358 The Drama. [MARCH, 



to prostrate our moral as well as physical energies, it is cruel to be partial. 

 Why not establish a theatrical board of health, to be held at the Garrick Club- 

 house, to watch the cases as they appear, and report, from time" to time, the 

 number of the victims. 



We are happy in being enabled to state, that up to this moment, amongst the 

 numerous cases that have appeared, only one has proved decidedly fatal, and 

 that was the case of the old gentleman in Drury Lane, who, we regret to say, 

 was seized with a violent attack on the 20th of last month, and is not expected 

 to live out the week. The music connected with these diabolical affairs is re- 

 ported to be the production of Mayerbeer, but we are slow in giving credit to 

 idle reports. We believe rather, that the public is indebted to Messrs. Bishop 

 and Lacy for a work which was intended to throw " Der Freischutz" into the 

 shade. Notwithstanding the awful nature of the visitation, the speculations of 

 the public press respecting it are rather amusing. Never was the great art of 

 puffing more pertinaciously and successfully employed than in the present in- 

 stance. Don Pedro and the Portuguese the Belgian question the unknown 

 tongues the last speech of the Marquis of Londonderry and all other won- 

 ders have been effectually silenced by this all engrossing topic. The progress 

 of the disease has been as follows : first, the Devil's Son was taken at the Adel- 

 phi the whole management of the case being confided to Dr. Buckstone. We 

 believe the laundress at Sadler's Wells came next on the list then the old 

 clothesman at the Pavilion theatre the Orange-theatre girl followed close at 

 last the old gentleman at Drury Lane was seized and the old lady at Covent 

 Garden and here we pause to take breath. 



The newspapers have displayed great ingenuity and judgment on this occa- 

 sion. One told the public, that the cost of the organ built at Drury Lane was 

 500Z. three days after another journal announced, that the organ at Covent 

 Garden cost 2,000/. balance in favour of the latter theatre 1,500/. ! One morn- 

 ing paper boldly asserts, that the best portion of the Opera at Drury Lane is the 

 overture ! this is excellent no doubt meant as a compliment to some one or 

 other certainly not to Mayerbeer ; for it so happens, that Mayerbeer's " Robert 

 le Diable" is essentially the same at both the national theatres, and a capital 

 drama it is too. Only imagine a demon coming piping hot from the regions 

 below, to play the gallant with one of the frail daughters of Eve and a scurvy 

 devil he was to use her as he did. Well, this demon finds himself the happy 

 father of a hopeful youth, and, out of an excessive paternal regard, persuades 

 his son to accompany him to his paternal home ! Can fatherly affection be more 

 strikingly displayed ! The plot of this great drama has been so often detailed, 

 that our readers must be already conversant with its merits ; it would answer 

 no purpose to say a word more on the subject. There is a scene, however, which 

 cannot be too highly extolled we allude to that where a parcel of naughty, un- 

 ruly girls run about the stage in a sort of nocturnal undress, provoking, by their 

 amorous gestures and personal non-attractions, the disgust of the spectators. 

 This scene, we suppose, is intended to convey the highly moral lesson, that all 

 vicious gratifications are in the highest degree repulsive, when viewed through 

 so moral a medium as the float-light of a patent theatre ! But unfortunately the 

 audience at Drury Lane did not understand the force of the point, for they hissed 

 where they ought to applaud ! Indeed, the reception of the Opera was not so 

 flattering as had been anticipated. The Fiend-father, at Covent Garden, was 

 more successful, simply because more pains had been taken in the getting-up of 

 the piece. The scenery at both houses is splendid, and affords another proof of 

 the genius of our great modern dramatists, Stanfield, Marinari, the Grieves, &c. 

 &c. The machinist, Taylor, and other artists, also deserve their meed of praise. 

 Let us see who have we forgotten ? Who ! why no less a person than Miss 

 Fanny Ayton, who so materially contributed to the amusement of the Drury 

 Lane audience. She has discovered an ingenious and very effective style of sing- 

 ing she always evinces a decided hostility to the orchestra; and a very striking 

 effect is thereby produced. It seemed as though the vocal and instrumental de- 

 partments were engaged in a regular set-to a musical boxing-match, which of 



