Music during the Victorian era. From Mendelssohn to Wagner: being the memoirs of J. W. Davison, forty years music critic of "The Times"

Front matter

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Qiftof

Mrs, Janice Katzen

Preface

JAMES WILLIAM DAVISON was a critic of music and musicians who worked from about the year 1835 until within a week or two of his death in 1885. For over thirty years of that half-century he was an active member of the staff of the " Times " and chiefly in that capacity exercised considerable influence over the course of musical events in England. The period 1835-85, so far as regards secular music in England, is marked, principally, by three movements. Taking them in the order in which they occurred, there was, first, the effort at formation of a native school — this at a time when the genius of Mendelssohn was the rising sun of modern music. Soon afterwards may be observed the beginning of that musical education of the people which was, gradually, to lead to what may b(,' called the democratization of good concerts. Herein Jul lien, with his sometimes sensational entertainments, was a principal figure. Thirdly, but a few years after Mendelssohn's death, and when the " native school " effort had died away, the doctrines of a new art-movement, having its

VI PREFACE.

rise in Germany, reached England, and, in the course of a quarter of a century, brought about something of a revolution in the state of music. The progress of these movements keenly interested Davison. Himself, in his earlier time, a composer, he formed one of that group of young men who, about 1835, cherished the idea of a modern native school, au idea for whose maintenance he diligently used his journalistic pen. He was not less interested in the matter of presenting the works of the great modern masters to the general public. Two of his maxims were : England is not an unmusical country ; the people at large can be trusted to appreciate the best music.

As to the third movement, that which found its chief manifestation in the work of Richard Wagner, he regarded it as subversive of the true principles of art, the principles laid down by Bach and Handel, Gluck, Haydn and Mozart, the principles developed by Beethoven and followed by Weber, Spohr and Mendelssohn. He combated the new ideas to the last, when to do so had become a losing fight.

Davison in his earlier days had rather an attraction for controversy. There w^as pleasure for him in standing up for friends and opinions; there was enjoyment in the mere exercise against some obstinate adversary of his favourite weapon of bantering irony. He was by nature a humorist, somewhat recklessly gay or quaintly sentimental.

A few years before Davison's death, there was some talk of his publishing his reminiscences, more than one younger literary friend being ready to assist him in their

PREFACE. vii

preparation. But he was backward at appearing in public and, in later years, averse from all unnecessary effort. He left behnid him, however, a large number of letters. Some of these were from men known to the world, letters throwing rays of light on character; some were rough drafts and notes in his own hand, letters perhaps unsent; and one scrap remained to show that he had got as far as the beginning of an autobiography. There remained, also, buried in the columns of old gazettes and newspapers, his published writings, a tentative selection of which supplements the present volume. Of a character something more than ephemeral, they seem — not only for their subject matter but for their style— to deserve rescue from oblivion.

Out of such materials, helped by contemporary records, journalistic and other, and by personal knowledge, this book has been made. The personal element which predominates in the earlier portion of it becomes, on Davison's assumption of an important journalistic post, absorbed, to a large extent, in a description of current musical events. But it is hoped that this may have its own special interest for students of musical history and for those also who find interest in the world of yesterday, in the affairs of a generation or two ago, in a state of things already so far off, and presenting an aspect so different from that of to-day.

During his professional activity of nearly fifty years, Davison came into personal contact with a very large number of men and women famous in various fields of art, musical and dramatic, of journalism and literature in general, and one cannot but regret that his own pen

Vlll PREFACE.

did not collect in a volume his recollections of Mendelssohn, Liszt, Auber, Meyerbeer, Berlioz — of Malibran, Grisi, Rachel, Marie Pleyel, Mario, Ernst, Joseph Joachim— of Thackeray, Shirley Brooks, Charles Lamb Kenney and John Oxenford— of Louis JuUien — of George Alexander Macfarren and Sterndale Bennett — of Coventry Patmore in early Victorian days — of Richard Burton and Winvvood Reade — and of other less known characters.

