Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-12-30
ADJUSTMENTS.
cAvENpIsH Ann HER coMrANY.

you can always know when a play
ing troupe possesses merit and is worth
seeing, by their presentation Of
a Shakspearean comedy on the first
night was remarked by a spectator
at the theater last night. In the deli
n%eation Of character and the express
sion of strong emotion, Shakespeare is
superior to all other dramatists; supe-
rior to all other poets. His images are
all ornaments when carefully and 6t-
tingly illustrated and his diction may
be compared 10 some elaborate monu-
ment of the finest gothic architecture
in which the superficial glare loses
itself in an i%nextricable maze of sculp-
tural detail and Enthusiastically fretted
ornamentation, but upon a close ex-
animation shows that every pinnacle,
every buttress, every moulding
is an essential member Of
the construction. He is like
the great painter of antiquity, who
produced his ever-varying effects, by
the aid of four simple colors. In the
expression, too, he uniformly draws at
least in his finest passages his illustra-
tons from the most simple and "a
miliar objects, from the most ordinary
scenes of lite. The difficulty of
depicting his plays as they should be,
i, therefore, seldom attempted, espec-
tally on a first night except by a we'll
constructed and a talented company,
and the spectator was, therefore, cor
rect in his remark, and those who
witnessed the great bards delightful
comedy last night were rewarded with
an intellectual treat of a rare order.
In the part of Beatrice, the
witty heroine, Miss Cavendish,
was as brilliant as gem, full Of merry
animation, as graceful as a bird, cos
tuned with richness and taste, in each
separate act,and evinced no forced effort
or elaborate attempt at feeling or ex-
preston. She satisfied the judgment
and delighted the fancy of the entire
audience with her versatility. Mr..
Piercy, in the part of Benedick, looked
exceedingly well, was frank and easy
in department, and displayed the
proportions and the beautyof the poets
conception. He is a polished artist of
no ordinary merit-temperatc, but
not tame, free from bombast, and one
who knows how to act Benedick most
admirably. AT the end of the fourth
act, he and Miss Cavendish were called
before the curtain by the enthusiasm
of the audience at the effective man
ner in which they pictured the closing
scene. The part of Hero by Adelaide
Cherie Fenlon was sweet and charm
ing, and drew the character as if
through the authors brain. Claudio
was less conspicuous than the part,is
generally made, but while it lacked
~vivacity and strength, yet it was fairly
done. Dopherry, too, might have
been more humorously pictured, but
on the whole a better or more pleasing
illustration of a Shakespearean come
dy has not been seen on the stage here
in many a long day, The actors
dressed well, and performed satisfac-
torily, and while there was not a
crushing audience, yet it was a good
sized one, and what is as well, exceed
ingly appreciative. Tonight the
Lady Clancarty," one of Tom Tay-
lor's best productions, and in which
Miss Cavendish has been very sue
cessful, will be presented.
PEABODY BILLIARD HALL.
SID COOK, Proprietor.