Star. — 1818-03-26 (London, England)

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.  A new romantic Operatic Drama was last night' acted for the first time, under the title of Rob Roy the Gregaraelt. The title of this piece announces its I origin, but not its fable. It is not the romance thrown into a Play, as might be supposed, and this the Au-' thor has been careful to explain in a preface to the songs. His own words may be most satisfactory to our Readers, and he therefore shall speak for himself. " I have," says he, " adopted only one or two leading incidents from it, and made them subordinate parts of a whole, which moves upon very different principles. This change in the story naturally induced a corresponding change in the colouring of the characters ; scarcely one feature of the Romance remains in any of the first personages ; Diana Vernon, Rob Roy, Dougal, &c. are so essentially distinct from the originals bearing the same names, that without some notice, disappointment must have ensued."— The following is a brief outline of the plot : Sir Rashleigh Osbahlistone is about to marry Diana Vernon, who is commanded by her father, General Vernon, to accept of his proffered hand, though the young Lady herself is most averse to the proposed union. The General marches against Rob Roy, and it is in his absence that the marriage is to be solemnized.— When at the altar Diana is snatched from Rashieigh by Rob Roy, who is the object of her love. The General, ensnared by Donal, is made prisoner by Helen Macgregor, the mother of the ontlaw, and is'about to be sacrificed to her fury, when the Seer Morvyn interposes to save hint, and in the end he is ten stored to liberty. !Wen, on learning that her son Rob Roy leas made Diana ''ernon his wife, indignantly urges him to cast her' ff. Ile refuses, and she leaves hint threatening vengeance. The outlaw is compelled to leave his wife in the care of his clansman DougaL Helen succeeds in separatioz Diana from bqr Protector, and conducts her to a cemetery, where she corn. pels her to swallow what she believes to be a deadly poison, which she had' procured from filorvyn. Rob Roy becomes a captive to Sir Rashleigh. Ile escapes; is overtaken by Sir Rashleigh ; a fight ensues ; the latter is conquered, and death rewards a treacherous attempt on the lite of the victor. Ilek.n falls the victim of remorse for the supposed murder of Diana,. who has only been thrown into a sleep by the drugs of Morella. She revives in due time and is restored to Rob Roy, his pardon having been previously procured by the General, who has be. come reconciled to their union. It will at once be seen from the above sketch, that the Play of Drury-lane has little or no general re•semblance to the Rob Rol of the other Theatre. In several of the most prominent scenes they are nearly the same, but for the most part there is all the dills-. rence between them that is usually found between an Opera and a Melo-drama. Several of the situations were highly dramatic, and excited the most lively interest, and some of the efforts at humour were completely successful. The progress of the, Play, however, is frequently too slow, and occasio. nally the action is so abrupt, that it very imperfectly explains itself. This was felt in the sudden turn of Rashleigli's fortune, who is left prisoner to General' Vernon in one scene, and who, when he next appears, is the Commander of a military force, which under his orders has secured the outlaw Rob Roy. These things, added to a want of discipline in the military iployed on the occl - with some of the accidents