The present writer has to express his indebtedness to the late Mr. Moberly Bell, manager of the "Times," for permission to use the office library of that journal ; to Mr. Hastings, through whose gift of a nearly complete series of the "Musical World," much labour has been saved; and to Mr. John Macfarren, for his kindness in supplying many biographical details. The late William Duncan Davison, brother and devoted friend of the subject of these memoirs, gave varied and invaluable assistance in their compilation.

Contents

Preface

Contents

List of Illvstrations

Chapter I

Introduction — Childhood — His father — His mother, Maria Duncan — She succeeds Eliza Fai-ren as " Lady Teazle " — Her success — Her other characters at Drury Lane, Covent Garden and Haymarket — James AVilliam Davison at school and his early love for books — Early literary attempts — Studies music as a pupil of William Henry Holmes — First attempts at composition — "Overture Jim" — Friendship with G. Alexander Macfarren — A letter — Shelley's influence ... ... ... .■■ 1

Chapter II

Launched on a career as a musician — The Round Table — Shelley's " Alastor " and "Queen Mab "—The Society of British Musicians and the "Musical Magazine" — Henry Bishop — A movement in favour of English music and English musicians — English opera house — Davison as composer and conductor — Moscheles, Cramer, Xeate, De Beriot — Illness and some letters from country — Composes further songs and an overture— Sterndale Bennett — Balfe's "Siege of Rochelle " — Miss Foote 12

Chapter III

W. S. Bennett and Davison at the Musical Festival, Dusseldorf, 1836 — A visit to Mendelssohn — Its effect on his career — Fresli ardour in the pursuit of music — Teaching, composing, con-

CONTENTS.

ducting, reading and writing — Mendelssohn sends liim autograph score of "'Non Nobis Domine " — Malibran — Sterndale Bennett in Leipzig and his "Naiads" overture and "Symphony in B minor" — Mendelssohn, David and Stamitz — Mendelssohn as executant — Macfarren in the Isle of Man — Some interesting Bennett letters — Mendelssohn's bride — Some characteristic Macfarren letters ... ... ... 2h

Chapter IV

Davison and a fair pupil— Harrison's "Monthly Collection" — Desmond Ryan — The "Harmonist," 1840 — Clement White — "The British Vocal Album" — Bloomsbury circles, Balzac, song, composition and "Eugenie" — Studies Persian and Hebrew — A quarrel and a reconciliation — A love affair — Further songs published — Rossini's " Stabat Mater" as a set of quadrilles — Writing for the "Court Gazette" and "Musical World" — Shelley's words set to music — Mendelssohii in London, his magnificent improvisations — The " Scotch Symphony " — Sigismund Thalberg — A new symphony by Spohr — A Mendelssohn symphony — Macfarren and Davison create a scene — A sequel — Davison a strong supporter of native talent — Chopin's works published by Wessel and Stapleton — "An Essay on Chopin" — The "Musical Examiner" — News of the production of Wagner's " Rienzi " — Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck — George French Flowers, Mus.Bac. and the Society of Contrapuntists — Alfred Novello — Dr. Gauntlett J J

Chapter V

Davison as a critic — Ernst and Vieuxtemps — The native talent question — The conductorship of the Philharmonic in 1842 — Edinburgh University Chair of Music — Davison vcrsM^ Griineisen — Costa — The battle of the critics — Charles Filtsch, a pupil of Chopin, in England — Mendelssohn, Joachim and Haussmann in a trio — Description of an extemporaneous ]:)erformance by Mendelssohn — Davison's smoking mafiiu'cs — His position in the artistic world at thirty-two — 1845, the parting of the ways — Retrospect 47

Chapter VI

The Beethoven Festival at Bonn, 1845 — Meyerbeer and Jenny Lind — Madame Pleyel — Kalkbrenner, Berlioz, Hiller and others — Charles Kenney — Music and musical events of 1846 —

CONTENTS. XI

Activity of English opera — Wallace, Macfarren, Balfe — Some musical critics, Chorley, Gauntlett, Holmes, Hogarth, Taylor, Henry Smart, Ryan, Barnett, Griineisen and Ella — Davison's views on art and music — His position and power as critic of the '"Times" — Some amusing letters of advice ... ... 61

CHAPTER YII.

