garet, and King James. Jim Vin, poor fellow, is absolutely lost in the hands of the dramatist-master He riot has all his gold rubbed off in the play-and several parts of a feeble interest are introduced for no other purpose than to gain, if possible, a character of originality for the play wright. Nigel only, cold, tame, feeble Nigel-preserves his novel in sipidity unimpaired, and walks the stage, as he walks Mr. Constable's book, with the dull measured pace of a regular proser. The blank verse throughout, with the exception of a few glimmering passages, is dim in deed. The crown jewels shine with the valueless lustre of Bristol stones. The music of the poetry is as the chime of St. Dunstan's bells.

We had intended to give evidence, that is, we had resolved upon venturing into extract,-but having extended our remarks already beyond the length which our usual limits prescribe, we must content ourselves with merely referring to the published play, which affords as much weak verse for three shillings as any liberal publisher can be expected to sanction. The prologue, or induction, as it is facetiously termed, is in dialogue and a very long discourse it 1s.-The epilogue goes alone-and for arrant folly and extravagance it stands alone.

We have but few words to say of the performance of this piece. Mr. Abbott acted Nigel in the true spirit of the novel and the play, and we could only grieve that his fortunes were so fair in Alsatia! Skourlie, an old rascally scrivener and an interloper, was well played by Mr. Farren; who, however, gave in it a faint copy of Munden's Mar-all, even to the dress. Blanchard, in Trapbois, acted with that sharp truth and earnest vigour which characterize all his performances. This gentleman is very nearly the first actor on the stage. His miser-death in this play, aided as it was by his strong hatchet face and profile-style of acting, was quite as forcible a delineation of plain hard agony as was ever attempted. Farley, in Peppercole, a cowardly bully, blustered behind a red nose with admirable fooling; and Taylor, the singer, played much above his usual pitch. We have reserved the two best morsels to the last,-Bart

ley's King James, and Mr. C. Kem ble's Lord Dalgarno,—both of which were spirited and excellent. Bartley hit off the royal cowardice and vulgar learning of the king with infinite nonchalance; and C. Kemble, in one of the handsomest dresses we ever saw, carried villainy to as de lightful a height as heart could desire. The ladies-but we reverence the sex,-Miss Lacy was as serious as one of Blair's discourses;-Miss Foote no longer trusted to her beauty, and was wrecked upon a song; and Mrs. Chatterley was cast away in Bridget!-The author has much to answer for!

The scenery was beautiful, particularly the Tower of London, with the Thames and City beyond it. Mr. Grieve may not disown the spirit of his name, when he meets with such authors as the one before us to ruin his fine productions.

It is a curious fact, that Nigel can boast of a great unknown, and a little unknown. The novelist hides himself from an acknowledgment of it, and the dramatist betakes himself to his minor mystery; thus realizing the old proverb, "as the old cock crows, so crows the young one." We cannot lift the curtain from either star:-unsuccessful anonymous pro ductions have seldom any fathers! Some malicious person, we trust not the author, ascribed it to Mrs. C. Kemble-but we are quite sure that this lady's pen is innocent of such absurdity. The style of certain parts of the dialogue makes the accusation extremely cruel and base-and the next thing to having written the play, which we should blush to have to answer for, would be to have originated so evil and unmanly a re port. Nigel, however, perchance as a novel, and certainly as a play, is, we apprehend, gone for ever from the eyes and hearts of men and, in a few months, we shall all have for gotten that the Crown Jewels were once disgraced in Covent Garden. They were held out as extremely va luable-but we fear they must be classed with the other unredeemed pledges, which are eternally knocked down to the public, near the Piazzas.

The Marriage of Figaro.

It is said that there has been great quarrel between Miss M. Tree and Miss Paton; and that the one

who is ever talking of his late elegant friend, Lord Chesterfield, with the lively slang of the fancy nephew, and the awkward manners of the fighting man. There is also much pleasantry created by the appearance of a tailor and his bailiff, in the second act, coming in search of Mr. Buoyant (Jones). The piece was admirably, inimitably acted. Mr. Farren was no modern man--but a leaf actually torn out of Lord Chesterfield. Jones rattled through his scenes with a spirit well becoming his calling-and Connor, with his plush coat, stout legs, high-lows, smooth hair, broad face, and white hat, might at any time safely shy his castor in the sun of Moulsey Hurst, and shake hands with the best man in the ring. Keeley, in the tailor, was the sublimity of impoverished manhood;-the true ninth part of a man! Nothing could exceed his acting. We must say, that Mr. Peake has reason to be satisfied with his company; and we must say, the company have reason to be satisfied with Mr. Peake. We drink to their better acquaintance! The fault (we must find fault)—is length and O'Mawley would have told the

up

author, that there is no fighting against superior weight and length.

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DRURY LANE THEATRE.

