The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-11-26 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Holcroft's Road to Ruin was performed last night at this
theatre, apparently with a view to rival its recent repre-
sentation at the other house. Notwithstanding the comedy
has been carefully got up here—and, to use a cant expres-
sion, " the whole strength of the company" put in requisi-
tion—we are obliged to give the preference to the rival
establishment. We are not averse to these dramatic
doubles ; particularly when, as in the present instance,
there is much merit on both sides. The mutual excellence
of the performers provokes a comparison capable of adding
a new zest to our ordinary enjoyment: it is like looking at
the same object through telescopes of different power and
construction.

To begin with the ladies, like gallant critics ; and, as in
duty bound, according to their juniority. Miss Goward
played Sophia with abundance of talent, and a promise of
still higher excellence when the fruits of experience shall
have been added to the blossoms of intuitive ability, which
are already apparent. Of course her personation of the
character is not to be compared with the Kelly's. It has
not equal depth or force, and, with abundant simplicity, its
simplicity is not so graceful. It was agreeable to see that
clever actress Mrs. Glover welcomed hack to the boards of
this theatre with so much enthusiasm after so long an absence;
her conception of the Widow Warren is scarcely so good as
that of Mrs. Davison, but she looks the character infinitely
better, and her execution is extremely effective. Mr. Farren
is a tertium quid between Munden and Williams—as much
above the latter as he is inferior to the former. This actor
is very felicitous in the pettishness, but he cannot master
the °pathetic, of old age. Jones is too much of a gentleman
to play Goldfinch well. Ilia affectations are leas coarse
than refined ; and in his assumption of the groom, the man
of fashion is too obvious. The actor is more at hotne in tl:e
court than on the coach-box. His eccentricities do not
consist in the depth of ignorance and stupidity ; they ori-
ginate in knowledge and sprightliness, pushed into ex-
tremes. Along with this, he wants the flippancy of Harley.
Blanchard's silky was, in the article of flesh, more charac-
teristic than Game's; he looked a miser to the back-bone--
one who would cheat his own bowels—or, as Falstaff has it,
" a man made out of a cheese-paring after dinner ; a very
forked reddish." A gentleman, whose name we have forgot,
played Sulky at Drury-lane much better than Bartley,
who is too fat and good-hutnoured for the character.
Of all the detestable things we have ever been con-
demned to witness, Mr. Cooper's Harry Dornton is the
worst. Poor Elliston isa thousand miles above him, and,
" not to speak it profanely," honest James Wallack is a
hundred. His elegance was a cape mortuum, his
pathos maudlin, and his wit an absolute night-mare.
The most remarkable part of the performance was the
drunken scene, in which the actor proved himself an abso-
lute bottle-conjuror, for he was drunk, sober, and drunk
again, by turns, all in the space of a minute. We entreat
Mr. Kemble to take the character into his keeping. Pro-
bably it was the fault of the property mien that the
" racket scene" was not so characteristically noisy as at
Drury-lane. We would recommend an additional allow-
ance of gin to the parties concerned. Thesame functionary
(the property-man) is, we suppose, also chargeable with
the deficiency of duns in the fourth act. However, when
speaking of the tradesmen we must make an exception in
favour of Mr. Chapman, who, truth to say, showed ex-
tremely like " Suerives in the body of a stocking-weaver."
The evening's entertainments concluded with the per-
formance of a new piece, in one act, entitled the Scape-Goat.
Ignatius Polyglot (Farren) is an old tutor, somewhat after
the model of Scott's Dominic Sampson; he has a young gen-
tleman, named Charles Eustace (Cooper), confided to his
care; but while the tutor is giving lessons in Latin the
pupil is receiving lessons in love from Harriet (Miss A.
Jones); and finally Homer is beaten out of the field by
Hymen : in common parlance, the parties are married. The
absence of old Eustace (Blanchard) tempts Charles to intro-
duce his wife into his father's house and the good-natured
tutor is prevailed on to connive at his pupil's imprudence.
The old man unexpectedly returns, and in the confusion
created by this occurrence, no better hiding-place for the
lady presents itself than Polyglot's bed-chamber. The
ludicrous of the piece now commences, and consists in
the suspicions excited against poor Polygh,t by the cir-
cumstance of his having a lady in his apartment. The
distress of the erudite Dominic is for a while supreme, but
at length terminates in a full discovery of his pupil's esca-
pade, and the acquiescence of all interested parties in its
propriety.
The tutor was very comically represented by Mr. Far-
ren ; as was a mischievous waiting-maid by Miss Jones.
A sister of the latter (Miss A. Jones) debated in the part
of Harriet (the heroine), and executed the little allotted
to her bs the author with propriety. The piece itself is
too short to be tedious, and, enlivened as it is with numer-
ous incidents and ludicrous situations, will make an excel-
lent interlude. It excited a great deal of merriment
throughout, and bids fair-to become a general favourite.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer came to town yester-
day morning, from hia seat at Beckenham. The Right
Hon. Gentleman returned to Beckenham in the afternoon.

