The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-05-26 00:00:00

FRENCH THEATRB.

On Wednesday evening last we witnessed, at the .Colds
Francaiser, Totten ham-st reet, one of the most pleasing—nay,
we will venture to say, one of the most perfect performances,
' which ever gratified a cultivated audience. It was the third
appearance of Monsieur Potier, who has been, for some years
back, the life and soul of the Theatre des Varietes.
know it to have been the opinion of Mr. Young (no silk
authority) that Potier was the first comedian in Paris
is distinguished from the herd of actors by his perfect ease
and natural vein of humour—by his u nconstrained vivacity,
and the absence of all grimace: but Monsieur Potier is not
unsupported at the Soirees Francaises ; the company in
Tottenham-street, though few in numher, is rich in talent.
Pelissie, Laporte, Preval, Mademoiselle Deligny, and the
charming St. Ange, might bear a comparison with our
best performers. Dramatic talent is very abundant
in France; a fact which is proved, not so much by the
number of good performers, as by the multitude of
pleasing Vaudevilles, and light agreeaLle pieces, whini
are every year brought forward in that country. One of the
happiest of these productiOns it was our good fortune to set
performed on Wednesday evening. The piece in questica
is entitled, Le Beneficioire De.:sofffe. A stage prompter, a
siffieur (M. Potier) is about to have his benefit, when un-
luckily the excuaes of the principal tragedian, singer, and
danseuse of his company, who decline from various pretences
to appear at his benefit, arrive just in time to derange all
his plans and threaten his hopes. He is not, however, so
easilysliscouraged ; he tries his own arts of supple wheal-
ling and eloquent flattery, against the self-comeeit, airs, and
affectation, which obstruct his views; he sucoeetis by these
means in exciting Monsieur le Tirade, the tragedian,
to a ranting fit ; he cajoles Dubemol, the sinner,
into a song ; and he even mins the soft Zephirine to
show her superiority in a graceful dance : he is aidal
in some measure by the involuntary agency of
Golden (Laporte), an Englishman, who speaks tole-
rable French, and who takes lessons in declamation from
Tirade, and in the tender passion from Zenhirinr. The
principal actors being gained over, Mous. Des,,,,,ifir s
about to have his benefit, but the performers not being ar-
rived when the curtain rises, he is obliged to apologize to
the audience for the postponement of the performance,
promising, however, to recognise their faces and to admit
them gratis on a future evening. It will be evident, from
this imperfect sketch of the plot, how much wit and live-
liness may be cortaincd within such a frame. The merits
of the piece, joined to that of the performers, seemed to
impart to the audience a degree of extatic pleasure which
we never witnessed before.

_
The Duke of York left his residence in South Audiry-
street yesterday, about twelve o'clock, in his carriage and
four, to attend the Epsom races. His Royal Highness re-
turned to town in the afternoon.
The Duke of York honoured Mr. and Nfrs.Cox with bit
company at dinner yesterday, at their house in Grosvenor..
place. There was a select party to meet his Royal High-
ness.

Yt sterday the Princess Augusta left her residence, in the
King's Palace, St. James's, on a visit to the Duke and
Duchess of Gloucester, at their seat at Bagshot, for a for
days.

The Duchess of Kent will honour the Argyll Rcoms with
her presence this evening, to hear a new MS. Cantata,
composed by Mr. Weber.
On Wednesday Mr. Secretary Canning entertained s
numerous party at dinner at his residence in Downing-
street.

Lady Lemon, sister of the Marchioness of Lama Town. we
regret to state, is seriously ill at her house in Manchater-
sql!are.

We are informed that a numerous and most respectab'e
meeting of the freemen of Leicester was last night held at
the Bell, in Wood-street, at which the friends of Mr. Ot-
way Cave had the satisfaction to meet with the most grati-
fying promises of support. Mr. Cave's Committee evta
meet again on Monday, the 49th instant.
ASTlxcs.—The late fine weather has drawn a great
number of visitants to this delightful place, if we toav
judge by the subscription-book at Diplock's Royal Marine
Library, which already exhibits a manifest increase of
subscribers, with every appearance of an early as well as a
full season ; applications are daily making for large houses
by the sea side, though there are still several vacant ita the
town. The Parade exhibits a gay appearance every even-
ing after sunset, when it is g.merally resorted to by the
visitants, to enjoy the cool sea breezes. ThepleasorelPest's
are now in constant requisition ; in aquatic excursions Lady
Byron takes the lead.
_.•

g
The Margate Steam Packet Company have lierm'Yranted the use of their well-appointed vessel,
the Venus,
to make an excursion to the Nore, on Wednesday, the Slit
inst. fur the benefit of the distressed manufacturers. As the
proceeds of this voyage will be instantly handed to tbetmn-
mittee, at the City of London Tavern, it is hoped that a
numerous party will attend on the occasion.
Extract from the Cumberland Parket of Tuesday:—
" The weather during the past week has been truly de-
lightful, fully realizing the most animated description of
May ever given by the poets. The sudden accession of
solar heat has produced wonders in the vegetable creation,
and particularly in the crops of grain and puke, which
never presented a more flourishing aspect,- with the trifling
exception of some arid spots that have been erected by
the long-continued droughts. These facts are truly grati-
fying, bearing as they do upon the great interests of the
human race, and should summer and autumn redeem the
endearing prospect of spring, our fields will rain he
crowded with plenty, and abundance be found in the land
fer man and beast.'

EPSOM RACES.
.
Rich* Pike hunting, is peculiarly a national sport, and as such
',always hail the return of the gay scene that Epsom Downs pre.
yew:ion the" Derby Day," us it is technically termed, with peril.
list delight. The merry faces, the handsome equipagea, the
immrt silk jackets of the porthoys, the new liveries, and the double.
Oohed harness. although they appear as rrgularly as a Lord
Mayor a show on an Easter ball,
„nest pnpulatton of London, all that guide de tour that those
happy persona who are in the enjoyment of the aforesaid blessing
so undoubtedly enjoy on the celebrated Drit!iy Day. The Parks
hare been emphatically cslird the lungs of the metropolis; but that
remark was made smite time since, before building was act much
the rage, and London reached to Brentford. As this great capital
i 4 now constituted. thew appendages to the finest city in the world,
delightful as they are, only allow its inhaisitants to respite with di&
&silty, and it is not till we reach Sutton Turnpike that we can be
said to lett Our long breath. Epaorn Ram cause the first grand
sally orthe season to slake place out of London, after having been
opposed with antokeand fog during the winter. Brighton, Mar.
give, and Ramsgate, aliens RM. do much towards drawing the nails
nut of the coffins of metropolitans ; but Epsom Downs nave the
credit of first loosening them, after a winter's campaign within (art
the lodging-bootie advertisements generally run) a quarter of an
boar's walk of the Royal Exchange.
Epsom Races, front their vicinity to the Metropolis, present ao
sanuatod went daring the whole four days ; but on the Derby day
it ts so totally unequalled, that it is hardly possible to describe the
foot ensemble. The ride to the course—the meeting of frienda—
the walk in the Warren—the interest in the homes—the sight of the
gyp equipages, with their heat adornment, lovely woman—all eon.
triiJate to a grand effect; and by cooling once a year. almost appear
to mark the stealing hours of Time, and though their return brings
to our recollection that we are one year older more last we saw
them, the remembrance is any thing bat unpleasant. Notwith-
standing the tumultuousness of the meeting, there is a sociality
about it which reconciles us to Its inCOnVen;utlCC, and when on the
hills, surrounded by thimaands of cheerful faces, every disagreeable
feeling is removed, and it almost becomes a business to form one of
the immense aasenibly. At an early hour in the morning, the
" note of preparation is sounded," and but few hours erc all are on
the nrove—cotonetted landaus,barocches and four, curriclea,chaiaes,
gigs, cabs, coaches. waggons. carte, and every other description
of vehicles, are in requisitiott, with the thousands of equestrians, and
the more humble pedestrians, who trudge their weary way, anxious
to witness the sports of the day, and when they get a glimpse of the
scene of action, hasten on as if they were the actual competitors for
the mire. To describe the scene of yesterday would be impossible
.—let the most unbounded latitude he given to the most vivid ima.
gination, and it will fall far short of the reality. On a moderate corn.
potation, upwards of 100,000 were present au this occasion.
The Tay nnfavouraWe state of the weather did not appear to
bare any effect, for at a very early hour the roads began to assume
a very animated look, anti by ten o'clock the usual indiscriminate
line of carriages, Carl!, and other vehicles, rendered them almost
Impassable; the whole string being sometimes stopped for nearly
an hour. Accidents out of number occurred, and two or three
hones were killed t bat we did not hear of anything more serious.
By about one o'clock the no,jority of the people reached the
Coume, and then we were able to ascertain that the tollowing No.
blemen, Gentlemen, dtc. were present
Their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of York and Gloucester.
The Dnker of (halloo Portland, and Richmond.
Alarquisses—Blindforci, Graham, Tichfield, and Exeter.
Earls--Jersey, Verolam, Stradlaroke, Orford, &c.
Lorda--Fitsroy, Dunwich, Hemlock, Cavendish, Bubo.
rough. Re.
General Grosvenor. Sir J. Shelley, Col. Russell, G. Rich Ro-
binson, ; Moots. Gievilie, Irby, Wyatt, Fleming, Stan.
hope. &c. &c.
fhe knowledge that the General end Panic would not start, de.
prived the day's sport of half its interest, and the incessant rain
threw a damp upon the whole. ft was mid that Rush's colt would
sot start, but this web without any foundation.
As the hour appointed for the start approached, the masses of
people distributed over the Downs began to move towards that
part forming the Cour*, and after the usual scrambling for a good
place, the sides were so completely lined with the heterogeneous
mixture of horse and foot, and with carriages of every description,
that to have effected a passage through them would have been an
achievement worthy to he placed in comparison with any of the
tamed seven labours of Hercules.

