The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-01-31 00:00:00

THEATRICAL INTELLIGENCE.

onus s•-t,s yr.
On Saturday Evening a new Comedy, entitled
11r sn nirru Sinai., was performed at this 1 heatre,
fur the first time, the characters of which were as
follows, and thus represented:

FAiriAt
Tratimt
Pew! I lemlloor
Mellon Mr. RAYMOND.
Sir Ralph .Vipeit
Warri.n.. (the mid tumult])
Quillet
Bailiff Mr. %Vi.WITTER.

Maim 04De
Sir Luke I.fibida
Nia.ter of the lintel
Jmar4 Mr. COULC.

Grettowy " Mr. COLLINS.
Robert Mr. I foLutioseoeTe.
Caroline Ntelfort Mn Port.
F.ILLA

This Play comes from the prolific pen of Mr.
lloxeitor r, and was received favourably by a
crowded aldience. It differs essentially from all the
former dramatic productions of the same author,
and neither exhibits the strong comic character and
broad humour of The Road toltu4, nor the affecting
sad interesting incidem of The Tale of Myatt:, y; but
aseeptinga comic scene or two, it may be considered
as consisting of a detached number of moral disser-
tations against detraction, and on the injustice of
deciding in case. s% here the character of an indivi-
dual is at stake, from being informed of one side of
the question only. The writing is, for the most
pazt, correct, and the masoning sound, the action
$ regular, and the plot interesting and well malla-
rd, cencidering the grave cast of the play ; but the
scene is frequently too long, sometimes tedious, and
not always either instructive or entertaining. It
displays no orizinality of character, r.or does it spar-
kle with any of those striking flashes of wit, or bursts
of imagination and fancy, which at once illumine
and enliven dramatic dialogue. The Author, is
winfessedly a man of considerable literary abilities,
and perh.sps he hoped, in ole season, to he able to
introduce to the British public that novel species of
dramatic composition, a ilele-Drame, and a middle
kind of Comedy, which was neither Ia Comedic
ranee, nor la Comedic larmayorfe.

getbilP7T, the hero of the piece, is a young man of a gene-
• liberai mind, but who has been ruined by fashion:it:3.e ex
travagarteies. enraged at leis tellies, had threatened
tr dtainhent him ; while obliged to resole abroad his friend,
Fairyart wrote to hen that his uncle was dying, and trans-
meted money to enable lion to iuturn. About this time,
however, Hr.:diet% falls in love with Caroline 111,!ford, whom
be sees at a masquerade at Venice, and, in consequence of this
ai:veuture, lfus return to is too long delayed...-The
piece opens on the day of bis arrival. The uncle is by this
tins* dead, and has heft Fairfax his sole heir, which excites the
bidignation of ileedbnig's Melia/. Strong suspicions are now
entertained of the character of 'airier, and various incidents
are eontrived to increase this suspicion, which is uniformly
ler lip to the last scene. The great °Need of the fable is to
create sospense as to the intentions of labfar, and as the
seal mee.ves of his actions do not at bet appear, he scents al.
IPrnatcly to persecute all A protect the same individuals. At last
be is exhibited at has real charaet..r. We tind that he had cr-
usted Transit only to prevent a duel between him and Heed/erig;
dial though he resentfully refused to relieve 3lelford, 1 is re
turning compassion Lad inducts' him the next moment to send
hint 501. for his immediate wants; and that he had consented
to be the heir of licarlione's uncle only that this youth, whom
be had always loved, might enjoy a fortune which he would
otherwise hare lost. Thus the triumph of Felrfar is complete
ea-Ifeidiseg is cured of his follies: experience haying forcibly
trught him the entn of associating with gamblers and
tkerpets; and now in the possession of happMess, he is no
singer in danger of falling into their snares. The story of the
Family ti the Aspens is ant episode intimately com Lined with
the Liminess of the piece, and tends to promote the dehmanus.t.

