The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-12-12 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDRN THEATRE.

A new eay, in five acts, called the Three Stranger
and founded on Miss Lee's Keuitenee, was produced
this Theatre on Saturday night. t
As well as we could collect it, the following is an outline
of the plot : Tie
Kruitzner (31r. Wartle) is the descendant of a noble family, rind lit•ir to C-tunt Sieg Aidorf ; through early imprudences be los-,-;
his father's affcctiithr. sad become% a poor and hopeless wand,..;
from his home. He is accompanied in his inisforiones by I,;„
Joacithine (Mrs. Chatterley), and their youngest child;
the eldest born. remaining under the prtitectitn of his italcrrai
grandtather. The uchappy pair wander on frwn village to trilta,.
,Irolllol various pans of Germany, the prey of poverty, and (on ti,
husband's husband's part) discontent. They are aware door icy punur e
and their miseries mozinented,try the enmity of Baron fitraide^heirs'
who persecutes them with the view of gaining certain pri-the and
irnyortant objects of his own. In this situation they arrive at the
viilige where the Play opens. Already in the deepest irrtithed.
nets. their misfortunes are increased by learOng the arriss.l etf dine
strangers, the first of whom (Mr. Egerton) turns out to he
their
unrelenting enemy the Baron. Strablenheim, an soon as 11, disco .
nem the pmsimity of the objects of Isis hatred, nendm ,-ff!ari
military guard; but the ways are impassable through Nad,.
the messenger is obliged to return, and this grie, tone to
Kruitzner and his unhappy family to concert measures
their escape. The Baron Is accompanied by two other strangere
one of whom (Mr. Kemble) has saved a casket, on
Strahlenheim sets great value, and the. other (. •r. coneer)
hut preserved his life, which was in innirttent peril. Kruttrte
dir.mvera a secret passage to the Baron's chamber, enters it,.n.l
discovers his niortal foe slumbering in his chair roi r and
some rouleaux of gold are on the table, die former containing an
order to immerse Kruitzner in a dungeon at Olioutz. Struck sib
the extent and urgency of his own danger, Kruitzner percrves that
nothing but flight can save him. At the same instant he recollects
he does not possess the means of accelerating his escape, and in go
ellst7action of the moment seises one of the rouleaux and retires, lie
has not long pined his own habitation before the second strancee
enters. and proves to be his eldest sort, Conrad, who had been le't
under the care of Count Stgendorf. Conrad recognises bin pore. s
but is sternly received by Kruitzncr, whose mind is clnuosA slit
the recollection of his own recent dishonour. He informs In:,
of his danger. the enmity of the Baron, and the theft he hirnstlfh
committed. It appears the third stranger,a Hungarian, is suspected,
and having let the castle is pursued. Conrad seeks Jinn out, and
shelters him in his father's habitation. All things are mow pre.
pared for a speedy flight, when Conrad enters, and in hurried torts
urges his father and mother to escape without further delay. stating,
as a further reason for accelerating their departure, that Stithlsr.
helm has been suddenly and secretly killed, and that st•tnicion 1707
alight on them. Kruitzner and his wife consent, but first tht
mysterious Hungarian is sought, and nowhere to be found. In
consequence of his absence he is set down as the murders? of
Swahlenheim. Thus closes the fourth act. In the filth, Krui.z.
ner Is discovered in the castle of his ancessors, restored -o
his forfeited honours. and surrounded by his family. Conrad is ob_
served to be moody, abstracted, and unhappy. KTUitZiler devo.sd
himself principally to religious observances, and procures porpetcs.
masses to be sung for the repose of his deceased enemy. At on,
per•oi of the play, the Hungarian, who has been long lost sight of,
re,.ppears, and Kruitzner orders his seizure, accusing him et tinsh.
lenbeim murder. The Hungarian denies the fact, and retorts the
charge upon Conrad, who finally confesses that he is the murderer
of his father's foe. Kruitzner and his son condole with one ano.
ther. Something is said of officers of justice by the Hungarian_
and the curtain somewhat inexplicably drops.
Our readers are most of them aware of the praisiiit be-
stowed upon Miss Lee's talents by Lord Byron, and also
of the connexion existing between Kris/if:me,. and Werner.
If the commendations of his Lordship induced h--pets of
the success of a piece known to be founded on the former,
we are sorry to say these expectations are not likely to be
realized. 'Neither can this he surprising to anybody who
considers that, mighty as Lord Boron's talents undoubt-
edly were, they were anything rather than of a dramatic
quality. He was too much of an egotist ever to out of
himself, and his genius of' too personal and cudpiar a
nature to admit of an identification with the hopes, fears,
and sorrows of our general humanity. With respect to
T'he Three Sit-angers, the interest is too much broken to
be impressive, and the pathos rather distressing than dig-
nified. Krui vier is thrown into agonies through three
long acts. by the circumstance of taking a purse from
his mortal enemy for the immediate preservation of his
own life, and that whom any court of honour in Christ-
endom would acquit him, and he had it in his power
to atop • for his offence (if any) by restitution to the
party, lis ler -, or i xecutnrs, or, failing them, by en-
dowing an hospital. The remorse of Conrad at the murder
of Strahlersheint, though partly in self-defence, is more
accountable. On tie whole, the construction of the
piece is decidedly German, and though the situations
are hardly susta'n al as one would expect, the sen-
timents are flaCi, lily outrageous. Throughout the play,
and more pollen's ly at the commencement, there were
evident indications of intellectual power, but they were of
that quality least consonant to our notions of dramatic pro-
priety ; the audience, without stopping to consider this,
applauded them loudly. The general effect was heavy,
and the heaviness was rendered, it possible, more oppres-
sive by the attempts at wit in the light-r characters. For the
first four acts the performance proceedid smoothly enough,
but in the fifth considerable disapprobation was manifested
at intervals, ard continued till the pet iad of the falling of
the curtain, wh n the piece was given out for repetition by
Mr. Cooper, amid mingled applause and hisses. On the
whole we do t.ot augur any very long, or splendid succ.ss to
The Three Stu:lagers. Under all circumstances, it weMil
be scarcely fair to the actors to criticise their perform:lu,
considering the nature of the characters to be sustained.
Mrs. Chatterley step; ed out of her usual live to play a me-
lancholy mother ; Mr. H'arrie's character was a somewhat
more sombre edition of the Strarivr • Mr. Kemble's was
a gentleman in a fea her and buff boots ; Mr. Cooper
played a half-pay Hungarian Ensign, and looked dolorees
enough: would he I ad excused us an odd rant, and put his
voice on the peace eqahlishment.

