chaste and correct; but Messrs. Cooper and Vining appear to great disadvantage as Lovemore and Sir Brilliant, after having seen Kemble and Jones in the characters. The handsome and accomplished widow Belmour was personated by Miss Kelly; and we must do her the justice to say that her delineation of this arduous character united that spirit and delicacy which, from the description of Sir Brilliant, we were taught to expect; her interview with Mrs. Lovemore was excellent, and drew down much applause. Her rules for keeping a husband were delivered with all that fascination of action and utterance which evinced the most just conception of the character. The following passage (which we transcribe for the benefit of our female readers) was given with inimitable effect: "To win a heart is easy, to keep it is the difficulty. After the fatal words for better for worse, women relax into indolence, and while they are guilty of no infidelity they think every thing safe; but they are mistaken, a great deal is wanting: an address, a vivacity, a desire to please, the agreeable contrast; the sense that pleases-the little folly that charms." This lady's enunciation is by far the most clear and distinct of any female on the stage. · MONDAY, July 6. The Goldsmith; Mrs. Holdcroft. Manoeuvring.-Speed the Plough; Morton. This very interesting and amusing comedy, or rather melo-drama, for many of the incidents come under that denomination, was, on the whole, tolerably cast. Mr. Vining played, with much vivacity and life, Bob Handy, and Mr. Farren, as his henpecked father, with much humour. Mr. Webster acted with more propriety in the part of Farmer Ashfield, than we have seen him for some time. But why the Managers should put Mr. Thompson in so important a part as Sir Philip Blandford, we really are at a loss to discover. TUESDAY, July 7.-The Two Friends; Lacy.-Manoeuvring.-Lodgings for Single Gentlemen.-Spring and Autumn. WEDNESDAY, July 8.—All in the Wrong.—Manœuvring.—Lodgings for Single Gentlemen. The comedy of All in the Wrong has long been a deserving favourite, and has as much stage bustle and perplexity as any comedy ever written; the passion of jealousy is ridiculed in every possible view. Mr. Vining's personation of a lively and intriguing valet, or a silly coxcomb, is very clever, indeed equal to most of the actors of the day; he can also bustle through some of the heroes of farce with much spirit; but as the representative of the first-rate characters of genteel comedy he is totally unfit. His Bellmour was by no means satisfactory. Sir John Restless was admirably sustained by Mr. Cooper, and his Lady with great comic force by Mrs. Glover. The house was well attended. THURSDAY, July 9.-The Busy Body. — Manoeuvring.— Lodgings for Single Gentlemen. FRIDAY, July 10.-Speed the Plough.-Manoeuvring.-Lodgings for Single Gentlemen. SATURDAY, July 11.-The Barber of Seville.-Manoeuvring.—The Green-Eyed Monster. MONDAY, July 13.-The Haunted Tower; Cobb.-Manoeuvring.Lodgings for Single Gentlemen. This was one of the most popular Operas ever produced; for it run sixty nights successively on the season of its first appearance. The music is too well known to require our eulogium. The performances this evening reminded us of the "Nightingale Club," where "The singers, no doubt, would have greatly excell'd, for a more lamentable piece of butchery has been rarely witnessed: indeed, instead of being called The Haunted Tower, it ought to have been styled "Interrupted Harmony," or rather "Discord;" for, at the conclusion of every song, the performers' ears were assailed with that ungrateful and unequivocal mark of favour, termed a “hiss.” Mr. Weston took the character of the Hero; Miss Melton, Adela, and Mrs. H. Corri, the Countess. TUESDAY, July 14.-The Two Friends.—Manoeuvring. — Lodgings for Single Gentlemen.-Spring and Autumn. WEDNESDAY, July 15.-Speed the Plough.-Manoeuvring. FRIDAY, July 17.-Secrets worth Knowing; Morton.-Manoeuvring. SATURDAY, July 18.—The Heir at Law.-Manœuvring.—The Agreeable Surprise; O'Keefe. MONDAY, July 20.-Sweethearts and Wives; Kenny.-Fish out of Water; Kenny.-Manoeuvring. Mr. Liston commenced his engagement. TUESDAY, July 21.-Paul Pry; Poole.-Quite Correct; Miss Bowden. WEDNESDAY, July 22.-Exchange no Robbery; Moncrieff.—'Twould puzzle a Conjuror.-No Song no Supper. THURSDAY, July 23.