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the following sound critical remarks , with which we Jiave the more pleasure in enriching our pages , that the conception of the principal characters they indicate is entirely carried out by the members of the company to whom those parts have , been committed : — ¦ - Shakspeare , with the inspiration of genius , has convened the histories of several of our English kings into a series of grand dramatic poems , thereby impressing the imagination with living pictures of the royal race = vvho , in earlier days , swayed the sceptre and ruled the destinies of this island . With a single exception , the canvas reflects portraits of the Plantagenet line , commencing with the crafty and remorseless John , and ending almost on the threshold of the author ' s own period , with the voluptuous and haughty Tudor , Henry VIII .
The political motives and public events of the times depicted are chiefly supplied from the Chronicles of Holinshed ; but while Shakspeare has drawn amply from these , his favourite pages , as authority for his living record of the crimes and errors , the weaknesses and misfortunes of princes , it is to his own consummate knowledge of human nature that we are indebted for the thoughts -which find utterance in the person of each individual character . Shakspeare has set history to the strains of poetic music . The wonderful creation of the sorrow-stricken Lady Constance would appear but as a faint shadow through the vista of time , had not her name been immortalised by England ' s greatest bard in the eloquent language of grief .
A lone woman stands in the midst of chivalry , encircled bv the din of battle , the emblem of despair and ruined majesty . Her bursts of agony as she cries aloud for her boy , her joy , her life , her widow ' s comfort , and her sorrow's ' cure , " combine the most soul-thrilling picture of maternal suffering ever adorned and enhanced by poetic imagery . The youthful Arthur is painted as a tender and innocent child—not as the leader of an army , and the affianced husband of a princess—that he may twine more closely round the heart , and win both sym-r pathv and love . He is the centre from which every
scene radiates ; and in the spirit of retributive justice , the misfortunes of England appear as the consequent result of the wrongs inflicted by its unscrupulous monarch on his helpless nephew .. The injured and unhappv boy becomes the source of every current of action throughout the play ; and the lineaments of his faithless uncle are rendered palpable to the eye in all the hitleousness of guilt . The character of John is presented with strict fidelity throughout , and is especially displayed when he pours forth his wicked design into the ear of Hubert , and afterwards when lie upbraids his chosen tool for supposed obedience to his commands .
The play was cast as follows : — King John f Mr . Charles Kean . Fr ' uica llenry Miss Chapman . Arthur Miss Ellen Terry . Hubert de Burgh Mr . Ryder . Philip Fuulc&hbridi je ..... Mr . Walter Lacy . Cardinal Pandulph Mr . Graham . Elinor ... Mrs . Winstanley . Constance Mrs . Charles Kean . Blanch Miss Kate Terry . It would obviously be next to impossibility for the above company to produce anything short of an extremely satisfactory ensemble , but wo are bound not to rest here . We can hardly recal a previous occasion on which we have received any very deep
impression of Mrs . Charles Kean a genius , but on Holiday this lady reflected into us , in the part of-the widowed mother , so many and various shades of character , that it was useless to resist participation in her noble enthusiasm . The poet's conception of insulted pride , of the fondest maternal love , the most abject misery , and the deepest scorn , were in turn by her , now wildly , now delicately , yet withal so truthfully , illustrated , that a numerous audienco were literally enchained by the actress . In the first scene of Act HI . Constance does but bewail her fallen fortunes ; the full season for the ferocity of maternal love hu 3 not urrived , and , appreciating this , Mrs . Kean docs not , as somo would expect , develop her whole dramatic force . In tho defiant address to Limoges and Austria , which begins ,
minence than he assumes for the part of , the King would painfully dislocate the arrangement of the interest , the actor loses no ground that he is called upon to occupy- In his insidious exposition of his plot to Hubert he displays much refinement and shading , and more , if possible , in the cunning scheme for disavowing the niur , der of Arthur . When he says to Hubert : % . ¦ " Why seek ' st thou to possess me with these fears ? Why urgest tbou so oft young Arthur ' s death ? Thy " hand hath murdered him : I had a mighty cause To wish him dead , but thou hadst none to kill him . Noticing , en passant , the King ' s death , as a finely t the old : — , ^ . * ,. ,, „ - » ^ r , « -
conceived and successful improvemenupon scenic traditions , we must conclude by warm acknowledgment of the merits of Mr . Walter Lacy , Mr . Ryder , and Miss Ellen Terry , in their several parts . Mr . Lacy , qualified by his commanding figure for the personation of Philip Faulconbrige , throws himself so well into the bluff humour and self-assertion of that English-like character as to leave little to be desired , arid is entitled to all praise . The calm , grim , gentle Hubert is in Mr . Ryder ' s hands at once touching and imposing , and the Arthur of Miss Ellen Terry , a very young lady , who won warm applause from the audience , demands , we think , special notice , as an example of rare and real youthful talent , and , let us add , successful
training . HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE . —There is no present probability that this theatre will he opened this winter for operatic or dramatic performances . It is stated , upon the usual authority , that a very large ; sum of money is demanded by the outgoing tenant , we presume for improvements ; and we were quite right in our recent observations that the speculative market looks altogether with a cold eye upon any proposition connected with the ill-starred establishment .
