The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-09
AFFAIRS IN EUROPE.
Our London and Madrid Correspondence,
&C, do, &c.
Our London Correspondence.

Our London Correspondence.
LONDON, April 20, 1855
The Brsst and Toulon Flsets-IVyA the Queen Of
England Visit LOUIS and Eugene at Chsrbourg!
Civihties to the Netc French Ambassador-1he
Murderer Lane-Our VietDs Of the Bernard
Irials-Our Gallo Reiatioaship-7hs budget
Our Oton Criticism Of the Lear" at the Pr1n-
eesssHM dues. Ttiens and Piccoiomini-Signors
Guigiini and Belart-Amusements, &c.
The arrival of the Niagara followed so closely on
the trail of the Fulton that we yesterday even
ing in receipt Of New YORK HEsALDs up to the 9Th
almost ere we had hurriedy and anxiously perused
those up to the Sd, that came to hand by the last
named vessel.
mentioned to you in nay last that the Brest and
Toulon fleets were to rendezvous in the Channel,
and rendezvous in the Channel they are, to-that is
If our imperial ally can muster sufficient ships in
time to form an imposing squadron. Some Belgian
penny liner, in contradiction to these rumors,
serts that Queen contemplates visit to the En-
peror and h belle Eugene, at Cherbourg, early
this season. ON the occasion of railroad
opening there. Malakoffs Duke is to present
the invitation, and Lord Cowley to come over here
TO make the necessary preparations, and to
put good little Victoria in the line of conductshe
il to adopt during her stay in France The rendez-
vous of the Toulon and Brest fleets is to be- in order
to conciliate and prevent the "soupcan" of an
armed annoyance so near our coasts changed to the
Isle of Hyeres. Really the Court of st. James and
that of the Tuileries indulgng in civltes which
are the usual precursors of a
In the meantime, his Excellency, Fied-Marshal
ID bao J;oJIu nd I'll bu
our military authorities, not to omit those of the
navy and our diplomatsts. He is to be entertained
at dinner by the members of the United Service
Club on Thursday, under the Craftsmanship of the
Duke of Cambridge Om'nium gatheyun, az our
civic functionaries have it, where they mix up no
end of eatabies and depth of drnkables, Is some
what in our line of courtesy--and SO from gay, we
are off at q tangent to grave.
LAM, the Italian, who murdered the doubly an
fortunate French woman in brothe in the vicn
age of the Haymarket, has confessed his crime in
full and think slightly deviatng from the truth in
the statement that in the first place, the poor crea
ture attempted to rob him.
On Saturday last, the 18th inst, was produced,
with new arrangements and scenery, by Mr.. Charles
Kean at the Princesss theatre Shakspere's cee-
brated and somewhat mythic tragedy Of King Lear"
II was, indeed great treat, and every one In the
intensely crowded house, before the curtain seemed
fully to sympathise with the great modern dramatist
in the triumph that he has herein enacted. 1t was
no ordinary task because he had TO combine large
amount of antiquarian knowledge and research with
no common degree of skill, in the representation of
the unhappy king, to whom the chief prominence Is
given from the beginning TO the end OF the play
The muse en- scene il perfect throughout. The
chamber scenes in the early acts exceedingly APP
propriate distinguished by the rude massiveness pc
| culiar TO 80 early period; and we may instance
more particularly, the room OF state where Lear an
/ nounees his purpose Of dividing the kingdom be
tween his two eldest daughters and their husbands
TO the exclusion of the younger and more faithful
Cordelia as, also, hell in the Earl OF Gloucester
castle where the bastard, Edmund, shows q
| forged letter TO Gloucester, In order to make
the latter suppose that Edgar had conspired
! to rob his father Of his rights. The gseat
scenic triumphs of the piece, however, the two
wild scenes upon the heath and two charming rep
reservations Of the country about Dover in the oden
time. Indeed, whatever may be said Of the previous
revivals at the Princess's,-(an when we reckon
how many they have been, we may well admire the
managers energy of enterprise 1--WE see no falling
back or short coming, but jealous anxiety to keep
up the prestige OF the establishment for works OF
this character. No art, in short no resources, no
expense has been spared in getting up all those stage
accessories, TO which Mr. kean and his coadjutors
well furnish the essentials. The incidental music
too, of which there is no small quantity has been
efficiently composed by Mr.. j. l.. Hatton, TO whom
the public much indebted for vast improvements
since bis appointment To the dictatorship nor must
we forget to give due need Of praise 10 Mr.. Brad
well the costumers, propertymen, &c, who have 40
powerfully aided the manager in carrying out his
poetcal conceptions. The dresses, perhaps, belong
70 very defined era; but they at any rate suf
ficently Characteristic 10 remind any acquainted
with Struts deneations, Of the early period OF
Anglosaxon history; and II would be unfair
TO Mrs. Kean not 10 award 10 her the
ample share of praise which II due for taste IN
selecting the costumes and appropriately blending
their coors in the grouping, 40 "a 20 form harmo
NOUS whole. IL were superfluous 10 add, moreover,
that not a stone has been teft unturne1, whether
dramatically or pictorially, towards rendering
" King Lear in all respects worthy Of the great
magician who brought IL into being; though at the
the fairy notion that his conceptions would be
80 admirably realized by the aid Of subordinates,
who, in his time. were utterly unknown.
Mr.. kean, however, has done more-far more
than putting this chef dGurrs well upon the stage,
in any accessory sense. To have done that, indeed
in the way that his antiquarian knowledge might
have enabled him, was in itself trifiing need OF
praise; but when, besides this, he has thrown into
the scale all his long acknowledged dramatic genius
and hesitates not TO exhibit in their full force the
conflicting passions that agitated the weak minded
but madness stricken princes from the day which
he sells all his worldly interests 20 benefit thank
less family 10 that on which he dies repentant yet
half insensate still within Cordela's arms but de-
votes all his energy, all his skill and powers
of high wrought delineation-a heevish, vii.
full, strong FASHIONED. but not ungrateful
old man-and almost constantly appears before
the audience az the leading and prominent feature
In the piece, we cannot but warmly join in the well
earned paudits that greeted him be went through
his ardrous task, from the assignment OF his king
dom and the banishment Of his loyal servant Kent,
and proceeding through the various phases of imbe
cility shown in his dialogue at the end ofthe act
with Kent in disguise and the clever fool one of
the best of Shskspere's delineations-and his
f..4 a.. sk.rG
Gonereil:-
Hear, Nature, heari---
Tear goddess, hear suspend thy purpose
Thou ddst intend TO make this creature fruitful,
And from her derogate body never spring
A babe 10 honor her n she must TEEN.
Create child Of spleen, that II may live
And be ath wart disnatur'd torment 20 her
Turn ali her mother pains and benefits
To laughter and contempt that she may feed
How sharner than a aerpents tooth Il