The Sun.
London, England, 1819-03-15 00:00:00

Mrs,

THE THEATRE:

DRURY-LANE. —On Stittirday last the attrac-
tion.ot a new. Play, anti of Mr. KRAN as its hero,
drew a crowded audience to Ibis Theatre. The
title of the Play is The Dwarf of Naples.
DRAMATIS PERSON/E.
Mr. KEAN.
Mr. 11. KEIIIGLE.
Mr. BEN:GOUGH.
Mr. !ARLEY.
Mr. OXBERtty.
Mrs. IVEsT.
Mrs. MM{l3l,l.
Mrs. ORGER.
FABLE.

Malvesi
Giulio
King
Ormond
A Page
Amanda

Giulio, Coant de Monte, and Malvesi, the Dwarf, are two
brothers, of a noble Neapolitao family. The first is a Gene-
ral in the service of his country, who appears at the opening
of the play crowned lvith military glory, on account of a vic-
tory he has recently achieved ; and is on the point of mar-
riage with Amanda, a lady of rank, to whom be has been lung
attached. Malvesi, who has led a life of contempt and
neglect, on account of his diminutive form, and supposed
incapacity, is filled with the most rancorous envy at the
good fortune of his brother, and determines on the de-
struction of his happiness, leis honour, and his life. Giulio has
prepared a casket of valuable jewels as a present to a lady who
had preserved his life by her care,while labouring under a dan-
gerous wound he had received in battle; into this casket Mal-
vesi contrives to convey a letter of a treasonous nature, arid,
having intercepted the hearer, produces this presumption of
his brother's guilt, at the moment when Giulio, in the pre-
sence of the whole Court, is about to be ,:nited to Amanda.—
The scheme takes partial effect; the proof of Giulio's treason
is considered decisive; but, in remembrance of past services,
his life is spared, on condition of his submitting to banish-
ment.. The hatred of Malvesi, however, still pursues him;
he employs emissaries to murder him, and to traduce his Cha-
racter, and devotes all his time and fa:ulties to effect his
destruction. At length the King of Naples, secretly satisfied of
the innocence of Giulio, and the tietarioos purposes of Maivesi,
recalls the former to Court. Ile then assemoles his principal
nobility, and, ordering Malvesi to be sear for, reproaches
him with his designs against his brother. At the else of this
dialogue,' a curtain in the back scene is drawn up, and the
priest is discovered in the act of joining the hands of Giulio
and Amanda in marriage. Malvesi, at this sight, is seized
With a paroxysm of rage arid despair, and after attempts to
stab, first his brother, and then himself, which are prevent-
ed, dies from the violence of the emotions with which his
rage and envy have inspired him.
it ban evidently been the purpose of the Author
of this Play to form a Drama suitable to the taste
of the times, which seems to delight in the ter-
rific, but chiefly to devise a character which
(Hight give -scope to the peculiar talents and
powers of Mr. KEAN. He has succeeded in both
of these purposes, but particularly in the latter.
Time pat t of Malresi scents to combine all the h,td
qualities of all the bail characters which other
dramatic productions have exhibited, with the
single exception of cowardice. The hero has
spirit sufficient to avowall the horrible propensities
of his nature, and to defend them to the last extre-
mity,whatever be time sacrifice to himself or others.
ITN malignity chiefly arises front the consci-
-ousness of Isis deformity, aud the circumstance
of being, as a younger brother, deprived of the
power of indulging his malevolence in oppres-
sion. We hope that such a character is not to be
found in !mime, but the pangs w hich attend it,
and the punishment which it incurs, are well cal-
culated to operate as an awful warning. It would
be absurd to look for probability in the fable
• of such compositions, for mere probability would
hardly correspond with the present taste' of the
which must be " sow full with horrors."
Mr. KEAN deserves much of the Public and of the
Author. He had fully studied his part, 'and he
exerted all his energies in the representation of it.
He, therefore, merited the warm applause with
which his admirers saluted him during the
progress of the play, and particularly in the
last scene, which was thoroughly adapted to
draw forth those terrific qualities which cha-
racterize his most successful efforts. The rest
of the Performers, but particularly Mrs. %V sr, and
Mr. H. KEMBLE in the tragic parts, and Limner,
OxßEEtiv, Mrs. ORGER, and Mrs. HARLOWB,
in
those of the lighter cast, acquitted themselves in
such a manner as to give very respectable sup-
port to the piece, which was received throughoot,
and on the conclusion, with decided approba-
tion, and with vehement applause when an-
nounced for repetition this evening. HARLEY
was received with peculiar and repeated applause
on his first entrance in the play, but when
he clime to atinounce its reappearance, with
die Approbation of the audience, he was insulted
by'a general call for KEAN to perform that office.
He therefore retired, but returned leading KEAN
by the hand, too delicate a rebuke for such illi-
beral treatment, The Play is ascribed to Mr.
SoANE, the Author of several othetsuccessful pro-
ductions, and the strength of character which he
hiss displayed in the present work, as well as the
many . striking sentiments, cud deep reflections
upon life and nature with which it is interspersed,
are calculated to increase in no slight degree his
dramatic reputation.

