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REMARKS.

On an incident of an exceedingly delicate nature, conveying a somewhat questionable moral, Kotzebue has constructed a very powerful and interesting drama Fruitful

as is the stage of various examples of reformation, it was reserved for this bold and original genius to present that of a penitent adultress received again into favour by the party she had most injured, and restored to her former rank in society, which, by all laws but those of the drama, she had irretrievably forfeited. In this dangerous experiment Kotzebüe has fully succeeded: in his own country his play met with amazing success; and, when transplanted to this, under the title of "The Stranger," it became equally popular. Whether this be an evidence of meretricious taste, we will not stop to argue; but, certainly, a more amiable picture of repentance was never exhibited on the stage; and of the many who have witnessed this representation, we verily believe, there is not one, critics excepted, but has hailed the dénouement with the most pleasing emotions. There are certain sturdy moralists-sticklers for dramatic decorum-who object to this drama as holding forth an encouragement to matrimonial infidelity: but the man who shall turn highwayman because Macheath is reprieved, would have been a rogue under any circumstances; and the virtue that gives way at the moral of "The Stranger," is of too sickly a character to deserve much solicitude. Still we repeat, that the subject is open to grave discussion, and, what is more dangerous, to the shafts of satire and ridicule. Doctor Young has very ingeniously touched upon it, in a taunt thrown out by Zanga to Alonzo:

"If you forgive, the world will call you good
If you forget, the world will call you wise;
If you receive her to your grace again,
The world will call you very, very kind."

And a modern satirist clearly refers to this very play in the following lines:

"Our taste is German-and our wives will sa
How pure the doctrine of a German play!
Where vice appears so innocently dress'd,
We almost fancy cuckoldom a jest!

For the frail nymph so well her crime defends,

The couple weep-embrace-and soon are friends !"

In answer to all this, we may fairly remark, that "The Stranger" has rivetted the attention, drawn the tears, and excited the applause of the public during many years. How long it may continue so to do, in the present almost total decline of high tragic talent, is a question we cannot pretend to decide.

"Some hypercritic cries in ev'ry age,

How rich the last-how poor the present stage
So undertakers cry, on corpses fed-

Ah! no man is of value, till he's dead!"

These observations apply well in some cases; but when Kemble and Siddons gave their first impressions to the two principal characters, some new and extraordinary genius inust arise, ere we can be justly accused of hypercriticism.

The character of the Stranger is finely imagined he is a misanthrope not by nature, but circumstance: he had trusted, and had been fatally deceived; and, having suffered in the very near and dear relations of wife and friend, he became disgusted with mankind, and resolved never to trust more. His heart, however, is not wholly shut up against kindly feelings; for, on his first introduction, we find him feeding the hungry and succouring the oppressed. Indeed, nothing can be more interesting than this scenethe short, detached, but pithy sentences that compose the singular dialogue between him and Francis, require no commentary, they speak volumes of themselves. In point of terseness and expression, what can exceed his reply to Francis in the 4th Act?

"Fra. You have been married then?

Stra. Go and prepare for our journey”

At the same time, fully to understand the beauty of this abrupt reply, it will be necessary to recall how Kemble pronounced it. His scene with Baron Steinfort is highly impassioned: carried away by the intensity of his feelings, his habitual taciturnity leaves him, and he depicts in glowing colours the artifices that had been practised upon him, and the wrongs he had endured. His first meeting with

Mrs. Haller is very ingeniously contrived; the instantaneous closing of the scene-for words would have been uselessconsiderably heightens the effect, and leaves the mind at Il leisure to conjecture what will be the result of an interview so extraordinary and interesting. The character of the Stranger is consistently preserved throughout the play; and even when the reconciliation eventually takes place, no violence is done to probability, nor is the incident in any degree forced or unnatural.

We now touch upon tender ground-the penitent adultress. With all the art of Kotzebue, the cause assigned for Mrs. Huller's lapse from virtue, is but lamely imagined. She is made acquainted with her husband's infidelity; but by what means?-By forged letters, the treachery of a servant, (very common agencies!) and by the party who becomes the instrument of her seduction. A moment's reflexion would have told her, that her husband's imputed infidelity was but an artful plea to accelerate her own. How differently does Mrs. Beverley, in the tragedy of "The Gamester," receive a like intimation from the villain Stukely. But Mrs. Beverley is a character that rises to the sublime; while the Countess of Waldbourg, in this instance, proves, that her credulity is as easy as her virtue. But a pretty woman, in tears too! is at all times a powerful advocate; for beauty, like charity, covereth a multitude of sins. The lovers of what is called "poetical justice" might have gloried in beholding the unhappy wife, scorned and rejected, and cast away desolate and broken-hearted. Such feelings may be considered noble

"We think the Romans call it stoicism.

But stoicism is a virtue, that we neither profess nor desire : let those who really have it keep it to themselves: let them, we say, give God thanks, and make no boast of it!"

The lighter parts of this play form a pleasing contrast to the sombre. The important Mr. Solomon with his " sunday wig" and "foreign correspondence;" and Master Peter, "who thanks his stars he was not born a fool!" yet lacks the wit to help "his little excellency" out of the water-are extremely amusing. The representatives of these comic personages were Emery and Simmons. What havoc has time made in the once famed cast of the drama! Siddons retired-and the three great actors for ever lost to the busy scene. "Ha! no more moving!-still as the

grave!"

This piece is excellently tanslated by Mr. Thompson, who has preserved all the spirit and raciness of his origi nal. To this gentlemen we are indebted for the translation of twenty other plays from the same language; and among them," Pizarro," which is curious, if it be only to compare it with the drama of Sheridan. The beautiful air in the 4th Act, "I have a silent sorrow here," is by the author of "The School for Scandal," and when sung to its plaintive melody, accompanied by the speaking action of Kemble, as the Stranger, smote upon the heart. As an instance of the extraordinary power of this drama (as originally acted) over the feelings, we remember seeing one of the greatest heroes of this, or of any other age or nation, deeply affected at its representation, particularly in the last scene. When it was reported to the first Duke of Marlborough, that one of his captains had wept at the tragedy of "Cato," that brave man, taking a right estimate of true heroism, replied, "He'll never fight the worse for it" and the field of Waterloo was won, after the trifling incident we have just recorded.

In speaking of modern acting, we leave Siddons entirely out of the question: that sublime genius, like Shakspeare, is above comparison: her impersonations were the highest that the art is capable of reaching. When we therefore say, that Miss O'Neil appeared in Mrs Haller, with the recollection of Mrs. Siddons full in the public mind, and sustained the character with the most complete success, what further testimony can be required of her merit? Her performance was distinguished by the utmost delicacy, pathos, and beauty. Mr. Young has succeeded Mr. Kemble in the Stranger; and with that good taste and judgment, which rank him so high in his profession, has not, with an affectation of originality, hunted after new readings or forced action; but has been content to follow, though not servilely, his illustrious model: for we pronounce, without fear of contradiction, that any material deviation from Mr. Kemble's conception of this singular character, would destroy the effect altogether. The Stranger was one of Mr. Kemble's performances that became completely identified with the actor. It is absolutely necessary to catch his manner, before a just idea of the character can be realized. it is more than probable, that the conception of Taylor, the original Hamlet, has been regularly transmitted to us oy succeeding actors. From the instructions of Sir William. Davenant, Betterton derived his idea of the character, which was precisely that of Taylor: and Betterton served

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