Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

THE DRAMA.

HAY-MARKET THEATRE.

THE great success that has attended the continual representation of the new operatic comedy Sweethearts and Wives, of which we gave an account in our last number, has precluded the necessity of introducing many new pieces, and, therefore, our critical duties during the month at this theatre have been light. We must not, how ever, forget to mention the production of a new farce called Spanish Bonds, or, Wars in Wedlock; but we will not fatigue our readers with a detail of the plot, as the piece was unsuccessful, and Liston, Vining, and Mrs. Chatterly exerted their acknowledged talents in vain; it is gone to "the tomb of all the Capulets," and all we can say on this occasion is de mortuis nil.

This theatre experiences a most successful season, richly deserved by the manager, the performers, and the author of Sweethearts and Wives. This drama is a great favourite with the public and will become a stock piece : the plot has interest and incident, without the confusion too often their attendant: the humour is softened by repeated touches of pathos, that makes a pleasing contrast and variety. The songs are judiciously interspersed, relieving without too forcibly disuniting the dialogue, and tend materially to heighten the constant interest of the scene. Liston in Billy Lackaday should be seen by every votary of Momus. We regret the retirement of Madame Vestris from this theatre, whose character, Laura, is represented by Miss Love.

O'Keefe's comedy of the Young Quaker has been performed during the month, after a lapse of five years. The characters were strongly cast: Terry

as Chronicle, Liston as Clod, Harley as Splatterdash, Miss Love as Araminta, and Miss Chester as Dinah Primrose, received and deserved great approbation. Liston's representation of a clownish servant was eminently ludicrous, and admirably contrasted with Harley's foppish one. Although this comedy is not one of the best specimens of the old school, yet it is so full of ludicrous combinations that we hope to see it again.

The opera of the The Barber of Seville has also been performed with great success. Liston's Figaro, and Miss Paton's Rosina were certainly the greatest attractions; but, as we have repeatedly noticed their performance of these characters at the Winter Theatres, we need not expatiate upon their merits on the present occasion. We cannot conclude our short account of this theatre without noticing, with deserved praise, the great merits of Mrs. Chatterley; we were among the first to pronounce that this lady would rise to a considerable eminence in public favour, and our prophecy has been completely verified. Her comic versatility in a one act piece, called Twelve Precisely, always ensures great applause, and the piece is, therefore, often repeated. She personates five different characters with an ever-changing variety.

We congratulate the proprietors on the crowded audiences that frequent this theatre. This great success, almost without a parallel, is as complimentary to the good taste of the public as it is highly flattering and advanta geous to the proprietors and the performers.

ENGLISH OPERa house.

SINCE our last notice of this theatre, it has acquired much celebrity by the return of Mr. Matthews, and by the introduction of two new pieces, which are deserving of particular attention as they have proved more than usually successful. The first, which possesses priority of consequence as well as primogeniture, is called Presumption, a

piece, in three acts, founded on the romance of Frankenstein, by Mrs. Shelly, who is the widow of Mr. Byshe Shelly, and the daughter of Mrs. Wolstoncraft Godwin, a name in its day of great celebrity, and with which all our readers must be acquainted. The dramatis personæ are as follow ;—

[blocks in formation]

Elizabeth (sister of

[ocr errors]

Mr. Keeley.

Mr. T. P. Cooke.

Frankenstein) Mrs. Austin. Agatha de Lacy (affianc

ed to Frankenstein)Miss L. Dance. Ninon, (wife of Fritz) Mrs. J. Weippert, Safie (an Arabian girl) Miss Povey.

The chief event of the play is the formation of a human being by a chemical combination; one of those wild theories that haunted the imaginations of learned men during the infant state of knowledge just emerging from the barbarous ignorance of the middle ages. Frankenstein is a Swiss devoted to chemistry and the occult sciences. From reading the works of the alchemists he has been led to the discovery of the principle of life. He commences the formation of a man out of the relics of the church-yard and the dissectingrooms. He, after an effort of years, accomplishes his object; but his new formation, a being eight feet high and hideously ugly, terrifies him at first sight; he abjures the work of his hands, and the giant sets out upon his career. All human beings of course start back from an intercourse with this unnatural stranger, and he becomes a bater of all human nature. But his revenge is most fiercely expended on his fabricator's connections. He strangles Frankenstein's brother, then kills his bride; and, finally, to exact the full tribute of his vengeance, stands before the unfortunate Swiss, and declares himself the author of this chain of butchery. Frankenstein, after having made a solemn vow to destroy the monster he had expended his time, health, and talents in creating, pursues him for that purpose, and at the moment of his success they are both overwhelmed in an avalanche of snow.

