VOL. 2.] Ellis's Journal of the late Embassy to China. 291 and is brought distinctly under view by this premature discussion by informing the following extract, which will also them, that whatever was right would be serve to show the general mode of pro- attended to." ceedings: We need not pursue this interview any "4th of August.-Received a visit further. The Mandarins were of rather from Chang and Yin, the two Mandarins a vulgar cast in dress, appearance, and who are to accompany the Embassy; manners, tho' Chang and Yin were among they were both preceded by their visiting the most genteel of the class. In the tickets, composed of slips of red paper, course of conversntion," Chang remarkeighteen inches long by six wide, on ed, that the Emperor entertained a much. which their names and titles were inscri- higher opinion of the English than other bed. Yin arrived first, and was received nations; in fact, that he deemed them of by Captains Maxwell and Hall, in their importance; this was modified by Yin, full uniforms, upon deck: he would not who added, as a reason for this considbe presented to the Embassador till his eration, that they came from a great discolleague arrived. When Chaug reach- tance to manifest their respect.' ed the ship, they were conducted to Lord "The Chinese (it is here observed) Amherst's cabin by Mr. Morrison, where are well sized, but those we have seen do they were received by his Excellency and not seem muscular. Both the Mandarins the two Commissioners. After the usual are advanced in life, the youngest being compliments they proceeded to make in- fifty-five. Yin brought his son, a fiue quiries as to the number of boats that boy of eleven years of age, on board with would be required for the Embassy, pre- hin, who readily made acquaintance with sents, and baggage. Copies of the lists young Amherst. The boy, on being that had been transmitted to the Viceroy presented by his father to the Embassaof Pe-che-lee, were then put into their dor, knelt down with much grace and hands, and with the exception of an at- modesty; this is the usual salutation of tempt to reckon the amount, fifty-four children to their parents, and of inferiors persons, the number passed unnoticed. to superiors. We have all reason to conThey next asked what were the objects cur with Mr. Barrow's description of the of the Embassy to which it was replied, Chinese as a frowzy people; the stench that the intention of the Prince Legent arising from the numbers on board was was to manifest his regard for his Impe- not only sensible but oppressive: it was rial Majesty, and to confirm those rela- the repose of putrifying garlic on a muchtions of friendship that had subsisted be- used blanket.' tween their illustrious parents. On their In other places they are represented as demanding whether nothing else was in- beastly gluttons. A Chinese host is grattended, they were apprized that the ob- ified with the same symptoms of excessive jects of the embassy were stated in the eating in his guests which some European Prince Regent's letter, and would be entertainers are with reference to excescommunicated to To-chong-tong, the sive drinking. Their dishes are generalprincipal minister, who was, as we had ly greasy and insipid. been informed, to meet us at Tin-sing After hearing many reports, and en. . . . . They then adverted to the cere- tering into frequent conferences, by which mony of ko-tou, or prostration, and ob- the time necessary for Chinese diplomacy served, that previous practice would be was spent, at noon on the 9th of August, required to secure its being decorously Lord Amherst left the ship in his barge, performed before the Emperor; to this and began his voyage up the river Peiho it was answered, that every mark of re- for Pekin. He was saluted with three spect would on the present, as on the guns on passing a small fort called Tongformer embassy, be manifested towards koo, and three or four hundred soldiers his Imperial Majesty. Upon conferring were seen upon the beach, divided into together, it seemed that they were not companies of ten by large flags, each solreally aware of what had then occurred; dier carrying a smaller, like so many lanas the subject was, however, renewed by cers. They were dressed in uniform, them, it was judged advisable to cut short Visiting tickets being interchanged with 292 Ellis's Journal of the late Embassy to China. [VOL. 2 the Chin-Chae, (a minister of some rank,) dress of the lower orders. Though their complimentary visits followed, and great garments are by no means more scanty honours in store from the Emperor to than those of the inhabitants of India," young Amherst were insinuated, evidently they take no care to avoid the grossest by way of attacking the Embassador on the exposure of their persons, and are in this weak side of parental fondness, in order to respect little better than the most savage dispose him to concede the prostrations. tribes of Africa. On the 10th, the boats which had accompanied the Commissioners from the squadron returned, and the embassy pursued their course up the river, the banks of which were lined with spectators to see them pass. There were here no signs of excessive population, and the numbers of the spectators did not exceed what would have appeared on a space of