COVENT GARDEN TREATRE.—The "new grand historical and mili- tary spectacle"
called Napoleon Buonaparte," Captain, General, Consul, Emperor, and Exile," was brought out at this theatre on Monday night, with considerable success. It presents some of the principal events in the life of Buonaparte, in a series of successive scenes, divided into seven parts. The opening scene introduces the hero at the siege of Toulon, where his genius first developed itself; and the incident of Junot, who, having stepped from the ranks to write a despatch on a bat- tery, in which a shell exploding covers him with dust, coolly observed, "This has come just in time to supply us with writing-sand." The second part presents us with a well-managed and an effective scene of the passage of Mont St. Bernard by the French troops under Bonaparte, then General-in-Chief and First Consul, in which Napoleon is seen on horseback in the attitude of David's portrait of him crossing the Alps. The third part is the scene at the palace of Schiienbrunn, when Napoleon, then Emperor, gives audience to the Austrian Envoy after the battle of Austerlitz at a review Of his Guards. Here also is introduced the attempt of the German student, Stapps, to assassinate Buonaparte; who is made to pardon him, instead of having him shot, as was the case. This is a pitiful begging of popularity at the expense of truth and probability ; for no man in his senses would have let such an enthusiast and resolute assassin go free. Then follows, in the fourth i art, a scene at the Bridge of Montereau, with the announcement of the capitulation of Paris to the Allies. The fifth part exhibits with good effect the meinorable scene at Fontainbleau, and Horace Veruet's picture of the Adieu of Na- poleon to his Guards. The sixth part is a pictorial scene representing the dream of Victoria, a girl who follows Buonaparte through all his stage campaigns, for no other apparent purpose than that of acting the part of Fame, and of seeing this vision ; which consists of a series of pictures, painted but indifferently frinn the popular French prints of the victo- ries, &c. of Napoleon. The idea is good, but we think it would have been. more in keeping had it been the dream of one of his Old Guard on the frozen plains of Russia : it would have then appeared, as it should have done, a dream of military glory ; and had the pictures been well painted, they would have formed a beautiful exhibition. Then follows in the sevenths arid last part the dosing scene at St. Helena,—the walks, occupations, musings, vexations, illness, and death of Napoleon; the whole concluding with a view of his tomb, and an apotheosis. An ima- ginary incident of an attempted escape, by means of one of the Old Guard disguised as a sailor, is introduced. The death-bed scene follows': it Is painfully literal, and quite unfit for stage representation. To hear the groans, and to witness the last moments of a dying man in a bed- "Km, with all the paraphernalia of a sick-chamber, on the stage, is pain- ful to the feelings, under any circumstances ; but when the individual
represented is one of the greatest men of his age, it becomes positively revolting, and a sight for the gross multitude only. This exhibition was protracted to a lingeriag extent—at least it seemed so to us ; and it oc-
casioned considerable disapprobation from those who felt its impropriety. We hope it will be curtailed, and only the picture represented by the performers. The cheering at the conclusion of this scene almost chilled our blood : it seemed like the echo of those exulting shouts which Eng- lishmen in the blindness of their rage raised on the fall of Buonaparte,
as at the death of a monster. That their false impression of his charac- ter has, however, been effaced, was evident from the applauses bestowed upon such points as told for him ; and one, which involved a compliment to the French nation, was received with marked approbation, rendered more marked by the opposition of one or two hisses from the boxes, which were drowned in renewed applauses.
Mr. WARD'S personification of Buonaparte was clever, and like—at times very like in look ; nor did his stature seem too tall, so well was the vraisemblance kept up, especially in the latter scenes. His face, seen at a distance, and even his head, 'partook of the resemblance of his per- son. In imitating the manner of Napoleon, the actor was not so suce cessful : his set attitudes were good, and seemingly characteristic, but his step was too hurried, his action too bustling, and he bent Ids body instead of stooping his shoulders as Buonaparte did. He took snuff well, but handled the box so inexpertly as to let it fall twice : there was a want of repose, of dignity, and power, of calm commanding decision, in Mr. WARD'S representation. He substituted haste for promptitude, restlessness for activity, flightiness for quickness. His familiarity, play- fulness, and courtesy of manner, were too studied, and somewhat obse- quious. The tones of his voice also were too full of inflection, and defi- cient in energy ; and his manner of speaking affectedly conventional and at times insinuating, but in a vulgar sense.
The audience seemed extremely well satisfied with Mr. Walt's ex- ertions, and there was a general call for him at the conclusion. This was misinterpreted into a call for "God save the King ;" and cacord- ingly the curtain drew up and showed the corps dramatique arranged to sing the national anthem. The audience, however, would have WARD; who appeared in plain clothes, and received the applatises of a crowded house. "God save the King" was then sung ; Illarsted Bertrand and, others of Buonaparte's suite swelling the chorus ! The costumes seemed to be correct, and were very splendid : those of Buonaparte, in the various stages of his career, appeared particularly accurate, and we dare to say were so—we don't care to know if they were identical. Altogether, the spectacle is one of very considerable interest, and, strange to say, is by no means wearying.
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