The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-16 00:00:00

PARTIES.

Mrs. 'Williams had a concert tri;arredmtinic on Sunday evening, at
her house in Upper Hrorsk-street. The drawing rooms were brithuntly
illuminated : the concert commenced In the principal room about hail pa
ten o'clock. Madame Pamn, and several of the vocal performers of the
Opera 11.,(14e, attended. There were yresent upward, of one hundred
distinguished fasblunables, amonewhom were several of the foreign am-
bassadors and their ladies, the Duke of Wellington, the Marquis cud
Marchioness of Worcester, the Countess St. Antonio, the Earl of West-
morland, and Lady G. Pane, Lord and Lady litirghetNh, Lord and Lady
Tul'more, the Countess of Sefton and the Ladies Molynerm. Lord
Granville Somerset, Lord Crew, the Vice-Chancellor, Sir George War-
render, the lion. Mr. and Mrs. Carleton, Mr. and MTA. &c.
sir Watt in and Lady Harriet Williams Wynn entertained a distinguished
party at dinner on Sunday, at their house in St. James's.square ; alrl'lllif
whom were Earl Digby, Lord Newborough, Sir Charles, Lady, and Miss
Hulse, Sir Wm. Parker, Sir T. Gauck, Colonel fluckworth, Dr. Wynne,
Mr. Wynne, Mr. Dickenson, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, Mr. and Mrs.
Clive, lee.
_ . .

LurdSherbornehad a dinner party yciterday, at hts boa*. io Oroavenor-
street. - - •

Colonel Cuff, M.P. enterta!ned a large part) at dinner yesterday, at his
house, Whitehall-place.
Henry Buges, Esti. M.P. bad a grand dinner party yesterday, at his
house, Old Palace-yard.
MOVEMENTS.
The Earl of Clare and his bride arrived in town yesterday, from Rich-
mond.

ill; Right Ron. William Sturges Bourne left town yesterday, fur St.
Alban's.

Lord Althorp left town yesterday, for Northamptonshire.
The Dean of St. Asap left town yesterday, for St. Asapb.

...... • .. .
• •
mamas Pare, Esq. arrived yesterday at Fentun't New Hotel, St. James's-
street, from hie seat in Surrey. Departures frum do.:—The Run. Mr.
Arundel!, for Warduur Castle ; the Rev. Brooke Buuthhy and 'family, fur
Brighton.

Departures from the 'lA'aterlooDotel, Jermynatreet :—Major, Mr.,Mrs.,
and the Aliases Dronksbank, fur their seat In York.hire
Arrivals at Mlller'sHotel, Jermyn-street a—Lady and the Misses Shelley,
front their seat In Susses; Charles Morton, Esq (rum a tour.
T. Wart, Esq. arrived a estarday at Gould's Mutat, Jernayn-street, from
• tour.

Departures from glrkham's lintel, Lower Brook-street:—Mr. Rush and
Lady Cope, for their twat to Bak•; Mr. and Mrs. Dosanquet, fur theta
seat In flerts ; Mr. and Mn. Cumming, for du.
Departures from the :flue...up:on Hotel, Old Burlington and Cork
streets :—Colonel Bromley, for his seat in 4Voreesterthlre; Mrs. k:+teourt
■nd family, for their seat in Wilts. Mr. and Mrs. York have arrived, (rum
• tour.

Arrivals at Meares Hotel, Lower Brook. treeti—The Marquis and
Marchioness of Exeter and family, from Burghley House, near Stamford,
Lincolnshire ; Le Comte and Countess de Gersdorff and suite. from the
Continent; J. tVarburton, Esq. from Oxford; Mrs. and the Misses
Bishopp, from Kent ; W. H.Wiodham, E,q.; Mrs. Gawisen frnm Brook.
mane, Hertfordshire; Thomas Same, Esq. and the Misses Sspte, firm
Herts ; Le Baron and Barone;; litownemill, from Bath; Lloyd Wynne,
Esq. ; Sir Edward .Ilostyn, from Worcester; H. P. Delme, Esq. and Mn.
Delme, and family, from Hampshire. Departures :—Sir Charles and
Lady Blots and family, for Saxmundharn ; John Lloyd, Esq. and Mrs.
Lloyd and family, fur Brecon, South Waled.

THEATRES.

DRURY-LANE.

