The National Register. — London, England, 1809-07-09 00:00:00

have seen it as those who have not seen it) may he curious to know the story of Theodore's Farce, and why it is called KiLLi Nfl so,. Munn ER. Patience, gentle readers.—Ex nihilo nil —Our invention w:11 nut bear any more racking than that of Mr. Hook's ; and to give you the story of his farce w•ittfiout some considerable supplies from invention, would be as difficult as to recount instances of the patronage of Mr. Angerstein, or the military exploits of Lord Ch—t—m. All we can do is to tell you whit we have heard and what we saw, as we sat before the stage and joined in what the play-bills call the re-iterated bursts of luatghter—•z the author. After a noisy and discordant overture the rising of the curtain discovered to us the scene of a village. We had a public house on our left, and we saw a considerable large party arrive, loaded w ith portmanteaus and ban-boxes. This party with the assistance: of the landlord and his sister, n%a:t a certain Mr. Mathews, (who it seems was a guest and a resident in thc house, under the name of Billy Buskir, gave us sonic tolerable singing, and—we saw no more of them. Then we understood from Billy Buskin that he Was an itinerant actor, and was cheating the landlord and debauching his sister. This was told us in the titles of plays strung together in that sort of way which used to amuse our grandmothers, and of which some whole sheet editions may be seen by the curious in the afore-mentioned li brary of Theodore hook, the wall of old &Wein. There used to he an excellent public library of this sort under the auspices of the Duke of Buccleugh's old brick,bultresses, and since their removal we find that many walking members of the House of Commons have been in want of that pointed argument called a pun. We are happy to learn, however, that many of the best pieces were preserved by the retentive memory of a facetious Secretary of State. But to return to our story : we fouud out that another stroller (a poor devil who: we think was called Bradford, and • who ought to be a real stroller under the name of Wharton), was in love with a young lady, a ward of Sir Willoughby Wilton, then in the care of the lady of the manor. Sir Willoughby arrives, determines to marry his ward himself, quarrels with the lady of the manor, sad retreats in a huff, without servants, to a little ale-house, wher, he can get no attendance. If the over-curious read er wishes to know why Sir Willoughby travels without ser vant*, and goes to a paltry alehouse, when it appears that there is a good inn in the village, we will tell him, that it is for the very best reason in the world,—it is to introduce character and incident at once! Mr. Mathews, alias Billy Buskin, who is known to all the village as a strolling player, except the pryieg landlord of the public-house where he has resided, and where he has run up a hill in the character of a country squire, now acknowledges himself a swindler, and offers to . become boots, waiter, hair-dresser, and cook, at a minute's warning. Here, then,. is a host of character and a volley of incident let loose upon us at once: . and all without any trouble to Theodore; fr, dependant on his own exertions, and on what he has performed in half a dozen other farces, Mathews acquits himself with admirable dexterity—and we laughed—good gods ! how we laughed I The preUy sister of the landlord, however, up to her ears in love with Billy Buskin, is to be mar ried to one Apollo Bele!, a country dancing -master and ballet-maker to a Welch theatre. Apollo's brains are any where but in his head : what Theodore has done for him is little indeed ; he has not even given him conceit, that absolutely indispensable ingredient in the composition of every dtsncing-master. Liston, however, has made him out. 'Billy Buskin belies the chastity of his mistress, to prevent his friend Apollo from espousing her,_ and the Afaitrc du Ballet agrees to feign himself dead, and to be the bearer of the intelligence of his death to his intended bro ther-in-law. Some excellent comic acting, rather border ing on bufLonery, supplies the deficiences of wit, and we laughed again, .again and again, but no thanks to Theodore. Ridicule upon the singing and ballet-dancing in vogue, is iairaitably displayed through the suituicry thews' and Listod in a song. And is another song, descriling the humours of Bartholomew fair, Mathews pours in so many auxiliaries of irresistablo humour, that Theodore's little wit shone like the emanmions of Momus himself from the countenance of Mathews --and the thunder of the God of Laughter rolled in reiter ated peals through the