The Statesman.
London, England, 1823-06-23 00:00:00

SURREY THEATRE.

TO THE ZDITOR Or THE STATESMAN.
hare, for a Pang time, been an ardent admirer
of histrionic tgent; evinced either by the Arthur in his
writing, or by the Actor, in his personification of it
myself in this favourite pursuit, I shall t.tke
the opportunity of stating a few remarks on the perform.
ance of filiss'Edmiston, on Thursday evening, in the Be-
lla:Ms character of Hamlet ; and in so doin", I would
wish to avoid all that adulation with which critiques of
this description are sometimes so bounteously interlard-
ed, and give my opinions in a candid manner. I shall
first state that she possesses a voice of well-tuned.modu-
lation, hut unfortunately, rather feeble, and a counte-
nance, full of expression, and which could well pourtray
the varioas feelings of the human heart. On the infor-
mation of Horatio, in allusion to the apparition, and the
subsequent appearance of it —in each of these cases, Miss
E. showed too little of surprise and emotion—tied in her
powerful address to it, there were not that honor and teme-
rity which were necessary to accompany it, and which
are so consistent with the order of Nature, and so coin•
patible with the real feelings of the character. As the
play advanced, however, so did the powers of Miss Ed-
inisten.—She showed a pleasing specimen in the Solilo-
quy of
" Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt,"&e.
which she did not deliver as a lesson, or a " talc that is
told," but in a manner which might make us think it was
the extemporaneous effusion of her own heart. Her sa-
! tides! reasonings and admonitions, to Ophelia, were ex-
ceedingly well done, and the mandate of
" To a Nunnery go," firce
was accompanied with gestures which almost persuad-
ed me of its reality—lt exhibited a picture of the most
consummate delirium. Her talent appeared to rue wound
up, and in full vibration in every particular ; she trod the
stage with astonishing energy, and the sudden oblique
glances cf her eves, and transitions of the body, impress-
ed every one n it'll delight and admiration; time, pathos,
and modulation, being particularly attended to. Her
acting, now proceeded in one undeviating strain of excel-
lence, with but one exception. I would recommend Miss
Edmiston to allow her parses to be a little longer, as in
" To be—or not to be"—
they fell short:—not conveying to us the idea that
there was time enough to reflect upon what was deliver-
ed. She displayed both ease and elegance in the scene
with the players, and appeared perfectly well aware and
acquainted with the instructions she gave them. Her
jocularity with Oplielia—her craft in endeavouring to
" catch the conscience of the King"—the scene with
Hamlet's mother, and the following one, were all per.-
formed with considerable skill. Her looks, action, figure,
and anima ion, are much above mediocrity, and cannot
fail of affording satisfaction to a British audience, and
nowhere more so than on the Metropolitan stage. She
is a young candidate for fame—she ;strives hard to obtain
it, and I hope her efforts will be eventually crowned with
just and well-merited success.
THEATRICUS.

The Royal Yacht is victualling at Deptford. On Fri•
day a variety of articles, for the service of his Majesty,
was put on board. The yacht is to he at Portsmouth on
Tuesday, but the King is not expected to go on board so
soon as is generally reported.
On Saturday, as on the preceding day., his Majesty
drove round Windsor Park for some hours, and then re-
turned to an early dinner at the Lodge; after which the
Marchioness of Conyngham and her daughters left the
Lodge for London; but they are expected to return in a
day or two. The Marquess and Lord Albert Convngham
will remain with his Majesty.
It was very generally stated yesterday that the Gentle-
man who had been wounded in the Crim. Con. affair, as
mentioned in our Publication of Wednesday, had died of
his wounds. We hope the report is unfounded.
Tuesday the Right Hon. W. C. Plunkett, his Majesty's
Attorney-General, resumed his professional duties in the
Court of Chancery. .(Detblin Morning Post.)
Mr. Blake, the English Barrister, who is particularly
honoured with the friendship of the Marquess Wellesley,
has just been appointed to the important office of Chief
Remenahrancer of the Equity side of the Exchequer.
Mr. Blake took the usual ()albs on Wednesday. —(ltid )
GRAND CORISTICNING.-011 Saturday the infant son
of Mr. Coke, M.P. was christened, at his house in Han-
over-square. Great preparations were made on the occa-
sion. Their Royal Highnesses the Hakes of Sussex anti
Gloucester stooti sponsors, and lady Andover. Mr.
Coke's eldest daughter, stood godmother. The bap-
tismal ceremony was performed by the Bishop of Nor-
wich, after which a sumptuous dinner was served op.
An intimation has, we understand, been given to oar
County Members, and conveyed to the merchants and
manufacturers of Yorkshire, that no new legislative
enactment will be made this Session of Parliament on
the subject of the import or export of Foreign or British
Wool ; so that the duty on the importation of Foreign
Wool, notwithstanding the passing of the Warehousing
Bill, will remain in force ; and consumers of British
fleeces will, for another season at least, enjoy the use
of their long wools without foreign competition.—(Leeds
Mercury)
Some days ago, a most extraordinary deception was
attempted upon a servant girl, by two women alto have
been repeatedly in Bridewell for fronds practised generally
upon the most ignorant and credulous of the female sex.
They hawk small articles about in baskets, by which
means they gain a ready access to their victims ; and one of
them is a fortune teller, who has frequently succeeded in
extorting, from those who have recourse to her skill, large
sums as propitiatory offerings to the evil one, to whom
she is compelled to pay unwilling tribute. This wretch
having gained admission to the house in which the girl
in question resided, sold to her a small looking-glass, and
having got the price of it, prevailed upon the girl, after
much importunity, to give her two empty bottles, to as-
sist is relieving the distress of her family. Next day
the other woman called upon the girl, and without speak-
ing a word, fixed upon her a look which almost petrified
her, and beckoned her to the street, where the sor-
trees' *min waiting. She was then informed that the
bottles had been stolen ; that they (the two wo-
men) had been fined I•2s. for having them in their
possession ; that the officers of justice were in pnrsuit of
her to carry her to prison ; and that, unless she gave
them 125. they would conduct the officers to her resi-
dence. It was to no purpose that the poor girl implored
their compassion, protesting that she had not 12s. in the
world, nr that she took refuge in the house of her mas-
ter. She was followed there by the two fiends, who,
one after the other, came to the door threatening her
with vengeance, until at length her agitation became
so extreme, that it could be no longer concealed; and the
cause of it having been explained to her mi-tress, both
her tormentors were taken into custody. The case is now
undergoing an investigation.—(Edie. Star.)
On Saturday Alexander Marti*, accused of the crime
of rape, whose case, from its novelty and importance, the
girl assaulted being deaf and dumb, was remitted from
the Aberdeen Circuit for the decision of the whole Court
of Justiciary, was brought to our jail, in charge of a wea-
-1 Heger, to undergo his trial for the offence.—(Mid.)
OSSIAN.—After it had
.frequently been publicly as-
serted, that the Poems of Osman, " in Gaelic," would
never be produced, an edition of them, in that ancient
languaire, was published io the year 1807, with a Latin
translation, by the late Mr. Robert Macfarlane. The
manuscripts from which this edition was printed, basing
been lately returned to Sir John Sinclair, who had the
principal charge in carrying on the publication, be has
deposited them in the Advocates Library, Edinburgh.