The National Register.
London, England, 1818-12-21 00:00:00

044440: -

. ,„, . cOVF.NT GARDEN.
A .nor comedy, ealloa 44 A ;Fore) for Me Ladcc,"
was.traiticed on Thursday night at this theatre. The
Idea is attributed to the pen of the ingenions Mr.
eniy, who has already written several drama; which
ore established in the favour of the public. We sub-
join a list of the dramatis. persona, and a sketch of the
plot—
L.). old ilowerscoun .. Mr. W. Farrea.
,z Young liowerscourt Mt. Abbott.
.0. 'Witi!etland .„ ... Mr. Ma -ready
i)orrington ... Mr. ('. Kymble.

••4 Ur. Young.
Adnosant ... •«4 w. Mr. Connor.
Faiseronigue Mr. ikon.
Corvette ••• Mr./Jones.
Send AI r. y.
Cray ••• ••• Chapman.
Miss Adamant ... .„ Mat Brunton.
Clout %Vmtrrlend ... Mrs. Fatten.
Airs. Singleton -... ... Mrs. Yates.
The chief iota/test of the piece tome span ahe distress or Toting
Winter/ma, who. luvrin • incurred the displeasure of an uncle on
whsnt his fortunes olepended. is tlisitilteKted, and likles from his
crolitors in a tishennan's ecetage. His sister, who shares his mis-
tin tunes. is attached to Young Darrivtaa, his sworn friend. to
whom he has formerly made great ',artifice . and who ha; been to
-Cie West hulks to take possession. WI he isefieves. of a rich inhe-
ritance. On his return. the lrisisebrads depend on his fulfilling
their hopes, both of marrying Clara, and relieving het but.
ther. His conduct, however. hetinnes mysterious and equivocal;
and the most arecting of the situations arise from IViaterlande re-
sentment of iiiireomluet. the disappointed passion of rare, and the
attrern ccpwach of her fosliogs, which she incurs from the high spirit
anti wounded pride of her brother. Circumstances render borrow.
'bin the hearer of an off •r of marriage to Clara from Young
twirl; who had suffered overtures to be made in Clara's prosperity.
and which his father holds him more than evn. . bound to follow up.;
sn esp:anrition ensues between f)..reinclon and rtore, when he &-
elates hinverlingsprinted also at his inheritance. and urges the snit
of ilsieg.lherscr.sroarf, in leder to save frintrolan.f from despair and
• /lynx-sevuefa heart has. however. in spite of his better reason,
been ensnared by .11iss AlsoiarO, a gay woman of fashion, of a
gowsrints di eon; but flighty manners. which revolt him. The
slifihaduca of these ; orties are finally removed by a seasonable diseove-
)7.—.lfr. ihrs/iogs, the mica: of Winfraand,hutlleft theproperty to
.an unknown str.,•.ger, who bad saved his life from robbers en the coast
of Cornwall. on hi identifying himself; if nos. it passes toe Air.
Sihertaigur a mewe distant relation ..ciferrtortrae, by a cowardly eau
Lion to avert thesuppo efl indignation of' borrington. calls on him to
explain his conduct, and unfolds pi-rtkulars which prove Daub:ream
bintself to be the foAisive ineogntto, in the last hour allowed hint to
• og.his title. lie arrives, however, at Old Dmiserecourt's, the
trustee. joie in time. and the posssion of the property enables hint
in do justice to trintrriand, and to confirm hie engagements with
Clara. l'anng llowerseastrt is thus releasad of his'obligation—both
he and his father become reconciled to 117i.is Adamant, who remains
the mistress of his Itelirt. if,. Luton is a natural agent in the
✓ot, rind sone -amusing situations arise out of he having abandoned
hit wife, from a hasty and errononts conviction of her infidelity ;
„old being afterwaids employed by Old flawrrasourt to I.ronfore
inatch with her for the old gentleman, she being then unknown to
him tinder the name of Siagfetna. This leads to a satisfactory cx.
ydansoon. be arhieli they are also reconciled. The impertinent gal-
lantries of a M. Carmale, which have a great tendency to create the
jealous fancies of hang Bowersenart. form also a considerable
oharatif ON earlier acts of the monody.

The chief faults of this drama are the complexity of
the plot, and an 4,/var-ahmulanee in the characters, Who
41TX too numerms and diversified in •tbair objects and
'designs, to excite a separate sad independent interest.
Too great an interval •is allowed to elapse between
each appearance of the leading persons of the drama, so
that we arc perpetually forgetting the sphere of ,action
aisigned to them. In this respect some ad.antage might
probably be obtained from a few superfluous perssns ;
.the wife of Lars/in, 'the benevolent cynic, is of this
description ; the fact 'of his being married at all spoils
the consistency of the portrait. In character,
Kenny has been much more successful; that of Bore-1
.erseourt, elder,, a mild, warm hearted gentleman of
the old • school, is vory chaste, simple,. and effective,
'and well. adapted to the talents of the actor (W. Far-
reu).to whoth it was assigned. Those of Silreriongse,
who is alwass talking to his own disadvantage, and:
of the dancing master Cu' retie, who is perpetually
'intruding where he is most unwelcome, arc perhaps
in the extreme of comic drawing, but arc always etc-
•tertainig and well preserved. We find much to:
be pleased with sin the misanthrope Lamm, who
ever annoying and tormenting those shout him, yet!
seems not to lose his real character, when he Pawl
pcntla it for the sakean'"'d action.
• extremely good, and is perhaps the strong-hold of the
play ; it discovers a richly stored mind, and is so full
of happy allusions and well-turned points, as to form a,
perpetual exercise to the undersutudiug ; this is its
general character, rather than .abOntlant sallies of what I
is called wit, though these are by no leans thinly,
:siattered throughout the piece. The acting was uni-;
+wady good.; the most conspicuous perhaps were Al.;
Farrell, to whom the play •itself is very materially in- ,
Ilebted, and Muerendy in the jealous and irritable young'
Young supported his character with great
. effect ; and Miss Brunton, of whom we regretted to
ace so little, was quite herself; and theretiae perfectly'
succtaisfuls. Mrs. Faucit mingled a little too much of
Ahelacrymosein her Miss interland ; the sentimental
. part of comedy Should on no account be over-acted.—
Alston was excellent ; and Imes and Emery supported
shc rank they maintain in our school of comic action.
.The receptiou of the :pieee, when Cemble app..ared
sin :mount= it for repetition, was not one of unmixed
~,favour, but the Imam- olapplauding apectators greatly
peoduluieated,
.This wias.still more evidettt lit the dose
,a the epapg which 'was excellently delivered by NV.
i CAW}, wecp. cltere sciticely ift,peaia'rsi be .a dissen-
-1
&teat voice Amens ilia audtencl.

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