him. In the East we move in quite another world: there we proceed from the sphere of logic and thoughtful induction, to that of feeling, story-telling, and untainted imaginative tradition. In her tales, rather than in those of any other land, the metamorphosis of our position and disposition is more complete. In imagination we become naturalised with her inhabitants and scenery; and the transition is more pleasing from being so contrasted to our accustomed pursuits. What is more interesting in our mental travels, than to linger round the well of Zemzem, in the temple of Mecca, and to watch its religious or superstitious visitors; or, to lean against the noble gate of Zuweyleh, in Cairo, and observe the passers-by, and the living "helm-less ship of the desert," going forth on his patient voyage; while the rays of the morning sun flicker over the lofty minaret of El-Mu-eiyad; to haunt the shops of a Keysareeyeh, and converse with their opium-fumed merchants; to peep into the Azhar mosque, and detect the homeless wanderer relinquishing his nightly restingplace; by and bye to listen to the chaunt of the mueddins from the mad❜nehs; to witness the preparations for worship, and anon, in another spot, the solemnly exciting ceremony of the Zikr? Verily, there is poetry in the daily pursuits of the Arabians, and not only in their stories.

Germany is celebrated for Metaphysics; England for " Useful Knowledge;" Arabia is chief among the lands of Poetry and Romance.

STANDARD EDITION OF GULLIVER'S TRAVELS; illustrated by Grandville. London: Hayward & Moore, Paternoster Row.

This work, which is in every way elegantly produced, will be completed in eight monthly parts, and contain four hundred wood engravings.

POEMS BY ELIZA COOK, consisting of Melaia, and other Poems. This volume is published by Charles Tilt, and is, in all respects, an elegant volume. Eliza Cook is a poetess, and the illustrations that accompany her effusions are exceedingly graceful.

THE PLEASURES OF MEMORY, AND OTHER POEMS, by Samuel Rogers. London: Edward Moxon, Dover-street, 1839.

This is a popular edition for Eighteen-pence, and is a superior specimen of typography.

THE GREEN ROOM.

COVENT GARDEN.

THE Winter Season theatrical campaign has already commenced here with considerable vigour, under the auspices of that experienced tactician, Madame Vestris, the new lessee. Her opening drama was a revival of a play, which time, together with its remarkable unfitness for dramatic representation, have contrived to render altogether obsolete, namely, "Love's Labour Lost." This, although illustrated by some scenery beautifully executed by the Grieves's, was, as might be conjectured, an entire failure; it, consequently, was soon withdrawn from the public gaze, being once more consigned to the oblivion from which it had been so injudiciously awakened.

The next revival told better, namely, Sheridan's Comedy of "The School for Scandal," embellished with entirely new scenery and dresses, scrupulously correct, as to the period when this admirable drama first appeared. Nothing could exceed the degree of perfection with which many of the tableaux and groups were portrayed, and the vast space rendered the illusion complete. The grand meeting of the wholesale dealers in scandal, at Lady Sneerwell's, was admirably arranged, and was rewarded with a round of applause. That unrivalled comedian, W. Farren, is too well known as a first-rate representative of Sir Peter Teazle to require any additional eulogium being bestowed upon

him from our pen. Suffice it to say, his personation was as just and true to nature as heretofore. Madame Vestris as Lady Teazle, notwithstanding the grotesque costume, looked beautiful, and played with her usual intellect, archness, and vivacity. Some points she gave to the life, while the unrivalled brilliancy of the dialogue, and the refined smartness of the repartees, lost not a tittle of their excellence in her hands. Truth obliges us to confess that the representatives of the brothers Joseph and Charles Surface, may, in point of equality of performance, literally shake hands with each other. Mr. Cooper, who played the elder-the smooth-tongued hypocrite-seemed to have an idea that he was performing a part in high tragedy, and gave utterance to every sentiment in the most stiltified manner possible; while Mr. C. Mathews made Charles Surface an unrivalled specimen of personal activity and bustle, as if he were doomed to illustrate what philosophers mean by "the perpetual motion." Mr. C. Matthews has since personated "The Copper Captain" in Beaumont and Fletcher's sterling Comedy of "Rule a Wife and Have a Wife," but we really cannot felicitate him on the correctness of his portraiture. Mr. G. Vandenhoff (to introduce whom, in “Leon” the revival took place), is a fine young man, with several requisites, and much knowledge of the stage; but he has not yet had sufficient practice in his arduous art, to enable him to embody so very difficult a character. “Estifania” was represented by Mrs. Nesbitt, with remarkable spirit and vivacity.

