The National Register. — 1809-01-15 (London, England)

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.'  Elliston, or rather nature, by passing his hand over his e.) es, in order to ascertain whether they did not deceive him. His renforseful indecision whilst expecting the signal to murder the :Ring, and when it is given, the anxious care with which he locks every door, and listens to fancied sounds, gave a more striking picture of an assassin stealing to the pillow of his victim that bas-been displayed by some of the most eminent performers. `ll4' hen the bloody deed is committed, and he complains to Lad; -Macbeth that he could not pronounce " Amen," he was not, however, so plaintively sublime as Mr. Kemble. The scene in which he shone with almost unrivalled lustre was that of the banquet, especially at the moment n hen he seems by his threats to drive Banqua s ghost from the singe, and on its disappearance exclaims, " I am a man again." In the two la a acts his spirit rose to the highest pitch of passion. lie fought at the close of his guilty career as Macbeth ought to • tight, but seldom does, with the wild energy of despair, which derives strength from its very hopelessness, and resolves since life must he lust, to sell it dearly to its conqueror. When falling wounded to the ground, with a burst of rage congenial with the temper of the tyrant, he hurls his SWOIII, which he can no longer wield, at his foe, and expires in the strongly and justly expressed agoniss of remorse and terror. On Friday night, Mr. Young made his first appearance in the character. of Beverley, in The Gamester, supported by Mrs. Siddons and Mr. C. Kenible, in Mrs. Beverley and Lawson ; and rather encumbered with Mrs. St. Leger, as aharliAtte. Cooke as usual excelled in the part of Stakaey ; and Mr. Thompson, who sve strongly suspect possesses more talent than he has till now revealed, in the humble character of • Dawson, delivered his account of Beoerley's arrest, with so much feeling and spirit, as to receive a round of applause, and what is more, as to deserve it. For reasons which we have already explained, we forbear descanting on Mrs. Siddons' excellence. She seems doomed never to feel the blighting hand of age, and we only point out the beauties and defects of withering and perishable beings like our- • selves. Mr. Young equalled our expectations. His grief, his tenderness, his remorse, his weakness and his despair, were highly natural, nod affecting. fly his skill, we never lost sight. of the nobleness of tleverley's disposition, which ought free neatly to shine through the veil of vice that overshadows his perfections; and which burst forth in his warm defence of Stukeley, the sacrifice he makes of the weak remains of his fortune to relieve that false-hearted friend; and his dignified refusal of borrowing money from his old servant Jarvis. Mr. Young not only possesses the faculty of expressing the loudest intonations of passion with proper effect, but his voice ill s ,fter, though not perhaps less affecting passages, sinks into a reeling plaintiveness that steals to the heart. His picture of mental and bodily sufferings in the last scene was dreadful, but chastely just, and in every part of his performance in .11 arbeth and Beverley, be proved himself worthy to act by the side of the British Melpomene. The recaptite; which the public granted him, and which he so highly deserved cannot fail to awaken all the energies of his genius. Emulation is the nurse of excellence. Were we to place him now at the head of our tragic performers, we should be guilty of flattery and would deprive him of a stimulus for future exertions. We know his cowers, and judge him according to their extent, and not to those of others. We will not therefore foolishly exclaim, that he has reached perfection, although he may have surpassed some or even all his competitors, but when experience and study shall have enabled him to exert the full force, and display the real excellence of his genius. His spirit has sometimes betrayed him into something not very un)ike ranting. Let him beware of this; the disease which if taken in time, may be easily removed, if suffered to proceed unchecked, will at last prove incurable and mortal.  lAN. 15.  lie prisoner wai one of them. Anoth-r witness, of the nalLe of :Pe Cams, ho gate informatioti to the above officer of the, proposed burglary, could not swear that the prisoner Ras one of the rol&ers. The Jury, after some deliberation, found the Prisoner Not G witty.