Oct. 13. Rivals.-Caractacus.

15. Honey Moon *.-Three and the Deuce.

17. Busy Body.-Blue Beard +.

Oct. 18.

the former of these ladies able to dance to some tune: We beg to remind Mr. Bishop, the composer, that in this ballet she dances to something worse than no tune at all. The house was not full.

* The Inconstant was advertised but not played, through the indisposition of Mrs. Jordan. Deceived by the bills, Mr. Russel was also absent, attending to the management of the Richmond Theatre, and Rolando, in The Honey Moon, was read by Mr. Bannister, who originally played it. Mr. Elliston's conception of the character of the Duke is excellent, but repetition has by no means improved his performance on the whole. At present he is too solemn and sententious, and his words come from him like minute-guns; if he would use the same easy fluency of speech as he was wont, nothing could be more admirable than the representation.

+ After being neglected for five years, Mr. Colman's Blue Beard has been fresh trimmed, and again exhibited to the admiration of the pub lic. We much approve of this revival, thinking that while the town call for spectacle, Blue Beard has, on the same principle, as much right to thrust his chin forward as Shylock. Instead of disgust and disappointment, a sacrifice perpetually making at the shrine of novelty, let us, when we meet with what is really good in its kind, be so just to common sense, as to adhere to it with religious constancy. Such is the condition of Mr. Colman's spectacle, which is far superior to any novelty in this way, that we could reasonably hope for, from his shallow contemporaries; and Mr. T. Sheridan has in this act managed well.

The cast of characters in Blue Beard, has certainly, since its first appearance, suffered some change. The principal are Abomelique, Mr. Raymond; Ibrahim, Mr. Matthews; Selim, Mr. J. Smith; Shacabac, Mr. Penley; Fatima, Mrs. Mountain; and Irene, Miss Lyon. To look back is undoubtedly not to indulge in the pleasures of memory! The Abomelique of Mr. Raymond, however, deserves much praise-he excels every other rival, more than he falls short of the excellence of the late John Palmer. Mr. J. Smith strutted, and made the most of his little stock in trade, and, indeed, there was merit in all the performers. The greatest falling off, which is net irremediable, is in the awkward Miss Lyon. The scene on the turrets, so animated and animating in Mrs. C. Kemble, was entirely ruined by the insipidity of Miss Lyon. This young lady, though her face is without a single charm, has a voice and figure which well deserve cultivation, but in their present rude LL 2 state

Oct. 18. West Indian.-Blue Beard.

1808.

20. Beggar's Opera *.-Three and the Deuce.

OPERA HOUSE.

Sept. 26. Douglas.-Rosinat.

Oct.

state, (for so they are both, but in different degrees,) they are of little value, and if she is not soon rescued from the worse than silly flattery of her vain and ignorant sister and father, they will be of less, and that will be none at all. Miss Gayton, at the head of some of D'Egville's inferior fairies, led the dance with delightful effect. The house overflowed.

* The Beggar's Opera introduced Mr. Johnstone, for the first time at this theatre, in Macheath, and Mrs. Bland, we believe for the first time in her life, in Lucy. Mr. Johnstone is now approaching a patriarchal state, but enjoying, like Mr. Lewis, a green old age and youthful spi rits, that seems no more objectionable to his appearing in Mucheath, than it is to Mr. Lewis with respect to Goldfinch. In former days Mr. Johnstone made some stand as a first-rate singer, but was fortunately eclipsed, and driven into a cast of characters, namely Irishmen, in which he has not, and we think never had or will have, a successful rival. Under these circumstances we shall make no comparisons. He was heard with great attention, and some applause; had he played Macbeth, such is the public estimation in which he is held, we believe the case would have been just the same. He looked well, he played well, and the admirers of Nature would say, his style of singing was well, for it was more like what we might expect to hear from a real Macheath, than what we have been used to hear from a fictitious one. Inferiority as a player, does not become the character of Mr. Johnstone, and with this hint we leave him.

The objectors to Mr. J.'s age, also started an objection to the figure of Mrs. Bland, but we do not allow it to hold good, for even Mrs. Liston might play Lucy Lockit.-Old Lockit* is a bear, and why should he not have an unlicked cub for a daughter? This is not the best objection to Mrs. Bland's Lucy; the delicious melody of her voice is of another character, and peculiarly adapted to such ballads as " Little Taffline," in the farce. Mrs. Mountain has quite enough of the spirit of Lucy, to have played the part better than any other in the piece; her singing in Polly, however, especially in " cease your funning," was delightful. We have no perfect Polly-one sings too finely, another sings sweetly, but cannot play, and the third plays and looks well, but sings imperfectly. Dowton's Peachum, and Matthews' Filch, were excellent.

* Mr. Scriven.

+ The

+ The company from the late theatre in Covent-Garden, returned on this night to their interrupted labours, and at the Opera House in the Haymarket, presented to a crowded audience, the tragedy of Douglas, and the musical farce of Rosina. Previous to the commencement of the play, Mr. Kemble came forward in full dress, and with considerable agitation, attended by loud applause, delivered the following *speech:

“Ladies and Gentlemen-The power of utterance is almost taken from me by the very great kindness of your reception on my re-appear ance before you; but be assured, that however words may fail me, I can never be wanting in the gratitude which is due for your patronage on many former occasions, and still more particularly for your favour on the occurrence of that calamitous event which is the cause of our opening the King's Theatre this evening. My object, Ladies and Gentlemen, in presenting myself before you now, is to address to you a few words on the subject of our appearance here. The theatre of the Italian opera, we are well aware, is not provided with all those conveniences with which it has been the custom to assist the works of our own poets, and we therefore have to entreat your favour for those inaccuracies and difficulties which must necessarily occur as to scenery, dresses, and decorations, in some of the plays. At the same time we beg to as sure you, that this indulgence shall be claimed as seldom, and for as short a time, as possible; for the perpetual appeal to indulgence is indeed the abuse of it. You perceive that no time has been lost in adapting this house, though in a necessarily imperfect manner, for the continuance of your amusements; and the proprietors are already occupied in preparations for constructing a new theatre, which they trust will, by next. September, be worthy of your attendance and patronage, and rise the appropriate ornament of a British metropolis."

