orm the actor.

For his benefit he personified Romeo. The house was so crowded, and in
all places that were accessible after the doors were opened, there was
so much pressing, confusion, ill-mannered noise and struggle, and
rudeness, that few but those who had places taken in the front boxes
could see or hear the play out. From the upper gallery, where with
difficulty we at last got a seat, we indistinctly saw what passed on the
stage, and could hear a little by snatches. What we did hear and see
induced us to lament our not hearing and seeing more, and to wish that
we may speedily have another opportunity of witnessing a performance
respecting which there is but one opinion, and that highly favourable to
Master Payne's reputation.

MR. COOPER.

Scarcely had master Payne disappeared in his transit southward, when Mr.
Cooper followed, and, in describing his annual orbit, was seen here for
nine nights; during which he performed the following characters.

Friday 29th Dec.--Richard the Third.
Saturday 30th.--Zanga in the Revenge.
Monday 1st Jan.--Leon in Rule a Wife and have a Wife.
Wednesday 3d.--Othello.
Friday 5th.--Macbeth.
Saturday 6th.--Pierre in Venice Preserved.
Monday 8th.--Hamlet.
Wednesday 10th.--Hotspur.
Friday 12th.--Michael Ducas in Adelgitha.
Saturday 13th.--Penruddock--and after it Petruchio.

Of all the actors we have ever seen in the old world or in the new, he
who imposes the most difficult task upon the critic is Mr. Cooper. It is
scarcely possible to generalize his acting. The great inequality of his
performance, the defects of some parts, the doubtfulness of others, and
the amazing beauties which he frequently displays, forbid the critic, if
he have a due regard to truth, to give to the different parts of any one
character Mr. Cooper performs the same measure of praise or
disapprobation.

Hardly have our nerves ceased to vibrate, and our hearts to leap in
consequence of perhaps a series of electrical strokes of irresistible
effect and beauty, when our patience is put to trial by some defect, or
our feelings left to grow cold and languid for want of an appropriate
continuous excitement. To walk step by step with him through those
alternations, and to decide in circumstantial detail upon this
gentleman's title to critical applause, would require a minuteness of
description incompatible with the scheme of this publication; yet, since
the high rank which he very deservedly