The Sun.
London, England, 1830-03-26 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

The ilerehant of Venice was performed here last
night, on which occasion Miss Faicrtr liemULE • took her
benefit, and was received with tumultuous applause by
one of the most crowded houses wp ever saw. Altegethcr.,ll.
her Portia was an admirable performance. When she
came upon the stage (beautifully, though not perhape ireb,
dressed in pink and blue, ornamented with silver), she was
received with every possible demonstration of sitisfaCtion.;
and deafening shouts were sent, up by the pit, and'sent,
down by the galleries, succeeded by the continued clap-
ping of innumerable hands. It was like the bursting of
male huge bellowing wave upon the beach, followed by the
multitudinous rattle occasioned by the retiring waters, or
like a roll of heavy thunder, after which comes a pelting
hail-storm ; either simile will answer the purpose; but
still neither can give a correct notion of the effect upon the
car. She advanced to the middle of the stage, with a step
of obviously assumed resolution, and there, with her hand
upon her heart, inade repeated and graceful obeisances;
last she seemed quite overcome by her situation, and
tally shed tears, which she was obliged to wipe away;- but
fortunately never lost her self-possession, although the
more she suffered the less mercy the audience seemed
disposed to show her. When she began speaking to
Nerisya (Miss Ner.soN), the effect was apparent in
the tremulousness of her voice; but she soon recovered,
and played so well, with so much case, both of utter-
ance and action (with the assistance of a feather-
fan), that we are convinced, when Miss FAN NY KEstutz
becomes more at home in the part, she will prove that
her talent for comedy is scarcely inferior to her genius

for tragedy, excepting in as far as all talent is inferior to

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genius. The casket-scene is of a more serious cast, and.
here noth:ng was wanting, excepting, perhaps, that it
ought to have been performed a little nearer the front of
the stage: her bve•play while Bassani° was making his
choice was very just and skilful. We dislike the fifth act
of the play (if we may venture to dislike anything by.
SHAKsrEARE); but it cannot be omitted, nor easily.

curtailed : it was written for male actors of female parts
in an age of little refinement, and we pity any young lady
who is compelled to give point to the too unambiguous
passages of the t. xt. Of the trial scene, which fills very
nearly the whole of the fourth act, and where ends the
career of Shylocl, we may remark that we by no means
concur with some who sat near us, that there was too.
much formality in the air of Miss F. Kitatitlx: every.

body knows that Portia is playing a part—the part of a
judge:--ruid without being stiff, it is necessary that she

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should assume, in some speeches, a severe manner and a
d.gtnatical tone. Yet her feelings ought not to allow her
to keep it op always, and the mode in which Miss F.
KEMELE uttered the words

" Be merciful;
Take thrice thy money ; bid me tear the bond," '
was excellent both in delivery and in the hasty action

which accompanied it on this account. The Irincipal.
and well-known passage, beginning with, the line " The
quality of mercy is not strained," could not have been beat's'
pronounced—with a sweeter tone or more moving atc-.
cent, and whatever Shylock might have done, we would,
have defied any moiern Jew, even from the Stock
change, to have resisted it. Without attempting to go
over particular passages marked by long and loud applauses,
we may remark on the whole performance, that there was
nothing overdone, for Miss KE➢LBLE has too much taste
and good sense ever to offend on the side of rant and ex-
travagance. Several things no doubt will be heightened
in the repetition even on Seurday, and so far the part of
Portia may be improved'; but as it was exhibited last
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night, with our critical anxiety to find fault, we can re—
collect nothing to blame.
The older C. KEMBLE grows the better he seems to act,
and yet, excepting that we have had him so long before
our eyes, we see no evidence that a single year has elapsed
since he first undertook the part of Charles Surface. His
Shylock is much superior to what we expected to find it,
and in all the great scenes he was great : it was only in

the inferior portion.; that he failed by attempting to do too
much. Thus when, in Act 11., he is parting from'Jea-

sica, having given her directions to shut up his house, he '
delivered the less important linos with a degree of empha-.
sis that seemed to us too laborious and injurious to the
impression and effectiveness of the more important pas-
sagel: we refer especially to the Observation— • •
" Perhaps I will return Immediately,"
and the citation of the proverb which follows. We•did'
not quite like the dropping upon the knees with the worde,::
" Thank God," in the interview with Tubal, perhapkost,

account of its novelty ; it seemed too much—ton violent
even for the necessary contrast of the alternate passages of
joy and grief. The only fault of the trial scene was that
which has now, perhaps, betn established by custom; we
mean that when Portia proposes that Shylock should '
have a surgeon present, he is !wide• to take the instrument
in his hand, and after poring over it to return with the
remark. ' cannit find it : 'tis not in the bond."—lf he
look at it at all it should only he for an instant i❑ derision
and mockery, well knowing that there was no such con-
dition. All the other parts were well acted, and Worm
took the inferior part of Antonio for the sake of making
the cast complete. ABBOT may be advised to make a few . •
judicious pauses, and to study more the meaning of the
words he now seems to utter mechanically. Miss NELSON'S
Nerissa was hardly sufficiently shrewd.
At the close ABBOT came forward, but was compelled ,
to retire, which he did with a good grace; and the curtain
rising immediately afterwards, Miss F. KEMBLE and all
the performers engaged in the last scene were discovered.
She was led forward by Aattor, and acknowledged in the
usual manner, and with some apparent gratification, the
tumultuous applauses of the whole house, which stood up -
to greet her. After the curtain fell, ABISOT again at-
tempted to be heard, but he was driven back by a volley of
shouts for C. KEmut.r, who soon afterwardi made his ap-

pearauce in a plain morning suit. As soon as he could
obtain a hearing, - he. apologised for his dress, not expecting
such an honour, and announced, that " in consequence of
the flattering manner in which the audience had deigned
to receive the play (meaning of course the performance,
though he modestly gave it to the production), it would he
repeated on Saturday, and on Monday, Thursday, and
Saturday in next week." He was then allowed to retire,
repaying in bows what the spectators bestowed in vociferous
contributions.