Nov. 3. Country Girl *.—Blue Beard. 5. Stranger.-Blue Beard. ance. 7. Soldier's Daughter +.-Blue Beard. 8. Haunted Tower +.-Mayor of Garratt. Goldsmith was dealt justly by in every other respect; the Miss Neville of Mrs. Scott excepted, which was not vulgar, but vulgarity itself. What is Miss Mellon about? This is a mere rhetorical query--We are far from desiring to know! * Wycherley's Country Wife, was in the beginning mauled by Lee, and then altered with more decency than wit, by Garrick, and called The Country Girl: in its present castrated state, being without Mr. Horner, its support rests entirely on Mrs. Jordan's shoulders, which it must be confessed are not the better able to bear it, the broader they grow. The piece itself has little to recommend it in the contrivance of plot, or the brilliancy of dialogue, but public love is in this instance staunch, and Miss Peggy, on the verge of fifty, is still able to give it an irresistible charm. It must be confessed that this is in a great measure reversing the case of Miss Mudie. Mr. Bannister has resumed his part, Shacabac, in Blue Beard. Since the 2d of November, Mrs. Mathews has appeared in Fatima, an excuse having been made for Mrs. Mountain, indisposed. This improving singer ac quitted herself in a very pleasing and satisfactory manner. The excellent acting of Mrs. Jordan, in the Widow Cheerly, and Mr. Dowton, in Governor Heartall, would keep an audience awake through a duller novel-dramatised, than the Soldier's Daughter—and he that says more is a bold man. Much is also owing to the sprightly comedy of little Elliston, in Frank Heartall. To talk of the looseness of his grammar when he is reciting the composition of Mr. Cherry, would be perhaps severe; however, we cannot think that his learning or taste would have been impeachable, if he had ventured to new-model such kitchen-stuff as says I," and "between you and I." Mr. H. Siddons, always a good dresser, was more than usually genteel in Milfort, jun. because he was plunged in "all the horrors of poverty," and his wife, Mrs. Milfort, and Mrs. H. Siddons, wore, for the same reason, the choice of her wardrobe, with a radius of train, that made her circle describe one-third of the stage. That such a judicious actress should have this weakness, would surprize us, if we did not know that she is a woman! Mr. Braham displayed some of his best powers of singing, in the character of Lord William. His "Tho' time has from your Lordship's face," and "Oft on a plot," were excellent morceaux. He is not an effective master of “Spirit of my sainted Sire." Signora Storace having retired and Nov. 10. The Siege of St. Quintin; or, Spanish Heroism *. Spoiled Child.-(Little Pickle, Miss Kelly, first time.) Nov. and an apology having been made for Miss Lyon, the parts of Adela and Lady Elinor, necessarily devolved to Mrs. Mountain and Mrs. Mathews*; and, it may be said without flattery, that no loss was sustained. Yes, in one respect. It is true that Mrs. Mountain is commonly as inelegant in action and dress, as long practice can make her, but she still falls far short of the vulgar look and deportment of Storace, when af fecting to represent Lady Elinor de Courcy. Excellently as Mr. Dowton acted in the Baron, his Major Sturgeon, in the farce, was greatly superior; but this may, perhaps, be owing to the difference between Cobb and Foote, an author that is assisted and one that assists! Mr. Russel's Jerry Sneak is irresistibly droll; he has taken the part out of the hands of Fawcett, Bannister, and all who are likely to come in his day. When he says, "I did not think it was in me !” who does not share in his surprize? * Thus runs the plot of the Siege of St. Quintin†. The piece is founded upon the battle of St. Quintin, in 1757, when the French, in attempting to raise the siege of that town, suffered a signal defeat by the Spanish and English forces, commanded by the Duke of $avoy, Count Egmont, and the Earl of Pembroke, and the surrender of the town of St. Quintin was the immediate consequence. No little poetical license is taken with this great event, to adapt it to the present period. Egmont, a general in the Spanish army, being anxious to see his wife and son, who are detained as prisoners by De Courcy, in the castle of St. Quintin, enters the fortress in disguise, but being discovered by the exclamation of the child, at the unexpected sight of his father, is confined beneath the stage in a cage of iron, over which his wife and son are immured. The son contriving to steal the key, liberates his father; and while De Courcy and his soldiers descend into the iron repository, in search of Egmont, the key is turned, and by a little legerdemain, the captives become free, and the guards become prisoners. Egmont succeeds in passing the centinels; but his wife, son, and Rosa de Valmont, their attendant, are detained; and at the instant that the latter is about to suffer death for having deceived De Courcy, and attempted to The Morning Post, of the 9th November, extolled the execution of Miss Lyon with Mr. Braham, in a duet from Kais, which was to have been sung. + Its second title, as advertised, was "The Spanish Patriots," but that was prudently thought too palpable a hit, as well as insinuating a temporary character, unworthy of a first piece. TT? Nov. 11. Siege of St. Quintin.