The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1804-12-03 00:00:00

. nt3. P fo r . 1 Le 14e. .. `~ Cl '~ Ur Ire people clamorous for admission, and between one sad tw•o they became crowded. Tile Nlamigers, oticipatin„; this result, had taken every precaution against i ts c ornequences. A great number of Bow. gr eet officers and constables were called in to pre serve t he public peace, and prevent riot and con. f ai i on , A large party of soldiers were also sta tioned at the several doors to protect the people against the necessary anti fatal result of the indiscri. ciliate rush of such an immense tide. Abruthalf past four o'clock the croud became so great, the most Jet ivts apprehensions were ent , :ttaii:ed for the lives o f several persons, who were fainting away under the pressure, and to whom, in the midst of the im penetrable mass, no assistance could be nEorded upon the outside. It was therefore thought adviseable to open the Bow-street door, though a full hour tallier than usual, with a view to accommodate the iesiegerp, and relieve them from the I),„rkiink&lotrjad,e4,s_l n an ie tide rushed in, and took possession o t e space between the exterior door, and the bar in the lobby, where the entrance money is received. As only one can pass at a time, and some del ty is necessary, for the receipt and examination of the money and tickets, thr slowness of the movement of those in the van but ill accorded with the impatience of those in the rear. Tn: pressure in that part of the lobby irecarne infinite lygreater,and its effects more alarming than they had previously experienced in the open sfreet. They broke all the windows on each side of the entrance, for the benefit of the air; yet the heat and pressure still continned so great. as to every moment threaten suffrcation. A board was now di.sayed, an noun: irg that the bore; were all full. This corn. rnunication, however, though corresponding with the fad, did not operate to diminish the pres.ure, and they continued rushing in with impetuosity until after six o'clock. One half at least of all those who suffered this fatigue and danger, were obliged to return ungratified. Nearly the same confusion that prevailed without wrs observable within the house in the early part of the night ; nor did it much abate even upon the ris ing of the curtain. The following introduaory ad dress was written by Mr. TA Imo ; but the noise and clamour were so great that it was impossi'aiL t s ascertain in a remote part of the house how or to what extent Mr. CH Las Kan a LE was abl: to de. liver it. Impatient for renown, all hope and fear, H m many a Candidate has 'ensued here ; Where 4awning merit never liaised its aim, But rca:h'd t by duz depe.s, the heights of fine. Yet now, unheeding Stody'e servile ear..s (So RJrnour, with her hundred A youth your favour ^' court•, Sy prime Derides the tAinus growth of linernig Tune ; Mature at once, when Nat ire urg'd, he strove, Starting, like Pallas, from the brain of Jove. Bat think not, though on Fortune': %veiling tide, Led by exulting Fain; in travel. wide; Think not he conies with vain triumphant rail, &els res), whose eaxll Nor dreads the dangers of an adverse gale. Though crowds on crowds hays join'd in fond acclaim, Tatung!' his bright track, to bear aloft his name ; And, to complete at I..mgth his bold career, Hive sent his little balk in safety here: Nat pride, but gratitude, has warni'.l his breast, Add hence alarms his modest doubt+ auggett, Lest that applause has been, with generous rage, N•tt lavished on hie f 1115111.4 but his age. He knows the tesrip-r of a litriti,h mind, For merit zealous but to error kind; Nor can lie deem hi+ honours justly due, Until confirned, sign d , ritify'd by you." The scene thus opened, but the tumult did not subside. The audience could not let down the:r minds to the business, and were all impatient for a view of the only object 'which they thought worth enilying. The Pit presented a nourd.'r appearance. 'Hive was scarcely a woman in it, and the pressure was so great, that in the course of the night several men were overcome with the heat, and lifted up into the boxes, from whence they were carried out of the house. In the centre of it, the company ap peared in the early part of the night to sit a little at saw ; but this was repeatedly noticed by persons in the boxes, who pointed it out to those in the ex tremities, who pressed forward until the whole be came one uniform and solid mass. At the end of the second act, expectation was raised to its highest pitch, and the I tfrllli RUCIUS presented himself amidst a thunder of applause. He received the animated expressions and greetings of the adi. ing audience with a prepossessing modesty, and then proceeded to thebusiness of the stage. Ile introduced himself to Barbarossa with judgment, and siren-cc' great dis crimination in the same scene, where he sounds OM non, and, finding him loyal, and attached to his person, discovers himself in these words— 1.10 commend toy bah. A rut, since thou lol'A ham s 111 whisiter to thee, that, with hottest guile, I Lay.: tkceiv%l 'hi. tytaut, waross.s— Selitn ~z alive." >.;ctliing could be more beautiful than the manner in which he conceived and executed this passage.