. I 
 have recently read frequent letters complaining 
 
62 RECOLLECTIONS ASTO WJUSDEEINGS 
 
 of excessive swell-hotel -eharges, bwt tbey are 
 tiifling compared to the cormorants of the 
 " sponging shop." But by the advancement of 
 edncation, the gentlemen of the law are grown 
 more polite;; for, instead of walking you off at 
 a minute's notice, they very kindly send you 
 a reminder, giving the recipient an opportunity 
 of squaring the beadle before the arrival of the 
 day for judgment. I should like to know what 
 greater surprise the fashionable ^irit-rapper 
 of the present day can feel, compared with the 
 raps on the left shoulder, surprising the un- 
 fortunates of by-gone days. By-the-by, being 
 on the subject of law reminds one of ;an anec- 
 dote told of Peter the Great, when he came 
 to this countiy to perfect himself in the noble 
 art of ship-building. He was toiling at his avo- 
 cations one fine day at Deptford, when he 
 observed a body-snatcber about to walk off with 
 one of his mates. " Hollo," said Peter, " what's 
 up ? " " I'm boned," said his mate. " Boned-^ 
 what's 3'our game ? " said Peter. The mate 
 replied, saying, " I've got an invitation to visit 
 
OF PAUl BEDFOiEB. 63 
 
 a lawyBT up in London, and if it don't turn out 
 agreeable ito that geaastleman, I shall be kim- 
 bered and sent to quod." "Oh! oh!" said 
 Peter, "liave you got many of these ikind 
 crefatures in your country 1" " Hundreds of 
 them," said the mate. " Oh ! have you ? " 
 replied Peter. "I ihave only got one in my 
 kingdom, and when I go hads; I'll hang him ; by 
 so doing, I shaJl effectually stop the growth of 
 such worthies." 
 
 Duiing vaf sojourn ait Edinburgh, anafropos 
 anecdote was told me by a very facetious mem- 
 ber of the law, yclept there, writer of the signet ; 
 it runs thus : 
 
 "The hospitable lawyer had invited a com- 
 mercial gentleman from London to dine with 
 him on the following Simday, but on the Satur- 
 day previous to his appointed day of feeding, the 
 commercial called on his kind inviter, begging 
 to be excused coming on the mon-ow, as he had 
 melancholy intelligence from town, jiecessitating 
 his immediaite return. " I hope no family mis- 
 fortune calls you back ? " said the lawyer. 
 
64 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 " No ! " replied the commercial, " it's the loss 
 of a near and dear friend of mine, an eminent 
 solicitor, and, unless I leave to-day, I ' shall be 
 too late to attend the funeral obsequies of the 
 lamented departed." The Scotch forensic child 
 was struck with wonder and amazement. 
 " What ? " said he, " do you buiy your lawyers 
 in England ? " " Of course we do," replied the 
 commercial ; " do you not do the same in Scot- 
 land ? " " Certainly not," was the answer. 
 
 "Then how do you manage?" said the 
 Southerner. 
 
 " Thus," replied the Northerner ; " when we 
 have the misfortune of losing one of our craft, 
 every respect is paid to his memory, by laying 
 him in state on a broad table within the apart- 
 ment of sorrow, taking the precaution of closing 
 the windows to keep the flies away. The 
 friends are allowed for a few days the privilege 
 of taking a sad farewell look, but, on the last 
 night the windows are thrown open, and on 
 entering the. chamber the following morning, 
 you are surprised to find the body has evapo- 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 65 
 
 rated, and f you] feel overpowered with the 
 sensation of burning sulphur." The afore- 
 mentioned process is by far the most eco- 
 nomic mode of funeral solemnity I ever 
 read of. 
 
 At the period of my assuming the part of 
 Caspar, at Drury Lane, which had a run of 400 
 representations, at that time the great Weber 
 made his first and, unfortunately, his last visit 
 to this country. He came to superintend the 
 production of the celebrated opera of " Oberon," 
 at Covent Garden ; and he occasionally visited 
 Drury Lane, to hear how we natives rendered 
 his great conception of his " Der Frieschiitz," and 
 the flattering remarks he passed on me, I am 
 too modest to repeat. This great and talented 
 composer was in a delicate state of health when 
 be came to us, and did not long survive his 
 glories ; he daily lingered, faded, and withered 
 away, at the residence of his sincere and 
 mourning friend, Sir George Smart. I was 
 complimented and rewarded by my then ma- 
 nager, Stephen Price, Esq., by an addition of 
 
66 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 five pounds per week to my standard salary, as 
 a reward for my successful representation of 
 Caspar. 
 
 My first manager at Drury Lane wa^ the 
 renowned EUiston, then Price succeeded, fol- 
 lowed by Captain Polhill and my early friend 
 Alexander Lee, and I finished there under the 
 control of Alfred Bunn. At that period, Wm. 
 Macready, Esq., "took Covent Garden upon a 
 speculative arrangement — ^that is to say, the 
 principals of the company agreed to take a 
 fom-th off their salaries; but, if the joint-stock 
 experiment answered, they were to divide the 
 profits at the end of the season. The venture 
 turned out highly remunerative. The successful 
 " Lady of Lyons '' made her appearance at that 
 time. Miae was an affcer-engagement with Mr. 
 Macready ; that is to say, I was not one of the 
 joint-stock arrangement, and for this reason : 
 my friend Eansford held the position I after- 
 wards filled, but he, Kansford, was at that time 
 struck down by a serious illness, and our young 
 Queen Victoria signified hei- intention of pay- 
 
OF TAUL BEDFORD. 67 
 
 ing a state visit to the theatre, commandiiig 
 the representation of " Fra Diavolo." I, there- 
 fore, was engaged as a sort of demi-star to re- 
 present the part of Beppo, the which, by-the- 
 by, I enacted on its first representation at 
 Drury Lana Shortly afterwards, at the close 
 of the afore-mentioned triumphant season at 
 Covent Garden, the company were summoned 
 to hear the treasurer's report, and it resulted in 
 a large profit beyond the working expenses, and 
 the. surplus was honowTably divided among the 
 venturers. On the following day I met Mr. 
 Macready, who said, " My dear Bedford, you did 
 not attend the gathering in the Green Eoom 
 yesterday." 
 
 I replied by saying, that I imagined mine 
 was an isolated arrangement, entered into long 
 after the compact was signed. 
 
 "No, no, my dear Bedford," said my kind 
 commander ; " you entered the ship as an able- 
 bodied seaman when she was in distress, there- 
 fore we all row in the same boat ; " and the 
 next day I received from the treasurer a cheque 
 
 F 2 
 
68 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 for the amount of my extra paj. Bravo ! dear 
 William, said I. 
 
 The year 1830 was rendered memorable at 
 Liverpool by two events ; the one by the open- 
 ing of the first railroad completed in this 
 country, and the other, by the accidental death 
 of the respected and revered member, Mr. 
 Huskisson. The day opened with every pro- 
 spect of a brilliant result ; but how frequently 
 is anticipated joy blighted ! It was in this case. 
 All the notabilities of our land, both scientific 
 and political, were present at the inauguration, 
 including Field Marshal the Duke of Welling- 
 ton, Henry (now Lord) Brougham, and myriads 
 of others. The mayor at that period was a 
 gentleman named Lawrence, Liverpool was 
 ever famed for its hospitaUty ; therefore it was 
 intended on that day to outvie all former 
 doings ; and a magnificent banquet for 500 was 
 prepared at the Wellington Rooms. At that 
 period the Drury Lane Opera Company were 
 illustrating at the Theatre Royal. Among the 
 troupe were the celebrated names of Sinclaii-, 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 69 
 
 Miss Stevens, Madame Vestris, &c. I received 
 a letter from his Worship inviting me to a 
 meet on business. I attended the summons ; 
 and Mr. Lawrence wished to know — if in- 
 vitations were sent, would we do him the 
 pleasure of being present at the banquet, and 
 what would be our terms ? I said, " Pray, sir, 
 do not mention terms, as we should be fully 
 compensated by being present on such a me- 
 morable celebration." The morning of the day 
 was ushered in by the ringing of joy bells and 
 salvos of artillery. At eleven o'clock the 
 maiden train started amid the shouts of con- 
 gregated thousands. In the centre of the train 
 there was a magnificent carriage or palanquin 
 for the occupation of the notabilities ; it was a 
 gigantic structure, so that when the door was 
 opened, it o'erlapped the other rail. Having 
 arrived half-way, at the Newton junction, the 
 occupants left their caiTiages to take a survey 
 of the completed works. At that period there 
 existed a political difference between Arthur 
 Duke of Wellington and Mr. Huskisson, con- 
 
70 EECOLLECTIOirS Am> WANDERINGS 
 
 sequently they had not been on speaking terms 
 for some time. However, through the medium 
 of his Worship the Mayor, Heniy Brougham, 
 and other kind associates, these two celebrities 
 were brought together, and the estranged hands 
 were shaken with cordiality, renewing the bond 
 of friendship, to be enjoyed by one only for a 
 few minutes. At that moment the alarm- 
 whistle of a distant approaching train was 
 heard. The officials cried out, "Gentlemen, 
 take your seats." The summons was obeyed 
 with safety to all except the unfortunate legis- 
 lator, who, in a moment, was obliterated from 
 ci-eation. The lamented one at that time was 
 afflicted with rheumatism in the left leg, and in 
 the confusion he unfortunately placed on the 
 step of the carriage the weakened limb, and 
 before he could recover himself, the train 
 dashed up, knocking the extended door against 
 the unfortimate man, hurUng him to destruc- 
 tion. Gentle reader, only imagine the horror of 
 that dreadful moment felt by all present ! At 
 length seven o'clock came, the hour of ban- 
 
OF PATJL BEDFOED. 71 
 
 queting, and instead of the fire hundred happy 
 ones who left in the morning brim-full of joy, 
 some forty heart-stricken creatures appeared 
 and went through the ceremony of dining. Im- 
 mediately after the banquet, the chord was 
 struck on the piano for the chanting of " Non 
 nobis Domine," which sound created a simul- 
 taneous hush, and cries of no music. At that 
 moment Hemy" Brougham, who occupied the 
 seat on the right of the chair filled by his Wor- 
 ship the Mayor, rising, said, " Pray, Mr. Mayor 
 and gentlemen, allow this grace to proceed ; it 
 is a sacred thanksgiving to the Almighty." 
 
 Thus ended a day that beamed upon us in 
 the morning with sunshine and joy, but ter- 
 minated in the evening with sorrow and heart- 
 felt grief. 
 
 Duiing my occupation at Drury Lane as a 
 member of the company, the celebrated opera of 
 " The Maid of Artois " was produced, composed 
 by the talented Michael Balfe, in which the ever- 
 famed and lamented Madame Malibran repre- 
 sented the heroine. The day previous to its 
 
72 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 production, La Belle Madame invited us to her 
 private residence, in Conduit Street, for the pur- 
 pose of having a rehearsal of the music (the 
 composer presiding at the piano), her hus- 
 band, De Beriot, the king of fiddlers, operating 
 on his wondrous instrument. There were a 
 few visitors present, including that bass child, 
 the great Lablache. 
 
 The rehearsal passed off most satisfactorily. 
 The weather was intensely hot, and, what with 
 anxiety and the limited dimensions of the 
 apartment, produced the effect of our perspir- 
 ing most pi'ofusely. We dared not open the 
 windows, fearing that it might have alarmed 
 the natives. 
 
 However, having finished, the room was venti- 
 lated by throwing open doors and windows ; and 
 then our charming hostess invited us to partake 
 a draught of that exhilarating fluid called Cham- 
 pagne. She also said she would cool us after 
 the manner of the South Americans, which 
 operation was executed by pouring Eav, de 
 Cologne into the palm of her hand, and rub- 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 73 
 
 bing it over our heads. And we also enjoyed 
 breezes produced by the action of a monstrous 
 Chinese fan. The relief experienced was de- 
 lightful But one of our party came to grief, 
 in the person of the then prima tenore of the 
 Drury establishment. When it came to his turn 
 to enjoy the refresher, he kept bobbing his head 
 up and down. At last our hostess got him 
 steady, and rubbing his head vigorously, away 
 went the luxuriant scratch, leaving him under 
 a bare pole, to the great amusement of the 
 assembled party. The disconcerted tenor made 
 a rush to recover the fugitive jasey ; but 
 Madame was beforehand, and, grabbing hold of 
 the curly flaxen decoration, she refused to give 
 it up until he consented to the cooling and 
 balmy process, so much enjoyed by the 
 lookers on. That completed, she said, "My 
 dear Mr. T., I'm deceived; I did not think 
 there was anything false about you ; " and on 
 replacing the wig on the distracted block, 
 whether from accident or design, she turned 
 the hind part before, so that the drooping 
 
74 KECOLLECTIONS AND WATTOERINGS 
 
 ringlets decorated this figure-head, to the great 
 delight of the laughing throng. 
 
