The National Register. — London, England, 1817-11-30 00:00:00

NOV. $O. THE DRAMA. COVENT-GARDEN. The revival of The Cabinet on Tuesday evening, re newed the many pleasing recollections which its merits and recommendations, in reference to musical composi tion, and the superior vocal talent which supported the leading characters at the time of its projection and suc cessful run, could not fail to attach. Mr. Brahma, as befitre, sustained the part of Prince Orlando ; but we must confess his operatic exertions were far from being commensurate with those presented at the period al luded to. His first song was singularly illustrative of this opinion ; its execution was tastless and incorrect. The human voice cannot, we are aware, on every occa sion assume the same desired tone and character ; had the deficiency rested here the ungracious task of cen sure had not oppressed our columns. In labouring to excel, Mr. Brahant's error seems to consist. Nought is so subversive of beauty, as redundancy of ornsment, sinless, indeed, that beauty be calculated to astonish, ra ther than subdue. Of a directly opposite tendency to the former, is the air in question. The words convey the idea of a heart captive to the tenderest emotions, and breathing its wailing' in all the chastity of pen sive sorrow and melancholy incitement. Their soul and expression is love. The melody in which they are wafted, is of itself highly characteristic, and reflects every credit upon the genius that constructed its ar rangement. Mr. Braham, by introducing the trickery of art, despoiled it of its very essence, pathos and feel ing. A contested encore ffillowed, and we were nearly as much disappointed as lictiire In " Fair Ellen,' however, his triumph was complete, every tone vibrat ed to the heart, intricacy of science Was thrown aside for sweetness and simplicity, and the magic of sound in its purest elements smote throughout on the enraptured ear. In the admired " rolacca," which blends both ex tremes, .. r. Braham was loudly and deservedly ap plauded, yet even here the wish to surprise superseded in some degree the power to charm. Miss Stephens re presented, fur the first time, the character of Media, and considering her talent as an actress has hitherto been shewn us the reverse of playfulness and archness, in a manner highly flattering and encouraging. Her bantering the Marquis in " the bird in yonder cage," was diverting in the extreme. There was flippancy in her expression and acting truly descriptive of Floretta. Her singing w as as usual fraught with every excellence. The air above mentioned bore the distinction of being the best. In the duet with Brah•un she appeared to feel the arduousness of her task, and this served in some respects to check the expansion of her powers. The house was but thinly attended. Friday nignt Miss Brunton, appeared fur the first time in the very difficult part of Beatrice in Mitch ado about Nothing. We hays not seen het, but report says that she acquitted herself with great ability. ItUItY.LANE. On Monday evening, awing to the indisposition of Mr. Kean, the part of Gloucester in King Richard Me Third was enacted by Mr. Maywootl. His pertbrm_ ante iticed considerable knowledge of the subject. Some of ti►e scenes afforded a very flattering display of his histrionic talent und powers. lie was warmly ap plauded throughout. Sheridan's admirable Comic Opera The Duenna, was on Thursday evening performed. The novelty of the occasion was Miss Byrne's first appearance as Clara. She was eminently successful, the most conspicuous of the airs " Adieu thou dreary pile," which in point of com }tuition, displays a depth of ►ausical skill almost with out a parallel, was girt% with the most correct and pleasing effect. To sweetness of style, this lady adds surprising brilliaacy of execution. Her minstrelsy may truly merit the description of concord blended with science. A more favourable specimen than that above quoted, we have not hitherto heard. It was raptur ously encored. Dowton's Isaac Mendoza was as usual inimitably illustrative of comic. excellence ; Mrs. Spark's D►senna laid claim to every praise. The rest of the characters were hut ill sustained. The fills of Me Clyde followed, This piece possesses bat little merit beyond beauty of scenery and effective representation. A Russian Commissioner, who came on board the Patrieker, Russian frigate from Revel, arrived in town on Friday, and immediately waited on the Spanish Am bassador to fulfil the instructions of his Government, by resigning to his Excellency the disposal of the Rus sian squadron which has just reached the British shores. In the first instance it will be ocdored to Portsmouth, and after receiving on board some necessaries, it will proceed to Spain. Letters reached town on Thursday from New South Wales, dated April 26. The colony was gning on well. The Kangaroo, reported some time since to have been taken possession of by some desperadoes, sailesl on the nth from Sydney, with dispatches lor England, and is hourly expected. Mannfiutures and articles of all kinds were in abundance and very cheap ; and the largest exportation of wool cud skins 14 Eng land bud taken place. Young Ashford, it seems, has been denianed, which it is said, exempts hint from Abraham Thorntun'.s plea of Wager of Battle. •••••••‘••,..•••••.. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. THE QUEI,,N. BATH, Nov. 25.