Star.
London, England, 1807-11-19 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

On Tuefday right a new Opera was prefented, for
the fira time. It is intitied Two J•aces under a Hood,
and is the produaion of Mr. T. DiapiN, A Gentleman
already wcllknoivn by feveral Dramaiic Pieces. The
!quite is by Mr. SHIELD, the celebrated Cznpufer.
The folluwing are

THE CH! RACTER3.
Marquis. Raimondi - Mr BELT nor
Count Igt ciu - • Mr Jo r.
Don Sabath-in . Mr INCLEDON
Brasilia -14 tr FARLEY
Marti! ique - . Mr FAWCE rr
Governor - Mr THOM PiON
Jeronimo - - Mr SILISIoNI
Frederic° - Mr Tar con
Heetor . - . Mr Lesion
Serjeant - - Mr Kiri°
Lady Abbefs . Mrs Day ENPORT
Marchionefs Raimondi - Mrs DIEDI4
Claudine - - Mrs Dics:oNs
Dogma Antonia - Mils Dot lON
Urfula - Mrs C. Xi tats
Agatha - - Mrs Livros%

THE. FABLE.

The Marquis Raimondi having dilTi;sated his fortune at the
gaming table, religns his nobility, at: I quits his cointry to re-
trieve himfelf by corn coerce, leaving Ciaudina, his only daughter,
to be educated by a female relation who, by the father's deftly,
conceals from the young Lady her real rank—while ruppofing
herfelf the daugh ere! a cottager, Claudine is addrerred by Ignacio,
a young officer, bit• the arts ef Frederica, his rival. create a tin.; rrel
between the lovers—lgnacio jo,llls his regiment abroad. Claudine,
on the death alter relation, is fent to board in a convent, and all
correfpondence between h• r and Ignacio ccafes.
Four yeas s arc fo7vole d to have clack,' (at the opening of the
piece) fineethe reparation al the lorers, at which time the Marquis
Raimundi morns from his commercial 'peculation!' with a fortune
which enables l.im to relume his rank; Claudine is nude acquain •
teil with her hi!, h. and quits the convent for her fatlitr's palace.
day is let apart for the ceremony of the Marquis't purdic rein-
velltire a. d admiffion to hts former ban tirs on which day Ignacio
arrives from fees Claudine among the affenibly, but, int-
pored:on by the brilliat cy at her habit, and the alterations and im-
provem, nta which four years of thence have effeeked, he does not
luppofe her t:: fame lady. though ht is fo:cibi7 dwelt with her
reremblance to hi- !avouti c cottager.
Claudine takes a,:vantage of her lituation, and, with the aflif-
tance Urfula, her waiting maid, alternately appears tohim as the
young Marcbiunsts aid the limple cottager, endeavours to attradl
hiM i each charadcr, Mid ?la. the fatisfddion or proving at lad
that his love is iiiiinterelted, and that he prefers the poor( lau-
dine to the rich ,3ciref!.. Conne..'led with the foregoing Rory are
the loves of Antonia and Seb:lizian, wan arc friends of Ignacio and
Claudine

I he charad,,rs of Vl3rtiniques Brachia. Helm- and Urfula, fur-
oiLli the materials for a miner plet—riedor and Urfula are con •
fins, whore uncle ha, left them a lar,:e font t.f money.tri condition
they marry together—to this arra:-.geliel:t tilt.), are equally swede,
but the avarice of I-fedi-it- determiner him to comply with it and
enjoy the wid: legacy, rather than di, idc it with Urfula—by a
trick of Brazilio's, howeiter, he is collar I for a foldter and the air
divifion of the legacy the condition on which be is, releafed.—
Martinique is the attendant of Ignacio, who before he fees Ctau-
dine at the aiTembiy, fends him in quell of her to her former cot-
tage riuderer, 'out Martirieitn, Lavi' g been 11 into the keret that
the young Marchionef, i. the t ry la,lv to whom be is fent, remains
concealed, and joins his fwe•-'heart Urfida. to aid her lady in the
illl7oCrlit deception pradifed on the C..mnt.
Jeronimo is an old civil cfncer of the city, wt:o affurnes to be deaf
or bli:td as his convenience funs; and hredi rico is a fca captain,
who having berm formerly Ignacio's rival %vithflauditie, and feting
her again in her cottage habit, lays a plan to carry her off and by
rouging Ignacio to refcue her, battens his dccifion. and thus gives
him an opportunity of proving iiimfelf worthy of her The piece
then concludes with the trirlc ucionaf Ignacio and Claudine, An-
tonia and Seirtilian, Urfula and Martinive.

