The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-19 00:00:00

EVENING, APRIL l9, 1858

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

The Lear," at the Princess's
Theatre,l
revival
on
Saturday, of "King
may be regarded as the most
important event in the history of the modern stage.
e
Our great tragedian attempted a character in which
the deepest emotions of human nature are repre-
sented with a terrific force, to which no other
part ctn afford a parallel, and succeeded to an ex-
tent that even his most sanguine admirers could
hardly anticipate.
His first appearance, when he was discovered on
his throne, surrounded by his three daughters, at
once created a burst of surprise and admiration.
Was that really Charles Kean with the white beard
and locks, and with the fourscore years and up-
wards stamped upon his countenance ? The man-
ner in which he successively addressed his daugh-
ters, his senile fondness, his disposition to sense-
less rage, brought, as it were, a new character on
the boards that had never been seen before. Mr.
Charles Kean's Lear does not totter till sorrow has
undermine I him ; his mental feebleness is not ac-
companied by physical debility; he is still a hale,
hearty, old man, who can take part in a hunting
expedition, and enjoy his joke when it is over.
The famous curse, which is called down by Lear
on the head of Goneril, and which for the moment
raises him to the level of an inspired seer, was ut-
tered with matchless power, and shook the audience
to the very depths of their hearts. The whole be-
ing of the aged father seemed absorbed into the
dominating feeling ; his voice had become the or-
gan of imprecation only ; he was an embodied
curse ; and when the sentiment that actuated him
was exhausted, his sustaining power was gone, and
he fell completely senseless. The thunder of ap-
plause that arose at the end of the first act, and
summoned the great actor before the curtain, was
one of those ungovernable demonstrations that
genius can alone command.
But the immense power with which Mr. Kean
delineates the excesses of rage does not tempt
him to overlook the tenderness, which is, after
all, the foundation of Lear's nature, and the
scene with Goneril at the, end of the first act, is
perhaps the most terrific ever witnessed on any
stage. The scene with both 'daughters at the
end of the second is the most pathetic. He has
already called upon " goddess nature" to visit
Goneril with childlessness, •or to make her rear a
monster of serpent like ingratitude. Now he
simply prays the gods to preserve him from un-
manly weeping. The efforts at rage are abor-
tive ; he constantly drops into tears, until a hor-
rible foreboding of his fate comes over him at
the words, "Oh fool, I shall go mad !"
Bit this tender nature of Lear, which Mr.
Charles Kean has appreciated with such wonder-
ful discernment, aed exhibited with such exqui-
site truth, receives its full development in the
recognition of Cordelia. The shriek of delight
with which he clasps the one good daughter in
his arms, the ceuntless little acts of endearment
that indicates a Boating affection, the close em-
brace, which may not be broken, constitute a
wonderful exhibition of feeling. And when Cor-
delia is dead, and her aged father brings in the
corpse, the blank of his countenance shows that
all is lost to him for ever—the one sustaining
prop of his life is gone, and he can only lie down
and die. We have heard other actors louder in
their grief while showing Lear's bereavement,
but we never saw its paralysing effect so terribly
p ourtrayed.
Where Mr. Charles Kean obtained the know-
ledge of human nature which he displays in the
mad scenes we cannot conjecture, unless we sup-
pose that genius can take the place of experience
in arriving at the darkest facts of the mind.
Wonderfully minute are all the signs of intellectual
aberration ; marvellous is the power with which,
when the madness becomes methodical, Mr. Kean
calls up a distinct thought from the grand chaos.
His sarcasms: are cutting ; the sudden return of
dignity at the wordy, "Every inch a king !"
startled the whole house.
The accessions of character which belong to the
Saxon peeled are exceedingly beautiful, but we
would distinctly impress upon our readers that it
is not by virtue of these, but by his fine acting,
that our great tragedian demands the enthusiastic
admiration of the pubic. Nothing of an episodical
kind is introduced throughout, and the beautiful
tableaux that occur in the course of the piece are
always for the purpose of assisting the action. One
of the most striking scenes of all, the primitive
" room of state" in King Lear's palace, ornamented
with heads of game and hunting implements in a
manner that would do honour to "a fine old Saxon
gentleman," admirable as a picture, is still more
admirable from the conspicuous manner in
which it marks out the beginning of the tale, and
:how', combined, all the ,personages included in
its development. Thera is We old King, and there
pre the three daughters' gathered togetVer.. All
seem under the influence of unmitigated sunshine ;
the difference between genuine love and hypocracy
is not yet discovered ; and Lear may fancy that lie
has at la,t attained the highest degree of felicity
that can fall to the lot of man. In a few minutes
that group will be broken up, and those who com-
posed it will never be brought together again by
an attraction of love simulated or real. The worst
passions, and the deepest Buffering; are
ready to
break from beneath that surface, apparently so
smooth and fair. The history of that group is told
by our greatest poet in the grandest scenes of which
the world can boast ; the misery inflicted
on the
principal personage, the lend, good old man, whose
heart was made for love only, is delineated with
surpassing accuracy by tlte greatest actor of his
day.

The calls •for Mr. Kean at the end of the first
and second acts, and at the close of the entire
play, accompanied by the waving of hats and hand-
kerchiefs, were the most genuine tribute of admi-
ration ever paid to transcendent genius by an en-
lightened public.

A.I'TEST NEWS.

BOMBAY MAIL.

being made, but until all resistance is put down,
but little progress can be expected. The inhabi-
tants have Red from the city, and are in the
neighbouring villages. Every thing will be done
to reassure them. I expect the Mossabaug, the
last hold by the enemy, to fall to-morrow morn-
ing, an attack having been organised.

From Lucknow, March 19.

The last post held by the enemy fell this day,
and the cavalry had a most successful pursuit
capturing guns. Miss Jackson and Mrs. Or
have been saved. The city is now completely in
our possession. We have already collected 117
is in flight towards the north-
guns. The enemy
west.

From Allababad, March 20.

The Moosalbaugh having been taken this morn-
ing, there is no longer an enemy in Lucknow.
Mrs. Orr and Miss Jackson arrived to-day in the
Maharajah Jung Bahador's camp, having been
rescued by Capt. Marshall and Lieut. Boole, of the
Artillery, with a small party of Goorkhas. They
were protected by Mear Wazeer Ally Darogab,
and had been well treated by him ; the same in-
telligence had been reported by the Commander-
in-Chief. Cavalry had gone in pursuit to the
northwards, and arrangements were being made
for the withdrawal of part of the troops from the
city. The Commander-in-Chief was engaged
in deciding on details of the future garrison, and
the selection of a proper military position.