Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-03-15

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to the great benefit Of the pickpocke,s;
in a few minutes, the house was crowd.
ed to an overflow, without any regard
to those who had previously taken pla.
ces from that time to the drawing up
of the curtain, there was a continual
roar of "Kean, forever !" mingled with
yells and Kisses; and to the credit of
the softer sex be it written, there were
not more than some thirty or forty of
them in the whole assembly.
All was now expectation. The cur
tain at length drew up, and enter the
Lieutenant of the Tower and Officer.
These important characters related
many matters highly necessary to the
unfolding of the plot, and seemed in all
respects to hold most eloquent dis
course upon the matters set down for
their discussion; but for aught any one
more remote than the leader Of the
band could pronounce with certainty,
they might have talked High Dutch,
and recounted the adventures Of Jack
the Giant-killer. The storm, however,
only muttered until Mr.. Young made
his appearance and was mistaken for
KeAn. The burst which followed this
mistake, had not long subsidized when
the real Richard entered. His entrance
was marked by the same impetuous ad-
vance to the centre of the stage which
has ever distinguished the Richard Of
this performer Richard, or Kean-
which should we say Appeared in
his wonted colors before the little
world who are qualified to decide upon
the good orb ad of his exploits; he ap.
peared the same unabashed despoiler
of mems peace, and his whole look and
manners shone forth the same exulta.
ton IN successful villainy and hardy
defiance Of opinion, which We have
been accustomed to regard as the fea-
lures of this character. Having made
this burst upon the stage, Mr.. Kean
turned to the audience and made his
obeisance, by repeatedly bowling and
laying his hand upon his breast, a
midst the most deafening uproar that
ever saluted the ears of a public per.
former. The cries Of dissent became
tenfold, in noise, number, and variety;
but in every box Mr.. Kean had one or
more advocates, whose vociferations Of
applause came in to aggravate opposi-
ton, and to swell the discordant din to
its utmost pitch. The front benches Of
the pit were conspicuous in this ser.
vice. Among the cries which greeted
him were these-"Where's your mo-
rality, Kean ;" "Little Breaches" $50
and take care of mother Cox" "Of,
Off" and "Bravo," and "Go on Kean,"
"No connivance," and shouts and moi
ses of all kinds, which the two parties
made to drown the vociferations Of
each other. After waiting in vain for
the uproar to subside, the actor pro.
ceeded in his task:
Snow is the winter of our discomfort,
Made glorious summer by this son Of York"
Mr.. Kean repeated this passage once
or twice in the hope of procuring an
interval of calm; but the GLORIOUS sum-
mer" tarried, the sun Of public favor
seemed forever set, and the performer
destined, for time yet untold, to "bide
the pelting" Of the wintry storm. See
ing the thing was hopeless, he daunt-
Iessly went through his speech as the
best means of stemming the tide. of
which seemed set in a
gainst him. We were unable to
hear one sillable of this or any Of the
succeeding speeches. At the enc ofthe
first act, after killing King Henry, he
advanced forward with an easy, conf
dent expression, as if TO address the au-
lience. There was even something
ike contempt and defiance in his man
.r. He waited with much patience for
several minutes, but the duplicated in
diligence was not conceded to him, he
had lost the ear Of the publick, and an
increase of the uproar was the only an
swer made to this appeal. The confu-
sed din which filled the house render
ed il difficult to ascertain what was the
precise object and meaning oft. We
have already stated what were some oil
the ingredients of the storm, kissing,
hooting, and cries of various kinds,
with a strenuous effort at coanteIac-
ting applause. The predominant cries
were aoAf, off" a call for the manager
and Elliston by name to come forward;
"a public insult ;" "Kean forever; turn
out the geese" meaning the hissers, &
so on. Nothing, however, could pre-
vail upon the audience to accord to Mr.
Kean the silence Of a minute, either tor
what he might have to offer on his own
behalf, or on account of the character
which he had assumed for the night
Having waited what he deemed rea'
sonable time, Gloster planted his cap
on his head with martial and resolute
air, and returned to finish his work OF
murder upon the bodyof Henry Inc
wooing scene in presence OF the hearse