The National Register. — London, England, 1811-03-17 00:00:00

giving eXl6tenee to a new creation, whose bloom is nacre vivid than that of nature, and whose arrangements are as grotesque and fantastical as hers are simple and orderly. But though the agents be Preternatural, they must speak and act according to the established laws of their order; a truth and propriety of character must be Observed' even In the regions of fiction ; a god or demi-god must never speak the language of a • Bond-street lounger, nor a fairy use that of a petite maitressc. The groundwork otthe dialogue is the recitative, which, with a•cadence approaching the .nearest to common language, should have its verses free and not regular. The airs should be prompted by the occasion, and express some tender sentiment, or short and strikieg precept, originating in a monologue, or in a seine between two persons. They should never be introduced to terminate a scene, or display the voice of the , performer, tspectally when the air makes part of the dialogue; for the countenances of the actors are disengaged and vacant, and their situation, from having nothing to do, is extremely embarrassed and' aWkWartt, The verse should be of lyric composition, and their subject some grand imago oe "passicin, admitting fhe richness of poetic colouring, and lending an affecting expression to the music. A phraseology without animation is insipid, audit' the air is most shockingly . tedious. The trite Italian shales of 4 g streams that flow, and birds that ny," are now deservedly exploded, r.nd strains more consonant to the spirit of poetry, and the end of this Drama, have been introduced.. With respect to the chorus, it .sometimes consists of a whole people, or the inhabitants of a peculiar eoiintrir add, at other times, of warriors, nymphs or priests, Wlrdlike their voices to Heaven to implore its favour, depreCate its wrath, or, under the impulse of gratitude, to render a general homage. The action appropriate to .this species of ienipobitioii mill, to a poet of geniui, suggest characteristic ideas, tror44 and dispositions. As this Drama is .calculated to en tertain the ear and affect the heart, as well as charm the eye and fascinate the fancy, the poet will) cultivates Operas should be eminently conversant in the mechanical parts of a theatre, and be a perfect connoisseur in combats, ballets, feasts, games, pom pous entries and exits is solemn proCesilona, and in all the marvellous phenconeria in"the"classic heavens or bell, on the earth, or in the sea ; and these require a boldness of character, and a management in the display that will support the sublime, and prevent It from •degenerating into bombast or the ridi eulous. Although the unities of time and place cannot be rightly ob served, that of action must not to be violated ; and whatever is episodical must refer to the principal d?Agn, and conspire to its accomplishment. Brevity is essential both to pleasure as well as to the unity of the action ; for a provoking tedium is insepa rable from a diversion that is continued for full four hours, and yet all the Operas of Europe are, at least, one third too long.-- This inconvenience is not removed by dividing the Opera into three or five acts ; for this division, though judicious, is not suf ficient to relieve the exhausted attention. As Metastasio is the approved model of Italian Opera, I shall dismiss these strictures, by ascertaining his peculiar 'excellence. All his Operas are grave and pathetic—all his character; are well drawn, contrasted, and supported. The 'business of his pieces is regular and interesting—his versification varied, and me lifluous as music itself. tie' avoids the quaintness and conceit which disfigure the poetry of his countrymen, and he gives us no occasion to complain of that vacuity of thought and insignifi cant warbling which, in our day, ingloriously thrill through the Italian scene. The highly polished language of Italy, enriched with all the charms of sentiment, and a vigorous imagination, distinguishea the Dramas of this elegant poet, and gives them an mulled superiority. B. The Humming Bird, with '270,000 dollars jr specie on board, foundered on her late passage fropa Wayanitah to New York, +ud immediate)); sunk'; caw, saved: • ' ~~ k;IS' ANECDOTES, 4c. THE GAMESTER. This celebrated Tragedy was translated into French by 1. IL Saurin.—The French translator entitled it " Beverley" anl made tome judicious alterations. He gave a regularity to the scenes, not changing the places, from th*House of Beverley to that of Stukely and of Wilson. Mr. Saurin has supprelseill several of the most dreadful details. Bates and Lewsou, the subaltern agents of the crimes of Stukely, ha:•e their parts consi derably abridged.—The character of Mrs. Beverley is mad* amiable throughout, and in the scene where she penetrates the base designs of Stukely. the translator has introduced some sublime passages. lie adopts the idea that Stukeky was in love with Mrs. Beverley before her marriage.—ln the scene where Stake* guarantees the fidelity of the gamesters, who have ruin ed Beverley, Saurin makes the latter answer him in these words ti Mais toi mettle, l'Es•tu-Fidele." " But, thyselfi art thole faithful ?"—ln various instances the French translation has ins* proved on the original. This play was the production of Mr. Moore, author of " Fables for the Female Sex." BISHOP BURNET Studied in the University of Aberdeen, and took up his de. grc of M. A. when fourteen years of age.—He was arms touted to rise every morning at four o'clock, until his age mull infirmities made it requisite for him to take more rest.—When at Amsterdam, be applied himself to the study of the Hebrew Language, under the instruction of a Rabbin, and he formed an acquaintance with persons of all religious onmuninion —Cal vinists—Arrnenians—Lutherans—Anabaptists—Bavanists—Ro- mian Catholics and Unitarians. To habituate himself to public spc.s.king, whether on horseback or walking, he made it a prar fife in retired places to compose a sermon on some text of Scrip tare, and to pronounce it aloud. For two years he led the life of an Anchoret ; but the coarse quality of the food he took, merely for the support of nature, caused a violent fever, which threatened the loss of life. This event occasioned him to abandon his plans of mortikationssd soltude, and to become the most active instrument in accosts plisbing the glorious revolution by King William.—Bishop Bur— net always recommended short sermons to his clergy. MIRABEATJ. This celebrated Orator in the National Convention was <Tr recta by his preceptor at the early period of his life, to read " I;oeke on the litanan Understanding." FIA: was so delighted with the profound reading of the English Philosopher, that meeting hie preceptor many years after in the gardens of rho Thuilleries, he said, with sparkling.eyes and an animated coun tenance—" Ah Sir, I shall never forget your having made atse read Locke." 4•Pm••••Il , TILE CHIMNEY SWEEP AND THE LORD. Lord Orford, whose family name is Butler, and the Honoura ble Mr. Cook encountered a chimney-sweep one morning in onl of the streets of Dublin, when the latter said : " Well, sooter kins," what news from the lower regions ?" The gentleman ill black replied, " Nothing of importance, plase your honour; only the Devil 'muds much in need at present of a Cook and al . Ruder." EXTRAORDINARY LOVE Of DOGS !—The Annals lee.. trian Literature" mention that the late D. CHRISM , Dean of the Faculty of Cannon Law at Vienna, has bequeathed the sum of 6000 fid,ins fir the maintenance of his three dogs,during their novae! the ; and after the death of the said three dogs, or the longest liver of them, this sum is to fall into the fonds of the University of Vienna. So that the support of Dogs stood first in his estimation, and the support of Literature second ! Mr. WAI.TERS has unnertaken, for a co-I.iderable wager, to walk frogs London to Holyhead, in four days and a hat. Pis twee 27 miles. To be performed the latter end of this month. ma=