The National Register.
London, England, 1818-03-15 00:00:00

• COVIIVF-0 A RDVN.

On ThurSdaywas produced a stew Musical Play, eat
,titled Rob Roy Macgregor ; or, Auld Lang Syne,
/banded on the novel of Nob Roy. The works of this
Author arc so highly dramatic, the characters are so
powerfully drawn, and the scenery and circumstances
so interesting, that the leading incidents have always
been transferred to the stage with the greatest effect.
These exquisite .productions have not only given. use to
a new ens in Novel writing, lnitin Opera writing also,
promising to relieve it front its entire dependence on the
music, by imparting great interest to the fable and cha-
racters. This •is the cause with thstresent, of which
the following iS.II hasty sketch.
•• The scene lies ia Scotland. durillg the time when Macgregor
. and a.powerfal party, .acre .calleavouring to restore the Stuarts.—
** The house of Oslickstone and Co. Crane Ailey. Landon," (so tle.
signated. by Mt. Own, their clerk) is described as being of immense
consequence in the commercial world. but whose affairs are thrown
into confusion from the ciresunstaace of Mr, Francis Osbaldistotte.
(the ion) having e. greater inclination for poetry than trade, which
occasions his father. to send him to his uncle, Lir Hildebrand. in
Northumberland. and tu take his cousin. &Weigh Osbaldistone
his place, who, in a short time, contrives to abscond with large
sums of money belonging..to the house. and government papal.
which lie seizes for the put pox of advancing the cause of the Stuarts.
with whom he .is• conneetal. An the mean time, Frank has been
gainini• the affections of Dia** Veron. who resides with-Sir Hihk-
kreed.tbeseby defeating the hopes of ..Rissiiieigliewhe bed been her
suitor. play commences with the journey. of 09/111, talanchant)
s junior partner of du. house, in pursuit Rashleigh. (Abbot) who
ss welcomed to be in the I litildands. These particulars he commu.
Alcides tu a travelling CUMpaown, who is souther then Rob.lll Mae-
lerer,r, (Macre'idyl and in dose correspondence .with liushiees and
the rebels.. !Sinclair) is also apprized a. his father's cut bar.
:assment. and they proceed together to Glasgow. Arriving there,
:le is told by a stranger, that it is nut safe for him to remain in Gist:.
sow, and urg him to accompany him where .he .will meet with a
urprise. lie oenoents. .and is conducted to, the „prison. where he
.And.; Own, whe hod been arrestedwt.the secret instigation of fla.;‘-
!:•is.i.,. Their conference is interrupted by Balk Jai (Lig.
ttli) who comes to visit ttm••ess.whenreheknow. Be recognizes .11w,
grevr, in the stranger, but on the score of relationship, /cc, de.
apprekuld bins. Ma. yregste.lht the entreaty of Diana i'sr-
'.on. (Nfiss,S•tepheos) who has power .over bbn in consequence. of
• .heir ;twine: connexion with the Stuart., -.undertakes to procure time
:estitution of Orboldistonc and Co.'s pat., if Fronk and the Aside
lie will accompany him to the Highs. Before they. set out,
• rank andlAnshleigh meet by accident. and fight. but are interrupt-
ed by Afnegriror, Who parts than. Auhleigh. incited by disap.
pointed love and ambition. turns •rene.gade. and.b.ituws .A.raegresor..
on his arrival in the Highlands. who is taken prisoner. by the King s
troops,. but rftsavrards escapes while his clan, headed by Helen. his
wife, (Mrs.Tgertea) gain a victory over another party. It will be
proper to mention that Divia has concealed her father. Sir Irrderick
Vernon. (Ex.:don) , until this period, when the treachery of Masi-
ifgr. who was posseasetl of the se:ret. tendered it necessary they
should escape to the lisighlisod•:. •ltssisleigh discovers them here also,
owl lays a plan for their apprehension. which is fortunately ever:,
heard by Deal, rl, CI c kelyt.ime of Arte reg.fr'x Jan. wbo.:e ;rigout •
.ty had been of essential service on several occasions. A coordinglyi
Sir Fracrick, his slaughter, and Frank, are apprehended together
it a cave on charge of treason, but Macgregor and his clan rush in,
disperse the soldiers, and Rashleifh is stabbed to the heart by Nat:
zregor himself. The end is easily foreseen —The 0401distone_ pa.
:nets arc restored—Frank and Diana are united. and Rob Rey 4ac-
,l-; regor Caotrbeit is left in react tenon his native bill.

TI-IF 'NATIONAL REGISTER.

