Page images
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER VIII.

LETTER TO LESLIE-EXTRACTS FROM NOTE-BOOK-PERFORMANCE OF DON FELIX IN THE WONDER-BIRTHDAY TABLEAUX-PRESENTED ΤΟ THE QUEEN OF BAVARIA-FINED FOR FIRING A PISTOL-ITALIAN, FRENCH, AND GERMAN STUDIES-LINES TO MISS E. FOSTER, ON HER BIRTHDAY-LEAVES DRESDEN ON A TOUR WITH CAPTAIN COCKBURN TO THE GIANT MOUNTAINS-DETAINED AT PRAGUE BY THE ILLNESS OF HIS COMPANION-EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS TO MRS. FOSTER-RETURNS TO DRESDEN-JOURNEY FROM DRESDEN WITH MRS. FOSTER AND FAMILY-STORM- ADVENTURE-EXTRACTS FROM LETTER TO PETER-ARRIVES AT PARIS.

[To C. R. Leslie.]

DRESDEN, March 15, 1823.

I HAVE just been seized with a fit of letter writing, after having nearly forgotten how to use my pen, so I take the earliest stage of the complaint to scribble to you. I had hoped to receive a gratuitous letter from you before this, but you are one of those close codgers who never pay more than the law compels them. I am extremely sorry to hear from Newton. that he has been so ill, though I am by no means surprised at it, as he played all kinds of vagaries with a constitution naturally delicate. I trust this fit of illness will teach him the necessity of daily and regular attention to exercise and diet; which all the advice in the world will not beat into a young man's head.

There is more time lost by these daily attempts to gain time than by any thing else; and he who will endeavor to

cheat his health out of an hour or two a day in extra fasting, or extra application, will in the end have to pay days and weeks for those hours.

How often I have wished for you and Newton during the last eight or nine months, in the course of which I have been continually mingling in scenes full of character and picture.

The place where I am now passing my time is a complete study. The court of this little kingdom of Saxony is, perhaps, the most ceremonious and old-fashioned in Europe, and one finds here customs and observances in full vigor that have long since faded away in other courts.

The king is a capital character himself. A complete old gentleman of the ancient school, and very tenacious in keeping up the old style. He has treated me with the most marked kindness, and every member of the royal family has shown me great eivility. What would greatly delight you is the royal hunting establishment, which the king maintains at a vast expense, being his hobby. He has vast forests stocked with game, and a complete forest police, forest masters, chasseurs, piqueurs, jägers, &c., &c. The charm of the thing is, that all this is kept up in the old style; and to go out hunting with him, you might fancy yourself in one of those scenes of old times which we read of in poetry and romance. I have followed him thrice to the boar hunt. The last we had extremely good sport. The boar gave us a chase of upwards of two hours, and was not overpowered until it had killed one dog, and desper ately wounded several others. It was a very cold winter day, with much snow on the ground; but as the hunting was in a thick pine forest and the day was sunny, we did not feel the cold. The king and all his hunting retinue were clad in an VOL. II.-7 (10)

old-fashioned hunting uniform of green, with green caps. The sight of the old monarch and his retinue galloping through the alleys of the forest, the jägers dashing singly about in all directions, cheering the hounds; the shouts; the blast of horns; the cry of hounds ringing through the forest, altogether made one of the most animating scenes I ever beheld.

I have become very intimate with one of the king's forest masters, who lives in a picturesque old hunting lodge with towers, formerly a convent, and who has undertaken to show me all the economy of the hunting establishment. What glorious groupings, and what admirable studies for figures and faces I have seen among these hunters.

By this time your painting of "Autolycus" must be nearly finished. I long to have a description of it from Newton. Do tell me something about it yourself. Have you thought of a subject for your next? and have you entirely abandoned the scene of Shakespeare being brought up for deer-stealing? I think it would be a subject that you would treat with peculiar felicity, and you could not have one of a more general nature, since Shakespeare and his scanty biography are known in all parts of the world. Upon my soul, the more I think of it, the more I am convinced it is a subject that you might make a masterpiece of; it is one you should paint at least as large as your 'May Day," and introduce a great number of figures. Do think of it. You might make a great impression by such a picture.

I have done nothing with my pen since I left you, abso lutely nothing! I have been gazing about, rather idly perhaps, but yet among fine scenes of striking character, and I can only hope that some of them may stick to my mind, and furnish me with materials in some future fit of scribbling.

I have been fighting my way into the German language, and am regaining my Italian, and for want of more profitable employment have turned play actor.

We have been getting up private theatricals here at the house of an English lady. I have already enacted Sir Charles Rackett in "Three Weeks after Marriage," with great ap plause ; and I am on the point of playing Don Felix in "The Wonder." I had no idea of this fund of dramatic talent lurking within me; and I now console myself that if the worst comes to the worst I can turn stroller, and pick up a decent maintenance among the barns in England. I verily believe nature intended me to be a vagabond.

P. S. I hope you intend to make some designs for Bracebridge Hall. I would rather have the work illustrated by you than by any one else.

I continue the sketch of his life at Dresden, with some further extracts from his note-book, beginning three days after the date of the letter to Leslie, just given.

March 19th.-Evening at Mrs. Foster's. Rehearsal, and then to the soirée of Count Luxbourg, the Bavarian minister.

March 23d.-Make alterations in play. 24th.-Walk along the Elbe with Mrs. and Miss Foster-ın evening a party at Mrs. Foster's. 25th.--At home writing letters-in evening rehearsal of "The Wonder." 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st, rehearsal.

April 1st.-Write letters all the morning-little Madame de Bergh* makes an April fool of me. 2d. In evening, dressed

* Wife of the Danish minister.

rehearsal of "The Wonder." at Mrs. Foster's. 3d. [Thursday.] -My birth-day-at one o'clock drive into the country with the Fosters and Col. Livius; * * return before dark. In the evening a small party at Mrs. Foster's to keep my birth-day. The Miss Fosters prepare a surprise by getting up tableaux of scenes in the Sketch Book and Bracebridge Hall and Knickerbocker. The picture by Leslie of Dutch courtship admirably represented by Madame de Bergh and Capt. Morier. Annette Delarbre by the young Countess Hernenbern, Mad. Foster, and Capt. Morier. Boar's Head Tavern, Eastcheap, by Mrs. Foster, Miss Flora Foster, and Capt. Morier-conclude the evening by waltzing.

Friday, 4th.-Busy all day getting dress for the character of Don Felix-Mrs. Foster assists in new trimming a very handsome velvet dress, and makes a new scarf-in the evening we performed the play of "The Wonder, a Woman keeps a Secret," with great alteration.

[blocks in formation]

Among the audience were the Austrian Ambassador, Count and Countess Palffy, Count and Countess Luxbourg, Count Rumigny, Chevalier Campazano, Countess Loos and daughters, Mons. and Madame de Bergh, the Lowensteins, Malsburg, Miss Fitzthern, Countess Lubinski, &c., &c., &c.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »