The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-01 00:00:00

DRURY- L.4.V E THEATRE.

A new dramatic romance, in three acts, the
maiden effort. we underrtand, of Mr. S. KESIBLE,
ins kst produced at this Theatre. It is en-
titled Fludden Field ; and its materials are furnished
by NV +Urea SCOTT'S Poem of Marmion—the fruit-
ful source from whu•h three other dramas had pre-
riun•dr emanated. The principal characters were
dia. represented :

Varnsime

Ile If'illuis

F 1.% !RLIY.

P.nlillar
Bing James • I'vs,
Fart of Surrey PIM ELL.
Friar 0 • •
Siuires of ifareutois
YAR•4II.II.

_Wastrel
Innkeeper H. Jommos.
Clara M. Oaf? Mrs. W. W T.
Constance
Nargaret ROBIN,ION.

The pitce opens with the condemnation of Con-
for a breach of her monastic rows. She is

-.rescued from her perilous viturbon by the grnerouv-
, minded St. Clair—and repoys her debt of gratitude
' by giving to ht. deliverer certain viper*, by which
the faith of De Wihom, mid her innocence of bay-

1. ;tie practised agaiost Isis lie, are proved. At this
1-
,i pert .it, M
armionarrives in the I haracter of Anilms-
.•
soicr from the English Monsoch, I lenry. to King
- JiiirrL 14,. is attended by Constaace, who has
:assumed 11.. E garb of a page, and lie lYiltuit, Ois-
.ete,•ed as a pilgrim, is selected to gnide 1.:
iii to Ho-
;1 :rood Puldre. While journeying thither, Commuter
MN e: the story of the Elphin ring, tit *inch, nu
soundinr, the born hinging at the ...Al: -gate, near
which the ri:i.; is situated, a N'pectre Knight appears;
tbs subjugation of whom, by any chief adventurous
enough to brave hurl, augurs success its %v., ; hut, if
det aged its the combat, mis':l, ince assur.-dly Mired@
lute. Mtvicion treats the tale w nth derision—but
po itchy rirterinines to try fis fortune artitsu the
ir' r. Ile Wilton, aware of Isis stesigt . sod turn-
jog ,) he revenged for ati overthrow he had for-
merly received from Alarntion, de.erinines to ',s-
alaam the charuc.er of the .Spectre Knight, and ..p-
-fon.e his enemy. Tiler meet, and Marmi,a us
tainted—hut De IVillon snares, his life--neiersoin-
ed that the punts•imeht of Muengion shall be as
1)011c as the disgrace he had received from his
ha., 1. Arrived at the Scottish Court. James declares
bp. decided inteiliou of 'fleeting the Et.glish forces
)s. Cu- field—and the two struso-s ;meioses for battle.
Pi i-r to this, 41i arnsion discosers that the supposed
Plzrins is De Wilton, and that lie and tiara St.
Cia.'r, wiice.s- land he seeks, Irate hero seen in the
cm.i'e of Douglas, to whose care King James Lad
confided the A whai.ador. He, ii 1:111$1.qm-lice,
directs his Squires with is small body of men, to
watch the cas!le, and if possible to seize on Clara.
They succeed, and ',lave her in a secure situatiou,
et: r tlw opts. where- the footle is about to be fought.
Ili armies engage—and Natation, morially wound-
s-, :.carried to the piece where Clam St. Clair is
„tied. Site, wfoin lie had persecuted, minisrers
• i •iilat ton to him in death's stalk hour, and after
I ~.iiitie confession of the wrongs he had heaped on
Conitunce, who also witnesses the termination of
ins existence, hr dies, 'slide, in imagination, cheer-
tug his troops to battle. De Wilma. who It:u1 pro-
trito,st, to the presence of the Earl of Surrey,' the •
:onirnander of Henry's forces, di-ar tied :Mention,
and isiforined that lie had acted the part of t',e
Sportre Kiiight, is made happy with Clara St.
Clwr —uml the romance concludes with the re-
'', 7iliatiott of the English and Scotch Nu-
tious.—This drama is deficient lii 'alines. The
meideuts are not numerous eliough—ai.d those
ishieh are introduced, might, we think, have been
rendered more striking and effective. The trial
iceue, with which the piece cominetices—and which,
lia Mr. SCOTT'S poem, holds a very conspicuous
tituation—Sis contemptible, when compared with the
origitial. Mitch, too, might have been made of the
reitemitre between Mamba sod the supposed

• i-

Sperere, which is briefly and incidentally mentioned.
Ths comic characters which Mr. S. Kasitste has
intiaduced. neither say nor du any thing likely to
di•compose the muscles of the must tuirth.loviog
ioo:.valual. Mr. OXBEHaT appear, as a trios. (A
weak copy of tOtier Paol), whose humour consists
on swilling huge potations of ale, in order to prevent
those with whom he is in company from getting
ttP4—Marmiort's two Squires make several un-
suc.:esslni attempts at humour, but are more at
borne when they sing—and Mr. H. JOHNSTON, as
♦ Scotch inn-keeper, has an opportunity of shewing,
what the town already well know, that he perfectly
understands the Scottish dialect. The language of
the poem has been strictly adhered to—in some in-
italiceS too strictly—since words have been retained
in the prose dialogue, which, in the original, Mr.
iturt used merely for the sake of a rhythm, or for
the purpose of giving the necesrary quantity to a
line. Resioicted, with respect to incident, us the
vece is, we consider it rather ass grand spectacle
11.1 a drama. The processions are IHIIIICIOUS, and
%&!1-arrJogett—the banqueting scene* are displayed
to the tost advantage—the decorations and 'lmams
il.:rticularly the armour suits of De Wilton and
_ilarmiun) are splendid—and the music, of which
* great deal is introduced, is very pretty. Nish
these ade outages. and the acting of Mr. H. IiESIBLB
(*nose el)ing-scene was spirited), oca Alnrinion, of
W. WEST, as Se. Clair, of Mrs. ORGER, as
COniffin/C, sod of Mr. HAMBLIN, who rer.,byred
if'dtan a prominent character—the new nos
toance went off exceerlis.gly well, and it. repetition
, annuunc.d amidst the loudest plaudit.. Much
ase is due to Mr. T. COOBE, by whom the
an, sic a composed—and to Mr. 11. JOHNSTON,
ICA arranged, in a very able manner, the action of
the piece.