New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-02-16
comedy of petty intrigue, End is so fragile In sub.
stance that ANYTHING sbO of the tenderest handling

Chain, seem ppeitivey MASSIVE ana DraWhy. Inc
dramatic ferlt Of "IIeDiiet,e' is that il is flooded
with con. pcaion for which there is no sufficient
basis. Che English translation OF the came play passes
by t,e name of "Tbe Adventures Of Loye-letter,'
which ia in fact a thoroughly comprehensive title
THE adventures of loye-etter are recorded and
nothing more; aud without intending the slightest
disresnect toward those calgraphic expressions OF
human devotion, we feel free to doubt the posi-
Lility Of any love-letter being equa to the task oi
sustaining all alone aud on its private responsibility
three long acts of comedy. lie Is really asking 700
much from timid little scrap OF ienhnine hahd'
writing; and yet the action IN " Henretc, VI
which there is no considerable amount, ID entirely
dependent upon the eccentric manipulation OF
ain Gle compromising blle.doux. Tho plot is certainly
developed with much ingenuity, but with less and
less sembIance of probability as it progresses IL
might fall to the lot Of any loveetter to encounter
few of the vicssitules with which thH one IN
" Uepretie" il burdened aud these may nave
been exceptional love.letters around whose career
fate has spread perhaps 1.-THE Of the embarrassmen's
here accumulated; bat that any production OF mortal
pen should have been visited with such multiplied
aoonies of creasng and crumpiing, ignition and ex-
tincop, macerali n bereavement OF original proioi
tons and general incessan abuse, 1t passes our
simiaon TO understand. We CAL attention 70 Tue
treatment receives well AZ TO the contingent HIS
chief for which it ii mads accountable. It's Written,
70 bepin with. 1t lies hidden for three years under
tie crushing weight Of q statuctte i've inches 10
HIGHT. II il fought for lin Pickwchian way by
married lady--its writer and bacbeor-iis orI3In1
object II is seized in triumph by Tie LATER. Il IL
concealed, by magnificent piece Of melhcieh'
strategy, in Honolulu enyelope-an inalShiy "nleH
those who can imagine the feelings Of Respectable
love-etler alone may understand IL is ransacAed
for discovered then folded in form Of lamplighter
and burned 10 tho extent Of an inch by Glow and
tortI,ring degrees. Tire remnant If Hung out OF -
window. caught by naturalist, and put to the
ignoble use Of grading bug. Dc is subsequently
introduced into the muZzle Of iowilne-plece,
whence it il rescued by a young lover, who renaS }.
in twain and makes the blank eide serve for second
trivial fond record. 1t s then entrustedto chsmVe
maid who delivers il TO the wrong lady, whose Jaw
fdl lord goes wild over it. Next the husband OF Inc
original writer takes II in hand, and terrible reveal
tons are threatensd when with stroke oil boahess'
brilliantly contrasting with tho bung ing strategy o.
the Honolulu envelope, it is snatched by the
bachelor 6rst named, and consigned to a timely
grave in Mr. lester WaocNs coat pocket
/ Only French writer could be gifted at once
with the andacity to put forth in a dramatic form,
nud the ceverness 20 render entertaining, so iIusory
a set OF incidents. Tie actual po;, brideiug TO-
pe.her the deeds Of violence to which tue letter Is
subjected, does not pear examination il s weak in
every Joint, especially in tie second act the idea Of
81, Ia, goiyot frpfu paaa sECffI of
" The Purloinod Letter" but inaccuutely applied.
The play is nevertheless sufficient. The action
dashes along with volatile grace that blinds cbsery'
err % material defects OF such pieces, scores more
OF lees, varying somewhat in quality. produced
in Pans in a season. They frequently become, az
We have mentioned, mole popular than works of a
more ambitious order. although their popularity sell
dom lasts. Few Of them are translated Tor the Eng
Ii b or American STAGE the conditions OF their sue
Gers being, first, the consummate ease and elegance
Of jbe dialogue and a'terward the perfect sympa-
tbetic spif Of tie performers. TIE style of acting
which caire8 them trumphauiy through IN Paiis
has no exact Counterpart with us. II 10 coinc-
doncc that MIR Charles Matthews ia the best Eng
liza representative Of that Style aud that this very
play was TRANSLATED and produced by him III London.
Inc truusla lou for Wa,,ack Tneater was executed
$50 believe, by the late f. q. p. Wilkins and MFR.
Wauer Harrison. Ii is not brilliantly successful being
inferior, az literary piece Of work, TO the version
presented bY MIR. Cnalos Matthews, but it shines
LUMINOSITY in comparison with the Hjority Of smi-
lahy-prcpTcd pieces Tor The Americas stage. The
ejger roIghcr, here and there, than IN the orig
ina oul the form and substance isuch there is 0i
the lst.e.l fairly preserved.
D TIL, NN,Ilaors "a tha hoof elm. s,,r,
piece could receive in any American thoarer We
my 20 fu her, aud say that j., throughout, almost
81 good as need he. We arc gradually yielding TO
an unwelcome belief that tie extreme nee les Of
draal.c ant are no, 70 potent Ni,h oar public as
those oycrdrGwn effects which leap beyond the
Limits Of unlpphuled nature over 20 succes5.ul ex-
traya- aucc. Many Of he most delicate y-actoJ
PLAYS performed in SeE-lor, .Dls season lave Lo
The most nd.icreuty received. Il would perhaps,
F le untlaeonlblc then, TO complain, il We dnd t-At
iu reprOju.uga French play here, the strings have
TO bo let down little, to harmoaizs with The lower
pitch of pub nc ia-r. Al the standard settled upon
as appropriate ut Wa'Itcls the representation 0.
/ " Hcnuclte il nearly crmi le,c. Mr.. Hocys per.
Erulucs 81 tAe pat oil tue en,erpr5.ng heroine is
sg,rtei AMI elective throdg hout hr. Lcstcr Wal
i.cAs gss.i tioG OF the t.y,.-ouS ucned and cool
headed, Lut o,ill wiru-hCa tcd hero is one If d.,
best Illustrations ot his best style. Mss Heurlues
gives bret animu.iou 10 Ia neat iiJlo part, and, in
the second and tlrl acts, secures Tor herself QUAINT.
uco Of compliment ior Ler utter ualuuinos, and
fec iom from coneiraint. Mss Fanny uour: rrts|
ample tosce into the droll arerbiuss Of the GOV.
o.ness NJ. Floyd repr,sen,s q loye-lorn ana op-
ire. ed college La wit0 an elect equal 10 that OF
3 d I'D "a