. THE MEETING AT COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.
THE Meeting that we alluded to in our last number, took place on 'Wednesday ; and we never witnessed any thing of the kind that, to use a hacknied phrase, came better off. The company assembled in the first instance in the Saloon of the Theatre ; but the heat and pressure soon showed the necessity of an adjournment. The "press," and the speakers—who, with the exception of the Chairman, were professional gentlemen—occupied the stage, and the audience the pit. A few of the latter ranged themselves on the stage ; but, on the complaint of a genuine John Bull, who seemed to imagine that even that small dis- tinction trenched on his privileges, they were induced to quit their envied and uneasy station of standing on high to sitting below. A few, among whom were one or two ladies, took their station in the dress circle. We heard that she at whose command, it was truly said,
the passions rise and fall
Obedient to the magic of her call,"— Mrs. SIDDONS,—was present ; but we had no opportunity of ascer- taining the fact. The scene was not altogether unworthy of the greatest actress that ever trod the metropolitan boards. It is true, a theatre is but a sorry sight by daylight. There were earth, air, and water, heaped together in most incongruous arrangement—the earth beneath the water, and the heavens supporting both ; there was the rottenness of the sepulchre painfully obtruded, while the whited exterior was with- drawn. The gleam of a grey but cheerful sky, relieved at one period by a bright flow of sunshine, was also but a poor substitute for the thousand lights that we had seen dazzling within the same walls. This was the first aspect of the picture—on the other side, as we looked over the pit, and saw head rising above head in dim and distant pro- spective, the very obscurity multiplying their numbers and augment- ing their individual importance, it seemed as if we were gazing on the stern and determined and enthusiastic remnant of a persecuted faith congregated in some secluded cavern, whose intensity of purpose promised more for the success of their creed than all the glitter of the idle, careless, and loosely attached crowds, that publicly assembled amidst the blaze of prosperity and of light in the comely and adorned lane. The venerable chair in which, it was said, successive Catos had died, and which GARRICK and KEMBLE the Roman had pressed, was placed at the head of a plain, unadorned table, intended for the accommodation of the secretaries and the reporters. There was a mo- mentary hush, which was broken by the loud, hearty, and honourable applause which accompanied the advance of Mr. CHARLES KEMBLE. He had previously made his appearance in the Saloon, where he was similarly greeted. Seldom have we seen more painfully exemplified the vanity of all earthly distinctions, than when we beheld the last of the greatest house of actors that the world ever saw—himself the first of . all our living comedians—with his finely modelled figure, and manly, intelligent countenance, standing forth on an occasion when the in- • tegrity of that establishment which his exertions had long upheld and dignified was at stake, to intreat the favour of any gentleman present to preside over a meeting which was to decide its fortunes perhaps for ever. Nor could we avoid asking, where were the noble, where the titled friends of the drama, that the brother of SIDDONS and of JOHN KEMBLE should in this crisis of its fate be left to make such an entreaty ? And grievous for the moment was our dis- appointment, when the chair which would have honoured the proudest aristocrat of them all was occupied by the indefatigable auctioneer of - Covent Garden Piazza. It would, however, be injustice to Mr. GEORGE ROBINS, not to acknowledge, that his conduct as chairman , was most able, and that he left nothing to be regretted on the score of tact and talent. It is not our purpose to enter upon the speeches.
• Mr. Ronuss spoke sensibly and well ; Mr. BARTLEY with much propriety and good sense ; Mr. KEMBLE with truth, eloquence, and feeling. The result was most favourable. The whole sum immediately pressing on the Theatre is only five-and-twenty hundred
pounds ; the whole sum requisite for the future maintainanee of the Theatre is only six thousand pounds;—twelve hundred and eighty pounds were subscribed over the table ! Among the loans especially worthy of potice was that of Mr. SHAKSPEARE REED of 2001.; Mr. REED being already a shareholder., of the theatre to the amount of 2,000/. Among the offers of assistance, that of the ad- mirable and popular actress Miss KELLY, who volunteered six nights of gratuitous exertion, stood deservedly conspicuous. From the spirit of the meeting, we have not the slightest doubt that the sum, and in- deed more than the sum required, will soon be raised; but we auger still better things,—we have little doubt, that from the impression that was made on Wednesday, an impetus has been given to the play-going public, which will insure not only a splendid commencement but successful progress and profitable issue to the approaching season. e.
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