The Sun.
London, England, 1802-01-16 00:00:00

THE I'HEATRES:

Drusiy-Lame.
THE Tragedy of Venice Presern,d, which was
very properly withdrawn from the Stage a few years
ago, in consequence of the malevolent attempts of
certain faElious spirits to apply some of its political
passages to the events of the time, and thereby
kindle popular violence, was revived 'last night at
this Theatre. Happily the temper of the times is
changed, and the artifices of such evil spirits can no
longer convert rational amusement into political
disseeititin.
The Platabniihcls with so many touches of true
pathos, and the interest of the chief chara&ers
presses so strongly on the heart, that it is now
Properly restored to the admirers of dramatic ex-
cellence.

It is impossible to do justice to the merit of Mrs.
SII;DONS in Belvidera. She was uniformly great
in every part. It is, we understand, one of her
favourite CharaCters; and it is certainly one in
Which she is chiefly successful, Nothing could be
mere pathetic than all her effusions of tenderness to
Safer. Her recital of the midnight visit of Re-
, naztl4; with the interrupted bursts of indignation,
roused every congenial impulse in the Audience.
Her appeal to her father, her fears of the vengeance
of jaffer for having tempted him to• betray his
friends, and, finally, her madness and death, -were
all the_best,atchievements of the art, and. excited
vie strongest testimonies of sympathy and applause.
KitmaLt exerted himself with great force, judg-•
ment, and feeling in gaffer. The fiery p assions
seem to be more suitable to KEMBLVS talents than
simple tenderness, yet he marked all the expressions
of fondness .towards Belvidere with an interesting
softness. He was uncommonly successful in his
taunting reproaches of old Renault on "the. knavish
itch in hiS salt blood," and drew reiterated plaudits.
The charaCter of Pierre .was performed for the
irst time by 4AARYMORE, who fully entered into
the spirit of it, and sustained it throughout with
Manly
.efiergy, Indeed his representation of this
•tharaCter was Much above the usual standard of his
PAcciit. gave' 'Renault with such a charaeleristic
Mixture of likpqilrisy, petulance; and cruelty, as
tendered it. Yelp:prominent in the Piece. The
Priuti-of'``isintitled to notice for firm
tnuneiation,and unaffected emotion.
- The Play was for the first time brought forward
with dresses according to the eastame of the time,
and scene of at-lion ; and all the subordinate parts of
scenery and detOration were appropriate.
No alteration or omission seenls, to have taken
place in the Tragedy itself ; and though the politi-
cal passages excited much approbatiOn, it (lid not,
seem to be the result of party-spirit. The Audience was very numerous, very attentive, and very Jibe_
kill in applause,

Covent Ca' fleir.
' .
•
Last night Mr. Lt wrs's Tragedy of Alfonso,
teas; for the first time, performed at this. Theatre.
1.. would be absurd to enter into a detailed account
.thr...._Pint...of a Play .which has been- published.
Llke
bears hest 'of Mr, LEW ts's produCtions, Alfonso
marks of a strong but very unequal and
irregular genius. His natural caste appears to have
been vitiated by
the extrav too intimate an acquaintance with
man Romancage
ance of the Gcrrnaama, and of Ger-
. n Dr
This Piece, like those e have yim ported
from the Continent, aboundsw 'with situatlatel ions' which,
though they create :a .kind of artificial intetest, are
unnatural, and with sentiments which, though plau-
sible, are forced and extravagant. his much to the
credit' of the- morality at least, of an English au-
dience,' that sentiments which appear to inculcate '
virtue are always received with approbation ; but
.self.evident propOsicions, however eloquently writ-
ten, or, however fOrciblY expressed, cannot in any
great degree. excite the feelings. /crest of the Q Much of the in_
erman Drama
,(and in that school we
are convinced,))4l4,3l,,,Ei,v is . has studied) is excited-
hy.,situations,-,wiiclif: are almost always unnatural,
and some t irrts,, cliousting. We cannot otherwise
account for the novel speCtacle exhibited last ni ght-
of a father and son fighting-together. The oet
of Ttagic Authors. use.) to be
to create compasbsijonc,
grief, or terror, but the efforts the new school is
to produce horror and disgust, and we
the justice to sa must do them
unsuccessful, y, that in the latter they are rarely
• . -, . --- .
There is. in A/fonso some very good writing,
but it is lost in a cloud of commonplace declama-
tion. There are (which we must not,only, disap-
prove'of b.ut strongly condemn) frequent and solemn
appeals to the Deity; but it appears to have been
reserved for the talentS of Morality vicious a modern Writers to renderacrd Piety blaspheMous.
Of thePerfr)rme.:ra.we have'little to sayi_ and of
that little much will not be Praise. The,6st Part'
of Cooit E,'s Chatader was,:peculiarly adapted to his
talents, and he gaye it with his usual energetic.
roughness. ' We are sorry we cannot speak with.
our usual praise of Mr. MURRAY Wd never saw.
him to less adwintage than in -Alfonso. The 01a-
rafter certainly did not admit of great exertions, but
he contrived to make the great and good Alfonso,appear very conternptible.---H JOHNSTON was re.
speaable ; and the other male Charaaers were too-,
tininiportant to deserve notice.
Mrs.-LtretivrELo deseryed what she received,
great applause ; but if there were great beauties in
her performance, there were also great faults : her
conception i 4 .infinitely, greater than her powers,.
and consequenrlV,L,A atternpting too much, she fre-
. quently fads. We were sorry 'to observe last night,
that she appears to be acquiring a habit of aspi.
tin,''Y 'the last -011,41TC,0f every important word.
Mrs. H. ji,ilNs'ro.r sustained a Veryarduous part. 4vith vety, great ability, but her voice is rather too
.
weak fur so large a Theatre.
The Prologue was, to our surprize, very de.
eentlY delivered by CLARiMONT; and an indifferent
Epilogue very admirably spoken-by Mrs. H, JOHN. . ....

The Hou'se.as uncommonly full, and the Play
wza i.Lunounced for thi4 eveninz.