Edinburgh Bookshelf

Kay's Originals Vol. 2

Search

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 261 Welwyn. He was called Lee Lewes, in consequence of Colonel Lee, a son of the Doctor’s lady by a former husband, having been his godfather.. Of a lively, restless temper, Lee Lewes began his theatrical career at an early age, and after a short probation in the country towns, was engaged at Covent Garden, his fame as a harlequin having brought him into notice. O’Keeffe, in his Recollections, ascribes his “ coming before a London audience “ to the interference of Macklin, to whom he was recommended as an excellent Xpuire Groom for his “ Love-a-la-Mode.” “ Lee Lewes,” says O’Keeffe, “ afterwards became capital in what is termed low comedy, though very good in every one of his characters. His peculiar merit was great volubility, with distinct articulation.’ William Lewis also got an engagement at the same theatre, and having made his first appearance in Belcour, in Cumberland‘s ‘West Indian,’ and parts of that kind, the two performers were distinguished by the appellation of Lee Lewes and Gentleman Lewis : the former had two much sense and good humour ever to be offended at this mode of distinction, nor did the latter pride himself in it.’’ The “ Memoirs of Lee Lewes ” are extremely barren of detail in relation to himself. With the exception of one or two amusing incidents while a “strolling player,” his work is chiefly taken up with sketches of contemporary performers; and a great portion of it is devoted to an account of the rise and progress of the Scottish stage, in which he is at considerable pains to vindicate the character of Mr. Stephen Kemble, and is not very charitable in his exposure of Mr. Jackson. During the period which elapsed betwixt his first and second visits to Edinburgh he went out to India ; but, disappointed in his hope of bettering his circumstances, he returned to England after an absence of little more than a year.’ Indeed, with all his success in making others laugh, Lee Lewes seems to have entirely failed himself in winning the smiles of fortune. Out of an engagement for a length of time, his latter years were the reverse of affluent. This he did not attribute so much to a decline of popularity as to the “whim and caprice of managers,” and the undue encouragement given to foreign performers. According to a septuagenarian’s remark, the comedian’s voice was somewhat husky, yet every word he uttered was distinctly heard by the audience. a At a subsequent period he appears to have formed the project of visiting India with a regular company of performers :-“So far back as 1793, Lee Lewes, a comedian of considerable merit, actnally got together a company, including performers of eminence in every department of stage business. His memorial to the Court of Directors underwent considerable discussion, but it was rejected. “he impolicp of throwing all practicable impediments in the way of colonisation-the h dof the almost proverbial libertinism of theatrical persons, whose private lives at that time would not endure a severe scrutiny-and the calculation that, in the usual course of things, many of the Jnlieta and Cordelias would require a temperarp retirement from the stage-the spirit of intrigue that a handsome actress might encourage amongst the younger part of the civil service, not forgetting that occasionally a grave judge or member of council might be found not aul3ciently on his guard against similar lapses : these considerations prevailed over everything urged in favour of the application.” Anglo-India, Social, Moral, and Political. 3 vols. London, 1838. 8vo. VoL i p. 144.
Volume 9 Page 347
  Shrink Shrink   Print Print