The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-23 00:00:00

PAMPHLETS.

Government, Education, and Christianity in India. By the
Bey. P. Badger.—Smith, Elder, and Co.
The Cultivation of Cotton in Texas.

PETUODICAL.
The British mid Foreign Evangelical Review.— Nisbett
and Co.

¶t grams.

THE PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

King John, one of the earliest of Mr. Charles Kean's
great historical productions, was selected for per-
formance on Monday as the second of the series of
Shakspearian illustrations with which he is about to
close a brilliant management. Scholarly taste, deep
research, and elaborate art have rendered Mr. Kean's
"revivals" truthful and breathing pictures of re-
markable epochs which stand out as landmarks in
history. king John bolds almost premier place
even amongst these ever memorable reproductions.
The peculiar costumes the period, the charac-
teristic architecture, even the very fashioning of the
armour and weapons of defence, each and all so in-
dicative of the rude simplicity of the early Norman
time, afforded a rare opportunity for the exercise of
that genius which Mr. Charles Kean possesses in
such an eminent, degree, and of which he 'as not
slow to avail himself. To many the play, which was
produced some six years ago under the same manage.
ment, will possess all the charm of novelty, but even
where freshness be wanting King John must still
retain all the interest, that does not lose itself in
repetition, which attaches to a grand historical sub-
ject grandly treated.
The acting of the principal characters was of so
high an order as to render the whole performance a
triumph of histrionic art. Mrs. Charles Kean's im-
passioned delineation of the Lady Constance was in
itself a masterpiece, the sudden outpourings of her
queenly grief strongly constrasting with the dread
whisperings which betrayed the dark purpose of the
cruel John, a part which Mr. Kean finely elabo•
rates. Mr. Ryder gave force to the character of
Hubert, which he has completely established as his
own, bringing out the best. points in the rugged
nature which rebels against the merciless conamauds
of his royal master. Miss Ellen Terry played
as Prince Arthur, for the first time, with a mu-
ning grace and touching pathos ; and Mr. Walter
Lacy, as the new Faulconbridge, invested the part
with all that daring dash and jovial bearing which
characterized the chivalric bastard of the first
Richard. The other parts, all of which were well
sustained, are thus filled :—Prince Henry, Miss
Chapman ; Cardinal Pandulph, Mr. Granam. ;
Eleanor, widow of Henry If. and mother of king
John, Mrs. Winstanley ; and Blanch, Miss Kate
Terry.
A crowded and fashionable audience witnessed the
reproduction of King John. and when the curtain fell
unbounded applause testified at once to the merits
of the acting and the popularity of the management.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean, Miss Ellen Terry, Mr.
Ryder, and Mr. Walter Lacy, were afterwards recalled,
and to each was accorded a highly complimentary
ovation.

THE OLYMPIC.—In our critique of last week, oa
Mr. Wilkie CJllins's drama of The Red Vial, we
pointed out some of the glaring errors which cer-
tainly mailed the present effect, as they might have
endangered the ultimate success of the new piece•
It is, therefore, with pleasure we record a marked
improvement, and congratulate both the author and
the management on the opportune exercise of I