—The Queen did not perform her journey so easily as before. Although she left Wind sor nearly an hour sooner, it wet about six o'clock yes terday evening before she al rived at her house in Syd ney-place. Her Majesty was received by his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence, who had arrived nearly an hour balm: ; and she appeared evidently th tigued by the journey ; tor, as she was stepping from her carriage into the house, her foot caught the thredi hold, and she would certainly have fallen, had not his Royal Highness been at hand to support her. General Taylor arrived about an hour after. Her Majesty's return to Bath was marked by none of those joyful acclamations, which greeted her last entrance She had, indeed, signified her express de-' sire, that no military escort should attend her, and that her entrance might be as quiet as possible. lode pendently of this, much as her Majesty's presence was desired by the iahabitants of Bath, yet the grief which the nation shares, has thrown a gloom over every face, and the arrival of these illustrisus personages appeared to be scarcely no.ice'l. Soon after the arrival of her Majesty, the royal party sat down to dinner, and afterwards retired early to rest. No company had been admitted, and the residence of her Majesty remained in the most perfect silence, dis tinguished only by two grenadier centittels of the 38th regiment. - During the journey from Windsor, her Majesty alighted twice; first, at the King's Head Inn, Thatcham, where, whilst the horses were being changed, she par took of sandwiches, which had been brought from Windsor, and again at the Castle Inn, at Marthorough, where the Staff of the Wiltshire Militia formed a guard of honour. We understand that the landlord of the ' Pelican hotel, at Speenbamiand, had also made great preparation ; and as the royal carriages approached the house, a carpet was laid on the pavement. They, how ever, all passed on without stopping ; but her Majesty directed some of her suite to express her regret at the circumstance, and to say, that she would visit that house on her return. THE PRINCE LeoPato —At NVindsor, Prince Leo pold, when he first entered the roam (wherein all that his heart held dear was deposited), took off the coronet and cushion, and gazed with mute and fixed attention, his eyes streaming with tears. His Highness after wards removed the pall ; and after reading the inscrip tion, threw himself upon the coffin, which he em braced with a frantic ardour. The Duchess of York was so much affected when she paid her first visit of condolence at Claremont, as so be unaldo to enter the presence of Prince Leopold. IrPer Royal Highness was seized with an hysteric fit, which was so alarming that it became necessary to removo her out of the house.— Coio for The Common Council of London, however deeply sympathising in the recent affliction, have, with great propriety, determined to abstain from presenting an ad dress to the Prince Regent on the death of his dat:hgter. As such an address must constitutionally have been received on the T•mune, and been replied to from thence, the emotions which it would have excited would have been too painful. Other addresses, with the exception of those from the Universities, as they produce no personal interview, stand on different grounds; they will not be more affecting to the Royal feelings than the advertisement of the Common Coun cil, in which the exercise of the privilege of addressing is delicately declined. The Universities, we have no doubt, will pursue the course adopted by the Common Council. A report, that the minor Canons of St. Paul s as sembled tint the purpose of ordering money to be taken on the clay of the interment of the Princess Charlotte, is stated from authority to be false; and it has been further intimated, that if any person who paid money on that melancholy occasion, will identify to the Canon Itesidentiary the persn who received it, and shew that it was demanded of him, as the price of his admission, the complaint shall meet with due attention. Accounts were received in town on Wednesday, re lative to the atrtirs of the Datch East India Settle ments, brought by a vessel arrived at Liverpool, which left Java on the 4th August. Through her it is learnt that after the massacre of the Canoe Expedition, sent from Aniboyna against Saproa, the Amboynese had got nearly complete possession of the island, and com pelled the Dutch inhabitants to seek shelter under the forts. These fortified situations had been frequently attacked by the natives, who had been rendered bold and desperate, and who, extraordinary as it may ap pear, actually waged war under British colours. Mien the Company's ship Antelope k4t Saproa in July, it was expected that the natives would have full posses sion of the island in a few days. To this unpleasant intimmation, so tin- as it regards the Dutch, it is added, that the whole of the C.debes and the Molocca Islands have maniksted a similar spirit of disaffection ; and no trifling apprehensions were cutertained fur the safety of Java Wei& WINDSOR, Nov. 23. 561 Divine service was resinned this morning at St. George's Chapel, which remains in the sainu stale as it was a'. the Royal funeral an the day of interment, th, w of the choir being covered with black baize, and all the slits hum: with super. tine black cloth. The church was• crowded with gentry, many of whom were disappointed, as the service was performed hi Vie same manner as at a general fast, without airy music, and will continue while the appendages of sorrow remain.