242 Review of New Musical Publications. EDWARD BIGGS, Birmingham, brassfounder; for improvements in the machinery used in making pains and stails of various kinds.-Aug. 14. ROBERT TRIPP, Bristol, woollen-draper; for a hussar garter with elastic springs and fastenings, and also elastic springs for pantaloons and other articles. -Aug. 14. WILLIAM MOULT, Bedford-square; for improvements on his former patent for an improved method of acting upon machinery, bearing date the 23d of May, 1814.-Aug. 14. JAMES NEVILLE, Wellington-street, London, gent.; for improved methods of generating and creating or applying power, by means of steam or other fluids, elastic or non-elastic, for driving or work ing all kinds of machinery (including the [Oct. 1, steam-engines now in use) and which are applicable also to the condensing of steam and other aqueous vapours in distillation or evaporation, and are useful in various manufactories and operations where heat is employed as an agent, or where the saving of fuel is desirable.Aug. 14. JEAN SAMUEL PAULY, Brompton, engineer, for a machine for ascertaining, in an improved manner, the weight of any article.-Aug. 15. ANTHONY GILCHRIST, Worship-square, gent.; for a machine for making nails, screws, and working all metallic substances.-Aug. 15. ROBERT SALMON, Woburn, surveyor; for improved instruments for 'complaints in the urethra and bladder.-Aug. 19. REVIEW OF NEW MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS. The Wanderers; a favourite Duet, sung by Mrs. Ash and Master Barnet at the Bath Concerts. Composed and inscribed to J. Braham, esq. by Master Barnet; written by W. Bristow, esq. Munro, 2s. The production now before us is very creditable to the taste and science of this juvenile composer. Let him study good models in harmony, and there is no doubt of his attaining excellence. It is a Pity the words were not better contrived; instead of both voices singing the same, they might, with a little management, have been varied, so as to produce an interesting effect. The Saxe Cobourg Waltz; composed and arranged, with Variations, for the Harp or Piano Forte, by J. Munro. Munro, 2s. We must be content with a worn-out title to our dances, till something new starts up. We expected by this time to have been refreshed with the Algerine Waltz, or the Bey's Pas Seul. This waltz is as good as most we have heard; and the varia tions run rapidly on till the waltzers, as well as the player, must be pretty nearly out of breath. Beauty Smiling through her Tears; a favourite Song, sung by Miss Tunstall at Vauxhall Gardens. Written by Mr. J. Randall; composed by J. Munro. Munro, 1s. 6d. We have as yet seen but few of the Vauxhall Songs of the present season, and are happy to find The air is tastehere so good a sample of thein. ful; and the accompaniments are got up with much care. The cadences and embellishments are va ried in each of the three verses, and all noted down. A very laudable practice. A favourite Irish Melody, "Fly not yet," arranged as a Rondo for the Harp, and dedicated to Miss Chalmer, by C. Schultz, jun. Plat's, 2s. 6d. The rising talents of this young artist give pro mise of a rivalry with the best harp-players of the age. If his compositions are not marked with deep research, the taste and fancy displayed in his ar rangements render them extremely interesting, "Sweet Lady! look not thus again," a Glee, particularly adapted for Ladies' Voices. The The words by Thomas Moore, esq. music composed and dedicated to Lady Eleanor Butler, by Sir John Stevenson, Mus. Doc. Dublin; 3s. British. The acknowledged excellence of Sir John S. in pathetic songs and glees, leaves us little to say. We find here the same touching melody, the same rich harmony, which marks all his music; nor should the delightful words of Mr. Moore pass without notice. The costume, if we may so express it, of the glee, is, for each voice to take a verse, and then to harmonize together. The voice-parts are all in the treble cliff, for the accom modation of ladies, "And must I bid my Love farewel;" à Canzonett, written and composed, with an accompaniment for the Piano Forte, by the Rev. W. C. Frith. It is gratifying to the professors of our art, that men of science and men of the church sometimes ⚫ unbend their minds with musical notation. This song, composed strictly according to musical rules, and imbued with much sensibility, may pass mus ter by the side of many professional effusions. "Fare Thee Well." Written by Lord 1816.] Dramatic Register-Drury Lane. Byron; composed by John Whitaker. Button and Co. 1s. 6d. It is pretty evident that this address was