The Sun.
London, England, 1836-03-21 00:00:00

THE THEATRES.

THE RING'S.
night,/3ellini's Beatrice was to have been performed on Saturday
for the first time in this country, but the indisposition
of the prima
its nouncdonna compelled the withdrawal of an -
-
balletwent. La Stra;liera was repeated, and the second act of the
and of the ‘:,1,/pkidc, in which Varin danced with much grace
dancer• tto-,nain with much force and precision. A new male
simi ', 4. Guillet, made a successful debut, but his preten-
-5 a 44 not of a very high order.

DRURY-LANE.
134 n_ Saturday night one of the plays of Miss Joanna Baillie,
n7,1.!_e,E1 Henriquez, was produced at this theatre. It is of the
"Ter of those which have been most recently published, and
twehalc_h. prove that whatever dramatic power the lady ever pos-
-6,7,1 has not been enfeebled by years. This amiable and
eaulY gifted person having herself always professed that her
viewYstwere not intended, were in no instance contrived with ea
tote pe dramatic representation, they must of course $e
of much which her genius might have added, did she
Aublication trite with a view to the stage. Perhaps there is no kind of
which excites less interest, and, generally speak-
bee less read, than plays which profess that they are not to
wrtt eg Yed• It will be generally found that the person who
with such a view feels that he has not true dramatic ge-
oZ or that he is too indolent to acquire the means of ex-
ii":MS it with effect. Had his plays been the first effort of
fame Byron s genius, and bad he made no further effort, his
would, long ere this, have been in the list of things that
17c.t_ntiot. T
it is easy to profess that a piece is not meant to be
bear'
tit Action is the very soul of tragedy ; and, if it cannot
it is n e test of being acted by adequately-gifted performers,
cligttit° tragedy at all. It may be said that it is beneath. the
actor Y of genius to study the peculiar powers of individual
dn..s, and to write with a view to their capabilities. There
oin ':casion for this ; and there would be no degradati?n. in
spirit is A truly great actor, through whose ministry.a living
inferior given to.the scene, ought to be deemed little, if at all,
erior to the poet who supplies him with words. The greatest
aktirateav tc writers of ancient or mode.rn times did not disdain to
they., the peculiar powers of the instruments through which
ow; Were to work, and to this may, in some measure, be
of ail, the success which will make them the contemporaries
orra generations to come. Upon this point the Earl of..
iewerY, a shrewd practical man in such matters, makes the fol
ths : " The authors of tragedy ought to be
be lag observations
versed in the rules of the theatrical drama, and to
such ed acquainted with the powers of the actors, especially of
theißm whom the principal parts are to devolve. Many
is ur English authors have been remarkably deficient in
v_ Particular." Incapacity therefore, should never, or
tua
07 rarely, be allowed to escape under tbe pretence
Bt a
vB4Y was not meant to be acted. The case of Miss afillie
sends apart from most others in this respect. It is that.o an
talliable, retiring., richly-gifted lady, whose original motive in
sg. to the drama was we have no doubt, to " do good by
stealth," and who, we a eequally certain, " blushed to find it
fame'" She never internded her beautiful compositions for the
lialfe,! and it was but recently that, in the spirit of humbleness
press" so often accompanies true genius, she ventured to ex-
i_ a hope that, at one time or another, some of her dramas
h,rto little of
t.be tried at the minor theatres. A soul like hers can
vulgar vanity, but it cannot be displeasing to her
of 4.4_1 that, at the present moment, her plays are the objects
lirtraction at the two great metropolitan houses.
Was teb not, at present, pretend to say whether Henriquez
affords happiest selection that could have been made. It
of h.; Perhaps as fair'a specimen as any other of the play.s
tiontisLady's dramatic resources, and of her style of conaposi.-
1'01101,0,141e story turns upon the passion of jealousy, which is
V.,,tudeab.,,Y vengeance and remorse. Don Henriquez (Mr.
tle i.-1"") is a prodigy of bravery, even where all are brave.
aks,- tile chosen General of Alonzo of Castile (Mr. Warde)
oi—gt the m
-Perience Moors,
a man formed by nature, and qualified by

