The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-25 00:00:00

" Becks and rods, and wreathed smiles."

These were as good as ever, and very potential to excite
laughter ; but our old friend, in the uncouth corpulency of
French wadding, strongly reminded us of Quinbus
trin (Gulliver) among the Lilliputians. App Rees was only
a type and shadow of him ; and, as a lady near us re-
marked, he afforded the finest contrast imaginable to
the Monsieur Seurat, the living skeleton. We had only
one check on our enjoyment—the wadding was too heavy
for the heat of the weather, and the jokes were heavier—
we dare say Liston sweated under both.

With regard to the dialogue in the commencement, and
during a good part of the first act, it was of a nature to
raise our expectations of something better towards the con-
elusion, but the spirit of it flagged where it should have
been most studiously supported, and our hopes were doomed
to be miserably disappointed. The love and pathetic
scenes in the second and third acts are tedious and ill.
conceived and executed, and, as they now stand, a great
incumbrance to the progress of the piece. We should re-
commend their curtailment, but are doubtful whether even
that would be sufficient to render the present a stock piece.
In the dialogue there are occasional instances of grossness
and freedom which we were a little surprised to meet with
in the present day, and under the auspices of our deputy
licenser. What has George Colman been about? Look-
ing to the title of this piece, we fear it will be found to
possess more " thorns" than " roses;" and though it was
not, theatrically speaking, absolutey damned, yet the
" thorns" arc scarcely entitled to be called " cardui be-
nedicli."

The Count de Villele gave a grand dinner on Friday
last, to the Duke of Wellington and other distinguished
personages.

Madame Vestris is engaged at Covent-garden for the
ensuing season. Mr. Macready and Mr. Kean are going
to America. Mr. Young is not at present engaged at either
of the metropolitan winter theatres.
Velluti is engaged by Ebert; for the Italian Opera next
year. His singing in the same Opera with Pasta, whose
master Velluti was, is likely to prove attractive.
Lord Ilurgliersh, whose musical taste is proverbial, has
recommended to Mr. Ebers some extraordinary and original
compositions, which were performed at Florenct! during
the last winter with vety great success, in the choruses of
which the horn, and other inatruments, are unusually and:
most powerfully effective. The Noble Lord has sent to.
Florence for the score of these popular pieces, so that sum-
cient time may be allowed for their being produced in a'
perfect state at the King's Theatre.
Der Frit:Mod:: was brought out at Rotten on the 19th
instant with eminent success. It is as popular there as
at Paris.

Mr. Sapio, of the Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, with
his wife, having crossed on the 20th instant from
Port Patrick to Belfast, took their places (inside) by the
Belfast day mail, on that day, fur Dublin, to make good
his engagement at that Theatre, his first appearance at
Dublin being fixed for the 2'2d instant. They had only
proceeded thirty miles on their journey, when an opposi-
tion coach ran foul of the Belfast day mail, and upset the.
latter. In consequence, a poor woman on the outside was
killed on the spot—a man had his legs broken, and is not
expected to survive the immediate amputation.—The
coach was broken to pieces, yet, providentially, Mr. and
Nlrs. Sapio, who were inside, escaped serious injury, Mrs.
Sapio only sustaining a slight bruise on her head and a
scratch on her face.—Mor sing Parer.
l'wo of the Commissioners for inquiring into the Public
Revenue have arrived at Gritnsby. They will thence pro-
, cern) to hull ; and, report says, are to inquire into all the
circumstances connected with the port and docks at the
latter place.—Borlon Gazette.
We understand that the late rpring tides did not disap-
point the expectations excited by a paragraph, respecting
them, in a late number of the Slanqorcl Herm!, : they
flowed sttongly and diffusively for nearly a week, and were
by far the largest and the fittest ever known, on our coast,
so curly in autumn. •