52 The Theatres. [Jan. 
ment and the surprise grow together, until the old bride steps forth, from 
the circle of her waiting maids, a young beauty. Discovery and delight 
flash together on the chevalier, he sings a bravura of rapture, and the 
curtain falls. This piece was translated by Mr. Lacy, with, however, 
the serious disadvantage of being expanded, from one lively and bustling 
act into two, very considerably the reverse. The dialogue was pointless 
throughout, and often dreary. But some extremely pretty music inter- 
spersed, broke off the ennuyante tardiness of the scenes. Braham’s singing 
was aided by the new ease of his acting. Miss Love’s old woman was 
pretty, under all the horrors of a white wig; and “ Love in Wrinkles,” 
has been played several times. Colman’s monstrously heavy play of 
« Who Wants a Guinea?” has diversified rather than relieved the per- 
formances, and Drury Lane still remains much in want of something 
better than French Vaudevilles. 
Covent Garden, after its temporary closure, opened with tragedy, the 
performance fittest for its fine and stately architecture. But its choice 
of « Virginius,” was not fortunate. We must make large allowance for 
the difficulty of managers in a time so perfectly unfertile of able stage 
writing ; but Virginius had gone through its day long since, and had 
gone down. Kean’s powers now, can do nothing in the way of revival ; 
and the weight of Virginius sinks the actor, who might have been 
buoyed up by the living vigour of Macbeth and Othello. Kean’s figure, 
too, is disastrously unfitted for the Roman. The stage hero of antiquity 
must not be diminutive, and no energy of the actor can cheat us into the 
imagination that in Kean we see one of the “ wielders of the fierce: 
democracy.” But the play is feeble, with the additional drawback, that 
it is hackneyed to a singular degree. There have been a long succession 
of plays upon the subject, and Garrick is still remembered in Virginius. 
When will Mr. Knowles venture upon foundations of his own, and, 
abandoning the denizens of his shelves, trust to the creations of his 
brain? 
Both houses are just now in the full parturition of pantomime. Our 
sheets will be beyond mortal addition by the time that the clowns and 
Columbines are let loose to romp, and run after each other through the 
wide world. But report says, that they are every thing that is fine. 
Spirits, with starry wings, flirt and flutter over lovers, magicians make 
the moon come down bodily, and the pyramids develop the dances, 
drinkings and damsels that once charmed the soul and body of the 
dynasty of Psammeticus. Mr. Price’s wand summons up wonder in 
the shape of the “ Queen Bee.” Mr. Fawcett’s in that of, as well as our 
memory will help us, “ Red Riding Hood ;” but both are mighty 
masters of the spell, and we wish them both triumphs worthy of their 
prodigality of genius and gilding. 
——— a 
