11 t\\ 1^ 7^^^^{(^t3^,^hSs:^!i Ti iWitmott :^ :^ THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE U 'Ctjomag ^bttjorpe Cocictp. |^o. s» rt^ HEAT.RE. T MR. COOPER^S FOURTH NIGHT. HIS Evcnlnn;, Friday, Noveniher 24, will be pro sented Mr. Payne's tragedy of Or, The Fall of Tarquix^ Lucius Junius Brutti-:, MR. COOPKR, .^ _ . To coTiclndn with ri^*"^^S^^ KILLING NO MURDER. ^""'^ \\>^ Roliii uas pers()n;iteJ by Mr. Cooper on WciiiuS' flh}' evening in liis best manner. A genteel audience ii'stified iheir .■^atisfaclion by repealed acclamations, it was expected tliat Mr. Cooper would have been s;ipported on this occafion by the rrijnlar members of ihe ronipany vvilli as much cheerfu1rie«s as they mani- li'sted dnrinj; the last engagtment (^f Mr. VV'allack. This expectation was disappointed . ]\Ir. Brown did indeed appear in the character of Alonzo, and Walked through it witii as miich non-cha,la7icc as he would put on his nisht cap. Mr. Pelby, as the n ana^ers stated, positively refu?ed to play Ataliba, (altho'.igh he had twice compUmenicd Mr. Wallack with such an act of condiscevdhTg jjoliteiuiss) snd Mr. lioiJand came on as his substitute. Mr. Dull, in Pizarro, was cot quite up to his usual level and appeared to labour under much embarrassment and confusion — probably pro- duced by the green-room oppugnation abovemention- e.d. We believe it easier to '' guide a ship imperial — ■alone — and in a storm" — than to quell the clamours and suppress the mutinies among tlie. crew of a theatri- cal cock-boat. The experience of the last season should teach those who live by public munificence, that the public have claims upon them which are not to be Flighted with impunity. If they moan io draw upon the public purse for a benefit,' tl.cy luust first make a deposite, or their draft may not be accepted. Tiie pub- lic do not ask these gentlemen to degrade themselves by playing parts beneath their talents. They do not ask them to play the letter-carritrs and player kings. They have no wish to make them drudges or supernu- trernries. All thej ask is, that such a disposition of the ( parts should be made as to bring into action the whole ■ strength of the company. This is reasonable— it is what they have a right to expect— nnd what they ought imperatively to demand. This is one of an edition of one hundred and ninety copies printed from type for the Dunlap Society in the month of February, 1888. THOMAS ABTHORPE COOPER ''^0iWA'^S^i •^ ^5g ■I •■.■5J -I -?1 I'HOr COOPER esq! ^ fffUiJ i^ CrOiur^t-' A MEMOIR THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE THOMAS ABTHORPE COOPER Joseph Norton Ireland NEW-YORK : THE DUNLAP SOCIETY 1888 VN1X8 INTRODUCTORY. Many sketches of Mr. Cooper's life and criticisms of his acting have been given in the periodicals of his day, and in subsequent histories of the stage. Carpenter in " The Mirror of Taste," Buckingham in " The Boston Polyanthus," Dunlap, Wood, Wemyss, Clapp, Cowell, Ludlow, Rees, Murdoch, and others have written of him in terms of high commendation. As an almost perfect specimen of manly beauty, his fine-cut features, his noble form, his dignity of manner and grace of action, his melodious yet powerful voice, ranging from the softest tenor to the deepest bass, and accompanied by the facial expression of an angel, or that of the malignity of a demon, have all been des- canted on in vivid terms. The excellence of his por- trayal of most of the leading heroes of the stage during the meridian of his career was universally acknowl- edged and secured the most liberal patronage. He was then an unrivaled and unbounded favorite, and his brilliant success secured him a fortune which at the time was surpassed by few, a millionaire being then a rarity. His faults and failings have been freely spoken of; the extravagance of his household expenditures, the elegance of his equipage, his conviviality at the dinner table, his delicacy of taste, and accuracy of judgment in his selection of wines — of which his cellar always 248 5[ntrobuctorp. boasted an ample stock ; his propensity for gambling, his occasional practical jokes, his inveterate habit of betting, whether on the speed of a horse, the height of a room, the wick of a candle, or the length of a straw, have all been frequently discussed. A believer in the so-called code of honor, his challenges were several times presented ; yet with the kindliest spirit, he more than once prevented a duel between his friends and restored them to a condition of cordial amity. Though never called