Star.
London, England, 1823-12-13 00:00:00

COPENIGARDEN THLATIIE.

. new Tragedy has long ceased to excite the interest',
which it formerly did I this is less to be attributed tothe
bomber that are presented than to the quality of them.
To fail, in an attempt of so much difficulty as that of
writing a good Tragedy, is not, however, discreditable,
as we must allow a Piece ,to possess some merit when
;k Managers think it worth producing on the Stage.
• Of late years several. Tragedies have emanated from
female pens, but notwithstanding the gallantry of the
;Imagers, Actors, and the Pithlie, none of them have
kept possession of the Stage.. The Tragedy produced
last night was from the pen of Mrs. •Hescahs, a Lady
is not unknown to fame" certainly, for she has written
maul Poems of considerable merit; and has obtained
the only prize bestrwed by the floyal Society of Lite-
rature... Fifty Guineas for a Poem on Dartmoor.
The Tragedy is entitled " The Vespers of Palermo."
It is founded .upon the leading events of the conspiracy,
or insurrection, which broke out in Sicily towards the
end of the twelfth century,. and the consequence of
which—though it looked, at first, merely to the removal
of a temporary evil.-was the permanent- separation of
Naples from SieilYi as 'a kingdom.
The scene of the Tragedy is laid in Palermo, the
capital of Sicily, aud.ths adjacent country. The story
h as follows : • . - _
The piece opens with the arrival of duardi ?foci& (Mt. Yoga),
who, in the disguise of a Franciscan Prier, is a *mesa to the die..
went and muntsurs of his efeentrymen against the-
their cosp_erors, the Fringe.--416 atieivours to roitie= " liew,
game. He neat Omens hinuelfbefore now& tildth iligisAsl;
—who hid been betrothed to Coiseatilit, Itiog of dedlii yfinhad.
• lea killed try the French inealpso;-to whons he Wsk* himself
iteews,ind heinginfornied by her thanks baseeptdeod die addreisee
41 likibut (Hp limmer), wipo,lO teetitotioto vast possessions; bat
• teem& his power to obodn" bar hand in Marriages-De ieetudeM
her nth his design to lamas the dkdinertafejef his cometty.,,,
'''• Ofill disguised, he obtaloi an 'f'aik'vr With kilo el tit betide
, . C Kama). and ftft hisitager to wand hie thin ti, he dd4•
himself to a ea b Who bad lone Mac* bite ddose.• - than-
k.
~
autiewatid the hbdinsisiteci of Idwidditrymen..ad baying
lint Oler a his parte •IlibeikehM"ldti lives; &ids, Mr. C.ta
ma ; Agra, Mt. kleasmoVe ; end great numbers rif• the Shun
leaks, the Mile* A? means an amompligh their great purpose;
' as reek %aeartateirked to . lieOnd their wiewi, -apry
.gr=the addiniemiat atelett, and a day is Reed upon or their
'At she -appelated. time, tile Provencal Nobles lig all
' :ellisablaAto shistenes dor liaise of AN** aud 'Maria, the Ski-
. Ilse Make, se etesiertWpaiellt' cbeeseelnei los the . bangeetthig
, lllll, &gibed as muipereitmelass,b. Ate. They join in 'hetes-
• ea states edam Open tai efeboveoper-bell. and a sigual
Ihihirlidwddt *el attadrilid disperse the oweasitled Noltiii, and
rts slain. In the isiisissinte, 4114 rd having Alsetivited shit
, • tit De Cold (Mi. lkatike), that Nobleman musters a body of
r• . cal troops, Mid repel*. the Selliassi la which- emelt IR.'
Apla is wounded. Interwoven with the meta Plet elder piece; is
t fiery of the " Lime of Helmond di Procida and Constance,
the former, from a high sense of hosogr and humanity, being averse
$ the helserimisate slaughter of the French, and endeavouring to
see hls *hires, ii 1-4tiiiiied" ortfeathery to the-came, and con-
Mined to dle by the anspirators in the moment of their triumph,
het is lived from,an.isoominiers end by the . interference Of, iris.
Mt* olio Jost before her death oiders him to be liberated, which
isablee him to join Ms (4160p:ileitis in aque:.-he succeeds in rallying
them.!-defesis the Preach tioops;'-ti'Disirtatly wounded, and dies
logliriog liberty to hii country.
• This Tragedy is full of a hattle;diurder, and sudden
fbiatY:•7.sablects we should least expect .a Lady to
Arai upon. its most striking defect is, that the in-
last is broken, and that the event, which for its great-
messhould seem to form the' fittest eatastitiphe for the
Tigedy, is only a iiiitinitiaty, and, as it werr,"Tici-
dental event. •The• general massacretakes place-in the
*WI ad; lad littleitt!fte 'is heard or thought of the
_ Pufnib till thff iiiinttett'.,Pl Couch Mies their fruitless
assault upon PileitiO;iin cunt which etriies ne • utter
• ren,Treeprarit "forge an opportunity for Masotti, tol
'hew his loyalty; For this purpose he is liberals-4 by a'
very intgelar sort .of Habeas •Corpot,• and joint his
Countrymen sec ord ingto the well‘k nown receipt in such
cases, .as an unknown steallyiti 'tulle* perflit du prodigies
olvalehr„. 1614411 e tOrirut ot• defeatf-arez.ft. [he
amain interest, then, from .the• third• act ao The end
tithe Piece ii in the .fate of • Roiniofrd and- Coietersce,
and in ' the struggles of • paternal atectionf in the
breastOf ;he elder.'Piacida against hi: ideas of duty.—
The • itary• of hruhtuis attest over again; Fpocida
its in jadiment On, hti7iin; - .1 Vittaria is
.a dead weight
glittftlie irlif ,4iiiicially "aftetr' het vengeance has been
sated by the tram gelid tisc invader, ;- for.thVre calf.:
_be
• raiser hopeless abject k ,atiagedy AVM' a woe-be.
pat character, wieLping . for irremediable 'woes,. and
without a hope of -Miff. .IbiLacky,iii go' tiresome that
/ten her,dUalh'i&Ainiklost-r-" die ;should have' "died to-
monowd",, li law be sibreived to that the .savage and
inditcringeate massacre *bleb the Sicilians are repre-
sentedto have committed, not only oh unprepared inen,
balm the Wives add children of •the invaders, lessens
the remnant of interest which is felt for their jyst cause,
after the vespers. 441 satc.thee," says Baintond, when
pleading before his Jitdefes--.
d TSy to open an ages Warrior's braze.
Vsllit=o4; uature's last convulsive healings.
• And swerd..toh,"viNant cadet! is yet
Red from the noble Imam which 'pierced. at wet
Arfamiter, and the Übe wits* little din • ". •
Was 'tomb* boon ditawn." •
i rst however be acknowledged, that the interest
a l!
`11"1.14 bruins, is poseerfuLd-and that the Wanes and
ricH2CIIIIKaI though pot brought • with skill, to bear upon
ric...",,Cbled a theplayiprodute a fine Wee. Mn.
&awl*" PAticil. 1:41,11t ii known to the.nbliktbfookh
the various works she published, before she ventured on
the 'drahli. The language of the respers wljl not lower
hOr reputations it if eiterywhere correct, and • has not
vafrequent bursts of high and em feed poetry. The
weight of the play tested on nano and CHARLS.
Ktilatt, and *4 they sustained the auckaapi duty s
though the forays tins sorbecisnes la takliniii than
might hats been expected, and the tarot' was too mttels,
of the whining lover. YAW, iti-Moatilbo. sake a earl.!
'dine imitation of is popular tragedian, ".but -we hate;
tuteeteatlit Weend hand.* Of the Ladies, . came gale
• leant bids its be siltin. • Therlay met with some.ops