A Miss Austin, a pupil of that veteran singing master, Mr. T. Welsh, made a highly successful debut in the part of "Mandane" in Dr. Arne's Grand Opera of Artaxerxes"-her voice is most remarkable for its sweetness, nor is it by any means deficient in power, which quality was sufficiently evidenced by her execution of "The Soldier tired," and which was rapturously encored. She has since repeated the part with increased success. The Opera was altogether very strongly cast, and ably represented. Mr. Harrison's "Arbaces" was well sung, and throughout evinced sound musical instruction, and correct taste, A Mr. Borrani made his first appearance in "Artabanes:" he possesses a very fine Barry-tone voice, and sung "Thy Father away," with uncommon energy and effect. The youthful Artaxerxes found an able and interesting represen tative in Madame Vestris. She gave the exquisite air of "In Infancy our Hopes and Fears" with such taste and feeling, as to command one of those enthusiastic encores, that invariably accompany the outpourings of mind and melody.

We forgot to state that an old French Farce of Picard's was anglicised under the title of "Alive and Merry" by Mr. C. Dance, and produced the first night with very equivocal success. At the end of the first act, the major part of the audience voted "Alive and Merry," a remarkably stupid affair; and preferring a nap in their own beds, to taking one in a Theatre, they went away by scores, for that purpose.

ADELPHI.

This small and fashionable Theatre opened with a Melo-drama, "full of sound and fury, signifying-nothing," entitled, "Mount St. Bernard," although it was vastly well got up, and displayed the resources of the theatre, in regard to stage effects, to considerable advantage, it failed to interest, and created no

sensation.

Mr. Paul Bedford made his debut on these boards, in the above heterogenous compound, in a part entirely unworthy of his peculiar abilities. We should have thought that considering the distinguished success that has crowned some eccentrics, heretofore so graphically represented by Mr. Bedford, with a rich fidelity to nature, combined with a remarkable raciness of humour, Mr. Yates would have set one of his dramatists to work, to have manufactured for him an opening part, in which the abilities of the comedian and singer could be adequately displayed and appreciated. He is the only actor in the company that is worth making a decided feature of; and if he was well written for, the probability is, that he would soon become very attractive.

T

THE STATE OF THE DRAMA.*

THE Drama-not the Stage! It is of England's drama that we would discourse, if not " eloquent music," yet sound ratiocination. And is not the highest reason the sweetest music-severely sweet, and sweetly severe? Not the stage! why not the stage? Because that has been already cared for. Mr. Macready's much misunderstood reforms affected the stage, not the drama. Misunderstood reforms! Ay, misunderstood both by himself and others. Doubtless, at the beginning, Mr. Macready proposed to himself the regeneration of the drama; but to effect this, certes, he made no attempt. On mature consideration, we are inclined to believe that he did all he could, and that he succeeded in all he attempted-the Regeneration of the Stage.

How had the stage sunk! There was scarcely a deeper deep than the deep of degradation into which it had fallen. First of all, everything in the shape of the genuine drama (we say genuine, wishing to avoid the equivocal word legitimate, and desirous of extending the limits and capacity of the drama-quasi drama-to the fullest imaginable extent); everything, then, in the shape of the genuine drama was substituted by barren spectacle, first of all; but still the actor remained somebody, though the drama had ceased to be something. The next step, however, annihilated the actor too; and the performer, who had most sedulously studied his art, was the foremost to be insulted; and a base plot was contrived to render his services, for the future, dispensable. But the spirit of the man was roused; he retaliated on the wrong-doer, and rose from the wrecks of his injuries the Saviour of the Stage.

That the revival of the Drama should not be permitted to the actor, but be reserved for the Poet, is in the order of things. Mr. Macready's refined taste seemed, however, to qualify him for more than this: but no! not appreciating talent only, but creative genius, is demanded for the work. Nevertheless, some sign and show of the thing, as was partly fitting, was held out; and at the beginning,

The Sea-Captain; or, the Birthright; by Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer, Bart. M. P.; Saunders and Otley, 1839. Love, a Play, in Five Acts, by James Sheridan Knowles, Author of The Hunchback, &c.; London, Edward Moxon, Dover Street, 1840. 4 K

N. S.-VOL. II.

dramatic aspirants were invited to the manager's assistance. It soon, however, became apparent that this ostent was only a sign and a show, and could be no more. The manager was bound in certain ties to Mr. Serjeant Talfourd, Sir Ed. Lytton Bulwer, and Mr. Sheridan Knowles. Of these three friends, it turned out that, during two seasons, he could only effectually serve one. Mr. Serjeant Talfourd's tragedy was transferred to the Haymarket, and Mr. Knowles's second play stood over for the present season, and is now illustrating the reign of Mr. and Mrs Matthews. The extent, then, to which the drama was benefited, was the production of Woman's Wit, The Lady of Lyons, and Richelieu: the first, as a whole, rather an infelicitous effort of a man of genius; the remaining two the merely artificial productions of a man of talent, wanting foundation both in truth and nature.