an inebriate, it was believed that some of his lapses of memory were due to his lin- gering too long over the wine cups of his friends. He squandered a fortune in folly, while many generous and courteously tender acts of benevolence, including lib- eral contributions to the support of his mother, are recorded to his honor. Strict devotion to his duties marked the maturity of his dramatic career, punctual- ity and rigid correctness pervaded his whole life, says Mr. W. B. Wood. One more nearly attached to him adds that he was a man of absolute integrity of char- acter, with a heart full of tender love for his children, who in return regarded him with devoted veneration and the most ardent affection. Passing over many of these particulars, the following pages will contain, it is believed, the most comprehen- sive and accurate account of his theatrical career from its beginning to its end that has ever appeared ; and the writer, as an apology for once more undertaking a dramatic biography, may assure his readers that, but for the urgent solicitation of friends, he would not have ventured again to obtrude upon their notice. CONTENTS. PAGE Fac-simile Letter xv Chapter I. 1776-1796 i Play-bill 9 Chapter II. 1796-1803 12 Play-bill 13 Play-bill 17 Play-bill 23 Chapter III. 1804-1810 26 Chapter IV. 1810-1821 37 Chapter V. 1822-1827 44 Chapter VI. 1827-1832 49 Play-bill 50,51 Chapter VII. 1833-1835 59 Play-bill 67 Play-bill 73 Chapter VIII. 1836-1849 75 Chapter IX. Addenda 81 Chapter X 89 Notes 95 Ay ^€c...0t,^ X^ /' ^— ^^Tz^..,.,^^ *^ A^ Ant. ^^ £?.U^. ^^^-^ Zlry \J ty^^^U^r^ - ^^^ ^^^r""y^^ *«-r Cljomas 9lbt|)orpe Cooper^ CHAPTER I. 1776-1796. THOMAS COOPER,* by which only designation this favorite and eminent actor was originally known, was the son of Doctor Cooper, a prominent physician descended from a highly respectable Irish family which had settled at Harrow-on-the-Hill, Eng- land, where our subject was born in the year 1776. Doctor Cooper had entered the service of the East India Company as a ship's surgeon, and in 1783 was appointed surgeon to the factory at Bauleah in Bengal, where he died in October, 1787, leaving his family — from unfortunate investments — in destitute circum- * The " A " in Mr. Cooper's name was introduced by himself after his arrival in America to distinguish him from another Thomas Cooper, whose letters were frequently commingled with his, — and his friends fiually extended the " A " into Abthorpe, an addition which it is believed he never himself adopted. 2 €f)mtiaiGf %. €ocqjet* stances. His widow was obliged to take a situation as housekeeper — her younger son and a daughter were adopted by relatives, while Thomas — then in his twelfth year — was taken gratuitously as a pupil by the celebrated philosopher and author, William Godwin, whose mother was first cousin to Mrs. Cooper. Mrs. Shelley, the daughter of Godwin, has left the following interesting note on the characters of tutor and pupil : " Godwin, who from the very nature of his opinions was led to analyze mind and draw conclu- sions as to character, had a sanguine faith in the prac- ticability of improvement and entertained rigid notions on the subject of education. Tom Cooper was a spirited boy, extremely independent and resolute, proud, wilful and indolent. Godwin, conscientious to the last degree in his treatment of every one, extended his utmost care to the task of education, but many things rendered him unfit for it. His severity was confined to words, but these were pointed and humili- ating. He took great pains with his kinsman, and devoted attention and care to his instruction." With his friend and teacher Cooper had frequent squabbles, as also with Mr. James Marshall, who at the time was a resident in Mr. Godwin's house. To Mr. Marshall we find addressed the first known letter of our hero, written apparently in 1790, when he was about fourteen years of age, and which throws a strong light on the lad's character and disposition. It runs thus : " Sir : I am convinced that I was wrong in not imme- diately desisting from that from which you desired me to Cjjomasf 3il» Cooper* desist ; I therefore ask your pardon, and I shall endeavor to make amends for my misconduct by my future behavior. . . . We lived some time, sir, in the same house, and I believe with a certain degree of friendship and good understanding. I am sorry that that friendship and good understanding have received such a shock as they have done to-day. I was certainly wrong, as I have already said, in not complying