The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-11-13 00:00:00

THE

•
COVENT.G.IRDSN THEATItg.
.e .
The toirn were partially delighted yesterdayetmf-
ing, with the representation of the Tragedy of
Douglas, in which Mr. Beret appeared in the
youthful and ardent character of Young Norval
As Mr. BETTI. derived a sort of ratification to Isis
early fame from his performance of Young Norval,
:in the Edinburgh Theatre, by the warm praises of its
Author, Mr. Jon:v Home, who was seated in a chair
by the Prompter, during the performance, and who
is said to have exclaimed, at its termination, 46 I
never saw the pith of Doug's, se ably acted before
this night !" we are disposed to dwell somewhat
longer than usual on this personification : although
we cannot admit such a panegyric to pass current for
truth, hut rather consider it as the strained enlogium
of superannuated greatness, when a constitutional
goodnature urns superseding the ministry of fallen '
faculties. Had Mr. Hour talked of Mr. Battey, in
Douglas, when he was young, or of Mr. Krminx ill
later times, he would not, perhaps, have delivered
an opinion so flippant and so unauthorised.
In delineating the character of Douglas, Mr..
Brrry proved himself a better artist than his enemies
are willing to allow ; notwithstanding that he would
be unequal to range himself, with credit, by the side
of either the Hector or Achilles, of the modern
Theitres ; we mean, of course, Mr. Yours and Mr.
Kastat,E. In delivering his opening speech, as ex•
placatory of his name and qualities— .
I, My name is Norval; oat,* Grampian billy
My father feeds Isis docks ; ' &c.
he was rather too whining for the chivalrous de.
scendant of the high house of Douglas, whose Tallest
bearing is so conspicuous through the consequent
parts of this drama. In his warm conflict with GIe.II
saloon, he was more at home ; yet it wet notO
wholly, significant of thatilerte, and disdain of con•
troll!, which should, systematically, characterise him,
!'when the Douglas is animated by a resentment is-
!suing from his wounded honour. In his gdture he
was more graceful than his compeers; but as that
is a compliment which is scarcely worth his ac-
ceptance, we will not enforce it in extenuation of his ;
errors.
The part of The Stranger, or Old Norval, was
played by Mr. YOUNG, and most ably it was played.
We never saw humau decrepitude better expressed
upon the Stage, than it was by him; palsied, Isis
head covered with a few straggling white hairs, his
tottering paces, his bending vertebra, and the tout
ensemble was such, as fulfilled all the required por-
poses of an efficient actor, which is, to deceive the
I sight, without offending the understanding; nor
would it be facile to surpass the interesting manner
in which be related the following descriptive frag-
ment of a tale, which is truly poetical though truly
; simple :
_ •••••••-••••ig Wight thus we poorly tied
41 One stormy might, is I remember welt,
The wind and rasa bent bard upon oar roof ;
Red cane the river down, and load, and oft
The angry spirit of the water marl."
When this estimable act6r first appeared, he was
received with a burst of plaudits which he coed&
scended to acknowledge, though he ought net.—
Every actor should feel those tokens of public re-
spect, but no actor, with Mr. YOUNG'S good sense,
should seem to feel them.
Those who have not.lived long enough to have seen
the late Mrs. CRAWFORD enact Lady Randolph, can
have but a very imperfect notion of what may be
done, and what magic may be wrought, in that cha.
taster; as Mr. SIODONs, in the'very meridian of her
professional brilliancy, could never equal that Lady
in this particular Instance I That tone of maternal
tenderness which Mrs. CRAWFORD could assume at
*ill, vibrated In the chords of the most insensible
I heart; We never shall forget her renswnea exclamation,
" Was be alive ?"

Mrs. Po we'd.. exerted herself peculiarly upon this
obcasion, in this character, and though she was not
all that we could desire, yet she was always to be re-
spected, and sometimes to be admired.
The Tragedy of Douglas is, incontestibly, the
most perfect that hath been produced during this
reign, although it is very far removed, in its con-
struction and business, from that perfection which is
required in the formation and agency of a classical
Tragedy ; that is a Poem, io action, or dramatic
composition, whose main feature is woe—whose
same are copied from the presentation of natural
example—whose argument is neither inflated with the
fustian of a toorheated imagination, nor debased with
low images and vulgar colloquy ; and, above all,
whose catastrophe is made obedient, either in adirect•
or a collateral sense, to the purposes of virtue; for
though it may be sometimes necessary, for the lows
and ends of art, that guilt shoidd triomph over
goodness ; yetit should be so managed by the Author,
that the writhings and compunction, and horror of
death, manifested by the parracide, or assassin,
sheeld impress every auditor with the morel knew.
ledge, that it Is impossible to deviate from the com-
mandments of Heaven without incurring perdition!
—How justly, hew effectually, and how nobly, this
duty is enforced by SRARSPEARE, id his animated
picture of Cardinal Beaufort on the bed of death!
" Ohl torture use oo usore. I will coatis—
Alive again? Tben thew Ake where he b :
He bath no eyes, the dust lath blinded them:
Comb down his hair; look, look, it stands upright,
Like lime-twigs set to catch my winged soul.'
Now the faults that we ascribe to this Tragedy RS
a composition, are, that the denouement is not suffi-
ciently tributary to social virtue, because the inno-
cent agents are equally destroyed with the atrocious,
without the due and required accompaniment of re-
morse being exhibited upon the part of the.latter.—
Many of the scenes become languid from trifling too
long with the sentiment of passion. Many of the
descriptions are superfluous, though they are, ge-
nerally, beautiful, which is a rare property of think-
ing not to be often found in Mr. Home's competi-
tors, such u MVRPIIT and FitANKLItt, the first of
whom dishonoured VOLTA IKE, and the latter the an-
cient Poets, by giving a British Public the form,
and the outline, and the meaning, of each, without
being enabled to transfuse the spirit of either into
the abject imitations. They eve us an idea of the!
osteology and royology of the . originals, bat were
unequal to the task of giving us their nerves, and
lineaments, and graces. But MURptIY was, as a
Dramatist, what ELLISTQM is. as an Actor ; a liege
subject and servant of Thalia, but apparently con-
temptible, when etruttins in lbs livery of the melee.
choly Muse! -

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