The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-02-13 00:00:00

PCETILORAMA.

The increasing skill of our artists enables us to enjo an
those classic scenes which interest the traveller and the
man of science, without journeying half a mile from our
own fireside; and so far is it from being trite that there is
" nothing new under the sun," that we are perpetnaHy
feasted with novelties, and every succeeding day presents
some fresh attraction. The present interesting exhibition
is an improvement on the Cosmorama. The views are Well
selected, and are given with admirable effect. They can.
sist of the city of Turin ; Holy Island, with a shipwreck • '
the exterior and interior of the Castle of Chillon, to which
the poem of Lord 13yron has given so much celebrity ;
London in 1590; Netley Abbey ; and the city of Rouen.
The room was so crowded as to afford us but little °ppm.
tunity of giving each of them its fair share of examination;
but what we did see delighted us, and we found our feel-
ings compl,tely in unison with the rest of the visitants.
The rising of the moon over the romantic ruin of Ni-ticy
Abbey, and the beautiful effect of the light, is admirably
managed ; i; seems manifestly intended as a competitb,l
with tie Diorama, and is done with a spirit of rivalship,
which, for its ingenuity, deserves the highest praise.

COY EN T-G.-IRDEN 771E4771E.

A new play in five acts, entitled the French Libertine,
was produced for the first time at this theatre on Saturday
evening. The hero of the piece (Mr. Kends's) is a cerain.
Duke de kontremont, who, as the title sufficiently
is hiyincilde in love and war. having run his course of
gallantry among the ladies of the dissolute Court of the
Resent Duke of Orleans, he has just passed with eclat
through a campaign, when he is introduced to the audience
"covered with glory." He is of course involved In an ei.d-
less series of intrigues, but that which chiefly, we believe we
may say almost exclusively, occupies him when the au-
dience heentne acquainted with him, is an affair he ha. on
hand with the wife of a poor but respectal•le citizen named
Dorian!. this lady he has contrived s•dhehow to
form an intimacy, and lie is determined, seton les reeks, to
chase her to destruction. He makes love to her in the
name and under the disguise of his gentleman Lamotte.
She is fascinated, and knows not how either to put a period
to his persecutor herself, or to expose him to her husband,
The "gallant gay Lothario,' however, is naturally not
without his embarrassments. His quondam favourite, the
Countess de Fleury (Mrs. Chatterley) suspects his designs,
and is resolves' to frustrate them. The Duke's secretary,
Drano's (Warde), is the particular friend of Derieal
(Cooper), and has the highest opinion of the chastity of his
wife. Dubois is besides a remarkably cynical personage, con-
sidering that he is in the service of the profligate whose
sentiments lie undertakes to express. Jfadume Doricul
(Mrs. Simnel)) endeavours in vain to disentangle herself
from the net which her seducer spreads over her. Slie
sends back his letters, and refuses him any opportunity of
pleading his spit in person. In order that he may gain the
advantage of the latter course, he fixes an evening to sup
with lit r husband in his disguise, and she, to avoid him;
declares le r intention to go abroad to a relation in another
part of the city. As our readers who are versed in these
•
matters have already foreseen, the Duke bribes all the
coachmen on the stand, and has her driven, without her
knowledge, to his house. There she is found by the
Countess de Fleury, who had previously met the Duke in
his disguise at Dorivars, but had been, by his entreaties,
induced to refrain from betraying him. Madame Do? hal
is saved limn the intended violence of the Duke, who
leaves her with the Countess, to hasten to Court, fur
the purpose of receiving the appointment to a vacant
Embassy. Dubois arrives with some intelligence re-
lative to the diplomatic mission, and is left by the
Countess, who pities the agony of Madame Defied,
to release her from the Duke's house. Dubeis recognises
the wife of his friend, and she, on being discovered, sinks
under the weight of shame and supposed dishonour. She
is restored to her husband only to die in his arms. The
Duke, as Lamotte, is present, and would be sacrificed to
the just vengeance of the husband, but the pistol is caught
by his expiring wife, who dies the victim of her overwrought
sensibility. Dubois reads his Grace some streng lessons as
eo the effects of his licentiousness. The Duke exclaims,
"Oh horror!" and the curtain drops abruptly. Kemble 11
played the profligate with great spirit, and certainly made
the most of a finished specimen of those heartless villains
who for the amusement of an hour sacrifice the happiness
of many lives. Warde was not blameable for the entire
failure of the part of Dubois. He did as much as the au-
thor would permit hiss to do, The character was feebly
conceives', and still more feebly drawn. The only good
pant in Dorival was his attempt to shoot the libertine, but
this was marred by the author, who, contrary to every •
principle of poetical justice, suffered the spoiler to go
free, and inflicted misery only on the innocent. The play. .
was saved by the excellent acting of the last scene, espe-
t idly that of Mrs. Sloman. It was impossible to witness
her death without emotion. The whole house was wrap-
ped in silent anti mournful admiration. While the au-
dience were yet venting their applause, the piece •
was announced for repetition, anti the triumph of
the actress was mistaken for the success of the au-
thor. We ought not to omit saying that the piece
was got up with witch splendor. The scenes in the
second and fourth act were laid in the Duke's house,
and they were the most magnificent of the kind we ever
recollect to have seen. Fur the first time, we believe, the
experiment was teed of covering the stage with the re-
semblance of carps t'ng. It was perfectly successful, and
added vastly to the richness of the coup jell. The part
of the real Lamotte was to have been sustained by Power.
A more diagustieg failure we never witnessed. Every
scene in which he appeared was absolutely intolerable for
his sake alone. This phis e- las talent : why does he out-
rage the forbearance of the audience? His rank Irish
brogue merely ought, if lie will not divest himself of it, to
drive him from the stage. The play will probably be per- I
formed a few nights, but we fear not long enough to com-
pensate the great sum laid out upon its production.

