KEAN, EDMUND, was born about 1787, in London. His father, Edmund Kean, seems to have been a stage-carpenter ; his mother was Miss Ann Carey, an actress at minor theatres and with strolling players and in showmen's booths. Kean'a father seems to have cared little about him, his mother neglected him, and when he was two years old Miss Tidswell, an actress at the large theatres, who was acquainted with Mies Carey, took charge of him, and, probably from this circumstance merely, was reported to have been his mother. He was sent to one or two day-schools in London, but, as may easily be supposed, got little literary instruction. His theatrical education however commenced early : Mice Tidswell instructed him in her art, and his mother, as soon as she found that he might be made useful, took him with her in her occasional occupation of selling flowers nud perfumery from door to door ; and she afterwards took him with her in her rambles with strolling players and showmen ; and Master Carey, as he was then called, was so clever, that once, when Miss Carey and her son were performing in Riehardson's booth at Windsor, Master Carey was required to give his recitations before George III. at the Castle, which ho did to his Majesty's great delight, and was dismissed with a handsome present. He continued his performances, sometimes with his mother and sometimes alone, nt small places of public amuse ment in London and the neighbourhood till about the age of sixteen, when he left her entirely, and joined a company of strollers in Scotlaud.
From this time till 1814, when he made his first appearance at Drury-Lana Theatre, Loudon, his life was a series of the vicissitudes, struggles, and privations iucideut to the profession of an actor in country theatres. Meanwhile he had, in July 1808, married Miss Chambers, an actress in the same company in which he had obtained an engagement at Gloucester. At length the playbills of Drury-Lano announced The Merchant of Venice," Shylock by Mr. Kean from the Exeter Theatre.' There had been no previous puffing, and the house was thinly attended, but the applause was tumultuous; ho repeated the character; the house was well filled, and his fame was thenceforth established. On his first night 161/. were paid at the doors; ou the second, 324G; afterwards the average was upwards of 500/. ; and the actor's fame, it is needless to add, was secured. Ilia salary was at ouce raised to 201. a week; and not long afterwards the committee mado him a present of 5001.; he also received many valuable preseuts from individuals. Drury-Lane Theatre was saved from the ruin which had previously threatened it, and rapidly advanced to a state a unexampled prosperity.
Kean's career of success, including a visit to America in 1820, wolf uninterrupted till his connection with the wife of Alderman Cox, anc the consequent action at law, January 1825, with the verdict of 8001 damages pronounced against him. The public now became exasperated against him, and he was driven from the stage of Drury-Lane and afterwards from that of Edinburgh. After some time however he we.
allowed to go on with his performances at Drury-Lane, hut he failed 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 returned 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, his alacrity of spirit was gone, and his performances were little more than a faint reflection of what they had been. He had separated from Mrs. Kean, he had quarrelled with his son 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 ' Isgo ' with him. Kean struggled through the part as far as the speech " Villain, be sure," when his head sunk on his eon's shoulder : he was borne off the stago, and his acting was at an end : the audience in kindness immediately left the theatre. Kean lingered on at his residence at Richmond till the 15th of May 1833.
Kean 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. Siddone'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 burets 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 lie 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.