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The dense mass present seemed to have some especial object in view beside ban queting on the performance of this gifted actor, and symptoms broke out, before the rising of the curtain, of some such disposition. Forrest's name was frequently repeated, accompanied with cries of "Hail Columbia," and when at last the scene drew, and presented to their longing eyes the well-remembered form and features of our national tragedian, a shout burst forth from box. pit, and gallery, which for intensity and duration surpassed any thing we had ever before heard in a theatre. The honored actor rose and bowed profoundly, but, as if indifferent to his acknowledgments, the deafening roar still went ou and gained in strength and volume.

It was evidently meant that its echoes should cross the Atlantic, to abash and confound the pack of English curs, "Tray, Blanche, and Sweetheart," which had lately showed their teeth and malice at sight of the envied excellence of our Ame rican actor, whose marked superiority could not be brooked in silence. This demonstration was well conceived and as well executed by the audience which crowded the Park Theatre on the return of Forrest, and there was a haughty dig. nity in the mode of rebuke which well became the Americau character. The play at length went on, and never was an audience more intent, and never did actor better deserve such homage by the thrilling portraiture he drew of the follies and griefs of the broken-hearted Lear. It would delight us much to wander sip pingly, bee-like, from flower to flower of his exquisite delineation of Shakspeare's grandest effort, but our space and not our will refuses. Our remarks must be geue ral, and directed rather to the ensemble of Mr. Forrest's performances than to the minuter details, whose novel beauty and excellence would cousume whole volumes of eloquent commentary. We attended his impersonations of King Lear, Othello, and Hamlet, and were not more fascinated by his inimitable acting, than struck by his unexpected improvement.

We recollect distinctly Mr. Forrest's acting in 1830, which was then remarkable, and filled our theatres to suffocation. His style was chiefly impassioned, and he gave to the utterance of the wilder emotions and passions of our nature a stormy vehemence, which appalled by its fury and attracted by its truth. The masses particularly were captivated by the natural grandeur of his acting, which owed nothing, then, to the refinements of study or to elaboration of ornament. At this period Mr. Forrest overlooked entirely the development of all

the subtler shades of character, and failed utterly in the delineation of the tenderer emotions. It was then supposed by the best judgments that his style was determined, and that to the end of the chapter our tragedian would excel chiefly in the terrible expression of the stronger passions for which his herculean powers so well fitted him. Had Mr. Forrest's geuius been less, these predictions would have been verified. But as years went on, his acting steadily improved.

By degrees he began to evoke the secret spirit of his impersonations, and give to its capricious and varying phases a vivid and startling reality, which doubly enhanced the spell of his acting, and revealed the intellectual acumen of the player. Stranger still, this giant-actor, whose furious bursts of simulated passion have made whole andiences recoil in fear, gradually learned to subdue the hoarse thunder of his magnifi cent voice into tones of such tender sweetness in the well-feigned revelation of the gentler emotions, as to draw tears from every eye. His pathos was so natural, subdued and touching, as to become irresisti bly affecting. Those who had followed him, admiring and wonder-struck through these alternate and marvellous unfoldings of his ripening powers, thought at last the ultima thule had been reached, and that they beheld in him the last perfections of a truly great actor, whose natural genius, sharpened by experience, and refined by study, had given form and shape to its brightest exhalations and left nothing more to hope, as there was nothing in his acting to desire. His recent performances at the Park Theatre have proved the utter fullacy of these convictions, for, like his great master, having exhausted all old familiar modes of stage-painting, he has imagined new.

It would be a labor of love to enter, as we have said, on a critical examination of his admirable conceptions and still more wonderful execution; to expatiate on his new readings, and to express our fervent admiration of his noble bearing, his graceful gesture, his harmonious intonations, and on every light and shade of the faultless portraits, he throws off with such consummate skill as to fill us nightly with wonder and delight. But we must coufine our selves to the simple statement of the marked novelties we recognize in Mr. Forrest's acting since his return, which may possibly serve his future biographer in tracing what we have so crudely attempted, the progressive growth of his rare talents to the fulness of maturity. Whilst the early fire of the tragedian has lost nothing of its heat, it has acquired from passing through the lens of longer experience, a concentration which gives it ten

fold effect. His passion is now displayed with an intensity which arouses the spectator to involuntary sympathy, and awakens responsive throbs in every heart.

