The National Register. — London, England, 1813-02-14 00:00:00

FEB: 14 duty to mention them first. The pallet as well as the lyre inits the hand of the fair, and why should not the dearest objects of the Poet's lays, and the Painter's study, be able to express the pa_;sion they so irresistibly inspire! MIS. AN SL EY has chosen her subject from the mythological lore, Miss .JACKSON from holy writ. This, embodied on the canvas the nicest sentiments of gratitude and of dutiful love —the other displays what love can atchieve. Perseus, with Mrs. ANSLEY, conquers the monster of the sea, and saves Andromeda's life.—Ruth, with Miss JACKSON, sacrifices her attachment for her own people and country, to her affec tion lir the mother of her deceased husband. Both com positions breathe the sentiments they intend to excite : in Naomi, the landscape is rich, heroic, but calm, and speaks to the heart;—with Andromeda, the rugged rocks, the troubled sea, the angry clouds, work upon the distressed mind. The colouring also, has its intended effect. —The glowing and audacious tints of Titian accompany Perseus, and Ruth glows with the softer touches of Albano. How ever, we do not disguise to ourselves that Mrs. A. may have had a peep at Le Moyna's famous picture on the same sub ject, or at some prints after it ; and that Miss .1. might have most likely increased the pathos of her theme, had she elm sen different attitudes far Naomi and Ruth. But surely both performances do honour to their respective authors, and to their amiable sex. No. 134. The Deluge towards its close, Cen. vii 21, by J SH Aw. No. 137. The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, by J. MARTIN —These two picture• might do well as companions in a set of the four elements. For, in the first, the canvas is covered with :niter save a few stragling • snakes and put! id corpses—and in the other, with fire, ex cepting a parched road, some tinder rocks, and the nn. happy pair accompanied by a dog whom we never heard be foie to have accompanied them in their expulsion. Both arc awful to the sight ; but we cannot recommend such a waste of primed cloth to any artist who possesses genius enough to fill it with better objects ; indeed, we do not ap prehend under what head they can rank themselves among the candidate pieces ; for it would be preposterous to call a description of the deluge a landscape ; and the his torical part in both is so insignificant and suhordinate, that they can hardly be enlisted under the noble banner of history. N. 25. Death of Rizzio, by A. PERIGA L.—This we ac knowledge of course to be, classically, on historical com position. The bustle, the tumult, the lightning of ven geance, the screams of fear, the contrast of attitudes, the play of the local colours, render the whole pleasing to the eye. Mt. PER! r; A L's talents are well known, and this piece is no disparagement to thc.n. We must confess, in the mean time, that there are several passages which may not be sufficiently shielded against the severity of criticism ; but the limits of our Paper do not allow us to enter into the particulars of the piece. _ _ [l'o be continued.] * Ovid does not describe Perseus riding the winged horse Peessii,, when he rescues Andromeda. Other awbors do, ani they sho.ild have been quoted instead of Ovid. THEINATIONAL REGISTER. DRA M . ATIC REGISTER. DRURY-LANE. 109 Last night the Comic Opera of " False Alarms" %VAC per formed at this Theatre. Although this piece is considerably better than many of our modern Operas, it upon the whole possesses but little interest. Mrs. DICKONS, Mrs. Mout:- 8 1 * AI Nt and Mr. BRAMAN!, who appeared, for the second time. since his return from Bath, made ample amends for the want of int►in;ic merit in the Opera, and afTorded to the musical amateurs abundant delight; Brt AHA M introduced several favorite songs, and accompanied himself on the Grand Piano Forte, in " Said a Smile to a Tear." It %vete almost superfluous to observe, he was repeatedly cheered and rapturously encored. ~r TI I E A WENT APOTHECARY. Success frequently leads into ruin. Problematical as this may appear, we have lately seen it fully proved by the dis asters of the Emperor of the French, on the great Theata e of Europe, and, on Wednesday night, viewed it equally strik ingly exemplified on the less extensive stage of Di ury-lane. A similar fate has attended the hopes and exertions of the proud King-maker N APO LEosi, and the witty address-writer, Mr. !TOR ACE SiSaiiTtt. The ORC having laid most Conti nental States prostrate with his sword, fancied he was it ie sistible, attacked the last remaining Power, and was com pletely defeated. The other, having sitccesfully laughed at almost every poetical author of the present day, thiaight he had acquired a right to mock the pul.!ic also. But as be had drawn too largely on his own wit on the ftist occasion, Ise resolved to make free Nvith that of others, and collected into a farce, entitled The A /stir/ Ap.)!ilf C. , "71/, all the bad puns and wretched quibbles which had been for years wan dering about the town without any right cutler. To these he added a few gems of his own. and boldly came before the public in full expectation of success : for who would have conceived that spectators should 1w found to hiss the vritticiatns to which in an unguarded hour they lnid themselves given birth ? Ilis confidence, however, experienced a most seve! . e, and to all appearances a fatal, but thrre!gh the obstinacy of the managers, for some time an undecisive check. 1-re s . e 4 from all pat is of the house, assailed with repeated ci ies of off, and compelled to close in the midst of universal uproar; nay, followed by apologies wrenched from the managers them celves, for the production of " a piece whir h the public deemed obnoxious," yet it was repeated the next night, in face of the most unequivocal damnation, and in audacious opposition to tl.e wishes of the audit nee, sup ported by the unanimous censure of the laves , . When cen sure is sa general, it cannot be mistaken for the Voice of party. Had the authors, whom Mr. H. SMITH has contri buted so wittily to ridicule, unjustly raised the storm which burst upon his farce at the theatre, the press would have done it justice abroad. But when only one opinion is entertained of a piece, and that is unfavoto able, no plea can avail to ex cuse the indecency of forcing it on the public. From the following • sketch of the plot of the " Absent Apothecary," it will be seen that the sentence of condemna tion passed upon it, was founded on the justest (gouud—an almost to:al want of interest and merit. II Monday, a Court of Common Council wls held at Guild- hall, when Petitions to both Houses of Pailiatnent in favour the leading character, as may be presumed from the titl e . ik was a of the renewal of the East India Company's Charter, wet,. -....age opotheLary, but of so absent a turn bf mind, that he w,:s afwAya agreed to, and the Sheriffs were directed to request some tilinkuig Of SHA K ESPEA RE when he ought to he studying the vuttcria Peer to present the petition to the !louse of Lords •i and flit: medic(' ; and was sure to make a garbled quotation from .11:n bah when he was called upon to administer ;chef tor the head-at he. !Lying ShSheriff's, attended by the Remembrancer, were requested to , aencned that Mr. the::n (Mr. PEN LE i), a good-natuted sort of gentle- present the petition to the Hon. House of Commons forth- I M3ll, who was frightened to (Leath by dreams, winding-sheets, and With. . thieves iu the candle, Its:! gained 50001. by the lottery, our otheat math • t