My acquaintah the pleasant creature, whose loss we all deplore, was but slight.
My first introdu to E., which afterwards ripened into an acquaintance a little on this side of intimacy, was over a ter of the Leamington Spa Library, then newly entered upon by a branch of his family. E., whom nothing misbecame -- to auspicate, I suppose, the filial , a a going with a lustre -- was serving in person two damsels fair, who had e into the shop ostensibly to inquire for some new publication, but iy to have a sight of the illustrious shopman, hoping some ference. With what an air did he reach down the volume, dispassionately giving his opinion upon the worth of the work iion, and laung out into a dissertation on its parative merits with those of certain publications of a similar stamp, its rivals! his ented ers fairly hanging on his lips, subdued to their authoritative sentence. So have I seen a gentleman in edy ag the shop-man. So Lovelace sold his gloves in High Street. I admired the histrionic art, by which he trived to carry away every notion of disgrace, from the occupation he had so generously submitted to; and from that hour I judged him, with no after repentao be a person, with whom it would be a felicity to be more acquainted.
To dest upon his merits as a edian would be superfluous. With his blended private and professional habits alone I have to do; that harmonious fusion of the manners of the player into those of every day life, which brought the stage boards into streets, and dining-parlours, a up the play when the play was ended. -- "I like Wrench," a friend was saying to him one day, "because he is the same natural, easy creature, oage, that he is off." "My case exactly," retorted Elliston -- with a charming fetfulness, that the verse of a proposition does not always lead to the same clusion -- " I am the same person off the stage that I am on." The infere first sight, seems identical; but exami a little, and it fesses only, that the one performer was never, and the other always, ag.
And in truth this was the charm of Ellistons private deportment. You had a spirited performance always going on before your eyes, with nothing to pay. As where a monarch takes up his casual abode for a night, the poorest hovel which he honours by his sleeping in it, bees ipso facto for that time a palace; so whereever Elliston walked, sate, or stood still, there was the theatre. He carried about with him his pit, boxes, and galleries, a up his portable playhouse at ers of streets, and in the market-places. Upon fli pavements he trod the boards still; and if his theme ced to be passiohe green baize carpet edy spontaneously rose beh his feet. Now this was hearty, and showed a love for his art. So Apelles alainted -- in thought. So G. D. aloetises. I hate a lukewarm artist. I have known actors -- and some of them of Ellistons own stamp -- who shall have agreeably been amusing you in the part of a rake or a b, through the two or three hours of their dramatic existence; but no sooner does the curtain fall with its leaden clatter, but a spirit of lead seems to seize on all their faculties. They emerge sour, morose persons, intolerable to their families, servants, &other shall have been expanding your heart with generous deeds aiments, till it eves with yearnings of universal sympathy; you absolutely long to go home, and do some good a. The play seems tedious, till you get fairly out of the house, and realise your laudable iions. At le