The Sun.
London, England, 1813-04-28 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

. ' ......T.,,............
U.
• . ~,, , ', - • , ,
. . .• . . ' : . OViNT-LiARDEN,
.
A new Comedy; entitled Education, wal Nit
night brought forward at thi.s.Theatre.

CHARACTERS.
Count Villars - ' ' "Mr. Yotrxn.
Sir Guy Staunch ' - • Mr, MAritisws.
Mr. Templeton , • Mt. FAWCETT.
Vincent Templeton .... . -; Mr. C. KE,V,IBLE.
Suckling ... •• • ••• ......... • Mr. Li sros•
Aspic . ' ' .. .. ' Mr, JONES.
Damper Mr. 11.suRvaoist.
Brtiadcast Mr. Em at
Master eIIAPMAN.
George, his son
Mrs. Templeton Mrs. C. KEMBLE.
Ellen Miss S. Nom.
Rosine ' ' - ' Miss BOLTON
Dame Broadcast ' Mrs: DAVENrOitT.
FABLE. ' .

- Rosine, the daughter of. Count Villars, and
grandchild of a 'Mr. Cleveland, by the latter of
whom her mother had been disinherited for mar-
rying against his consent, is, by the reverse of
fortune which befel her father during the French
Revolution, reduced to the necessity of becoming
a tutoress to an English seminary, where she is
seen and atlniired 'by Vincent
.Templeton, , who
wins her affections, and induces her to quit her
employment, under the pretence that he will in-
troduce her to-, and obtain the consent of, his pa-
rents to. their union. Instead of immediately. do-
ing thiS, I,lnCent Templeton places her to board
at th,e house of Farmer Broadcast, where she• is
accidentally seen by Mr. Cleveland, who disco-
vers, by an ornament on hey person, and her
strong resemblance to his discarded daughter, that
it is hikgrandchild, who has run to his assistance
at a moment which his life is in imminent
danger, but lie is too much exhausted to explain
himself. Vincent Templeton, at the instigation
of Mr. Aspic (a libeller and satirical novellist of
the modern school), in a moment of inebriation,
Makes dishonourable proposals to Basilic, who
indignantly repulses hint ; and, to avoid further
insult, she, assisted by Broadcast's son, escapes
frOm the house.
Ellen, the daughter of Sir Guy Staunch, Whose
edtication has given her a great
.propensity to
botany, chemistry, and the learned affectation.of
modern female attainments, accidentally meets
Rosine, ,who had rambled thither, not knowing
where to find an asylum. In Rosine,, Ellen te-
cognises her kind tutoress, and procures .her the
protection of Sir Guy. Mr. Templeton's titer;
cautile concerns are completely deranged by the
imprudent speculations of hiS son, who, deeply.
repenting his folly, resolves to sacrifice the affec-
tions of his heart, to retrieve, his tether's fallen
fortunes ; for which purpose, he pays his ad-
dresses to Ellen i this is discovered by Rosine,
who utterly discards him.—The loVer rushes out
in despair ; while ruminating on his misery,
he is encountered ,by Count Villars, who has
Come to England in search of his 'daughter, and
traced her into the neighbourhood. The Count,
seeing the miniature of his daughter in the hands
of Templeton, violently snatches it frOm
and the latter delivers him into the custody of
Broadcast, the constable, charging hint with a
robbery. The affairs of Mr. Templeton are now
brought to a crisis, *hen the death of old Cleve-
land (tvhOse.whole property, it is supposed, will
devolve to him) revives his hopes. The old ,gen-
tletnan's will is opened in due form, and his
wishes'appear to ,be realised ; bat a slip of paper,
which was folded in the will, again overwhelms
him—for by it the whole property of the testator
is bequeathed to Posine. Templeton, in a pa-
roxysm of despair and irresistible temptation;
conceals this paper, unobserved ; lint, after a
struggle between his honour and his interest, the
former prevail's,, and he replaces ROS 1114.: in the
Possession of the paper, and of her grandfather's
wealth. The Coma., pleasecl with this act, drops.
his resentment, and gives the hand of his (laugh-.
ter, to her lover, to whom she is reconciled.---,
Damper has secretly retrieved the affairs of his
former partner, Templeton ; and Sir Guy be-
stows the hand of his daughter upon his nephew,
Suckling, with whom she had made a vain attempt
to elope, to avoid, what she feared,' the addresses
of Aspic.

From the outline of the table, which we have-
given' above, our Readers will perceive that the
Comedy is of a compound character, and abounds
in eireumatauces calculated to affect as well as to
entertain. '1 hat the Comedy contains any elm-,
racter or situation essentially, new, can hardly be
expected, considering how often the mirror of the
Stage has been held up to the.realities of life; but
that the author has directed his observation to the
passing times, and has applied much pointed and
useful ridiculeagainst the current manners, must
he readily admitted. The fable has nothing
probable, but, on the contrary, proceeds upon
rational principles and observation of man -
kind ; it is well conducted, and the altern-
nation of those passages which excite sym•
pathy, and those which are intended- to raise
merriment, is judiciously managed: The senti-
ments are • unforced, and, in general, arise from
the characters and situations, except perhaps
in
the parts of Suckling and the boy George.
the earlier scenes of the former, he seems a mere
gormandizing Clown ; but, afters he has received
some instruction from Aspic, he speaks in
gauge, and titters remarks, far above what might
be expected from the first indications of his cha-
racter, though it does not appear that he has dc.
rived from the latter inure than a pedantic and
ludicrous rhapsody, which excites much laughter
whenever he attempts to deliver it. Oeurge, too,
appears to be rather of too precocious a descrip
tion, and at all events -
his character admits of the
pruning knife. We should advise, also, the ap-
plication of this useful,instrument to the scene in
which Ellen uttcrOts to disgust Vincent by. pre-
tended folly, as *this passage hears too strong a
resemblance to the Farce of The Citizen, with this
difference, that Ellen is really silly and affected,
and that Maria is intelligent and witty, as well as
spirited and humorous. The language is neat and
elegant, ttad the allusions to thein present ma
them
i! of
education among the females, teaching
uselesS science, tothe neglect of all domesticknow-
ledge and virtue, are appropriate,well-directed, and
highly Commendable. t would be easy to trace re,
semblances between parts of tltic Comedy and other
, to task Wonld lie inpvi-
Diumas of the i . ame (10criPtiort that were o-
hot they
"Os and we are. say, that the
autlar in their, days
cantuited