The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-14 00:00:00

THEATRES.

• Drury•lane Theatre.—A new piece, entitled The.
Dwarf of liaplrt, was ushered into life last night, 3114
while the present vitiation of unite hangs on the town,
it is exactly of the kind that may safely look fits tem.
porary success. The language is above mediocrity, awl
some similies of such delicacy and excellence ate in- •
traduced as ought to' h ire belonged to a better piece ;
but the misfortune of our stage at the present motor tit
is, that there is an inversion of system ; instead of a
play being written first, and rent afterwards, it is cast
lint and then written ; or, in other words, our.great
actors arc studied by the author, instead of the author
being studied by the actor. The author of Ihe .nude'
of .eraples has written the character for Kean, and has
availed himself not only of all the adintrahle points of
his man, but of all the pauses, starts, and trickeries,
which have increased by being tolerated. Tlw story is
shortly, that 'lke Dwarf; (Kean) is soured by his defect
of person, becomes jealous of his brother's favour with
his Sovereign—procures his banishment tinder suspi-
cion of treason--during his absence employs bravos to
murder him—and in the last scene, being foiled in his
attempts, rushes on the king to end his erotica by regi-
cide; he is here too defeated, and he leaves the stage in.
violence, taut ala Sir Giles Overreach. The piece was
received with great applause, and the epilogue, which
contained some very apposite, witty, and good allusions
to the last election, pleased so much, that an encore was
generally called for, but such repetition is, we believe,.
contrary to etiquette.
COVENT.GARDEN.—The performance of the hiarrteee
of Figaro was merely mentioned its ihi• Noer 11/.4 st eek, vs
a promise of subsetitten: notice. It is so exactly our old fa-
vourite the Follies of' a Day, interspersed with s rigs, that it is
unnecessary to give the story ; we there:ore content uuroelvra
with giving the following cast of the Dramatis Persona. :
The Count, Mr..lones ; Fiorci!o, Mr. Duruset; Figneo,
,fr. Lisiou; the Gardener, Mr. Fawcett ; the Page, till-s
Beaumont ; the Countess, Mr,. Dirkuns ; and Sus train, Miss
Stephen:.
It may be simposed that the union of such talent produced
an electrical effect. Mrs. Dickons, who has so rare!) toren
before tie public since her return to her native conntr: e has
rel.:unity not lost any thing in voice, and hits most surely
added to her science. Miss Stephemis appeared to he oil the
alert, delennine.l mai ll sly to emulate 'he excellencies of
her seniur—she succeeded admirably, pat ticulatly in those
parts where her cuaracteristse sweetness had an oppor,unity
of display.
The music, which Is composed, arranged. and adapted by
Bishop, is good—in same instances excellent. We have
only timc 'to notice in the first art is duet, between Mouser
and Miss Stephens and a song hv, Mrs. DicLons beautifully
executed, each isf which was env', red. In the seeded act,
it duet between Mrs. Dickens and NlissStephens-.-Mrs. D.
dictating a letter to Nlis.S. was more r,ptorow,ly encored
than an) thing dee, and it well deserved it -:t was enaugh to,
make an Eis4lisbniau proid of his country, to hear mos
native talent. la the third act, Duruset Lose is not
p!ttistare is not pain," very creditably to himself.• and llrs.
Dizkons a !)rotas, in which she astouished the Maim nab
her passers.
The dance iu the third lict wits admirably nuanced by
.bless and the pa, de dais ea Hopagmot bet C!.11 insellf
and LOppino emptisite heyotal desciiptiou. The.Poece is
splendidly gut up, and will have a run. It Wlll announced
fur Tue-day uttsisl repeated cherr..—We cannot 'lose this
ithout tin ring the illuminated palace by moon-light.
which, we thiuk, the fittest effort of ser..-e-paiutiug we ever
Law.

On Sunday the following bulletin was exhibited
of the state of the King's health
Witt•bor Castlit, March G.

" Ibis Majesty has been generaty cheertul I. •
last n.. .. th, but %%hhuttt. any abatement of his uourde
His ftlisjcsiy's isusilly health e.mtiiiiies gi.ud."
Vile assault wed flriempt et t we're
o'clock on 3.londay night six or toed armed 11.1Cli entered
the house of hlapr Quin, Valetta, in the comity of
Kilkenny., within two miles of Waterford, by the Li—
chen window. and brought lighted candles with them.
The Major, on heariiu tile noise, stood on the head of
the stainowith a double berretled gun, and repeatediy
desired the cowardly t illains to come up, that be %AI
prepared fi.r tacos if they were twenty in number, and
for some rinse kept them at hay. They fired two 61:013
at him, which on his attempting to return both Larrds
missed, which- on liter perceiving they rushed np stairs,
knocked hint down, amt cut hint on the head xitls the
buttsend of a anti, tellmg hint to discover Where he had
his money —While they were em ;aged with the N1.1.j0r.,
a servant girl, itame.l Sionot, got out of a tt,•
slew unlit:retired, proceeded to the house of ltr.ek.
I)altnis, publican, to glee the alarm, who, with. iris hot.
Min John Dalton, Thomas Ryan. a Lyth,c proctor, his
assistant William Caulfield, anti IVl',:hael !Int-
erested itistamiy to the...place of :Letitia Nig its tiros 10 •
save the lives of Alajor and Nlrs. Quin, W.IICIIIIICy
rr-
leatedly anti vehemently threatened ;..Caul6eld twilit: the
hest who entered fired a pistol, winch he thinks hail
effect, as it iinmediately disperad thetn. Pio rick 1)alton,
who remained outside tii the Itothe to secure the passage
at the window, by which :tie robbers sutered, with a
shovel in his hand, seitefL one of !kern muted with a
viti, wrested it front hint, and mt his 'staking r tf mede
• a WOW at hies with it, which he Inokmit on his head.
They were so Amused they took nothnig with them,
bon left. behind a pair of shoes, an old hat. two gusts, n
sledge hat iiiii er, fond the conker of a Thmgh, with
which they itail brokrnt he garden dour th:l the kitchen
window. One of the robbers has• been :,ist•re-
ltemice.„ and fully illentiffedf by NVii.learts Catt:field.
There is no doubt-had Dalton and his party aims. flos
' would have appreheinied some, if nut all the •ofsher, ;
, they had but one pistollsetiween them, v 4 hich C
disc:4.l4yd un cowing the house.—lls'eti.ni .11tr, .
• . . .