The Muse now rests, her purpos’d labours o’er,
Safe from her toil, and landed on the shore:
Each actor view’d in Fancy’s magic glass,
Walks o’er her page like royal Banquo’s race.
Oh! would kind Fate, like his, her offspring bless,
Exalt with favour, and with smiles caress,
Her moral page should circling crowds delight,
And added vigour aid her tow’ring flight.
Genius of Shakespear, from thy heav’nly sphere,
Look down with pity on thy vot’ries here:
See pantomimic jargon, ev’ry season,
Usurp the place of common sense and reason.
Some rising poet, O great Bard! inspire,
With one bright spark of thy immortal fire,
Reclaim the taste of this degen’rate age,
And reign once more triumphant o’er the stage.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[1] See this absurd and pernicious custom well ridiculed
in “The Pursuits of Literature.” A work which strongly and
properly reprobates the practice of those, whose learning,
“like a rich armour worn in heat of day,” only serves to
encumber the wearer. It is not our business to criticize
the temper or motives of the author of that elaborate
performance. He may possibly, to use the words of a modern
poet, be “shrouded in a mist of moral spleen;” or he may
be influenced by the purest intentions. The work is of
extensive utility; and, as such, is entitled to our
thanks.
[2] Such is the _celestial_ phrase of Henry James Pye,
Esq. “O’er June’s ambrosial flow’rs.”--This gentleman in
his ardent devotion to the Muses seems totally to have
forgotten the Graces; else, why the pompous repetition of
the same turgid compound epithets that encumber without
adorning his odes? We acknowledge that Poet Laureates are
placed in a dangerous situation; like the pictures hung up
in the Forum, they are exposed to the indiscriminate
criticism of the multitude. Cibber, smarting under the
lash of Pope, says “a lick at the Laureate” has ever been
the fashion. I am sorry to observe, that the present bard
cannot claim an exemption. I would recommend to his
observation the following lines of Pope, speaking of
Blackmore:
What, like Sir Richard, rumbling rough and hoarse,
With arms, and George, and Brunswick, crowd the verse;
Burst, with tremendous din, your ears asunder,
With gun, drum, trumpet, blunderbuss, and thunder.
[3] Pope.
[4] Hamlet.
[5] By Reynolds taught.--The speaking pantomimes of this
gentleman, called by courtesy comedies, are at present
generally known; but, as in all probability they will be
soon forgotten, it was thought necessary to mention them
here.
[6] As posterity may be puzzled to understand the meaning
of these words, know, all men, by these presents, that the
joke consists in Mr. Follett, the clown, coming forward
and sitting down in the front of the stage, with a basket
containing three or four immense carrots; which, assisted
by some intro-susceptive power in the vegetable, he has
the appearance of devouring whole, to the great delight of
the British audience.
Indocti stolidique et depugnare parati
Si discordet eques, media inter carmina poscunt
Aut _ursum_, aut _pugiles_; hic nam plebecula gaudet.
Verum equitis quoque jam migravit ab _aure_ voluptas
Omnis ad _incertos oculos_, et gaudia vana.
[7] _Holman._--This is one of those actors who should
receive a hint to pay more attention to their author and
less to themselves. Cibber wrote as well as acted for the
stage, and succeeded: Holman has written too; but, “haud
passibus æquis!”
Scribimus indocti doctique.--HOR.
[8] The great and unrivalled talents of this lady in
tragedy are such as would justly subject us to the
imputation of vanity and folly, were we to attempt to
enumerate them. With such a distinguished favourite of
Melpomene before our eyes, it is painful to think that
tragedy should be in this nation overlooked and neglected,
as is evinced by the cold manner in which the productions
of our best dramatic writers are received upon the stage,
though aided by the magic powers of her, who carries us
into whatever regions the fiction of the poet places in
our view.
Irritat, mulcet, falsis terroribus implet,
Ut magus; et modo me Thebis modo ponit Athenis.--HOR.
Let not poets any longer arrogate immortality to their
works, when we see the productions of Dryden, Otway,
Southern, and even Shakespear himself, placed upon the
shelf: And for what? To please the taste of a public,
vitiated by the unseemly trash, issuing from the pen of
O’Keefe, Reynolds, Morton, &c. &c.
Whose happy arts attention can command
When fancy flags, and sense is at a stand.--POPE.
[9] We think it sufficient to observe of this gentleman,
(whose talents as an actor are too well known to require
commendation here,) that his Coriolanus and Macbeth are
noble instances of his powers, and that he has brought
Hamlet to the achme of perfection.
[10] Who, that has witnessed the admiral efforts of Mrs.
Jordan in low comedy, does not regret to see her attempt
such parts as Lady Teazle and Estifania? After these
extraordinary undertakings, we shall soon expect to see
Mr. Bannister, jun. in Richard III. and Mr. Suett in
Beverley or Macbeth. As Mrs. Amlet says in the
Confederacy, “We are all for appearing above what we are,
and that is what ruins every body.”
[11] The satirist, averse to exhibiting scenes of folly,
fixes with delight on beauty and excellence: as the
traveller, weary of the uniformity of a dusky heath,
wanders with joy over fertile plains and enamelled
meadows. Seldom have we received more various and rational
pleasure than from the truly excellent performances of
Miss Decamp. With a face well adapted to express the
sentiments of the soul, an elegant and graceful person,
appropriate action, and a knowledge of her author’s
meaning, which good understanding alone can give, this
young lady bids fair to obtain general and unrivalled
approbation. But, as the human mind, however variously
gifted by nature, has still some single object in which it
is peculiarly fated to figure, some cast of character
which is exclusively its province, we would strongly
recommend it to this young lady to study Mrs. Jordan’s
comic characters, without meaning to preclude her from
those occasional variations, which no one can undergo with
more justice and versatility than herself.