— His mistrust and anxiety in the beginning of his conversation with Othisea, and the joy brightening • • upon his countenance when he lends him true, until it In eaks into a blaie as he pronounces " art This single line evincel his power;, and put him in complete possession of hi, audience. It received the ,most enthusiastic applathe. The succeeding pas sage, where lie says 1.7" • " • Pell me, Ottwor, And rot I tremble to approazh the th.tine--.. How lams my mother ? duty she still retain I ler native greatness!" displayed the most exquisite feeling. Filial affec tion could not he more happily conceived or ex• pressed. The transition from tenderness to rage was also finely marked ; and when Otirmzo, interro gates hint as to his intent, he answered— ".'l'u take just vengeance for a father's Wool, • A mother's suirrings, end a jsetyle'i groans ;" with great energy and spirit. This passage was also rewarded by loud plaudits. The concluding speech in the same scene, beginning with " Oh, thoil hart rotii'd a thought, on which Remounts with redoul,:ed fire." was a beautiful piece of declamation, and given with peculiar truth and chasteness. This whole scene possesses great beauty and variety; but it re— qui• little more than taste, delicacy, and discri mination, to give its full elle& The third an de mands more extensive and commanding power.; and here we found this wonderful boy rising with the occasion, and happily unfolding all the intere.t of the scene. Every passage was des,n-ving of the p; wise ; but if there was any one peculiarly strikiiv„ it is " This ve, si4glit the tyrant threatens : watch his steps: I'll haunt lion Oro' the palace: And, shou'd he meditate a de,ll vile, 11l hover o'er him like an unwell pestilence, Aud blast him in his guAt The spirit and animation with which he delivered these lines eletrified the house. All rememln ;ince of the boy WAS lost in contemplation of the after. lle seemed to possess all the power of ex. cuting the me• nace. Two loud, prolonged, and distina peals of applause, declared the enthusiastic admiration of the audience. The effea produced by his delivery of the fallowing passage : .4 worcitesi c he to rule who dares not claim Pre.e.nmenee in danger," was nearly equal. This 20, like the former, concludes with a fine speech by ilehmet : Master Berry delivered it in st ; le that proved him pet:at in points in which he is supposed to be defective. From the breaking cf his voice, as is natural at his time of life, it may he presumed to be deficient in sweetness and variety s.l tone. We ixarceived no such defet in this speech. His voice was finery modulated and varied. In the lines Nor fears to trine where justice ca:ls, nor dare To strike tw!terc stir forbids !" be was peculiarly happy. He seemed inspired with a holy devotion ; and the pious resignation in which he acknowledges the rule of justice, though expressed in the lowest tone, was distinlily heard in the remotest part of the house. The fourth a& was equal to the expe&ation excited by his former scenes. In the passage where se reveals him self to Barbaroua, he enraptured the audience with a blaze of Majesty. He appeared a sun, emerg ing from a clout, from whose splendid presence, the tyrant, like some guilty wretch, sought to with draw, and hide himself in darkness. The subse quent scene with his mother, in the same 4a, also abounded with specimens of fine afting, of ,genuine pathos, and the most exquisite taste and feeling. To the fifth ad also, he gave all the interest of which it is capable. I lis self reproach for stooping to supplicate IT:-bar-nun, and the spirit with which, when released from his bo:As, and receiving a sword, he exclaims— . XX., liarteme , m, let my arm meet thine : T.