The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-11-23 00:00:00

1114941111 E CATALAN!.

We ropy the following letter from " The Bath Chronicle,"
which has been addressed to the Editor of that Paine:
SIR, usrfi, Wont:Malin Ifi, long.
The disturbance at your Theatre, on Saturday lard, wee so
disgraceful to the character of your city, that it calls for pub.
lie reprebensiou. I am • visitor at Bath, and I Rl3l drawn
hither chiefly by the society and the amusements it affords at
a station of the year when time is apt to hang heavily in the
country, upon those who, like 'myself, are mania. fix.huoi-
tees Nor recluse students. To such men Bath affords mine-
rattle winter quarters : and one of the many attractions it
poesessca is the exhibiting in succession all the chief public
performers who have risen into recent celebrity. Of late
years uni use has excited curiosity, or gratified exportatica,
so highly as Catalani • aid it was with a very great auticipa-
lion of pleasure that I saw her name announced io the bills.
I was one of a numerous party I was sun minded by genteel
and respectable persons : but though examiued attentively,
I could nut discover mimeo those who exhibited signs of
discontent, any individual who was in the least entitled to
either of the above descriptions. The rioters seemed to con-
sist of every few obscure people in the gallery, who bawled,
they knew net why, and eared not vrlierefore. Their object
seemed to be a rear ; and the height of their ambition make.
the spirit and discernment of that famous perionage,Juka
Bra. They thought it, perhaps essential to the reputation
of your town, that they should imitate the proceediugs is
the metropolis ; forgetting (as is most eminuon with such
intellects) the essential difference between the two eases.—
Now, Sir, it is really a hard ease that I, who Caine fur
amusement, and that ninety-nine parts of the audience wit
of each hundred (for more than that proportion were decid-
edly iu favour of Catalani), should be disappointed of one
gratification, 11, cause half • dozen bkackheads took it into
their heads to be better pleased with their own roaring' than
with delicious music. It is a thing not fob' tolerated. It is
disgraceful in eve, y point of view : it is uratauly to the per-
former: it is to the managers: it is unjust to the
public. I had conceived very differently of your Bath se-
dirtier.. 1 bad heard them represented as good-natured even
to tameness I was therefore the awu, a astonished to find
them heroically exercising a spirit of opposition towards a
straerr, and a imam!
I. Madame Catalaui came here is consequence of as en-
gsgemmt with the Proprietors of the 1 bestir : she del not
obtrude herself was brought forward: she hail every
remise to think that she was highly popular here she had
been received in a very Battering manner hilt year she had
spent several weeks in this city: she had been universally
caressed, and imiversally respected : she had made liberal
donatiuna to the charitable institutions, and to the sufferers
by the Hood was it pretuiuptuous iii her to imagine, there-
fore, that, under such eircionstairees, she hail lost none of
her popularity i The very eircionstaoce of her haviur, been
di :wen by an unmeaning persecution (ruin her engagement in
London, ought to have secured her a f• ble reception
here. Any eulogy on ber musical and theatric acquirements
would he superfiuous—they are above my praise. In her pro-
(minimal character she commands admiration ; is. a stranger,
she is thrown on our protection ; aud her sea thusimils our
indulgence.
t. The conduct compiained of is highly toque to the Ms-
Sagan, whose object can only be to gratify the public. taste,
since, in so doing, they best consult their own interest. if
they coedit draw full houses without ',gybe' large seam at
a risk, for fresh engagements, it is not to be imagined that
they would so the disregard emolument an to relieve the dull
sameness of the resident corps, by intruducing expensive no-
reifies. A theatre being instituted hka otiose riitocalotiona,
for the mike of train. the Manserve trf the concern, sensible
that they depend on nubile taste and the fashion of the
times, must uniformly follow their own motto.-sad the
stage must slier
A nd
The very Toad body of the time. its farm
real
Katlic has bean fo lon time the most favourite accom-
plishment; and its ransom hays been above all others
Bettered and caressed. It is of no consegponce to the ma-
nagers of a theatre whether this he morally right or no: it
is sufficient fur them that it is so and that by a Benham, •
Dickson, or a Catalaoi, they can fill their busses. If indeed
they Loa raised the prices of admission, there might have
been mine though a very questionable, foundation for up-
position. Rut, in the present instance, really Idu nut per-
eeive the shadow of • reason in favour of the rioters. The
Managers have incurred a large risk, in the hope of pleasing
the public; sad they are repaid by no fresh timeliest, but is
direct ratio with the amusement which they are the means
of conferring. It should likewise be considered that the per-
formances of Maclaine Catalani, far from superseding, did
net even interfere with the ordinary and rational entertain-
ments of the evening. They were introduced as interludes :
Mid surely that way/aye taste is not to be envied, which can
refer a dancing ballet to a song from Catalaiii.
3. The apposition is illiberal to the Public, and contempt-
ible in itself. It Is ill.beral, because a few, • very few ob-
struct the gratification of the many. It la contemptible in
its principle, in the mode of conducting it, and in its sup.
porters. The miserable scribbler, who has wasted hie pains
and his chalk in scrawliag upon the walls, sad those who
joined in the senseless cry of " satire (slew," ought to know
that they are bearing Ma to improvement; that they
are destroying the emulation of their countrymen ; and ex-
tinguishing the 'tamales to exertion. Talents in every art
grew by competition. To those who never had heard Cats-
lani, • singer of more moderate abilities might seem good;
and the latter might be so well satisfied with her previous
retina, as to deem further applicalien unnecessary : the
performances of a superior would undeceive her, and rouse
her In a more active cultivation of her powers. These Wb
sea various apply with greater force to music lbws to any
other art ; the very science is its present state is • foreign
production ; and though we havesoine tine stocks of British
growth, yet the grafts are all foreign. Tu talk of native
talent in music is ridiculous. Front the King to the trade.
map, Handel has been exelasively ickilimml—tend yet Mandel
was • foreigner. ire are delighted with enlists, with
Billingtuu ; yet Brahma soil Billuigton perfected themselves
in Italy. Avid, miming nearer to yourselves—What would
Bath have bees without Raanini It is a senseless ray.
They would have us refuse an exquisite stands:alien, though
afforded by • muss amiable and interesting woman, merely
because she ie • foreigner. As well might they order us to
shut one eyed apes • picture of Correggio; and demand,with popular clainOur, that the Cartoons of Raphael should
be turn dews, sod replaced by the exhibited pictures of
boatereet-house, in order that the palace of a British Soya-
reigo might be adorned °sly with British produce. Nay,
to carry the argument to its proper length, the natives of
Scotland alfould be seare.sly tolerated, while thine of Ire-
hind should be utterly prericitheit contributing, in say degree,
to the public entertaiorneut I have only a few words to add
to ray coniniunicatioa, already, I fear, too long. Madame
Catalani did not come an emigrant amongst us ; she was
freakily imited, and engaged, as a public singer, with a
salary net larger than is paid at the foreign Operas. What
else she has gained has heels at the free optical of the public :
hat I must say, that if high emoluments are to be adjudged
to the exercise of any talents, it should be to these of a public
singer : • casualty, a fever, • cold, interrupts, and may at
once destroy, *heir yirlieSsinal (uintile*. Where the capi-
tal is so great, and the concern so precarious, the pubis
ought to be high. Is • word, we want good singers, mid we
tolerate Ilene only when they room foreign graces; and
shall we rather mod them to Italy, to seek fur improvement,
or ourselves excite them to excellence, by bringing before
their eyes theperfeetions of a Catalan,
I trust, Sir, that the good sense of your fellow-citizens
will silence any future attempts at misleading them; and
that, when Madame Catalani artist makes her appearavics, I
shall be not merely A VP ATOR.

