The Sun.
London, England, 1833-10-01 00:00:00

FRA SER' S MAGAZINE.

This is scarcely a number of average merit,
though it contains one or two peppery articles,
and an extravaganza worthy of O'Doherty. The
various contributions have been too hastily se-
lected—" pitchforked" into the Magazine with-
out sufficient regard to appositeness. " Taylor's
History of the Civil Wars in Ireland " should
have been inserted at least two years ago, when
the history was published. It is now as much
out of place and season as a full-bottomed wig
in the dog-days at the Adelphi. " Autobio-
graphy of a Scottish Borderer" is passable ; but,
to be more intelligible, should be translated into
English. The Scotch brogue iv quite perplexing,
even to one accustomed to the fine Doric dialect
of a Daudie Dinmont. "On the French Peer-
age, Ancient and Modern," is another unsea-
sonable historiette. The book which it professes
to review was published at least three years since,
and created some little stir at the time. The
matter, however, of this essay redeems it.
" Gallery of Literary Characters" contains a
memoir, together with a portrait, of Miss Lan-
don. The memoir is more flattering than the
likeness. The lmprovisatrice does not squint.
" Persian Women" is a graceful, agreeable bit
of gossiping. But who could fail to be agree-
able on such a subject ? It would extract
vivacity from a gate-post. " Celebrated Trials
of the Nineteenth Century," is an elaborate his-
tory of a late Parisian murder ; but, after the late
scientific displays of a Burke and a Bishop, we
are become fastidious in such matters. Homi-
cide, without some supplemental atrocity added
to it by way of rider, is as insipid to an English
palate, as a Michaelmas goose without season-
ing. "B u 1 wer—Westmacott— Cobbett—John
Wood, of Preston, and others," contains some
admirable extracts from one of Cobbett's late
Registers, in which the grim old savage of Bolt-
court attacks the Morning Chronicle, and Mr.
Wood, of Preston, in a style of irresistible
outrageousness. Cobbett's abuse is the very
picturesque of blackguardism : he interlards it
too with homely sketches of rural life that none
but Morland or Gainsborough can equal. What
can be finer in its way (we say nothing of its
propriety) than his comparison of Wood, of
Preston, with a yard-hog lying " snug in beans"
and taking special care not to grunt, lest his
" prog" be taken away from him. Or what is
racier than his sneer at Black, of the Morning
Chronicle,who,"by a long series of tackings-about
and of dulness, has at last brought the poor old
Chronicle to that point, at which the Doctors
usually say, You may let her take just what she
pleases ?' " We do not hold with the truth of
this sarcasm, but it is very piquant and
amusing. " On Yeomanry Cavalry," is a capital
quiz on a late West Kent Review. We sub-
join a specimen :
" Inspection over, the line broke into open column of
half squadrons, and marched past in review order ; and
very well they looked—for yeomanry. The ranks, at a
walk, were tolerably well kept, no man being at any time
more than two yards and a half out of his proper place.
Trotting past was also tolerably well performed—the
troopers riding with the foot well home in the stirrup,
and rising thereon with infinite grace and comfort. But
cantering past beat anything I ever saw—the different
troops moving with all the regularity and compactness of
a flock of sheep. ' Hurra !' shouted a fox-hunting
lieutenant, as he spurred his hunter forward, and passed a
fat innkeeper, who was kicking the sides of a lean post-
horse—perhaps not

_
' Right glad to miss
The lumbering of the wheels.'

' Yoicks ! forward !' cried old Joe, the whipper-in.
' Hark to him ! bark ! hark !' roared Harry Oxenden,
thinking of old times. Silence in the ranks, gentlemen !'
called out the adjutant, a steady old file from the Ennis-
killeners ; " you are not huntsmen !'

"At length the halt' was sounded, and the troopers
gradually regained their prescribed positions.
" The finest thing I ever saw !' said the venerable lord
lieutensnt to the colonel. Quite animating !' returned
the latter. ' Mural crowns should adorn the brows of
each and every one of them,' observed Lady ➢lathe-
matico.

