The National Register.
London, England, 1822-02-18 00:00:00

COVENT &IRDEN THEATRE.

We have recorded our regret that the perverted taste of the
town will allow the pertisrmance of the best of Shaltspeare's
plays to take place before empty benches, while a .!echo Draw.
or any bplendid exhibition, will till the boase to a certainty—such,
however, being the case the Proprietors are right in conforming
their arrangements to the vitiation, and on Thursday night they
produced a new Operatic Drama, in three acts, called Montrose,
or his Children of the 111 irt. for tie first time. It is founded
upon one of the celebrated Scotch novels. The principal inte:est
of the piece arises from the famous contests in whirls the Earl of
Montrose and the islarquis of Argyle are engaged in op usitica
to each other. The Earl is induced to send one Captain Da,,,el;y,
to request a truce. The Captain, instead of Being received at an
ambassador, is confined in a dungeon, where he fitlls over another
prisoner, and finds that his fellow lodger is one of the boldest
partisans of his master. While they are engaged in conversation
toe Marguir al Argyle enters in disguise at a private door, and
offers both Interty upon vile conditions. The Captain knows hint
through his disguise, and seizing him by the throat, swears that
death shall be the consequence of resistance. The Marquis after
having given the tau prisoners the means of escaping efixtually.
is strippsel of his cloak by them, and double ironed in the when,
where lie is left. As soon us the Marquis is ridetts_d from h's
awkward situation, a pursuit is commenced, and a desperate bat-
tie is thught which ends in the defeuat of the pursuers. The
piece drutuatied adheres as closely as possible to the text of the
the novel. SWIM of the scenes are so unitising as 11:11101it to make
us regret that the action should he interrupted by a song; but
taking tile drains altogether, mus c may be said to be itnitspen-
sably necessary. Cuptuiu bulgetty, a character played by Liston,
was by to the most tl'ective in the piece, and it was played with
mach humour by that admirable comedian. who was partieu:arly
successful in the scene with the Marquis of.drevle in the prisen,
us well s, in that in which he is assured that he shall be hang J
by the neck and decapitated. Abbot, Connor, and Yates, we, e
allotted parts in which 'hey had opportu•iities of chewing their
skill s and MTS. Faucit shone in a sort of Amazon, the wife of
the fellow prisoner of the Ciptain. Nliss Stephens had more to
sing than to say. and site did so to the delight of the house. I t
is but justice to say that in the first song she astonished the au.
dience with one of the most enchanting pieces of iiielos!y we have
ever heard. It is, like most of the sou ;,y, set to a Scotch air,
but it is more simple, and better adapted to the charming latiou- s
of this exquisite singer, than any of the rest. fit., decided was
tile success of this picce, aided us it is by the beautiful stud
of horses, that the Theatre has overflowoleveiy night s.tice.atel
the bills announce that it sill he acted every evening till
farther notice,"

A petition, signed by upwards of 150 respectable
householders, having been presented to the magi*.
trates of the town of Heater& complaining ad the
bad quality of the beer vended by most of the puh-
beans in that ton u, the mayor called a meeting of
the aldernieni, on Wednesday last, to take the ni.a.-
txt tutu cOnbidelat it'll, when sameiles of beer tru.a
several public-houses were produced, which fully
sustained the prayer of the petition After a great
deal of conversation between the corporate body and
some of the petitioners, the mayor declared and
wished it to be understood by all the publicans
the town, that if they were nut in future supidied
by their landlords, the brewers, with good whole-
some beer, according to the present vire of malt
maid 'vim such as their customers approved ut, t:.ey
(toe magistrates) would grant the inn acep-rs licences
to lace houses in any part of the town where they
could get the same.
Several distressing cases of typhos fever have oc-
curred lately in Perth ;—in one family the rnLi-r,
neither, and eldest son, have tiill!n victims t
and tiler children, yet alive, are all danger am y

e.