of the disclosure were almost fatal to his fortunes. The people were exasperated against him in an extraordinary degree; and, when he appeared on the Drury Lane boards, they would not allow him to be heard. At Edinburgh they hooted him from the stage; and, although he eventually succeeded in appeasing the London audiences, there was no thorough reconciliation between the parties. A few critics interfered in his behalf-Elliston (his manager) shook hands with him on the stage, and made a speech in his favour-and, at last, the tragedian himself obtained a hearing, and spoke as follows:

"If you expect from me a vindication of my private conduct, I fear I shall be unable to furnish one to your satisfaction. I stand before you as the representative of Shakspeare's heroes.-(No doubt,' 'hear him,' and expressions of disapprobation.)-The errors I

have committed have been scanned by a public tribunal.-(Considerable interruption.) In that investigation feelings of delicacy prevented the disclosure of circumstances which might have changed the complexion of the case. (Renewed interruption.) -This proceeded from feelings for others, not for myself. ('Bravo!')-It appears that I stand before you, Ladies and Gentlemen, at this moment, a professional victim. I apprehend that this is not done by your verdict. If it is done by a hostile Press, I shall endeavour to withstand it if it is your verdict, I shall bow to your decision, remember with gratitude your former favours, and leave you."

Upon the conclusion of this speech, Kean bowed repeatedly, and was finally led off the stage by Elliston; leaving the audience pacified, if not altogether satisfied, by his address. In the course of time, he regained, in some

degree, the ear of the public; but he failed in reinstating himself in his old position; and, he, therefore, gladly accepted an engagement to pay a second visit to America.

CHAPTER X.

AN ALTERED MANA YOUNG ACTOR A NIGHT EXCURSION-QUARRELS BETWEEN A FATHER AND HIS SON-KEAN'S DECLINE-HIS LAST PERFORMANCE-RECONCILIATION WITH HIS FAMILY-HIS ILLNESS AND DEATH.

AFTER a stay of two seasons in the United States, Kean returned once more to his native country. During his absence*, he had acquired considerable sums of money. His offences had had time to sink into oblivion.

* It was during this visit to America, that Kean was elected chief of a tribe of Huron Indians, by the name of Alantenouidet. He rejoiced in this character; and in order to vindicate his title to it, he rode a wild horse, drank rum, and disfigured himself with paint and the skins of beasts, till his European pretensions were altogether lost sight of.

The public had grown less moral, or more charitable; and his friends and admirers had employed themselves with effect, in smoothing the way for his favourable reception. But the spirit that shone out formerly, and lighted up with its terrible fires, the tyranny of Richard, and the jealous madness of "The Moor," was now almost extinct. "Reputation, Iago, reputation,"-had been the object of the actor's worship, far beyond what he himself had known. His vanity had been fed by popular applause. The public favour had been the step on which his ambition had mounted; and now-all this was gone. He returned an altered (but not a wiser) man. Disgrace had driven its iron into his soul. Excesses of all sorts had shaken and wasted him; and he, who once could throw a sommerset with any posture-master at Astley's, and who actually had "fought a good fight with an opponent of the Gas-man, was scarcely