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THE

TRAIN:

A First-class Magazine.

"VIRES ACQUIRIT EUNDO."

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VOL. II.—FROM JULY TO DECEMBER, 1856.

July-Sept., p. 1- 192 with VI

8.3,1857, Jan. - June

LONDON:

S. O. BEETON, 18, BOUVERIE-STREET, FLEET-STREET.

MDCCCLVI.

The Authors of Articles in "THE TRAIN" reserve to themselves the right of Translation.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND GREENING, 4 AND 5, GRAYSTOKE PLACE, FETTER LANE.

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THE LIBRARY
THE UNIVERSITY

193

Oct. 1856

OF TEXAS

MARSTON LYNCH,

HIS LIFE AND TIMES; HIS FRIENDS AND ENEMIES; HIS VICTORIES AND DEFEATS;
HIS KICKS AND HALF-PENCE.

BY ROBERT B. BROUGH.

CHAPTER XXI.

IN WHICH MARSTON LYNCH GETS CALLED BEFORE THE CURTAIN.

THERE is a street at the back of Burlington Gardens, Piccadilly, known as Cork-street. Most of my metropolitan readers will be aware that there is no such thing as a theatre in Cork-street, or within a circle of half of a mile round it. I have, therefore, chosen to name the particular temple of Thespis (that, I believe, is the orthodox expression) at which Marston Lynch made his debut as a dramatic authorthe Cork-street Theatre. My brother members of the Society of British Piece-makers will fully appreciate my reasons.

It was close upon seven o'clock, and Cork-street was in a tolerable state of commotion-particularly in the vicinity of the free list entrance to the theatre. That stern and uncompromising section of the British audience-the holders of orders-had assembled in large numbers at an early hour, and were already clamouring and disputing for their rights with their accustomed truculency. Nor were the more profitable doors (from a managerial point of view) without their numerous besiegers. For it was the first night of a new piece, by a new author, from which and from whom great things were expected.

It should be borne in mind that I am speaking of fourteen years ago, when the London theatre was still an institution to be believed in. Probably, because there was yet a lingering tradition among good actors that it was much better policy for half a dozen of them to hang together, than to disseminate themselves over the country, that each might possess a theatre (and some supernumeraries) to himself. The Cork-street Theatre, at the period I speak of, was more conservative in this respect than any of its neighbours, numbering in its corps dramatique, no less than eight people, of both sexes, whom the public cared to see open their mouths and exercise their limbs. So that whenever a reasonable majority of these eight people could be induced to act in unison, the public felt some interest as to the result of their combined exertions, and came to look at them.

All those eight people are still alive and flourishing. But one of them persists in playing Spartacus and Claude Melnotte at the Great National Morning Herald Theatre, Houndsditch. The second is the only recognised Othello on the stage; but he has a weakness in favour of two hundred pounds a-night (with a stipulation of a bad 647357

VOL. II.

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