238 The Theatres. [Marcu, 
lasting Shakspeare, has been tried; and “« Cymbeline” has given oppor- 
tunity for new displays of Young’s force, and Miss Phillips’s tenderness. 
A little farce, by Peake, “A Day at Boulogne,” has the merit of being 
English, and in this day of smuggling, a little fair trading between 
Boulogne and the Port of London, is so much a novelty that we honour 
the trader with peculiar promise of popularity. Yet the day at Bou- 
logne is not destined to be a long one, and Mr. Peake must speedily 
make a second voyage. _ 
On the 21st, a drama, compiled from the French, by Morton, and 
with the dialogue by Kenny, was performed with, we are glad to say, 
very considerable approbation. The title is, “‘ Peter the Great; or 
the Battle of Pultowa.” The piece opens at the period when Peter 
(Mr. Young) is preparing to repel the attack of Charles XII. The 
adherents of a banished nobleman have formed a plot for his destruc- 
tion, and have induced the exile’s son, Alexis (Mr. J. Vining), to place 
himself at their head. The plot is discovered to the King by means of 
a paper found on an old soldier, Swartz (Mr. W. Farren), whom Peter 
pardons, and then goes in disguise, and alone, to the place at which the 
conspirators had fixed their meeting. As soon as Alexis has quitted 
them, the Czar discovers himself, shoots the ringleader, and the rest of 
the traitors are seized by the guard. The next scene, in which the 
Czar pardons Alexis, and places him at the head of the conspirators as 
his officer, is effective. eter is cut off from his army, and obliged to 
take refuge in the house of the miller Addlewitz (Mr. Liston), recently 
married. The miller is from home; Peter secures the assistance of his 
wife and mother (Miss Love and Mrs. C. Jones),—puts on his clothes, 
and not only passes with the Swedish soldiers for the miller, but endea- 
vours to persuade Addlewitz on his return that he is not himself. This 
is a well-managed part of the play, and was most favourably received. 
Charles himself appears ; relieves an exhausted sentinel, and takes his 
place ; some Cossacks come in pursuit of the Czar, and avow their inten- 
tion of murdering him if they fall in with him. Charles, who com- 
mands them to abandon this design, is attacked by them, and rescued 
by Peter, who then discovers himself, offers to treat for peace, and upon 
Charles’s refusal, returns to his own army to continue the war. Charles 
is wounded at Pultowa, and his army dispersed. Among the prisoners 
is Dorinski, a Russian nobleman, who has joined the enemy. He is the 
father of Paulina (Miss E. Tree), who has been brought up by her 
maternal grandfather, Swartz, and is betrothed to Alexis. He is con- 
demned to death ; his daughter learns her relationship to him for the 
first time, attempts to effect his escape, and failing, sends Swartz with 
a ring which Peter had given her when she assisted him to assume the 
disguise of the miller, to implore the Czar’s clemency. The prisoner is 
led to execution, but is pardoned by Peter, and the lovers are married. 
All this is very good for the kind of thing that melodrame aims at— 
there is a great quantity of bustle, and some degree of interest. Peasants of 
the most generous hearts—soldiers of the most enthusiastic valour—officers 
of the most brilliant sentimentality—and heroines all for love, and some- 
times, for a little more than the tolerated language of la belle passion, 
are abundant. Miss Love, to whose share those vivid conceptions seem 
to be apportioned by some peculiar privilege, gave them all with all her 
liveliness, and was hissed for doing her duty to the utmost on the occa- 
sion. But the speeches were not hers, and we are by no means of 
opinion that so pretty an actress should be answerable for any concep- 
tions but her own. We missed Farren, who is invaluable in old men of 
