The National Register. — 1816-10-07 (London, England)

COVENT-GARDEN. The Tragedy of The Italian Lover ha; been revived at this Theatre for the purpose of exhibiting- Mr. Alacready in the character of Mentevole. This Drama has been so seldom acted on the London stage, that a history of the plot may not be unacceptable to many of our readers. /t is, however, proper first to remind them, that this piece was written by Mr. Jephson, and produced in 1787 ; and that it is founded on an occurrence, which took place many years ago in Italy. _ _ .  Mentevole, a Nobleman of Genoa, the lover of Julia, has assassinattl his favourite rival, Clawlino, and continues unsuccessfully to jolead his cause with the lady. Marcellus, the brother of Claudio, returns from the wars, and also sues for the hand of Julia. This inflames the jealousy of Mentevole, who challenges Marcellus, and urges the fiery temper of Fulvia, the mother of his rival, to break off all communication with Julia, by slanders which he propagates against her. Mentevolc, in his combut with Alarcellus, is disarmed. Meanwhile Olympia. sister of Mentevole, having found a picture (which her brother had dropped) of Julia, lavishly adorned with, jewels, lays it in the chamber of the lady, in the hope of moving her by this instance of his fondness picture is found there by Fulvia, who recognizes it as one which her murdered son had woo. In the heat of passion she accuses Julia as well as Mentevole to the I)uke. The innocence of Julia and the guilt of Mentevole are discovered—but the assassin in despair, after upbraiding his mistress as the cause of his guilt and of his misfortunes, stabs her."  The merits of this piece consist chiefly in the smoothness and poetical elegance of its style. The characters of Nentevolx, Julia and Fulvia, however, are ably drawn. Indeed Julia has been esteemed one of the most perfect homines on the stage. Mild, grateful, anti affectionate, she is a miracle of constancy to the lost object of her love ; and only roused to assert herself where she feels, that violence has bean offered or is threatened to that melancholy and sacred passion. Fiilria displays lofty and dignified passion ; while the character of Men/mile, a emnpomul of ardent love and furious jealousy, is, sketched. with a bold and discriminating hand. The moral of this piece teaches, that, however seoretly crimes may be committed, there is a power from whom nothing is hidden, and who, in his own peculiar time, will avenge the innocent, and reward the guilty with a punishment commensurate with their crimes.— There is one defect, however, in this play, seldom tolerated by un English audience. It has little to strike the imagination ; and no episode to relieve attention : the story is languid ; and having but one incident, and that ihreseen from beginning to the end, there is, as some. of the critics have observed, much to be said, but too little to be done. It now remains to estimate Mr. Macready in the character of Menlevole. His powers, unquestionably, are of the first order; but Menlevole has not sufficient variety to elicit them. He frequently succeeded in warmly exciting the feeling of his audience ; he colours highly, but not always with sufficient judgment : in the first scene with Darazzo, and in that with 0/ympia ; in his reneountre with Marcel/us ; and above all. in the trial scene, he displayed fiweible exhibitions of scenic talent. But he has one limit, imitated from Kean, viz. a sudden transition from the highest pitch of lofty and impetuous utterance, to a low, hurried, and familiar xrllich we might almost call a  •1