similar extent in India. The women,unlike the crowds presented by our European spectacles, were few, and in general ugly. This day they reached Tien-sing, eighty miles up the river, where they expected to meet the Prime Minister; but the account of the country becomes here so picturesque, that we must be more liberal with the words of our author. "It is very difficult to describe the exact impression produced on the mind by the approach to Tien-sing. If fine buildings and striking localities are required to give interest to a scene, this has no claims; but on the other hand, if "I was surprised (says the author) the gradual crowding of junks till they with the size of the Chinese horses, become innumerable, a vast population, having been led to expect that their buildings though not elegant yet regular height did not exceed that of small ponies; and peculiar, careful and successful cultion the contrary, they were not inferior in vation, can supply those deficiencies, that respect to the generality of Arab the entrance to Tien-sing will not be horses; they are, however, coarse and ill- without attraction to the traveller. The shaped, and promise neither strength nor pyramids of salt, covered with mats, the action. The infantry are armed with dinensions and extent of which have swords, and the cavalry add a bow and been so ingeniously estimated by Mr. arrows to their equipment; their saddles Barrow, are the most striking objects. are heavy, but did not look inconvenient to the rider; they are not unlike the Turkish. The Chin-Chae travelled in a green sedan-chair, wider than ours, but not so high green is the colour appropriated to men of rank. The carts on two wheels justify the complaints that have been made of them. Both banks of the river are covered with a large species of rush, and the country, as far as the eye reaches, is perfectly flat. We were two hours and a half passing from the beginning of the line of houses on the right bank of the river to our anchorage. A salute was fired from a small fort; and, nearly opposite, troops were drawn up. Among them were matchlock men, wearing black caps. We observed some companies dressed in long yellow and black striped garments, covering them literally from head to foot; they are intended to represent tigers, but "We witnessed, this morning, the certainly are more likely to excite ridicule punishment of face-slapping, inflicted than terror: defence, from the spread of with a short piece of hide, half an inch their shields, would seem their great obthick: the hair of the culprit was twisted ject. A short distance from our anchortill the eyes almost started from their age, we passed on our left the branch of sockets, and on his cheeks, much distend- the river leading to the canal, and thence ed, the blows were struck: his crime to Canton. The excess of population was said to be robbing from the baggage was here most striking. I counted two boats; the executioner, and those con- hundred spectators upon one junk, and cerned in the punishment, seemed to these vessels were innumerable. The delight in his sufferings." pyramids of salt were so covered with The only other remark which Mr. them, that they actually became pyraEllis makes upon the people on his first mids of men. Some crowds of boys reglance, which occurs to us as worthy of mained standing above their knees in the repetition, is on the indecency of the water for near an hour, to satiate their VOL. 2.] The Drama. 293 curiosity. A more orderly assemblage their assertion. They suffered an admiscould not, however, I believe, be pre- sion to escape them, however, which we Sented in any other country; and the are surprised the Commissioners did not soldiers had but seldom occasion to use lay hold of as conclusive evidence against even threatening gestures to maintain their argument on the score of precedent. order. I had not before conceived that namely, that the native princes and nohuman heads could be so closely packed; bles were much displeased because the they might have been by screws squeez- English stood while they prostrated ed into each other, but there was often themselves--yet even after this confesno possible vacancy to be observed. All sion they contended that the English had these Chinese spectators were exposed also performed the prostrations: Of this bare-headed to the rays of the mid-day controversy we need notice nothing more, sun, when the thermometer in the shade at present at least, but that Lord Amstood at eighty-eight. Females were not herst offered to bow nine times-theMannumerous in the crowd; and these gen- darins asked him to kneel on one knee, erally old, and always of the lower which was refused. Lord A. agreed to orders. The Chinese are, to judge from kneel on one knee in the actual presence the inhabitants of Tien-sing, neither of the Emperor at Pekin, and to kiss the well-looking nor strongly made; they Emperor's hand, but at the latter proare rather slight, but straight, and of posal the Mandarins' heads were set a middle height." shaking. They prevailed so far as to At Tien-sing the discussions about the get young Amherst to rehearse the cere Ko-tou thicken upon us; the Mandarins mony for his father's edification, and all employing every artifice to induce Lord this bowing on our part and prostration