Star.
London, England, 1829-12-01 00:00:00

eded so far as that her talents would have secured her

a high place in public favour, and her success would
have realised even parental anticipation, if on the very
threshold of the Tragic fane—on the very outset of
her career, she had attracted audiences for twelve nights ;
and she might then have been suffered to repose from
the severity of her exertions for a week or two, without
any prejudice to her fame ; but it is not because her early
course has been so brilliant, that those who g►enerousl•
proffered their aid whilst her success was vet problem'.
field should be slighted, or held up to reprobation be the
publication of a garbled correspondence, merely because
they eennot sacrifice their own foolings and their own in-
terests to their desire of fulfilling a promise given with
the moat laudable intention. It was well known to every
individual connected with the Management of that Theatre
that Mr. KEAN would not enter into an!/ engagement in
London, in which he was not allowed to stipulate for
performing on the three nights on which he had been
accustomed to appear from the commencement of his
metropolitan career. Was it then to be imagined that,
when he spontaneously came forward and tendered the
aid of his great, his unquestioned, talents in support
of a Theatre which, when he made that offer, was in a
state of absolute insolvency, he should forego a privilege,
when even in his lucrative engagements he insisted upon
'Was it to be supposed that Mr.Ke.tx would, under such
circumstances, risk the mortification of seeing his pecu-
liar and most popular performances less numerously at-
tended because the most unfavourable nights were forced
upon him, by the very managers whose interests he was
labouring to promote in so disinterested, and liberal a
manner ;—whilst the alternate evenings, which Fashion
" marks out for her own," were assigned to the Tragedy
which a new Juliet has rendered attractive,—supported
as that Tragedy now is by the after-piece performance of
Mr. T. P. COOKE?

When Mr. KEMBLE found the safety of his own pro-
perty, and the interests of his Theatre so far re-esta-
blished as to embolden him to hold Mr. KEAN at arms'
length, and to dictate terms of treaty for the fulfilment
even of a voluntary and gratuitous act ; fellow-feeling
should have triumphed over every other consideration,
and remembering the dilemma from which he had been
so providentially extricated, he should have pursued the
course which was then open to him, and which, for his
own credit's sake, we regret he did not instantly adopt,
instead of " concurring in the necessity of publishing
the communications" of his Stage Manager. Had Mr.
KEMBLE, instead of praying for an impolitic injunction,
concurred in the transfer of Mr. KEAN s gratuitous ser-
vices to Drury-lane—we cannot help thinking that he
would this day have felt more exalted in self-esteem—as
he would assuredly have been in public opinion. But
having refused to avail himself of that aid; it betrays a
littleness of which we did not suspect him, to see a gentle-
man of his integrity, and his professed liberality of senti-
ment, thus bumbling himself by an unworthy attempt
to deprive others of that assistance of which ho no
longer stood in need. In the letters which Mr.
KEMBLE has "concurred in the necessity of publishing,"
Mr. BARTLEY, by Mr. KEMPLE'S desire, " reminds"
Mr. KEAN, " of an engagement subsisting between him
and Covent Garden, by which he is precluded from act-
ing in London during the present season." Now it really
is too much to assert that any man in his senses mild
have entered into a contract which was to place him so
entirely at the mercy of a manager—for it might not suit
the wishes or the caprice of Mr. KaM BILE,' in the pleni-
tude of his renewed prosperity, to make any arrangement
at all for Mr. IC EAN's engagement at Govent Garden
during the present season ; and, in that me, he must be
deprived, at the manager's high will and pleasure, of
deriving any emolument in the capital from the exerelae
of his transcendent abilities. But Mr. BA RT LEY betrays
somewhat more than he intended, in a few subsequent
sentences of the same letter ; for so far from an engage-
ment—a bona fide engagement—being in existence, he
says," He (Mr. Kcal ALE) is ready to encounter such diffi-
culty on your account, and with this feeling he was prepared
tomake you an offer of an engagement for this season , had
you been able to meet him." And this is the gist of what Mr.
C. KEMBLE terms " the most correct explanation" of
Mr KEAN'S conduct. With respect to the injunction,
we should have thought the managers of Covent-Garden
had had sufficient experience in the Court of Chancery,
not to resort to it again, in such haste, or on such trivial
grounds. The Morning Journal says, "we were
informed that the greatest part of the money which had
been paid for boxes to be occupied in the event of Mr.
KEAN'S appearance had been refunded, and that the
sums returned amounted to several hundred pounds."
—Oh, " the dog in the manger—the dog in the
manger!"—The INJUNCTION WAS THIS DAY DIS-
SOLVED—and to-morrow night, we hope to see—
" Richard himself again."