The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-01-04 00:00:00

11.111 Y YEAR'S GIFTS.

Their literary friend-, have, we understimil, pre-
sented the untlermeationed Noblemen and Gentle-
men with the fo:lowing Gifts:

To Nfr PIIRCETAI..—ThC Lives of the Popes.—Plan of a

An.vdotes of Praise.Gutt

garehones.
Tn Mr l'A rt t N0.—.1 new Edition of Boyer's Trench Dic_
tionary, with Exercises for Prawn Gentle non hir
inflati az a broken pair of Beiturs.—wThe Art of Ti itsttain ~
or:th Critical Annotation■ upon the ?lay of the Double

De Ver.
Mr. Tar Los, (Opera-Hoare.).— in Amatory Ode to Colonel
Grevil!, with a seer Edition of A Besot to h. .4nld, ad
/limed to Mr Harria—A Frs;inent, left he Nladaine
itatiti, foamd in a waste apoil the nicampian

To ALEN A NOVI Ds v tsott.—Flie Play of Kenterr
,for
Measure, revised sad corrected by a Lord thief Jounce
et the King's lioncli.—Hints he selling a Sark of Cosh—
with a Frontispiece, representing a public Defaulter in
the —."

Outlands, the country residence of their Royal
Highnesses the Duke and Miles. of YORK, has
been the seem, of touch festivity during the holi-
days. On Christmas Day, their Royal Highnesses
had a party of twenty ; and there were several
small parties daring the week. On Satorday and
Sunday, unuterous parties were assembled ; the
hatter day being New Year's Day, their .Boyal
Highnesses were obliged to leave heir guests to
attend Their Mailings* party of the Royal Family
ut Windsor ; where, besidrs those we nientiolied
yesterdies,, were assembled, the Dukes of RENT
and Siissvit, and Princess Sophia of GLOUCE3TER.
Saturday, Lord and Lady SUDLEY arrived at
Windsor, on a visit to Their MAJIATIES.
Since the Duke of GLOUCESTER left Bath, his
iii,_eniess has been on a visit to the Earl of SUP..
TWA, at Charlton, and from thence to the country
Seat of WARREN 1111,TINGS, Esq.
The Opera-House Tailor meant to have opened
house lately, but we find has postponed the flay for
the sale of his cabbage.
On Thursday. Lord and Lady CART AMPTON
gave a grant' Ball and %we,. to a number of the
nobility and persons of distinction, at their seat at
Pens-Hill, near Cobham. Survey.
A Wapping landlady lately onserved that Christ-
. DlRribriligs good cheer. —w Good Cheer," echoed a
Jack tar present ; a British sailor has good ckesr-
inir all the year round."
'Flie Earl of Bat OGWATEICS house, in Grosvenor-
square, has been considerably enlarged, thoroughly
re:wired, and newly beautitied, under the direction
of Mr. Cuanv.
Ms lame CAT4LANI. and Mrs. Bt Lux irrols,
hare both sliewn themselves as stiff as briekrans to
the Opera House Tailor.—as the pour maw most
cut hi- coat actording to his cloth, we may expect
something hissing hot this season.
The new Opera fortheoiniug at Drury-lane The-
atre, by Mr. BISHOP, is culled The Circassian
Bide; or, Leos and ar'riendthip. The part in it
written for Signora STORAGE, hied she cont. sal
ow the 'stage, is to be performed by Mrs. Mot:N-
T/UN.
HIS Royal Highness the Duke of CLARENCE is
expected in town, this i 1.1%, from Busby-park.
The Countess of CMCvret rial D will attend the
drawing-room on Her Ma.ixsre's birth-day. Her
Ladyship is expected in town the latter end of uext
week.
Lord SonEasand the Hon. JAMESCOCKS arrived,
last night, in Caveinlish-square, from the Priory,
near Rygate.
Earl and Countess FoterEscun intend to leave
Castle-hill, Devonshire, in the middle of next
month, for their town residence in Grosvenor-

square.
The Duke end Duchess of 11g*e roar are enter-
teining u numerous assemblage of Nobility at Bad-
atintoo. Clonces. tershire.
Bretton-hell, in Yorkshire, the seat of Colonel
BE•UNIONT, list been. during the holidays, visited
by • lar4- party of Fashionable.. The Colonel
propose. to be in town the 16th of this month.
' Mn. TISOMAS Hors had a select 'party, last
everunr. et her 1-ouge in Ducks,-street.
77w 411cr, y Wirer of Wiadsur, and Ella Rosen-
her , presented at the Lewes Cheatre, on last Wed-
nesday evening, did not prove so attmetive as was
expected. But the Schou/ fbr Swathe& and Lew
a-la-ototte, on Saturday evening, brought a good
house.

