The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-05-25 00:00:00

Lord Impel% Prophet beat Mr. °reellle'a Prodigious,
41b. each, T. Y. C. 100(1 —4 to 4 as Prophet.
Mr. Houveries Plumper. beat Mr. Thoruhill's liardoubt,
Bet 71b. each, T. Y. C. 200i5.-8 to 4 ea Ptompot•

.... ..

Handicap Plato of 501. by subscription, being the third of
the throe SOI. Flaws, fur 3,4, 11, 11-ye okl, and aged bum..
A. F.
Mr. Garner's ch. e. Flibbertigibbet, 4 yrs old, 3.1. 1
IA Jersey. ch. e. Oracle, 4 yrs old, Sat.
IA Suffield's b. r. b) Vandyke honour, oat of Rosetta,
4 yr. old, Sat 4111..
Ld Clareudno's ch. f. Mirandolo, 4 yrs old, Bst. 4
Got. Grosvenor. eb. f. 31oonshine, 4 yrs Sib.
lA. G. H Cavendisles rh. f. by Soothsayer, out of sister
to Whalekuno, 3 yrs old, fist. 1311.
Mr. 11,54edhanert b e.'Rohia Hood, 3 yrs old, Sal. Itlb dr
Mr. Batsou's b. f. Le•s, 4 yes obi, Bst 6S) dr
Mr. Clarke's hr. e. by Sorcerer, 4 yrs old, 9st. 7th dr
L. to I ago Flibbertigibbet—ft to f ass' Oracle-2 to I agat
M irsadola.
_ _ _

Mr. Grevilleu Prtmligiues-,Arl. best Mr. BeaverWs
Plumper, Bst. 7,b. Ab. U. Ipogs.--5 tot opt Prodigiuue.

CH E.T ER RACES.

TIMDAT, NAY 11.
The Palatine Stakes of SOgs. seek b. ft. fir 3 yr old rolls,
Sot. 71b. and fillies, Sit. tlb. Ones round, starling at
the Castle pole—(s flobteribers).
Sir T. Stanley • eh. c. Doge of Verde,
Mr. Houkhtorth's h. f. by Orville
Lord Derby's bl. f. by Milo
Sweepet•kcs of tOgs. rock, for 4.gr olds 7.1. 1111).;
Bst. 101 b. ; six 9st. Vb. sod aged, 9a;. Sib. The pro-
' petty of the Subscribers.—Two sniles.—(s Sobeeribers.)
Mr. Houldsworth's ch. ws. Torrelli, 6.yro old 1
Mr. !nylon's b. g. Anti-Radical, b.yn old, slid Mr.
Clifton's b. e. Arbiter, 4-yra old, Mee started, but were not
placed.
A Handicap Sweepstakes of Ingt. earls, with 29gs. added by
by the Stewards, fur horses bens
_Ale the properly of Sob-
scribers. Two wiles. (5 Subscribers.)
Lel Grosvenor's be. f. Bootbssine, 4 yrs old, Ssi. 51b..„ 1
Sir J. G. Egerion's h. e. by Crstriso,4 yrs old, Sot. 31b.:.
Sir T. Stanley's I. I. Harpoodius, S yrs old, din. 101 b
The Ladies' Plate of SOL for 3-yr olds, Est. 101 b.; four, Sit.;
See, Pst. 91b.; six, and aged, Sid. 121 b. Heats, twice
roon4.
Sir T. Mostya's b. h. Alderman Woad, 5 yrs old.. 6 1 1
Mr. Fidler's br. r. Montemar, 4 yrs old•
Mr. flouldsworth's ch. I. Tosiplionr, 4 yrs old-- 5 2 3
Mr. 111. Jours's eh. f. nib', 4 yrs old 4 0 0
Mr. klyttusi's ch. George Ike Third, 3 yrscild 3 3 dr
Cul. Bainbridge's b. e. ley Young Chariot, 4 yrs old 7 di.
Mr. Clifton's b. e. Arbiter, 4 yea old • 2 dr

. .
No DAY Al an.—Sir W. W. Wysel'a brother be
Thymic, by Young Sore. rer, rec. ft. front IA Staaeford'a h. e.
Peter Ply, by Mabee', uut of Stella ; once rooted and a dia.
truce, 38Oge. b. A.