Shakapeare's " Henry the Fourth" was performed last
night at this theatre. This is one of those pieces in which
the genius of our bard may be said to luxuriate. The di-
versity of character which i t affords bears ample testimony to
the hand of the master. We have the generous high-minded
Hotspur, whose lively sensitiveness to wrong appears to have
begs' ten a testiness ever breaking out with an overwhelming
terrific impetuosity, but to which nevertheless some kind-
lier elements are constantly opposed, checking impulses
which would otherwise hurry him away in judgment's very
spite. We have, too the volatile profligate Prince; and
with him we have that fellow of infinite jest, who " lards
the lean earth," and immortalises sack—Sir John Falstaff:
Mr. Macready was the Hotspur of the evening. His per-
formance of this character is very unequal. Where be has to
describe the conflict of passions with which Hotspur is fre-
quently assailed, he succeeds admirably, but in some of the
calmer scenes there is a disagreeable sententiousness about
him, much interfering with what should be the harmony of
the sentence. In the well-known scene where he reads and
comments upon the letter, he was all that could be de.
sired • his fine bursts of honest indignation were warmly
and deservedly applauded. Where his wife would win from
him the secret of, his expedition, we slid not think hitn so
successful. His replies to her were harsh and unappeasing ; li
but Hotspur is not naturally morose. We admit that the
coming conflict absorbs his every thought ; but when he is
occasionally awoke from his busy dream by the interroga-
tories of Lady Percy, his answers should be playful, for
they are evidently intended to smile away her anxieties. As
delivered by Mr. Macready, they were more like bitter
sarcasms than lively evasions. In his address to the soldiers
there was. that want of consecutiveness of which we have
complained above. Mr. Wallack played the Prince of
Wales. There was a great deal of earnestness about his
hilarity, but it seemed to lack something of princely
dignity. Hal never forgets that he is Prince of
Wales, and one of the great sources of his amusement
is the impudent familiarity of Sir John. This diffi-
cUlt character was played by Mr. Elliston for the second
time. Its great fault is that there is throughout an
apparent effort to make points. If the wit with which the
character abounds were. left more to itself it would be
more effective. The most luxuriant soil Shakspeare has
planted in this character ; that some tares have grown out
of its very richness there can be no question, and it should
be the business of the performer to hurry us over these,
and carry us to that which is better worth our observe-
and carry us to that which is better worth our observa-
tion. Mr. Dowton's Fu/stsf is a strong outline, but it
wants mellowness. Mr. Ellistonl seems to have felt
the necessity for this, and has gone to the opposite ex-
treme—his is mellowed to insipidity. We do not, how-
ever, mean to say that his performance has no saving
points. In his chuckling laugh he is peculiarly happy;'
and there is also a silkiness about his truenancy very supe-
rior to anything we have before seen. This was very effec-
tive where he endcaveurs to impose on his friend Hal, by
telling him of his engagement with the men in Kendal
Green. Having said so much of the performance, it now
becomes our duty to describe a rather singular occurrence
which transpired towards the close of the last act. In the
last scene but one, where the Lords and King Henry are
all assembled, holding a council of war, it was observed—
at least we observed—drat Sir John was in a very curious
position, leaning against the Prince of Wales. It hecomiug
necessary for the latter to leave his place, Sir John, ap-
parently staggering under the weight of his portly sub-
stance, or something else, had recourse to one of the side
scenes, to which he clung for support. The stage being
cleared, with the exception of the godly Knight and his
Prince, the former had to come forward to finish
the scene. He advanced " serpentining it along," as
Oaln.an would say, towards the foot-lamps. The Prince
' seemed most tremblingly alive to consequences which we
will not anticipate. A few words were exchanged; Sir
Jahn performed some sundry sinuosities ; the Prince tried
to catch hold of his arm, but he could not succeed, and in
less than a second prostrate on the stage lay Sir Knight !
The audience hissed, hooted, and vociferated " Shame!"
The Prince, after many ineffectual attempts, succeeded in
raising the fallen, and they walked off the stage together,
arm in arm. The last scene was got through amidst the
clamour of the audience. On the fall of the curtain, Mr.
IVallack came forward, and spoke nearly as follows:
_' Ladies and Gentlemen.

" I should .exhibit a want of respect for you, if T affected not to
understand the muse of this expression of your displeasure. (Ap-
plaune.) I can assure you what you have just witnessed Is nothing
but the result of the immense mental and bodily fatigue peculiar
circumstances have imposed on Mr. Ellimn this afternoon t" No,
no!" hisses and laughter.) I can assure you, Ladies andOentlemen,
it it nothing else; and no cue can more deeply regret the accident
than Mr. Lithium himself. (Great laughter, and cries for Mr.
Elliston.) I regret to say that Mr.Elliston cannot appear before
you, he having severely injured his arm in the fall."
Much clamour attended the conclusion of this address,
which was at last silenced by Mr. IVallack announcing
Mr. Macready's benefit for to-morrow-night. Der Frei:-
chat.: was the afterpiece, which went off peaceably.

COVENT-GARDEN.
Shakspearee play of Julius Cesar was performed at
this theatre last evening to a thin house. It was a holiday
audience, and during the greater part of the performance
the plebeians and rabblement of Rome were completely out-
clamoured by the gods of the one-shilling gallery. The
parts of Anthony and of Cassius were sustained, and ably
sustained, by Mr. C. Keinble and Mr. Cooper. Mr. Warde
is too smoothly declamatory for the stern Brutus: his
countenance and demeanour never lend themselves to aid
the language of deep and strong emotion. After the play was
revived the melo-drame of Rubinson Crusoe. Ahhough the
story of " Robinson" has more of moral than of dramatic
interest, yet as the piece is creditably got up, it will enjoy,
we dare say, a fair share of popularity.

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