The National Register. — London, England, 1816-10-28 00:00:00

OCTOBER !8. THE DRAMA. DRURIT-LP.NE THEATRE.—The metaphysical, me lancholy Prince of Denmark was played on Thursday night, by Mr. Kean, in an impressive and affecting manner. It must have been not a little mortifying to many who endured the representation of the second piece, to have the feelings and qymputhies which had b e en previously excited, broken in upon and disturbed by the performance of ,tach a farce as Each fur Himself, which was produced fur the first, time. It consists of two acts of as common-place stuff as we ever recollect to have witnessed. It -has•nothjug that can be called a plot, and its jokes and contrivances, Without being ridiculous enough to excite laughter, arc too monstrous to he endured. The scene is the City, and the objects at which the Author has been levelling his wit, are a Grocer of an Alderman, who would be Lord Mayor ; an antiquated Sister, who would be Lady Mayoress ; and a Shupkeeping Perfumer, who would be Deputy of the Ward—all very fair game, perhaps, but it has been shot at by a Cockney sportsman, who has missed it. Some of the best of its jokes arc, the calling young Canister 7'. (tea) Canister ; and the man servant of the Alderman being turned into a Count to rehearse before the Lady Mayoress, in Pure, a presentation to her Ladyship of a woman of flishion, in the person of her brother's ward. All the interest, little as it is, hinges upon the rival pursuit of the latter Lady by two different lovers, a Baronet, and a Doctor, who assumes the character of a Civil Engineer, and offers di* Alderman one hundred shares in a newly projected navigation, as an equivalent for his consent to marry his ward. The Baronet, however, triumphs, and the Doctor is left to drown himself in his own canal. Harley, us the Doctor, sings a pretty good comic song, which was encored, as was one by Mrs. Horn, as the ward; but though the piece was heard almost through, without much opposition, there was a strong expression of sentiment against it when the curtain fell, and we are convinced it has net stamina to support existence long. COVENT-GARDEN —Friday night Mr. Kemble made his first appearance for the season in the part of Cato. We do not feel with those who deny to this noble com position the power of moving our sympathies. When Swift thinks proper to attack it with that sort of sly ridicule, which is his natural—almost his involuntary weapon—we must recollect that the Dean is a Cynic in matters of sentiment, and in politics a tremendous Tory. Dr. Johnson likewise takes for granted, that the tragedy of Cato excites no emotions ; and that, if we coldly approve the language and princ'ples of Addison, he in no one instance affects the heart : but the Doctor, we are apprehensive, was not much alive to such feelings as governed the virtuous land indignant Roman. Dr. Johnson might behold, without being roused by it, the noble spirit which dismissed the ambassador of the tri umphantCtesar, and which offered to supplicate, for the conqueror whom it scorned to acknowledge, a pardon from the offended majesty of Rome. This the Doctor could not much enjoy; for it would appear as if his love of liberty was not that of an ancient Roman. The same great moralist might have stood unmoved at that most overpowering scene where Cato apostrophises the wounds and virtues of his valiant son, because he knew not those emotions of solemn tenderness which swell the bosom of a hero and a flither. Pity and admiration are the genuine offspring of the tragic muse. If the feelings be not excited in the highest degree by the spectacle of an unspotted patriot, who, though he will not out outlive his country's ruin, breathes his last sigh in a prayer to her enslaver to grant the lives of his children and his friends, we must imagine a spectator completely destitute of all grandeur of soul and sensi bility to virtue. Of Mr. Kemble we need scarcely say, that he looked, and spoke, and acted to perfection, the lofty and illustrious Roman. His dialogue with Decias was the most animated ; but his reception of the intel ligence of his son's death, and his whole demeanour in presence of the body of Marcus, constituted the most affecting exhibition we have for a long time witnessed on the stage. If there be le►s force in the representation of Cabo than of Coriolanus, there is more of dignity in the former. We have on this occasion probably bid a long adieu to a character which no living tragedian but Mr. Kemble can attempt with any prospect of success ; and many years are likely to elapse before the impres sion fixed by his performance of it can be effaced from our memory, or superseded by a better. At Washington, between 9 and 10 o'clock in the morning of the Bth September, an extraordinary pheno menon was noticed. The sun was surrounded with a circle, or halo, of the usual diameter, but uncommonly bright and well defined, being tinged, especially in its upper or western part, with prismatic colours. Another circle, apparently of twice the diameter of the primitive halo, extended westwardly, and passed through the sun. The secondary halo was white through its whole circum ference; at the same time a portion of a rainbow, of perhaps 20 degrees, appeared in the north-east, at about 40 degrees above the horizon. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. PRINCESS : OF WALES. COMO, SEPT. 14.—We have now had for some days the happiness of having again in our neighbourhood her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales, who is returned, to her villa at Esle, after having spent four months in Sicily, after visiting the ruins of Carthage and Utica, near Tunis, and having made a journey to the Bospho rus, Greece, and Palestine. In all places which this august traveller honoured with her presence she was received by the governments with the most distinguish ed respect, and every where she enjoyed the tribute of general esteem. Every where the Princess viewed and collected valuable articles of the fine arts and antiquity, which, added to what she already possessed, will form an extremely rich museum, and add new splendour to her already celebrated villa. She was particularly generous to the learned Academy at Athens, and as signed a large sum for the Monks of the Holy Sepul chre, in order to relieve their extraordinary indigence. She has also resolved to mark her happy return by new acts of beneficence, giving titles of honour to the persons who accompanied her on hea dangerous pilgrimage. L. , .stly, she charged the neighbouring priest of Cenobio with the distribution of large sums 14 the relief of his poor parishioners, and instituted popular games, with prizes for conquerors. THE K uso.—Tho following anecdote, says the Exe ter Gazette, may be relied on as authentic:—ln the summer of 1814 the King had lucid intervals; the Queen desired to be informed when that was the case —she was so; and on entering the room, she found him singing a hymn,and accompanying it on the harpsichord. When he had finished it, he knelt down and prayed aloud for her Majesty, then for his family and the na tion, concluding with a prayer for himself, that it might please God to avert his heavy calamity from him; but if not, to give him resignation to submit to it. He then burst into tears and his reason again fled. One morning, when the passing bell was tolling at Windsor, his Majesty enquired who was dead' His attendants at first did not answer him ; but on Lis repeating the question, they said, " Please your Majesty, Mrs. S—." —" Mrs. S—," rejoined the King, " she was a linen draper, and lived at the corner of street (naming the street) ; aye, she was a good woman, and brought up her family in the fear of God—she is gone to Hea , ven—l hope I shall soon follow her." Parisian Anecdoic.—The Rocher de Cancale is one of the most celebrated, and the dearest, coffee-houses in Paris ; it is particularly noted for its oysters. Of its charges some idea may be formed from the following fact:—Three lovers of oysters, wishing to regale them selves, debated whether it would be more economical to to make their repast at the Rocher de Cancale, or to take a post-chaise and go to the coast : they made a calcula tion, and found that the expenses of travelling to and from Paris to the sea-side, and the tavern-bills there, would not amount to so much, by three guineas, as a regale would cost them at the Rocher de Cancale. A few weeks ago, three Englishmen, who had made a trip to Paris to spend their hoarded cash, tired of dining at Very's, in the Palais Royale, and their funds being low, resolved to dine economically, and give a cheap farewell dinner to those they left behind ; accordingly, they sought out a decent-looking house in a poor neigh bourhood, and, by chance, stumbled on one in a shabby street, near the Grand Market of the Innocents. It was no other than the Rocher de Cancale. Thither all the guests, amounting to a dozen, repaired. The dinner and wine were delicious, and each resolved to dine daily there during his stay in Paris. At length the fatal moment approached—the bill was called for— k arrived. They had crlculated it half-a-guinea per head ; but, alas ! they had reckoned without their host —it amounted to 1600 francs-661. 13s. 4d. They could not all muster the sum—they called the landlord —an explanation was entered into.—" Gentleman (said he), it is evident you did not know the reputation of the Rocher de Cancale." They offered him the secu rity of their watches, which he generously refused— " Gentlemen, I should be sorry to be censidered worse than the litre with which I regale my friends ; the sum is a trifle, pay it when you please." Tracy write from Brussels, under date of the 11th, as follows:—" A Belgian soldier of the Bth regiment of militia was some days ago condemned to receive several • strokes with the cane. When the guard came to con vey him to the place of punishment, he made resistance, and at the same time stabbed himself with a knife, ex claiming, that a Belgian would not submit to dishonour. Ile is now in the hospital, and his life is despaired off." The gamekeeper of Fislicrwick manor was shot at a few nights ago by some poachers who were out in the woods. A dog belonging to them was seen and Oust at, which gave birth to their resentment. Elizaltedi Ward, capitally convicted at the late York Assizes for attempting to poison her sister-in•law, anti who was reprieved on condition of being transported for life, has obtained a further remission of her sentence, and is now to be confined tar ten years in the r e uitestiary•bouff, at Mill batik. A NEW SONG TO AN OLD TUNE. At abuses - . . Dor. calla Ai. a seater . ; -' • Tel de rol de rol, Clone by Saint Sepulchre. Ar. wants Dor. to - fight, I)or. of death had much beard; ' _ •1. V..