The Sun. — 1820-05-18 (London, England)

EGERTON. tiir~iuia• • • . . I\liss Foo►E. Servia . . It is wholly unnecessary for us to ewer into a detail of a story so well known, except to observe, that the Author has deviated flout history in waking the tyrant Appius die by the haml of Virginias, who strangles hint in the dungeon, wittA eas he poiioned himself to avoid the fury of the people. This catastrophe WeaktiiS the mortal effect of the composition in rendering the tyrant the victim of private revenge, lather thatt of that self-reproach, which drives hint to despair, and urges hint to avoid by suicide the punishment that awaited him from the justice of his Country. There is a considerable share of nrerit in this Play, both on account of the variety of characters which it introduces, and the consistency with which they are respectively supported. The plot, we conceive, to be essentially erroneous in one particular. The piece should have ended with the death of Virginia, itvemig is the interest of the female character upon tar feelings of mankind, that when there is an end tif tic heroine, the interest of the piece is also at an cod. That event was the natural, proper, and critical conclusion of the piece. The last net relates chiefly to the madness, of the father, which is an abatement of his criatacter, as it spews that his grief as. a •father • obliterated all,sense of duty to his Coontry. Nor can that madness excite much interest, as the Brea; prevailing interest in the fare of Virginia had subsided- There is. another :error in making the father so aoxions ior his datighter's. welfare, and yet delay his return to Rome to protect her, by doubts, expostulations, and apos. trophe with tire inessenger %Alio brings the news of the treatment which site has received, and the danger to which she is exposed. As his patriotism is lessened in one respect by grief for the loss of his daughter, to be consistent, his • filial affection should have hurried him to Horne to effect her rescue. But the great error is the prolongation of the piece by another act after the death of Virginia.— The proper close of the Merchant of Venice, would have been the discomfiture of Shylock, safety of Antonio, but SHAKSPEARE, the great Master of the human heart, knew, that by 11111'0(4161)g the female chat octets again, the interest of the play was fully, maintained, while the mind Iva. agreeably relieved from the anxiety attending the preceding scenes. In Venice Preserved, the conclusion of the play would properly have been .the. death of Jeriiet and Pierre, but Os-WAY, another Poet deeply conversant in the nature of mankind, knew that while the heroine existed the,'  fifidfeitiirlhe play; could not be extinguished :7 but tbef4getly of test night, whether th, se observations are just or not, is, we repeat-, a • drama of considerable merit.. The sentiments are natural and appropriate,. and are' often expressed with poetical energy and beauty. Sometimes, indeed, there. is a metaphor. nut consistently maintained, and though traces of imitation of other plays are observable, yet the whole is highly creditable to the talents .of the Author. It is said 'that this play has been represented on the Glasgow Stage, and that it was written by a Alir• KNowt.es, a Gentleman not unknown in the Literary ‘Vorld. IVe never saw a play better received, There was not one dissentient voice broughout the performance, and it was sanctioned for repetition on the conclusion by general acclamation. The piece was most admirably supported, particularly by