Theatres. 143 



different from each other. Somerville enjoyed a 

 comic opera exceedingly, and so did I ; and at that 

 time Lablache was in the height of his fame. 

 When Somerville and I made the tour in Italy al- 

 ready mentioned, we visited Catalani (then Madame 

 Valabreque) in a villa near Florence, to which she 

 retired in her old age. She, however, died in Paris, 

 of cholera, some years later. 



Somerville liked the theatre as much as I did ; so 

 we saw all the greatest actors of the day, both in 

 tragedy and comedy, and the English theatre was 

 then excellent. Young, who was scarcely inferior 

 to John Kemble, Macready, Kean, Listen, &c., and 

 Miss O'Neill, who after a short brilliant career 

 entered into domestic life on her marriage with Sir 

 William Beecher, were all at the height of their 

 fame. It was then I became acquainted with Lady 

 Beecher, who was so simple and natural that no one 

 could have discovered she had ever been on the 

 stage. A very clever company of French comedians 

 acted in a temporary theatre in Tottenham Court 

 Koad, where we frequently went with a party of 

 friends, and enjoyed very pleasant evenings. I 

 think my fondness for the theatre depended to a 

 certain degree on my silent disposition ; for unless 

 among intimate friends, or when much excited, I 

 was startled at the sound of my own voice in 