• r
. MASQUERADE.
Anteing the social festivities which enliven Eg-
liiitaa Cistle, in Christmas times, on Tue.!lay s'en-
night, a timid Mahquenide was given by the Lord
Lieu:Ali:int of Ayrshire, which was attended by a
v.•ry .4,reitt portion of the fitsbion and gaiety of the

Aliout nine o'clock at night. the company, in
mask., begun to uni v 0-. When the castle gate was
thrown open, tht• transition from the natural winter-

. _
night gloom which pervaded the serpentine paths
through the shadowy policy, to the dazzling efful-
gence of the brightness and splendour of the ra-
diant halls, was superlatively striking. Fronting the
door, in the entrance hall, n beat7ful transiiarent
painting of the Eglintun Arms was fixed; ill the
niche a the saloon, opposite the grand orgaii, tlie.re
was another truissparency, representing Britannia,
mud above the door of the breakfast parluur, one
representing an Italian donee. These we under-
sheet were by Mr. Smith, of Irvine. The taste
and eeecut. lisplayed, prove him to he cut artist
whose talents may be an acquisition to the county.
Iteaides the ordinary lights which illuminate the
entrance hall mid saloon, hundreds of variegated
lamps, in various flint:odic forms, firm the walls,
from the fronts of the galleries of the saloon, arid
from the Instres, united' in shedding rays like the
meridian spletelour of the sun-beams. On the
railing of the staircase a variety of evergreen shrub-
bery served to display variegated lumps, mild to give
equal light. At ,the entry to the ;erg, doming-
-forme • gypsey den was situated ; audits the mid-
dle of the room,on the right hand side, an inviting
intertir,chequered with flawere near to whsh, a
lintiniunt display of evergreen shrebbere, all teste-
fully set off with variegated lamps, served, with the
splendid mirror., the rich furniture, nn'l the noble
grandeur of the apartment-, to impress the spec-
tator wit tithe idea of au enchanted pale( e.
Ilere, about ten °Mock, the characters in the
Ma-charade had nearly all assembled. Mr. Sy,-
rester Dazgrrecuml, iii capital style, was ainotig the
first srlio attracted notice. Ile was busily emplay-
ill paying his respects to the company, soliciting
their patronage to his benefit next Tuesday, uud
fund:lmi tlean with a bill of fare a the per form-
unees. iio farmers arid a few sprightly country
lasses seemed quite in character. A considerable
group of old voticioeu, who seemed to have held
continissimia of the peace in the days of George
11. possessed of great garrulity, mind very courteous
addrea, afforded gallants to some ladies of similar
standing, dressed 11l hoops, toupees, rich brocades,
and uppareiely u plurality of petticoats. Olie old
ge rapt man iu searlet and gold appeared to possess
peculiar knack of making himself agreeable to all :
he also seemed to enjoy a waggish pleasare iu quiz-
zing rt../..awyse, who appeared to have employ meat.
A French flair-dresser iteltietriously Iproffered has
services ; but he was in toe loyal a society ; instead
of being einvitiraged by the gay and the fashion.
able. who seemed to dislike him fur his country
airs, and regard hie bows, scraping and fawning, as
symptomatic of a amid as dangerous to be en-
trusted as a domestic, he could only prevail on a
clownish trackman to submit to his dressing. A Ger-
man Peasant and a Woman in the grotesque costume
of the country, excite I peculiar notice; many a
sprightly vats they danced together, for they
seemed front ilniigery, where the blasting pre-
sence of the Comeau's entellites bare not de-
stroyed mirth arid jollity. A joyous old Fi idler
seemed tnneh pleased to he employed by them,
and shook his clboas with as much spirit as they
cut their whirligig capers. A portly Dutch Skipper
and a few British Sailors ware well supported. A
Jew appeared in very natural style, purchasieg old
clothes. A Lawyer, it Turk, with two ladies, end
wit! mine, two S.:Linen., a Doctor, an Indian
Prince tied Printers, decked out with a profusion
of gewgaws, a I lindoo Brahmin, a Pilgrim, and
Qmsker, were all interesting characters. An ileitis-
trinus Country Maid spinning with a
number i,r lbws. amid Fruit Chris, especially one
who trundle:l a wheel-harrow with apples, attracted
erne.itlerable notice. A tine and appropriate figure
of Diana, and also of the Goddess of.l earn, drew
general enemies,. Portraits of two of the noble
• family gruced the walls of the apartment, dressed
iu the highland garb ; and the appearance of Mas-
ter Montgoinerie, a nephew of the Earl, in that
attire, served to excite lively emotions and coin-
;demerit anticipations. The Earl and the Countess
were not unasked, aiiil mixed iii the social throng
with their characteristic affebility and conileseen-
' sion. Our limits prevent as from noticing further
this humourous and happy society. About owe
o'clock they withdrew ; and, after taking off their
masks, and enjoring in the saloon a hearty laugh
at the frolic they had been partica in, they adjourned
to the dining-room, where a supper in the most
siiiterb style of eleetece and plenty wits served up,
presentiag part of the delicacies of the season,
a dessert of the most choice and rare fruit, and a
profusion of the richest wiww, &c.
In the middle of this rich repast, the gong
sounde 1, and the Ghost of the Governor in Lion
juais stalked through the salooli into the dining-
rooin. Four fiddlers were seated on a form in the
saloon. Astonishment struck three of them, and
they started ep; the fourth, being seated at the end
of the form, and blind, and not participating in the
impression, as if to produce a kind of avinpathetic
enigma to his brethren, upset it, and *fell on the
floor.
Among those who excited most attention in the
characters they had assumed, were—
Lerd and Lady alearawrie, and Lady Jane Montrirne-
?l*, Sir David
tes
sadailli Harter Wale, Colonel and
Mm. 'AO Hswillsa, g.citor.Geaeral B.lyle, Colonel
Brisbane, Caked adopt! A. W. Hamilton. the
Mimes Ilanoihns.o Belbiesse ; Me. Hoareninerie, and the
Weirs. Monegseneble Mid: Col. awl Capt. Mite,
Major Legs a, &cat. •