There has been very little novelty at this house during the month. Miss Stephens has made her first faint, and finding the audience" to her faults a little blind," she has been singing at Mr. Braham's fatherly side ever since. Mr. Kean has, either of his own good taste, or by the hazarding direction of the manager, restored Shakspeare's Lear to his original tremendous pathos and death. And the thrilling attention of crowds attests the wisdom of the restoration. Mr. Liston has been worked in Dominie Sampson, Baillie Nicol Jarvie, Apollo Belvi-and, indeed, in all his own old charactersbut, with the exception of one flimsy part in a farce which has been dying from its birth, he has not been trusted with any novelty. The new farce of "Deaf as a Post" is decidedly a dead thing. It met with a most outrageous reception on the first night, though Liston's face has dragged it along a little further. We do not know the author-but we rather think it must be Mr. Winston's production.

ALTHOUGH many and important events have taken place in the political world since our last notice, still it appears that the question of peace and war is almost as problematical as ever. Every day brings some fresh report, and each either contradicts or qualifies that which preceded it. Of course, it cannot be expected that we should revive rumours which appear to have had not any, or at best but a momentary foundation. We shall take the safer course of adverting to such documents as, being officially published, cannot err, and leave the reader to draw his own conclusions. It seems that the representatives of the Allied powers at Madrid did not at all relish the answers given by the Spanish minister, San Miguel, to the remonstrance of their courts,

and they accordingly determined on the extreme measure of withdrawing their legations. On demanding their passports, however, they thought proper to address respective notes to the minister, assigning their motives for such a step. These notes, together with the answers returned, are exceedingly curious, and certainly form a 66 new æra in diplomacy. There were but few periods in the good old times of ancient legitimacy, when one of these answers at least would not have been considered tantamount to a hostile declaration. The first in order, and the least offensive, is the note of the Prussian ambassador; it declares that the observations which he had the honour to submit "having been replied to in a manner far from conformable to

the wishes of his court, he finds himself under the necessity of executing a very peremptory order of the king, his master, by declaring to the Spanish minister that his Prussian Majesty can no longer maintain with Spain relations, which, in the present circumstances, would be as little conformable to their object as to the sentiments of friendship and interest which the king has invariably manifested towards his Catholic Majesty. In obeying this order, the undersigned has also to make his assurances, that the king, his august Sovereign, will never cease to put up the most sincere prayers for the happiness of a nation, which his Majesty, with the deepest sorrow, perceives to be in the road to ruin, and plunged into all the horrors of anarchy and civil war." The note concludes with a formal but polite demand of his passports, which are transmitted, with a reply that "the wishes of the government of his Most Catholic Majesty, for the happiness of the Prussian states, are not less ardent than those manifested by his Majesty, the King of Prussia, towards Spain." This, of course, is a decisive step on both sides, but still there is nothing in the correspondence at all to trench upon the usual etiquette observed on such occasions. The next in order, and certainly rising also a little in vehemence, is the note of the Austrian ambassador. He also observes upon the previous communication which he made to San Miguel, according to the resolution of the Congress of Verona, and adds that "the reply which his Excellency gave to this verbal communication, proves that the intentions of his Majesty have been misunderstood, and his offers undervalued. The undersigned will not descend to the point of refuting the calumnious insinuations by which it has been endeavoured to distort his real meaning. Very soon Spain and all Europe will be enabled to judge of this. But the Court of Austria is of opinion that the disapproval of the causes of the evils which oppress a noble and generous nation for which it professes so much esteem, and for which it feels so much interest, would not be sufficiently declared if it continued to

maintain diplomatic relations with the Spanish government." San Miguel, in acknowledging this note, merely adds, that the government of his Catholic Majesty is indifferent whether it maintains relations or not with the Court of Vienna." This reply is certainly a note higher than that addressed to the ambassador of Prussia; but still, before we visit San Miguel with any imputation of rudeness, we are bound to remember that the dispatch to which he referred was not quite in the tone of diplomatic courtesy. The Austrian minister knew perfectly well that the aspersions which he flung upon the government of Madrid were directly personal to San Miguel and his friends. The Russian correspondence, however, rises at once into alt, and does exhibit a style of sincerity very unusual amongst the personages of an embassy. But it must speak for itself it is quite a curiosity. After referring to the topics with which the other notes commenced, the Count de Bulgara adds, that "with respect to the determinations announced in the note of his Excellency Senor San Miguel, all the responsibility will fall on the heads of those persons who are to be considered as the sole authors; and while the same persons deprive their legitimate Sovereign of his liberty-while they deliver up Spain to all the evils of a sanguinary anarchy, and, by means of keeping up a culpable understanding, endeavour to extend to other states the calamities in which they have involved their own country, Russia can maintain no relation with authorities which tolerate and even excite such disorders!" This is followed up by a demand of passports for himself, and all the personages connected with his legation; to which demand San Miguel replies as follows-the answer is short, but, indeed, even were it longer, it would be a pity to curtail it. I have received the very insolent note which your Excellency transmitted to me, dated yesterday, the 10th, and limiting myself for my sole reply, to stating that you have shamefully abused (perhaps through ignorance) the law of nations, which is always respectable in the eyes of the Spanish government, I transmit, by or