THE GAMBLER'S FATE; OR, A LAPSE OF TWENTY YEARS: A DRAMA, In Two Acts, Founded on the Popular French Play of "La Vie d'un Joueur,” BY CHARLES THOMPSON. PRINTED FROM THE ACTING COPY, WITH REMARKS, BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL, To which are added, A DESCRIPTION OF THE COSTUME,-CAST OF THE CHARACTERS, ENTRANCES AND EXITS, RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE PERFORMERS ON THE STAGE, AND THE WHOLE OF THE STAGE BUSINESS. As now performed at the THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE. EMBELLISHED WITH A WOOD-ENGRAVING, By Mr. BONNER, from a Drawing by Mr. R. CRUIKSHANK. LONDON: JOHN CUMBERLAND, 19, LUDGATE HILL.. 11 Jan. 21, EttW. REMARKS. The Gambler's Fate. WHENEVER we become reconciled to melodrame, it will be when it is applied to some useful and moral purpose. As a mere instrument to suspend curiosity and awaken horror, we heartily despise it. A robber running up and down perpendicular rocks-and a damsel braving incredible dangers, hysterically heroic, and distressed beyond all possible distress, for two hours and a half, claim no sympathy from us. We sit, like Patience-not on a monument, but on the third row from the orchestra-smiling at grief! We can pre ty well guess what will be the result-those that are not married, w..l, in all probability, be killed; for a melodrame without a murder is the mustard without the beef. English audiences are very nice in this respect. They will have all fair and above-board; hoinicidejustifiable or otherwise-must come before them in form as valpable as the stage-lights "If 'twere done, 'twere well If 'twere done quickly❞—— "Begin, murderer; leave thy damnable faces, and begin." And a melodramatic hero may exclaim with Macbeth "I've done the deed-didst thou not hear a noise → by which noise we are to understand the three rounds of applause that invariably follow any deed of darkness, lone out of hand with true tragic dexterity. Then do boxes, pit, and gallery go weeping to their beds, highly diverted with their evening's entertainment. This melodrame may, at least, claim exemption from general cen sure;-not on the score of its superior merit as a dramatic compo sition, but solely on account of its utility. It holds forth a lesson of deep importance to the titled gambler who stakes his thousands; down to the meanest wretch that ever gambling made its victim. The tragedy of the Gamester is a beautiful picture of domestic woe, produced by this execrable passion-every character is true to nature, every incident belongs to the affecting drama of real life. Those whose hearts have not been rendered entirely callous by long fami liarity with dissipation and vice, it may arrest in their ruinous career; but the desperate, hardened gambler requires a much stronger stimulant to awaken his remorse; and that stimulant the melodrame before us very powerfully supplies. In Albert, we mark the progress of this dreadful infatuation-the A 3 |