Haymarket Theatre.
The Times, 1824-09-04T00:00:00

Last evening the comedy of T7he Busy Body was presented to a very thinly attended house. W'hatever was the charm in Airs. Cent- livre's writings which niade her muse predominate over Congreve, it no longer works. For what reason they keep the stage, except it be to prove that the manners of our age arenot niorecorru t than theirs, perhaps no one besides the manaser can tell. The plafshave no beau- tv,eitlterofthouht or expression, to recommend them. Theold m en are lewdan greedv-tlieyoungones, sensualists, whoscorn to put themselves to the trouble of metaphor or circamlocution to suggest proposals not at all eouivoeal. ?he ladies, too, proceed with a degree of warmth and' candour whlic'hl is hardly justified even by the rigeurs of' unjust g~uardians. And then, for language and manners-wthat *would be thought in our times of the brtssqueric of that hero, who would justify to a woman of qua- lity the use of a little amorouS intercourse with her before his own marriage, by the delicate allilion of a cup of coffee before dinner? But still more, what would become of the play, if new, in which theheroine should listen to so polite a surmise, and afier- wards accept the swain in wedlock? Mliss Chester became the part of Mfiranda, so far as vouth and passion were concerned; but she was actually too much for it in intellect. The low and prurient ten- dency of the dialogue disagreed with her elegance and graceful mirth. Her talentlies in a more elevated region et' comedy, the powers of which she has considerably at commiand, though her style wants fulness and emphasis, and her features are deficient in flexibility. Mlr. Vining, as Sir George Airy (what a recontlite name to express a young nman of fashion !) went through his part with credit to himself. He displayed *much ease and aninmation,and seems to bring into the business a degree of understanding, which, if seriously applied to his own improvement, will make him con- siderable in genteel comedy. Alr. ianren was Sir rrancis Gripe. Hiis genius, vithin a linilted range of characters, acts with vigour. There is, however, no mellowness in his humour, and he neglects the thin coating of good nature and good fellowship which nature her- self suggests to hardened hypocrites as the properest guise for their sordid purposes. In this particular he will never match either ofthose two champions-Aluninen or Dowton. Mlr. Harley's llfarplot was the great source ot diversion-not for the prevailing excellence of the acting over that of the persons rnentioned before. On the con- trary, though a very taking and ludicrous performer, he is always at odds with nature and probability: there was as little keeping in the character as of dramatic stratagem or literary expleit in the play. But laughing is an easy gratification, and the causes of mirth need no nice finding out. Mlr. Williams, in SirJealou-s Troffick, was harsh and boisterous; antI rilr. Johnson. in Chlarles, was no better than he should be. The chambermaids of illrs. Gibbs will always be held in delightful remembrance. The comedy of Sweethlea-ts and Wives followed, but the house did not appear to be sixpence fuller than at the rising of the curtain. HAYALZ4ARKET THEA TRE.