The National Register.
London, England, 1814-05-08 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER..

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Mr. Kean acted Othello on Thursday, and last night he
appeared as the representative of Ingo. In both he received
great applause, but his Othello, considered as a whole, was a
very imperfect performance. It may be urged that his ex-
ecution was in some-parts brilliant, and that a diminu-
tive figure and a husky voice ought not to be imputed
to him as faults ; but admitting all this, we cannot bring
ourselves to admire his portraiture of the Moor. We
do not blame him for what he cannot help, but Still we can-
not bring ourselves to admire his defects. The
Irishman's horse, though it was. proved his blindness
• was a mi,fiiriune, and not a fault, was less valuable
than one that could sec, and an Othello deficient in size and
mice, whatever praise may be due to the actor, for greatly
exerting himself in despite of nature, cannot merit unquali-
fied approbation. We hope Mr. Sowerby, the Othello of
yesterday, will not think, in making these remarks, we have
any dcsi;ol to flatter him. Tar be it from us to do such vio-
lence to his feelings. Though we could wish Othello to he
played by such " as arc of happier person" than
.Mr. Kean,
we should be in no hurry to make Mr. Sowerby his substitute.
_Togo is one of those characters in which Mr. Kean's peison
is not particularly against him. On this subject we purpose
to defer our remarks for the present. Next week, as Mr.
Young is about to play Ingo at Covent Garden, we may have
an opportunity of noticing both in the same publication.

The grand Subscription Fete, in honour of the Peace, is
to he given at Burlington House and Gardens, the use of
which the Duke of DevOnshire has, in the handsomest
manner, given for the occasion. The Committee are of
opinion, that the number of persons at the Ball ought not in
any case to exceed eighteen hundred.

kY S.

.SYMPTOMS OF PEACE AND PLENTY.

Pike of posting reduced in some counties to 15d. in others to Is.
per
A tall is contemplated in Porter, said id. per pot.
Horses, 15 per cent. lower, no more being wanted for the cavalry :
and cattle more than 20 per cent. from the discontinuance of the con-
tracts.
Some veal was last week imported at Dover from Caleis, whish was
said at 3d. per lb. a fine turkey at 3s. 6d. and 100 eggs for Is. 6d.
Good yea' is now selling at Harwich for at 6d. per lb. fresh butter Is.
per lb. and eggs 50 for 11. which articles are imported from Holland
regularly twice a week.
A correspondent calculates the annual consumption of French and
other prisoners of war, recently mnintnined in this country, at 2,607,142
stone, of 141 h. each of animal food ; this and the decreased consump-
tion of the army and navy will, it is reasonably to be expected, reduce
the present exorbitant price of meet, which is so serious an article at
the present price, that few can afford what our forefathers boasted of
daily, a joint and a pudding.
The property tax, by the last act, will remain till the 6th of April
after the ratification of a definitive treaty of peace with the French. It
does not depend on the continuance or cessation of the American war,
as the Statute passed before dint event took place. The other war
t .xes expire six months after the definitive treaty of peace with France.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.