The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-11-04 00:00:00

1,11711Y-LAXE.
Last night The Bear's (vera was perform/a
here. It was compressed tato two acts, nearly in the
same manner as it has been latterly brought out it
the other house ; we soy nearly,lor we observed thit
one scene, which, wevecellect, kept its place in otik
representation a'short time since at Covent-garden,
inn last night omitted, and which, Whatever are is
mends in other respects,May very properly be sacri-
ficed on the altar of decorem—we mean the con-
vivial meeting between the Captain and his ladies.
The best and most attractive character in the piece,
Polly Peachaint, was sustained, and admirably sus-
tained (for the first time at this theatre), by MISS
CREW. We had seen and admired this Lady's
performance of the part at the Lyceum. and cep.
triply every part of that of last night strongly con-
firmed our previous impressions. Miss CAREWa
style of acting constantly reminded us of Aliso
STENEENS, though the high opinion we entertain of
her powers does not permit us to suspect her of
being an imitator. It was characterised by those gen-
tle qualities, softness. tenderness, and feeling, so en-
tirely in unison with, or rather which are the ease°.
tint elements of the bring of the original. But Miss
CAREW'S great charm is her voice; she executed
all the excellent songs and airs attached to the
part with surpassing sweetness, delicacy, grace, and
strength, and poured forth some among them in
tones of such plaintive melody, and melting pathos,
as to dissolve every auditor in melancholy rapture.
Every song she undertook deservedly elicited
marked proofs of the gratification and delight of the
rrrrrr . The short air, " But he so teased me," tie.
wao ,cared, as was also the beautiful sir. " Cease
sourtanoin." Mr. PEARMI•N performed Mac-
heath. lie did not exhibit so much boldness and
*ls wr have sometimes seen infused into the
asked, seducing Captain; but, notwithstanding,
the representation was in general faithful and ani-
mated, and experienced ample applause. His
1111411,g was extremely sweet and pleasing. and lie
ass more than once called on to repeat a song.
511. s K 1.1. Y I,n urtrayed Lucy Locket in the truest
enlouto, and embodied in her personation not only
the passim s and leading qualities, but the most
trivial habits of the dusting but offended vixen,—
Mis. Peachiim possessed consi-
derahile merits. Messrs. MUNDEN and DoWTON's
excellencies in Peachiest and Locket, are too fami-
liar to the public to require particular notice. The
Opera was in general performed extremely well,
and with one slight exception, passed off wills die-
tinguisht d eclat.
Slimily after the commencement of the second act
a circuanstarce occurred which caused a brief pause
in the progress of the drama. At the end of the
first scene between Lary sad Macheath in the
ntiwon. whets the Captain had made his exit. Miss
KELLY delnyed a few moments, seemingly doubt-
ful what ensure to take, but at lengths retired also,
leaving the stage empty. It continued so about a
eee ee ute. and the audience began to manifest partial
signs of impatience—which, on the further prolonga-
tion of the hiatus, swelled into louder clamour and
hisses, mixed with occasional cries of " Manager !"
Mr. Dowrum and Mr. MUNDEN now made their
appearance, and were received with applause from
'whim parts of the house; but the vexation of the
majority was unappeased, and the symptoms of it
still displayed themselves so violently as to prevent
the two Gentlemen from proceeding in their parts.
Mr. DOWTOR then advanced to the front of the
stage, and said—
" LADIIII ARP GESITI.RMVX..- I believe musething, I SRI
at a loss to know what, has excited pier displeasure. Per-
haps it is the compression of the Opera into two acts.—
( /it re nfer cries of" Agnew" were heard.)—For myself,
I Izmir on precisely as al y part bap beta marked oat; I
hate serer on any occasion been wasting in my duty."

This short address experienced • tno•t partial
reception, mid restored the complacency of the
audience. The opera proceeded to the end without
interruption. and the curtain fell amidst general
and reiterated plaudits.
The comic drama of The Three and the Deuce
succeeded, with the farce of Two Strings to your
the former Mr. ELLISTON played Pere-
xrine Pertiows Jingle, and Percival Sin-
rle, to the sisitxitnided pleasure and amusement
of the hou►e, and was honoured with unanimous

COVENT.UARD;II.
The play of The Tempest was hut night per-
fumed—not indeed that inimitable work with
which the grand creative genius of SHAKSPIARE
enriched the literature of his country—but the al-
tered and mutilated drama on which the false taste
of D'AvEN ANT and DRYDEN was so inveterately
exercived. Miss M. TREE assumed the character
of Arid on this occasion. Her appearance was
really fascinating—she moved lightly and grace-
fully—and sang with taste and simplii its'. The
Iwo air., " Come auto these yellow sands," and
" Fire fathoms deep thy father lies," were excel-
lently given. The beautiful little strain, " Where
the bee suekt," was executed, except in one point,
with much delicacy and great sweetness of expres-
sion. The concluding cadence we think faulty—
it was a heavy and laboured effort, wholly at va-
riance with the character of the music. The air,
however, commanded an encore. Mr. TERRY sup-
ported the character of Prospero. It was a pod,
hut by no means a finished performance. Mr.
TERRY'S voice has not mellowness sufficient to
give full effect ton part almost purely declamatory.
The few touches of passion by which Prospero is
agitated, were given by Mr. TERRY with a degree
of violence, not at all consonant with our idea*
of a latiitg who must have felt hie infinite superiority
over those whom he chid, and whose manner should
rather he distinguished by the calm dignity °fit God,
than by the nul and boisterous feelings ofa mortal.
In delivering the well-known passage, where Pros-
pero threatens to fill the bones of Cafibaa with
" aches," Mr. TERRY made use of the modern pro.
niinciation of the word, and called it " ekes!"
This elicited the resentment of It number of indi-
viduals who were favourable to Mr. K cis read.
which was " oitches"—two syllables—with.
out which, indeed, the metre, as the line was
originally constructed, must be deficient. Thiry
were answered by the plaudits of time Os.
_wish to
souud the "ck" like "k," and an uproar of some
minutes was the consequence. ref** the best
way. is order to ',cid such mterruptiossa its; totem
would he to emit the hoe in which. the wood maws.
The pan of (Wiles was sostaiasg with trait