 The demise of the inspired vocal genius 
 Malibran is a remembrance of melancholy- 
 interest. It occurred at Manchester, where she 
 was engaged at the Sacred Music Festival, and 
 sang in an oratorio the day before she was 
 taken from among us. And scarcely had the 
 last breath of life departed from the gifted 
 lady, when her wretched fiddler husband hur- 
 ried from the chamber of sorrow, taking with 
 him every valuable article, and bolted off to 
 the Continent, leaving his wife's remains to be 
 interred at the expense of the parisL But, 
 to the honour of the gentlemen of Manchester, 
 the parish ceremony was superseded, and the 
 dear lamented one was buried at the old 
 church, with every demonstration of respec- 
 tability and mourning. Some years after, the 
 remains were removed to Brussels, and a 
 monument erected to her memory at Laeken. 
 
 About this period I received many tempt- 
 ing offers from the ever-to-be-remembered 
 
OF PAtTL BEDFORD. 75 
 
 Frederidc Yates, to join the forces at the 
 Adelphi. I answered them '^not, thinking it 
 derogatory, after having served my Queen and 
 country with success aboard the first-rate man- 
 of-rwar, to enter, as a common swab, the little 
 commercial craft called the Adelphi. How- 
 ever, a few days after, I was hailed by George 
 Robios, the celebrated knock 'em down, who 
 said, "Paul, you have not yet replied to my 
 friend Yates's despatches." 
 
 I said, "No, sir, we are not come to that yet." 
 
 " Then," said George, " the sooner you go to 
 it the better for yourself; for take my word for 
 it, Paul, it's all over with these great emporiums 
 of dramatic art" 
 
 And the good auctioneer's prophecy has been 
 realised. Tie one has been converted into the 
 Royal Italian Opera House, and the other has 
 sustained a hysterical existence by a flash in 
 the pan now and then. Still I responded not 
 to the call of commander Frederick. 
 
 At that time I was illustrating at the Royal 
 Property, Vauxhall. At that period VauxhaU 
 
76 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 was Vauxhall, and like the before-mentioned 
 royal establisliments, hath not left a shadow 
 behind. On one evening, a voice saluted me 
 in my dressing-room, by singing out " Paul ! " 
 I said, " What cheer ! ■ ahoy ! come in ! " and 
 who should present himself but Charles Manby, 
 Esq., my early and valued friend, who said he 
 came as an emissary from Frederick Yates, to 
 appoint a meeting for the following day. I 
 consented, and the ensemble took place, and, 
 in the space of five minutes, the beadle was 
 squared; and, as fashionable phrase goes, I'm 
 all here. 
 
 The first mark I made at my new seat of 
 work was in the classical drama of John 
 Sheppard; the second, as the desponding and 
 weeping Norma. By-the-by, a rustic anecdote 
 is attached to this operatic representation; it 
 nans thus : — 
 
 Miss Adelaide Kemble was setting the world 
 on fire by her demonstration of the " Broken- 
 hearted Priestess," at Covent Garden. At one 
 Christmas time, two wealthy agricultural 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOED. 77 
 
 rustics came to town for the purpose of at- 
 tending the Smithfield Cattle Show, and as 
 they were wandering along the Strand, one 
 said, " Tom, where shall we go to-night ? " 
 
 Tom replied by saying, "William, I think 
 we'U go and hear that wonderful lass. Miss 
 Kemble, as everybody be a talking about." 
 
 At that moment they were abreast the en- 
 trance to the Adelphi, the walls of which were 
 decorated with a life-size portrait of the 
 Norma. Tom said to William, "This is the 
 shop," and in they went. The opera finished, 
 out they came, and the following conversation 
 between the two friends was overheard, and 
 reported to me : — 
 
 "Well," said Tom to William, "how didst 
 thee like the lass ? " 
 
 "Oh, pretty well," said William. "She 
 made me laugh, and I thought I was going in 
 to cry. Dost thee think her pretty, Tom ? " 
 
 " Oh, very well," said he, " But she is such 
 a whopping great heifer ; and if she had four 
 legs, instead of two, I'd buy her and take her 
 
78 RECOLLECTIcafS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 to Smithfield, and then I should be sure to 
 cany off tke prize." The simple lads, in their 
 confusion, had mistaken the Adelphi for Covent 
 Garden. 
 
 At the conclusion of the first brilliant season 
 of the Adelphi " Norma," our loved manager, 
 Frederick Yates, gave a soirie at his residence 
 in Brompton, to which were invited about one 
 hundred of the ^ite of society, and in which 
 ensemhle my friend Wright and I were asso- 
 ciated. Yates wished us to surprise, the natives 
 by being announced, and appearing, as two 
 distinguished foreign ladies, just, arrived from 
 the Continent, and to appear garbed as Norma 
 and Adalgisa. We consented, and after tbe 
 conclusion of the "Norma" at the Adelphi, we 
 were wheeled off in a brougham to Brompton, 
 and heralded in to a flourish of trumpets, 
 amid the gay throng, being received with 
 shouts of laughter and applause by the ad- 
 miring audience therein assembled. 
 
 Such was the enthusiasm created by the 
 " Norma " of Oovent Garden and the " Norma " 
 
or PAUL BEDFQBO. 79 
 
 of tlie Adelphi, that it had the efifect of banish- 
 ing the opera of " Norma " for three successive 
 seasons from the boards of Her Majesty's Opera 
 House in the Haymarket. 
 
 But the fun of the evening arrived at its 
 climax when these two girls were seen Waltz- 
 ing; and Norma's petticoats, being incon- 
 veniently long, had the effect of tripping her 
 up some two or three times. 
 
 In the following season the Adelphi "Norma" 
 was afflicted with a severe hoarseness ; and, in 
 the dilemma, he rushed to her wonderful 
 doctor, of shampoo celebrity, Horatio Sake 
 Deen Mahomed, and luxuriated in one of his 
 magical baths. 
 
 The doctor advised me to inhale the 
 floating vapour. I did so for a long time. 
 " Now," said he, " try your voice ;" and I 
 began chanting that pathetic ballad " Joll;^ 
 Nose." At that moment the bell in the ad- 
 joining apaitmeat rang ; the doctor disap- 
 peared, and on entering the room, the 
 occupant said, "Ah! ah! I know who my 
 
80 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 nfeighbour is ! It is 'Jolly Nose' Paul! Will 
 you, Doctor, ask him to oblige me by siug- 
 ing the song through?" At the request, I 
 complied, and my admiring friend in the 
 next bath-room was none other than Prince 
 Louis Napoleon ! 
 
 I wonder, if I went as a wandering minstrel, 
 and breathed forth that musical effusion bcr 
 neath the windows of the Tuileries, whether 
 I should be invited in to partake of a refresher. 
 By-the-by, I shall have more to say of the 
 Prince, anon. 
 
 At the end of the first Jack Sheppard season, 
 our manager, Frederick Yates, arranged a 
 provincial tour, and we illuminated the fol- 
 lowing cities and towns by the representation 
 of that classic drama : — Dublin, Liverpool, 
 Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
 and the ancient city of York ; the demonstra- 
 tors being — the Jaok, Mrs. Keeley ; Fagan, 
 Mr. Yates ; Shotbolt, .Edward Wright ; Jona- 
 than Wild, by Professor Tom Lyon ; Owen 
 Wood, by Robert Keeley, and Blueskin, by 
 
OP PAUL BEDFORD. 81' 
 
 the Child Paul. The tour proved trium- 
 phantly successfuL 
 
 We also enacted a very funny farce, en- 
 titled " Deeds of Dreadfcd Note," my lamented 
 fellow-labourer, Edward Wright, playing the 
 principal part. A dummy used, in the piece 
 became an object of great interest in the 
 city of York. It was called " The Victim ! " 
 This dummy was life size, and to conceal it 
 from curious observation, it was deposited in 
 a capacious bag, that entirely extinguished 
 the figure. But in the hurry of packing, at 
 Newcastle, the bag was mislaid, and the only 
 remedy was to put it into a potato sack, 
 which just reached the neck of the figure, 
 leaving the head exposed to view, and' in that 
 state it was deposited in the luggage van. 
 We had to change trains between Newcastle 
 and York, and as the York traia was about 
 to start, our anxious manager inquired if the 
 luggage was all right, adding, "^Where is the 
 victim?" and looking in the van found it 
 had disappeared. In his despair he requested 
 
S2 EECOLLECTroNS AJ^B "^^ANDERINGS 
 
 Lyon to rasb. to the other tram, and 'endea- 
 vour to recover the lost one. liyon sac- 
 ceeded; and tli*owing the sa'ck across his 
 manly shoulder, trotted along the platform, to 
 the great horror and dismay of the passen- 
 gers, whose heads were thrust out of the win- 
 dows in wonder and amazement : for be it un- 
 derstood that the head of " the victim " hung 
 behind the figuie of Lyon, and at every step 
 the agile bearer took, the head of the figure 
 wobbled up and down — consequently the 
 gazers-on took us for a gang of swell body- 
 snatchers. Arrived in York, we housed at 
 Eldridge's Eoyal Hotel, and during dinner 
 the waiter entered, in consternation, and whis- 
 pered something in the ear of our chief, who 
 said, " Tell him to come in." In he came. 
 It was the head policeman, displaying in his 
 right hand a paper, and saying, " Gentlemen, 
 I don't wish to be unpleasamt, but when you 
 have done dinner, I must grab you all. This 
 is my warrant from the Lord Mayor to arrest 
 you as a -Set of body-snatchei's." Only imagine. 
 
OF PAm. BEDFOfiB. 83 
 
 gentle reader, tlie roar of kughter this cre- 
 ated ! The host, John Eldridge, was sent for, 
 and Mr. Yates reqiaested that he (John) should 
 introduce this myrmidon of the law to the 
 innocent " victim " in the sack. The interview 
 finished, the inspector returned laughing, 
 making aU sorts of apologies, and, after 
 being invited to take a glass of wine, with- 
 drew. Of course, the inspector piped the 
 affair throughout the city, and the conse- 
 quence was, that " the victim" became the 
 most attractive star of the whole party. 
 
 On the following day I was returning with 
 my manager from rehearsal, when we met our 
 host (Eldridge), amd Mr. Yates said, " John, 
 will you do me the pleasure to take wine with 
 us afber dinner ? " John replied by saying, " I 
 should be very glad, but I am particularly 
 engaged to smoie a pipe and drink a jug of 
 -strong ale with the Lord Mayor." What a 
 pattern of simplicity for the swell Lord Mayors 
 of the great metropolis ! 
 
 Well, returning to town for the winter season 
 
 o 2 
 
84i RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 I was doomed to represent another speci- 
 men of the fair sex, — Polly, in the " Beggars' 
 Opera ; " Mrs. Keeley, Captain Macheath ; 
 Yates, Lucy Locket, and Wright, Mrs. Peachum. 
 It ran the whole season to crowded audiences. 
 
 On the following summer we again visited 
 Dublin, and there my dear friend and mana- 
 ger was stricken down in sickness, from which 
 he never recovered. Wright and myself joined 
 issue with Alexander Lee and Mrs. Waylett, 
 to carry out the arrangements made by the 
 afflicted one at Dublin. 
 
 We visited Cork, Liverpool, Chester, War- 
 wick, Nottingham, Manchester, Preston, and 
 Bolton. It became a joint-stock affair, un- 
 limited. We engaged auxihary talent, among 
 whom were Mr. Tom Higgie, the wonderful 
 little George Wieland, Mr. Gates, and his 
 daughter Eliza, and they, being natives of Lan- 
 cashire, were great favourites in that part of 
 the country. 
 
 A funny incident occurred at Bolton. Miss 
 Gates was celebrated by her dancing the 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 85 
 
 *' Poetry of Motion," after the manner of the 
 renowned Taglioni. It being a joint-stock 
 affair, it was the custom of any of the specu- 
 lators, if they were not required in the first 
 pieces, to take money and checks at the doors. 
 Higgie and I, on the night in question, were 
 fixed at the gallery pay-place. The house was 
 crammed, and as my friend and I were counting 
 the tin, we were startled by the sound of some 
 one ascending the stairs in a pair of Lancashire 
 " pumps," decorated with hob-nails. A fine 
 young fellow presented himself, and we left' off 
 reckoning the money. 
 
 The first question he asked was, "whether 
 show had began 1 " I said, " Yes." 
 
 " How much to see show ? " said he. " A 
 shiUing," said I. 
 
 " Oh, a bob, eh ! I say, my swells, is there 
 room for a lad loike me 1 " I said, " Yes, if 
 you would not mind squeezing in with the 
 pretty girls." 
 
