462 
COVENT-GARDEN. 
Ben Jonson’s Every Man in his Hu- 
mour was revived here on the 13th, but 
not with all the éclat which might be ex- 
pected from the high (though somewhat 
fading) reputation of the author. It is one 
However of only three dramas, out of the 
many he wrote (the Alchymist, and Vol- 
pone being the other two) upon which the 
once too exaggerated fame of old Ben can 
safely be rested : for there was more of eru- 
dition than of inspiration in his labours : 
more of the book than of the fountain ; and 
as he looked at the manners more than he 
dived into the heart, his superficies suffer 
more from the rust of time, than the ster- 
ling core of his great co-rival. The comedy 
we are speaking of, requires also for its due 
support a rare assemblage of no ordinary 
talent. K%tely, indeed, is well adapted to 
the vein of Young; Brainworm, to that of 
W. Farren, and Downright, to Mr. Eger- 
ton. But Bobadil demands a yery differ- 
ent species of humour from that of Mr. 
Fawcett—who, admirable as he in his line, 
is not a. Proteus. 
’ On. the 25th of April His Majesty 
visited Covent Garden, having commanded 
for representation, Der Freischutz, and 
Charles the Second ; or, the Merry Monarch. 
The attendance was thronged to the utmost, 
the expressions of loyalty were ardent ; and 
his Majesty was liberal in his applause of the 
performance—especially in the after-piece. 
On the 2d of May, His Majesty honoured 
Drury-lane, also, with his presence, to 
Witness there the rival exhibition of Der 
Freischutz, together with the pleasant pe- 
tite comedy of Simpson; Co. On whichoc- 
casion, the eager loyalty of the gazing public, 
and the insufficient precautions for prevent- 
ing an excessive influx to the treasury of 
the theatre, occasioned a scene of uproar 
and confusion, not very consonant with the 
respect that is held ‘‘ due to awe and ma- 
jesty ;”? and which is said to have subjected 
the manager to no very gentle rebuke. 
Nor does the manager, when he came for- 
ward to allay the tumult, seem very much 
to have mended the matter: for instead of 
availing himself of the opportunity of an 
atoning well-turned compliment to his 
august and royal visitant, about “‘the eager 
enthusiasm of a boundless loyalty Laying 
burst, at onee, the boundaries of decorous 
discretion, and overpowered all manage- 
rial precautions,” and a thousand other 
such pretty courtly things, as lips dis- 
ereetly loyal might have uttered, Mr. 
Elliston séems to have taken to himself the 
whole credit of the rush; and to have placed 
it to the account of the eagerness of the 
public to honour him with their company. 
We pity Mr. Elliston when he is obliged 
to make a speech—we smile when he does 
so of free election: for certainly no aspirant 
for oratorical distinction was ever more 
unfortunate in his attempts. 
Theatrical Review ; and Music. 
[June I, 
HAYMARKET. 
The representation of Bickerstaff’s ex- 
cellent comedy, the Hypocrite, has afforded 
us the satisfaction of again witnessing the 
unrivalled excellence of Dowton in Dr, 
Cantwell, together with the novelty of the 
not less unrivalled excellence of Mrs. Glo- 
ver, in Old Lady Lambert. 'The character 
exhibited this excellent conic actress in an 
entirely new light; displaying powers of a 
very different description from those which 
she has hitherto evinced ; and which may 
gild the evening of her theatrical career 
with an éclat as warm as that which 
shone on its morning emanations. The’ 
canting fatuity of superannuated fanaticism 
was never, perhaps, more faithfully repre- 
sented upon the boards of a theatre. Mrs. 
Burn’s Young Lady Lambert was, also, a 
very creditable performance, and the strug- 
gle between dignified delicacy and semblant 
frailty in the scenes with Dr. Cantwell, 
again suggested to us that there are some 
higher efforts, in which she might perhaps 
appear even more competent than in those 
of a subordinate cast : though she has defects 
to struggle with, and errors of habit to cor- 
rect. Mrs. Dayison wanted nothing but 
youth and grace to have been admirable in 
Charlotte. We could even forget the 
former, if the latter want were more deli- 
cately supplied. Even as it is, we will 
not withhold applause. Elegance and re- 
finement, indeed, she never had: but, in 
every thing else she is an admirable comic 
actress; and it is no faint comméndation to 
say, that her pathos is as genuine as her 
vivacity. We cannot speak with equal 
commendation of Mr. Russell. Liston’s 
Mawworm is no faithful transeript of the 
author's sketch, it is true; but it is”a mum- 
mery irresistibly humorous, and_ more 
amusing, perhaps, to the generality of an 
audience, than a more faithful representation 
would be. Mr. Russell’s was neither the 
character nor the droll. He not only mis- 
took his aim, but overshot his mark. We 
adyise him to listen to some of the illiterate 
field and barn preachers who are yet to be 
met with, and study the slang of their 
intonation and enthusiasm from the life, 
before he attempts the part again, instead of 
satisfying himself with bad imitations of 
what he has heard only upon the stage. 
In The Belles Statagem, Madame Ves- 
tris has played Letitia and Dowton Old 
Hardy to the very life; but Vining in 
Doricourt reminded us that he would have 
played Flutter better; of which P. Farren, 
spite of his matchless self-possession, did 
not make much. Of General Bourgoyne’s 
beautiful comie and semi-pastoral opera 
The Lord of the Manor, Madame Vestris’ 
Annette was the principal attraction. Her 
“ dashing White Sergeant,’’ is certainly a 
very charming exemplification of the limit 
to which the fascination of saucinéss may 
go, without passing the Ime of decorum. 
Miss George sung her airs very prettily ; 
but 
