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in which situation, after having his jealousy raised to the highest pitch by the dalliance of his wife with the gallant French officer, he is compelled to listen to their agreement to elope together, and hears them depart without the means of preventing it. An eclaircissement takes place, in which the jealous suspicions of Mr. Daddicky are only removed by the production of Trapley's French wife, who is, on her part, relieved from the apprehensions excited by her consort's flirtations with the English lady, and the curtain falls upon the whole party in good humour." Thus it will be seen, great scope is afforded to OXBERRY for the display of his comic powers, of which it is scarcely necessary to add, he does not fail to avail himself. Miss R. CORRI, who is perhaps the most scientific and perfectly agreeable female singer on the English stage, exhibited her science and her powers to the greatest advantage, and was amply applauded. The house, we are happy to say, was very full.

BRITISH PRESS.

******* Some songs are introduced, one of which, a parody on "Love's young Dream," was very well sung by RUSSELL, and honoured with an encore. Miss R. CORRI sang the lovely air of "Roy's Wife" with uncommon sweetness and power, and also a French air, in which she represents a fine lady refusing to sing, and in which her own singing was most charming. It would be unjust not to notice the talent with which Mrs. BAKER, as Mrs. Daddicky, the London Hoyden, gave contrast to the gentler features of the French girl. OXBERRY'S Cockney was in every respect perfect according to the author's conception, but it was such a cockney as we have never seen, and hope never to see. The farce, however, obtained the object of the writer and of the managers, it kept the audience in good humour, and was given out for repetition nem. dis.

NEW TIMES.

The piece was favourably received; but this is not to be attributed either to the ingenuity of its plot, or the elegance of its dialogue. The former is almost unintelligible, and the dialogue is tame, spiritless, and insipid. The songs are for the most part parodies upon the Scotch and Irish melodies; they were given, however, with considerable effect; and in one of them which she sang without accompaniment, Miss R. CORRI was encored. OXBERRY's Daddicky was a perfect specimen of the cockney character; his appearance upon landing at Calais reminded us very forcibly of some of those creatures whom we have lately seen disembark from the steam boats at the pier of Margate. The awkward satisfaction with which he moved when he discovered that he had escaped from the stormy element was admirably characteristic. Mrs. Baker was clever in Mrs. Daddicky; and RUSSELL'S Trapley, was a very effective performance. He was encored in a parody upon Love's Young Dream, and his manner of singing it the second time was quite edifying.

THE MORNING CHRONICLE.

This little farce was extremely well received, not only on account of its own merits, but in consequence of the acting, which was in the best style of the ludicrous. Mr. OXBERRY'S Cockney produced abundant laughter; and Mrs. BAKER, as Miss Bunn, was greatly applauded. There was also some good music, in the execution of which MISS R. CORRI was very successful, and particularly in the popular air of "Roy's Wife," which was encored.

TIMES.

The race of modern farces have long claimed exemption from critical rules, and if productive of amusement in a tolerable degree, may be considered to answer the ends of their creation. Viewed through this medium Mr. Hooke's piece may class as an agreeable addition to the list of dramatic Novelties. The characters, such as they are, are well preserved, and the dialogue lively. He aims less at wit and humour than the assembling of ludicrous images, which generally showed ingenuity at least, and often provoked laughter. Trapley's epitome of London Society was a happy exposure of the prominent "miseries" to be found in it; and his description of the young debutante of fashionable life, seated on a creaking music-stool thumping the piano forte, and screaming "Moore's Melodies," must have come home to the "business and bosoms" of many of its votaries: The Cockneyism vision exhibited in this farce, which is its principal feature, is not a little outrageous and extravagant; nor do we believe, fertile as the Metropolis is in varieties of characters, that any resemblance to such a creature as Daddicky is to be found in it. The young lady is a more endurable personage, though the character was indebted for a great share of its effect to the manner in which it was played by Mrs. BAKER, who threw into it some touches of naivete, which recalled the memory of a late celebrated actress. The rest of the acting deserves encomium and the success of the farce was complete."

HERALD.

"The farce was favourably received. The acting in general was good. OXBERRY is a good Cockney-His delineation is perhaps too broad, but it is highly comic. Miss CORRI as the French bride sang with great power and sweetness. The air of "Roy's Wife" is introduced, and was given by her in excellent style.—She also sang in a very agreeable manner the French air," Oh non, Je ne puis pas chanter," in which a lady is supposed to decline singing, whilst in the very act of complying delightfully. The only defect in Miss CORRI was, that she looked too exclusively to the execution of the music, whereas this song requires to be acted with the greatest finesse."

MORNING ADVERTISER.

In these slight materials much opportunity is afforded for good acting. OXBERRY was truly ludicrous and quaint in the London Lover. RUSSELL, as the French Count, shewed his usual talent, and sung excellently; but we cannot help expressing great delight at the uncommon sweetness and power with which Miss R. CORRI Sung the lovely air of "Roy's Wife," and a French air in which she represents a fine Lady refusing to sing, singing most deliciously all the time. looked the little French beauty to the life, and we have no doubt will contribute greatly to the attraction of this entertaining little piece. It would be unjust not to notice the talent with which Mrs. BAKER, as Mrs. Daddicky, the London Hoyden, gave a contrast to the gentler features of the French girl.

(To be Resumed.)

From the Press of Oxberry & Co. 8, White Hart Yard.

She

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IT has been supposed by Papillon, without the least authority or even probability, that the two figures represent the persons from whom Holbein painted this work. It has been already shewn that Holbein did not design this plate. It is altogether emblematical, and appears to be an heraldical representation of morality, viz:-a tattered shield, surmounted with a death's head; the crest, an hour-glass between two arms of a skeleton, holding part of a skull. The two figures are probably intended for supporters, and represent the dress of the Swiss Nobility of the sixteenth century. The "MORTALIVM NOBILITAS" was added by Hollar, and is a very concise and admirable explanation of the subject. (To be Resumed.)

MEMOIRS OF MR. KEAN.

(Original)

EDMUND, the son of Aaron Kean, was born in Castle Street, Leicester Square, on the 4th of November, 1787. His mo[No. IV.

VOL. J.]

L

ther is only known, as the daughter of Saville Carey his father followed the humble occupation of a taylor, and that too, in its humblest walks, deriving neither name nor fortune from his business. His uncle was celebrated for his powers of ventriloquism, and for the faculty of imitation, a faculty which he abused by employing it against his friends, till at last it left him no friends to ridicule. This always must be the result of that hateful talent, for people are much less offended by the exposition of their vices than of their failings; we can bear to be called knaves, but not, fools; our vanity is the most sensitive of our feelings.

Kean's parents were too poor to allow any idle inmates in their family; as soon therefore as the son was able to walk, he was engaged at Drury Lane Theatre in the lower department of pantomime, where he was exercised under a famous posture master till his young limbs had acquired the greatest flexibility; this, however, was obtained at the price of health and strength; the bones thus unduly exercised became distorted, forming a frightful contrast with his beautiful though sickly features. But the talents of the child had won him friends amongst the actors, and when his parents began to look on this deformity with despair, his theatrical acquaintance came forward to his relief. By their aid medical advice was procured, the distorted limbs were braced in irons to support and direct their growth, and as he was no longer a fit figure for Cupid, he was converted into a Devil in the Christmas pantomime.

From such a system of education much could not be expected; the boy's good and evil qualities ripened without care together; or if either found cultivation, that advantage was rather bestowed upon the latter in the bad example of those about him, for such a child must naturally have been excluded from the society of the first actors; the stage like every other profession, must have its dregs, and it cannot be expected that amongst many idle he should be the only diligent one, or amongst many dissipated he should stand alone as the friend of propriety. Yet even this mode of life deplorable as it may seem, was not without its advantages; if the boy grew self-willed, he at the same time learnt to depend upon himself; if he became careless, he also became fearless; and if he neglected books he learnt to think with men. It was a system that weakened the body but strength

ened the mind, the greatest merit of which was its energy, and the greatest evil its utter want of steadiness. The most inestimable part of a school-education is that it enforces regular habits of application which accompany the boy in manhood and lessen half the pain of labour; the will too being completely disciplined, when at length the reins are given into the pupil's hand he can command himself, when those who have not been subject to a like control in youth, are ever governed by this passion. Every page in the life of Kean exhibits this in the strongest light.

In his fifth year he began to out-grow his bodily defects, when an unlucky circumstance drove him from Drury Lane Theatre. Mr. Kemble, who was at that time manager, imagined that he should encrease the effect of the incantation scene in Macbeth by introducing a party of goblins and fantastic creations; these were to dance in a circle while the Witches were moving around the cauldron winding up the charm that was afterwards to deceive the usurper of Donalblain's throne. Amongst the children, selected for this purpose, Kean of course was employed, as being accustomed to the stage, but his appearance on that occasion was as little advantageous to himself as to his employers; just at the moment of Macbeth's entrance into the cavern, the boy made an unlucky step, from which, owing to the irons about his limbs, he could not recover; he fell against the child next to him, who in turn fell upon his neighbour; and the impulse thus communicated, like an electric shock went round the circle, 'till the whole party was laid prostrate on the floor. The comedy of this event mingled not very harmoniously with the tragic sublime of the scene, and the laughter of the audience was if possible still less in unison with the feelings of Mr. Kemble, who, however remarkable for self-possession could not fail of being disconcerted by an accident so ludicrous. He was a decided enemy to every thing that in the slightest way infringed upon the decorum of the scene; of course therefore he looked upon this accident as a serious evil, and in consequence determined to dismiss the goblin troop from Macbeth, observing, "these things must not be done after these ways, else they will make us mad." The delinquent himself, however, was extremely calm in the midst of the storm he had raised, and very philosophica ly replied to all reproaches that he had never before acted in

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