MR. DRAMA, I was much disgusted at the futile attempts of F. C-E in your two last numbers to depreciate the talents of Mrs. DAVIES; but I beg to inform your correspondent, that Mrs. DAVIES' merit as an actress, and her respectability as an individual, are too firmly established to be shaken by such unmerited and unfounded assertions: nor should I have condescended to notice such contemptible slander, were it not that I feel an interest in unmasking the cowardly assassin, who has basely essayed to injure the wellearned reputation, and wound the feelings of an amiable and unoffending female. In vain does F. C-E attempt to conceal his identity-the veil is too thin for concealment; and as a frequenter of the theatre, and an admirer of the histrionic art, it is not a little gratifying to me, while vindicating Mrs. D. from his foul aspersions, to tell him, that I not only know him and his pitiful abettors, but that I am also fully aware of the vile motive which stimulates his malevolence. The very liberal patronage Mrs. D. has been honoured with, and the unbiassed plaudits she has invariably received, are the best proofs of her merits. That she has a perfect knowledge of the English language, and a just conception of her author, (two very essential points) no competent judge, who has witnessed her performance, will attempt to contradict; and these alone, Mr. DRAMA, are acquirements which cannot be advanced in favour of some of those whom F. C-E has been employed to eulogize, not only at Mrs. DAVIES' expense, but with the sacrifice of truth. Respecting Mrs. DAVIES' abilities as a singer, although she possesses a strong and harmonious voice, and is (as I am credibly informed) an excellent musician, she never comes forward in singing characters, unless it be to aid the representation of pieces which require more vocalists than provincial companies usually possess; and as such extra exertions are solely made with the view of forwarding the interest of the managers, or to assist a performer in the introduction of some novelty on a benefit night, surely no liberal mind would attempt even to criticise, much less to overwhelm with scurrility and falsehood, an actress who has been induced to deviate from her regular walk upon such beneficent principles. I witnessed Mrs. D.'s performance in the Countess Almaviva, and most solemnly assert, that I do not think the character could have been better sustained: the very difficult songs appertaining to the part she had too much modesty to attempt; but in two most beautiful duets, which are absolutely essential to the piece, she executed her part in a very chaste and correct manner, which I presume alone prevented their producing that electrifying effect, which, according to F. C-E's remarks, some other parts of the music caused. But F. C-E's friendly advice to Mrs. D. " to leave off so palpable an imitation of Miss KELLY'S manner," is truly laughable and ridiculous; for, can it be for a moment supposed, that an actress of Mrs. DAVIES' acknowledged ability and discernment would risk her popularity by adopting a manner that would inevitably ruin the wellearned reputation she so deservedly enjoys in the estimation of a judicious public? With respect to the ages of the two ladies (a very delicate topic to canvass), I imagine there cannot be much difference; but if appearances form any criterion, Mrs. DAVIES has decidedly the advantage : to which I will add, that she possesses, in an eminent degrec, the polished manners of a lady both in public and in private, as the undivided suffrages of the most respectable families in the whole theatrical circuit of the company to which she belongs amply testify. To enable you, Mr. DRAMA, to form a just estimate of the correctness and veracity of F. C-E's remarks, I affirm that this theatre, on the evening of the 2d of April, so far from being crowded to suffocation, was, on the contrary, very thinly attended-that the tragedy of " Julian" has never been produced on the stage-that the first representation of "The Duel" at this theatre was on the 12th of May, for the benefit of Miss COLLINS-and that "The Actress of All Work" has never been personated here by any other than Mrs. DAVIES. The foregoing, though very inadequate to her merit, being a small tribute to the character of the lady who has been so vilely aspersed, I am persuaded, your love of justice will induce you to give it equal publicity in your valuable publication, with the malignant attack which has caused its production; which will much oblige yours, &c. Portsmouth, June 12, 1823. CANDIDUS. Printed by T. and J. Elvey, Castle Street, Holborn. "Thine is a breast with feeling finely wrought, 66 Thespis newly applied." OUR notice of this lady must necessarily be slight; her performances have already been noticed in our work, and her life presents no feature that calls for particular remark. We regret much the circumstances that have compelled her departure from that stage on which we had originally considered she would have ever continued a standard favourite with the public. What those circumstances were, we profess our utter ignorance; but we fear now, her talents will only be bandied about from the Surrey to the Cobourg, and from thence back again, to the entire diminution of the NO. 31.-VOL. IV. C C fame she so deservedly acquired by her performances at Drury Lane. We can only express our decided aversion to the system which caused her removal, and our disapprobation of the conduct of the managers of the metropolitan stages which can suffer talents, like those which Miss E. possesses in the highest degree, to slumber, unheeded, while there is such a lamentable dearth of first-rate tragic actresses. We have hitherto delayed our critical sketch of this lady, from a fervent hope that we should have had to record her reinstatement on that throne which can never be better filled than by herself: but our expectations have been disappointed, and we now fear that she has left that stage never to return. The few remarks we have collected respecting her are as follows: Miss EDMISTON is the daughter of a most respectable artist in this metropolis; she was born in Ireland in the year 1801, but received a liberal education in this country, and soon acquired a proficiency in music and painting, which amply repaid the fostering care of her parents, and for some time she was intended to avail herself of those accomplishments as her future professions; but an ardent admiration of the DRAMA was elicited at so early a period, that her parents at length yielded to the importunities of some of her intimate friends, who had witnessed the partial rehearsals of several characters, and she was entrusted to the care of Mr. FOOTE, of Drury Lane Theatre, to whose exertions we are indebted for her appearance on the boards. Her debut was in the character of Jane Shore, on Dec. 14, 1821, and the result was so flattering, that she repeated the character on the following Monday.(1) So high was the manager's expectations carried by the efforts of the young debutante, that on the following Wednesday she appeared in the arduous character of Lady Macbeth. When we consider that this character has for so many years been the exclusive property of perhaps the finest tragic actress that ever graced the British stage, and that none of her cotemporaries or successors ventured to com (1) See our Vol. II. pages 40, 42, 43, &c. for notices of these performances. pete with her, this attempt by a mere novice might be deemed extremely hazardous, if not presumptuous; but Miss EDMISTON's having played the part six times is a sufficient proof of her talent. She next appeared in Belvidera, and added materially to her reputation; and in an original part in the new tragedy of "Owen" stamped herself for ever in the opinion of a London audience. Her performance of Cordelia has been highly extolled, and we think most justly. Her other performances, both at Drury Lane and the Surrey, have been already noticed in this publication, we have therefore nothing now to add to this slight sketch. MR. I. P. KEMBLE. [Resumed from page 271.] In April, 1807, Mr. KEMBLE lost his mother,(1) and in the following year he experienced.a severe indisposition, which, for some time, prevented his appearance in public: his return to the stage upon the 19th April, on the restoration of his health, as Octavian, was greeted with manifestations of the most enthusiastic delight. On the 20th September following, Mr. K.'s theatrical property, in common with that of his colleagues, was totally destroyed by the burning of the theatre. The exact amount of his loss has not been publicly ascertained; it was, indeed, insinuated, that in the end he would prove rather a gainer than a loser: but, whatever loss he might have originally apprehended, his own share of misfortune was greatly lightened, by a very handsome timely loan of 10,000%. from the Duke of NORTHUMBERLAND, whose son, Earl PERCY, had been instructed by Mr. K. in a knowledge of the prin (1) This lady in the early part of her life, like most of the KEMBLE family, had been upon the stage, but was not an actress of much note. Had she not given birth to a race gifted with superior endowments than was possessed by the parent-stock, she would probably have lived and died in the same obscurity which enveloped her progenitors. |