Henry Irving’s Fight for Fame (1906)

Abstract

In the endowment of Henry Irving for this life-work was one supremely dominant quality which, in any age, at any place, is absolutely necessary to worthy success—tenacity of purpose. That he had great gifts in the way of histrionic ability, of thoughtfulness, of reasoning powers and all those forces which naturally lead from causes to effects—of literary grace, of sympathy, and of understanding of character—has been well proved by his work of forty-nine years upon the stage; and, inferentially, by the labor of those antecedent years which helped to fit him for his later work—for, be it always remembered, it is in youth that the real battle of success is fought, when many roads seem to lie open; when the blood is red and pleasure woos with claimant voice — howsoever sweet it may be. But all those later-mentioned personal gifts fix only the direction of force; they do not and can not supply it.