The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-16 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Miss Fanny Kemble's long-promised tragedy of Francis the
First was brought out last night at this theatre. Public expec-
tation was greatly excited on the occasion, nor was it in the
slightest degree disappointed. Miss Kemble has shown that,
both as a dramatist and a tragedian, she possesses abilities of
the very highest order. On her entrance she was recessed
with loud, reiterated plaudits from all parts of the house,
which were given with a heartiness and sincerity, that if equalled,
we have never seen surpassed. The effect on the feelings of the
young lady was evident ; but she promptly recovered, and did
ample justice to her twofold pretensions as authoress and ac-
tress. The plot of her tragedy is something like the following :
Charles, Duke of Bourbon (Mr. C. Kemble) is recalled by
orders of Louisa of Savoy, the King of France's mother (Miss
F. Kemble) from the command of the army stationed in the
tributary states of Italy. The Duke is attached to Margaret
of Valois, sister to the King of France (Miss Taylor) and on
his arrival at the Court of France we find him breathing forth
to her, at the same time, his love and complaints for his unex-
pected recall. Shortly afterwards he has an interview with the
Queen Mother, who hesitates not to let him understand that it
was her passion for bim which prompted her to recall him, in
order that he might be raised to higher honours nearer home :
he spurns her proffered love, which is immediately turned in
her to the bitterest hatred, to gratify which, in the first in.
stance, the command of the army is given, in the presence
of the assembled Court, to Bonnivet and Latrec, (Duruset
and Baker), two smooth-faced minions of the Court.
The Duke is then commanded to deliver up his sword
of office with which he is begirt ; he does so, and breaks it in
twain, denouncing his country for ingratitude; in consequence
he is arrested as a traitor and rebel, and lodged in a state prison.
The Queen Mother, through the agency of Gonzales, a Spanish
Monk, her confessor (Warde), again renews her overtures,
and they are again spurned. Gonzales had been in the Spanish
army against France, he makes himself known to the Duke,
who, inspired with revenge, takes the advantage of the
Monk's offer, who aids him in his escape, preparatory to his
joining the Spanish army. Meantime an under-plot is
going on :—Laval (Mr. G. Bennet) is betrothed to Francoise
de Foix (Miss E. Tree). The lady is seen and admired at a
tournament by the youthful King of France (Mr. J. Mason),
with whom several unwilling interviews on the part of the lady
takes place ; in one of these the Queen Mother makes her ap-
pearance rather abruptly, and discovers her eon declaring his
passion. From that moment she determines to make short
work of it with Francoise : she obtains, by dint of promise,
the consent of Gonzales to murder her—a consent the more
readily given in consequence of a deep hatred entertained by
the Monk towards Laval, whose father had ruined the fair
prospects of the former. Laval, who has been absent, re-
turns, and is anxious to see his betrothed. Her inter-
views with the King would appear to have been car-
ried further than the bounds of propriety would war-
rant; these are prevented by the Monk to gratify
his revenge on Laval ; and this revenge is amply gratified, for
the lady, stung to the soul by his taunts, snatches a poignard
from Laval's side, and destroys herself. The principal cha-
racters in the drama make their appearance, and a scene of
disclosure and fierce recrimination takes place ; the Monk up-
braids Laval, and tells him his tears, over the dead body of
Francoise, have been a sufficient reward ; in the presence of
the King he discloses the tbul designs of the Queen Mother
in recalling Bourbon, and wishing for the murder of Francoise,
and the drama ends with the King taking from his mother the
ensigns of regal authority, and consigning her to a nunnery.
The leading defects of Francis the First as an acting drama—
in which light only we shall now view it—are, first, a want of
continuity in the plot ; secondly, a too frequent halting in the
action, from the passion of the different personages to make
speeches. But there is no dearth of incident, no meagreness
of invention, no insipidity. The play, from first to last, is
full of character ; and were its different incidents more bar.
moniously blended together, would tell with tenfold effect. So
far as the acting was concefird, nothing could be better. All
the performers did their beseCVard, whose voice is the very organ
of sarcasm, spoke the bitter passages of his part with infinite
spirit, and evidently felt himself at home. His assumed meek-
ness to the Queen Mother, and subsequent exposure of her in.
trigues, were in the finest possible contrast to each other. Of
Miss Kemble herself, we may say that we have never seen or
heard her to greater advantage. She played throughout with
remarkable judgment, appealing to the understandings not less
than the feelings of her audience. The avowal of her passion
to Bourbon—a difficult point—was as true to nature as one of
Fielding's prose epics. Even the simple action of covering her face
with her hands, when she first finds that her advances are flung
back on her with scorn, and the delivery of the words, " are
we obeyed ?" were full of power and expression. Mr. C.
Kemble well supported his daughter, and in many parts of his
acting, brought back on us a vivid recollection of his splendid
Faulconbridget. cHissp nteheeececrohuin,
unfortunate
Lion of the High Constable of
France, the founder of the present Bourbons, was historically
eaosrarrneeicpmtr.
representative
on Hisanimation :se wasof r was t
ui\ni perhapsaistsep Ellenrh ai soma naf
dad rea at
hinted leasht ase beauti-
ful
r
love to Laval, in the words :
" Never forsake my brother,
And for my brother's sake, since sou and he
Are but one soul, be mindful of yourself,"
withirresistible grace and delicacy. Mr. Mason made as much
of Francis as it was possible to make. A. little more dignity,
however, would have become the representative of the most
regal and chivalrous of France's Monarchs. We must not

. ... -
omit noticing Miss Taylor, whose Margaret qt. Valois was a
chaste, yet spirited, piece of acting. On the whole the tragedy
wente remarkably well, having been got up in every respect
with consummate tare. Had it not been broken into two dis.
tinct plots it would have left us nothing to desire. But on this
head Is e shall speak more at length when we come to review it
s a literary composition,