The National Register. — London, England, 1809-01-08 00:00:00

VIE NATIONAL REGISTER. ge..erous as to withhold from merit the praises to a It Is enti led. To this we will nnl, reply, that if our p ,es the few errors which we think he has committed; in order to i relte it other authots from rende.-- • ing themseti es obnoxious io the same censure, our hands on Thursday flight granted him their warm support. if as the Epilogue hints it, this comedy be • the jirgt which the author wrote, we give liiin credit for very promis:n talents ; but if it be Hie production of a veteran writer we would rather can it it retreat from, than ltrh advance toWards perfection. The ptologue, which was 0%0416111y well delivered b) Mr. Mathews, told us something about our having fre quently met. with old tharailfes in new comedies; and we therefore expected to banquet at last on novelty; a dish which has not for many years gratified the public appetite. We were, however, disappointed. We were introduced to imany characters it is true, but strongly suspected, and, in deed, were convinced that we had had some m o limpses of them before on the stage; except, perhaps, of that which Johnstone admirably represented—an honest attorney, who assumes the appearance of a rascal. But this is not, we much fear, a copy from nature, it is a stretch of the imagination rather than the result of observation. It 'hews men as they ought to be (dropping the appearance of rascality) and not, unfortunately as they ate. There is, perhaps, some novelty too, in giving the attorney a think tnr, clerk ; but as notwithstanding his reflecting powers and disposition, he still remains a faithful echo to his mas ters sentiments and a slave to his will, even when it ap pears evil, nature may be said to have been followed more closely than in the delineation of the character of the ho nest Hibernian Cornelius O'Detlimus. The plot is iuteresting, but contains many incidents ga thered from ancient and modern plays. They arc, however, so artfully disposed as to wear the appearance of novelty, although it cannot boast its reality. They arc like views of spots well known to us, and which though par tially disguised by the introduction of a tree, or the omis sion of some of their less important features, cannot fail to. l strike oar recollection, whenever we bestow an observing glance upon them. The explanation of the Secrets" may be found in many novels, yet it is not too easily anti cipated; as our expectation of novelty hinders us from m hinking our surmises can be right. A good natured, and, at times, passionate husband, and a nervous, but artful wife, a strict economist. and a household tyrant, form, not the first characters of the comedy, but those to which it owes its name. We will now unfold some of the chief incidents of the piece. In it we find a young and innocent girl, not unlike Ms .?" in John Bull, seduced by a rich lover, who, however, marries her secretly, with the intention of deceiving her by .employing a false priest and treacherous witnesses : but whose designs are frustrated, by the honesty of his attor ..ney, who provides a real priest. We see the same titled -laver pay his addresses to Ellen, a baronet's daughter, a 'tick heiress of twelve thousand a year, whose affections •are placed on his cousin, a sailor, who through love for -sakes his ship to visit his niistress. On hearing of ber ap proaxhing marriage with Lord Austincourt, he 'steals into her house to reproach her for her unfaithfulness. ' —Here, a quarrel similar to that of Donna nolante, and in " The !Fonder," ensues between the jealous irri .tated lover, and his wrongly suspected mistress, who re •tiresiiia anger. In asi.bsequent meeting she conceals bim in her music room on hearing her fathers voice, and the wise parent !ravine learnt that the sailor was lurking near his mansion to see her, locks her up unconsciously with him and her maid. His friend, Mr. Faulkener, long thought dead but who had lived for many years disguised in the neigh 'bourbood with an only /laughter, now calls upon him, ad vises him not to marry his Ellen to Lord Aatincoirt, and is on the point of retiring, when the Baronet, desirous to present him to his child, unlocks the door, and finds her in., sotripaoy Clarks. dustincourt, the rolookted sailor. JAN: —A scene of confusion, and conjugal itri& ensiles between the Baronet and his lady, who accuses him of having wile liegly introduced the young adventures' into the hots& From thence we are transported to the Attorney's where we learn that Charles austineoures father being left guardian to fiord Auslinconri, had ventured 14,000/i of hia money in a commercial concern which had failed, Lord .4. who wished to bribe his victiin, and her father into silence, with that sum, requests its reimbursement, as it had been expended without his knowledge. His guardian implbres his mercy, but his suit is rejected with scorn, which awakens the sluraberiag powers of conscience, and he then declares before .Fanlkener, who had in vain required he should wed his seduced daughter, Ellen and her father, her mother-in-law, and the Attorney, that having a son of the same age as Lord auslineuort when he became his ward, he had yierded to the impulse of ambition, and IlUbstituteid his owu son instead of the right heir, who till then had ap peared under the name of (harks Auslincourt. 