" Stick in the wars
Ili • Like a great sea-mark."
ree),
t,„! wife is Leonora (Miss
part,he
,noonblehelra.dy of
„trite, to Whom he is ardently attached, and, anad
AZ-attachment is not less ardent.
tzsa, loved companion in t
and esteemedL him,friend, is
fsand cherishedwrnhoomrethhekeana.
zsioe:a_er_Nor a son than a Don Juan,
gut:
iltaow only by report, for he does not apKfearr.s
to hi "Ing gained a decisive vicotnoriyoionveyhtlyiehis Moors,
returnsil enHisri Henri-
to
fenda, castle, where he is to be. so
tarn lad has made preparations to give him an agreeablepon
4. rise, and one of these preparations is the arrival of .
in stisilesoorter than expected.
and conceals himself In fact, he has already
lafrirnivaend
itdjoi .aeighbourhood of the castle,
44 Dog wood. A written communirceaetaiohnlebsuertwpreiesen,
falls
snionrtoa
the I°ll Juan, preparatory to this
takesag it for an assignation—iste
histau4nds of Henriques.
tp, iltlY seized with all the He
eadness
.of jealousyd—stilabiessktiOs hti-oe• Indicated ins the written communication, and
takes
in-
the-esin and beloved friend to the heart. This placeh in
llavecnd act. Jealousy and vengeance have done aillytancyy
tragic de, and the three succeeding acts have scarcely
as, 2, sustenance but what t
.ey borrow from remorse.
a small matter,.
11: light coincident plot, which runs arallel to the main
and'clghout the p' e
c It one
is, however,
I,l_ erns to have but little.
Lee) the sis-
here
1*
L--
- I?* business in t(hAelipsrsesent situation.
ter
rvse are the incidents of it.
!`f Leonara, and Antonio ( M.re. got opheur
t)
tahr ee lloevveerrss.
have
1,07,,1LY of Mencia do not favour his sui,
this
very
occasion, in
NT
.stolen interviews; and upon
the elling for the murderer of Don Juan,.tAafnnteodnitohaits
hfeoufsndthine
taerrod concealed. No doubt iLentei
,iittleerer, and he is committed WI close confinementuez in the
his 1 • Here he is visited by Don Henreiqape,
taes:°cieenee, urges him to make his ,
and who,
offers knowinghi
The noble youth disdains.
to hold tracery
effecting it with ease.
is life and degradation together, andT hweillsohualvoef
death. ehtehner-
riqZelizi:4_bal et acquittal or innocent
Hen-
the la,,n ura.lly cast in a mould of greatness, instantlyirsreeivzees-
ekm 'V sentiment, and from that moment determines .
sftveYsto confess his guilt, and to suffer the
castle; ~lt must be observed, that on previous
punishment
'visit toit dthee-
ie hl__, Alonzo had promised Henriquez,uld anda had given his ring
grant, in reward
halfo of
ser;i'evelge of fulfilment, that he would
were it even the
Ills den! any request he might pre
is aboutiniens• Alonzo is now reurder Proceeding to the trial of foret thet
h ec
supposedcastle, and
a seconde
r Antoniotim e
%kr, • Henriques appears before the
.monarch, claims the_
k• -ent of his promise, binds him in knightly form, by
%In. hi
k,fr.,..b.e s sword, to grant
made
to
(1-i'_sa atb, for that he alone is guilty. Every effort is . .
Every
himself. shall
tio s nade for
from his purpose, but in vain.. The s.olicita-
as of Is: _
cspeti , m! 6overeign, the tears and entreaties of his wife, are
The axe alone can cure
14.. d oed in vain. He will not live.
exe,llT°rse, and he is determined to suhbmwietvehri:
cslirtii ar• The agonies of his soul,
ha d sied nature, and just as he is about°
ftell bandeapdrevtnioutshlye
pf fit of
dead, his wife at the same time
.a imountno in thea l
hscaffoldrg y
ill
theajority, of
the Tr, '---and the curtain drops. Deducting ;hat many, if not
haracter and the
the audience must have been anxious to pay,
astra waY of commendation, to the hi
flatterunary talents of Miss Baillier it
ati,., come even to an approximation of thew oamount
ofn no
praiseeas y
Ia th as actually bestowed on the piece itself on Saturday night.
sur,i: shape in which it was first given to the public it may
We will
leas ~e_ as long as English literature, but o_nentgh.e stage we
lay tle, erm of its existence will not be vey I
of hand-
be, °t,nlng of her language or her general
