The National Register. — London, England, 1812-03-08 00:00:00

1 154 Mr. Henry Wellesley, Ambassador at Cadiz, and Mr. Adair, late Ambassador at Constantinople, and formerly at Vienna, are, it is said, to receive the Order of the Bath. A meeting of the Protestant Noblemen and Gentlemen possessing property in Ireland, was, on Monday, held at the Thatched-house Tavern, St. James's-street, Earl Fitzwilliarn in the Chair, for the pur oie of signing a Petition to P arliament in favour of the Catholic *Claims. Eleven Noblemen and Gentlemen were appointed us a Com mittee to carry the object of the Petition into effect. The meeting then adjourned till Monday, the 6th of April, to receive the Report of the Committee. A Petition for the removal of all restraints on religious liberty has been prepared at Hull, and sent up to Mr. Whitbread for presentation to Parliament. Upwards of 600 names were procured in three days; amongst them are those of several clergymen of the• Church. On Monday a Deputation of Birmingham merchants waited on Mr. Perceval by appointment, with a statement of the mischiefs re sulting from the Orders in Council. The Minister admitted, in the presence of Mr. Rose, that no stronger case had been presented to him, that it should have its due weight ; but lie added, that he would nut fatter those hopes which might eventually be disappointed. • Tables of the Rates upon which Government are granting Life An nuities in exchange for 3 per Cent. Stock, are distributed gratis at the Office in Bank-Street. These Annuities cannot be purchased when the 3 per‘Cents. are - below 60. . The Dowager Countess of Macclesfield is in so dangerous a state of health, that her life is debpaired of. Mr. W. W. Pole made his first appearance in Hyde Park on Friday, about fire o'clock, with Miss T. Long seated by his side in a new cur rick, drawn by a pair of beautiful blood grey horses, attended by two servants in different liveries. It appears probable that the ci-devant Theatrical phenomenon, Mr. Betty, who was once thought to have made his final bow upon the Stage, will again exhibit himself throughout the kingdom. His en gagement at Bath and Bristol were both extended beyond the term originally specified. On Wednesday he performed at the Gloucester Theatre, and he was to appear on Thursday at the Cheltenham Theatre in the character of the Earl of Essex. Report adds, that an engagement with the Managers of the New Drury, is in the course of negotiation— but that, it may be thought, is at present somewhat premature. The volunteering of the Militia into the Line, for the year 1812, is to take place about the 10th instant, when ail soldiers on furlough are ordered to repair to their respective head-quarters. A Brevet promotion is expected in the month of April, which will extend to a great portion of the Colonels of 1810, and include the whole of the Lieutenant-Colonels of 1806.9, the Majors of 1806-7, and the Captains of 1801-'2.. Four Spanish sailors have arrived in t he Downs in a man of war's beat, in which they t. &etc d their escape from France with only a blank et for their sail. • It appears that they belonged to some corps which had been sent to I3oulogne to fit out the flotilla, for the purpose of' enabling it to form a junction with the ships in the Scheldt. We are happy to find that the price of bullion has been for the last fortnight considerably declining in the market. The price of guineas, where such surreptitious traffic had been carried on, has fallen so near to the Mint denomination of the value of that coin, that it is now scarcely worth the while of the speculators to engage in it. In the same space of time our foreign exchanges have most materially improved, and there is every reason to believe that they will continue improving. • On Saturday se'ennight, or early on Sunday morning, two of the French prisoners having broken their parole of honour, at Ashby-de-la _ Zouch, information thereof was immediately given to the principal innkeepers at Loughborough, from a supposition that they were likely 7.s to pass through that town: when, singular to relate, only a few hours • bad elapsed before two persons answering pretty much the description of the fugitives came on foot to the Bull's Head Inn there, and ordered dinner, and a chaise for Leicester; the landlady, Mrs. Hopkins, imme diately apprized the constable of the circumstance, who took them both into custody, and conveyed them before the Rev. Dr. Hardy, when it ' • was discovered, that instead of their being the persons supposed, they were both from Ashbourne, in Derbyshire, one of them Lieutenant Joseph Peter Pieri, a French O ffi cer, who had broken his parole from , that town, and the other a young woman, dresAed in ntan's apparel / who he had enticed away from her friends at that place. They were both committed to Leicester Goal; the - former to remain there till the Transport Board shall order his removal, and the latter, we under s stand, will be tried on the charge of aiding and assisting the Frenchman to escape out of the Kingdom. About six o'clock on Thursday evening, some excise-officers went to a house in Circus-street, New-road, where they found a stil at work. On their entrace, the premises were set on fire by the persons at work, two of whom were secured. The fire raged a considerable time. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. MISCELLANIES. FINE ARTS. BRITISH INSTITUTION. MARCH s. No. 55. Clytemnestra and her Children,supplicating her Husband Aga menuton to spare the life of Iphigenia. By Miss H. A. E. JACKSON.—It was most certainly an awful moment, a moment of the greatest anxiety for the Chief of the Grecian expedition against Troy, when, perplexed and distracted between his affection for his daughter and his patriotic engagements; between the duties of a General who had called the whole strength of Greece to revenge the injury done to his brother, and the feelings of a tender father towards a beloved and innocent child, he 1 bad to decide upon her, and give a verdict of life or death. Calchas called loudly for the blood of the victim ; the winds were in waiting to waft the fleet over the Archipelago, and the decisive words of Aga. memnon were expected with impatience by the whole army under his command. In that painful, distressing situation has Miss Jackson at tempted to pourtray the King of Mycena. We have had already suffi cient proofs of her daring turn of mind ; she holds the attributes of the , chromatic muse with as much manliness as might be expected from any other artist ; and her copy of 4 - the Madona" of Sebastian del Piombo, last season, was enough to make us conceive the most flattering hopes of success in any subject she might undertake. The figure of Agamemnon is Icorrect as to delineation,and the expression of his inward feelings working upon his features, evinces a great knowledge of the passions and of their influence upon the human face. His costume is classical, and appro. priately coloured ; his helmet is handsome and drawn from the antique, and the anotomical parts expressed with judgment and taste. Clytem nestra, with her suite, composed of her other daughters, approaches him with fear and hesitation. We know that, awed by the majesty of paternal grief, they measure the eageriAs of their supplications upon the feeling of a father, a husband, and a King, and that a sensible conge niality of sorrow ought to pervade the whole groupe—but, we must ob. serve that there is a certain want of nobleness in the figure of Clytem nestra, whose subsequent deeds are well known, that the character of her face does not speak exactly what we have a right to expect; and that her daughters are not sufficiently animated, and do not express enough that sentiment of sorority! distress which tortures their bosoms. No. 36. Clytemnestra exalting over the body of Agamemnon. lEsclup lus's tragedy of Agamemnon. By S. RIGA U o.—Here the same heroine ap. pears, but in a very different character ; she is no longer an humble aid, pliant for the relief of her daughte r ; she has murdered her Lord, holding the bloody axe in her hand, exults upon the body of the fallen Chieftain. Adultery has whispered to her the means of putting to death the hero whom ten years of warlike hardships had spared. This subject is grand, and requires an uncommon share of enthusiasm to te iwell treated.—We can only say that the colouring is very pleasing, the 1 group well conceived, the figures happily contrasted, but that the wife of Agamemnon is represented too young, and wants that character of madeuing oration which the poet has so forcibly hinted. No. 42. Nanny ut the Well , f ront Nature. By Mrs. TAvecia.—This piece is, perhaps, the best among the several paintings which this wellfemal e artist has exhibited this year. The figure of the girl is pleasing and drawn ; and the stately holly-hock, the roses, and the rest of the flowers are painted with nicety ; but does not this, as well as all her other per formances, remind us too much of japan enluminures and neat tea• board execution ? She has talents, but wants boldness. Sh e speaks the truth of nature, but with too much coy ness and timidity. Let her dare and she will succeed. No. 66. Iris and her Train. By H. HOWARD, R. A. The m anner in which this subject is treated is elegant and pleasing ; correct delineation, taste in grouping, and delicacy of colouring unite to entitle this perform ance to praise. It was exhibited and admired before at Somerset -house, and becomes here an ornament to the room. However, we must sai l that the execution would have gained considerably, and a oust sal mind been much more delighted, if the ingenious artist had contribeeidr to dress the seven attendants of the Messenger of the Gods in t avowed livery. This, we suppose, was his prim, ',easier°, but it is not sufficiently explicit; and we doubt not that, if ever Mr. oward tre prtli tt . again the same subject, he will endeavour to embody with more made truth the well-conceived allegory of his group. No. 46. The Woman accused of Adultery. By S. DRUmm osO,A. f t • A t : —The variety of characters which may be introduced in this transa tion ; the mild serenity of ass Saviour, the sincere repentance aud be° Y 4 ... fel tit