“Reddere personæ scit convenientia cuique.”
[12] It is surprising that the Manager should remain
ignorant of the most important part of his office, namely,
an appropriate distribution of parts. Packer, some thirty
years ago, might have been a tolerable actor; but surely
he has had time to “strut and fret his hour upon the
stage,” and should now be “heard no more.” The character
of the Danish usurper, in his hands, is deprived of all
its interest, by losing that crafty, yet daring, villany
which Shakespear intended to portray. The fine soliloquy,
“O my offence is rank!” &c. is entirely omitted, in pity,
we suppose, to this old man’s infirmities: but, it is time
to inform Mr. Packer, that, when he attempts parts like
these, “O my offence is rank!” would be no improper
exclamation.
[13] In the veteran King we see an actor of sterling
excellence and merit. He possesses real humour
unadulterated with buffoonery; a most rare quality in the
present state of the stage! But “Vitæ summa brevis, spem
nos vetat inchoare longam.” Mr. King’s infirmities are now
growing fast upon him;
--------------------“His way of life
Is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf!”
And it is with infinite regret that we look forward to the
time when he shall retire from that stage, of which he has
so long been a distinguished ornament.
[14] Mr. Charles Kemble’s powers are daily expanding into
excellence; and we look forward with pleasure to the
future eminence of this young actor.
Yet shall he mount, and keep his distant way,
Beyond the limits of a vulgar fate.--GRAY.
[15] The power of managers to obtrude themselves upon the
public in what characters they please must often be
abused, by laying them open to the attacks of vanity;
while, from their high situation in the theatre, we
presume the real truth is not likely to offend their ears.
The humorous author of the Connoisseur hints at a reverend
bishop, who kept his chaplains in a state of such extreme
servility, that it was their custom to ask him at the
conclusion of every deal at whist what his lordship would
please to have for trumps? Mr. Wroughton may not perhaps
be so highly pampered as the above-mentioned bishop, but
it was thought necessary to enlarge upon the frequent
absurdity of his conduct, that future managers may profit
by his evil example.
“Bonum est fugienda aspicere alieno in malo.”--PUBL. SYR.
[16] Barrymore is one of those personages, to make use of
Pope’s words, “Who never changed his principles or
wig.”--As his action and voice are uniform, so is his wig;
as his gigantic method of uttering trivial sentiments is
uniform, so is his wig: pity the wig is not a better one!
[17] The dramatic productions of Mr. Colman have a real
claim to the title of motley. As a proof of this
assertion, we beg leave to refer our readers to the
Mountaineers and the Iron Chest, in both of which plays
are lines not unworthy of a Congreve or a Rowe; but these
are debased most miserably by others, which are beneath
the notice of criticism. Upon the whole, it appears, that
the genius of this gentleman is happily adapted to the
size of his theatre:
Humano capiti cervicem pictor equinam
Jungere si velit, et varias inducere plumas
Undique collatis membris; aut turpitur atrum
Desinat in piscem mulier fermosa superne
Spectatum admissi risum teneatis, amici?--HOR.
It may be worth inquiry, why the public should permit the
performance of the Iron Chest at the Haymarket, after the
decided sentence pronounced upon it at Drury-Lane; as it
must be obvious to the most ignorant spectator, that the
play was cast with much greater force at the
last-mentioned theatre; for, while we respect the talents
of Mr. Elliston, we hold it something like blasphemy to
place him in competition with Mr. Kemble, the first
tragedian of the age; and how must the broad farcical
humour of Fawcett suffer in comparison with the acting of
the late excellent Dodd! Perhaps it may be urged, that
Fawcett stood next to Dodd in the personification of such
characters as Adam Winterton: if so, it must certainly be,
as Virgil expresses it, “Proximus, sed longo intervallo.”
[18] We wish that Mrs. Goodall would avail herself of our
friendly hints; she might certainly become an actress of
some merit: at present she gives us an idea of a
well-constructed automaton.
[19] Strange that so few actors can play the
gentleman!--As to Mr. Russell,--but it would be a waste of
time to expatiate on his demerits. All our astonishment is
to think that he should _attempt_ such characters as
Charles Surface; especially as the excellence of Smith is
still fresh in the minds of the public.
----------Quid enim contendat hirundo
Cycnis? LUCRET.
[20] The part of Bullock was performed, by Mr. Wathen, not
for the public benefit, but his own. The good nature of a
British audience was never better exemplified than in the
above instance.--Surely there never was such an age of
toleration!--Dibdin’s song of the _Waggoner_ was also sung
by our hero, to exhibit his talents in another point of
view. To say the execution was intolerable is far from
sufficient, and yet we have neither time nor patience to
say more.--All was hushed! for, at least half the audience
was asleep.
Somno positi sub nocte silenti
Lenibant curas et corda oblita laborum.--VIRG.
[21] We are astonished to see this man figuring away in
such characters as the Baron of Oakland, Mr. Hardy, and
Sir Francis Wronghead.--When will managers learn their
duty to the public? and when distinguish between
unaffected humour and unnatural buffoonery?--To
Hollingsworth we may apply the lines of Peter Pindar:
“Of acting I have seen enough,
“Most vile, most execrable, stuff;
“But none so bad as thine, I vow to God!”