The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-23 00:00:00

THE TriIEATTIES.

11..

the nOT! .sir. SuWvar

knots it re r tie public es a
) ..s entatuted tete ts. :sat:tit-day even-
tee. I: is entitled The Beggar on fior,teback, and it tut t
wi h great and well-de tee ter success. It is a comedy of
inaniiers of the present day, and is an exceedingly well-
built play, end it would be well that all dramatists should
b.-ar in mind that the artistical construction of the plot
of a five act play is an element that conduces more to
its success as an acting play, than either smartness of
dialogue or variety of incident, or even individuality of
character ; not, however, that The Beggar on Horseback
is d ficient in any of these. The dialogue is uniformly
smart and well write n, and without being forced or
rained, is not unfireptently witty. 'Ale incidents are
eel' contrived and ttutficiently numerous, and the.
characters of Cymon Foxiest!, Morecraft, and
Lady Cuverdale, are all distinct, and welt developed in-
dividualities. At .he commencement of the comedy,
we are introduced to Sir John Coverdale (Mr. Tileury).
a baronet, proud of his ancient pedigree, but deeply in
debt —with his estetes mortgaged to an old usurer for
their full value. By a former marriage he has had a son,
Ernest, (Mr. H. Hull), and a daughter, Selina, (Miss
Julia Bennett) ; and the present Lady Coverdale, (Mrs.
Glover), rules him tied his household not by violence of
manner or of language, but by perpetually offering them
consolation unaer any distresses which may chance
'o befall then ; such consolation consisting of the most
111-natured sarcasm speke in the meet homed tones. The
lady s-tes no way out of their difficulties save by se, king
some -rich p:ebien alliance for their children. To this
the proud baronet decidedly objects, and the lady tells
eini that there is t ne coceolation, they can bresk up their
lishtnenr, advertise fur a situation fer Selina and
procure Ernest an ensigncy in a marching regiment.
This dialogue is interrupted by the appearance of Ernest.
who informs them that, owing to the death, without a
will, of the . Id usurer, to ...hem their estates are more
caged, Cymon Fexhall, his nephew, whom they recollect
is a vulgar lent, has beeotne his heir, and has at rived in
Loteltit to take p issession of his inheritance. Lady
C;titerilale iron. (bawls. comment es plotting to secure
:ymon Foxhali for Selina, anti, observing that it would
he well to be civil to the young man, and see what he is
eke, dispatches Ernest to call upon him. The scene
hen changes to Foxhall's house, and we are introduced
to Cymen Foxhall (11r. Webster), and his man of
nesittess, M r craft (Mr. W. Farrell). Cymon Foxitell
eid been by les late uncle placed in a Manchester-house
the city, but tie had turned out a low lived blackguard,
1, frequenter ,if low taverns and low gambling-houses, a
neap-spirited, hypocritical profligate, in one wont-- a
•• mvell" In his uncle's house wes residing an orphan
lets Emmeline (Mrs. Seymour), whom that uncle had
,eepted, and to when it wa- supposed by every tine th
- uncle would have left his property. The affections
-it this girl, with these expectancies, Cymon Foxhall had
meek awl son ; and aleeit his uncle hail discarded him,
tote for four years Cytuen Foxhull had been
,vine a disreputable outcast at Boulogne, still
ter affection fur him condom d tin 'dieted. Previously
o his departure for Boulogne he had managed to intro-
lice into his uncle's establishment a crony of his own,
tamed Morecraft, a broken tdown marker et a billiard-
able, giving him special injunction{ to use ever' means
tt his-power to prevent the old usurer from making a
will 9 • and well had those injunctions been obeyed, for we
dud Cymon in the usurer's house, the undoubted pos-
sessor of all his wealth. Admirably did Webster dress
Ind play this character. Dressed in a suit of mourning
;hat might have been made by • Stoltz himself, he
nsnaged, by his method of wearing it, to make it appear
11-fit ing and vulgar. His hat was of the most un-
xceptionable pattern, but he stuck it on his head with
• mit knowing " jut" 'on one side, which is -one of the
sliaracteristics of the gent," as contradistinguishen
`rota the gentleman. He carried in his hand a cane,
-he but-end of which he ever and anon struck against
he booted part of his right leg, and he pulled up his
collar, and pulled down his waistcoat, and in a
housand ways showed, that notwithstanding
iis insolent swagger, and his boastful pride
purse, he was ill at ease, because he was coo-
scious that he had not in his whole composition one
ttom, the raw material out of which it would be possible
e manufacture a gentleman. In this, their first inter-
eiew, Morecraft details to him the schemes by whiee
se had been enabled to prevent his uncle from makiee
a will, and Cytnon gives Morecraft to understand that
low their relative po itions are altered. Morecraft hew
,vs-r takes the announcement very coolly, and remind.
slymon that he cannot do without him. Cymon then
tints at his desire to form a m-ttrimonial alliance with
-eine high family, and Morecraft reminds him of Emme-
dne. Cymon expresses a wish to see her, and
eittrecraft sends her to him and leaves - then,
lone. She, all affection, rushes i-ito his arms,
tie receives her coldly, in a half-swaggeritts
•telf sneaking sort of manner. and, in reply to her
questions, he says he loves her, and she shall have e
douse, a carriage, and money, and be just the same a-
f she were his wife, but that he must marry for rank
