The National Register.
London, England, 1812-11-08 00:00:00

NOV 8.

varied, and easy ; his delivery impressive; and
b
comes lapid,
,„ Ferforniance vies in enthusiastic spirit with that of our
most renowned actors. Ills conception throughout is fault-
; his bye-play is excellent, abundant, not excessive, and
vilere he is not great, he is always chaste, judicious, and

pleas:ug .
Ix scene in which he sounds Othmtas real sentiments
before he makes himself known to him, was rendered more
than usuall: interesting, not only by the skilful expression i
orjli: triumphing over doubt in his mind, and the tenderness,
Ifx2d with apprehension, of-his encpt.ries respectieg his saes,
but by the excellent acting of the veteran BAItRY-
NIAtE. We do not recollect to have Cs cr seen this always
ty, ,cible performer appear to greater advantage. His love
r Wended with regret for his death and horror
for his murderer, struggling with his regard for bier own
s fity. alll. at List buwong through all selfish considerations
otien detestation of the tyrant and lamentation for his
ft,rnied a portraiture of natural feelings worthy
0; th- most consummate master. During the whole of
the sic: ne! act Mr. BETTY'S performance. even on Thurs
day last when he met, in the same character, with the
same flattering reception, was impaired by his agitation.
In the scene with his mother, he recovered himself perfectly,
and at the moment when astonished at his tears she exclaims
,‘ who art thou then r" his sudden drawing of the turban
on his forehead lest she should perceive a scar by which she
musi know him, produced a very just and striking erect.
From that period to the end of the piece, he rose to su-
perior excellence. The speech in which he enjoined his
fricials to " remember mercy amidst the tumult's rage," his
soliloquy at the end of the third act, his attempt at stabbing
Barharossa, were some of his most successful passages ; and
the spirit with which he discovers himself and afterwards
awes the Usurper's soldiers into momentary forbearance,
when he tells them " I am your king," Ste. was so enthusi.
astic a to elicit not only thunders of applause, but repeated
shouts of bravo from evecy part of the house. In the rack
scene he was also really great, and in forgiving his dying
enemy, feelingly impressive.
tpon the whole, it appears to us that Mr. BETTY, with
tolling imperfections, is a performer of great promise, %horn
exertion and experience cannot fail to ripen into a great

actor.
Mrs. EGERTON displayed •on Thursday considerable feel-
ing and ability in Irene, having wisely repressed the wild
ranting of which she was guilty on Tuesday. Mrs. Pow ELL
in Zaphira and Mr. EGERTON in Barbaroysa exerted them-
selves also more successfully, and the talents of the actors
did ample justice to the merits of the poet.
" The Cheats of Seapin" was on Friday revived. MA-
T iEWS in Scopin provoked much lau;hter, but was upon
the whole less effective than might have been expected.
'lle extravagant nature of the business and the meanie plot
of this farce, preclude the possibility of its being very much
approved of, by an audience of the present day. It is hardly
suppased to have begun when it ends, and the spectators are
a() sooner prepared to laugh, than the green curtain descends
to
enjoy their good humour. We know not what caused it
to be awakened just now from a slumber of " many years,"
and we care not how soon it is put to rest again. If the
managers wished *to give MATHEWS some scope for his ex-
traordinary comic powers, we think among VOOTE'S Farces,
they might find several in which he would have appeared
Inth much greater advantage to himself and to the theatre
than he can ever do in " The Cheats of Scariin."
Ihe tragedy of 44 Zara" was last night performed. Mr.
BETTY as Osman was less successful in the early part of the