H. F. Chorley of the "Athenaeum" — Aristocratic mendicancy and the exploitation of artists — The "Musical World" concert— Ella and the formation of the "Musical Union" — Ella's manifesto, 1845 — A birthday letter — Her Majesty's Opera House and the disagreements between Lumley and Costa — The starting of the rival Royal Italian Opera House — Lumley's coup, the engagement of Jenny Lind — Her first appearance in England, May 4, 1847 — The Jenny Lind fever — Carlotta Grisi, Rachel and Alboni — Macfarren and Day's harmony — Davison in Paris at Alboni's debut — Mendelssohn's death — A Chopin anecdote — Macfarren in America ... 77

Chapter VIII

Revolution of 1848 — Berlioz as conductor at Drury Lane — Jullien's operatic enterprise — Some interesting Berlioz letters— His farewell to the British public — Jidlien's view of men and things — Pauline Viardot-Garcia, Alboni, Castellan, Mario, Tamburini and Masini in the "Huguenots" — Letters to Benedict — Davison in Scotland and Ireland in the track of Jenny Lind — Foundation of a Mendelssohn scholarship 93

Chapter IX

The position of the Sacred Harmonic Society in 1847 — Its prosperity renewed by the appointment of Costa as conductor — Costa as organiser, mar.'^hal and director of the principal musical forces of England — A comparison with Jullien — Promenade Concerts — The Ijondon Wednesday Concerts — The Grand National Concerts — Jullien the first to attempt the popularisation of the highest class of orchestral music — The London Thur.sday Concerts — Introduction of Gounod's works at Hnllah's concerts — Goiniod, Verdi and Meyerbeer — Beethoven's "Fidelio"— M. W. Balfe— Mile. Cruvelli^Carlyle as a music critic ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 107

Xll CONTENTS.

Chapter X

The Musical Institute — Paris and the covp (Vctat — The New Philharmonic Society — Madame Pleyel, Wilhelmine Clauss, Emile Prudent, Henselt, Vieuxtemps, Sivori and Joachim — Spohr's "Faust" and " Jessonda " — Jullien's departure to the States — Johanna Wagner — End of Lumley's ten years' venture in Italian opera — John Oxenford, critic, philosopher and poet — His contributions to the "Musical World" ... 126

Chapter XI

Wagner in 1851 at Zurich — His "Communication to his Friends" — The new movement Abroad — And in England — The Norwich Festival of 1852 — Bexfield's "Israel Restored" — Pierson's "Jerusalem" — Macfarren's analysis of it in the "Musical World" — Its criticism in the " Times" — Chorley on the state of music in Germany — Wagner's "Tannhauser" overture and Schumann's B flat Symphony in London ... ... ... 139

Chapter XII

Berlioz's part in the new movement — His return to England in 1851 and 1852 — He dedicates an overture, " Le Corsair," to Davison — Production at Covent Garden of " Benvenuto Cellini"— Its failure — Berlioz in 1854 an unsuccessful candidate for L'Academie des Beaux Arts — Production in Paris of " L'Enfance du Christ" — Correspondence between Berlioz and Davison about Sophie Cruvelli — L'Ai't et la Famille 148

Chapter XIII

The conductor.ship of the Philharmonic Society — Election of Sterndale Bennett to the Board of Directors — Arabella Goddard engaged to play — Selects Bennett's F minor Concerto — Which leads to engagement being cancelled — "Punch's" comments — Costa resigns conductorship — Berlioz prevented from succeeding him by previous engagement to the New Philharmonic Society — Lindpaintner — Vincent Wallace — Wagner engaged as conductor — Ferdinand Praeger — The Philharmonic Concerts of 1855 — Contemporary English composers in the prop'-ammes — Opinions of the London Press — Jullien prophetic ... ... ... ... ... ... 160

CONTENTS. xiu

Chapter XIV

Berlioz conductor at the New Philharmonic — His difficulties with orchestra and chorus — A letter of explanation — Attitude of London critics towards Berlioz — Berlioz projects concerts at St. Martin's Hall — Introduction of Schumann's music — Lindsay Sloper — Sterndale Bennett — Madame Schumann — The Crystal Palace Concerts — August Manns— Clement White 176

