nearest him, who were bawling their throats hoarse. This did not mend
matters any, as he easily could have foreseen, had he known this type of
American character better. He then attempted to go on and outbellow, if
possible, the audience. But it was like shouting amid the roar of
breakers. Nobody heard a word he said, still he stuck to it till he got
through that portion of the act. It was now Lady Macbeth's turn, and the
appearance of a woman, it was thought, would command that respect which in
America is almost always accorded to one. But her reception was worse than
that of Macready, for not content with shouts and yells they heaped
disgusting epithets on her, and were so vulgar in their ribaldry that she
flew in affright from the stage, "blushing," it was said, "even through
the rouge on her face." Macready, however, showing, if nothing else, good
English pluck, determined to go on. But he had scarcely finished the first
sentence, when some potatoes struck the stage at his feet; then rotten
eggs, breaking and spattering their sickening contents over his royal
robes; while howls that seemed to come from the lower regions arose on
every side. It was Pandemonium broke loose, and those in the boxes,
thoroughly alarmed, jumped to their feet and stood as if paralyzed, gazing
on the strange spectacle below. Macready's passions were now thoroughly
aroused, and he stubbornly stood his ground. Suddenly a chair hurled from
above, and evidently aimed at his head, struck the stage at his feet and
broke into fragments, followed by the shout, "Go off the stage, you
English fool! Hoo! Three cheers for Ned Forrest!" which were given with a
will. Then came another chair, narrowly missing Macready's head, who, now
alarmed for his personal safety, fled from the stage, and the curtain
fell. But the bedlam that had been let loose did not stop. Hoots, curses,
threats of vengeance, and the confused sounds of a mob given wholly over
to passion, struck terror into all hearts; and Macready, fearing a rush
would be made for him behind the scenes, left the theatre by a private
door, and jumping into a carriage was rapidly driven to his hotel. The