The Sun.
London, England, 1817-04-28 00:00:00

THE ITLtE, COVEN r-c; IRDEN.

Corio/aitus. was performed on Saturday. The
Play exhibits some of the most striking charac-
teristics of Mr KENIBLB'S poWers. When he
passes away it must pass with him. The Rodin',
hero has no other representative among us. The
costume and the language, the majesty of i s sen-
. timent and the sternness of its passion, seem to have
been by some prophetic impulse constructed for
the actor on whom we are now looking for the
last time. This • glees it a new interest ; it may
be even the source of its, popularity among os,
remote as we are from the austerity of its early
time. Corialanus is a rolique of the original day of
a frowning and rigid image of the
patrician and the soldier. But there is no beauty
in the shape moulded as it is in that severe ar-
mour, the first glance skews us the whole aspect
of its haughty:strength and inflexible features, the
single delight is centered in the perfectness of its
transmission through so many hazards of space
and time. It stands before us ,in the periou
of the actor, the most complete and ttionoti-
listed monument of its rude day, and its charm
lies in this tritituph over. the mouldering of
tradition. -Coriolautts haroiguing the legions on
the edge of battle, retorting the contumely of the,
tribunes, or 'resting involved in his Toga beside
his enemy's hearth, makes two thousand years pass
away, fixes its alto; timely at Rome and'Corioli and
in the midst, of the glades antenjoynietits of awe
later time calls up the perils of republics and their
warfare like things of matter and lite, present and
true., blr. Kastat.a's represeotation of the lierp
is probaSly the most perfect of his performances.
Great powers are required to sustain.tke Play. It
has but this stogie character its crowd of subs':
diary matrowv and conspirators, poplar tis.;'
turneri.and naked rabble fill up the breach. with
their bodies, and perish when they have
done that -office. The interest of- the Play,
like the fortunes of Rome, seems to be fatally-
bound to the tortunes of its illustrious exile.
The scenes in which the strongest applauie was
excited on Saturday, were.those of the first inter-
view between Coriolantis and dufidius, and that
final quarrel in which the Roman perishes its the
midst of his consummated glory. The first is a
noble example of the grand simplicity of its at-
dines style. Its study might work a reformation
in the taste of our modern fabricators of the drama.
IVe can imagine with what avidity the situation
of the banisned hero would have been seized by
our laborious magnifiers of nature, what profusion
of picturing would have beets fling out upon his
entreaty for an asylum, the humiliation of his
stately spirit, the burning vindictiveness with
%%hid' he already turned his glance upon Rome.
It is here told without the circumlocution of a
single useless phrase, all in plain and brief direct-
ness. .We quote from the edition used on the
stages—
" My name is Caius Iffarcifit; who MO done
To thee particularly, and to all the Volscians;
Great hurt and toiSchief; Oct eto witness may
,surname Corielanms.
The cruelty end envy of the people, •
Permitted by our dastard Nobles, have

Whooped me out of Rome. Now• this extremity
Bath brought me to thy hearth.
eV • '• • .* * •

' • Speed thee straight
And make my misery serve thy torn: so use it,
That my revengeful services may prove
As benefits to thee; for I will tight
AgAiast my canker'd country with the spleen
Of all the under fiends. lint if so be
Thou dar'st not this, and that to prove more fortunes
Thou art tir'd, risen, in a word► I also son
Longer to live most weary, and present
My throat to thee.'

'• The dialogue that follows is short, but close to
nature ; the mutual commtinication of soldiers'
minik , not accustomed to wander into feeble pro-
lixity. Their council is exchanged at once, their
determination fixed, and announced in a single
effort, and a few vigorous lines convey the whole
nobleness of a scene, which an • interior genius
would have watched over, and cherished, and in-
cubated into five acts and a tragedy. The mastery
of the actor was exhibited in its fulness in the con-
cluding scene. At this theatre there is some-
times taste, and at all times industry, in the
equipment of the stage. The rise of the cur-
tain displayed a, pompous vista of helmets
anti standards, military engines, and eurtaiii-
ed and crimson pavilions ; a glittering exhibi-
tion,given infinite aitonish-
which world have
Ment to either Roman or Volscian.in the days of
their battles, but which might have been found in
its splendour in an army of the Lesser Asia,,
mingling the luxury of. the Persian with the taste
of the, Greek. The Argyraspides of CoventoGar-
den have no similitude to the "mien rof the iron
shield and wollskim: mantle that .were yet to be the
masters of the world; but the exhibition is stately,
and may be forgiven. Mr.-Kensgueit 'emotion
on seeing the train of matrons adv:sore was finely
marked flia first gaze was one of resolute defi-
ance : his attitude indicated the firm-aet purpose,
not to give way to women's entreaties. The sight
of his mother humbling hersellbefore biro
"As if Olympus to a mole-bill sbould
In supplication nod
unbent the rigour of his. attitude, even before she
spoke ; and the conquest was complete in the deep
and fond tone of his voice, when he fell On his.
wife's neck with this delicious language

" Oh, a kiss

Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge'
Now by the jealous queen of Heaven, that mss
I carried from thee dear I and my true lip
Hatle virgined it e'er since."
His taunts Ott dufidius, and his. lmentation
over the restraints which withheld hinta front vin-
dicating his honour by his sword, were uttered
with the spirit of a haughty heart, wrung at once
by insult and obligation--
'I Gods
Were I mat' free, as on that day I was,
When at Coriieli I tailed tby pride,
. This had not been i"
was followed with loud plituAlta. The altercation

..=~_

...;rov% s fiercer. Coriu!anus io yokes .heaven to wit -
'pits.. for but.
Cor. Hcaret thou, Mars ?" '

.dvf." Nome not the God, thou boy of tears."•

Cor. "Measureless liar! Thou liactinadr my heart

Too great for what contains it—Rey!
Cut to pieces', Vulsciani ; nien and lids,
Stain. all your edges on me ;••-.l7ey!
.`
If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there,
That, like an eagle in a dive-cot, I ;
Flutter'd your Volscians in Corioli t

Atone I did it.—Boy I—But let us part, ,
Lest soy rash band should do a hasty deed."
This was the triun►ph of the T►lay, ,The avild
gesture of the Roman as he;roshed doivmupon
..4u.fidius, the whirl of his hand us .ha ihtitated the
,sudden scattering of the Volsciuna:befote his
single sword, and the
.fierce check of his:
.velaole
inB,med nature where he remembered thaservities
of. his reviler, formed an incomparable display of
mixed and powerful passion. His death was
stantaneons. He took no time, no.linger out of
life ; the spirit of :the hero broke away,at once,
and when Atffidius.turnedio-praise aald mAtervover
him, the.audience joined him, if not With -tears,
with admiration deep and universal.' . .