The National Register.
London, England, 1818-10-19 00:00:00

COVENT-GA UDEN.

Miss O'Neil has resumed her professional duties at
this theatre. On Monday evening she made her first
appearance this season, in her favorite character of
Belvir!era, and the applause of a crowded house paid a
just trilu to her unrivalled talents. Mrs Siddons
io this character, as in her general style of acting, ps-
sessol a mind which " tower'd above her se::.:" she per-
son Pied nature, not with its ortlinaq attiihutes, but
arrayed in all the loftier energies of commanding irls-
sions Miss O' Neil's delineation, on .the other hand,
is simidieity ornamenting thc witchery of youth and
loveliness. Mrs. Siddons displayed a majestic tiirtitode
of mind, swaying a despviie seertre over the tributary
feelings—Miss O'Neil is mild without insipidity ;
gentle, yet dignified ; full of overlloxv Mg tenderness,
•y et full of taptivating modesty. Ihe ardour of her
last lsi;,s in her btrewell interview with .Thi/e'cr, was
etputlly fervent with the impassioned yet chaste em-
brace with which, in Isabella, she greets her llirtm;

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Where the impulse of conjugal tenderness predominates
in every llhre of her heart, and glows in evert• le.iture
of her face. Iler look of horror on hearing the fatal
bell which proJahned the fate of her husband's friend,
and her last hysteric s where exhausted Nature ap-
peared to sink-.-.-ALL were delusions so operative in their
magic, that sober judgment yielded, thr the evening,
to their potent C Kemble's Affier
was in his best style ; and Mr. Young's Pies re, excel-
lent.

Tues.:My—A wnv comic opera was produced this
evening, under the title of Tile Barber of Senille: it
is, with the exception of two or three characters well
introduced, a counterpart of 11 Barbieri, di .Siviglia,
which was so attractive last season at the King's Thea-
tre. The best songs, some of the minor pieces, with
the fluul.:s of the Original, were preserved : and,
although we should have considered the purely Italian
composition of liosini as the last which could, with any
probability of success, be adapted to En!,:lish words;
yet, in this instance. such difficulty has been most
fully surmounted. The other music is judiciuusly se-
lected from Paesiello, or composed by Bishop. We
have rarely received such a musical treat at an Ew*lish
theatre ; and the audience seemed to participate in the
same pleasure, and to feel the superior refinement of
the composition.—Mrs. Dickens, after an iOsence of
two years, during which time she has acquired consi.
derabie reputation on the Continent, presented herself
in the character of lias•ina. This lady has few, if any,
competitors as an English singer : her style and man-
ners (greatly improved by her study and practice abroad)
are bold and determined; her action peculiarly graceful ;
her taste correct—her cadences always judicious—her
execution neat and articulate—and her expression ad-
mirably dramatic and characteristic: her voice has ac-
quired additional sweetness. She was rather tremulous
in her first song, from that beautiful air of Paoiello,
which is the ground-work of our " For tenderness
forad ;" but she soon recovered her self-possession.—
In one song, accompanied by herself on the piano forte,
she evinced infinite skill and science and was deservedly
encored.—The piece was repeated on Wednesday
the applause of a gratified audience was as universal as
it was merited.—ln Fielding's Miser, which followed,
Mr. W. Farrell performed the part of Lvego/d, so ably
represented by Emery, with the same truth and excel-
lence which he has displayed in all his previous per-
sonitkations.

Beaumarchais' Barber of Sev lie was first introduced
on the English stage, by the late G. Colman, Esq. about
10 years ago, under the title of The Spani.ch Barber, at
the .1 laymarket Theatre. At that time, John Painter
was the Coant Alinaviva; Parsons, Ballolo; Edwin,
Figaro; and Mrs. Bannister ( then Miss Harper), the
liosina. Upon its revival, some years after, the present
Countess of Derby was the heroine of the Drama.

