The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-09 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

For the first time, after an exile of upwards of two years, Mr.
Kean made his appearance last night at this theatre. The an-
nouncement of his intention drew to the house the most crowded
audience we ever remember to have seen ; as early even as five
o'clock the entrance to pit, box, and gallery was crammed ; but
when the doors were thrown open, the rush was literally tremens
done. One fat oily little gentleman we ourselves saw in the thick
of the crowd, swayed from side to side like a Dutch lugger in a
swell, till he was fairly unrigged, and left a complete wreak,
without either coat, waistcoat, or hat. In about ten minutes
after the first opening of the doors, the house was filled, and a
call was unanimously made for Mr. Kean, which continued with
more or less intermission throughout the evening. When
at last he appeared, leaning on the arm of Bassanio, the
pit rose en masse; the boxes followed their example; while the
gallery, more stationary, but, at the same time more melodiously
vociferous, welcomed back the exile in the key of a cannonade.
Mr. Kean, as it seemed to us, has grown pale, thin, and aged ; his
eye (though still unrivalled) has lost a considerable degree of its
fire; but his voice (once in its lower, and more solemn tones, so
affecting) is changed decidedly for the worse - in passion it is
harsh and strained ; in repose, shrill, feeble, and holt*. If this
be the result of anxiety, we do not hesitate an instant in asserting
that the punishment has immeasurably exceeded the offence. Mr.
Kean has been guilty, deeply guilty ; bat was his crime
so very uncommon, that he should be singled out for parti-
cular execration, and hunted from place to place, till life itself became
a burden ? Was his--but enough of the past, the "wanderer has no*
come back,"and(we are proud to say it)has been received universally
with applause. Throughout his performance of Shylock, though
he acted with extraordinary caution, and rather under-played than
over-played the character, yet he had seldom an opportunity of,
developing those peculiarities of his genius which tell so forcibly
in Othello. Shylock wants variety—he is a fiend mastered by
one solitary passion, which, " like Aaron's serpent, swallows up
the rest ;" there is no relief, no light• and shade-in- his nature--
it is wholly absorbed in one cold, sullen, malignant tiwmonism.
Now Kean, to do justice to a part, must have it active, varied,
and bustling in its passion ; alternately raised and depressed, at one
time to the height of hope, at another to the abyss of depair.
Shylock, as we said before, affords no such opportunities, for his
revenge is not so much a feeling as a principle; like the waters of
the Mediterranean it knows neither ebb nor flow, but goes calmly
and malignantly on till it has reached its last deadly climax. The
disappointment, indeed, of this fiendish Israelite—who, throughout
the play, approaches as nearly to pure diabolism as the imperfect
limits of human nature will allow-,-Mr. Kean gave with all hie
wonted power; the gamut) too, lost nothing of its cold stinging
malignity in his hands—but as a whole the picture was imper-
fect, and for this reason that Shylock is a creation of the mind,
not of reality. He is clad it is true in mortal dress, is to all external
appearances a man—but beneath that disguise lurk, a heart more
purely satanic, than Milton in his strongest and wildest moments
ever conceived, when as the incarnation of evil he intro-
ducedr.
when,
in Kean t o
wsis impre
ssive Daemon. The scenes in which
absmostnsie
impressive—.were the famous trial ones;
uparticular,
he says, " is it so nominated in the bond?'
i
Le
seenied to thrill every. heart in the house. His first interview
with Antonio too, was judiciously marked, as also his dialogue
with Tuba!, a portion of the character which requires no slight
dexterity. At the close of the piece, he was unanimously called
for, and accordingly made his appearance, arrayed in deep mourn-
ing; a proof, we suppose, of contrition. The rest of the per-
formers went through their parts with the usual respectability,
while, as if to diversify the fifth act, a fight took place in the
upper boxes, between two accomplished Amazons, which was al
most instantly followed by a few hysterics, played off by a fat ok
gentlewoman, in the dress circle, who weighed, we should conceive,
upon an accurate computation, about sixteen stone. The fair of
fender, however, was speedily removed, in order to make room foe
two ladies and a gentleman, who very nearly filled up the space
left by her obesity.

CossumpTiox.—From the best calculation, it ip•
pears no less than 40,000 die annually in Great Britain of thi
above disorder.—Sherborne Journal.

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