364 
power, which he uses for the purpose (O 
most wonderful Inquisitor!) of proving, 
both by act and homily, that Catholic, Jew 
and Heretic (even though the latter should 
have stolen away a nun!) are equally good 
Christians at heart !—a sentiment, upon the 
whole, so salutary and so true (with the 
simple proyiso, that Inquisitors belong to 
neither of these classes of hwman beings, but 
are, sut generis, monstra non descripta!), 
that we could wish it had been a little more 
rationally and coherently illustrated. —The 
play, however, in spite of its incongruities, 
excites an interest in the very first scene, 
which is, in some degree, kept up to the 
end: though it cannot be denied, that the 
saving grace of the whole was the incidental 
interest excited by the debutante, Miss H. 
Cawse, to whose prematurity of voice and 
talent the precocity of the child Reuben is 
happily adapted. The songs allotted to 
Sinclair did not compensate for the want 
of acting in the character of Don Cesario. 
There was nothing to display the clear 
sweetness of his fine rich tones; those 
allotted to Miss H. Cawse were better 
adapted. But, though the names of Ros- 
sini, Pio Cianchettini, Attwood, Whitaker, 
Watson, Shield and Viotti, are associated 
in the compilation, little, beyond what might 
be described by the moderate exclamations 
pretty! or very pleasing ! occurs inthe music: 
nothing to transport or electrify. The little 
debutante promises to be an acquisition to 
this theatre : her acting, while it is sprightly 
and unembarrassed, is yet modest and 
appropriate. Her voice has expressicn and 
sweetness, with more power than could be 
expected from such a child. She dces 
credit to her master (Sir G. Smart), who 
seems not to have forced her natural voice, 
or to have tempted her, beyond her powers, 
by an affectation of too much ornament. 
Her shake is not yet formed, but there is 
no ostentatious assumption of graces not 
yet developed. The duets between her 
and Miss M. Tree deserved the applause 
and encores they received.—The reception 
of “The Hebrew Family” was, upon the 
whole, very favourable; but the sanction 
was by no means unanimousy 
A new tragedy, “ Orestes in Argos,” was 
also produced at this theatre on Wednes- 
day the 21st, which was entirely success- 
ful; and was from the pen of the late Mr. 
P. Bayley, who, some time ago, died in a 
coach while accompanying his family to 
the opera. It is, in a great measure, a 
compilation from Euripides, Sophocles, 
Crébillon, Voltaire and Alfieri, but prin- 
cipally from the first and last, with judi- 
cious interpolations by the English author. 
Want of space obliges us to defer particular 
eriti€ism, 
HAYMARKET. 
This Theatre opened, on Monday the 
18th, for the season, with an attendance 
crowded, even to inconvenience, in every 
patt. — Lhe Merry Wives of Windsor (inter- 
Theatrical Review ; and Music. 
[May 1, 
spersed with music) was the play; and 
Dowton, if he be not the very Sir John 
‘alstaff of Shakspeare, is the best substi- 
tute we can, at present, find. Mirth seems 
to sit easy upon him, though it is not quite 
of the description we should look for ; and 
his voice, at least, is in unison with the 
girth and semblance of the old fat knight. 
Madame Vestris made a capital Mrs. Ford: 
and Mrs. T. Hill, in Mrs. Page, at any 
rate, did not want the saucy liveliness of 
thecharacter. Williams’s Sir Hugh Evans 
was good ; and even clumsy old Lee was 
at home in my jolly Host of the Garter. 
Miss George, though not much of an ac- 
tress, passed very creditably through the 
quiet character of sweet Anne Page; and 
her songs fully entitled her to the applause 
she received. If we cannot carry our com- 
mendation very warmly through the other 
characters, yet all was pretty well, as times 
go; andthe Merry Wives of Windsor, though 
capable of high acting throughout, does not 
actually require it. The poet bears it up. 
The new pastoral ballet, Love and Madness, 
showed that the Manager had not wanted 
attention to the improvement of that de- 
partment. Inthe dgreeable Surprise, Mr. 
J. Russel made, what may be called, a hit 
in Lingo; and Mrs. Humby (from the 
Dublin Theatre), who made her first ap- 
pearance in London as Cowslip, was well 
received; and, indeed, when we add the 
well-merited universal eneore of her song, 
may be said to have been decidedly suc- 
cessful. Miss George, as Laura, sung 
with taste and much sweetness. The qua- 
lity of her voice is good; she has power, 
compass, and expression, and her trill is 
sweet and easy. A little more confidence, 
and, perhaps, higher instruction than she yet 
seems to have had, are all, we suspect, that 
can be requisite to her advancement to- 
wards the first rank of professional singers. 
On the ensuing night, in the pleasant 
little comedy of two acts, a Mr: S. Bennet 
made his first appearance in London as 
Mr. Simpson, and was favourably received— 
rather, we presume, from the expectations 
raised of capabilities owt of the character, 
than for the judgment he displayed in it ; 
for we saw, in his Mr. S., nothing of the 
sedate, domesticated, sanctified-looking 
man of business—in short, diminutiveness 
alone excepted, nothing that is ascribed to 
the character. We thought, on the con- 
trary, of the pert, brisk, tricksical valets 
with which our comedies and farces abound ; 
and, sometimes, of the Papillons and Can- 
tons.—Mrs. Dayison returned to the boards 
as Mrs. Bromley, and though she looked not 
the character, she played it so as to merit 
the hearty welcome she received. Mrs. 
T. Hill looked very pretty in Mrs. Fitz- 
allan, and played as well as she looked ; 
but Mrs. C. Jones was out of her sphere 
in Madame La Trappe. Vining did justice 
to Mr. Bromley; and in Mrs. Glover we 
had the original and yet unrivalled Mrs. S., 
though 
