ON THE ACTING OF MUNDEN
Theretheanticsate
Mockingourstate-
hisqueervisnomy——hisbewilderingcostume——allthestrangethingswhichhehadrakedtogether——hisserpentinerod,swaggingaboutinhispocket——Cleopatrastear,andtherestofhisrelics——OKeefeswildfarce,andhiswildermentary——tillthepassionoflaughter,likegriefinexcess,relieveditselfbyitsownweight,invitingthesleepwhichinthefirstinstanceithaddrivenaway.
ButIwasnottoescapesoeasily.NosoonerdidIfallintoslumbers,thanthesameimage,onlymoreperplexing,assailedmeintheshapeofdreams.NotoneMunden,butfivehundred,weredancingbeforeme,likethefaceswhich,whetheryouwillorno,ewhenyouhavebeentakingopium——allthestrangebinations,whichthisstrangestofallstrangemortalsevershothispropercountenanceinto,fromthedayhecamemissionedtodryupthetearsofthetownforthelossofthenowalmostforgottenEdwin.OforthepowerofthepenciltohavefixedthemwhenIawoke!AseasonortwosincetherewasexhibitedaHogarthgallery.IdonotseewhythereshouldnotbeaMundengallery.Inrichnessandvarietythelatterwouldnotfallfarshortoftheformer.
ThereisonefaceofFarley,onefaceofKnight,one(butwhataoneitis!)ofListon;butMundenhasnonethatyoucanproperlypindown,andcallhis.Whenyouthinkhehasexhaustedhisbatteryoflooks,inunaccountablewarfarewithyourgravity,suddenlyhesproutsoutanentirelynewsetoffeatures,likeHydra.Heisnotone,butlegion.Notsomuchaedian,asapany.Ifhisnamecouldbemultipliedlikehiscountenance,itmightfillaplay-bill.He,andhealone,literallymakesfaces:appliedtoanyotherperson,thephraseisamerefigure,denotingcertainmodificationsofthehumancountenance.Outofsomeinvisiblewardrobehedipsforfaces,ashisfriendSuettusedforwigs,andfetchesthemoutaseasily.Ishouldnotbesurprisedtoseehimsomedayputouttheheadofariverhorse;oreforthapewitt,orlapwing,somefeatheredmetamorphosis.
IhaveseenthisgiftedactorinSirChristopherCurry——inOldDornton——diffuseaglowofsentimentwhichhasmadethepulseofacrowdedtheatrebeatlikethatofoneman;whenhehaseinaidofthepulpit,doinggoodtothemoralheartofapeople.Ihaveseensomefaintapproachestothissortofexcellenceinotherplayers.Butinthegrandgrotesqueoffarce,MundenstandsoutassingleandunacpaniedasHogarth.Hogarth,strangetotell,hadnofollowers.TheschoolofMundenbegan,andmustendwithhimself.
Cananymanwonder,likehim?cananymanseeghosts,likehim?orfightwithhisownshadow——"sessa"——ashedoesinthatstrangely-neglectedthing,theCobblerofPreston——wherehisalternationsfromtheCobblertotheMagnifico,andfromtheMagnificototheCobbler,keepthebrainofthespectatorinaswildaferment,asifsomeArabianNightwerebeingactedbeforehim.Wholikehimcanthrow,oreverattemptedtothrow,apreternaturalinterestoverthemonestdaily-lifeobjects?Atable,orajointstool,inhisconception,risesintoadignityequivalenttoCassiopeiaschair.Itisinvestedwithconstellatoryimportance.Youcouldnotspeakofitwithmoredeference,ifitweremountedintothefirmament.AbeggarinthehandsofMichaelAngelo,saysFuseli,rosethePatriarchofPoverty.SothegustoofMundenantiquatesandennobleswhatittouches.Hispotsandhisladlesareasgrandandprimalastheseething-potsandhooksseeninoldpropheticvision.Atubofbutter,contemplatedbyhim,amountstoaPlatonicidea.Heunderstandsalegofmuttoninitsquiddity.Hestandswondering,amidthemon-placematerialsoflife,likeprimevalmanwiththesunandstarsabouthim.