The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-05-04 00:00:00

THEATRES.

Dauror-LACE.

A new musical afterpiece was produced at this
Theatre last evening, called The Ludy and the De.
pd. A young widow (Miss KELLY) lives next door
to the lodgings of as English officer (Mt. ELLIS..
los),in Palermo, who is very gallant, lint hiss •
strong antipathy to matrimony, a fault which the lady
determines to cure him of. A spring door connects the
two houses, the secret of which is known only to the
lady. By this means she carries on a distant, and
to him inconceivable communication with him, and
acquires thereby fur herself the conditional title
which also describes the piece. She has another
way of communicating wiili him in person in a
mask. but in both she contrives to elude his
tom fur a considerable time. At last he cliches her
in his chamber, and site undertakes her coulession ;
hut before she gets through it, she places her
negro handmaid ler her veil, behind her lover,
and escapes once more through the panne,. He
tutus round to embrace her. and after expressing
his mortification, by the advice of his friend, her
brother, he invokes het in the name of Heinen ; she
appears through the panne!, and resigns herself
acid her Secret to the keepiug of her future
husband. The dialogue of the piece is viva.
vim's. brit neither an "terse nor so tasteful as its
author seemed to have intended it to be. The
cidents of most interest► those which depend par.
ticularly ou the conorxion of the secret door. are
rather in the extreme of iirubsbility. Dot the
aiirlience were highly gratified, and the piece was
announced by Mr. EtusTuN fur ►eprtitiuu, amidst
as loud and long altvlause, as ever were heard wither
iu this or any other threatre.

coVIIIT•sARDIN..

Last night a new dramatic piece. in three act%
called Mantonlb or the Phantom, was prorlaced for
the firm tune. It is said to be the production a
Mr. SHISL, so distinguished as the author of
Evadoe, and other successful plays. The follow.
i lig are the Dramatis Persone:—

Baron Mconfoni
SrbNatiON
latra Mr. YATES.
Gregorid
Free&mite
larkialso . Mr. COMER.
nosalcine ....... • •

Mo►►totti, a second brother of an illustrious
house u► Calabria, is. the time of the Crusades, na-
turally brave, generous, rind merciful, is wrought
and prevailed upon by the wicked insinuations and
arts of his slave Calut►o, to assassinate his elder
brother, that lie may inherit his possessimis. He
then accuses his kinsman, Sebastian, beloved by
his only child, liosalciaa, of the murder, who, in
consequence, takes refuge under the banners of
the cross in the Holy Laud. The stings of a guilty
breast, however, rub Mordoni of any enjoyment in
the fruit of his crime—sewn:ion points at hien as
the real murderer, nod to escape the curio►ity and
abhorrence of the world, he shuts himself up in
solitude with his daughter and the foul depo-
sito►y of his secret. His misery is increased
by reports of the frequent appearance of his
brother's spirit, and at a solemn religious ce-
remony performed by Gregorid, * neighbouring
Abbott, and his brethren, ler the purpose of corn.
posing to rest the troubled spirit, he betrays strong
proofs of guilt. Just at this crisis Sebastian re-
twos, after a Ave yeses' obscure, and presents him•
self at Muntunes castle iu the disguise of a pd.
grim. Coirifro, iiiformed of his return, though
not of his presence under the same roof, avails
himself of the terror inspired into his lord by the for.
mer circumstance. and of his own possession of his
secret, to oblige him that very iiight to confirm his
repeated promises, of giving him his lovely daugh-
ter in marriage. Rosahrieres e►►treaties and tears
are vain, and the supposed pilgrim is conducted in
to unite her to the object of her detestation. In
such a situation the lover's feelings a►e too power-
ful to be controlled, sod he avows his real character
and sentiments. Hurried to prison, he is doomed
to die that very night, and on Montores brother's
tomb. But when the fatal hour has arrived, and
all 'he preparations have been mode for the dread.
trip deed, Cu/afro, the minister and instigator of
vengralice, staggers to the spot breathless, and al.
must lifeless with terror, from the strong assurance
of having just seen the apparition, and in the agonies
of his fear confesses every thing within his know-
ledge. own appearance immediately after
explains the cause of his accomplice's imagination,
moil of all the tales concerning the phantom. He
walks its asleep, with slow pace, iu white vestments,
and with a lighted taper in his hood. driven from
his couch by the thorns in his mind, and ill in-
coherent sentences and fantastic imaginations,
unfolds the deep taint blatant had contracted. Being
awakened, he at first endeavours in vain to kill
Ca/afro. mid afterwards plunges his dagger into
his own breast, it will be confessed by the warmest
of our author's admirers, that a good deal of the
success of his former plays was due to Miss
O'NEILL's inimitable personatioti of their heeuiue .
Itosaleina, the elements of whose being are femi.
►side softries4, tenderness, and loves would leave been
excellently adapted to (hot highly-gifted lady's ta-
lents. Miss FOOTS played it always prettily and
gracefully, and occasionally with fine touches of
pas►ion. We never sew Mr. M ACRSADY to greater
advantage that► in Muntoni ; to describe the excel-
lencies of the performance would be to quote every
part of it. Finer painting of a noble mind, de-
based by crime, and torn by remorse, we never
witnessed, sod can scarcely conceive. Mr. As•
BOTT'S Sebastian was a vigorous pathetic re-
presentation of a brave and Moment injured mass.
The other parts were played respectably. The
drama is written in blank verse, and coutimis some
good descriptions and very poetical passages.
The opera of the Marriage of Figaro was af-
terwards performer'. Mrs. Diccous acted the
tuneless Almeria°, and gave the music los:Wolinl
to the character in n style winch displayed the ex-
cellencies of nature combined with the utmost
traces of art. Her first song was rapturously en.
cured. 'Miss M. Tate performed Sirsiusuo very
creditably ; her slotting wise highly applauded.
Cherubim° was played by Miss BEAUMONT. This
eery interesting end promising young lady repre-
screed-the simply arch and modestly amorous page
with the greatest sucee.•. Site both looked sod
played the part admirably. The other characters
were supported with ability, ■nil the opera was
very favourably received by a good house.