position in the List act, sad the curtain fell amidst a
mixture of ca

,A4pprobation and applause. The Pcolnguti
Was spoken by 111 T. ABBOTT, and the Epilogue bY Mra.CU'
arreat.Ey. Thefoltowing is a copy of the former'
PROLOGUE TO THE VESPERS OF PALERMO.
WAITTeN ST SOHN TA 1r14.--Nroirst sr
Sad is the story we to-night relate, '
Among the dire vicissitudes of fate;
A truth recorded in tie historic page,
To stow the perils of tyranaic rage;
To aim in Freedom's cause, the Patriot stroke,
And at her call to spurn a foreign yoke.
la such istaute each British heart most feet;
And hail the Acne with sympathising zeal;
A cause, like air, expanding unconfin'd,
To breathe its vital visit o'er mankind.
If, with the public ills that mark the tale,
The softer cares or happy love prevail,
Know 'Us a female Bard supplies the theme ;
And Lope o'er female bosoms reigns supreme.
A female Bud, who, not unknown to Pante,
To patriot lautels boasts a rightful claim.
Warm'd by the fire that blax'd in ancient days,
Oft has her harp been tun'd to Cambria's lays;
•
Old Bards had sung their freedom to maintain,
While ev'ry mountain echo'd with the straits !
Ladles, for your support wo need not sue,
Assur'd you all will render honours due;
With fond indulgence you our play will scan,
Proud that your sex can rival haughty Man.
Beaux, if 'mid modern manners, Beaux remain,
The gallantry of former days sustain
Beaus then by female favours held their breath,
A smile was Paradise, a frown was death!
Critics, to-night assume a gentle bran-,
With (Goering smiles receive a female now ;
To honest DATDCH'S just remark adhere--
" It is not to be wise to be severe."