The National Register. — London, England, 1818-09-14 00:00:00

10i SEPT. 1$ THE DRAMA. COVENT-GARDEN. This Theatre opened for the season on Monday night, with the play of 3facbeth, and the afterpiece of Thc Miller and his ill en. The only novelty of the evening was Mrs. Yates, a lady from the Dublin Theatre, who r made her first appearance before a London audience in the arduous character of Lady Macbeth. This lady possesses a good figure and expressive countenance, and her conception of the character and reading of the text, were good, She throughout, however, discovered a want of energy, or a failing of power of vice to fill the extensive edifice, in which she, for the first time, appeared on this occasion. She failed to impart to dei character that boldness and decision which should mark and distinguish the character of the ambitious wife of the tyrant. When Mrs. Yates shall have acquired more canfidence in her own powers, she may, perhaps, do more ample justice to the character. The audience were most liberal; and.olthough. there was nothing in her perfbrmance to illicit enthusiastic applause, she was well received throughout. Mr. Yoang played Macbeth, and -was, on his appearance, received with an enthu siastie round of approbation, which did not subside for several minutes. Mr. Charles Kcmble played Macdiff,! and was greeted on his appearance as an ald favourite, and as his merits deserve, The rest of the performers . were also well received. Previous to the commence. :tient of the play the house was well filled ; and on the rising of the curtain the whole. vocal corps of the. theatre, amongst whom we observed 11r. Duruset, Mr. Taylor, Alr.'Tinney, Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. Liston, Miss• Mathews, Mrs. Sterling, &e. were discovered rangedan the stage, and the national anthem of "Gad liavothe King" was sung, and received with the loudestnpplause. At the Hall-price the house was .erowiled to excess, and the first night ,of the season promised to the proprietors a meet successful. harvtest. On Wednesilay the musical play of Guy Mannering was performed at this theatre, with tome features of novelty in the cast of i.s characters, net -to be passed over without notice. The most conspicuous of these was the appearance of Mrs Yates, an the part of Meg - Merrdies. The sudden descent from the sublimest heights of tragedy, from the representation of a high. souled being like Lady Macbeth, to a character so far removed in its nature ..and conception, is a.dangerous experiment for a performer to make. -who enters on a theatrical career With a strong notion of dignity :.there is something, , however, so )udicioes in discovering the, true sphere in which abilities marbe.exerted to effect, and so much magnanimity in at once subsiding to that level which the public voice appears to point out as the true one, that a new claim is set up by such a pro ceeding to our admiration and esteem. Mrs. Yates, perceiving that the high school of tragedy is not her forte, therefore content to please by humbler efforts. Her Meg ;terrifies is a fine performance; and though in a different style from that of,Mrs. Egerton, the only representative of that character in.i.London, and from whom the town ,have formed their notions of .the anys. terions gipscy, is full of excellent and well-discrimi nated passages. The. energy and passion, with the occasional burst of tenderness, were the touches of this singular vairtrait where the colouring was truest to -nature; while the solemnity of manner, and the awe she is supposed to strike into.the kilt/Melo, were in a . great measure forgotten, or by not being marked with sufficient strength, failed to justify the effect produced, and to give the due reality to the scene. Mrs. Yates will elways ra'sk as a useful and judicious actress, and her style must command the attention, and occasion ally the admiration of the public. Theopart of Henry Bertram, was assigned to Mr. Pyne, being his first appearance in that character. this gentleman's talents as a vocal .performer are by no means of the first class; his vaicels tolerable, and his execution is passable, , but in all,the higher requisites of taste, style, and-expres sion, be is far from being qualified to sustain . a leading part in .our >national operas. Our English school of singing isAlready sufficiently low in ..the estunation of foreigners; but the introduction ef 'Mr. item in:sd . prominent a situation is likely to tlepress'it still lower. Miss Mathews appeared , in the part of Lisey Bertram, . and succeeded .Better -than we expected ; simple airs, however, arc ,not the style of singing in .which this lady most creels, And her expression is very in .ferior to her execution. . Miss Foote played Julia Man nering in a manner tint sinplewing. Liston was as amusing as ever.;,.. and Emery was nature itself. 'Die., house was well filled. • Sheridan's .mastor,piece, The School .for Scandal, was pertiwined on .Thureelay night. A • Mr. FArren, from the I)ubiin Theatre, nyttle his flebni befOre a Lon don audience in the character of Sir Peter Teazle.— He is a young man, possesses a g y xxl figure. an animated. countenance, an easy deportint-it, a voice so remarkably distinct and powerful as to fill this large Theatre with.; out the least appearance of nitfictilty or effort; and, ad , dud to all this, he has a perfect acquaintance with the • stage. He sustained the character with an excellence not witnessed ainee the d-sys of King. the original Sit Peter.