Star.
London, England, 1831-05-17 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN.

A drama of a novel Cairiejer,wasii;c4uTedhere last evening, under
the title of Napoleon Emonaparte, Captain of Artillery, General and
First Consort, Emperor and Exile. Its object is to represent such of
the more prominent events of Iluonaparte's life as the author (311. Ro.
phino Lacy) has thought best suited for the scene. It commenees with
his earliest exploits in arms, when, after being reduced almost to desoeir,
by the blundering imbecility of the representative of the people to whom
the command had been intrusted, the discrimination of General Dugout-
mice afforded the young soldier an opportunity for displaying his skill,
and Toulon was taken. The drama then takes a leap to the passage of
*fount St. Bernard, the Captain of Artillery having become First Con.
sul, and Generalissimo of the Italian army, and about to enter upon
that campaign which he terminated so gloriously. This scene is ex.
tremely well managed. Buonaparte appears upon Ha celebrated white
charger. and rides half-way up the rock, the curtain falling )ust as he as.
soma that posture, which the picture, representing tins ev..nt. has
made universally familiar. The march of the soldiers, bearing the
guns and their carriages up the ascent, is very striking ard plc-
, turesque. The third portion of the drama finds him in Vino a,
in 1809, when, as Rumor of France, at the head of a viciorittue awy,
he tank possession of that capital. His negot:ation with Count iJit
and the attempt made on his life by an enthusiastic German mildew,
form the incident, of this passage. In the fourth part he Ir at 81 ante-
reau, where he gains an advantage, which was only remarkable for rs
contrast to the run of ill fortune which seemed at this peried of his life
to base set in against him. At the vt ry moment of his triumph he re.
ecives the news of the capitulation of Paris, and with this cheek to
his hopes, which had just begun to spring, the scene terminates.—
The fifth portion represents him at Fontainebleau, where, having abdt.
e.ated the throne, he vacs leave of his companions in arms, and of the
emblems of the glories they Lad achieved together. The six portion
takes place in the cottar,e of Viet.iria (Miss Taylor), a Contican
woman, the companion of Buonaparte's childhoal, who had beau
with the camp at Toulon, as a ruttier, and who hurl there related
to him her dreams, which predicted the brilliant course he was about
to run. Site afterwards ertarries a soldier of the army, who is killed
at Austerlitz, and the widow, then, settling in the neighbourhood of
Montercau, receives the monarch, in his changed fortunes, at her cot•
tage. Her son (Mr. Keeley) enters the army, is disbanded at Fontaine.
bleau, joins it again at Waterloo, from which he escapes with a
severe wound, and afterwards devotes himself to more peaceful pursuits,
and the care of his mother's declining years. Victoria dreams again,
and the subject of her visions represents the Emperor's past and future
career in nine pictures of the siege of Toulon' the bridge of Arcola,
the passage of the Alps, Buonaparte in his imperial robes, the
night before the battle of Austerlitz, the battle, the conflagration
of Moscow, the voyage to St. Helena, and his death-bed in that
island. These pictutea arc not so well painted as they might have
been, they have evidently been executed in great haste. The seventh
part of the drama shows Buonaparte in the island of St. Ilelena. The
vexations which he endured from the spiteful vigilance with
which he was guarded, are touched upon, and an attempt to effect
his escepe by means of a serjeant of his old guard (Mr. G. Ben.
fleet) is introduced. The resolution which he takes to confine him.
self to Longwood, the decay of his health, and his last momenta,
are described with painful minuteness. The place of his burial is
represented, and the drama ends with a representation of a picture
which has been engraved, called " The Apotheosis of Napoleon."
The spectacle has been got up with great pains, and evidently at con-
siderable cost. The dresses ate accurate, and the military processions
execeted with groat effect.
The parts generally, all of which are very short, were well acted. The
piece was received without the slightest disapprobation until the sixth
and seventh parts commenced, and even then, the applause, which
was vehement, far outweighed the indications of a contrary feeling.
Mr. Bartley appeared for the purpose of announcing the repetition,
but the audience would not hear him, and called loudly for Mr.
Wardc. who after some time appeared, and we believe gave the piece
out for every evening until further notice. " GOD Save the Ling"
was then called for, and sung by Miss Inverarity, Mr. Wilson, ti e
Misses Cause, and others of the company.