FRENCH PLAYS AT TIIE OLYMPIC.
ON Wednesday evening, M. PERLET, "the real Simon Pure," the veritable original actor of some of Messrs. MATHEWS' and LISTON'S best characters, made "his first appearance these five years, at the Olympic Theatre, at which he has teen engaged to perform twelve nights. The lapse of years has mellowed without impair- ing the powers of M. PERLET. These mirthful 9uickeners of the flight of time seem to he refreshed by the fanningof the wings they accelerate. Our foreign visitor, like his two English compe- titors, retains all the vivacity, humour, and adroitness of his earlier years. What O'KEEFE did for EDWIN, Messrs. SCRIBE and Co. have done for Psans.r: having chosen him for the me. dium to exhibit their choicest specimens of whim and eccentricity, they have not been unmindful of his attributes in the creation of those humorous characters, which have added to the "gayety of nations " during the present century. In like manner, our farce- tanslators have considered the peculiarities of our actors in their adaptation of those productions to the English stage: and though sonic sacrifice of grace may have been made in altei ing the mask and sock of PERLET to suit the features of LISTON and the foot of MATHEWS, their original wearer never achieeed greater triumphs than have been fairly won by his successors. We pay no small compliment to the genius of this eminent artist, in bringing in array against him Woof our most popular comedians; but though be unites many of their merits, we cannot stretch our complaisance so far as to allow that he is equal to either of them in those walks in which they are peculiarly distinguished. In the rapidity and animation with which he presents a successisn of strongly-con- trasted portraits, he may equal MATHEWS; but in fidelity of likeness and richness of colouring, he is unquestionably inferior; while in the representation of the miseries and defeat of ignorant pretension, he, like every other farceur we have seen, must shrink from a comparison with LISTON. In addition to the important services of M. PERLET, we have to mention the accession to the company of the veteran PELISSIE ; the lively and agreeable Mademoiselle BERANGER ; and the further advantage of a considerable improvement in the per- formances of M. PAULIN. When we add to these attractions the names of Mademoiselle IRMA and M. LAPORTE, it is almost super- fluous to say that the French company is now highly deserving of the patronage and support of all persons of taste.
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