 He hesitated, and then said, " I say, covey, 
 does Miss Gutes " (that's Lancashire for Gates), 
 
86 EECOLLECTIOWS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 " doos that lass dance Pttatiy at Motion ta 
 neight ? " 
 
 I was puzzled, and inquired of Higgie what 
 the distinguished foreigner was talking about. 
 My friend, who well understood the idiom of 
 the elegant language, informed me that he 
 wished to know if Miss Gates danced the 
 " Poetry of Motion" to-night. I informed him 
 that she did not. 
 
 " Then," said he, "my bob goes intom ma 
 pocket agin ; I woud na gie a farden to see 
 tother stuff." 
 
 This elegant extract was about descending, 
 when my friend and I recommenced taking 
 stock. Our customer turned round, and hailed 
 us thus : — " I say, my swells, the cove at cabin 
 will na' get much a' that blunt after you two 
 kids have riddled gridiron." 
 
 I was obliged to be civil to the youth, re- 
 membering the pumps that adorned his " poor 
 feet." 
 
 We finished our second summer tour at the 
 industrious town of Nottingham. On Satur- 
 
OS PAUI. EKDrOKK. 87 
 
 day, the last niglat, th« performance com- 
 JBenced with. " Hamlet/' the: Danish prince re- 
 presented by Professor Tom Lyon.. My then 
 friettd and fellow- labourer, Edward Wright, 
 enacted the first graTedigger, and I the second 
 gravedigger. The first digger prepared him- 
 self to take the town by storm by having 
 encased his person within a dozen waistcoats 
 of all sorts of shapes and patterns, and when 
 about to commence the operation of digging 
 the grave fox the fair Opheha, the chief began 
 to unwind by taking off waistcoat after waist- 
 coat, whidi caused uproarious laughter among 
 the audience. My fellow-labourer was as- 
 tounded at the peals, of meniment created 
 by the ceremony of disrobing. Little did he 
 imagine the cause of mirth, but it was pro- 
 voked thus. As my chief digger, number one, 
 relieved himself of the waistcoat garment^ the 
 innocent boy-digger, number two, encased him- 
 self in the cast-off vests, which operation 
 created the salvos, of laughter, for as numbe- 
 ane became thinner and thinner, number tw 
 
88 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 grew fatter and fatter, so when my friend dis- 
 covered the motive power, he stopped the action 
 and commenced digging Ophelia's grave. 
 
 On our last night, having been invited to 
 supper with a stanch patron, we had not 
 leisure to take count of the night's takings ; 
 we therefore deposited the coin in a leathern 
 hat-box, resolving so to do on the following 
 day. Sunday morning we started. We sought 
 an empty carriage, and were about commencing 
 operations by unlocking the wealthy hat-box, 
 when we were startled by the approach of a 
 respectable-looking gentleman, whom we ima- 
 gined to be of the Clerical stamp, his neck 
 being decorated by an immense white choker. 
 He ensconced himself in the extreme comer 
 seat, and as he drew from his pocket a manu- 
 script, we concluded that he was a clergyman 
 going to illuminate the inhabitants of the 
 next town. But not so. We passed the sta- 
 tion, with our travelling companion still snug 
 in his comer. What was to be done? We 
 gazed at each other in dismay. At length 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 89 
 
 i)ur clever young friend, George Wieland, who 
 could pantomimically converse most eloquently, 
 indicated that we had better proceed to busi- 
 ness. We looked at our neighbour, and fancied 
 he was dozing, the manuscript overshading his 
 visage. The key produced, click snapped the 
 lock. We looked at the fancied sleeper, and 
 saw one terrified eye, quizzing the operation ; 
 and as we counted the coin, at every metallic 
 clink it had the effect of producing from the 
 afiighted one in the corner a spasmodic grunt. 
 Well, the operation completed, we soon arrived 
 at Wolverton, where they give ten miautes' 
 halt for refreshments ; we got out, Wieland 
 having charge of the treasure box, and before 
 entering the refreshment department, I looked 
 round to see what had become of our alarmed 
 companion. I observed him giving directions 
 to the porter to remove his portmanteau to 
 another compartment. On entering the re- 
 freshing place, there were Lord Adolphus Fitz- 
 clarence, Sir George Wombwell, and other of 
 their friends, in the station room. When they 
 
90 KECOLLECTIOUS, AITO WANDERINGS 
 
 saw me. Lord Adolplius, kind as he e¥er was, 
 anxiously inquired about the sufferer we had 
 left in Dublin, and expressed deep sorrow at 
 the loss of so gifted an exponent of the dramatic 
 art. Well, the alaim-bell rang. All was hurry 
 scurry. On leaving our carriage we neglected 
 taking the number, therefore we rushed to the 
 nearest vehicle, where we beheld seated in the 
 comer our dismayed companion of the early 
 part of the journey. His terror became awfuL 
 He poked his head out of the window, shout- 
 ing to the guard to stop.. It was too late. 
 The train was in motion. I therefore leave 
 the gentle reader to imagine the sufferings 
 endured by the bewildered clerical. Our next 
 halt was at Watford. Our travelling friend 
 got out and requested the guard to remove 
 his luggage. The guard saying "I thought 
 you were booked for London." " Yes, yes," 
 said he, "I am uneasy in my mind, therefore 
 I shall stop here." 
 
 Before we started, we obsesrved him in close 
 conversation with the official. When we ar- 
 
OF PAUL JBEDFORH 91 
 
 rived in town we tarried on the platform, 
 waiting until the guard had completed his 
 dutiea I then inquired of him the subject 
 of conversation which he had held with the 
 timid white-chokered gent we left behind. He 
 laughed, and said, 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Bedford, I wonder you and your 
 fidends hadn't been lagged and sent to piison." 
 
 1 said, " Why so, my friend 1 " 
 
 The guard replied by saying, " The gentle- 
 man that would stop at Watford, said that he 
 would offer up a prayer for his safe dehvery > 
 from, a gang of sweUmobsmen, who had gone 
 into the country for the purpose of cracking 
 cribs, and that you had got your ill-begotten 
 spoil locked up in a leathern hat-box." 
 
 HaK-a-crown to the grinning guard, and 
 homeward we sped. 
 
 My third season at the Adelphi became a 
 blank, in consequence of losing the master- 
 spirit Yates, and its destinies being left under 
 the control of an uncongenial person named 
 Gladstanes ; therefore to me the charm was 
 
92 EECOLLECTIONS AI^D WANDERINGS 
 
 broken, and consequently I migrated to the 
 Princess's, in Oxford Street, serving under the 
 banner of my Hebrew master, John Mad- 
 docks ; and there it was my good fortune to 
 be associated with the fascinating Anna 
 Thillon, who created such a sensation in the 
 " Crown Diamonds," that it ran the entire of 
 her first season. I represented Rebelledo on 
 that occasion, and in the second season came 
 the charming Albertazzi, in the opera of 
 "L'Elisire d'Amore." Signor Schira at that 
 period was the musical director, and he very 
 kindly taught me the part after the manner 
 of the celebrated Italian Dulcamara. Then 
 followed "Don Pasquale," and after its first 
 representation, the critique in the "Times" 
 spoke of it thus : — " We are puzzled to decide 
 to which of the Pasquales to yield the pahn 
 of victory, whether to the Italian Don or the 
 EngHsh Don." Only think of that ! 
 
 The season was about to close, and my 
 benefit appointed. I obtained the patronage 
 of my Lord Combermere and officers of the 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 93 
 
 First Life Guards. Bills issued and every 
 preparation made for the representation. At 
 this time my present governor, Mr. Benjamin 
 "Webster, became proprietor of the Adelphi, 
 he having piirchased that property from the 
 executors of the late Mr. Yates. 
 
 I then had another visit from my guiding 
 star, Mr. Charles Manby, who came as emis- 
 sary from Mr. Webster, offering me an en- 
 gagement to return to my old quarters ia the 
 Strand. 
 
 I said I had another season to run at the 
 Princess's, and, as I had never broken my vow 
 either in love, friendship, or business, I must 
 decline his offer of returning to the loved spot 
 of my affection. 
 
 But what a change of sentiment the morrow 
 brought with it. The weather having set in 
 intensely hot, I was surprised at a notice posted 
 on the Green Room glass, conveying the pleasing 
 intelligence that the season would terminate on 
 the Saturday in that week : be it understood, 
 my benefit was fixed for the Monday week 
 
94 EECOLLECrrONS AITD WANDERINGS 
 
 following. I sought an interview with my old 
 master, the Jew, saying : 
 
 " Are you aware that you have fixed my night 
 for Monday week ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes, yes, I know ; but I am not going 
 to keep the theatre open to lose money every 
 night to please you or anybody else, Paul." 
 
 " Oh, oh, is that your game ? " said I. " Now 
 look here, my jolly old cock, if that's the way 
 you crow, on Saturday next shall be the last 
 flutter of this chick in your roost." 
 
 " What ! " said he ; " Paul, you don't mean to 
 leave me ? " 
 
 " I do ; for you have broken our contract by 
 doing me out of my benefit." 
 
 " Well, well," said he, "you shall have it next 
 season." 
 
 " No, no," I replied, " I'll have no more of 
 you." 
 
 " Well, then, look here, Paul ; if you leave 
 
 me, BO help me ," something, " I'll enter 
 
 a lawsuit agin ye, if I sell the shoes off my 
 ' feet to do it." 
 
OP TATTL BEIVFOED. 95 
 
 " Don't be a fool," said I, " for rather tlian 
 you should walk barefooted througb tke streets 
 of LoHdoBj I have got an old pair of slippers at 
 ■home, which I will present to you as a peace- 
 offering to save you from such disgrace." 
 
 He muttered forth something sweet, I reply- 
 ing in the same elegant style, and left him. 
 
 The next day I walked to the Haymarket, 
 related my misadventure with my old master, 
 the Jew, and in ten minutes concluded an 
 arrangement with my new master, the Christian. 
 And that engagement has been carried out 
 with the strictest honour fi'om that period up to 
 the ^present time, with pleasure, I hope, to both. 
 
 I forgot to mention that during my Drury 
 Lane career, I had been associated with 
 Schroeder Devrient, in Beethoven's "Fidelio," as 
 Don Pizarro, ynth. Miss Stevens (now Countess 
 of Essex) in various operas, also with that 
 musical wonder Malibran, John Braham, John 
 Sinclair, Henry Phillips, Tom Cooke, Horn, 
 Templeton, and many others too numerous to 
 mention. 
 
96 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 Well, on rejoining the old house at home, 
 — I may, with great pleasure, call it my home, 
 having been tenanted there for over ' twenty 
 years, — Well, having reached the loved nest, 
 the first noteworthy mark made was in the 
 production of the ever-" Green Bushes," by that 
 fertile child, John Baldwin Buckstone, — but the 
 world-wide and domestic phrase of " I believe 
 you, my boy," was indicated to the talented 
 author by that Tar of all nations, the late T. P. 
 Cooke, who said, that when he was a lad, at the 
 naval engagement of the taking of Cape St. 
 Vincent, they had on board a funny and face- 
 tious messmate, who, amid the battle's roar, 
 would make them laugh ; when a shot had just 
 cleared his figure-head, his gun mate would say, 
 " Hollo, Joe, that was too near to be pleasant." 
 " I believe you, my boy," sung out Joe. 
 
 But as I am now recounting deeds of the 
 drama well known to every schoolboy, I will 
 wander away to the United States of America, 
 where, on the first visit of my dear lamented 
 friend, Tyrone Power, he found a resident af 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOKD. 97 
 
 New York, who had been an intimate friend of 
 his in London, in the person of Prince Louis 
 Napoleon. The Prince requested Tyrone would 
 confer on him the pleasure of becoming his tra- 
 velling companion through the States ; it was 
 joyfully granted, and after the successful tour, 
 they returned to England. And well do I re- 
 member hearing my dear friend Power say 
 that he considered the Prince the most talented 
 man he had ever met with. 
 
 Soon after his return home, Tyrone gave a 
 dinner-party to celebrate the occasion. Among 
 the visitors were Prince Louis, Count d'Orsay, 
 Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, Sir George Womb- 
 well, Mr. Benjamin Webster, and many other 
 celebrities. After banqueting, of course the 
 first health drunk was to the host, proposed by 
 the then Duke of Beaufort, which was responded 
 to by enthusiastic vivas. 
 
 In the course of the evening, the Count 
 d'Orsay proposed a most prophetic toast, beg- 
 ging the gentlemen would fill their glasses 
 bumpers, as he was about proposing the health 
 
98 EECOLLECTIOUrS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 of the future Emperor of the French, Prince 
 Louis Napoleon. 
 
