The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-13 00:00:00

Trtll/* .

mount Egmont, second iu command' in ticelrpanist army, was
ormerly the rival of De ("parry, the Farrah Governor of SI.
Quintin, and married the lady .whom both addressed. DuriaiT
the troubles of war, his wife and sou have been betrayed by a
faithless servant, Bertrout, into Dc Conecy's hands. The Sga--
aish army Inv siege to the fort, and Egmont, forgetftil iilG fits
duty as general la chief, during the absence of the Dare tlfSarty;
repairs secretly at night, as a deserter, to St. Quintin, provided
with a letter from ..Idmiral de Coligny, which empowers hini
to claim the liberty of his wife and son, wheresoever be shall
tend them. lie-is, as might he etperted, although disguised as
a tricssenger from Egmant, discovered to he the real Count, and
detained prisoner. Here we have a new string of escapes,
vaults, and iron cages, etaitinels asleep, and ilsteeers who.
thougai standing at the elbow of a man on duty, whilst he deli-
vers the watch-word, having probably the faculty of los hie at is ill
their visibility,stillretainthatofhearing. But to do just ice to Mr.
Took, we must acknowledge that his invention cannot he ac-
cased with having prodneed these repetitions of the tricks lie
has so often exposed to our sight in /'ekeli, the Poctrems, &c.
for they are all to be found in the French piece. Fven the ma-
chinery which convess the prisoners into the vaults, is exactly
the same as that employed on the Parisian Theatre. /' he im-
probabilities now begin to show themselves. It is well known,
that Count Egmont and his son have effected their escape Frain
tiw fort, tlenugh their knowledge of the watch-wurd, and it
inay be supposed they will try to profit by it, yet it is not
changed. In every ;arrison it is altered every two hours, but
here it remains continually the same. Owing to this neglect, a
party of tile earn') are admitted into the castle, comtnaaded by
Sir Leinster liiidace, and when De Courca orders them to shoot
a young lady, called Rose de Valmont, who had assisted the
Count iii.his escape, and had been unfortunately detained with
she
.CotitlieSS, he is instantly disarmed. The fort is attacked, and
the most ludicrous battle we ever witnessed took 'dace. The
party
.who had gained admittance, were too wise to open the
gate to their friends without, but remained running to and
fen after one or. two Frenchmen, who leaped down
the battlements with astonishing agility. At last, Count Eg..
moat's son wiauched a atantiard from a Frenchman, wham lie
killed, and though he was but a boy, about ten years old, and
unarmed, defenced,it against two soldiers till his father came to
bit relief, .amid victocyrro.wned the Sounish. arms.
This melodrama eautains several songs, one of winch was
taken from The English Pied g the address to liberty was that
of Bruce to his army, as written by Burnes, which, when re-
duced into English, had Inst most of its rhymes; the tune was of
the same Caledonian origin. .The most remarkable characters
in this piece, were, an 'lrishman without wit, a Sparish com-
mander who runs after his. wife when he ought to fight the
ties of his coutury, a sanguinary Frenchman, at the same time
uosuspectiog and improvident, a Spanish servant who betrays
all his masters, a persecuted wife, a female jailor, who sacrifices
her OWil lire to free net prisoners. The dialogue is feebly writ•
ten, the clap-traps numerous, and yet before the curtain fell
shower of hisses and offs prevented Elli,ton from beitia heard
when he aonotwced Thu Siege of St. Quititin for a second repre-
sentation.
The exertions of the actors, especially of Elliston and Mrs.
If. Siddoas were so powerful, that they saved this piece from
the condemnation it deserved. The -duet, taken front. The •
English Fleet, and sung by Masters Durouset and nuke!, was
rapturously encored, and deservedly so. The scenery was truly
splendid, mid with some curtailinents this melodrama would
make a good entertainment, which it is au insult to the public
taste to bring forward as a first piece.
KING'S THEITREt.
We next turned our attention towards the King's Theatre,
where we perceived Mr. Reynolds staying the signal of de.
fiance. On the ,thig which he held in his hand, we saw " The
Exile," written in large golden characters, and a short time
after, we found ourselves transported, without any motion of
our own, into the barren fields of Siberia, and surrounded with
snow-crowned.anountains. In this wild part of the globe, we
perceived that filial piety and affection banished from the
crowded haunts of society had sought a refuge. We began to
wonder how Mr. Reynolds had dared to venture so far io search
of such anticrated virtues, but soon discovered that he bad only
fofrowed• the steps of a French lady, Madame Cottin, whose
imagination (we call to witness her novel entitled Elizabeth),
had troddon that path before. As gallant knights we could not
but approve or his conduct, and as dramatic critics, we do not
find much to censure id his piece.

Pr