The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-17 00:00:00

DItURT-1.,1NE THEATRE.

Last night a new operatic play, called limtintrsle or
the Frites (if Kin:scimitar, was produced at this theatre. It
is said to he from the practised pen of Mr. Kenny. The
poetic') of history on which it is founded Its;, we believe,
been frequently dramatized by the Germans. The follow-
ing is sit outline of the story :
The Count lienyowskv (Mr. Bennet) a Hungarian nobleman,
having leagued with the Nita in eefellee of their liberties. is taken
prisoner by the Russians, and sent into exile to liamachatka.
Here he is treated hospitably by the Governor, and succeeds in
gaining the affections of his daughter Athanasia ( Miss Printer.
whose charms have also subdued the heart of Stephanoff (Mr.
%Vallack). The decided preference given to the Count by the fair
Athanssia. exasperates the parioo .of Stephantiff. and with his
avowal of jealousy the drains opens. At the same time that the
rivalry of love is growing up between these friends, they are linked
together in a conspiracy to overpower the Governor, and recover
their liberty; the attachment of the Count to A thamisia excites a
suspicion of his fidelity among hie seamplices, while the imp) t.
cable jester,' of Stephan.** continually forebodes some treachery
on his part these doubts, wising from the difficult situations and
conflicting feelings of the dramatis mrsarta, throw a considerable
interest otter the early part of the piece. The Governor confides in
the honour of 13enyowsky, bestows on him his freedom, ant con.
rents to his marriage with Athanula. Stephanoff, aware of these
circumstances, and driven to despair, presents himself to the Go.
vernor, and reveals the conseitnev. Benyowaky is arrested, but
escapes from the apartment In which he was confined, by the help
of A thanasia, and Phedora, her sister (3liss Cubitt). He wanders
for some time through the wastes, and is on the point of perishing
with cold, when Stephannff finds and restores him. The rivals then
recognize each other, and are soon met by the band of them:inspire-
tors.who are about to take reigning. on Benyoweky for his su
desertion of their cause.; but Stephanoff conferee his Ire air:yd,
and is in turn saved by the interposition of the Count. The con-
spirators again united, seize the fortress by stratagem, and the
('Clint immediately seeks the pelage. The °mentor presence his
pistol to shoot Dim, but Athanssia throws herself before her lover
en protect him, an ideezaken, fawn lard Hyron's story of Haidee.
Her father, however, is relentless, ind Ikea the moment that
Steplinntiffrushes in, who, as it may now be foreseen, receives the
fatal shot. The Governor Is then made prisoner by the conspire.
tors but as it is necessary to reconcile his interests with those of
his datighter and her husband, an imperial Uksse *opportunely
received, commanding his attest. He joins the exiles in conse-
quence, and prepares with thin to embark. This terminates the
piece. We almost forgot to mention Trit ram :stark, an exile, in.
traduced in the course of the Otte, in orate to amuse the audience.
Tristram is a poor author, who, I eying retailed some severe jokes,
is punished for his plagiary as if he had been guilty of treason.
Harley exerted himself as Tristram Stark with his usual
success. his part was not wholly destitute of wit anti
merriment, but was too much protracted, and in the latter
part particularly interfered too much with the essential
action of the piece.