 The Prince arose, evidently affected at the 
 then seemingly improbable idea of the Count's 
 prophecy ever being realised. " And," said the 
 Prince, "the inscrutability of Providence no 
 mortal could foretell, but all events were pro- 
 bable, and the flattering wish of my friend may 
 not be impossible." 
 
 My friend Tyrone was very fond of horse 
 exercise ■; and one day riding through the Park, 
 he observed his friend, Robert Keeley, advanc- 
 ing in an opposite direction on the outside of 
 his horse. " Where are you going. Bob ? " said 
 Tyrone. "Nowhere in particular,"^ answered 
 Robert. "Then I'll tell you what you'll do; 
 you'll just go with me to Grosvenor Square, 
 and after I have paid a visit to my friend 
 Lord So-and-so, we will take a gallop round 
 the Park, and get a fine appetite for dinner.'' 
 Away they trotted for the Square. The Irish 
 comedian jumped off his horse, and said to 
 the English comedian, "Bob, dear, wiU you 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 99 
 
 oblige ine by just taking bold of the rein of 
 my prad? I'll not detain you a minute." 
 It was a long minute, and as tbe passers 
 went by tbey stared in the face of the well- 
 remembOTed Eobert, who, to avoid the curious 
 gaze of others, led his friend's animal to the 
 railings of the opposite inclosure. Still Paddy 
 came not, Eobert grew impatient, and casting 
 his eyes towards the mansion, observed the 
 drawing-room windows crowded by ladies and 
 gentlemen quizzing the discomfited boy through 
 their lunettes. At length Tyrone came, mounted 
 his animal, and away they galloped to the 
 Park. Robert said, "Well, you didn't keep 
 me long waiting, did you ? " The other re- 
 plied by saying, "Bob, you won't mind if 
 I tell you a good joke, will you ? But you 
 have been the cause of great mirth among 
 his lordship's family and friends, for on look- 
 ing from the window his lordship said, 'My 
 dear Power, that is a fine animal that you 
 have mounted your groom on ; but I would 
 advise you to put your Tiger on short rations, or 
 
 n 2 
 
100 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 else you will have to get him a stronger horse.' 
 At that observation, dear boy, they all rushed 
 to the windows to take a sight, the which pro- 
 duced great merriment among my aristocratic 
 friends." Dear, good-natured Robert received 
 the intelligence good-humouredly, and said he 
 was delighted that he had represented the cha- 
 racter to their satisfaction ; but that would be 
 his last appearance in the Park, as he then 
 and there gave his master notice to quit. 
 Apropos of my friend Power, after passing two 
 popular and prosperous seasons in the old 
 country at home, he again started for the new 
 country, which resulted, as all creation knows, 
 in misery and destruction ; for never more was 
 the old house at home gladdened by the sight 
 of him whose presence gave joy and happiness 
 to thousands, and more particularly to his 
 most intimate friends and acquaintance, who 
 luxuriated in the pleasure of his private and 
 most pleasurable association. After the com- 
 pletion of his second tour of the States, which 
 had resulted far more profitably than the 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 101 
 
 former one, he was on the eve of departure for 
 the home country, having taken his berth 
 aboard a fast-going clipper ship, the same craft 
 ■ that had brought him safely from Old Albion ; 
 " but," as the poet observes, " there is a tide in 
 the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads 
 on to fortune ; " and my friend had experienced 
 that prediction to the full: but what a sad 
 reverse of fortune the ebb of that same tide 
 brought with it, as the following incident will 
 demonstrate. At that same period the cele- 
 brated and world-renowned President steamer 
 was on the eve of departure. Power accom- 
 panied a friend to the office who was ^anxious to 
 secure a berth for the voyage, but was disap- 
 pointed, for every available space had been dis- 
 posed of My friend Power, in overhauling the 
 log-book of passengers, discovered the name of 
 Lord Fitzroy Lennox, whose sire was the late 
 Duke of Richmond, and the intimate friend 
 and patron of the Doomed Irish Boy, Rory 
 O'More, who inquired of the official at the 
 booking-office if there would be any chance of 
 
102 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 one of the secured berths being given up ? The 
 reply was in the negative ; at which informa- 
 tion my friend was greatly disappointed ; but 
 an event occurred on his way from the office 
 that put him in tip-top spirits. Good fortune 
 threw in his path Mr. Joseph Wood, who, ia 
 conjunction with his wife, n^e the celebrated 
 Miss Paton, had just completed a most pro- 
 fitable operatic torn- of the States. Power 
 said, " Joe, my dear fellow, I see by the log- 
 book of the President that you have secured a 
 berth aboard that noble craft." "I have," 
 replied Joseph ; " and I wish I could find any 
 one that would take it off my hands." " I wiU," 
 said Power, "and thank you for the bargain." 
 He at the same time told Joseph that he had 
 secured a first-rate cabin aboard a sailing ship, 
 and, if agreeable, they would exchange quar- 
 ters. The proposition was joyfully accepted by 
 both. They shook the hands of friendship for 
 the last time, wishing each other a prosperous 
 voyage, and parted : little did they imagine, at 
 the separation, that those eyes were never 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 103 
 
 again destined to gaze on each other's manly 
 form; but such is the mutability of human 
 aJSairs. But, gentle reader, no doubt you will 
 ■wonder at the change of sentiment that came 
 o'er my operatic friend Wood. He considered 
 that it would not be agreeable to his wife to be 
 associated with a branch of that noble family, 
 with one of whose members she had formed 
 her first matrimonial alliance, and who was 
 uncle to the lost and lamented young lord 
 who met the fate of all the dear souls that ^, 
 voyaged in that monster ship. 
 
 On the following Loudon recess we again 
 visited the provinces ; for be it understood, the 
 then Adelphi dramatic seasons did not extend 
 beyond six months a,nnually. On that tour we 
 visited the ancient city of Worcester, where we 
 remained, with great success, for three weeks. 
 Why I mention that professional visit is, 
 because it is connected with an interestiug 
 anecdote of a bygone vocal celebrity The 
 ever-to-be-remembered man will live in the 
 memories of all who heard that wondrous vocal 
 
104< BECOLLECTIONS ANB WANDERINGS 
 
 organ breathe forth " The Storm," " Black-eyed 
 Susan," " The Thorn ; " who died at Worcester, 
 and was buried near London; the ever-re- 
 nowned Charles Incledon. On walking down 
 the High Street one morning, accompanied by 
 friends Wright and Alexander Lee, I was ad- 
 dressed by an aristocratic-looking gentleman, 
 who said, "Is that Paul Bedford?" I re- 
 plied by saying, " It is, sir ; all that's left of 
 him." 
 
 "Why, Paul, don't you remember John La- 
 vender 1 " At that moment his fine manly 
 figure-head illuminated my memory, and a 
 cordial shake-hands was the result. With his 
 usual hospitality, he invited us all to dine with 
 him on the following day, and we accepted the 
 invite. He then said, 
 
 "After the feed, I will conduct you to a 
 chamber of melancholy interest to children of 
 your cloth." 
 
 "Very good. By-the-by," I said, "I forgot 
 to ask one very important question, and that is, 
 where do you hang out your banner ? " 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 105 
 
 "At the county jail," was his reply; "of 
 which estabUshment I am the governor." 
 
 When we heard the address we rather 
 hesitated, fearing that he might introduce 
 us to the dormitory of a demented one of our 
 craft. 
 
 " Don't be alarmed," said he ; " at three 
 o'clock I shall expect you. Adieu." 
 
 The morrow came ; at the hour of three we 
 arrived at the awful-looking entrance-gates, 
 rang the ponderous bell, when, through a small 
 wicket, protected with strong iron bars, a 
 visage peeped out, inquiring our business. We 
 presented our cards, when, on the instant, the 
 huge gates were thrown open, and we were 
 welcomed by our hospitable host in the kindest 
 manner. We dined beneath a capacious mar- 
 quee fixed on the lawn fronting the governor's 
 house. He had it so arranged in consequence 
 of the heat of the weather. After enjoying a 
 most satisfactory meal, I inquired in what part 
 of the building the chamber of melancholy in- 
 terest was situated ? " Follow me," said he. 
 
106 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERING^ 
 
 We entered the official residence, ascended the 
 first-floor, and were conducted to a bed-room 
 chamber, the walls of which were decorated 
 with likenesses of the departed Yocal wonder, 
 Incledon, in all his varied characters. 
 
 "On that bed," said our host, "did the 
 great one deliver up his last breath ; praying 
 forgiveness for all his sins ; " for the dying 
 man had early imbibed the principles of 
 religion, he having been brought up as a 
 chorister-boy, under the tutelage of the cele- 
 brated Doctor Jackson, organist of Exeter 
 Cathedral. The remains were conveyed to 
 London, and consigned to its last resting-place, 
 at the rear of old Hampstead Church. Be it 
 understood, that the celebrated departed was 
 not located in the county mansion of Worcester 
 at the expense of the nation. No ! he was 
 there as a visitor to his early-attached friend, 
 the worthy governor, John Lavender, who, by- 
 the-by, was a London celebrity long before the 
 establishment by Su" Eobert Peel of our present 
 police force ; for he, the governor, was one of the 
 
OE PAUL EEDFOED. 107 
 
 head officials of Bow Street, and was selected 
 from, that force by the Prince Kegent, as hisi 
 Royal Highness's body guard ; for, wherever the 
 royal master moved, the official followed as his 
 shadow. He also luxuriaied in private apart- 
 ments in Carlton House ; therefore, when the 
 change of the pohce system took place, the Bow- 
 Street officials retired on pensions; but the 
 royal favoured one was appointed chief of the 
 establishment at Worcester, and dispensed his 
 varied duties to the satisfaction of all unfor- 
 tunate recipients. 
 
 I must here relate a royal anecdote commu- 
 nicated to me by an official belonging to the 
 fine old cathedral of Worcester. On viewiug 
 the ancient building, we came to the tomb 
 of King Joho. I observed that I was not 
 aware before that the royal John was lodged 
 here. 
 
 "Oh, yes," said our friend; "and he was 
 not the only royal personage that has been 
 sheltered here; as. Elizabeth, our virgin queen, 
 had honoured the sacred edifice, aE alive oh ! 
 
108 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 For on the occasion of her taking a tour of the 
 western part of her dominion, she honoured 
 the ancient city by sojourning here some days ; 
 and when about to bid adieu, the royal dame 
 discovered that the travelling exchequer was 
 nigh exhausted. She, therefore, summoned the 
 Mayor and Town Council to a parley, saying, 
 ' Mr. Mayor, and my good masters, having 
 extended my tour beyond the anticipated 
 limits, I discover the rex pecuniarum is on 
 the decHne ; therefore, in this dilemma, will 
 you advance to me the sum of three hundred 
 pounds, for the which I will give you my 
 acknowledgment ? ' Mr. Mayor and Council 
 felt highly honoured by the royal request, 
 handed over the coin, bowed, and departed, 
 brimfull of pride and loyalty ; but, from some 
 cause, never yet elucidated, whether or not 
 the royal dame was troubled with a shallow 
 memory, or, it may have been, through the dis- 
 honesty of a deputed conveyancer, the pledged 
 bit of royal scrip has never been redeemed." 
 When equestrianism reigned triumphant at 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 109 
 
 Astley's — ^Andrew Ducrow was the master spirit 
 — and that establishment was thronged nightly 
 by admiring crowds, it became a never-to-be- 
 forgotten event to have witnessed the marvel- 
 lous acts of horsemanship of the "Courier of 
 St. Petersburg," "The SaUor's Ketum," &c. 
 So wondrous was the illustration, that the 
 demonstrator became the world's celebrity ; 
 and not only as the superior of his class in 
 the circus, he was by many degrees the most 
 elegant rope-dancer I ever beheld. In fact, 
 every movement of this wonder was the poetry 
 of motion. Therefore it was not marvellous 
 that the two master-spirits of their art should 
 have sympathised and become sincere friends, 
 their regard for each other remaining un- 
 altered during their life-time; I mean the 
 great Edmund Kean and the renowned Andrew 
 Ducrow. 
 
 Not only was Andrew the Great failed for his 
 public exhibitions, but he became noted for his 
 private hospitality. It was his gi-eat pleasure 
 to invite friends to a petit souper at his private 
 
110 RECOLLECTION'S AND WAJSTDERINGS 
 
 resideiioe> ' adjoining the theatre. On one 
 occasion, there were present Edmund Kean, 
 the aristocratic trio Lord Adolphus Fitzclarenee, 
 Count d'Orsay, and Sir George Wombwell, and 
 many other men of note. Our host used to 
 apologise for appearing in his robe de chmribre, 
 saying, that the fatigue of his evening's exer- 
 tion must plead his excuse. As a grace to 
 supper, he invariably challenged all hands to 
 a bumper of champagne. The first Madam 
 Ducrow decorated the head of the table, and 
 Andrew, seated in his easy-chair, occupied the 
 other end. On the right of Madam was the 
 Count d'Orsay ; on the left. Lord Adolphus. On 
 the top dish was displayed the half of a roasted 
 pig. Madam asked the Count of what he 
 would partake. He answered by inquiring 
 what it was on the dish before her. She said 
 it was roasted pig. 
 
