The Sun.
London, England, 1815-07-20 00:00:00

tilE iIIEATtIt.

HAY:kArt:FT.—We last night witnessed„a.seond
Of wanton barbarity at this 'l Ike Of 'which
there has been no precedent Within our re(olleetion.
Mr. Muc qorr, who, we-understand, had acquired
corisidera We repute on the Edinburgh, and Other
provincial Stages, appeared -last night at this
Theatre in the character of Iliehard the Third..—
Ile was received on his entrance with the usual'
liberality of a British audience.; hut after lie had
uttered avery few Words, he was assailed by ;•i
small part of the audience with laughter 'and'
hisses. It inust be acknowledged; that iii the
opening speech he dispkyed a peculiarity in his
gesture, and a harshness in his voice. but
tliese weie occasional errors, and by no ,means,
marked his performance in general. On the,
contrary, -his• deportment was unaffected uh,o-
gether, and, if not graceful, %-vtts not awkward.
His general snpport of the character also; Mani-
fested a mind that could 'think for itself; and.he
gave to iiianv passages a novel and strikingtorce,
and which in Our ?pinion Was just also. But
whenever the peculiarities which we bare noticed
recurred in the faintest degree, the same illiberal
opposition burst forth. Yet is was' evid.ent that
having perceived what gave this parti.il offelic,, he
endeaVoured to correct it, and that be gradually im-
proved in his progress : at length, however, in the
first scene with Lady Ann, his opponents, we inigi,t
indeed style them his enemies, be,7ame so violent
that he advanced towards the stage, as it with an
intention of addressing the audience: But when
silence was restored, he-stood some moments in it
state of consternation, and at 'length, being ohsi
ously unable to summon sufficient courage to speak
from -his feelings, -after a short pause he re-
turned to the business of the scene. He had pro-
ceeded but h few ‘vords when the satire tumuli
burst forth, and he then came forward arid utter, d
the following wools •

Ladies and C;cittleinen:7—l stand here your vict,;:n. I anta
stranger, and I have no 'appeal f yet I think -tti: seven:
treatment I have experienci---sevel.e almost to emelt r,
might justify sonic reinark—(Lund hisses..--,1 wish to expKtut
what I have said. I call it Zruel severity, beeatt,e Ithink to
hiss me, Cecil when endeavouring to address you, ii 'cruel. '—
(Loud hisses and applause, and many ci ies of " Go on.") •
A sense of justice then roused the audience, and
he was permitted to proceed, but 'lot witlioa.
frequent. interruptions, which were of so illiberal
a kind, that they might fairly .be considered as
the result of private enmity towards Mr. MEG-
GITT, if not of an -alarmed and jealous partiality
towards other performers. In the death-scene
this opposition was as brUtal and as wild a's the
war-yell of the Indians. We shall conclude_ this
unpleasant subject by stating our opinion of Mr.
McoGorr. His figure is tall and commanding :
his face is regular, and capable of strong and va-
rious expressiOn, particularly as.he possesses what
is termed a marking eye. His voice is powerful,
extensive, and of good intonation, and, notwith-
standing the agitation. of his ,feelings, and the
labour attending the part itself, it displayed no
symptoms of exhaustire, even to the conclu-
sion of the' play. His action, as we have said,
was generally, easy ' and appropriate, though,
like that of Mr. KEAN, it Scented 'at times in-.
tended to -illustrate words, rather, than .senti,
ments anti passions. lint what, howo et-, ex-
cited triumphant shouts in GIVOIIr 'Of Mr. KEAN,
invariably produced a contrary effect on this oc-
casion.. Ithafi been said by the Morning Critics,
that Mr. MF:GGoTT \yaws judgment, but in our.
opinion, if we may venture to.makoa distinction,
he rather • wants taste ; yet, 'as he manifestly
improved as he seemed to understand the grounds
of hostility, there can he no doubt that a befte.r.
knowledge of a.London Audience Will render him
a respected Performer. He certainly appeared to
be too solicitous to unite and reconcile what were
held as excellent in KEMBLE, COoKE, and KEAN.'
Hence he was sometimes solemn, and then abrupt-
ly familiat ; but, upon' the • whole, he displayed
considerable powers; and if the beginning of hi,;,
performance had been like 'what it was in the
middle and concluding stages, we have no doubt
that his reception would have been totally'the re-
verse. Anotiier circumstance which operated against
him, was the effect of the heavy rains on what is
called the Prince's side of the house, as the water
poured so copiously into the stage and adjoining box
from the second tier, that. the visitors were obliged
to retreat, and the event itself produced a loud
and continual conversation among the persons
who had suffered by this -inundat.on, and. those
. who were near it.
Previous to the Play, Mr. BARNARD came for-
ward, and adverting to the effect of the rain, as,
sured the audience, that the house had been tho-
roughly examined, anthivas pronounced perfectly
secure. The extreme violence of the rain, how-
ever, was wholly unexpected,-and all due care,
Ihe said, would be observed to prevent a reputi-
tbiii of this annoyance.

Yesterday his. Royal Highness.the Commander.-
in-Chief transtacted buisiness the whole of the-day
at his Office at the Horse Guards.

His Royal Highness 'the PRINCE REGENT, this
clay held a Privy Council at Carlton-house, to re-
ceive the Recorder's Report of the unfortunate
persons under sentence of death in Nesvgate.
Yesterday the Duchess of WELLINGTON receiv-
ed letters from the Doke of WELLING ro cat
Paris, where his Grace continues to reside in pt r-
feet health.

Mr. KAYE, the iNlessenger,. has been lobbed of
his money, and plundered of his dispatches he was
conveying front Paris to Sir C.STEWART j the ruf-
fians otherwis-e ill treated and insulted hint.

Yesterday two of the Custom-house Officers
attended in Downing-street, when the Earl of
CLANCARTY's German waggon was opened, froia
which were taken a great many books and papers,
the chief of' which Were lodged in the Secretary
of State's Office.

The bayonet has been p;pvcd to be so decisive
a weapon, that a new bayonet exercise has been
established; and a select. body of soldiers are
daily trained at Chelsea, with a view to in-
structing the whole-British infanti:y hereafter...
The rain fell in such 'torrents inmany parts of
the metropolis from two till near four o'elo.ck
yesterday, that many streets tvcre so overflown,
that boats might have been towed along them ;
the High-street in the .florottib, spacious as it is,
was under water. nearly two feet deep for mutt;
than an hour.