ART. 10. POETRY. For the American Monthly Magazine. From the London Courier. JEU D'ESPRIT. THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE. On receiving from a Lady a flower of the Al- Who fell at the battle of Corunna in Spain, in thaa, (Marsh-mallow.) AS, from the blaze, with fearless hand, And in her gentle bosom wear,- No earthly ill could reach me there. E. From Southey's Curse of Kehama-Canto 10. All others are but vanity. Us holy flame forever burneth; Then hath in heaven its perfect rest: For all her sorrows, all her tears, 1808. Not a drum was heard, nor a funeral note, No useless coffin enclosed his breast, Few and short were the prayers we said, We thought, as we hollowed his narrow bed, That the foe and the stranger would tread o'er And we far away on the billow. But half of our heavy task was done, Slowly and sadly we laid him down, ART. 11. THESPIAN REGISTER. is simple, its diction polished, well-sustained, and energetic, and we know not where to thos, or a finer strain of eloquence. It ranks find, in modern tragedy, more genuine padeservedly, among the noblest productions of the British tragic muse. With Mrs. Barnes in Douglas we were both pleased and pained. Though she exhibited her accustomed correctness in her conception of the character, and a just apprehension of the lofty sentiments and heroic spirit so natural to the "blood of Douglas ;" and though her action was graceful and appropriate, and her animation did not flag, yet she came so short, in her stature and the might of her arm, of what the whole probability of the incidents required, as almost entirely to mar our enjoyment of the scene. There should be verisimilitude in please. He has a very good voice, his size the looks of an actor, in his figure and muscu- and figure are advantageous, his ideas of lar strength, as well as propriety in his cos character are frequently correct, and we tume,correctness in his readings,or adaptation think it is in his power to rank so respectably, in his voice and gesture. There are doubt as an actor, that when his audience should be less many men," tall fellows of their hands," in a good-natured mood, they would scarcewho could read with perfect accuracy of ly think of the absence of a greater. Mr. emphasis what is put down for Juliet Capulet, Jones was very respectable in old Norval. for instance, and enter thoroughly into her He related his story to Lady Randolph with feelings, but with what shadow of propriety a good deal of feeling and propriety of tone or hope of success could they undertake to and emphasis. Measuring Mr. J. by the standpersonate her on the stage? The attempt ard of his own abilities as an actor, he fails would be obviously most preposterous. And most we think in gesture, which is too genewhere is the propriety of a delicate female, rally wanting in ease and freedom, and seems small even for her sex, totally deficient in not enough the spontaneous expression of size and vigour of limb, and in fulness, ener- feeling. We have seen Mr. Pritchard play gy and masculine melody of voice, attempt- far better than he did in Glenalvon. We are ing to personate a young man of heroic sta- willing to make every allowance to Mr. P. ture, and majesty of mien as well as of un- on account of his having much to do, but conquerable valour, whose frame, if it have still, though this may prevent that profound not become as compacted and capable of toil study of his character, which is doubtless neand privation as it may, in maturer years, cessary to great success, yet we do not think has, nevertheless, attained its complete sta- it a sufficient excuse for that coldness and ture, and exhibits the full-grown vigour of apathy, which too often renders Mr. P's actan Athleta moving to the contest? If the ing tame and tedious. In Glenalvon Mr. P. story had brought young Norval before us, was not ardent enough in his villany, his at the age of 15, when his imagination be- mind did not seem to be active and plotting gan to kindle at the recitals of the hermit, enough to suit the catastrophe of the play, or and his soul pant to break from obscurity, the general character he took upon him; and and prove his parentage by deeds, we think when he said of Lady Randolph, we should have been completely satisfied with Mrs. B. for his representative. Instead of the strength that could enable her "to play her weapon like a tongue of flame," and an arm to shelter the Grampian vales, and of "four armed assailants" strike to the earth, "from which they never rose again the fiercest two," while the other two sought safe ty in flight, she could scarcely unsheath her sword, and we regretted that Mrs. B. should undertake the part at all. We are aware that this has been the favourite character of stripling performers, and that the master Bettys and master Paynes, have all figured away in Young Norval; but they could none of them play the part. One of them we have seen, and in regard to the other, Mrs. Inchbald's In the entertainment, so called, Mr. Caropinion satisfies us that he could not do it pender, as Harlequin, made a very good leap any justice, while Cumberland's opinion of through the barrel of fire, but the Harlequinhis general powers, however it might allow ade, on the whole, was very stupid. The him some talents as a boy, is, with us, suffi- only thing that can redeem a performance of cient authority that he was most extravagant- this kind is the "wonderful of bodily activily overrated. When Mrs. B. puts off her bon- ty," of which there was very little this evennet and her slipper for the hat and boot of ing. Myrtillo