The National Register. — London, England, 1815-01-22 00:00:00

60 DR4III,I7'IC REGISTER. DRURY LANE. Last night Miss L. Kelly, sister to Miss Kelly, whose talents kept too much in the shade at Drury lane, have long since raised ker to an elevated rank in the public favour, made her first ap pearance at this house in the part of Jolliet. At this late hour, we are compelled to confine ourselves to general remarks. We recol lect her some years ago at the Lyream, where a pretty face and a Vleacin' voice, with tactrfid execution, formed her chief merits, and 3nemor . did not lend much fire to hope. The character of Ju liet. which formerly required little more than beauty and softness of manners, is besides now Liecome one of far greater difficulty since Miss O'Neil has wakened all its capabilities and breathed, a *pith of life into every line. - AVe, therefore, did not expect much from Miss L. Kelly's exertions, and, upon the whole, consider her sister as the only actress who would have a chance of approaching the excellence of the Covent Garden Juliet. Miss L. Kelly, In.w ever, has closely studied the latter, and, with the aid of a good Agute, some playfulness and much grace, could not fail to deserve considerable applause. For the strong scenes her voice rather failed her, and the part evidently rose above her powers. She has, however, greatly improved, and will be a valuable acquisition to the theatre. "We rejbice to find that Mr. Kean is not impervious to just criti cism. Every defect which we had pointed out in his Romeo, he has stow removed, and eivrn a character of feeling and strength to the part, which it certainly totally wanted on the first night of his per formance. Miss WitWein has now recovered all her credit for sense and judgment. She has relinquished tragedy as a bars n, unprofitable soil, in which her best efforts never could raise a harvest of finite, and sought for popularity in a lower tract more congenial to her powers. As in the former she bad disappointed our expectations, in the lat ter she has surpassed our hopes. Me has not suffered herself to lie blinded by the puffs of her ft irmls, who in the morning and evening papers incessantly proclaimed her the first actress of the age. She listened to impartial criticism whenever it dared to break upon the concert of praise, and giving np her pompous delivery and exu berance of gesture, learnt to speak the language of nature and to add gracefulness to heraction. Lady Restless, which she personated for the first time last Friday, in Murphy's comedy of All in the Wrong, showed her improvements in a plat! more favourable paint of view. Sale at last discarded all affectation, and her portraiture of the jealous wife was correct and spirited. She has still occasion ally a little coarseness in her manners which requires po lishing, but she has already effected so much to deserve public ap probation, and ;moved herself so docile, that we have no doubt this single blemish will disappear, when she once more assumes this thaiacter. Mrs. Glover, Elliston, and the veteran Wroughton, supported their respective parts with the greatest spirit, and to the fall satisfaction of a numerous audience. ARGYLE Rooms,—The Masquerade held at these rooms on Thursday evening, wag tinmermisly attended, although domiu os 'ere mostly warn : yet there were many well dressed characters, who played their parts with considerable spirit. A limb of the law, and one of the corps dramatirpte from Drury4ane, afl"rded great Cause for merriment, by an admirable caricature of the Landlord •f the 0. P. and his Waiter, it was strikingly ludicrous and amusing. The sniper and wines were execlleut, Lind ihti SLADE great creJit JAN. 22. and tl e d .ncrr•, among whom were several fansons waltzers, kept '• tripping it on the light f.►ntaatie toe," until the approach of day gave the signal fur separation. JOANNA SOUTHCOT PS WILL. The will of Joanna was to have been proved in the Prero gative Court last we •';; hut her brother, who resides in Devonshire, having entered a caveat against it, and adminis tered to her property, it could not be done. This will b; ing on a litigation between hint and the present executors. The brother's objection rests upon the unsoundness of his sister's mind, and her consequent inability to dispose of her property. It is even supposed that the presents which have been sent for the promised child, cannot be returned according to law until it is legally ascertained who is the rightful owner; as immediately upon her death they became the property either of the brother or the executors. Last year Joanna made the following remarks relative to her Will : Here I think it necessary to notice what nen have reported of the property 1 am worth, and to reason with them upon their own grounds. My sister Carter told me at Bristol, in 1809, that the repot t was in Ottorv. that I was worth 10,0001. Another told we, that lie liadi heard the same report at another place ; awl, after the death of Mr. Cexens (the person who left me an annuity of 2sOl. per ann.). I have been informed that the world have magnified it to 15,0001. And now, to slim the folly of these inveatiotts, I shall let them know in what manlier I have made my Will. Wi.en I looked forward to nothing more than the awful tliat, and my death to bellow, befitre this revelation came to me that I should have a child, 1 made my Will in the following manner :—After leaving a legacy to my brother and sister, to be paid at my death, and an annuity as lung as they lived. with a few legacies 10 other relatives, and some legacies and tokens of love to my taitlifid fiiends, who have shewn khulness to roe, and stood faithfully by me ever slice I left Devonshire. After leaving these legacies and tokens of love, which did not amount to too , v than a thousgml pounds, then all the residue of this great fortune, which the world say I am in possession of, I had left entirely to Mrs. Jane Townley and Mrs. Aug U:derwood, as we have lived together ten years; and as a mark of my gratitude for their having dune every thiug in their power to make me happy ; and from their having written all I the communications given to me, eve r since we gave lived together, both for the press and in Ic Mrs to my friends , their giving up the world, and confining themselves to be with me; and their having made it their study to alleviate my sorrows and sufferings, tinder every abuse that I have had to pass through, from all unbelieving and malicious world, which bath wounded me greatly by their base inventions to injure my character. And. when I reflect on the kitid attention and atiection which they have 'divan to me through all the persecution I have had to go through. if I could forget their love, then I must have forgotten myself; and have an ungrateful wicked heart, to bring in a stranger's child, if I could do it witholit any one's knowledge. lint here men must be void ofeommon sense and reason, if they suppose that Townley and Underwood would aid in such an imposition, and which must so speedily come to a disgraceful end." • Notwithstanding the assertions of Dr. Reece, it is a fact, that very large sums were collected front the followers of this woman, but in what manner they were appropriated, the Junta who surrounded her can best tell. The fact ought, however, to overwhelm with shame her high priest, her fe male secretary, and the twelve elect which were appointed, after the number of the Apostles, to reply to cavillers, pro pagate blasphemies, and fleece her credulous followers. As many of these derived their suluistence from the fruits of the imposition, they had recourse to the basest arts to uphold the imposture. It is a fact, that 201. was, about a month ago, sent by a tradesman confined in the King's Bench pri son, and who has since taken the benefit of the - nsolverst Act. Mechanics with large families, and domestic servants, who had no other means than what were derived from their wages, have alike contributed to the maintenance pf this hill "stare—to their own evident injury, and that of their distressed families aad relatives. THE NATIONAL IiEGISTER.