The adaptation of this unnatural story is by Mr. Peake, a gentleman, who is the author of several successful pieces expressly written for this theatre; and, we must confess, that on the" present occasion he has shewn considerable talent in making that interesting to an intense degree, which in its very nature is repugnant to all the better feelings of the human heart. The character of Frankenstein is ably

sustained by Mr. Wallack; and the remorse, consequent on the impiety of attempting to rival the Deity in the formation of his noblest work, strongly pourtrayed. The monster in the bands of Mr. T. P. Cooke is of appalling interest, and the deep silence of the audience during his presence on the stage is the best panegyric to his talents: he has to execute a task of no ordinary difficulty; and, although he has not the faculty of speech imparted to him, be conveys to the audience, by the energy of his action and gestures, a perfect knowledge of the very extraor dinary and novel character he represents. In the commencement he exhibits kindly feelings, and saves Agatha De Lacy from drowning. being fired at by her brother, and repelled by all with horror, he becomes malignant, revengeful, and an habitual perpetrator of all kinds of mischief. He carries off and destroys a child, puts gipseys to the route, shoots a woman; and, finally pursued by Frankenstein, he kills him at the foot of a glacier. But here his career closes; Frankenstein falling fires his pistol, an avalanche rolls down; and at the instant overwhelms the monster.

But,

The female performers have no very prominent parts to perform, being chiefly occupied in singing. A burning house, set on fire by the monster, was well managed; and the escape of the dramatis persone was very critical and complete. Cooke represented the monster in this melo-drama with considerable ability; we could not but admire his expression of incipient intellect and matured feeling when he listened to the alternations of varied musick, when he first beheld the lovely form of woman, and felt the insinuating influence of love; and also when for the first time he experienced the destructive power of fire. Presumption has been acted, we believe, every night during the month, and must have been very beneficial to the treasury.

The other novelty we have to announce is, a petite piece in two acts called, I will have a Wife. It has no claims to originality, being translated from Le Capitaine Belronde, of Picard, by Mr. Planche, as we understand. The plot consists in the perplexities of a Gallant Admiral, named Firedrake Mr. Bartley, who being advanced in life, resolves to cheer his retirement by the presence of a wife, and for that purpose invites three young ladies and an old one (the aunt of one of them) to his mansion in the country. The Ad

miral's gallantry is directed, in the first instance, towards the young ladies, Mrs. Somerville, Miss Carr; Isabella, Miss Dance; and Miss Rosebank, Miss Povey; but being successively rejected by each, he is obliged at last to content himself with Mrs. Ogilvy, another widow, but one whose time of life corresponds more nearly with his own. The humour of the piece turns on the timidity of his addresses, the obstinacy of his determination, and the frequency of his disappointments; for it is his hard fate to find, that the young widow is betrothed to Captain O'Leary, Mr. Power; Isabella to Merton, Mr. Baker; and Miss Rosebank to Charles, his own nephew, Mr. Pearman. The principal character is that which Mr. Bartley performs, and he did great justice to the poor Admiral's repeated attacks on the fair sex. Mr. Power was equally humourous in his personification of the Irishman: his brogue is rich, his conception correct, and there is none of that over-acting in his portrait of Irish peculiarities which our stage too frequently affords. The names of Mr. Pearman and Miss Povey will shew that the vocal department was in good hands. Upon the whole, this little drama was so well got up, and presents among its own recommendations so much of the light aud the lively, that we shall not be surprised to find it run to the full extent of the season.

The last, although not least pleasing part of our duty, is to say something of the return of Mr. Matthews from his transatlantic theatrical tour. We are happy to announce that his excursion has been by no means injurious to either his health or his extraordinary comic powers. His re-appearance on these boards was of course hailed with enthusiastic plaudits, and he continues to be received every evening with the most distinguished and gratifying ap probation. There is perhaps not a more perfect piece of acting on the stage than his performance in the Polly Packet: his Irish Steward was uncommonly rich; his Monsieur Jeu-singe exceedingly interesting; and his re