Amherst not to thwart the Emperor in on theirs being gone through before the expectation of bows and genuflexions, imaginary presence of the Monarch, conand his Lordship resisting them as judi- stituted by a raised step at the upper ciously as he could. Neither falsehoods end of the room, and a table covered nor oaths were spared by the Chinese, with yellow silk and a censer burning who throughout these transactions shine upon it, the parties at last sit down to as the most lying varlets that ever mo- a dinner,given by orders of the Emperor, narch employed for special purposes. and presided at by Mandarins of very They swore that Lord Macartney per- exalted buttons. formed the ceremony, and even had the From these absurd discussions we pass impudence to appeal to Sir George to the picture drawn of Tien-sing: but Staunton, the living witnesss of its scan- here out limits warn us to leave off for dalous want of truth, for the veracity of the present. COMPARISON OF KEAN, KEMBLE, AND COOKE. From the Literary Gazette. No AS the celebrated Tragedians, Bet- ed fame of Mr. Kean; but we may hore terton, Garrick, Barry, Mossop,Hen- that, by marking his excellences, and the derson and Cooke, were, by nature, un- extent of his versatile powers, some of fitted for certain characters, Kemble and those, who go to the Theatre with a preKean are, also, subjected to a similar judice and return with a disposition to limitation. It is a professional injury to cavil, may be induced to judge more a performer, however eminent, to com- justly of this admirable performer. pliment him with the praise of capabili- actor, in our time, has turned to so great ties, which never fell to the share of any an account his share of natural advantaone actor. Doctor Johnson observed ges, or more largely compensated by the that, by placing the merits of Pope's energies of his mind for the absence of Man of Ross on the basis of truth, he had certain requisites. His command over made his fame more permanent. We our sympathies is less the result of a do not conceive that any of our remarks cast of countenance than a combinacan have a similar effect on the well earn- tion of powers. His vigour of expres 294 The Drama. -He bewept my fortune, [VOL. 2 sion is generally produced by the preg- the superiority in this character. On the nant meaning of the whole man; and contrary, nature had set a stamp of dehis strong conception of his author. We formity on the person of King Richard have had several portraits of him, but none III, and, although none of the admirers sufficiently impressive. His features sin- of mere nature, and nature alone, have gly considered, are not such as an artist contended for a crook-backed or miswould choose for an historical agent. But shapen legged representative of his solhis aspect, especially in a front view, is dierly prowess and royalty; they affect a peculiarly interesting; and, when second- degree of artificial deformity; and, with ed by his voice and action, well adapted, perfect propriety, dispense with grandeur not only to the more violent passions, but of person in his representative. Through to urbanity, thoughtfulness, and gentle all Gloucester's fine spun hypocrisy, the melancholy. The curl of his lip in emo- settled bloodiness of his mind breaks into tion is not favourable for tenderness; a cruel and scoffing alacrity, when gratiand his voice is not well suited to the fying his appetite for blood. The murmelting accents of love; but it is capable of ders of Prince Edward and King Henry much inflection in the lower tones; & clear, are accompanied by circumstances of harmonious and solemn in level dialogue atrocious inhumanity. The mode in or soliloquy. It is not of a sufficient com- which he worked up his brother King pass for his fine conceptions or feelings; Edward on his death-bed, to put their and when raised, often falls into hoarse- brother, Clarence, to death, was rendered ness, early in the course of an evening's more detestable by his protestations of performance. Although his person is love and pity to the latter; who tells his pleasing, his want of height and com- assassinsmanding figure, his gait, countenance, and familiar modes of expression, render him inferior to Kemble in characters of heroism, grandeur and majesty: but he possesses requisites which, where dignity and grandeur are not essential, enable him to exercise an astonishing control over an audience. Those who know him in private life, speak of him as an affectionate husband and father; and he is so far from being of a close and gloomy disposition, that he has incurred a charge of imprudent frankness and unreserve in his In a moment after, on a doubt expressed social circle. Notwithstanding these traits by Buckingham, that his Friend, Hastof a kindly and open temper, he excels in characters of a very opposite description; and even surpasses Kemble in the fierce and dark colouring of the evil passions, To this we may justly notice an exception in Macbeth, who was not naturally bad or cruel. Ambition, joined to what he deemed the supernatural excitements of the Weird Sisters, and the remorseless goadings of his aspiring consort, proved the temptations, which first led him to step from the path of loyalty and justice, into treason and midnight murder. His murders