The National Register. — London, England, 1811-05-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONACREGISTF,R. • DRAMATIC REGISTER. ti AY MARKET- THEATRE. In CISBER'S time, it was very fashionable for favourite actors to take great liberties with the town, and the introduction of their own names into the prologues, e.t.c. which they had to speak, was sure to phase the multitude. It was thought very pretty for Pi K ETUNI A N and BULLOCK to come foiward in their own characters and play tricks with each other. The audiences of those days were delighted to see them Wrestling to . gethee, and When PIN K lINIA v;ho was a little man, knkkett the . Bullock down and stood over him, the line " And little PINKY strikes the-vanquish'd Bullock;" wss thought divine, and filled the floto;e v..iih r.ll)ture. On a . lother occasion, in delivering a prologue, from the ascendancy he had gained over the town, I:I N K ETILIk A N had - confidence enough to call for silence in an authoritative tonel-i -. " Silence, to show how . PINKY here commands." All was slence, anti the actor, to Wove his pswer still more, neat gave this word Now rattle all your sticks, and clap Toni. hands." This order was instantly coMplied with like the former, and the audience thought the whole an crellent joke. From that time to the present, addresses from celebrated actors have been fre 'writ. The additss spoken by FOOTE, after his trial for Lbeling a L.:okieller, under the name of Peter PizragraPh, could not fail et delighting those, who had warmly espoused his part, and consequently seas not resented as impertinent. The prologue to " Much ado about I.rt which was Spoken by GA R RICK, when that play w.ts performed by command of his Majesty, and he, at an advanced age called upon to perform .13;Tnedkle, was much admired. This inay be well accounted for, though . such an ad dress was perhaps not quite necessary. GARLICK, though as vain as Eet.isToN, and though, like ELLisrox, a Manager, knew how to affect humility, • ' • " And feign a virtue if he had it not." • He did not detail his adventures, but expessvd his fears. He bad then been many years on the stage, and feelingilre Was not what he was, he castie lanyard to disarm eriticism,and to solicit indulgence. " Worn in your - service, you my faults will spare, .And make Sdlowance for the weir and tear." In addition to s appaieurditEdence, (always so becoming in an actor) there wo.s another reason for being pleased with ,this addret.s—it boas-ed some poetical merit. The following lines with which it cOneluded will prove dill, as I think it trust be admitted that tht.i are not only strilcipg in themselves, but admirably adapted to the occasion. " The ChAsezt Pensioner who rich in scars Fi ; .;hts o'er in prattle all his former v. - ars, ' Tho' past the service may the young ones teach To march—present—to fire-- , and mount' the h!•eack. Should the drum beat to arms, at fait hell gi ieve For wo)den leg, lost eye—and armless sleeve Then cock his hat, look fierce, and swell his chest, 'Tis fur my King, and ..r.ounds .Illda my best?' . The addresses of later days have been very numerous. Some of them have been good, and many exceedingly dull, but of all the treats of this kind with which an Engliih audience have been entertained, I question if ever there has hcen any thing to equal (in its way) the following occasional address, en on the operin7 of the Haymrsket Theatre, on Wednesday, by Mr. ELUSION. - Sit times the Sum:ll(T o'er my h s fleeted, *lime, ert thl% spot, my generous friend= I gr. etc d : Yrithee, den: l'atrons, to not therefore grumble; Into some ' l hratre I'm sure to tumbl , !, Where, iriiving still to please, you find your hhu:'. iblc In various scenic battles, staunch and strut, Attar old Urury was, like Troy, biant cat, 1, as fEneas, driven to the Strand, Soon cross'd that water which was close at hand. • Then Surrey Chieftain grown, at mighty risk, I fought with fury—near the Obelisk. "l'is wonderful, the triumphs which were