The story of English literature for young readers . landHouse. He fell in love either with her, or with herhigh position ; but though Lady Warwick was amiableenough to the distinguished writer, she hardly thoughtthat his fame matched with her title and fortune. In 1713 the town was surprised and delighted bythe promise of a play from the pen of eye watched eagerly for its appearance ; differ-ent political parties expected to find praise or blame,and when the opening night came the old Drury Lanetheatre was crowded almost to suffocation,* Theplay was Cato. Addison had caught the i
The story of English literature for young readers . landHouse. He fell in love either with her, or with herhigh position ; but though Lady Warwick was amiableenough to the distinguished writer, she hardly thoughtthat his fame matched with her title and fortune. In 1713 the town was surprised and delighted bythe promise of a play from the pen of eye watched eagerly for its appearance ; differ-ent political parties expected to find praise or blame,and when the opening night came the old Drury Lanetheatre was crowded almost to suffocation,* Theplay was Cato. Addison had caught the idea of sucha play during his foreign travels, and had no doubtworked on it at different times. Colley Gibber, poet,actor and dramatist, was manager of the theatre,and as Addison promised all profits of the play to theactors, on the opening night, no pains were sparedon their part to make it successful. Alexander Pope,the poet whose story I shall tell you in the next chap- * Drury Lane Theatre was rebuilt in 1797, and au^ain after the fire in For Young Readers. 265 ter, wrote the prologue, the speech with which it wascustomary in those days to introduce a play; and , the amiable friend of Addison, wrote the epi-logue, or closing speech; an actor named Boothplayed the part of Cato ; the scenery, costumes, andall the appointments of the stage were splendid, and,as I have said, the house was crowded. Every lineof the play was supposed to have a political meaning,and first on one side of the house, then on the other,cheers and applause burst forth, each faction wishingto outdo. The great Bolingbroke, who fancied theplay was meant to satirize Marlborough, was in a box,and between the acts he sent for Booth and presentedhim with fifty guineas for defending the cause ofliberty so well against a perpetual dictator. Cafowas pronounced a success. It contains some of thenoblest of Addisons thoughts, some of his bestwriting, and will retain its place in literature as long,per
Size: 1302px × 1918px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectenglishliterature
