The National Register. — London, England, 1809-12-31 00:00:00

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER. and nephews, &c. &v.!" According to annual custom, George Barnwell has been •enacted, and THE CASTLE SPEC TRE!-46 Oh ! what a falling off' is is there !"—did the 141oN x ever suppose that his ghosts, his caverns, chains, lamps, and rusty daggers, would be laid on the dramatic ellen, merely to he brought forward to deciprale a bug-a-boo, or a raw head and bloody bones in the Christmas Holidays I ild he imagine that he who had the honour of terrifying all tl young ladies in the Empire, of making their hair stand on end like quills upon the fretful porcupine, and of ali nost 'performing the same operation upon the wigs of the old ones—that he should live to see his lucubrations classed among old women's stories! Oh ! Spirit of the true Itomince, thou art now avenged 1 ! ! THEA !RIC IA EBRIETY. There is a climax in ill-manners as in vice, beyond which, peril aps, they cannot extend ; though their limits, there fore, may be defined, it is a matter of serious regret that we cannot apply to the moral, as experience in some mea sure justifies towards - the natural conforniation of evil, that svholesonie and at the same time encouraging adage, " thabt %Then things are at the worst they will mend." WI are led to this reflection, by the most indecorous exhibition, to call it by no harsher name, of Mr. COOKE, on Tuesday last, in the Roman Father. It is scarcely neces sary to state to our readers, that this sometimes justly ad mrred actor, came on the stage, at the opening of the piece, quite intoxicated, not indeed with Roman spirit at hii sons being chosen to defend th e lib er ti es o f their I country, but with rather an over-abundant quantity of Briti9h spirit, which rendered him not only incapable of supporting his character, but even of supporting himself. Mr. YOUNG, with a degree of modest candour, and with apparent feeling both for the unfortun a t e ac t or , an d f or the unfortunate audience, made an appeal sufficient to dis arm disappointment ; all censure was therefore removed from the Managers for the disfigurement of this classical_ tragedy, and the part of Ifor a ti us was assumed by Mr. EaEnTox, an arrangement which made it necessary to neutralize that of !Ultra Hostilius entirely. This total dis memberment of the play would of itself, even in the una- voidable case of an actor's illness, have excited much dis gust, ° 9 re flection,the that it was occasioned by the voluntary degrada tion of the human faculties, but also by that insulting ap pearance which a drunken actor must present to a nume rous audience of both sexes, and of all ages. The Theatre again on Thursday was a scene of as much riot and confusion, as during the worst part of the row. 1 Au overflowing audience seemed to sit with expectation I on tiptoe, to hear and to see what kind of an apology th is votary of BAccuus would make for hi s l as t or rather his : latest error ; but they were rather disappointed by Mr. MURRAY'S appearance before the curtain with the follow ing. intelligence: tailies and Gentlemen, Mr. Coowtz is this night unable to •, ! , ! ,, , ;41 before you-11r. EGEttro N has at a very short notice :..indlli undertaken .the character of Sliglock t and we hope for pair indtkence." A loud and unceasing clamour succeeded, ? and the two fi rs t Icenes could ; neither be seen nor heard but on the ap pointed time for Shylack's appearance, Mr. C. KEMBLE Wade the following-, address : - Ladies arid Gentlemen.—.l am sent forward to inform you th a t t he disappointment of this night is not in any degree to he imputed to inattention on the part of the Proprietors. Mr. • ('Doti c is realty indisposed, (" Drunk, drunk again" Was re ecnoed from all parts of the pit.)—" I assure you, Ladies and Gentlemen, unit he is really ill. The Prompter viblted him this • Jo:al:jug', at t o'clock, and Mr. COOKE then gave holler that hewould perform to night. After some time, however, he al. ~,1 • 0 oi. I.l!earion, and communicated to the Prompter that he f oun d tpiu.-elf too ill to thiuk.of appearing to ui&ht in public. DEC. 31. This intelligence arrived at so late an hour, that the only alter native left to the Proprietors was to alter the Play, - or substitute another Performer in the character Mr. COOKE was to have played. This latter mode was adopted as being most respectful to the public; and bills, as I understand, were distributed at all the doors, announcing Mr. EGERTON as Stqlock--(" it is not fact—no bills were distributed—shotne on CooKE—let your brother JOHN play the part," was alternately exclaimed front* the pit, and echoed by the galleries). Mr. CHARLES KEMBLE went to the side scene, and returned with a large bill, which he exhibited to the house.—" I assure you, Ladies and Gentlemen, that nothing could give my brother greater pleasure than to ap. pear before you to-night in the character, but it is many years since he performed it." The uproar still continued, and w a s perhaps the greater, from the audience not well knowing whom they should consider as the ,just cause of 'their indignant disappoint inent ; nor would they attend to several attempts of Mr. C. KEMBLE to obtain a further hearing. A quarter of an hour elapsed with a deserted stage, when Mr. MURRAY made his second attempt to lull the potent storm. " Ladies and Gentlemen, a messenger has just returned front Mr. You NG'S house, where he was not to be found. Mr. C. KEMBLE will, however, with your permission, undertake to read the part." This alternative was not, however, relished by the audi ence, and this ambassador was obliged to retire amidst the confused sounds of groans, hisses, &c. restored with all their original effect. The moment was big with impor tance —on his getting off, the Pit got up, which seemed to be the signal of insurrection, and of the resureection of. 0. P. whose dance was loudly call©d for, and accompanied by the dulcet str a ins of " God Save th e King," whose up, roarious subjects seem to consider loyalty as a very necesi sary ingredient in their theatrical criticisms. Music being thus resorted to as an offensive weapon, the Managers adopted it as a defensive one, and sent the musical Mr. YLOR to address the Chorus. His address was but abort„ he sung, or said, " Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Kemble has been sent for and cannot be found. Ladies and Gentlemen"----- if three bar rest now intervened, and MP. TA YLOR by a kind of obligalo movement dashed off in such a style, as to, excite laughter and nearly to produce good humour ; wheq Mr. TAYLOR made his second eutre t " Ladies and Gentlemen, 1 am sent to inform you, that it ilk hoped, at this late hour, you will indulgently consent to accept the performance of Mr. CUARLES Krtst.E in the character--L . (partial applause.) It is also the order of the Proprietors,. that anv person who may he discontented with this arrangement shall receive his money at the door." Mr. TATLaa withdrew, and, the audience seeme d con , tent to. remain and en j o y the amusement. The music re commenced, and all was harmony, when it was interrupted by an unsuccessful claimant for his money at the pit door a he rushed in, exclaiming "Itis a d—d palpable lie; they'll not give me a farthing." His misfortune, how, ever, seemed only to excit e ridicule. . We are happy to have it in our po we r t o no ti ce th e ver satile powers o f Mr. C. KE31131.1. 4 who in this hasty effort evinced that he was well qualifiod, for the task. His ur banity in taking it, would alone have insured, him ap. plause I but the fe e li ng o f the house was something more, it was that of marked approbation,. had these two been the first instances of a dereliction of re spect for the public, vise inight have been disiiotied . to moder ation in our censure ;but utifgr tugatcly , thists the.winding up. of along and incr eas i ng climax, a. kind of progressive attack, upon our judgment and forbearanee, which has been car ried to such a length,, as to incluce . a, modern delineator o( manners. to assert, " that COOKII k one of •the . greatest fa- Tauriles of the public, has actually increacid ltss.popularity by drunkenness..' If -this were really true, it woulst in itself be. an instance of " impudence oat the one part, and of weaknes‘ on the other," which we hope for the honour of public diicency, a British audience, sensible of their VIVA rights, wid be want to rollick*. To Ml..