presentation of sea-sickness made us deeply sympathise with all the horrors of a maiden voyage. But perhaps the best of all is his Major Longbow, of whom a contemporary critic says, “The inimitable, imaginative and super-veracious Major Longbow, who had been everywhere and seen all things; who knew every one, and had done all things-the wisest, the strongest, the bravest, and the best of all conceivable Majors, in comparison with whom Munchausen was but a rush-light, and Fernandez Mendez Pinto a mere pretender-the preux-chevalier of fiction, the hero of gasconade, the Bobadil of boasting, and the prince of liars! It is the height of nonsense to call Mathews a mimic or an imitator after such a performance. Wilkie is just such a mimic, and Raphael such an imitator. It is a real genuine impersonation of the abstract principle of bullying and lying, and as such we look up to it with marvelling and delight." We have also seen Matthews in the character of Morbleu, in the laughable farce of Mousieur Tonson. We think higher of this performance than some persons do, although every one agrees that it is "correct, laughable, and clever.”— We never enjoyed a farce with more anmixed pleasure, as regards the representation of the principle character, and we are sorry our limits will not at present permit us to enter into the peculiarities of this remnent of the old regime. Miss Louisa Dance, although she never draws deeply on the riches of nature, was interesting in Adolphine. Mrs. Tayleure, though a little too extravagant, in Mad. Belgarde, supported her character with considerable talent and nature. Mr. Brown, in the Lawyer's Clerk, is, as lawyer's clerks generally are, very cox-comical and offensive. Wrench, as Tom King, is as usual vivacious, easy, and bustling. We wish Miss Holloway, who is a pretty interesting girl, would become more easy and natural; she should remember that in good acting there is not a particle of affectation.

POLITICAL DIGEST.

WHEN we last performed our duty of giving our readers a statement of the political situation of Europe, affairs in Spain were hastening to that crisis which the Bourbon government had

confidently anticipated would lead to the consummation of all their wishes; that crisis, however, has now been reached, and the Bourbon cause appears as far, if not farther, from its an.

ticipated conclusion than before the occupation of Madrid, or the blockade of Cadiz by the French. The enemy have now traversed the whole Peninsula, without the exception of a single province; they have occupied the capital, thrown the civil government of the country into the hands of a Spanish aristocracy, they have resorted to the most extensive and criminal system of bribery; neither morality, religion, nor honour, has restrained them in their efforts to attain their objects; and yet, in point of ultimate result, they have effected nothing. The extremes of superstition, of bigotry, and of civil tyranny and injustice, which marked all the deliberation and measures of that aristocratic regency, which the French had selected for governing Spain, had rendered it totally unfit for any functions of government, even in the lowest and most degraded state of social existence, and the Duke d'Angouleme had found himself compelled to reduce the regency to a mere nomi. nal authority, by dividing Spain into military districts, and giving the command of such districts to his own offi cers. But the perseverance of this Council of Regency in their narrow views, and arbitrary principles, has since compelled the Duke d'Angouleme publically to thwart all their measures, to liberate those whom they had imprisoned, to declare their proceedings to be incompatible with the safety of the French armies, and, finally, to reduce their authority to a mere nullity. These events prove either a thorough want of judgment in the French, in selecting their political friends, or that the Duke d'Angouleme has found his first principles so thoroughly inconsistent with the spirit of the age, that he thinks it convenient to abandon or discard his original agents and emissaries, and to come into more moderate measures. The Duke is, in fact, glad to meet the Constitutionalists half way, and is evidently more desirous of forming a connexion with them than of continuing his alliance with the royalist party. This situation of affairs is conclusive evidence, that the original views of the French, and their estimate of the sense of the Spanish people upon which they justified their invasion of Spain, have been totally fallacious, and in reason and in principle the Duke d'Angouleme ought to give over his design, by withdrawing his army into France.

The details of the military operations of the month are by no means imper

tant. In our last publication we announced the nefarious treachery by which Morillo had yielded the impor tant province of Gallicia to the enemy. General Bourcke, however, has reaped no great advantages from the crime, to the perpetration of which he had bribed this renegade Spaniard; for, up to the last accounts which have been received from the North of Spain, (15th instant) General Bourcke had only been able to capture Ferrol and Vigo; all his efforts against Corunna had been repulsed up to the 12th instant, and he had lost more time and more lives before that place than the possession of it was worth.

In Catalonia a number of partial engagements have taken place between the different corps of Moncey's army, and the corps of Mina and his assistants, Milans, Llobera, and Manzo. Of these actions we have received only the French accounts, and from such accounts it is evident that many of the fights have terminated in favour of the Spaniards, whilst others, which have been favourable to the enemy, have been contested with a resolution that has inflicted a loss upon the enemy, most inconvenient to the situation of their affairs. Marshal Moncey has not been able to obtain possessions of any of the fortified places in Catalonia, and, although he has invested Barcelona, no apprehensions whatever are entertained for the safety of that place, whilst the blockading force is repeatedly attacked, either by sorties from the garrison, or by Guerilla parties from the mountains.

The naval blockade of Cadiz appears to be very imperfect, and the succession of the Levant and of the S.W. winds, which invariably blow off that coast in the autumn, will soon drive the French fleet from their station. The military blockade of Cadiz appears very little to annoy the inhabitants, whilst the Spaniards have effected one sortie, in which they succeeded in their design of destroying a part of the enemy's works. The best possible spirit appears to pervade all ranks of people in Cadiz, which may be styled the Athens of Spain, for the inhabitants, from their long and frequent intercourse with the more enlightened parts of Europe and of America, have become, by far, more advanced in knowledge than the rest of their countrymen.

