The National Register.
London, England, 1811-10-06 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

The arts and sciences are said to improve with each succeeding
generation; and it has been added, that every age grows wiser
and wiser. With respect, however, to poetry and literature in
general, this is very far from being the case. if a foreigner, for
instance, were to endeavour to form an estimate of the literary
talent of the English, from a review of the works of authors of
the present day, what a miserable figure should we make, as
compared with that we exhibited two centuries ago. Far from
improving, or advancing towards perfection, we seem to have
adopted a retrograde motion ; and having degenerated long, we
are at length sunk so low, that it it appears impossible for us to
continue to sink much longer, though with the present stock of
writers it is equally impossible to hope to rise.
Of all the absurd trumpery that has disgraced the st tge for
the last twenty years, a piece more eminenly contemptible,
more strikingly stupid, and more deplorably wretched, has not •
been produced, than that, which was performed at this theatre
on Monday last, under the title of The Benighted Travellers;
or, Forest of Rosenwald.
To do justice to its extraordinary worthlessnesss, it would be
necessary to transcribe the whole. This, however, it is impos-
sible to do, and I must therefore content myself with a few brief
observations on its general demerits, before I consign it to a
disgraceful oblivion.
This new piece, we are told in the bills, is founded on the
story of Raymond and Agnes; and this assertion, coming from
the Managers, extraordinary as it may seem, is true. It is
founded on the story of Raymond and Agnes, for it is, in fact,
but a burlesque on the Pantomime now performing at Covent-
Garden. The difference between them is, that here, bad music
is substituted for good, and that it is made more tedious by a
miserable dialogue, which one might easily fancy must have
come from the pen of a scoolboy or an ideot. From the begin-
ning to the end, neither in the parts intended to be serious, nor
in those designed to be comic, is there to be found one spark
of genius, wit, or humour. Common sense and common Eng-
lish are alike disregarded. It does nct contain one idea worthy
of notice, nor one period that boasts felicity of expression. Its
reception was such as its merits entitled it to. It was as com-
pletely damned, as any damnable piece could be. Yet, notwith-
standing its sentence of condemnation was most unequivocally
pronounced, the Managers, mark their deference to their " dear
patrons," had the modesty in their next day's bills " most respect-
fully" to inform the public, tha. it was received with unbounded
applause throughout, and would be repeated every evening.
I will not comment on this outrage, not only of truth, but of
decency ; but it is worth while to take some notice of those who
treat that public by which they live, with so much contempt.
By whom is this piece brought forward ? By those, forsooth,
who thought proper to ridicule their Covent-Garden neigh-
bours, for their love of pageantry. By those, who resented the
insult offered to the town, when four-footed performers were
introduced on the stage, as tending to explode incr.: classical

REGISTER.

635

entertainments. By those, who brought forward The Quadru-
peds of Quedlingburgh. By those who told us at the commence
ment of their season :

To splendour, this poor house has no pretence,
Our aim is laugh, love, nature, common sense.

Yes, these are the Gentlemen, who having entertained the
town throughout the whole of their season, by their ridiculous
squabbles with each other, now presurr e to vie with Covent-
Garden in spectacle. They attempt to rival the splendour of a
palace, with the magnificence of a pig stye, and expose their
inability to merited derision, by producing an entertainment

fit only to be played at the fairs where its author used to
exhibit.

I know not to which of the mighty men concerned in thit
establishment, the public stand indebted for this splendid melo-
drama. Perhaps it is the fruit of their united wisdom, as, after
what we have seen in them, nothing but rationality ought to
surprise. Their blindness, in continuing to force it on the
public, will, I trust, carry its punishment with it. The public,
while laughing at the Ilaymaket pantomime, will make the best
comments on the truth of the professions of the Manager., and
they will doubtless bear in mind that they are the same men,
who, while labouring to bring the German school into contempt,
invited the town to enjoy a part of the writings of KOTZ Env z :
who strove to make us weep with a German play, and then
came to wipe our eyes, with an Anglo-Germanico-Inppoitonob
dish-clout.