" The sword exercise was then performed ; and, by a
special and most merciful dispensation of Providence, no
damage was done by the troopers to each other, though one
horse bad his ear cut off, and two others were sharply
pricked in their rumps. A few simple manceuvres were
gone through afterwards, and really not so badly done as
I expected. To be sure, one man's elf) fell to the ground
with the owner's head in it ; the fox hunting lieutenant's
horse ran aw,iy with him right across the country,
clearing hedge, brook, and gate, with vast success, until
he stopped at his own stable; and the fat innkeeper was
so exhausted, that he was obliged to pull up in the middle
of a charge, and go off to a refreshment booth, erected on
the ground, for a glass of cold gin and water, to enable
him to get through the remainder of his work."
NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

The article in this number that will excite the
most curiosity is Mr. Grattan's Recollections of
Kean, of which, we regret to state, spleen is the
chief characteristic. God help poor Kean, if
his future biographer rates him as soundly as his
present ! We know he was far from immacu

la
tueol;but t
owhy t h
e takew a
ys, ot
om
iumc hp r
epsasi nosn,
wouhyr ligic/ 0in605
m
that he was sunk chin deep in the lowest abyss
of debauchery ? It is not generous, Hr. Grattan:
A man of your intellectual attainment
should be above such conduct. But such is tiles
world. When the old lion is dead, eel $:0
thinks he may have a kick at him. The "I's-
for Mr. Grattan's spleen is obvious, and to
to do him justice—he makes no attempt
conceal it. His tragedy of ,c Ben Nazij
was, it seems, damned the first night, o
chiefly through the misconduct of Kean'
aiber
played the principal character. We te—e •
Iso
witnessing the damnation, and remember, a
t
that we strongly sympathized with the °l.lthor
ej
whose play deserved a better fate. It C0't31"35,
many fine, though somewhat rhetorical' Psoe
sages, and was full, from first to last, of bu „.
co,•
and animation. The following particulers
nected with its misrepresentation may 81-01 r to o;
" In this mood I took leave of Kean, resolveu,; the
interfere with him further ; and I prepared to goh;t 001
theatre, in a state of some anxiety certainlYt bad
more pleasurable than the contrary. Mr. Walle,le
secured me a private box behind the dress eirbe:
which I repaired about half an hour before the Pl;a ob'
The house was crowded in all parts, and I may toy
serve, that not one friend of my own was there vi4icl 1
solicitation. The manager had not offered me, °°r
ask, a single free admission. qaltst
" I certainly felt considerable satisfaction as I -hie'
unseen, and contemplated the crowded house. Thelac'
of my literary longings had ever been for drarosticegol
cess ; and although I had always looked on enY Prole,
play as a very indifferent drama, a mere experioe, of
fact, and rested its whole chance on the perforpla°'lol
the chief part, I was greatly strengthened in my
it by the various concurrent reasons before detaile'fse
fair share of applause was given to some of the ear;',ep't
sages ; and the audience seemed well prepared for
appearance, with which the third scene was to oPee'a'
41 He did at length appear. The intention of the
lu
thor, and the keeping of the character, required birpsof
rush rapidly on the stage, giving utterance to a
joyous soliloquy. What was my astonishment to see off
as the scene opened, standing on the centre of the ei,ol
his arms crossed, and his whole attitude one of thougfi,
solemnity ! His dress was splendid ; and thundereA°lti
lause greeted him fioin all parts of the house. T°.
the one and give time for the other, were the ob.lece,
which he stood fixed for several minutes, and elle,rl
the sense of the situation. He spoke; but what tov,—„ei
The one I wrote consisted of eight or nine lines ; 41;13 I'l
of two or three sentences, but not six consecutive ',to
of the text. His look, his manner, his tone, were bee
quite appalling ; to any other observer they Inne`nt
been incomprehensible. He stood fixed, drawled
incoherent words, and gave the notion of a man "n"
w el'
been half hanged and then dragged through a 13nreeirt01
My heart, 1 confess it, sank deep in my breast. fdi:
utterly shocked. And as the business of the PITA t;
on, and as he stood by, with moveless muscle allu elajec,'
eye, throughout the scene which should have been° r 0
violent, perhaps too violent, exertion, a cold 81'°:;d:
perspiration poured from my forehead, and e°l'4'
rev,u,llsion of feeling which I cannot describe, and ,
would not for worlds one eve had witnessed.
touchstonehad aolfl
thea along felt
x
felt thaetanthwisenstcetnhereti7huldil,
td
ominasn in the last
closed
adendsisiteangeee offo exhaustion
nothefaannodfdaeiceacpuria..;pdi;:f
o
I felt, though I could not hear, the voiceless `ler
' damnation.' firc
.
" I soon recovered myself, and sat out the b"`, e.lllP',"
the end ; it is needless to describe it here. In 'l°'
preface to the printed play, which was published,
days afterwards, I stated a few of the facts attend,ll3;pol
representation. The account, which appeared in I:1,P;
number of the New Monthly Magazine, was a verl,,'Ptli
ful one. I believe it was from the pen of a noWDIY
barrister, and the then chief writer of the admirable
matic articles in the work. 0$:
" When the curtain fell, Mr. Wallack, the still: oo.'
fi -nd mad.- nn apology for' ht the

n 'ger, came forward and made an apology
imperfection in his part, and an appeal in behalf °e,yo
play. Neither excited much sympathy; the audio! ; lb°
qnuigihtet,diwsgetinsttebde.hin
dt
hew
efonres.theofinrsctrotniminge (ur°
towards the green-room, I met Kean, sepportetdhe blf
servant and another person, going in the direction ° lit
dressing-room. When he saw me be hung do not
head, and waved his hand, and uttsfed some expreld
of deep sorrow, and even remorse. " I have rocs,
fine play and myself; I cannot look you in the 'sof/
were the words that I caught. I said something insitlite
as cheering and consolatory as I amid. I maY„.'a is
all sense of my own disappointment was forgot"- .100°4
compassion I felt for him. Mrs. West, Miss SW', 0..
and Miss Kelly, were among the group present !ostd;
meeting. Nothing could exceed their good nature ti'isoiq
me. The whole company seemed to consider the eaile#o;,
ell
as a domestic one. Every one was indignant th
Wallack particularly so. He told me that previ°_,eoo t;
00.0
commencement of the play he bad sent three e°71.011%;
ion
ton himtgootia togl
d t
n
despair.
amir. seek
him
w,y thse n f
persiste
come owhf riommehii,s
hdre foundssingi-abr oino:33w;eetipi'l
character ? Why insure the ruin of theaPttlel:YLPl, tb
my reputation as a writer? Why not 'situ-A-4011ra'
acknowledge the loss of memory which be ba-rese°')l°
become aware of? This was Wallaclee "eel be
He had, it seems, urged Kean to apologize ?bat 'boe'
ecitat
ebturte:
Imnat
ruyt
tdhepieder
pno ctpi epo
propose
eds b
hont 0
htuht hmda e
,t
bt
u hrr
subject.so
tu dgi
nehct
ol
ai
Tntf
eher
aidaert,
friend,
.a)
bds
e, °
pga
bd;
ls.
51 ti
refuse
botii
ferrintb
g to let the fault lie wholly on the authors' .ct
It will be perceived by the above extr' Dint,dal3:j
there is no memory so tenacious, n 0 if iv A
ment so long brooded over, as that 01 •
pointed dramatist. The rage of s 101
beauty is nothing to it. We have b.,,,ee10 title
struck with Mr. Grattan's account ofe
ore
the performance of Othello :
.ericir°loi
" We found him, as was usual after the cot g°
of any of his principal parts, stretched on a 1%4. 05
ing violently, and throwing up quantities of b; io ,
" A great Man in Retirement," 1s 00e,
Mitford's smartest and most observaii‘lhe est.
She paints a " tun of man," with all
bi°;
of a Shakspeare r Lod tyiV
" All the tailor's measures would not ge :ye %of
and as to guessing at his proportions by the ;;,,iO3'
might as well attempt to calculate the
74 gunship—as
on
th
the
Progresssoo n try to fit al\
uresei
cd:ckiest'
cob ctf
totor
of
essay, displaying some research, and 01°,, is rich
rr.,,rdv Arc"'
for its subject. " The late Mr. A- : 't
It 19 3 opirl,
the pen esnk(eitfciPl Poole, the
htahreacdterar.matAist. -
would greatly improve
essays. They are admirable in deal
The
ilo
cient, as a whole, in energy.
“)
Commentary" will enable the reader
away a pleasant half hour. littleoi s 111;e1:ito