we are delighted, but the helmet and the shield and the claymore we would advise her to decline. Mr. Robertson in Lord Randolph we cannot praise, though we The Rivals; or a Trip to Bath-The Peasant will not entirely condemn him. If he could, Boy, or Assassin Discovered. by any imaginable means or motives, be in- "The Rivals" has been preferred by some duced to quit his monotony and drawl, and to "The School for Scandal;" but though speak some of his sentences quicker than this be exaggerated praise, yet the piece is others, and trust himself occasionally to a full of vivacity and wit; is strongly marked natural manner, we are persuaded he might by a vigilant and nice observation of what "Even I did think her chaste, Whose deeds lascivious pass Glenalvon's thoughts! Precious sex, Whose charity exceeds not. instead of manifesting a diabolical satisfaction. at finding, as he supposed, the guilt of Lady Randolph, and chuckling at the last proof of depravity in the sex, he said it with a phlegm and a mere recitation tone, that spoiled the whole effort of a passage that gives a deeper insight into Glenalvon's character than any other single passage in the tragedy. Mrs. Groshon's Lady Randolph was more than commonly well for her, though she can never hope to excel, and Miss Dellinger's Anna was not so bad as it might have been. L. Friday Evening, June 27. The melo drama of the Peasant Boy is interesting in the plot, is worked up with considerable skill, is moral in its effect; and Mrs. Barnes and Mr. Robertson, on whom the interest of the piece depended, played well. is ridiculous in sentiment and conduct; and, Languish was very spirited and very just. In in respect of character and incident, is pure this kind of character we must concede to comedy. Mr. Barnes was certainly animated, Mrs. Darley high praise. We know of no and, on the whole, tolerably correct in his lady of Thespian fame, who is more interestapprehension and representation of the self-ingly and provokingly capricious and waywilled arbitrary, irascible, Sir Anthony Ab- ward, and who then repents and reforms solute, though, we think, he indulged him- with better grace or more amiable contrition self too much in grimace, (as he often does) than Mrs. Darley. Her Lady Elizabeth Freeto suit the respectability of the character, love, Lydia Languish, Mrs. Ferment, and which, notwithstanding its many eccentrici- characters of this turn, are good enough. ties and absurdities, is not that of a buffoon. Mr. Darley's Sir Lucius O'Trigger was passable, but could not have been adequate to the author's conception of his high-mettled adventurer, who was as ready to quarrel with a man for his thoughts, as for his words or actions fle was such a man as Mercutio calls the courageous captain of compliments;" one who fights as you sing prick- In the recitation of the "Ode on the Passong-the very butcher of a silk button-a sions," though we think Mrs. Barnes' readduellist-a duellist ;" one who like Mercutio ing might have been improved, yet her action himself" will quarrel with a man for having was all grace, and her pantomime descriptive a hair more or less on his head than himself." and fine. Indeed we have not seen for many years on the boards, one who could personate the Irishman. Such a recruit is very much wanted, for many of the very finest comedies in the language have this sort of character shot through them, and cannot be enacted, sim. ply on account of the above mentioned deficiency. Mr. Simpson. in Capt. Absolute, was very good-very good indeed. This belongs to that class of character that suits his talents, and in which he is universally acceptable, In Faulkland, the most original and nicelydiscriminated character in the comedy, Mr Pritchard was natural and pleasing. He represented well the peevish, querulous jealousy of the love-sick Faulkland, who though intelligent, accomplished, well-bred and honourable, was cursed with a nervous sensibility, that was a perpetual torment to himself and his friends. The songs this evening were sung respecta bly, particularly "Hard Times," to which Mr. Barnes gave much effect. L. Saturday Evening, June 28. Speed the Plough-Mother Bunch. or Harlequin and the Yellow Dwarf There are some improbabilities in this comedy, (such as Miss Blandford's falling in love with a plough-boy, at tst sight, and Sir Philip's making a confidant of Bob Handy,) but still it is pleasing in the representation, very pleasing. The character of Sir Abel Handy and his son Bob are original and well conceived, and though they approach extravagance, are full of entertainment and just satire. They were well personated by Mr. Barnes and Mr. Simpson. Mr. Pritchard represented the stern, remorseful, anxious Sir Philip forcibly and with propriety; and Mr. Baldwin made a very good. plain. blunt, upright, honourable Farmer Ashfield. Henry was performed by a stranger, announced as from Belfast. The mauners and action of this gentleman were rathers tiff and awkward, though his gesture was occasionally very expressive and appropriate, and his conception of the character and his reading for the most part accurate and discriminating. As for Harlequin, &c. it was miserably stupid and tedious. Harlequin could not roll; the clown had no variety or point in his " body wit," and the prolongation of perpetual clumsiness, tired us out. L. Bob Acres, with his vanity, good-nature, credulity, animal-spirits, and valour, which can by no persuasion or example of Sir Lucius be "screwed to the sticking-place," and his new style of oaths that echo the sentiment, and his hair in training," was