The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-09-25 00:00:00

COVANT•CARDiN THEATRE.

The season opened la., night under the most
flattering osseos with the tragedy of ifeiniot. Tie
pit and galleons were crowded—the bomes filled to
overflow before the middle of the pday. TAe
house has been newly painted and decorated, the
previous style of embellishment having been
adopted in every particular. The curtain di*u
up, the vocal corps essayed to sing " God save
the Xing ; " but from the confusion incident
to so crowded ■ state of the house, it was
perfectly heard. The noise did not subside
till the first act of she play was considerably
advaoced. Mr. Youxo's appearance was watched
with great anxiety—he had scarcely made his entry at
the back of the scene, when the pit, ea masse, toge.
tiler with a great portion of the audience in other parts,
rose and saluted bins with deafeniog shouts, clap-
ping of hands, and waving of hats, which confirmed
for come minute., during which he made repeated
attempts to commence his part, bat was again sod
again compelled to bow in acknowledgment fir
the protracted plaudits. There were, besides these
outward and very palpable signs of femur, others
of a more delicate tone of compliment, which were
no doubt more valued by him. There was us in-
telligent earnestness to come at his performance.
and considerable impatience was ehewn by the
pit, because the disturbance of the galleries sus-
pended fur a long time the opportunity of listen-
Mg to him with success. At length, that is to
say, after the first soliloquy was pronounced,
the angry gods were appeased, and the magic
of his elocution breathed permanent stillness
over the house. Those who have seen him be-
fore can derive no novelty from any information
as to his performance la•t night. His firm and
well.knit figure, with its strong sod gracefully-
curved outlines--his well-defined lineaments of face
—the intelligent and musical play of his voice through
ass extensive compass of rich acid timely inusie--
the noble suavity of his deportment—his scholarly
reliiienoent and perspicacity, were all displayed
with on effect as full and complete as ever attended
his performance ; he may have added a tincture of
grief to some of the more pathetic portions of
the play, but its other respects he adheres closely
to his former conception of it. There was, ie.
deed, a fresline.s in the effect of lest night.
It was felt and acknowledged as something new, to
hear the rich and glowing numbers mud imagery
poured along by a voice of unlimited power
informed with the finest preceptioos of intellect,
and making vital those poetic oracles of pas.
'pion and feeling which are ascribed to the hero.
It were endless work to *hew all the marked pas-
sages, or any proportion of them. The applause. were
1114 great when he fell as those described on his entrance.
Miss FOOTE appeared for the first time in Ophelia,
and went through with much satisfaction to her
hearers. The other parts acre disposed ■s they
hare fur a long time been. Mr. BLAWCHARD iu
Polonius, Mr. EMBRY in the Orr:roe-digger. and
Mrs. Favor. in the Queen, resumed their rank and
honours with. the concurring applause of the whole
house. Mr. ABBOTT in Laertes, also took his
full share of the respect of the audience i• like
manner as he has hitherto enjoyed it. It was
hoped that the dissentioes of • political kind
which had disturbed the public amusement. had
gone to rest, and indeed they become of much less
frequent and earnest occurrence. The mini,' broke
out for an instant heat night—the Illtra, took ad-
vantage of—
" There's a divinity dolls hedge a Xing,
Mick treason dares nut look upon."
The Liberaux took their opportunity on the oc-
currence of—

" Though thou be'st chaste as ice, as pure as snow.
Thou shalt rot escape calumny."
The ufterpiece was (Incline, cast and perfortned,
with no exceptions worth notice, as heretofore.