Throwing aside the conventionalism of the English stage, which has transmitted tragedy clothed in the stiff manner and pretentious stride of the Kemble school, he walks the stage with rare dignity, but in a natural gait, whilst his manner wears a simplicity so real that the audience is cheated into a momentary belief that they are looking upon scenes of actual life, and not the "counterfeit presentments" of the stage. These delicate shadings which lend "a grace beyond the reach of art," are the genuine inspiratious of a keen sensibility and the acute mind of genius. To say that Mr. Forrest is the only living re presentative of Shakspeare is saying very little; for without quarrelling with the mental capacities of English actors, it is indubitable that not a single one of them has the mere physical requisites in shape or power. There is not one that can stand up, and say to all the world this is a man;" and no matter what the intellect of the actor, his physical inability to realize the conceptions of his author renders him incompetent, and certainly no rival to the American tragedian, who has been so liberally endowed by nature with a person entirely adequate to express all that his original and daring mind can in its boldest flights conceive. Whilst the English nation may justly boast of their immortal bard, have we not reason to be proud of the only actor who can give to his crea tions a habitation and a name?" The esteem in which he is held, and the crowds which flock to the theatre, are the best proof that his country rejoices in his splendid talents; but

"come what may, The cat will mew, and dog will have his day."

The public of New-York are still surprised and pained to see the persevering malice of certain journals which have for years past followed the career of Mr. Forrest with the spiteful expression of their private grudges. This is unworthy, and must do more to compromise the character of these journalists, whose duty is stern impartiality, than their ingenious detraction can possibly impair the fame of

the actor.

Samuel Lover.-Ere the publication of the present number of the Review, this gentleman will probably have made his first bow to an American audience, in a species of entertainment that he seems adapted, above all the celebrities who have visited our shores, to render brilliantly successful. He intends to give a series of

lectures, enlivened by anecdote and musical interlude, illustrative of the history, habits, traditions and national characteristies of his native land. Carleton, Mrs. Hall, and several other writers, have recently endeavored to portray the peculiarities of the Irish; but the first, like the mere farceur of the stage, has exaggerated every detect, displaying the so-called "wit of the people" at the expense of their common sense, and their vices to the prejudice of their goodness of heart.

Mrs. Hall, following in the wake of most English writers on the subject, has but too often mistaken effects for causes, thereby attributing the miseries of the Irish, rather to innate depravity and natural indolence, than to the misgovernment of the country. Lover, on the contrary, in his stories of the peasantry, has depicted them as they are, and possessing almost every phase of the national character, he has been enabled to reflect with matchless accuracy all their redeeming, as well as defective traits. This gentleman's accomplishments are as various as they are fascinating.

A charming poet, excellent novelist, skilful composer, and able painter, he is petted and applauded wherever he goes. Surely he must have plucked the Fourleaved Shamrock, which, according to his celebrated song, enables the possessor to weave such varied spells. If Mr. Lover had composed no other song thau this, it would have secured him an enthusiastic reception, for it breathes the pure spirit of philanthropy which pervades all his writings. Mr. Lover is, in private life, an agreeable and finished gentleman: his manner is frauk, unassuming, and cordial, and both his person and conversation are sufficiently bland and jovial to sustain the impression which has preceded him.