The story itself, as our readers will perceive, is not des-
titute of dramatic interest or striking situations; the obli-
gations of love and gratitude struggling in the bosom of
the Count, with his sworn engagement to the exiles—the
conflict of jealousy and generous feeling in the heart of
stephenog; give rise to numerous pathetic situations. The
plot was well managed in the two first acts, although
marred a little by the too great length of some scenes ; but
in the third act, the denouement was uselessly and tedi-
ously deferred, and the frequent recurrence of Tristram
Stork's jokes grew quite insufferable. As a composition
this play deserves but little praise; it has none of the higher
beauties of the drama; the passions are portrayed through-
out in language which seems to come merely from the lips
and never discover to us any of the secret and deep sources
of human character. The songs, too, are not distinguished
by any lyrical beauty, with the exception of one, perhaps,
" When honour calls thee, wend thy way," which is not
devoid of tenderness and grace. hitherto we have be-
stowed but little praise, but when we speak of the music,
we must withhold it altogether; it was an indifferent selec-
tion—very badly performed. The weakness of the per-
formance was particularly manifest in the chorusses, and a
duct between Miss Foot. and Miss Cubitt completely
exhausted the patience of a very indulgent audience. With
the exception of a chorusin the Attu act, by Mr. Horn, which
was wretchedly sung, " a chorus of hunters" by Kreutzer,
and a Russian air, both very common, the music hail better
been omitted. There was some good scenery by Stanfield
and Roberts; but the redefining point of this piece was the
acting of Mr. Wallack, for whom, we believe, were in-
tended all the applatiseriiestowed by the audience at the
fat of she sorsa*. 'rho AWOL however, was (immunized az,
to-morrow evening, with the approbation of a great majo-
rity ; and such are the intrinsic merits of the story, that we
think a judicious curtailment of the dialogue, and a better
selection of music, might not only support the piece, but
even make it popular.

LITERARY GLEANINGS.

NO. LXXI.

MY AUNT'S POODLE.

My aunt MARGARET has a poodle. It is, unquestionably
the ugliest little beast that ever bore the canine form. Na-
ture has done nothing for it ; and this neglect has been ag-
gravated by a variety of accidents. Early in its puppy
days, one of its legs was broken by a fall through the
spiral staircase, from the top of the house to the bottom,
so that it limps. Its eyes were villanons7 at the best of
times; they were marked by a sly, suspicions, discontented,
leer, and never looked you honestly in the face. They
gave the dog the air of a pickpocket; and I seldom ever
met it without instinctively putting my hand to my watch
or my purse. lied I any faith in transmigration, I should
say that the soul of Bill Soames hail passed into the ugly
body of my old aunt's poodle. Bat as if the natural ex-
pression of its eyes had been insufficient to render the beast
hateful, an accident must needs occur to remove all doubt
upon the point. Some mouths ago the contents of a phial
of spirits of hartshorn were overturned into Lovely's right
eye (for Corby is the appropriate name of the exquisite
creature), which said right eye has not only been ever since
relieved of the performance of all optical duties, but it has
assumed an appearance by no means so agreeable as to war-
rant a description. Its skin too !—The common saying
that " beauty is hut skin-deep," would, in this instance,
become a gross exaggeration, for Lovely's beauty is not even
as deep as that. He is—to make a literal use of another
common expression—in a very ugly skin. It is of no
imaginable colour—a sort of yellowish-greenish-brownish
grey—an unearthly, vampire tinge. And here again au
accident has stept in to make bad worse. By the upsetting
of a cauldron of boiling, water, the unlucky animal was
woefully scalded, and to this hour he bears evidence of
his sufferings, and his miraculous escape from death, iu
two large, ghastly, pink spats-.one on his left side, the
other on the nape of his neckaa free from hair as the
palm of your hand. Now, though it would be impossible
to like such a mass of ugliness and deformity, yet had it
been a well-disposed, kind-hearted, unassuming, gentle-
manly dog—a clog of prepossessing manners, respectable
habits, decent conduct, and unimpeachable morals, or were
it remarkable for its talents and accomplishments, one
might, upon all or any of these accounts, and in considers-
Lion of its su&rings, have pitied and endured it. But
no : as it is the ugliest, so it is the worst of created beasts:
sulky, snarling, savage, and sneaking ; thankless and dis-
satisfied ; as arrant a thief as a magpie ; as finished a
blackguard as a butcher's cur; and for accomplishments—
it could not sit upon its hinder legs, pick up a penny-piece,
or fetch a handkerchief across the room, were either of
those feats to he made its benefit of clergy.
It may be asked—lVhy be at the pains of describing so
worthless a beast ? Because the beast, worthless as it is,
is the sole arbiter of the destini:.s of the only remaining re-
presentatives of three ancient houses—the Noland's, the
Thwaites's, and the Briggs's. Besides, the beast has a
clear income of twelve hundred pounds a year ; or, which
is the same thing, he has the disposal of it.
Yesterday was my old Auut Margaret's birth-day, when,
as usual, all the members of her family were invited to
dine with her. Poor Jack Noland and myself are her only
immediate relations; the Briggs's (consisting of Mr. and
Mrs. B. with their son and daughter, Pomponius and
Julia) and Miss Priscilla Thwaites (a maiden lady of fifty-
seven) being merely first cousins to her late husband. The
assertion that all the members of my Aunt Margaret's
family were invited to dine with her, requires some modi-
fication : nothing more must be understood by it than all
such as enjoy the honour of Lovely's patronage, and have
been wise enough to keep terms with hint ; for, besides the
seven persona enumerated, the re arc fifteen others, who,
owing to various of committed by them aptinst the
peace and dignity of the rascally little poodle, are now no
more considered by my Aunt Margaret as her relations,
than l'rester John.
Now, since Aunt Margaret—ar ad Noland very senai-

bly observed to me the other day—cannot carry her money
with her to the grave, it must he evident that the proa-
peels of us seven who still continue in favour, are unprov-
ed by the removal of the unfortmoate fifteen ; but, in pro-
portion as our plactss are :mire valuable, our duties, our
cares, and our aoixiesies arc more comeeseive. The rute
seems to he perfectly:4l,4Bre of. this; he appears to have
studied our dislikes and atitipathiee for the fiendish plea-. 1
sure of exciting 'hem ' • and he takes a eltaholicid delight in
tormenting us to within an inch or the forfeiture of bur
l-,grades. lie is perhaps snore circumspect in his conduct
towards me than towards the other expectants ; for I long
ago gave him a lessson which he has not yet quite forgotten.
I am not of a very enduring temper; and finding Lovely:,
upon whose caprices my hopes depended, to be a dog
whose good-will was not to he won by gentleness-erefiect-
ing at the same time that the continual annoyance he in-
flicted upon me, might one day or other force me beyond
the bounds of prudence, provoke me to retaliate, slid
thereby cost me dearly—l resolved upon a derisive but
dangerous measure, with a view to secure myself against
future aggressions. It was simply this: one morning,
during my Aunt Margaret's absence, iii acknowledgment
of an inliospitahle prowl at my entrence, and a manifest
intention to bite, I flogged him in such a way as perfectly
astonished hint. Ile has ever since behaved to me as well
as such a dog can behave.
But yesterday was, as poor Jack Noland flweibly de-.
acribed it, " a tremendous day for us all, and be 41—a to:
the dog." Jack, by the way, is the ;roar magi& .of attar
family, whose duty it is to love and admire tsa all, thhu
of every body's way of thinking but his ow tsoto execute
all the disagreeable commissions of the l's wed pa-
tiently bear the reproach when any thing go« a ',mgr. But
not one of us but, at some moment or alter, have' our
hopes of inheritance drawling biy a single thread.
..;
But, in order that cur suffettegs and mit dangers wisy
he fairly appreciated. it must be stated, that Mr. and Mrs. rriirga
dislike clogs generally, Lovely in particular; Potroonitis Briggs
and Miss Julia Briggs inherit the family ayertion to the canine
species, with the superaddition of a peculiar dislike of poodles be-
yond all other dogs, and of my aunt Margaret's Lovely beyond all
possible poodles; Mien Prise. the fifty-seven-year-old maiden
cousin, lonthca the very might of Lovely, and hates it most devout)),
simply upon the true old-Midden, principle—hecanee it happens to
be a favourite with aunt Margaret; poor Jack and myself are the
only two of the family who do not entertain a sweeping dislike of
all dogs, yet we partake of the general denim to Lovely, and hate
him with heart and soul. for thy reason that the dal{ titan nnamiahle
dog. In a wotd, not one of tot but is a deadly foe to the animal,
and would hang or drown it if we dared.