done to the life by Mr. Hilson, who. odds judg. ment, tact, animation and humour! did ade-, quate justice to the comic conceptions of the author. Mrs. Baldwin did much credit to herself in Mrs. Malaprop, and with her dictionary words most accurately pronounced, Monday Evening, June 30. and "most ingeniously misapplied," with her Adelgitha-High Life Below Stairs. absurd vanity and grotesque disappointment, This tragedy is from the pen of M. G. contributed greatly to the entertainment of Lewis, and is much such a tragedy as might the evening and the exposure of folly. Mrs. be expected from him. The names of his Croshon's Julia was tolerably good, as com- characters are familiar to history, but he has pared with ber general style of acting though blended fact and fiction in his plot, in inexwe cannot allow that she was altogether the tricable confusion. But the principal fault elegant, lovely, intelligent, high-minded un- of the piece is the circumstance on which it affected Julia Melville. Mrs. Darley's Lydia hinges. Adelgitha, the heroine, is daughter of the deceased Prince of Salerno, and wife of Guiscard, sovereign of Apulia. Michel Ducas, the Greek emperor, having been expelled from Byzantium, by his subjects, whom his crimes had instigated to revolt, seeks refuge in the dominions of Guis card. This brave prince espouses the cause of the deposed emperor, and whilst he marches forth to fight his battles, leaves him at his Court. Michel feels the humiliation he suffers in receiving such favours from an inferior, grows indignant at the idea of his dependence, and jealous in the extreme of the military reputation of his benefactor. To complete the picture of his ingratitude, and to crown his baseness, he becomes enamour ed of Adelgitha, and in Guiscard's absence attempts her virtue. She rejects his proffers with disdain, and boasts the unsullied purity of the blood of Salerno. This name recalls to Michel's mind a tale, the application of which he never knew till now. In Astra's wood' he had once lost his way in the darkness of the night, when suddenly a groan reached his ear; he hastened to the spot from which it proceeded, and found a knight stretched weltering in his blood, who had been stabbed by robbers. The cavalier intrusted him with the confession of a guilty deed, A maid of noble birth And implored him to restore her letters and portrait, which he committed to him, and to assure ber of the poignancy of his remorse, &c. To make the shortest of a long story, Michel now discovers this maid to have been Adelgitha. He profits, by his information, to charge her with the fact, and compel her to give him an assignation. This is appointed, after Guiscard's return, in the chapel of St. Hilda, whither Adelgitha repairs, in the hope of dissuading him from his purpose, but find ing him resolute, she attempts to stab herself, and being defeated in this design, she plunges her weapon into the bosom of her ungene. rous suitor. Another is arrested for the murder of Michel, and condemned to death by Guiscard, when Adelgitha comes forward and avows her own guilt and the innocence of the accused, whom she acknowledges as her son by her youthful lover, George of Clermont. Guiscard is thunder-struck by the discovery, yet such is the strength of his affection that it overcomes even the dread of dishonour, and he is ready to consent to receive her again to his arms, when she charitably averts this new disgrace by terminating her existence. Who would believe, after this narrative, that Adelgitha is represented as a paragon of virtue, and that she is introduced, whilst unapprehensive of detection, in all the confidence and cheerfumess of innocence VOL. I. NO. IV. and love? The play is equally improbable and immoral. Unmarried females in the station of Adelgitha, or in any respectable grade of life, never do forfeit the immediate jewel of their souls,' nor ought they ever to be suffered to believe that it is possible for them to be the objects of illicit solicitation, much less that they can yield to it. But how fatal a delusion is it to propagate the idea, that a woman who has been unfaithful to herself can be loyal to her husband, and that a wanton who has imposed herself upon the credulity and insinuated herself into the affections of a man of honour, can, when ber duplicity is unmasked, be still an object of forgiveness !-nay, of tenderness! In regard to the performance, a few words must suffice. Mr Pritchard's Michel Ducas was more than respectable. Mr. Robertson, as Guiscard, described with much force and animation his rescue in the battle by the gallantry of Lothair This last character was handsomely supported by Mr. Simpson. Of Mrs. Groshon's Adelgitha, as we can say nothing in commendation, we will say nothing at all. Б. Wednesday Evening, July 2. Iron Chest.