Parodies of the works of English & American authors, vol. III
General
Parodies of the works of English & American authors, vol. III
Parodies
Mr. Kemble’s last appearance in Edinburgh was on the evening of
Saturday, March 29, 1817, on which occasion he performed _Macbeth_. At
the close of the tragedy Mr. Kemble recited a beautiful farewell
address, which had been composed for him by Walter Scott. It is only
necessary to quote a few lines from the commencement and the end of
this well-known poem:――
As the worn warhorse, at the trumpet’s sound,
Erects his mane, and neighs, and paws the ground,
Disdains the ease his generous lord assigns,
And longs to rush on the embattled lines,
So I, your plaudits ringing on mine ear,
Can scarce sustain to think our parting near;
To think my scenic hour for ever past,
And that these valued plaudits are my last.
* * * * *
But my last part is play’d, my knell is rung,
When e’en your praise falls faltering from my tongue;
And all that you can hear, or I can tell,
Is――Friends and Patrons, hail! and FARE YOU WELL!
――――
In “Reminiscences of the Court of Session (Scotland), as it was a few
years ago,” by George Outram, Esq., Advocate, 1856, there is a parody
of “Mr. Kemble’s farewell Address.” The subject of it is Mr. Patrick
Robertson’s taking leave of the Bar on his promotion to the Bench.
“Before assuming the judicial vestments, Robertson was entertained at
a farewell dinner by the sorrowing friends he was to leave without the
bar, and from whom he was henceforth by judicial decorum to be
separated. The following address (written probably by either Douglas
Cheape, Esq., Advocate, or by the late Lord Neaves, one of the
judges,) was prepared to be spoken by the guest of the evening.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account