Chapter XV

Jullien and the Abbaye d'Aywiers — His appreciation of Beethoven— His appreciation of Nature's music — He invites Davison to the Abbaye — Thomas Bowlby — Working with Jullien — Presses the invitation — JuUien's Promenade Concerts and festivals of classical music at Covent Garden — His open-air concerts in the summer at the Surrey Zoological Gardens — More Covent Garden Promenade Concerts — Sometimes the scene of disturbances — Professor Ander&on, the Wizard of the North — Burning of Covent Garden — Jullien beating the Continent— His letters descriptive of music, fiom Paris to Berlin W5

Chapter XVI

Verdi and Meyerbeer dominating opera in London in the earlier fifties^" Rigoletto " produced in 1853 — Giulia Grisi's farewell in 1854 — Her return to the Royal Italian Opera in 1855 — Production in that year of "II Trovatore " and " L'Etoile du Nord " — Production of "La Traviata " in 1856 — Marietta Piccolomini — Johanna Wagner — Opera at Her Majesty's, at the Lyceum, at Drury Lane and at Sadler's Wells — Balfe — Jullien in the provinces — And again at the Surrey Zoological Gardens — Formation of a company — Jullien engaged as musical conductor — Musical festivals in 1856 and 1857 — Collapse of the Royal Surrey Gardens Company — Other gardens — Smoky Percy Street — Letter from Thackeray — Marschner — Meyerbeer 210

Chapter XVII

Death of Davison's father and mother — JuUien's condolence — Marriage of Davison — Handel Commemoration Festival of 1859 — The Bach Societv and Sterndale Bennett — Chamber

XIV CONTENTS.

Music — The Musical Union in 1859 — Davison and John Ella —St. James's Hf^ll— Its "Popular" or "Cattle Show" Concerts— Their transformation into the Monday Popular Concerts 227

Chapter XVIII

18G0 retrospect — Note I'rom Berlioz introducing Theodore Ritter — Macfarren, Sterndale Bennett, Loder — Jullien in prison yet not acknowledging defeat — His release — His fresh plans in a long letter — His death in a mad-house — Jetty Treffz — Letters from Bowlby in the Levant and on his way to China — His tragic death — Letter from Einist ... ... ... 239

Chapter XIX

Anonymous accusation against the "Times" music critic- Alleged corruption by bribery at Leeds — Explained at the time to Mowbray Morris by Sims Reeves — The critic's wife — Another aspect of Diderot's "L'Art et la Famille " — A third case, illustrating the same question — In several letters covering a period of over twenty years — The early sixties and the "Musical World" — John Oxenford and " Pantagrueliana " — Fitted rather for the "Musical World's" free list — Change of that paper's proprietors in 1862 — Charlie Kenney and his "Nonsense Rhymes" — French Flowers again — Owain Ap' Mutton — Muttoniana ... ... ... ... ... ... 252

Chapter XX

Letters from Berlioz in '63 and '64 — Renewal of London musical journali.stic warfare — The "Orchestra" — The "Musical Standard" — Music critics' benefit concerts — Their genesis — The "Orchestra" versus Desmond Ryan — Results and consequences of the lawsuit — Some difficulties and trials of newspaper critics — Death of Ryan — Clem White becomes a Charterhouse "brother" — Anecdote of Clem White and Dion Boucicault 270

Chapter XXI

The Edinburgh Chair of Music vacant again, in 1865 — Election of Mr., afterwards Sir, Herbert Oakeley — Progress of Wagner's music in the sixties — Dishley Peters' anent "Tristan und

CONTENTS. XV

Isolde" — Mr. Picrson and his " Hezekiah " at another Norwich P'estival — Apparent attempt to bribe the "Times" critic — Death of Hector Berlioz — First performance of a Wagner opera in England — The course of opera in London, in Jtalian and in English, traced through the sixties to the production of " L'OUandese Dannato " in 1870 — Gye at Covent Garden — Mapleson at Her Majesty's — The stars — Patti, Jjucca, Nilsson, Tietjens — The principal operas played and produced — Destruction of Her Majesty's Theatre — Union of the rival establishments — Retirement and knighthood of Michael Costa — Death of Grisi — English opera — Balfe, Mellon, Wallace, Macfarren — "L'OUandese Dannato" at Drury Lane in 1870 with lima di Murska and Santley — Arrival of Gounod 282

Chapter XXII

Another Beethoven Festival — Bonn revisited in 1871 — London opera, debut of Emma Albani — Letters from Mowbray Morris — Gounod in London — Becomes a near neighbour of Davison — A correspondence — The "Cosmopolitan" — Gounod on Sterndale Bennett — Death of Sterndale Bennett — A sonnet by Charles Lamb Kenney — Progress of the Monday Pops 205

Chapter XXIII

Revival of Muttoniana — Muttonians on their way to Bayreuth — Progress of Wagner's music from 1871 — In Italy, Germany, Denmark — "Lohengrin" in the Covent Garden prospectus of 1872 — Published by Messrs. Boosey — Oxenford on Wagner as poet — The Wagner Society — Revival of fragments of ■■Jerusalem" at the Norwich Festival and i^roduction of "Lohengrin" in London in 1875 — Davison goes to Bayreuth in 1876— Wagner Festival at the Albert Hall in 1877— Maciarren's "Joseph" at the Leeds Festival — Letters of a blind writer — End of John Oxenford ... ... ... ... 3H

Chapter XXIV

Delane retires from the "Times" — Relations of editor and music-critic —Some letters — DavLson assailed by "Truth" — Mile. Ktelka Gerster — Davison's last years in London — Analytical l)rogramme work — Sir George Grove on Davison's musical instinct — Davison's interest in the new generation — Gilbert and Sullivan — And James F. Sullivan — F. C. Burnand — Letter of Shirley Brooks ... ... ... ... ... 32 Jf

XVI

CONTENTS.

, CHAPTER XXV.

Henry Jarrett — Davison parts company — A removal in Bloomsbuiy — Davison in his last London quarters — Goes to Malvern — Letters and notes from Malvern — On Mendelssohn's A major Symphony — On Zola's novels — On Balzac — On Guy de Maupassant — Davison goes to Margate — Grove's Dictionary — A tew traits of Vivier — Old times and topics — Last months — Davison's death and burial ... ... ... ... 336

Preface to the Articles

LIST OF ARTICLES.

Mendelssohn's " Temper.\ments "

ScR.\p OF Song Criticism ...

In the Country

" Music.\L Ex.\miner " Reviews ..

A " Music.\L Ex.\miner " Le.\der

Spohr's New Symphony

Jullien's Bal Masque

"Romeo and Juliet"

Jenny Lind's First Appearance in London

Mlle. Anichini's Concert

" FiDELIO "

Exotic Professors ...

A Leonine Virtuoso

Grisi's Farewell Ilma di Murska Cherubini's "Medea"

Monday Popul.\r Concerts " Par.\dise and the Peri"

Christine Nilsson's Debut Hector Berlioz The Wagner Festival To Sir Kay Hedius ...

Ichabod

Joseph Joachim

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

To face paije

James William Davison Frontispiece.

Maria Davison (Mother or James William Davison) ... IG

Joachim, Ernst and Wieniawski ... 64

Henry Rowley Bishop ... ... ... 72

Arabella Goddard, Aged Six Years ... ... ... ... 1*6

George Alexander Macfarren ... ... ... 128

W. R. Bexfield 144

William Vincent Wallace ... 160

Jullien's Concert — the Orchestra ... ... 200

Verdi 216

Charles Halle ... ... 232

Sims Reeves ... 256

Dr. George French Flowers ... ... ... ... ... 264

John Ella 272 xvin

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Desmond Ryan

DlON BOUCICAULT

Adelina Patti

Emma Albani

Arabella Goddard

Sterndale Bennett

Sarah Bernhardt

Mendelssohn

Charlotte Cushmann

Jenny Lind in " The Daughter of

Balfe . . .

