[ William Charles Macready, Victorian actor. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('W. C. Macready') to the editor of the Literary Gazette William Jerdan, writing within a month of his retirement from the stage about his feelings on his new situation.

4pp., 12mo. Bifiolium. In fair condition, on aged paper. Macready had taken leave of the stage a month before the writing of this letter, with a farewell performance of Macbeth at Drury Lane on 26 February. An interesting letter, fifty-one lines long, revealing the great actor's response to the change of circumstances brought about by his early retirement. Macready begins by telling Jerdan that his 'friendly reminder of the 16th. inst' found him 'in all the external stillness of he most quiet of village towns, and with as much internal care as would satisfy the most excitement-loving person'. From his 'loop-hole' he looks 'upon the movement of a world, from which I have, as it were, passed away'. He continues in florid style to describe the mixed feelings Jerdan's revocation of the days I have enjoyed and endured' have woken in him. He complains of 'cares' on account of his children and his wife's state of health. He has 'not been in London since May, when I looked in, as I may say, for a glance at the Royal Academy Exhibition, and he World's Show in the Park'. He discusses the remoteness of his situation, due to the lack of a railway. 'Thus it is likely, that even if I live to <?>, I shall die out of all my old friends remembrance, or be spoken of as an old branch, that no one knows whether there is any sap left in it or no.' He feels it is 'better to ruminate on the past, and meditate on what may be to come, than to drop through one of those many holes in the bridge over the stream in the valley of Thirza unaware and unprepared'. He ends by pointing out 'how garrulous, and prosy retirement makes me, so that I offer examples against it, even whilst I advocate it'.