Star.
London, England, 1829-08-19 00:00:00

THE ENGLISH COMEDIANS LATE IN FRANCE.

11l used in every respect, and booted every evening, by an im-
placable cabal, the English comedians bad their closing night on
Monday last, and are now returning to awe the Straight, pursued
by the blues which will a little later follow the Prince tie Polig-
nee. This new company was a wretched one we must admit ; but
the reception we gave them was gross and cruel. Happily, how•
the cabal, of which these unfortunate players are the vic-
tims, is the work of a gentleman who arrived express from Lon-
don for this courageous and honourable purpose. There, then, is
French hospitality abused to gratify the rage of John Bull. We
do, however, beg of him to send us for the futire performers who
will ill use Shakspeare and Rowe a little less.—Cenalitadiannel.
MANCHESTER, Atm. 15.
MADIMOISZLIX SONTAG'S CONCERT.-7Tbh distinguished vocalist
commenced her promised Concert, at the Town-ball, Salford, on
Thursday evening. She was assisted by her sister, Mademoiselle
NINA SONTAG, Madame Dvizian and Signor Petit. From the
statement which appeased in the Herald of Thursday last, it appears
that Mt. Sweaty bad this favourite syren at an engagement at the
Theatre, which alter the manner, and we presume upon the same
prirscipa as her rejection of the offers made here by the Festival
Committee, she declined accepting. We fear these circumstances
bad the effect of injuring her audience. At the commencement of

the concert, and indeed at its conclusion, the room was nut more
than half full, though the company was composed of many of the
most opulent and respectable families of tbe town and neighbour.
hood. Madame Sonara's principal excellence appears to be in the
clear and rapid execution of the most difficult passages. Her per-
,formaoce of the variation of " Rhodo " called forth a most raptur-
ous encore and excited the liveliest and most enthusiastic demon-
strations of admiration which we ever remember to have heard in
a concert room. Madame Dummy astonished the company by
her performances on the piano forte; Signor Puns is too well
known in. Manchester to require any notice.
Minxes Rorat.—The company, amaagst other powerful ac-
cessions, has been this week strengthened by the talents of Mr.
Kean. This eminent tragedian, whose occasional eccentricities are
so amply redeemed by correct conception, impressive delivery, and
startling bursts of genius,—together with the assumption of that
truly convenatiooal style, in dialogue, which renders the illusion
of the scene complete, and Identifies him with nature and pro-
priety ; this great actor gave to the character of Blaylock, in which
be appeared on Wednesday evening, scarcely less rifest than when
he first broke forth, like a sun, upon the " darkness that might be
felt," which then obscured the drama. It would be insulting to the
taste of our readers, to point out the various beauties of this per-
formance; but we cannot refrain from adverting to the consummate
skill evinced throughout, in the preservation of the Jew's master-
passion—his hatred of the Christian. His love of gold, even
is swallowed up by his thirst for vengeance ; but, when he
finds it about to be satisfied, his savage exultation, subsides
into that gloating delight, consequent upon nearness of ac-
quisition ; and he seems to revel in the anticipation of
bloody enjoyment. One point, however, made by Mr. Kean,
we feel called upon to individualize, because it is a touch of nature
which, like his admirable scene with Ophelia (in Hamlet) corrects
the great Shakspeare himself. In the expressman of furious indig-
nation against his daughter, for eloping with his diamonds and
his deans, he says—" 1 would my daughter were dead at my foot,
and the jewels 111 her ear. Would die were !tensed at my foot,
and the ducats In her coin !" But here Mr. Kean stiffen the
father to triumph over the .kw, and pathetically adds—" Oh, no I
not so, not so!" This interpolation is truly Shakspedal, in as
much as it beautifully amimilates with nature. The author of the
Merchant o f Vegas" makes Lady Macbeth recoil from the murder
of Daman, eves in the hot and feverish height of her sanguinary

desires, because be " resembled her father as he slept ;' and in
accordance with such a feeling, the Shylock of Kean in the midst of
his passionate denouncement, remembers the affection which binds
him to his child.—Mr. KLAN'S Richard, of Thursday, presented no
feature of novelty; it was as finely delineated as ever, with the
exception of some trifling physical deficiency, in the more impas-
sioned sefoes. Ksam is still " Lord of the Lion heart and Eagle
eft i" but his looks (and sometimes his manner) convince us that
he is not quite so young as he was even ten years ago.—Great
praise is due to the Management for the superior cast of the eintr-
tainmetits afforded for several weeks past ; but. if a continuance of
such fare be desirable, the play-going public must be more fre-
quently in attendance. Mr. Kean, however, has brought good
houses.—Mintekester Advertiser.
COPTIC LANGUAGE.
_

Without pledging ourselves to the extent of the writer's dog-
mata. we insert the following u a suitable addendum to our last
week's paper on hieroglyphics :—" The literary world will be asto-
nished at the variety of Champ°llion's labours, the indefatigable
spirit which he arplies to them, and the important results which
they must produce. I shall content myself with naming, as one
portion of them, that be has composed a complete Grammar of the
Coptic Language, ii, which he proves that this is the language used
in the inscriptions on the ancient Egyptian monuments. He has also
compiled a Coptico-Egyptian Dictionary. contained in three quarto
volumes, and comprising the three distinct dialects, vs.—the
Thebaic, and Heptanomic. To every word he has
rtached authorities, justifying the meaning which he assigns to it ;
the chi, f part of them being derived Irvin the inscriptions he has
personally investigated on the several sites themselves. 13y these
works my persevering friend will be the means of adding to our
lit y hires the ancient wisdom of Heliopolis, Alemphis, and
Thebes, in so far as it can he gathered from the deciphering and
explanation of a character which has hitherto baffled the compre-
hension of antiquaries.—J. Acaau."— Literary Garotte. August 15.