The National Register.
London, England, 1814-11-06 00:00:00

REGISTER.

NOV. 6.

. . .
The Ballet introduced in the second act, is one of the most
tasteful we bare seen, for the disposition of the greupes.
Miss Smith danced with much' agility, but unfortunately.
and unwisely too, selected the present Parisian fashions for
her dress, which destroyed all the grace and elegance of her
figure; and at first led the audience to believe that they saw
a second apparition of the little square French woman, who
lately was hissed off tile Covert Garden boards.
The success of Jean de Paris was undoubted, and the
piece has since been repeated to full houses, without any
decrease of its attractions.
MR. KEAN'S MACBETH. .
Last night Mr. Kean assumed for the first time the obarac-
ter of Madeth, and the piece was brought nut with all the
attractions which liberality and taste, on the part of the Ma.
nagets, could produce. As the lateness of the hour will not
allow us to particularize, we must rest contented with stating
that most of the scenery was new, beuttiful, and magnificent
that the apparition of the spirits tnnli which the witches
hold their power, and with whom Hecate rides on the
moonlight clouds. NiltliSt the full chorusses of her compa-
nions, assembled 4:,1 barren rocks, hail her ascent, seemed
to realize the wildest visions of ancient superstition ; and
that the music, selected from the works of Purcell, and
adapted on the occasion by Mr.llern, was at once most ap.
propriate, tasteful and grand. In a word, every thing that
can complete the illusion of the senses was profusely lavished
on this tragedy ; and never had the genius of Shakespear
I. received mon assistance from the painter's art, or the ma-
. chinist's skill.

Mr. Kean, however, was the magnet which Lad drawn im-
mense crowds to this house. When he appeared, the air was
rent with shouts of applause, and hundreds of hats and
handkerchiefs were waved in the pit. When the tempest of
congratulation had subsided, and he was able to proceed.
he seemed in better voice than usual, and displayed much
judgment. Ile,, however, persisted in at which robs his
Hamlet of many beauties, the neglect those passages
rendered celebrated by the effect with which they are. given
by other performers. He thus reduced himself to the neces-
sity of so iking out new ones, and as this is almost impossi-
ble, in a field so beaten by the genius of his predecessors, he
was but seldom successful. Hence his performance during the
whole of the first act was unifot tidy good, but without any of
those eminent bursts which surpi ise the feeling's and elicit
spontaneous applause. In the seccand, his soliloquy to the " air
drawn dagger" was perhaps impaired hot* the same cause.
Though delivered with great justness, its excellence was of
-too level a nature to prodtice much effect. it displayed much
harmony of colours, but wanted a few bold touches to give
it life. After having committed the murder, he rose to greater
eminence. It was there he successfully introduced a new
point. Whilst giving an account of the interruptions he had
encountered whilst going to the bed of his victim, he says.
" There one did laugh in his sleep, and one cried murder,
That they did wake each other. I stood and heard them ;
But they did say their prayers, and addressed them
Again to sleep."
On coming to the word "prayer," he stopped, as though
unable to utter it from the consciousness of his unworthiness
after having imbrued his hands in human blood. The atten-
tion with which he watched for the first exclamations of Abi-
de on finding the King murdered. whom he was going to
wake, and the absent manner in which he replied to the quv-
firms of Lenor, during that anxious interval, were most na-
tural and effective. Throughout this act his performance
was of a higher order. . In the banquet scene he was great,
and his last moments were worthy of his fame. The fight
ire not suite so well managed, hdwever, as either re

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