Are these last words too severe? Assuredly not; they contain a moderated statement of a stern and important fact. They would not have been written, however, had not the novel-dramatist assumed to himself the position of being the man required by the necessities of the stage, and claimed the merit of having devoted himself to its renovation. So much also is demanded for him by the critic in the Morning Chronicle on the play now before us, the Sea Captain, or, the Birthright; the unblushing impudence of which, involving, as it does, the postulate that all the candidates for dramatic honours were unworthy of consideration, must not be permitted. No man knows better than Mr. Macready, that any such postulate is absolutely false. To the gross apprehension, also, it is clear, that if there were not room for Talfourd and Knowles, there could be none for others; and that, therefore, the rejected dramas were returned to their authors, not because of their demerits, but for want of room.

Some of these dramas, as Mr. Macready well knows, and as we know from personal acquaintance, were equal, and even superior, to any that have been presented. We shall be asked, "Why not print them?" The answer is ready: "No unacted play sells; and neither authors nor publishers are willing to lose their money." Several that remain in MS. are before us; and we may, perhaps, be induced to give the public some knowledge of them through this magazine, either by specimens or reviewals.

It was not long after the commencement of the season, before Mr. Macready found that the system which he was constrained to adopt, and very properly adopted, for the restoration of the stage, was inconsistent with the production of many new dramas in the course of the season. The Shakspere revivals embodied an idea of poor John Galt's, who frequently expressed an opinion that the plays of the Bard of Avon might be made the most attractive spectacles on the stage. It is for the national honour, too, that they should be made so; but thereupon it follows, that if new pieces likewise are to be rendered attractive, they must be presented with the same adjuncts, or suffer unjustly: for however glorious the dead, they must not rise to overshadow and outdazzle the glory of the living. Give the past its due; but it is the present that is alone valuable

for us. That account settled, another arises. To pay the expense that such exhibitions entail, a piece must run a very great number of nights; and therefore, at each theatre very few comparatively can be produced.

Such are the necessities of the case; and they were soon enough developed. Mr. Macready, therefore, satisfied himself with endeavouring to satisfy his own immediate friends. There was even a joke current, that Messrs. Macready, Talfourd, and Bulwer, had met in privy conclave for the support of the legitimate drama; the two latter engaging to write it, and the former to act it. The manuscripts, therefore, of less favoured individuals were turned over to Mr. Kenney, to read or not, as he pleased, with a certainty of their never being used. No wonder that great negligence was observed towards these unfortunate bantlings. Some of them were even lost. Among the missing there was one, at least, on which Mr. Macready had expressed a very high opinion; and the same may have been the case with others.

The jokers we have before quoted were, however, a little in error, as will have been already seen, concerning the understanding supposed to exist between the members of the aforesaid privy conclave. If Mr. Serjeant Talfourd were ever a party to the contract, he manifestly withdrew, leaving the cabinet in possession of Sir Ed. Lytton Bulwer alone; who accordingly set about the composition of blanks in right good earnest.

Sir Edward Lytton Bulwer's debut in the realm of verse was as inauspicious as Sir Walter Scott's invasion of the kingdom of proseromance was promising. Scott began with authorship as a poet, Bulwer as a proseman. Coleridge well remarks, that Shakspere was a poet generally, and had shewn himself as such previous to his interference with the drama. The process is easy to conceive, how a true poet may condescend on a branch of his art, to which poetry is essential, and other elements accidental; but it "puzzles the will" to apprehend, how a man who has yet only exercised some of the accidental elements, should all at once find himself in possession of the essential attribute, without which all is vain. Whether Bulwer were a poet or not, we need no other evidence than his Siamese Twins to prove that when he ventured first on the sacred ground of metrical composition, he "wanted the accomplishment of verse." Such, however, was the vanity so egregiously characteristic of the man, that he had the unparalleled indecency to put at risk all his previous reputation as a novelist, by exhibiting the results of his "prentice hand" as a versemonger for public approbation. The contempt felt by the judicious for such foppish conduct was intense enough for the most expressive silence; yet, in some quarters, it was not only mused, but outspoken.

The same vanity led the same literary Roderigo to push for. ward his first abortive attempts in the dramatic line. Some extracts from Cromwell were tried upon the public, which, being laughed at, the play was suppressed; but the Duchess de la Vallière was forced upon the stage, and the piece was deservedly damned.

By this time, the amateur playwright had begun to perceive some