with your desire ; that non-compli- ance brought on high words, in course of which you directly called me a liar. You called me so, not by impli- cation ; you said, ' You are a liar ! ' I am glad that I have escaped doing that which your words naturally excited me to do. "T. Cooper." Godwin's care and instruction of Cooper during this period were of the most disinterested and unfailing character, and as he himself expressed it, were for the sole object of rendering him virtuous and respectable in after-life. When sixteen years of age, Cooper manifested a strong desire to adopt the stage as a profession, and with his guardian's approval and encouragement and the recommendation of Holcroft, the dramatist, he visited Edinburgh, in the hope of securing an engage- ment from Mr. Stephen Kemble, then manager of the theatre there. His reception by that gentleman, and succeeding occurrences during his sojourn in Edinburgh, are described in letters to Mr. Godwin, from whose life, by Mr. Kegan Paul, the following extracts are taken : €l[)oma^ 3il» Cooper, "Edinburgh, July 27th, 1792. " I arrived here last night in high health and spirits. . . I went to Mr. Kemble's this morning at eleven, and he told me that at one he would hear me go through the character of Douglas. At one, I went, but he left word (with his compliments) that he was obliged to go to Leith. To-morrow morning at twelve, I am to rehearse with Mrs. Siddons, and on Monday night am to make my first appearance in the character of Douglas. . . . Friday, two o'clock. 'Sdeath, I'm sped ! I have just rehearsed Douglas with the other actors before Mr. Kemble. When 1 had done, he walked aside with me, and told me he was sorry to say that he could not trust me with the character. He then made his individual objections. He said that in two descriptive speeches I had a great deal too much passion, especially in the last ; and that in the scene with Glenalvon, the audience would laugh at me." "August. — My courage is as great as you could wish, considering that I stand upon a shaking foundation. Every time Mr. Kemble sees me, I perceive, or think I perceive a kind of discontent arising from want of determination in his countenance. I do not keep company with any of the actors except in the greenroom. Let me know of mother's health, etc., soon. . . . Monday. The above was written on Saturday, since which something of importance has occurred. I went this morning into the pay-room to receive my money, and having got it, asked Mr. Kemble's advice relative to my manner of traveling to Lancaster, whither we remove in the middle of this week. 'Why, really, Mr. Cooper, I think the best thing you can do is to go back to London.' I told him that I believed if he would give me a hearing in Lothario, I could please him. He said I was not at all fit to play it. He €IJoma^ %. Coopct. then said that he had a great respect for Mr. Holcroft, and must endeavor to bring me forward Httle by Httle. To-night I am one of Mrs. Siddons's train (dumb as usual) in 'The Mourning Bride.' On Wednesday, I am to be the second witch in 'Macbeth.' Mr. Kemble told me that if he had thought of it in time I should have played Malcolm, and desired me to learn it. On Thursday I believe I shall begin my march to Lancaster." From the above, it would seem that the young man had been employed by Mr, Kemble in several sub- ordinate characters. In another letter he says : "You need be under no apprehension concerning money, for I get a guinea every Monday." Again, in a letter dated Newcastle, August i6th, 1792, he writes: " The die is cast, and when, having tottered some time, I thought myself firm, at that instant the fate was reversed, and I fell headlong without hopes of recovery. He desired me to study Malcobn against the next time it was acted. But the next morning I told him that I would undertake it for that time, as I had two before me ; he consented. I went through the part very well, and tolerably perfectly, till I came within two lines of the end of the play (I speak the last speech), and there I wanted the word. The noise behind the scenes, the play being nearly over, prevented my hearing the prompter, and in an instant some people at the back of the gallery, as I guessed, began to hiss, and immediately everybody else began to clap, and as we were so near the end it was not advisable to wait the conclusion of the bustle to say the few words €l)oma^ %, Coopct. that remained. The trumpets sounded and the curtain fell. My blame consisted in want of courage, or recollec- tion, in not skipping to the next line the very instant they began to hiss, and it was impossible to catch the word. Mr. Kemble made this his handle, declared I was totally unfit for the profession, and that I had not one single requisite for an actor ; and in fine he said, ' As a friend I advise you to return to London. I cannot keep you.' I told him that I would undertake anything, however low, if I was not qualified for higher, and in proportion to my little utility would be willing to receive little. ... I ought to observe that Mr. Charteris goes away by his own choice with a number of other actors from Mr. Kemble's company, who are going to stroll as a sharing company. I have been endeavoring to get admission into it, but have not succeeded, and I suppose shall not. ... If you can, suggest any means by which in London I can earn I OS. 6d. per week, at the expense even of four or five hours a day. los. 6d. is sufficient to live on. ... I shall presently be left alone here. It is now Thursday. They play here for the last time on Friday. "T. Cooper." It does not appear, however, that the young man returned to London to seek a situation yielding lo.s 6d. per week ; but, though discouraged by his lack of success in his early efforts, he nevertheless persisted in his devotion to the profession, and secured engage- ments with various provincial or strolling companies, in some of which his salary was only ten shillings a week. He played at Chichester, Newport, Portsmouth, Cheltenham, Liverpool, but met frequent disappoint- ments in being deprived of parts that he had expected to shine in. At Stockport, in October, 1794, he threw up an engagement because he was occasionally re- quired by the manager to deliver messages, although he was there also intrusted with many good parts. He writes : "If it were a respectable company, I would gladly accept the good parts he gave me, though a few messages were thrown in with them, because it was really a good line; but, in that situation, I hardly think it would be right to stay, even if I did nothing else but the good parts. They are such a wretched set of mummers. . . . They seldom speak a word of the author. ... I am now 1 70 miles from town. I shall start from hence with five shillings in my pocket. I will black shoes at the corner of Goodge Street for is. a day sooner than be anything but a leader — among a set of wretches 1 despise. ' lo Tri- umphe,' " Thos. Cooper." In January, 1795, he writes to Mr. Godwin: "The purport of my present letter is to tell you that I am in treaty with Mr. Dorset (fiends !) to become a clerk in his house, and by this means I intend to advance toward riches." This intention was probably carried into effect for a short time only, as he soon after was again under the supervision of Mr. Holcroft, who, taking a renewed interest in his dramatic capabilities and aspirations, now gave him a course of minute instruction in the busi- ness of the stage, and, as would now be said, thoroughly coached him in some of Shakespeare's leading char- acters, as well as those of other favorite dramatists. 8 €fjoma^ %. €ooptt. Through this influence an opportunity was secured for his appearance at Covent Garden, where he made his first attempt in London on the 19th of October, 1795, as Hamlet, announced simply as "a Young Gentleman, his first appearance on this stage," being received by the audience with gratifying and abun- dant applause. Critics, as usual, differed in their opinions, and politics seemed to have had an influence in forming them, for Mr. Holcroft, being in opposition to the Government, and Mr. Cooper known as his pupil, the opposition prints of the day were lavish in extravagant eulogy, while those of the Government went to the opposite extreme. The " London Monthly Mirror," professedly independent, proclaimed the per- formance, for a first appearance in London, unusually brilliant, and described the actor as of middle size — his features not strongly expressive of any particular character, with more softness and playfulness than spirit or energy about them, yet with artful manage- ment suited to either tragedy or comedy ; naturally inclinable perhaps to the latter — adding that "his voice is in tone pleasing ; capable of more modulation than he seems to know how to give it ; firm and ex- tensive in the upper division ; in the lower, musical and articulate. Indeed, he can have nothing to lay to the charge of Nature for a scanty supply of her gifts ; if he does not make use of