-Returned Killed. - Pigeons and Crows.Killing no Murder; Hooke. FRIDAY, July 24.-Secrets worth Knowing.-Sweethearts and Wives. SATURDAY, July 25.-Paul Pry.-Fish out of Water. ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE. SATURDAY, June 27.-This Theatre opened for the season with a very effective company for opera, melo-drama, and faree, though we regret Mr. Bennett's name is not in the list of performers; for that gentleman had proved himself, by his brilliant personation of the Guerrilla Chief, one of the first melo-dramatic actors of the day. The performances were, Tit for Tat, or the Tables Turned; The Middle Temple, and The Quartette. In the opera, Madame Cellini (who is well known to the musical world by her singing at concerts) made her first appearance. Her figure is slight, but her face is pretty. Her voice is clear, though not very powerful, and she sung with much taste and precision. All the other characters were effectively sustained by Miss Betts, Miss Cawse, Mr. Wood, Mr. H. Phillips, and Mr. Thorne. Our notice of the new operetta, as it is styled in the bills, will be very brief, as we should as soon think of wasting our time in the composition of such stuff as to detail the plot, or give a critique on the Middle Temple. We are aware that during the summer season criticism is supposed to relax in its severity, and the author has taken full advantage of that notion. The whole labour of the piece rests with Mr. Keeley, who has to personate a hair-dresser's son, infected with a mania for dancing; the author is under the greatest obligations to him, for his acting alone saved the piece; he dances a hornpipe, sings several songs, and goes through a variety of evolutions, which obtain much applause. Mrs. Keeley, who has at length assumed her matrimonial appellation, played a Welsh servant girl with true characteristic humour and simplicity, and sung a delightful little ballad of Rodwell's with great expression. Her reception was most flattering, and must have been highly gratifying to her feelings. The author has made a vile attempt at wit in a tedious speech on the proposed abolition of watchmen; some notice of it will be found in another part of our work. MONDAY, June 29.—Tit for Tat.-Free and Easy; Peake. In the laughable entertainment, Miss Kelly made her appearance as Gertrude. This highly talented actress was received with three rounds of applause. The house was most fashionably attended. TUESDAY, June 30.-The Freebooters.-The Middle Temple.-Lying Made Easy. WEDNESDAY, July 1.-Tit for Tat.-The Middle Temple.-The Bottle Imp. THURSDAY, July 2.-Sister of Charity (first time).-The Middle Temple.-Amateurs and Actors. Dramatis Personæ,—Colonel Saxe, Captain Weimar, in the Austrian army, Mr. BAKER and Mr. J. VINING; Paulo, a peasant, Mr. KEELEY; Andrea, Joseph, and Jacomo, Smugglers, Mr. O. SMITH, Mr. PERKINS, and Mr. RANSFORD; Worgman, sentinel, Mr. SALTER; Lieutenant, Mr. IRWIN; Orderly, Mr. HEATH; Soldier, Mr. J. COOPER; Villager, Mr. MINTON; Soldiers, Smugglers, Villagers, &c.; St. Ursula, the Sister of Charity, Miss KELLY; Nannetta, Miss H. CAWSE. The first scene is before the cottage of Nannetta, with the mountain in the back ground; a party of smugglers enter as if pursued, while the beat of a drum is heard in the distance. They climb up the mountain, and Joseph appears (who is the lover of Nannetta) and has been induced to join the band on account of his father being at the head of them. Joseph intreats Nannetta to give him some food. While she has departed to fetch it, the soldiers enter, and Joseph is obliged to retreat. The captain reads an order to the assembled multitude, to this effect,—that all persons who shall afford food to the smugglers shall be punished with immediate death, without regarding sex or condition; all the soldiers depart excepting Captain Weimar, who requests permission to remain a few minutes at the cottage to rest himself, having been wounded in the last action. Nannetta re-enters, and a conversation takes place between her and the captain, which terminates by the latter hurting his wounded arm in endeavouring to give her a kiss. Ursula, the sister of charity, and her brother, enter; and the former proceeds to dress the captain's wound, and while thus employed, discovers by his signet ring that he is the officer who seventeen