WINDSOR, SUNDAY7Fii:l2.—:llivine service was per-
formed this morning by the Rev. Dr. Sumner, in the chapel
attached to the Royal Lodge.
Saturday Prince Leopold left his seat at Claremont, on a
visit to the Duchess of Kent, at her Royal Highness's re-
sidence, in the King's Palace at Kensington, where his
Royal Highness dined, and afterwards honoured the Italian
Opera with his present.:.
The Lord Chancellor was a great deal better yesterday.
In fact, the Noble and Learned Lord, we are happy to say,
was considered in such an advanced state towards recovery,
that if the Noble Earl continuer in the same state this day
it is expected he will be able to leave his house.

_ .
Yesterday afternoon the Earl of Liverpoig had an inter-
view with Mr. Secretary Canning for about an hour.
Mr. Secretary Canning left Downing-street on Saturday
Morning, on a visit to the King, at Windsor.
Earl Bathurst and Mr. Linder-.Secretary Hay are now
on a visit to the Earl of Mansfield, at the Noble Borl'i, •
neat, Caen Wood, where they have been since Friday night.
On Saturday, at one o'clock, a meeting of the Pri%y
Council was held at the Council Office, which was attended
by the Earl of Harrowby, the Lord President, Lord
Gifford, Lord Colchester, Lord Bexley, the Right Hon.
Sir John Nicholl, and the Right Hon. Sturges Bourne.
Mr. Draffen, the King's Messenger, was sent off on Fri-
day night from the Colonial Office, with despatches from
Earl Bathurst to Sir F. Adam, the Lord High Commis-
sioner of the lonian Islands.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Hastings, the three
Ladies Hastings (their daughters), with Colonel M'Crea,
Military Secretary, embarked on Saturday afternoon in his
Majesty's yacht the Herald, Capt. Henry J. Leeke, attended
with honorary salutes, and sailed at daylight on Sunday
for Malta, there being a fine breeze from the S.E.—lfuetr
shire Televraple.
Saturday morning Rear-Admiral Vm. Hall Gage, sailed
in the IVarspite, 74, Capt. W. P. Carroll. C.B. to assume
the command in the East Indies. The Warspite was de-
tained three days by damaging her capstan whilst weigh-
ing her anchor. The Volage, 28, Hon. Capt. It. S. Dun-
dee, accompanied the Wurspite to the East India station,
but it is supposed she will ultimately he attached to the
squadron in the Pacific. Commodore Sir James Brisbane
will remove from the East India command to that in the
Pacific, in the IVarspitc. Rear-Admiral Gage will bit
his flag to the Boadicea frigate until the arrival of the
Java, now fitting at Plymouth. The Warepite ansl
will touch at WO.-11 aunts/tit e Telegraph.