The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-16 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN.

Mr. KEAN'S Virginias attracted a full bat not a
crowded, and very far indeed from a select house
here last night. The circumstance of its being an
attempt to supersede MACREADY, in this his most
favourite character, greatly enhanced the interest of
the occasion, and when KEAN first came forward he
was welcomed with as hearty and vociferous a burst
of applause as we have heard for some years.' It
was soon, however, apparent that, the KEAN of the
present day is pot the KEAN of former times. He
has become ,spiritlesi, unimpassioned, ingifferent ;
the fire of his genius no longer bursts forth in a'
blaze; it is a mere scintillation, an occasional fitful
glimmering. Last night in one or two places be
gave straggling evidences 'of his former power;
but even such slight exertions seemed almost too
mach for him. The character of his t irgining was
tenderness and pathos; it was altogether a subdued
performance, deficient. in dignity, physical energies,
and substance. The conception was shadowy, eva-
nescent, and, to one who sate at a distance from the
stage, must have appeared unintelligible. The
plain truth is, KEAN now acts only for the four or
five front tows.of the pit, and thefew boxes that
are within a rational distance from the boards. To
those who were seated in this enviable neighbour.
hood, there were certain delicate points about his
Virginius of last night that could not fail to have
attracted admiration; such, for instance, as his ap-
peal to Appius, where emotion compels him to stop
short in his utterance, and more especially his first
interview with Virginia, after hi► return from the
camp. But perhaps the finest thing that KEAN
did last night, and the one which was the most im-
perceptible to the majority of the audience, from the
Causes assigned above, was the dull, heavy, lustreless
expression which he threw into his eye, when, with
one hand placed on his head, and the other seareh-
ing about us if for his daughter, he complains of the
heavy weight upon his brow. It was the finest
comment on insanity just before a paroxysm takes
place, we have ever seen, and fully realizes what we
once saw ourselves at Bedlam. His approach to
Appius, too,
.with uplifted arms (a favourite action
in which the mad Orestes of Euripides luxuriates),
was wildly maniacal,—we have rarely seen it
equalled. Altogether, as compared with MAC-
READY'S, KEAN'S Virginius must be pronounced a
failure, if not to the few, certainly to the
many. Its excellencies are of a refined ar►d
subtle character ; whereas these of MACREADY
are bold, palpable, and generally intelligible. MA-
CREADY has more physical animation, KEAN more
mind. The one is stiff and harsh, even in his
easiest moments; the other easy and unembarrassed
even in his most elaborated points. But it must
not be forgotten to MACREADY's advantage, that lie
is an improving actor ; already he has the materials
of a fine tragedian within him, which time only, by
diminishing a constitutional irritability, can render
mellow, racy, and fit for service. KEAN, on the
other hand, has done all lie is ever likely to do. In
the public estimation he can gain no new laurels, al-
though lie may still continue to gratify the discern-
ing few by his delicate apprehension of the tender
lineaments of manhood, and the unequalled
powers of mind which he invariably throws into
his scorn. Of KEMBLE's Icilius, we may speak
in terms of unqualified praise. He astonished the
audience, and, what is still more amusing, he asto-.
ailed himself. Miss JARMAN'S Virginia, excepting
that it was no more like Virginia than it was like
Mrs. Malaprop, was passable. It was, in fact, so
shre%vd, so knowing, that the praises of Virginius ou
his daughter's simplicity, sounded like irony, even
when unaccompanied " by, that horrid tasteless
chuckle—the very incarnation of vulgarity---in
which Mr. KEAN so repeatedly indulged. Mr.'
BARTLEY made a very fat Dentalus; his circumfe-
rence was any thing but cynical; and his round
good-humoured faCe gave the lie direct to his sar-
casm. '1 he remaining characters were sustained
with the usual respectability.

It is colificlently.reported that Mr. Goulburn
will retire from the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Lic will be succeeded, it is added,: by llr. Henries.---

Mooting Paper.

We understand the choice of assianees in the
bankruptcy of,Frys and Chaptnan will take place on Fri-
day the 19th inst., whim their offiirs are expected to
! warmly discussed. The hankers, it is said, are endeavour-
ing.to get assignees appointed who.will be ,subs&vient to
their views. The great body of the Creditors, however,
appear to have an idea that their interests,
and those of
the bankers in question, are very different. The.aepoint-
ment of a solicitor is also likely.to give rise to a good deal
of opposition. The creditors who are opposed to,_ the
banking influence, we are iitfornied, intend to propose as
assignees Mr. W. Janson, of Lloyd's Coffee-house, mer-
chant; Mr. Samuel Alexander, of Woodbridge, banker :
and Thomas Richardson, Esq., of Stamford-hill.—Morn-
-1 ing Paper. ,