Page images
PDF
EPUB

appear with much effect, independent of buffoonery; and though the pleafant voice and countenance of Mr. QUICK, of the fame Theatre, are truly welcome in the Old Woman in Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, it may be hoped that his good understanding (for a good one it is) will henceforward reftrain him from intermeddling with ferious witchcraft, in which bis excellencies only ferve to counteract his Author's defign. In fhort, the flatulence of Punch in the puppet-how of the Wife Judgement of Solomon, is not more out of place, than the low and ludicrous contortions of three grinning, petticoated, male buffoons, during the moft fublime and awful procefs through out the whole drama of Macbeth.

It may be fubjoined, that after all the tricks of grimace have been exhaufted,the only article among our Author's " poifon'd entrails" that decifively awakens the rifibility of the upper regions, is the

"Liver of blafphering Jew."

This materia magica both John and his favourite Sufan conceive to have been a part of one of thofe itinerant Smouches by whom every man and maid fervant in the kingdom has been occafionally defrauded. Hence the roar of vindictive exultation above-ftairs, when the fuppofed inteftine of an Ifraelite is thrown into the blaze. But it were needlefs to demonftrate that fo mean, fo unfeafon able an image had never obtruded itfelf on our Poet's imagination. Befides, blafphemy, from whatever mouth it proceeds, is no topic for laughter. Shakfpeare, defirous to impregnate his charm

TWO LETTERS FROM

with fome ingredient of peculiar malignity, judicioufly felected it from the vitals of an antique Jew, the blafphemer of a Being whofe name would be too irreverendly mentioned in a critique on tage exhibition.

To feveral other paffages in preceding dialogues between the Witebės, a ludicrous turn has alfo been annexed by our late performers; either because they were ftrangers to the drift of the fentiments and allufions entrusted to their care, or were refolved, at all events, to confult their own private intereft as Comedians, by debating Tragedy to Farce. It is time, therefore, that fupernatural agents, who ride the air in whirlwinds, awake the dead, recal the paft, and anticipate the future, fhould be refened, from the hands of Mummers. We cannot conclude without repeating, that the fole ambition of thefe Zanies has hitherto been to provoke applaufe from fools who chuckle in the Galleries, and perhaps may club their fhilings at the Benefits of Actors who have engrafted merriment on a feene that unites the folemnities of incantation with the terrors of a Monarch who has just been taught that his irrevocable crimes were perpetrated in

vain.

Should the foregoing remarks be overlooked by our auguft Managers, we may at leaft expect they will no longer delude the public by a falfe de fcription of this celebrated Play of Shakspeare, but boldly advertise in their future Bills-"This Evening will be prefented the Tragi-Comedy of Macbeth."

March 10, 1794.

GENERAL WASHINGTON TO
BUCHAN.

LORD

[blocks in formation]

✦ A box made of the oak that afforded shelter to Wallace after the battle of Falkirk.

rative,

[blocks in formation]

THE favourable withes which your Lorathip has expreffed for the profperity of this young and riting country, cannot but be gratefully received by ad its citizens, and every lover of it; one mean to the contribution of which, and its happines, is very judiciously pour trayed in the following words of your letter, to be little heard of in the great world of politics." Thefe words, I can affure your Lordship, are exprefs five of my fentiments on thus head; and I believe it is the fincere with of united America, to have nothing to do with the political intrigues or the fquabbles of European nations; but on the contrary, to exchange commodities, and live in peace and amity with all the inhabitants of the earth: and this I am perfuaded they will do, if rightfully it can be done. To adminifter juttice to, and receive it from every Power they are connected with, will, I hope, be

always found the most prominent feature in the adminiftration of this country; and I flatter myself that nothing fhort of imperious neceflity can occa fion a breach with any of them. Under fuch a fyftem, if we are allowed to purfue it, the agriculture and mechanical arts-the wealth and population of thefe States will increafe with that de gree of rapidity as to baille all calcula tion, and inult furpafs any idea your Lordship can, hitherto, have entertained on the occafion. To evince that our views (whether realized or not) are expanded, I take the liberty of fending you the plan of a new city, fituated about the centre of the union of thele States, which is defigned for the perma nent feat of the Government: and we are at this moment deeply engaged, and far advanced in extending the inland navigation of the river (Potomac) on

winch it finds, and the branches thereof, through a tract of as rich country for hundreds of miles as any in the world. Nor is this a folitary inftance of attemp of the kind, although it is the only one which is near completion and in partial ufe. Several other very important ones are com menced, and little doubt is entertained that in ten years, if left undisturbed, we hail open a communication by water with all the lakes northward and weftward of us, with which we have territorial connexions; and an inland, in a few years more, from Rhode Mand to Georgia inclufively, partly by cuts between the great bays and founds, and partly between the lands and fand, banks, and the main, from Albemarle Sound to the River St. Mary's. To thefe may alto be added, the erection of bridges over confiderable rivers, and the commencement of turnpike-roads, as further indications of the improves ment in hand.