-Sultan. effect the emancipation of his prisoners, her rescue is accomplished, and De Courcy overthrown by a party of English soldiers, who, by a ruse de guerre, have obtained admission to the fortress, under the auspices of Sir Leinster Kildare, a gallant Irishman, and an old inamorato of Rosa's, with whose nuptials, and the re-union of Egmont with Adriana, the piece happily concludes. The Siege of St. Quintin is the serious work of an author, who has, till now, never made his appearance in any such character. In all Mr. Hook's other pieces, love and laughter reign, but here the charms of the latter are never courted, and the former is of the gravest sort, for it is between a man and his wife! Works, however, are to be judged by the intent, and we wish to believe that he, to whom we owe so many bursts of merriment, deemed the bearings and allusions of the present piece, such as to make it an unfit vehicle of comedy, high or low. This being the case, we have to speak of it merely in the heroic character to which it pretends. The reputation hitherto acquired by Mr. Hook, as writer, will certainly not be impaired by the sentiments which he has given to his heroes, and if we are not often struck with their novelty, they are such as well deserve repetition, and are appropriate to the pa triotic feelings of those who utter them. Several of the incidents, some of which are borrowed from Les Mines de Pologne, are well wrought, and in action very effective and very pantomimic. Count Egmont undoubtedly appears to love his wife more than his country, but it is an extreme case, and for its singularity may be pardoned. It is to be regretted, that in a drama, composed in a great measure with a view to Nov. 12. Siege of St. Quintin.-Three and the Deuce. 14. Siege of St. Quintin. Ways and Means. Nov. compliment the Spaniards at this momentous crisis, should have bestowed most of the flattery on the virtue and prowess of the English; and that " Spanish heroism" should consist in taking St. Quintin by a ruse, not more noble than the deceit of a bailiff to get into a house. The new scenery is not very abundant, but it is sufficient. The dresses are superb. Every nerve was strained by the actors to give due effect to the piece. Mr. Raymond, Mr. Elliston, Master Wallach, and Mrs. H. Siddons, distinguished themselves particularly. Miss Ray was interesting, but surely too gentle and lovely to be thought fit for a jailor, or to succeed by art to affect the character. Mr. Johnstone is introduced as an Irishman, without any rhyme or reason--without rhyme, because he has no song to sing, and without reason, because his character of an Irishman is wretchedly drawn, or is rather no character at all. For this personage Mr. Hook is indebted to Mr. R. B. Sheridan, the Dramatist defunct. The scene between the two English, Sir Leinster, and Captain Mac Entire, where the Irishman tells the Scotchman the anecdote which has appeared in all the papers, of a Scotch piper, a sort of Withrington, who when he could no longer fight, played merrily on his stumps to his comrades; this scene, we say, is also written by the author of the School for Scandal, and is the worst in the piece. As some other little touches have been given to it by Mr. Sheridan, we are tempted to ascribe to him a share in the opening of the third act. There we see a centinel with (for the first time) a seat in his box, on which he is sitting asleep. So his own “ Spanish Armada”'----“ The curtain rises, and discovers Tilbury Fort; two centinels asleep." The first words uttered by the centinel when he wakes, confirm the supposition that Sheridan had some hand it---" It's very cold, I wish I had a dram." Nothing could be more natural, or more detect the hand of the master! Count Egmont and Adriana, have also, it will be observed, many of the characteristics of Rolla, Alonzo, and Cora. The music, composed and selected by Mr. Hook, senior, does him credit. In the second act Mr. Braham's delightful duet “ All's Well," was brought in to exhibit the powers of Masters Dourouset and Huckel. They are pupils of Mr. Corri, and paid very little respect to the orches tra; but, though they did not keep with the music, they kept together, and sung the duet in an exquisite manner. The shake of Master Dou rouset, who took the second, was admirable. Mr. Braham, a military minstrel, the creation of Mr. Sheridan, did not appear till nearly the end, and then without honour to himself or assistance to the play. To inspi Nov. 15. Siege of St. Quintin.-Devil to Pay. 16. Siege of St. Quintin.-Deserter *. 17. Siege of St. Quintin.-Three and the Deuce. 18. Siege of St. Quintin. (Everard, Mr. J. Smith.) Matrimony. 19. Siege of St. Quintin.-Of Age To-morrow. 1808. KING'S THEATRE. Oct. 21. John Bull.-Portrait of Cervantes. 25. Mourning Bride.-Flitch of Bacon. 28. Woodinạn.-Forest of Hermanstadt. Oct. rit the soldiers, he sang some words to that fine air « Scots wha hae wi Wallace bled," but without any effect, confirming what we have so often urged, that melody without filagree, that is, simple and unadorned, is what his voice cannot compass, but in a way much inferior to many other singers of less skill and science. The Siege of St. Quintin was got up under the superintendance of Mr. T. Sheridan, and the author owes more to the son than to the father, but most of all to his own dramatic ability, which is conspicuous throughout. * Charles Dibdin's Farce, taken in 1773 from Le Deserteur, gave us an opportunity of seeing Mrs. Corri in Louisa, and she is, indeed, well worth seeing! Mr. Corri is a very happy man! + Maria was undertaken by Mrs. Mountain, and Mrs. Mathews played Sophia. We now perceive, that without the vivacity and judgment of Mrs. C. Kemble, Of Age To-morrow would, in all probability, have died over night, and never inherited the good fortune, which it has enjoyed through her means. Mrs. Mountain often sings with infinite sweetness, but she is perfectly innocent of any touch of humour, has scraped no acquaintance with grace, and is an utter stranger to acting. The song "In Spain," was melancholy, Frederick, Piffleberg, and Molkus, by Bannister, Mathews, and Wewitzer, were diverting. Mr. Mathews* song was the only one encored. + Richard was so hoarse, that Mr. Cooke was obliged to "appeal to the indulgence" of the audience, and to "solicit their forbearance," which immediately |