IRVINE M EETI NG-SCOTLAND.
• (OTIM NOGIIDC COURSE.) •

WILDNESDAY, MAT 1.
Sweepstakes of 50gs, each, k. fi.for 3-yrs old colts, 7.1. 10Ib.;
Allies, 74t.71b. Last mile mud a half. (4 'Subscribers.)
Sir H. Blair's be. f. by Tressy, dam by Caleb Quote'ens
(W. Boynton) 1
Mr. Alexander's colt, Fogleshant, by Oetaviau
Lord Reline's'. b. f. The Rabe, by Viscount a
Woo easy.
Fifty Guineas for all ages.—Two mile beats.
Lord Relhuine's b. b. Chance, by Stamford, 5 yrs old,
thit. 11th. (T. Shepherd)
Sir W. Maxwell's gr. 1111. Nell Meldoo, aged, 9.1. 11b ldr
Wou easy.
THURSDAY.
The Gold Cup, value 100 es. by 10 subscribers of 10p. each.
Where miles.
Lord Kelburne's b. h. Chance, by Stamford, 1 yr• old,
est. 11b. (T. Shepherd)
Sir W. Maxwell's gr. an. Nell Meldoa, aged, est. 121 b.
Sir D. H. Blair's br. f. by Tressy, dam by Caleb Quoted:to,
S yrs old, 7st.
Mr. Alexander's colt, Eaglashans, 3 yn old, 7st 4
Mr. R. A. Oswalirs gr. geld. out of Bit of Tartan,
4 yrs old, est. lib
Won easy.
Sixty Grimm for Horses, Om—Three-mile beats.
Lord Kelburne's b. h. Chance, by Stamford, 5-yrs old,
Sit. 71h. (T. Shepherd) 1 1
Sir W. Maxwell's gr. m. 14,11 51eldoe, aged, flat. 11b 1 dr

Wou easy.

On Saturday last, as the youngest con of Charles Monis,
If.sq. of Guest Cumberland-place, a thee young man of nine-
teen' was driving through Bridgewater in a Tilbury with
friend, the burn unfortunsiely took fright, when the rains
breaking, they both jumped tint, and, melancholy to re.
late, Mr. Moore Whim epos his head, fraistured ins skull
so severely that he expired on the spot.
ANECDOTE.—biting, the private and confidential
Secretary of Louis XIV., had married his daugh-
ter to Mr. Poicrsi.t., President of the Parliament.
The husband was constantly comphiiiitrig to him of
the temper and dispositions of his daughter. •• You
sere right," said Ross ; " clue is ma impertinent
jade; sod if I her more complaints of her, I will
ilipinhern her." The kw.barrilfilt otid-rire to aiake
any more cornplisints of his wife.

ON THE LIVES OF ACTORS.

. •

[From " 11Marsala RehmMorgh Maginhee."

When O'Keefe brought out his comedy of Wild
Oats, the actors, if they knew their own interest,
would strain every nerve in artier that the play
might pass. The piece, however, tinged as it is
with the tendency to farce incident to the genius of
it, author, has stamina enough to live without pam-
pering. It is an apology for the life arm actor, Dud
is better than that of George Aim Bellamy, and
almost as amusing and sprightly as that of Colley
Cibher, which is saying something. Not that the
work of the vivacious hero of the Ustacitad has not
other and higher merits; but they are foreign to the
comparison. O'Keefe ha*, in his comedy, done fur
the players what Cumberland tried to do for the
Jews. Whether the better success of the former is
owing to the greater ability of the write►, or to Ow
greater truth of the character, may be a matter of
dispute. The public seems to incline to the latter
opinion. Rorer retains his popularity. whilst Shevo
is forgotten. The " credat Jethro:" seems, in this
instance, to have taken complete po•sessioe► of
" the many-headed monster," as somebo•ly has
courteously designated the people. I, for my
part, have always bees attached above men-
sure to the stage, and interested in every thing
connected with► ii. Whet is more satisfactory
those, of whom I have had reason, through
life, to think the brat, have been so ton. There
is no need fur shaine in confessing that some
of " the greenest spots on memory's waste"
owe, with me, their l►ne to the theatre. Those
who have studied the human mind, or even
attended to the nature of their own preceptioin,
will allow that some of our strongest impressions
are produced by the power of fiction. My recol-
lection of the feelings with which I first read Cha-
rism does not yield in intensity to any remembrance
of those arising nut of real event.. My imagination
cannot, to tilts hour, recur to Ilan book without an
unrray and miserable sensation, which one would
almost suppose to he akin to the hypochondriacal.
That this holds equally with pleartnit recollections,
is equally supposable. With me, the drama has
been most prolific •d• happy associations. I find I
have decidedly preferred the company and conver-
sation of those who thought of it like myself, and
have, for the most part, unconsciously. perhaps,
assoeiated with such. They, who meet at a theatre
are, nitre times out of ten. in the state of mind
most likely to render such meetings agreeable.
'Floe lobby is a sort of carer-house for the " Liters
hansamiores," born which wrangling polite* are
excluded, and where the presence of beauty is set
ata iotrurion.