The Duke d'Angouleme having left Spain for Andalusia, in order to open a negociation with the Cortes, and to

superintend the military operations in that province, the Cortes ordered General Ballasteros to break up from Valencia to enter Andulusia at its S.E. ex tremity, to operate in the rear of the enemy, and in the event of serious reverses to retreat through Estramadura and Leon. Accordingly this officer broke up from Valencia, but upon his entering Andalusia after a slight rencontre with the enemy, he threw off the mask, avowed his treason to the Cortes, and ordered all his officers, particularly those who commanded Pampluna, St. Sebastian, and Santona, to submit to the enemy. These orders have, however, been rejected with in dignation by the parties to whom they were addressed. The soldiers also refused with unanimity to follow the example of their leader, and the French have, therefore, acquired nothing by the crimes of Ballasteros, but his individual accession to their cause. The army of Ballasteros is now under the command

of General Zayas, who was second to Ballasteros before his going over to the enemy, and if it be directed with talents and energy, it is in a situation to inflict the greatest possible injury upon the invaders. The Guerilla system is becoming daily of great, annoyance to the enemy, and the people of Spain seem totally averse to the old regime, being either tame spectators of the struggle, or joining Guerilla bodies in favour of the constitution. The ter mination of the war in Spain will affect the intellectual and moral condition of mankind for many ages, and, therefore, must be viewed with peculiar interest by every enlightened mind. If the Cortes be firm in rejecting the terms, and in resisting the bribery of the French, there is almost a certainty of our seeing the defeat of one of the most nefarious attempts that was ever made to impose despotism, with all its moral and in. tellectual evils, upon mankind.

MONTHLY MEMORANDA.

THE KING.-It is determined, that, on the 1st of September, the King shall take possession of his apartments in Windsor Palace, which are now quite ready to receive the Royal Party, although the accommodations there are exceedingly limited for it is found impossible, and, perhaps, it would be unjust, to dispossess many of the families, who have occupied apartments in the Castle for a great many years.

The King has been pleased to appoint Henry Gompertz, Esq. to be one of his Majesty's Honourable Band of Gentle men Pensioners in Ordinary to his Majesty. Also Robert Laurie, Gentleman, to the Office of Rouge Croix, Poursuivant of Arms, vacant by the resignation of William Radclyffe.

The new quadrangle at Trinity Col lege, Cambridge, is to be called the King's Court, by His Majesty's graci ous permission.-At a grand common day of the Corporation of Cambridge, on Saturday last, Alexander Scott Abbott, Esq. was elected Mayor of that town, for the ensuing year.

PREFERMENTS.The Rev. G. H. Curtois, A.M. to the rectory of South Willingham, Lincolnshire; patron, G. R. Heneage, Esq.-The Rev. W. B. Robinson, A.M. Chaplain to Viscount Dungannon, to the Rectory of Littlington, Sussex, vacant by the death of the

Rev. A. Nott; patron F. F. Bean, Esq. -The Hon. and Rev. W. Eden, M.A to become one of the six Preachers in Canterbury Cathedral; patron, the Archbishop-The Rev. W. Knatchbull, L.D. to the Rectory of Aldington - cum Smeeth, Kent.-The Rev. F. Barrow, M.A. to the Vicarage of St. Mary, Sandwich; patron, the Hon. the Archdeacon of Canterbury. The Rev. S. F. Sadler, S.C.L. of Balliol College, Oxford, to the Rectory of Sutton-underBrailes, Gloucestershire; patron, the Bishop of London.--The Rev. G. M. Coleridge, of Christ Church, Oxford, to the Prebendal Stall of Whitchurch, in the Cathedral of Wells, vacant by the death of the Archdeacon of Norwich.-The Rev. F. Bedford, M.A. Rector of Belchford, has been presented, by C. B. Massingberd, Esq. to the valuable living of South Ormsby, with Ketsby, Calceby, and Driby aunexed, Linconshire-The Lord Bishop of Lincoln has conferred upon the Rev. E. Edwards, MA. of Huntingdon, the Prebend or Canonry of Leighton Bromswold, in the Cathedral Church of Lincoln, vacant by the death of the Rev. T. Cowper. PROMOTIONS. 2d Regiment of Foot; Lieut.-Colonel John Rolt, from the half pay, to be Lieut.-Colonel, vice John Jordon, who exchanges.-Captain John Williams, to be Major, by purchase, vice Gordon, who retires.

« AnteriorContinuar »