she rejects his insulting offers with indignation, and
tetermines to leave the house instantly. This scene wet.
Laid by Mrs. Seymour with very great spirit. As sht
pits him, he hears of his invitation to the Coverdalee ;
eid after a alien scene between Morecraft and Emilie
ine, we fled Cymon, with Sir John and Lady Cover-
tale, making a regular contract of bareain and sale for
he hand of Selina, he having been brought to this pass
,ery soon by i heart of Lady Coverdale. A. lir 4 thoßerenet
ems disinclined to -he sacritisit, hut when llyinon talk.
,f tereclosing the mortgage, he consents ; and on Selina
ntering, she is introduted to him, and they are lee
done. Cymon at once breaks whet he calls the goo.
.ews to her. and is astounded at her not at once accept-
ng him. To her cousin, Horace Waldegrave (Mr.
tudson), she confides her troubles. The two cousins, is
,urtsr, discover that they have lone, loved each other.
end determine to take Ernest. into their cetifidence
4nest himself is desperately in love wish a young crea-
ere whom he had met in the Park, hut of whom he
:flows nothing, tied to the Park Horace, Ernest, and Se-
em proceed. There Ernest beholds his fair incognita
-ho seeks to avoid him. Selina, however, accost-
ele It is Emmeline. The ladies retire together.
cid Cymon Foxhall, who is in pursuit of Emmeline, joins
he gentlemen. They threaten him with dirt ful nen-
equences if he does not at once resign the hand or
ielina, but to all their threats and taunts his only re-
ly is, " Pay me my mortgage." Sedna now joins the
party ; she has heart from Emmeline her story, and ex-
poses the heartless hypocrite in his true colours. At
teat he attempts to make his habitual swagger tenfold
nore insolent, but as Selina proceeds all his impudence
teserts him, and the mean-spirited coward stands eon-
otssed. He imagines that Morecraft must have betrayed
eirn, and, vowing vengeance against Morecraft, he
,necks off. Before he takes his departure, however,
tie turns round and snaps his finger in the faces of his
tormentors, significantly reminding them the affair may
le off if they will ply him his mortgage. Emmeline
;miles from her p 1 ice of concealment, and Morecraft.
:ho is in pursuit of her, enters. Finding her in suet-
steel hands he leaves her under the protection of the
outig people, very mysteriously reminding them that
tvhen affairs become too complicated for their guidanct
is will render them assistance. On his return to Cy-
non's, that worthy dirt cts his footman, Tholea,
(admirably acted by Mr. Brindal), to sumnatiril
ject; Morecraft. Just as the operation is being
strformed, uteler the personal inspection of Cy men
simself, Horace enters, and takes Morecraft into his
.ervice—Merecraft and Cymon having each previously,
re. once in their lives, told the truth, in the characters
vhich they respectively give of each other. The fifth
act opens at the office of Cymon's lawyer, and there we
ind Sir'John and Cymon, aided by the lawyer, busily
liga,red in drawing up the settlements for the marriage
f Selina. Ernest and Horace join the party, and More-
:raft also quietly walks in and tells them they may save
etiemselves all further trouble, for that Cymon is not
worth sixpence, producing at the same time a document
signed by Cymon's uncle, in which he states that
Emme-
ine is his own legitimate child, and, consequently
he heiress to all his wealth. Cymon, who has
earned from Morecraft that Emmeline has sought
efuge at Sir John's, seeks her there, and en-
teavours, before she can kn ate of what has chanced.
to play the penitent, and thus secure her fortune. His
tuit, however, is indignantly rejected. At this minion'
he other pasties enter and Morecraft explains that the
.ltd usurer, knowing the affection which Emmeline bore
.41 Cymon, and
.bang fully convinced of the villainy o'
he latter, had confided to him the important document,
with a strict injunction not to produce it until Cymon
should have shown himself in his true colours, and he
tads that he had behaved faithfully to the usurer, be
...muse he was the only man in the world, who had ever
o ked upon him without one-eye "in his own pocket.?'
Emtneliite, the heiress, fergives Sir John his mot tgege,
!likes a hat (Nome settlement on Ihtrece anti Selina, pro
vides for Morecra't, and gives hers, if anti her fortune t
Ernest Even Cymon is not oermitted to arrive at the
usual terminus of Beggars on Horseback. Emmeline pays
debts, and settles all annuity on hem, so that al art-
‘nade so harpy that even Lady Coverdele ha,
,0 tine to whotri she can offer consolation.
rho appeiuss at the fall of the curtain was enthusiastic,
ted alt the arts-tea w,-re called tor. Then there wor-
'end calls for the author, who bowed his te-knowledg-
melts trom the pre seenium box. The piece was an-
ounce-I ftr repetition every evening amid the most
cart), plaudits. As to the mariner in which the phi)
ens acted and out upon the stage, it is imuossible tit
iraise it toe highly. Farren's Morecraft is a chef
d'oeuvre of its sort, and Mrs. Glover acted the clever,
• chewing, pt dished, consoling Lady Coverdale
as Mrs. Griever alone can act such parts. Of the Cv rn,n
of Weestt rwe have already spoken—it is perhaps hi,
!rentest psi t. Brindal, us the feotnian Thomas. Clark
as a horse-jeckey, and Bland as a German tailor, were
ss. xee ilsnt iii the it little parts as Webster, and Ferree,
and Mrs. Weyer were in the three great charactr•
rs .tf
the piece. The comedy is worthy of the
actors, the
actors are worthy of the comedy.

R,,ty I3vour