The National Register.
London, England, 1808-01-17 00:00:00

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER.


ARUM' LANK,
,Ormanees of the last week have been t+-
....Pizarro, with the new pantomime of Funibond.
. Fotsc tams, with the pantomime.
AY, Much Ado About Nothing, with the pantomime.
• The Duenna, ‘vith the pantomime.
The Busy Body, with the pantomime.
• All in the Wrung, with the pantomime.
pieces there is nothing to be particularly noticed.

COVENT ILI
The 41,16untaineers, ith the ncn• pantomime of

Harlequin in his Element.
Never acted, The Wanderer, or, The Rights of
Hospitatitg, ith the pantomime.
A Thc4lt a rb! re r, with the pantomime.
. The Wanderer, with the pantomime.
...., The Wandere, , with the pantomime.
v,.. The Wanderer, with the pantomime.
iderer Is a play, which must amply merits our une-
mmendation.

e was f,anded, by Mr. C. Kemble, two years ago,.
I play, which had been acted with great success at.
which painted, in striking colours, the misfortuner;
Edward, commonly called the Pretender. Mr. C.
Lying, by many alterations, *ensures, and additions,•
led it, so as to suit the Luglish theatre, presented his;
Listory o: the Pretender at Covent-garden, where it
y accepted. But when it was laid before the Lori
bin, whree licence is necessary for the performance of
piece, his Lordship, apprehensive that it might
:he ateasts of the Luglish people, a spirit of rebellion
refused to stamp it with his indispensable sanction !
or and the Pretender arc certainly the two most for-
lions in this whole world. W hat matters it that the
nc a temporal Fitice without dominions, and a v
ice-
Leaven without believers in his celestial power?
utparte has subdued his territory, and though our
themselves deny his infallibility and his jurisdiction
yet the Pope is so tremendous a bring, that half a
esaw the English people resign their liberties at the
'the Pope, merely forfear the Pope should take those
,way. What does it signify that the Pretender has
for half a century ? nay, tbat the last branch of his
le pour old Cardinal of York, is now no more ? The
►ry of the Pretender is dreadful: he was a hovering
ho threatened the small birds while he lived,—now
lead, he serves for a scarecrow, and when he is neatly
stuck up in the field, he frightens the flutterers just
Ily as ever. What do the Lord Licensing Chamber-
is colleagues conceive of that Lnglish constancy and
which they talk so much, when they suspect a trai-
:ry man of feeling, and conjure up the ghosts of
•ceased, to distract us from the contemplation of the
at exist?

, we cannot but consider this refusal on the part of
ip, as the highest compliment that lie could pay to
if the Wanderer. For if it had not been pregnant
.est, if it had not abounded in the strongest feelin:r,-
lot have Nand even a pretence for keeping up the.
he Pope-and the Pretender.
Kemble then changed the names of the agents in his
of the country where the scene was laid : amid utter-
circumstances, eontrived to make his plot correspond
remarkable events in the Sys edish history. The
and the fable as they now stand, are as follows :

'rime Gusiavus Mr. Claremont.

rince . .. Mr. C. linable.
,tost Valdenstan.... ....... Mr. Pope.
,unt Sparre Mr. Brunton.
dowel Rayner
Ram5ay......... Mr. Fawcett.
`,unless Valskustein Miss Smith.
Aristina Miss Norton.
Id, the grandson of Gnitanus Vasa,. had been defeated
attempts to recover the crown, of his ancestor trout
ig monarch of Sweden. • Deserted by his followers.
voge in the isle of Deland, and in the last extremity
Lod despair, entered the castle of ('ount Valdenstein,
xpecteti shortly to arrive from Fieitted. Tlic Ceun-

,

teas, tonched by his misfortunes, provided him with apparel,
and concerted means fur his escape ; but her scheme was foiled
by the vigilance of the guard, under the command of Siparre and
.iloyner. We forbear to explain the manner in which these mea-
sures were frustrated, because we are unwilling to anticipate
the pleasure which our readers will feel from the representation
itself. Again, Prince Sigismund, assisted by the Countess, by
Christina, and by Ramsay' attempted to escape on board the
Danish fleet, which was hovering on the coast; and again he
was prevented from accomplishing his purpose, by the inter-
vention of Count l'aidenstein, A very interesting scene then en-
cued, in which Valdeststein himself, though firmly attached to
ihe crown, was induced to connive at the Prince's est :
, Sparre and the guards were fniled in their turn ; and a letter
written with pencil, arrived to inform the Countess that Sigis-
mond had safely joined the Danish fleet. Prince Gustavus, the son
of the reigning monarch, t heti appeared ; in consideration of the
interesting circumstances of the case, he pardoned the Valden-
steins for aiding the unfortunate enemy of the king, and the
piece concluded n ith the union of Coma Sparrs and Christina.
Pram this outline our readers will perceive, that the Wan-
d(teer, like the modern melodronas, is, in its fable, founded
on heroic situation: hitt in no other respect does it bear the least
affinity to these fashionable afterpieces. For the iYandsrer pos-
sesses character as w ell :is incideet, and while it interests by
the strength of its situations, it charms by the elegance of its
dialogue. We noticed, indeed, some passages of popular pa-
triotism, which, though not violently introduced, are still un-
worthy to assort wielt the chaste simplicity of the language in
general. But in every one of the tireat requisites ha- dramatic
composition, Mr. C. Kembh• has most honourably succeeded ;
nd we have declared our objection to the two or three strag.
gliag clap-straps which are found in the first act, not for the
sake of picking out a petty fault, but because where a piece
approaches so nearly to perfection, we cannot but be vexed to
see its claims obstructed by so slight an impediment. It con-
tinues to attract crowded audiences.

The author is himself the ropresentative of Si eismund. It is
a character of various passion ; and both in its deeper and in its
lighter it is admirably coloured by the acting of Mr. C.
liemble. We should give equal praise to Mr. Fawcetes perform,
duce of the trifling character of Ramsay, if he would but talk i►t
a Scotch dialect ; but, perhaps, he considers that as none of the
party would in reality be speaking English, it is not necessary
for Ramsay to mark his country by his accent. Mr. Pope im
aldt nstein, is loud, but not interesting; and Miss Smith, as the
Countess, is too cold and declamatory. She has the habit of
giving a great appearance of sentimental importance to passages
which ought to be simply spoken. The other pt•t:h►rmers do
little which demands either praise or censure. There are clot-
cusses, and anexcellent overture to the play ; these are the work
of Mr. Russell and Mr. Davy. The Prologue is spoken by Mr.
Brunton, and the Epilogue by Miss Norton.