Covent-Garden Theatre.
A newv comedy, in three acts was prodaced at Covent-.garden Theatre last night, under the titie (not very recherche) of Charles .hc Second, or Xe MAerrz Monarcl. It is founded upon an anec- dote (dramatized originaly in the French, in a piece which dlIle. Mlars acts delizhtfully)of the King's having gone withRochester,for some joke or iAtrigle, to a public.house in WVapping. He is left here by his companion (who first picks bis pocket) to paythebili. Being without money, he offers his watcli And is immdliately charged with having stolen it. In the end, he escapes. but the watch is known, and brought to him at the Dalace; and the denoioemnent natural un- der sueb circumstances takes place. Alr. Dibdin used this story some years back at the Circus, in a burletta (if we recollect niht) called Waggeries in .Wapping. The chief value of last night's piece lies im the excellent actingr which has been bestmwed upon it. A1r. Kemble played Charles the Second. and is decidedlv iraprov. ing in his comedy. He acted the part with as much arclness and humour as Elliston could given to it in his best day. He lookh ad- mirably in the dress of the King, and stilU better in the disguise of the sailor; and his adlaresses to the girl in the tavern Sete,-with the, business of his annoyance at missing his PSrse,-his being shut up wlile constables are sent for tQ selize -him,-his scald- ing Mr. Duruset with the tea.kettle,_and eventually coaxing the landlord's niece to let him escape,;-the whole of this is given in a style of free, unaffiecteda genuine comedy. Faweett does the landlord of the tavern, =1d succeeds as weU as I5r. Kemble. Jones's part ( Lord Rochester) is a wretched one; but he makes as much of it as anyman could do. Themeritofthepiece(as adramna)I lies hi about three or four situations, farcical entirelv, but not defi- cient in comic effect. It ought by no means to have exceeded i-vo acts; and would be mended very considerably, if the first of the three were oniitted. A sort of serious interest is added to the broad plotupon the King, by the lady, whom the masqueaders go tovisit, turning out to be the niece of Rochester. Mliss Tree plays this part cleverly; and is united to a Court page, who has been making love to her in the disguise of a snusic-master, There are a coaple of songs and a duet in the piece, which do it good] rather than mis- chief. The dialogue_(what a caricattare of the only exceUlence of the Coutrt of Charles I !)_ is some of the worst we ever heard. lInt the aching throughout, pgrtlciclanly of Ur. Kemble and Mr. Fawcett, is so good, that ii' the affair were reducetd in lengtl, it might, for a time, proVe a successfull trife. COVENT..GARDEV ?TaEATRB.