 " Ah ! ah ! " said the Count, "I like the pig 
 roast very much ; will you oblige me by a slice 
 of that little animal ? " 
 
 " With pleasure. Count," said Madam ; and, 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. Ill 
 
 takiag the carving-knife in hand, she com- 
 menced the operation, but, nnfortunately, got 
 the iastmment among the ribs. 
 
 AndreTv, observing the struggle, arose from 
 his 'seat, saying, " My dear Madam, what are 
 you trying to do ? " 
 
 Madam said, " My dear Andrew, I am en- 
 deavouring to help the Count to a slice of the 
 
 pig- 
 
 "My love," answered our host, "you have 
 got in the wrong place. What's the use to 
 fiddle away at the ribs ? Why don't you cut him 
 on the hind part ; that's where the meat lies." 
 
 After supping, the vocal art reigned triumph- 
 ant. Among the musical children was Nathan, 
 the composer, who arranged for the piano Lord 
 Byron's Hebrew melodies. 
 
 In the course of the evening our worthy host 
 requested that Nathan would sing that pretty 
 song that he so much admired. 
 
 " What song is it, Mr. Ducrow ? " 
 
 " Why, that pretty one, about ' Jaffier's Fair 
 Daughter.' " 
 
112 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 "My dear sir," said Nathan, "you mistake 
 the name ; it is ' Jephtha's Fair Daughter.' " 
 
 "Well," said Andrew, "never mind her 
 name. I am told she was a very nice girl. 
 So pray chant." 
 
 Thus ended a very delightful evening. 
 
 I omitted mentioning another celebrity be- 
 longing to the establishment, in the person of 
 the late elegant little Widdicomb (father of 
 the celebrated comedian, Henry, of that name), 
 who with so much grace handled the per- 
 suader regulating the paces of the beautiful 
 animals during the performance in the circus. 
 
 Some years bygone I had occasion to call on 
 Sir Andrew Barnard, who was then governor 
 of that noble institution, Chelsea Hospital. On 
 my arrival, I found Sir Andrew officially engaged, 
 and he could not give me an interview for a 
 quarter of an hour. To while away the time, I 
 made a visit to the plaisaunce, in the centre of 
 which is erected a statue ; and not knowing 
 who it represented, I accosted a brave old boy 
 who was pacing up and down as sentry. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 113 
 
 " Comrade," said I, " whose statue is that ? " 
 
 He replied by saying, "I dare not hold a 
 parley, being on duty ; I -will hail one of 
 my comrades, who will tell your honour aU 
 about it." 
 
 I followed him to the foot of a staircase, that 
 ascends to the dormitories, and, with a fine 
 stentorian voice, he sung out, "Jem Warde, 
 come down ; you're wanted." 
 
 That familiar name struck me with curiosity. 
 I, therefore, expected to see my tragic friend 
 James Prescott Warde, of Covent Garden, trot, 
 down the stairs. But no ; it was another brave, 
 old boy of the self-same name. 
 
 When he appeared, the sentry said, "Jem, 
 tell his honour all about that ere cove in the' 
 middle, yonder." 
 
 We approached the statue. I then discovered', 
 it was the effigy of Charles the Second. 
 
 "Ah," said I to Jem Warde, "then it was: 
 good King Charley that founded and built this 
 beautiful residence for you brave lads 1 " 
 
 "Not he," said Jem; "not that ugly old; 
 
114i RECOLLECTIONS ANI> WANDERINGS 
 
 cove. No, no ; it was a liaBgel, and her name 
 was Lady Ellen Gwynne, God bless her ! " 
 
 "Ah! ah!" said I, "that's news; I never 
 heard that before." 
 
 "I'll tell your honour how it came about. 
 When Charley and the lovely girl used to be 
 a driving in the carnage, through St. James's 
 Park, she used to see we old coveys a lying 
 about there without our arms and legs. ' Oh, 
 Charles,' said the angel to the royal sweetheart, 
 ' what a heart -rendering sight it is to see these 
 brave fellows in such a wretched condition. 
 Why not build them a residence, wherein they 
 might pass the remainder of their lives in 
 comfort and happiness.' 'Salute me,' said 
 Charley to the angel creature, ' and it shall be 
 done.' Therefore, your honour, instead of that 
 ugly old covey being stuck up there, we ought 
 to have an angel likeness of the lovely cretur to 
 whom we're indebted for all these 'ere blessings." 
 
 Cheltenham, at the period of the following 
 narrative, was the labyrinth of fashion and 
 beauty, attracted thither at the time when the 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 115 
 
 amateur theatricals were in their youth ; and 
 the most admired of the company among the 
 dramatic gents was the celebrated Colonel 
 Berkeley, who became in after life the Earl 
 Fitzhardinge, and, without exception, he was the 
 most accompHshed amateur actor I ever beheld. 
 The manager at that period was a vulgar old 
 Irishman, by name Watson, and it was his 
 custom to invite the gentlemen, at the end of 
 the first piece, to visit the Green-room, that 
 he designated as his lamb market. Among 
 his regular dramatic corps he had a conscien- 
 tious, well-regulated prompter, whose partner 
 (his wife) was in a delicate state of health; 
 the consequence was, the dear creature became 
 a mere shadow of her former self. And when 
 the old wretch of a manager entered the Green- 
 room, surrounded by the gay gallants, he would 
 say, "Now, gentlemen, allow me the pleasure of 
 introducing you to my pretty lambs." 
 
 At that moment the prompter made his ap- 
 pearance, saying, "I beg your pardon, Mr. 
 Watson, but before you do yourself the honour 
 
 I 2 
 
116 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 of opening your little lamb market, will you 
 allow me the privilege of removing my scrag 
 of mutton?" 
 
 That rebuke created great laughter, and the 
 honoured prompter withdrew with the loved 
 partner of his bosom from the presence-chamber 
 of the old wretch of a manager. 
 
 During the residence of the Prince Napoleon 
 in this country, he was upon the most friendly. 
 and daily visiting terms with the inmates of 
 Gore House, Lady Blessington, Count d'Orsay, 
 and the Miss Powers ; and, I beheve, they 
 were the only parties in this country who were 
 cognisant of the prince's affair at Strasbourg ; 
 the which resulted in disaster and imprison- 
 ment. But his escape from captivity is in- 
 vested with romantic interest. It was during 
 his incarceration, that the prince began his cele- 
 brated work on labour. The captive prince had 
 a faithful follower and friend in the person 
 of his valet, Charles, and this attached creature 
 obtained permission of the governor to reside 
 within the fort, to tend to the wants of his 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 117 
 
 loved master, diaries was not under restraint, 
 the governor allowing him free egress and 
 ingress at all times. At that period the fort 
 was invested by a numerous body of workmen 
 repairing the decayed and crumbling walls of 
 that great prison. On several occasions, when 
 the work-people retired at mid-day to the 
 town for the dinner hour, the faithful valet, 
 Charles, was in their midst, and what struck 
 him with gi'eat surprise was, that the work- 
 people passed in and out without giving any 
 countersign to the sentinels on duty. There- 
 fore Charles conceived the idea, that if he 
 could obtain possession of one of the worker's 
 dresses, it would facilitate the escape of his 
 captive chief. He indicated to the prince his 
 idea, relating all the events before mentioned. 
 The prince being impressed with the im- 
 parted notion, they began to mature their 
 plans for escaping from bondage. The dress 
 having been procured, the persevering valet 
 communicated the design to a few staunch 
 friends of the prince ; among whom was the 
 
118 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 devoted Count Persigny, who, with the others, 
 had been awaiting in the town, incognito, the 
 current of events. The anxious day arrived. 
 The workmen were employed in removing 
 building materials from the fort. On the right 
 shoulder of the fugitive prince was placed 
 a plank that completely masked the counte- 
 nance of the retiring one from the sentinels' 
 observation. The well-matured scheme culmi- 
 nated most successfully. A passport under a 
 feigned name was obtained for him by his 
 trusted friends, by which means the escaped 
 man crossed the frontier into Belgium, ulti- 
 mately arriving in England, to the great joy of 
 all his friends, none more sLacere than the 
 inmates of Gore Housa 
 
 By-the-by, during the absence of the prince, 
 the Count d'Orsay's worldly affairs became 
 mystified. The consequence was, that he 
 could only venture from without the gates of 
 Gore House, just after the hour of twelve on 
 Saturday night, taking care to be safely caged 
 again at Kensington before midnight on Sun- 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 119 
 
 day. The great precaution required for this 
 stringent arrangement was to avoid the pressing 
 demands of a Sloman brigade, who were always 
 on the qui vive seeking an opportunity of tap- 
 ping the aristocratic bird on the left shoulder. 
 On the arrival of the fortunate escaped Napo- 
 leon in London, he made straight for the 
 friendly roof of his staunch co-mates at Gore 
 House. The event happened on a Sunday 
 night, shortly after twelve o'clock. The prince 
 rang the bell, when a small wicket was opened 
 by the Mthful gate-porter, who said, "Now 
 then, what's your game? What do you 
 want?" 
 
 The reply was, that the bell-ringer wanted 
 to see the count on particular business. 
 
 "Oh, you do, do you 1" said Cerberus. . "Now,, 
 if you don't walk your chalks, my Hebrew 
 swell, m come round and give you the j oiliest 
 hiding you ever had." He then closed the 
 wicket, and retired. 
 
 Again the bell rang louder. 
 
 Open shot the wicket, and the same visage 
 
120 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 met tlie watcMul porter's eye. "What, not 
 gone yet ? " said the faithful sentry. 
 
 " You mistake," said the outsider. '' I am 
 not who you think, — I am the Prince Louis 
 Napoleon." 
 
 " The Prince Louis devil," said the porter, 
 " he's limbered safe enough." 
 
 Again the wicket closed, and again rang the 
 bell. 
 
 At that moment, the count's faithful attach^ 
 Mr. Kichard Dunne (my infoi-mant), was cross- 
 ing the court-yard, and inquired of the porter 
 who it was ringing at the gate bell. When he, 
 the porter, said "it was one of Sloman's myr- 
 midons, who tried to gammon me by saying 
 he was Prince Napoleon." 
 
 " Let me have a look at him," said Dunne. 
 
 The wicket again opened, when, to the 
 amazement of the beholder, he saw the well- 
 knoTvn and familiar visage of the royal and 
 fortunate fugitive. 
 
 Time rolled on, and Napoleon's lucky star 
 shone brightly on him, and when he be- 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 121 
 
 came the head of the French nation, he did 
 not forget the friendship cemented at the 
 period of his exile with the hospitable inhabi- 
 tants of Gore House, and when the Count 
 d'Orsay migrated under a stress of weather to 
 Paris, he was not forgotten by the Emperor, 
 who administered to his necessities by ap- 
 pointing the Count Minister des Beaux Arts, 
 which position the Count occupied during his 
 lifetime. 
 
 Some ten years ago, my fellow-labourer 
 Wright and self visited Cambridge for a twelve 
 nights' engagement, under the management of 
 Edward Hooper, usually called Gentleman Ned. 
 
 I inquired of my manager friend, at what 
 college the memorial of the world-renowned 
 Poet Byron was placed. He said, " At Trinity, 
 where he matriculated ; would you like to see 
 it, Paul?" I said I would not for the world 
 forego the pleasure of looking on the image of 
 one I had known in his lifetime. On the 
 mon-ow we sped thither. We were expected 
 by the chief in command of that wondrous 
 
122 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEBINGS 
 
 libraiy, and after some agreeable conversation 
 with the gentleman, who poiated out the 
 favourite table and chair where the poet lord 
 wrote many of the sketches of his celebrated 
 Hours of Idleness, and other poems, I said, 
 " Where, dear sir, is the memorial of the gifted 
 one deposited ? " He invited us to the extreme 
 end of the magnificent library, and there I 
 beheld a marble visage of the inspired de- 
 parted, true to the life ; it was chiselled by the 
 celebrated sculptor Thorwaldsen. I said, "I 
 believe, .sir, this great work was intended to 
 adorn Poets' Comer, in Westminster Abbey." 
 " It was so," he answered ; " but the Dean and 
 Chapter of that sacred edifice refused their 
 sanction, because they considered his lordship 
 to have been an immoral man." I replied by 
 saying, " Dear sir, when the Dean and Chapter 
 of Westminster Abbey, and all other abbeys, 
 are gone to heaven and foi-gotten, that won- 
 drous creatui-e will be remembered, were it 
 only for his divine poem 'On Darkness.'" 
 " Very fine," said our Mend ; " yon have great 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 123 
 
 poetic taste. Pray, may I inquire at what 
 college you matriculated?" "At St. GUes's," 
 was my answer. " St Giles's ! we have no 
 college so named at Cambridge." He then con- 
 sulted a large book. " No, nor at Oxford ; nor 
 in Ireland or Scotland. May I ask," said he, 
 " where St Giles's is situated ? " " I'll tell you, 
 sir," said I. " You wiU discover it on the con- 
 fines of that classic ground called Tottenham 
 Court Eoad. The principal depot for studying 
 the spirits being the Seven Dials." 
 
