- 
1828.] 
and, indeed, there is something about all 
the forms which are observed in Scotland 
on this occasion, that not only accords most 
strikingly with the unostentatious character 
of all our religious services—but that has 
been felt by all observers of our ceremonies 
to be in affecting unison with the severe but 
simple and serious piety by which our peo- 
ple are distinguished.”’ 
The reader may, perchance, like to know 
how this ceremony is conducted— —~ 
The relations and friends of the deceased are 
inyited to assemble, commonly, an hour before the 
time when the funeral procession is to take place, 
A simple repast is prepared, suited to the cireum- 
stances and means of the family; a short prayer 
is said, craving a blessing, before the refreshment 
is handed round ; sometimes a short thanksgiving 
is pronounced after this ceremony; the procession 
then moves slowly to the place of interment ;—the 
whole ceremony of interring the corpse is per- 
formed amidst the reverential silence of the at- 
tendants, the chief mourners commonly standing 
uncovered at the head of the grave; a silent sign 
of acknowledgment is made by the principal 
mourner to the company, when the last turf has 
Domestic and Foreign. 
311 
been laid, and the attendants then disperse to their 
several homes, commemorating, by their conver- 
sation, the virtues of the deceased, or with other 
reflections suited to the interesting character of 
the ceremony they have witnessed. 
If we objected to any thing in this devo- 
tional volume, it would be to a section, en- 
titled “‘ Short Ejaculations in the Language 
of Scripture to be used by the Sick.’’__This 
is a direct initiation into cant—that is the 
adoption of customary phrases, without spe- 
cific application—unprompted by the natu- 
ral course of the feelings. Some of them 
are very strange—and some only not ridi- 
culous. ‘ Why hast thou set a mark 
against me, so that Iam weary of my life ?” 
Surely there is too much of the querulous 
here ?—“ I have fought a good fight—I 
have finished my course—I have kept the 
faith—henceforth there is laid up for me a 
crown of life’—and here too much confi- 
dence. ‘* O that I had wings like a dove, 
for then would I flee away and be at rest”’ 
—which under the circumstances we will 
not designate. 
MONTHLY THEATRICAL REPORT. 
THE summer theatres are now making 
their harvest, not indeed according to the 
maxim, while the sun shines, but in spite of 
as inveterate a monsoon as ever washed the 
black visages of Hindostan. Our rivers 
overflow, and so do those little theatres, and 
we can only hope that the sympathy will not 
go further, and that they will not run dry 
together. 
The Haymarket has been, since the com- 
mencement of the season, exerting itself 
with great activity in the performance of 
new farces, and those other brief displays of 
plot and pleasantry which have been so long 
appropriated to this very pleasant stage. 
The latest and the most amusing that has 
appeared late enough for our notice at pre- 
sent, is the ‘‘ Green-Eyed Monster,” a two 
act farce, from the French of course, but ex- 
tremely well adapted by Mr. Planché, who 
is becoming one of the most dexterous and 
successful contrivers of those very amusing 
little productions. 
- The reigning idea of this farce is jealousy. 
The old Baron Speyenhausen is jealous of 
his showy wife ; the eccentric gardener, an 
humble copy of the Baron, is jealous of his 
intended bride, and the Baron’s ward is 
jealous of the Baroness. So far goes the 
real passion. But, for the purpose of repel- 
ling the difficulties to which the passion 
subjects the more rational personages, the 
Baroness and the ward’s lover assume its 
appearance, and become furiously jealous, 
the one of her husband, the other of his mis- 
tress. The plot proceeds, thickening and 
entwining to the last; when the Baron is 
forced to confess his absurdity, acknowledge 
the claims of the lover, and promise eternal 
confidence in the wife. 
Farren is Speyenhausen, and his acting is 
excellent. The affectation of a superiority 
to all suspicion, with the eager readiness to 
turn every shadow into reality ; the nervous 
struggle to appear calm, with the miserable 
agitation of fear, shame, and doubt, growing 
into conviction, are pourtrayed with as much 
nature as perhaps the modern stage has ex- 
hibited. But the part is closely and stu- 
diously adapted to hisstyle. Miss F. Kelly, 
as the Ward, is clever, as she is in every 
thing ; yet, before she can rise to the height 
to which her talents would naturally lead 
her, she must be more mistress of her physi- 
cal means. She always gives proof of a 
striking and peculiar conception of charac- 
ter. Some of her “effects” are finely true to 
nature, and the general description of her 
style is power. But she still wants the fa- 
cility of voice and figure, that ought to 
second her ingenious mind. Her tone is 
often harsh, and apparently beyond her 
guidance. Her voice breaks, and runs alter- 
nately into high and low key, each the re~ 
verse of harmony. ‘This is a formidable de- 
fect in female performance, which must be so 
frequently conversant with sentiments of the 
tender, the delicate, and the touching. One 
of Miss F. Kelly’s efforts on those occasions 
is enough to put the whole covey of Cupids 
to flight. She must study the management 
of her rebellious throat, with unwearied per- 
severance, and she will succeed in the con- 
quest ; its gutturals will no more startle the 
stage hero and the audience together, and 
this very intelligent and promising performer 
will realise the promise that she has made. 
Cooper should be an example and an encou- 
ragement to her and to alllike her. No actor 
of the metropolis startled the echoes with a 
