The Manchester Guardian, in spite of its Liberal politics, was less liberal with its praise. When a man aims high, the paper said, it does not always happen that he strikes high, and this actor’s achievement was not equal to his intention. While the young actor was at Manchester, the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth was celebrated with a series of readings and tableaux. The manager of the theatre, Charles Calvert, gave the readings. During the summer holiday, when they were not paid, some of the company moved to Oxford where they attempted to make a living from the beginning of August until the middle of September. The audience in Manchester was slow to accept Henry Irving, as audiences had been in Edinburgh and Dublin. He had to work hard and long to earn the smallest praise.