Mr. Fechter's new tragedy, grounded, indeed minutely grounded, on the
dramatic elements in Sir Walter Scott's Bride of Lammer- moor, is likely to be a success. It is a piece indeed which does not give any adequate scope to Mr. Fechter's own powers, as the Master of Ravenswood, whose part he plays, is one of Sir Walter's rather common-place heroic characters,—only in this instance un- fortunate. Mr. Fechter acts the tenderness very well, and the haughtiness of the character in the scene with Lady Ashton, the Lord Keeper's wife, very finely, but beyond this there is nothing for him to act. The great parts are those of Caleb Balderstone, acted with real humour and pathos by Mr. Emery,—much better acted than any part in which we have seen Mr. Emery,—and Lucy Ashton, acted by Miss Carlotta Leclercq, and acted far better than we conceived it possible for Miss Leclercq to act. She overdoes indeed the weakness—the inability to assist herself—of Lucy Ashton, and draws out the scene where her mother is pressing on her to consent to the unwelcome marriage even painfully. But the expression of helplessness, of mute entreaty, is finely given, and the peal of hysterical, half-maniacal laughter with which the scene closes is even striking. Craigengelt, the bully, acted by Mr. Widdicomb, is a good part, and the -young laird, Bucklaw, is temperately and thoughtfully acted by Mr. Vezin. The only marked shortcoming is Mr. G. Jordan's acting of the Lord Keeper, Sir William Ashton, who should not only be weak, but crtyty. The craftiness is quite missed. The scenery is wonderfully got up, and there is more of what dramatic critics call ensemble about the whole acting than is at all usual with Mr. Fechter.
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