e stands in the play! I would propose Leech (well made
up) for Easy. He is a good name, and I see nothing else for him.

This brings me to my own part. If we had anyone, or could get anyone,
for Wilmot, I could do (I think) something so near your meaning in Sir
Gilbert, that I let him go with a pang. Assumption has charms for me--I
hardly know for how many wild reasons--so delightful, that I feel a loss
of, oh! I can't say what exquisite foolery, when I lose a chance of
being someone in voice, etc., not at all like myself. But--I speak quite
freely, knowing you will not mistake me--I know from experience that we
could find nobody to hold the play together in Wilmot if I didn't do it.
I think I could touch the gallant, generous, careless pretence, with the
real man at the bottom of it, so as to take the audience with him from
the first scene. I am quite sure I understand your meaning; and I am
absolutely certain that as Jerrold, Forster, and Stone came in, I could,
as a mere little bit of mechanics, present them better by doing that
part, and paying as much attention to their points as my own, than
another amateur actor could. Therefore I throw up my cap for Wilmot, and
hereby devote myself to him, heart and head!

I ought to tell you that in a play we once rehearsed and never played
(but rehearsed several times, and very carefully), I saw Lemon do a
piece of reality with a rugged pathos in it, which I felt, as I stood on
the stage with him to be extraordinarily good. In the serious part of
Sir Gilbert he will surprise you. And he has an intuitive discrimination
in such things which will just keep the suspicious part from being too
droll at the outset--which will just show a glimpse of something in the
depths of it.

The moment I come back to town (within a fortnight, please God!) I will
ascertain from Forster where you are. Then I will propose to you that we
call our company together, agree upon one general plan of action, and
that you and I immediately begin to see and book our Vice-Presidents,
etc. Further, I think we ought to see about the Queen. I would suggest
our playing first about three weeks before the opening of the
Exhibition, in order that it may be the town talk before the country
people and foreigners come. Macready thinks with me that a very large
sum of money may be got in London.

I propose (for cheapness and many other considerations) to make a
theatre expressly for the purpose, which we can put up