The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-05-27

FIng.
The appearance OF elaborate CRITICISM nearly tvu
column In lengsp In one OF daily contemporaries.
the suthorshi. Of winch harcly be mistaken rather
pre- 10, csd be orehsDd agans The piece BY Mr.,
Bcusccsut, pla5iug this house The sIspIclouss
snthusas sad exaggerated character Of the eEcomiuna
pared upon the sutA aad he ac.or-oz Mr. BourccaE
corjolns shese two noivdus tiles In his person.
together wit certaa poetca and high aown sentimental.
ties In regard TO he heroine or aat piece IN which
paper cr,ics not in the habit of ndugrg reminder
OF OLD aniier tricks attributed to the London
playwright, and which, believe, the author OF on.
don Assurance Ia altogether unskled. We felt JUS
titled in tina coDo1san that much trumpetn@
bstokened thing has strong conviction OF the merits
Of the piece snd sent prepared to give
dict acco. dpsiy.
FoDonse have Mr.. Borreicault, rather ha
has done himself great injustice. HIS lass creation does
not require any 'aciocs aids to recommend It 10 tho
favor Of tho play going papio Sarcastic be is In It
against the veDs iy he ess is surprising that he
should maze srch fsse Of II weapon against hia
own interests. He nus have been struck with the folly
Of this effort s1ticpae the judgment Of the public
by the thinIesa Of hs audience last night. All tho
fneSse the delicate self laudaon, ard the poeticA GAL
lantry If hs -spaper elo failed to muster the hesss
in any The lesson marked one, and We hope
he win profit by 1t.
And now let US SPEAK OF the piece it,elf Candidly
and without prejudice Is the best and most arsicaH
constructed drama that has been produced on our
boards fo- any long day The plot is ingenious and
for once original the situations effective, tho
dialogue spai king and full Of capital hits and the
sitions from the pa hsc to the humorous easy and
natural that ones feelings kept in continual excite
raent. The character Of Grimaid round whom tho in
terest Of the whos piece centres Of those fna
conceptions like Graz dather Whitehead and Monsieur
Jacques, which but few dramatic authors happy
enough to give birth to. 1t has, however, inHMxiN
more force aud takes . wider Rrssp Of our
sympathes than either Of those chars ,ters. All this
merit OF the latter cen in few peculiariss. Tha os
Grirnald lies In Its exquisite combination Of al tas
delicate susoepbiiues which find in the others. wtk
greater breadth Of design He Is at onse sin
ed yet deeply verssd in the ways Of the world tender
hearted, Jet firm and Incorporating in the hour o.
rial The peculiar constr ucon OF Its plot has enabled
Mr. unite with these characteristics some
artistic features which mpert TO 1t additional interest,"
Thus In the with Julia and in the dramatic les
Sons OF the old man to his adopted daughter the
dignity of art viuesaed against the vile and g-ovsling
impulses by whioh II Ii too frequently trsmmelled In
word, IN his conception of this character Mr. Bourccauft
has scared far above any Of his previous efforts Had he
written but this piece, II would have been sueIent
TO give him high place amongst English dramatic
authors.
OF his personaton of the part We have to speak IN thu
terms Of unqualified praise. In writing H. he hsd
evidently adapted 1t to his strength, and ha
has had the judgment 10 make sasnt only these tea-
lures to which he conscious Of being aba to do
justice Tho result L. a delicate and finished per-
formapce, eked oct by imperceptbls shades rather
than 10y bold ELECTS, but yet complete and Satisfactory
rs whole Mr.. Bauroioaut has taken his ideal from
the French rather than from the English stage and the
consequence that IN the few parts which rs has created
for himself he has the advantage OF standing alone. So
ccnpste success OF euthos and actor witnessed
last pigh. hiss bat feS presidents In the annals Of tina
stage.
Toe Violet Of Hiss Agnes Robertson can hardly be
said 70 30 adopted to her powers although ia every
thing that she does che fascinated the audience by the
sweetness and grace other action and the tenderness Of
preston which she Infused into the touchng pas
sages with which It abounds Her husband, think has
acted rather selfish part in fitting himself WE'LL and In
creating for her part which ale lacks strength to fu
satisfactorily.
Notwithstanding this drawback, the piece Is . great
Success and will do for the fame Of its author than
any Of his previous creations. Mr. Bourcicault is truly
remarkable He not only writes good plays, bat
acts them well; and to his achievements literally
guides the public to An appreciation of their nerits