THE History of the two Maids of More-clacke, VVith the life and simple maner of IoнN Played by the Children of the Kings VVritten by ROBERT ARMIN, seruant to the Kings Printed by N.O. for Thomas Archer, and is to be sold at his shop in Popes head Pallace, 1609. THEATRICAL JOURNAL. DRURY LANE. FRIDAY, November 27.-The Lord of the Manor.-The Brigand.-Comfortable Lodgings. SATURDAY, November 28.-Follies of Fashion, (1st time).—The Brigand. Dramatis Persona.-Lord Splashton, Mr. WALLACK; Sir Harry Lureall, Mr. JONES; Counter, Mr. W. FARREN: Sir Simon Foster, Mr. W. BENNETT; George Foster, Mr. COOPER; Major O'Simper, Mr. H. WALLACK; Lady Splashton, Miss MORDUANT; Emily, Mrs. NEWCOMBE; Jenny, Mrs. ORGER; Mrs. Counter, Mrs. GLOVER; Lady Mary Fretful, Miss FAUCIT; Flimsy, Mrs. WEBSTER. We shall not now present a detailed analysis of the plot of the new comedy, as we wish to reserve ourselves for a long review when it is published-a slight sketch of the characters will suffice. Lord Splashton, an extravagant nobleman, who has dissipated, not only the whole of his own fortune, but nearly that of his lady's, is in love with Lady Fretful; though at the same time he inwardly entertains a strong regard for his wife, which, however, he does not let her know, as he always treats her with the greatest indifference. Sir Harry Lureall, a profligate and an impertinent rascal, who lives by levying loans on his acquaintance; and moreover, the most intimate friend of Lord Splashton, is deputed by Lady Fretful (who is passionately enamoured of his lordship) to win the affections of his lady, in order that a divorce may be obtained, and Lady Fretful, consequently, in the end become Lord Splashton's wife. Lady Splashton is an amiable woman, but irritated at her husband's behaviour, and jealous of his attentions to Lady Fretful, begins to regard, with a more attentive ear than she ought, the insidious addresses of Sir Harry Lureall. These characters form the main plot. The machinations of Sir Harry Lureall are attended with tolerable success during the first four acts. In the fifth, a grand masquerade is given at Lord Splashton's house. Sir Harry, in a private interview with Lady Splashton, warmly plies his suit, when he is interrupted by the distant approach of some persons, and is obliged to retire with the lady, each behind a separate window-curtain. The intruders prove to be Lord Splashton and Lady Fretful, who declares that his Lordship's wife had that night eloped with Sir Harry Lureall. This sudden intelligence had quite a contrary effect to what was expected, for it revives all Lord Splashton's dormant love for his lady, and he deplores her absence with the most heartfelt sorrow. At this juncture, Sir Simon Foster (Lady Splashton's uncle) enters, and asks the disconcerted pair, whether they are sure that they have not been overheard the curtains are withdrawn, and the concealed party discovered. Sir Harry comes forward, and for once commits an act of justice, by informing his lordship of [his and Lady Fretful's intentions. The penitent husband embraces his now happy wife, resolving to depart to Sir Simon's estate, and live secluded till their difficulties are over. The persons engaged in the under plot, are Counter, a retired stock-broker, and his lady, a vulgar woman who abhors every thing east of Temple-bar. This worthy pair are anxious to marry their daughter Emily to a lord, but the young lady has already given her heart to George Foster, who ingeniously contrives to pass himself upon her parents as Lord George Drummond, the nobleman they had intended for Emily's husband. Emily has another suitor, an Irish major, who, by a paltry artifice, unworthy of the author's talents, is married to Jenny, Mrs. Counter's lady's-maid. This Comedy is the production of Lord Glengall, who has also written the lively farce of the Irish Tutor. It is altogether the most successful attempt at that now almost forgotten species of dramatic writing, genteel comedy, which has been made for many years. The dialogue is uncommonly spirited, witty, and abounds with the most poignant strokes of satire; the plot is cleverly constructed and well developed, and the incidents are numerous and varied, and highly amusing; the characters have been exhibited in several fashionable nobles,—but that is not surprising, for there are hundreds of extravagant noblemen in the world, and an equal number of Sir Harry Lurealls and Lady Fretfuls. We think that the title is a misnomer, for the nefarious actions of some of the Dramatis Personæ, may be more justly termed vices than follies. We now come to the acting. Mr. Jones, by his pert vivacity and air of impudent familiarity, and graceful assurance, almost exclusively his own, rendered the part of Sir Harry highly entertaining. Mr. Wallack exerted himself to the utmost and with some success; but the character is quite out of the scope of his abilities. We cannot help noticing the vile dress he wore; it was exactly in what Lord Splashton's groom should have appeared-a bright lemon-coloured pair of inexpressibles and waistcoat, with a coat lined of the same colour. Farren displayed a rich vein of comic humour, as the ci-devant stock-broker, and his lady was admirably