New-York tribune., 1876-05-04

saint-like statelness of heroic devotion 10 the ONO
passion which, among all the passions that SHOOK nci
SOUL was not alien from a womans tehoeIhoS'
There was nothing finer than this There were HAS
terly touches in the gate-house scene at "es'inih
ster in the next act the transition from the pressure
Of imminent peril to the vindicuve JOY
of triumph were finely marked-all agony OF
apprebeDsion one moment, all ferocity IN the
delight of furnishing those who had caused her
terror. the next The last act was least elective
but the fault was not wholly Miss Batemans.
The scene is too protracted; it s not possible TO
keep an audience at such strain during all thaI
time. As a whole-thOugh 1t may seem strange
thing to say of an actress who, still young as she Is
has been long before tho public-AlIss Batenah
Queen Mary is the most artistic of her performances
the one which gives most evidence. not OF natiVe
capacity merely, which she has always shown' puI
of that reverent study of her subject and OF ART III
its least details which she has sometimes seemcd 10
neglect.
Mr. Irving's PhiLp was pleasantly characterized by
a lady near whom sat" Ges, an email de Pei'tof."
II had all the qnalites of delicate finish, all the
capacity of exhibiting genius IN small compass, all
the feeling for art and exquisite sensibility which
made Petltot the first of miniature painters. But
there is not much of it. PhHip figures III two or
three scenes only but one of them is better worth
seeing and studying than most whole plays Ills
make up-in exact copy first OF one portrait OF
Philip and then of another-is marvellous. HIS
demeanor to Mary is so politely msoient
rs TO stir the blood of an Englishman or Amer
lean unused to this form of Castiiian or klnglike
courtesy. Impassive unfeeling thoroughly hateful
he is yet royal in manner and, | am glad to say,
sedate in manner also. The single scene spoke OF
is that between him and Mary, in which Mary pleads
with him to stay, and the imperial ruilian eXtor's
successive concessions from her as the price oil the
favor only to refuse il at the last to her. and grant
it on a careless word of ReEdrd. Mr.. Irving might
well rest his title to be called great artist on tins
1t is wrought out with infinite patience; every look
every motion Is studied You may search in vain III
the text for the flashes which, after the other,
light up the scene and the character; ! only re-
GREETED that Nr. Tennyson was not there TO see.
Miss Bateman bore her part in this; neither would
have been so good without the other.
The average Of all the acting was high. Mr.. SWIM
bourne gave us an irreproachabe GGrdirer, both IN
dress and delivery. Mr. Broo6e's ReRdrd especially
was an intelligent performance, but nothing aiter
the two principal characters deserves so much en-
co,nium as the fH,dbch of Miss Virginia
Francis a Young actress who. clever as she
always is, has done nothing equal 10
this The blemsh OF her rendering was not
serious; at most it might be said that III excel
ence was of too a kind, but 1t was spirited ana
finished. The long sohloquy she delivers IN her
Woodstock prison was a very trying piece Of work,
thoroughly we'll done, lacking only variety III tho
modnlation of her voice, which viii come with
practice In Miss FranciSs case also per
fection of costume was remarkable, and she
might we'll have been taken for a portrait OF
Elizabeth save that tradition refuses to let us pc
ture Elizabeth with the beauty which belongs to her
representative The slight part of 4Gce was pretiy
played hy Miss Isabel Bateman.
The audience was remarkable one, even for
first night. Mr.. Tennyson was not present hut
saw Mr. Browning, George Eliot. Mr.. George ii.
Lewes. Mr.. Tom Taylor. Mr.. Mllais, Mr.. Whistler
Mr.. Conway. Mr. Ralston, Mr. Woolner, 5ir Sidney
Calvin. Miss Braddon and,many others. IL was not
Altogether an unmprcssibe house. When Miss
Bateman gave with great point and emphasis, tho
now significant line
am English Queen, not Roman Emperor,
it was received with a whriwind OF cheers, to
which faint hiss or two gave all the more meaning.
There was applause without stint al through there
were calls before the curan at the end Of every act
a laurel wreath went to MIR. Irving, and a score OF
bouquets 10 Miss Batoman In response To calls Tor
the aIthnr Mr. Irving came forward to state that
Mr. Tennyson was not in the theater, but that, with
the permission of his hearers he should telegraph To
him that the play had been an undOubtcd success.
We shall know in a week what the public has
TO say to an entertainment singular in itself, aud
set before them with so mu Ii adornnent. q. w. :.