Booth's Farewell Speech (?)

[richard petersen]

In today's 11/29 Chicago Tribune they list several farewell speeches with JWB listed first. "After JWB dined with his fiancee, Lucy Hale, and her mother, he took Lucy's hand and recited a line from Shakespeare , which was not unusual for the actor to do in normal conversation. Then he left to kill the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Booth's parting words at dinner, from "Hamlet" were: Nymph, in thy orisons (prayers), be all my sins remembered"

I have read many books on the subject but this comment is a first for me.

Has anyone read about this dinner with Lucy and her mother?

[Sally]

In today's 11/29 Chicago Tribune they list several farewell speeches with JWB listed first. "After JWB dined with his fiancee, Lucy Hale, and her mother, he took Lucy's hand and recited a line from Shakespeare , which was not unusual for the actor to do in normal conversation. Then he left to kill the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Booth's parting words at dinner, from "Hamlet" were: Nymph, in thy orisons (prayers), be all my sins remembered"

I have read many books on the subject but this comment is a first for me.

Has anyone read about this dinner with Lucy and her mother?

This story has been related in several books, and is mentioned on nearly every website about Lucy Lambert Hale. I believe the source of it is an article written by Alexander Hunter that first appeared in Chicago’s Daily Inter Ocean newspaper in 1878. The headline was “Booth and Bob Lincoln” and was purported to be the reminiscences of a mysterious (and probably fictitious) Washington socialite named “Mrs. Temple”. This lady was allegedly a resident of the National Hotel during the winter of 1865 and was friendly with the Hale family and with Booth. Since the majority of “Mrs. Temple’s” recollections are provably impossible, it seems unlikely (in my opinion) that the story of Booth’s final words to Lucy Hale is true. I apologize to Bill Richter for my heretical opinion, since he includes the scene in his novel, “The Last Confederate Heroes”. It’s certainly feasible that Booth made such a grandiloquent speech to Lucy (or to any of his other lady friends) at some point, but I don’t believe it was on the night of April 14. Based on the timeline of his movements that day, would he even have had time to dine with Lucy and her mother?

[RJNorton]

"Booth and Bob Lincoln" is online here.

[L Verge]

I don't remember ever seeing seeing such a grand farewell quoted as Booth's last words to Lucy, but some sources do repeat the fact that Booth dined with the lady and her mother that day. I remember having a conversation about this with Mr. Hall, and we both agreed that it could have been a dinner meeting, not a supper meeting.

Dinner in the mid-19th century was served at mid-day (what we term lunch); supper was a lighter meal served after the day's chores had been done. I don't have JWB Day by Day beside me, but we would likely be talking about a meal that ended about 2:30 or 3 pm.

As for those parting words, I have my doubts - unless Booth is foretelling his future as a teaser to Lucy. We have been told that the Hales were not especially taken with Booth and his ideologies and that the Senator's appointment to the embassy in Spain may have been an attempt to separate the two. I wonder what Mrs. Hale thought of the romance and if it would have been "polite" of Booth to say that as he left the table that afternoon?

[RJNorton]

Robert Lincoln issued a denial of the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean story. Regarding Robert's feelings a story in the New Orleans Times said, "He (Robert) says that he never knew Miss Hale, and consequently could not have been her lover, and that he and Booth were never rivals. He also denies knowing Mrs. Temple, who is the author of the story." Mary Harlan Lincoln also denied the Chicago Daily Inter-Ocean story in 1926. However, when Robert claimed he never knew Miss Hale this was simply not true. Blaine Houmes wrote an article about this relationship which even includes information on the gifts Robert gave to Lucy. See "Lincoln & Booth: A Love Story." Manuscripts, Vol. 59, No. 1, Winter 2007, pp. 5-11.

[BettyO]

This whole story reads like a romantic novel - pretty much along the same story-line as the John Yates Beall canard regarding Booth clutching Lincoln's legs in an on-your-knees plea to save his friend.... that Robert Lincoln courted Lucy Hale is very probable. That he and JWB were rivals; doesn't ring true; at least not to me. Interesting speculation, but not much more.

