326 
the ambitious, and the avaricious in the 
northern hemisphere of the drama. We. 
sincerely hope that he will proceed in = ‘his 
export system with increased vivacity, and 
we could point ott a considerabie number 
of names that the English : stage could very 
conveniently ‘spare.’ In time the western 
world ‘may become’ prolific, and when the 
age of smugglers, buccaneers, and piracies 
is past; ‘and the law of the legislature, when 
American painters no longer, consider them- 
selves the first artists upon earth, when her 
novelists no longer live on copying every 
worn ‘out romance among ourselves, and 
when in her whole limits from New York 
to New’ Orleans, she can produce a single 
poet, then, in the lapse of ages—and those 
things will require time—America may 
contribute something to Europe besides 
bad pamphlets and the yellow fever, and 
an American actor may flourish on our 
boards. 
Mr. Price has, however, commenced 
his ‘career in a rather unpromissing manner. 
A-voyage to’ America may be a trifle to his 
aqueous habits; but let him sail as he 
will, it ‘must’ take up the period during 
which“all ‘his energies, and ten times his 
energies; would have been required for the 
opening of Drury-Lane.’ He is said to 
have carried off Macready to the land of 
liberty; and though ‘Macready is, beyond 
all comparison, the most repulsive man- 
nerist that ‘ever trod any boards since the 
days of Thespis, and though ‘his intrac- 
tableness makes’ him the most uneasy of 
subordinates, ‘and’ his’ self-sufficiency the 
most troublesome of equals, yet he has 
some gualities that might fill up a place, 
which Mr. Price will find it rather difficult 
to’ fill without him: “This actor is thus cut 
away from his strength. ‘Kean is utterly 
blown’ upon, and, unless another Shak- 
speare arise, will have Jost all popular 
effect—for all his principal parts have been 
played till the world is weary of both them 
and the actor. But another Shakspeare 
will not arise ; and the old prediction, that 
as Kean came from harlequin, to harlequin 
he shall return, is infinitely likely eth be 
verified. 
It is undeniable, that the stage is at this 
day in the lowest condition within the 
“memory of the oldest inhabitant.’ — 
_ Neither tragedy, comedy, opera nor farce, 
worth the’smallest coin of the realm—our 
whole modern stock purloined from France, 
and nothing to palliate the crime but the 
worthlessness ‘of the robbery. — Paul’ Pry, 
followed for the mere grimace of an actor, 
and the exhausted fun of that eternal chip 
hat, which he wears alike in ‘street and 
parlour, in’ the presence of gentle and 
3 Dine h 
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Monthly Theatrical Report. 
(Serr. 
simple. Liston knows his forte, and knows: 
the importance of keeping any ridiculous 
appendage that makes the rabble laugh, 
and keeps it, inspite of, all decoru and 
probability, things essential to true comes, 
dy. Like a desperate admiral, she “hails his 
colours to the mast, and ae swim 
will keep up his flag. But. it pears 's 
actual misfortune ‘to haye fallen pid “thi 
kind of performance. Its profits are Hone 
ing: but to a man of ability they should 
form no compensation to the humiliation 
of being bound to be a face-maker for life. 
Grimace is the lowest purchase of low 
popularity—and the actor who will be 
a grimacier may make money undoubtedly, 
till some mime of a more ferocious dis- 
tortion or more unsparing mummery, ousts 
him from the worship of the galleries ; but 
as an actor, what is he but a speaking. 
Grimaldi? We should wish to see a man 
of Liston’s powers rescued from this fate, 
and tried ina genuine comedy, 
But who will write such a comedy? No 
man, until the stage is capable of supplying 
him with that fair remuneration without. 
which exertion must cease. The emolu- 
ment of stage-authorship is contemptible, 
compared with that of any other brilliant 
and popular writing. The. difficulties of 
stage-writing must make success at all 
times rare; the talent required for it is 
peculiar—the knowledge of life, the con- 
stant animation and piquancy of dialogue, 
the vigorous conception of character, the 
dexterous arrangement of story, all essen- 
tial to an able production of this kind, are 
absolutely among the most unusual quali- 
ties to be met with, even among the most in- 
tellectual classes of society. Yet for this ex- 
ertion the whole recompense is naturally — 
depending too on the caprice of the multi- 
tude—is absolutely trivial. And this is 
scarcely the fault of the theatres ; they 
have not the means of supplying a larger 
recompense. It is the fault of the legisla- 
ture—that legislature, which protects the 
most trifling property of trade with a 
wall of penalties, while it throws open 
stage authorship defenceless to every ma- 
rauder. Why will not some public-spirited 
member of Parliament take up the ques- 
tion, and by a liberal and manly appeal to 
the common sense and literary feeling of the 
House, place this interesting and nearly 
extinguished branch of literature at least 
on an equality with all the rest? The 
subject deserves the most speedy and 
sincere attention of the legislature, for the 
British drama is on the point of ‘extinction, 
and nothing’ but a well-directed "publi ic 
patronage, and a wise public protection, ¢ SA 
secure it from ruin. 
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