hat, her charms proving too attractive to the
emperor, the empress had packed her off to London with letters of
recommendation to persons of quality there. It seems more probable,
however, that she was am actress at Vienna, and simply crossed the sea
to try her fortune in England. Becoming fascinated with Garrick's
acting, she married him after refusing several more brilliant offers,
and in spite of the opposition of her kind patroness, Lady Burlington,
who wished her to marry so as to secure higher social position. This
match gave rise to much romantic gossip. It was said that a wealthy
young lady had fallen in love with the great actor one night in
_Romeo_--that he had been induced by her father to come to the house and
break the charm by feigning intoxication: some versions had it that he
came disguised as a physician. A popular German comedy was written upon
it, and still later Mr. Robertson dramatized it for the English stage,
and produced a play in which we have lately had an opportunity of
witnessing the fine acting of Mr. Sothern. Garrick was certainly
fortunate among actors: he not only achieved high professional fame, but
he accumulated a large private fortune and lived a happy domestic life
in a splendid home filled with choice works of art. The traveler abroad
who is favored with an invitation to the Garrick Club, may there see the
picture of the great actor "in his habit as he lived," looking down
nightly on a collection of the most renowned wits and authors of the
metropolis; and to crown all, when Mr. Sothern acts--were it not for his
moustache--we might suppose we saw the man himself alive before us.

Concerning Mr. Sothern's acting, it affords a fine example of that
quality--so very difficult of attainment, it would seem--perfect
_repose_; and by repose we do not mean torpidity or sluggishness or
inattention, as opposed to clamorous ranting, but we mean the complete
subordination of subordinate parts; so that, if we may use the
illustration, the gaudiness of the frame is not allowed to over-power
and destroy the effect of the picture. Everything is clear, distinct and
well marked: the forcible passages come with double effect in contrast
with preceding serenity. The actor's manner is not confined behind the
footlights: it diffuses itself, as it were, among his audience until it
seems as if they too were acting with him. This arises from the
perfection of the picture he presents, and that perfection is th