THINGS THEATRICAL. 329 



by his own mistress, on the other by a king's son. What an affecting 

 picture of love and loyalty ! What a lesson for radicals and levellers! 

 The scion of a royal stock rises superior to the squeamish forms of 

 society, or the vulgar notions of decorum ; he cares not for birth, but 

 he values genius he does not hesitate to witness the innocent love of 

 two beings who are bound more closely by a union of hearts than by 

 the useless performance of a foolish ceremony, or the idle babbling of 

 a prating priest ! 



Besides the manager, the mistress, and the king's son, all the actors 

 of the troop, and a vast number of their private friends, assembled to 

 participate in the feast. Somebody, (we think the king's son), hoped 

 that the opera might be continued for fifty more nights, to give occa- 

 sion to another supper. Heaven grant that the piece may continue in 

 its prosperous course, and its wonted and festive termination ! Who 

 does not augur brightly for the drama and the age, when he hears of 

 Fitz-Royalty publicly devouring cold chickens, and uttering eloquent 

 orations in such noble company ! 



Concerning the Ballet which has lately appeared, we shall say 

 nothing, having to treat on the same subject in our disquisition on 

 another theatre. 



***** 



Madame Vestris deserves, after all, the highest credit as a patroness 

 of comedy. The little trifles which are continually produced on her 

 stage, with Messrs. Liston and Keeley to enact the heroes, have gene- 

 rally a dash of gentility, and a tolerable sprinkling of humour. Her 

 show pieces are only moderately licentious, not in thoughts or lan- 

 guage ; but a number of very pretty women in very scanty dresses, 

 with the fair manager at their head, can be supposed to inspire any 

 thing but modest thoughts or moral inclinations ; however, the busi- 

 ness is conducted with a certain classical elegance, which, in some 

 measure, compensates for the indecency of the exhibition. 



But the place where this abuse is carried to the greatest height is 

 at a small theatre in the Strand, called the Adelphi. The Duchess of 

 Kent has twice, according to the newspapers, carried the Princess 

 Victoria to this house to feast her royal imagination with the beauties 

 ofLurline, and to see Mr Reeves (the low comedian hero), "Flare 

 up !" at least such is the inducement put forth by the play bills, issu- 

 ing from the Adelphi Theatre, 



A little while ago, a piece entitled the Rakes Progress was pro- 

 duced ; it was founded on the early adventures of no less a person 

 than the Chevalier de Faublas. The chief actor was Mr. Yates, the 

 manager, a short old man with a Jewish expression of face, and some- 

 what inclined to corpulency;* of course, under these circumstances, 

 he always -performs what the French call the jeunes premiers the 

 handsome lovers, the fashionable young dogs about town. In this 

 play he enacted the part of Rosambert, who is supposed to be the 

 very pink of fashion, beauty, and wickedness. He wore a white wig, 

 de la Regence, an embroidered coat and pink satin breeches ; he 



We mean no disrespect to Mr. Yates's personal appearance, only in the per- 

 formance of youthful parts one expects something more graceful and slim than 

 the person with which nature has endowed that gentleman. 



M. M. No. 99. 2 U 



