Star.
London, England, 1807-10-28 00:00:00

DRURr-LANE THEATRE.

The firt Novelty of the Dramatic Seifon was
prefented to the Public laft night, in the shape of a
New Comedy, called " Time'l a 7rll Tale," and
which was exhibited to a very crowded Houle, and
an Audience very well difpofed to mirth and good
nature. Mr. H. SIDDONS IS the fuccefsfu} Author.
The charaelers were as follow—

Sir David Delmar - -• Mr RAYMOND.
Sir Arthur Tenet - Mr. RUSSEL.
Captain Blandford - Mr. ELL.STON.
Old Hardacre - • Mr. Dowi ox.
Ned Query ME. MATH EWS•
Reeor - Mr. PALMER.
Philip Hardacre - - Mr. De CA mr.
Lady Delmar - MIN MELLON.
Zelida - • - Mrs. H. SWOONS.
Olivia Windhatn - Mils DHNCAN.
Mifs Venutia - - Mrs. SPAARS.
THE FABLE.

Sir David Delmar. a Bartrict of 'high birth and conneetions,
fucceeds to a title antler:cumbered eltate. at a time confiderably
anterior to the ecynni.ncentent of the aelion of the Drama. His
only lifter, a woman of fuperior beauty and accomplithments, en-
gages her affections to an " hunelt yeoman's" fon in the neigh•
bourhood, whom the marries; which fo enrages Sir David, that
he entirely difclainis and renounces her; the therefore, with her
hufband, quits Fngland, and at the time the play commences, he
bas heard nothing of her for many years. In the mean time he
bimfelf marries a lovely young woman, who having been bred
fathionably, indulges in all the extravagant expences of the age,
and to which the thinks herfelf entitled by her hulband's rank and
fortune, but which is deftrudive to the laft degree to his finances,
and has reduced him to the utmoft embarraffment of circumftan-
ccs,notwithftanding the frequent remonftranees of his old Reward
Record„ to which, however, infatuated by the beauty and really
good qualities of his wife, he pays not the fighteß attention
Ihe Bari net's family conlifb betides, of Olivia Windham, the
wealthy heircfs of Colonel Windham, who leaves her to the joint
guardianthip of Sir David and Hardacre, a neighbouring farmer
of very (mall means, to whore alternate care of her, half yearly
he has air° ltequeathed her. At Hardacre's, however, there is
his fon Philip, who, roaring above the bufinefs of the plough and
the harrow, enters into the army, but not until he had completely
fccured the ftrongeft intereft in Mifs Windham's heart. This
Lady is silo attended by Mifs Venutia, a Maiden Aunt, who,
though devoted to the Rudy of the fcienccs in all their branches.
and fomewhat ftricken in years, is yet not averfe from the hope
entering into the !liken bonds of matrimony, as appears from
her allowing the addrell'es of Sir Arthur—a Beau of the Modern
School, who pays her the matt n arki d attention, but who, in
ad, is deep in the defip of entrapping the far more temping
Mite Windham