not in. tended to be set to music, nor can we commend Mr.Whitaker for having undertaken the task. It is not a subject likely to become popular in that de. partment; yet, we must say, Mr. W. has acquitted himself respectably. The poem itself, as a poem, we cannot but admire; while a brother reviewer (in a magazine we accidentally saw last month) bespatters his lordship most cruelly he will not DRURY LANE. 243 allow this production to be a poem, but considers it, and the doggeral (doggerei) that accompanied it, as "among the very worst of Lord Byron's rhymes." We hope the base passion of envy has not entered the mind of our learned brother, who, if Fame pronounce his name aright, is him. self as eminent in poetry as in music; who, besides a metrical translation of no common maguitude, has written prologues, composed oratorios, operas, and melodrames : in short, who does as many things as Scrub, and all equally well. DRAMATIC REGISTER. ON Saturday, Sept. 7, this theatre opened for the season, after undergoing various alterations during the recess. One row of seats has been taken from the dress circle for the purpose of giving a greater elevation. Those in the pit have been raised, and a passage formed in the middle of them as in the pit of the Opera House. Mr. Rae has become sole manager by the retirement of Mr. Dibdin, who has taken the Surrey Theatre; but though some reduction has been made in the number of performers, yet we miss none of high rank in our estimation except Mrs. Glover and Mrs. Dickons. It was naturally to be expected, that the earliest opportunity would be seized to pay a tribute due to the memory of the most distinguished dramatist of the present day, recently removed from the stage of mortality. The performance accordingly commenced with a Monody which should have been recited, but was in reality read by Mrs. Davison, whose engagements in the country would not allow her to attend to her engagement in town. This monody from the pen of Lord Byron, as it is generally understood, though not without merit, cannot be considered worthy of the genius which called it forth. It was followed by Sheridan's comedy of the School for Scandal. Munden who appeared for the first time as Sir Peter Teazle, exhibited rather too inuch grimace, and Dowton in Sir Oliver Surface was extremely tame. Joseph Surface was personated by Mr. Wallack, who, though his manners are easy, and he speaks with propriety, has not weight sufficient for so important a character. Rae performed the part of Charles; Harley was a tolerably good Sir Benjamin Backbite, and Knight's Crabtree, though a little overcharged, was entertaining. Oxberry supported the character of Moses very respectably. Mrs. Davison's Lady Teazle was admirable, and Mrs. Orger and Mrs. Harlowe, as Mrs. Can dour and Lady Sneerwell, acquitted themselves extremely well. The School for Scandal was repeated on the 10th. On the 12th, the comic opera of The Duenna was represented, in conformity with the avowed determination of the managers of this theatre to present to the public a regular series of the dramatic works of Sheridan. In consequence of the indisposition of Dowton, Knight undertook the part of Isaac Mendoza, in which he appeared to great advantage. Munden acted Don Jerome with his peculiar humour. The part of Carlos was performed by T. Cooke. Mrs. Glossop, lately Miss Feron, sung sweetly in Clara, and Mrs. Cooke, who appeared for the first time as Louisa, displayed considerable taste. Mrs. Sparkes's Duenna was, as the character should be, modestly humorous. The Duenna was repeated on the 17th. Sept. 14, the play of Lovers' Vows introduced to a London audience two new candidates for dramatic fame, in the characters of Baron Wildenheim and Agatha Friburg. The lady, Mrs. Knight, lately a popular actress at the York theatre, justified by her performance the favourable opinion of her talents which report had conveyed to us. She has an expressive and intelligent countenance, with a dark and penetrating eye. Her voice is of full compass, and capable of much modulation. With these advantages she combines a good figure, graceful action and an evident knowledge of the business of the stage. Her reception was very flattering.-Mr. Bengough already known as a performer of merit on the Bath stage, personated Baron Wildenheim. He is of the middle size, with an expressive countenance. He delivered the impassioned parts with great force; indeed his action and gesture are at times unnecessarily violent: but this redundancy, as well as some other defects, such as an occasional measured and sententious enunciation, may be corrected by application. He was most fa 244 Dramatic Register-Covent Garden. vourably received and will without doubt be found a useful performer.