If we ate right in our conjectures, as to the Au-
thor's intention to introduce a new and sombrous
kind of Comedy, we are afraid, that his project
will have but few admirers ; we love to laugh at
folly, but we do not frequent the Theatre to listen
to grave lectures on morality, under the name of
Comedy. It is the province of the Comic Muse to
deal out satire upon vice, and ridicule upon absur-
dity, but she borrows the mask of Melpomene, and
wears it aukwardly, where she attempts to direct
her object to lengthened lessons of virtuous admoni-
tion, and seems chiefly bent on monkishly dogma-
tizing upon human fallibility. Possibly, after all,
Mr. HOLCROTT admiring the wonderful success
of the Play, called THE WHEEL or FORTUNE,
meant no more than to present the town with ano-
ther Comedy of that kind, but relieved with a few
comic scenes. If this was the case, we lament, that
we cannot congratulate him on his success. His
comic and his serious scenes arc ill commixed ; they
do not assert happily. Considered separately, the
ouly fortunate hit in the former, is the incident of the
bailiff serving a writ on Traesie who merely
meant to secure the escape of his friend, Henry
lleadlortg, and never dreamt of his (hen danger.
That incident is truly Lughable and was deservedly
distinguished by great applause. His next chief
comic scene, though powerful in stage effect, is
brought about clumsily, and in a manner that stag-
gers probability. A mask, the old stage resort of
an author, when he could not otherwise manage an
incident, in the days of Sir George Etheridge and his
contemporaries, when masks were in common use ;
and the desiring an audience to believe, that a fond
husband could not recognize the person, or voice
of his adored wife, because her eyes were covered !
A writer of the invention and ability of the Author
of HiAlt BOTH SIDES, should have disdained such
a paltry make-shift. His serious scenes arc true in
argument and inference, but want the pruning
knife to make them vigorous and productive of
grateful fruit. Fairfax's integrity is not satisfac-
torily explained and unfolded ; we have his own
are d x't for it, but where is the evidence ? the
knowledge that Qie/kt is in custody, as a proof that he
is a fraudulent pettifogger, does not, without more
opening, add an atom of testimony to the honour of
Fairfax. The honourable character of Peirsiddock,
in The Wheel of For woe, and the cause of his misan-
thropy, on the contrary, are naturally developed
and accounted for.
It would be an invidious task to enter into a mi-
nute detail of similarities of character to those of
former plays. Suffice it, that we state, that Gre-
gory is compounded of yaceh, in Miss LEE'S Chap(/'
of Accidifrait, and David in Mr. SHER ID AN'S Rival,;
at Fairfax resembles Pexruddoe4, and a variety of
other characters often seen on the Stage.
In the representation of the Comedy of HEAR
BOTH SIDES, the Manager, and the Proprietors of the
Theatre have done the Author ample justice. The
Scenery was appropriate, the representation of Gros-
venor-square well painted and picturesque, and all
the dresses in character.
The Performers all did their utmost, and, in gene-

,


rel. with great erect. Mr. DowToN was in earnest
with his character of Farfax, but in endeavouring
to be energetic, he rather overstepped the bound-
ary of the part, or in plainer words, he did too
much. Mr. BANNIStLa played with spirit, and
did every thing that could be hazarded for Trantit ;
and CHARLES KEMDLC was all himself in !leery
Headlong. Mr. RAYMOND (who had made up hh
figure admirably) played the part of Mellon, inte-
restingly. We can scarcely believe that Mr. Ste ETT'S
character was so brief an abstract as he gave it :
he is a good Comedian, but surely the Author
meant the Baronet to be something more than an
unernbodie.l shadow? Mr. WROUGHTON merits
every possible praise for winging his way so power-
fully with the slender pinion with which he was en-
abled to cut the air. Mr. CHERRY, we are proud
to recognise as a genuine son of the Sock. He en-
tered with infinite adroitness into the true spirit of
Quilet's character, and though a certain quaintness
of voice, and oddity of figure, must be reconciled
by familiarity to our town audience, we may ven-
ture to pronounce, that he will, in due time, be-
come a favorite Comedian. Of WEWITZER'S ta-
lents, who has to learn ? In Mr. COL LIN% we be-
hold a most promising Performer. His Gregory,
was EDWIN reifivivus. Mrs. JORDAN, as usual,
greatly strengthened the cast. Her air was a pretty
one, but she did not appear to be as much in voice
AS we have heard her in some of her melodies.
Her Scene with her husband Transit, was arch and
playful in the extreme. Mrs. Pork; made the most
of the little part of Caroline.
The Prologue was a good one, and uncommonly
well given by Mr. BANNISTER. The allusion to
Garnerin's descent in his Parachute, was aptly
adopted by the writer, and given with si,gular adroit-
ness by the speaker. The stroke at the Jews,
though a bold venture, was a fair and a successful
one.