The new Stib-Committee of Drury Lane consists of
Mr. Moore, Col'mel Douglas, Mr. Wilson, Alderman
Cox (the banker), and A,r. 7.rottmonger. Mr. Rubins
was proposed by Lord Yarmouth, and had one vote.—
It is said that the election of the above Sub-Committee
is to be submitted to a general meeting of the Proprie-
tor 4. _

Mr. Foote of the Haymarket Theatre, and little
Clara Fisher, are now giving recitations and select
scenes from Sletkspeare, with success, at the Assembly
Rooms at Salisbury.
The half price lobby loungers, a Correspondent ob-
serves, are become a very great nuisance in the theatres.
Many of them are low fellows, of bad manners and no
breeding. They are noisy and clamorous, and gene-
rally act like cowards, by finving their way into boxes,
though crowded, particularly where there are unpro
tceted females. Several shop boys and Jew Dandies,
Tuesday night, before half price, rushed into Covent
Garden Theatre, and behaved in the must audacious
manner, and it was found necessary to have constables
to preserve order. After sweeping the shop in the
morning, they conceive that they have a right to " kick
up a dust" in the evening.
On Saturday, the American Indians, who have been
performing fur sonic time in the Theatre here, were, at
the request of the Royal Company of Archers, allowed
by Mr. Murray to shoot with them at the Company's
Batts. The distances at which the Indians are accus-
tomed to shoot, arc so.muell shorter than the distance
practised by the Royal Company, that no just comparison
could be firmed of th., merits of the shooterA. The
party afterwartts went to the field, where the Royal
Company shot at rovers, much to the astonishment of
the Indians, who had no idea of the distance which
proper bows :and arrows can command. The accoutre-
ments of the Indians are extremely coarse and awkward,
and only calculated for short distances, where they are
used with great precision and eabet. The Company
presented their visitors with some arrows and bow
strings, which highly pleased them. At taking leave,
their chief returned thanks, by the interpreter, fiir the
civilities shewn to them, in a speech of some length,
in which he expressed the surprise of himself and his
warriors at finding brother archers ill Edinburgh, so
fiuttiiiar with the use of the bow, and in particular.
their surmise at the distance and aaeuracy of the field
shooting.—liclintur.;h Ccuiraul,

`3:43

DRURY LANE TIIE.ITUE.

Friday, in pursuance of a circular sent iw the Se-
cretary, inviting the eivilitors of the establishment to
meet the Sub-Committee, a numerous attend:om. took
place in the saloon of the theatre The only Members
of the Sub-Committee present were, Mr. Alderman
Cox and Mr. Ironmonger.
Mr. Alderman Cox having been unanimously called
to the Chair, stated to the Meeting, that the sole objet t
which the Sub-Committee had in view was the pm:.
perity of the Theatre, and as a proof of the sincerity
of their intentions, they had determined personally and
at their individual hazard to make a tender in liquida-
tion of the debts of the concern, which they trusted
would prove satisfactory. Ile, therefipre, on !heir part
submitted to the Meeting the fidlowing proposition ;
that estimating the total amount of the debt ut 3.1.,0001,
of which one half was to be paid, the Sub-Committee
were ready in the first instance to liquidate by prompt
payment ss. in the pound, amounting to 8.:1001. and
to render themselves personally responsible fix the pay-
ment of the remaining 8,5001. at the end of the present
season.

Mr. Ironmonger observed, that in this offer the five
persons who composed the Sub-Committee could have
no selfish end to answer, but that, on the contrary,they
individually subjected themselves to a great and certain
expenditure, attended with consiberable risk, while in
their official situations they were not bound to sacrifice
a single shilling.
After some discussion, in which it was clearly under.
stood, that unless the creditors universally' agreed to the
proposal, the object for which the Meeting was called
would be nugatory, the Members of the Sub-Committee
withdrew, and a Committee of the principal creditors
was appointed to take the proposal into consideration,
and report thereon.