Star. — 1823-01-29 (London, England)

CHATTERLEY.  Th.: plot, though partly coinciding with that of the" Fortunes of Nigel," departs from the Novel in most of its details. The time is about the close of James's reign, when the feebleness of the Government, as evinced in the impunity wf Overbury's murderers, and other great offenders, had relaxed the morals of the higher classes, many of whom, for purposes of lewd intrigue, ambition, and even lucre, retained as dependants, and eternise leagued with, the desperate adventurers that frestinted Paul's Aisle, and other places of public resort. Worn°, a gay Nobleman, subservient to Buckingham, is the here of this play ; and his tools are, the bully Peppercole, and Skauriie, a scrivener, who, though of middle age, has contracted a passion for Margaret. the object also of Dalgarno's lawless desire. Her pretaence for Nigel, and the circumstance of Ni;el's bring assisted by the King, who was his father's debtor, with jewels, whereon James authorises him to raise a sum for ;aging off a mortgage of his estates (pledged greatly below tileir value, nominally to Skourlie, but in secret for Dalgarno's we), are considerations which irritate Dalgarno against Nigel, who, for having drawn his sword within the Royal precincts in rescue of Margaret, from an attempt of Dalgarno to force her otis f.Ati to take sanctuary in Whitefriars (alias Alsatia), at the house of 'f rapbois, the usurer, who is to raise motley on the jewels. To prevent the completion of the payment Withih the few remaining hours of the mortgage-term, Dalgarno, who on failure of redemption would become sole lord of Nigel's fortunes, comes, masked and cloaked, with Peppercole, into the usurer's Louse, with a view of seizing and secreting the jewels till the efflux of the time. Trapbois is gagged by Dalgarno with a scarf; and in his struggle, the noose of the scarf sliding, becomes entangled round his throat, and strangles hint. Dalgarno is wounded by Nigel in the wrist, but escapes with the jewels.— The Play now deviates still further from the track of the Novel. Nigel, being proved to have suddenly quitted the fatal scene with the old man's daughter and some valuable property, is next morning, at Dalgarno's suggestion, charged with the murder a charge corroborated by the non-appearance of the daughter at the inquest held by Hildebrod. A few minutes only before the expiration of the term, the mortgage is paid off to Skourlie by S:rappet front a secret source : while Nigel is brought from the Tower, and examined by the King, in the presence of Margaret; she having claimed, uuder suspicious cit.tunistances, and in the 'disguise of a Scottish Page a promise which James, when she had sung before hint in that dress at a footnoting, had made that he would grant the Page a boon; which boon she wishes to receive in the shape of Nigel's pardon. The evidence of the murder row pressing Nigel, Skourlie, who has before unsuccessfully sought the hand of Margaret, promises that on her consenting to bestow it on him, he will acquit the accused. She, in agony, is yielding, when the rich ueurer'a daughter arrives—accounts for her absence from the inquest by explaining how she has secretly been employed in raising the redemption-money of her deliverer's estates ;—and finally, by the scarf, which is identified for Dalgarno's, as well as by the wound on his wrist, proves hint the real felon. Margaret is thus reocued from Skourlie, and united to Nigel. The comic scenes art chiefly incidental : they turn on ;he humours of James and :he Alsatians: Heriot's and Strappet's suspicions of Nigel as to Nargaret and Bridgei: the expedition of those two young women to the King, and the chastisement given by them to the bully Peppercole.  It will appear from this plot that the author has not adhered to the ground-work afforded him in the novel; but it is perhaps more to be regretted that he should have departed so much from the language of which he might have availed himself from the same source. The Performers all exerted themselves with treat spirit, and made much of their respective parts. Ar.KEMBLE, Mr. FARREN, Mr. FARLEY, Mr.