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WOMAN'S HEART , The gallant critic puts ^ button- on his foil when he lunges at a woman ; and it is right he should do so . I will not , therefore , forget that the writer of Woman ' s Heart is a woman , young and aspiring—three claims rmon my tenderness—but will fence with her as courteously as Samlet fenced with Laertes before the wound exasperated him . The story of her play has poetical intentions ; the language , when it quits the beaten track of poetical common-places , has an elegance and a fervouivwhich draw down plaudits ; and the situations are often ingenious and effective . But ( and here I call for a double-pad !) the story is rather hinted than evolved ; the language dwells too much amid poetical words that have become commonplaces : and the situations are not dramatically wrought . The characters describe and declaim too much ; and the audience is Let into the secret too soon for the situations to produce their true eflect . ± o emote but one instance . When the Marquis Albrizzi discovers Isolina by her voice , and her resemblance to one " long loved and lost , the audience is perfectly aware that Isolina must be his daughter ; yet , instead . of the discovery following quick upon this anticipation , it is prolonged through
several tedious speeches , all of which are needless . # _ But , apart from these technical details , I haveone serious and sestnetic objection to make to the story . Angiolo , a young sculptor , devoted to his art with a passion which , if true , would declare itself less rhetorically , is also , at the opening of the play , devoted to Isolina , a blind girl , bred up under his father ' s roof ; He loves art , he loves Isolina , and his lite is happy . But the Prince , a liberal patron , hearing of his genius , visits him , and seduces him to court . Two years elapse . We find the sculptor rich , nattered , famous . Intoxicated with his unhoped-for prosperity , he neglects his father and forgets his love . Ambition has stifled love . " To make a name , " he counts nobler than to live a life . Here I perceive the intention of the arithoress to be a erenuine and poetic intention . Without being
original , the idea is one capable of profound and vivid illustration . But I think she has altogether missed her mark , and has not only failed in setting this change in the artist ' s nature so before us that we shall understand , and , in some sense , sympathize with it , but has also ruined the mo ™ interest in her hero by making him a meanrand worthless creature . Will you believe it—this Angiolo not only neglects to see his humble father , and forgets his once loved mistress , but when she comes to him , he brutally —and the more i > ruta , lly ,-because calmly—tells her that he loves her no more—that ambition is his mistress ; but , eh revanche , offers to be her brother ; and offers it in a style to make the change in his feelings an outrage ? To crown all , he does not even see her to tne gate ; but allows this blind girl to be led into the street by one of his servants—led from the house , where he has told her she can never enter more—led . from his presence , which he has told her can never more be the presence of one who loves her—led . thus broken-hearted and helpless , by a servant
That the audience did not hoot him , shows how indurated their moral sense must be , or how uncritical their feelings . In vain does the authoress try to recover him from this degradation—in vain is he remorseful , and full of love . in the next act : the man is a cold , heartless , ignoble nature , and we refuse him our pity and our interest . Miss Vandenhoff , as authoress and actress , was in a trying position . She played with great feeling and elegance , and excited tumultuous applause . Mr . Barry Sullivan showed that , as a juvenile tragedian , he may bo more serviceable to the theatre than as a performer of great parts . He was a little too violent in the first act—probably because tho critics objected to the quietness of his Samlet ; and he strode about the stage in too formal and affected a manner ; but he plaved tho ungrateful part of
the young sculptor with care and feeling ; and was altogethor far more acceptable than in the character of Samlet , which lies beyond him . Vandenhoff was received with tho hearty thunders duo to an old favourite ; but there was nothing in the part to call forth his ability .
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FRENCH PLAYS . A gat and pleasant sight is that of the little St . James ' s Theatre ~ during the season of French plays : an aristocratic audience , such as no other theatre can gather together , two-thirds on terms of acquaintance with each other , and all breathing , as it wero , one intellectual atmosphere—an elegant little thoatre , which is scarcely more than a drawing-room—lovely women and brilliant toilettes—a troupe of comedians which , if imperfect in its subordinate departments , is always admirablo in its " stars" — light , sparkling pieces , not mauled by the clumsy hands of some traducerand a nroper respect for the dinner-hour , implied in not commoncing before oight o ' clock—such aro the main attractions of our French thoatro under tho skilful and liberal management of Mr . MitcholJ . The opening night was unusually brilliant , and augurod a good soason . Lafont , a trroat favourite , crave us an acrreeable picture of tho bon enfant
ln a wow piece , called Tine Pension Alimentairo , although to English toolings tho position in which ho is placed , as pensioner upon the niggard bount y of a relation , who is porpotually taunting him with it , is somowhat revoltin g . There , was a debrailU mannor , which throw into stronger relief the genuine goodness of his nature , and reconcile ) : ! one to tho passion Julie had conceived for him . Tho pieco itsolf is very old in its subject , but nffrooably treated , and tho characters of Mhro Pipoine and Oscar admitted or rich Farcical treatment , which the actors , unhappily , could not give Jj ? ' ' ^ afont , and Lafont only , was equal to Inn part . Ike exportation and onjoymont of thoovening was Bdjazef ;—tho saucy , witty , sparkling , over young Ddiassofc—tho Ddjazet who , liko Ninon do iw and
* uos tho incomparable Mars , doos not defy Timo , for sho will not acknowledge him—has no acquaintance with \\\ m- ^~ connait pas 1 Liko dewdrops from an evergreen , she shakos tho wrinkling years . Whoro can audacious Time find food for his all-ravonous maw with such a tricksy