-Mrs. Mardyn was a fascinating Amelia Wildenheim, but certain parts of her action would not have suffered by a little more attention to the truth of nature. Sept. 21st, Massinger's play of A New Way to Pay Old Debts, in which Mrs. Knight supported the part of Lady Allworth for the first time, in a highly pleasing manner, was succeeded by Sheridan's dramatic piece of The Critic. Most of the performers were new to the characters which they had to sustain in the latter. Harley though inferior as Puff to some whom we have seen in that part, displayed considerable ability; but sometimes spoke with such rapidity as to be unintelligible. Dowton exhibited a fine specimen of genuine comic powers in Sir Fretful Plagiary; Palmer and Powell, as Dangle and Sneer, were respectable. We have rarely witnessed a more exquisite piece of burlesque than Oxberry's Don Ferolo Whiskerandos. Mrs. Orger personated Tilburina,but her humour is scarcely broad enough for that cha racter. COVENT GARDEN. This house opened on the 9th of Sept., with the tragedy of Pizarro. The only novelty of the night was the appearance of Mrs. Egerton for the first time in the character of the haughty Elvira, in which she acquitted herself with great ability. It is indeed a part peculiarly adapted, in our opinion to the powers of this actress. Sept. 11th, a new ballet divertissement, entitled The Seraglio, which succeeded the musical drama of Guy Mannering, introduced to the British public the two Senoras Ramos and Senor Luengo, lately the principal dancers at the court of Spain; and also the Misses Dennett, from the Dublin theatre. On the 13th, a young lady of the name of Boyle made her debut in the character of Violante, in the comedy of The Wonder. The fears incident to her situation prevented the full developement of her capabilities in the principal scenes; but the traits of ability and feeling which she frequently displayed in spite of her agitation, encourage the most favourable expectations. She is tall and well formed; her features are delicate and pleasing; her movements easy and unembarrassed; and her voice, if not power [Oct. 1, ful, is soft and melodious. A certain studied formality in her mode of speaking is ascribed to the circumstance of her having been for some time under the tuition of Mr. Thelwall. Sept. 16th, Mr. Macready, who has established his reputation in the provincial theatres, presented him-elf for the first time to the scrutinizing eye of a London audience. He is above the middle size, and his countenance is pleasing, but his features are less prominent and strongly marked than tragedy seems to require. His eyes, however, are full of fire; his voice, generally speaking, full and musical, and his action graceful. The part chosen for his debut, Orestes, in The Distressed Mother, is by no means adapted to the display of intellectual excellence; yet, throughout the whole, Mr. Macrcady proved himself a man of mind, and ably supplied the deficiencies of a part for which the author has done absolutely nothing. Ilis performance was crowned, as it deserved to be, with unqualified success. Mrs. Glover appeared, after an absence of ten years from these boards, in the character of Andromache, and was received with applause such as talents like hers must ever command. Mrs. Egerton supported the character of Hermione with great truth and energy. On the 18th, the humorous afterpiece of The Sleep-Walker was represented, for the purpose of introducing to the London stage Mr. Connor, lately of the Dublin theatre, in the character of Sir Patrick Macguire. With a tall and genteel person, Mr. Connor possesses handsome and expressive features, and a powerful voice. His brogue is musically rich without any tincture of vulgarity or extravagance; in short, exactly what we should expect from an Irish country gentleman. To judge from this specimen, he seems well calculated to supply the deficiency of a performer who has long been wanting at this theatre to fill the higher range of Irish charac ters. HAYMARKET. This theatre closed on Saturday, Sept. 14th. The only noveltics produced during the season, were two or three farces, of so very trifling a nature as not to demand particular observation. 