The National Register.
London, England, 1809-02-12 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

111

amend. It is certainly in his power to check the agility of his
arias, and to allow his knees to use their wonted pliability. His
voice which he constantly strains by unnatural bursts into as
unpleasant hoarseness, he can soften, as he has proved in some
passages, into melody ; and as a few timely hisses induced hint
to reduce the luxuriancv of his gesticulations, we hope that a
few true, though severe, remarks, will lead hint to still greater
improvements. lie seems in general to have formed ajust con-
ception of the character. Yet his grinning joy when the corpse
of his son, killed in battle, is brought on the stage, was bat a
degraded substitute, for that calm and philosophic exultation,
that ought to have animated not distorted the features of the
patriotic hero. His soliloquy was delivered withjudgesenti yet
lie pronounced this line,
" This world was made for Cwsar,"
with a degree of pettish anger, which belied Cato's phitosophi
cal resignation, when he exehlitn9
" But thou, shalt flourish in immortal youth," &c.

held the book high before him, as if he were congratulgt-
; it, and not his own soul, on it; immortality. The rest of
e soliloquy was unmarked by similar imperfections; but 4ben
is son enters unbidden, his petulance was too undignified, and
gar below the heroism of the character. In the dying scene, ke
rose superior to himself, feeling and judgment became his sole
attributes; lting and awkward gesticulations were over; and
he expired with the deserved approbation of the whole house.

THE UNCONSCIOUS COUNTERFEIT.
On Thursday last, a new farce, in two acts, entitled, The Un-
conscious Counterfeit," was produced at Drury Lane. The plot
of this after-piece hears so much resemblance to that of Is he
s
Prince, that we strongly suspect both 'have sprung from the
same pen. The mistake vs Welt gives birth to the whole action,
prore•Nls from a letter instead of a picture. The scene is in
Wales instead of Cermanv ; but the characters are nearly ens.
in the sante mould. We find in it a good-natured, open-heartedt
and credulous Welch srinire, a dashing captain, who however
rims away from his creditors, instead like Captain Llndorf, of
travelling to see his love, a timid and romantic swain,
who
finishes by marrying the •younz lady, and an old usurer, who in
he othor farce, is replaced by a rich banker. The incidents
with which this piece abounds have some claims to pi obability,
old are highl v ludicrous and entertaining. The total unconsci-
ousnes: of ('apt. Dashwood.or the Counterfeit, renders his part
more interesting, and the embarrassment in which he
buds himself
re
when suddenly meeting with the usurer
to whion owes two
thoturand pounds, and who was in search of hint with a bailiff,
produces some really comic scenes. The story is well con-
ducted; the dialogue, which is not crushed by a Inxttriancy of
puns, is natural, somm.itnes rather low, but in general elegant.
The conclusion is mol . probable than that of " h he n•Prinre."
And, upon the w ii,;lo, the pieu is still more entitled to the fat
wi:h which it met, than that amusing but
too incunti,tent afivrpioce.

DAYMA K 17:1"111 EAT RE.

111: A PRINCE.?
On Tuesday h,a, a tic.w after-piece iiitwo acts. entitled "
It
he a Prinrc was produced at thi. Theatre. It is fiom t
pen cf the trarAzifor ufGe Portrtilt e.f Michael Ceroonle,,whbh
lirought forward at \lli;hden'r benefit, and went Hist suspect-
ed it sprung front the soil. We however do nut recol-
lect any piece on French stage, which bears any resein-
iiiaine to it. The plot k not very natural, but who expect?: to
find naitire in a farce ? It branclie tilt into many
lt ent ertaaining
n-
and Indicrons incidents, which keep the Ho e in 1.7(
tintial roar of laoghter, and therefore fulfills the great end of a
farce, amusement. The unintentional exchange of a picture
suddenly el:ang.es a young Officer, in the opinion of a Ge
swellntiatted
Baron, a great spot isman, his maiden sister, a lady
with vn:.-alogical pride, and a Count, filled with good nalure,
but void of sense, into the Duke of A &pall, their Soil
;Notating hv this mistake, the young Officer obtaini e
of the Baron's daughter, who had been pledged to the Count,
and being disco%ered by tike untimely arrival of his uncle, is for-
given by ail parties, and abdicates his sovereignty to assume the
title of Carofine's hu-band.
The characters do not possess an novelty, bu
visiblet are ell
It
brom.lit into action. Some inconsiteynriis use atm) .w
apvari strzinge that a bankcr shonid take the liberty of rrionn-
,i," smiting with hi-a 6overeign on bit; tuarringe w hit his subject? cp-
.