 Our classic friend enjoyed the description, 
 and invited us to lunch with him in his private 
 chambers. 
 
 On the refusal of the abbey authorities 
 to allow the beautiful work of art to adorn 
 Poets' Comer, it was consigned to the cells of 
 the Custom-house, where it lay unheeded for 
 twenty-five years ; ultimately it was exhumed 
 by the Cambridge Trinity College superiors, 
 and erected, as before described, to the honour 
 of one of our nation's most inspii-ed bards. 
 
 During my theatrical life I have been a close 
 
124 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 observer of human existence, and it has been 
 my fate to have commingled with the worthiest 
 and most honourable sections of society; but 
 as a coimteracting element, I have been profes- 
 sionally obliged to intermingle with pretenders 
 and counterfeits. The first of these worthies 
 was in the person of Laporte, who, after setting 
 his confiding friends to music at Her Majesty's 
 Theatre (Opera House), ended in discord, 
 as he mulcted some confiding fiats out of 
 thousands. Then the Beauty retired from that 
 locale, and changed the venu to Drury Lane, 
 enacting the parts usually played by Harley. 
 There he located two seasons. At that period 
 an opportunity presented itself which culmi- 
 nated in one of the most gorgeous swindles of 
 modern times; The Theatre Eoyal, Covent 
 Garden, at that period was minus a lessee. 
 The downy Frenchman proposed for it, and was 
 accepted. He carried on some two or three 
 seasons, and then burst up. He retired to his 
 native nest, Paris, and consoled himself by 
 luxuriating in some twenty thousand pounds 
 
OP PAUL BEBFORD. 125 
 
 which ought to have been dispensed among the 
 fleeced artists, landlords, traders, and others. 
 However, he did not long survive to enjoy the 
 plunder. , 
 
 Again, about four years ago, we were illu- 
 minated by a Phantom that had flitted across 
 the broad Atlantic, and this sapient shadow 
 perched at a celebrated dramatic establish- 
 ment in the Strand, with a fixed determina" 
 tion of disposing of the stock in trade at an 
 alarming sacrifice. Well, the thing proposed 
 to the head of the firm as a sweeping measure, 
 that it would with a broom brush out the old 
 hands, and import from the new countiy, 
 articles that would prove far more attractive. 
 "Well," said the master, "the samples you 
 have displayed are not of the first quality. 
 The black article certainly passed muster, but 
 the Scudder, the other article, turned out the 
 vilest duffer ever exhibited in this or any 
 other country." This ephemeral article, the 
 Phantom, after luxuriating some two seasons 
 in the Strand, migrated to the other side of 
 
126 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 the water, with a fixed determination of setting 
 the Thames on fire, and in its flight, the crea- 
 ture collected a shoal of flat-fish called floun- 
 ders; and when it had netted its prey, left 
 them to the mercy of a set of land-crabs, that 
 pinched them severely, until they disgorged 
 their roes in the shape of spangles, to the 
 great satisfaction of the fishers, John Doe and 
 Richard Roe. Again, the thing threatened to 
 land on the confines of the Haymarket; but 
 that bubble burst, like the others, into thin 
 air ; therefore I would advise the creature, for 
 the future, to settle down on the other side of 
 Jordan. 
 
 A few days ago I was somewhat surprised at 
 reading in the papers, that Merchant Peabody's 
 munificent gift to the working and needy 
 classes of London, is about being developed in 
 a locality at the east end of the Metropolis, and 
 from what can be understood as to the rents to 
 be charged for habitation, it has aU the appear- 
 ance of a joint-stock speculation, yielding so 
 much per cent. I presume such was not the 
 
OP PAUL BEDFORD. 127 
 
 original idea of the bountifiil giver's intention. 
 My Gothic idea of dispensing the blessing, I 
 illtistrated in the shape of a letter, which was 
 published in one of our leading journals last 
 year, 1863 j it runs thus : — 
 
 THE PEABODY GIFT. 
 
 To the Editor of the Star. 
 " Sib, 
 
 " It is now, I believe, nearly one year 
 past since a munificent gift was bestowed 
 by Nature's nobleman, Merchant Peabody, to 
 ameliorate the condition of the labouring and 
 needy classes of this our gigantic village of 
 London. Since that period I have never 
 heard in what manner this noble and boun- 
 teous offering is to be devoted, whether in 
 weekly alms, or habitations. If the latter, 
 would you pardon me for presuming a sug- 
 gestion on that point. It is a well-known 
 fact that idiots have, by the Divine dispen- 
 sation of Providence, sane moments and inspi- 
 
128 BECOLLECTIONS AJfD WANDERINGS 
 
 rations, therefore I would ask if you would 
 consider the following idea idiotic. I have 
 heard the disposal of this noble and princely 
 benefactor's gift is to be carried out thus : — 
 to establish a village or colony at the east end 
 of London. That would certainly be delightful 
 for the lads of the village, east — but how about 
 the other three points 1 Now, if I were this 
 noble creature, I would have it run thus : at 
 the extreme points of this our giant village, 
 east, west, north and south, I would have 
 established locations, to be named Peabody's 
 colony or village ; for if it is to be all devoted to 
 one point, we should have multitudes rushing 
 there, reminding us of a new discovery of gold- 
 digging in foreign lands. Therefore, by so 
 disposing of this pattern card's example, it 
 would benefit creation at aU points of the 
 compass. And how delightful and heart- 
 cheering it will be to this model man, when 
 meandering through the locations, to view the 
 happy faces upturned to him, and hearing an 
 urchin ask of the parent, if that is the good 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 129 
 
 gentleman wlio gave them their happy homes, 
 and to hear the father replying by saying, 
 I believe you, rny hoy. Should you consider 
 this trifle worthy a nook in your uniYersal 
 journal, you would greatly oblige 
 
 " Yours, truly, 
 
 "Paul Bedford." 
 
 " Royal AdelpU Theatre." 
 
 By-the-by, will any of our learned diction- 
 aries expound the real definition of the word 
 gift ? I ever imagined it to be, to part with, 
 but according to the modern interpretation, it 
 reminds me that if in the streets you give to 
 a needy creature with the right hand a penny, 
 at the same time extending the left hand, 
 receiving a farthing by way of interest, the 
 which — according to Cocker— would amount 
 to 25 per cent. Therefore, I should be thank- 
 ful to ascertain the real meaning of the word. 
 As the bountiful gift is at present ad- 
 ministered, there is no novelty in the move- 
 ment, because we have already model lodging- 
 
130 EECOLLECTIONS AND WAUDEKIlSrGS 
 
 houses, where accommodation might, be ob- 
 tained at a much cheaper rate. Therefore, so 
 much for your boasted gift. 
 
 One of the wonders of the world is my 
 Lord Palmerston, our noble premier, who in 
 his maturity, displays all the buoyancy of 
 youth. As an instance, on one morning last 
 season I was walking to town, and Avhen. 
 within the railings of the Green Park, opposite 
 Cambridge House, the residence of the gifted 
 one, I observed a cluster of ladies and gentle- 
 men congregated. I joined the admiring 
 throng, and observed a groom meandering 
 around the courtyard, holding the bridle of a 
 led horse, and I heard the ladies say, " Oh, his 
 lordship is going out to enjoy his morning 
 ride.' " I wonder," said another fair creature, 
 " if the dear fellow will be enabled to get on 
 the horse without assistance." At that mo- 
 ment the doors were thrown open : out came 
 his lordship, looking as 'gay as a lark, and 
 putting one foot in the stirrup, vaulted on the 
 saddle with the agility of a youth of twenty 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 131 
 
 yeai's old. TLe action made me blush, for I 
 could not have accomplished that feat without 
 the assistance of a leg up. 
 
 The Lions. — I read the horrible story 
 of the poor fellow at the Agricultural Hall 
 being seized by two royal brutes — lions — and 
 the officials regretted they could not rescue the 
 sufferer from the fangs of the savage brutes, 
 not having red-hot irons ready. Now, had I 
 been there, I would have released the mangled 
 man in a minute, thus : Years bygone, I was 
 walking in Regent Street, when a huge bull- 
 dog sprang from a coal-waggon and grappled 
 within his ponderous jaws a beautiful spaniel 
 pet, belonging to a lady that was passing. 
 The coalies made every effort to make the 
 savage brute let go his prey, they bit his tail 
 and legs, — no use. I sung out, "Here, coaly, 
 apply this to his nostrils," and taking from my 
 pocket a snuff-box, poured the contents into 
 the maa's hand, and told him to apply it to 
 the nose of the torturer. He did so. The 
 effect was instantaneous.. The brute sneezed, 
 
 K 2 
 
132 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 and dropped the bleeding animal. The lady's 
 gratitude was unbounded, and had it not been 
 in so public a thoroughfare, I do believe she 
 would have embraced the doctor. 
 
 Now I will impart how I came to the 
 knowledge of this secret worth hnowing. 
 During Alfred Bunn's management at Drury 
 Lane, he imported from the continent a troupe 
 of performing lions, tigers, &c., &c. (it was 
 prior to Van Amburgh's visit). The animals 
 were housed in their dens at the extreme back 
 part of the stage, when one morning, at rehear- 
 sal time we were alarmed at the cries of some 
 one in distress, and it was discovered that one 
 of the tigers had seized a keeper by the arm. 
 The master was in the theatre : he rushed to 
 the den, drew forth his snuff-box, applied the 
 sneezing-powder to the brute's nostrils, which 
 had the effect before described. 
 
 When my late friend and associate, Wright, 
 depai-ted, I despaired of ever again meeting one 
 with whom I could so congenially co-operate 
 for the amusement of the public, but I have 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 133 
 
 been most agreeably delighted and surprised 
 by tbe copartnery and talent of one of the 
 most versatile and agreeable demonstrators of 
 the comic muse in this or any] other country 
 — I allude to J. L. Toole, whose public cele- 
 brity is world-renowned, but whose'; real 
 worth and goodness can only be appreciated 
 by those who have the pleasure of his private 
 society and friendship. This miniature of 
 goodness is ever ready to lend a helping hand 
 to the needy of our craft. For example, on one 
 night last season he played at three theatres, 
 first at the Surrey, secondly at the Adelphi, 
 and thirdly at Sadler's "Wells. A comic inci- 
 dent occurred in the transit from the Adelphi 
 to Sadler's "Wells. He — Toole — played the 
 clock-maker boy in "Janet Pride," at the 
 Adelphi, having to finish at Sadler's "Wells as 
 Old Grinnidge in the " Green Bushes." Being 
 pressed for time, he changed garments in the 
 cab. "When arrived at the theatre, cabby was 
 astonished to see the old man turn out, and 
 said, ""What have you done with the boy? 
 
134 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 this old cove didn't get in at the AdeLphi, 
 what have you done with the young 'un? 
 I ain't easy in my mind a,bout that there lad." 
 We laughed, and told the Jarvey it was all 
 right. 
 
 I decorated as Jack Gong at the Adelphi, 
 and, in the hurry of getting off to Sadler's 
 WeUs, our attendant, forgot to pack up my 
 under garment called shni;, and, being invited 
 by my young friend to repose at his hospitable 
 residence at Hampstead, I was greatly per- 
 plexed next morning as to my appearance in 
 the broad glare of day, before the public. 
 My kind host said, " We'U get over that diffi- 
 culty thus. You shall have one of my under- 
 garments." We commenced the operation of 
 getting it on, and the fun created in the 
 stmggle, we enjoyed, but can't describe. 
 
