The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-06 00:00:00

THE TIIIATRE•

COVENTZARDEN.—The Public, last night,
were much surprized and highly gratified in
seeing Mr. YOUNG, one of the chief tragic actors
of his day, appear in the character of Sir Per-
tinax illackycophant, and perform with admirable
ability. The Play itself is a despicable libel
upon the people of Scotland, and therefore
ought never to have been suffered to appear after
its qualities had, been developed in the first re-
presentation. The author, who was a very vin-
dictive man, must have founded this general at-
tack upon a people on some private provocation
or pique. To shew the paltry malevolence of the
design, the play was originally ailed, The True-
burn Seatchman, but the author could not obtain a
licence for its representation under that title,
and therefore adopted that which it bears at
present. AlAcitures character as an actor, is
admirably given by Cituacumt, in his Res.
clad. He performed the parts of Shylock, Sir
iirchy 1116Sarcasnr, and Sir Pertinax, better than
any of his successors that we have seen, but in all
other parts he was laborious, coarse, and clumsy,
always attempting to shew acting as a theoretical
science rather than as a vivid representation of
human life. He was the bitter enemy of GARRICK,
from envy rather than from any provocation, for
when his violent passions occasioned his dismis-
sion from the stage, GAItnICK did all in his
power to restore him, and in the meantime offered
him a generous provision. But to return to the
play. It is not only a libel upon a thoughtful,
prudent, and intelligent people, but its satire'
and humour are common-place, and if ut-
tered in private society would be thought to sa-
vour of mere malice and hackneyed abuse. How-
ever as a mixed audience are not capable of cri-
tical discrimination, and, such is the nature of

mankind, are gratified with the degradation of
those above them,, the comedy altogether is what
may be stiled a good acting play. It is now
indeed full time that we should advert to

the performance. It has been thought es..
sentirtl to the part of Sir Pe:llium that
he should speak the Scotch qtcent correctly.
We ere by no means of the same opinion, not
only because it gives direction and force to the
national libel, but becauSe the sentiments, feel-

lugs, end passions of the character are what the
Actor is chiefly to regard. We are not surpriz-
ed that 'the Frenchmen in King John speak good
English, or the Roman cardinal, in that play
The character of Sir Pertinax would be more
effective if supported without the Scottish accent,
for its intrinsic qualities would then operate upon
the audience, nor would they, or the actor, be em-
barrassed by the pronunciation. We ought toapo-
logize for having so long delayed noticing the per-
formance of Mr. YOUNG. It was surprisingly ex-
cellent throughout,even without considering that he
is so admirable a tragedian, and that his qualities
and talents seemed to be limited by nature to
the latter capacity. We shall not enter into any
analysis of his performance, but content ourselves
with saying that the character was sustained with
appropriate and striking merit throughout—every
point of sarcasm was forcibly eXpressed, the hu-
Moor was given with luxtiriant effect, but was
still analogous to the character, the violent emo-
tions were accurately pouhrayed,_ and yet they

were nicely discriminated, and kept separate,
from what they would have appeared if connected
with the lofty effusions of the tragic muse. Upon
the whole Mr. YOUNG displayed altogether
such comic powers as to present him in a new
light, and we cannot
give our opinion more
decisively than to say, that it was upon a
level with his tragic merits, and fully justified
the very favourable and almost enthusiastic re-
ception which he experienced from a very nu•
merous audience. We must be short in our corn-
ments on the rest of the performers. Mrs. CHAT-
TERLEY was easy and spirited in Lady Rod°lpha,
COOPER manly and dignified in Egerton, Anaorr
natural and forcible in Sidnej, Mrs. Grans excel-
lent in Betty flint, and BA ItTl,r, Y gaven good repre-
sentation of the credulous, dissipated, and toping
Peer. We are tempted to add an, anecdote, in
order to justify our opinion of the Scottish cha-
racter. A mercantile gentleman, a native of
Scotland, whom we knew early in life,
told us, perhaps with some national but
allowable partiality, that while :re resided
in Holland the Dutch Government made

the following estimate of the Irish, American,
and Scottish characters t—When any outrage
occurred they were lenient to the Irish, cond.
Bering them as a bold but thoughtless people, to
the Americans also, as belonging to a country not
sufficiently matured in civil regulations, but
none to the Scotch, considering them as coming
from a nation distinguished for prudence,
knowledge, and good order, and, consequently,
conceiving that they ought to have known better•.