PYNE AND HARRISON OPERA COMPANY . — -We are glad to announce that arrangements have been concluded between the proprietor of theTheatre Royal Covent Garden and Mr . William Harrison , for a three months' occupation of that theatre by the latter gentleman . Mr . Balfe ' s new opera is nearly if not quite completed , and is spoken of by competent 'authorities as far exceeding most of his former works iii beauties of melody and musical construction . Mr . Gye having wisely , as we understand , conceded what we should call "live and let
live terms" to his tenant , the prices of admission to the Royal Italian Opera House during Mr . Harrison's management will be such as to attract the public while enabling the management to provide the same high-class entertainments as have distinguished the season at Drury Lane . A pantomime ( by whom has , we believe , not transpired ) is to be produced on boxing-night , with the renowned elastician Flexmore as clown ; and the lessee , with his indefatigable aides Messrs . Edward Murray and William Brough , is already busy upon other arrangements connected with the enterprise .
CRYSTAL PALACE . — For Monday next ( the anniversary of the battle of Balaklava ) Mr . Bow ley has arranged a very grand military file , and the last display , for the season , of the great fountains . lie promises his visitors the attractive company of the Grenadier , Coldstream , Foot , and Fusilier Guards ' corps , and of all the decorated Crimean heroes , to whom lie has liberally issued a gratuitous invitation , The dulig ! it experienced by tlie multitude who attended Mr . Distin ' s military band festival will , we doubt not , have its effect in collecting a goodly company , and in stimulating'the musical directors of the various bauds to moro than ordinary exertion and care in selection of pieces to be performed . Looking at tho talent at their disposal , wo fancy nothing but success can attend the fete if the weather only be propitious .
ROYAL GRECIAN THEATRE . —A wise discretion has induced his high and mighty censorship the Lord Chamberlain to extend tho glorious privilege of license to the long popular Grecian Saloon ; and Mr . 1 J . O . Conquest , the " actual and responsible manager" of tho bills , and we also fancy the proprietor of the place , has now tho satisfaction of doing with tho Lord Chamberlain ' s permission what ho did very well without it , namely , " what he likes with his own . " But in addition to his civic duties to the law , which we think wo are right in saying are not abrogated in favour of those who como under
Court favour ruul jurisdiction , ho has now certain duties in virtuo of a covenant entered Into between himself and her Majesty's Chamberlain , certain responsibilities towards that functionary , certain foes to pay , and a certain license to forfeit . It is clear that wo should run to length wero wo to lecture our reader upon tho policy of permitting managers of character and means to luy on tho mains of tho drama for ' tlie benefit of outlying London , whoso inhabitants can no longer in justice be expected to pay the penalty of fabulous walks or rides for tlie pluusuro of seeing a play . Sufflco it that the Royal
Grecian Saloon is now a theatre pur sang , and as sue ! comes under our notice . Some fortnight ago , we we * present at the performance there of a spirited ani occasionally pathetic piece in four acts , dramatisec by Mr . George Conquest , from Mr . Charles Eeade popular novel , It ' s Neter too Late to Mend . Th ( farmerhero ' es of the play , George and William Fielding well acted by Messrs . Langham and Gillett , afte . 3 quarrelling during prosperity , are bound together bj the persecution of their landlord , a rich villain . Meadows ( Mr . Henry Sinclair ) , who is the rival 01 George in the pursuit of Susan Merton ( Miss Jant Coveney ) . George is driven to emigration and the diggings , while the rascal follows up his suit to Grecian Saloon is now a theatre pur sang , and as sue !