them properly the fault lies with himself." After repeating Hainlet on October 26th and November 2d, on which latter evening his name was first announced, he appeared on the 6th of No- vember as " the gallant, gay Lothario^^ in "The Fair Theatre-Royal, in Coven t-Garden, This prefent MONDAY, Oct 19, 1795, Will be prefented the Tragedy of HAMLET. Hamlet by a YOUNG GENTLEMAN, (Being his Firft Appearance.) Ghoft by Mr T O M S, Horatio by Mr H A R L E Y, Laertes by Mr M I D D L E T O N, King by Mr RICHARDSON, Oftrick by Mr BERNARD, Polonius by Mr M U N D E N, Rofencrans by Mr M A C R E A D Y, Guildenftern Mr Claremont, Marcellus Mr Williamfon, Francifco Mr Farley, Bernardo Mr Cross, Prieft Mr Powel, Player King Mr Thompson, Lufianus Mr Davenport, Sailor Mr Ledger, Gentleman Mr Abbott, Grave-diggers, Me(T. QUICK and REES, Ophelia by Mrs. MOUNTAIN, Player Queen by Mrs. P L A T T, And the Queen by Mrs. POPE. In Aft V. a DIRGE, fet to Music by Mr. Shield. The WORDS from SHAKSPEARE. The VOCAL PARTS by Mrs. Martyr, Mrs. Clendinning, Mifs Stuart, Mrs. Watts, Mrs. Lloyd, Mrs. Blurton, Mifs Walcup, Mrs. Mafters, Mrs. Norton, Mrs. FoUett, Mrs. CoftcUe, Mifs Ives, Mifs Leferve — and Meff. Haynes, Linton, Street, &c. To which will be added (Firft time at this Theatre) the Farce of The GHOST. Farmer Harrow by Mr KNIGHT, Trufty by Mr POWEL, Clinch by Mr FARLEY, Sir Jeffery by Mr DAVENPORT, Capt. Conftant by Mr CLAREMONT, Belinda by Mifs IVES, And Dolly by Mrs DAVENPORT. NO MONEY TO BE RETURNED. On Wednefday, 14th Time, the laft new Comedy of the DESERTED DAUGHTER. with the grand Ballet Pantomime of OSCAR AND MALVINA. On Thurfday Mifs GOUGH will make her Firft Appearance in this Kingdom, in the CharaOer of Alicia, in the Tragedy of JANE SHORE. On Friday, 4th time, a New Tragedy called The SECRET TRIBUNAL. Mrs. SERRES will perform Polly in the BEGGAR'S OPERA on Saturday. Penitent," in which his success was less decided ; and on the 30th of that month, in the arduous character of Macbeth, he displayed a skill, as critics said, beyond what, for so young a man, could have been expected. He was not considered, however, by Mr. Harris, the manager, as having sufficient experience to be in- trusted with the entire range of tragic heroes, and declining an offered engagement for secondary char- acters, he received £^tp for his five nights' service, and betook himself once more to the provinces, where in 1796 he received an offer from Mr. Wignell of the Philadelphia Theatre, which induced him to cross the Atlantic. €Joniaj8f 3fi« 'ffoopei% CHAPTER II. 1796-1803. Mr. Cooper arrived in New- York on the i8th of October, 1796, in company with the distinguished Mrs. Merry and her husband, Mr. John Bernard, Mr. WiUiam Warren, and other notabihties, and shortly after proceeded with the Philadelphia Company to Baltimore, where a preliminary season was usually made, and where his first appearance in America took place on the nth of November in that year, in the character of Pejiriiddock in Cumberland's then new serious comedy of " The Wheel of Fortune " — a singular choice for the d6but of a young man of twenty, but selected, perhaps, because it had not pre- viously been performed there, and as giving some opportunity for fine acting in the hero's transitional progress from a bitter, misanthropic state of feeling to a kinder, nobler, and more generous one. It seemed to be a lasting favorite with Mr. Cooper, for he continued its occasional performance to a very late period in his career, though the play was not very popular with the public. The other parts that Mr. Cooper personated at Baltimore are not to be found, but on the opening of the season at the Chestnut Street Theatre, in Phila- delphia, he was introduced to its audience in the character of Macbeth, on the 9th of December in the same year, 1796. -" •'^"^^ €j)oma^ 311. cr. Cooper's Othello and Cooke's lago to $1620. He also played four nights in Philadelphia, as Bevo-ley, Jaffier, and Othello ( twice ), with Mr. Cooke as Stukely, Pierre, and lago, to houses averaging $1325 ; and closed the season in Baltimore on the loth of June, as Hotspur, to Cooke's Falstaff, to $901. Mr. Cooper resumed playing in New- York on the 2d of September, 181 1, as Young Norval to Cooke's Glenalvon,\n Home's tragedy of" Douglas," apparently performing on alternate nights at Philadelphia; and on the 2d of October, in New-York, first enacted the char- acter of Cardinal Wolsey to Cooke's KingHemy VIII., which he would have repeated on the 7th, but was prevented by one of Mr. Cooke's peculiar attacks of indisposition. In February, 181 2, he very oddly undertook the representation of Old Dornton in Hol- croft's comedy of " The Road to Ruin," giving up his hitherto admired part of Harry Dornton to Edmund Simpson, then a favorite actor in juvenile comedy, and afterwards long the lessee of the Park Theatre. In April, Mr. Cooper brought out with much success J. N. Barker's dramatization of Scott's " Marmion," announcing, or leaving it to be inferred by the audi- ence, that it was a transatlantic production, which he felt confident would insure it a more flattering recep- tion than if known to be by a native author. He himself represented the hero for several nights, and then resigned it also to Mr. Simpson. The same ruse was practiced by Mr. Wood at Philadelphia, which secured for the play a most prosperous run, until its authorship was discovered. €J)Dma^ %, Coopct* 39 The summit of Mr. Cooper's social ambition was reached this year on the nth of June, when he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Fairlie, one of the most beautiful and accomplished belles of New-York, the eldest daughter of the celebrated wit and brave officer of the Revolution, Major James Fairlie, and grand-daughter of Robert Yates, Chief Justice of the State of New- York.* About this time, Mr. Cooper, — still basking in the brightest sunshine of popular favor, and a welcome guest in the highest family circles, — and his theatrical partner, Stephen Price, established themselves in two elegant adjoining houses (afterwards thrown into one and called the Carlton House), on the north-east cor- ner of Broadway and Leonard street, then one of the mo^st fashionable sections of the city. Here they lived in a style of the most sumptuous elegance, entertaining their friends beyond the bounds of true hospitality, and attracting around them from the first professional and literary sources all who were fond of the wine, wit, and jovial companionship of two good fellows like themselves. * The three daughters of Major Fairlie, endowed with the sterling intellect, the glowing genius, and fanciful humor of both parents, inherited from their mother great personal beauty, and were the reigning toasts of their day. Mrs. Cooper is immortal- ized as Sophy Sparkle, in Irving's " Salmagundi; " — the second sister, Louisa, fully equaled her both in beauty and brilliancy, and was especially idolized by the poet, Halleck, but she never married ; — the youngest, Julia, became the second wife of Samuel G. Ogden, Esq., father of the late charming authoress and actress, Mrs. Anna Cora Mowatt. 40 €l)oma^ 311. Cooper. The Park Theatre was re-opened by Messrs. Cooper and Price early in September, 1812, and on the 28th of the month they first introduced to an American audience, the distinguished London actor, Joseph George Holman, in the character of Hamlet. He was received with great favor, and on the 3d of October, his daughter. Miss Holman (afterwards Mrs. Gilfert), made her debut as Lady Town/y, in " The Provoked Husband," her rendering of the character resulting in triumphant success. On the 26th they appeared as Othello and Desde- mona, Mr. Cooper making his first appearance for the season as lago. He continued playing in New-York until the middle of January, 1813, when he commenced a long engagement in Philadelphia, followed by one in Boston, where for ten nights' service he received $1878.62. With the exception of the admired perform- ances of the Holmans, often accompanied by the assistance of Mr. Cooper, the New-York season had no special subject of notice. The next season was commenced on the 13th of September, 1813, and Mr. Cooper re-appeared on the 20th as Macbeth, following it with a long succession of favorite parts, and enacting for the first time on the 5th of November, that of Captain Manly ^ in Wycherly's revised play of " The Plaindealer," which did not prove a lasting success. This was soon after fol- lowed by his performance of Doji Ordonio, in Coleridge's tragedy of " Remorse, " which likewise proved unattractive, although his acting was highly praised. Audiences then demanded a constant change in suc- cessive performances, and managers had no anticipa- tion of a period when a play could be successfully run from fifty to a hundred nights. A powerful opposition was experienced this season, both by Mr. Cooper as an actor, and by the Park The- atre in a business way, by the opening as a theatrical commonwealth of the Circus building, corner of Broad- way and