The Sun.
London, England, 1803-01-31 00:00:00

THE.47R,E.

Th.ury

,
THE dramatic novelty which was represented at
this Theatre on Saturday, under the title of Hear
Bab S;,les, is the avowed prOdutlion of Mr. Hot..
CROY T.

DRAMATIS PERSONX.
Fairfax, , - ' Mr..Dowiek.
Headlong, - , ..- • Mr.-C. KzaitaLE. •' • -
Sir Ralph Aspen, - Mr. SUETT.
Transit (his son) .. . ' Mr. BANNISTER.
Melford, - - Mr. RAYMOND. .
Steward, - - Mr. WA° ye ivros.
Quillet, .- . Mr. CHERRY.
Bailin; .. .. Mr. WEWITZER.
Gregory, - - •Mr. CoLLINs.
Major Eennis, • - Mr: CAULFIELD.
Sir Luke Lostall, - Mr. WILIgz.,
Master of the Hotel, Mr. MADDOX.
Robert, - • - Mr. HOLIANOSWORTII.
Caroline Melforcl, - Mrs. Post. • •
Eliza Aspen, - . Mrs. JORDAN. •

The scene lies in London. The chief charader in the
Piece is Fairfax, a Solicitor, of great credit, and who, till a
very short time before the opening of the Piece, has uni-
tbrmly maintained a high reputation for probity
.and feeling.
Having, however, become the inheritor of considerable pros
perty belonging to a rich old man? whose nephew he had ap.
peared to patronize, Fairfax begins very rapidly to lose his
credit; particularly as he appeared to be an intimate con-
nexion with a worthless Attorney named uil let, who is sup-
posod by fraudulent means, to have become possessed of the
fortune °fa Mr. Melford. Matters remain in this dubious
state, and Harry Headlong, the Nephew, whose proper
ritance Fairfax has obtained, arrives in London, in expedas
tion of getting at once into possession of the vast fortune left
by his Uncle. Harry headlong, with agood heart, is a wild
young man; who has already squandered two fortunei by
generous profusion. He soon becomes acquainted with
Transit, another thoughtless but well-meaning young man.
Harry.has a high opinion of Fairfax, and soon quarrels with
Transit, because the latter speaks ill of Fairfax. Transit is
arrested, and an intended duel is, prevented.—Transit had
concluded himself in such a wild manner, thathis wife Eliza,
who is the Niece of Sir Ralph A;pen, is induced to separate
from him, chiefly, however, owing to the artful falsehoods
of Sir Ralph. Eliza, finding her Husband is in town, puts
on a mask, and has an interview with him. Knowing he is
in distress, she gives him a pocket-book, containing bank-
notes, which he presents to Harry Headlong, who takes it to
relieve the distresses of Melford, and for that purpose gives
it to Caroline. Melford, the daughter of the latter.—lt
pears that Harry had seen Caroline at a Masquerade in Italy,
and had conceived a violent attachment to her, but never
could afterwards find her.. Melford and his daughter reside
in the same hotel with Sir Ralph and Eliza, and the Ladies
are acquainted. When Headlong visits the hotel, for the
purpose of relieving the necessities of 31elford, whom he had
known in happier days in Italy, Caroline conceals herself
under her veil for some time, but afterwards lets Headlong
know that she is the objed aids solicitous search.—Eliza,
seeing the pocket-book which she had.pres,ented to her Hus-
band in the hands of Caroline, and hearing It had been given
to her by a young man, naturally concludes that it was an
offering of gallantry, and is full of jealousy. Transit, on a
subseque.it interview, really does pay gallant homage to Ca-
roline, but he suppose his own wile is dead: 'These mat.:
lers, howeVer,_ are all explained, and the only rethain-
ing mystery rest* upon the conduct of Fairfax.. At
length Fairtax, who seems to have acted 'a very myste-
rious part, summons all the charaders together, in order to
vindicate his conduct. He severely reproaches Harry Ilea&
long fur not attending the calls of a dying Uncle, though
Fairfax had earnestly conjured him to return to England. In
defence of himself for getting postession of. Harry!s Inherit-
ance, he alledges that the Testator left his' thrtune to one
who was likely to use it properly,. rather than to one who
was likely to sacrifice it by extravagance He then gives
- larry the Titk-deeds of the estattl, 'and also restores those
orst oiftrrs
,pMneeß:yal,:T h
which Sir ietrraakillpesi
tilas, betrayaltobtainedicittort
issue
sriouei
oi%
sels, whom he deserted,
cooantcliulesillosnkiFsaiyir and who died soon - after. In