1816.] [245] MEMOIRS OF EMINENT PERSONS. THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN. (Continued from page 158.) IT was naturally expected by the friends on both sides, no less than by the public, that Mrs. Sheridan would still have continued her professional pursuits, but though the circumstances of her bus band were contracted within a very limited sphere, he resolutely resisted every offer that was made on that subject. The last performance of Mrs. Sheridan as a public singer, was for the benefit of the musical meeting of the three choirs at Worcester in the summer after her marriage; but from that time she ceased to appear at the oratorios, in which her place was supplied by her sister, afterwards Mrs. Tickell. The proprietors of the Pantheon, then just erected in Oxford-street, made her a proposal of two thousand a year for seven years, which was indignantly refused by the husband, who would not even suffer her to sing at a royal concert, which gave great offence to many of the nobility, and to their Majesties. Yet at this time the new married couple could with difficulty provide for their ordinary wants, and Sheridan in after life has been heard to say, that he and his lady were obliged to write for the booksellers to procure the necessary supply for their daily dinner. The law was neglected, though he kept his name on the books of the Temple, and was admitted to commons in Hilary term in 1774, but never was called to the bar. On the 17th of January, 1775, his comedy of the Rivals was performed at Covent Garden, but met with a very cold reception, at first, through the indifferent acting of Mr. Lee, to whom was entrusted the character of Sir Lucius O'Trigger. Mr. Sheridan then withdrew his play for the purpose of making some alterations, after which it was brought forward again, and experienced very different treatment, for which as the author considered himself greatly indebted to Mr. Clinch, who personated the Irish baronet, he generously gave him a farce entitled "Saint Patrick's Day, or the Scheming Lieutenant," which was performed at that gentleman's benefit. At the commencement of the ensuing season, Mr. Sheridan brought out his comic opera of the "Duenna," the music of which, and several of the songs, came from the pen of his ingenious lady. The success of this entertaining piece exceed ed that of the Beggars' Opera, having been performed seventy-five nights in the first season, which was ten more than Gay's remarkable production. Mr. Sheridan's fame was now established, and he became a member of several eminent societies, particularly the Literary Club, over which the venerable Johnson presided, and who treated him with distinguished respect. Here he acquired the friendship of Burke, Reynolds, and many other persons of the first rank in the world of genius; but for his intimacy with Fox he was solely indebted to Lord John Townshend, who in a private letter to a common acquaintance just after the funeral of Mrs. Sheridan says, "I am one of his earliest friends; he, I, and poor Tickell, (whose momory, with all his faults, will ever be dear to me,) lived together in the closest habits of friendship from earliest life-long before Sheridan's introduction to public life-before the "Duenna's" appearance--hefore he was known to Fox, to whom I had the pleasure of first introducing him. I made the first dinner party at which they met, having told Fox that all the notions he might have conceived of Sheridan's talents and genius from the comedy of the Rivals, &c. would fall infinitely short of the admiration of his astonishing powers, which I was sure he would entertain at the first interview. This first interview between them (there were very few present, only Tickell, and myself, and one` or two more,) I shall never forget. Fox told me, after our breaking up from dinner, that he had always thought Hare (after my uncle Charles Townshend) the wittiest man he ever met with, but that Sheridan surpassed them both infinitely. And Sheridan the next day told me that he was quite lost in admiration of Fox, and that it was a puzzle to him to say what he admired most-his commanding superiority of talent and universal knowledge, or his playful fancy, artless manners, and the benevolence of heart which shewed itself in every word he uttered." Mr. Garrick having resolved to withdraw from that stage which he had adorned for the space of about forty years, a negociation was entered into for his share of the patent of Drury Lane, which was purchased at 35,000l. by Mr. Ford, Mr. Linley, and Mr. Sheridan. 