The National Register. — London, England, 1809-02-12 00:00:00

FEB. 12. The sermon, winch forms the subject of my pre4ent paper, was preached on Wednesday, February 8, 1809, by the Bishop of Carlisle (Dr. Goodenough), in Westminster Abbey. Ftbruarg 11, 1809 ONES! 31 us. FASHIONS FON, TILE PRESENT MONTH. HALF Imrss. An Egyptian head-dress of silver and pearls, one point fall ing on the left shoulder, finished w ith a tassel ; the hair In loose tinglets; pearl ear-rings, bracelets, and necklace; a train dres of brocaded sarsenet, trimmed v. - ith silver and vanlyked ; lace round the neck in form of a tucker, lent; •lee%cs of Mecklin or Brussels lace; white gloves avid fan ; shoes the saute as the dress, of brocaded silk, with silver bows. DANCING DRESS. ......_ _ The head ornamented wilt bandeaus of frosted gold; gold necklace, ear-rings, and armlets; white opera dress trimmed all round with gold, tied in front with a gold cord and tassel ; hire satin shoes, trimmed with gold, and gold button in front; w bite gloves, and fan edged with gold. GRNEKAI. 011SERNATIONS. The prevailing colours for mantles and pelisses are gold, orange, and Bishop's blue; for ball and full dress, satins, tis sues, brocaded silks, and velvets, are generally worn, trimmed with gold and silver. Henry VI l 1.. hats, trimmed or embroi dered with beads, silver, or chenille, are becoming and fashion able ; feathers of various colours to correspond arc likewi•se much worn. For morning dresses boinbazeens are coining into fashion ; the prevailing colour, dark purple, or Bishop's blue. TIIE TIEEATRES. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. MR. WRIGHT ' S CATO. On Monday night Mr. Wright, from the Edinburgh Theatre, pupil of the celeorated Mr. hough, made his second appearance at Drury-Lane, in the part of Cato. This tragedy . possesses few' claims to admirltion, as an acting play. It is full of declamatory, not natural sentiments, and events highly improbable and in some instances almost ludicrous. Among the latter, may he pointed out the disguise of Sempranins, who assumes the attire of the umidian Prince Juba, without assuming his tawny complexion, anti yet though most unlike that young warrior, deceives his gnards and his mistress. The ri dicule of this character, was felt by the whole house, for when Sc►apro►►ills falls by the sword of Juba, and in the agonies of rage exclaimed, " grow distracted, - a general laugh at tended with hisses burst from every part. II ad t shade of the mighty Dennis, who so justly alai severely criticised this tragnaly oa its first appearance, been hovering round the stage at that moment, ho%c it would have exulted. The judg• inont i n.' Cie M at r: L ers, has however. by al! tyv *nig a chatiee of scenery obviated one of his chid' objection , , vend itiereased the probabilit v o! the piece. Ilad Jir. Wright appeared on the French stage, he would have .; icon rapturous admiration, for he cao rant and gesticulate wita ; DS much unnatural bombast voice mei action, as any perforonn• on the Parisian theatres. Mr. V t ii,Jit•s gruff thunders and awl;.ward and too multiplied gestures, inspired us lather with I (!!,gust than ;I N A-obit:Jun. count.alance posse-,es ; its exprt!,,ion is rather ludieroas, ea all Cie time his performaoce ;asted, we could not help recollene eti t!ta e I t (ear of oar best comic actors, Mr. l.istop, t aa.le his first appeara nce in ; tragedy, wai at lag ‘k ctiottl;it to listen ti) the voice of reason and quit a path which would never have le :I hint to fame, for another, threngli v hid' he has attained a highly de.A!rved the h e ight of renown. Ac I hou g h desirous to show t hat length of hi; arms ecinat led that of his hotly. Mr. Wright inces santly' spread them open to tht.ir fall extent, in a straight line, bending his chr , t a little forward. if.. then leaked e xactly, as if he was about attempting to tiv without wings. At other times, he them °vet• or fixed them both on his hips, in a wanner equally ludierous and unnatural. la order to add elegaece to hi; nepartnteut, he stiffened his ha e ve joints, so 'that his legs and thiehs , seemed all of at piece, then Wrappk i .; his red reantle !wind hi, hon.,v, hi' stratted la tile stage. We have been taes severe on what we conceive to be .V.e• i ;; hes chief :Jecattiv Ow) are e:yettion can THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 111 amend. It is certainly in his power to check the agility of his arias, and to allow his knees to use their wonted pliability. His voice which he constantly strains by unnatural bursts into as unpleasant