TiETJENS

Santley

Christine Nilsson Wagner

Regim

FACSIMILE LETTERS.

To face

IHirje

Mendelssohn, 1845 Sterndale Bennett, 1837 Mendelssohn, 1842 Coventry Patmore, 1846 Coventry Patmore, 1846 Meyerbeer, 185- Berlioz, 1863 G. A. Macfarren, 1841 Joachim, 185-

Aftcr DcdlcatUni

56 80 80 192 208 320 530

1813-1845.

SHELLEY AND MENDELSSOHN.

• I A \IKS KAViSOX.

From !i iiiiiiiatiirc imiiitcd circa ls20

CHAPTER I. Introduction— Childhood — His father— His mother, Maria Duncan

— She succeeds Eliza Farren as " Lady Teazle" — Her success

— Her other characters at Drury Lane, Covent Garden and Haymarket — James William Davison at school and his early love for books- Early literary attempts — Studies music as a pupil of William Henry Holmes— First attempts at composition — "Overture Jim '— Friendship with G. Alexander Macfarren — A letter — Shelley's influence.

WITH the first record we have of James William Davison something is associated to remind us of a note in his character. Turning over the leaves of the National Register for October, 1813, we read the advertisement of a new work by Mrs. Roche, author of "The Children of the Abbey," that queer reflection of the sentimentality of a period passing from Smollett to Shellev, that once popular novel from which, many years later, Davison appears to have fished a name for someone in Muttoniana. Turning, in the same National Register to the number dated October loth, we read, under births of another kind, " Mrs. Davison (late Miss Duncan) of a son." This was James William. He was born on October the 5th, 1 81 3, in Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square, Bloomsbury, a neighbourhood in which he was to pass most of his three score years and ten. A lover of the country, he nevertheless throve in this sooty, brick-built region, much as does the plane tree in its squares. However, Bloomsbury was not always the dwelling place.

The next documentary record is m his own handwriting. It is about a little boy of four years old, a scrap headed "Notes for Autobiography. Auto by Nobody, compiled exclusively for Nobody, and those who care for Nobody. Chap. I. — Somebody — I think Hermogenes (whose wits were so keen that they were brittle) — said — etc. All I remember is that at the age of four, on my birthday, in Walworth or Lambeth (I confounded them together before I was weaned) I got upon a turnpike gate, jumped off and said emphatically ' I am four ' (which was the case) that my father jumped over a wall in his garden, and I exclaimed, ' Funny papa ' (why he jumped over the wall I forget absolutely) and that, towards sunset, 1 found some coloured pictures of monkeys in a dust-bin — together with the portrait of an Anglo-Indian Nabob taking lunch, with verses underneath — ' There was an old man of Tobago, who lived on rice, gruel and sago' — some doctor then prescribing him ' turkey and chine — which suits that old man of Tobago.' That's all I can remember of my fourth year, except that we had a sagacious and lovable dog, ' Boscow ' by name, who being mad was poisoned, though not nearly so mad as the Apothecary who poisoned him. Also (that) I saw my paternal grandmother on her death-bed, and that I nearly lost my right eye by a leech, the application of which bloodthirsty habitant of ditches had been forgotten by my surroundings — (that) I spat from a chair into a jug of claret cup prepared for some guests of my father's, and said ' that's good — that's for me ' — that my father made a fresh bowl of cup without reproaching me — that my mother said 'Oh James!' and then began to laugh and put on that winning smile the like of which I have not beheld since."

He had a strong constitution and, though slightly crippled, not only jumped off turnpike gates at the age of four, but, in his school days, was fond of cricket. As to the old man of Tobago, he is very like one whose doctor said, in the last line "to a boiled leg of mutton you may go." The writer's memory may have been at fault, for he was looking back about sixty years.

Davison came on the one side from a race whose tastes were most likely of the cock-fighting and carousing sort, on the other from a race of actors.