246 Memoirs of the Right Hon. Richard Brinsley Sheridan. [Oct. 1, that such a rumour should be permitted to remain uncontradicted by authority. As to the play itself, little can be said in favour of its moral tendency, and so far from acting as a lash to chastise vice, it seems to have no other effect than that of exposing it to laughter. On the death of Mr. Garrick, at the beginning of 1779, a monody was written to commemorate his powers and virtues, by Mr. Sheridan, and pronounced at Drury Lane by Mrs. Yates. But though expectation had been roused by repeated announcements of this poem, it gave little satisfaction in the delivery, and still less to the world when it was published. The author wrote with coldness upon a subject that should have animated him with private as well as poetic feeling. The particular excellencies of Garrick in the line of his profession are not characterized; and of his worth as a man not a word is said. On the 30th of October, 1779, came out "The Critic; or a Tragedy Rehearsed;" an entertaiment written expressly upon the mould of the "Re The share of the latter was mortgaged upon this occasion, and he was greatly befriended through the business by Garrick, who had such an opinion of his abilities as to recommend him to succeed in the management of the theatre. In this, however, partiality got the better of judgment, for whatever might be the talents of Mr. Sheridan, his babitual indolence and total want of experience in business, rendered him unfit for a situation that required diligence and economy. The season after his appointment, he brought forward an alteration of Vanburgh's licentious but witty comedy of the Relapse, changed into the title of the Trip to Scarborough. This piece was not very well received at first, but afterwards by being more judiciously cast and better acted it became a favourite, and has been since often played to full houses. But the celebrity of Mr. Sheridan, as a dramatic writer, attained its height on the appearance of the School for Scandal, which was first performed on the 8th of May, 1777, and continued to attract, at that late period of the season, uncommonly crowded audiences. Gar-hearsal, the production of the witty but rick, to whom the manuscript was submitted, became so enraptured with the piece, and assured of its success, that he attended the rehearsals constantly, spoke with enthusiasin of it in all companies, and wrote for it an admirable prologue. The merits of this celebrated comedy are too fully established to require any observation in this place; but it is somewhat extraordinary, and has excited no little surprize and curiosity, that the author never avowed the production, nor suffered it to appear from the press with his name. What could have occas sioned this forbearance, when his other works of minor interest, and some totally unworthy of his pen, have been published, it would be difficult to guess; but so it is, that his claim to the School for Scandal has been called in question repeatedly, and yet he has never taken any step to secure his right, in the estimation of the public, or to remove any ill impression which such a report accompanied by his silence may make upon posterity. For our parts, we are not competent to decide the question, but the late worthy and intelligent editor of the Biographica Dramatica relates a story that was circulated soon after the appearance of the play, in which it was ascribed to a young lady who died of a consumption at the Bristol wells. This we are not inclined to believe, but still it is a pity, for the honour of literature, profligate Duke of Buckingham, in the reign of Charles II. The object of the Duke was to ridicule Dryden, some of whose tragedies no doubt laid him open fairly enough to the stroke of satire. Mr. Sheridan in a similar view endeavoured to create a laugh against Mr. Cumberland, whose prolific genius in many respects resembled that of Dryden. It must be allowed that Sir Fretfol Plagiary, in the Critic, is as strong a likeness as caricature of that kind could exhibit; and it was impossible that any one who knew the original could be mistaken. But when the excellence of Cumberland as a moral writer is considered, to say nothing of his comedies, some of which have the stamp of immortality, no dispassionate mind will approve of the attempt to hold such a man up to public scorn. Cumberland, it is true, had his eccentricities, among which vanity and irritability were remarkably conspicuous, but with all this he possessed sterling virtue. His learning was extensive, and his genius cannot be called in question. He has left abundant proofs of his literary industry behind, and among them are works both in verse and prose which will delight and improve successive generations. Soon after the appearance of the Critic, the tragedy of the Duke of Milan was brought out with alterations at Covent Garden Theatre, and in the prologue to this revived |