683 



KEAN, CHARLES. 



KEATS, JOHN. 



694 



had previously threatened it, and rapidly advanced to a etate o 

 unexampled prosperity. 



Kean's career of success, including a visit to America in 1820, was 

 uninterrupted till his connection with the wife of Alderman Cox, am 

 the consequent action at law, January 1825, with the verdict of 800i 

 damages pronounced against him. The public now became exasperatec 

 against him, and he was driven from the stage of Drury-Lane an< 

 afterwards from that of Edinburgh. After some time however he was 

 allowed to go on with his performances at Drury-Lane, but he failec 

 to reinstate himself in his former position, and therefore gladly 

 accepted an invitation to pay a second visit to America. 



After an absence of two seasons in the United States Kean returnee 

 to London, having during the time not only acquired but saved a con 

 siderable sum. The London public had relinquished their animosity 

 but it was in vain. He had always, in the time of his prosperity, been 

 a dissolute man, but he had now fallen into habits of almost constant 

 intoxication. His constitution was broken up, his memory was im 

 paired to such a degree that he could not study a new part, bis alacrity 

 of spirit was gone, and his performances were little more than a fain! 

 reflection of what they had been. He had separated from Mrs. Kean, 

 he had quarrelled with his aon Charles, who was obliged to take to 

 the stage in order to obtain the means of subsistence. Charles Kean 

 was a year or two in America ; after his return his father became 

 reconciled to him; and in 1833 it was announced that Kean would 

 play 'Othello,' at Covent Garden Theatre, and that Charles Kean 

 would play ' lago ' with him. Kean struggled through the part as 

 far as the speech " Villain, be sure," when his head sunk on his son's 

 shoulder : he was borne off the stage, and his acting was at an end : 

 the audience in kindness immediately left the theatre. Kean lingered 

 on at his residence at Kichmond till the 15th of May 1833. 



Ke&n in his person was small, but well-formed ; his face was thin, 

 but handsome ; his eyes and hair were black ; his countenance, in 

 variety and intensity of expression, was wonderful ; his voice, in its 

 upper tones was somewhat harsh, in its lower tones it was soft and 

 melodious; his action was free, graceful, varied, and appropriate; 

 his conception of character was original and true. He did not, as 

 some have supposed, trust to the impulse of his feelings. He studied 

 the acting of his parts much and anxiously. Frequently, after his 

 family were retired to rest, he would act scene after scene before the 

 pier-glass, endeavouring to produce, by expression of countenance, 

 gesture, emphasis, and modulation of voice, the effect which his 

 conception of the character required. 



Kean was indisputably the greatest tragedian of modern times ; 

 perhaps he has not been surpassed at any time. His Othello, in truth 

 and vigour of conception, in brilliance of execution, and power of 

 effect, was entitled to rank with the best of Mrs. Siddons's per- 

 formances. It was an exhibition of consummate skill. The audience 

 was irresistibly swept along by his overpowering energy and pathos, 

 and acknowledged by a series of bursts of applause the intense 

 sympathy which he had infused into all ranks of society and all 

 degrees of intelligence with which the theatre was crowded. In some 

 of his other characters he exhibited the striking points rather than 

 the whole of the character ; but this reproach did not apply to his 

 Othello, Richard III., Shylock, and Sir Giles Overreach. These 

 characters were all pervaded with an intensity of passion which he 

 exhibited with matchless energy and truth. His power indeed was in 

 the display of character and passion in all their varied shades. In 

 passages of declamation he had peculiarities of intonation and utterance 

 which gave him a strong and by no means pleasing mannerism. 



* CHARLES KEAN the second but only surviving son of Edmund 

 Kean, was born at Waterford, Ireland, in 1811, and educated during 

 his father's prosperity at Eton. As already noticed ho had adopted 

 acting as his profession during his father's life, though much against 

 his father's wish. Though well received in the provinces his success 

 was at first but very moderate in London, and it was not till after 

 a long provincial probation, and one or more visits to America, that 

 he decidedly secured the favourable suffrages of metropolitan 

 audience?. In 1842 he married the popular actress Miss Ellen Tree, 

 and thenceforward they acted the chief malo and female parts 

 together. Since their return from Mr. Kean's last visit to America in 

 1847, they have been among the leading performers of the London 

 season. In 1850 Mr. Charles Kean became lessee of the Princess's 

 Theatre, at first in conjunction with Mr. Keeley, but from 1851 alone; 

 and the London performances of himself and his wife have been 

 subsequently confined to that theatre. Mr. Kean's early ambition 

 was to succeed in the line of tragic characters in which his father 

 achieved his fame, and despite some drawbacks of person, voice, and 

 manner, he to a considerable extent attained success ; but of late he 

 hag more particularly identified himself with parts of a melo-dramatic 

 cut, snch as those of the ' Corsican Brothers.' The great feature of 

 Mr. Kean's management at the Princess's Theatre Las been the 

 ' restoration,' as it has been termed, of certain of Shakspere's plays ; 

 in which they have (along with 'Pizarro' and ' Sardanapalus ') been 

 made the vehicle for exhibiting costly scenery and elaborate stage 

 effects rather than fine acting. For some years past Mr. Kean has 

 had the direction of the Royal theatricals at Windsor Castle. 