PLAS NWYDD, A COTTAGE NEAR LLANGOLLEN, DENBIGHSHIRE,

THIS beautiful little manfion and its appendages were embellished and decorated by the exquifite tafte of the two elegant Ladies who now refide in it, the Right Hon. LADY ELEANOR BUTLER, and MISS PONSONBY, of the kingdom of Ireland. The view of Pits Nwydd, with which we prefent our Readers, was taken by the permiffion of the ingenious Artist, from the frontispiece to “A Collection of Views in the Neighbourhood of Llangollen and Dals. By Mr. J. George Wood of

New Bond Street." The Motto prefixed to them is from Petrarch, and may be thus tranflated:

No palace here, or porch of lengthen'd pile,

1

Nor fpiendid theatre, the eyes beguile,
But in their fread, amid the turf's
bright dyes,
frife,
Amidst the mountains that abruptly
The fir, the afh, their folemn firade ex
tend,
[heav'n atcend.
And teach the mind from carta ta
ACCOUNT

[merged small][graphic][subsumed][merged small][merged small][merged small]

ACCOUNT OF MR. WILLIAM AIKMAN,

PAINTER.

AMONG eminent Scottish artists who

have been better known abroad than in their own country, must be claffed the object of the prefent memoir. Wealth may be faid to be the parent of the fine arts; and a poor country muft in general be abandoned by fuch of her children as have a defire for attaining excellence in that line; for in fuch a country models of perfection are rare, and few opportunities occur for an artift either to correct his judgment or improve his taste. There, however, it as neceffarily happens that, as adventitious circumftances rarely call the attention of youth to that line of bufinefs, it is the powerful incitements of genius alone that prompts any one to profecute the fudy of the fine arts, fo that perhaps fewer unsuccessful attempts may be expected there to be made, than in countries which are more favourably circumftanced.

There are few inftances of young perfons in Scotland fetting out in life with an intention of profecuting the fine arts: it is fcarcely ever within the view of the parents. The education of children of perfons in cafy circumftances is Scotland is invariably directed to. wards the attainment of literary know ledge, either to fit them for the profeffion of the law, or to enable them to act a becoming part in the character of a gentleman. Hence it happens that Scottish artifts abroad, are in general as much diftinguished for elegant mental acquirements as profeffional kill; which tends to connect them more intimately with acquaintances formed abroad than is ufual among thofe of other nations, and which too often prevents thein from returning to their native country, or continuing in it after they have attained eminence in their art.

Such was the cafe with Mr. Aikman. His father, a man of eminence at the Scottish bar, intended that his fon hould follow the fame profeffion with himfelf, and gave him an education fuit. able to these views; but the strong predilection of the fon to the fine arts fruftrated thefe views; and he was no

fooner at liberty to choose for himself than he decidedly determined to abandon the ftudy of the law, and to attach himself to that of painting alone.

Poetry, painting, and mulic have, with juftice, been called fitter arts. The finer feelings of the human mind are the object on which they all are intended to operate; and it feldom happens that any perfon excels much in one of thefe arts who is not likewife an admirer of the others. Mr. Aikman was fond of poetry; and was particularly delighted with thofe unforced strains which, procceding from the heart, are calculated to touch the congenial feelings of fympathetic minds, and make them vibrate with that delicate unifon which thofe alone who have felt it can appreciate. It was this propenfity which attached Mr. Aikman fo warmly to Allan Ramfay, the Doric bard of Scotland, whofe artless strains have been admired wherever the language in which he wrote was known. Though younger than the bard, Mr. Aikman, while at College, formed an intimate acquaintance with Ramfay, which confiituted a principal part of his happiness at that time, and of which he always bore the tendereft recollection. It was the fame delicate bias of mind which at a future period of his life attached him fo warmly to Thomson, who unknown, and unprotected by others at that time, itood in need of, and obtained the. warmeft patronage of Aikman; who perhaps confidered it as one of the most fortunate occurrences in his life that he had it in his power to introduce this young poct of nature to Sir Robert Walpole, who wished to be reckoned the patronifer of genius, Arbuthnot, Swift, Pope, Gay, and the other beaux efprits of that brilliant period. Thomfon could never forget this kindness; and when he had the misfortune, tco foon, to lofe this warm friend and kind protector, he bewailed the lofs in ftrains which, for juftnefs of thought, and genuine pathos of expreffion, will perhaps be allowed to equal any thing he had ever wrote, though fome may think

He was Sheriff of Forfarshire, and in the nomination of a Lord of Seffion at the time of his death,

they

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »