The National Register. — London, England, 1817-05-05 00:00:00

MAYS. they write that, for three days preceding the 15th of April, hail and snow had fallen without interruption, that the fruits in general had been blasted, and the vineyards threatcd with a destruction of this year's crop. Large quantities of corn had bemt imported into Mar seilles from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, as there have been from England and Ireland into the port of Havre. Pants, APRIL 9-S.—" It is this moment reported, that accounts from Lisle have been received, containing the following intelligcncc Last Thursday Hamlet was performed, an 1 Tabun was called for, and a crown and some verses were thrown upon the stage. The Of ficers of the Vendean Chasseurs, who are in garrison at Lisle, assisted at the representation—no ! no !—no crown !—they cried out—The public replied—Down ! down ! The officers immedittely left their box with drawn swords and leaped upon the stage. crying out to the public to come on. Finding that nobody advan ccd they repaired into the body of the theatre, which they cleared. Several blows were given and received the night following. ‘-‘ In order to prevent the fatal consequences to which this affair might have given rise, the Commandant of the Department sent the next day the regiment of chas seurs to Bethune, and arrested six of the officers, the Colonel being one of them. These measures have pre served the peace of the city. Du ENOS /trams, Fin 4.—" The Portuguese have at length got possession of Monte Video and Colonic del Sacramento ; and, from the system they have adopted, we now think they are likely to get possession of the Banda Oriental also." LIYEUPOOL, MAY 3.—" Captain Sripling, of tha Agnes, arrived here on Saturday from Buenos Ayres, has kindlyfurnishod us with the following information : "'The news brought from Monte Video, by a French schooner, which left there on the sth February, was, that the Portuguese troops had not then been able to secure any part of the country between Monte Video; that Artimas' Gonchers frequently came close to the town, and cut off the supplies of cattle and provisions ; that one of them camels few days ago to the Portuguese advanced posts, bearing a flag of truce, and that upon one of the Porugnese Officers going out to meet him, he was immediately shot by the Gouchet, who rode off quickly." - - VIENNA, A PRM IG.—Her Royal Highness the Prin cess of Wales seems to have left this city dissatisfied at the reception she met with : she had probably reckoned on the honour of being permitted to pay her compli ments to his Majesty the Emperor, and was therefore not a little surprised when it was signified to her, that his Majesty, 'for the reasons already communitted to her in writing (by Pri,:ce Metternich), could not re ceive her. A Gentleman who came petrienger in one of the yes eels from China arrived Saturday morning in town in forms us, that the Mandarins hal left Canton on the 22d December, to receive the English Ambassador, who was expected every hour. The spirited behaviour of the British frigate had produced a very beneficial effect The English residents had h•ea treated since with the must marked respect. Every thing was in a tranquil state. THE Kts7G'S HEALTH —Yestertlay the following bulletin was shown at St. James's Palace : Windsor Castle, May 4. " His Majesty continues in a very tranquil state, and in good bodily health ; but His Majesty's disorder is unditninishedL" CIARRNIONT, May 2.—The anniversary of the mar riage of the Princess Charlotte and Prince Lelpol4 was this !lay commemorated byl dinner and conent given by the Royal pair to a select party of nobility and ivory. We wish we could add, what we have reason to ap prehend is not true, that her Royal Highn-...5s is likely to furnish a new claim to that interest which the nation feels in all that concerns her. The rumour which has been spread on this subject is, we believe, unfounded. The Duchess of Glocester is decidedly better. We rejoice to lcnrn that the amiable Duchess 9f Glo rester is in a fair way to make the Duke, her husband a happy father. Yesterday Viscount Castlereagh had a long audience of the Prince Regent at Carlton-house. On Thursday the Duke of Wellin!4ton had a long interview with the Earl of Liverpaol anti Lord Cas tlereagh, at Fife-house. We are happy to hear that the Duke of Neweistle and &Jay are convalescent. Yesterday m inning, %thu! l I o'clock, Dr. Tierney, their physician, who had juc, left them, waited upon the Prince Regeat at Carlton house, to report the particular state of tie ! noble fimily. The Attorney-General is t.o be the new Baron of the Exchequer. l• repo-tP4 Miniqers intend to ply off the fivt• per Cents. The plan is said to Ir.:, for every 1001. tivc per cent. to give MI. Consols at VI. and .81. in mo ney ; but if the pvties object to ree_iv.. the 2SI. in In,- nay, they may have an annuity of Z. pee annum for THE NATIONAL REGISTER. life in lien of it, sinking the capital of 2bl. which will be 31. in Consols and 21. annuity, making 5 per cent. during his life. They Minister eaculates by this ar rangement a saving of above a million arid a quarter to the public annually. DuEr..—We arc sorry to announce that a duel took place on Friday morning at Chalk Farm between Lieu tenant B ---e and Lieut. S —n, on half-pay, in consequence of a dispute at the Cavendish gonna, Mary -le-bone,e-bone, the night before. After an exchange of shots, without effect, the seconds endeavoured to effect a re conciliation to no purpose. The again fired, when Lieut. B. was severely (it is thought mortally) wound ed in the body The ball had not been extracted yes terday evening. .5....,,.01,..p, ARREST OF HONE AND IVOOLMER. •—•••••••.. Messrs. Hone and Woolmer, the first, the publisher of the Reformist's Register, and the latter t}.at of the Black Dwarf, were arrested on Saturday evening under the new law of libel. We have never been friendly to the line of polities advocated by these writers, and still less to the manner in which they have endeavoured to pmpagate their peculiar views ; we, nevertheless, regret exceedingly, that Ministers should have thought it necessary to exercise an autho rity, which, if not perfectly novel in its nature, is at least, very unusual, and should never be resorted to but in cases of extreme danger to the state. We fear the cause of Re/brin, as the Register people call it, will not be checked by such harsh measures as these. APPREHENSION OF rHISTLEWOOD. By the exertions of the Home Department, Arthur Thistlewood, for whose apprehension a large reward has been offered, was apprehended on Sunday night, attempting to leave the country for America —At the same time we understand three other persons were taken into custody who had concealed Thistlewood since the Spa-fields disturbance, and who were in the act of as sisting him to escape. Gravesend was the spot at which they were apprehended ; and America, the Land of Liberty ! their intended destination. On Monday night he was carried before Lord Sidmouth, Sir. N. Conant, &c. at the Office far the Home Department, and, after an examination, which lasted from nine un(11 if? o'clock, fully committed fly trial, on a charge of high treason. He was conveyed to Tothili.lields fur the night, but was removed to the Tower in the course of Wednesday. He appeared much dejected during his examination.— With respect to his particular share or coacern in pro ceedings of a treasonable nature, it may be recollected that he is the person who has been represented as hav ing ordered the pikes, and as otherwise being a leading character in the outrages which disgraced the metropolis. He is understood to be the third man who was with the two Watsons at Highgate, when the elder Watson was apprehended by Mid, the Horaepatrole. Notwith standing the most vigilant search of the Officers I,f Bow Street for the last three months, there was no clue to his apprehension, till the knowledge of the flight of his associate Watson to America led to the supposition of his taking the same route. This directed the vigilance of the Alien Office to the most strict examination of all the ports fly persons embarking fear America ; and on Sunday afternom he was apprehended, together with three of his associates, at Gravesend, as bethre stated, on his way to America, with his wife and child. They were first conveyed on board the Flamer, in the Alien service at Gravesend, and brought to London on Mon day morning in the boats belonging to that vessel, from which they were landed at Whitehall—stairs and sent in custody to Tuthill—fields Prison. - THE DRAMA. DRURY-LANE -NEW COMEDY. A new Comely entitled the Touchstone, or the World as it goes, said to be from the pen of Mr. Kenny,wiks Satin(lay night put - loud at this theatre. The story of this piece, as far as we could collect it, is nearly as fi)liows:— Paragon (Harley), a country schoolmaster, and a man of genius, in the ludicrous sense of the word, is an intimate acqaaintance of Probe s (Dowton), who happens to reside in the same village as an exhibitor of Phantasmagoria. The piece opens with a view of Paragon's house—Paragon and Probe drinking., and talking over various schemes of Paragon's, who boasts of his superior talent and intellect on all subjects. Dinah Cropley (Miss Kelly), is the cousin and sweetheart of Paragon, who obtains her father's (Ox berry) consent to marry, provided that squire Finesse (Holland) to whom he and Dinah are tenants, or ser vants, it does nut appear which, has eo objection to the match. For this purpose (Ad Cropley and his daughter in troduce themselves so the Squire, who resides with his sister (Mrs. Flarlotw ), a proud and extravagant widow lady of fashion. They both peremptorily Muse their appro. imtion ; and speak of Paragon as a poor despicable wretch of no worth, and 43 WC whoa they wish to get rid of as a 1166141)0UL Finesse is described as a sanguine mercantile &liven. Curer; which character he mixes up with that of a fine gentleman. His sister, Mrs. Fairweather (Harlowe), is fed with the most flattering expectations of increased splendour in the stile of her living. Charles, her bre ther, tells her he has made a most successful xpeculatien on the Continent, and is hourly in expectation of a let. ter announcing the agreeable intelligence; but, alas ! the letter informs him that the person to whom he had entrusted his all in this adventure had failed, and it turns out that he is completely ruined. Mutual re proaches from these relations follow this ecelaircissement. Almost at the same time, arrives an attorney of the name of Circuit (Hughes), with information that Pen. wise, a relation was dead, and had left Paragon a for tune of £BO,OOO. This intelligence nearly turns the brain of the already shallow Paragon. The second act introduces Mr. Garnish (Wallach) an artful insinuating rascal, who, it seems, had re ceived, on some former occasion, certain pecuniary at tentions from Mrs. Fairweather; but is now somewhat improved iu his circumstances. He, not knowing of Finesse's reverses of fortune, makes indirect overtures to his sister ; but Cropley, who enters in a state of in.. toxication, lets out the damning fact; and Garnish seeks how to escape the net in which he had nearly entangled himself This affair is, of course, managed. Plots are then laid to get Paragon to purchase the estate of Fi. nesse; and he, like many others suddenly raised to opulence, easily falls into the snare. All now is obse quiousness towards Paragon; and a great portion of the piece is occupied inthose sort of flatteries, delusions, &c. which follow reverses of this nature. Garnish, thinking this a good opportunity to serve himself, in.. troduces his sister Betty (Mrs. Alsop) to Paragon. She has very little to do—a circumstance we regret, so what little she had to do, was performed admirably. The same remark will apply to the character of Probe (Dow ton 1. Stich actors should have much to perform. Paragon takes their flatteries for friendship, and foolishly pardons their former insults and neglect ; but he also, for a moment, &Not poor Dinah, who, not having tho moat distant idea, he would prove faith. less, reckoned herself as mistress of the Squire's man, sion. Her disappointment may very naturally be imagined. No character, however, suited to the talents of Miss Kelly, should have in it any ingredients of - despair; and it had none. Dinalehit upon the plissa , of exciting in Paragon a feeling of jealousy; alt writes a letter to him to this effect, and it operates ait she intended, and as was likely it would, on sack es mind as Paragon's. In the mean time it is discovered by Circuit and Probe, that a new will of Penwise's had bequeathed, the chief part of his property to Dinah Cropley, who was as nearly related to him as Paragon. The whole scene again changes: and the reader will very readily imagine the sequel. Dinah, however, remains faithful to Paragon ; and the rest of the Dramatis Personae, not her friends, sink into deserved contempt. We have no room, and'atill less inclination, to enter into any criticising on the play itself —lt has little of what is called plot and no " under-plot" whatever. We have mentioned the names of the :trineipal performers, and that we think is a sufficient ealogiutn : we will not particularize any where ; all were excellent. The piece/ was announced for repetition on Tuesday, with louder bursts of applause than we have often heard. Mr. Penley spoke the Prologue, and Mrs. Alsop the Epilogue with suitable spirit. An allusion to the late Nis. Jordan, in the latter brought tears from Mrs. A. and unbounded approbation from the house. COVENT-GARDEN. A new tragedy called the .posh*, was represented= Saturday-night at thisTheat,e. It is from the pen of Mr. Stttet the author of Adelaide, who. bi 4 surpassed ma this, the hopes which his first tragedy Ead awakened. The plot of the A postale possesaed the double merit of originality and interest. It is skilfully unravelled ; and the anxiety of the spectators kept on the rack of su►pense, to the very last moment. The style is al ways appropriate, frequently energetic and enriched with a sufficient number of highly poetical figures. The opening of the piece rather resembles a melo drama, but it rises as it proceeds and becomes a legiti mate tragedy. Miss O'Neet's part is one, which affords as wide a field for the exercise of her unrivalled abilities, as any with which the works of our ancient tragic writers lune yet supplied her. She w as res t beyond description. At the end of the finirth act, the effect of her exertions were so powerful, that the pit rose admist the shouts of the whole audience, and the waving of huts, to testify their admiration. Young, C. Keinble, and M'Cready, were equally well treated by the author and amply repaid his kindness. Their characters boast nearly equal prominence, and were sustained with the most exquisite skill and the most penverful effect. The success of this tragedy WAS de- From the first scone to the last, it was a uinp 'al march fur the author, and its announcement for next Monday, was attended with a renewal of all those enthusiastic marks of approbation, which had been prolus.dy but justly lavished n pen ikin its course. The Prologue and Epilogu;.', w ere ably spoken by. Mr. Connor and Miss Booth