rulsn.
efatiltitluedilytotxhlCl;oiloilsl nhaisince°.ll4lathlcill apnrdeVsiolineswlys
avtuired,—Quillet is to abide the decision of the Law upon
lilt bad practices—E liZa is reconciled to her Husband, whose
condud has been basely misrepresented to her—Headlong
marries Caroline, and poetical justice is, upon the whole,'
accomplished.
If Mr. HoLcitorr had not acknowledged him.
self to be the Author •of this Piece, there would
have been little doubt 'of its draMatic Parentage.
It haa all that misanthropic, cheerless, gloomy, un-
comfortable Philosophy, which has generally ap-
peared in his dramatic Produaions. In this Play,
he has borrowed from himself, but has not 'improved
his literary credit by' the loan. Fairfax is a clia-
-rafter which he has 'taken 'frOm . a 'play which he
brought forward many years ago at Drury-Lane
Theatre, under the name of Dnplithy.. Han:), Head.
long is the Harry bopton of his Road to Pnin, Only
placed in different situations. Quilled Is the scoun.
drel Scrivener in the same play.
The rest of. the charklers have nothing peculiar
in thetia, and their prototypes, may easily be lound
in several other pieces. The plot is by no Means
clearly developed, and all that is distinaly 'con-
•
Ceivable is full of improbabilities. The piece is,
indeed, founded Upon the model of the German
Drama, ',which has. already contributed to corrupt
the taste of our Dramatic Writers with false no-
,
tions of Humanity anti Honour. The Dialogue is
•
written with strength, but there is -no criking
, elegance or felicity of language. • The sentiments
are hyno means new, or very forcible, and there is .1
•
no novelty or brilliancy of ithagery in any of the
bursts of Passion, or sallies of Humour.
The most whintsiCal incident in the piece, and
which seems to have some pretence to novelty,
arises from the means by which Transit effects the
escape of I/rad/ow from a Bailiff, who comes in the
linguist of a Foreigner. After Headiank
.is gone,
Transit exults in the success of the artifice, banters
the Bailiff; who, it appears, came in -reality ar..•'
rest Transit himself.
,
Mr. Hot, c ;tour cannot have read Mr. Rt.
. •
DAN'S excellent dramatic satire The Critic, other-
wise he would not have diEcovered at the conclusion
of the Play that Transit, was the son of Sir Ralph,
an event that retninded the Audience of "Thongs
jenkins,". and excited a general and hearty laugh
when the re/aria/Is/4 was made known.
The attempts at gaiety in this Piece are very
heavy, and it is upon the whole languid and tedious.
It is very well represented by the Performers, but
JOB himself would be unable to sit through asccoitid
exhibition. WROUGIITON was excellent in tne
part- Of the old Steward- to Head/ons's late uncle,:
• • • •
.C. Ktmate did- not " discipline Ins freliqd"
as Dr. LAWRENCE says, enough, in Harrj,
on the whelk, played a charaEler not properJrin
his cast, with great success. BANNISTER. really ae-
_quitted himself admirably in Transit. This part
affords much variety of feeling and manner, and be•
•
did ample justice to all its variations. 1 Its labour-
ing oarin a great degree depended upon DowToN,
who displayed the qualities of a gimi Adoe ; and.
, all the °bite:lion' Which we can,inake against him,
will , ,
oe.comprizeu in what Cusritcutt.t. says of
Love, a respedable Performer of his day, "

in somelov particulari he failf,
" Same few puticulAi.; wAcry node pzev4il>."

Mt. jottomq *tut MI fire and spiiit in Viza,
awl Mrs. Pora was at least tolerable in Caroline.
COLII?4EantI CHI R Y acquired Math , applause in
their respective charaders. The Piece was re-
ceived very kindly throughout, and if there was
any opposition at the conclusion, it was very faint.
An allusion to the Jews in the Prologue, which
speaking of Actors, says,

" We fear the (ennuis, Magazines, Reviews,
We#. fear the Christiittts, and we tear the Yrwti"
was received with very great success. The Epilogue
was a hurnourous versification of the old story of
the .?2liaker who gait- the dog an, ill-name. it was
delivered with much humour by Mrs. JORDAN.
The House was crowded in all parts before the
Play- began, and the Audience distingUished them.
selves by a patient disposition to Hear Both Sides,
and to suffer MERCY to give the vedia.