The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-01-23 00:00:00

THEATRE.

DRURY-LANE.
Last night, a new Comedy, entitled Somethisff
to du, was brought out, for the first time, at this
Theatre. The following were the principal

DRAMATIS PERSO.N.E.
Mena
J'actor
Mr. i10t.L.3 ND.
.Edward
Cslrrh.Wsd
Charles
Porky
OW. ',dal
Oliver
maul is
Helena
Clara

The fate which this piece has experienced, ren-
ders it unnecessary for us to enter so fully into its
merits and demerits as we otherwise should do ; and
it is still less necessary to describe the various inci-
dents which constituted the fable. The scene is
laid in Germany, and some of the characters have
the appearance of Gennun origin. Helena, a young
lady whose parents died while she was very young,
has been left in the care of two guardians Dr.
Tandem and Gohfitestref, who have the custody of
•her property, awl without whose joint consent she
' cannot mum. The first of these forms a plan to
have the lady united to his son ; the other enter-
ed= • similar project- in favour of his nephew.
Edward, who is an officer, is in love with Ilelesa,who
appears so indifferent to his suit, that he is about
to quit the town of ilavelbery, where all the patties
reside. Meanwhile Mem, a young lawyer, *evil
from his studies, seeking for a fee, and " something
to do," arrives at this lace. lie advertises. hitmiell
as an eminent prartibener, and is employed by the
two guardians of Helena to drsw up a deed of WU-
nage. They both give him a large tee, one that he
may insert priiately in the deed the name of hiso
son, the other, that •of his nephew, us the intendesl
husband. '1 he young lauver, however, deceives
them both.

These constituted the princil.al circumstances
of the play. With regard to the eharacters, some
of them were feeble awl insignificant, and others
drawn with a considerable share of humour.—That
of Mess, though a mere caricature, was extremely
laughable. The part allotted to Mrs. JORDAN was
not at all equal to her talents; still she made a
great deal of it. In those passages where she
quizzed the two lover.., whom her guardians would
each impose Oa her as a husband, she was very
happy, and ..net with loud and deserved applause.
The play went on very well during the two first
Acts ; and the dialogue and incidents, which par-
took more of the nature of tarco than comedy,
excited a great deal of laughter. lu the third Act it
began to hang heavily,and symptoms of disapproba-
tion began to appear. Many dull and ill-contrived
passag afterwards succeeded during this end the
PAM Act. In the firth the disapprobation was
hinder, and before the de/rot/covet took place, the
hissing and shouts of Off! were so loud,
and continued so long, that it became necessary
file the eitethin to drop for ever upon the whole.
An epilogue, possessing as little merit as the
phlyt was pronounced by Miss MELLos. After a
ennstrierahle lapse of time, Mr. 1)a CAMP came
forward, and announced The Siege el Belgrade for
the next evening.

Yesterday morning Iler AIA.IrsrY and the
PRINCESSES honoured Lady Cu ttl LOTTL Ft st 11
with a visit, at her apartments in St. James's
Palace.
Iler MAJESTY flail her usual party, on Thursday
eveisinit, which emnisted of
The f .1.42111r.PS of rheiteriehl, Car4lican, and Ely ; Earl
Sandwell) ; %lament and Yisroonter Sotaiky ; Inure Ca-
roline Waldegl are and C. Denier; General Grvieville ; sai
31 is, Hose.
The ROYAL FAX, LT were expected to It-are the
QuEEN'S Palace, for NVindsor, this morning.
On Thursday the Prince of Wst.v.s, and his
ROYAL BEOTII LAS, dined with Their MAJESTIES
and the Patscassas.
'Uleotla ST. ALMS arrived, on Wednesday
eveni4, at his house, in Berkeley-tapiare, from
Staffordshire.

Earl VITZWILLIAII and Viscount MILTON
(lined 041 TIMMlay with the Earl of DOM:IIk:STEIL,
at his house, in Parl,atreet;
Lady 'NAST BOULTSY had a Relect card party,
list night, at her home, in Park-strut.. Ainotnist
the compuity were the Earl of CARDIGAN,
countess Sy ONLY, COilliteSS of Moatox, and Mira
Rostßsotr.
The Duchess of Let

EXETER, JAN. 91.

Pet►cavxtax lecii.i.torerc.--This day Lieutenant
Halifax, of the Rol al Lancashire Militia, whose engagement
to walk thirty miles per day, fur twenty successive days, has
been alcBsdi several times noticed in this paper, completed
his laborious undertaking, and he was ushered into this
city in triumph, preceded by the regimental band of music,
and accompanied by au immense concourse of people, both
on Minn-back and on foot, who rehlirated his victory by con-
tinually-repeated buzzes. The timelier of persons of all
ranks, both of this city and the neighbourhood, who lined
the Topsham road, t hedges, and the streets through
which he passed, can scarcely be credited ; they must bare
amounted to scarcely less than twenty thousand. fin his
return to the hotel, he came forward, and, in a neat speech,
rehirifell his thanks to the inhabitants for their kindness,
amt the interest they had taken in his favour , and as some
injerispee, though absurd, reports had been iiiiculated, that
Me %ether officers had endeavoured to act unfairly by Lim,
mad AM the waiters at the hotel had been employed for
thatapwe, he assured them, that the whole was totally
void d Fmsndatien, as he hail received the greatest assist-
ance, MI the mast masked attention, from each and all of
his braider alittem mid every possible civility and accom-
muslatiou from Mr. Phillips, of the hotel, an every indivi-
dual belonging to his house. This Pulite, sus received by
the populace with the loudest seelantatiou. To estimate
this exploit properly, one readers should be informed,
that when Mr. Halifax made his bet, be had undergone
CO training, previously to its commenceinmati lie bad been
unaccustomed 10 such violent exertion ,• api4 mom scarcely
have reflected at all uu the magnitude of the stadertaking.—
Not tall, but large limbed ;—rather what may be 'termed
lusty, than muscular ;—his step not light seedierft, but
heavy and laboured ;—in a word, with Whit a loung-
ing walk .—the weather wet, and the reed Mean ar-sillness ur
Oat provided mildest, and the bet Ai Ile pay ;
These eireentetancee weiglied we snongly with al Vila knew
Ma, that it was cassidisnal impossible Is omM -she r—bet
W .wellies sod syleits bees hire up ageism Mary
met, aud almost Ma erections with waved. The uc
he suffered on the mama mid Wed days as. extreme i -
sides which, his Art owe Wowed, and he was feverish. The
very great attention, mod couidloaed care, however of Mr.
Stephenson, the regumuday-stallarangsburvessored thus; alllmah
ties. Each sueesidiss -gave hila fresh view; hit body
became by depose issued to MOUS auvesed •
drum* melt.
_widow the time atkaatatl, be was sashietto du
▪ tylelt oil rase ems tot litmeelf. nies, by perseverance,
aallattlyviaehie spine, be hes ken etsehled to accomplish
as siptatt, which his triads, ad dime who reflected ea the
diriftimegto under which he lattauml, deemed imposable.
Pie hove Peat plesture in doting Mr. Halifax es the
eisceregfal meminatiou of hie Ulmer • but, reflecting as the
fatigue mad hamovesiesce enflesteeered is this his lint
aamy as s podeetrian, dot Ma time esti ateeMine beee been
matiedy absorbed by hem these weeks poet, &Oen Ides of
wary other aamossest, and an the comforts of .social
eleekty, we w ill stators to predict, Haat he will set amity be
be. at say future pealed, to realm each ameba' megage-
mist.