The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-01 00:00:00

SURREY THEATRE.

A new tragedy, from the pen of Mr. J. Jones,
was produced at this theatre last evening, under
the title of Spartacus ; or, The Roman Gladiator.
Of the real history of Spartacus little is known, save
that he was a Thracian, and one of the gladiators
who were kept at Capita, from „which city he
escaped with a few follOwers, soon found himself
at the head of an army, and raised the standard of
revolt against the Romans. Having defeated them
in several pitched battles, he was at length him-
self defeated and killed, falling upon a heap
of Romans whom he'had 'sacrificed to his fury.
The incidents of this story are of a charac-
ter imitientlr:driniatic, and -yet .tt.il- story itself
sufficiently vague to give ample scope to the work-
ings of a poetical imagination?, ili.. Jones has
_treated his
,subject in ayery artist-like.manner, and
has been'• rewarded, most deserVedly,"by complete
ricer's. "The-first whit a view of the
'era's. of Biltititi,..a tiainer‘of gladiators at Capua ;
and 13atiattts and , his friends arc discovered super-
intending the exercises of,the'.gladiatord., Batiatus,
for some neglect of his :exercises, orders Spartacus
to be scourged on the morrow, and he goes with
his friendsto the' feast. 'Spartacus and thegladia-
tors meanwhile determlnerto take advantage of the
feasting of Batiatus to assert their freedom, and in
this resolve they are confirmed by Camilla, the
wife of Spartacus, a prophetess, ,who bids them
" Rise all, rise now, the time is ripe." The rising
' proves successful, Batiatus is killed, and Spartacus
.and his followers retire to Vesuvius, where by stra-
tagem he defeats Glaber, the Roman lirretor.
Glaber's
.defeat ends the first act. In the second
act we' find Cannicius and Castus, officers in the
army of Spartacus, plotting his destruction. Can-
nicius, out of the mere envy which is the charac-
teristic of, every mind of small abilities but large
ainbition ; and Castus, out of the unholy lore
he bears Camilla. To accomplish their pur-
poses they determine to take advantage
of.-the superstition of Spartacus,. who is, as they
phrase it, constantly " dreaming.;" and by,myste-
nous voices, and false auguries,. work him to their
purpose. They are, inteirtipted hyHa summons to
the council, assembled for 'the purpoie of receiving
a herald from. ItOrile,'"who' proposes froth certain
Patricians,. whose :relatives -are prisoners in the
Gladiators' camp, an armistice and cartel of ex-
chancrbe. To this Spartacus replies in the follow-
• which . '
1 ing speech, was admirably giien- by Mr. E.
F. Saville, 'who was a `most efficient repreientatire
of the high-minded Thracian- slave-:
• SPAR. Return with my defiance.ort yeur.lips.l
I will no cartel, armistice, or change,
No ransom, nor in money, nor in kind,
Till I have brought them to contend on terms,
By downright chastisement, and rough constrai t!

Have not these Magnates, suing to.us now ::
• ! 1
Up to this crisis of their kinsmen's need,
Put all my partizans they took, to death?
Their cries are in our ears by day and nigh 1 •
trir, "
I scnd but, in exchange; a dreadful oath,

More spirit-stirring than the groans of kin,
And binding faster than the bonds of truth—
For every future captive they despatch,

Two of their dearest relativeishalldic—

The ravens know not-liagnates from poor slaves
. _

'Tis time your lordly lose]; should discern,
Our strength, our deeds, our numbers lift us up
To rank among the foremost, and to claim,

(A claim we will support ggainst the worlds
To be este-C-0d an independent power,
And dealt with as a lawful enemy,

But, it extermination be their Just,

Our all is stak'd—we'll play a desperate game!
The third act opens in the Sibyl's cave, and
Castus and Cannicius unseen, and personating the
Sibyl, work so upon the superstitious nature of
Spartacus, as to induce him to suspect his wife
has wronged him, and prefers his friend Crixus.
In consequence, he despatches Crixus on a distant
expedition to the Gargan mountains. The Sibyl
comes to him, and offers to clear up the mystery if
he will swear not to march on Rome. He swears,
and the Sibyl conducts him to her cave, where he
arrives just in time to save Camilla from the at-
tempts of Castus. Castus and Cannicius leave
the camp with their followers, and Spartacus
retires upon Rhegium, where he in vain attempts
to obtain a passage into Sicily for his forces. He
here learns the defeat and death of Crixus, whom
he had sacrificed to his unfounded jealousy. He
is besieged in Rhegium by Crassus, from whence
he escapes, but only to be forced by his rebellious
soldiery into an engagement, in which he falls,
overwhelmed by numbers, Camilla killing herself
on his body, The applause at the falling of the
curtain was considerable, and there was not a
single dissentient, and, what was better still, the
applause was well deserved. It was a good play,
well acted in the principal characters. Mr.
Saville, as Spartacus, exhibited a classical
taste for the possession of which we did
not before give him credit ; his declamation
was beautiful. Mrs. H. Vining, as Camilla, was
shrillingly impassioned ; in the last scene she was
exquisitely pathetic. The author is under great obli-
tions to this lady. Mrs. W. Daly, as the Sibyl, had
little to do, but that little she did well. The
scenery was excellent, and everything that could be
done for the piece, putting it on the stage, has been
done. The spectacle of Jane of the Hatchet, the
attraction of which seems undiminished, followed
I The house was crowded to excess.