Within one hour of dinner.time we were all Resembled in my
aunt Margaret's drawing-room. After site had received our Fell.
citations, and listened to our wild's.' that she might enjoy many
happy returns of the day, Jack stile whispered in my tar, " Of
course, Ton, we don't mean too manY." She burst into tears ;
lamented to see so few of her relations about her upon fetich a day ;
regretted that the misconduct of the absentees (towards Lately be it
understood) had compelled her to have done with them for ever ;
declared that she had altered her will In our favour, and hinted that
she was mistress to alter it again she should see cause. Of this
edifying discourse, which lasted till dinner was announced, the
text was " Love me, love my dog," and the obvious moral, " Leak
to your Legacies." It Ives not without its effect; and Lovely,
who seemed to understand the intention of it, occasionally bent his
evil eye upon each of as, with a look of villanous exultation. Old
Briggs whistled the dog towattla him ; Poniponiva drew a collar
for the " little rogue" from his pocket ; Julia and Mama each
patted the " pretty fellow," and then turned aside, with a look of
disgust, to dabble their fingers with Eau de Cologne. " Come
hither, pretty pi wile," said Miss Priscilla, holding out some sugar.
plums which she had " bought on putpose for the dear dog 4" poor
Jack Noland volunteered to give the " little fellow" a washing in
the Serpentine next Sunday: whilst I vehemently swore that Lovely
grew prettier and prert;er every day. Here Jack Noland drew me
aside, and, assuming a ludicrous swagger of independence, said.
" I tell you what, Torn—this slavery is no longer to be borne ;"
adding, in his dry way, " only we rand bear it, you know."
At dinner we had rot a moment's peace. The reptile was either
jumping upon 114, and growling till he had extorted from us die
choicest mantel on our plates, or worrying us into a fever by snap-
ping at our legs under the table; evidently with an intention to
provoke us to the commission of some outrage upon hint, which
might draw down upon our heads the displeasure of Aunt Mar-
garet. Presently, in pure spite, he ran yelping to his mistress. as
if he hail been hurt, although I ant persuaded no one had touched
him. " How can you be so cruel to the poor dumb beast ?" said
Alias Priscilla; unjustly and ill-naturetily singling out the family
acape-goat, poor ;lack Noland, for the question. Reproaches were
showered upon poor Jack Stem all quarters, who bore them—tope-
.tlaasatitlsasessoiagasuazzlecture. &silt Aunt gargling- and.a _hint
about every shilling of her mocey being at her own dtsposal—whh
silence and resignation.
The rain was pouring in torrents; and the," rascally poodle,"
who, to add to his natural attractions, had been scampering about
the muddy grounds, came dripping into the drawing-room. Iu this
interesting condition he ran from one to another (carefully avoiding
my Aunt Margaret), squeezing himself between our legs, and
jumping into our laps. The fortitude with which the attack was
borne by us all, and the heroic control we maintained over our
feelings, were astonishing. It is probable that Aunt Margaret's
reprimand of Jack Noland, and her hint about every shilling of
her money being at her own disposal, may have contributed to
strengthen our nerves. My first impulse certainly was to toss the
mongrel nut of window; but, considering that a good four hundred
a-% etr ( for which, I know, I am down in the will) might be tossed
out along with him, I contented myself by affecting a laugh at the
" unceremonious little gentleman," as I called him, and, with my
cambric pocket.handkerchief, smearing the mud over my white
silk stocking, till they were dry. Noised and Pomponiue Briggs
followed My eXample; Pomponius, a* be was making bad worse,
by scrubbing his white kereeymeres, moaning ‘6 Two-pound-ten,
by jingo !" Mr. Briggsownior, swore be was the most fortunate
man breathing, for it would not show much upon black. Mrs.
