The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-11-18
MAGNETIC TELEaRApH.-The press of matte
still crowds in upon the telegraph.
Theatrical.

PARK THEArRE-KINo JOHN This play was acted on
Monday night at the Park Theatre with unexampled
splendor. We will very briefyfor brevity space
compels-notce the drama ITSELF and the manner of its
performance No play of Shakespeare has greater social
interest than this indeed the main interest of 1t alto
geher social There is no individual in It of great intel
lect and the only character in Of intense emotion is
that Of Constance But heremoton is that of the
very simplest speces-the emotion of bereaved and
distracted mother. And maternal agony and grief are
immensely brought out in Constance huge masses of
suffering follow closely in succession tibet the weight
and vehemence Of to crush into nohngness,
the that went before it, Arthur is gentle and a
gracious child Queen Elinor is cunning and hear
less old woman a sort Of oLfgrandom, that reminds
one Of the nursery tale Of Little Red RidiDghood.
Pandulph is a worldly old churchman and q wolf too.
though in different clothing, and of different gender
Faulconbridge strong hne healthy manly animal,
and such animal is he bold, honest generous
and careless Philip of France is solemn fool and John
of England is mean and a cruel knave.
The great interest of the drama is, therefore, hsto
CAL and there is other period in the life Of England
which he's deep interest that Of John. This Pc
Rod may be called the crisis and the travail in which
modern liberty born-and like every BIRTH however
joyful in result it accompanied with exceeding
row. 1t was serrowfu in real events and how profound
ly sorrowfu has Shakespeare rendered it, in poetic re.
ation The king, who in those days stood for the ma.
ton was the vlest and the most wicked end the nation
which felt itself degraded in its king, bent down to
MOURN up to strive. The dolefu humiliations
which upon the kingdom by means Of this conflict
Shakespeare sets before in the drama of King John;
and the play singular among all shskspeares in fix ing
the centre Of tragic interest in national caiastroph
The state them with its vicsstudes and dangers pre-.
dominates in this play ell individual affections.
Every individual destiny is absorbed in the historic des
tiny and the drama goes on to show us the body of the
most eventful times II shows the ecclesiastical in dire
strife with the kingly power; spiritual authority fighting
with civil tyranny the people, the meanwhile,
" noted standing idly by and ing seeming to say,
Settle, masters among yourselves: will have our
time, hereafter-and when that time comes, shall
manage for ourselves Shakespeare, this play is the
great prophet Of democracy He anticipates, though in.
distinctly an era before him in the future, when in the
voice Of the mighty multtudes the petty ratings Of
scepte with scepte and the angry ubbings oil crosier
against crown would be unheard, and dsregarded
as the rustic offs sreamet in the booming of cataract
The play as reproduced at the Park was a magnificent
realization OF by.gone sge, and reflects the highest
credit Mr. Kean and ali the artists who aided him. II
is pleasant to actor quit the mechanical business
Of his profession and make himself conversant with the
literature which belongs to it and not only speak trip
plnkly Unique tne WoTus winch vet uoWH
him, but know the why he speaks them. But
the thing for which like these reproductions most is
the pure and noble instruction they afford TO muudes
who are thus taught by lew glsnces, what years Of
reading would not have given them They enlarge our
beng-they take from the present and the pre- sing
world and they cast our feelings with ages which
they call on to give up its dead and dead they
cause to live and act before after the fashion in which
once they lived and acted. They connect us with
fathers and set before u.s. amidst all the dveses our
forms the identity Of kindred. How completely for
instance on Monday night did we see what manner
of men these were, from whom we have our natural
and our social existence, customs and institu
tons There were the middleage King; the priest the
knight the soldier the peer the boor and the burgher
there were the church, In which the people prsyed'
the city which they guarded there were the costumes
in which they were alfred, and the arms with which
they fskh in fact there were the very form and pres
sure OF the age.
We could say much moro these topics, and speak
greater length the natural association, nsy the ne
cessary cspnscton, Of scenery and costume, with
RI dynmetic repEesentstion, but our