The Dialogue of this Opera has yet lefs to Teem-
mend it than feveral of Mr. Dianix's former pro-
duetions. Through three very long ACts fcarcely
one good joke is heard, and the fentiment of the
piece is extremely common place : the language,
howeve►, is nut vulgar, and the Rory is unravelled
with fufficient perfpicuity, though little of prominent
incident occur ; and the conclufiun is eslily
pated. The ailing, which is excellent throughout,
made the whole go off with tolerabk eclat.
Of the Mufic, which is its principal attraCtion, we
cannot fpeak fo favourably as we could with it is
not equal• to Mr. SHIELD'S former labours, though
marked with the peculiar charafter of bis ftyle of
compolition. In the Overture, which is light and
fpirited, there is but one movement, and the Airs,
Duets, Trios, Glees, and Chorufl'es, fcattered through
the Piece, want the charm of originality, always re-
minding us of fomerhing we have heard before,
though graced with plating variations.—Among the
fingers, BELLAMY was by far the mull fuccefstul of
the men, though 'tic:At:sow was in fine tone; and
FAWCETT and Mrs. C. KEMBLE had fame comic la•
bouts allotted them, which they executed with toler-
able kneels. But the main pleafure of the perform-
ance was the !inking of Mrs. Dicxotss. The Au
dience, from fume caule or other, feemed taken by
furprize; and having apparently under-rated the
admirable talent's of this Lady, they limed at once
enraptured and attnnifhed at the full evidence of her
powers. In a long in the firli Att—

44 Why d,d he go, why did he go,
4' And leave me to figh beigho ?"
The dirpla)ed a union of power and fweetnefs which
even furprifed us, and which the hook received as
it merited, by a general rapture of applaufe. It was
in fa& chiefly the longs which reconcile,! the Audi-
ence to the Drama.—Jow ES did not appear to much
advantage as a finger, nor was there any thing in
the tell that called for any particular notice..--In a
few words we may fay of this Opera, that it is likely
to pleafe for a 'fhort period, but cannot, we think,
become a powerful flock-piece.—At the fall of the
curtain lime hotlile founds were heard,hut they were
greatly overpowered by applaufes.
The fecund reprefentation, tall night, curtailed of
tome of the puerilities of its dialogue, and one or
two of its weaken long., lets tried our patience, if it
did not much increale our good opinion of its gene.
rat merits. It will, however, deferve all the fupport
it is likely to receive, in confirming the claims of Mrs.
DicioNs to the reputation of one of the fish cha.
raeleriflic, as well as Icientific, Englilh Opera lingers
of her day.

A fire broke out at two o'clock on Tuertlay morn
ing, at the houfe of Mr. Taylor, carpenter, at Bal.
ham Hill, near Streatham, in Surrey, which entirely
confumed the dwelling houfe and furniture ; silo the
workfhop and the men's tools, and fume tlab!ei.
Thurfday morning, about five o'clock, the Cotton
Factory belonging w Mr. Thornley, in Heaton-lane,
Stockpot t, was difcovered to be on fire, which raged
fo furioufly, that its oppofite element (although a
plentiful fupply was adminillered by means of the
engines) could not flop its progrefs, until the build
ing, with the whole of the machinery therein, was
confumed.—The damage i. eftimated at 500431. about
a moiety of which we are informed is intured.

MA RCZ. IS WELLESLEY.