The Express.
London, England, 1859-11-21 00:00:00

DRAMA.

HAYMARKET.
The first fruits of that doctrine whisk we and one
gr. two et oar wietewpwarleeheve lately eadeivenred to nail
late the piddle mad tluit with theenial slimes,
and with them alone, rests the quality of the SliillftalUNSMS
to be provided for them) were manifested oa Saturday sight
In the name ocialentsallem of • piece at the Isynameket
adbd ,The Asti Lowatie4 the anthers/iv of which le
alohned by Mr. Ikea Teen. We look upon this yeaseffag
em the palest the addle se • way UAW ellte• A teelee'
math ago an audience world litho have werody dared
or wan* eared to hiss a very dull paps, even though they
had paid their money to see it. Reading the name of • sap.
posed good molter on the blade they would have accepted
" Brummagem " goods for Sheffield cutlery, and would
not have had spirit to grumble at the hardness of the bar.
gain. The iteesieethnee of the audience to what wee plaid
before than augured badly enough for the position to which
the drama was dicliniog in public estimatioa. Year after year
it has become morsel:ld more degraded, and at length llama
that we should be obliged to contest ourselves with slovenly
translations of French comedies, lacking the wit end
'plea of their originals. This state of things the audience
have it in their power to reform, sad if they show their indig-
nation for worthless nonsense in feature as energetically end
se rationally as they did on Saturday, we may speedily hole
for a healthy reaction.
Mr. Tom Taylor has the reputation of the first dramatist
tithe day, sad yet in the whole list of his plays there I.
not ea. which is not borrowed from some foreign same ;
she leader of our dramatic literature is • translator
who never scruples to appropriate, bat never acknow-
ledges his debt. Thus, the piece of Saturday is an.
wawa as " • new comedian, written by Tom Taylor,
Esq.," and is, as usual, a translation. The plot is of the
very slightest. A Marchioness (Miss Reynolds). united to a
Marquis (Mr. Charles fdethawa), makes her life and his
wretched by her coosteat allusions to the virtues other Lamer
husband, for whose Wes she is inconsolable, and to whose
memory the is perpetually erecting funeral erne. Her example
is followed by her waiting-maid, Lisette (Mrs. C. Mathews),
who despises the tate:dins of the valet, La Meer (Mr
Clark), and thinks but of the attractions of Franks (Mr.
Bonstow), • former suitor, who accompanied the former
Meanie in the expedition in which they are both supposed to
have lest their lives. Fronde, however, came beck, and
drachm that his master is still alive, bat ia captivity. the
reawaken which is estimated at • very large sum, and this
report has the effect of eliciting from the Marchioness that
she has no anxiety to have her husband back, inasmuch as
they wen always quarrelling, end her devotion to his me-
mory has but been sentimental illusion. Eventually Frontin
oishwee that the story of his master bang lairs has merely
buss forged by Mat for the purpose of obtaining the money
foe the mama and the Miscluonese, cured of her romantic
Sally, lives happily with her affectionate husband.
This, weak story has no effective character, and is set forth
fa weak sad pointless dialogue, which climaxes in a rhymed
tog fella denied allusions and of extraordinary length. Bat
this wet mil did not bring up the heavy barge with soccer,
mad et the fall of the curtain a portion of the audience hissed
vigorously, decidedly:wining the victory over the applauders,
end when Mr. Buckstone endesvound to macaws the piece
ice reptitios, be was met with a way decided negative.
We see bound to my that the verdict of the audience was
he every respect a just one, and we haw no doubt that it will
have a vary needle:al effect.