KEANE, JOHN, TIMT LORD KEANE, of Qhuznee in Afghanistan 

 and of Cappoquin in the county of Waterford, was the second son of 



Sir John Keane, Bart., of Belmont in that county, by Sarah, daughter 

 of J. Kiley, Esq. He was born in 1781, and entered the army in his 

 thirteenth year, his first commission bearing date 1793. Rising by 

 gradual promotion, in 1799 he obtained a company in the 44th regi- 

 ment of foot, became aide-de-camp to the Earl of Cavan in Egypt, and 

 served for several years in the Mediterranean. In 1809 he took part 

 in the campaign of Martinique, and was present at the siege of Dessaix. 

 Having obtained his colonelcy in 1812, he joined the British army 

 in Spain under the Duke of Wellington, who intrusted him on his 

 arrival at Madrid with the command of a brigade in the third division, 

 with which he served until the peace of 1814, taking part in the 

 battles of Vittoria, the Pyrenees, Nivelle, Orthes, and Toulouse, besides 

 several other minor actions. In 1814, having attained the rank of 

 major-general, he was appointed to a command ordered for particular 

 service on the West India station. He accordingly proceeded to 

 Jamaica, and with the military force under his command he co-operated 

 with Admiral Cochrane in the attack on New Orleans. In the following 

 December he effected a landing near that city, but was almost imme- 

 diately superseded by Sir Edward Pakenham, who however appointed 

 him to the command of a brigade under himself : in the subsequent 

 attack on the enemy's fortified lines General Keane received two severe 

 wounds. From 1823 to 1830 he held the commandership of the forces 

 in Jamaica, and for upwards of a year administered the civil govern- 

 ment of the island also. In 1833 General Keaue was appointed com- 

 mander of the forces at Bombay, and five years later received authority 

 from the Indian government to organise and lead into Sciude a force 

 intended to co-operate with the army under Sir Henry Fane. The 

 chief command however of the combined forces almost immediately 

 devolved on him. He was now called upon to lead a considerable 

 army, and to conduct operations requiring much discretion, delicacy, 

 and tact in dealing with those half-friendly powers whose existence is 

 one of the greatest difficulties in the government of a semi-civilised 

 country. With the open oo-operation, but often in opposition to the 

 secret intrigues, of these wavering friends, the British commander in 

 India has much to do. After a long and harassing period of suspense, 

 daring which our army was exposed to much suffering and hardship, 

 the British army entered Cabul in May 1839, and on the 21st of July 

 Sir John Keane sat down before the fortress of Ghuznee, a citadel 

 standing on a rocky eminence, and hitherto deemed impregnable. 

 For thirty years the fortifications of the place had been constantly 

 receiving additions to their strength, and it was garrisoned by 3500 

 Afghan soldiers under Mahomed Hyder Khan, a younger son of Dhost 

 Mahomed Khan, the ruler of the country, with a commanding number 

 of guns and an abundance of arms, provisions, and stores. Though 

 surrounded by hostile tribes who severely harassed them in all 

 directions, the British army on the 23rd of the month was set in 

 motion for assaulting the fortress. The gates were blown in; an 

 entrance was effected, after a desperate struggle, though with the loss 

 of only 200 men ; and in forty-eight hours the English colours were 

 flying upon the heights of Ghuznee. The Prince Mahomed Hyder 

 surrendered himself a prisoner, and the city was restored to its lawful 

 prince, against whom Mahomed had rebelled. This success inspired 

 the British forces with the highest confidence, and proportionately 

 despirited the native troops of Uhost Mahomed, who fled away on the 

 approach of Sir John Keane to Cabul. Such was the end of a war in 

 which the British forces were involved against their will by the perfidy 

 of the Afghans, though there are not wanting those who say that the 

 war itself might have been averted if our commander-in-chief had acted 

 with greater prudence and discretion. For the capture of Ghuznee 

 Lord Keane received the honour of a peerage, being created in 

 December 1839 Baron Keane of Ghuznee in Afghanistan, together with 

 ;he thanks of the court of the East India directors and of both houses 

 of parliament, and other marks of royal and public approbation. The 

 Bast India Company settled a pension of 20002. a year upon himself 

 and upon his two next successors in the title. 



As to his professional character, it was said by those most competent 

 o form a judgment that Lord Keane was more fortunate than skilful, 

 and he was far from popular in his eastern command on account of a 

 partiality towards the Queen's army, which led him to underrate the 

 ;allant services of the Company's officers, such as Sir William Nott 

 md others ; and in spite of the brilliancy of the coup de main by which 

 le reduced Ghuznee, he failed to secure that unqualified approbation 

 which great victories generally ensure for a commander-in-chief. 



Lord Keane was twice married. By his former wife he left four 

 sons, the eldest of whom succeeded to his title ; his second wife, Miss 

 Poland, whom he married after his return to England in 1840, survived 

 lim, and is since re-married to William Pigott, Esq., of Dullingham 

 louse, Cambridgeshire. Lord Keane died of the dropsy at Burton 

 -lodge, Hampshire, August 24th, 1844. 



KEATS, JOHN, was born in Moorfields, London, in the year 1796. 

 le received a classical education at Eu field, under Mr. Clarke, and 

 was afterwards apprenticed to a surgeon. Mr. Clarke introduced 

 lim to Mr. Leigh Hunt, who brought him before the public. In 1817 

 le published a volume containing his juvenile poems, and shortly 

 afterwards his long poem ' Eudyuiion,' which called forth a violent 

 attack from the 'Quarterly Review.' Keats was of a remarkably 

 ensitive disposition : his constitution was weak, and greatly impaired 

 >y the attentions which he bestowed on a dying brother, and his 



