The National Register. — London, England, 1813-02-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. . 524 DRA M A TIC REGISTER. DRURY LANE Tilt TRE. Last night, for the first time at this Theatre, was perfamn ed the Opera of •" The Devil's Bridge." Although this piece is superior to most of our modern operas, yet the inci dents generally are so much out of the range of probability, bat they seldom appear natural ; they possess, however, considerable interest, and the language in some parts runs consideraMy above mediocrity. LovEGROVE, RAY MOND, PYNE., Miss Et LY, and Mrs. DicKoNs, severally exerted themselves with the happiest effect, and BRAHA M im proves in his acting daily. Several speeches in his character were loudly applauded, and his singing, as usual, was honoured with repeated plaudits. The scenery is beautiful. particu larly in the last act, where is presented a view of the Devil's bridge. At the end of the Opera Mr. BRAH A M came for wat d and announced it for repeti!ion ou Tuesday next. FE . 2 1 would not treat hsr with hatsb reproof, or chilling scorn,, even in decay.—nut when that vivacity and humour which distinguished her youth, are seen triumphant over age, we should think a critic might admire without dread of having his judgment arraigned, and without danger of being accused of good nature, or suspected of gratitnde. With these ideas which (however old fashioned they may be) we are not ashamed to avow as ours, it was not withut pain and surprise that we witnessed the undeu severity ith which she has been treated by some of her critics. Time certainly has not wholly spared her, but be has left much of what we have been accustomed to approve. Her perform ance of some parts she has sustained, may occasionally be complained of, as bordering on that strength of colouring which offends by its coarseness, but take her all in all We scarce shall look spoil her like again; and her acting still furnishes a treat to the lovers of genuine Comedy. Her Pragy and her Nell (though her figure is certainly not exactly what we could wish), are entitled to no common praise, and in all her characters we mark that fire and animation which sears have as yet vainly attempted to extinguish. which first made her a favourite with the public, and which misfortune has not been able to sub due. We shall not pretend to follow her through her seve ral performances. That, of:en as they have been criticised, would he unnecessary if not impertinent. Wet therefore dismiss her for the present, just observiwz, by the way, that however we may have sympathised with her griefs, we can hardly help rejoicing at any circumstance which restores her to the London Stage. JORDAN'. The fo!lowing observations appeared a few days ago at the conclusion of a critique on Mt s. Joa DAN, in one of the Morn ing Papers : We must now leave Mrs. Jordan. The Managers of a Theatre are, of course, in some measure, excusable in Inii.ging If„ ward any :hew that attracts a crowd, and we have no idea that they are likely to be restrained in this object by any voluntary zeal for public decency hut are there no other persons concerned ? Is not the public forced to find the al:ei native for this degraded woman's appearance in the decline of ei•her in her own rile artvice, or in the viler breach of stipula tion by those who slimed never abandon her to poverty ? IVe cannot believe that the latter is the ease ; and if the former, what share of public approbation should be permitted to one, for whom it is impos sible to lee! any share of personal respect ? whose sons and daughters are now strangely allowed to move •among the honourable people of England, received by the Soveteig,n, and starting in la appetite far reptl patronage, while their mother wanders, and is allowed 'to' wan der, from barn to barn, and from town to town, bringing shame mi the art which she practises, and double shame on those who must have it in their power to send her back in penitence and obscurity ?" We should not have thought it necessary to giye place to the above extract, had not Mrs. Jordan herself replied to it in the terms as under : TO TUE EDITOR Of THE MORNING HER ALE. SlR—Though I did not see the Morning Print that containtsd the paragraph d to in your liberal raid respectable Paper .4 yester day, yet I wut not left in ignorance of the abuse it poured out agaii.st me ; this I could silently hove xtthmitted to, but I was by no ariwirs aware that the writer of it had taken that opportunity of throwing out insinuations. which he thought might be injurious to a nu less ho nourable than Illustrious Personage. • In•the love of truth, and in justice to his !loyal Highness. I think it my duty thus publicly and unequivocally to declare, that his liberality to toe has been nettle and generous in the highest degree ; but not hav ing it in his power to extend his bounty beyond the term of his, own existence, he hiss, with his accustomed goodness and consideration, allowed me to endeavour to make that provision for myself, which an ' event, that bolter icelings than those of inteiest make me hope I shall never live to see, would entirely deprive me of.—This, then, Sir, E toy motive toz r . returning to profession. lum too lwppj in basing COVENT GA RDEN I 11EATEE. The tragedy of " lsatella" was last night performed. A Mrs.-CAMVBt LL, formerly Miss WALL ts, and a favourite at Covent gardt n'Theatre, Nv a 4 the represeutative of Itaella. On entering she met with a hearty welcome ; and the ap- Flames of the audience were frequently renewed iii the course of her performance. In many parts of the character she was far Born giving it that effect of which it is susceptible, and frequently she spoke in so low a tone that it was impos sible to hear her at any considerable distance from the stage. Diffidence is probably the cause to which these faults should be ascribed, and, therefore, it may be hoped they . will shortly be in a great. measure removed. In several scenes her conception of the character appeared to be excellent; but her want of physical powers or of con fidence, denied her the means of producing that stage effect which is so es , ential to streci.ss on the London boards. There were, however, some touches of genuine feeling oc casionally elicited with singular felicity ; but, upon the whole, we.eannot think this line of acting that in which she will succeed hest. To us she does not appear to possess those powers which strike and cominaod; her claim to approbation tests rather on those which interest and .affect. She was successful hr her protraiture of pensive sorrow and meek affliction, lst lost when she attempted the frenzy of horror and the ravings of despair. The other parts uf.thc play were well performed. YOUNG and C. K MBI.H were eminently successful as Biron and Carlos. The accidental omission of a line in our paper of last week, caused a mis-statement to appear on the face of our theattical article, which, though harmless and not very im portant, is perhaps worth correcting, in order to make the Dramatic Register a satisfactory work of reference. It was piloted \lrs. JORDAN commenced her engagement on Wednesday last in the character of the Widow Cheerly." But for the ace ident we have ntuntioned it would have read CUS•••••." I rs.JORDAN commenced her engagement on Wed nesday last in the character of Dunna Violante, and last night appvait d in that of the Widow Cheerly," &c. The general merits of this celebrated votary of Thalia, are too deeply fixed in the minds of the lovers of the drama to be easily obli:erated f:oth ug...mory. Whenever she ttppears, the fond recollection of past enjoyment - must make her an object of more than common interest with the theatrical world. If time bad robbed h,er of the power to please, which she once possessed, still some indulgent cotOderation would be due to the will, awl those whom she delighted in her zenith, if possessed of the cowmen stwibili;ies of men,