Phenix Gazette

From a dolorous letter addressed to the Editor... down in attempting Henry the Fifth. Kean says... health was not such as to warrant his under... taking a new study.... Since the foregoing paragraph was written, we... are met with the account of Kean's appearance... in the play mentioned. It was at Drury Lane... Theatre, and the attempt was indeed a failure.—... Upon his appearance he was received with rap... turous applause; but he broke down completely.... There was a great lack of memory, and the sen... tences fell pointless from his lips. He was hiss... ed, and sometimes the murmurs of disapprobation... rendered the scenes mere dumb-show. At length,... finding it impossible to proceed, he advanced to... the front of the stage, and addressed the audi... ence, but from the extreme noise the reporter was... unable to catch his exact expressions. He was... understood to deplore his being for the first time... the subject of disapprobation. He could not but... feel himself much degraded in his own estima... tion in consequence.... He admitted that, owing... to his imperfect memory, he was unable to give... that effect which he could wish to the character... in which he appeared, but he was an Englishman,... and addressed himself to his countrymen: (cries... of "bravo, and Kean for ever!") and he threw... himself upon their indulgence: (loud applause.)... The play was then allowed to proceed quietly to... the end, but at the falling of the curtains, the... dissentients were exceedingly clamorous.