• I ask of heAT'ii!" proved alike his taste and di!crimination, and the force and energy of his powers. This scene con cluded the piece, and the curtain dropped amidst the loudest plaudits that ever shook the wails of a theatre. The arprarance of this astonishing youth is prepossessing in a very great degree. Ile is about fourteen years of age, and well grown. His fea tures are handsome, and the shape of his face is oval. He is of a fair complexion, with fair hair, and a fine blue eye. There is nothing striking in his face when he is unmoved, but when he is roused and fired with passion, it is wonderfully expressive. His eye is then, as bear describes it— . Bright at the morning star "' and every feature is lighted up with the holy frenzy of one inspired. Female beauty cannot afford any thing more sweet than his smile. It was irresistible in the scenes where he proved the loyalty of Othmaa, and the virtue of itphera.—To this he adds all the winning gracefulness of ease. Every a.llion is just, appropriate, and Torre t. He treads the stage with dignity and firmnein, and has an air of majesty, in which all idea of his yauth and size is lost or for. gotten. He delineates all the various and contend- - Ir. I - ing passions wince nicest discrumnation, never mixing or confouagi thprn, but marking even the finest shades with ell the sttength of contrasted co lours. Of the business of the stage he is a pe-fea , master. The scene fills all his mind. lie seems not conscious of a present audience, yet there* no appearanc; of labour or study. Every thing flows, its it were, spontaneous, and lie seizes the feelings of the audience, and carries them away without any ap parent exertion. That a buy of fourteen should pre sent himself wider any circumstances or advantages of Dials and education, is such a stee of .perfeqion, is indeed a wonder, a prodigy, certainly it constitutes an era in the theatrical annals of this country. We have heard much of the length of time, and the in finite labour and study required by superior talents, to arrive at excellence in the art ; and, whit is re markable in this youth s taste, judgineat, discrimi nation, and all those qualities in which lie most ex cels, are those which time, study, and experience, are considered in a peculiar degree necessary to be 'stow. Yet. we are assured, that he is not in any ex traordinarydegree indebted to precept and education; that be is an inspired genius, a b•:ing of a superior class, and peculiarly, giftecl by nature; that Leis among ailors what SHAKset Aas was among dramatic writ- ers. To this latter opinion we adhere. Ile is indeed a favourite child of r.ature, conceivediin her happiest mood. At his time of life, schooling cauld have done but little' for hint ; Nature claims him en tirely as her own. This opinion is not only ground ed upon farts, but it is also mare conformable with reason and the nature of man. The final purpose of Tragedy is to move ; and to move is to strike those strings of the heart which arc most na tural—terror and pity. The gentleman and the rustic have both sensibility and tenderness of heart, perhaps in greatar or less degre., but as they are men alike, the heart is moved by the same toucLes. rho speaators of a tragedy arc, thendore, almost all on a level ; to merit and obtain gem:rat ap orobation, the aair has little else to do but reflex upon his own thoughts, and draw from his heart chow sentiments which will certainly make their way to the hearts of a:hers, if f!?.fou t l the!.l in his own. Did Youug. Macias evince that ho fit thu,e ,iassions he expreised, and did he communicate his feelings to the audience? They will answei in the affirmative, and say with the French critic,— " C.t un Po trait, sine image e0::.1314WC Cl . NtFii,,uu Anunt, un Roi 111,;tuld., " Before fifteen, the pa , sions are s, idom horn, as they seldom survive sixty. A youth, therdore, who skews that the parts lie performs are not merely wood.: in hi, innath, hut sentiments fromlbisr mind, is more extraordinary, than the old man of four score, who exhibits the energy of middle age, be cause art, experience, and custom, must have much share in the latte.-, whilst Nature Ohne inspires and supports the form' It is said tha: the Yeurry Re , erma copies no one, but is an original, and may serve for a mold. Thz former is possible, but the latter is improbable ; be cause nature may be so exec:lent as not to want the help of art; but he is too young, a id has seen too little of the world, that art with bins can he so re fined, or c .nfounded with nature, as to produce per fedion. Viewing him, therefore, as a hcaven•born &Ur, we must deprecate all invileus comparisons. It is no refleaion upon the merits of Mr. Kt:mime, that labour has done for him what nature has done for Master Bee rv. Yet some inj.: hciaus friends f the former have not hesitated to say, that the latter is only a KESIBLE among boys, but a