The National Register.
London, England, 1815-12-24 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL TILGISTER.

Sfssmen t of the currantvear, both in respect of the duties charg,
ed under s-hedules ' and B but that no alteration can nov-
take place with resrect !• the a%sessments fur the last yea,.
ending the 5111 t 5

DRAAIATic REGISTER.
__.,••._.
DRURY-LANE.

The BEGGAES' BUSM ihi. revival of FLETCHER—the

?nerd of dramatic exc, acne°.

THE revived play of the Ilegzars' Bush continues to
be acted. mith great advantage from the improvement
the performers in tloir several parts Kean is more mel
low ist tbe passages of .ehernent pass;on; Oxlierr.o
hayin., r covered his voic , affords a rich treat in the hn
moron- logptei y of Orator Higtren, the adulator of th.
Court a ',IL be4ars. Mundell, in the character o
jrun nustk, the boozing hurwomaster, displays his ll'
brn". '°llll.ol. ()Writ readily to the title, when his co•.

pinion tells him fr-an Drtok would he his more a,propr..
ate hp • it,iti.n. It is rare indeed, that this excellent actor
belt :N. a ly want of intelli :ence in his authors' meani!nr, et
Cloy Ise ligence in giving t.xnression to it ; but the repeatetr
occur oak of the wow's .4 under iht, ruse," sii 1p nli
sp ,a Ls Ire t.\. in private hail the car:•less tone of a mer,
441,
idle tiri-e ~tiA;ug to the lips of a lack witted lounger 0
the modern comAy: something like Lewis's " keef
moving," and Edwin's 4‘ I've an idea." Instead of this
we ex p-cted from his getOti ,?constant marked guard of dis
cretion, to avoid given; offenee to Wo/fort's virtisans.
with an arch congratulation of his-own ingenious atifla;•;ty
Holland, it was ob.. rved by a critin of estish'isheil r
putation, has been aettaally inspired beyond isimieq by the
personation of Clan:c, the king of the beggars: The tcls.!.l.
. in our opinion is,that his more glarify; defects, hiS av k ward
shouldering and porter-like gait, are covered by his garl
of rags, and h:s large beggar..,7loak wound over his shoo!
dens. With a load of beard and of bla:;ket, he has sone
thing to carry, :tad his loun:ying swing, with the right an
left shouldt r alt. roatily forward, is not perceived. He i•
therefore—more graceful in rags than in purple robes
and his slow, dull, measured enunciation of every wort'
suiting tolerably with the character of an old man, and a:
°cc nal use of Ow old theatrical trick of vehetnely.e i;
pas. s .ii obvious energy, have given him a fair cla:m I,
the applause which he receives. Ile has the merit at al
times ot constant attention to the businf ss of the stage, and
making no pretence, ought to escape nice censure : but ti!,
same charact, rin the hands of an actor like Doxion 'wool(
have exhibited all the true workings of paternal anxie v
and genuine feeling. Mrs. Horn, looked wi II in Geri, une

and tnetigh we could not perceive that the anth .r .
found ode who, •4 to hear her Tea!: made it a Parade* e
yet when the merchant bade the beggar " /Opir tri
body," and he replied, '' 'tis exact and excellent,"
generally ; and a pretty woman. having little. .
or do, is always too agreable to be slighted. •
The acting the sceneii, the decorations, and the Inu•ic
coinipir. to ake this a very attractive piece, and liere
might leave it but, from the circumstance of the reyii II
a comedy of Fletcher, one of the most successf9l
our earl) dramatists, if .we can use the term our
. applied to an author whose mud:, itZ his proper art is .alvv't',
co:mected with ttiAt of his copartner 43eaamont, He :sla,
in II future Hum's% . olferisome remarlis un tue tio•rt ..r
play, ttte cintracter Pr its ~aurae, the otcelle4ce c f the earky

dramatists, and the taste of the revisor, as well
liar manner in which Mr. K. AN elucidates tlr
his au,' or ; and since the days of Fletcher
assured the merchant royal has never had sc►
representative, nor the whole play so fair a put
tits merits.

If the genius of departed poets can be suppose,
in air over the stage of our splendid theat
themselves in some nook of the ample spat,
scenes,there are no delights that immortality
more exquisite satisfaction than thus to live in
of an endless fame ; to witness from a‘re to
struggle to excel in illustrating the dramatic,
t conflict of rival minds contending to exhi
oughts in all their force; and to hear in ail e
cr composed of simple mirth and humbl
;mated beauty and fashionable frivol.ty,
;on, and of uncultivated ardour. alike givi'
you ne impulse of nature, bursting from tl
quired habits, and conspiring in one churn
rile fame
.of the warrior is the rattling of a
.r a d‘,ll repetition in a table of Chronology
io a monument, pinned to an history, to
eclat, gibbeted on a sigie.post like the Du
°rough and Wellington, or fastened to
I Le Pompeii and Ca'sar, till his memory
iome more fortunate conqueror. But the pt
excellence •ruly lives through ages, in the de
'iv. generations, whom he amuses instruct
llis is no dull reputation of the closet, but
uithnsiastic praise of assemble theatres. w'
rands the hands and vo'ces of a generous
lady renewing the wreaths of his peaceful
The theatre will, thereforeloffer a lasting
criticism; and .4e shall make no apology for,'
,o it that attention which dramatic poetrj, w
est.eves.
The farce of My Spouse and l continues
pretty music, and a pleasing song of
xlilch is every night encored. There are sr
11, tits, anti some happy jokes. Take. an ins,
%over, who pretends with his mistress to
n rilln‘jon to 41 old Proved) love
h.! windo,c acAerves to hoive the di or shu
brutisti constable (no uncommon el;
olce officers, lot which ought rarely to be
ilicers did their duty, and good and iawful
as they ought) says' I represent the King
reply is, " Men he a as ill represcakd
yuljects."

COVENT-GARDEN.

Smiles and Tears havt+ repeatedly d
swiles this week from crowded audiences at
anal if it is the production of the author and
,ove the triple delight (If hearing th.ni
offspring perpetually applauded,
•is bast:men puslLlied, as the declared Wock. o

Almlost all the American pap?rs which w
al) quid in Cross and scandalous libels Chu
att our-Goveinment for %%ant of Awn! fair
n4iits and ;•aders who deal won them, for
.4,ttiesty. The Prince Regent is Wit spared,
malicious libellers, and iau Wa.y OU sr
. ai,oulcl be 4.stk.ar:Qtt to uivotiun.