NOTES OF THE MONTH. 223 



Nell Gwynn is truly a delightful little drama full of pleasantries, 

 easy pleasantries, in dialogue, character, and situation. The old 

 coffee-houses ; the old orange- women ; the old night mirth-hunters, 

 are re-created, and flourish afresh in their old recreations. You 

 almost wish to call for the drawer, and bid him bring another bottle 

 and another wit. Nell herself is delightful : she goes through the 

 part of Eleanor enchantingly up to the last scene, when you are deli- 

 cately left to know, that she is destined to be " the Nell." The last 

 scene is too good and too quiet for any but a French audience, the 

 draft on an English imagination being above the assets. Our blessed 

 newspaper critics speak of the last scene as " an unfinished one :" we 

 certainly have but one earthly wish, and that is, to impale a news- 

 paper critic, and " repeat the entertainment every night until further 

 notice." 



Mr. Jerrold is fortunate in having had his little drama carefully 

 produced at Covent Garden, where scenery and costume are correctly 

 arranged, and where all the performers work with one heart. At 

 Drury Lane, Nell would have gone to one of her own rhymes 

 not to speak it profanely. The scenery there would probably have 

 been out of " The School for Scandal," and the dresses out of " Rob 

 Roy." The chair-scene, where Nell speaks for Orange Moll, would 

 have been played by a music-stool ; and the prologue would have 

 been apologized for, and kindly read, at a short notice, by an 

 epilogue. There is, in truth, a nice art in getting up a piece which 

 belongs to Covent Garden, and never visits Drury Lane. 



The acting is admirable. Jones is not, perhaps, quite " over the 

 water to Charley ;*' but he is well dressed, and played pleasantly. 

 Old Blanchard must have lived in the olden days, and doubtless 

 escaped back into life on the opening of the tomb of Charles 

 at Windsor. Keeley's Orange Moll is man-mollified. Nothing can 

 be better than the quiet drunken entreaty to be seen home by the 

 gallant who took him to the coffee-house. Miss Taylor is admirable. 

 Indeed she cannot fail, in her prologue-hat, to bring brimming houses. 

 Her style is suited to that of Nell when she is Miss Nell, and before 

 she is Mistress Nell. 



This original little English drama will live, and be beloved when 

 the petty-larcenies from the French are utterly at rest. We recom- 

 mend all play-goers of pure taste to hasten to Covent Garden the 

 very next time 



<< The curfew tolls the Nell." 



SUCCESSFUL AUTHORS. A person whose appearance bespoke ex- 

 treme poverty, made his appearance a short time since at the Man- 

 sion-house, and claimed relief. He stated himself to be the author 

 of one or two hundred successful dramatic pieces. If this be the for- 

 tune of a successful and veteran author, what must the tyro-drama- 

 tist expect. And why should an author repine he is born to suffer. 

 His mind is the soil from which others reap the harvest. Let him 

 not attempt to stir from his place in society. The fool to his palace 

 the philosopher to his tub. Pity is all he can rely upon, and that 

 is the only food of which he may eat his fill ! 