REPRESENrATioN of YORKSHIRE.

GEORGE INN, TORT. Drs.9•

A meeting was held thi; day, at the George Inn in Yeik,
to receive the report of the Deputation appointed to nal
upon Mr. iVeliam Duncombe, with the requisition agreed
upon last Friday. A number of gentlemen had arrived At
twelve o'c!ock and about half-post twelve Lord 31,ceciorald
was called to the chair. Ills Lordship briefly informedthe
gentlemen assembled, diet the deputation appointed at the
former meeting had waited upon Mr. Wilson with the sae
of thanks, and upon Mr. NVm. Duneombe wi.b the re-
quisition then agreed to, to which etch of those oilers n
had retexned answers expressed in the following terrne:--
MR. WILSDN '9 ANSWER.
_ _

My Lord—The ge;darneiTof the York meeting will. I hire.
suffer the gratitude ta be fully understood, that I cannot
express. Lir their resolutio:i a my favour.

i big to assvre them, 11 r :ugh your Lordship arit tss yea•
:lc nen who do me the honour to accompany you, of the aadViorial
otfidenee I derive Emu their approbation of my cordial in
d 'daring myself a ondidate for the rcpreseniation of this away,
at the ensuing general election; and that I shall tiver ben it :a
recollection, however unequal to requite their suppot: and (Scott.
I have the honour to be, my Lord,
Yt 'met obedient faithful smart.
RICHARD FOLK TA WILSON.
Melton, Dec. 7th, 11325.