77374`..7.-7

~a~~ :y~r

. •.

FAUX PI J.

•
A matrimonial
,nine pas has rectally occurred, which
will, probably, occupy the 'lactation of some of the Gentle-
men of the Ling robe during next Term, in Westminster-
ball. The psi heelers are as follow t—Sumething more than
12 months i.are, the lion. Mr. married the beautiful,
but portionle daughter of a r•spect able man of pi ofers...r,
• Ito result an the !mercy-side of Wietinitister.hr•dge.
to the time of the late unfortunste discovery, the Lady rip
peered to be one of the rbsdest of wives, mat the ttentlems,
Ignlf oat of the lrp,.iert of husbai.o.i. • The Lady haviti..,
however, recently Maagreed with her fa, unrite female attetid•
ant, dismissed her ; the girl, monger/ at being dischseceo,
resolved to be reverted, ante, watching sit opportunt:l
meeting her master iii the street, she, with niany tent, :,..1
much nell.fcicted regret, for luring mu lung comma/v(1 thy •
• circumstance from him, informed him, that the conduct of
her aliartna toward. hinl, act lushly irapropor. 1.114
nished husband had sufficient prudence to ;retread to ti.t•
believe the girl's statement, end w thsmisa her rich o seen,.
reprimand. Ile detertuMed, however, is watch the conduct
of his fair, and he begun to suspect the frail spouse ; be Sr.
cordiugly, after consulting with a friend, informeti his Lady
that he way under the uctintity of (raving town on husiuest,
which would detain him a tech, when, so t were liri
intreuties to be taken with that Ito was almost Judie,'
to iiiturm her of the suspicion a hii her late t 101 M-
Ic rd into his mint ; he, howerer, persevered lis his pia:,
and, bidding liar adu u, retired to the house of a fiend in
the neighbourhood. During the whole of the first Jay, the I
Lady remained invisible, hut, on the reciting of the sresad,
be was informed by his spy, that she bad been followed to a
well-known house iu Chaiiilimstrect. The is usliaud, accom-
panied by r friend, immediately went to the boast., tout de,
weeded to be shewn the room to whirh the Lady and Geis.
(lemon who enter. d jest before him had retie, d ; be lit"
accordingly sheen to an upstairs reosu, the door of which
being fastened, he broke open, sans eerrnssnie, when lie disco-
vered the Lady and her paramour is such a situstion as lett
hint little doubt of her misconduct and his owe mialorteue.
Without, however entering Into any export utit ions wit it the
parties, he beetled his wife down stairs into. hackney-coach,
whit 6he ordered to drive to her father's %Viten he arrived
there, he related the scene which had just Fussed, and uh•
served, be was come to restore hip • ife to tare hands lona
which be had received her. He theu took his li:ore. 'the
Loil still rsosaina with her distressed parents, and the Gnu-
*lemon is pursuing steps to obtain legal redress.