In order to take out the sting of the Newspapers,
the Author has nothing to do but to write well,
and set the diurnal critics at defiance.

The Epilogue, was done ample justice to, by Mrs.
Jottr...% N. It was confined solely to a rhyming nar-
ration of the old jest, the point of which is, Give
a dog an ill name, and hang him." That the au-
thor had no occasion to apply this stale Joe Miller-
ism to himself, was pretty evident from the patient
ear with which an overflowing audience attended to
Hear both Side: l It is not the character of the Bri-
tish Public to suffer genius and talent to sink btfore
illiberal prejudice.

CORONER'S INQUEST.
On Thursday last an inquisition was held at the
Portland Coffee-hottee, Portland-street, before G.
Huuosuq, Esq. his Majesty's Coroner for the
county of Middlesex, on view of the body of Wi
Liam Cc:mot num, Ecq.
Mr. GLoRnE GRAY, the master of the coffee-
house, was the witness first examined. He said he
had known the deceased in consequence of his hav-
ing used his coffee-house for the space of three or
four years previous to his death. Ile had been a
colonel in the guards, but had sold out upwards of
twelvemonth ago. On Tuesday last he came to
the witness's house alone in a coach, and asked
whether he could have a bed ; he was informed he
could be accommodated, and was shewn into the
coffee-room, where he supped and drank a pint of
wine. He retired to bed in the room where he now
lays, about twelve o'clock. No person went near
him or heard any thing of him till the forenoon of
Wednesday, when one of the waiters proceeded to
his room in order to take his cloaths to brush, but
he was unable to obtain admittance, the door being
fastened on the inside. Between that time and too
o'clock the witness, as well as others, his servants,
went up to the apartment of the deceased, but could
not make him answer, nor could they gain admit-
tance. Ile heard him make a noise as if he was
snoring. The witness finding it was impossible to
get the door open, sent for a smith, who, as the
key was in the lock, found some difficulty in pick-
ing it. He at length accomplished it, and, upon
the door bring opened, the deceased was discovered
laying on the bed, in a situation dreadful to
he described. His throat was cut in a most shock-
ing manner; his arm was partly severed, in two
places, and a deep wound was inflicted on his belly,
through which his intestines appeared.—He was
speechless and senseless, but was not quite dead.
\Tr. Johnson, a surgeon of Queen Anne-street, was
immediately sent for, and he washed his throat with
warm water, having previously called in the assist-
ance of two other surgeons, who, the moment they
saw the deceased, pronounced him past recovery.
He expired in a very few minutes. He had come
from his country seat only on Monday last. Where
his country seat was situated, the witness did not
know. He was in general apparently of a solid,
low, and melancholy disposition ; and these affecti-
ons of his mind were peculiarly manifested in the
whole of his behaviour and deportment on Tues-
day last. At the foot of the bed were laying two
razors, covered with blood, with which doubtless
he had perpetrated the fatal deed. The witness be-
lieved he was in affluent circumstances, and he un-
derstood he had been married about seven months
ago. The maiden name of his lady he did not re-
collect. The razors with which the deceased had
committed the act of violence upon himself were his
own.