His father James was from the North, only son of Major William Davison, of Branxton, near Flodden, and

EARLY LIFE OF DAVISON. 3

of that Northumberland Regiment of Militia which, as may be learnt from the pages of " Barnaby Rudge " and elsewhere, distinguished itself during the Gordon riots. Major Davison left the Militia in 1801 and, migrating southwards, finally settled at Chiswick where he was buried in 18 12, six months before his son's marriage. The son, then in his twenty-third year, had apparently been wavering between Law and Arms, but on his father's death, he relinquished the idea of professions in general, married the actress Maria Duncan, and had two sons, of whom the elder was James William Davison, the younger William Duncan. Maria Duncan's actor parents are described as " respectable provincial performers." Of herself we may read in a number of contemporary publications— newspapers, monthly mirrors and the like, among which are Leigh Hunt's " Critical Essays on the London Theatres," published in 1807, where "the best lady our comic stage possesses" is criticised for her fondness for donning male attire. Born about 1780, Maria Duncan made her first appearance on the stage proper at the age of five. Some fifteen years later she attracted the notice of Miss Farren, as whose successor she came in due time to be regarded. In 1804 Miss Farren having then become Countess of Derby, the young actress' opportunity occurred. In the summer of that year she was playing at Margate, and the manager of Drury Lane happened to be a witness of her performance. He offered her an engagement, and on October the 8th she made her entree before a London audience, as Lady Teazle, the character in which Miss Farren had retired. " On that evening," writes Cole, the biographer of Charles Kean, " Mathews and Elliston also performed, for the first time, Sir Peter Teazle and Charles Surface . . . . ' The School for Scandal ' was repeated fifteen times." Further on Cole says "on the 31st January, 1805, in the same theatrical season, Tobin's posthumous comedy of 'The Honeymoon' was produced, and ran for twenty-eight nights. The Duchess afforded Miss Duncan the most desirable of all chances in theatrical life, a fine original character, of which she amply availed herself. Her performance in this part has never been approached by any succeeding actress. Her song at the commencement of the fifth act produced an unfailing encore." To the casual, latter-day reader, " The Honeymoon " seems a recklessly improbable version of the " Taming of the Shrew " ; written, however, with some elegance and spirit and, on the stage, perhaps not ineffective. The Duchess is the " Shrew " of " The Honeymoon."

For the next twenty years. Miss Duncan's career was one of success, at Drury Lane, Covent Garden and the Haymarket, as Beatrice, Rosalind, Lady Teazle, and characters in now almost forgotten if once popular plays. At the opening of Drury Lane after Sheridan's death, in 1816, the task of delivering Byron's monody fell to Miss Duncan, Mrs. Davison as she was by that time. She was making some of her last appearances in 1829 at the same theatre. A versatile and spirited actress, one of the toasts of the town, in her day, she received her portion of more or less hostile criticism. Some found her wanting in pathos arid natural grace, some objected to her animation as overstrained, some found fault with the masculine prominence of her features, while to others her voice was unpleasing. On the other hand, among her admirers, who included Leigh Hunt, one praises her style of dancing as graceful and unaffected, another speaks of her pre-eminence as a singer of simple melodies — " the simplicity and feeling which distinguished her manner of singing ' Roy's Wife of Aldivalloch' made us almost lament her frequent absence from the operatic dramas. Lideed in her time she had no equal in the pathetic airs of Scotland, and her assumption of Scotch dialect was perfection " — while another says : " She had a fine voice and a good knowledge of music, sang with much expression, and was in her day unequalled in such ballads as 'John Anderson' and ' Roy's Wife.' Her singing as the Marchioness Merida in 'The Travellers' at Drury Lane, 13th May, 1823, revealed powers almost fitting her for opera."

When Maria Duncan was about thirty, Harlow painted her portrait, engravings of which may still be met with in print-sellers' windows. It shows an oval face, aquiline nose, short wavy hair, rather full lips and large soft eyes — a somewhat Jewish countenance whose general expres-

EARLY LIFE OF DAVISON. 5

sion is, yet, that of a kind archness which can readily be associated with the singnig of those quaint old wild flowers of Scottish melody. She was probably, like her husband, of Scotch descent. From his mother, James Davison learnt singing and the pianoforte, at a time when his bent that way was not yet very decided. He had a nice boy's voice that used to be exercised in such songs as "On the Banks of Allan Water."