boy among K eves es. This is a pitiful parody of the well known charatier, given of the late Lord Cat ESTER.. WI ten, which says, " I fis Lordship was a wit among lords,and a lord among wits." We hope, therefore, to hear no more of such comments. Fair criticism has room enough without r7rem, and Mr. I( c el. r's merit stands in need er no such assistance. Much of the doubts that have been raised respating the extra ordinary powers of this youth, and of the curiosity to witness his performance, proceeds from the no velty of the situation. That a child should make such an attempt, even with a moderate degree of success, is a circumstance unprecedented in a London Theatre. The event which is here the general theme of admiration would not excite any thing like the same smsation in Paris. There the Theatre des Jeirsts Elmo, and the Theatre des Jaimes Artists, are open every night. The performers of buds sexes are all under the age of fifteen, and many of them allowed to be equal to the ablest veterans of the other theatres. As soon as they arrive at fifteen they cease to be members of these juvenile com panies, and must seek engagements elsewhere, and from these nurseries, tragedy, comedy, and the opera, in France, have drawn their brightest orna ments in a state of perfe 'Eon. Master BETTY, to complete his engagement at Covent Garden, will play every night this week. He repeats Aimed this night, and, we understand, that Davis's, ani M•crteric&, in laseer's Vows, are in the Ust of diaraaer, which are likely to follow. The tollowing biographical sketch of this won- __ , L 'missions, . stamped by talk:id of nothing but Erapira: hz spouted the spe.thes of Eivira ; and his passion for tint stage br curie every hour vehenteiit and uncptroulable, si p returned with his father to Ballynallincb, but not , to his asual o:capations. The Sidioniao accikais still ram.; in !n car; and her majestic math and awtul brow still tilled his fancy. Every thing was negleeted for his favourite °Ned; and every thiak not conneded with it became tiresome and insiPid. His propensity grew visibly more tooted by tipe; his importunities were irreststibl^ ; and his pa is at length, tin-ling all opposition unavailing, were compelled to think seriously of the pradleabillty of indulging him. i• In pursuance of the resolution he had taken. Mr. Berrie returned with his son to Belfast, in order to consult Mr. Krauss, and to ask his opinion of the buy's qualifications. Mr. Avails.is the manager of the Belfast theatre, and a man of friendly disposi tions arid liberal chara&er. In his pres-nce, Master ' BETTY repeated some pas-ages from the part of E'lnta. The manager was a good deal struck with wli it he had heard, but wished to have the opinion • id' Mr. 1 foe Gls, his prompter, for whose judgment he . • had a considerable deference. That gentleman was accordingly sent for, and immediately discerned in the boy's recitation and adion, great capabilities for a first rate actor. He gave him a few instrudions, and at the same time point ed out to him the part of Rolla. as • snitch fitter object of his sunly, than that of Efira, to which he had berin direded by his feelings. on teeing the performance of Mrs. Sinooss. 'I be s outig gentleman felt the full value of the know. ledge he had received, and in the ardour of his gra ti:u.te, told Mr. Hunch, he was his ,:_ftterdiall avel lbe lather and son now returned once more to lynaltinch; and Master thrry happening to find the - tragedy of Zara in the house, began to study the part of Osman, in addition to that of tinPa and some others. Some time afte:wards, Mr. Hotate accept ed a pressing invitation which had tecehuolyfrom O. Mr. Berry, to pass a sh"rt time at his hoed* In the country, with a view of obseisi gt: e boy attire . 4 narri,wly, and in order t give tun nu in-trutho...s. Mr. HOUGH soon foUnd that hi, pupil possessed a docility even greater than his jtienics, tor, whatever he was directed to d o, he could iiis:aitt:y execute, arid was sure never to fo rget . H e found Ih' 4 that his feelings could take the impression of every passion and sentiment, and express them in their ap preptiate language. Whatever was properly pre sented to his mind, he could immediately lay hold of, and seemed to seize, by a sort of intuitive sagacity, the spirit of every sentence, and the prominent beau ties et every remarkable passage. he happy moment at length arrived, which woe:- to realise our hero's hopes and wishes. Mr. A TIC NS. induced by the reports he had received, and solicit ous to brig forward some extraordinary novelty, on account of the extreme depression of the times, offeted