4800.] 
tune by the widening of the bore, a fault. 
which cannot be afterwards remedied. ‘T’o 
prevent this inconvenience, the Patentees 
have conftruéted an inftrument which is 
ined throughout with a brafs tube tinned, 
which is intended both to prevent the wood 
from decaying and improve the tone of the 
Theatrical Retrofpect for May, 1800. 
inftrument. Another inconvenience arifing 
from the leathering of the keys, which was 
apt to be out of order in marching regi- 
ments, is remedied by lining the holes with 
a foft metal pipe ground perfectly flat upon 
the furface, to which a ftopper is Tcrewed, 
that renders the pipe air-tight, - 

THEATRICAL RETROSPECT For MAY, 1800. 

Tragedy, entitled De Moxtfort, was 
mn pertormed for the firit time at 
Drury-lane Theatre, on the 29th of April 
Jaft. This is a play of uncommon merit. 
_ The writer has defcended into the depths 
of human caprice; and produced a cha- 
racter at once novel in its appearance and 
true to nature. The paffion of hatred is 
the fubjeét of this tragedy; and in the 
novelty of the form in which that vice is 
exhibited, would be found a {trong claim’ 
on the public attention, if the piece did 
not poffefs, as it does, other beauties of 
the firft order. Hatred originating chiefly 
in oppofition of character, is the {pecies 
chofen by the writer; and to preferve an 
air of probability in depicting a dileafe of 
mind fy uncommon,-and, what is more 
difficult ftill, to keep faft hoid on the 
fympathy of the audience for the unhappy 
fubject of the diftemper, 1s a labour that de 
mands moftthe robult intellect. The writer 
has not wholly fucceeded; yet, has. pro- 
duced a work far from being unworthy of 
the grandeur of the fir conception. As 
a diftinct {pecies of hatred, the paffion is 
very plainly and ftrongly marked. Super- 
ficial obfervers will refolve many of its 
ef-s ito malice or envy. But the writer 
bas accurately drawn the line of fepara- 
tion; and in the execution of this delicate 
part of the work, perhaps, lies the greateft 
excellence of the tragedy. The workings 
of the paffion are alfo finely difclofed ; 
and the manner’in which it difeafes and 
taints all the faculties of its fad victim 
forcibly difplayed.——But all that remains 
is deficient. The birth of the paffion is 
not marked with that precifion and power, 
that admits of no room for further quef- 
tion of its exiftence in nature. It is 
‘deemed a mere ition of the poet’s brain 
by the multitude, becaufe they are not 
made to comprehend how a diftemper fo 
diabolical could be engendered in a heart 
fo noble as that of De Montfort. And in 
contrafting the better part of De Montfort’s 
character with its unhappy defe&, the 
writer is comparatively negligent’ and 
feeble... The noble qualities afcribed to 
\ 
De Montfort are more talked of than feen 5 
they are not put into motion in that man- 
ner, that irrefittibly convulfes the audience 
with the canfligting feelings of delight 
and horror, pity and deteftation. “There 
are other, but inferior, defects in this 
tragedy. Throughout, more ts told than 
aéted; and the action, barren as it gene~ 
rally is of incident and bufinefs, is never- 
thelefs incumbered and disficured with 
trifling fcenes, altogether inimical to the — 
tone of the piece. 
The performance of the part of De 
Mostfort, by Mr. Kemble, is a fine ex- 
ample of the art; equally exhibiting the 
corroding effects of a paffion fottered in 
fecret, and the ravages of ungovernable 
fury. There is little befide, that deferves 
attention in the atting. The part of 
Sane De Montfort, which was played by 
Mrs. Siddons, is of that kind, in which 
we fee the author’s conception tobe good, 
but the work to be unfinifhed; and Mirs. 
Siddons was not very fuccefsful in it. 
‘he fcenery of this play deferves un- 
qualified praife. -A {cene reprefenting the 
infide of an abbey, is one of the molt 
beautiful and magnificent on the Enelifm 
ftage. 
_ The tragedy of De Montfort was pre~ 
pared for reprefentation by Mr. Kemble, 
from a play publifhed fometime fince 4a a. 
volume, entitled Plays on the Paffous.’ 
‘There are two others in the volume—a 
tragedy anda comedy, on the paffion of 
Lowe. Ali of thefe plays extbit marks 
of an aétive and vigorous mind. And 
perhaps it is not going much out of the 
way, to recommend to the writer, fhould 
thefe remarks meet the writer’s eye, the 
ftudy of dramatic compofition, ‘but more 
efpecially of the nature of dramatic action. 
The paflions of the human heart are ac- 
curately comprehended by the writer ; but 
it is too plain, that practice is wanting 
to unfold them with all that fafcinating 
effe&t which is derived from richnefs of in- 
cident, and the fkilful fructure of a fabie. 
On the 1% of this month, amew mufical 
after-piece, cafled Paul and Virginia, 
written 
aby 
