The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-02-16 00:00:00

iniukY-L-INE THEATRE.

Last night a new tragedy, entitled, Sivitzerhand,
was represented. It is the production of Ms.. JAN;:
PORTER, a Lady well known in the literary world
as the author of several popular and notch-
esteemed novels. We are sorry that her attempt iu
the dramatic walk has beets wholly unsuccessful—
but her tragedy is, with referesice to the fable, so
diseonsiecte,l, improbable, am' uninteresting—the
characters are so trebly delineated—and the she-
non is so trite ion' instpol —that we feel less Mir.
lease at its comdrinnottoo, than ortmashineist that
it was produced at all. Superadded to the inhe-
rent complexity of the plot, the difficulty of tits.
ravelling it was socreused by the frequent inter-
ruptioos the 'raptly received, from the close of
the second act, to its terainintion. The piece
opens wills the retorts of Amadeus (Mr. Hot..
LAND). the once patriot Monarch of the Canton
of Underwald, and his Consort (Mrs. GLOVER). to
his native soil. He bad beets made prisoner by the
forces of the Austrian Viceroy, but, aided by
Eugene (Mr. K EAN), lie has been enabled to effect lots
escape.. Eugene is the son of the Baron of korzen-
!Jerk but, many year* lsfure, he had quitted his
father's castle, in the disguise of a chamois hunter,
and, joining with the brave Switzer., in the volley of
Schiffilsosen, had led them to bottle against Prince
Frederick, who cumin:soiled the Austrian troops.
!lifts lie drfeattl—but the A tourists power, aided by
large armies, still kept his native country its subjec-
tion. Os, his return to Isis father's castle, lie finds it
in the possession of his uncle Rudo/p/rus (Mt. H.
Kl:vint,E), who, when be discovers him self,*treats
bun as all impostor. Camilla (Mrs. W. %VEST), the
slaughter of litidolphus, has long been beloved by
Angene, and meets his passion with as pure a Hattie,
Budolphus, however, who intends to marry her to
the sou of the Austrian Monarch (Mr. D. Ftsuca),
us the sure menus of accostipliblang Ins ambitious
stews, spurns with disdain the proposition of his
nephew, who claims the hand of his beautiful
cousin. While Amadeus sod his Consort were pri•
toners, ouster the control of the late Boron Rains-
berg, the father of it smear, the lady, it seems, ryas deli-
erred of a son, who, but for a stratagem, would have
fatless a victim to the hatred which the Baron bore to
the family of Amadeus. The Baroness, pitying
the sttuattors of the wife of Amadeus, contrive* to
have a drat' child, of which she hail beets delivered,
conveyed to her, and, in return, receives the living
child, which is brought up with Eugene, as his
brother. Rudo/pirsts, determined to possess, in
quirt, his deceased brother's es.ate, causes Herman,
his supposed elder nephew, but, in reality, the sun
of Amadeus, to be coulined for opposing the Aus-
trian interest, to which the uncle is attached. He
is condemned to die—but Eugene, who Icarus Isis
apptotiching fate, from Camilla. collects a body of
• Switters, and engages the Austrian forces, fur the
purpose of rescuitsg him. lie fails in the attempt
—rind, anxious to escape an ignominious death,
plunges his dagger in his heart. This is ail we
could collect of the story, though we attended to
it very patiently. It appeared to us to be the most
complete dramatic chaos, the most mis•shapeis
jumble of incesngruous events, that, except in pan.
toinnue, we ever recollect to have witnessed on the
stage. The principle of action by which the dif-
ferent characters were propelled, was carefully, and
very effectually concealed from the most attentive
observer. There was not a siogle good stage situa-
tion, nor did one line of the dialogue attract
our inure, either by its force or its elegauce.
Further comment is tomecesast , as the play was
unequivocally cundemesed.
Mr. MEAN, the hero, was engaged, during the
evening, iu invoking—