The National Register.
London, England, 1808-07-31 00:00:00

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER.

JULY 31.

himself into the hands of the executioner, and forces him to
comply with his wishes. The promised reward is given to its.
diboo, and stakes are prepared for So/leo and the female °fender.
Meanwhile, Torribal has informed his mother of the cause of
elico's departure, and his intention of selling his freedom.
She hurries from her retreat, and whilst on the way to the
camp, meets Madiboo loaded with gold, who vainly attempt, to
prevent her from proceeding, and at last follows her with his
brother. The stakes and piles are ready, the King ascemi, his
throne, Seiko is chained, the female slave appears covered w ith
a veil, which is snatched from 11?.r at the moment she is going to
be led to the stake, and Seiko perceives Berissa alive, hut 04
the point of dying in agony, and what to him is no less painful,
accused of having received a man in her tent. She knows hi
and declares that he is not the offender, but will not betray the
lame of her nightly visitor. They are both chained, and tokens
are brought to set fire to the pile, when Farttlto bursts through
the crowd of guards and spectators, and proclaim, himself t,ailty
of having endeavoured at night to free his daughter. The King
then interrogates Setico, and learns the whole of liibt.tory ; at that
moment Darina, Torribal and Narliboo arrive, and fall at toe
monarch's feet. He calls for an English merchant, an:! buts 1.111
say how much he now thinks a slave like Setico ;s worth. ‘, on
account of his virtue, a thousand pieces of gold would not he Eno
high a price," is the answer. " Well, exclaims the
give the thousand pieces of gold, not to buy, but to 'arts luitu
with Berissa." Rejoicings ensue, and the play close'.
Mr. Colman has acquired so much popularity and &served
fame in comedy, that We are astonished his genius would de-
scend to the lower sphere of the melodrama. For t,,(,rgh it
hear the pompons title ofa play, this piece is only a melons...ma,
riot indeed like those senseless compositions, filled wi:h ..,(.11)es
and affected wit, with which the boards of the winter theatres
were crowded ; but as it should be, teeming with interest, w ith
chaste and elegant language, sometimes beautiful imagery, sen-
timents that spring from and speak to the heart, and adorned,
not overloaded with limited pomp and magnificence. The cha-
racters of the three brothers are happily delineated, although
they do, not possess new features. Torribal is blunt, rough, and
sincere;' Madiboo, lively, hut full of sensibility; and Sclico, like
most heroes of a play, tender, sentimental, courageous and resign-
ed. The greatest novelty (and novelty it may be called,) at least
by the Sovereigns of Africa, China, the Deys, &c. who till then
had been accustomed to be visited by wandering Irishmen or
plodding Scotchnien alone) is the introduction of a London
cockney, drawn with Mr. Coleman's Visual felicity, and admi-
rably performed by Liston. The King of Kasson was evidently
meant to represent the Emperor of France; but we are at a loss
to conceive why, after all the just abuse that has been lavished
upon him during the course of the play, his character was dis-
played at the close in so brilliant a light. There are a few in-
consistencies which it is our duty to point out. At first it can-
not he supposed that any man in his senses would prefer the re-
• lebration of a brother's nuptials, to the security and the very
existence of all his countrymen; and yet Madiboo, though con-
scions of the approach of the foes, and apprized a second time
of their arrival by Augustus Mug, instead of calling the war-
rior to arms, conceals the information he has received, and. thus
causes the destruction, murder, and captivity, of the inhabitants
ofa whole town. It seems strange, also, that since 11 fig de-
scribes the Mandingoes as having already entered the tuna, no
one but he should have known their arrival. Secondly, thom:lt
Torribal, is the most manly, both in age, manners, form, and
language, of the three brothers ; and describes himself as a lion,
in these words—

" We were two lions;
" But I, the bravest—"
In imitation of Cwsar's speech in Shakespeare,
"We were two lions, litter'd in one day,
" But 1, the eldest and more terrible."

Yet he remains constantly at his mother's elbow, without enconn-
tering any of the dangers with w hich he is best calculated lo
contend. These inconsistencies were added by Mr. Coleman,
in order to improve on the French tale, which is not totally free
from them. Many others might be pointed out, but spnce
will
not allow us to do it. The dances are too frequent, and badly
executed. The music is old and one of Mr. Kelly's best seler -
lions, and what won our approbation, it was openly acknoN 'edged
as such. The scenery is beautiful and appropriate ; and, with a
few curtailments, this piece will deserve the reception w hich it met
with. Mr. Fawcett's acting was excellent, the character wins to
have been drawn to suit his powers. Mr. Y wino. was very great in
Selico, and now and then. reminded U 5 of Mi. livable. Mr,

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