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Jane S. Oh! for mercy!

[Rises.

Alic. Mercy! I know it not !-for I am miserable. I'll give thee misery, for here she dwells,

This is her house, where the sun never dawns,
The bird of night sits screaming o'er the roof,
Grim spectres sweep along the horrid gloom,
And nought is heard but wailings and lamentings.
Hark! something cracks above! it shakes! it totters!
And see the nodding ruin falls to crush me!
'Tis fall'n, 'tis here! I felt it on my brain !
Let her take my counsel :

Why shouldst thou be a wretch? [Rises]
thy heart,

And rid thyself of this detested being;
I wo' not linger long behind thee here.

[Falls c.

Stab, tear

A waving flood of bluish fire swells o'er me;
And now 'tis out, and I am drown'd in blood.
Ha! what art thou! thou horrid headless trunk?
It is my Hastings! see he wafts me on!

Away! I go! I fly! I follow thee.

[Rushes off into R. D. Jane S. [Still lying R.c.] Alas! she raves; her brain I fear is turn'd,

In mercy look upon her, gracious heav'n,
Nor visit her for any wrong to me!

Sure I am near upon my journey's end:
My head runs round, my eyes begin to fail,
And dancing shadows swim before my sight,
I can no more; receive me, thou cold earth,
Thou common parent, take me to thy bosom,
And let me rest with thee.

Enter BELMOUR, R. U. E.

Bel. Upon the ground!

Thy miseries can never lay thee lower.

Look up, thou poor afflicted one! thou mourner, Whom none has comforted! Where are thy friends, The dear companions of thy joyful days,

Whose hearts thy warm prosperity made glad,

Whose arms were taught to grow like ivy round thee, And bind thee to their bosoms ?-[Kneels and takes her hand, she raises her head.]-Thus with thee,

Thus let us live, and let us die, they said.

Now where are they?

being re-produced by " Burbage his companie," with extraordinary circumstances of pomp and majesty, on St. Peter's Day, the 29th June, 1613, the discharge of certain small cannons, called chambers, at the king's entry to a masque at the house of Cardinal Wolsey, the thatched roof of the theatre caught fire, and the entire building was burned to the ground. Though, if Sir Henry Wotton and Mr. John Chamberlaine may be deemed good authority, no very great loss was sustained on the score of magnificence; for the former says, in his letter dated 2d July, 1613, “Nothing did perish but wood and straw, and a few forsaken cloaks" and the latter, that "it was a great marvaile, and fair grace of God, that the people had so little harm, having but two narrow doors to get out."

Henry VIII. was revived at the new theatre in Lincoln's-Inn Fields, in the year 1662, by Sir William Davenant, with appropriate splendour. The part of the king was finely played by Betterton, who was instructed by Sir William, from his recollection of Lowin, who had his instruction from Shakspeare himself. The celebrated Joseph Harris distinguished himself greatly in Cardinal Wolsey; old Downes, the stage historian, affirms, that his performance was little inferior to Betterton's, "he doing it with such just state, port, and mein, that I dare affirm none hitherto has equalled him." Harris must have been an actor of great versatility of talent. He was, alternately, Romeo, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Wolsey, Henry V., and a street ballad-singer. The latter character he performed, with Mr. Sandford, in a musical epilogue to "The Mau's the Master," the last comedy Sir William Davenant ever wrote. There is a print extant of Harris in Cardinal Wolsey, but of such extreme rarity, that two copies only are known to exist; one in the Pepysian Collection at Cambridge, and another in the possession of Mr. Mathews. The latter once adorved the illustrated Shakspeare that formerly belonged to Mr. Wilson.

If ever Shakspeare was crowned with the highest honours of the histrionic art, it was in the days of Siddons and Kemble. The sedate majesty of Siddons, in the trial-scene-her firm, yet subdued, tone, when she desires justice of the king-the startling energy of her appeal to Wolsey-and the bitterness of her reply to the haughty cardinal

"I will, when you are humble; nay, before,

Or God will punish me"

were of the highest order of acting. Her last scene was of that so lemnity and awe, as might awaken the votaries of pleasure in their own pandemonium. We question if an object of deeper interest was ever exhibited on the stage, or elsewhere, than the dying Katharine, as drawn by Shakspeare and illustrated by Siddons.

Kemble's figure and deportment were well calculated for the full display of the magnificent Wolsey. His affected humility, and real pride, were a masterly delineation. His farewell to the world and its vanities was in the spirit of a man chastened by adversity, but not subdued.

Pope, in King Henry, merits unqualified praise: the crabbed Bishop of Winchester was well sustained by Mr. Blanchard; and Simmons was extremely humorous in the loquacious coxcomb, Lord Sands.

