The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns, and Hoaxes of Theodore HookHook, Theodore Edward
General
The Choice Humorous Works, Ludicrous Adventures, Bons Mots, Puns, and Hoaxes of Theodore Hook
Hook, Theodore Edward
English wit and humor
The first of the dramas is called "Royal Beneficence, or the Emperor
Alexander," and is founded on an event which occurred to his Russian
Majesty, on the banks of the Wilna, where he restored a drowning
young man by the means prescribed by the Humane Society, which means
of restoration are published with the play--evidently with the best
intentions. Mr. Plumptree offered this piece to Covent Garden and
to Drury Lane, but it was by both rejected; then Mr. Hindes, the
manager of the Norwich playhouse, had the refusal of it; but he, like
the London proprietors, objected to its appearance because a living
character was introduced.
Mr. Plumptree reasons very fairly upon the futility of this excuse,
and prints the detail of the Emperor's indefatigable exertions, upon
which his play is founded, together with many other interesting
documents concerning the valuable charity to which the piece is
dedicated.
The drama is full of interest and good feeling; and although, in the
present state of the stage, there is, perhaps, a want of bustle,
still the affecting incident at the end of the first act, where the
dead body of the hero is dragged out of the water, and stripped upon
the stage, under the immediate inspection of the Emperor, who says,--
"Lose no time in fruitless ceremony: this is our duty now; strip
off his clothes; wipe him dry, and rub about his heart, his
temples, wrists, and everywhere,"--
appears to us likely to have produced a great sensation in a British
audience.
We must say, that the rejection of such a piece by the London
managers reflects equally upon their taste and delicacy.
The next drama is called "Winter," and is founded upon the story
of Elizabeth Woodcock, who was buried in the snow for upwards of a
week, and is extremely pretty. "The Force of Conscience," a tragedy,
follows, which ends with the execution of Mr. Morris, a blacksmith,
on the new drop, during which awful ceremony he is assisted in prayer
by the Rev. Mr. Jones; the spectators make comments, and the culprit
his last dying speech, when the drop, or rather the curtain, falls,
which ends "the strange eventful history."
The next play is called "Mrs. Jordan and the Methodist," and is
founded upon a benevolent action (one of many) performed by that
incomparable actress. We have too much affection for her memory
to make a single comment upon Mr. Plumptree's delicate attempt to
commemorate her good qualities.
The next is a comedy, called "The Salutary Reproof, or the Butcher!"
from which we intend to make a few extracts, in order to give a fair
specimen of Mr. Plumptree's dramatic talent and virtuous intentions;
and we certainly do hope that one of the London theatres will afford
the town an opportunity of judging for themselves the benefits
likely to arise to their morals by such representations, without any
curtailment of their amusement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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