The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-11-15 00:00:00

THE STATESMAN.

COVENT GARDEN THZATRE.

As Historical Tragedy, 1117 ed " Wallace.** was pro-
dased at this Theatre last night with unqualiiimi success.
The name at once discio.es the source and character of the
play. Of course, the facts which are purely historical, do
not stand alone, but are supported by a certain portion of
fiction, neer for the purposes of the drama. Tue prin-
cipal characters are supported as follows :
Wallace (Regent of Scotland) Mr. MACR CADY.
Douglas . r. C. Kenna'.
Monteith

Nolen (wife of Wallace). fiLsa.
The Play opens with the approaching conflict between
Wallace, already Regent of the kingdom, and Edward. The
private marriage of Wallace %ilk Helen (who is also Moved
by Loggias and Monteith) is next disclosed. The latter, •
traitor. excites the jealousy of Dorylas, without letting him
know the favoured rival—brings bin, to a forest. a here be
witnesses an interview between the lovers. tratiare goes

off the scene. and Dangles, enters—reproaches Ilrl, n—
ix starting off to assassinate his happier rival—but is won
to more heroic feeling by his uwu generosity, and the
high-minded eloquence of the lady. The bottle (we
suppose of Falkirk) takes place. The Sei.l4 sr,.
dr-
fested ; Wallace supposes his wife in the hands of rho
enemy. She kas fallen into the hands ut her worst enemy
.1/uateitk, from whom shye is rescued by Iluitylas : and re-
stored to her husband. The traitor Monteith disc isers the
retreat of Wulture. betrays him into the hands of Ed mord ;
seizes his wife; and. in the act of bearing her off. is slain by
the gallant Douglas. Wallace is convoyed a prisoner in
chains to London—he is followed thither by his wife under
the guidance still of Douglas. She procures a respite from
King Ethrard—but the terms are ignominious. iFulltsee
makes her die arbitress of hit fate, she prefers death with
honour, and life and love without it. The execution I36i‘ig
place—she sees the horrid spectacle from the stal;e--- dies- -
and the curtain falls.
The piay is said to be the production of a very young
candidate for dramatic fame. His name is O.A I.lt F. it,
and he is described as out having yet attained his
twentieth year. 'flue extreme youth of the author is an
effectual barrier to the severity of criticism. otherwise
we might find in his t rageily frequent riolatioos. not'
only of rules laid down by .the hest dramatic authors
and critics, but also of the common provisions mid
management of the wittiest playutitl. For example,
fl'oii.uv is Midi' to loe present, and silent for a
length of time, during a violent disputation be-
tween Jheeestios and the rchel shirk, .at which him-
self is the subject : or we ;night likewise discover a
want of orit:ioality in many of the situations, so palpable
as to force upon the mind a continual l'Pe.llTrller to other
plays. Wlictiwe l.ctr Mont,ith exclaiming, "Is this
myself: Are these my hoed', :?" We cannot help think-
ing of Lear. II lieu we see him conquering his jealousy
and disappointmen!, struggling against his love, and
performing the noblest acts of heroism to serve and pro-
tect his rival, we cannot banish Bot/a from the imagina-
tion. But are we nut trampling upon that barrier le hie
we ronounced effectual ? We will nut trace the im-
perfections of the author further; for however nu-
merous or ei Meld they may he, they are amply extenu-
ated by the spirit of genius, immature as it is, which
" lives, and breathes. and has its being,- in the Feneral
character of the tragedy. It is certainly most prionment in
the poetry. and that is nature's chief work. She has
indeed been liberal to the young anther and we would
remind him that her gifts are gratuitous, and, speaking
front the authority of one of the hest poets of old, co-
existent with birth ; while 0'0..01 art are only conferred
as the sequel of a long course of devotion, at least, Knot
of servitude. The sating of 3lscac tot ii. some passages
was of the most exalted description. When ho is betrayed
by Monteith into the hands of the English, the lifeless
gaze and motionless attitude with which he received his
chains, was a master stroke or genius and nature. Vat
that which told most with the audience. an I excited. per-
haps, more applause than we recollect to have been eli-
cited by the exertions of any *ewe. was the burst of
trinnipli and of glory with which he received the news
that" the Bruce'. was up inSrotlanil, rearing once more
the standard of freedom. Mr. Armes Kemsut was
a powerful support to the piece, by the maitre, I. which he
played Douylut. Aaaor represented Monteith, he arelleiest
sttiii of vlttatay and trotottory. Mot @POMP 5e..10-bulle.
villain-general to this est:Nisbet:cit. Mrs. Rosa ma et-
eredingly powerful as Barn. We hope to have no farther
suspension of heracquaintance with the riblie. She hits been
absent from the stage too long. The fall ..f the %ins
attended by universal applause. " cod tsr slur (peril."
seems to have become a matter of course before the Farce.
The call for it was immediately obeyed last night. notwith-
standing some disloyal opposition from an inconsiderable
-'ion of the audience.

A Dime oisaitacee.—..on the ruad to C anberwe'
opposite Iloer's-lane. has lon, stood a public-house
which, out of regard to the patriotic profession to
which a youthful member of the Royal family bail
been destined, was well known by the name of the
Duke of Clarence. In the early and the better slaws
of the Royal Seaman the sign was duly respected ;
and often has it since been repaired and re-painted.
but all attempts to gloss and varnish it was at length
Iheen found unavailing. On Saturday night last, at a
council of the customers and neighbours of the house,
Ithe Duke's Head was unanimously decides! to fit good
fur nothing. The sign of the head was therefore
treated as a common lug, and consigned to furnish
fuel to the public bonfire to celeOrate the triumph of
the Queen.
From an account just printed by order of the House
of Commons, in " a Supplementary Report of the
Committee of the (*ellen! Assembly," as to the ma-
nagement of the poor in Scotland, it appear• th..t the
gross funds applied to the paupers in Scotland amount
to 11x,195/. 17s. 9J. of which 49,7 i V. to.. sd. an
derived from assessment, the rest being from contra-'
butions at the church-doors and other funds. In seven
out of fifteen synods there are no aesessatents. The
non-assessed synods are Aberdeen, Moray, Ross,
Sutherland, and Caithness, Argyll, illenelg, and Ork-
ney. The paupers are as Ito 39 and 9.loths to the
population.
A serious affray took place on Thursday afternoon,
at Sandgate, between a party of the coast blockade
and some smugglers, who were attempting to lan I the
cargo of a vessel at that place, in which to ehe or
thirteen of the latter were wounded, anti their •essel,
with 60f) tubs of spirits taken.
Yesterday afternoon a fire broke out in a range of ,
►ack premises belonging to Mr. Myers, a cow-keeper,
in Mile-end Old Town, which, before it could be got!
under, completely destroyed the whole, together with
same provender; but it was fortunately prevented
from communicating to the dwelling house.
F/Sli.—At an early hour on Monday morning an
alarming fir'• broke out in the very extensive patent
rope nianufactory of Messrs. Mead and Willies.
Love-lane, Shadwell. It originated in the cellar,
owing to one of the men having dropped a lighted
candle in the tar furnace, which blared with great
rapidity, communicated to other matter of a light
eo:nhustible nature, and in a short time destroyed
Ithe whole of the valuable machinery; fortunately
the fire was confined to the place where it first
cmagisenced.