spjrit P . She has no beauty he can wither ; she never had a roundness he could destroy ; she does without beauty , she has a beauty of her own That thin , sharp , irregular face ; that high , nasal voice ; that figure , destitute of the " charms" which " emancipated females" despise—what can Time find there to destroy P Pontanus—an author whom you have never read , I dare say , ( nor have I , but that shall not prevent my quoting him )—Says , that a man who loves can't be old , . . ¦ , . , '' Quisquis amat nulla est conditione senex /* .- - : which is a comforting reflection for January who is courting May ; but I should prefer stating the ca 3 e in a more qualified aphorism ; thus"To eyes that love , the Loved are ever young , "
( I believe I am quoting myself there , which is very conceited ; but if others wont quote us , what can we poets doP ) and in this sense I maintain Dejazet is younger than almost any Woman on the stage . On Monday she reappeared amongst us as Le JMarquis de Lauzun , a piece as stupid as " personation p ieces" commonly are ; but you forget it in the variety , the grace , the finish of her acting . Her representation of the bashful young man with a lisp , was high comedy , as also that of the insolent young Marquis . Her stuttering savant and rollicking sportsman were less truthful , though amusing . But I would call especial attention to the elegance which reigned throughout , and which removed the acting
from the repulsiveness usually consequent upon a woman s performing men's characters . There is in Dejazet a distinction , a je ne scai quoi of refinement—a manner which carries off the impropriety , and makes it acceptable . Imagine a woman personating the character of an enragS sportsman , smoking , and finally getting drunk ( or affecting it ) till she falls asleep upon the table—and this , without creatingva momentary repulsiveness , without recalling to us the fact that she was a woman , and that such exhibitions ought to be revolting I Such a feat as that , only consummate elegance could accomplish ; the slightest crudity , the slightest error of taste in details , would have ruined the scene . There is , further , an absence of exaggeration and a keen perception of the niceties of dialogue , which make her acting irresistible . Her singing is charming , and her voice seems as pure and flexible as ever . Go and see Dejazet .
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DREARY LANE . Friends , lovers , countrymen , and readers , lend me your ears , I come to laugh at Bunn , and not to praise him ! The " enterprising manager , " the great Hip van Winkle , has produced a new piece at last : yes , at last a new piece L He finds that his operas and ballet , his Bateman children and his play-bills , the splendour of his own eloquence and the attraction of Ms management , " irrespective of expense , " will not seduce the public into Dreary Lane . The public carefull y abstains from entering that theatre . The public , like Glenarvon ' s rich lord ^ " passes scornfully by . " The public knows not Bunn : it has forgotten the voice of its charmer , the mgrate ! Pacing the vast solitudes of his theatre , Sip van Winkle exclaims , with Hippolyte , —
Mes seuls gemissements font retentir les bois , Et mes coursiers oisifs out oublie ma voix ! The " coursers" here meant are Londoners ; by poetical licence they may be called horses , because they are not the asses to believe in playbills ! Well , then , at last a newpiece is produced . A tragedy P I dare say , indeed ! A play , then P Fi done ! A comedy P Le plus souvent ! A farce P No , our whole management is one gigantic farce ; we want no more ! What then P Do tell us . It is not very easy for me to answer that question , because I have not seen the piece in question , ( pas si bSte I ) but only learn from the veridical Times , that it is a slender one-act , called , Too late for the Train , played in a style to secure it the most delightful privacy ; and I notice it merely as a glorious specimen of managerial enterprise and capacity . Vivian .
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LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS . These attractive concerts commenced on Wednesday , at Exeter Hall , which was crowded by an enthusiastic audience , eager to welcome the reappearance of incomparably the greatest tenor that England ever produced . Mr . Braham must now bo—well , never mind how old—he is the Methuselah of song ! Although his voice is gone , his manner still remains —and that our tenors may study , for tho grandeur of phrasing which
he and Pasta , and Brambilla , and Alboni , possessed in perfection , seems getting rarer and rarer every day . Braham sang four times , — " O 'tis a glorious sight to soo "— " Tfho Old English Gentleman "— " I love thee for thy heart alono "—and tho " Bay o' Biscay . " Miss Sophie Lowe , a German young lady , made a successful dtibut ; M . Aloxandro Billot and Miss Goddard porformod ; Prospero and Lavignc wore also heard ; and , indeed , except that the concert was too prodigal of " good things , " ( John Bull likes to have his money ' s worth , ) thoro was no drawback to tho success of the night .
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Feb . 21 , 1852 . ] THE 1 * 8 AD E R . 185
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Watouwokds . —Mankind arc fond of inventing ccrtaia solemn and sounding expressions which appenr lo convey much , and in reality menn little ; worda that aro tho proxies of ahseiit thoughts , and , liko other proxies , udd nothing to argument , while they turn , tho scales of decision . —Shelley's Letters . . ¦ , Hank ov a Poet . —In tho hierarchy of creative minds , it is tho presence of tho highest faculty that gives ( irst rank , in virtue of if : s kind , not degree 5 no pretension of a lovyci" nature , whatever the completeness of development or variety of effect , impeding
tho precedency of tho rarer endowment though only in the g < imi . Tho contrary is sometimes maintained ; it is attempted to make tho lower gifts ( which aro potentially included in the higher faculty ) of independent value , and equal to some exercise of tho special function . For instance , should not a poet possess common sonsoP Then tho possession of abundant common sonso implies a step towards becoming a poet . Yes ; such a step as the lapidary ' s , when , strong in tho fact of carbon entering largely into tho composition of tho diamond , ho heaps up a Back of charcoal in order to compote with tho Koh-i-noor . — Browniny on Shelley ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 21, 1852, page 185, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1923/page/21/
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