years ago had taken refuge in her father's house and seduced her. The Nun rushes off, to the astonishment of the Captain, who also presently departs; the Nun re-enters, apparently composed; she is, however, again violently agitated by finding that her sister Nannetta had departed with the basket of provisions for the starving smugglers, who are completely cooped up in an old ruin by the soldiers. A party of villagers enter to announce that Nannetta had been observed by the sentinels and taken prisoner; and the act concludes with Ursula resolving to seek the place where her sister is confined. The second act opens with the outside of an old hut, where the soldiers are quartered; the sister of charity learns that her sister is condemned to die in an hour. She obtains a private interview with Captain Weimar, discovers herself to him, and declares that Nannetta is her child and his; the Captain is, of course, greatly moved, and promises to use his utmost endeavours to save her, and departs to ask his Colonel to forego the sentence. While Ursula is admitted into the building to obtain a parting interview with her supposed sister, Captain Weimar's Colonel enters: he is a strict disciplinarian, and inflexible to the Captain's entreaties, and all he grants is to delay the execution one hour. This the Captain resolves to avail himself of, and hastily departs to seek an interview with the Com mander-in-Chief. Paulo and the sentinel are left together, who is anxious to pass this post in order to meet with the smugglers, and attempt a rescue; he enters into conversation with the sentinel, and contrives to put some wine in his musket, and by that means effects his purpose. The next scene is the interior of the hut, where Nannetta is confined; Ursula, with some difficulty, prevails on her to attire herself in her nun's garb, by which means she escapes, (a fine opportunity is offered in this scene for displaying Miss Kelly's superior excellence in watching the departure of Nannetta through a window). We are next introduced to the ruin, where the smugglers have taken refuge; they are all in a starving state. Paulo enters with wine and provisions; he informs them of his sister's imprisonment, and they all depart, under his directions, to the cottage where Colonel Saxe had retired to rest himself. The Colonel is, of course, made their prisoner, and Joseph demands that he shall give an order for the release of the Nun (for Nannetta had made her escape to the cottage). The Colonel writes an order, but it is for her immediate execution, as he determines on fulfilling his duty, though his own life should be the sacrifice. The last scene opens with the Nun being led out to execution; Joseph and Nannetta rush in with the Colonel's order, the officer declares Ursula to be free, and commands Joseph and Nannetta to take her place. The daughter faints in her mother's arms, while the soldiers vainly endeavour to separate them; at length they are forced asunder, the fatal sentence is about to be carried into execution, when Captain Weimar appears with a reprieve. The Nun, on seeing him, screams, and covers her face with her hands; the Captain places himself in an imposing attitude, and the curtain drops. It has always been considered as a great art in dramatic writing to keep the audience in a state of suspense, till the last scene, as to the probable determination of a piece. The author of the Sister of Charity has wonderfully improved on this hint, for he has left the spectators in the same perplexity as to the fate of the principal characters at the falling of the curtain as at the opening of the piece; for what becomes of Joseph, Ursula, the Colonel, smugglers, &c. we are left in a state of happy ignorance. But we suppose he has formed the termination of this drama on the line of the poet, "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." Let us leave this disagreeable subject, and proceed to a more gracious theme, the acting of Miss Kelly, which was so powerful, so natural, and so intelligent, that the most observant critie could not discover a defect. In the last scene she excited an interest almost painful, on her entreaty to be permitted to die with her child; she also obtained the warmest applause in the scene where she wishes to appear playful and unconcerned while endeavouring to keep up |