sustained by Mrs. Glover. Miss Morduant looked remarkably graceful and lady-like; and in one or two instances, displayed much feeling. This lady's intonation, though not sufficiently varied, is very soft and pleasing. Though her acting was not a highly-finished portrait of a lady of haut-ton, she merited and obtained much applause. Mr. H. Wallack was respectable, but his utterance is thick and disagreeable. All the other characters were well sustained, though we could wish that Mr. W. Bennett would harmonize his voice a little, for his present delivery is about as grateful to the ear, as the abrupt declension of a poker and tongs. This Comedy has met with a success by no means commensurate with its merits; and we feel much sorrow in stating the circumstance, for it proves more than volumes of the most subtle arguments, that the taste of the public for legitimate comedy is completely on the wane. Crowds have nightly thronged the theatres to see such stuff as Procrastination, Spring Lock, and many others, the names of which would be as tedious as useless to recapitulate-dramas as barren in plot, wit, humour, or delineation of character, as the present excels in each particular. Who shall ever again dare say that the degrading state of the modern drama is owing to the managers? The public love darkness better than the light; the managers, knowing, that the "drama's laws the drama's patrons give," must resort to their old entertainments, (forgive the misnomer) which are neither cognizable by the rules of critics nor the laws of nature, or shut up their theatres. MONDAY, November 30.-Pizarro.-The Brigand. Mr. Kean was advertised to play Richard, but in consequence of the Lord Chancellor's injunction, applied for by Mr. C. Kemble, he was unable to appear. TUESDAY, December 1.-Follies of Fashion.-Ballet.—The Brigand. WEDNESDAY, December 2. - Richard the Third. The Brigand. Duke of Gloster, Mr. Kean, who was received with tremendous shouts of applause, mingled with a few hisses. This is one of the very few characters which this popular actor plays in a manner which leaves the critic but little to wish; yet even in this, we could point out numerous instances where he makes frivolous attempts to elicit applause at the expense of our judgment. It is to be regretted, that this great actor is so fond of mysterious looks and long pauses, which have as much meaning in them as Lord Burleigh's sagacious shake of the head. While we make these reflections, however, we cannot help observing, that the whole of his Richard is a masterly performance. Arduous as the character is, for the hero is scarcely ever absent from the stage, his activity never relaxes, his energy never subsides; every look, every gesture, evinces that he is solely and entirely filled with the part. He appeared to be in a much better state of health than we have seen him for some time. At the conclusion, he was loudly called for. The play was well cast. Mr. Wallack played Richmond; Cooper, Buckingham; Vining, Tyrrel; Aitkin, King Henry; Mrs. Faucit, the Queen; and Miss Faucit, Lady Anne. THURSDAY, December 3.-Follies of Fashion-The Brigand. FRIDAY, December 4.-Othello.-The Brigand. So much has been written on Mr. Kean's Othello, that it may be deemed impertinent to say aught here on the subject. That the scenes in which the actor, as the Moor, is wounded almost to madness by the stings of the sevenfold serpent, are inimitably fine, will not admit of a doubt; but the other portions of the play are as little suited to Mr. Kean's abilities as the character of Romeo; for setting aside the disadvantages of figure, his declamation, action, and manners, are utterly at variance with those of the nation from which the illustrious Othello drew his origin. Mr. Young should consider Iago as one of his proudest professional achievements, as it is the triumphant result of the most intense study. Twelve years ago he was deemed by many of the critics to be totally unfit for the part; yet, now he is pronounced to be, not only the best representative of this arduous character of the present day, but equal to any of his predecessors. We have noticed his acting when we reviewed Mr. Wallack's. There is a point, however, in the fourth act, which is one of the most splendid illustrations of the author's text we ever met with. It is, when Emelia mentions to her husband the circumstance of Desdemona having lost her handkerchief: the fiendlike whisper of joy with which Young utters the interrogatory "Hast stolen it?" is almost appalling.-The house was crowded to excess. At the conclusion, Mr. Kean was called for: after he had made his bow and retired, the same honour was conferred upon Mr. Young. SATURDAY, December 5.-The Follies of Fashion.—Giovanni in London.-Don Giovanni, Madame Vestris. MONDAY, December 7.-Richard the Third.-The Brigand. TUESDAY, December 8.-The Follies of Fashion.-The Brigand. WEDNESDAY, December 9.-A New Way to Pay Old Debts.Portrait of Cervantes.—X Y Z. Sir Giles Overreach is decidedly Mr. Kean's most perfect performance; for in this character, (to make use of an Irishism) his very faults are beauties; for his occasional coarseness and vulgarity of deportment, which have afforded so much room for censure, are - |