 In the following anecdote are associaifced the 
 names of fowr men of mark, two of which 
 number have long since departed ; but the 
 other two are with us, all alive oh ! The 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 135 
 
 names of the departed two are Edmund Kean 
 (the Great) and the facetious Robert William 
 Elliston. The other duet pair of the interest- 
 ing quartet is the celebrated John Baldwin 
 Buckstone and the renowned artist Sydney 
 Cooper. The event runs thus : — 
 
 The first plunge of Buckstone and Cooper 
 into dramatic life was taken at the fashionable 
 sea-side watering town of Hustings. J. B. 
 Buckstone being engaged for utility business 
 (that means play anything), and Sydney Cooper 
 as scenic ajtistj the season commenced and pro- 
 gressed with varied success — sometimes good, 
 but more frequently veiy bad. At last their 
 hopes were obliterated by the anival in towa. 
 of Wombwell's Menagerie, and the natives, 
 (being at that time uneducated) displayed theii* 
 taste by patronising the show and deserting the 
 play-house. The consequence was, the uncer- 
 tainty of the theatrical treasury (or pay ofl&ce) 
 being opened on the Saturday ; and when " the 
 ghost " (money) did occasionally appear, it was 
 a mere shadow of its foimer self. But the scenic 
 
136 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEIKGS 
 
 artist, who was ever a prudent boy, had accu- 
 mulated savings to the amount of five pounds, 
 as a reserve fund for a rainy day. The flimsy 
 (or note) he always, for safety, kept deposited 
 within the cases of a huge old-fashioned silver 
 watch ; and thus, as he performed the operation 
 of winding up the instrument of time, he 
 nightly felt assured his treasure was all right. 
 But we sleeping mortals little dream of the 
 disasters the morrow may bring with it. So 
 with our clever artist; for on awaking in the 
 morning, he arose from his troubled couch, and, 
 advancing to the imagined secure depositoiy, 
 he, to his horror, discovered that the loved 
 time remembrancer and its contents had evapo- 
 rated, and could not afterwards be seen or 
 heard of. What a misfortune, in such an hour 
 of distress ! However, from evil often ariseth 
 good. And so in this case, the particulars of 
 which you shall know anon. 
 
 The distressed manager assembled the com- 
 pany to a parley on the state of affairs ; and it 
 resulted in the selection of a celebrated drama. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 137 
 
 that he (the manager) hoped would retrieve the 
 decaying fortunes of the estabhshment. In 
 that drama the utility boy (John Buckstone) 
 had assigned to him a most important part ; 
 to perfect himself in which, he used to 
 wander away to the neighbouring Downs, for 
 quiet and seclusion, when one day he was 
 greatly annoyed by a gentleman hovering 
 around him, and taking a curious peep at 
 the book he had ia hand. At length the in- 
 truder broke silence by saying, "My young 
 friend, you appear greatly enrapt with the book 
 you have before you. I hope you will not con- 
 sider me intrusive by inquiring the subject of 
 your attention." 
 
 The young utility boy handed the book to 
 the inquiring stranger, who, on looking at the 
 title page, discovered it to be a celebrated 
 melodrama playing with great success at the 
 Surrey Theatre. 
 
 " Oh, oh ! " said the stranger, " I see you have 
 great taste for dramatic literature." 
 
 The utility boy informed the stranger that 
 
138 EECOLLECTIONS AKD WAITOERINGS 
 
 he was a member of the company noiy per- 
 forming at Hastings. 
 
 The gentleman said that he had great taste 
 for dramatic works, particularly Shakespeare's 
 tragedies. 
 
 "Ah," said the rustic actor, " William Shake- 
 speare is not a gentleman of my acquaintance 
 yet, but I hope in time to be on speaking 
 terms with him." 
 
 " Very good," said the stranger. " Pray may 
 I inquire what sort of trade you are doing at 
 the theatre 1 " 
 
 The utility boy was very communicative, 
 revealing all the disasters of little or no 
 salaries, and the success of the opposition 
 show. He also informed the stranger that 
 the benefit season was about beginning, and 
 that was the only hope they had of getting 
 enough to wipe off the chalks, and leave the 
 town with honour. 
 
 The gentleman said he should very much 
 like to see over the theatre; and if it would 
 not disturb his study, would he (the boy) do 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 139 
 
 him the pleasure of waiting to town with him, 
 and show him over the estahlishment. The 
 local actor readily consented, imagining that he 
 had secured a victim to patronise him on his 
 approaching benefit night. The gent's person 
 was decorated by a blue coat with brass 
 buttons, tight pants, and Hessian boots, with 
 corresponding tassels. 
 
 Well, after viewing over the establishment, 
 the stranger was about taking leave of his 
 rustic acquaintance, when a post-chaise drove 
 hastily up to the door. Out jumped a gentle- 
 man, who was none other than Kobert WiUiam 
 EUiston, the then manager of the" Theatre 
 Hoyal, Drury Lane ; and he (Robert William), 
 taking the unknown by the hand, said, "My 
 dear Kean, you must return to town with me 
 to-morrow. Since your absence, the business 
 has been ruinous; therefore I must announce 
 you as Richard the Third for Monday." 
 
 "Oh, no," said Edmund; "I came hither 
 with your consent, to study my part in the new, 
 tragedy." 
 
140 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 " Never mind the new part ; we can put that 
 off," said Robert William. 
 
 "Well," said the great tragedian, "I wiU 
 make a compact with you, and that is, if you 
 will remain here, and perform -with me, for the 
 benefit of these our unfortunate brethren, on 
 the morrow night, I will depart with you on 
 the following morning." 
 
 The terms were joyfuUy accepted. The 
 morrow came. The pieces were the Merchant 
 of Venice — Shylock by the Roscius of the 
 world ; concluding with the farce of the Liar 
 — ^Wildrake by the renowned R. W. EUiston. 
 House crammed to suffocation ; and it resulted 
 in money enough being taken to pay all back 
 salaries, not forgetting the lost watch and con- 
 tents; also cash enough to take them with 
 comfort to the next town, which was Dover. 
 Now, there was a pattern of goodness for our 
 swell tragedians to emulate. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 141 
 
 MILITARY LIFE. 
 
 At the period of my early London life at 
 Drury Lane, the green room at that time was 
 elegantly furnished and decorated, and it was 
 always considered a great privilege to be ad- 
 mitted as a visitor by all who had the good 
 fortrme to be so complimented. Among the 
 manager's friends was an officer in the Guards, 
 of the name of West. He was a fine young 
 fellow, and became greatly enamoured of 
 Josephine Bartalozzi, the beautiful and younger 
 sister of the late Madame Vestris. At that 
 time it was the rage for all gallants to serenade 
 their adored ones, either vocally or instrumen- 
 tally. The man of war began by singing 
 beneath the window of the admired one, 
 hoping to attract recognition of his presence ; 
 but it had not the desired effect, the inmates 
 imagining it to be some poor unfortunate mid- 
 night ballad singer, hoping to get a fugitive 
 peimy thrown from the window towards obtain- 
 
142 EECOLLECTIOKS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 ing enougli for his night's lodging. The 
 captain's voice was none of the sweetest, and 
 he always roared out, "The Bay of Biscay, 
 oh ! " which is not considered a love ditty. He 
 therefore rushed the next morning in despair 
 to the master of the band (the late Mr. God- 
 frey), to consult him, iu his despair, on the 
 subject. He informed the master of his failure 
 in the vocal art, and he wished to know what 
 instrument he could learn in the course of a 
 week that would have the desired effect. 
 
 " Say, Godfrey, dear fellow, could I get 
 perfect on the ophicleide, the trombone, the 
 bassoon, or any other trifling instrument of 
 that sort ? " 
 
 The worthy master informed the love-stricken 
 captain that it would take half a lifetime to be 
 proficient on either of those instruments men- 
 tioned. 
 
 « 
 
 "What a demmed bore!" said the captain, 
 "that I can't get over this musical difficulty 
 without devoting so long a time to the dem 
 things." 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOKD. 143 
 
 "Shall we begiu tomorrow momiiig," said 
 Godfrey, "with the first lesson on the trom- 
 bone ?" 
 
 "No, no, dear Godfrey, it will never do," 
 replied the distracted captain. " There's a dem 
 fellow, that plays on his guitar and sings like 
 an angel on horseback, and the dear* creature 
 always comes to the window to listen to that 
 lucky warbler. Now, in this dilemma, what's 
 to be done, Godfrey? I want to play some 
 instrument that will di-own that infernal 
 fellow's singing, and the tinkling of his dem 
 guitar.'' 
 
 The master (Godfrey) at that moment be- 
 came illuminated with an idea, the which he 
 imparted to the love-sick captain; and that 
 was, that if he (the captain) would condescend 
 to take some lessons on the kettle drums, that 
 he (Godfrey) would make him master of the 
 instruments in a week. The proposition was 
 joyfully accepted by the captain; and every 
 time the charmer with the guitar began to 
 chaunt, the brave soldier rattled away, so that 
 
144< RECOLLECTIONS AifD WANDERINGS 
 
 he completely drummed his rival out of the 
 field ; and ever after the gallant captain luxu- 
 riated in the cognomen of Kettle-Drum West. 
 
 Another military anecdote, somewhat different 
 to the one described of the amatoiy achieve- 
 ment of Kettle-Drum "West. It runs thus : 
 At the period of the lesseeship of the Theatre 
 Royal, Drury Lane, under the joint manage- 
 ment of Captain PoUiill and Alexander Lee, — 
 among other accepted visitors to the Green- 
 room, there was a brave Guardsman, named 
 Captain Gronow ; and the following incident 
 will prove that he is honourably entitled to be 
 called brave. At that time there existed in 
 Paris a bouncing Frenchman, who became the 
 terror of all society, he being the most expert 
 pistol duellist in the nation, and upon every 
 frivolous or imagined insult would call his man 
 out, and shoot him to the death. Onward he 
 proceeded prosperously for years ; but one fine 
 morning he was brought up with a round turn, 
 thus. Among the numerous visitors in Paris, 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 145 
 
 at that fashionable period, there was an 
 English lady and her son, a fine specimen of 
 British youth. The mother and son were 
 invited to ajj aristocratic ensemble, among 
 whom was the duel fiend, who had been 
 dancing with a Parisian beauty. At the con- 
 clusion of the quadrille, om- unfortunate native 
 advanced and solicited the honour of the lady's 
 hand as partner in the next dance. The bully 
 JFrenchman objected, whereupon an angry 
 discussion took place, which resulted in a 
 challenge being sent and accepted by the 
 brave young Englishman. On the morrow 
 morning, and at the appointed place and hour, 
 they appeared, true to the minute. Arrange- 
 ments concluded, they took their ground. It 
 -was the custom of this fire-king to take 
 position at twelve paces, advancing on each 
 other, and firing ad libitum. They ap- 
 proached — a few steps ; the Briton fired, but, 
 unfortunately, missed his man. The French- 
 man did not return the fire at that point, but, 
 walking up to his adversary, and placing his 
 
146 EECOLLECTIONS AST) WANDERINGS 
 
 hand upon Hs heart, said, "No extra palpi- 
 tation ! you're a brave fellow, and deserve a 
 better fate." At the same moment, withdraw- 
 ing his hand from the doomed one's breast, 
 then placing the mtizzle of the pistol on the 
 spot, fired, and instantaneously the brave 
 youth was obliterated from creation. What a 
 sad fatality for the heart-broken and distracted 
 mother! On the news arriving in London, 
 what a consternation was created ! It was 
 reported in the evening papers of the day. 
 The mess of the regiment the brave Captain 
 Gronow belonged to had just finished their 
 banquet, when a brother officer entered in 
 dismay, and read the dreadful intelligence to 
 the assembled ones surrounding the table. 
 Upon the instant, the gallant Captain jumped 
 from his seat, ordered his servant to pack up 
 his traps, and started that night for Paris, 
 declaring he would call the bully out, and if 
 successful it might be the means of af?suaging 
 the grief of the forlorn mother for the loss of 
 her loved boy. On arriving in Paris, the 
 
OF PAXIL BEDFORD. 147 
 
 Captain sought the first opportunity of finding 
 out the slayer. He met him at an assembly, 
 and in the dance took a position near the 
 dreaded one, and whether by accident or 
 design the Captain trod on the foot of the 
 accomplished duelUst. Angry words ensued^ 
 no apology — challenge sent — meeting ap- 
 pointed — the aiTangements as before — ^twelve 
 paces— then advance — -fii-e at pleasure. The 
 Captain drew the Frenchman's fire, who, for 
 once, missed the mark, and in return for the 
 intended compliment shot the monster dead 
 on the spot. Bravo, my brave Captain ! The 
 victorious Captain soon after returned to home 
 quarters, when, on making his accustomed visit 
 to the Drury Lane Green-room, he was saluted 
 with salvos of Vivas by the assembled 
 company. 
 
 L 2 
 
148 KECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 THE SHAKESPEARE TERCENTENAEY 
 CONCERT 
 
 AT THE AGEICULTURAL HALL, ISLINGTON. 
 
