The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-01-18 00:00:00

AMERICAN THEATRICALS.

[From the New York Gos:tte of Dee. 15.)
The Opera was not so well atteLded by the ladies •rt
Tuesday evening as on the prcvicus porturmances. TPm
extreme coldness of the weather, doubtless, deterred ra:th,
from being present. Such excellent arrangements ha;
however been made by the Managers, in erecting ad.
elitional stove, that no inconvenience whatever was
experienced—the bui'ding was p rfectly warm and
agreeable. The vocalists acquitted themselves in do it
nailsl happy manner, and the fair Signorina wee
twice encored in her song in th.. second act, and gave each
time a different one. Toe favourite song of " Home" was
entirely spoiled by an obstreperous individual in one of the
upper boxes, who seemed to think his own coarse voice
snore agreeable than the sweet notes ot' Rosina, curium&
ingly kept up a continual growl, which bail the effect of
disturbing the whole audience. A simultaneous cry of
" turn him out !" arose from the whole house, and the
speaker of bass being politely gallanted down stairs by tat
constables, an opportnt ity was again afforded of listening
to the t xquisite warbling of the singer of trehk.
Mr. Kean played Lear on Friday night, says the Alblln
Daily Advertiser, to a very full house ; a large proportion
of the audience consisted of ladies. On Saturday I.e
enacted Shy/ock ; the house on this evening, though not so
full, was respectable. To night he appears as Sir Gila
Ortrrca.h. tis out of our power to describe to out
/tatters the electrical influence which this man's powers
produce on the audience. lt is kiflisitely superior to an,
thing we ever saw. aHe is himself alone !"

Duffs OF Yenta's LFVEF.—Yesterday, at half-past
four o'clock, the Duke of York, as Coratnapdvr-in-Chier,
held a Levee at his Office in the Horse Ginnie, which was
attended by Lord Grantley, Lord Teynham, General Mait
land, Major Generale S. Brown and Stratton, and ahnu
thirty other Military Officirs, Sir Chides Gordon, M
Sergeant Cross, &c.

The Duke of York paid a visit to Prince Leopold on
Monday afternoon, at his residence in Pall-mall.
On Monday the Ptincess Augusta arrived' at Bagshot,
on a visit fur some days to the Duke and Duchess of
Gloucester.

I'rince Leopold honoured Drury-lane Theatre with h
presence on Monday evening.
Yesterday morning, about twelve o'clock, Prince Lco-
pold left town for Claremont.

Yesterday morning, about eleven o'clock, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer arrived in town from Beckenham, it
Kent, and after transacting business at .he Treasury, an.
at Fife House, left town again.
On Monday afternoon, soon after four o'clock, Mr. Se.
etetary Peel arrived in London from Brighton, and yu•
today transacted business at the Home. Orrice.
On Monday a Special Board of the Lords of the Trea.
sury was held, fur their Lordship's decision on the ine
portant question respecting the Deccan prize-money. The
result did not transpire.
Yesterday a Board of the Lords of the Treasury was
held in the Treasury Chambers.
• The Lord Mayor has beeome a Vice-President of the
Choral Fund Society.
It is reported among the haul ton that the Earl of Clare
will shortly lead to the hymeneal alter Lady Ryder
daughter of the Earl of Harrowby.
Letters have been received from Italy, which state that
Mr. Wilkie is almost completely restored to health.
It gives us much pleasure to understand that the Con,.
mittee of Drury-lane theatre have opened a subscription
for Mr. O'Keefe.

_
MILANCHM.Y OCCURRENCE AT THE DUBLIN THLa
Tar.—Ma. FIT LLAM.—We regret to have to annuuuce the
sudden and awful death of this most repn'able man and
excellent actor. Lavt night he performed the character of
Din Christoval in the after-piece of Brothel and Sister.
Near the end of the first act, after singing a comic song, in
which he was much appialuded. he proceeded from the
stage towards the green-room ; just as he entered lie fell
down in a fit, and instantly expired. Metli,:al aid was
immediately procured for him, but in 'sin • all attempts at
resuscitation proved ineffeciva'. Mr. Calvert commune
cowl to the anthem e the intelligence of this ntelanchoi:
occurrence, upon heating which they inszandy retired from
the theatre. Mrs. Follette was behind tl:e acmes at the
time, but the dreadful casualty was net communicated t,
her until ill hopes of recovery had been abandoned.—
Dubfil Morning Post.
ANIMAL INsrixer.—That the inferior animals have
intelligence, distinct from that instinct evli;cli is common
to them and to man, is a notion now generally prevalent
an interesting illustration of tl•is opinion wax related at a
late meeting of the Literary and Philosophical Society of
this town. The authority for the fact is such as to lea,
no room for question. A pair of goldfinches had butt
their nest on a small branch of en olive tree: after !welt-
ing their brood, the parents perceived that the weight of
the little family was too great for the streng•li of ti,
branch which hail supported the neat—it had begun It
yield : the provident parents, with an intelligence whiel
cannot be resolved into instinct, were seen to fasten, in
means of a small string which they had procured, the
branch which supported their nest to a stronger and higliet
branch of the tree. Thus redeeming, Ly an extraordinary
effort of reason, the origii.al error which they had com-
mitted, and guarding their parental hopes from the
threatened ruin.—Lirerrel Paper.
itoutmt gas Poem—Our readers will be pleased
learn, that two asylums for the houteless poor have beer
opened since Friday, one in Moor-lane, Fore-street. th
other in Wapping. The Committee, who are called to
gcther at the commencement of each winter, and ad;otitt
weekly, keep a continual eye upon the weather anti tht
state of the streets ; it is gratifying to know, that though
the weather has been for several days very severe, a very
small comparative degree of misery has shown itself as yet
in the metropolis ; but, from the experience of former
years• we fear that, when once bitgun, It 116,11bierrale
rapidly.