The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-19 00:00:00

COVENT.4.4RDEN THEATRE.

A clever, lively, and agreeable two-act piece, which is
ascribed to Mr. Kenny, and entitled Tire Green Reom, was '
produced at this theatre last night. The plot turns upon
the distresses of a nervous, sanguine, and enamoured play-
wright on the first representation of a new comedy. when he
is subjected to all the ills that dramatic authorship is heir
to, from the senseless sneers of incompetent critics, the
frigid nonchalance of calculating managers, and the capri-
cious arrogance of presuming actors. The latter are the
most prominent characters in the fore-ground, and come
in for a full measure of sensible, well-written, and well-
directed satire; from which, it is to be hoped, those
stars who are not contented with shining in their own
spheres, or, to sink metaphor, those actors who have de-
serted their legitimate range of characters, and played the
Aristarchus until they have reduced dramatic literature to
its lowest ebb, will take a profitable lesson, and, it may be,
a timely warning. Although his outline afforded to the
author an abundant scope for the introduction of humorous
incident and the delineation of comic character, he has very
judiciously strengthened it by the introduction of a well-
imagined character, yclept Sir Peregrine Quixote, a knight-
want, *hose credulity enables one of the gay occupants of
the Greetrßoom to palm herself off as a disconsolate widow,
its which interesting character she inveigles the knight
into a proposal of marriage, on the brink of which he is
fortunately saved by discovering his fair seducer in the
very act of ministering to Thalia. Upon this groundwork,
by the help of a few striking and happily chosen situations,
and of a tolerably spirited and well-sustained dialogue, the
writer has contrived to produce an extremely pleasant
farce ;—wity it has been designated " a comedy, 'unless as
an apology for giving it the first place in the play-bills, we
know not. To the performers he is considerably in-
debted, as they exerted themselves, individually and col-
lectively, to the utmost. Charles Kemble, whose frequent
intercourse with dramatic writers, it may be supposed,
qualifies him to give " a touch of their quality," enacted
the ardent but.petulant author, and developed the miseries
and anxieties which agitate him in so critical a situation
faithfully and effectively. The buret of impassioned joy
in which be indulges, after listening to the welcome plau-
dits of the distant audience, was an effort wcrthy of this
accomplished actor. Farren performed the fantastic Sir
Peregrine ; and this shadow of La Mancha's Knight lost
nothing by his representative, who contributed mainly to
sustain the spirit of the piece. Mr. Power's imitation of
an eminent tragedian, who has lately left England on a
professional visit to our transatlantic neighbours, was too
palpable to be mistaken • but there are some who would
question the good taste, if the propriety, of showing tip
the peculiarities—it may be the absurdities—of a brother
actor. It savours much of personality, and we own "it
likes us not." Of the other performers we can speak in
terms tf unqualified approbation. It is hardly neussary
to add that the piece was decidedly successful. Its an-
nouncement for repetition this evening was received with
applause so marked and unmixed, that we hazard little in
predicting the probability of its becoming a favourite
during the season. Charles the Second followed The Green
Room, anti the entertainments concluded with A Tale of
Mystery. The house was full at half-price.

Sir Herbert Taylor transacted business yesterday morn-
ing, previous to holding a levee as Military Secretary to
the -Commander-in-Chief, at his office in the Horse-guards.
Sir Hen y Torten', Adjutant-General, and Sir Richard
Jackson, Deputy Quarter-Master-General, also transacted
official business with the Royal Duke yesterday.
The Duke of Wellington paid a visit on Tue3day to the
Duke of York, at the residence of the Duke of Rutland, in
Arlington-street.
MR. POOLE AND MR. ELLTSTON.—We are informed by
a Correspondent, that in consequence of a satisfactory apo-
logy having been made by Mr. Elliston for the assault
committed by him upon Mr. Poole, at Vauxhall Gardens,
the prosecution against Mr.Elliston, at the Surrey Sessions,
will be withdrawn.
• We understand that it would have afforded great plea-
sure to the colleagues of the late Mr. Connor, and to the
gentlemen who conduct the Theatre Royal, Covent-,,arden,
to have had the opportunity of giving his widow a °benefit
at that theatre; but, in consequence of proceedings pending
in Chancery, it would have been requisite that an order
from that Court should have been issued for permission to
pay the proceeds into Mrs. Connor's hands.
MISSION IN Ava.—The following account of Mrs.
Judson, the wife of the American Missionary in Ava,
is extracted from a letter given in the Calcutta Gazelle of
April 27 :
In printing my last communication, there was a trifling mis-
take mule; it shoukl have been Mrs. nut Mr. J. as that lady was
the author of those eloquent and forcible appeals to the Govern.
meat, which prepared them by degrees for submission to terms of
peace, never expected by any who knew the hantenr and the in.
flexible pride of the Burman Court; and while on this subject, the
nverflowings of grateful feeling on behalf of myself and fellow.
prisoners compel me to add a tribute of ;subtle thanks so thee
amiable and humane female, who, though living at the distance of
two miles from our prison, without any means of oenveyance, and
very feeble in health, forgot her own comfort and infirmity, sad
almost every day visited us, sought out and administered to odr
wants, and contributed la every way to alleviate the burden of our
misery. Wkile we were all left by the Government, destitute of
food, she, with unwearied pemveranee, obtained for us, by some
means or other, a constant supply. %Viten the tattered state of our
clothes evinced the extremity of cur distress, she was ever ready to
replenish our scanty wardrobe. 1V hen the unfeeling avarice of our
keepers confined us inside, or made our feet fast in the I:iocks, she,
like a ministering angel, never ceased her applications to the Go.
vernment until she was authorized to communicate to Its the grate.
fill news of enlargement, or a respite teem our galling oppressions.
Besides all this, it was unquestionably owing, in a chief degree,
to the repeated eloquence and forcible appeals of Mrs. Judson, that
the untutored Burman was finally made willing to secure the wel-
fare and happiness of his country by a sincere peace."

ACCIDENT er rite Post-OFFICE.—Mr. Peacock, the
Solicitor to the Post-Office, has, since the late accident, been unre-
mitting in his endeavours to obtain some explanation from the
individuals who so incautiously sent the nitrate of silver enclosed in
the letter, the stamping of which caused the explosion, as before
detailed. On Monday the Solicitor had an interview with the per-
sons we have alluded to, and it appears that the letter was sent by
Mr. J. Jones. an assistant to 31r. 31organ, chemist, of WoodfOrd,
to a Mr. Allen, of Bennett.street, leaufaetli. 31r. Allen having
occasion for sonic fulminating mercury to bring to perfection a tut-
perior description of. percussion gun, and not being able to obtain
it in London, sent to his cousin, Mr. Jones, at Woodford, for it,
and the letter containing the mercury was in consequence ineauti-
may sent by post. Mr. Peacock wrote a letter to 31r. Jones, de-
manding
an explanation, who, seemnitanied by Mr. Allen and Mr.
Morgan, went on Monday to the General Post-office, and explained
the circumstances to Mr. Peacock and Mr. Fretting- This gentle-
VIM strongly censured Mr..lones for having sent such a destructive
r powder through the post. Westbrook is gradually, but slowly, re-
covering.