Mrs. Peel, wife of Mr. Secretary Peel, was better yes-
terday.

HEIR TO THE HOUSE or EATON•—The ceremony of
admitting Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, the infant son of Lord
Be!grave, within the pale of the Christian Church took
place at the baptismal font in Eccleston church on Monday
morning. The sponsors were, the Countess of Grosvenor,
Lord Stanley, and Lord Leveson Gower. Besides these,
there were present at the ceremony, Lady Elizabeth Bel-
grave, Lady Bromley, lion. Miss Curzon, Mies Stanley,
Mrs. Maria Grosvenor, Mrs. and Miss Egerton, Earl
Grosvenor, the Earl of Derby, Earl of Wilton, Lord Bel-
grave, the Hon. Robert Grosvenor, Mr. Egerton, Tatton
Park, &c. A splendid entertainment was givcn to these
distinguished personages and the other friends of the
illustrious House of Grosvenor, at Eaton Hall, and a
grand ball and supper took place in the evening, to which
upwards of two hundred of the neighbouring gentry were
invited.

CATHOLIC Questrost.—As a demonstrat'on of the true
fee:ings of the county of York at present on the Catholic
question, we may state that the advocacy of emancipation
is almost limited to one Leeds newspaper. The Sheffield
Iris, which for a long course of years supported the Catho-
lics, now speaks of their conduct in these terms:—
" The attention of the whole kingdom is turning to the Catholic
question ; and, as might be expected, the more in is- the Catholics
make, the less likely they are to obtain the object of their wishes.
The conduct of some priests and orators has recently made a power-
ful impretsion to the disadvantage of the taupe; and it is now the
universal opinion of all parties that there is not the least chance of
success, in the event of the subject being brought before Parlia-
ment next Session, Some, who have been the mo t astlous 'deo-
eves of what is called Catholic Emancipation, appear to be hesi-
tating. The fact is, popery, by the proceedings of its members, is
justifying every thing which has been said against its principles and
tendency ; and those Protestants who have long pleaded in its
favour, are beginning to be ashamed of the cause which they have
advocated."

PLAIN SPEANixo.--We beg our readers not to forget
that on Saturday last Mr. O'Connell said—" If Irishmen
had Ireland to themselves, they could manage well enough
without any foreigners amongst them. It was arch inter-
ference that hinted his native country, which God had
marked with every blessing, into a pitiful prm•incr." This
is a valuable commentary on Mr. O'Connell's favourite
toast :—" Ireland as she ought to be!" There is no mis-
taking such sentiments ; and all the professions of ab-
stract loyalty, " unconditional allegiance," &c. that a man
could utter, wculd be lighter than a feather in the scale,
RS a counterbalance of the foregoing candid declaration of
what the Great Leader " would if he could." Itemem-
'oer ;also, that not a single dissentient voice was raised
againttt Mr.O'Connell's avowal h—Dublis 21forning Courier

A Society in New York, called " The Friends of Ire-
land," have published an wh'ress to the Irish nation,
pointing out, with good-natured industry, the beet methods
of improving the general condition of that island. Among
the projects most strenuously recommended are, the over-
throw of the Protestant Church, and the re-establishing of
an Irish Parliament, to be chosen annually by universal
suffrage. Towards the prosecution of these ends, the peo-
ple of Ireland are . admonished to keep their attention se-
dulously flied on whatever opportunities may be afforded
to them, by foreign friendships and zliiances, for shaking
off the yoke of England, at those periods ►thee she shall b..
embroiled with other Powers.