Of the tragedy we shall merely say that Mrs. Siddons played Lady Randolph, Mr. C. Kemble, Norval, and Mr. Barrymore, (late of DruryLane theatre) Glenalvon, in the absence of Mr. Cooke, who is just married, and could not come. This splendid house is too well-known to need description.

Much has been said of the liberality with which Mr. Taylor volunteered the offer of this theatre to the managers in distress, but however it might appear at first, it has since assumed a very questionable shape. The offer had not been long accepted, before Mr. Taylor made it clear that though he might allow virtue to be its own reward, he thought his liberality a description of virtue which ought to be paid; therefore leaving his conscience undisturbed, he demanded 5,000l. for the season. With great difficulty, and much charitable expostulation on his part, he was at length induced to make an agreement to receive 3,000l. Some

eighteen

eighteen or twenty boxes which bear on them the names of certain nobles", and a disgraceful P and X in chalk, to signify that they are private, are believed to be reserved by Mr. Taylor for his further emolument, and such is the reward of liberality! This is what he calls generously offering his house to Mr. Harris, and taking him int. Mr. Colman, on the

It is not to be credited that they should at this crisis withhold the advantage of these boxes, a privilege which they could never have had in contemplation, and which they must feel the cruel injustice of claiming, + Since the above was written, the following advertisement has been published by Mr. Taylor :

King's Theatre, Oct. 8.

"Reports having got into circulation, that this theatre has been let for the performance of English plays for the whole of the ensuing winter season, and that during that time the usual entertainments of the Italian opera would stand suspended'; it is deemed proper in this public marmer most respectfully to inform the nobility and gentry, subscribers to the Opera, and the public, that there is not, in truth, the smallest ground for such reports; no other idea having been ever entertained than that of accommodating the establishment of Covent-Garden theatre, with the use of this place, as far as their convenience and interest might require, without going the length of any material injury to the usual entertainments of this concern, and the property thereof. It was indeed at first proposed to allow of the national performances upon those nights that Italian operas are not exhibited; but it being found to be the concurring opinion of those persons best acquainted with the business in ques tion, that such a mixture of performances, differing in themselves, and to be carried on in the same theatre for any great length of time, under the direction too of different persons, with a change from one night to another of the very assistants necessary to conduct the machinery of so large and unwieldy a concern, was a thing so complex and intricate, as to be next to impossible, and could be alone practicable, by the greatest sacrifices of the interests of the property. That idea has in consequence' been entirely relinquished, and therefore the Covent-Garden company can have no more than a temporary accommodation at this theatre, that too without interfering in any material degree with the usual business of this undertaking itself; an accommodation upon that ground that will, under the present circumstances, be most cheerfully afforded them without the least remuneration whatever, although it is fortunately the less essential to them, upon this occasion, since the proprietors of the late Covent-Garden theatre, frankly declared in the first instance, that they had other resources besides this place for the employment of the com→ pany

the contrary, looks only to the old issue of the proverb, and without any fee beyond that of gratifying his friendship for Mr. Harris, gives up (as it respects his own interest) not only every thing that can assist him in the little theatre, but the theatre also, and has even engaged to exercise his genius in the production of some sort of dramatic exhibition, best calculated to square with their peculiar circumstances.

Unless

pany of performers, and were not, therefore, under any necessity of coming here, unless the conditions of their doing so were made perfectly agreeable to themselves, at the same time that they might be consistent with the interests of this property. Consequently their continuance in this theatre will not extend beyond the early part of next month, when the reinstatement of the house itself, and the other requisite arrangements for the usual establishment of the Italian opera must necessarily take place. The subscribers to the Opera are respectfully entreated to send as usual their commands about their boxes to the office in the Haymarket."

The cause of the above address is simply this--Mr. Taylor had previously said-You thought me competent to contract with you, and why do you not think me competent to receive the benefit of the contract? No, says Mr. Harris, I will pay the 3,000l. into the hands of your banker, there to remain till the issue of your difference with Mr. Waters; but he has given me notice that I shall pay you at my own peril, and it is unjust that I should incur the risk of paying twice.-Further, I will pay the rent of the theatre, which is a mutual concern. Defeated in his object, he would listen to none of these proposals, and for his right to turn them out, the foregoing advertisement contains his pretences. All he affects to have discovered, he must have known before; besides it is not true that the two companies cannot play in the Opera-House, as witness what was done formerly by the Drury-Lane company. Though there was no idea of their staying the whole of the season, he will allow them to remain till the beginning of next month, "without the least remuneration:”—this in his bounty Mr. Taylor will do cheerfully; but what does Mr. Waters say to it-Mr. Taylor is no more entitled to give away the use of the theatre, than he is to receive money for it, and here there seems to be a serious demur. As to the Covent-Garden company say. ing of the Opera-House, "they were not under any necessity of coming here," (hither) that remark could only have been extorted by the exorbitant sum demanded for their staying, when they did come. Gold may be bought too dear; and men may lose their property without losing the spirit to resent any imposition on their distress.