Byron's three-act comedy, *^ An English Gentle-
man." Sothern's part in this (I believe that
Byron had previously played it himself, then
calling the piece " The Last Shilling ") was that
of Charles Chuckles^ a warm-hearted, cool-headed,
but not too quick-witted young English squire,
who, being duped by impostors, deems it a matter



80THERN ON THE STAGE. 87

of honour to give up his estates, and who haviiig,
to the amazement of the audience, done many
eccentric and quixotic things while in a state of
penury, comes to his own again, and marries the
heroine, just in the nick of time for the fall of the
curtain. In describing the character as a " cool-
headed" one, I forgot, for the moment, that
Sothern caused Squire Chuckles to appear in
neatly cropped flaming red hair. The make up
was both new and effective, but "An English
Gentleman " was not a very interesting or
attractive play, and its life was not longer than
its deserts.
The eagerly sought " Second Dundreary
success " was apparently as far off as ever, when,
during one of his American engagements, it
seemed to be suddenly found. I cannot help
thinking that it was because the nervous and over-
sensitive Sothern had allowed Byron to make the
success as Sir Simon Simple that, but for his
want of confidence, might have been his, he was
ever ready to try a part in which Byron had
gained popularity. Nothing could have seemed
IT ore out of Sothern's somewhat limited range



88 EDWARD ASKEW SOTHERN.
