The National Register. — London, England, 1813-05-02 00:00:00

'1 not cre of cot tilt tiv wa ti Co to of sq (14 at M AY 2. BRA MATIC REGISTER. COVENT-GARDEN. EnccaTtoN. The title of this comedy had excited more than common interest : not because the subject itself was of the utmost importance to so ciety ; but because the public love for ridicule and scandal had ' created an expectation, that not only the modes, but the inventors of modern systems of education would have felt the discipline of the comic lash. Quakers and Churchmen, it was hoped, would have es ergo d the vigilance of the Licenser, and would have been made to expose themselves on the stage,_ after having done it willingly in the world instead of carrying on jointly, and ,therefore more-effec tively, the useful work of universal instruction. This expectation was happily disappointed. We say happily, because whatever tends to degrade the professora, must also impair the value and the power of education, and because the differences of men, sincere in the parts which they have espoused, and whose object, however connected it may be with individual feelings, is evidently calculated to produce public good, do pot fall wit h in the province of thea trieal censure. Besides, to point out the detects of modern edu cation, what could be more efficient than to display its rouse- quencea in the various classes of society ? Taken under this point of view, the field widened, artl the harvest of ridicule thickened. The fashionabie coxcomb, cii:tivating his Whiskers at the expense of his mind;—the dashing wife, lavishing her smiles on every one save her hustaand, whose fortune, however, she condescends to squander away :--the private libeller, anonernoasly stabbing those Whollt he flatters openly as his friends—the purchased orator, thun dering against venality, and the placeman agaivat the removal .of abuses, form as many living satires on the preceptors of yowl', more poignant than any which the pen of wit could hurl against them, arid more illustrative of the errors of modern education, than the •exposure of the party squabbles of its professors could prove. Mt. Motet." the veteran author of this comedy, has well telt this, and acted opi his conviction. He has collected characters from several clauses of society, both foreigners and natives, awl placed them sitnations whitit naturally call out the prejudices ercated by a de fective education, at the saute time that they show their injustice and Bally. This is applying the drama to its boldest end, the ens section, and not merely the amusement, of the public. How Mr Mon - rosi has caviled a good plan into execution, will be seen by an analysis of his pave?. As plays only instruct in proportion as they attract attention, and as they canuot secure attention unless they awaken our sensibi lities, the Aittlior of Education has endeavoured to interweave as much i•derest as novelty in his plot. If he has not always suc ceeded in the latter, in the former he has not failed. Mankind, like a chess-hood, ever presents the same characters, and though they may be combined in a titans:oat var i o u s ways, according to their respective powers and dispositions, yet there run-t always be a similarity of feelings and views which imparts its colouring to their actions, and renders total novelty of plot unattainable. We should think Mr. NIOIITON infest be an habitual chess player. As in that game the qustitity of pieces is limited, so in almost all his plays he has rang all the changes of the passions with a few characters, whose action he has skilfully diversified. In this comedy, however, he has enlarged the number of his agents. Dumper (Me. Bann vaionE), a blunt friend to honesty and tsntli, visits Iti.s former partner in a London bank, Templeton (Mr. VAW- C ETT ), at ilk country seat. Here he finds m:n saddled wall a aecoad wife (Mrs. C. Kumnix), just taken from a fashionable school, and a parasite, Aspic (Mr. JONES), who supports the lady in her extravagance, and libels lar anonymously. 'rempietan's son (Mr. C. Kum Btu), a weak young maa, whose natural tendency to views. has been so powertidly shaken by- the vices f his educa tion, that he has deluded a supposed orphan, 11(mi:if , (iii-s BouroN), to the cottage of one of his father's tenants, Brimuledisi ( 11r. Em FRY), under the pretence of carrying her to be sec( ived by ilk family as his wife, is awakened to remorse by the reproaelit s of Damper, and promises to ceps'" - her wrongs; bat is persuaded by Aspic to drown his conscience in wine, in order to consummate her ruin. Intoxicated, he repairs to leer co:trge, and pioposcs to take her to another place, which she avoids by jioniMb: out oh the window. Struck with fresh remorse, he abjures his evil intentions, and only pursues leer to Otani his pardon, awl her hand. She had however, wandered to the lands of sib. Guy Manuel (MA - rums), by whose daughter, Ellen (Miss Bourn WllOlll !she hail instructed at school, she is presented to her father anel rev vivid into his fa, oily. Here a new set of charactees present themselves. Sir t;uy, a rich old fox-hunter ; is a comy,:und oloddity and good nature; La& THE NATIONAL REGISTER. his daughter, an adept in every science, is so foolishly romantic as to rim away with her cousin, Boldface Suckling (LiwroN), a silly, ignorant fellow, whose only fundy is cookeiv, but who, under Aspic's tuition, learns a set speech which he. brinss forth on the most incongruous occas'a :s, and after causing the expedition to Gretna to tad, by obstinately stopping to dine on the road, is at last nutted to his love by het relenting faller. Meanwhile, Damper 'Worms Templeton that a sudden run has taken plave on his house in town, and that unless he can meet the payments he must become a bankrupt. Templeton owns himself ruined : bailiffs are seen ap proaching the house; Aspic, who thinks they are come for him, rushes in for protection, but finds 7'nospielon and his wife in posses sion of his common-place book in winch he had severely censured her vanity and her folly. He is ordered to leave the faonil - lie has t slim ed by Templeton, who at the time he gives himself up to the officers, receives a letter informing him that an old friend of his, Mr. Cleveland, who hail made a will in his favour, has just died of a tall from his horse. He instantly repairs to his house, examines the will, but finds an unstamped paper, in which Cleveland fitated that he hart learnt that Rosine was the child of his daughter whom he had turned out of doors for marrying a Frerch emigrant, Count Fakirs (Mr. Youtin), and whose parents were supposed to be dead. To her, therefore, he bequeaths's, but in au illegal manner, all his wealth. Templeton secretes the paper, and only shewing the will, is set at liberty by the bailiffs. Meanwhile Films returns in search of his (knight r, and finding with whom she has eloped, pursues her seducer. Overwhelmed with fatigue, lie begs for relief at Broadcast's cottase, who tin ling that he is a Frenchman, at first ' declares that he shall never enter his doors, but is nn the eve of relenting, when he discovers who he is, and refuses him on account of his having run antsy with Cleveland's (laughter. Fillers, how ever, afterwards saves his boy (Master CHAPMAN) fro ii drowning, and Broadcast becomes his best friend, and prevents him from tightirg a duel with Vwfng Templehm, whom lie meets contem plating lioshie's picture, which he snatches away from him. Charged with the rehbery of the picture, is led to Sir Gay's mansion by Broadcast, who is also a petty constaMe. Here he discovers his dansliter, and learns that, although imprudent, she is still innocent. tile Gny tskes them both to Mr. Templeton's, to learn the truth of the charge laid against ritiars by the young Templeton. The rank of the Comet is resealed, as well as the ruined situation of their affairs. The young man recalls his charge, and Mr. Templeton, who hail been a prey to rtaimrse ever since he had secreted Cleveland's codicil, now pis:duces it. tears the will, and gives himself up a second time to the sheritl's (Avers: but Damper iliforms him, that by throwing his name and fortune a second time into the firm, he has stopped the run on the baakineshouse at repelled bauktuptcy. /Jo sine nal Voting. Templeton-are then united, and the Count terminate' the pl iy by lamenting the slavery of his native land, and expressing a fervent hope that the peace of the world pay be restored. This pint is varied, but so skilfully arranged as not to appear complicated. The flow of incidents is natural, and the interest which they create,. con-ides-able. The characters are generally well drawn, bat not all well selected. We do not know that vul gar gluttons like Banifnee, arc so frequent as to render public chas tisement net l'AFaty to e'll'ek the increase of their numbers. But we arc sure that there is nothiny; piessing in their appearance on the Stage. and still less any probsbilify iu making them be fallen in love with. Neither is it pos'ibie that the i.i phew of a Baronet should be so ignorant as Sach-ling is represented ; fin- however grovelling his inclinations may be, its rank and fei tune mast secure him some instruction, beyond the knowledge of pans and kettles. All Ds- TON'S skill (amid not p' event this ch,aactei from being occasionally disssisting. Broadcast is sketAed and fini lied with the hand et a master. Fah of honest national piejnilice, which, when sincere, becomes almost a vtstile, we see -in him the blunt patriotism, that pi izes Eoland ahoy:. all other soil ; the independent spirit, tint thinks for it•eif s and the Ceiling heart that sympathises with the woes of ot:a rs. The character of the Cora/ . is equally h ippy, and skilfully contrasted. Polished in his 111i111111, liberal in his senti nts, he meets romke with resignation, oppa , es sense to preju dice, and to insult, the dignitssof misfortune. The scenes between these two peromiees, besides the' rxce:!ence of the acting', Are the most of in the Play as taes si% e a eictitre of eatnre, nbil,t the others only paint common life, its. peliey of which is to (da k and distort. it not to erase alt the sylepathiss et' Lactose. Broudeasi's boy, who teacUes his father the benefits of a :',OOl edu cation. both 0 oral explaodtioo. tivally, by dsteeting in an ammnt an error of silt. weir!' he ot• :ove l u st h) , et- Dormice, is a dram -O atic novelty, and slier. lds hdrodueed. he part wan pert's, wed by Master Cu %Pa tin ith iliet/1 1 111)40 1 ice ling and eavressioa. Damper,. to the pui, s usiit satire of Tenraddocki