In the Baronet's family is alto dorneftieated a female Orphan.
ale I Zelida, who. when quite a child, Ciptain Blandford of the
Navy, nephew to Sir David, had, when on a eruize four e ei years
before, i elated at Sr. Domingo from the horrors of a Negro infur
redtion, but without being stile to afeertain who or what her pa
rents were. She is reprefented an every thing which the molt per
tea innocence, fimplicity, and lovelinefs can make her.
At the pergod when the play is fuopnfed to commence, it is Sir
David's half year ;of courfc Olivia Windham and her aunt Ventnia
are his inmates. And at this moment too, Captain Blandford, brave,
generous, fincere, in fhort, a Britilh Iceman, arrives at his Uncle's
trom a craze, and brings with him on a vifit Ned grey, an ho •
nett. harmlefs, idle fellow, whofe rage is to know every body's bu
ands, and to be ufeful. At this moment Sir David's extraysgance
has reduced bin, to the deepeft diftres, and all hi. refources are ex -
haufted ; now lthaaeding which he has not the courage to refute
his Lady giving a fete champetre in honour of the Captain's
return, although he is told the expence will be tome hundreds.—
tis only hope to get over his difficulties is in the marriage of his
nephew with i Atria, whofc wealth he ffiould than command Msoy
obftacles howevet lie in the way of his project: fire, the rooted
Jiflike of Capt. Blandford to matrimony a. thirty-five; and next,
Sir Arthur's views on the beirefs which Sir David begins to pe,a
ce,ve ; and " though lA. not !aft," the attach neat of the young
lady herfelf to Philip Hardaere, which Sir D. now more than fuf
pals. To overcome there rubs in his way, Inc retorts to means every
way dilbonourable: he concerts with Sir Arthur to ruin Philip in his
prereffion by addreffing an moilymous letter to his Colonel, which
naafi ,ns be' difmiftion Ire n the ferrite, and lis return home to
his father. Hardacre, whoa known inflexibility of charadler and
honelly are oily equalled by his poverty, is alto tauntingly apprifed
of the way his fon had made it, the affeationa of Mifs Windi a n,
and of his (the father's) bafenefs, in thus taking advantage of her
refidence with him, to inveigle her into a connection with Philip, fo
dilhonourable and unworthy of the Lady. And, to confummate
all, Fir David borrows large funs from his ward to fupport
his extravagant leans -nd entertainments. There different
views, and tbei• •:, together with after dam/vire given
un the us through the two first Acts.—An
unex-
pedt.a event taka place, which embarraffes the Baronet
extremely: Captain Blandiord, this determined Mifogansift,
finds himfelf unable to refill the Wanda's:rents of the inte-
refting and lovely Zelida, and feels himfelf difpnfed to change
his opinions upon the fubjed of matrimony in her favour. Sir
David (till however thinks, that if Philip Hirdacre were out of
the way, he may yet carry his point; he therefore fpirita up Sir
' Arthur, to fend the youth a challenge, penned in the molt de-
grading and infulting language, reproaching bins with the mean•
nets of his birth, and the inequality of their conditions. This
letter is delivered in the valence of Old Hardacre, who had de-
termined at firft to leave the country, rather than be fubj-dt to
the charge of having betrayed his truft with refpedt to the guar •
dianfhip of Mifs Windham. He now, fired by this ungenerous
refolvcs to meet Sir David face to face, and clear up
Come myftery which yet bangs over the fate of all the parties
concerned. An affecting fcene takes place between the Father
and Son, and the struggles between the tendernefs of a Parent's
feelings for the fafety of his only hope, and his with to preferve
what is yet dearer to him—his Honour—gives rife to a lane
of much intereft.— Captain Blandford, however, puts an end
to it in a molt fatisfadtory way. Through the intervention
of Old Record, he winds Sir Arthur through an his plots and
fuhferfuges, and by detecting then:, obliges hint to write letters
of apology, not only to Philip, but to the different parties whom
he had attempted to e4nare and deceive. He then fete off for
ondun, and we hear no more of htm. In tome ebullitions of
gratitude which now take place on the part of the Hardacres,
much confidence is induced on both flies, and Captain Blandford
tlifcovcrs that the old Gentleman is the father of his pmtceted,
faved, and now beloved Zelida. She herfelf molt opportunely
enters, with an account that all is confufion of the molt alarming
nature at Sir David's, and that flit come to reek Captain Bland-
ford to return with her. A mutual difcovery now takes place
betwe.m father and child, extremely interating, and which dries
the Fourth A& In the Fifth Aft, Old Hardaae, Rill perfilting
in his project of fleeing Sir David, proceeds with his fon and new-
found daughter, to the houfe of the latter, whom he finds deter-
mined to quit England. Hardacre fees him alone, and is at 6rft
mittaken by Sir David for a creditor : but now another extraordi-
nary difcovery takes place; Hardacre is in fadt the long-loft huf-
band of Sir David's filter, his real name being Offiome ; with whom
having retired to St. Domingo. lie entered into trade, and had ac-
quired van wealth ; but his wife dying, and having loft, as he fop-
poled, his daughter, he returned to England, determined on retire-
ment, aad breeding up his only remaining child to habits of labour
and indultry. His friend, Col. Windham, had been alone privy
to this feheme, and had left him his daughter in warclibip, as already
mentioned. He now, however, by the Pale of his jewels, through
the medium of Record, pays all the debts of Sir David, and
eitirely re antes his fortunes. The denouement thus effected, it
may easily he fuppofed that Mifs Windham and Philip, Zelida and
Captain Blardtord, are united, and Sir David fent back to very
unearned and unmerited happinefs. Not Co Lady Delmar, who
teems, however gid !at and unreflafting, to be otherwife an amiable
and delaying woman.—We have not dwelt upon the epifodical
charaCter of Ned Q2ery, whore oddities are, however, whimfical
and diverting, or Mifs Veuutia, as being no way intereiting to the
pragrels or development of the Drama.
The plot is ccndJeted with great judgment through-
out, and, till the tail aft, the mytlery of ZeEda': bitch
and circumttances is completely enveloped in °bleu-
rity. Much feeing is excited, and the intereft pre-
f-aved through every fcenc.—The defcription of the
man of leifure, fumetimes improperly denominated
the man of fafhion, was fraught with excellent lend
meat, and very happily expreffed.
All the Pertormets, particularly Ei.ttsrots, Dow.
TON, Mrs. H. Sinuous, Mifs Dusic•ti , and MUG
SPARKS, acquitted tiara:lves .with the bigheft cow

Menclation. Indeed. we here feldom fees a play re
ceived throughout with fuch markedapprubation, and
when the curtain dropped, four rounds of applaufe
prognollicated the favourable judgment which future
audiences are likely to pronounce upon the Comedy.
The Prologue wis fenlibly recited by Mr. EVAE ; and
the Epilogue, which turned alraolt entirely upin the
Comet, was very fuccefsfully delivered by Mr. Eats
TON. The Epilogue was written by Mr. LAMB, of the
India Honfe.

The houfe was ettrftely full, and the piece was
given out for repetition this day with univerfal ap•
probation.
COVENT GARDEN.—This Route had alit a very
brilliant audience. The play was George Be. mrvell,
and Mother Go9fe was alto announced for the firlt
time this feafon, and from the crowd, this pleating
Pantomime teems (till to retain its Original power of
attraftion.