Our attention was particularly attracted to a vast number of
horsemen congregated near the starting point, and it required little
Ingenuity to interpret the eagerness of their gesticulations—the
busy hum of their voices, and the " Done I done! done!" unceas.
ingly echoed from one aide of the ring to the other—this was the
betting post. A dispassionate observer alight have found ample
food for reflection in the intensity of Interest depicted in every coun-
tenance; not a thought, not a fte;ing, not a laeulty, but what war
absorbed by one grand engrossing subject. Ap the time for tit:
race approached, this vehemence of feeling and action became mute
vividly portrayed, and at the start itself reached its climax.
In the short space accepted by the rice, the suspense and anxiety
became of that over.exelted nature, that to those really interested,
a knowledge of the worst must hare been comparative bliss. Alm
ought be said on this subject, but we willingly turn from ft to the
snore agreeable one of the race itself, on which a few general preli.
mina, remarks may not be amiss.
Unlike the Craven and Spring Meetings of last year, those of
the present have not afforded any rehire criterion whereby speeu-
!store could arrive at a decisive opinion as to the merits of the re-
spective horses, most of the principal ones having been victorious
an some occasions, and defeated on others. It is admitted on all
aides that Newmarket Its& seldom produced so bad a lot of three.
year olds ; last year they had something to boast of instance,
Rufus., 3liddleton. Enamel, Addy. Ice., but it would be difficult
to select from :he whole squad of this season any one Derby horse
that would bear compari.on with them, or with others that might
be tamed; in thus speaking we are, of course, guided by public
running.
The betting on this great stakes has from the beginning to the
end been of that extraordinary nature that will not admit of expla-
nation, and it is well known that the safest betters and best calm.
Woes on the turf have had very great difficulty to make their books
square; indeed, it is • matter of doubt if there was a really safe'
Derby-book at all, previous to the decision of the stakes. The fluc-
tuations have been unparalleled throughout ; some of the first fa-
vourites b wing been nut only thrown into the back-q,round, but
absolutely forgotten, such as Cedric, Bolivar, hiraniatic, &c. Of
late The General has been a perfect shuttlecock Id the betting'
citeks; he has knocked about from the bottom to the top, and back
again alternately, and without mercy, an enormous sum being a'
stake; all Newmarket WO on him and nothing else, so that it may
be sunpored not s little interest was excited ; as long as the result
was in abeyance its effect may be imagined.
About a quarlev berm two, the jockeys being weighed went to
the starting-post, 19 in number, but it was not till a quarter be-
bre three that thy went off when wan decided the great