The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-03-03 00:00:00

THE CONSPIR,4TORS.

The Privy Council assemble,' this moroieg to pie-
rced with the further examioatiou of the conspirators.:
At eleven o'clock they were Aieaught to the Secretary of
State's Office in four roaches. Thistlewood was ACCOIu.
panied in the roach by Mr. Birnie ; he seemed more
than usually dejected. The coaches were surrounded by
a troop of guards from fold-bath-filth plum The exa-
minations are expected to terminate this day, and a final
commitment made out. Mrs. Thistlewood his been al-
towel to have an interview with her husband, in the
presence of a police officer.

DRURY-L.ISE THEATRE.

A five art play, entitled The Hebrew., and purporting
to be founded on the romance of Iranhoe, was last night
produced at this Theatre. If the foundation cf a piece
consist only in the names of its characters, and in a few
of its leading incidents, why then the programm, is
correct in its announcement ; but to allow as monstrous
an assumption, is passing far beyond the limits of fair
indulgence. We must, therefore, beg leave to remove
the proclaimed base of this play in the first iustanesii
and leave it to abide the test of criticism on this 60,411,4
of its own merits. It has nothing in common with
Ivanhoe. Many important characters are excluded al•
together ; and, with the exception, perhaps, of Brian de I
BuisGailbert, there is not one retained who is not mate-
rially, and, in most instances, unfortnnately
Two of the finest situations, Between's heroic deteciina-
Lion of throwing herself front the battlements toestape I
the violence of the Templar, and her subsequent kivril,
when brought to the stake by the fanaticism °Unitas
Bennsnanoir, have, indeed, been seised by the complier
of this play, and they alone obtained fur it that pottion
of favour which the audience of last night bestotved.
Even here, however, a meddling hand has been interposed;
and we have the passions continually described in the
most laboured and high-flown imagery, by those wlso
at the same moment are overwhelmed by their force, in-
stead of the natural broken exclamation, and the hurried
expression of distress by which the novelist info**e
real scene of anguish, and renders every heart a partylu

the excessive poignancy of feeling. It would be use-
less to follow throngh the play the deviations from die
novel; it would be an interminable task ; and to give
a description of the plot without it. is utterly impossible.
To those who have not read the book, it must be an un-
intelligible mass of nonsense; fur there is scarcely an
incident entire, and we are perpetually left to tax our
memory for the completion or the meaning of a scene.
Indeed, it would appear that a feeble, yet a disdainful
hand, had prepared it for the stage. Ile has passed over
the choice and abundant store of materials which the
romance affords, and having selected too largely from
therrowd, he has curtailed and altered them, until their
general effect has been considerably lessened, if not de-
stroyed. What has been the motive to this we cannot
divine. Surely not the fear of following so enlightened
a guide; and if it were disdain, we must recommend the
dramatist, whoever he may be, a somewhat lower esti-
mation of his own ability. Another serious fault in the
piece, is the inattention to costume. This seems to
indicate a relaxation in the management which we
should he sorry to see on every account. What can
be more ridiculous, than to imagine Cedric. deco-
' rated in a cast off cloak from the wardrobe of
Richard the Third. Viewing The Hebrew, upon its
own merits as an acting piece, with the allowance for
a first performance, it has undoubtedly some claims to
praise. The two last acts are full of stage effect ; and
the excellent acting of Kw., as Isaac oflork, and Mrs.
Warr, as Rebecca, obtained considerable applause, and
certainly saved the play from an untimely death.
HAMBLIN, as Brion de Dols Guilbert, gave an ad-
mirable and perfect delineation of that character;
Pasmas was respectable in Inaahoe, and Miss CAREW
sung a pleasing song, in a character apparently intro-
duced for that purpose alone. The play was announced
for repetition on Saturday; and, though some slight
opposition was manifested, it expired in the more power-
ful expressions of satisfaction.