The Sun.
London, England, 1836-09-16 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

A tragic drama, called The Cavalier, was performed for the
first time last night. It is ascribed to Mr. C. Whitehead, a
gentleman already known to the public as the author of several
literary productions of merit. The story is said to be taken
from the once popular novel, The Fool of Quality, the delight
of the school-boys of the last generation. To what extent
this is the case we do not know ; but the incidents are very
striking, and well calculated to produce dramatic effect. Har-
grave, a brave and loyal cavalier, who had shed his blood and
sacrificed his fortune in the cause of Charles the Second, and
has received the usual reward bestowed by that " good-na-
tured" monarch on his faithful followers—ingratitude and ne-
glect—is residing with his wife in the house of his brother-in-
law, Maynard, and is engaged in a fruitless attempt to obtain
the justice due to him from the restored Government. Mrs.
Hargrave has attracted the notice of Lord Moreton, a profli-
gate young nobleman of the Court, who, with the aid of Beau-
champ, one of his tools, resolves to attempt her seduction. He
invites Hargrave to an interview, on the pretext of a desire
to assist him in the prosecution of his claims ; but the
tempters almost immediately allow their designs to become
apparent to their intended dupe, who leaves them overwhelmed
with his scorn and indignation. He returns to his desolate
family, whom he had left high in hope, full of disappointment,
aggravated by some suspicions of his wife, arising from the
artful inuendoes of Beauchamp. He finds his wife, at mid-
night, watching for his return in her solitary chamber; and a
scene of great beauty occurs between them. On the follow-
ing morning she goes out and does not return, having been
seized by emissaries of Lord Moreton, and imprisoned in his
house. Hargrave's suspicions are again roused ; he repairs to
Lord Moreton's, and is there informed by a woman employed
as an agent in this wickedness, that the lady he sought was in
the house by her own consent, and had often been there before.
He returns in a state of distraction, full of desperate and
bloody thoughts; and while his brother and sister are at-
tempting to compose him, his wife rushes wildly into the
room, and in agonies of horror relates that she has just
escaped from the house of her betrayer, after having
saved herself from his brutal assault by plunging into
his heart a weapon which chance had presented to
her hand. While she is yet speaking, a party of officers,
conducted by Beauchamp, burst into the apartment, and arrest
her as being guilty of murder. She is carried to prison, tried,
convicted on the perjured evidence of Beauchamp and his
paramour, and condemned to death. Hargrave resolves to
save her from an ignominious death in the only way that seems
to remain ; and being admitted to her cell, stabs her, having
previously swallowed poison. Meanwhile the female agent in
this scene of villainy, seized with a fit of remorse for what she
has done, makes a confession of her own guilt, and a declara-
tion of the innocence of Mrs. Hargrave. Maynard and his
wife hasten to the prison with the joyful news, but arrive only
in time to find Mrs. Hargrave dead, and her husband expiring.
This striking story is worked up into a very powerful drama,
containing scenes of intense interest. Beauchamp is the lago
of the piece. The character of Madame de Grave is an
entire novelty—at least we have never met with anything
like it in fiction. She is a ready agent in every kind of
wickedness, and yet constantly full of remorse and compassion
for those whom she is ruining. The character of Har-
grave is drawn with vigour and energy ; and his wife is a
charming creation. The language of the play is excellent.
The dialogue is terse and pointed, and the most striking
scenes contain passages of great beauty. The performers did
justice to their parts. Miss Ellen Tree, in the character of
Mrs. Hargrave, looked beautiful in her correct and tasteful
costume of the seventeeth century, and the truth and power
of her acting made a deep impression on the audience. Van-
denhoff gave a good representation of the manly and noble-
minded soldier, whose habitual feelings were warped, without
his heart being hardened, by a long course of misfortune.
The other parts were sensibly performed by Selby, Vining,
Haines, Miss E. Phillips, and Mrs. Clifford. The piece was
very favourably received. During the first and second acts,
we have hardly ever seen an audience more excited by drama-
tic representation. In the third act the incidents are not so
happily managed. The catastrophe is too clearly anticipated.
Some change in the conclusion of the piece would assuredly
be for its advantage. It was announced for repetition on
Saturday, amidst loud and general applause.