The National Register. — London, England, 1813-07-25 00:00:00

476 Providence-Chapel was thus speedily erected ; and though the na:ue given to it offended many, " I have since seen," remarks the preacher, " a chapel called Trinity-Chapel, where the Triliity is little known, but this wall not the case at the naming of Providence-Cha pel." . This chapel was in Little Titchfieldestreet, Oxford Market but was destroyed by fire. Its successor, likewise named, was built, in the years 1810-It-; and is situated in Gray's Inn Lane. Both chapels owed their existence, to the liberality of Mr. Huntington'► congregation ; but he prevailed with them to transfer the legal pro perty of the new chapie to himself, by threatening to abandon them in case of their refining to comply with this requisition. His stated, income did ma at one period exceed twenty-the pounds a quarter yet it latterly amounted to about 10;;01. per annum. Some very few years before his end, Mr. Huntington married a second time, death having released him from his dame,' the reputedly affluent widow of the late Sir James Saunderson, and Daughter of the patriotic Alderman Skinner. Lady Saunderson is understood to have first repaired to Providence Chapel with the view of ridiculing that preacher of whom she afterwards became the wife. She sur vives Mr. Huntington; who, by his first marriage, had thirteen children, though many of them died before him. Although not so rich as he was thought, he had for some years kept his carriage. " I had told the whole company that rose up against me," says Mr. Huntington, speaking of the congregational commo tions which were excited by his opposition to the seditious writings of Paine, " and told them publicly in the chapel, that, so far from their being able to pull me down, they must not wonder to see me in my coach when old age came on ; nor was the hand of God with drawn till this came to pass." He was seldom mistaken in such pre. dictions as related to himself. Old age now came on. Considering the privations of his early life, however, and the laborious nature of the occupations in which he was oompelled to engage, his declining years were less leirthen some than might reasonably have been anticipated. His decay was gradual ; and his dismissal from this stage of being, long looked for, was attended with perfect composure of mind, and lint lit tic bodily pain. When some of his family were assisting him in pulling off his coat, after the last sermon that he preached, he told thesn—that he knew his work was ahnost done. He supped the evening before his death, saying, when he had finished, that it was the last supper he should eat ; and that lie was ready to meet his God and Saviour ! He de parted this life, the next day, ;July the Ist, 1813, at Tunbridge Wells, where he had gone for the benefit of his health. Diabetes was found the immediate cause of his dissolution. He had neglected to sign his will, by which omission his family arc likely to be involved in all the disasters of law. He was pressed to perform this duty, within two days of his decease, when he ap peared reluctant about it, shifted the conversation, and evaded the art. His motives for this conduct are not clearly known. What 1S 'rer thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might ; for there is no work nor device nor kaawledge nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goesl. I-0 remains have been interred at Lewes, notwithstanding that lie farmerly inte,ded to have been buried in tlie neighbourhood of Pe gersham ; where, matiy years ago,. in conjunction with some parti eidar friends, he purchased a spot of ground and erected a substan tial tomb, hoping there to rest tvether in the dust—" till the arch augurs trump should silence that of the Gospel, an proclaim an eteried jubilee to the covenant seed of the Son of God !" But this has not taken place ; and a stone, at the head of his present grave, displays the following epitaph, composed by himself, some time since.—" Here lies THE COAL-WAVER ; who departed this life July 1, 1813, in the both year of Isis age ; beloved of his God, but abhorred of Men. The omniscient Judge, at the Grand Assize, Allan ratify and coufirm this, to the confusion of many Thousands; for England and its Metropolis shall know, that there bath been a 'PROPHET among them ! W. H. S. S. 9 ' He had desired that no funeral st rmon might he preached for him. His followers were also prof ibitedlivnt skilibiting another customary tribute of respect, on such an occasion as this, that of hanging the chapel of the deceased pastor with black. Otherwise they have affection far their Minister. They have, almost with d, clothed - themselves iii " decent mourning," so as to in to the world, the bereavement which the evidently feel. (T 9 he concluded next (peek.) displayed due out exception, dicate, evpu to THE NATIONAL It EGISTlitt. DRAMATIC REGISTER. LYCEUM. JULY 25. The musical entertainment of The Shipwreck was revived at this Theatre last Thursday night. It is, perhaps, to the hypercritical spirit of the age that we owe the paucity of original productions, and the abundance of revivals on our %utniner stage. Unwi!ling to allow any merit to the present, and always exaggerating the excellence of the past, the Pub lic and its critical oracles have only left this way open to Managers to justify both themselves and our modern An thors. It is therefore, we conceive, in self-defence that they bring forward pieces which show, that former writers wove as slight a plot and penned as flimsy dialogue as the lowest dramatic scribblers of our days, and that, notwithstanding the general outcry, our Opera's are becoming every day more allied to sense and interest than the musical vehicles of pre ceding writers. The Shipwreck was raised last Thursday above its usual insignificance, by the unexpected excellenee of Mr.PENt. EY, in Tom Hawcer's part, and the appearance of Master BA R NET T, a boy about nine year's old, in that of Dick. The former, hitherto always correct and respectable in his acting, left nothing for censure to condemn, and little for praise to extol. As the representative of Hawser, he displayed so much feeling and spirit, and expressed the frequent changes of passions with so much felicity, as to remind us forcibly of BANNISTER in his happiest moments. Master BARNET T v to a strong and harmonious voice, joins a correct taste, much judgment', and an easy and elegant execution. If be conti nues to be properly taught, and should the beauty of his voice survive the critical period of its breaking, he promises to become a worthy successor of the most eminent of our singers, BRAIIAM. • PANTHEON THEATRE. The Pantheon, after giving us for many years a practical illustration of the Pythagorean Metempsychosis, in its endless changes, has just been opened as an English Opera, under the management of Mr. HILL, formerly of Covent-Garden Theatre. Whether this will he its last state, it is, of course, impossible, even for critical ingenuity to anticipate. To give an opinion of the merits of its company is an easier task, and hitherto, it is rather of a favourable cast. But as the representations have as yet been few, and only► presented us with but few new claimants for dramatic fame, we shall, in the spirit of fairness, defer all detailed observations some time longer. KING'S THEATRE. The Opera of Figura, last evening, attracted at this Theatre a brilliant auditory. TR A M EZZANI and CATALAN', exerted their_ transeendant talents with the happiest effect ; and in the Duet in the last Act, with Mrs. DICKONS, CATALINI sung with such taste ful, sweet, and vaiied expression, as produced an encore and re.. peated plaudits. SURREY THEATRE. ELLISTON'S dogs beat his actors hollow, although they are of no' common description. Indeed, the piece of Lleseel yu s aided by the powerful and surrising instinctive exertions of the dogs, although it has now run nearly ten weeks, seems rather to increase than di. minis!' its attraction. BRIGHTON. JULY 23.—Oar Theatricals, under the management of Mr: ..To.. SEPH GROVE, have been carried on with great spirit but we W. went to say with very indifi'erent success. Although the company, collectively, is far indeed from being a good one, many of them possess first rate talents ; among tlio!e entitled to considerable at, tention, are Mrs. and Miss SYDNEY ' • the latter lady, indeed, can. not fail soon to fi nd her way to the Metropolitan boards, Among the auxiliaries have been Messrs. DowroN, FINCH, SINCLAIR, and - MATTHEws, the. 1;010 - Gentleman finishes this evening his engage . menr, every box iiliken. Mrs. IEnwIN and MOklyitEacs4 3 . open to-mforaw night : in . - 1144 Honey Moon.