The fate of the children of Thespis has been
perversely hard. Whilst many an institution—of
an origin none of the most respectable—is applaud-
ed, and its ministers holioured ; she servants of the
drams, which, both ancient and modern, arose
(" mark it, Caeserio.") out of religious ceremonies,
are vilified and calumniated. In what sort of esti-
mation the eticieeit actors were held, may be a diffiw
cult matter to settle. Luberius was deprived of
his equestrian rank for appearing on the stage,
to which he was compelled by Caesar ; and from-
some passages of Juvenal, it would seem to be
quite evident, that in his time, the Roman se-
tarp, excepting perhaps the very highest, were
held in that kind of contempt, to which those eon-
Peeled with public amitseinents appear to be more
or less liable. In 'Madero Italy, they are very lightly
held. In France, the church refuses the last rites
to the body of the "profane stage-player;" be.
sides charitably insinuating the probability of his
soul being, its the phrase of hottest but implacable
Captain Cruse. " five fathom by the line in burn-
ing brimstone." lii England. they are, as it were,
out of the peal of the law, arid punishable as vs-
gehapt'. ; unless, indeed, they happen to be " his
Majesty's servants"--which alters the case. Against
usage like this, it would require a most superabun.
dant abundance of good character to bear up; nor
is it to be wondered at, that the whole body has
beet' bent down under the weight of touch illiberal
and much al.solitte ly unfounded prejudice. Ido
not wish to mince the mutter either way. It is slot
my intention to deny, that the condition of an actor
tenders him peculiarly liable to certain vices. But
I would just veto ure to hint, that these vices are of
• kind peculiarly obnoxious to those "wise in their
generation," called prudent people ; who, in coo-
sequence, more prudently than charitably, keep
at too great • distance to find out his virtues.—
When I hear the wearers of the sock and buskin
ruu down by wholesale, remote as they are from
those to whom the observation applies. it always
puts me in mind of poor Burns's assertion of his often
having fiend in the class culled " blackguard',"
honour. honesty, benevolence, " and even mo-
desty." lie certainly would not scruple to make
the search; and on a matter of this sort, I would
take his word for a thousand pounds. .Thete are
those who would have affected to think the disco-
very
quite as surprising, had he professed to have
made it in the green-room. To such it is really •
hardly worth while to reply.
I have been told, that I am not to estimate the
character of the profession from those eminent per-
foment who have risen to its head. They who told
me so, forgot to advert to the circumstance of many
of those very Ladies and Gentlemen having risen
from the lower ranks of that profession, where
they must have acquired, or at least preserved.
those virtues, for which they are now esteemed. It
is not, however, from the metropolitan performer,
that I form my estimate of the lives of uctors. The
provincial town in which I have passed the greater
part of my life affords sufficiently ample, and, pro-
bably, fairer materiuls.
It may sound a little ill-omened, to begiu by
saying, that moon' were, a few years ego, more re-
spectable than now—l should have said more re-
spected, for that is what 1 mean. The friends of
the drama metro a variety of cauees for this. Sonic
will lay it upon the late dinners and routs—some
upon the hard times—some upon the increased
pestle of the middle ranks—atid some upon the
Methodists. For my part, I !my it upon them all
together. Theatres have declined in many ways;
tool, according to the way of the world, actors
have declined with their circumstances. Neither
plays nor players are like what they were. An exotic
loon the hot-bed of Loudon may rasinetimes drew
a crowd of spectator", and a thunder of applause—
but the taste itself is less iutense.