are not committed upon his own kindred; and his worst guilt is followed by some compunctious visitings of nature. There is also an idea of martial diguity His flagitious instrument, Catesby, eager and royalty, connected with his person. to gratify the keen-set stomach of his mas Kemble has, from all these circumstances, ter, cuts short the complaints of Hastings, He sends a jesting annunciation to Hast- "Commend me to Lord William-tell him, ings, might possibly refuse to join in the murder of the two young Princes, he dooms him to death, without hesitation, in this reply-Chop off his head-Man." Immediately after, as if he had gained an appetite by these slaughterous thoughts, he cries out "Come let us sup betimes, that afterwards off with his head-now by Saint Paul, I swear, VOL. 2.] The Drama. 295 and brutally burries him to execution as and actions, are the opposite of virtue and to a play : ་་ Come, come, despatch-the Duke would be at dinner: Make a short shrift―he longs to see your head.”— The same horrid blood-thirstiness, and equal movement of the appetites for murder and feasting, appear in the taking off the two young Princes, his nephews. Before supper, he hires Tyrrel to perpetrate the crime; and after having received from his miscreant emissary the joyful news that the deed was done, as if still hungering for a detail of the cries, shrieks, and dying struggles of the hapless innocents, as a digester, he cries out, Come to me Tyrrel soon-soon, after supper, When thou shalt tell me the process of their death.”— elevation, it is plain that grandeur of deportment, and an elevated style of expression, if not a departure from historical and dramatic truth, are, at least, not first essentials, and may, in the opinion of some be dispensed with, in lieu of more apposite qualities. The passions of Richard, although so finely marked and varied, are, in all their gradations, of the dark and common class in general life. They lie within daily observation; and, as the virtues and fine qualities of the mind are more rare than the vices or defects, so models of fraud, perfidy, and sanguinary cruelty, are easily found for an actor's study and imitation. A perThe repetition of the word "soon" ex- former, therefore, whose style is formed presses his horrid impatience for the re- upon what he sees and hears daily, and cital. A lover could not more eagerly who excels in representing the workings press for the bridal hour with his mistress, of passion in individual nature or real than this monster for a tale of "hot blood." life, is, perhaps, better qualified to give a He procures the death of his consort, lively representation of this tyrant, than a Anne, by a medical attendant: and pro- performer, whose style is formed, like nounces "Off with his head-so much that of the great poets, painters, and for Buckingham"-against the obsequi- sculptors, upon general nature. In Kem→ ous and guilty instrument of his own ex- ble's Richard there was a certain elevation, altation, with the same remorseless des- which might be considered, by some, a patch, as he had shewed against Hast- deviation from dramatic and historical deings. Shakspeare has drawn the mind of scription, and which, by throwing a this sanguinary usurper, the dark count- grandeur over his crimes, rendered the erpart of his deformed body. His shrewd criminal less an object of abhorrence. insight into human nature does not ex- We do not mention this noble deviation tend beyond a knowledge of its weak- to condemn it; but Cooke's masterly nesses and evil propensities; and is em- representation of Richard, was, on the ployed in wading to a throne, through an whole, more effective in the dark and indiscriminate slaughter of King, Prince, powerful shades of atrocity than KemNobles, and Gentry, without sparing age ble's. His strength of voice enabled or sex among his nearest kindred. He him to deliver some passages in the last is destitute of a single good quality; un- scene, with more terrible impression than less a relentless hardihood in the perpe- Kean; but Kean throws out the bursts tration of crimes, and a desperate feroci- of savage cruelty, which mark the tyrant's ty in risking his life to defend his ill-got greedy appetite for blood, with more imcrown, can be considered virtues. With petuous force of nature, than Cooke, all its intermixture of treason and jesting, Kemble, or any other performer of our murder, feasting and merriment, this, in time. Cooke's inferiority to Kemble, in its class, is certainly one of our immortal Macbeth and Hamlet, was admitted by Poet's most studied and powerfully mark- the town; and felt by that great actor so ed characters. Quin, Garrick, Barry, strongly, that after a few repetitions, he Mossop, Sheridan, and Henderson exer- relinquished the latter its sensibilities ted their whole abilities in the represent- being too finely wrought for his powers. ation, and none but an actor of superior Hamlet is one of Shakspeare's most highenergies, vigorous conception, and pro- ly finished and affecting characters, and found acquaintance with human nature, of Kean's most finished and affecting percan do it justice. But, in the represent- formances. There is a melancholy grace ation of a tyrant, whose mind, motives, and gentle beauty in the whole delinea |