'Cornelitit O'bedinuss then informs the company that the person who had married the no longer Lord A. and Faulleener was a real Priest, acknowledges himself fur a witness, as well as his clerk, and leads her in triumphant to the arms of her husband, who suddenly repents, and takes her to his ho. som. The real Lord .lustincourt, of course, obtains the hand of his Ellen, without any further difficulty, and thsi piece closes. • The dialogue of this comedy is highly commendable fa its purity both of meaning and style. It does not sparkle with ban mots; it is not grossly familiar; it is easy and elegant, frequently energetic, and enriched with just hnlt pleasing imagery. Nor is it totally devoid of wit, though it is completely free from the affectation of it. The chit• racters, though not new, are well delineated, and hatipili contrasted. The plot is well conducted, though the two first acts are rather laorptid ; and its greatest defect is its . length. Some of the situations are well imag ined, many scenes highly comic, and some th o ugh path etic, not too much so for a comedy. Encouraged by redoubled peals of epplause, ail the Performers displayed the wh o l e ext en t of - their abilitlea. Mrs. Jordan, in the part of Ellen, looked'better thani she has done for many years; her vivacity was as natural and as graceful 'as ever. Mrs. H. Siddons, In the garb of deceived' innocence, united beauty, modesty and sim. plicity, with an energy and justness of action which . made her performance truly delightful. Dowton and Mrs. Harlowe, as man and wife, were excellent.— Yet we thought once or twice we perceived Dowtoei &attires courting the approbation of the galleries. This happened in the scene in which he attempts to master his wife, and as it is the fr.rst symptom of earicatutimanid which we have ever observed in him, we hasten to inform him of his danger, in order that he may guard pgainst its farther advance. Elliston gave d u e s pi r it t o the cha , racter of an open-hearted but passionate sailor. Johnstone, in Corodius O a Dedintus, came up to himself in Dennis Brulgruderry. Mathews, as the pondering clerk, raised his part in the comedy to a higher station than it else would have occupied; and Messrs. Wroughton, Holland, and Powell, in Faulkener, Lord Auithecourt, and his guardian, attained unusual excellence. The epilogue entertained us with the keetmesq, not the length of an author's ear. It contained nothing re markable, and the plaudits which it obtained, were de. served by Mr+. Jordan who spoke it. Man and Wife was announced for a second representa.. tiou amidst a thunder of applause, and shouts of bravo I times vituriz. Last night the season of Operas commenced. The thett- Ire has been refitted with great carp ; the bores new papered and painted, and the benchests well as chairs re• newed. A new Comic Opera, entitled, La Capriecksa Peitite t ., Fioravanti, introduced the new Prima Buffo., Signori • . . happened in th e scene i n w hich he attempts to matter his In it we find a young and innocent girl, not unlike M a - , .ty in John Bull, seduced by a rich lover, who, however, wife, and as it is the bit symptom of coricatutimania h marries her secretly, with the intention of deceiving her by which we have ever ob s erved in im, we hasten to inform him of his danger, i n or d e r th a t h e may guard gainst .employing a false priest and treacherous witnesses : but whose designs are frustrated, by the h o nesty o f his att o r- its farther advance. Elliston gave due spirit tothe cha, ney, who provides a real priest. We see the same titled ' racter of an open-hearted but pa ss i o n a t e sai l or . J o h ns t one , in Coroelius O'Dedimus, carn e u p t o hi mse lf i n D ennis lever pay his addresses to Ellen, a baronet's daughter, a Brulgruderry. Mathews, as the ponde r ing c l er k, ra i se d 'tic* heiress of twelve thousand ' a year, whose affections •are placed on his cousin, a sailor, who through love for- his part in the comedy to a higher station than it else would have occupied; and Messrs. Wrou g ht on , H o ll an d, an d -sakes his ship to visit his mistress. On hearing of her ap- Powell, in Faulkener, Lardiitaltneourt, and his guardian, proaxhing marriage with Lord Austineourt, he 'steals Into her house to reproach her for her unfaithfulness. attained unusual excellence. The epilogue entertained us with th e k e e t m essi net t h e —Here, a quarrel similar to that of Donna rialanle, and li , li.r. in " The !Fonder," ensues between the jealous irri- length of an auth o r' s e ar . It con t a i ne d not hi ng re- tam! lover, and his wrongly suspected mistress, who re- markahle, and the pla u dit s w hi c h it o bt a i ne d, werd d e . •tires,in anger. In aimbsequent meeting she conceals him in served by Mr+. Jordan who spoke it. her music room on hearing her fathers voice, and the wise Man and /rife wa s anno u n ce d f or a secon d representa . lion amidst a thunder o f appla use , an d s h outs o f b ravo I parent !ravine learnt that the sailor was lurking near his scansion to see her, locks her up unconsciously with him and —......... her maid. His friend, Mr. Faulkener, long thought dead tlNc.'s rii Atm:. but who had lived for many years disguised in the neigh- Last night the season of Operas commenced. The theg- - bourbooll with an only - daughter, now calls upon him, ad- tre has been refitted with great carp ; the bores ne w - vises him not to marry his Ellen to Lord Aginconrt, and papered and p a i n t e d, an d th e benchests well as chairs re• is on the point of retiring, when the Baronet, desirous to newed. present him to his child, u nlocks th e d oor , a n d finds her in , A new Comic Opera, entitled, La Caprie e f os e Postite t ., lowan, !A Itl Clarks duesinceasri t the roduuhted sailor. bx Irioravanti, introduced the new Prima Buffe t Signori