—The vloy was olt , y:"ther most admirably pet . "liruitd, and t% aLiilk..‘lll6‘4 ✓ . aiCIL Cll W THE NAiIONAt IirGISTE/1. DRURY LANE. This theatre commenced its performances for the season on Saturday evening. The play selected was Romeo and Joliet ; the hero and the heroine were -both represented by perlimmers venturing on their first essay before a London audience The parties are young and the undertaking was one of the feeblest representa tions of those two characters ever exhibited on those boards. The name of the lady who played Juliet is Miss Moody. The Romeo was Mr. H.iCtnable, a gentleman who, at least by birth , and relationship, bas a claim to-be a great actor. He possesses a fine voice, and his countenance, for a youth, is manly and expres sive; but his defects _ere of a nature very difficult of cure—he discovers an utter want of elegance and re finement of manners, so essential in this part, and ap. pears to have no idea of what relates to conception of character. The experiment of rediscing the prices of admission to this theatre has, been adopted, and from that, or some other cause, every seat itt the house was occupied at an early hour. ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE. On Fridareveniug this favourite place of amusement was crowded to witluess the revival of the Burletta of Midas, which kac always been well received. by thepub he, but the manner in which it was performed on Friday, gave it the interest of a aevrviece, and in conse quence, received the well-merited and unanimous ap probation of the audience. Pearlman sung in his usnul style of excellence, as Apollo; and Miss Carew? had a fresh oppurtunity of displaying her sweet voice, and of enchan'ang her hearers by the exquisite and tasteful meatier in which she executed the delightful airs of Daphne, in all of which she received the most rapturous applause. Aimless:mid Aclars.has been performed eery „even ing, Bed, notwithstanding the , opening of Covent Garden, (which might naturally besupposed tosoperate in some degree against this theatre). has had the affect of attracting most fashionable area crowded houses.. Indeed, the whimsicalities of this little piece are such, as to render it utterly impossible to witness it without being put into great good humour; and, as the play bills truly state, those who love to laugh, must see it, to be fully. .acquainted with its effects. The actors, having become quite "at home" in their parts, enter more fully into the spirit of the author, and the piece seems to increase in the ,public : estimation every time it is performed. A Theatrical Fund,fon the support and-relief of old and infirm Actors and Actresses, is about tot* este. blished at Liverpool, upon a plan nearly similar to those of Drury .Lane and Covent Garden theatres. The whole of the old east front of the King's Theatre is now taking down, and is to be re-erected, to corres pond with the other part of the building. The Grand Duke Michael, brother to.the Emperor otßussitt, arrived at Lillymaria Hotel, Liverpool,.on Wednesday se'nnight, with his usual attendants. On the following day, accompanied by the Mayor and several other gentlemen, he visited the Exchange, the News-rooms, -the :Docks, • that stupendous mass of machinery the Patent Cable Manufactory, St. Philip's Church, &c. From thence the party proceeded to the School for the Blind, where. the officers and several members of the committee .were in waithfg to _receive his-Imperial Highness and suite, and to conduct them through .that adotimbleiostitutiatc.„ After inspecting the numerous branches of manufacture in which the blind are employed, his Imperial Highness was con ducted to the apartment where the musical pupils were practising ; and the peculiar mode pursued tur instruct ing them in music (the instructor himself being • , wise blind) seemed particularly to attract his Imperial Highness's admiration, which was much increased when, upon entering the music room, the Imperial Russian anthem of "God save the Emperor" was struck up and periormed by the pupils. His Imperial Highness, we understand, presented the sum of 251. to this excellent institution. He left the town on Friday week about one o'clock, for Northwich and.the salt miacs. The Grand Duke Michael, en -leaving Liverpool, proceeded to Kidderminster, Worcester, Gloucester, and on Monday night arrived at Cheltenham. He put up, at the Plough inn, where the Recorder of London, who was occupying the best rooms, politely gave them up to his Imperial Highness The next day the Grand Duke showed himself to the curious,t,hrong from *Window of thetnn, and afterwards went with his as- Ondants to the Pump-room. • His Imperial Highness smelt and tasted the.watar, but not liking it, would net drink it ; his attendants, of course, were seised with an instantaneous disrefish for Ake beverage, cud rejected it with appropriate minks of disdain- His Imperial Highness, however, though he did not happen to like the water, was exceetlingly,stnack with the ingenious laboratory of Mr. ,Thompson . and exprasseti. tlgh de light at..tbe dithoreat . scientific-processes fix preparing the salts. He afterwards visited the School of Indus try for the education of girls, and finished the day's in spection by spending an hour at the Assembly-rooms, which were of course tfirmeged to see the illustrious traveller. At two 0 clock his InTerial HighnesA left Chelteuhan, :Ur Lath, where he arin.ekt at 0 o'clock. ,~~ CHESHIRE ASSIZRB, 4. 