The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-05-23 00:00:00

DRURY-LdIVR THEATRE.

Last night Mr. KERN appeared in the character
of Cardinal Wolsey, in Ssobsritaint's itjatorimil
play of Henry the Itighth. This character affords
it very limited opportunity for the display of
.his
peculiar rowers, and therefore the most complete
success could add little to his fame ; but if a per-
fect delineation of the character be all that was
desired, that object is attained. The secret aprissgs
by which the actions of that artful and subtle poli-
tician were regulated, he fully conceived and faith-
fully exhi4Jited. Haughty and ambitious, with the
affectation of humility, be contrived to raise him-
self from the lowest beginuings to the highest pitch
of individual splendour ; and yet with such appa-
rent indifference to the honours of Ins station, that
his extraordinary elevation seemed rather the re-
ward of his personal talents and virtues, than the
result of coming and intrigue. An undeviating
perseverance in this line of policy forms almost
the sole diatioguiohiag mark of his character, and
M'. KEAN was eminently successful in preserving
this studied uniformity, Mrs. IV. Witrr's Queen
Katharine in a most excellent performance. la
panning the unbending fortitude of the unfortunate
discstded wife of Henry, and her calm resignation
to her unmerited late, she has completely embodied
the sentiments of the immortal 'author. We were
glad to find the house so well attended. •ctieu

Yesterday morning, et nine o'clock, his MA-
JESTY left town in Ina travelling carriage and fear,
fur his Lodge in Wtndso► Park.
Yesterday the Duchess of GLoucsirun visited
the Princess AUGUSTA.
On Tuesday the Prince end Princess of DEN.
RARE visited the Dechess of KENT and Priticeas
Soren.
Yesterday the Cabinet Ministers dined with the
Eatl of flentowsv.
The Doke of BEDFORD and snite pained
through Exeter on Saturday last, for his seat near
Tavistock.

The Dowager Countess GIUV. mother of Earl
Gam *e are concerned to stmt. lies seriously ill
it her house in Hertford-atreet,•lb.y_fair.
The triennial 'maim' a the three choirs of
""rord. Gloucester, and Worcester, will take
plate at Hereford this year.
Tuesday the rehearsal of the music to he per.
formed at the Anniversary of the Sons of the Cleigy
this (lay, look place at St. Pours Cathedral, *lieu
..neleg,ant and fashionable audience attended.

--•
FROM A CORRISPONDINT.—We are highly gra-
tified iii staling that that truly piuur NMI worthy
divOir, the Hun. and l{ev. EDWARD TAYLoa,
brother of the Marquis of IltrADruirr, will be
selected Ly our must gracious Sovereign to fill one
of the patent vacancies on the bench of Irish

We are ratified to learn that the Curtis of Spain
have given an extrusive 118111C11011 to the Lancsiste-
rim system of education. It was decreed in their
Htting of the 30th of April. that a school should
Ie ortablisbed in every chief town of the military
division.; that they should be under the inspecrion
of proper officers ; and that they shall be all ripened
on or before the lot of August nest. Reeding.
writing. and arithmetic. are to be taught in them;
and from the Ist of January. 1823. a school is to
tit eslablislied iu every regiment in the service.
Last week several thousands of mackerel and
whoing,s were hauled on shore at Dover with a seine.
A new item vessel. built of plate iron (*script the
deck), ...rived off Dover on &hurley last, sod left
wit *her for Dieppe ; she draws only 18 ruches
!Ater. and ps intended tu ply the river Seine from
Aosta to Patio.

,r• fr II
CONGRESS or ir2/144,400,0.
rill :•.
.t.TBEEMASONr TAY4
17r,neferclay was held Eisteddrod, we' 'Caltiness .of
eliN'Bards
and Minstrels, under the auspices of
'the Cemmrodittion, or 'Royal Metropolitan Cam.
'brain Institution ;
Presider, Sir W. W. WYNN, Bart. M.P.
Two years have now elapsed since the mistiest
establishment of this Institution, milder Site imme-
diate patronage of his most gracious Majesty, and
the prsiseworthy countemince sod 'rapport of se-
veral Noblemen and Gentlemen connected with
Wales. The particular objects of this Society
were declared in the Resolutions adopted at the
first tneetiug to be—the cultivation of the Welsh
lerqruage, and the preservation of- the vensaius of
Welsh literature. Conformably with this patriotic
design, the Cymmrodoriou have already offered
premiums and medals for the encouragement of j
Welsh poetry, as well as of English essays in illus.
'ration of their natiooul literature : they have Irk..
wiee•given two aerials for the promotion of Welsh
prose composition amongst the grammar schools tu
the principality..
An ode was accordingly delivered in Welsh and
another in English. The Welsh ode seemed to
give most gratification, bat we did not understand
it. Selectious hom ancient Welsh music succeed-
, Jed, which were adapted with English verses by lir.
',Parry. The melodies are not of that spirit-stirring
kind which nor veneration for our own rude ante_
Rarities would generally lead us to suppose. Sere.
cal of them have been spiritualieed for a century
and snore in the Presbyterian psalmody. The ob-
jects of the Institution are valuable, as far es
turning out the few remaining records of the
old British annals which may lurk in the ori-
ginal songs cud traditions goes. But the no.
,lion of doing any thiog useful by an artificial
,preservation of an obsolete sod barbarous dialect,
is at least questionable. The Society have pro-
Aided premiums fur writing verses in Welsh and
An Welsh, which they should give to translators,
and the bast premium should be given to him whose
,translation would go furthest torender any recurrence
,to the old language useless. The music was very re-
"weighty sustained by harp-players end a small corps
'of vocalietr. The company was of the first class, and
tale women bloomed, both as to dress and com-
,plesion, in all the glory of spring. Mr. E.
Jones, the Keog's bard, played an ancient air
with very surp g variations. His venera-
ble aspect egad strong national features made
him look very like a seer of the Druidical times,.
who had postponed his departure from his earthly
tabernacle over successive centuries. He was rap-
turously hailed by the assembly. The mast
,curious part of the ceremonies consisted in an im-
promptu mode of singing short pieces of odes, which
are introduced by the singer in any division of
the .strain played by the harper, end with a
great variety of metre, only the vocal performer
is required to observe the tune and the divi.
*inns of each bar in the adaptation of hes epigram-
matic verse. When one voice is done another suc-
ceeds, Co any amount, according to the inclination
of the company, just as it is described in the note
to one of the porms of amen. There were present,
besides the President above named, Lord Kenyon
and Sir C. Morgan. A Gentleman, mimed Parry,
gave a short historical view of the Congress, from
the seventh century downwards, but it was merely
a statement of the limes of holding them, cud the
authorities under which they had been held.