DG.

Costume.

KING HENRY.-Crimson velvet and gold mantle edged with ermine, brown and gold doublet and trunks, white hose, white shoes, garter, sword and gauntlets.

DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM.-Round black hat, drab plumes, purple and gold mantle lined with white satin, brown velvet and gold doublet and trunks, white hose and shoes, garter, sword and gauntlets. Second dress:-Black.

NORFOLK.-Round black hat, drab plumes, crimson and gold mantle lined with buff satin, &c.

SUFFOLK.-Round black hat, drab plumes, crimson and gold mantle lined with blue satin, blue and gold doublet and trunks, buff hose, drab shoes, garter, sword, &c.

GUILDFORD.-Round black hat, drab plumes, blue and gold mantle, blue and gold doublet and trunks, white hose, white shoes, garter, sword, &c.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN.-White and silver.

SANDS.-Black hat, blue band, and plumes. This dress was one of extreme (antiquated) foppery.

CARDINALS.-Crimson caps; on state occasions, large round erimson hats, crimson robes and white trimming.

BISHOPS.-Black silk gowns, lawn sleeves.

CROMWELL.-Black velvet mantle, black doublet and trunks, black hose and shoes."

JUDGES.-Robes of office.

SURVEYOR.-Blue doublet and trunks trimmed with crimson, blue hose, russet shoes.

QUEEN KATHARINE.-Crimson velvet robes; when before the court at blackfriars, black velvet robe and black vei!; at Kimbolton Castle, white muslin and white veil.

LADIES OF THE COURT.-Splendid state dresses,
PATIENCE, AGATHA, and CICELY.-White muslin.

Cast of the Characters,

As performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, 1824.

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KING HENRY VIII.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-London.-An Antichamber in the

Palace.

Enter the DUKE OF NORFOLK, R. and the DUKE of BUCKINGHAM, L.

Buck. (L. c.) Good morrow, and well met. How have you done,

Since last we saw in France?

Nor. (R. c.) I thank your grace: Healthful; and ever since a fresh admirer

Of what I saw there.

Buck. An untimely ague

Stay'd me a prisoner in my chamber, when
Those suns of glory, those two lights of men,
Met in the vale of Arde.

Nor. Then you lost

The view of earthly glory: Men might say,
Till this time pomp was single; but now married
To one above itself. Each following day
Became the next day's master, till the last
Made former wonders its: To-day, the French,
All clinquant, all in gold, like heathen gods,
Shone down the English; and, to-morrow, they
Made Britain India: every man, that stood,
Show'd like a mine.

The two kings,

Equal in lustre, were now best, now worst,

As presence did present them. When these suns (For so they phrase them) by their heralds challenged The noble spirits to arms, they did perform

Beyond thought's compass; that former fabulous story, Being now seen possible enough, got credit.

Buck. Who did guide,

I mean, who set the body and the limbs

Of this great sport together, as you guess?
Nor. One, certes, that promises no element
In such a business.

Buck. I pray you, who my lord?

Nor. All this was order'd by the good discretion Of the right reverend Cardinal of York.

Buck. The devil speed him! no man's pye is freed From his ambitious finger. What had he To do in these fierce vanities?

Why took he upon him,

Without the privity o' the king, to appoint

Who should attend on him? He makes up the file
Of all the gentry; for the most part such

Too, whom as great a charge as little honour
He meant to lay upon.

Nor. The state takes notice of the private difference Betwixt you and the Cardinal.

You know his nature,

That he's revengeful; and I know, his sword

Hath a sharp edge: it's long, and, 't may be said,
It reaches far; and where 'twill not extend,

Thither he darts it. Bosom up my counsel,

You'll find it wholesome.-Lo, where comes that rock, That I advise your shunning! [Retires, R.

Enter Footmen, Guards, Gentlemen; one Gentleman bearing the broad Seal, another the Cardinal's Hat ; two Gentlemen with silver Pillars; two Priests with silver Crosses; SERGEANT AT ARMS with Mace; two Gentlemen Ushers, bareheaded, with Wands; CARDINAL WOLSEY, two Pages bearing his Train; CROMWELL with Dispatches; two Secretaries, with Bags of Papers; Chaplains, Gentlemen, Footmen, Guards, L.

WOLSEY, in his passage, fixes his eye on BUCKINGHAM, and BUCKINGHAM on him, both full of disdain.

Wol. (L. c.) The Duke of Buckingham's surveyor ?

ha!

Where's his examination?

Crom. (L.) Here, so please you.
Wol. Is he in person ready?

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