The Berkeley hounds were to have met, this day,
at Gerrad'.-arum, for the purpose of fos-hunting;
but, on account of the sudden Aimee of the wea-
ther, the sport is put off until next Saturday. If
the weather should prove favourable, they are to
meet at Hodgmer, a very favourite cover, near
Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks.

The wisdom of our Orders in Conned is nterinns;
the) hare avirrireil France and Holland of intim
anti sugar, and have *sly withheld front England
and Ireland hemp-seed and keel ! The first the
staff of the linen isandfactures tad the second the
staff of life I

SIR JOHN CRAI)PCK,
Who has arrived in Portugal, to take the coot.
mann of the British troops in that country, is Mt
to the lute Reverend Doctor Cradock, formerly
Archbishop of Dublin, by Mrs. St. George, mo-
ther to the late Colonel St. George, who married
grantl-daughter to a former Bishop
of Waterford, from whom she derived a very large
fortune. This Lady is now Mrs. Uoyne.—
Mrs. St. George hail also a daughter, Mrs. Francis,
a lady diitiognished in the fashionable circles in
Dublin. Sir John Cradock, and his brother, Co-
lonel St. George, were both. very haiudianue dash-
ing y,ung men, at the time of the Duke of Rut-
land's Vieeroyalty iu Ir4and, loss Aide-di-Camps
tc his Grace, consequently participators in all the
pleasures of that gay Vice-regal Court. Colonel
St. George's cote.titotion being ileiicate„ he fell into
a consumption, and after trying a warmer climate,
returned to Ireland and died. Colonel Crn;lock
being of a stronger constitution continued his pro-
ferlioti of the army, and married, in 1799. Lady
Theoflosia Meade, a most amiable and beautiful
young woman, daughter to the Countess of Clan-
william. Her Ladyship accoinpailied him on his
command to India. Sir John Cradock has been
always considered in the drawing-room the elegant
and accomplished gentleman ; and in the service
of Venus no man has been more successful ; in that
of Mars, the only service on record is the unfor-
tunate business ut Vellore.