The Sun.
London, England, 1819-02-11 00:00:00

THE THEATRE:

COVENT- GA RDEN —This Theatre was crowded
lasi night at the representation of a new Tragedy
intitled Et'adne ; or, The Statue.

CHARACTERS.
Cnlntina Mr. YOUNG.,
Vincentio Nlr. KEMBLE.
LUdoVieo Mr. MacnEADY.
The King Mr. Aunorr.
Evadne Miss O'Neii.L.
Olivia Mrs. FAUCIT.
FABLF,.

The scene lies in Naples. —l/iineico, Chief Minister and
Favourite of a Kiln; of Naples, conceives the design of de-
straying his master's life, and raising himself to the throne.
With this view he begins by exciting in the King a guilty
passion for Eradne, sister of Colannn, a Notile.nets Of Naples,
and engages his promise that the brother himself shall con-
sent to the sister's shame. The traitor himself has no born-
thin of sacrificing Evadne, whom he secretly loves, to the
King, lint sets the plot in movement to destroy the King. by
Colnnwa's haw!. It is further necessary, that to olnain '
Eißdne, her lover, 1-incentia, should he disposed of by roar
riagc to Olivia. Ladovico's kinswoman, who loves him.
Centhi is recalled from a foreign embassy; aid, upon his
return, is told by Ludoeien 11;4 Et'adne is false, and bas nee
come the mistress ;if the King. rincentio is persuaded to
believe his mistress faithless, on the evidence of a ;cater
written by Evadne. containing the most passionate avowal of
tenderness, really intended for Vincen,io, hut, by the change
of name, contrived by Ludavica to appear addressed to the
King-. Vince/tau meets Evadne, reproaches her with her
falsehood, is half persuaded by her protestations of her inno-
cence; but asks, as the last weans of removing his suspicions,
that she should let him see whether she still wore wound her
neck his picture, which he had given her at his departure.
She is overjoyed, produces a picture. and gives it to hint; it
is the picture of the King. Vincentio now becomes furious
and inexorable : Ceilonna enters, insults, and challenges Via-
rentia, and they go nit to fight. Olivia comes in, oud con-
fesses to Ev/o/ne, that she had contrived the false letter, and
sot.stitioed the picture of the King for that of I 'incentia
round Ecadne'g oeck, at the instigation of i.utiopico, who
engaged to reward her by making Vince/di° her hush:tad.
Colanna and Vince/lila fight ; the hate' is supposed d,ad,
and the former cotifilied ittei dungeon. Lulu/Ih.° visits him,
gives him his freedom, tells him that the .King demanded his
sister's shame, and his own acquiescence. as the price of his
pardon; and persuades him, by ;artfully working nu his feel-
ings, to give a se eeiing consent, to invite the King to his
Palace, and at the moment when he expects the brother's
base sacrifice of the sister's. honour, to murder him. The
King is invited and feasted by Col,nna. The hour of rest
approaches, and the King retires to his chamber. Cantina
enters au adjoining apartment, and proceeds to the door of
that in which he was waiting the coming of Ermine, Ile
unsheathe the dagger, and is about to open the dour, when
be hears a voice, It is Evadne's ; she knew his purpus , and
persuades him to let her meet the King. He consents, but
suspecting her weakness, conceals hinisell so as to overhear
what passes. The King enters and finds Evadne; she evades
his dishonourable propositions, by calling his attention, with
mysterious and solemn pathos, to the statues of her tummy,
which stand in the chamber. At length she conies to one
statue, and asks the King it he knew it. It was her father's,
who had been the King's tutor, and died by a stroke aimed
at the King in battle. embraces the statue, end
iu-
yokes the spirit of her father. The King is moved—aban-
dons his base wishes—Colenna comes forth, embraces his
sister, and is reconciled to the King. Ludovico is approach-
ing—Gaunt/a places tie King behind the sta nes, and
Evadne retires. Ludovico enters, and is told by tolonna
that the King is dead. His joy and ambition burst forth tu-
multuously. •He tells Cotnina he shall die the death of a
murderer, orders the guard to advance and seize him, when
suddenly the King appears before him ; Ludovico is con-
founded. He is spurned—is 'roused to the vengeance of de-
spair—makes an attempt to kill the Kiag, and is himself
`killed by Co/unna, and the play concludes The time, with-
out any express historic fact in the teat, appears to have
beta about the 16th century, from the tone of character and
sentiment of the piece.