won, Last year, by great Field-marshal ELLisrou! " Fight boys, " I cried, " St. George, with three-times Arm i " His brick and mortar fields, and victory." Still, there I keep a camp 3_ pay soldiers yearn (No period though is fix dyfor my return. Not so the Corsican, whom Fortune laid In dotage on her lap, and linip'ror made; He who makes kings, like ninepins, with a crown, At will set up, to be, at will, knock' d down; Not s die, false Ndpukon, on the soil Of burning 1.7.g - 71)01:aye his troops to toil, And promis . ti a revisit to the plain, But fever did, nor meant, to come again No; when JOHN BULL is pledg'd, we cannot doubt him. He has no Cursico-French blood about him ; If no time's named, why then, without more pother, sure to bold his faith, some time or other. Ourbrother Nap will disappoint, we've heard, But General ELLISTON must keep his word. Here cence we airy figures to pursue, • And glance on solid figures, which are new. New gi:sh and blood, which, call'd um miry a county, Pray fin your candid and diScerning bounty. Some favourites in our corps you've mark'd for true ones. And pray give currency to al. the new ones. Receive our country coin, or we are undone, Silver from BirminTharn comes stamp'd to London. To splendour this poor House has uo pretence; We aim at nature, laugh, and common sense: Deign on our Biped!: to show som • CornpAggintl, Though Quadrupeds, of late, are all the fashion. _ ~ It is a subject of melancholy reflection that Mr. COLIYIAN . 9 genius has t• 11 far declined, that wishing to produce an Address, lie can only write such trash as this. His Address for the ripen ing of Covent-Gallen Theatre, was universally acknowledged to be ridiculous, but this is ten times worse. kis nut only pear in language, but in idea ; and if it were eves) tianst.ted into .Eugiisii, the thoughts it contains are such miserahle backs. that it must still be contemptible. Good verses bestowed on .ue,.k sense (or rather on such nonsense) would be admired like $ gold laced coat on the back of a chimney-sweep. The solemnity with which we are informed that tee period ie fixed for Mr. E Lt.tc•roN's return to the Circus (a distance more than a mile) is, I suppose, meant to consol, " those La dies and Gentlemen, who, having alrvitly made iuquiri( s as to the period of Mr. ELLIS:Wei engagement, have been informed Oat it extends only to a few weeks in the season," as it leaves room to hope, that he may be prevailed on to remain " Far distant from his wife and children dear" some time longer. General ELLisToN must k ep his word though because " when JOHN Bum, is pledged zee cannot doubt him," and moreover, because " Mr.- ELUSION has nu Corsico- French blood about him." Now, from all this, it is very dew, I think, "mit/soul /weep thee," that Mr. dEacas General Jake Ball ELLIS rots haying fixed no peri td for his return, is humid to rs fe , itt his pl.lge (wlil:h he, unliki. BON 4rARTZ, has net given) by " hoblini his faith some time or other," it.st he sitOlild 4.* disappoint," like his ratlier NAP. , • All this 13 so very intelligible, that I think it is impossible to misunderstand it. To be sure those who are dispose d to be querulous, may say," Who are they Mr. E. fears to diiappoist by not returning ? Dues ha ne..an the Circus soldiefs, or the Iloymai - ke: visitors ?" To this the answer is, if a man of his conseq ence were to fail of r( turning, it Haight, perk:,; 4, pint cli pet:i.:N, and then woubt, a las! be la te ki s broths NA r, thoti?,ll rvittlithst.oidit , g their being to wear if kin, Mr. Et:trs roN has " Corsica-French bl. n about him." I neon it hel,) complime:ttleg Mr. Coi.saaN on the very Twit manner iir which he tics come athwart ilotsAtoevx. i would Aviv hill to nrik.: a presenf of this part of his addrass to the A mi-Corsicaa giniety. Tf uar brolker 2ti,.p dues not comittit suicide when be LAI& that it has been proclaimed to a Prides sudienre and th.: wiaild that be ern iSe Mr. Ft.t.iliros 4 7 4 ••• 4 .9k0• • r ti OM 1 I ..; -- s, ''• 1 1•