*; Says he, " no not to night, For fear I should be butcher'd.V • • ' Doc had got a cold, Which he a fever reckon'd; Sure one need be told, • He did not want a second. ... ' • To Coventry, he swore, • Poor AL had once been bad* And ao to dear the score, • • To Maidstone off 1)ol sanish'd. • ' Then AL "IL P. 4114 Font," • • Calls names, and struts and swaggers; • • And prints it all to boot, In words that look like daggers. Thus wig and sword and gown, And all this noise and rattle, Have humbug& half the town, To think 'twould end in battle. • But one good proof they give, Worth all I've been inditing; Men may by quarrels live, Who'll never die by fighting. QUIZ. SUPPOSED SOLUTION OF MISS SEWARD'S ENIGMA. Of all the objects of the works of Art, "Fis Architecture claims the noblest part. Of all the gems by bountem.s Nature given, The D'stniond drinks the purest ray of Heaven. The lawyer's lease we null and voildeclare, If Right that point essential be not there. When peace returns, whilst shouts ascend the skies, Illuminations glad our dazzled eyes— The Agriculturist bis name must yield To simple Willy—when he ploughs the field. Lothano's vow, made at the shrine of Beauty, . Is Nominal—so is the soldier's duty. Unseen till late, amid the orbs of light, Blight Others stands reveall to mortal's sight. Perfeetion dwells alone above the skies, No human merit ere attain'd the prize. Lucre thou art the Miser's fatal snare, The badge of Jews, unworthy Christian care. • Endowment crowns the Wife's ambitious views, And likewise comprehends the Parson's dues. By all these Letters dearly will be shewn, That ancient •City of no small renown. N.B. The Planet mentioned in the Enigma is not apeoificst moving between the Earth and Sun, but only seen. Oct. 13, 1816. Adrianople. " Lord Byron (says a private letter, which has been published) has been frightened away from his residence on the Lake of Geneva, by the re-appearance of his country in the midst of these solitudes. The retreat of the Noble Childe is in the remotest part 'of Italy. At Geneva, continues the same writer, we found all the inns, hotels, lodgings, and cabins, delumed with Eng lish riches and English ennui. The whole circuit of the lake appears an English colony, and all Geneva wonders what strange revolution in the state has driven so many of our countrymen into exile. Geneva has at present precisely the air of an English watering place ; the long coats, lounging figures, and promenade of equipages--the salutations, the inquiries of people who were tired of each other, and of themselves, would ul , most make one imagine, that Cheltenham underwent a supernatural transportation, like the holy house of Lo retto, from its ancient site. The price of all the ne cessaries and luxuries of life have risen immoderately, and the whole state is likely to remember for ages to come the prodigious influx of wealth from the waists and follies of our English travellers." Among the English who, after passing some time in, France, think proper to write on our country, there are some who do not content themselves with publishing calumnies on our morals and manners, as was done by a Mr. John Scott, editor of a weekly journal called the Champion; they sometimes add to this such absurdities, that we willingly pardon them in return for the oppor tunity they give us of laughing at their expense. The following is tho way in which an anonymous English traveller, whose correspondence is printed in the Morn ing Herald, expresses himself of French bunco:— ' " I have often heaed it said in England, that French women walked gracefully. I have found quite the contrary here : their step is awkward, ungraceful, and unsteady, which may be catiord by the abominable paveme•ut on which they are obliged to walk. The Parisian wontcn•are by no means hand some ; they are sun-burnt, and many of their young bthothave a thicker beard than our young Englishmen from ii lts. They have thick legs, and acquire too much colpolence acs they advance in yenta." If our ladies do not recognize themselves in this por trait, we hope they will at least laugh at the caricature. Here follows the judicious critit istu of the same travel ler on the Opera, in another let:cr " The Fomeli Opera is all that is tine; the orchestra rn row and exedieut. Some of the chief c ‘is are lunch be yond any thing we have iu England ; but I cannot may so much for the women : their ilaucing is by m Poems peryiet. and 1 have been much di appointed in what I expected of them : their movements ate anther so' stipple nor li , ely as I imagin ed." Sze. It will be seen that the French f,•ir sex is not an ob ject of idolatry with this prothund observer. It may not be useless to remark, that the best female dancers on all the London stages are Frenchwomen.—Journal des Debra:. A stage coach was upset on Snturday secek, nn its passare down the hill from Browley to the iron bridge, by which an outside pa,senger (Mr. F.taus, timmelmanutacturer, neat New uo, Montgewer;shile) was Lilkd on the spot- 4414 -