--All the niembers present appeared in their funeral trimmings, consisting of the Dean, severs Canons, two minor Casin os , a n d eleven Lay-clerks. Au i.llll/14.66i V C discourse upon this solemn occasion. ti ,on the IStb verse of 2cl chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel—" lis Rama there was a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and great mom Itachael weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they air not," was delivered by the honourable and Rev. Dr. Mat - sham, Canon in residence. At the comineliceineat or the sermon, the preacher lamented his want of fortitude to enter on a sub. ject which Was so deeply felt by malty persons present, with whom the departed was a companion and guide and their own familiar friend, and " who often took counsel together and walked into the House of God as friends." He drew picture oilier religious character, and instituted an historical comparison of her and King Edward VI. The effect of the whole discourse was visible upon the greatest part of the congregation, among whom was die Bishop of Salisbury, the Princess's Preceptor, who was deeply affected. lu the prayer previous to the sermon, the preacher inr•.dored the assistance of Providence towards the Royal Family to enable them to bear their loss. Nov. 2 I.—This morning Her Nlajesty, accompanied by the Princess Elizabeth, left the C 'see soon after 7 o'clock, in the postchaise formerly used by the King as a travelling carriage, to proceed to Bath. The same attendants %sent in the same carriages as ou the first visit to Bath. We understand that the Dey of Tripoli has con.. sented to receive a man of science and literature at his. Court, to reside there, and acquire the language and manners of the country ; after which he will give hint a military escort to penetrate into the interior of Africa. In consequence of this Joseph Ritchie, Esq. now the private Secretary of Sir Charles Stuart, is selected as the person highly qualified for this undertaking. He will be appointed Consul at Tripoli ; and he will travel with the Caravan to Torabuctoo. This, after all the unsuccessinl expeditious that have taken place, promisee to produce the information so much wanted. No per son is better qualified for the important task than Mr. Ritchie. CONTAGIOUS FEvra.—Friday week a meeting was• held at the City of Lor.don Tavern, with a view to enable the Loudon Fever Institution .to meet the pre. sent exigency, arising fin the encreased prevalence of infectious fever.—The Lord Mayor took the chair, and the Rev. J. Hewlett and others, having described the benefits arising from the establishment, a liberal sub. scription was entered into by those present. The num. ber of cases of typkus admitted into the House of Hero. very of the Institution, within the last six months, amoonts to :i4 l. DISTRESSINO ACCIDENT.--A very distressing and melun holy recurrence happened early yesterday morn.. ing.—A serjeant, corporal, and three private marines, stationed at this place, for the prevention of smuggling went out on duty, during the night, and having pro ceeded upon the sands to a place called Duinpton stair . gateway, betweer this place and Broadstairs, they, for the purpose of shelter, and the more effectually to se cret themselves, took up a position under a projection of the Cli2; where they remained until day-break, when the serjcant ordered one of the privates to call in a par. ty, who were stationed on the opposite side of the Gate. way, near to Broatlstairs. The man had gone but a. few paces, when an itnmense. portion of the cliffgave way, and buried in its Ed' four companions. The full was sosudden that it struck his musket tiom his shoul. tier, and he fortunately escaped, though in a very ter. rified a state of mind, to give an alarm of the fate of his unhappy comrades. Immediately on its being knows Mr. D. B. .larman, an active inhabitant of this town, accompanied by Mr. N. Gott and a gang of men froin, the works at the harbour, proceeded with a laudable alacrity to the spot, and commenkci cutting a trench the Dinh the middle of the chalk, and after two or three hours laborious exertion, they fimind the seij...ant and corporal extended en their fines, and pres,..nting a sho c k.. ing spectacle. In the course of a few hours more the two privates were found, as having been in a sitting posture, but with their heads foreelbetwixt their leg„ • anti crushed iu a most dreadful tuanncr. The bodies as taken nut, were placed in a boat, and conveyed to Broadstuirs, preparatory to the Coroner's Inquest. Th e _ accident having happened within the limits of the Pa.._ rish of St. Peter.—(Bantsgote„Yor. ) .blt RDERi—Aceounts have reached totrn yesterday' of it murder having been committed on Wednesday last,. oil Beachy Head, on board a Dutch vessel.. The thl.. lowing are extracts of letters on the subject.. FIR , T EXTRACT. —" As tbrd ,esterlia • tit, a.m.! ' b r i g E•v. ranee, late Captain Jen. Ikhrisnal foist, 110111 Ra nco r„', on:.11 to Mes•itia, and runtainn. Oo tin httb instant. e hrn ,at peachy Nra,l, the crkw hove me master and eh et nor te o . ern,,arti..... S I.CON ELTIt Al Danish ling flpt rime r , 0 : o.erzh, .I liandottgli tote Cap , ~s Nielwat liolst, was brought in Kerr by boat, the • baying mord. red the eai.tain and turi mate •e the 20th , off t:rat and thrown tlivm ove.t.aard. The letters from which the above extracts are talen are both dated Friday. • •-• Alter`