Susan . But Isaac Levi ( Mr . T . Mead ) , a moneylending Jew of eminently charitable feelings , has a vendetta of his own against Meadows , and aided by a sneaking lawyer ' s clerk , Peter Crawley ( Mr . George Conquest ) , counteracts his plots , and , as the good genius of the play , brings vice and virtue to their just reward . A long and harrowing episode from prison life is introduced by the ears , his nam plebecula gaudet , and , for the same reason , though it little adds to the beauty of the piece , we ought not much to complain of it . A long connexion with the refinements of the Lord Chamberlain ' s department may be necessary before the theatres of the banlieue may dispense with the administration of such full-flavoured
excitements as the murder of innocent prisoners by cruel gaolers , &c . &c . The principal parts , however , we are bound to say were ably filled . The passionate , well-founded resentment of Isaac was no less admirably rendered by Mr . Mead than the cringing , crawling sycophancy of Crawley by Mr . Conquest Mr . Lingham was hearty and manly as the hero , and his fine bearing and excellent costume told admirably in the scenes at the diggings . With a word of praise for the exertions of Miss Coveney in the slight part of Susan , we must pass on to the three-act drama of A Life ' s Revenge , or Two Loves for one Heartperformed elsewhere , we believe , as Two Loves and a Life—now in full swing at this theatre . We
have here a higher flight , and the manager has successfully directed his attention to the elegant and appropriate mounting of a Louis XIV . drama . The principal characters are the Marquis de St . Geq / rey ( Mr . Henry' Sinclair ) and Fourniehet , Minister of finance to Louis XIV . ( Mr . T . Mead ) .. The latter , we presume , is intended to represent the gay and romantically lavish surintendantYou ^ uet , who , daring to rival the 'Kiug ' in love and extravagance , and the grand Colbert in finance , was brought to grief and the custody of the famous Cinq Mars in the castle of Pignerol . The author has neatly arranged a few ideas suggested by the stirring events which agitated French society at the period , and the artists we have
named , upon whom mainly devolves their illustration , are successful in giving the proper colour and action to his words . The comic element is largely supplied by Mr . John Manning , as Tiraloo , the prison barber of Pignerol , of which fortress the revengeful intrigues of Geofrey have made himself the governor , and his hated rival and seducer of his sister , Fourniehet , an inmate . We have here , again , a ferocious gaoler , and a dungeon scene of considerable power between the foes . We were quite in expectation of the great thunderstorm which shattered the veritable Fouquet's dungeon in Pignerol
nnd might effectively have been introduced ; or of his death , which took place , it js more than supposed , iu that fortress ; but we were not so gratified , for his sacred Majesty Louis XIV . arrived in person , demanded the prisoner , and made a happy man of him ugain by restoring him to liberty and his mistress . We have only room hero to repeat our thorough commendation of tho miae en achie in general at this theatre , tho beautiful white and gold decorations of which , relieved by crimson paper and wliito muslin drapery , would surpriso many who imagine that elegance and luxury are confined to the western theatres .
THE ADELPIII TIIEATRE . —Sinister rumours have for a week or two boon afloat with regard to tho progress of this edifice , and our prospects of seeing its completion . We have reason to think that public opinion on this head fluctuates with the number of men and cart-horses employed npon the excavations and foundations ; and we may therefore inform our readers that wo yesterday observed two iron columns in position , a cart of rubbish coming down the stage into tho Strand , and a number of earthworkers in tho enclosure under tho direction of a foreman or surveyoi \ From these facts , which wo arc prepared to vouch for , they may draw as sound conclusions as we can about the fortunes and prospects of the Adclphi .
EASTERN POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION . —A grent want which has boon long felt is now being supplied tolhodense population of tliyonHteiul of this luigo metropolis , as thu descriptive name of tho "Eastern Polytechnic Institution" will readily suggest to our roiwW * . The object is to give to the ons end the advantages of an institution combining at tho same U . ne > sfitUlo instruction with intellectual enter
" War ! war ! no peace ! peace is to mo a war !" and ends , " Thou wear a lion ' s bide ! doff it for shame , And hang a calf 's-skhi on those recreant limbs , " she was superbly intense . But her great effort and her gwoat success with a most appreciative audience she reserves for tho fourth sceno of Act III ., when she rends her hair for the loss of her child , and , on the verge of madness , invokes its fulness for oblivion's sake . Tho character of John is no instance of Shakspearo ' a power . Although tho dramatist has by no means intended tho King for a nonontity , his main characteristic , crafty but pusillanimous villany , pale beside the grandly illuminated figure of Constance , the charming ingenuousness of Arthur , the bluff and over-popular Bastard Faulaonbridgo , and the gentle //» bert . In his well-judged acceptance of the comparative ehado imposed upon him by his author , Mr . Kean does well . But though a greater amount of pro-
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¦ No . 448 , October 38 . 1858 . 1 T H E I > E AP E B . 1127 ¦ — ' ~ ' — ¦ i ¦ ti Kino
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 23, 1858, page 1127, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2265/page/15/
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