The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-24 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

PO9 W0.P11004. By CIRRI.= Rana. Bentley.
The celebrated Peg Waington, fair and frail,
witty and wicked, one of the traditional celebrities
of the stage, is just now being made to contribute
handsomely to the amusement of the public in a
double capacity. AN the leading character in " Masks
and Facet" she draws nightly crowds to the Hay-
market, while in the brilliant novel before us, she
appears in propria persona., and will, wo have no
doubt, create an equal run at the circulating libraries.
It is a book that ought to be popular for several rea-
sons, first, it bas a good purpose, the r-scue of a repute-
Lion secondly, it is clever; and thirdly, the author
has had the courage to concentrate his good thinp into
one volume, instead of spreading them in a dilute
form over the orthodox three, which inflict so many
weary penances on critics and novel readers. We
subjoin one or two extracts. Here is Peg's portrait :
A! his very elbsw wee a lady, whom his beast recognised,
though her back was turned to him. She was dressed in •
nrh silk gown, pearl white, w,th flowers and sprigs em-
broidered; her beautiful white neck and arms were bare.
She was sweeping up the room with the epil.,srue in her
hand, learning it off by heart; at the other end of the room
she turned, and now she shone full upon him.
It eertainly was • dealing creature : she had a head of
beautiful form, perched like • bird upon a throat massive
yet shandy and smooth as a column of alabaster, • symme-
trical brow, black eyes full of tire and tenilerneu, • deli•
C:Ot11 mouth, with • hundred varying expressions, and that
marvellous faculty of going beauty alike to love, or scorn,
a sneer or • smile. But she had one feature more remark-
able titan all, her eyebrows—the actors feature—they were
jet Ilick, strongly marked, and in repose were arched like a
rainbow ; but it was their extraordinary flexibility
made other faces upon the stage look sleepy beside Margaret
wordneton's. Is person she was considerably above the
middle height, and so finely formed that one could not
determine the exact character of her figure. At one time
it seemed all stateliness, at another time, elegance personi-
fled, and Ewing voluptuousness at another. Bhe was
Juno, Psyche, Bebe, by turns, and for aught we know
at will.