Briggs, whose French pink sancta dress was ruined for ever,
merely simpered nut Well, it cannot be helped." Miss Julia
Briggs, like her Imps, congratulated herself upon her good for-
tune; for, being dressed in white muslin, which would wash, "it
didn't much signify." And Miss Priscilla, whose saffron-coloured
white satin dress, which never saw the light except on state occa-
sions, such as the present, and which was now in a condition to set
at defiance the utmost magic of the seowerer, asseverated, as she
walked towards the window to conceal her tears, that " it'tlid not
signify the lean in the world." When Mr. Lovely had thoroughly
cleaned himself by his visits to us, he ventured to approach his
mistress. " lam fearful," said my aunt, patting his back, for he
was now perfectly dry, " I am fearful Lovely has been rather
troublesome." It was now who should be foremost to assure Aunt
Margaret that, so far from being troublesome, nothing, in our
opinion, could be more delightful than his good-natured playful-
ness. nothing more entertaining than his innocent frolics ; and that
in every possible respect Lovely was, incontestably. aid beyond
all means of comparison, the sweetest dog in the universe.
My Aunt Margaret's property is all funded; and of her twelve
hundred it-year, she regularly lays by two-thirds. This we happen
to know.—Nere Monthly.

Benyowsky, the hero et' the new piece at Drury-lane,
was one of those unquiet spirits, who fly repose, and rush
every moment into dangers from which nothing hut their
own courage can rescne them. lie was born in 1711, of a
noble family at Werbna, in Hungary, and embraced-in
early life the professions of arms under the imperial ban-
ners ; but having afterwards taken up arms in some private
feuds, he was declared a rebelhy the Court of Vienna, and
his estates were confiscated. In this situation hit natural
impatience of rest induced him to travel in Germany, Hol-
lani;, and finally in England, where he instructed himself
in the art of navigation. About the year 1768 he joined
the Republican Confederacy in Poland, and was made a
Quartermaster-General. He defeated the Russians at Ku-
menka, but after a variety of vicissitudes, was taken pri-
soner, and treated with great rigour ; escaped from his
chains, he lay concealed for some time in St. Petersburgh,
but being discovered be was sent to Kamachatka, and em-
ployed in severe labour with the lowest malefactors. Ben-
yowsky, however, was a man of no ordinary boldness ; he
formed a conspiracy, sealed the Russian fortress, made
himself master of it, and compelled the inhabitants to take
the oath of the Polish confederacy. Seeing, however, that
he could not maintain himself in that situation, and in•
cited by the perusal of Anson's voyages, he conceived the
bold idea of embarking with his accomplices in a small
corvette. Ile accordingly set sail in 1771, carrying with him
the Russian archives of Kamschatky. He touched at Japan,
Formosa, and China, and discovering some small islands in
his way, reached time European settlements in the East
Indies. Being brought back to Europe by a French yes-
sel,lte was well received by the Court of Versailles, where he
delivered up all the manuscripts and archives he had carried
with him. Among these papers was a plan for time invasion
of China by the Russians, a copy of which was immedi-
ately despatched to the Emperor of China by the French
King. The enterprising character of Benyowsky not per-
mitting him to live at rest, he projected the colonization of
Madvascar under time protection of the French. He re-
mained, however, on the Island. and the following year
was shot in a skirmish with the French, after having de-
fended himself with great courage.
After a protracted and most injurious suspension of se-
veral weeks from those important avocations, the seamen
of this port (Whin-haven) have returned to their duty ;
not only without au atimmee of wages, but with the midis
tional mortificatiatiAll.st many of them were refused em-
ployment on any termr.s.—Cumberlanej Packet of Tuesday.