476 
ealled Le Deferteur. Mr. C. Kemble has 
very judicioufly compreffed the beauties of 
this charming piece, fo that there is one 
continued intereft throughout, controuling 
at pleafure the affeCtions of the audience. 
Few plays can be feen with fuch unming- 
led fatisfa&tion as this; and there are fill 
fewer that are fo well qualified to cultivate 
gentle and gencrous feelings. 
A new opera of three aéts, written by 
Mr. Holman, entitled What a Blunder ! 
was produced on the 14th of Auguft. 
This piece is a difgrace to any theatre. Ie 
is compounded of fragments from many 
athers ; put together without tafte, and 
even without yivacity. The mufic is by 
Mr. Davy of Exeter, and announces the 
compofer as one that will add to the amu/e- 
ment of the public, if duly encouraged. 
He well deferves to have better materials 
than in the prefent inftance to work upon. 
Several of the paflages in the mufic of this 
Piece, are not only beautiful, but marked 
with originality. 

FirfREPRESENTATIONOSMARYSTUART 
at the COURT THEATRE, WEIMAR. 
On the 14th of June, a new tragedy by 
Schill:r, entitled Mary Stuart, was per- 
formed at the theatre of the court at 
Weimar. The action begins at the mo- 
ment in which the fentence of death is pro- 
nounced by the commiflion of forty. The 
firft fcene fhews Sir Amias Paulet break- 
ing open Mary’schetft of drawers in order to 
fieze her papers and correfpondence, uot- 
withftanding the reprefentations of Mifs 
Kennedy, her attendant. When Mary en- 
ters he treats her with rudenefs. He ac- 
cepts, however, a letter from Mary to 
Queen Elizabeth, which the former en- 
treats him to deliver to her fifter. Mifs 
Kennedy reproaches Mary with her for- 
mer conduct with refpect to her huf- 
band Darnley, and Mary excufes her- 
felf by pleading her youth and levity- 
Mortimer enters, and defires Mary to dif- 
mifé Mifs Kennedy ; he informs her, that 
in his travels through Italy and France 
he had been converted, chiefly by the pomp 
of a jubilee, to the Catholic worfhip; that 
- whilft at Rheims he was introduced to the 
Cardinal de Guile, and feveral Scotch and 
Englith emigrants, who inflamed ftill more 
his zeal to deliver Mary; to atteft all 
which, he deliversa letter from the Cardi- 
mal. Mary, tranfported with joy, refers 
him to the Earl of Leicefter, as the per- 
Sep already appointed to procure her deli- 
verance. Kennedy interrupts this conver- 
fatsen, by announcing that Paulet, with fe- 
Yeral commiffioners, are appreaching. By 
Theatrical Retrofpeét. 
[ Sept. 15: 
thefe fhe is informed, that fhe hasbeen found 
guilty, and that the fentence of death has 
been pronounced. Two remaikably fine 
fpeeches in this firft a& are, the pitture de- 
lineated by young Mortimer of the be- 
witching charms and magnificence of the 
Roman Catholic religion, by which he 
was dazzled and feduced when at Rome, 
and that in which Mary pleads her inno- 
cence to Lord Burleigh, whois at the head 
of the commiffioners. 
In the fecond aét, we fee Queen Elizabeth 
giving audience, in the prefence of the Earl 
of Shrewfbury, Burleigh, and Earl of Lei- 
cefter, to the French ambafladors, who 
were fent to treat of the marriage between 
Elizabeth, and the Duke of Anjou. A trea- 
ty of alliance between the two kingdoms 
is determined upon and the negotiations for 
themarriage nearly brought to a conclufion. 
The French ambafladors attempt to inter- 
fere in behalf of Mary: but Elizabeth 
breaks off the conference, and declares 
that fhe will not hear any thing on the 
fubje&t. The ambafladors having with- 
drawn, Burleigh exhorts the Queen to 
haften the execution of Mary: declaring 
that the nation was moft eager to fee their 
fovereign’s life in fafety, which could only 
be obtained by the death of her head- 
ftrong rival. Paulet enters, delivers Ma- 
ry’s letter, and introduces his nephew 
Mortimer, to whom, when all are retired, 
Elizabeth intimates a wifh, that fome one 
of her faithful fervants would deliver her 
from that rival. Mortimer remaining 
alone with Leicefter, they fpeak of the 
means of faving Mary, which Mortimer 
is determined to effe&t with expedition, and 
even by force, but Leicefterdifeoversa weak 
and double chara&ter. Mormiterleaveshim 
Elizabeth re-enters, and Leicefter, wifhing 
to fee Mary, perfuades the Queen te con- 
fent to an interview with her, which he 
fuggefts might be brought about by hunt- 
ing tn the park of Fotheringay. Leicefter 
aflumes fo much familiarity with her, that 
they put the fpeétator in mind of the fcene 
in Virgil: Speluncam Dido dux et Trojanus 
eandem deveniunt, There are two fcenes 
in the fecond aét, in which the power of 
poetical eloquence fhines forth to the highett 
advantage of the author. One, where Tal- 
bot, Earl of Shrewfbury, pleads in the 
ftrongeft terms the rights of the poor for- 
lorn Mary, with intrepidity foftened by 
the meeknefs of old age; the other, when 
young Mortimer, full of youth and paflion, 
is wringing from the callous breaft of the 
inured courtier Leicetter the fecret of his 
fondnefs for Mary, and his difguft for the 
Maiden Queen, Pi 