house. To tell the conclusive cir cumstances of this tale would pose the powers of any un raveller of intrigues from •Bishop Burnet to the Countess d la Mott; we must content ourselves with saying, that the young lady of the Manor (personated by MN. Ma thews), gets her a booby-like lover fur a husband, and. Billy Buskin marries the fair maid of the Inn. kroad accident (for incident is rather too distinguishing a name for the occurrences of this piece), must not he re ceived for broad character. It is the caricature which is allowed in farce that distinguishes it from comedy : the t caricature consists in strong marked eccentricities, in the extravagant burlesque of fashionable follies, in a medley of risible situations, and must never be sacrificed for un meaning whim, childish witticisms, distorted humour, and downright.manual buffoonery. The Lord Chamberlain is said to have objected to some sneers at religion, which, as substitutes for sit, had been enlisted by Corporal The These have been discarded, and a few sneers at the Cham berlain himself pushed into their place. We were ashamed that a British audience could laugh and applaud such petty. petillenee, expressed with the spiteful insolence of a cord reeled school boy. 4 6 But he shall hear of it yet," is the ma animous threat of this dramatic caterpillar—of this literary insect, generated in the blight of taste ! If the Lord Chamberlain had sat ns the dramatic as well as the moral censor of this farce, the Killing no Murder, of Mr. Theodore Hook, would certainly have been crush e d out of existence, before it could have had an opportnaity to can forth such re-iterated tursts of laughter as strengthen the cause of absurdity, and support dullness and noisy. folly in their contest with the almost vauquishc4 wit and spirit of genuine comedy. JULY 9. TH'E NATIONAL REGISTER. 443 have seen it as those who have not seen it) may he curious thews' and Listml in a so ng . A n d is ano th er song , to know the story of Theodore's Farce, and why it is called describing the humours of Bartholomew fair, Mathews KILLIN6 Na.NtuftnEa. Patience, gentle readers.—Ex sihi/0 , pours in so many auxiliaries of irresistablo humour, nil —Our invention w:11 nut bear any more racking than that Theodore's little wit shone like the emana4ions that of Mr. Hook's ; and to give you the story of his farce of Momus himself from the countenance of Mathews wittout some considerable supplies from invention. world --and the thunder of the God of Laughter rollpd in rpitpr- L4JV REPORTS. SITTINGS AT STISTMINSTER MILL, BESONII LORD ELL6Are SOROUGN .4NU 4 SPI CI4L JURY, 110N1)41' s JULY 3. WRICUT b. 113MILLIK LLOYD WARDLE, Eige The Attorney-General stated, that this action was brought to recover the sum of 1400 and odd pounds, for household fur• aiture supplied by the Plaintiff, on the Defendant (Woad Wardle's credit, to a lady of the name. of Mary Ann Clarice. Of this lady perhaps the Jury ntight have heard something, for not very long since she had made seine noise in the business of an Inquiry brought forward in the lfouse of Couimons by the Defendant. The Plaintiff was an uphol.terer, and the elai:n he now made upon the Defendant, and the manner in which it arose, he would state to the Jury. It seemed porn^ time about the autumn of last year, Colonel Wardle became acquainted with Mrs. Clarke, and very shortly discovered a great prclor. cure for her; and shortly after their acquaintailee the Colonel, the lady, and Major Dodd, and a Mr. (;lenny, set out ou a tour of Inquiry, of curiosity, and of business, fur they visited the Martello towers on the coast. About that time Mrs. Clarke had taken a house on Wesibourne:place, and Mr. Wardle, no doubt in well-founded generosity, determined to present her, with furniture for it. At that time Mrs. Clarke was indebted to the Plaintiff in sums of 5 or 6001. and would not have gives her credit for any sum, knowing her then embarrassments ; but as Mr. Wardle was to be the paymaster, be felt no such hesita, tion. In short, he would prove by the evidence of Mrs. Clarke, and the Plaintiff's brother, that Colonel Wardle most uoequiyo. , rally undertook to be.the paymaster. He would show that be went with Mrs. Clarke to the warehouse of the Plaintiff, where he was introduced as the intended paymaster; that he there or dered a sideboard to he exchanged ; gave directioas for a near set of dining tables. That on smother occasion he was there with Mrs. Clarke and Major Dodd: when the lady hap. pemed to differ from them in the taste of a carpet. the Colonel chasing one of scarlet and bronze; upob which og amioa the lad; tery politely someredla " S$ rrif fir.. ,