The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-13 00:00:00

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UStIY Plarag-bYWVLITO Trigbial, C.
•• TAFARIP
-..animer...tom
Man, Count Ulric, the former -conqueror of Sweden, has pined inn.
fly years an exile in Siberia. His wife sidona, and his dau,i,"
;Vex. ina, shared his hue, . The latter hav;ng heard he t..
exclaim in his that should. the Empress ba mik.dericcrki,,t
ed with his sufferings, she -would relieve.thera and grunt him
hertv, resolves to set sof on foot to seek her sovereiga's throne
at Petersburg's, and stipplicate her merry. Her mother oppose;
her design, but on toe approach of hostile messenters Irons the
(iovernor of Tobolski, who come to tontine Ulric snore chisel
she allows her daughter to proceed on her journey, attended
by an old servant of her father's. An Indian, Doran (or rather
Riimonoti, .Ilexiaa's lover and the Governor. of Tobolski's ne-
phew. who has assumed that disguise to watch over her saletv,
and is therefore unknown to all) protects her on the was agaiast
the snares of his rival Velzien. After a series of int • eresting
adventure..., she reaches Moscow on the eve of the Empress's
coronation. Early the next morning, a procession of the Noble.,
the Patriarch, the Czar° witz, the Empress, and Natives_ of the
different Provinces composing the Russian Ens p ire,nmongst whirls
were a band of Pole.:, long before the conquest and partitionist
Poland had taken place, mareh towards,the Palace. We are nett
admitted into the cathedral, where the cross and all the pompous
insignia the (ireek religion are displayed before the altar,__.
The Empress. who, through anticipation too, perhaps. %leari
the order of SI. C'Atherinr, long before it had been viewed by
one of her successors. is no sooner crowned, ikon te.i inn's voice
is heard begging her father's pardon. The Patriarch, brotherto
her father's foe, advises the Empress to reject her suit, whet,
Doran, who had happily the day before saved the Czaroteitt'i
life, without appearing to elains his prolfered reward, nuts
comes boldly fisrward to support, her cause, and through his
means she at last obtains the Imaged-for pardon. Wild with
joy, she returns to Siberia, without 'waiting for the written
deed of pardon, and falls once more into Wrizirn's hands, wlii
leads her to Tobolski. The governor of this city, in order to
prevent at aim future period, her marriage wish his nonhen,
otters to grant her•father liberty, provided she should soartv
Welzien. Duran then makes his appearance, and she consents
to marry him, on condition that lie will fly from her fur ever.
The marriage is celebrated, she" seeks her father, and at the
moment when her filial affection almost gives way to despair at
the thought of having wedded another than Mon,:najr, or G.
vernor brings them the royal pardon, and Romanqf having re-"
snmed his dress, claims his now joyful bride. Coral (Aria is
restored to his former rank and affluence, and his enemy Prince
Lowenstcrn disgraced.
•
This melodrama is loaded, not adornesi, with an underplot,
which rather diminishes than increa• it9laterest. It consias
of the lore ei .ant Caletor for Catherine, the Governor's
daughter; the feats of Fawcett, as Servltz, formerly one of his
servants, but now a gentleman, to , further his suit ; the rapti-
city of Liston, as tile " peeping traveller" woad despised lover
in a cabinet, in which Fawcett had found Isis .wary into the
house, and Mrs. Dickons' excellent acting and singing its the
part of Catharine. The taste of the age most be sunk very low,
if w e are to judge ont by the applause which two of the vilest anti
most nonsensical songs which we have ever heard, received. It
is true, they proceeded from Fawcett's comic lips, which is the
only claim, mid a slender one it is, they possessed lathe indul-
gence of the public.

The comicality of Liston's features was nearly done away by
his whiskers, which gave a totally new expression to hi, cow:-
ten:lnce ; but his acting was as good as usual. He danced very
well, and was excellent in his duet with Munden.
Mrs. H. Johnston played the part of A lexina with judgment
and fee!ing, but so much spirit, that it now and then burst iuto a
more than human scream, and led her to embrace almost c%ery
performer who trod the boards with her.. Thus Pope, naturally
enough as her father ; Young., even whilst fie as yet appeared as an
Indian ; Mr. Murray, as a benevolent inhabitant of Mosco %yowl
Mr. Chapman, as her old companion on herjourney,successively
and frequently received her embraces.
Mr. Young made his first appearance at the. King's Theatre
in the character of Duran. Ile did not disappoint the ex pet-at-
tiano which his performance at the Haymarket had excited.
He was as great as his part, which did trot open a very wide
field to his abilities, would allow. • His holduebs, when be ad-
dretced the Empress was tempered with respect, his vindication
of Wriek's innocence was delivered w itka manly and impassionate
e4oquence, capable of enforciqg conviction in every heart. iiii
tiderness was not affected, 'but natural,
.though dignified, wi
.