 My co-partner (J. L. Toole) and self were 
 invited to take part and miK up in the musical 
 gathering on the occasion, and with the 
 sanction of our chief (Benjamin Webster) we 
 consented ; but we were greatly perplexed to 
 discover themes that would sympathise on the 
 glorious occasion. We therefore consulted the 
 programme, and discovered that we were an- 
 nounced at the end of the second act. We 
 therefore sought a parley with the clever and 
 obliging conductor, Mr. Benedict, who informed 
 us that to suit our own convenience we might 
 transpose the position at pleasure ; therefore 
 we selected numbers four and five in the first 
 act. Thus was all serene ; but how about the 
 listening and attentive audience ? Some expla- 
 nation was required for the interruption, though 
 what puzzled us most was to find language 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 149 
 
 and song that would assimilate and sympathise 
 ■with the inspirations of the world's bard. The 
 innocent effusions selected for the occasion 
 were that redolent " Jolly Nose," and the do- 
 mestic ditty of " A Norrible Tale." I was the 
 first to put in an appearance, and on ascending 
 the orchestra platform I became somewhat 
 nei-vous on viewing the assembled eighteen or 
 twenty thousand listeners, and the vast extent 
 of that monster building. I feared my infan- 
 tine and agitated notes would not be heard 
 beyond the front rows. However, I mustered 
 courage, and before I warbled I spoke thus : — 
 " Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you will excuse 
 my athletic, young Mend and your trembling 
 boy for obtruding ourselves on your presence 
 thus early, and disturbing the general run of 
 the musical programme, but ' necessity hath no 
 law ; ' for about the hour of nine our duties 
 demand our presence at the homestead in the 
 midst of our giant village — in the Strand. 
 Therefore, my fostering and encouraging 
 friends, I will breathe forth the result of a 
 
150 KECOLLECTIONS AKD WAOT)ERIKGS 
 
 dream, dreamed by that inspired and immacu- 
 late bard, William Shakespeare, who lodged at 
 Stratford-on-Avon." The imparted sleeping 
 idea of the ■world's poet was about his pet boy, 
 Bardolph, and his " Jolly Nose.'^ The address 
 was greatly enjoyed. Then chaunting the 
 plaintive ballad, which at the termination was 
 vociferously redemanded by the admiring 
 crowd, my co-partner followed with his Norrible 
 Tale, and that shared the same fate. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFOBD. 151 
 
 EDINBURGH. 
 
 Some thirty bygone years. Sir Hemy Bishop 
 (then Hemy Bishop) was unanimously elected 
 as mibsical chief of the college in Edinburgh ; 
 and at the period of his inauguration to the 
 harmonious throne, he (Sir Henry) intended to 
 astonish the natives, by introducing on the 
 occasion the celebrated London Glee Singers, 
 who accompanied their chief to the northern 
 metropohs; and on the day previous to the 
 installing ceremonial concert, a rehearsal took 
 place. The first glee intoned was " Hail ! 
 smiUng mom ! " the most beautiful effect of 
 that charming composition being the echo. 
 But, alas ! Sir Henry discovered that he had 
 not imported English vocals sufficient for the 
 occasion. What was to be done to get over 
 the difficulty? Therefore, after mature con- 
 sideration, it resulted in Sir Henry holding 
 a parley with the Scottish musical chief, who 
 kindly proposed the services of their native 
 
152 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDEEINGS 
 
 vocal children to fill up the gap. And the 
 offer was joyfully accepted by the English chief. 
 They began. The poetry of that delightful 
 composition runs thus : — 
 
 " Hail, smilhig morn ! who tips the hills with gold... 
 At whose bright presence darkness flies away. 
 
 (Echo, supposed to he from the clouds,) 
 Flees awa'. 
 Flies away. 
 
 {Echo) Flees awa'. 
 Darkness flies away. 
 
 (Aiiswer) Darkne.ss flees awa'." 
 
 The eccentricity of the echo produced roars 
 of laughter, and culminated in the beautiful 
 composition being left out of the programme. 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 153 
 
 A YORKSHIRE JURY. 
 
 The native peasantry about Roseberry 
 Topping, in the Nortb Riding, are a very simple- 
 minded race, as the foUowing anecdote will 
 illLustrate : — 
 
 A rustic cotter came (by accident) to an un- 
 timely end; consequently a jury was summoned 
 to sit upon the body for the purpose of obtaining 
 information on what had led to the disastrous 
 result. They (the jury) were called from the 
 surrounding agricultural districts. The foreman 
 was a law celebrity (commonly called solicitor), 
 and a very shrewd man. The twelve sapient 
 jurymen were assembled, and started on their 
 melancholy mission for the cottage of sorrow ; 
 the foreman on horseback, the jury on foot. 
 
 On going along the road, the man of law 
 encountered a confiding client ; and as they 
 had some topic of a forensic nature to talk 
 about, the foreman said, "Gentlemen of the 
 jury, you will go on to the cottage, and com- 
 
154 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 mence proceedings by sitting on the body. I 
 will follow immediately.'' 
 
 Away sped the gentlemen of the jury. The 
 foreman's conference with his client having 
 been somewhat lengthy, half an hour or so 
 elapsed before he arrived at the cottage. On 
 entering the humble home, the foreman was 
 horrified at seeing six of the gentlemen of the 
 jury seated on the remains of the departed 
 — ^the lower three astride the body, the upper 
 three on the lower three's shoulders ; the third 
 three endeavouring to mount the living pyra- 
 mid, but in vain. The foreman said, "Gen- 
 tlemen, what are you about?" "Why, Measter 
 Curriner, we be about trying to sit on body, 
 but we canna do it ; therefore, if you wishes us 
 twelve to sit on body at one time, you must 
 find us a larger mon, or else we must do this 
 short one at twice ! " 
 
 What an example of rustic simplicity ! 
 
 And now to my kind readei-s I must say, Au 
 revoir pour le present, with the following 
 remarks on a celebrity nightly demonstrating 
 
OF PAUL EEDFOED. 155 
 
 at the Adelphi. Friends have frequently asked 
 my opinion of the dramatic child Miss Bate- 
 man, and when I have replied by saying that I 
 never yet witnessed the efforts of that Colum- 
 bian daughter, because I did not expect to 
 see one who could obliterate the impression 
 stamped oh my mind by the wondrous efforts of 
 the gifted Miss O'Neile, "Go and see Leah's 
 fourth act," said they. I did so, and I was 
 delighted ; in fact, I must say it's the nearest 
 approach to the world-renowned Juliet I have 
 ever witnessed. Of aU the dramatic importations 
 from the new countiy, Leah (Miss Bateman) 
 stands pre-eminent ; she's of the O'Neile form 
 and feminine beauty. 
 
 Aboard the Adelphi craft my associates are 
 the most agreeable crew I ever sailed with, 
 and among them is one who was pressed young 
 into the service, always admired, but now, 
 arrived at maturity, adored. I mean, Mrs. 
 Alfred Mellon, n^e Woolgar. My affection is 
 also due to Mrs. BiLlington, she having been 
 my last representative of Jack Sheppard in 
 the classical drama of that name. 
 
156 RECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS 
 
 MAIDEN LANE. 
 
 Running parallel with the main artery of 
 the metropolis (the Strand), at the rear of the 
 Adelphi Theatre, is a minute fibre, called 
 Maiden Lane — ^the which might be designated 
 as classic gi-ound — where the celebrities of 
 bygone days did meet, and in an unpretending 
 building of which the renowned painter. Turner, 
 first saw light of day ; also, Voltaire the Great 
 sought this humble locality as a sanctuary when 
 he fled from his native land as a refugee ; again, 
 Dr. Johnson, David Garrick, Boswell, and the 
 wits of the day, used to congregate at a hostelry 
 called the Bedford Head, the same congenial 
 spot still flourishing under the government of 
 the present obliging landlord and landlady. 
 The portion of Maiden Lane in which this 
 tavern stands is an interesting part of old 
 London, and fuU of agreeable memories. It 
 was next door that Andrew Marvell, the poet 
 and patriot, lived, and here it was that he was 
 lodging when Lord Danby ascended the stairs 
 
OF PAUL BEDFORD. 157 
 
 -with a message and bribe from the King, but 
 found him (the poet) too proud and honest to 
 accept the royal offer. It is said that he was 
 dining off the pickings of a mutton bone, and 
 that as soon as the Lord Treasurer had gone, 
 he was obliged to send to a friend to borrow 
 a guinea. Voltaire lodged next door, at the 
 house of a fashionable French pen-uquier, ex- 
 hibiting the sign of "The White Peruke." 
 He (Voltaire) was then young : he had been 
 imprisoned in the. Bastille for a libel, and on his 
 release he came to England and procured many 
 subscriptions for the " Henriade." He resided 
 here many years, becoming acquainted with 
 Pope, Congreve, Young, and other celebrated 
 literary men of the period, and to the Old 
 Bedford Head Tavern, tradition asserts they 
 frequently resorted. Exactly opposite the 
 famed tavern is a portion of the premises that 
 did belong to Godfrey J. Cooke, of Southamp- 
 ton Street, the oldest chemist's and druggist's 
 shop in the metropolis, having been established 
 in the year 1680. The Bedford Head Tavern 
 
158 RECOLLECTIOSrS AND WASTDERINGS 
 
 still flourishes under the kind and obliging 
 direction of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Ward. In the 
 spacious room on the first floor, the members 
 of an excellent literary and artistic club, called 
 the " Re-union," meet thrice weekly, enjoying 
 the interchange of social and friendly senti- 
 ments, and the discussion of topics which are 
 most intimately associated with literature and 
 art. And also at this famed hostelry may the 
 Ancient Britons who reside in, or visit, London, 
 enjoy a refreshing draught of their native ale, 
 that taketh not the reason prisoner, provided 
 they do not imbibe the exhilarating fluid too 
 vigorously. 
 
 Among the many friendships I formed during 
 my Dublin life, none has been more agreeable 
 and enduring than the one cemented with 
 Charles Manby, Esq., the eminent civil en- 
 gineer. The immediate occasion of my friend's 
 visit to Dublin at that period, was to voyage 
 across the Channel in one of the first steamers 
 that made the passage from England to Ireland. 
 
or PAUL BEDFORD. 159 
 
 It was an ii-on vessel, built and named after 
 his honoured father, " The Aaron Manhy." 
 
 Among my other numerous stanch and 
 valued friends I have great pleasure in re- 
 cording the names of my London friends : — 
 His Grace the Duke of Leinster, Viscount 
 Combermere, Sir WilUam De Bathe, the Hon. 
 Louis Wingfield, Colonel Henry De Bathe, 
 Professor Fergusson, F.RS., Dr. Billing, Dr. 
 Hastings, Thos. Young, M.D., Henry Villebois, 
 Andrew Arcedeckne, Captain James Stewart, 
 Captain Peters, Joseph Anderson, Donald 
 Nicoll, Clarkson Stanfield, David Roberts, 
 Frederick Gye, sen., Frederick Gye, jun., 
 William Sams, Mark Lemon, Sir Patrick 
 Roney, Henry Nicoll, Horatio Claggett, John 
 Burton Phillipsoii, Benjamin Webster, Thomas 
 Jerwood, Richard Churchill, Horatio Mahomed, 
 George B.obert Stephenson, Alfred Mellon, 
 John Oxenford, Drinkwater Meadows, Robert 
 Keeley, Edmund Falconer, Thos. Simpson, 
 Robert Bell, Charles Newcombe, the Brothers 
 Southwell, J. Grainger, T. Williams, (N. H), 
 J. L, Toole, Edward Sothern, J. W. Anson, John 
 
160 EECOLLECTIONS AND WANDERINGS. 
 
 Billington, Edward Conran, Peter Thompson, 
 John Scott, Joseph Bond, William Willott, 
 J. B. Buckstone, The Norwood Child,. The 
 Knights of the Bound Table, T. Mathew (Box 
 Hill), Hon. Henry Berkeley M.P., James Grant 
 {Morning Advertiser), Charles Jacques, Peter 
 Berlgure, J. Kinlock, Frank Toole, Esquires. 
 
 My friends at Liverpool: — Wilfred Trout- 
 beck, Michael J. Whitty, — Shemmin, — Crelin, 
 Samuel Mellor, — Miller, Edmund Molyneux, 
 E. Fairclough, — Russell, A. Whitty, jun., 
 Wm. Copeland, Alexander Henderson, Esquires. 
 
 My friends at Dublin : — The Two Dromios, 
 Henry and Charles Webb, Esquires. 
 
 Also, at Belfast, — M'Kenna, — M'Teare, — 
 M'Alinden, and John Devlin, Esquires, and mul- 
 titudinous others too numerous to mention. 
 
 And now, my fostering friends and patrons, 
 allow me to subscribe myself. 
 
 Your devoted boy, 
 
 PAUL. 
 
 BHADBOKY AKD EVAKB, rBISIEEa, •WHITErEIAKS.