mannert
nence, because
th4ea aromatic subject. It would be
There
oro few who read at all that havennpoetr read her plays.
of ti, are some reasons for doubting whether. tragedy
kiade °Wiest order be at all within the reach of the female
the-;* The natural consciousness of bodily feeblesnwees.s..nwghsicehf
the sea Must possess will not permit those mighty swellings 11i
can. give
Ittle °l2l uPon which the poet must rise before
s.etellate
j ; expression to a Hotspur or a Coriolanus. It never
it was " an
,o.sy rered into the contemplation of woman t
I afaced moon."
Thtl,eaP to pluck bright honour from the
%%rip," ambition seldom rises above vanity. a eT-heir unaided
et a°,,eariee Must be mere treachery or guilt. Theyma,y,_teamlk.
seh7Palling crimes like Lady Macbeth, but, happily for'l
hodn theY are too delicately constructed boulls in mind and
piety, and in
suKri: commit them. It is only in vth
etheY can be truly heroic.
Mr.
h t was entrusted
.to
tiro. gr energy the arduous character t a
i loVeandenhoff sustained
terrific
it 1 tlis jealousy is of short duration, but
a guiltless
grim- ;, and, when he discovers that he has slain
it is while
nseetl4,"est that his wife is without stain, nothing.
that rend his
slow "Lau his display of tilts contending passion"' could be
blorse
This state
f joy on discovery of his lady's truth, of horror and re-
toof„,_ at the murder he has committed,
agonised remorse is sustained through three acts,
f°,l' :r.'r°l/Ping of the curtain. It is almost too much
h4t --e
rotan, and there was occasionally somethingAs to the
rest was far removed from exaggeration.
alitlee°' the dramatis persono their places were very nearly
the :res. It was evident that they felt embarrassed, from
tarel.,..ant °I more business. Even Leonora herself is but
tittio' Present, and has no prominence, in the way either_ of
is worthy l'tee,°r,,of suff. ering, that .. of the talents of Miss
"he she'nee, indeed, there is a call upon her indignation,
suspicion,
and that ands that she has been the object of zealous
tloble , call is answered with all the dignity of a
virtuous and
her Liii4tron• The agonies of a fond wife, on finding that
Played is determined to die, were also powerfully
4111,7, but very inferior talent might do with little difculty
;:t''' 'l4 N/iss Tree has occasion to do here. The last act is
e°lfallY slow in its progress, and his Majesty of Castile
Kendall' to feel himself placed in no very dignified position.o
.tit,..i,t upon the stage unattended, with nothing to do_oryte-
tai;i4Mit waitinrr app 1
arently unconcerned, to hear the lea:
Of /4n' the a4ce, the recommendations, and reconciliationsTle
Isay hi rignes, and to see the axe fall upon his neck. I
It is , Iyhich this act is now represented should be altered.
N,43 zdions, improbable, awkward, and tiresome.
anThe play
*Was e,ilicinced for repetition on Tuesday, and Mr. Vden-hoff
ed for and greeted by the audience.

)110144 s-MONT FLEA.—At a meeting of the l'"
enit
;Ash-
Christ eb°eietY, Oxford, on the 4th inst., Mr. Hussey, o.nf
villieh , urcb, read a paper on the growth of the flea,l
teribeete changes through which the flea passes. were do-
or
triatine and an account was giver, of some observations of thes
tedriirl which changes may be retarded. The. flea, it w-a
atoo),.laYs from 8 to 12 eggs, which fall down into crevices
they "g dust, where they are hatched in about five days ;
ieere2)r°dilee small White maggots like cheese-mites, which
tttteor ~,_e in size for about fourteen days, when they spin a. bag
ois_u...,tas.nftbsielyk. around them and become chrysalids. Within
been) slxteen ,igraduall darken in colour, until, at the end of
•‘43's theyy come out of it perfect fleas ; kaving
the
"°ll the
wh°lo, about thirty-four days fronk t.he laying of
it'g ta,t° the perfect state. M. Defrance's opinion concern
i f 45'3c1 of the Youngmaggot, was quoted ; namely, that
the is
by small
•ai fdrled blood, which the parent has
it fAayscer of
extrZtinngs forom the skin of the animals on which