Colley Cibber is thus gently taken off Pope's toast-
ing iron:
This Cibber was the only actor slue Shakespeare's time,
who had both acted and written well. Pope's personal re-
sentment =Wends the reader of English poetry as to
CPoieee real place among the wits of the day.
The mans talent was dramatic, not didactic, or epic, or
pastoral. Pope was not so deep in the drama as in other
matter,, and Cibber was one of its lumiaariis; he wrote
some of the best comedies of hie day. He also succeeded
where Dryden, for lack of tree dramatic taste, failed. He I
tampered successfully wi h Shakesrare. Colley Cibber's
version of " Richard the Third" is impudent and slightly
larcenic, but it is marvellously effective. It has stood a
century, and probably will stand fir ever; and the meet
admired passages, in what literary humbugs who pretend
that know Shakespeare by the closet, not the stage, accept
ea Shakespeare's " Richard," are Ciblier's.
Mr. Ciober was now in private life, a mild editinn of his
own Lord Foppington ; he had none of the snolifop as re-
presented on our conventional stage ; nobody ever bad, and '
lived. Re was in tolerably good tate ; bat he went ever
gold.laced, highly powdered, scented, and diamnoded, die
pealing graceful bows, praires of whoever had the good
luck to be dead, and satire of all who were here to enjoy it.
Colley's account of the rivalry of Mesdames Old-
field and Bracegirdle looks nearer romance than
real—at least, it to very unlike the reality in modern II
green rooms.
Shrimp* have tho souls of shrimps," resumed this
censor castigaiorque oninorwm. "Listen to me, and learn
that really great actors are great in soul, and do not blubber
like a great school girl beam,. Anne Bellamy has two
yellow silk dresses from Paris, as 1 taw WoMngton blubber
an this room, and would not he comforted; nor (unto Lk*
Kitty Clive, because Woffingt n has a pair of breeches and
&little boy's rapier to go a playing at acting with. When
I was young, two gime:ease' fought for empire upon this
very stage, where now dwarfs crack and bounce like
parched pees. They played Rotuma and Statics in It.
' Rival Queens.' Rival queens of art themselves, they put
out their strength. In :he middle of the last act the
town gave judgment in Linty of Statira What did
Rosana ? Did she spill grouse on /Retiree rote as Peg
WoMniton would ? or stab her, as I believe Kitty here
capable of doing? No! Statire was
killed as that night : she owned this to me. Roues hole
the theatre farewell that night, and wrote to Stalks thus—
! give you word for word : Madam, the beet judge we
have has decided la year beer. I shall rover play seeped
on a stage where I have Mee Amtse long, but I shall often
be a spectator, mad maseldeks .ewe will appreciate your
talent more Ma I, 'erlee have felt its weight. My ward-
robe, see of the bas la Metope, is of no use to see ; If you
will homer me by seMelles a few of my dresses you will
gratify me, esti tirmy I seemyself upon the stage to
greater Measles, thew "
"And whet Ili &UM mower, err?" acid Mr. Vane,
ragsdre
" Oho sineeleed thus: Mahn, the town has often been
wrong, set my have been se lest night, in supposing that
I viol ememetiolly with your melt • but thus moth is cer-
aln—emd Me, maim, I ma the 'beet judge—that off the
stage yea have jest sioqueesl ses. I shall wear with pride
my Item yew have hemmed, and shall feel inspired to
by year weesese some our spectators, un-
Slidsmi. Os mite of year sesgeesimity and the reed-
et me least *mid =ne by the dread of
isedwas pales efisur owl
Wit • wok ennead thins," said Mrs. Clive.
Pep Waage= hoaxes Libber and the whole
rroes by personating Ronan& in the following
eell; nom :
" This way, madam."
A clear aul somewhat shrill voice replied ; " I know the
way better thee yes, child," and a stately old lady ap-
peared°. the threshold.
Bawislifdle," said Mr. Cibber.
It asp well be supposed that every eye was tuned on
his new eases*—that Ileums for wham Mr. Cibber's
bed pawed a peculiar interest She was dressed in a
glees eldest gees_ with gold fringe. Cibber ream
it ; she W&wet thu " Masters Omen" is it. Hamm
forgive all .massed I It was fearfully plaited I. at the
waist sad ribs, was to give the idea of wood imedis, see
Her hair sad eyebrows were iron-grey, sad ehe lot lost
a fame Mee, fir sis wadi dill have been saimently les&
same.. Ills MB Isl end slsaight as a art, end her Nide
pert Mimed
ea fettles asse of age, only keen be be
sees het her heads even a little week. Ind the gold-Mead
mash musk the gessad rather sharply, as if it did a Mita
leek was the lady who marched into the middle of bbd
nem, with a " How do, Cady ?" and looking over the
naps 's heeds as if she did act see thew, regarded the
bar IN/le wide nose interest. Lae a eat, she seasesd to
think use ef&se than of folk. The pegs obrujoesly
eared hen•
Maid Ole. lesaisiettliVr. Ohba, will you try and pre,
mil se Km le &Me es with a recitation ?"
Chan hashed a a small actor. Brim.
girdle the
.sime; set Ibe anodes that had
VWeb In their day, iseleineed out of the
et ' two et revs • wide& I gracioualy
=the seam of this Ode. Their was east dad
; bee Mom Mt NM dia way !i.e.* speak in•streets,
pious, lielk suede, and rams. •
nil is dew." tided Cibber; " let as show the mug
people how hides sad gentlemen saved Any rare ago,
deareess."
A fiddler was aught, a beautiful slow minuet played,
sad a bit of " solemn &Mai" dose. Certainly, it was
not gay, bet .it mist be inmedit was beautiful ; it was the
dame of kit., tie poetry of the owed, salmi.
The t.Wsi same!, however, bad Milder mdse. left itt
her : y This Is dew, slid she, sal bade he Whit p&a
" Thp wiallbse shakes the bedey," as sashed Pg nine •
this she de and te in a *style that utterly selsualed th;
spsea nes
She aseredilhea whet ha was ; her feet ell her stick
were sr mem le the met ask out went Me keel be-
llied, end absesiag, drew ha lust yards horsed. Shit
=Me unimmeelekle sleets, mai set them o 8 me is tura if
the ist wet;prip hr it. Am of isespegabhable
dos sr ssi
saes. would have wade es oyster . Bud-
aid pat her bawls to bee iiimss, ay
and soon
ran she pee
are awn& Thek a vehement my of pods.
ragb
Ohs gas swim wry of suck spay, that they were all
meet bee le a moot.
" Oh ! bap as ladies," screamed the poor woman, in
teem as felimi se they were heartrending and piteous.
" Oh, my Mk ! my loins! I suffer, gentlemen," said the
poor thing, Wetly.
What was to be dose. Mr. Vane offered his penknife to
eat her laces.

"You shall est my head off sooner," mind she, with
sudden energy. ")'t pity me," said she, sadi " I
don't deserve it ;" then lifting bar errs, she eaelaimed, with
a sad air of eelf•reproseh. "Oh, vanity! do you
lisams a woman?"

!" whispered the gego,.who was s good-
hearted girl ; "'twee your great somplatlanoe for sob sot
vanity. Oh oh ! oh !" and saw Nips to blubber to oake
matters better.

" No, my children," said the sad lady, "'twee vanity. I
wanted to show what aa 11111 %NM genii de • sad I
hove ha • abyss'', trying le enithine =ter folk.
I am justly humiliated, as you see," mad she to try
a little.
" This is very painful," said Cibber.
Mrs. Bracelprdle now raised her eyes (they had set her
In a chair), and looking sweetly, tenderly, and earnestly ea
her old companion, she said to him, slowly, gently, bat ila•
mainly
" CtAly, at thus-score years and ten this was ill done of
us! You and I are here now—for what? to cheer the
young up the hill we mounted years ago. And, old Mewl,
Jwe detract from them ws discourage them. A great sin
In the old ''•

1;;y dog his day."
We hare had ours." Here she waned, then 1• her
, bead tenderly in the old sea's, .ha added, aids -salsa