White street, by a fine company of profes- sionals, under the general management of Messrs. Twaits, Gilfert, and Holland ; the first, a comedian of great merit ; the second, a musician of distinguished eminence ; and the last, at that time a scenic artist of unequaled taste and skill. Gilfert, it will be remem- bered, was afterwards the first manager of the Bowery Theatre, New- York, in 1826. The company consisted of Mr. and Miss Holman, Mr. and Mrs. Twaits, Mr, and Mrs. Burke, Mrs. Goldson, Mr. Bernard, Mr. Dwyer, Mr. Caulfield, Mr. Waring, and other artists of repute. This array of prominent talent so divided the patron- age of the public for three months that, although each house put forth its best efforts, little profit resulted to either, and on the loth of January, 18 14, the new- comers drew off their forces and removed to Philadel- phia. The Park managers endeavored in vain to en- tice Miss Holman from the concern by an offer of $200 per night for seven nights' engagement, but the com- monwealth immediately advanced her salary to the same amount, although its patronage was not sufficient to continue it. 6 42 €l)oma^ %* Cooper. Mr. Cooper commenced the season of 1814-15, at New-York, in the character of J/rtr^<^(^///, followed by an engagement of eleven nights at Philadelphia, which drew an average of $611 each, and ending in Provi- dence, R. I., in July, 181 5, with Hajulet, Leon, etc. About this time he retired from the management of the Park Theatre, New- York, leaving its direction en- tirely in the hands of his late partner, Mr. Price, and devoting his whole time to the fulfillment of starring engagements. His appearance in New-York was de- ferred until the 6th of November, 18 15, when he made his reentr6e there as Hamlet, and closed his engage- ment on the 24th of the month as Zanga, in " The Revenge." On the 20th of January, 1816, he opened in Philadelphia as Hamlet, to $987 ; played Charles Surface axid Fetruchio on the 31st to $1261; and made his final appearance there on the 3d of February as Benedick, to $1146. His performances in comedy at this time proved to be more attractive than his tragic representations. New-York, Boston, Philadelphia, Cin- cinnati, Baltimore, and Charleston, continued to be vis- ited in succession by Mr. Cooper, with bounteously successful results, for several succeeding years, and occasionally a new character was added to his list. In New- York, in 181 6, he first embodied that of Bertram, in Maturin's tragedy of that name ; and in 1818 his Mark Antony, in "Julius Caesar," proved to be a most admired performance in all the northern cities. In the same year he first enacted Anmrath, in Shiel's tragedy of" Bellamira"; and in November, i8ig, he added greatly to his reputation by his first assump- Zf^oma^ 3il. Cooper. 43 tion of Lucius Junius Brutus, in Payne's compila- tion of " Brutus." In 1820 his superb performance of Virginius was received with the most unbounded ap- plause, and was generally considered as his greatest achievement, until it was surpassed by his still greater success as Damon. In Barry Cornwall's tragedy of " Mirandola," he first assumed the character of its hero at Boston, in 182 1 ; but the piece never became popular. 44 Ctjoniiiief m* Cooper. CHAPTER V. 1822-1827. In 1822, Mr. Cooper visited New Orleans, making his first appearance there on the 6th of February, in one of his least admired characters, Richard III., which did not equal the anticipations of his audience, who had already seen Booth; but it was given because it was the only character in which the stock company were prepared for his support. His next assumption, Othello, greatly raised their estimation of his abilities ; and on the 13th, when he gave his magnificent repre- sentation oi Damon, in Banim's *' Damon and Pythias," — a performance which was pronounced perfect by every critic of the day, and has been the model of every subsequent representative of the character, For- rest included, he was hailed as the highest exponent of dramatic art that Southern eyes had ever looked on. His original engagement at New Orleans was for six- teen nights, at $200 per night ; but its success war ranted a continuance until it reached twenty-four, the average receipts per night being $700, which filled the utmost capacity of the house. In December, Mr. Cooper first gave his assumption ot Damon to the public of New- York and Philadelphia, where it was received with equal demonstrations of approval and delight. His portraiture o{ Damon Mr. €(joma^ %,