This Tragedy is one of those wild productions
which have materially tended to corrupt the pith-
lic taste. It seems as if the Author had sought
inspiration a Charnel-House, or had been edu-
cated in a School of Traitors
.alld Banditti. That
there are poetical passages to he tonnd in it we
admit, but they are " dragged in head and shoul-
ders," as the phrase is.—The play should be styled
The School of Dupery, for every character is dup-
ed in turn, in consegneoce of the most egregious
credulity in every one ot them but Ludovico, who
seems to be one of the most disgusting wretches
that ever polluted so useful a province of instruc-
tion as the Drama. His villanies are superfluous
as well as erroneous and grossly improbable.—
The King seems in the first Act to he a good sort
of a man, willing to listen to advice, though im-
posed upon by a fawning Traitor, but in the pro-
gress of the piece he becomes an infamous
wretch, not only inclined to destroy the virtue
of 'an amiable young woman, but even to let her
brother leml her to the bed of prolanation.—What
can he more disgusting than this part of the table ?
Colonna charges the Minister Lodovico with treason
without any proof, and afterwards becomes the
dupe of the very man whom he professed to hold
in horror. Erudite, the heroine, walks through
the streets of Naples by herself, though a Lady of
noble birth and high rank ; and most ot the cha•
ratters bully and dupe each other in long con-
versations in the open places of the City.—
The language is inflated throughout, and the
dialogue prolonged to a somnific extent. The
acting was in general good, but we are sorry
to find that some of the Performers, and particu-
larly Mr. INIACREADY, is imitating the style of Mr.
KEAN, in dropping from a high tone, and lofty

manner, to faint and familiar accents, which render
the close of a sentence absolutely inaudible. A
'great mistake seems to prevail on this subject.—
It has been foolishly said, that Mr. GARRICK
spoke in such a manner that his lowest whisper
could be heard in the Upper Gallery. The truth
is, that he always spoke naturally and distinctly,
and that the audience were fearful of interrupting
their own pleasure, by applanding him till
he had finished a sentence, unless whets some
touches of nature, and bursts of passion, ap-
peared, which irresist ably roused their sympathy
and electrified them into shouts of approbation.
Such is the real solution of an absurd tradition.
The piece of last night was throughout received
• with much applause, and zealously adopted when
announced for repetition ; but it was chiefly in-
debted for success to the exertions of MACREADYt
• YouNo, C. liEstaLE, and Miss O'NEILL. The
Author has evidently founded his play on The
Traylor of SHIRLEY, as may be seen by reference
to BLAcKwoon's excellent Magazine, in which there
is a copious and judicious account. SHIRLEY is one
of our old and esteemed dramatic writers, and a
new collection of his works has been long wanted.
It is no slight gratification to us to add, being
heartily zealous for the honour of British Litera-

ture, dim such a collection may be expected from
WILLIAM GIFFORD, Esq. to whom the public are
so much indebted for his admirable life of BEN
JoiasoN, his correct Edition of the works of that
vigorous old Bud, and his profound "Annota-
tions on the T^xt.

[For the Prologue and Epilogue, see our Last
Page; and also fur PROVINCLAL JOURNALS.]

POETB.Y.

OnE TO A RED PINK,
IN PULL PLOWER ON CDRIs INIAS DAY, 1818, IN AN OPEN

GARDEN.

'Tis winter. Cold and dark fogs lour,
Yet, pretty little modest flower,
You, on your slender upright stem,
Do nod your ruby diadem !
Well,—is it meant, sweet Pink, to shew
That painted Summer will nut go
Entirely away ?
Or would it hint that genial Spring
Is ever hov'ring on her wing
Above the wintry day,
To here and there a scrap let fall
By shelt'ring hedge or forest tree,
Flow'ring the dead earth's snowy pall,
Of her all-gay embroidery,—
Just as a., earnest, thereby proving,
That the maid, though fond of roving,
Will to earth again and throw
Anon o'er every bush and tree,
And lofty hill, and meaauw low,
Her living drapery ?
Kind thought ! thou little modest Pink,
Thou splioter of a rosy link
That holds the world in roseate. bliss,
When Summer suns look down to kiss
The emerald-bearded earth !
Of thee, and thy sweet mother, Spring,
Methinks I could fm ever sing,
And, now that thou bast birth. • -
In this rude elemental war, •
I'll call thee Spring's Ambassador,
Sent down to cheer
The dark cold
.year.
Or, host thou 'wclie thy wintry sleep,
And ta'en, sweet Mull, a gentle leap
From Nature's frozen
To burst thy joyous-seeming birth
Upon the coldest spot on earth, •
Whose life is at a stand,
To nod thy head and bloom awhile
With May-day breath aod rosy smile,
To shew (0 welcome guest below )
How sweet is—Hope itt human woe?
Oh ! semblance meet, Almighty God
Of thy all-glorious plan—
How full art Thou of boundless love
For undeserving roan !

BEPPO.

s.* We hare before said, that the productions of this ju-
venile Writer displa'y an original character, and if he is not
too hasty in composition, we shall expect to see his name
hereafter conspicuous anion:: the living Bards of this Country.

REGITER OF 14' Aslllo N.

ARRIVALS.

Lord Viscount Valentia, in Arlington-street ; Sir C. Barn-
fylde, in Montague-square; Colonel Jones, in St. James's-
street; Sir,. Charles Wolseley, Bart. in Piccadilly; Colonel
and Mrs. Beauclerk, in Hertford-street; Sir Morris Ximenes
in Gloucester-place; the Marchioness of Exeter, from her
scat, Langley, Kent ; the Dowager Duchess of Rutland, from
Belvoir Castle ; Lord and Lady G. H. Cavendish, from
Lancashire ; Lord and Lady William Russell, from Woburn
Abbey.