JAMES LUDWICH GRANT, of No. 34, Manches-
ter-street, and of Thropton-hall, near Staines, Esq.
stated that he had known the deceased upwards of
thirty years • he had lived in habits of the greatest
intimacy with him. His general character was that
of a mild, humane, good-natured man, of the
strictest honour, and uncommonly fine feelings.
The witness did not know, nor had he ever heard of
the deceased's Laving been guilty of any—bad or
dishonourablefaction. He remembered some time
ago the deceased had mentioned to Mrs. GRANT
that he was unhappy in his mind, and that he could
not get any sleep; but he did not mention any
other cause for his mental uneasiness, except some
little derangement with regard to his money matters.
This was a reason to which the witness did not at-
tach the slightest degree of importance, because he
knew the deceased was a man of considerable pro-
perty. His country seat was at Elston Lodge, near
Bedford.

This was all the evidence adduced before the
Coroner's Jury.
Georto e .HonsoN, Esq.--, Gentlemen, the sub-
ject upon which you are now called upon to delibe-
rate is one which cannot but be most afflicting to
those who are actuated by sentiments of cornmisse-
ration for the distresses to which human nature is
liable. You have to contemplate the dreadful ca-
tastrophe of a man who, apparently blessed with
every earthly enjoyment which could render life va-
luable, has in a moment of mental despair laid vio-
lent hands upon himself. Far be it from me to
infer that every man who destroys his own existence
is necessarily to be supposed to have committed the
deed under the influence of a disordered imagina-
tion. There are many instances in which a man,
impatient of the common miseries of life, delibe-
rately commits, an act of suicide, and rushes un-
bidden into the presence of his Maker—when such
a case is manifested by proper evidence, juries, con-
stituted as you are, act in violation of their duty if,
from mistaken motives of humanity, they do not
by their verdict attach that ignominy to the crime of
self-murder which it merits. Whether this Is such a
case is for your consideration. You have
before you that the deceased was a person possessed
of wealth and affluence; that he was blessed with
those gifts of fortune which smooth the path of life,
and make its continuance deiirable. It appears to
me, therefore) that. it is impossible to attribute the
fatal act to any other cause that than visitation of
Heaven, which beret him for the time of his reason,
and rendered him incapable 'of knowing what he
did."
The learned Coroner further discussed the sub-
ject in this hdrnane point of view; and expressed
sentiments which did honor to his feelings. The
JUry, without a moment's hesitatiori, pronounced a
verdict of—Luttacy.
The Coroner then issued the usual warrant for
Christian interment.

---
The following are the names of those Gentlemen
who obtained academical honours, on taking the
degree of Batchelor of Arts on Friday last, in the
University of Cambridge.

Wranzters.—,Messrs. Startle, and Here, of St. John's Col-
lege ; Mandell, of Queen's ; Wiles, Parke, Pryine and kn,e,
of T/inity CoUogi:; Wood, of Emmanuel ; Thomson, of Je-
sus; Davy's, of Christ's; Ewbank, of Queen's ; Gosli, of
St. John's; Coltman, of Tsiiiity.
Senior Optimes.—Mcsirs. Brett, of Queen's; Bonney, of Clare-
hall ; Moine, of St. John's ; Collett, of Trinity.; Hamilton,
of Pembroke-hall; Standiv and Waite, of St. Johns; Heathy,
of Queen's ; Brown and Titakby, of St. John's ; Jones' of Pe-
terhouse ; Walpole, of Trinity ; Paul, of roterliouse 3 Nowt),
of St. John's • Johnson, of Trinity ; Smyth, of Queen's; and
Cole, of
Jumior Optiate.s.—Me,.ll-4. Bryan, of Peterhouse ; atrilinson,
and Rowdier, of St. John's •, raglan, of Christ's ;
of Peterhouse ; P. Ward, of -Quern's;' Hutchin',, of Triniti. •
Roberts, of St. John's ; and Colo, of Clue hall