-Wood Demon. This is a monstrous play, the hint of which appears to have been taken from Godwin's celebrated novel of Caleb Williams. Inter esting, however, as is that ingenious fiction, this drama is so replete with folly and inconsistency, that it excites little sympathy. Mr. Bancker undertook the character of Wilford, (it being his benefit night,) and got through with it better than we should have expected. Wherever we see ambition we are disposed to encourage it. Ambition, however, unless it be well regulated, will defeat its own purpose. A man, for instance, who disdains to qualify himself for the discharge of everyday duties, will hardly be prepared to meet the demands of more important exigencies; much less, if he is incapable of fulfilling the first, will he be able to satisfy the last. What Pope has said generally of life, is particularly true of the stage Honour and shame from no condition rise, And yet it is astonishing to see how many, both in real and mimic life, prefer acting a great part badly, to performing an bumbler one well. It is enough to be compelled to endure the assumptions of ignorance in common intercourse with the world. but when one resorts to the theatre for recreation, 'it offends one to the soul to hear a robustious, perriwig-pated fellow,' tearing not only passion, but sense and language, to rags and tatters. We cannot but wonder that so few actors have correct apprehensions of the diğ2 Q nity of their profession. Nothing keeps it ture, and obtained admission into polite sodown in public estimation but the illiterate- ciety. Nature must have done much, and ness and supineness of the greater part of education more, to form a consummate acthose who attach themselves to it. The stage tor. It is for this reason that those who ought to be made a school of rhetoric, at are truly great in this profession are always least as it relates to all its exteriors. It should reckoned among the eminent men of their age. exhibit the refinement of polished manners, We have taken this opportunity to make and should be a model in pronunciation. But these remarks, the theatrical season having no one can teach what he has not learned terminated with this week. Hereafter we Great actors must possess great acquirements. shall restrict our dramatic criticisms to a They must have read something more than monthly review of the state of the stage. the prompter's book. They must in fact have taken a liberal view of elegant litera T E. ART. 12. MONTHLY SUMMARY OF POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. EUROPE. GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. THE Prince Regent has recommended it to Parliament to prolong the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, and communicated the documents on which the advice is grounded. The question of the Catholic Claims has been revived in the House of Commons by Mr. Grattan. His motion was the same as that made in 1813 on the same subject, viz: "That a committee should be appointed to take the claims of the Roman Catholics into consideration, with a view to release them from their present disabilities, and to give every security to the protestant establishment, and ultimate satisfaction to all orders of men." The motion was supported by Mr. Grattan himself, Mr. Yorke, Sir I. C. Hippesley, Sir H. Parnell, Mr. Elliot, Lord Castlereagh, and Mr Canning, and opposed by Mr. Foster, Mr. Webber, Mr. Bragge Bathurst, and Mr. Peel. The debate was long and animated, and on a division there appeared 221 in favour of the motion, and 245 against it. Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Can ning are said to be the only ministers who are in favour of the "Claims;" and the friends of the Catholics have decreased since 1813. Mr. M. Sutton, about the first of May, brought in a bill to amend and consolidate the laws relative to the residence of the clergy. The Bench of Bishops lent their aid to the preparation of the bill, and much practical benefit is expected to result from its en actment. Mr. Manners Sutton has been chosen Speaker of the House of Commons, in the place of Mr. Abbot, who resigned after having held the station fifteen years. Mr. Abbot is created Baron Kidbrook, and will have a seat at the council board, From the official account of the public funded debt of Great Britain as it stood on the first of February last, it appears the whole (including the debt of Ireland 103,032,7601. funded in Great Britain, and the loans to the Emperor of Germany, 7,502,6331, and the loans to the Prince Regent of Portugal 859.522.) is 1.115,199.600. 5s. 3 3-4d. Of this sum, 342,434.662/. 10s 3d. have been redeemed by the commissioners, or transferred for life annuities, or cancelled by redemp tion of land tax, &c. leaving the debt unredeemed and due to the public creditors 772,764.9371. 9s. 0 3 4d. The unfunded debt in exchequer bills outstanding, amounts to 46.772.000l. Total of funded and unfunded debt 819,536.9371. 9s. O 3-4d. The total charge, or annual interest of funded debt is 42,206.2181 4s. 53-4d. The trade of England seems to be reviving. Russia has sent large orders for a supply of clothing for her army; and the revolutions in South America open the most animating com. mercial prospects Goods, it is stated, to the amount of 600,000/, were shipped to Chili, in six weeks from the 10th of March, and the demand for British goods at Buenos Ayres is so great, that the warehouses on the La Plata could not satisfy it; in consequence of which orders have been transmitted for new and large supplies. The Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade have communicated their opinion that, as the Congress of the United States have passed a law for refunding to British merchants the Alien Duties which had been levied from the 16th August to the 22d December, the commercial convention requires that, on the part of England, the auction duty and that upon exports, so far as it regards the United States, should be refunded for the above period. An Order in Council has been issued, prohibiting the exportation of gunpowder, saltpetre, arms or ammunition, to any place on the coast of Africa, or in the West Indies, or the continent of America, except to the English possessions in America, or the territory of the United States. Despatches have arrived from China containing official accounts of the affair between |