---

[Wild Bill]

Sally, no apology necessary, no hard feelings on my part. I just found it interesting and it fit my story line. And I still believe my version of it, for what it is worth

[Thomas Kearney]

I've also heard that rumor but I think it is a bit dramatic. Great line though. "Hushed, be the fair Ophelia. Nymph in thy orisons, be all my sins remembered".

[Houmes]

In today's 11/29 Chicago Tribune they list several farewell speeches with JWB listed first. "After JWB dined with his fiancee, Lucy Hale, and her mother, he took Lucy's hand and recited a line from Shakespeare , which was not unusual for the actor to do in normal conversation. Then he left to kill the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Booth's parting words at dinner, from "Hamlet" were: Nymph, in thy orisons (prayers), be all my sins remembered"

I have read many books on the subject but this comment is a first for me.

Has anyone read about this dinner with Lucy and her mother?

This story has been related in several books, and is mentioned on nearly every website about Lucy Lambert Hale. I believe the source of it is an article written by Alexander Hunter that first appeared in Chicago’s Daily Inter Ocean newspaper in 1878. The headline was “Booth and Bob Lincoln” and was purported to be the reminiscences of a mysterious (and probably fictitious) Washington socialite named “Mrs. Temple”. This lady was allegedly a resident of the National Hotel during the winter of 1865 and was friendly with the Hale family and with Booth. Since the majority of “Mrs. Temple’s” recollections are provably impossible, it seems unlikely (in my opinion) that the story of Booth’s final words to Lucy Hale is true. I apologize to Bill Richter for my heretical opinion, since he includes the scene in his novel, “The Last Confederate Heroes”. It’s certainly feasible that Booth made such a grandiloquent speech to Lucy (or to any of his other lady friends) at some point, but I don’t believe it was on the night of April 14. Based on the timeline of his movements that day, would he even have had time to dine with Lucy and her mother?

When I read that Mrs. Temple was involved, the alarm bells went off. Little is known about her other than her fifteen minutes of fame obtained from spreading the story of an alleged Booth-Hale-Lincoln romantic triangle. Then again, she also boasted of long, private conversations with President Lincoln.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Wasn't John Hay another alleged "rival"?
Whether Robert was enchanted by Lucy Hale or not I think with regard to his wife in any case he would have denied.

[Sally]

I may be wrong, but I think this "Mrs. Temple" story may also be responsible for Lucy's being incorrectly known as "Bessie" Hale in a lot of articles and books. I don't think she ever actually went by that name. I didn't find references to her being called anything but Lucy in the Hale family letters I read through at the New Hampshire Historical Society. And her sister's name was Elizabeth (known as "Lizzie). It would be strange to have a "Bessie" and a "Lizzie" in the same family.

I've also read (unfortunately, I can't remember where) that Booth's acting buddy, John McCullough, also disputed much of Mrs. Temple's story. For example, he said Booth didn't attend hotel "hops" because he didn't like the crush of the crowds.

Posted by Eva Elisabeth - Today 06:12 PM
Wasn't John Hay another alleged "rival"?

While John Hay appears to have appreciated Lucy's "indefinable fascination" (this is a quote from a letter he wrote her after she and her family left Spain in 1870) I don't think he was ever a rival for her affections. According to the bios I've read, Hay was involved with a former actress (about 10 years older than he was) during much of his time in Washington. He was also a great friend of Kate Chase.

Posted by Wild Bill - Today 07:07 AM
Sally, no apology necessary, no hard feelings on my part. I just found it interesting and it fit my story line. And I still believe my version of it, for what it is worth

Okay, good! I do think Booth uttering that line makes for a good dramatic scene!

[RJNorton]

I may be wrong, but I think this "Mrs. Temple" story may also be responsible for Lucy's being incorrectly known as "Bessie" Hale in a lot of articles and books. I don't think she ever actually went by that name.

In an interview Robert Lincoln said, "Miss Hale's name was Lucy, not Bessie, as stated in the article."

Sally, no apology necessary, no hard feelings on my part. I just found it interesting and it fit my story line. And I still believe my version of it, for what it is worth

Okay, good! I do think Booth uttering that line makes for a good dramatic scene!

If it didn't happen that way it should have.

[Wild Bill]

Roger! Stop stealing my lines!!