him an engagement to play at )Fist, f or tour nights. Accoringly, about the *fiddle of August, 1803, he announced the Tragedy of Zara. the part of Omen to be undertakenh r y ea a t are cr ie w g d7enn — f &man orb, el wspears of ell!,e. The singul arity of the exbiiiition dr-nv together a f: people, ss ha were equally astonished and estrapttit ssi at the performance of the young actor." , - . derful youth is eopied from an eseellAt pamphlet, entitlei, " Memoirs of tile Litt of the roans Rve• . out," by .1. MERRITT : , "WILLIAM RANI YWEST DETTY,MityS(Ma WIC. LI A Nay BE r T v,vras born on the 13th of Septem- ber, 1791, as appears from the perish register of the Church of St. Chad's, in Shrewsbury ; Mr. Bierv e , the father, was the son of Dr. BET i• y, a physician of the first eminence et Lisburn. nor far from Bel - fast, in the North of Ireland, at whose deeth he be- • ! i be- came possessed of a handsome 'independent for- tune. His wife was Misi MARY START Ni Out • [ daughter of a respectable gentleman :in thee' ty ir e of Worcester. Sate was a young lady of • I I education and high accomplishments, and b t him a respectable fortune, part of which, it is sai.l, ''''‘ ; is entailed on the young gentleman who ii we sub-, j ject of these memoirs. It has beers frequently said, , / that Miss STAN TON Ic2Al been formerly either a per- ', former on a public stage. or in the frequent habit i of acting in private theatres ; neither of which re. , pots hits the smallest fouedition in truth. The name of STANTON happen: to belong; to steveral t families of the theatried peifession.in varioas,peeta of de! kingdom ; and Ces eircunist ince ! ho eq the nee e identity nt the names, rreiv have ;Ai Te- position that the familyof Mr. Berry WAti-• •,11 in the number. . . . 44 It is, however, certain, that Miss S.rsetTON al- ways discovered a great predilection for the amuse- ments of the Theatre, and she end her sisters, in ;heir own family, used frequently to divert thane- sefs:sleith reciting plays, and other pieces of poetry. 44 Mr. BETTY, at the time of the birth of his son, lived within a small distance of Shrewsbury, frill , , whence he removed, a few veers after, to the height* bourhood of his native place, in the North 4 . 4;4 land. lie occupied a farm, and also cerr' on some business relating to the linen mewl' near Ballynehincle in the come) , of DAIL l .se. .. m tined in this situation, till the rising celebrity of his son rendered it necessary for hies et gite tip his employments, in order to attend the young vase. • man in his theatrical eleurAtme, 'Le 'Mrs. Ber ry , being herself at accomplished speak. ' er, and residing in a district where the Kegtob lan- guage is spoken in its worst state of deptevity, thought it necessary to pay particular attention to the education of her son, iu that ernernental and nee • cessa,y acquirement. He was, therefore, exercised at an early period, in the habit of reciting passages from the best of authors, and wes taught to pro. nounce the language with ,proprie' y. " In the summer of tete:, the play of Pizarro was brought out by the Betfast netneger with mutts splendor, and Mrs. Sit:moss was the Elora. As Mr. Be rev and his son happened to be irethe MIMI, tbey were induced to go to the theeti.e, being the first time that Master BET 1 V had e ,, r seen a play. From this moment his fate was decided. When ht • . came home, he told his father with a look of such. •"i enthusiasm, and a voice so paills:c, that Mose *hot ~ heard him win never forget MI/expression, tie /as shirt/ c. , •ta , n/e die, ff he mast not be a piaArr. ' 4._ wonderful aging of Mrs. bit:emits, : in Elo re. ' Ai l easily to !ie forgotten by the mtist phlegmatic, ha left an impression on hi, glowinepruitel, wh-ch no- thing c-iul.l ever erase It was fie-tun:me La him- self, that his first. and theretorit most durable iin- , ptessions, were stamped by such a wall . He I talked of nothing but Etapirii; 114 spouted the 1 spe.thes of Rivets ; and his passion for dots:age 4)- cease every hour velse•neet and uncptreulable. Hie, returned with hi. fether to Ballynallinch, hut not j to his usual o:eopations. The Sidioniail ambit's 7 I still r.ct..; in his cer ; and her majestic mai,lt and awtul 'wow still tilled his I:.ncy. Every thing was neglected for his favourite °hied; and every think not conneded with it became tiresome and insipid ' ' His propensity grew visibly more tooted by tipe; , 4 his impt - etunities were irresistible; and his pa is at length, :hieing all opposition uneeailing, were compelled to think seriously of die prealcabillty of 1 indulging him. _ _ . . . . . _ __