have said, appears, and the coupling begins-Miss Torringham with Transient's nephew (Mr. Mathews), and Master Torringham with the Countess Rosalba (Mrs. Edwin), who seems to have no more business in this piece than a pretty European lady in India-to dress, look pretty, and get a husband. From these materials and characters, with several of inferior, or rather no note, Mr. Cobb has produced a comedy, which, or Horace lies, afforded us full three hours of almost uninterrupted happiness : Nil admirari, prope res est una, Numici, Solaque quæ possit facere et servare beatum. i. e. To admire nothing is nearly the only thing that can make a man happy. We are gratified. Mr. Cobb is, to use his own language, a good sort of man, but he writes too much." In opera he has been successful, and even durable-thanks to the vitality and embalming qualities of Storace's music, but the weight of comedy was too great for such shoulders, and the attempt has done nothing for the credit of the author of "No Song no Supper," which is worth a hundred "Sudden Arrivals." His drama needs action, the dialogue, though frequently well expressed, is trite and fade, and the characters and their motives and pursuits either common or very preposterous and absurd. The first and second acts were promising, from something pointed and whimsical in the part of Mr. Transient, but his language was above the level of his station, and his dress and manners, when he came to mimic high life, fell short of the affectation and overdoing, natural to such persons. According to this conception, the acting of Mr. Dowton was excellent. George Transient was in a tenfold degree more outrageous in its absurdity, even than any thing that can be found in the character of Major Torringham. He is a compound of the Rapids and Tangents-to be employed is, he thinks, to be doing good, therefore, he is always full of business to do, and never doing any, or if any, never right. The galvanic touch, which it is his office to give to the action, and intricacies of the play, is—what a contrivance !—to write four letters at one time and misdirect them all! Great part of the third act is occupied in working this noble incident, and the fourth finds him at the same employment. Nothing could be more offensive to taste, judgment, and patience. Though Mr. Mathews seems to us to owe much of his excellence in Sir Fretful to the harmony of his own feelings, he was not so happy, (and we cannot see why) in the fidgets of George Transient. However, as we liked both his acting and the part part in the beginning, we are willing to ascribe our subsequent disapprobation of the former to the tedious absurdity of the latter. Mr. Johnstone had an Irish part, and it is his business to believe that the Countess has fallen in love with him; an idea as new as vanity itself. The character is thus ingeniously rendered inconsistent, and its weaknesses are multiplied. A low Irish woman possessed something of novelty in it, but it was wretchedly drawn. Of the rest of the Dramatis Persone there is nothing to say; but of the performers, we may add that their best abilities were exerted on the occasion. The play was heard with considerable applause, and some marks of dissatisfaction, particularly at its giving out for repetition. Mr. Cobb need not, however, he ashamed to look several of his contemporary dramatists in the face, for his comedy is not, as it respects them, comparatively bad, although it is positively So. All that we have seen in his comedy, we have, to use St. Paul's language to the Hebrews, before seen "at sundry times and in divers manners;" therefore we can only rank him amongst the Cherries, and Arnolds, and Dibdins, the old clothesmen of literature-those dealers in rags and "remnants of wit," such as are worn out or despised by their betters of any tolerable condition, or who strive to maintain a creditable character. The Prologue was spoken by Mr. Eyre, and the Epilogue by Mrs. Edwin. They were both very mediocre, and Mrs. E. did her's far more justice than it deserved. The former told us that the play was to shew the evil consequences of duelling, but we found the justice on the parties by no means terrifying, as the only punishment of the Major, an atrocious character, was to have his chil dren taken care of. The latter assured us, that the situation of an author, on the first night, was like that of a gentleman walking to dinner in the rain, when pressed for time, and unable to get a hackney-coach. We must refer the reader to the "pious Chanson" for an explanation of this happy simile, or rather to the Prologue to the First Floor, where it appears in better form. Rosina followed, and its delightful music was refreshing to our spirits. An apology was made for Mrs. Bishop, whose indisposition prevented her appearing in Rosina, and the indulgence of the audience prayed in favour of Mrs. Mathews, which was cheerfully granted, and left nothing to regret. Miss Kelly improves every hour, and makes all that a lady in breeches can make of William, but we much disapprove of this emasculation of men's parts. It is true that Miss Kelly's limbs are, cæteris paribus, sufficient to con stitute Dec. 20. Sudden Arrivals.-Devil to pay. 21. Id.* No Song no Supper. 22. Id.-Weathercock. 23. Id.-Midnight Hour. 26. George Barnwell.-Cinderella, (revived). 28. Castle Spectre.-Id. 29. Duenna.-Id. 30. Merry Wives of Windsor.-Id. 1810. Jan. 1. Honey Moon.-Id. 2. Cabinet. Id. 3. John Bull.