These, and subordinate incidents, form a most inte-
resting drama. It will be seen by those who have read
the Novel, that-it -adheres as elasely as possible to the
original plot—the most material alteratioa being in the
character and manner; of Diuna•Verston, who is trans-
formed from a masculine, hunting-loving lady to what
Miss-Stephens usually is. 'There is, however, a de-
gree of complexity in the• fable which will render it
rather is:infused to those. Who arc not previously tiuniliar
with the story. As an acting play, we think it supe-
rior to Gay kanuering, as possessing greater interest,
and tan-ding an opportunity for the display of more
patwercul acting ; in this respect, it receives the great-
est assists ice front the pertimmers. Macready's Iboli
le9 is excellent ; it is forcible, nature!, and pleasing.
Abbott has little to do in Bashlcigh, but that little is
very good. Liston is quite at home in the Itai
flit; luiventures iu the lligh!.mids arc irresistibly amus-
ing, and his favourite exclamation, " My consciente !"
has freattently a most, ludicrous e!ket. We would re-
coutteend hint not to spoil the termination of .s beau-
tiful glee, " by setting on some quantity of barren
spectators to Lug-IC—he doubtless remember's Hamlet's
advice on those occasions. Mrs. N.Nrton's actin,i, needs
no other praise or illustration, than the bare iriforma-
tion that lick): Maczregor is a bold, indignant, in-
jured woman, of the Meg Merrilies school. Miss Ste-
Thetis, in D;anu Vernon, is pleesing, .and that is all
required of her as an actress. Put her sioging is in-
deed
beautiful. I ler most .suceessful tifihrts were the
duet with Sinclair—"Tho' you leave me now in sor-
row," than which we have seldom heard any thing
more delightful, and the air, " A Highland lad my
love was born." &Alt were rapturously curered.—
Sinclair sings " Auld hang sync," charmingly,. as, in-
deesl, be does the whole of tbe..airs entrusted to hint.
Of the Music generally, we have only to observe, that
the greater part consists of old and favourite Scottish
Airs, and freauently the wortts of Bums. We by no
meatus complain of this, either as rcg..rds the poetry or
the music, for in the present stue of both, ,it is tee to
one but we gain considerably by the plan. .The ori-
ginal Music (chiefly Glees and Choruses) ie by Davy
and Bishop. We were much pleased with the Finahe
of the second act—" Tramp, tranw, o'er moss and
and with the Clan's Lament, by the late Mr. Reeve.—
The Overture is by Davy, and though we are ready to
give it all deserved praise, yet it is certainly interior im
effect, to that of Guy Mattnering. The air of Roy's
Wife isn,,ouir. introduced, in our opinion, injudiciously,
as it is afterwards sung twice during the play. The
scenery is truly beautiful, especially the views in the
Highlands, that of Glasgow /3ritlge, and the cave by
moonlight.
The principal defect of this play, is' its want of ori-
ariaalitv..--fts pretensions to public favour are built on
Gay Mannering. We have the same kind of scenery,
and the same kind of music. The incidents are of
course different, but the style and conduct arc very
similar. Both begin with a glee in a public house,
and both end with a Scutoh.air tin a cave. Frank
Osoaldistone walks in and out just .atler, the fashion of
Harry Bertram—the Baillic's "my conscience!" steps
into the.place of, " Prodigious! and Helen Macgregor,
though not exactly a Meg Merrilies, once or twice re-
minds us very. stronzly.of the latter. We cannot help
noticinr, that an appeal in Miss Stephens's verse of the
chorus is made in the .singular number, recommending
Ro6.Roy on the score of personal favours. This is not
correct, either as respects the performer or the public,
and ought not to have been introduced.

The play would bear curtailment, especially. in the
..first.act, .which is 11Itla. ft/01(11V.

;WRIMOUTII, M.tectt morning Prince
Leopold, accompanied by Dr. Stockmar, walked on
Smalmouth Sand', the much favoured spat for the recre-
ation of out late deeply. regetted Princess Charlotte.—
His Royal Highness afterwards crossed the ferry,. and
proaecvka to 'Portland Beach, the late ccuuc of woeful
disaster. 'file 'Prince occupied .sonie time in survey-
ing this extraordinary production of nature, which re-
sists the most furious tetnpests. .The summit and mag-
nitude of this great barrier excited the wonder and
astonishment of his Ruyal Highness, :at its awful Up-
pcarance. .The Prince, on quitting the fern, return-
ed in his carriage, which was in waiting, and arrived
at the King's Lodge at four o'clock.
The Duke of Clarence visited Miss Wykeham on
Sunday. sennignt, .at • Thane Park, and passed the
greatest part of the day at the lady's mansion. On
Friday the Duke went to Portstrouth, to see his young-
est. son put en board the Spartan frigate, as a midship-
man.

The Princoss cf Wales has a cause in Chancery
against Earl Liverpool and Count Munster, executors
under the will bf the late Duke of Brunswick, her
brother ; she totes them for tun promissory notes .of
15,0001.. each, drawn in 1814.,by t►he Dakt in her fa-
vour.; her executors have culled for an inspectiau of
the notes.

A Neapolitan Abbe Janelli, has discovered in the
Royal library, at Naples, a manuscript of Dracontiam, a
poet of the sth century. It contains ten soul] poems
hitherto unknown, qon mythological subjects.