AME RICAN A CTOR S E RIE S THE ELDER AND THE YOUNGER B O O T H B v AS IA BOOTH CLARK E B O S T O N JAME S R. O S GO O D AN D C O M PAN Y 1 88 2 C O N T E N T S . PART L E LD E R BOOT H PA RT H . YOUN GE R B OOT H 2225207 LI ST OF I LLU STRATION S . Jvmv s B ums BOOTH F m ro a Dagu erreo typetaken in 1848. FAC-S IM ILE O F PLAY-B ILL ‘ ‘ “ ” Jumu s ERU IU S B OOT H AS POST H UMUS B T B T H as RI H A D II JUes RU US OO C R I. O F JUN IU S B RUT U S B OOTH EDWIN EDWIN B OOT H AS RICH ELIEU F roma Portrait by j o hn Co llier of Lo ndon. P A R T I. E LDE B H T H E R OOT . — 1 796 1 852 . And B oot/u werecreated r tbeentertainment o tbeeo e fi f p pl , ” a e nd r V W F N . wer ma c/z esorted to . IE O LON DO H E LD B T E ER OOTH . JUN IUS BRUTUS BOOT H was born o n the first day o f Ma 1 6 St. a L o H is y, 79 , in the parish of Pancr s , ond n . randmo ther E za W l a o f o g , li beth i kes, was a rel tive J hn W l and i blo o d i kes , through his mother he nherited the of the Welsh Llewellyns . The Booths and Wilkes of Clerkenwell werehon o rably known in their time the ho use o f Bisho p Bur an o i i the a net, hist rical old bu ld ng, was birthpl ce of a o f o o o f a m ny the B ths , and the yard the ncient church o f St. John of Jerusalem still co ntains the gravesto nes a a o f two of their descend nts, on which the n mes the n R and families arefrequently i termingled . uin demo litio n a a o o f h ve been busy, the bl ck m uld years is over the n arrow streets and byways but the little co urt “ ” a o f ra keeps its n me Booth , and the g ves in the narro w slip of church -ground seem likely to last till a doomsd y . R a ichard Booth , the f ther of the subject of the was fo r law present sketch, educated the but , becoming u R n ft co m infat ated with epublica ism , he le home , in a o B revitt to a for p ny with his cousin J hn , emb rk Amer ica E a (then at war with ngl nd) , determined to fight in wa a an her cause . Booth s t ken prisoner d brought E o back to ngland, where he subsequently dev ted him 4 TH E E L DE R B OO T/1 . self to the acquirement of knowledge and the practice of an his profession . If y punishment was inflicted for his e afllu ent al r i . H disloy ty , it has never t ansp red lived in circumstances in Bloomsbury, and was a scholar of repu tatio n a a , though of eccentric ch r cter ; but his vaunted loveof Republicanism rendered him unpopular both as H e G a lawyer and as a man . kept a picture of eneral W - e in ashington in his drawing room , b fore which he a bo w sisted th t all who entered should with reverence . u B revitt The other yo ng rebel, , escaped to America, f E i ought against ngland , was made a capta n, and sub o f sequently married a Quakeress Baltimore, readily r l t ansforming himse f into a Friend and an American . The subjoined copies of letters on the subject of this patriotic enterprise entered into by Booth and B revitt ma i a y be interesting here , the orig nal p pers forming W a part of the collection of the ilkes p pers , now in the R a British Museum . ichard Booth t the age of twenty “ " r W addressed the first to the g eat ilkes . The De L a fender of iberty sent it immediately to the f ther, John Booth , who after perusal returned it with a letter expressive o f his own views o f the conduct of his son r and nephew, vouching for their integ ity and respecta bilit y, but evidently in much distress of mind. The h reply is ighly significant . T ’ o al mWilkes E s . P n nees urt Co estminste. y , g , , W r ’ A IS O ct. 28th . P R , , 77 Sm— l t , You wil cer ainly be much surprised at the i receipt of this letter, wh ch comes from two persons of TH E E LD E R B OO T i ! . 5 whom you cannot possibly have the least knowledge , who yet at the same time claim the H onour of being of the same Family as yourself. Our conduct has certainly fo r been in some respects reprehensible , too rashly put ting in execution a project we had fo r a lo ng time con ’ ceived an a . But as it was thro rdent desire to serve o f o f a in the Glorious cause Freedom , which you h ve ’ always been Fam d fo r being the Stri ct and great De area a l fender, we trust the request we bout to m ke wil a a . En ma be p id reg rd to As glishmen, it y be urged that we are not altogether Justified in taking arms ns a o a a agai t our n tive Country, but we h pe such v gue argument will have no weight with a Gentleman of yo ur well - known abilities for as that co untry has almost R a parted with all its ights , which h ve been given up to G o the present Tyrannic overnment, it must be th ught the Duty of every true Briton to assist those who Op a as pose oppression and lawless Tyr nny . And the peo ple of America are compo sed o f men who have still the a Fo refathers spirit of their br ve remaining, it becomes all who areEnglishmen to exert their utmost effo rts in a their behalf, leaving their Country for th t purpose ; as Ro a being no more ( we presume) than the m ns , in the war between Octavius and Anthony on the one t and ri a par , those illust ous worthys , Brutus and C ssius, a o f on the other, going from the rmy the Tyrants to serve in that of the latter, and therefore equally justi e fiabl . Du ceet Deco umest ro a r a mo l r p p t i ri , " S ed ro L beta emo Dulcissimumest. p i r t ri , The manner in which we have conducted ourselves 5 TH E E LD E R B OO TH . has been so very extraordinary as to be scarcely cred ares r L ible , but we a sured the Bea er of this etter will h . ft convince you of its Aut enticity In short, we le E a a h d ngland , and all the dv ntageous prospects we a to o f S there , purposely go and serve in the Army the ons L a a . o of iberty , the br ve Americ ns In rder to complete the Enterprise we came fro m London under a pretence of going on a party o f pleasure to the Camp at Warley o o f o C mmon , but instead pr ceeding thither, we went a for a and and immedi tely M rgate thence to Ostend, a a h ve since arrived here, where we c me to wait upon the Gentlemen who areAgents for the Congress in a o D Americ , in order to the full completi n of our esign n a o ffi o a S Of getti g ppointed cers in the Pr vinci l ervice, but fo r that purpo se have since foun d it necessary to pro cure a Letter of recommendation fro m some Gen tleman o f L E u in the Interest iberty in ngland , and n tan o Lee ders d fr m Mr . Arthur (who has promised to m a o ur a a rec m interest hi self gre tly in beh lf ) , th t no o mendatio n o i will be Of m re serv ce to us than yours . o u Our request therefore is , that y will condescend to o ne o ur a o a G a give in f v ur, directed to th t entleman t “ H R n Rue E a a the otel de la ei e , la des Bons nf nts , ” a o u as P ris , which y will ple e to deliver to the Bearer o as here f, soon as possibly convenient. And the favour a and W will be gr tefully remembered , the name of ilkes be always held in the greatest respect and veneration Sir by, , ’ ’ Serv ts at Your most and obed command , R .