-Id. 4. As you like it.t-Id. stitute a very stout little fellow, but the female voice singing, I've kiss'd and I've prattled with fifty fair maids; Jan. is without any pleasing effect, and the doing of it is still worse. *The British Press, of the 22d, says, "Mr. Cobb's new Comedy was but thinly attended last night, and, at the conclusion, the malecontents were too busy by half;" but what says Mr. Arnold in the front of the very same paper? "The new comedy was received with increased applause, and will be repeated." Here's quackery. This "wild and pleasing" drama, as Johnson calls it, was got up with all the strength of drill-serjeant Arnold's company, and with the exception of Miss Duncan, whose Rosalind is only inferior to Mrs. Jordan's, a more lamentable muster-roll has rarely been exhibited in the metropolis. The principal novelty of the evening, and certainly next in merit to Miss Duncan, with a stride in sevenleague-boots between, was Mr. Mathews in Touchstone. Mr. Mathews does not appear to have wisdom enough to enter thoroughly into the conception of the poet in this character, or caustic humour enough to give it all the rich effect of which it is capable. The Duke thus describes Touchstone, "He uses his folly like a stalking horse, and under the presentation of that he shoots his wit." Now, if Mr. Mathews felt that this was his character, we can assure him that he did not succeed in conveying his feelings to the audience. He cannot look like a wise fool; nor has he good humour sufficient in his countenance to play the merry fool either real or assumed. It was on the whole a tame performance, and unworthy of such an excellent actor as Mr. Mathews is in many other characters. This was Jan. 5. Haunted Tower.-Cinderella. 6. Child of Nature.-Honest Thieves.-Id. 8. Adelgitha.-Id. 9. Love in a Village.-Id. 10. John Bull.-Id. 11. Rivals.-Id. 12. Confederacy.-Gripe, Money Trap, Brass, and Corinna, (first time) Mathews, Dowton, Melvin, and Mrs. Edwin.-Id. 15. Beggar's Opera, Lucy and Lockit, (first time) Miss Kelly and Mr. Smith.-ld. 15. As you like it.-Id. 16. Mountaineers*.-Id. 20. Ways and Means.-Honest Thieves.-Id. was the first time, and he may perhaps improve. He was miserably supported by Miss Mellon in Audrey-her honourable fault too was an incapacity to look like an ideot-this may all, perhaps, be referred to original sin, tasting the tree of knowledge, the fall, and " such odd branches of learning." Mr. Holland in Orlando shone through the darkness of the night, Mr. Arnold's Christmas dish, an Irish-stew, made up of old materials, appeared for the first time on the 26th. His Cinderella is the Cinderella of the late Drury-Lane Theatre, and as brilliant an imitation of it as the King's coronation seen through an half-penny show-glass. One of the "immortals" was this night taken sick*, and Mrs. Mountain had the presumption to undertake to personate Venus "at an hour's notice!" In Cinderella Miss Kelly gave us, by her dancing, a further reason to believe that the study and love of her profession will, with her natural qualifications, raise her to the head of her profession. * Drill-serjeant Arnold, with the assistance of one of his colonels, treated the town with a pic-nic amateur actor in the part of Octavian. In getting recruits the colonel seems to have no advantage over the serjeant-the gentlemen of the former being even worse than the young ladies of the latter. He received very just and un * Mrs. Mathews. equivocal equivocal marks of disapprobation. These first appearances, or gags, to use a theatrical term, expose themselves gratis, receiving thereby all they merit. THEATRICAL CHIT-CHAT. Court of King's-Bench, Dublin, Dec. 15.-Mr. Jones, the proprietor of Crow-Street Theatre, obtained a verdict damages 50%. against Mr. Corbet for a libel on the honesty of his dealings with performers, published by him in the Hibernian Telegraph. The damages were laid at 500l. Mr. Grady for the defendant, called Mr. Jones" a great turbot-eating public functionary," and very litigious. "There is not," said he, "a court in this hall, in which he has not performed, although not for his benefit." Deaths.-Mr. Wild, the prompter of Drury, Mr. Wild, the dancer of Covent, and Mr. Cross, manager of the Circus. Mr. Cross is much regretted by his friends as a very worthy, diligent, and ingenious man. At the O. P. dinner, 14 Dec. (see our last, p. 380) Mr. Kemble stated that the magistrates acted without his knowledge. The magistrates have since called him to account for this slip of memory. In the British Press, Dec. 27, are some lines addressed by Mto Mrs. Mountain, each of which pays her a compliment turning on her name—the following is the most delicate "Pure the stream that from the Mountain flows." A Manchester correspondent (" Factotum") writing to us about Mr. Elliston, says, "If you suppose that we admire his tragedy, you're much mistaken-we are too good judges of fustian." O. P. joke. Sheridan condoling with Mr. Kemble on the riots, the latter said he had a hope that the trial, Clifford v. Brandon, would end them. "For my part, replied S., I see nothing in your hope, but an aitch and an O. P." Mr. Weinholt is going on with his action. Mr. Kemble has written him a letter humbly supplicating him to desist, but he is inexorable. Mr. Kemble went at the beginning of Dec. in a chaise and four to the seat of Lord Salisbury, to consult him about his troubles. Being announced, his Lordship came down stairs to him, and after hearing his complaint, said, "Mr. Kemble, I am no longer * A gag is any thing, or person, likely to excite attention on account of its novelty, without the least respect being paid on the part of the manager to its desert. Cham |