The National Register.
London, England, 1815-01-22 00:00:00

60

DR4III,I7'IC REGISTER.

DRURY LANE.

Last night Miss L. Kelly, sister to Miss Kelly, whose talents
kept too much in the shade at Drury lane, have long since raised
ker to an elevated rank in the public favour, made her first ap
pearance at this house in the part of Jolliet. At this late hour, we
are compelled to confine ourselves to general remarks. We recol-
lect her some years ago at the Lyream, where a pretty face and a
Vleacin' voice, with tactrfid execution, formed her chief merits, and
3nemor. did not lend much fire to hope. The character of Ju-
liet. which formerly required little more than beauty and softness
of manners, is besides now Liecome one of far greater difficulty
since Miss O'Neil has wakened all its capabilities and breathed, a
*pith of life into every line. - AVe, therefore, did not expect much
from Miss L. Kelly's exertions, and, upon the whole, consider her
sister as the only actress who would have a chance of approaching
the excellence of the Covent Garden Juliet. Miss L. Kelly, In.w-
ever, has closely studied the latter, and, with the aid of a good
Agute, some playfulness and much grace, could not fail to deserve
considerable applause. For the strong scenes her voice rather
failed her, and the part evidently rose above her powers. She
has, however, greatly improved, and will be a valuable acquisition to
the theatre.

"We rejbice to find that Mr. Kean is not impervious to just criti-
cism. Every defect which we had pointed out in his Romeo, he has
stow removed, and eivrn a character of feeling and strength to the
part, which it certainly totally wanted on the first night of his per-
formance.

Miss WitWein has now recovered all her credit for sense and
judgment. She has relinquished tragedy as a bars n, unprofitable
soil, in which her best efforts never could raise a harvest of finite, and
sought for popularity in a lower tract more congenial to her powers.
As in the former she bad disappointed our expectations, in the lat-
ter she has surpassed our hopes. Me has not suffered herself to lie
blinded by the puffs of her ft irmls, who in the morning and evening
papers incessantly proclaimed her the first actress of the age. She
listened to impartial criticism whenever it dared to break upon the
concert of praise, and giving np her pompous delivery and exu-
berance of gesture, learnt to speak the language of nature and to add
gracefulness to heraction. Lady Restless, which she personated for
the first time last Friday, in Murphy's comedy of All in the Wrong,
showed her improvements in a plat! more favourable paint of view.
Sale at last discarded all affectation, and her portraiture of the
jealous wife was correct and spirited. She has still occasion-
ally a little coarseness in her manners which requires po-
lishing, but she has already effected so much to deserve public ap-
probation, and ;moved herself so docile, that we have no doubt this
single blemish will disappear, when she once more assumes this
thaiacter. Mrs. Glover, Elliston, and the veteran Wroughton,
supported their respective parts with the greatest spirit, and to the
fall satisfaction of a numerous audience.

ARGYLE Rooms,—The Masquerade held at these rooms on
Thursday evening, wag tinmermisly attended, although domiuos
'ere mostly warn : yet there were many well dressed characters,
who played their parts with considerable spirit. A limb of the law,
and one of the corps dramatirpte from Drury4ane, afl"rded great
Cause for merriment, by an admirable caricature of the Landlord •f
the 0. P. and his Waiter, it was strikingly ludicrous and amusing.
The sniper and wines were execlleut, Lind ihti SLADE great creJit

JAN. 22.

and tl e d .ncrr•, among whom were several fansons waltzers, kept
'• tripping it on the light f.►ntaatie toe," until the approach of day
gave the signal fur separation.

JOANNA SOUTHCOT PS WILL.

The will of Joanna was to have been proved in the Prero-
gative Court last we •';; hut her brother, who resides in
Devonshire, having entered a caveat against it, and adminis-
tered to her property, it could not be done. This will b; ing
on a litigation between hint and the present executors. The
brother's objection rests upon the unsoundness of his sister's
mind, and her consequent inability to dispose of her property.
It is even supposed that the presents which have been sent
for the promised child, cannot be returned according to law
until it is legally ascertained who is the rightful owner; as
immediately upon her death they became the property either
of the brother or the executors. Last year Joanna made
the following remarks relative to her Will :
Here I think it necessary to notice what nen have reported of
the property 1 am worth, and to reason with them upon their own
grounds. My sister Carter told me at Bristol, in 1809, that the
repot t was in Ottorv. that I was worth 10,0001. Another told we,
that lie liadi heard the same report at another place ; awl, after the
death of Mr. Cexens (the person who left me an annuity of 2sOl.
per ann.). I have been informed that the world have magnified it
to 15,0001. And now, to slim the folly of these inveatiotts, I
shall let them know in what manlier I have made my Will. Wi.en
I looked forward to nothing more than the awful tliat, and my
death to bellow, befitre this revelation came to me that I should
have a child, 1 made my Will in the following manner :—After
leaving a legacy to my brother and sister, to be paid at my death,
and an annuity as lung as they lived. with a few legacies 10 other
relatives, and some legacies and tokens of love to my taitlifid
fiiends, who have shewn khulness to roe, and stood faithfully by
me ever slice I left Devonshire. After leaving these legacies and
tokens of love, which did not amount to too,v than a thousgml
pounds, then all the residue of this great fortune, which the world
say I am in possession of, I had left entirely to Mrs. Jane Townley
and Mrs. Aug U:derwood, as we have lived together ten years;
and as a mark of my gratitude for their having dune every thiug in
their power to make me happy ; and from their having written all
I the communications given to me, eve r since we gave lived together,
both for the press and in Ic Mrs to my friends , their giving up the
world, and confining themselves to be with me; and their having
made it their study to alleviate my sorrows and sufferings, tinder
every abuse that I have had to pass through, from all unbelieving
and malicious world, which bath wounded me greatly by their base
inventions to injure my character. And. when I reflect on the kitid
attention and atiection which they have 'divan to me through all
the persecution I have had to go through. if I could forget their
love, then I must have forgotten myself; and have an ungrateful
wicked heart, to bring in a stranger's child, if I could do it witholit
any one's knowledge. lint here men must be void ofeommon sense
and reason, if they suppose that Townley and Underwood would
aid in such an imposition, and which must so speedily come to a
disgraceful end." •
Notwithstanding the assertions of Dr. Reece, it is a fact,
that very large sums were collected front the followers of this
woman, but in what manner they were appropriated, the
Junta who surrounded her can best tell. The fact ought,
however, to overwhelm with shame her high priest, her fe-
male secretary, and the twelve elect which were appointed,
after the number of the Apostles, to reply to cavillers, pro-
pagate blasphemies, and fleece her credulous followers. As
many of these derived their suluistence from the fruits of the
imposition, they had recourse to the basest arts to uphold
the imposture. It is a fact, that 201. was, about a month
ago, sent by a tradesman confined in the King's Bench pri-
son, and who has since taken the benefit of the -nsolverst
Act. Mechanics with large families, and domestic servants,
who had no other means than what were derived from their
wages, have alike contributed to the maintenance pf this
hill "stare—to their own evident injury, and that of their
distressed families aad relatives.