The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-31 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER,

Cootie, individually, we have no dislike; we admire his
talents, and even feel that to lose him, would produce an
hiatus valde defiendus in our Dramatis Person m; this, how-
ever, is nothing when put in the opposite scale, to public
morals; and we must avow, that the general conduct of
this actor, has made it more particularly deserving ef re-
prehension. Shortly after his first appearance on the me-
tropolitan
_boards, it was whispered that the Managers,
even at the drawing up of the curtain, were obliged to
seek. him in Cyder Cellars, and other places of similar re-
sort ; nay, the performances have often been delayed un-
til by strong doses of coffee, and the friendly cooling aid of
wet towels, he has been enabled to stagger through his
part. Disapprobation was of course loudly expressed ; but
as habit, and perhaps, sometimes the potent inspiration of
the spirit, enabled him to present some brilliant passages,
censure was changed into admiration, and it became custo-
mary to say, " how well COOKE performed last night, con-
sidering he was drunk I" Nay, curiosity even had its vo-
taries, and people who thought not of him when sober,
were induced to go to witness this kind of problem in his-
trionic practice. This tacit species of license for irregu-
larity, continued for some time, until, as many may recol-
lect, the audience expressed their anger so loudly, as to
displease the actor ; he, therefore, threw down his hat on
the stage, and staggered off with the most expressive ges-
tures of contempt; the audience at length called for him
loudly, and actually received him with applause, a kind
of conduct which confirmed him more in his disrewab rd for
temporary censure, and encouraged him to the exhibition
pf Tuesday evening.
It has been said that the private habits of a performer
are not fair subjects of public animadversion ; with re-
spect to certain failings, it may be so, as these little slips
cannot well be exhibited in public ; yet if au actress of
doubtful character, were to introduce any symptoms of
her private avocations on the stage, she would be hooted
into decency ; how much more then may we reprobate
the man who renders his private vices the matter of public
insult

It has been humourously said, " that Christmas times
formed as excuse." This, however, seriously considered,
is actually an aggravation of the offence. The .cpartans
were a nation_ of philosophers; they are considered as hav-
ing been perfectly acquainted with all the workings of the
human heart, and with all the operations of the human
mind : with them it was a custom to exhibit their -slaves
drunk, in order to disgust their children with the vice,
and to deter them from similar practices; if then, the
mere exhibition of such disgusting objects were in itself
sufficient to produce a salutary effect on the tender and
pliant mind of youth, how much is it to be. dreaded, that
a similar display of the abasement of reason, accompanied
by approbation, unattended with reproof, and even sought
after us an amusement, may generate effects totally dissi-
milar, and may even tend to remove the natural as well as
moral disgust which every uncontaminated mind must feel
at the degradation of tae noblest faculties of man. Well
indeed, in such eases. might methodistical and fanatic pu-
ritan reformers exclaim against the stage 'as a School of
immorality, ass destroyer of virtue, and an " encourager
both of bodily and of mental-uueleanliness !'' Let us then
wipe off such an opprobrium t If Mr. COOKE will not re-
member the duty he owes to the public. no misplaced for-
bearance, no mistake's humanity, shouldinduce-tis to over-
look those crying offences; 'tis a duty the public owe to
themselves,, to the rising generation, toliosterity, natio
permit a lithe generosity to foster the germs of Vice, and
e;tablish 4 charter for public indecorum. On such occa-
aions as the Present, Is the duty of the Managers to
anticipate lira .wishes; aftd to guard the 'parity of the
public ; they' ar or ought to. he, not only the "brief
chrouicleil of the ' but the censors both of the
foibles and or' the • Viet, of mankind ; 'tis in • them,. there
fore, wore than a dereliction of duty, to suffer these evils
to mew, and-wilftilly4efeetpooia intendment on the nue

part, or redress to the other, until the thunders of public
censure shall reform the morals behind the curtain, as they
have lately iaterfered with morals before it!—" Le Sage
entend a demi mot."