The National Register. — London, England, 1809-11-26 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. MRS. SIDDONS. --.61.- A Pamphlet, under the title of " Mrs. Galindo's Letter to Mrs. Siddons, being a circumstantial Detail of Mrs. Sid dons's Life for the last Seven Years, with several of, her Letters," has been just published.—The authoress, who was formerly a Miss Gough, and who would seem to be ani mated by a spirit of jealousy, has made a very extraor dinary attack on the character of Mrs. Siddons. Sic ha asserted that an improper attachment subsisted between Mrs. Siddons and Mr. Galindo. She has also subjoined to her statement a number of letters from Mrs. Siddons to herself and Mr. Galindo. There is, however, nothing in these letters that gives the slightest colour to the scandal which Mrs. Galindo wishes to propogate. We subjoin one of them, omitting the Notes which Mrs. Galindo has at tached to it. CHELTENHAM, JUNE 12. MY DEAR Mits. G.--I hope long before this you have re ceived the account of my brother's visit to me, and that the as surance of an engagement for three years at five pounds a week, commencing the season after the next, has put you all into a more comfortable frame of mind, than Mr. Harris's letter was .likely to produce; I was unwilling to send it, but I thought it right to tell you precisely how the business stood, especially as I it wns a thing of too much consequence with respect to your ar rangements in the interim. This letter is to serve as an mistier to Mr. G.'s, and I most sincerely hope I may never receive such . another; for alas! the pressure of my own affliction has not yet hardened me into an insensibility to the sorrows and mishaps of my friends; my friends too should know this ; but I say no more; I sincerely wish his spirits may be again restored ; he tells Me, I have taken too much trouble about this engagement, and that " happiness is purchased at two dear a price." 1 will own, in answer to the first assertion, that it has cost me much and va rious and very bitter contention ; hut I have gained the victory at last, and it depends on the moderation of the wishes and ex . pectations of us all, whether the conflict is ended peaceably and honourably. I pray, God, it may, for to live in a state of con tention with a brother I so tenderly love, and a husband with whom I am to spend what remains of life, would be more that) my subdued spirit and almost broken heart would be able to endu re. In answer to the second, I can only say, that the testimony of the wiAout of all ages, from the fouudation of the world to this day, is childishness and folly, if happiness be any thing more than a name, and I am assured our own experience will not en able us to refute the opinion. No, no, it is the inhabitant of a better world, Content, the offspring of moderation, is all we ought to aspiro to here, and moderation • will be our best and surest guide to that happiness to which she will most assuredly conduct us. Forgive this preaching, I have a most sincere and affectionate regard for him and I wish for your sake as well as his own, he would endeavour to correct that avidity of Imagina tion, that at one time hurries hint into what he mistakes for hap piness, but which is inded no other than intoxication; a sort of drunkenness of the mind, and the next moment plunges him into despondency. Indeed, indeed, 1 wish you would tell him it is my most earnest request that he would, and that by making this exertion, :tad in. the effects it will produce on your mutual comforts, I shall be richly overpaid for all I have done ; if he thinks himself unfortunate, let him look on me and be silent " the inscrutable ways of Providence."—Two lovely creatures gone, and an other is just arrived from scAool, with all the daz zling, frightful sort of beauty that irradiated the countenance of Maria, and makes me shudder when I . Inok at her. I feet my! self like poor Niobe, grasping to her bosom the last and youn ger of her children; and like her look every moment for the vengeful arrow of destruction. Alas! my dear friend, can it . be wondered at, that I long for the land where they are gone to prepare their mother's place.—What have I here ? Yet here, even here, I could be content to linger still in peace and CIIIIIIIIeSS : content is all I wish; bot I must again enter into the bustle of the world : for fame and fortune have given me all I wish; yet while my presence and my exertions here may he useful to others, I do not think myself at liberty to give myself up to my own selfish gratifications. The second great commandment is,love thy neighbour as thyself, and in this way I shall most probably best make my way to heaven. Give my love to dear little Johnny, he will seem pleased at least, if he has not forgot ten to laugh at the name of Siddons. God bless you all. lam unalterably, your sincere friend, _ " S. SIDDONS." LAIV REPORTS. --Rms.:— COURT OF EXCHEQUER, WEDNESDAY, Nov.??. The body of Elizabeih . Moorhouse was brought up, by the writ of Habeas Corpus which had been directed to Captain Sheldon, at Manctiester Barracks, who stated, in the return of the writ, that she came to him voluntarily, and continued with. him without compulsion. Lord Ellenborough directed that she should he restored to her father, who received her with tears in his eyes; and tug Lordship intimated the peril in which a►ny person would stand, Who shoidd attempt to take her fcom the natural protection in which the Court placed her. Elizabeth Aloorhouse was brought into Court by Captain Sheldon himself, who remained in Court some time after her father had taken her away. She is a most beautiful little girl, of a very genteel appearance. Her age was stated to be 15; but she looks somewhat older than that. • COURT OF KING'S BENCH, MONDAY, NOV.- 20. COVENT GARDEN TJIC4TRE. The ATTORNEY GENERAL, Oil the part Of the Proprietors of Covent Garden Theatre, moved for a Rule to shetv cause v s -by a criminal information should not be filed against certain persons whom he afterwards named, fora conspiracy to oblige the pro prietors to reduce the prices of admission to their 'Theatre. Tois conspiracy, the Attorney General stated, had given rise to the greatest riots that had ever disgraced the Metropolis. He made the present motion upon several affidavi:s, two of which he read to the Court. The first was that of Mr. John Philip Kemble, which stated that the old T4eatre Royal, Covent Gar den, having been destroyed by kre, the Prow - aruta erected a new one at so great an expence, that they had been obliged to ad vance the prices to its boxeo and pit. The second affidavit was made by Mr. Glassington, Prompter to the•Theat re, anti slated, that on theOlSth day of last September, the New Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, opened with tile advanced prices, w hick had been previously advertised;—that at the same time other adver tisements had appeared in some of the newspapers, calling upon, the public to resist the iolvaileed prices, by clamour and riot I— ' that upon the opening of the doors of the Theatre, a great num-, ber of persons forced their way in a disorderly and tomultuous manner into the House, where they pulled some of the doors. from their hinges, tore the covering oil' the seats, cut the lining oil the outer doors, and committed other depredations, and ex. claimed, " Off! off! OLT!" " Old Prices fur ever !" sktuted, hooted,. harked like dogs, hissed, blew horns, trumpets, etc. and sprung rattles, so that little or none 1;f the stage-perrormance could he heard ;—that in consequeuoe of thocootinuance of these riots for.six successive nights, the Theatre was shut up, and ao investigation. of the accounts of the Theatre was entered into by several moat respectable persons appointed fur that purpose, in order to satisfy the public of the Justice of the a.ivaoce of prices, to which the Proprietors were compelled to have re . course .—That opou the re-opening of the Theatre, On the 4th day of o,ciober last, the same riots were renewed, beginning for the first three or fonr nights with the commencement of • the stage-perfoimances, but afterwards pot until those persons who NOV. t 6.