31. Marti AT ATOcKPOIT.. • • • Jacob Ifineheliffe • was -indicted fur linkfisg o an — the 14th July, and on divers etlictdays, at Stimkpoti ua. lawfully, &c. endeavoured to raise and create inensteseu tions, riots, and tumults, •for disturbing. the Xing' peace, &c. and for having unlawfully, wickedly, and maliciously incited divert; inhabitants of Stockport and . neighbourhood, unlawfully, riotously, And tumultuously to =edible, to disturb the peace, &c. The seetmd count charged the defendant with unlawfully, mali. ciously, &c. intending again to disturb the peace, Btr_ and to cause other insurrections, &c. Iwo other mints charged the offence in different ways. The Attorney General addressed the Jury on behalf of the prosecution. Mr. Cross, And Mr. Williams, were for the rawness. After the evideuce had been gone through to prove the case, the substance of whichis given in the Judges charges, The Chief Justice, in an able and impartial manner, • summed up the whole to the. Jury, saying, among other things,—" You find this lawless mob, proceeding to break into a house, where some unprotected females had ffed.for succour and shelter. Guil.knonts, Gentlemen, what might have been the result had .they succeeded in their attempts; the defenceless inmatesivoce shriek ing and calling for assistance,whilst the men *lw were in the house were *mon their knees, imploring the protection of : 1-k-oven !—The object of the mob is clearly defined it was to compel Mr. Gartsidc to di.....• charge his servants, and intimidate them from working. Gentlemen, it is, impossible to look without aim at tbeconsequences which may resultfrom these CMS. spiracies, if they being speedily stopped. An alarmiiNg riot has taken pine, which might have terminated fatal consequences it.l,he aid of the military had not been called in. Stones are. brought from a distance by bays, foe the men. to amid in . the werk of mischiefs there is an mien amongst the whole : of sbc, toszuk; turers which is preserved by The Jury ininsodiately found the - Prisoner—Gasp. Joseph Baker mask. fund guilty of having ems. mittad the same Am" but to a ntuall3ess degree Qf criminality. The Cbieltaustioadrit passiairsaa tepee, addressed .the prisoners, and observed, -- 441 thess , never was it case of greater aggravation before a-Covrt. Scarcely a year has elapsed, when persons in your situation, esperiane.. ing distress from causes that, were .unavoidable, And could not.he controlled, received the prompt assistance of-the wealthy portion of the community j and mow, when prosperity again begins to shine ,outhe manufac tures of the country, you avail yourself of its re-appear ance to extort front-your umster‘such.wages as are not required by present circumstances It appears from the testimony of Mr. Gartside, that even girls can earn from twelve to fifteen shillings per week—boys also as much, and men twenty-seven shillings per week. It cannot be doubted, but what there is ample work- for all those inclined to honest industry ; so that a man who has two or three children, may avenge. a weekly sum, fur superior to what many,foniilies enjoy placed in very different cirurastences in lfe, and infinitely •;, above that remuneration which is given to those who hazard their lives in the defence of their country. .The breaking into.a dwailiug house, with intent to.commit an injury therein,. is .a . capital offence, and this fact. has been proved3o-you. Xou, I. sin sorry to ohlerve, have st;so _ proved, that an Kngjiglimen could be:found base enough to 'threaten the safety pf a,women ; for, at the moment when themtimen were rescued from their danger. they were praying to :Heaven for : protection front your designs. 'Taking, therefore, all the cirouue stanc.4 .of your. case into coasideratien, the Court judge, that you be imprisoned an the Common Gaol for.the Term of Three Years, and pay a Fine of One This sentence it mercy to you • for within its walls you will have.time to redect apd repent your past depravity. "With respect to you, Joseph Baker, there are fea tures in your case not so aggravated as in that of the other prisoner ; but it reay, perhaps, be a seasonable caution to you, and to others, to know, that in the riot which. disgraced the city of Lyndon in 17130, wa l ly persons sabred the dreadful sentence of the law, against whom no other facts appeared,, than that they wore the cockade of the mob, or were heard shouting. lf, therefore. in the riots in which you have been engaged, a capital offerice had been committedon any at the days spedtied, your life would pow have bean forfeited to the offended laws ofyour entry. The Court, dtstin,gnish• ing batman your case and that of the prisoner frktich elide., sentence you to imprisonment in the coma= • Gaol for the specs of One Year,. and that ray also pay a fine of one shilling." On the sentence being..pawed, Hinelicliffe appeared deeply affectt..4l,and shed abundance of tears. The Lord Bishop of Chester, and the Viscount Belgrave, were in Court during these important trial's. The number of foreigners wbo had arrivel at la-Chapelle, up to the 27th i_ote;ttst, was 1,91 R. 'fbe L,-urrista of the tton - ot is to , c.r.toibt, dtt:ito6 tiltt t lueu. }.