Singular Instance of Disinterestedness and genuine
Patriotism. —A Lieutenant-General in the naval
armies of France, named Desselieux, when he
was only in the most subordinate rank in the
Marine service, .wished to benefit his native
country, the island of Guadaloupe, by esta-
blishing there the. cultivation of coffee. The PIS.
sage was Zang and obstructed by. contrary winds;
and as water had become scarce, it was distributed
to all on boird at stated periods, and in very small
measures, Desselieux reserved the greater part of
his share for the purpose of refreshing his plants.
One of them died, but the other survived the
voyage. Hence arose the cultivation of coffee
in the island of Guatialonpe, one of the greatest
sources of riches to that colony. , The inhabit-
ants wishing to testify their grati!ode, offered
their benefactor an annuity of 150,000 francs.—
'" And what shall 1 do with it ?" was the reply
of Desselieux : " what I have, although limit-
ed, is sufficient to my wants, because I have al-
ways
taken care to limit my wants to the necessa-
ries of Nature. Employ the money you offer me
to the propagatio❑ of the plant, and the prosperi-
ty
of my country will be my gratifying reward."
This excellent man, whose patriotism has seldom
been surpassed, died in 1776, aged 88 years. I

The Earl of MORTON is to be High Commis-
sioner to the Church of Scotland,

General GORDON, Governor of Jersey, arrived
on Satnrday at Southall)Fon, in the Lion Re•
venue Cruizer. ,

THB BLACK ART.—A young Gentleman from
one of the Universities, on paying a visit to a
Lady, a relation of his, in the country, found her
in great affliction for the loss of a ring of consi.
derable value. She was certain that some of the
servants must have got it, but she knew not
against whom the accusation should be directee.
The Gentleman, on hearing the. circumstance
undertook the recovery of provided the Lady
would humour the stratagem he proposed to make
use of :—she readily consented. At dinner, there-
fore, the,conversation turning upon the loss, the
Scholar boasted so much ot his skill in the black
art, that she, as they had previously agreed, de-
sired hint to exert it for the detection of the per-
son who had rolen her ring, lie promised to
make the best exertion ot his powers, and after din-
ner, proceeded to business as follows :—Fie (mkt-
ed a white cock to be procured .(Ito other colour
would do) and a kettle to he placed upon a tn.
hle in the hall : the cock, he told them, was to
he put tinder the kettle, adding, that all the
serv,nts, one after the other, were to touch it,
and that, as si'kdi as the guilty person laid his
hand upon it, the cock would crow three times.
Every thing being thns prepared with the greatest
solemnity, the young Gentleman opened the scene.
The hail was darkened, and the procession began.
As soon as they had each of them declared
that they had fulfilled the directions given, and
touched the cock, the light was restored, and the
gentleman examined the hands of them all; hefound
them all smutted, except those of one servant,who
had taken care not to touch the kettle, and was
beginning to hug himself for having outwitted
the conjurer, who, fixing upon this circumstance,
immediately and peremptorily charged him with
the roblery. As he could not deny it, the col.
prit tell -down upon his knees, and earnestly
begged for pardon, which was granted, upon the
restoration of ttre ring,,—(Country Paper.)