hoarseness, he can soften, as he has proved in some passages, into melody ; and as a few timely hisses induced hint to reduce the luxuriancv of his gesticulations, we hope that a few true, though severe, remarks, will lead hint to still greater improvements. lie seems in general to have formed ajust con ception of the character. Yet his grinning joy when the corpse of his son, killed in battle, is brought on the stage, was bat a degraded substitute, for that calm and philosophic exultation, that ought to have animated not distorted the features of the patriotic hero. His soliloquy was delivered withjudgesenti yet lie pronounced this line, " This world was made for Cwsar," with a degree of pettish anger, which belied Cato's phitosophi cal resignation, when he exehlitn9 " But thou, shalt flourish in immortal youth," &c. held the book high before him, as if he were congratulgt ; it, and not his own soul, on it; immortality. The rest of e soliloquy was unmarked by similar imperfections; but 4ben is son enters unbidden, his petulance was too undignified, and gar below the heroism of the character. In the dying scene, ke rose superior to himself, feeling and judgment became his sole attributes; lting and awkward gesticulations were over; and he expired with the deserved approbation of the whole house. THE UNCONSCIOUS COUNTERFEIT. On Thursday last, a new farce, in two acts, entitled, The Un conscious Counterfeit," was produced at Drury Lane. The plot of this after-piece hears so much resemblance to that of Is he s Prince, that we strongly suspect both 'have sprung from the same pen. The mistake vs Welt gives birth to the whole action, prore•Nls from a letter instead of a picture. The scene is in Wales instead of Cermanv ; but the characters are nearly ens. in the sante mould. We find in it a good-natured, open-heartedt and credulous Welch srinire, a dashing captain, who however rims away from his creditors, instead like Captain Llndorf, of travelling to see his love , a timid and romantic swain, who finishes by marrying the •younz lady, and an old usurer, who in he othor farce, is replaced by a rich banker. The incidents with which this piece abounds have some claims to pi obability, old are highl v ludicrous a n d entertaining. The total unconsci ousnes: of ('apt. Dashwood.or the Counterfeit, renders his part more interesting, and the embarrassment in which he buds himself re when suddenly meeting with the usurer to whion owes two thoturand pounds, and who was in search of hint with a bailiff, produces some really comic scenes. The story is well con ducted; the dialogue, which is not crushed by a Inxttriancy of puns, is natural, somm.itnes rather low, but in general elegant. The conclusion is mol . probable than that of " h he n•Prinre." And, upon the w ii,;lo, the pieu is still more entitled to the fat wi:h which it met, than that amusing but too incunti,tent afivrpioce. DAYMA K 17:1"111 EAT RE. 111: A PRINCE.? On Tuesday h , a, a tic.w after-piece iiitwo acts. entitled " It he a Prinrc was produced at thi. Theatre. It is fiom t pen cf the trarAzifor ufGe Portrtilt e.f Michael Ceroonle,,whbh lirought forward at \lli;hden'r benefit, and went Hist suspect ed it sprung front the soil. We however do nut recol lect any piece on French stage, which bears any resein iiiaine to it. The plot k not very natural, but who expect?: to find naitire in a farce ? It branclie t ilt into many lt ent ertaaining n and Indicrons incidents, which keep the Ho e in 1.7( tintial roar of laoghter, and therefore fulfills the great end of a farce, amusement. The unintentional exchange of a picture suddenly el:ang . es a young Officer, in the opinion of a Ge swellnt iatted Baron, a great spot isman, his maiden sister, a lady with vn:.-alogical pride, and a Count, filled with good nalure, but void of sense, into the Duke of A &pall, their Soil ;Notating hv this mistake , the young Officer obtaini e of the Baron's daughter, who had been pledged to the Count, and being disco%ered by tike untimely arrival of his uncle, is for given by ail parties, and abdicates his sovereignty to assume the title of Carofine's hu-band. The characters do not possess an novelty, bu visiblet are ell It brom.lit into action. Some inconsiteynriis use atm) . w apvari strzinge that a bankcr shonid take the liberty of rrionn ,i," smiting with hi-a 6overeign on bit; t uarringe w hit his subject? cp . T . 1 . 111 b I, t It t ) 11 It ill M a I c .. 11 , .t A ,11 . .. !i‘ ' 4. . t„ 1 1 1 . , 1 1 ` f ; t 1 , It I . 1 '. '.''' • ..-I . f , / ' I t 1 4 " { 6 / ''i s .:3,,,., i I : i 1 , . I. i' re.