New Theatre.-We learn with great pleasure, that a new theatre will be immediately built on the Astor Place, the best site unquestionably in New-York :-first, because it is perfectly isolated, so that in case of fire no other property would be endangered-second, it will thus present two or more striking facades to public view, favored by a situation so open and unencumbered and thirdly, by possessing at least two different ways of ingress and egress, it will enable the largest audience to enter or leave the theatre in a few minutes time. The ground is taken, we understand, and the plan of the building is under discussion. We hope great attention will be given to the interior arrangements, so as to unite elegance with far more convenience and comfort than any of our present theatres offer to their visi tors.

en.

Arrest of the Mayor.-No one who has visited New-York, or remained in Broadway, if only for half an hour, can be ignorant of the danger to which those who have more money than wit, are subjected at the mock auctions with which this beautiful street is infested. The worthy Mayor had long tried the ordinary, means but without effect. Copper was still vended for gold, pewter for silver, and cotton for linAt last he thought of a device which was considered the most effectual to which he could have recourse. He employed men in front of these dens of fraud with placards on their shoulders, cautioning the unsophisticated, to "Beware of Mock Auctions." This must have put many on their guard, though it did not oblige the auctioneers to close their premises. One of these persons, bolder than the rest, lodged a complaint against the Mayor for having damaged his trade and hurt his inThe Mayor was thereupon arrested, and was compelled to give bail of $500. The complainant, we understand, thinks himself entitled to 20,000 dollars indemnity. The whole affair, however amusing to the public, suggests some grave and gratifying reflections. It shows the necessity of a law that will reach the great evil complained of, by which so many poor and honest men are cheated of their hard earn. ings; and it evinces, on the other hand, a feature of our institutions, of which we may justly be proud. When have we heard of a Lord Mayor of London being arrested for so slight a transgression of the bounds of his duty? Never. There is a spirit awake in this land which examines with jealous care the slightest sin of irregularity or excess on the part of our public officers, and alack for those who are devoid of the intelligence or integrity essential to the just fulfilment of their duties.

terests.

Abuses of the Prison System.-The annual report of the Prison Association presents for consideration and reform some serious evils in our system of imprisonment. It complains in earnest terms, that a class of persons not convicted of any crime, are received into our penitentiaries as being diseased or destitute, and that as a prisoner is never dismissed until he asks to be discharged-if he choose to remain and be supported at the public expense, his object can be easily obtained.This, however, seems to us the least important cause of regret ; for wretches who

would prefer staying in such a receptacle, are unfit to mingle again with even the common herd of mankind.

But there is one dreadful feature of imprisonment, both in this and European countries, at the sight of which the humane and better portion of society must start back with horror. We mean the promis. cuous association of prisoners, by which the bad are rendered worse and the comparatively good become irrevocably de praved. They render the prison or peni tentiary the school of vice and every spe cies of infamy which the ingenious villain can invent or the daring robber put in ex

ecution.

The Californians.-This month the regiment destined for California, numbering about 700 men, resolved, like the pious Eneas, exire locosque explorare novos, sailed for that country. So many difficul ties had been experienced both in its for mation and in preparations for the voyage, that we sometimes doubted the success of the expedition. When the troops were on Governor's Island, mothers, sisters, and fair cousins, sought the recruits daily with tears in their eyes, beseeching them to remain, and numbers, overcome by their entreaties, took advantage of what has been facetionsly termed the "baby act," and obtained their dismission. These are certainly no great loss, for not only were they generally under age, but deficient in fortitude and those other manly quali ties essential to a pioneer in a hostile country like California. We understand that a great many highly respectable young men joined the regiment. Amongst these we may mention seven clerks from a great commercial house in this city. There can be no doubt that the expedition has been a dernier resort to a great many discoutented and unemployed persons, and that it has rid the city of a few hundred idlers who were neither useful to themselves nor a credit to their friends. We have little faith in most of the complaints made against Col. Stephenson, the commander of the regiment. Those who are placed at the head of undisciplined men like these, and whose duty it is to make soldiers of them, can alone know the various obstacles which arise, aud the amount of dissatisfaction whicheven moder ate drilling occasions.

We have now but to express our best wishes for the brilliant success of the expedition.

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