Event Comment: TThe London Chronicle for 1758 (p. 455): On Friday
the 3rd instant was presented
Coriolanus.
The two first acts of this play, as it is performed at
the above
theatre, were written by
Shakespear;
the three last for
the most part by
Mr. Thomson. But how a man of
Mr Sheridan's knowledge (who first introduc'd it
there about four years ago) could think of pounding into one substance two things so heterogeneous in
their natures as
the productions of those authors, is to me amazing.
Mr Smith enters in
the first act, after having (as we are to suppose) just overcome
the Volsci, to
the tune of violins and hautboys; but I am a little afraid
the grandeur of his triumph is a little misapplied, considering
the early times in which
Coriolanus lived, before
the Roman empire had arrived to any degree of splendor and magnificence, and was great in virtue only. However it makes a fine show; and Mr Smith, who has an excellent person, by
the help of a little burnt cork and a real coat of mail cuts a very martial appearance. I think it was one of
the Gracchi, who, when he was speaking to
the people, always had a servant behind him in
the Rostrum with a pitch-pipe which he touched whenever he found his master's voice rising beyond a certain height; such an instrument as this would, in my opinion, be of service to Mr Smith, for his fault seems to be that of keeping too much at
the top of his vioce.
Mrs Hamilton in
the part of
Veturai, especially in
the last act, excells herself; and in particular, she repeats that line: "He never can be lost who saves his country," with
the genuine spirit of a free-born
Englishman. By
the unnatural conjunction which is attempted to be made in this tragedy, most of
the o
ther characters are robbed of
their significance. Those two excellent actors,
therefore,
Ryan and
Sparks, only give us just cause to regret that
the parts of
Tullus and
Volscius are not longer....After
the play was presented a Ballad Opera called
The Contrivances; in which some good comedians are oblig'd to submit to
the drudgery of supporting as contemptible a trifle as ever was acted on
the stage