DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70302#0081
ACCOUNT OF WILLIAM HENRY WEST BETTY.
63
formed in that city to overflowing audiences. His next
engagement was at Cork, where his career was equally
brilliant.
Having now appeared at the principal theatres in Ire-
land, the report of Young Betty’s extraordinary talents
reached the ears of Mr. Jackson, the manager of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow theatres, for whom it was re-
served to ascertain the real value of this dramatic phe-
nomenon. His first appearance at Glasgow was on the
21st of May 1804, in the character of Young Norval,
and Mr. Jackson declares, that he was received with the
greatest bursts of applause he had ever witnessed from
any audience. On occasion of his acting the same cha-
racter at Edinburgh, Mr. Jackson relates the following
singular anecdote relative to the venerable Home, the
author of the tragedy of Douglas, and his opinion of this
extraordinary youth.
“ Mr. Elome came, according to promise, and I had
the pleasure of seating him at the side of the first wing,
where I had enjoyed the same honour at that very play
forty-three years before. And I presume no one ever re-
ceived higher gratification than he did from the perform-
ance of the Young Roscius that evening. I speak it
from conviction; I read his looks, and saw the undis-
guised workings of his frame. The play concluded with
reiterated applause; which had scarcely ceased, when
the author of Douglas, in the plenitude of a rapturous
enthusiasm from the unexpected gratification he had re-
ceived, stepped forward before the curtain, and bowed
respectfully to the audience, retiring amidst the tumul-
tuous acclamations of the house. I asked him how he
had been entertained; he answered, ‘ Never better.’—
‘ Sir,’ said he, ‘ this is the first time I ever saw the
part of Douglas played, that is, according to my ideas
of the character, as at that time I conceived it, and as
I wrote
63
formed in that city to overflowing audiences. His next
engagement was at Cork, where his career was equally
brilliant.
Having now appeared at the principal theatres in Ire-
land, the report of Young Betty’s extraordinary talents
reached the ears of Mr. Jackson, the manager of the
Edinburgh and Glasgow theatres, for whom it was re-
served to ascertain the real value of this dramatic phe-
nomenon. His first appearance at Glasgow was on the
21st of May 1804, in the character of Young Norval,
and Mr. Jackson declares, that he was received with the
greatest bursts of applause he had ever witnessed from
any audience. On occasion of his acting the same cha-
racter at Edinburgh, Mr. Jackson relates the following
singular anecdote relative to the venerable Home, the
author of the tragedy of Douglas, and his opinion of this
extraordinary youth.
“ Mr. Elome came, according to promise, and I had
the pleasure of seating him at the side of the first wing,
where I had enjoyed the same honour at that very play
forty-three years before. And I presume no one ever re-
ceived higher gratification than he did from the perform-
ance of the Young Roscius that evening. I speak it
from conviction; I read his looks, and saw the undis-
guised workings of his frame. The play concluded with
reiterated applause; which had scarcely ceased, when
the author of Douglas, in the plenitude of a rapturous
enthusiasm from the unexpected gratification he had re-
ceived, stepped forward before the curtain, and bowed
respectfully to the audience, retiring amidst the tumul-
tuous acclamations of the house. I asked him how he
had been entertained; he answered, ‘ Never better.’—
‘ Sir,’ said he, ‘ this is the first time I ever saw the
part of Douglas played, that is, according to my ideas
of the character, as at that time I conceived it, and as
I wrote